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35,279,558 | Nyki Taylor, 39, died at the scene when the Vauxhall Astra she was in struck a lamp post on Blackpool Road, Lytham, at about 06:10 GMT on Sunday.
A 27-year-old man from Lytham was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and causing death by driving without due care and consideration.
Lancashire Police is appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Mrs Taylor's family described her as "a loving daughter and sister who was taken from us too suddenly and too soon".
They added: "Words cannot describe our loss, she will be in our hearts forever."
Sgt Rob Gomery, who is leading the investigation, said officers were keen to speak to the driver of a red Audi who may have stopped at the scene. | A motorist has been arrested after his front-seat passenger was killed in a collision in Lancashire. |
35,568,675 | Samantha Parker-Smith said the driver refused to stop after her son left the vehicle ahead of her at the Holy Trinity stop in Clifton on Thursday.
She said her son Marli had "fear in his face" and was screaming.
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) said it was an "unfortunate" incident but drivers are told not to stop for "safety reasons".
Ms Parker-Smith said she was just behind her son when he stepped out on to the platform, but the doors closed in front of her and the tram began to move.
She said: "Everyone was shouting, screaming for the driver to stop because we had left a child behind.
"It was awful... It was a parent's worst nightmare."
The tram continued to the Clifton Centre stop, about half a mile (0.8 km) away, where she disembarked and got a lift back to where she last saw her son.
Marliwas being looked after at the stop.
"All I had kept thinking was that he's going to keep running next to the tram into the road," Ms Parker-Smith said.
The company said: "Our drivers do have to follow accepted safety standards in these circumstances and they should not stop the tram until the next stop.
"As soon as a driver is made aware, our control room is instantly alerted and can monitor the situation at the tram stop via our CCTV system."
However, a spokesman has told the BBC that its no stop procedure could be reviewed in light of recent events.
In September, a three-year-old girl was left stranded at a stop when the doors closed before her parents could get off.
NET apologised but the BBC later discovered that there had been a number of similar incidents. | A six-year-old boy was left chasing a tram after its doors closed and he became separated from his mother. |
27,099,700 | Author Sir Terry Pratchett was among 50 signatories of a letter to the Daily Telegraph saying Britain was a largely "non-religious society".
The PM said the UK should be "more confident" about its Christianity, a view No 10 says he has stated before.
Faith leaders have said they are "very comfortable" with Mr Cameron's views.
The open letter's signatories included author Philip Pullman, performer Tim Minchin, journalist Polly Toynbee, philosopher AC Grayling and presenter Dan Snow.
Its lead signatory was Professor Jim Al-Khalili, president of the British Humanist Association.
The group said it respected the prime minister's right to his own religious beliefs, but said: "We object to his characterisation of Britain as a 'Christian country' and the negative consequences for politics and society that this engenders."
"Apart from in the narrow constitutional sense that we continue to have an established Church, Britain is not a 'Christian country'.
"Constantly to claim otherwise fosters alienation and division in our society," the letter said.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the assertion Britain is a Christian country was "not factually accurate".
He said a YouGov poll found 65% of people questioned described themselves as "not religious", while 29% said they were. He said those people would have come from a range of faiths - not just Christianity.
Mr Tatchell said the evidence shows the is not a Christian country, saying: "We are a multi-faith society, we are also a no-faith society."
His claims come after figures released by the ONS following the 2011 census found that, despite a drop of four million in the number of people who said they were Christians in England and Wales from 2001, 59% of residents still described themselves as Christian.
Christina Rees, a member of the General Synod, the highest governing body of the Church of England, said she was glad Mr Cameron had the "confidence" to talk about his faith and was "absolutely right" to call the UK a "Christian nation".
She said the UK was "historically and culturally" Christian.
Farooq Murad, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said nobody could deny that the UK remains a largely Christian country with "deep historical and structural links" to Christianity.
He said "a sense of the sacred is to be cherished" but added that the UK would be stronger by "recognising and celebrating" people of multiple faiths and of no faith "living in harmony".
Anil Bhanot, managing director of the Hindu Council UK, said he was "very comfortable" with the UK being described as a Christian country.
In an article for the Church Times earlier this month Mr Cameron said Christians should be "confident" in standing up to defend their values.
The prime minister also spoke of his faith in his Easter message, saying he found "peace" in Christianity.
Downing Street spokeswoman referred to a speech made three years ago by the prime minister where he said the UK was a Christian country and should not be afraid to say so.
"He has said on many occasions that he is incredibly proud that Britain is home to many different faith communities, who do so much to make the UK a stronger country."
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said Mr Cameron's comments could be politically "useful", coming as the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has been "emphasising traditional values". | David Cameron risks causing "alienation" in society by saying Britain is a "Christian country", a group of public figures has warned. |
40,632,427 | Average car insurance premiums have gone up by 11% in the past year, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
The typical bill for an annual policy is now £484, it said.
Earlier this month, the ABI said car insurance premiums had already hit a record high in 2016.
The news will put further pressure on the government to change its decision to reduce the so-called discount rate in March this year.
The effect of that was to increase pay-outs to accident victims, but also to raise premiums.
The ABI says the change in the discount rate is the main reason behind the rise, but also blames the latest increase in insurance premium tax which went up from 10% to 12% on 1 June.
But personal injury lawyers have hit back - saying the insurance industry has been quietly reaping profits, while failing to pay proper compensation to those seriously injured in accidents.
The ABI is calling on the government to introduce a new system for calculating compensation payments. The Ministry of Justice has already consulted on a replacement system, but has not yet announced its decision.
"This dramatic increase drives home how important it is the government press ahead with a new framework for the discount rate and call a stop to further hikes in insurance premium tax," said Huw Evans, director general of the ABI.
"Most younger and older drivers are likely to face increases even higher than this, hurting people who can least afford it," he said.
But personal injury lawyers have accused the industry of under-paying accident victims before the rules were changed.
"During this time insurers quietly reaped the financial benefits of not having to pay what they owe to people with life-long, life-changing injuries," said Brett Dixon, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
"Yet the insurance industry has been vociferous in blaming the correction for rising motor premiums. It is scandalous that the blame for the mismanagement of the discount rate is being put at the door of seriously injured people."
The government reduced the discount rate - also known as the Ogden rate - in March this year.
It is designed to compensate insurance companies who pay out lump sums to those who suffer lifelong injuries.
In theory those awarded such sums can earn extra money by investing the money they are given.
As a result, the awards were previously reduced - or discounted - by 2.5%, the amount that victims could earn in interest on government bonds.
But such interest rates - or bond yields - have fallen. In fact once inflation is taken into account, they are now negative - meaning accident victims will actually be losing money in real terms over the long term.
That is why the government reduced the discount rate to -0.75%.
The government's decision to cut the discount rate will also be criticised in the House of Lords on Tuesday.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts has tabled what is called a "motion of regret" - expressing concern that the government did not commission an impact assessment before ordering the changes. | Motorists are being saddled with the fastest year-on-year rise in insurance premiums since records began five years ago, the industry has warned. |
39,796,374 | 4 May 2017 Last updated at 07:41 BST
A team of Microsoft researcher have been helping children who have trouble seeing learn how to code.
Coding usually involves you dragging and dropping blocks of commands together.
This means you can create programs that can move a character around a maze or speed through space.
Children who can't see very well usually have trouble with this part of coding because they have difficulty looking at the blocks of code on a computer.
Now though thanks to a special project called Project Torino they can make code using plastic pods to create programmes. | Some of you have been doing coding in your IT lessons but what do you do if you can't actually see the computer screen? |
32,313,865 | A rights group says asylum seekers there are protesting against a move to transfer some of them to Nauru.
Australia has seen a number of protests among asylum seekers kept in detention centres in recent months.
Rights groups have heavily criticised conditions in such centres.
A Northern Territories police spokesman said they received calls around 1540 local time (0710 BST) about a "disturbance" at Wickham Point Detention Centre. She declined to give further details.
Ben Pynt of the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network told the BBC that he has received calls from dozens of detainees about the protest and apparent cases of self-harm.
He said at least 100 people have been protesting since Tuesday over the impending transfer of a group of about 20 asylum seekers, including babies, back to Nauru.
The group was originally housed in Nauru but were brought to Darwin for medical treatment.
Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?
Australia saw a lengthy protest by asylum seekers at Manus Island in Papua New Guinea in January, where hundreds reportedly went on hunger strike.
In February 2014, that same camp saw deadly riots where at least one asylum seeker was killed and at least 70 were injured.
In October, the Australian government ordered an inquiry into allegations that asylum seekers were abused in the Nauru detention centre.
It reported in March that there were "credible" claims of assault and harassment. | Police in the northern Australian city of Darwin say they attended to a "disturbance" at an asylum seeker centre, amid reports of ongoing detainee protests. |
36,826,367 | The Scottish SPCA said the birds may never be able to fly again after they were found outside its centre in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire on 12 July.
Staff are currently caring for the buzzards, which are believed to have been kept in the cage for "a considerable amount of time."
Taking the birds from the wild to be kept as pets is a criminal offence,
Centre manager, Colin Seddon, said: "The birds were in a filthy condition and, judging by the amount of faeces inside the crate, had been kept in there for a considerable amount of time.
"Sadly, the buzzards are unable to fly due to being kept in cramped conditions and at this stage it's too early for us to say if they will ever be able to fly again.
"It will take a significant amount of work on the part of our wildlife team to get the birds flying if this is possible.
"Then we will have to ensure they are in a suitable condition to fend for themselves in the wild." | Two buzzards in a "filthy condition" have been left in a dog crate outside a Forth Valley animal rescue centre. |
31,519,986 | The group, Action for Community Transformation (ACT), told the BBC the aim of the patrols is to prevent crime and deter anti-social behaviour.
ACT is involved in community work. It has set up groups of residents to walk around their estates, watching for burglars and "suspicious activity".
The groups were filmed on Tuesday night patrolling the Braniel estate.
One of the organisers from ACT, Ian Shanks, said: "There's been several break-ins in the last couple of weeks in the Braniel, but it's increasing all over east Belfast.
"We're not here to be vigilantes or anything. We're just here as concerned residents."
A young man who was filmed taking part said: "We're just out to deter people from doing wrong.
"Hopefully, if people are looking out of their window, the more vulnerable people, that they'll see us out and hopefully it'll give them a bit of peace of mind, because at the end of the day your home is supposed to be your sanctuary."
However, the Police Services of Northern Ireland has asked the group to stop the patrols until the volunteers are formally organised into a "regulated" and "accountable" neighbour watch group.
Supt Darren Jones, who is in charge of operations for Belfast City policing district said officers have recently received reports from the public expressing concerns about groups of individuals patrolling the streets.
"This is actually increasing fear of crime, particularly within vulnerable groups, and it's not having an impact, as far as we know, on actually reducing crime," he said.
The group said it held a meeting in a local church and decided on the action after a 70-year-old man's home was broken into on a Sunday morning.
One of the group told the BBC's Talkback programme: "We're all family men and we're not going to put ourselves in a position where, if we do catch somebody on the street, as angry as it would make you, we're not going to put ourselves in a position where the law is going to come down on us."
Another man said he would make a "citizen's arrest" if he confronted a burglar.
When asked if residents should leave street patrols to the PSNI, another resident said: "We've been out for an hour at the minute and there hasn't been one police patrol, police car about.
"There's only so many cars, so they can't cover everywhere."
A woman taking part in the patrols said: "At the end of the day we need to protect where we live and make sure that people are safe in their homes and feeling safe in their homes."
Another woman said that on an average night they patrol together in groups of three of four, walking up side streets and alleyways, mostly checking on the homes of pensioners to "make sure they're ok".
Supt Jones said officers have already given "some advice to the ACT group" but said that it was on an "ad hoc and informal" basis.
"We're keen to promote volunteering but we need to do it a structured and regulated way, so we can make people accountable for their actions."
"We would rather they didn't do it at this time, until they're properly trained, until they're properly constituted, until they speak to us to allow us to impart advice, and that's not only just to protect them, it's also to protect vulnerable people within the community as well," the officer said.
However, Dr William Mitchell, co-ordinator of the ACT initiative said ACT was already a "legally constituted" group.
He said it was registered as a limited company with Companies House, with a board of directors "made up of civic society".
Dr Mitchell said they had already held a community consultation process and followed the recommendations on the PSNI's website before setting up the neighbourhood patrols. | Police have expressed concern over night-time street patrols by a loyalist community group in east Belfast. |
38,873,433 | Chasing a Bangladesh total of 235-8, Ireland made a solid start as Meg Kendal and Cecelia Joyce shared an opening stand of 56.
Kendal struck seven boundaries in a top score of 54, but the Irish struggled to break the shackles of an impressive Bangladesh bowling unit.
Ireland's first game in the tournament proper is against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe beat Scotland by 95 runs in their warm-up match, while there were also warm-up wins for South Africa over India, Pakistan against Sri Lanka, and Thailand over Papua New Guinea.
There are 10 teams participating in the qualifying tournament, which takes place at several different grounds in the Sri Lankan capital.
Ireland are in Group A alongside competition favourites India, hosts Sri Lanka, Thailand and Zimbabwe.
Four nations will go through to the eight-team World Cup which is being held in England from 24 June to 23 July.
All matches played in Colombo & start at 04:30 GMT. CCC = Colombo Cricket Club; MCA = Mercantile Cricket Association Ground; NCC = Nondescripts Cricket Club. | Ireland lost their Women's World Cup Qualifier warm-up game against Bangladesh by 39 runs in Colombo. |
34,757,054 | Tata Steel announced last month it would shed 900 jobs at its North Lincoln Road plant.
Fans created a "wall of light" by holding up their phones on torch setting just after half time on Saturday.
The club said it "dedicated" the game to steel workers and their families.
Players and coaching staff wore special T-shirts with the slogan 'Save Our Steel' during the warm-up ahead of the clash.
Tony Gosling, a steelworker who faces redundancy and also chairs the club's supporters society, the Iron Trust, said: "The steelworks is intrinsically linked with Scunthorpe and its football club, many of our members and fans will be affected by the proposed job losses.
"We really appreciate the effort the football club are putting in to show solidarity with steelworkers, and are pleased to stand alongside them in urging support to Save Our Steel."
Thousands of people have signed petitions calling on the government to do more to help protect jobs at the plant.
The industry blames cheap Chinese imports for a collapse in steel prices.
Tata has pledged £3m to help create jobs in the town, with another £6m provided by the government. | Scunthorpe United fans held up mobile phones in a show of support for steel workers during the first round of the FA Cup match against Southend. |
40,876,298 | The 28-year-old, who helped Millwall win promotion to the Championship before his summer exit, will join subject to English Football League and Football Association ratification.
Cummings scored three goals in 55 appearances in two seasons at the New Den, with two in 23 coming last term.
He has also played for Chelsea, MK Dons, West Bromwich Albion and Reading.
The Millers lost their opening game of the League One season to Fleetwood Town but won their EFL Cup tie against Lincoln City on Tuesday.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Rotherham United have signed free-agent full-back Shaun Cummings on a one-year deal after a successful trial. |
35,739,925 | Manchester City got back to winning ways with a demolition of woeful Aston Villa, while Bournemouth beat Newcastle to continue their good form.
West Ham came back to beat Everton in a thriller, while Liverpool beat Palace and Swansea deepened Norwich's woes.
But who were the outstanding performers? Here are my selections...
I don't know how West Ham won this game. The Hammers were 2-0 down when Everton were awarded a penalty and that's when the game took a major twist. Romelu Lukaku, who was the man of the match at this point, fails to convert the spot-kick and suddenly Adrian's save galvanises the Hammers into one of the best away performances of the season. To be fair, Everton threw everything at West Ham but it took an inspired performance from Adrian to stop Ross Barkley adding to Everton's tally and Lukaku getting his hat-trick in open play. How Roberto Martinez has the bare-faced cheek to try and blame referee Anthony Taylor for either of Kevin Mirallas' yellow cards beggars belief. Mirallas tried to con the referee by diving in the first instance and then was so reckless in the challenge on Aaron Cresswell he left the official with no choice but to send him off.
It has taken quite some time for Dejan Lovren to come to terms with the demands placed on him by Liverpool since his arrival from Southampton. His performance in Liverpool's 2-1 win against Crystal Palace - particularly with the Reds having gone down to 10 men - was exceptional. Just why it's taken Lovren so long to settle in at Anfield isn't clear but he looks like he's finally starting to come to terms with the expectation. However, I had a big problem with referee Andre Marriner's decision to award Christian Benteke a penalty when Marriner looked unsure. I have no problem with the referee's opinion, I just think we are all entitled for the referee to be sure.
Analysis: Is Klopp a genius, or did he just get lucky?
It doesn't matter how good a gambler you are, there comes a time when your luck runs out. Yet it was Southampton who rode their luck having had Jose Fonte sent off for a rugby tackle on Fabio Borini. The Saints should have been duly punished by a Sunderland side who seemed to have the bit between their teeth. To my amazement, not only did Sunderland fail to capitalise on what should have been a Jermain Defoe winner, they handed Southampton a point when they should have taken all three. The finish by Virgil van Dijk was the sort of goal a striker would have been proud of, never mind a centre-back. The ball flew past Mannone and hit the back of the net like a rocket. Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce played a blinder; it's a pity his defenders couldn't follow suit.
I've always admired full-backs who have the courage and composure to take players on and go for goal given the opportunity. Charlie Daniels is proving to be one of those defenders. He reminds me of former Everton and England left-back Keith Newton, who was also tall and elegant in his game, and seemed to get better with every match. Daniels' finish against a desperate-looking Newcastle was his third goal of the season but his first in open play. However, I'm convinced it will not be his last. Meanwhile, the Newcastle players insist they are behind the manager, but they certainly didn't play like it. I've spoken to many in the professional game who say Steve McClaren is an excellent coach, but right now he needs to be a better manager.
What a lovely goal it was by GylfiSigurdsson. To add insult to injury, it was former Norwich favourite Leroy Fer who provided the killer pass for Sigurdsson to score and put the Canaries deeper in trouble. Swansea should have had a penalty when Timm Klose brought down Andre Ayew but it didn't matter in the end. Alex Neil's problem is his team cannot score goals and that was no better demonstrated than when Nathan Redmond missed a glorious chance to equalise in the dying minutes of the match. It seems the same old story with Norwich, I'm afraid: great club, great support, but the players simply aren't good enough for this division.
There is no doubt about it: Arsenal do have the talent in their team to win the league. The form of Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil has been spasmodic this season, but any one of them can come to Arsenal's rescue when required. Down to 10 men, they all had to dig deep in order to get something against Tottenham, but in the end it took a desperate tackle by Kevin Wimmer to stop Arsenal from taking all three points. Now that would have been embarrassing for Spurs.
Riyad Mahrez has got to be worth £20m of anyone's money. He scored a superb goal and his performance was instrumental in dismantling a dangerous Watford side and putting the Foxes five points clear at the top of the Premier League. Who would have thought it? Whatever the outcome of the title race, Leicester are virtually guaranteed a place in next year's Champions League. While we mull over that, the question I would like to pose is this: can Leicester hang onto the Algerian? His form has been so impressive he must be a major contender for the PFA Player of the Season award.
When David Silva turns up for work he's like John Curry on ice - beautiful to watch. The only problem has been he's not turned up very often this season. This was a game where Manchester City never got out of third gear against a doomed Aston Villa. Silva had the time and space to do what he wanted against a side already re-routing their sat nav to places like Reading and Preston in readiness for next season. The problem I have with City is that they are clearly the best side in the Premier League but they seem perfectly at ease with sacrificing the title for a shot at the Champions League. Someone needs to tell Manuel Pellegrini in his farewell season that City are the fourth-best team in the Champions League behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and there is far less chance of winning that competition than the Premier League. Next year under Pep Guardiola might be a different proposition entirely, but I suspect Silva, Yaya Toure and a host of others with not be there. Perhaps that is focusing their minds.
All of West Ham's fortunes changed within a period of 15 minutes in one of the comebacks of the season. At 2-1 down, the game still looked out of West Ham's reach until Payet delivered a superb cross for Diafra Sakho to finish with a glorious header to make it 2-2. Even then I couldn't see the Hammers winning this fixture, but when you have a player in your side with the ability and composure of Payet anything is possible. His winner was a devastating blow to Everton, who at 2-0 looked unassailable. However, they only had themselves to blame. If you're having to score three goals at home to get a point, I'm not sure you're in the right league.
Joshua King needed some assistance from Newcastle's Steven Taylor to create the opening for Bournemouth's first goal, but the Cherries' second goal was all his own work. When I interviewed Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe at the beginning of the season, I practically scoffed at his insistence that he would continue to play open, attractive football against the top teams. Well, he's not only done that, he's produced players like King who look extremely comfortable in the big league. King and his Bournemouth team-mates destroyed Newcastle at St James' Park and left the Magpies struggling for survival and owner Mike Ashley with a dilemma over what to do with manager Steve McClaren. I have a humble suggestion: hire David Moyes. That way they might stay in the division.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Spurs cannot win the Premier League title. What they can do is produce moments of magic like the goal scored by Harry Kane that should have won the game and proved that they are capable of winning the matches that matter. What really disappoints me is the form of Hugo Lloris, who appears to freeze in the big games. It's happened three times this season against Arsenal away, West Ham in midweek and again against the Gunners at White Hart Lane. If you are going to win titles, you need players who play their best football in the biggest games and don't suffer from moments of stage-fright. It's just as well Spurs have Kane but he can't win the Premier league title on his own. | Leicester moved a step closer to a fairytale title triumph with a gutsy win over Watford, while Spurs and Arsenal both lost ground after a draw. |
38,103,279 | The Blackpool potter, 20, has won five of his 15 matches so far this season and fallen to 92 in the world rankings.
Cahill, who beat Chinese superstar Ding Junhui at the same event in 2014, said his "head was finished with the game".
"If I carry on like this I will pack it in at the end of the season," he said.
"I have had enough. I am practising and don't want to. It is hard work and I don't know what to say. I am just tired of the game."
Cahill said he would not be taking the decision lightly but had been thinking about calling time on his career for a while.
He has earned £11,625 in prize money so far this season and says he is fed up of borrowing money to enter tournaments and struggling to make a living.
