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The rebels, including tribal militants and former army personnel organised in military councils throughout the Sunni areas, see American and international guarantees as crucial to any such deal. "We don't want guns from the Americans, we want a real political solution, which the US should impose on those people it installed in the Green Zone," said Abu Muhammad al-Zubaai, referring to the Iraqi political leaders who took over after the US-led occupation in 2003. "The IS problem would end. If they guarantee us this solution, we'll guarantee to get rid of IS," said Mr al-Zubaai, a tribal leader from Anbar province speaking on behalf of the rebels, using a nom de guerre. The tribal and military rebels, who had been fighting government forces since January, played a role in the spectacular advances scored after IS - in its previous guise as Isis - erupted into Iraq from Syria in June and captured the second city, Mosul, among other mainly Sunni areas. But since then, the Sunni groups have been suppressed, with IS ordering them to join its own ranks or disarm. "Living with IS is like holding burning coals in your hand," said Mr al-Zubaai. "They do not tolerate any other flag to be raised. They control all Sunni areas now." He said tribal militants from the military councils clashed with IS at Garma, near Falluja recently, killing 16 of the Islamic radicals. "We had to choose between a comprehensive confrontation with IS, or ceding control of that area and keeping a low profile," he said. "We decided to stand down, because we are not ready to fight IS in the current circumstances - who would we be fighting for?" Events of the past three weeks have heightened the dilemma of the Sunni rebels. The lightning IS strikes on Iraqi Kurdistan have drawn the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters into the fray in many areas, imposing economic blockades on Sunni townships because of the IS presence there. With the Americans and other powers becoming involved, the rebels fear they will simply be tarred as IS terrorists and the Sunni areas reduced to rubble. "The Sunnis feel that everybody is ganging up on them, that they are targeted by everybody," said Mr al-Zubaai. "The worst thing is to realise that you have nothing to lose any more. The situation is very bad and getting worse. It's enough to make you blow yourself up. This is where the political process has taken us. "Our biggest concern now is a political solution. A security solution will achieve nothing. The bombing has to stop." Under Nouri Maliki, who remains as commander-in-chief of the armed forces in a caretaker capacity until the new government is formed, towns like Falluja and many other Sunni areas have been bombed daily, with heavy casualties among civilians. Caught between two fires, the position of the Sunni rebels has changed sharply since the IS operation began in June. In the early phases, they hoped a joint effort would carry the Sunni insurgency |
The failings came to light in a report about a severely disabled boy who went without speech and language therapy for two years. The boy's family had to complain twice to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) before they were given help. The council has apologised to the family and is now supporting the boy. The boy, who has not been named in the report, has severe complex speech, language, communication, sensory and physical needs. He also had a Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEN) statement in place, which means he is legally entitled to specialised support. The family's first complaint to the LGO in 2015 was upheld. But after a tribunal ordered more support for the boy, the family was forced to complain a second time as support was still not in place. The Ombudsman's report said the council's children's services had "showed a level of ineptitude in funding, commissioning and delivering a statutory service". This led to "vulnerable and disabled children missing out on the support they require", it added. Dr Jane Martin, from the LGO, said: "At the heart of this case is a vulnerable young disabled boy who has been left without the support he needs to help him make friends and get on with his lessons." Somerset County Council has paid the family £300 for having to complain twice and £1,000 for the boy's educational benefit. A council spokesman said: "Our sincerest apologies have been extended to the family and we have continued to work alongside them to find the appropriate therapy for their son. "We're happy that this has now been resolved and that additional therapy sessions took place throughout the summer." It also said lessons had been learned in commissioning therapies for the 3,000 children it looks after. During the investigation, the LGO also found two more Somerset families who were affected by delays. The LGO is now appealing for others who have experienced issues to come forward. |