He added to BBC Sport: "I am obviously only at the start of my career, but I feel like I have been playing for ages now. I feel like I am going round in the circles and bashing my head against a wall." | James Cahill says he feels like is "bashing his head against a wall" and may give up snooker following his 6-1 loss to Matthew Stevens in the UK Championship first round. |
29,829,763 | Mr Cook made his announcement to try to help people struggling with their identity, he wrote in a Bloomberg Businessweek article.
He has been open about his sexuality, but has also tried to maintain a basic level of privacy until now, he said.
This week Mr Cook challenged his home state of Alabama to ensure the rights of gay and transgender people.
"While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now," he wrote.
"So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," he added.
He said he didn't consider himself an activist, but that he realised he had "benefited from the sacrifice of others."
"So if hearing that the CEO [chief executive] of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy," he added.
Mr Cook said that he had been open about his sexuality with many people, including colleagues at Apple, but that it still "wasn't an easy choice" to publicly announce his sexual orientation.
He quoted civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King, saying: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' "
Analysis
Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC News technology correspondent
Tim Cook's announcement may come as no surprise in Silicon Valley or across corporate America.
But that does not mean that we should underestimate the significance of the leader of the world's most valuable company talking openly about his sexuality.
Back in May, a piece in the New York Times asked "where are the gay chief executives?" and struggled to name any openly gay CEOs at America's 1,000 biggest companies.
Apple under Steve Jobs was not a company that took a stand on any issues which were not seen as relevant to its business.
Tim Cook has been more forthcoming on all sorts of issues, including equal rights for gay workers, and while he says he does not see himself as an activist, that is how many will now see him.
That could embroil him in controversy in the United States, let alone in other parts of the world with less liberal views of sexuality.
Mr Cook admitted that going public as a gay man was not an easy choice - but it certainly looks a courageous one.
This week Mr Cook referred to Martin Luther King in a speech in Alabama in which he called for equal rights for people based on sexual orientation and identity.
He said that Alabama had been too slow to ensure the rights of ethnic minorities in the civil rights era, and was now being too slow to guarantee gay rights.
"Under the law, citizens of Alabama can still be fired based on their sexual orientation," Mr Cook said.
"We can't change the past, but we can learn from it and we can create a different future."
Mr Cook has championed equality at Apple, but in August said he was "not satisfied" with workforce diversity at the company.
Outstanding, a not-for-profit professional network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) executives, said on Thursday that many LGBT people in the UK felt it was "safer to stay in the closet" when at work.
In May a US study by LGBT organisation Human Rights Campaign suggested that 53% of US LGBT employees had not come out at work.
Former BP chief executive Lord Browne, who now chairs fracking company Cuadrilla, said Mr Cook had become a role model.
"By deciding to speak publicly about his sexuality, Tim Cook has become a role model, and will speed up changes in the corporate world," Lord Browne said.
The peer kept his sexual orientation a secret for decades, but was forced to come out after a boyfriend made his sexuality public in 2007.
Lord Browne later resigned after losing a court battle with a newspaper. | Apple chief executive Tim Cook has publicly acknowledged his sexuality, saying that he is "proud to be gay". |
35,797,322 | The rock band were mid-performance on 13 November when four Islamist militants shot and killed 90 fans.
Hughes apologised on Facebook for his comments on Fox News last week about six security guards who were not at work on the night of the attack.
He said he made "absurd accusations".
Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Hughes said he had learned that some guards did not come to work that night and "it seems rather obvious that they had a reason not to show up."
The owners of the Bataclan were quick to dispute this, saying he had made "grave and defamatory accusations".
Their statement said that a judicial investigation was under way and that "we wish to let justice proceed serenely".
"All the testimonies gathered to this day demonstrate the professionalism and courage of the security agents who were on the ground on November 13. Hundreds of people were saved thanks to (these agents') intervention," they added.
Hughes responded on Friday, saying: "I humbly beg forgiveness from the people of France, the staff and security of the Bataclan, my fans, my family, friends and anyone else hurt or offended by the absurd accusations I made in my Fox Business Channel interview."
He said his comments were "unfounded and baseless" and that he had been struggling with dealing with the trauma of the massacre. The raid on the concert was one of seven co-ordinated attacks across Paris, killing 130 people.
"I've been dealing with non-stop nightmares and struggling through therapy to make sense of this tragedy and insanity," he said.
"I haven't been myself since November 13. I realise there's no excuse for my words, but for what it's worth: I am sincerely sorry for having hurt, disrespected or accused anyone."
The Californian rock band escaped the carnage by hiding in a dressing room backstage and later told how they wanted to return to Paris to finish their performance.
They returned to Paris three months later to finish the gig at another venue, the Olympia, after receiving "overwhelming" support.
The Bataclan survivors were all invited and many attended amid tight security. The show included a silence in memory of the victims. | Eagles of Death Metal singer Jesse Hughes has apologised for suggesting some Bataclan theatre security guards may have known in advance about the Paris venue being attacked last year. |
39,727,411 | The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said departmental accounts were not designed for "democratic scrutiny" or being read or used as much as they should be.
Recent reforms to annual reports and accounts could go further, it said.
The MPs said documents should be more informative.
The cross-party committee of MPs considered the published departmental annual reports and accounts, as well as management accounts designed for the use of ministers and officials.
They said in most instances the accounts "appear to be currently failing in their purpose of explaining to the public and parliament the effectiveness of government spending".
"Our vision is that accounts should report on the value for money of government services, the commitments made to Parliament by government, and provide a credible record of expenditure and the balance sheet. Currently we believe that they are only meeting the last requirement."
Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin added: "Financial accountability lies at the heart of parliamentary sovereignty and of democratic government."
The report said the public should be able to identify how much was spent on individual services by a department. It said the cost of a school place or a police officer visit, for example, should be clear.
It also recommended ministers include a statement with their accounts setting out "promises of funding and saving and what was achieved against that". | It should be easier for the public and MPs to assess whether government spending offers value for money, a parliamentary committee has said. |
35,747,694 | Bailey Gwynne died after being stabbed in the heart at Cults Academy last October.
The 16-year-old accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had denied murder.
The jury at the High Court in Aberdeen took an hour and 40 minutes to find him guilty of the lesser charge. Sentence was deferred until 1 April.
Judge Lady Stacey told the accused he would be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh and would be given a custodial sentence.
The youth was also found guilty of two further charges of having a knife and knuckleduster in school.
Following the verdict, it was announced that an independent investigation is to be held into the circumstances that led to Bailey's death.
It emerged during evidence that the teenager had a major loss of blood after suffering a single stab wound during a fight.
He was in a corridor with a group of boys and made a remark about one of them getting fatter after refusing him a second biscuit.
In accounts given by witnesses, the jury heard that Bailey turned round and squared up to the accused after he made a comment about his mother.
They were both said to have thrown punches and two onlookers said Bailey had the accused in a headlock before the knife was pulled out.
A witness said of Bailey's reaction: "I found it really shocking - he's really shy and he's known not to fight back."
The knife which killed Bailey was found later in a rubbish bin at the school.
Det Supt David McLaren, of Police Scotland, said: "The death of Bailey Gwynne has had a massive impact on his family, friends, fellow pupils and staff at Cults Academy. The details of this case have caused shock within the local community and further afield across the whole of the country.
"The investigation into Bailey's death involved officers from the local policing division and from national specialist units. Whilst the circumstances around Bailey being killed are relatively uncomplicated, it is still difficult to comprehend that he died at school at the hands of a fellow school pupil.
"It is the senseless decision to take a knife into a school setting that has undoubtedly led to Bailey's death. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those pupils and teachers who tried their very best to save Bailey's life but as we have heard during the trial, he was beyond saving.
He added: "Those teachers and pupils have shown incredible strength over the last week whilst giving evidence during this trial.
"Finally, I'd like to pay tribute to Bailey's family. Today won't bring their son back, the pain of not having Bailey around will last for a very long time.
"Throughout their ordeal they have conducted themselves with the upmost dignity and are a credit to themselves as a family."
Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, told the jury during his closing speech at the High Court in Aberdeen: "Bailey Gwynne had no chance."
He said: "This was a lethal wound inflicted by a lethal weapon."
Defence counsel Ian Duguid QC said the jury was dealing with a "spontaneous event" which lasted about 30 seconds.
Mr Duguid said the accused had shown "extraordinary stupidity" but suggested Bailey Gwynne had shown "recklessness" in assaulting a fellow pupil.
The trial heard that a laptop used by the killer had revealed an internet search for "how to get rid of someone annoying".
Forensic computer analyst Charles Bruce told the High Court in Aberdeen that "difference between a homicide and a murder" was also searched.
He said an internet address relating to a YouTube video of "14-year-old Bronx student stabs bully to death outside school" was also found.
A joint minute of agreement on the third day of the trial stated that the laptop used by the accused was handed over to police by his father the day after Bailey's death.
Under cross examination by Mr Duguid, Mr Bruce said he did not know what results the searches brought up.
Mr Duguid suggested the "how to get rid of someone annoying" search brought up a page about how to get rid of annoying friends - with responses such as "stop speaking".
Mr Bruce said he had not seen the page.
Aberdeen City Council's director of education Gayle Gorman said: "This has been a devastating incident for the families affected, Cults Academy, its staff and pupils, and for all of us who watched and listened in disbelief, as we became aware of the details behind this tragedy.
"There are no words which can sum up for us, the emotional impact of what happened last year, and it is still hard to make any sense of Bailey's death.
"We should remember that at the heart of this were two children and there can be no greater tragedy than the untimely death of a young person."
Ms Gorman added: "Bailey Gwynne should never have died in this way. He was a 16-year-old boy with his whole life in front of him. We will not forget him.
Following the conclusion of the case, it was announced the principal public agencies would commission an independent review.
The review will be chaired by "an independent expert" who will also help shape the reporting timescale and terms of reference. | A teenager who stabbed a 16-year-old to death in an Aberdeen school has been found guilty of culpable homicide. |
34,163,062 | Regenerus - formerly South Sefton Development Trust - is staging the Ten Years of Another Place event at Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre on Monday.
The exhibition, which runs until 1 November, is one of several events.
The 100 statues should have gone to New York in 2006 but the council allowed them to remain as a tourist attraction.
Regenerus chief executive Cate Murphy said the Another Place exhibition would tell the story of why Antony Gormley - who also created The Angel Of The North - chose Crosby as the location for his artwork, and include many little-known facts about the installation.
It will also feature atmospheric images of the iron men taken by acclaimed Crosby-based photographer Ron Davies.
The naked cast iron statues, which are more than 6ft high (189cm) and weigh 1,400lbs (650kg), are on a two-mile (3.2km) stretch of beach between Waterloo and Blundellsands.
At one time Sefton Council wanted the statues removed due to safety concerns as the coastguard reported people getting cut off by the tide when they visited.
The council changed its mind after some of the ones in a more dangerous location were relocated. | The group that brought Antony Gormley's Iron Men to Crosby beach is to open a special exhibition marking the installation's 10th anniversary. |
34,247,170 | Ashley Broomhall trekked to the summit of 3,560ft (1,085m) Snowdon in Snowdonia before tackling Ben Nevis.
It took him seven hours to walk up and down the 4,406ft (1,344m) Scottish peak near Fort William. On the way up he had a snowball fight with other walkers.
He now plans to walk 3,208ft (978m) Scafell Pike in the Lake District.
Mr Broomhall, from Whitchurch in Shropshire, has been doing the walks to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
He set himself the peaks challenge after his mother was diagnosed with cancer.
The 28-year-old has been a member of Star Wars costuming club the 501st UK Garrison for more than five years.
Members attend events across the UK dressed in "movie-accurate" costumes to raise funds for charity.
But Mr Broomhall had to make some modifications to his outfit to make it move more freely on the ascents and descents of Snowdon and Ben Nevis, which were done this summer.
For safety reasons, he wore walking boots because his costume footwear was not suitable for the terrain involved and was accompanied by friends.
Dressed as an Imperial stormtrooper and carrying a UK Garrison flag, Mr Broomhall said he drew more than his fair share of funny looks tackling Ben Nevis, Scotland highest Munro and Britain's tallest mountain.
He said: "We had been confusing a lot of other climbers along the way as a stormtrooper was the last thing they had been expecting to see climbing Ben Nevis.
"We handed out cards and told them my tale and they offered nothing but the most vocal support."
Mr Broomhall also received donations from other walkers.
Higher up Ben Nevis he had to negotiate thigh-deep snow.
At the first of these snowfields there was some light relief when he and his walking companion had a snowball fight with other walkers.
Mr Broomhall said: "The last snowfield held the summit and, with my heart swelling with pride, I let the flag fly and charged on to the summit.
"We had made it. It was brilliant and I was so happy at making it after all the struggles and rallying needed to get myself there.
"I was greeted by a cheer from the climbers there and planted the flag on the summit itself claiming it for the Empire."
He added: "I love Scotland and I love Munros and this was a challenge that I enjoyed doing.
"Scafell Pike is next. I've done the other two in armour, might as well do the third in it." | A Star Wars fan who walked to the tops of Snowdon and Ben Nevis while dressed as a stormtrooper has now set his sights on England's tallest mountain. |
12,146,425 | The economic and human costs of inaction are simply too great.
Much of the groundwork has been laid, not least research that, for the first time in history, has begun to quantify just how expensive the degradation of nature really is.
A recent United Nations study entitled the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) put the damage done to the natural world by human activity in 2008 at between $2tn (£1.3tn) and $4.5tn - at the lower end, roughly equivalent to the entire annual economic output of the UK.
And in October last year in Nagoya, Japan, almost 200 countries negotiated 20 specific targets with the express aim of "taking effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity".
Among these included massively increasing areas of protected oceans, halving the rate of loss of natural habitats and preventing the extinction of threatened species.
Binding commitments are not due to be signed until February next year, but over the next 12 months momentum will really begin to build upon many of the targets set out in Nagoya.
One of the most important areas will be the development of the reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programme, or REDD, under which forest owners are effectively paid not to cut down trees.
This is seen as one of the key ways in which the essential carbon storage capacity of the world's forests can be preserved.
Much in the same way as with carbon credits, countries will be issued with credits depending on how successful they are in reducing deforestation. They can then sell these credits on to other countries or companies, which can use them to help meet their own emissions targets.
To date, countries have pledged more than $4.5bn to the REDD scheme.
Using its vast North Sea oil riches, Norway alone has pledged $1bn to both Brazil and Indonesia to help them preserve pristine forests.
With cash on the table, "it's amazing how much can be done, and both Brazil and Indonesia are taking [REDD] very seriously and are really moving forward this year," says Pavan Sukdhev, team leader of TEEB.
Many other countries are also embracing the REDD programme to ensure that the current rate of global deforestation, at which an area equivalent in size to the UK is cut down every two years, is drastically reduced.
Another major breakthrough at Nagoya was an agreement on what is called Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), whereby companies share the benefits of discoveries made in developing nations.
For example, a bioprospecting firm that finds a new plant that is then used in pharmaceuticals will have to negotiate with the country in which it made the discovery to share the commercial benefits from the drug.
"This may take the form of a cash payment, or an undertaking to create employment, for example in research and development, in that country," explains Chris Knight, assistant director of forestry and ecosystems at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The precise details of how ABS will work in practice will be negotiated this year.
Not only will this agreement have a major impact on pharmaceuticals companies, but it will help ensure the continued discovery of vital drugs in developing countries that will be more open to foreign companies using their natural resources.
A great deal of work will also begin this year on identifying areas for marine conservation in order to protect fish stocks that in many areas of the world have fallen by more than 90% since the onset of commercial fishing.
At Nagoya, an agreement was negotiated to increase dramatically marine protected zones from 0.5% to 10% of the world's oceans in the next 10 years.
Fishing quotas and restrictions on time at sea have already had a huge impact on fishing communities, not least on the west coast of Scotland, so identifying new protected zones is a highly sensitive issue that will require many months of careful negotiations.
However, research has shown that protected zones are highly effective in re-establishing fish stocks that in many areas are near total collapse.
This year will also see real momentum gathering for the value of nature to be reflected in national accounts.
With trillions of dollars being lost to the global economy each year through the destruction of the Earth's natural resources, the World Bank and individual national accounting bodies are working to find the best way in which this money can be accounted for.
Only then will the true value of the services that nature provides - for example vital pollination for crops by bees and storm protection from mangrove swamps - be identified. Only then can proper mechanisms be put in place to protect these so-called ecosystem services.
India has already announced its intention to incorporate natural capital into its national accounts by 2015, and "others will hopefully agree by the end of the year to a framework [to follow suit]", says Mr Sukhdhev.
Indeed a World Bank-led project hopes to sign up 10 to 12 developing and developed nations this year to pilot the programme.
But there is a huge amount of work to be done before the widespread adoption of accounting for nature, as the actual economic benefits of natural resources the world over need to be calculated.
TEEB has so far completed two case studies focusing on the impact of deforestation on the Chinese construction industry and of the drying up of the Aral Sea on the local cotton industry.
Mr Sukdhev says between 500 and 1000 such case studies are needed before natural capital can begin to be widely incorporated into national accounts.
And there are no short cuts - hard graft by researchers on the ground is the only way to secure this essential information.
"It takes a hell of a lot of effort, and therefore money," explains Mr Sukdhev.
And here is where much effort will be expended over the next 12 months - TEEB hopes to have in place by the end of this year a foundation to raise money to support this research, with the Institute of Chartered Accountants taking a lead.
This laborious and in many cases largely unrecognised work is absolutely vital in helping the world understand the economic value of nature.
And this year is the one in which the foundations for much of this research will be laid, research that will help to hammer home just what a vital role nature plays in the global economy. | The world is waking up to the fact it can no longer sit back while the planet's natural resources, and the species that depend upon them, are systematically destroyed. |
32,067,158 | Children aged five to 16 spend an average of six and a half hours a day in front of a screen compared with around three hours in 1995, according to market research firm Childwise.
Teenaged boys spend the longest, with an average of eight hours.
Eight-year-old girls spend the least - three-and-a-half hours, according to the study.
Screen time is made up of time spent watching TV, playing games consoles, using a mobile, computer or tablet.
The Connected Kids report, compiled by market researcher Childwise, has collated data from 1995 to the present day to create a comprehensive picture of children's media habits.
Each year, its report, which is not available online, surveys around 2,000 children, aged five to 16.
It finds that teenaged girls now spend an average of seven-and-a-half- hours watching screens, compared with 3.5 hours of TV viewing in 1995.
Younger children fare slightly better - in 1995, five to 10-year-olds averaged around two-and-a-half-hours of TV.
Fast-forward to 2014 and screen time has risen to four-and-a-half hours.
Children are also now multi-screening - using more than one device at the same time, for example, watching TV while surfing the internet on a tablet or mobile so some of the screen time will be concurrent.
"The main difference from the 1990s is that then TV and magazines were the main ways for connecting kids to the media and now they have different devices from tablets, mobiles, games consoles and they have a much higher screen time," said research executive Matthew Nevard.
Children's TV viewing habits have changed dramatically, with the majority now watching television via catch-up services and YouTube rather than the traditional TV set, according to the report.
YouTube is the most popular on-demand service with more than half of respondents accessing TV and video via the site since 2013.
Paid-for on-demand services, such as Netflix, have also risen rapidly in recent years and are expected to continue to grow in popularity.
It is not great news for the terrestrial channels - BBC One has seen its audience of seven to 16-year-olds drop from over 80% in 1995 to just over 40% in 2014. ITV's audience follows a similar trajectory.
The transition to digital, coupled with dedicated children's channels, is another reason for the the drop in children's viewing of the main channels with children now watching more content on dedicated channels such as CBBC, CITV, Nickelodeon and Disney.
The study also looks at how the internet has changed the way children engage with information.
"The internet is pivotal to their lives and they are now able to access a wealth of content," said Mr Nevard.
The internet has given children more freedom to explore their own interests rather than being tied into the content offered to them from the TV schedules or magazines.
"They can find the content that they want," he said.
The study describes connectivity as "a fundamental need for young people now".
"Children now don't remember a time before the internet," said Mr Nevard.
Ubiquitous online access is also likely to influence the way children interact with their families and "their willingness to participate in family holidays and trips out", the report finds.
For the last 10 years, Childwise has charted the most popular websites for young people.
YouTube has remained in the top three since 2007 while Facebook has seen its appeal dip in recent years, as children turn to newer services such as Snapchat.
Children enjoy the privacy of WhatsApp and Snapchat, according to the survey, and the use of such services is also changing how they communicate.
"It reflects the image culture which has emerged, where pictures are utilised to give a better representation of current moods and or activities," the survey said.
Google is one of the few sites to remain popular across 10 years of data with sites.
The report also attempts a bit of future-gazing and predicts that in the next 10 years, children growing up will have little understanding of a world without the internet.
The internet of things - where household objects communicate and share data - will be regarded as normal, it suggests.
"Having appliances which cannot be controlled using a smartphone or some kind of online dashboard may be seen as outdated, or at least increasingly rare," the report concludes.
It also thinks that most children will have some form of wearable technology, be it a smart watch, smart glasses or a virtual reality headset. | The amount of time children spend glued to a screen has risen dramatically in the last 20 years, a new report suggests. |
37,525,883 | The bodies of Annie Marie Korkki, 37, and 42-year-old Robin Marie Korkki were found by hotel staff last week in their luxury villa at the tropical resort.
Post-mortem examinations have determined the Minnesota natives died from "acute pulmonary edema".
Cerebral edema, or fluid on the brain, was also cited in Anne Korkki's death.
The police report said no "no visible signs of injuries" were found, adding that the investigation continues and toxicology tests are pending.
The sisters were discovered on 22 September by a hotel employee who tried to wake them at the $2,000-a-night Maia resort on Mahe, the Seychelles' main island, the hotel said.
Dr Patrick Lank, a Northwestern Medicine assistant professor of emergency medicine in Chicago, said edemas are commonly seen in drug overdoses.
But fluid on the lungs can also be caused by viral infections or by living at altitude, though the Seychelles is not situated at elevation.
"Two people at the same time is odd," Dr Lank told Associated Press. "It suggests more of a toxicologic or environmental cause, or a potential infection if they're travelling together."
Both sisters worked in banking. The LinkedIn account of Robin Korkki, who lived in Chicago, Illinois, lists her as a commodities trader.
Her younger sister, who was based in Denver, Colorado, worked at JPMorgan Chase, according to her Facebook page.
The day before their bodies were discovered, the pair had been drinking at the resort and had to be helped to their rooms by staff at 20:15, according to local media.
The women's brother, Chris Korkki, of Lakeville, Minnesota, told CBS station WCCO-TV his sisters were outgoing, generous, kind and "lived life to the fullest".
An itinerary found at the hotel indicated the sisters had been touring Africa since 1 September.
Before arriving in Seychelles on 16 September they had toured Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. | Two US sisters discovered dead while on holiday in the Seychelles died of excess fluid in their lungs, according to police on the Indian Ocean resort. |
37,685,842 | The video streaming company added 3.2 million international customers in the last three months, far more than the 2 million analysts had predicted.
In the US numbers rose by 370,000, as hit shows such as Stranger Things and Narcos won over more subscribers.
It helped quarterly revenues rise 31% to $2.29bn (£1.88bn), sparking a 20% jump in Netflix's share price.
In the three months to the end of September Netflix had about 83.3 million subscribers.
The company said on Monday that it plans to license content to existing online service providers in China rather than operate its own service in China in the near term.
Netflix has been expanding in international markets to counter slowing growth in the US. The service has a strong presence in more than 130 markets worldwide, except China.
Concern that Netflix's growth was slowing had overshadowed the company. Its shares had fallen about 13% this year.
But in after-hours trading on Wall Street the shares jumped 20% to about $119.
Analysts said that the figures should dispel fears that Netflix was running out of momentum, at least in the short term.
Neil Saunders, chief executive of retail consultants Conlumino, said: "We maintain our view that over the next few years international expansion will pay dividends, but for the current cycle Netflix will be very reliant on domestic performance to ensure it ends the fiscal year on a high note." | Netflix has shaken off growth worries with new subscriber numbers that beat estimates and sent its shares soaring. |
38,443,045 | Ross Cowling, from Luton, was hit by a Land Rover Defender as he walked through Flitwick, Bedfordshire, on Christmas Eve.
The 37-year-old, who had two daughters, aged 10 and eight, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bedfordshire Police has appealed for witnesses to the crash in Maulden Road at 17:35 GMT.
In a statement, Mr Cowling's family said: "Ross was a loving father, brother, uncle and son and we are all absolutely devastated.
"He had been on his way home to spend Christmas with his family.
"We are all heartbroken." | A father-of-two was on his way home for Christmas when he was hit and killed in a crash, his family has said. |
37,727,458 | Adherents of the Carthusian order avoid contact with the outside world, the better to focus on contemplation and prayer.
But this other-worldly setting is the birthplace of a very worldly product, Chartreuse - a strong alcoholic liqueur made from a recipe said to have been given to the Carthusians in 1605.
The monks of Grande Chartreuse are not alone in these sorts of endeavours.
Religious orders have long produced alcohol (think beer from Trappist monks or tonic wine from Buckfast Abbey) for economic and medicinal reasons.
And some of these products have never been so popular. In an era when the provenance of food and drink is increasingly important, a drink with such distinctive roots carries a certain prestige.
The Chartreuse brand sold 1.5 million bottles worldwide in 2015, selling for about €50 (£44) a bottle, and with all profits going to support the order and its charity projects.
Chartreuse is made from 130 plants, herbs and flowers. But the recipe is tightly controlled, with most of the monks kept in the dark about the exact ingredients and the ageing process of the drink.
Just three monks make the plant mixture, which is delivered to the distillery in plain packaging so the ingredients cannot be identified by employees from outside the monastery who help with production.
Monastery guide Mathilde Perrin says that outsiders "know really very little about the production". Since the operation is owned by the monks, they "do what they want and they're not obliged to tell anyone what they're doing," she says.
Based at Voiron, a village near Grenoble, the distillery is about 15 miles from the monastery at Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse.
The first distillery, built in 1840, was at the monastery itself. But as production expanded, the noise and commotion disturbed the monks' contemplative way of life.
The operation moved to several sites over subsequent decades, and will move again in 2018.
Due to the amount of alcohol vapour, the distillery was deemed a safety hazard, and so will relocate to a more remote site.
"The government calculated that if something exploded, we would be capable of blowing up all of Voiron," says Ms Perrin.
Although a handful of people work at the distillery, the monks control the operation remotely from the monastery, using computers to adjust temperatures during production and even shut down the process if necessary.
You'll also find a mixture of old and the new technology at Andechs Abbey, south-west of Munich, where Benedictine monks have brewed their namesake beer since 1455.
Under Benedict's doctrine, followers are encouraged to complete tasks in a slow and steady manner. Saint Benedict didn't have anything to say about producing beer - but his doctrine makes an ideal approach to brewing.
"You can't make things happen faster while brewing or living as a monk," says Mr Martin Glaab, head of public relations. "We are convinced that the monastic beer tradition needs time to create a high quality product."
Service to others is another important tenet of the Benedictine tradition, including hosting pilgrims. As more religious travellers arrived, the monks needed to provide for them, which Mr Glaab calls "the very origin of the Andechs brewing tradition".
The monastery now receives a million visitors each year.
With 100,000 hectolitres of beer sold each year, a pint of Andechs pale ale retails for €4 at the monastery restaurant. As at Chartreuse, profits at Andechs support the order and charitable work.
What's behind the increasing popularity of such drinks?
Beth Bloom, a food and drink analyst at global market research group Mintel, says it's about consumers' growing interest in the origins of food and drink, and suspicion of industrialised production processes.
She says: "One of the things that would resonate with these monastic drinks is their source - their makers. There is this interest in craft, and artisan, and where [the product] is coming from; techniques that have gone into it.
"A desire for a more authentic experience comes into play here," she says. "Beer being brewed in a monastery with years and years of heritage probably really resonates and appears as a specialty product. That is something consumers would like to take part in."
Some religious orders have even moved beyond alcohol, to what might be called more modern products.
On a farm in Merced, California, nuns from the Sisters of the Valley, show their devotion to healing through medicinal products made from their own marijuana crop.
Sister Kate Meeusen founded the non-aligned religious order in 2015. While dressed in Catholic habits, the group's spiritual practices are derived from what they call "ancient wisdom".
"We ask ourselves, 'what would our ancient mothers do?' when we have dilemmas or decisions to make. That's our guiding principle," explains Ms Meeusen.
The group's beliefs form the core of their business practices. Production follows the lunar cycle. The women pray and meditate while preparing the recipes in the abbey kitchen.
The end results are not intoxicating, however, as they are made from cannabidiol (CBD). Since the compound contains no psychoactive properties, products are classified as hemp, legal for sale and export internationally.
Ranging from $85 (£65) to $95 (£73) per item, customers can purchase their CBD oil, salve, or tincture online. In 2015, the turnover was $60,000 (£46,278), with profits paying for salaries and the farm's upkeep.
Given the source product used, there were attempts by local authorities to get the nuns to move operations elsewhere, something that Ms Meeusen has resisted "head on", she says.
The operation may not yet have the history or cultural significance of a Trappist beer from Belgium - but it has devoted supporters.
Javier Sanchez, a user of CBD oil and tincture for health problems, says: "There are a lot of things in this world that could offend you, but I don't think this is one to be offended about." | Nestled high in France's Chartreuse Mountains, the Grande Chartreuse monastery is home to a cloister of Catholic monks. |
37,731,362 | Michael Freshwater, 49, was found stabbed to death at a property in Westridge Road on 29 April.
Two men, aged 23 and 21, from London, and a 17-year-old boy from Kent, were arrested on suspicion of murder.
Hampshire Constabulary said, after submitting a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, it was told "no further action should be taken".
A spokeswoman said: "This is a complex case and although we are still appealing for information, we are not looking for anyone else."
A reward of £10,000 from the Crimestoppers charity, for information that leads to the successful conviction of anyone responsible for Mr Freshwater's death, remains on offer.
More than a dozen people have been arrested in connection with the investigation.
Hampshire Constabulary said it was believed there was a dispute at the property. | Three people arrested over the fatal stabbing of a man in Southampton will face no further action. |
40,960,583 | Georgina Callander was among 22 people killed when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb following an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May.
Her mum Lesley said the 18-year-old had been awarded an unconditional place at Edge Hill University in Lancashire.
Georgina was interested in paediatrics from the age of 11, she said.
The student, from Chorley, was in her second year of studying health and social care at Runshaw College in Leyland and had recently passed her driving test when she was killed.
Speaking as students across the country received their exam results, her mother Lesley said: "It made her very happy - the thought that she was off to uni to do what she loved.
"She was so excited about it because she'd wanted to do that since she was about 11.
"It is obviously sad for us because we were so excited for her when she got the news that she was off to uni, but we are just so proud of what she achieved." | A student who died in the Manchester Arena attack had won a place at university to study paediatrics, her mother has said. |
38,729,942 | Inaccurate and delayed bills were given to business customers after the provider put in a new £40m computer system in 2014, Ofgem said.
The penalty will be paid as compensation and in a charity payment.
British Gas Business apologised and said good quality customer service had been restored.
Regulator Ofgem said that tens of thousands of customers were left with inaccurate and delayed bills after the new IT billing system was introduced.
More than 6,000 new business customers had difficulty in registering with the supplier. There were insufficient staff in place to deal with complaints, Ofgem added.
British Gas initially compensated some customers and itself reported the problems to the regulator.
It has since hired 350 extra staff to handle the backlog of complaints, and will now pay £9.5m in compensation to micro-business customers (which it will contact directly) and payments to the Money Advice Trust, which runs the National Debtline.
Dermot Nolan, Ofgem chief executive, said: "Ofgem welcomes suppliers investing in new systems and recognises that this can be challenging. However, the £9.5m payment also sends a strong reminder to all energy companies that they must treat consumers fairly at all times, including while new systems are put in place."
Gab Barbaro, managing director of British Gas Business, said: "We invested in a new billing system so we could improve the service we provide to our business customers.
"At the time, this was a major undertaking - merging nearly 100 different systems into one. It didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked so we reported this to Ofgem as a priority.
"We have restored a very good quality of customer service, and more and more of our customers are going online to use the new billing system. I'd like to apologise to our business customers for any inconvenience caused when we were implementing the system."
The penalty is smaller than some handed out by Ofgem, such as a £26m fine given to Npower in December 2015 for billing and complaints issues, and an £18m penalty given to Scottish Power in April following IT problems. | British Gas Business will pay a penalty of £9.5m after its customers suffered billing and complaints issues, the energy regulator has said. |
40,943,863 | Everton have agreed a club-record £45m deal to take the Iceland midfielder to Goodison Park from the Liberty Stadium.
The 27-year-old will have a medical in Liverpool on Wednesday.
"To lose that creativity, there isn't a player like that at Swansea at the moment," said Walsh on BBC Radio Wales Sport. "How much does it cost to replace a player like that?"
And Walsh added: "In my personal opinion, I think Gylfi Sigurdsson is irreplaceable."
The Iceland international scored nine goals and contributed 13 assists last season to help Swansea avoid relegation from the Premier League.
His 34 goals are the most scored by any Swansea player in the Premier League, and is also their leading creative influence with 29 assists.
The £45m fee is £5m less than the Swans wanted for Sigurdsson.
Swansea have been linked with their former midfielder Joe Allen from Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion's Nacer Chadli as potential replacements.
They have also shown an interest in striker Wilfried Bony, with last season's top scorer Fernando Llorente recovering from a broken arm and set to miss Saturday home game against Manchester United.
"Swansea have got a lot of hard work now, [Swansea manager] Paul Clement has got to have two or three players in the pipeline ready to go," added Walsh.
"They've got the money now, but they have to use it wisely.
"Joe Allen is talent but his price has gone up about £10m after his performances for Stoke last season.
"They need to strengthen up top because you don't know what Llorente is going to be doing. They need players in two or three different positions."
Former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright believes Sigurdsson is the best player in the Premier League outside the top five clubs.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, he said the transfer was bad news for the Welsh club.
"It's fantastic for Everton, but a disaster for Swansea City," he said. | Gylfi Sigurdsson is "irreplaceable" for Swansea City, according to former Swans and Wales striker Ian Walsh. |
36,304,458 | Hamill met Jamie Harkin, 17, who is in remission from Hodgkins Lymphoma but now has severe chronic health problems, at a hotel in County Donegal.
The Luke Skywalker actor also met Ciaran Murphy, two, who has leukaemia.
The Hollywood star was in County Donegal to film scenes for the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise.
On Sunday, he and co-star Daisy Ridley visited pubs near Malin Head.
Filming has now finished in County Donegal and the cast have moved on to County Cork, but Hamill found time to meet with Jamie, Ciaran and their families before leaving.
Jamie told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra that he was "still in shock" from the meeting.
"It's been a dream for me to meet Mark Hamill ever since I first saw the Star Wars films more than 10 years ago.
"To actually meet him and sit down and chat with him for over an hour - it was absolutely incredible."
Jamie said that the actor spoke to him about his diagnosis and that he had read about it on a Facebook page that details his journey.
"He just said that after he read through everything we'd done over the past year, with Jamie's journey, that to him I am his hero.
"But what he said, I would rather keep as a personal thing."
The meeting was organised by Jamie's mother, Patricia.
She set up a social media campaign to try to get the star to get in touch.
"I wasn't starstruck, to be honest, because when Mark came in he just put everyone completely at ease," she said.
"It was just unbelievable that a man of his magnitude could just come in and sit down, almost like a father figure.
"Jamie couldn't speak for about 15 minutes and Ciaran's older brother Caolan couldn't speak for the entire hour."
She said that the family were told on Saturday that the Star Wars actor wanted to meet Jamie.
"When his assistant rang me, I just burst out crying.
"I really knew it was going to happen and when I met Mark today, he's just such a humble, genuine, caring man."
Sinead Barr, the mother of Ciaran Murphy, said it was "a fantastic experience".
"He was very approachable, he sat and talked as if we had been friends all our lives.
"He chatted about the film, about his other passions. He spoke to us as parents of children who are fighting.
"He spoke to Jamie specifically around what an amazing young person he is, which is true - he's a fantastic young man and an inspiration to so many." | Star Wars actor Mark Hamill has taken time out of his filming schedule to meet a seriously-ill teenager from Londonderry. |
36,873,439 | The UK's new foreign secretary had hardly finished a tour of his King Charles Street office before he was forced to deal with the attempted coup in Turkey.
He has hosted two conferences in London on the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
He has toured the diplomatic capitals of Brussels, Washington and New York, shaking hands with a flurry of fellow foreign ministers whose names he will now struggle to recall.
He has spoken and voted in the United Nations Security Council. He has been savaged by US journalists before the world's cameras, accused of being a liar who had insulted a woman who might just be the next president.
Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to defend his appointment both on the floor of the House of Commons and at a press conference with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.
On the day of the Republican convention, he was asked by one TV journalist if he was Britain's Donald Trump, a question that was as tonsorial as it was political.
A soft landing it wasn't.
When his appointment was announced, some in the Foreign Office were horrified.
One official who was asked for his reaction by a reporter at the Financial Times replied: "Just imagine being told that Piers Morgan had been made the editor of the FT."
But having spent a few days following Mr Johnson around Washington and New York, I can report that some diplomats are reassessing their view of their new boss.
They have woken up to the fact that Mr Johnson attracts attention, both from the media and other politicians. They have a minister who has what one called "rock star status".
They note the contrast between the foreign secretary and his predecessor, Philip Hammond.
One source told me Mr Johnson was a risk-taking James Hunt to Mr Hammond's more cautious Niki Lauda. Mr Hammond was known for his mastery of the detail, something that the Americans valued, particularly in their talks over the Iranian nuclear deal.
But Mr Hammond was not flamboyant, nor was he hugely visible. That cannot be said of his successor.
At the anti-Islamic State conference in Washington, Mr Johnson was a man people wanted to meet.
Diplomats and officials took pictures and selfies with him. Other foreign ministers sought him out, apart from his German counterpart - Herr Steinmeier - whose handshake was so curt as to be almost discourteous.
So this notoriety - in every sense of the word - has prompted a rethink among some in the FCO.
The foreign secretary spent much of the week looking rather like an old Labrador who has just flushed out a pheasant for the first time and is rather pleased with his unexpected success.
In contrast, his officials looked like children with a new bicycle that they can't wait to take out for a ride but are worried they might crash.
Some had feared that from now on most of the Foreign Office's bandwidth would be taken up with Brexit. But with an activist and attention-seeking foreign secretary, they hope there is new diplomacy to be done as well.
The big question is what?
Mr Johnson is telling everyone who will listen that Britain wants to play a more proactive role in the world. Part of this is designed to convince people that Brexit doesn't mean isolation.
But it cannot just mean Mr Johnson rushing round the world flying the flag. So the hunt is now on for new things for Britain to do in the world.
Diplomats have been asked to dust off imaginative ideas that were shelved in the past and send them into London.
We caught an early glimpse of some of these ideas in Washington.
Mr Johnson called for more to be done to gather evidence of war crimes as allied forces take territory off the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
He also tried to get the Americans and others to start thinking more about how to stop IS extremists dispersing around the world once their stronghold in Mosul is captured.
To the disappointment of some US diplomats, this new pro-activism is unlikely to involve the deployment of more UK forces against IS.
Britain does not really have the military hardware to increase its bombing in Syria or Iraq. Nor is there enough political will to start bombing IS in new countries like Libya.
And the deployment of special forces, because it is never acknowledged by the UK government, cannot be used to illustrate a new, expansionist foreign policy.
But the expectation is that by the UN general assembly meeting in the autumn, the UK will have four or five plans or initiatives to show the world that it is not just focused on Brexit.
Now this Foreign Office enthusiasm for their new charge is tempered by some realism.
They know that Mr Johnson does not have unlimited political support in Downing Street. He is not part of Mrs May's inner circle.
She and her advisers may tire if Mr Johnson claims more media attention than they would like. Mr Johnson is always just one interview away from a gaffe.
Thus far he has been uncharacteristically disciplined and stuck rigidly to the FCO script, much to their admiration and his relief. But even he would admit that that cannot last for ever.
Mr Johnson could also fall out with his fellow Brexiteers, David Davis and Liam Fox, over Britain's future relationship with the EU.
The foreign secretary told me he had "absolutely no doubt that a balance can be struck" between access to the single market and free movement of labour.
Messrs Fox and Davis, in contrast, say free movement should not play any part in the Brexit negotiations. And there is always a risk that Mr Johnson fails to meet the expectations he has raised by promising what he calls "more Britain" on the world stage.
But that is for the future.
For now diplomats have a foreign secretary whose polymathic brain and linguistic skills they respect.
They note that that their allies appear more worried about Brexit than Mr Johnson's journalistic baggage. And they all seem to be having fun.
As the foreign secretary told UN reporters: "I have hugely enjoyed my first week as a diplomat."
During the Conservative leadership race, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson told an off-colour joke about how the party "had just withdrawn its massive Johnson" from the contest.
In fact, he is being deployed around the world and it could be quite a ride. | Boris Johnson has had an extraordinary first week in office. |
38,384,369 | But negotiations with parent clubs over five players who are at Rugby Park on loan could alter his plans.
Kilmarnock presently have two fit central defenders, but two should return for their Scottish Cup fourth-round tie following the winter break.
"In January, we expect Miles Addison and Scott Boyd to be available for the Hamilton cup tie," said Clark.
"We are looking at one or two things, we've already been looking at certain positions and that hasn't changed our mindset.
"If we were to get some kind of setback with those lads' injuries, we might have to reconsider that."
The Scottish Premiership club also have six players who could potentially return to their parent clubs at the end of their loan spells.
Clark signed 17 players, including nine on loan, in a major overhaul of his squad this summer.
Burnley midfielder George Green was the latest to return to his parent club.
The former Everton 20-year-old followed the path of Swansea City goalkeeper Oliver Davies and Stoke City defender Mark Waddington after only four appearances for Kilmarnock.
However, defender William Boyle and striker Florent Bojaj both remain on loan until January from Huddersfield Town, along with Luke Hendrie from Burnley and fellow midfielder Charlee Adams from Birmingham City.
Defender Jonathan Burn is another who is presently sidelined and unlikely to be fit again until after his loan deal with Middlesbrough expires at the start of January.
As well as being injured, there is uncertainty over Boyd's future at Kilmarnock because the terms of his season-long loan from Ross County mean their Premiership rivals have the option of recalling the 30-year-old next month.
"We are not in total control of their destiny," Clark said of the six loan players.
"Even if we want them to stay, it is whether their parent club wants them to stay and whether they want to stay."
Clark had previously stressed that there would be no repeat of the summer overhaul of his squad during the January transfer window.
"Continuity is a big thing," he said when asked if he would like to extend the players' loans.
"The lads have grown into playing for the club, they've grown into the group and progressively we've improved over the course of the first half of the season and all those lads have made a contribution." | Injuries to central defenders have not yet forced Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark to change his January signing targets. |
33,238,813 | As relations between the two countries begin to thaw, the delegation met representatives of 13 Iranian universities and research institutes.
The symbolic visit revives what were once strong academic links. Before the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iran was the biggest source of overseas students in the US.
There are now about 11,000 Iranian students in the US - compared with 270,000 from China - and it is believed that there are no students at all from US universities on exchanges to Iran.
And there are still no formal diplomatic relations between the two countries, after decades of hostility and suspicion.
The university delegation was headed by Allan Goodman, president of the Institute of International Education, a New York-based organisation that supports US international education exchanges.
Prof Goodman, speaking on his return, said that the US delegation had come away with a strong sense of the Iranians wanting more engagement with the West. And he said this had been helped by a legacy of links in previous generations between Iranian students and the US.
It has been reported that the current Iranian cabinet has more holders of PhDs from US universities than any other government in the world, including the US. This includes Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who studied at San Francisco State University and the University of Denver.
The delegation, visiting universities including Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan, had received an "extremely warm" reception from Iranian students, said Prof Goodman.
"There were deep reservoirs of affection for the US higher education system," he said.
More stories from the BBC's Knowledge economy series looking at education from a global perspective and how to get in touch
This ground-breaking visit had representatives from five invited universities and colleges, along with officials from the Institute of International Education.
Prof Goodman said that the next likely step would be a reciprocal visit by Iranian academics to US universities. There would also be a report published next month with ideas for wider co-operation and partnerships.