11 April 2017 Last updated at 18:06 BST One rambler said the islands on the loch were reminiscent of Fjordland, another cited the wide-ranging view of central Scotland while another said it is a good place to blow the cobwebs away. The sight has been ranked the 10th most scenic view in the UK. Glen Coe's Three Sisters came in second, behind Snowdonia in Wales, while Loch Ness, as seen from Dores, was sixth in the top 10 sights. |
The 29-year-old Georgian has featured twice for the Blues since joining on a short-term contract. In the second of those games, he bit Ospreys back-rower Rob McCusker and was sent off. Peikrishvili's ban has been back-dated to 22 November and he is free to play from 2 January, 2017. The former Agen, Castres, Brive and Bayonne prop made his Blues debut in their 62-25 Anglo-Welsh Cup defeat by Exeter Chiefs before the game against Ospreys. Prior to joining Cardiff Blues, Peikrishvili was on a short-term contract with Ulster as injury cover, but did not appear for the province. The Rugby Football Union judged the case as the competition comes under their jurisdiction. The panel also banned Scarlets' back-rower Jack Condy for punching during their 36-21 win over Newport Gwent Dragons on the night Peikrishvili saw red. |
Cambridge United supporter Simon Dobbin has been unable to walk or talk since the attack in Southend in March 2015. Basildon Crown Court heard the group of Southend United supporters had planned to "ambush" rival fans. Nine men were guilty of violent disorder, three of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and one of assisting an offender. All thirteen have been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on Monday, which Mr Dobbin is expected to attend. Speaking outside the court, the victim's wife Nicole Dobbin said: "Justice has been served for Simon. "Two-and-a-half years we've waited for this result and so I'm over the moon - finally someone is paying for what they've done to my husband. "He'll never be the same again but we can move forward from this." During the trial, Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Mr Dobbin was with a group of Cambridge fans who went for a drink in the Blue Boar pub after a 0-0 draw with Southend. The court was told the defendants scouted out potential targets and attacked them as they walked past The Railway pub on their way to Prittlewell train station. "It was a carefully prepared ambush," Mr Jackson told the court. He described it as a "ferocious attack" which lasted up to 90 seconds, and said bottles and glasses were thrown. "Simon Dobbin was hit and stamped upon repeatedly and he sustained massive brain injuries as a result of it," he added. One of the attackers had a hooligan "calling card" stuck to his telephone which read: "Congratulations. You've just met the CS Crew (Southend United) First we take you life, then we take your wife". Douglas Mackay from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "These men set out on that Saturday with the intention of getting involved in the most horrific violence. "Their victims were chosen at random and were entirely innocent. "The jury agreed with the prosecution that each of these men played an active part in planning or carrying out this shocking attack. "Mr Dobbin and his family have been through an unimaginable ordeal. I can only hope these verdicts bring some sense of justice for them." Eight men were found guilty of violent disorder, alongside Rhys Pullen, 21, of Wickford, who had already admitted the charge. They are: Three men were found guilty of conspiracy to commit violent disorder but not guilty of violent disorder: Ian Young, 41, of Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff was found guilty of assisting an offender by hiding the group while police were conducting a search - but not guilty of conspiracy to commit violent disorder. |
Within 60 seconds of walking through Duncansfield's creaking main gate, the first piece of eavesdropped chatter delivered a chastening reminder of part-time football. Apart from five hastily arranged pieces of garden furniture, seating arrangements at this ground in Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, were unashamedly all-standing. A rickety, yet pure place playing host to Harestanes v Girvan by default. The Kirkintilloch amateur side - the first ever to enter the Scottish Cup by way of being Scottish Amateur Cup champions - had hoped to play out their piece of history on their own Merkland patch. But the Scottish Football Association did not deem that "field of dreams" (as Harestanes chairman Jim McKinney likes to call it) suitable to hold this first preliminary round tie. So Duncansfield it was and, while a squad of Harestanes players frantically retreated to the spartan dressing-rooms to de-sock and the Girvan secretary searched for the bus driver who had gone walkabout, another piece of amateur football gold emerged. Having to be dusted down to play in goal for this momentous fixture was Harestanes' third-choice keeper, no less. "Let's just say I'm approaching 40," said 38-year-old Scott McNab, who looked quite the opposite of a relic as he went through