He forecast that the numbers of Iranian students recruited by US universities was also likely to increase.
The decision for the US representatives to travel to Iran reflected the more outward-looking stance being taken President Hassan Rouhani, said Prof Goodman. The Iranian president has a PhD from Glasgow Caledonian University in the UK.
The Iranian coverage of the visit also noted the re-opening of doors.
The official Iranian news agency reported that the chancellor of the University of Tehran had told the US delegation that his university had once had links with "many American universities and is ready for resuming such ties once again".
Tehran University's website reported that the two sides had emphasised the "necessity of expanding academic collaboration" between the Iranian university and universities in the US.
The meetings took place against the background of continuing international negotiations about Iran's nuclear programme, with a deadline set for their completion by the end of June.
Prof Goodman, a former executive dean of the school of foreign service at Georgetown University, described the university links as "educational diplomacy".
He said the university sector could lead such bridge-building initiatives between countries "often before full diplomatic relations have been restored".
There had been similar processes with universities making links with China and Vietnam, he said. And similar steps were likely with Cuba.
He said there were parallels with the so-called "panda diplomacy" when China was trying to make connections with other countries.
The gift of a panda to another country had become an unofficial diplomatic gesture, a signal of friendship without the formal signing of treaties.
And it was now the higher education sector that provides such an opening.
"The thawing in relationships, the normalisation, begins in the universities," said Prof Goodman.
In June last year, restrictions were lifted on online courses to Iran. The California-based Coursera online university network was able to provide courses for students in Iran, which had previously been blocked by US sanctions.
The prospect of closer academic links has had its critics.
After the University of Massachusetts Amherst reversed a ban this year on allowing Iranian students to take some advanced engineering and science subjects, David Vitter warned of a security risk.
"We currently have strict sanctions on Iran because of their nuclear threat - so training Iranians in the nuclear field at taxpayer funded US colleges doesn't add up," said the Republican senator for Louisiana.
Within Iran, universities have been caught up in a power struggle between moderate and hard-line elements.
Last month, more than 700 Iranian professors wrote an open letter warning that pressure from ultra-conservative religious groups, which had caused the cancellation of lectures and cultural events, was threatening academic freedom.
The academics said they needed "sufficient independence to make decisions and sufficient security to think freely".
A member of parliament had also been violently prevented from speaking to students at the University of Shiraz.
Prof Goodman said his visit had made him "look behind the headlines" and left him optimistic about the direction of travel towards greater co-operation with the West.
There was "enormous goodwill toward the United States" in terms of higher education and a desire to "join the community of nations", he added.
Prof Goodman said the bridge-building efforts needed to look forward.
"We need to avoid the tendency to keep looking in the rear-view mirror," he said. | A group of senior United States university representatives has visited Iran, in what is believed to be the biggest academic delegation since the 1970s. |
36,843,846 | The incident happened in the city's Golf Road at about 06:00 on Wednesday.
The victims was later said to be in a stable condition.
Police Scotland =said a 42-year-old man had been charged in connection with the incident and he was due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. | A man has been charged after a 44-year-old man was taken to hospital following a serious assault in Aberdeen. |
39,895,079 | Founder Devi Sohanta said it has the potential to "change how we live" and be in "every home".
Connective Touch locks use biometrics, which recognise characteristics such as irises or faces, not keys or fobs.
Ms Sohanta has created a social enterprise, allowing people with learning disabilities and the long-term unemployed to manufacture them.
A factory has been set up in Ebbw Vale and she wants to build the industry up "from round zero" in the area, teaching schoolchildren skills to further develop the technology.
It can be used in buildings ranging from sheltered accommodation to hospitals, while Ms Sohanta is looking at potential uses in homes, such as on cupboards to stop children opening them.
"In the 1980s, the manufacturer of Amstrad said they wanted a computer in every home," she said.
"That happened, and I want this to have a similar impact."
She had the idea after working with vulnerable groups, seeing the need to better control who accessed buildings such as women's refuges.
While biometrics is not a new field, research and development was difficult as Ms Sohanta found there was little university education on applying it to products.
She also found many security system installers, suppliers and distributors did not know enough about it.
In 2013, she contacted Community Lives, an organisation helping people with learning difficulties in Swansea.
The group's Rick Wilson said he was "captivated by her vision" and the system was installed, as a trial, in homes of people who struggled with keys.
Social enterprise the Alpha Trust then helped set up The Assemblers - teaching 22 people with learning disabilities how to manufacture the product.
In September 2016, it was installed in 18 Newydd Housing Association properties in Pontypridd.
Ms Sohanta will now take on 20 people in Ebbw Vale over the next year and work with local businesses in manufacturing, distributing and installing the product.
"I wondered why biometrics couldn't be as simple for people to use everyday?" she said.
"I want it (the product) to support people in a disadvantaged area under a charitable trust, helping those who have not worked for a long time."
Since 2010, Ms Sohanta has invested £360,000 creating the technology so it is easily assembled.
"Some may think its scary and James Bondy but it's the safest form of security, as nobody can steal your fingerprint," she added.
Blaenau Gwent council's BG Effect facilitation project helped her set-up and lead officer Moe Forouzan said it is "always keen to support an innovative technology business specialising in biometrics". | A hub for developing technology which allows fingerprints to secure property could be set up in Blaenau Gwent. |
30,932,357 | The assembly bought the 19th century property in east Belfast to provide extra office accommodation.
However, it was later deemed unfit for that purpose and was costing an estimated £400 a day to secure and maintain.
The grade B listed building is understood to have been bought by a local businessman.
It was previously owned by the shipbuilder Sir Edward Harland, who lived there until 1887.
It was then acquired by his business partner William Pirrie, who later became the chairman of Harland & Wolff.
Shortly after Lord Pirrie's death in 1924, Harland and Wolff came into sole ownership of the property, selling it in 1928 to Campbell College, which held it until the mid-1970s.
In 2001, the assembly bought it from the Police Authority, the predecessor of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. | The Northern Ireland Assembly has sold Ormiston House for just over £1.5m, a building it bought for £9m in 2001. |
38,509,093 | The showing of T2 Trainspotting will be held on Sunday 22 January at the Cineworld in Fountain Park.
The film reunites McGregor with director Danny Boyle and original cast members Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller and Ewen Bremner.
They are all expected to attend the premiere.
T2 Trainspotting comes 21 years after the original film, which followed a group of heroin addicts and explored urban poverty in Edinburgh. It was based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh.
The sequel is based on Welsh's book Porno.
The trailer for the sequel was released in November and opened with McGregor's character Mark Renton returning to Edinburgh to see his friends again.
Over the strains of Underworld's hit Born Slippy, which featured prominently in the 1996 film, Renton revives his bitter "choose life" motto but with modern references: "Choose Facebook, choose Twitter, choose Instagram and hope that someone, somewhere, cares."
He also refers to choosing reality TV, "slut-shaming", revenge porn and zero-hour contracts before saying: "Choose to smother the pain with an unknown dose of an unknown drug."
Renton's narration ends with: "You're an addict, so be addicted, just be addicted to something else. Choose the ones you love, choose your future, choose life."
The cast and crew from the new movie were seen filming at various locations across Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland last year.
In July, McGregor and Bremner were seen sprinting out of a shop on Princes Street, with Oscar-winner Boyle directing the pair as they recreated the famous opening sequence from the first movie.
T2 Trainspotting will be released in UK cinemas on 27 January. | Ewan McGregor is to return to Edinburgh for the world premiere of the Trainspotting sequel, 21 years after the original film made him a star. |
35,263,593 | Actor James Nesbitt admits to being "as surprised as anyone else" when he was asked to co-host Fifa's Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday.
The football association announced in December that the Coleraine actor will co-host the event.
He was joined by Sky Sports News presenter Kate Abdo.
Speaking in an interview broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster's Sunday News programme, Nesbitt was clearly relishing the chance to present the award.
"I keep thinking I'm going to go out there and they'll say 'Oh no, we didn't mean you!'.
"But I am a huge fan and this is an opportunity for the best footballers of the world to be gathered together, to celebrate them and the purity of football, which is why so many of us are enthralled by it."
The Manchester United and Northern Ireland supporter described what manager Michael O'Neill has done for his home side as "astonishing".
"There's a feel-good factor at home with Northern Ireland going through [to the UEFA Euro 2016].
"Michael is someone who brings people together and that is something that will be reflected in the level of support this year and the sense of community and brotherhood that there'll be in France."
Nesbitt recently returned to his native Northern Ireland to film a new three-part drama about the real-life double murder carried out by Ballymoney dentist Colin Howell and his lover Hazel Stewart.
He will portray Howell in the ITV series The Secret, alongside Genevieve O'Reilly who will play Stewart.
He admitted it "wasn't an easy shoot", but that "it was something with a very good pedigree of people attached to it".
He added: "It was based on a book by Deric Henderson, a very respected journalist and former head of the Press Association in Northern Ireland.
"It was a drama that we treated with - I hope - great sensitivity.
"There are still a lot of people who are still affected by that story."
Nesbitt will also be reprising his role as Adam in the comedy-drama series Cold Feet, to be broadcast on ITV next year.
Although older, the character is not necessarily wiser.
"There's still an element of 'eejitry' about him from what I can tell," he said.
Laughing off the suggestion that his own character might be of a similar nature, he added: "No, no no, I'm the Chancellor of the University of Ulster - please remember that."
In December, Nesbitt received an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to drama and the community in Northern Ireland.
Aside from his acting achievements, the award was in recognition of his work with the Wave Trauma Centre, which supports people bereaved, injured or traumatised during the conflict in Northern Ireland.
He said he hoped his award would raise awareness of the cause.
"I've been very lucky in my acting career - there are plenty of actors who are more able than me. But because of the lucky nature of my success, I've been afforded the opportunity to do quite a bit in Northern Ireland, which is a privilege.
"And if this brings more attention to the vital work that Wave are doing, then I'm thrilled," he said.
Nesbitt expressed frustration at the lack of support for victims of the Troubles, saying: "These are real people who continue to be impacted, and [the trauma] is passing on to their family members.
"You cannot move on without fully addressing what is clearly the ongoing and indelible legacy of the past and really looking after the people who have suffered and are still suffering."
Paying tribute to Nesbitt, CEO of Wave Sandra McPeake, said he has taken a very personal and passionate interest in the plight of victims since he became patron of the centre in 2000.
"Jimmy is so much more than just a face to a campaign," she said.
"People wouldn't realise the hours he puts in for us - holding fundraisers, generating awareness and support, quietly sending us cheques - no fuss, expecting nothing in return.
"He also de-stigmatised talking about the Troubles by highlighting the impact on the bereaved and injured."
In recent years, Nesbitt has backed appeals by the families of the Disappeared for information that could lead to the recovery of victims still not found.
Ms McPeake said that regardless of his acting schedule, he never fails to make contact when news emerges about a fresh search.
"I even got a call from New Zealand, where he was filming the Hobbit, because he saw a story about developments in one of the cases," she said.
"We're just delighted that he got the OBE - he thoroughly deserved it." | "You've got Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar...then there's me, who used to play for Broughshane Boys' Brigade." |
37,454,914 | Championship side Morton take on Aberdeen in a 12:15 BST kick-off on Saturday, 22 October.
Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic meet Glasgow rivals Rangers on the following day at 14:15.
BBC Radio Scotland will provide live commentary of both matches, with the online broadcast supplemented by text coverage on the BBC Sport website.
Celtic were 5-1 winners against Rangers when they met on league duty at Celtic Park on 10 September.
But Rangers won a penalty shoot-out when the sides met at Hampden in the last four of the Scottish Cup last season, with Celtic prevailing at the same venue at the same stage of the League Cup in 2015.
This is the fifth time Morton have reached this stage of the tournament, the most recent coming in 1979 when they lost out to Aberdeen.
The Dons, who have won the League Cup on six occasions, have beaten the Greenock outfit another four times in the competition since that Hampden victory. | Both Scottish League Cup semi-finals will be staged at Hampden Park next month. |
33,440,826 | The forward, 20, does not want to go on the forthcoming trip to the Far East after Liverpool rejected a £40m bid from Manchester City for him.
The England international missed training on Wednesday through illness.
"He's starting to get a reputation that could be hard to rid himself of in the future," said Carragher.
"Are Man City fans looking at the situation and thinking this could be us in a few years?"
Liverpool travel to Bangkok on Sunday then fly on to Australia and Malaysia.
Through his request, Sterling - who returned to pre-season training on Monday - has once again made it clear to manager Brendan Rodgers that he wants to leave.
He has expressed his desire not to go on the tour in the hope of making a smoother exit from Anfield after an increasingly acrimonious saga in which he has turned down a contract offer of about £100,000 a week.
Manchester City have had two offers for him turned down, but are now expected to return with a third bid nearer Liverpool's £50m valuation.
Whether it comes soon enough to avoid the latest twist in what has become a very public breakdown in the relationship between club and player remains to be seen.
"I think this situation will only make Liverpool more determined to get the fee they feel Raheem is worth, rather than caving in to Raheem's and Man City's wishes," added Carragher.
Liverpool have refused to comment on claims Sterling will refuse to travel, but are expected to demand that every player who is fit and available for selection join up on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Spanish defender Javier Manquillo has returned to Atletico Madrid after his two-year loan at Anfield was terminated early by mutual consent.
Atletico said the 21-year-old has been recalled because he "has not had all the minutes he and our club consider necessary" for his development.
Manquillo made 19 appearances for the Reds last season but did not play for the club after a 1-0 defeat by Besiktas in the Europa League in February. | Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says Raheem Sterling's reputation is being affected after he asked to be left out of the club's pre-season tour. |
37,325,288 | Substitute Charlie Colkett capitalised on a slip by Bradford defender Romain Vincelot to level in the 86th minute after James Meredith had headed the home side into a 73rd-minute lead.
Referee Andy Haines had earlier halted play in the 65th minute with the game goalless and led the players from the pitch for their own safety as the drone hovered over the stadium.
Haines brought the players back out after a three-minute delay and the match resumed before Meredith headed home with Rovers goalkeeper Kelle Roos wrong-footed following Mark Marshall's deflected shot.
But Colkett, a 78th-minute replacement for midfielder Billy Bodin, pounced to drill the ball home after Vincelot had slipped inside the penalty area with four minutes remaining.
Rovers' leading scorer Matty Taylor went closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half, while Roos ensured a share of the spoils when he pulled off a fine save to keep out Bradford substitute Haris Vuckic's header deep in time added on.
REACTION: Bradford City captain Stephen Darby speaks to BBC Radio Leeds
Reports supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Bradford City 1, Bristol Rovers 1.
Second Half ends, Bradford City 1, Bristol Rovers 1.
Foul by Marc McNulty (Bradford City).
Charlie Colkett (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Haris Vuckic (Bradford City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Haris Vuckic (Bradford City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Bradford City. Marc McNulty replaces Nicky Law.
Delay in match Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Peter Hartley (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner, Bristol Rovers. Conceded by Colin Doyle.
Attempt saved. Peter Hartley (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Haris Vuckic (Bradford City).
Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Bristol Rovers. Conceded by James Meredith.
Corner, Bristol Rovers. Conceded by James Meredith.
Goal! Bradford City 1, Bristol Rovers 1. Charlie Colkett (Bristol Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ellis Harrison.
Substitution, Bradford City. Filipe Morais replaces Mark Marshall.
Foul by Josh Cullen (Bradford City).
Charlie Colkett (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Bradford City. Haris Vuckic replaces Billy Clarke.
Josh Cullen (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers).
Attempt blocked. Billy Clarke (Bradford City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Chris Lines replaces Hiram Boateng.
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Charlie Colkett replaces Billy Bodin.
Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Matty Taylor.
Attempt blocked. Nicky Law (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Goal! Bradford City 1, Bristol Rovers 0. James Meredith (Bradford City) header from very close range to the bottom left corner.
Attempt missed. James Hanson (Bradford City) header from the left side of the six yard box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Mark Marshall (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Luke James replaces Byron Moore.
Mark Marshall (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Hiram Boateng (Bristol Rovers).
James Meredith (Bradford City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by James Meredith (Bradford City).
Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Tom Lockyer.
Attempt blocked. Timothee Dieng (Bradford City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Foul by Mark Marshall (Bradford City). | Bradford City drew for the fourth straight league match against Bristol Rovers in a game that was held up in the second half by a flying drone. |
12,874,160 | Christopher Halliwell, 47, was arrested on Thursday before Miss O'Callaghan's body was found near Uffington, Oxfordshire.
Police said bones recovered during a search in Gloucestershire were believed to be of another woman estimated to be aged between 23 and 30.
Miss O'Callaghan had not been seen since leaving a nightclub in Swindon early on Saturday 19 March.
Mr Halliwell, of Ashbury Avenue, Swindon, was charged with murdering Miss O'Callaghan on Saturday evening and is due to appear before Swindon magistrates on Monday.
Police had been digging on Baxter's Farm at Eastleach in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds 17 miles from where Miss O'Callaghan's body was discovered, since late on Thursday.
On Saturday they revealed they had found human remains but said they had yet to identify them.
Det Supt Steve Fulcher of Wiltshire Police, who is leading the investigation, said on Sunday forensic laboratory tests and a post-mortem examination would be carried out on the bones.
Det Supt Fulcher said it had been indicated to him that the woman was taken from the Swindon area between 2003 and 2005.
District Crown Prosecutor Simon Brenchley said: "I have been working closely with Wiltshire Police and now have authorised them to charge Christopher Halliwell with Sian O'Callaghan's murder.
"Having reviewed the evidence, I am satisfied that there is sufficient to charge him, and that it is in the public interest to do so.
"I will keep liaising closely with the police as their investigation continues."
Mr Halliwell remains in police custody at Gablecross Police Station in Swindon.
Det Supt Fulcher appealed for anyone who had been "lamping" or poaching in the Ramsbury area of Wiltshire or nearby from 0300 BST on Saturday 19 March to contact the force if they had seen anything suspicious, or a green Toyota Avensis.
He stressed officers were not interested in prosecuting anyone for poaching.
Hundreds of Chinese lanterns and balloons were launched into the sky on Saturday evening during an event in Swindon in memory of Miss O'Callaghan. Thousands of people gathered at the town's Polo Ground for a two-minute silence.
Team mates also stood in silence on Saturday afternoon at the club where she played bowls. | A taxi driver has been charged with the murder of 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan. |
37,299,269 | Mr Justice Peter Jackson said Craig Beattie was to blame for six-week-old Kye Kerr's death in Carlisle in 2011.
The judge's family court findings were not shown to Mr Beattie's trial jury in 2015 to avoid prejudicing the verdict.
In a separate case the same judge said a girl was abused by her father before she died, although he was not charged.
Paul Worthington, 48, from Barrow-in-Furness, was arrested in connection with 13-month-old Poppi's death but the Crown Prosecution Service said there was "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction".
The 2014 judgement in relation to Kye Kerr has been published despite the father's argument that much of it should be redacted.
His 35-year-old father, then living in Harraby, was alleged to have lost his temper and shaken or hit his son.
Mr Justice Jackson said the baby had a skull fracture "caused by a significant impact", bleeding on the brain and an unexplained mark on his head.
"Having considered all the available information I have reached the conclusion that the father was responsible for both occasions of injury, and that the injuries on the second occasion caused death," he said.
Judgements in family court proceedings are made based on a balance of probabilities, a lesser burden of proof than beyond reasonable doubt, which is required in criminal courts.
There was "no reason to believe that the father intended harm" but his "last minute efforts to throw the blame on the mother were quite deliberate", Mr Justice Jackson added.
A serious case review into the death criticised authorities' "insufficient professional curiosity" and inadequate assessments "of variable quality".
Cumbria County Council said it acknowledged "mistakes were made and that appropriate opportunities to issue care proceedings were not acted upon".
Corporate director for children's services, John Macilwraith said "procedures have been clarified" and social workers would now not wait for information from police or health professionals before bringing concerns about abuse before a court.
Cumbria Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Darren Martland said he acknowledged Mr Justice Jackson's criticisms, following which the force had referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
"The IPCC is conducting an independent investigation and, as such, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further," he said. | A judge found that a father killed his baby son in a ruling made a year before he was cleared of manslaughter by a jury, it has emerged. |
35,347,037 | The 70-year-old was released from Knox County Jail after posting $10,000 (£7,007) bail.
McLean, who lives in Camden, Maine, had a 1971 hit with American Pie, about the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in a plane crash.
It was reported that McLean was held after police were called to a property at 02:00 local time on Monday.
He is set to appear at the Knox County Unified Court, Rockland, on 22 February.
The US singer-songwriter has amassed more than 40 gold and platinum records worldwide during his career.
He performed at a local lobster festival in Maine in August. | American Pie singer Don McLean has been arrested on a charge of domestic violence assault. |
35,458,507 | The deal allows the BBC to show video clips, end-of-day round-ups, digital preview programming features and archive material in the UK.
Major events will include the World Twenty20, Champions Trophy, Women's World Cup, and the 2019 World Cup.
Video will be used to enhance coverage on all digital platforms, mobile alerts and on an enhanced live page.
Other International Cricket Council tournaments covered include:
Media playback is not supported on this device
Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: "We're very pleased to announce this new agreement with the ICC, which is all about free-to-air accessibility and bringing the best of cricket to as wide an audience as possible across the UK.
"The online rights will complement our live radio commentary portfolio and popular online offering, giving UK audiences video of the best of the action wherever they are."
ICC finance and commercial affairs committee chairman Giles Clarke said: "The ICC is delighted to partner with BBC Sport in the United Kingdom, which is widely respected and followed due to its ability and resources to produce high-quality cricket content."
The 2017 Champions Trophy and Women's World Cup, as well as the 2019 World Cup, will all be staged in England and Wales. | The BBC has agreed a four-year deal to broadcast video coverage across its website of all major ICC tournaments. |
39,580,246 | The Scots, presently under Anna Signeul, were under strength because of injuries for the warm-up friendly ahead of his summer's Euro 2017 finals.
"The ranking positions we're increasing all the time and it really is in a good place," said Kerr.
"So let's see what the Euros bring for us and hopefully we can build on that."
Kerr, manager of Stirling University's men's team in the Scottish Lowland League, will inherit the national squad in June after Signeul ends her term in charge at the finals in the Netherlands.
And former Kilmarnock, Doncaster Rovers Belles, and Hibernian defender Kerr, who ended her playing career with Spartans in 2010, remains enthusiastic that Scottish women's football is heading in the right direction and the national team are currently 21st in the world rankings.
"The standard has certainly increased since I stopped playing, that's for sure," said the 47-year-old.
"They are more professional, they are better educated in terms of their whole holistic approach of becoming elite athletes and I think it's great so many of our national team players are playing in a professional environment."
Kerr managed women's teams at Kilmarnock, Hibs, Spartans, Scotland Under-19s and Arsenal before becoming the first woman to take control of a British senior men's team in 2014.
"The difference between female players and male players, it's the dynamics that are perhaps different, but we still have the aspirations of getting to the very, very top level, but it's all about hard work," said the Scot, whose current side lie fourth in the tier below the Scottish Professional Football League.
Kerr admitted that it would be "really challenging" to continue Scotland's rise up the world rankings but thought "it's a great time to take over" and that they were capable of progressing from a Euros group containing England, Portugal and Spain.
"It's an absolute honour, it's a privilege, I'm extremely proud," she said.
"As you can imagine, as a young kid growing up playing football, and especially as a young girl, I had dreams of representing my country and I was really fortunate to do that.
"But to actually get the opportunity to lead the women's national team is a dream come true for me."
Scottish FA performance director Malky Mackay said Kerr was the stand-out candidate to take over from Signeul, who is quitting to take over the Finnish national team.
"Anna and the team will plan for everything between now and going to the Euros and in the Euros, so Shelley will be going in a watching basis only," he explained.
"Shelley will concentrate on everything after the Euros." | Scotland coach-in-waiting Shelley Kerr believes there has never been a better time to take over despite Tuesday's 5-0 defeat by Belgium. |
37,967,698 | The by-election comes after Conservative MP Stephen Phillips resigned earlier this month, citing "irreconcilable policy differences" with the government.
In last year's election, Mr Phillips had a majority of 24,115.
Mrs Ayling has a seat on Lincolnshire County Council.
Lincolnshire voters were among the most Eurosceptic in the UK in the referendum on EU membership.
UKIP chairman Paul Oaken said: "Victoria is already working hard to represent local people and will now use all of her experience to make sure that UKIP continues to speak up for the common sense voters in Sleaford and North Hykeham."
Consultant paediatrician Dr Caroline Johnson, who contested the Scunthorpe seat in 2010, was selected by the Conservatives.
Labour selected its candidate, trade unionist and refuse driver Jim Clarke, on Wednesday. Labour came second in the constituency in the general election.
Ross Pepper has been selected by the Liberal Democrats.
Local councillor Mark Suffield is standing as an independent while Peter Hill is standing for the Monster Raving Loony Party. | UKIP has selected local councillor Victoria Ayling for the Sleaford and North Hykeham parliamentary by-election on 8 December. |
26,036,474 | Scientists say experts should be on alert in case the virus - H10N8 - could cause a pandemic.
How bad is it?
So far there have been two people in China infected and one of them has died.
As yet, there is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from person to person. This means the risk of rapid spread is still low.
But we could see more human cases of H10N8, particularly among people who have close contact to poultry carrying the infection.
And experts are concerned that the virus could evolve or mutate to become more infectious.
Where has it come from?
Researchers believe the first human case - a 73-year-old woman from China who died nine days after falling ill with the infection - was probably caught from a live poultry market. The woman had visited the site a few days before getting sick.
Tests on samples from the market have been inconclusive, but scientists say birds are the likely source.
What is bird flu?
There are many different strains of bird flu. All are a type of influenza virus. Usually they don't infect humans, but sometimes they can mutate and gain this ability. Recently, there have been human cases of other bird flu strains -H7N9 and H5N1.
How is it spread?
Bird flu is spread through direct contact with infected birds (dead or alive), an infected bird's droppings, or secretions from their eyes or respiratory tract.
Bird flu is not transmitted through cooked food.
There have been few reports of bird flu passing from person to person.
Should I worry?
Not yet. No human cases have been detected outside of China and there have only been two cases so far within the country. The woman who died had other medical conditions that may have made her frail and susceptible to the infection.
The risk of this virus spreading from the patient to nursing staff and other contacts also seems low.
But that does not mean we should be complacent, say experts.
Dr Jeremy Farrar of the Wellcome Trust says we should always be worried when a virus jump from birds to people as it is unlikely that we will have prior immunity to protect us. Also, H10N8 looks like a candidate for potentially turning nasty.
What now?
Disease experts will continue to monitor the situation in China and elsewhere. These first cases were detected thanks to good surveillance. Indeed, it is highly unlikely this event would even have been noticed or reported just a few years ago.
There are still major questions that need answering. We do not fully understand what causes flu viruses to cross into humans, cause disease and become transmissible.
Is it safe to visit China?
The World Health Organization has not put in place any travel restrictions.
Should I have a flu jab?
Perhaps, but not to protect you against bird flu. The seasonal flu jab does not protect against avian flu. Seasonal or winter flu is a highly infectious and very common viral illness that is spread readily between people by coughs and sneezes. | A new strain of bird flu has killed a woman in China. |
35,659,206 | A "dramatic" blaze ripped through the roundhouses about 3,000 years ago at Must Farm quarry in Cambridgeshire.
River silt helped preserve the timbers and contents.
But Dr Karl Harrison, who has been brought in to investigate the cause, said a definitive explanation was unlikely to be established.
The Whittlesey site has been described as the "best-preserved Bronze Age dwellings ever found" in the country.
Dr Harrison said char patterns suggested the fire started within one of the houses and could "assist " in building up a picture of what the site would have looked like.
The forensic archaeologist, from Cranfield University's Wiltshire campus, specialises in the archaeology of fires within structures.
"Must Farm gives us a particularly dramatic burnt building to look at," he said.
"Normally when we get an opportunity to study prehistoric fires it's because they're preserved in mud brick buildings in the Near East, not in Cambridgeshire - so having this material preserved is absolutely incredible."
Evidence suggests the fire probably started within the largest roundhouse, but the cause is likely to remain unknown.
"It could have been a deliberate fire to clear the site for a new house, or set as a ritual closure of a site, perhaps if the family died," Dr Harrison said.
However, as many of the contents were still inside, he said: "It's looks like they just ran out the door - but that might not tell the whole story." | The cause of a fire that destroyed a prehistoric settlement dubbed Britain's "Pompeii" was unlikely ever to be known, a forensic archaeologist said. |
17,338,975 | Mr Morales, addressing a UN anti-drugs meeting in Vienna, said coca was part of his country's heritage.
Coca leaves, the raw ingredient for cocaine, were declared an illegal substance under a 1961 UN convention.
Mr Morales has long called for coca to be seen as a plant of great medicinal, cultural and religious value.
Addressing the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Mr Morales said there was no data to show that the coca leaf had an adverse effect on human beings.
The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs classified the coca leaf as a banned substance.
It stipulated that coca-chewing be eliminated within 25 years of the convention coming into effect in 1964.
"I call upon you to correct, to repair an error that has gone on for more than 50 years. Because it is only just to recognise legal consumption of coca leaf chewing," Mr Morales said.
Mr Morales stressed that he was not advocating the use of the coca leaf to produce cocaine, but rather to highlight what he called its "beneficial" uses.
"For example, we have coca marmalade here which is very nice. In Bolivia we have coca tea," he said.
Last year, Bolivia withdrew from the UN convention in protest at the classification of coca as an illegal drug.
The Bolivian authorities have since expressed the desire to re-accede provided coca leaf chewing in Bolivia is recognised.
Bolivia is the world's third biggest producer of cocaine, after Colombia and Peru.
Coca has been used in the Andes for thousands of years as a mild stimulant and sacred herbal medicine. | Bolivian President Evo Morales has urged the UN to correct a "historic wrong" and lift a long-standing ban on the chewing of coca leaves. |
20,679,514 | It has two cathedrals and is said to have more standing medieval churches - 32 - than any city north of the Alps.
But the 2011 Census has revealed Norwich had the highest proportion of respondents in England and Wales reporting "no religion".
The city's figure was 42.5% compared with a figure of 25.1% for England and Wales as a whole.
The question was the only voluntary one in the census and 7.2% of people chose not to answer it.
The census found the Christian population of England and Wales had fallen by four million to 33.2 million in the past decade.
In Norwich 56,268 people reported having no religion, but the census revealed a wide range of groupings within that category.
There were 169 Spiritualists, 131 atheists and 783 said they were Jedi Knights, a reference to the Star Wars films.
Sixty-five people gave their affiliation as Heavy Metal.
The Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James, was sceptical about the census' findings.
"Norwich is a city of churches. They are around every corner," he said.
"It's also a centre of vibrant Christianity today.
"The cathedral is seeing hundreds of worshippers every day during December and will welcome thousands on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."
He said there were many other large and growing churches in Norwich of all denominations.
"So it seems doubtful that Norwich is a less religious place than anywhere else in the country," he said.
"It would not have above-average churchgoing rates if that was the case.
"But it may be a place where the vibrant presence of the churches means that people have to make up their minds about faith more definitely, and that's no bad thing."
Masoud Gadir, chairman of Norfolk and Norwich Muslim Association, said there were an estimated 5,000 Muslims in Norwich.
He said he was surprised and disappointed by the findings of the census.
"I think we have lost some moral leadership," he said.
"I sometimes see people at night who are drunk and wearing hardly any clothes. There are a lot of drugs.
"If people had just a little bit of thought they might not do those things."
He said during his 25 years in Norwich he had found ordinary people very welcoming and supportive of religious and ethnic minorities.
"Each religion can offer something positive," he said.
"The whole world can be a better place if we can break this cycle of fear and violence."
Michael Loveday, chief executive of Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (Heart) and author of The Norwich Knowledge, said the city was one of the most religious in Europe during the Middle Ages.
As well as dozens of churches, it had six monasteries and a large number of religious hermits, including Julian of Norwich, believed to be the first woman to write a book in English.
"The city also has a massive reputation for religious radicalism," said Mr Loveday.
Norwich Quakers, including prison reformer Elizabeth Fry and anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Fowell Buxton, also made a great impact he said.
On the census findings, he said: "Norwich always does things in a different way and I'm not surprised it's stuck out of the pack again.
"I don't know what it means, really. It could be that there are still an enormous amount of caring people but they are doing it in a less formal way."
When Chloe Smith, Conservative MP for Norwich North, took her seat in Parliament in 2009, she opted to affirm rather than swear a religious oath of allegiance to the Queen.
"I count myself an atheist and I thought it was far better to be honest about that," she said afterwards.
Of the census, Miss Smith said: "Norwich has always been a non-conformist, independent city so I'm sure people will find this latest statistic very interesting.
"I believe Norwich's churches and our other religious groups are also in good health and contribute a huge amount to the life of the city and the country."
Cookery writer and broadcaster Delia Smith, joint majority shareholder of Norwich City FC, has been a devout Catholic since the age of 22.
She lives in Suffolk but on match days often worships at Norwich's Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist. | It was once said to have a church for every week of the year, not to mention a pub for every day. |
38,128,630 | Dougie Gilligan, from Hamilton, said Bennell had abused him on two occasions during a coaching camp at Butlins in the 1970s.
A string of historical claims have also been made by former players in England.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is meeting to discuss child safety within the game.
The association has been urged to launch a full investigation to determine the extent of sexual abuse in the game. The English FA has appointed an independent lawyer to assist with an internal review of its handling of allegations.
Former SFA chief executive Gordon Smith said it was important the body prepared for cases to come to light in Scotland.
Mr Gilligan told BBC Scotland he had suffered "low level" abuse at two Butlins camps in England and Wales in the late 1970s.
"He [Bennell] was very much like a kind of man's man. Somebody that a young boy would look up to. Very well connected in football, did a lot of name-dropping with famous footballers. Had a lot of football strips," he said.
"Thinking back on it, a classic predatory paedophile groomer to be honest. But at the time, as a 13-year-old boy, you don't see that.
"He abused me on a very minor level, but I reacted to it quite aggressively."
Mr Gilligan said Bennell had abused him while he was staying overnight at the former coach's chalet with two other boys.
"I woke up... I basically give him short shrift and told him where to get off and that was it," he told BBC Scotland.
"So I feel kind of lucky, I dodged the bullet a little bit in that it was low level from my perspective. I don't see it as major in comparison to what I've heard of some of the revelations recently."
Mr Gilligan, who later played football semi-professionally, said he had spoken to the police in 1996 and had been ready to testify before Bennell pled guilty.
He has now called for a thorough investigation into the extent of sexual abuse in football.
"I think it could be huge. Because of the type of stigma attached to it, people are very reluctant to come forward and that's one of the things I feel a little bit guilty about myself, that I didn't speak up earlier," he said.
"Although I did in 1996, I could have spoken up earlier and that could have helped people."
Bennell, 62, is being treated in hospital after an incident in Stevenage in Hertfordshire on Friday evening. Police were responding to what they said was a "fear for welfare" report.
The SFA announced last week that it was supporting the NSPCC's campaign to encourage anyone with knowledge of child abuse in football to speak out.
Former Rangers and Manchester City player Gordon Smith was SFA chief executive from 2007 until 2010.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland radio programme, he said: "I think they (the SFA) just need to announce that they are doing a full investigation into it, just to make sure.
"And if there are any cases that do come up then we need to make sure that these will be dealt with, and the players who have been involved - the ones who have actually been abused - will receive help and counselling.
"We'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
In England, four police forces are investigating the allegations after former footballers came forward to say they were sexually abused as youth players.
An NSPCC hotline has had more than 100 calls.
The English FA's internal review will look at what information the FA was aware of at relevant times, which clubs were aware and what action was, or should have been, taken.
Former Manchester City and England player David White is among several who claim they were abused by former Crewe Alexandra coach Bennell.
The 62-year-old was jailed in 1998 for sex offences against children and was imprisoned again last year.
In the same year, James Torbett, a former coach at Celtic Boys' Club, was convicted of abusing three young players, including former Scotland international Alan Brazil.
Last week Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, Tam Baillie, said the allegations made by players in England may be the tip of the iceberg.
He told BBC Scotland: "I fear we are on the brink on many more revelations." | A Scottish man who says he was abused by former Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell has warned that sexual abuse in football could be a "huge" problem. |
39,553,250 | Pyotr Levashov was held in Barcelona on Friday and is remanded in custody.
Spanish police said Mr Levashov controlled a botnet called Kelihos, hacking information and installing malicious software in hundreds of thousands of computers.
The arrest was part of a "complex inquiry carried out in collaboration with the FBI", police said.
Mr Levashov is subject to a US international arrest warrant and a Spanish court will hear whether he can be extradited.
Much of his alleged activity involved ransomware - blocking a computer's access to certain information and demanding a ransom for its release.
Mr Levashov's wife Maria told Russian broadcaster RT that the arrest had been made in connection with allegations that Russians had hacked the US presidential election.
She said Spanish police had told her the arrest was in connection with "a virus which appears to have been created by my husband and is linked to [Donald] Trump's victory".
However, Agence France-Presse news agency quoted a source close to the matter in Washington as saying that Mr Levashov's detention was "not tied to anything involving allegations of Russian interference with the US election".
A US intelligence report released in January alleged that Vladimir Putin had tried to help Mr Trump to victory, allegations strongly denied the Russian president.
Mr Trump later commented that the outcome of the election had not been affected.
Several cybersecurity experts, including Brian Krebs, have also linked Mr Levashov to a Russian spam kingpin, who uses the alias Peter Severa. | Spanish police have arrested a Russian programmer following US allegations of large-scale hacking. |
21,796,866 | The two sides have moved closer together, but the major sticking point remains - whether a new self-regulatory body should be backed by law.
Mr Clegg's royal charter, launched with Ed Miliband, insists on it - but it is not in Mr Cameron's royal charter.
MPs will decide which version they prefer on Monday.
The vote is expected to be close - and could have a profound impact on the way newspapers conduct themselves in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal and Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry.
Both sides have now adopted the idea of a royal charter - a formal document used to set up bodies such as universities and the BBC.
But the key differences between the two plans are:
Legal backing - Mr Cameron believes enshrining the royal charter in law will harm press freedom. Mr Clegg and Mr Miliband say the rules will lack teeth without it.
Power of veto - The press would not have a veto over the members of the regulator under the Lib Dem/Labour plan.
Future alterations - The Labour/Lib Dem plan is designed to prevent it from being watered down or strengthened by future governments.
An expert report on the regulation of the press in Scotland has recommended statutory controls underpinned by law. First Minister Alex Salmond has said he will consult other parties before deciding on action.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the blueprint he had drawn up with Mr Miliband represented a "strengthened version" of earlier proposals set out last month by the Conservatives and he hoped MPs on all sides could back it.
"I hope the approach we are publishing today plots a middle course between the dangers of doing nothing and the fears some people have of a full-scale legislative approach," said the deputy PM.
Mr Miliband said the proposals would ensure "a high ethical standards of the best in British journalism; a complaints procedure which is easily accessible and fair; and real teeth to ensure protection and redress for citizens".
Mr Clegg and Mr Miliband formed their alliance on press regulation after Mr Cameron walked out of cross-party talks on Thursday.
The Conservatives have published amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill which would allow the courts to impose "exemplary damages" - large fines - on publishers of "news-related material" which is inaccurate or intrusive.
The threat would be lifted from publishers that sign up to an approved regulator, creating an incentive for newspapers to engage with the new system.
Mr Cameron believes his proposals will defend press freedom and provide swift justice for victims of press inaccuracy and intrusion.
He has toughened up his proposals in some key areas - the regulator would now have the power to dictate the prominence of a printed apology and the arbitration process would be free to complainants.
But he must now convince Tory rebels - who are planning to vote against his proposals - that his royal charter are robust enough.
He defended his decision to walk out of cross-party talks on Thursday, saying he wanted to force the issue to a head and he believed a deal could still be reached.
"We can't go on with a situation where bill after bill of the government's legislative programme is potentially hijacked or contaminated with motions and amendments that are about something that is completely different," he said.
"That's why I think it is right to bring this to a conclusion."
Gerry McCann, the father of missing Madeleine McCann, said it was essential that the regulator was backed by legislation.
"Lord Justice Leveson was absolutely clear on this. He said that statutory underpinning was essential," he told BBC News.
"Up until the announcement I had never really heard of a royal charter. It seems something of an archaic system to underwrite something so important.
"I would much, much prefer that this was put properly into the statute book."
The Leveson Inquiry was set up by Mr Cameron to examine the culture, practice and ethics of the press in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at the now-defunct News of the World tabloid.
Its 2,000-page report, published in November, found press behaviour was "outrageous" and "wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people".
It recommended that the press should set up a tough new independent regulator, but the system should be underpinned by legislation to ensure the system was effective.
Downing Street insists the bust-up between the prime minister and his deputy over press regulation does not spell the end for the coalition government.
The prime minister's official spokesman said it was "not the first time that coalition parties have taken a different approach on important but specific issues".
Mr Clegg said he was "disappointed and surprised" Mr Cameron had walked out of Thursday's talks, but he said he had always taken a separate position from the PM on whether press regulation should be backed by law. | Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg have unveiled rival plans for a new system of press regulation in England and Wales. |
34,615,432 | The 36-year-old is believed to have been attacked on land off Micklehurst Road in Mossley before 22:00 BST on Wednesday.
Police said it was an isolated incident and officers are supporting the woman.
Appealing for witnesses, Det Insp Dave Loughlin said: "Our officers have been speaking to the community... to try and identify the man responsible." | A woman has been raped in the grounds of a derelict care home in Greater Manchester, said police. |
39,890,247 | Scotland's first minister said the failure to guarantee they could stay was "tarnishing the UK's reputation".
Its thought three million citizens of other EU states live in the UK, with 1.2 million Britons living in Europe.
The PM has said she wants a reciprocal deal covering both groups' rights to be struck at the earliest possible stage.
But on a campaign visit to St Andrews University, Ms Sturgeon said: "The Tories have left the millions of EU citizens who live and work in the UK in complete limbo and I know from my own discussions with people in other EU countries how badly this is tarnishing the UK's reputation abroad."
"It is utterly contemptible that the Tories continue to use human beings as a bargaining chip in Brexit negotiations - and in doing so, they are poisoning the well before talks have even begun."
Theresa May has said she wants to "guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain, and the rights of British nationals in other member states, as early as we can" but argues that "we do need reciprocity - we need to have care and concern for UK citizens who are living in the European Union."
Labour says it would unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU residents before talks start, if it wins power in the general election on 8 June. | SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon has accused the Conservatives of "poisoning the well" of Brexit negotiations with their treatment of EU citizens in the UK. |
40,378,976 | Mr Warmbier died without recovering on Monday, having been brought back to the US last week. His family blames the North Korean authorities for his death.
US President Donald Trump called the North a "brutal regime".
A spokesman in Pyongyang was quoted by Reuters as saying Mr Warmbier's death was "a mystery".
Mr Warmbier, 22, a student at the University of Virginia, had been travelling with a tour group when he was arrested at Pyongyang airport in January 2016.
Accused of stealing a propaganda sign from a hotel, he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour.
His family had no news of him until 13 June when Pyongyang announced he had been in a coma since his trial, attributing it to botulism.
More than 2,500 family, friends and well-wishers gathered for his funeral in Ohio on Thursday.
The North Korean spokesman quoted by Reuters suggested the student had returned to the US "in his normal state of health".
"The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the US in his normal state of health indicators is a mystery to us as well," he said.
Accusations that the student died because of torture and beating during his captivity were "groundless", he added.
A North Korean spokesman quoted by AFP news agency accused the US of mounting a "smear campaign".
"Our relevant agencies treat all criminals... thoroughly in accordance with domestic laws and international standards and Warmbier was not an exception," a spokesman for the National Reconciliation Council said.
"Those who have absolutely no idea about how well we treated Warmbier under humanitarian conditions dare to utter 'mistreatment' and 'torture'."
They say he suffered a "severe neurological injury", the most likely cause of which was a cardiopulmonary arrest that had cut the blood supply to the brain.
They say there was no evidence he suffered from botulism.
A post-mortem examination was not carried out at the request of the family.
The family maintain he died as a result of "awful torturous mistreatment".
Mr Warmbier's death heightened tensions between the two countries, already at loggerheads over the North's nuclear and missile programmes.
Pyongyang has called Mr Trump a "psychopath".
President Trump has said he is determined to "prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency".
North Korea was already high on President Trump's agenda, the BBC's Steve Evans reports from Seoul.
This death and the public condemnation by the Warmbier family on television keeps the regime's behaviour squarely in front of the American public, our correspondent adds.
Meanwhile, North Korea is holding three other Americans as well as six South Koreans. | The North Korean government has denied mistreating US student Otto Warmbier, who fell into a coma while being held in prison in the communist state. |
32,188,863 | The incident occurred at about 18:40 in the Trossachs Woollen Mill car park in Kilmahog, near Callander.
The woman was airlifted to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow but died later from her injuries.
Police Scotland have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward as soon as possible. | A 50-year-old female pedestrian has died following a collision with a bus in a Perthshire car park. |
35,817,814 | The US authorities say Ryan Collins has agreed to plead guilty to the offence.
Prosecutors have recommended that he face a jail term of 18 months, although a judge could extend that to five years.
The 36-year-old is alleged to have stolen usernames and passwords via a phishing scam.
The Department of Justice said that Pennsylvania-based Collins had admitted to breaking into more than 100 accounts between November 2012 and September 2014.
He is said to have achieved this by sending emails to the victims that pretended to be from Google or Apple requesting their login details.
"[The] defendant used numerous fraudulent email addresses designed to look like legitimate security accounts from various internet service providers, including, for example, [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]," said court filings.
Collins is accused of accessing at least 50 iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts.
Once he had fooled their owners into handing over their details, prosecutors say, he searched through the victims' online data.
"Through his phishing scheme [the] defendant was also able to access full Apple iCloud back-ups belonging to numerous victims, including at least 18 celebrities, many of whom reside in the Los Angeles area," the court papers state.
"Many of these back-ups contained nude photographs and videos."
The celebrities are not named, but the attacks coincide with stolen photos of the actresses Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and others being posted to the internet in 2014, which was blamed on an iCloud breach at the time.
Collins has not been accused of uploading the images for others to see.
"By illegally accessing intimate details of his victims' personal lives, Mr Collins violated their privacy and left many to contend with lasting emotional distress, embarrassment and feelings of insecurity," said David Bowdich, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office.
"We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be sceptical when replying to emails asking for personal information."
The FBI added that the case against Collins was part of an "ongoing investigation", indicating that there may be further arrests. | A man has been charged with hacking the Apple iCloud and Gmail accounts of celebrities and stealing nude photos and videos from them. |
28,160,373 | Staff were given the chance to choose what they wanted to do, and cricket did not feature high on their wish list.
The match will be replaced by rounders, football and egg-and spoon races.
The summer party takes place at the Bank's sports ground in Roehampton in south-west London on Sunday.
"The governor has not banned cricket," a spokesperson for the Bank said.
"He wanted the activities at Governors' Day to be chosen by staff for staff and their families. Staff chose a number of sports, such as rounders, football and tug of war, among others."
Former governor Sir Mervyn King is a huge cricket fan and played in the Bank's game every year, often against a team comprising professional cricketers.
The Bank's annual cricket match pre-dates Sir Mervyn's tenure as governor. | The Bank of England has decided to break with tradition and cancel the annual cricket match that has for years provided the focal point for the Bank's annual summer party. |
27,907,534 | Trefilan school will shut after parents agreed to transfer their children to Dihewyd school six miles (10km) away.
Ceredigion council also voted to close Llanafan primary school after a motion to keep it open was defeated.
Llanddewi Brefi and Tregaron primaries will be replaced with a community school based at Tregaron High School.
Pupils are due to move to new school in time for September 2015.
Supporters of the 24-pupil Llanafan primary packed the gallery of the council chamber in Aberaeron.
After the vote, the chair of the school's support group, Byron Jenkins, said they were "devastated" at the vote.
He said a meeting is to be held on Thursday evening to discuss what steps to take next, and that the group had not ruled out calling for a judicial review of the plans.
In April, the parents of 13 children at Trefilan school agreed to move them to Dihewyd following a meeting between Ceredigion council bosses and representatives of both schools. | Four Ceredigion primary schools will close despite a last-minute call to give one of them extra time to find more pupils, councillors have decided. |
37,305,713 | Arnold Sube reportedly told the MK Citizen a five-bedroom property in Luton was not suitable due to small rooms and a "lack of storage space".
He told the BBC he had not refused the house, but was waiting for the council's response to some questions.
The authority said if he did not accept a formal housing offer the family would have to look in the private sector.
Mr Sube and his wife, who now have eight children, moved to Luton from France so he could study nursing at the University of Bedfordshire.
They were placed in temporary accommodation with three bedrooms by Luton Borough Council in Bletchley, Milton Keynes.
The authority said the family was asked to view three houses in Luton, all with four or five bedrooms, and after viewing one said they were all unsuitable.
It said Mr Sube would now be formally offered another four-bedroom house, which could be made into five, and if they turned that down the council would no longer be able to help them.
Councillor Tom Shaw, in charge of the housing portfolio, said: "What the law says is once a council's made an adequate offer, then if it's turned down, the council's got the right to say that you are intentionally homeless, please go and look after yourself in the private sector."
Mr Sube said he "hadn't refused the property", but was waiting to hear back from the council about its "suitability and affordability".
He said: "I want four double bedrooms, not even five, I'm not greedy at all, we just want something that can accommodate the family.
"I work, I do two jobs, I'm paying taxes, I'm contributing to the system." | A family of 10 have been told if they do not accept a house offered to them, the council will no longer help them. |
32,827,743 | The seven-bedroom house is situated in Long Island, where Fitzgerald set much of his 1925 novel.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, lived in the home - in the New York hinterlands - from 1922 until 1924.
The author is understood to have completed The Great Gatsby after moving to France, where he set his subsequent novel Tender is the Night.
A spokeswoman for the estate agency said the asking price for the Mediterranean-style home, in the village of Great Neck Estates, is in excess of $3.8m (??2.4m). She declined to identify the current owner.
Fitzgerald was inspired to write The Great Gatsby, his seminal portrait of the Jazz Age, while living among the socialites of Long Island's "Gold Coast" region.
The book focuses on a mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby, owner of a lavish home in the fictional town of West Egg - a stand-in for Great Neck - on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922.
Several mansions in the area are believed to have served as inspiration for Gatsby's mansion, such as Oheka Castle and the now-demolished Beacon Towers, but not Fitzgerald's own home. | The suburban home where F Scott Fitzgerald is believed to have written The Great Gatsby has gone on sale. |
37,153,742 | From an Irish perspective, the imagine of Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey being arrested while wearing his bath robe will overshadow all the country's sporting performances in Rio.
Sailor Annalise Murphy was particularly unfortunate to see her splendid silver medal achievement quickly relegated down the Irish media's agenda as it grappled a day later with the extraordinary and fast-moving events at the Olympic Family Hotel.
Looking more specifically at the Northern Ireland angle, with 20 competitors representing Team Ireland and eight in action for Team GB, a return of no medals has to be regarded as a disappointment after the four-medal haul in London.
But this bald statistic requires some more examination.
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London 2012 bronze medallists Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan were really the only two Northern Irish hopefuls who could have been termed as medal bankers heading into Rio.
Barnes' shock exit in the light-flyweight division was a further devastating blow to an Irish boxing team already reeling after news of middleweight Michael O'Reilly's positive drugs test.
Years of battling to make the 49 kilogram light-flyweight limit finally appeared to catch up with the hugely popular Barnes as he was visibly blowing early on against unheralded Spaniard Samuel Carmona.
After the contest, Barnes claimed that he had weighed as much as 58 kilos only six weeks before the contest and the light-flyweight's battle with the scales will surely warrant a mention in the Irish Athletic Boxing Association's post-Rio review.
But while Barnes was clearly not himself in his one Rio contest, his great friend Michael Conlan was the victim of a controversial judging decision in his bantamweight quarter-final against Russian Vladimir Nikitin.
Victory would have guaranteed Conlan at least a bronze medal but with a tough semi-final task against American talent Shakur Stevenson in advance of a possible final meeting with eventual winner Cuban Robeisy Ramirez.
Both fights would have represented no easy task.
However, most observers felt world champion Conlan was "robbed" of a medal which would have put a markedly different slant on the province's Rio efforts given that only 17 medals have been won in Northern Ireland's Olympic history since John McNally's opening boxing silver in 1952.
In terms of Northern Ireland's other boxers, Stephen Donnelly performed creditably as he earned two wins before losing out to Moroccan world champion Mohammed Rabii in a close quarter-final but flyweight Brendan Irvine endured a chastening experience as he was outclassed by Uzbekistan's Shakhobidin Zoirov in his opener.
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After winning a silver and bronze in London, there was hope of more Northern Ireland rowing success in Rio from the Coleraine trio of Alan Campbell and the Chambers brothers Richard and Peter.
However after a build-up affected by health issues and poor form, 2012 bronze medallist Campbell, 33, was always likely to face a tough task in the single sculls and his failure to make the final was, in truth, not a major surprise.
Unlike 2012, the Chambers brothers did not race together in Rio as both Peter and Richard exited in the lightweight four and lightweight double sculls semi-finals stage.
Peter did not appear unduly surprised by the British duo's failure to progress but Richard was stunned as he and Will Fletcher were edged out of a final spot by O'Donovan brothers who went on to secure a memorable silver medal for Ireland.
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Before the opening ceremony had even begun, Belfast archer Patrick Huston was the first member of Team GB in action at the Games and he went on to perform impressively as he beat Dutch world number seven Rick Van Der Ven in the last 64 before losing a tight game to eventual gold medallist Ku Bon-chan of South Korea.
GB hockey quartet Iain Lewers, Mark Gleghorne, Ian Sloan and David Ames are likely to be among the most disappointed Northern Ireland competitors returning from Rio after the team failed to reach the quarter-finals after a campaign which included defeats by Belgium and Australia.
Britain women's gold medal will only have exacerbated the sense of disappointment in the male ranks.
In contrast, an Ireland men's squad which included Gleghorne's brother Paul and six other Ulstermen will depart Rio with their reputation enhanced as they narrowly missed out on a last-eight spot after a closing 3-2 group defeat by eventual champions Argentina.
In athletics, Ciara Mageean looked hugely impressive as she finished second in her 1500m heat before fading quite dramatically in her semi-final two days later.
However at 24, Mageean remains one of the big hopes of Irish athletics and barring injury, she should be at the peak of her powers in four years time and in a position to challenge for a medal.
Also in track and field, Kerry O'Flaherty fulfilled a lifetime's ambition as she competed in the 3,000m steeplechase heats while Paul Pollock vindicated his selection for the men's marathon as he clocked 2:16.34 to finish 32nd with Belfast man Kevin Seaward inhibited by flu symptoms as he finished 64th in 2:20.06.
Sailors Matt McGovern and Ryan Seaton moved up four places from their 14th position in London after a 49er campaign which included two race victories while Derry triathlete Aileen Reid improved significantly from her 43rd in 2012 as she finished 21st.
Hillsborough-based Clare Abbott finished 37th in the Three-Day Eventing after a solid Olympic debut while Stephanie Meadow ended in a share of 31st in the women's event as golf made its return to the Games after an 112-year absence. | As the Olympics concluded with a spectacular carnival-inspired closing ceremony, Ireland's post-mortems were already well under way. |
34,789,412 | The Health Survey Northern Ireland, which is published annually, also suggested the vast majority taking medicines are doing so long term.
The survey of just over 4,000 people, took place between April 2014 and March 2015.
It suggests 25% of 16-24-year-olds are on prescribed drugs.
However, the number is much higher in the older age category, with 91% of over 75s on prescription medication.
Prescription charges were scrapped in Northern Ireland in 2010.
In February 2015, the then Health Minister, Jim Wells, proposed the reintroduction of the charges to pay for a new specialist drugs fund in Northern Ireland.
It would pay for drugs that are too expensive or too specific to be licensed for use.
It is estimated that when prescription charges were applied in the past they covered around 3.5% of the prescribed medicine bill due to exemptions such as age.
The Department of Health hopes to raise between £5m and £10m through some form of charging.
The results of a three-month consultation that took place earlier this year is expected to be released soon.
The first suggestion was to reintroduce the same system that was in place in 2010, charging £3 an item.
The second option was to adopt a similar system but increase the number of exemptions.
The final option is to introduce a universal charge.
This would be set at a much lower rate of say 50p per prescription but there would be no exemptions.
The survey also included questions on a variety of topics including, obesity, smoking and sexual health. | More than half of those questioned for a Department of Health survey in Northern Ireland said they were taking prescription drugs. |
33,084,879 | Messi and his father Jorge are both accused of defrauding the authorities of more than €4m (£3.1m; $5m).
The court ruled that Messi should not be granted impunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances.
The pair, who deny the charges, are alleged to have withheld the money between 2007 and 2009.
The income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company.
The footballer and his father are suspected of avoiding paying Spanish tax by using companies in Belize and Uruguay to sell the rights to use Messi's image.
The high court in Barcelona said on Wednesday that a decision over whether or not the accused was aware of the fraud scheme should be left for the court hearing.
Messi's defence argued that the player had "never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing" the contracts, El Pais newspaper reports.
It follows a similar ruling from a Spanish judge in October last year, when an appeal by the prosecutor to quash the charges against the star striker was thrown out. They had recommended charges be dropped on the grounds that Messi's father was responsible for his finances.
Messi and his father made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment", equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013.
Messi joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000, and made his first-team debut three years later.
He soon became one of the most influential players at the Catalan team, winning Europe's most prestigious club competition - the Champions League - four times.
The four-time World Player of the Year is now considered by many experts to be one of football's best ever players. | Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi has moved a step closer to being tried for tax evasion after a Spanish high court rejected his latest appeal. |
40,888,360 | Everton have yet to match Swansea's £50m valuation for the 27-year-old Iceland international.
Clement confirmed Sigurdsson would not be included for their opening game of the Premier League season against Southampton on Saturday.
"We're at a critical stage and hope it's going to be resolved as soon as possible," said Clement.
"They [the club's owners] understand the pros and cons of doing it earlier rather than later.
"I know for sure they have the best interest of the club in mind.
"Clearly with each day goes by you get a little bit more frustrated because you don't know if you're going to have the player or if not, will you be able to get in the targets you want."
Clement added that a second club is also interested in signing the player who has three years remaining on his Swansea contract.
The Swans had previously turned down a £40m offer for Sigurdsson from Leicester City.
"There is another club and there's been other clubs as well and that's normal," said Clement.
"The situation is our club have a valuation and another club have a valuation and the two clubs have not met.
"But the objective and aim is that at some point they will meet.
"The way it's going, more than likely there has to be a compromise on both sides.
"Normally when deals are done, it's a win-win situation for both sides."
Clement backed the stance of the American owners in holding out for their valuation and believes the £50m figure is crucial in the quest for replacements.
"You have to remember we are Swansea City, we are not a top four club that has massive revenue in relation to what those top clubs are getting," said Clement.
"We have to be sensible with the economics of it.
"It also makes a point for the future as well. We don't want to sell our best players and if we are going to sell them, we have to maximise our revenue for them so we can build for the future."
Clement says the club have "researched" potential replacements for Sigurdsson and insists his squad are ready for the Premier League campaign.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman remains optimistic about signing Sigurdsson.
"It's still close. That has not changed," Koeman said ahead of Everton's league opener against Stoke.
"I heard some rumours that talks had broken down but still we are in negotiations with Swansea.
"I heard the comments of Paul Clement and, of course, everybody would like to have news.
"That is better for us, better for them, but everybody knows the window is difficult.
"It is always a game between the buying club and the selling club, but we are close and let's hope we get the agreement as soon as possible.
"I spoke about 'soon' last weekend. Let's wait. We are not in a hurry, but finally we hope to do the deal." | Swansea City manager Paul Clement says negotiations with Everton over Gylfi Sigurdsson are at a "critical stage". |
24,599,842 | Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix, 63, was killed in a beach resort in Baja California in north-western Mexico.
He and his brothers controlled the drug trade on Mexico's border with the United States in the 1990s.
But their Tijuana cartel was gradually weakened by the capture or killing of other leading members.
"He was hit by two bullets, one in the chest and one in the head," said Isai Arias, a Baja California state government official.
The motive for the attack and the gunmen's disguise were being investigated, he added.
The attack took place during a family party at a rented beach house in the tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas.
The former cartel leader was arrested in 1993 but released nearly 15 years later after spending time in prison in Mexico and the United States.
His brother Eduardo was jailed in August in the US for 15 years after pleading guilty to money laundering.
Security experts believe the Tijuana cartel is now run by his sister Enedina and her son Fernando, known as "The Engineer", according to AFP news agency.
Most estimates put the number of people killed in Mexican drug-related violence since late 2006 at more than 60,000. | The authorities in Mexico have said gunmen dressed as clowns have shot dead a former leading member of a once-powerful and violent drug cartel. |
40,177,974 | Giants overcame searing heat to go in 22-6 up at half-time through tries from Aaron Murphy, Shannon Wakeman, Danny Brough and Mamo.
Tony Gigot had the Dragons only reply, but normal service soon resumed.
Brough and Mamo scythed through with ease, while winger Jermaine McGillvary also ran in a treble.
Sam Moa's late effort was little consolation for a well-beaten Catalans side.
McGillvary's haul took the England winger's career points tally up to 500, helping equal Huddersfield's record margin of victory against the French outfit, and the win itself also took the visitors above Catalans in the Super League table.
Huddersfield have steadily improved this season under coach Rick Stone, despite a slow start, and this game showcased the quality of his pre-season recruitment.
Wakeman was a winter acquisition, but it was Mamo of the signings who made the biggest impression.
The former Newcastle Knights full-back had a delayed start to the campaign through injury, but since returning to fitness has imposed himself on the Giants attack with line-breaks, pace and support play.
Catalans meanwhile are in a state of freefall, having parted with Laurent Frayssinous as coach, and their interim staff of Michael Monaghan and Jerome Guisset have been unable to arrest the slump.
The loss of marquee import Greg Bird to injury at Widnes last weekend meant a debut for Nabil Djalout in the back-row, a tough introduction to Super League life as the Dragons were dominated throughout.
Catalans Dragons: Gigot; Duport, Inu, Thornley, Yaha; Walsh, Myler; Moa, Aiton, Casty, Djalout, Bousquet, Margalet.
Replacements: Anderson, Simon, Da Costa, Seguier
Huddersfield Giants: Mamo; McGillvary. Cudjoe, Turner, Murphy; Brough, Ridyard; Ikahihifo, Leeming, Wakeman, Roberts, Ferguson, Hinchcliffe
Replacements: Rapira, Clough, Mellor, O'Brien
Referee: Chris Kendall | Jake Mamo scored four tries as a resurgent Huddersfield Giants demolished coachless Catalans Dragons for a famous win in Perpignan. |
35,110,960 | The Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has been providing the service for several years.
It assesses avalanche hazard in six areas - Lochaber, Glen Coe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms , Northern Cairngorms and Torridon.
The reports are usually issued until mid-April.
Members of the service also regularly blog on conditions in the hills and mountains in these areas. | Daily avalanche information reports for some of Scotland's most popular areas for hillwalkers and climbers have begun. |
35,894,102 | Bernie Sanders kept his hopes alive with wins in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington, but Hillary Clinton remains the frontrunner.
Click or tap on the links below for full results, provided by the Associated Press.
Alaska
Hawaii
Washington state
Winning delegates, the people who endorse a candidate at the party conventions in July, is key to securing the nomination.
The Democratic totals include the delegates won per state, as well as so-called "unpledged" or "super delegates". Hillary Clinton has a huge lead among the party leaders and elected officials who each get a vote at the convention.
AP conducts surveys of these super delegates, and adds them to a candidate's totals if they indicate their support. But super delegates can - and do - change their minds during the course of the campaign, so the figures may shift as the race unfolds.
The delegate tracker is updated automatically. There may be a short delay between the delegates being assigned and the totals changing. | The focus fell on the Democratic nomination race this weekend, with three states holding caucuses on Saturday 26 March. |
31,500,246 | The East of England Ambulance Service was fined £1.2m last year over failures to reach 75% of life-threatening emergencies within eight minutes.
MPs, health watchdogs and patient groups have criticised the service.
A drive is now under way to recruit "compassionate people with a commitment to patient care" to boost operations.
More than 400 paramedics recruited last year will be fully qualified at the end of the month to work for the service covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Some will work in rural areas where the service's performance record has been heavily criticised.
New recruit training can last up to 18 months and covers classroom work at universities in Norwich, Cambridge or Chelmsford as well as blue-light duty alongside experienced crews.
Chief executive Dr Anthony Marsh hopes hundreds more applicants would come forward.
"We have the most ambitious paramedic recruitment campaign in England," he said.
"Taking on more paramedics will help us to continue to improve the caring service we give to patients."
Student paramedics go through eight weeks of training in the classroom and three weeks of blue-light driver training before starting on the front-line.
They then receive three more weeks of classroom training in their first nine months as students.
During the 12 to 18 months which follow, studies involved a mix of classroom and practical work at the University of East Anglia or Anglia Ruskin University. | An ambulance service criticised for failing to meet performance targets is to recruit another 400 paramedics. |
38,199,310 | The group - which includes ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve - said "a moderate core" of Tory voters do not want the party to become "UKIP-lite".
PM Theresa May must ensure she is not "pushed" into a hard Brexit, they said.
It comes as the Lib Dems overturned a 23,015 Conservative majority to win Thursday's Richmond Park by-election.
Ex-Tory MP Zac Goldsmith stood as an independent after leaving the Conservative Party, but Lib Dem Sarah Olney - who fought the campaign on the issue of Brexit - won by more than 1,800 votes.
Writing in the Observer newspaper, Mr Grieve, former Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, ex-transport minister Claire Perry, education select committee chairman Neil Carmichael, and Bath MP Ben Howlett, said the Richmond Park result must serve as a wake-up call for the party.
"The Conservative Party needs to be alert that there is a moderate core of Conservative voters, who voted Remain, and who want to hear the Conservative government speaking above the noise of the Brexiters," the quintet wrote.
"They do not want the Conservative party to be UKIP-lite, nor to hear that their desire for a negotiated Brexit, with all options open for the prime minister, is an attempt to delay the process or simply an expression of Remoaning."
The Richmond Park result should be a reminder "that their votes have another destination if we don't get this right," they added.
They called for Downing Street to reveal its negotiating position on Brexit before triggering the formal exit process under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
Such a move would ensure the government was not "pushed into a corner by those who only advocate a hard Brexit," the MPs added.
There is no strict definition of a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit, but they are used to refer to the closeness of the UK's relationship with the EU after leaving.
So at one extreme, "hard" Brexit could involve the UK refusing to compromise on issues like the free movement of people, leaving the EU single market and trading with the EU as if it were any other country outside Europe, based on World Trade Organization rules.
This would mean - at least in the short term before a trade deal was done - the UK and EU would probably apply tariffs and other trade restrictions on each other.
At the other end of the scale, a "soft" Brexit might involve some form of membership of the European Union single market, in return for a degree of free movement.
What does 'hard' or 'soft' Brexit mean?
So far the government has refused to reveal what it will seek to achieve in negotiations with the EU, once formal talks begin.
However, the Sunday Times says Mrs May has given ministers the green light to draw up secret plans for a "grey Brexit" that would steer away from the demands of Leave and Remain hardliners.
The paper quoted Whitehall sources as saying that Chancellor Philip Hammond and Brexit Secretary David Davis had formed a "small clique" with No 10 to drive Britain away from a hard exit.
On Friday, international trade minister Greg Hands suggested the UK could seek a deal which would allow sections of the economy to remain within the EU's customs union after Brexit.
Mr Hands said officials would be able to choose the type of products to be covered by agreements.
In the Commons on Thursday, Brexit Secretary David Davis said the "major criterion" was getting the best access for goods and services to the European market.
Mrs May has said she plans to trigger Article 50, which begins a two-year negotiation process before the UK leaves the EU, before the end of March 2017. | Pursuing a "hard" Brexit could alienate core Conservative voters and cost the party the next general election, a group of Tory MPs has warned. |
36,671,190 | They served as stretcher-bearers at the Battle of the Somme, performed concerts to lift spirits and their bass drum was even used as a communion table.
The Somme took the lives of Lance Corporal Joseph Scott, from Moore Street, and Rifleman George Mills, from Pine Street.
They were killed on 1 July but many more would die before the end of hostilities.
Established in 1856, the Hamilton Band is one of the oldest in Northern Ireland.
They formed the nucleus of the regimental band of the 10th battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Following completion of training in Ireland, the 10th Inniskillings moved to England and subsequently to France.
Once there, the men encountered combat and the awful reality of trench warfare for the first time.
After the Armistice those members who had survived the war undertook the process of re-building the band.
They had a bit of work to do as the battalion band had taken most of the instruments with them to the front.
It meant that when the band was revived, all of the drums and most of the flutes were missing.
Eventually the original drums were returned and Ian Bartlett, curator at St Columb's Cathedral, said they now hang in the Chapter House.
"This (bass drum) was in use right through the First World War and was, in fact, used to form a communion table on the battlefield on Sundays when the band celebrated the sacrament of Holy Communion.
"It was re-presented to the band when it reformed in the city after the war. They used it, I believe, until the 1970s when it was then laid up in the Chapter House."
Robert McGonagle, Hamilton Flute Band secretary, praised the men's courage.
"I just wonder would it happen now if we met such circumstances?
"The dedication and the bravery of all those people that joined up and went away into the unknown was amazing and probably wouldn't be repeated nowadays."
Those who lost their lives will be honoured during the act of remembrance at the war memorial in Derry.
This year there will also be a special drum service held at St Columb's Cathedral to mark the contribution of the Hamilton Flute Band.
"We felt that a wonderful way of marking the commemorations was to have a piece of music specially composed," said Robert.
"We commissioned a piece built around the Battle of the Somme and how the members joined up, marched to the war and went over the top of the trenches."
You can hear more about the Hamilton Flute Band and their remarkable story here. | When World War One broke out in 1914, members of Londonderry's Hamilton Flute Band joined up "to a man". |
29,223,188 | The screen star said in an interview with the Radio Times there is an "intern culture" of richer hopefuls being subsidised by their parents.
He said: "It worries me that in the arts, a very rich community, we're not offering more support."
The 50-year-old Liverpudlian added he was given a grant for drama school.
Morrissey, whose screen credits include Blackpool and US serial The Walking Dead, said that he was able to work while he was at the city's Everyman Theatre.
"There's an economic exclusion of working class people happening now. I got lucky, but if I was starting out now, it would be a lot harder, because my parents could never have supported me through that 'Is it going to happen?' period.
"Television is doing very well for itself, but the trickledown effect isn't working," he added.
Earlier this week, Dame Judi Dench echoed Morrissey's concerns, saying that she receives letters from aspiring actors asking for help to put them through drama school.
"Anyone who's in the theatre gets letters countless times a week asking for help to get through drama school. You can do so much, but you can't do an endless thing. It is very expensive," she told The Observer newspaper.
The Oscar winner said repertory theatres should be reinstated around the UK and suggested their demise was making the acting profession more elitist.
Actress Julie Walters has also taken a swipe at elitism in the business, saying: "The way things are now, there aren't going to be any working class actors.
"I look at almost all the up-and-coming names and they're from the posh schools."
Actors from more privileged backgrounds who were educated at public school have hit back at criticism that they have the upper hand.
Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch said: "It's just so predictable... so domestic, and so dumb... It makes me think I want to go to America."
Actor Freddie Fox added: "I do want people to think of me as an actor, not just a posh actor who does posh parts."
Other younger stars from privileged backgrounds who have been singled out include Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston. | Actor David Morrissey has claimed people from poorer backgrounds are being excluded from entering the acting profession due to a lack of funding. |
36,287,712 | City of Cake includes baked models of the The Corn Exchange, Leeds Town Hall, Kirkgate Market and other landmarks.
The exhibition at Trinity Leeds shopping centre is part of Leeds Indie Food festival and runs until 20 May.
Ellie Andrews, City of Cake organiser, said: "It's a walkthrough, edible installation of some of the buildings that gives Leeds its cultural identity.
"It's to get people thinking, talking and appreciating their city."
Other featured buildings, which took several weeks to design and build in cake form, include independent cinema the Hyde Park Picture House and university building Broadcasting Tower.
Eddie Amon-Lebeau, food artist at Tattooed Bakers, said: "We start with a non-edible structure inside, then we layer up bits of cake around it and then decorate it in sugar paste.
"We estimate there is about 5,500 portions over all seven cakes, so that's quite a lot of cake." | Some of Leeds' most well-known buildings have been recreated in cake for an edible art exhibition. |
38,341,490 | The honorary president of the African division of FIFPro was reacting to an employment survey published by the global players' union last month.
The survey showed Africa's footballers are often paid late and are prone to physical and mental abuse.
"Professional footballers in many African countries do not have the clearly defined status they deserve - or any status at all," the 38-year-old said in a statement.
"In Africa, football is not like other jobs. For many players, it's their only source of income and it takes up all of their time.
"Half of the players (in Africa) questioned said they'd had problems getting paid on time in the last two years. That's unacceptable."
In Gabon, which will host next month's Africa Cup of Nations, 96% of players responding to the FIFPro survey reported late payments.
Meanwhile, 40% of players from the 13 African countries surveyed said they lack a written contract, which leads to complications in claiming salaries.
Other issues revealed job insecurity, insufficient medical care and the threat of match-fixing.
Almost a third of Africa-based players also said they did not have a full day off each week.
The survey was the largest ever undertaken on working conditions of footballers across the globe, with nearly 14,000 players from 54 different countries providing answers.
"Many African footballers have no holiday entitlement and are left without the medical care they need to do their jobs - this has to change," added Drogba, a two-time Confederation of African Football Player of the Year.
"Africa's professional footballers must be treated as proper employees. Only then will they be able to perform to their best. The continent as a whole stands to gain."
Though born in Abidjan, Drogba's spent the majority of his club career in Europe, where he won the 2012 Champions League and four Premier League titles with London side Chelsea.
Most recently, the former Ivory Coast captain was playing for MLS side Montreal Impact prior to announcing his departure last month.
Drogba has been joined by former Chelsea team-mate Geremi Njitap in entering the world of players' welfare, with the latter now heading up Cameroon's footballers' union.
On Thursday, FIFPro unveiled an interactive world map where users can access information about footballers' working conditions across the globe. | Former Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba has called on Africa's clubs to improve the treatment of footballers. |
36,845,340 | Overton went off during the second day of Somerset's recent final-over County Championship loss to Middlesex and scans revealed a stress fracture.
The 22-year-old played 18 games for the county in all competitions this summer.
"He will begin rehabilitation in the autumn with a view to a full recovery, returning next season," physiotherapist Jamie Thorpe told Somerset's website.
Somerset are currently sixth in County Championship Division One and third in their One-Day Cup group, but cannot qualify for the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast competition. | Somerset pace bowler Jamie Overton will miss the remainder of the 2016 season because of a lower back injury. |
35,235,102 | Black people could no longer be treated as "sub-humans", it said.
The nation has been gripped by a racism row after Penny Sparrow, an opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) member, on Facebook called black people "monkeys".
She denied she was a racist. The DA party suspended her membership.
The racially discriminatory apartheid system ended in South Africa in 1994. It had been introduced in 1948 by the then-white minority government and was later declared by the UN as a crime against humanity.
A spokesman for the ANC chief whip's office, Moloto Mothapo, told the BBC that current legislation was insufficient to tackle racism.
"We haven't had a single person imprisoned for racism despite many instances of racism. We don't believe it addresses the crime of racism," he said.
A statement issued by the ANC parliamentary chief whip's office said racial bigotry and apartheid should be considered a serious human rights violations punishable by imprisonment because of South Africa's "painful past".
"Elsewhere glorification of Nazism and denial of Holocaust is a crime and perpetrators are tried and sentenced to a prison term," it added.
The ANC also said it had filed criminal charges against several DA members - including Ms Sparrow and MP Dianne Kohler Barnard.
Ms Kohler Barnard was expelled from the DA in October after she shared a post on Facebook which suggested that public services in South Africa were better during apartheid and called for the return of former President PW Botha.
She won an appeal against her expulsion from the party, and was instead ordered to pay 20,000 rand ($1,320; £888) to a charity working with communities disadvantaged by apartheid.
On Monday, the DA said it had filed charges against Ms Sparrow "for infringing the dignity of all South Africans and for dehumanising black South Africans" as it did not tolerate racism.
On Facebook, Ms Sparrow used the word monkeys to describe New Year's revellers on the beach in the eastern city of Durban because of the mess she said they made.
She later apologised but was condemned by many on social media and the hashtag #RacismMustFall was trending on Twitter.
The South African Human Rights Commission, a statutory body, is also investigating her comments. | South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) says it will push for tougher legislation to jail anyone guilty of "racial bigotry", or "glorifying" apartheid. |
27,321,668 | South Korean and US experts reached the conclusion based on data recovered from the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said on Thursday that the finding was "clear military provocation".
Pyongyang had denied owning the drones, which were found in different locations in South Korea between March and April.
Last month, South Korean officials said a preliminary investigation showed that the drones were from the North.
"By analysing the data, the joint investigation team has secured the smoking gun - clear, scientific evidence that all three UAVs originated from North Korea," the defence ministry's Mr Kim said.
He added that all three were "programmed to fly over" military facilities, and that the new military threat required a stern response.
South Korean Vice-Defence Minister Baek Seung-joo described the drones as very rudimentary.
"However, there is always the possibility that the North might use them for attacks after arming them with high explosives, considering its irrational and reckless tendency for provocative acts," he told journalists.
One of the drones found in Paju, just south of the demilitarised zone that separates the two Koreas, had a camera that took pictures of military installations and South Korea's presidential compound, previous reports said.
The two Koreas were divided at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and they remain technically at war.
North Korea is the subject of multiple UN resolutions relating to its pursuit of nuclear weapons' development. | Three small drones recovered near the inter-Korean border in recent months came from North Korea, South Korea's defence ministry says. |
38,206,197 | Customers took to social media to complain of long queues at the Windsor resort during the first day of the "Christmas Bricktacular" opening.
Caroline Other, of Windsor, said her four-year-old son was left crying in the "freezing cold".
Legoland apologised for the delay and said a power cut meant some time slots to see Santa were missed.
More on this and other Berkshire stories.
On the resort's Facebook page, Lisha Jones wrote: "We drove 400 miles to visit Legoland. We didn't get to go on all the rides due to the long wait to see Santa. It was freezing cold and my four-year-old ended up falling asleep in the long wait."
Kelly Jackson said: "The wait, despite allocated time slots for a visit to see Father Christmas, left us all feeling angry and upset. We had a slot booked for 15:00 GMT but ended seeing the big man at 18:00 GMT."
Others said Legoland staff were "fantastic", handing out popcorn to those waiting in the queue.
Josh Gibbons wrote on Facebook: "We had to queue for over an hour for Santa which kind of makes the allotted time redundant.
"But the staff were excellent, handing out popcorn and being very apologetic for the wait."
In a statement, Legoland said: "We would like to apologise to guests visiting our Christmas Bricktacular on opening day, Saturday 3 December. Unfortunately we experienced some power issues which resulted in unacceptable delays.
"We tried to keep spirits up with festive snacks and timing changes but we know a lot of guests were disappointed. Please be assured it's all systems go now and Legoland and Father Christmas look forward to welcoming our guests." | Families visiting Legoland had to wait up to three hours to see Santa at a Christmas-themed attraction. |
34,884,677 | Screenings have been cancelled of The Redemption Of The Devil, which follows band frontman Jesse Hughes in the build up to the release of their new album.
Gunmen killed 89 people at the band's gig at the Bataclan concert hall in last Friday's Paris attacks.
The band escaped, but members of their crew and record company were killed.
The documentary, made by director Alex Hoffman, follows the band's charismatic, hard-living frontman as he hits 40, becomes ordained as a Catholic minister and ponders a future in politics.
The BBC understands it was pulled because the timing felt inappropriate.
Yesterday the band issued their first statement about the attack and said they were "bonded in grief with the victims, the fans... and all those affected by terrorism".
They said they were "horrified and still trying to come to terms with what happened in France" and all shows were on hold until further notice.
Meanwhile, new figures show ticket sales for concerts in Paris have fallen by around 80% since the series of attacks in the city.
Following the incident at the Bataclan, bands including U2 and Foo Fighters cancelled gigs.
A spokesman for Prodiss, the music industry producers group, said: "The attacks sent a shock wave that has hit our audiences hard."
The group is carrying out a full audit to see how many concerts have been cancelled, but fear the cost of extra security measures might lead to more shows being pulled.
"Producers are extremely worried about the future. They work on quite a narrow (profit) margin," the spokesman said, adding the Christmas period was crucial for the industry.
French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin has promised a emergency fund of four million euros (£2.8m) to help get live entertainment up and running again and help with the cost of new security measures.
But Prodniss said double that was needed.
"We have to rebuild the public's confidence, make them feel happy and relaxed about going out to concerts again," it said. | A documentary about the Eagles of Death Metal has been pulled from the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. |
40,916,141 | The trouble started early on Saturday when hundreds of people who belong to white supremacy groups came to the city to protest against the plans to remove a statue.
White supremacists believe that white people are better than other races.
The statue was of Robert E. Lee, a general who fought in the American Civil War over 150 years ago.
General Lee fought for the side that supported slavery, and owned slaves himself.
This year, the city council of Charlottesville voted to remove the statue because they didn't think they should celebrate General Lee anymore.
But white supremacist and Nazi groups, who think that removing General Lee's statue is an attack on the white race, began a protest against that decision.
Anti-racism groups arrived in Charlottesville to protest against the white supremacists, and violence broke out between the two groups.
A man drove a car into the anti-racism protesters - one woman was killed and 19 people were injured.
Emergency services arrived quickly to help, and a man has now been arrested.
US President Donald Trump has spoken out about the violence several times.
In his first comments, he condemned the violence by "many sides". He was criticised by many people - including some politicians from his own party, for not being firmer on the violence.
They said President Trump should have been clear straightaway that it was white supremacists who were in the wrong, and that the car being driven into the crowd was an act of terrorism.
He then spoke for a second time, saying "Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs." He also said the group's behaviour was going against everything Americans valued.
But in his latest comments, President Trump again, blamed both sides for what happened. Many politicians in his own Republican party disagree with him and lots of people say they are strongly against what Donald Trump is saying.
This was the biggest gathering of white supremacist groups in many years in the USA.
Donald Trump was criticised during last year's election for not being stronger in criticising racist groups which supported his campaign to be President.
He said he "disavowed" groups like these, which meant he didn't agree or want to be linked with them.
But the events in Charlottesville show once again how the US is deeply divided when it comes to race.
For more on how race affects America, watch this Newsround Special from 2015. | Violent clashes have taken place between two groups of protestors in the American city of Charlottesville. |
39,994,587 | Bale did not make the bench despite being named in the initial 25-man squad that travelled for the game.
He had already been out with a calf injury for seven games.
It meant Bale missing the title decider 13 days before Real face Juventus in the Champions League final in his home city of Cardiff on Saturday, 3 June.
It was the first time Bale has won a domestic league title.
Juventus will head to the Welsh capital having won their sixth consecutive Serie A crown with a 3-0 win over Crotone. | Wales forward Gareth Bale was left out of Real Madrid's match squad as they won 2-0 at Malaga to win La Liga on Sunday. |
40,529,482 | New launches of dairy-free varieties now make up 4% of all new ice cream launches, according to market research firm Mintel.
And major brands, including Haagen Dazs and Ben and Jerry's have launched dairy-free varieties.
But they don't tend to market them as "vegan" said Mintel's analyst.
"There is consumer curiosity around dairy-free, particularly among younger people," said Alex Beckett, Global Food and Drink Analyst at Mintel.
"They perceive dairy-free ice cream to be a more permissible treat than regular ice cream."
Amid rising numbers of people switching to a diet that eliminates or cuts down on dairy-based ingredients, ice cream makers have embraced the trend, particularly in the United States.
This week Haagen Dazs launched four new flavours: chocolate salted fudge truffle, peanut butter chocolate fudge, mocha chocolate cookie and coconut caramel.
Ben and Jerry's uses almond milk for its dairy-free flavours and has recently added caramel almond brittle, cherry Garcia and coconut seven layer bar to its range.
In contrast to sorbets, these products aim to emulate the creamy textures and flavours of a dairy-based product, something that has proved a challenge for food scientists.
They are not yet available in the UK but Mintel's report suggest there could be a market for them across Europe.
According to Mintel as many as three in 10 Italians and one in five French consumers say they are actively reducing their consumption or are avoiding dairy.
In the UK, 16% said that they, or a member of their household, avoided dairy.
Although dairy-free still represents a small slice of the overall range of new ice cream launches, at 4%, that proportion has already doubled since 2014.
However, while a growing number of people are choosing to go vegan, firms are avoiding marketing new flavours with that label, said Mr Beckett, because vegan doesn't really equate with indulgence.
"They tend not to put vegan on the packaging, because for a lot of people that would be a deterrent," he said.
Instead they are exploiting the "health halo" of plant-based recipes and ingredients such as coconut, to come across as a treat "but one you don't feel too guilty eating".
The UK ice cream market lags behind the US, added Mintel's Mr Beckett.
"In the UK we tend to follow what happens in the US and we're a few years behind in terms of ice-cream innovation.
"In the States dairy-free is booming," he said.
On that basis Mr Beckett, is predicting UK consumers will soon be offered the kind of middle-eastern-spice-influenced flavours currently in fashion in the States.
"Saffron is an edgy flavour in US ice cream parlours," he said.
"What happens in Brooklyn and LA tends to emerge in retail in the States, and then in a few years that emerges in the UK. | Young people worldwide are developing a taste for dairy-free ice cream which they see as a "healthier" alternative, involving almonds and coconut. |
35,529,606 | He said he had given the order after an attack on Monday on a military brigade blamed on the ELN.
He said the country would not be held to ransom by the rebels.
Preliminary talks with the ELN started two years ago during negotiations with the larger Farc rebel group.
The government is hoping to reach a final accord with Farc in the coming months.
President Santos said he had ordered the military "to intensify operations against the ELN and all the forms of delinquency that stem from its presence".
The attack has raised tension as Colombia tried to include the ELN in peace negotiations alongside the Farc.
"The ELN is dead wrong if it thinks that with attacks like this it can smooth the path to peace," the president said.
"If they think it will strengthen their position at the negotiating table, they are totally mistaken."
President Santos launched efforts to convene formal peace talks with the ELN in 2014 without calling for a ceasefire between the group and military forces.
He is demanding that the ELN release two captives as a condition for any peace deal.
Farc negotiators in Havana, where talks have been taking place, say they believe the ELN was ready to start negotiations.
"The ELN cannot stay outside the peace process," said the Farc's chief negotiator, Ivan Marquez. | Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said the military would intensify its operations against the country's second-biggest rebel group, the ELN or National Liberation Army. |
36,122,590 | Striker Stevan Jovetic scored twice as Inter came from a goal down to boost their chances of remaining in the top four.
Cyril Thereau volleyed Udinese ahead, with Jovetic equalising from Mauro Icardi's cross.
Jovetic chested in Jonathan Biabiany's cross before substitute Eder scored in injury time to seal the win. | Inter Milan's victory over Udinese was the first ever Serie A match with no Italians starting for either team. |
35,636,382 | The women, from Brazil and Germany, posted on the Gumtree website that they wanted a lift from Adelaide to Melbourne, reports say.
Police will allege in court that the man took the women to a remote beach near Salt Creek, south of Adelaide, where they were raped and beaten.
One of the women remains in hospital in Adelaide, two weeks after the attack.
The accused man was arrested at Coorong National Park on 9 February.
Details including his identity, vehicle and alleged actions during the crimes have been suppressed by court order.
Reports said the women, in their 20s, were rescued after they managed to escape and run off in different directions.
One was recaptured, but the other ran screaming from sand dunes towards a group of fishermen, witnesses said.
"She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like, 'get me out of here, get me out of here. He's going to kill us all'," fisherman Abdul-Karim Mohammed told 7 News.
The second woman was found barely conscious and unable to speak, the fishermen said.
The accused man is expected to face court again in April charged with attempted murder, unlawful sexual intercourse without consent, and kidnapping. | An Australian man accused of trying to kill two backpackers met the pair online, police will reportedly allege. |
33,065,532 | Retired carpenter Lawrence Birch, 78, from Cymau, Flintshire, died at Wrexham's Maelor Hospital in June 2013.
He first went to A&E following the fall on 29 March and returned a couple of times until his death.
Coroner John Gittins said Mr Birch's family had concerns about the treatment he received on the different occasions.
Barrister Angela Barnes said one of the family's concerns was over an apparent lack of transparency in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's handling of the case.
A full inquest will be held at a later date. | A pensioner who fell and hit his head while clearing snow died after several visits to hospital, a pre-inquest hearing in Ruthin heard. |
39,508,693 | Brij Dhande was left puzzled as to why his recycling was sometimes being collected and other times labelled as contaminated with other waste.
After installing CCTV outside his West Bromwich home, he caught the man transferring rubbish from one bin into his recycling.
Contractor Serco apologised for the "completely unacceptable behaviour".
"I'm struggling to explain it," Mr Dhande said.
"I've never met the man and have no idea what's behind it and without talking to him we're going to be at a loss."
The IT businessman said the mystery began about seven months ago and followed no regular pattern as to when his rubbish would and would not be collected.
"I've had to go through the bin sometimes to sort out the rubbish, which isn't very nice - it's not very nice for anyone to do," he said.
"Also, as taxpayers, we're paying their wages. So for somebody to do that to someone who is paying their livelihood, you're not getting the service you're paying for."
But after installing the cameras at his home on All Saints Way, something Mr Dhande said he was planning to do despite the mystery, he managed to capture the man at Tuesday morning.
John Mason, Serco's general contract manager, said the firm valued the efforts resident make to separate waste.
"We expect our teams to uphold the highest standards and we are clear that the behaviour in this video is completely unacceptable. I would like to apologise and to reassure residents that we are taking this incident extremely seriously.
"I can confirm that the employee concerned no longer works for the company, and I will also be speaking to all our teams to remind them of their responsibilities.
Sandwell Council leader Steve Eling said: "This is totally unacceptable and we're glad that Serco have dealt with it swiftly." | A binman has been sacked for mixing up a businessman's rubbish outside his home - knowing it would go uncollected. |
34,428,383 | Professor Angus Wallace developed the brace position after researching injuries in 1989's Kegworth air crash.
He hit the headlines when he treated a woman on a flight with a coat hanger and when he operated on Rooney in 2006.
At his retirement party in Nottingham, the Scot said he had learned to live with the English.
Mr Wallace was working at Queen's Medical Centre the night a plane crashed on the M1 near the Leicestershire village of Kegworth in 1989.
His research on the injuries sustained by the passengers, 47 of whom died, lead to the adoption of his brace position for passengers in the UK.
"We did five years of research to establish the best position and in 1995 the Civil Aviation Authority issued instructions to airlines to use the brace position as the standard in the UK," he said.
He said it was "probably responsible for some lives being saved - even now".
He hit international headlines when he saved a woman's life on a Hong Kong-London flight in 1995 using a coat hanger to treat a collapsed lung and five-star brandy to sterilise his improvised equipment.
He was congratulated for the mid-air operation by the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but was told by his wife when he returned home that "the garden needs digging".
And in 2006, he brought hope to millions of English football fans when he declared Rooney fit to play in the World Cup after he broke his foot.
Mr Wallace, who moved from Dundee to Nottingham in 1973, said he now had many English friends.
"The English are ok, I've learned to live with them. In fact they have become very good friends," he joked. | A surgeon who developed the UK's brace position, passed Wayne Rooney fit to play in a World Cup and saved a woman's life with a coat hanger is retiring. |
30,846,825 | Lorraine McKeag, 60, from Dundry near Bristol, was driving on the roundabout where the M32 links with the M4 when her car collided with a lorry.
She died at the scene and the road was shut for more than seven hours.
"To know her was an absolute joy," read a family tribute released through Avon and Somerset Police.
Her husband of 28 years died in 2012, eight years after a "serious and debilitating" stroke. The couple have one son, James, who is 24-years-old.
"Her popularity grew within the village year on year, and she was well known across the Chew Valley for her two golden retrievers and tireless help and support to all", her family wrote. "Lorraine will be missed immensely by her son, sister, family and friends."
Her son James is running three marathons in her memory including events in Paris, Manchester and London, all in April. He has already raised more than £2,000 for the Stroke Association. | The family of a woman who died in a crash on the M32 have described her as "the most selfless, loyal and loving character imaginable". |
32,014,029 | The sale of the shares, worth up to $3.3bn (£2.2bn), will mean that the UK bank owns less than half of Citizens.
It is part of a plan by the state-owned bank to concentrate more on its main UK retail business and reduce its operations abroad.
RBS bought Citizens for $440m in 1988 and turned it into one of the biggest regional banks in the US.
It first sold part of the US company in September last year in an initial public offering.
RBS, which has been 80%-owned by the UK government since being bailed out in 2008, is expected to have sold all of its stake in Citizens by the end of 2016.
On Friday, Citizen shares closed at $24.80 each - a rise of 15% since they started trading in September.
RBS has been trying to streamline its business in order to return to profit. It is pulling out of 25 countries, lowering the number that it operates in to 13.
Thousands of job losses are expected - most of which are likely to be outside Britain.
"The days when global domination mattered more to RBS than great customer service are well and truly over," chief executive Ross McEwan said in February, when the company reported results.
"RBS will be stronger, it will be simpler and it will be much more focused on the UK large corporates and the western European corporates and our big financial institutions," he said.
The bank reported a loss for 2014, largely as a result of writing down the value of its Citizens business by $4bn.
However, its underlying profits showed it benefitting from an improving UK economy. | The Royal Bank of Scotland is selling more of its stake in the US bank Citizens. |
32,203,865 | Andy Penman, of Great Yarmouth firm Conductor Installation Services, called for work to improve the A47.
Mr Penman, a representative on the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said dualling the A47 would be "top of the list for all businesses" in the town.
He said some oil firms had moved out partly due to the poor road links.
Group managing director Mr Penman said investment in the A47 and better transport links would also help tourism in the town.
In December the government announced a series of spending plans which included a £300m scheme to upgrade the east-west connection to Norfolk, by making sections of the A47 a dual carriageway and improving its connections to the A1 and A11.
Conservative candidate for Great Yarmouth Brandon Lewis, who won the seat in 2010, praised the government for its work on dualling the A11 and its pledge to dual sections of the A47.
"We are saying the money is committed. Labour are not saying this, they will have a transport commission to look at it," he said.
"The commitment to invest in the road will really attract companies to Great Yarmouth."
Labour candidate Lara Norris said: "Transport and infrastructure are really holding back the local economy and the need to see more jobs is one of my biggest pledges."
She said Labour was committed to "honour" the government A47 spending pledge and would also be reviewing roads policy with a transport commission.
Ms Norris said she had met local transport groups to look at how to remedy the "significant gaps in bus and train links" to Great Yarmouth.
UKIP candidate Alan Grey said the A47 "needs to be dualled - it's 50 years overdue".
He said delays on single lane stretches of the road are "strangling the town, without a doubt".
"It means that we can't attract business. We also need to improve roads across Great Yarmouth and look at a third river crossing," he added.
Harry Webb, Green Party candidate, said: "Our transport policy is about restructuring our transport systems by taking control of trains so everyone benefits. with better and more services."
He said it was vital that bus services were made more reliable.
On the plans to dual the A47, Mr Webb said: "I think it is anything like that is OK to a certain extent but there should be far more public consultation." | Poor transport links to Great Yarmouth have driven firms away from the town and are a key election issue, a business leader has told the BBC. |
33,777,676 | More than 374 bombs, including cluster bombs, were dropped in 67 locations between January and April, killing at least 35 people, the human rights group said.
Sudan's army has not yet commented on the allegations.
It has been battling rebels demanding more rights for the region since 2011.
At least 1.4 million people, or a third of South Kordofan's population, have fled their homes because of the conflict, Amnesty said in a report.
African Union chief mediator Thabo Mbeki is currently in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, where he is expected to discuss the conflict with government officials, the AFP news agency reports.
"War crimes cannot be allowed to be committed with impunity and a population facing a protracted humanitarian crisis can no longer be ignored by the world," Amnesty said.
It added that its research team had visited South Kordofan, and found cluster munitions at four sites.
"The use of prohibited weapons - such as cluster bombs - launched from high-flying aircraft has resulted in civilian casualties," the group said.
Children had been killed playing with unexploded ordinance, Amnesty added.
Sudan's government has previously accused the rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North, of being backed by neighbouring South Sudan, which became independent in 2011.
South Sudan denied the allegation.
The conflict has been fuelled by grievances among non-Arab groups over what they see as neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum. | Amnesty International has accused Sudan's army of committing war crimes by bombing and shelling civilians in its South Kordofan region. |
35,694,507 | Lord Sacks, 67, a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4, does not believe science and religion live in opposition to one another - rather that "science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean."
In a secular age, Lord Sacks has been credited with leading a revitalisation of Britain's Jewish community during his service as Chief Rabbi from 1991 to 2013, and urging Britain's Jews to share the ethics of their faith with the broader community.
He promotes respect for all faiths, and argues that recognising the values of each faith is the only way to combat successfully the global rise of violence being committed in God's name.
"Religion, or more precisely, religions, should have a voice in the public conversation within the societies of the West, as to how to live, how to construct a social order, how to enhance human dignity, honour human life, and indeed protect life as a whole," he said.
"Each religion, and each strand within each religion, will have to undertake this work, because if religion is not part of the solution it will assuredly be a large part of the problem as voices become ever more strident, and religious extremists ever more violent."
His most recent book, Not in God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence, examines the causes and the possible solutions for extremist interpretations of faith. For many years, he says, people thought religion and the spiritual "would wither and die, and we'd all end up being secular or atheist or agnostic".
So why hasn't it?
"There are three questions any reflective individual will ask in the course of a lifetime: Who am I? Why am I here? How, then, shall I live?" he says.
"Those questions can't be answered by science or resolved by technology, or dealt with by market economics and the liberal democratic state. They're questions about meaning - and ultimately they are religious questions."
I ask him whether - in a lifetime of study and teaching - he has come to any answers on the biggest questions, and he laughs.
"I'm about to simplify what is probably the most complex subject in the universe: that the God who created the universe in love and forgiveness asks us to love and forgive others."
So how does he explain the rise in violence being committed in the name of God in so many countries in the world?
"In many areas, there were secular revolutions and secular nationalisms, which, to many people, seemed to fail to deliver either prosperity or freedom," he says.
"We are seeing a kind of series of religious counter-revolutions, done in the name of some very, very extreme religious attitudes very hostile to the modern world. Throughout history, when religion has become allied to the pursuit of power, bad things happen."
Lord Sacks believes religious counter-revolution cannot be quelled by either military or political means alone.
"Radical religion of any kind, certainly radical Islamism, is the result of decades of effort of constructing educational institutions globally to put forward a very extreme version of Islam.
"The only response is to devote the same time and the same effort to educating young people to a different approach to religion altogether.
"The one that I've advocated is to say monotheism isn't about one God, one truth, one way. The miracle of monotheism is that unity up there creates diversity down here.
"Educate young people in that way, and then you generate another kind of idealism: an idealism that warms instead of an idealism that burns."
Lord Sacks says that when religion seeks power, it can become dangerous, as history and recent years have shown.
"Whenever religion invades the territory of politics, it finds that not only can it not resolve the differences between its faith and other faiths, it can't even resolve the internal schisms within its own faith. And the end result is sectarianism of the worst kind, and then you get a civil war within a faith."
He compares the current split between Shia and Sunni Islam to conflict in Europe between Protestants and Catholics in the 16th and 17th Centuries.
"The only thing you can do is to develop a counter-idealism that speaks to the real passions of young people today. Many of them are searching for meaning," he says.
"They don't find it in a culture that's terribly materialistic: they want ideals, and we have to make sure that the messages that deliver a set of ideals about inclusiveness and tolerance and respect for the other are as powerful and altruistic as the hate-filled messages that are hitting young people through the internet all the time."
Lord Sacks says these are worrying times for Europe's Jewish minority, with many Jews leaving France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
In 2007, he visited leaders in Europe to warn that Jews were beginning to ask whether there was a future for them in Europe.
"That is one of the most shocking things I have ever had to do in my lifetime. To think of Europe without Jews within living memory of the Holocaust and of all the countries of Europe saying, 'Never again.'"
"One of the things that happens in an age of global communication is that a conflict anywhere can become a conflict everywhere. And so we import some of the tensions of the Middle East into the streets of London.
"That is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing. Instead of importing conflict from the Middle East, we should be exporting values like British co-existence from here to there."
So, despite the rise of radical religion in many countries, does he remain an optimist?
"Optimism is the belief that things are getting better. Hope is the belief that if we work hard enough, together we can make things better.
"No Jew who is mindful of Jewish history can be an optimist. But no Jew worthy of the name ever gives up hope." | Former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Lord Sacks has been awarded the Templeton Prize, worth over £1m, in recognition of his contribution to the spiritual dimension to life. |
18,033,836 | The Sweden captain, who has long been a confounding figure to those outside mainland Europe, was answering questions on why his goalscoring record against English opposition had failed to match the talent, reputation and hype that had followed him around the continent.
"As always in England all the media were against me," he added. "There was all that talk: he doesn't score against English teams."
"I don't need a Golden Ball to demonstrate that I am number one."
"It's like they [Barcelona] bought a Ferrari and drive it like a Fiat."
"I have won everything in Italy. I don't know what else I can still do here, other than keep going and build a collection."
"I'd like to think I'm a spectacular player, a guy who can do extraordinary things and I'm at the perfect club [AC Milan] with this mentality."
"We are an elite team. Even when I didn't play, the team [AC Milan] won."
On Wednesday night, the 31-year-old striker came good with his promise and answered his critics in devastating fashion, raising three fingers to the crowd upon sealing his hat-trick.
Last week for his club side Paris St Germain, Ibrahimovic created all four goals in the French team's Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb.
In his homeland he dismantled Roy Hodgson's youthful line-up with four goals of his own in a performance described by Ibrahimovic's team-mate Tobias Sana as "Zlatan against children," adding: "He has been criticised in England and this proves them all wrong."
Zlatan himself could not resist a jibe at his doubters: "That's the way it is with the English. If you score against them you're a good player, if you don't score against them you're not a good player.
"I remember Lionel Messi before the 2009 Champions League final for Barcelona. Then he scored against Manchester United and suddenly he was the best player in the world. Maybe now they'll say something like that about me."
Ibrahimovic has scored only three times in 15 appearances against English sides - Arsenal conceding all of them - and he failed to lead Sweden to victory over the English at Euro 2012.
His sulky on-field demeanour has failed to capture the imagination outside of the Dutch, Spanish and Italian leagues where he has delivered nine league titles in 11 years (albeit, two titles at Juventus were subsequently revoked).
Fabio Capello: "I believe that because of his power and his technique Zlatan will become stronger than Marco van Basten."
Brian Laudrup: "Many people in Italy like to talk of how close Ibrahimovic is from becoming the best player in the world. What they seem to forget though, is that to be ranked as the best, you have to deliver in big away games. 'Ibra' doesn't do that. It's one of the reasons why he won't surpass Messi and Ronaldo."
Martin O'Neill: "Ibrahimovic is the most over-rated player in the world."
Gerard Pique: "He's a complete player, one of the best in the world."
In July, big-spending Paris St Germain paid AC Milan a reported £15.7m for his services, taking his career total transfer fees to £133.2m.
Upon signing he commented in typically maverick style: "I don't know much about the French league but they know who I am. This is the future."
PSG are now top of the division and Ibrahimovic is the league's top scorer with 10 goals.
Ibrahimovic's autobiography 'I am Zlatan' helps unravel the enigma that has enveloped his travels throughout Europe - from his upbringing in Malmo's troubled Rosengard district to the near 70m euro (£56m) transfer from Inter to Barcelona.
A black belt in taekwondo, 'Ibra' has courted controversy on and off the pitch throughout a chequered career in which he has threatened to break Rafael van der Vaart's legs, and had a "life and death" fight with United States defender Oguchi Onyewu and a training-ground bust-up with French hardman Patrick Vieira.
Coaches do not escape his wrath either, as Pep Guardiola can attest.
Ibrahimovic said of his former boss at Barca: "I screamed at him: 'You have no balls' and things probably much worse than that, and then I added: 'You **** yourself over Jose Mourinho. You can go to hell.'
"I was totally crazy. If I were Guardiola, I would've been scared."
Sweden coach Eric Hamren has demonstrated total faith in his talisman, making him captain soon after succeeding Lars Lagerback, who stepped down following Sweden's failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Lagerback, who gave the 19-year-old Malmo forward his debut 11 years ago, says Ibrahimovic has matured into one of the best players in the world.
"When he was younger he always wanted to be the best, show off all the time and be in the team all the time. He still wants to be the best, but he does it in a more relaxed way.
"One player on his own can't win a game but he can be decisive for winning matches, and Zlatan is that player for Sweden, he can do those extra things.
"He can do things that no-one else can do. He is a world-class player - we don't have many in the national team playing on a level that he is."
"Henrik Larsson said when he was playing with him that you always need to be on your toes because he can do the most unexpected things and if you focus and are ready 100% you can receive a pass that you never dreamed of."
On Wednesday, England received from Zlatan a performance they never dreamed of. | "Wait and see, I will show you," Zlatan Ibrahimovic told the English media in 2010. |
37,369,368 | The Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh is the setting for an unusual underground cinematic experience of footage from Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive.
It contains more than 100 hours of moving images of Northern Ireland dating back to 1897.
Sinead Bhreathnach-Cashell is part of the team that manages the archive.
She said: "We spent a year going through people's attics, going through museum store rooms and what we found was beautiful, bizarre footage and we thought, 'where better than the Marble Arch Caves to show that?'
"We have great footage of rat racing in Crumlin where people are in a pub in Crumlin surrounded by drainpipes and people are cheating by racing gerbils against rats and things like that."
There are also films of haggis hurling in Ormeau Park and a "Buster Keaton-style" pram race through the streets of Londonderry.
The archive includes Land of Ulster footage of stone cutters in County Down in 1950, when hill farmers could "move mountains, even the Mournes".
"It's a real mix, like every day of my job," says Sinead.
"I love it because every day I'm going to see something different and it might be the most basic daily life tasks or it might be the most ridiculous thing."
Films will be shown in the caves accompanied by traditional Irish music performed by local musicians.
Omagh-born musician Phil Hession will perform a newly commissioned piece of music called 'Til They Came Unto A Cave' against a backdrop of archive film.
"It's spectacular. The acoustics are just completely unbelievable," Phil says.
"It's similar to singing in a church except, well, it's better.
"In each space that you move through the acoustics change, the sound changes, so you get lots of echo to a much more intimate feel and it's just very, very special."
The cinematic and musical tour of the caves is part of the British Film Institute's (BFI) Britain on Film rural initiative but the underground venue has caused problems for the organisers after heavy rainfall flooded the caves.
The high water level prevented access for the technical crew and delayed the setting up of the projectors and screens.
Sinead is confident everything will be alright for the performance on Thursday and Friday night, but she plans to choose a less challenging venue in the future.
"I think next year when the BFI are going to celebrate coastal, and we're looking at venues across coastal towns, we'll maybe stay above the ground," she said. | A digital film archive showing the quirky side of rural life is being showcased in an equally quirky venue. |
34,725,911 | In a 58-page judgement, the panel also dismissed a claim of harassment made by Canon Jeremy Pemberton.
It was against the former acting Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Revd Richard Inwood.
Mr Pemberton claimed that the Church of England's stance on same-sex marriage breached the 2010 Equality Act.
It came after his permission to officiate was revoked after marrying his partner in April 2014.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham said: "We are thankful to the tribunal for its work on this complex case and for its findings in favour of the Rt Revd Richard Inwood, on all the claims made against him.
"Churches across the diocese continue to offer a generous welcome to people from all backgrounds."
Analysis from Caroline Wyatt, BBC religious affairs correspondent
The case has shown the complexities of a Church whose doctrine and Canon law now diverges significantly from secular law in Britain on the issue of same-sex marriage.
At least one other vicar has married his same-sex partner but has not lost his permission to officiate. Each diocese deals with its clergy individually, giving bishops some discretion in how to handle the issue.
The Church of England will be relieved by the ruling, with the tribunal saying its doctrine was clear.
The new Synod, which will convene later this month, is as likely to be consumed by the question of homosexuality as the last Synod was by the issue of women bishops.
Canon Pemberton had been working as a chaplain in a Lincolnshire hospital but said an offer to work in Nottinghamshire was withdrawn after he married his partner in 2014.
The decision not to issue a licence meant he was unable to take up a post as a bereavement manager for the Nottinghamshire-based Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust.
He had claimed the acting Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Rt Revd Richard Inwood, had discriminated against him because of his sexual orientation.
However, the bishop told the tribunal that same-sex marriage was against the church's beliefs.
The clergyman, who took his claims to a tribunal in Nottingham, expressed disappointment at the tribunal's ruling but thanked those who have supported the legal action.
He said: "We are obviously very disappointed. Our lawyers have considered the judgment and are in the process of preparing the Grounds of Appeal for submission to the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
"We would like to thank all of those who have supported us through this litigation process thus far."
During the tribunal hearing, the Church of England argued that Canon Pemberton had gone against its doctrine when he married in "a blaze of publicity".
The clergyman submitted that the church would not have had an issue if he had entered into a civil partnership rather than a marriage. | A gay clergyman prevented from taking up a post as a hospital chaplain was not discriminated against, an employment tribunal panel has ruled. |
33,797,080 | North Wales Police is investigating the crash on the eastbound expressway near junction 23, Llanddulas, which happened at about 18:45 BST.
The Welsh Ambulance Service confirmed one casualty had been taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan. | A male motorcyclist has been taken to hospital with serious injuries following a collision with a lorry on the A55 in Conwy county. |
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