a series of pre-match shot-stopping drills. "I only really help the team out now and again when they're struggling for a goalie." Surely 'The Hares' first and second choice men between the sticks could have picked better days be absent? But McNab - Harestanes born and bred - explained how Conor O'Boyle had left to join League Two club Queen's Park. His replacement, who McNab only knows as "Jamie, I think", was away because he was an usher at his brother's wedding. "I'll either be in the headlines for making wonder saves or for being an absolute old codger," he grinned, before giving more solid foundations to his credentials. "I played in this team when we won the Scottish Amateur Cup two years in a row a long time ago, so they're a team close to my heart. I'll settle for a win today and then I can bow out undefeated in the senior Scottish Cup!" Among the 300 or so crowd gathered to watch how McNab would fare were two fans with backgrounds that were poles apart. Standing on the Duncansfield perimeter's second-top step was Tam Cobain, a Harestanes follower of 30-plus years and whose son was a successful player there. Yet, three steps closer to the pitch-side, 10 yards diagonally in front, was Douglas Gillies who had travelled 204 miles from Shipley in West Yorkshire simply to witness this game. "I used to follow Leeds United in the glory days, but I got fed up with the sheer pricing people out of football," said the friendly gentleman from the White Rose part of the UK. "People are so friendly here and we always enjoy coming up. Ideally, I'd like a 5-5 draw here so I can go to the replay at Girvan next week." By half-time, |
Germany's biggest airline blamed "terrorist attacks in Europe" and "greater political and economic uncertainty". It cut its full-year profit forecast for 2016 from "slightly above previous year" to "below previous year". British Airways owner IAG and Easyjet have also issued profits warnings in recent weeks. And earlier this month the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said demand for air travel had been hit. "After a very strong start to the year, demand growth is slipping back toward more historic levels,"said IATA's chief executive, Tony Tyler. "A combination of factors are likely behind this more moderated pace of demand growth. These include continuing terrorist activity and the fragile state of the global economy. "Neither bode well for travel demand. And the shocks of Istanbul and the economic fallout of the Brexit vote make it difficult to see an early uptick," he added. In its statement, Lufthansa said advance bookings, in particular on long-haul routes to Europe had "declined significantly", since it made its original profit forecast in March. It also said it would now increase the number of seats it offers by 5.4% this year instead of its previous target of 6%. Immediately after last month's vote by the UK to leave the European Union, BA's parent company IAG said the decision could dent profits. Meanwhile, rival Easyjet said the vote meant "additional economic and consumer uncertainty is likely this summer" and it expected revenues to fall as a result. |
The miscount was blamed on duplication and confusion between government agencies, said Xinhua news agency. Authorities said 442 people, mainly tourists in their 60s, died after the Eastern Star capsized during a storm on 1 June. All the bodies of those who died have been found, officials say. The accident's cause is still unclear. "Different government bodies made repeated calculations of the number of survivors, thus leading to a miscalculation," Tang Guanjun, head of the Yangtze River Navigation Affairs Administration, told reporters late on Saturday according to Xinhua. The ship sank in Jianli, in China's central Hubei province, in what reports said was a matter of seconds. Weather officials said a freak tornado hit the area. Police have detained the captain and chief engineer for questioning as part of an investigation into the incident. An initial probe into the sinking found the ship was not overloaded and had enough life vests on board. The operator of the ship has apologised for the disaster and said it would "fully" co-operate with the investigation. Yangtze River tragedy on trip of a lifetime Could Mei-yu weather front be behind disaster? |
The victims, both in their 30s, were found in Welley Road on Saturday evening, with deep cuts and lacerations, police said. One has recovered sufficiently to be discharged from hospital, and the other is out of danger, police said. Four men are being held on suspicion of attempted murder. They include male suspects from Slough, aged 24, 25 and 28. Detectives said it was an "isolated incident", and said there would be an increased police presence while the inquiry was ongoing. |
The figures have been compiled by the price comparison website MoneySuperMarket from its own records. The website looked at the details given by 11 million people who sought car insurance quotes in the past year. Scaffolders had the highest rate of convictions at 5.7 per 1,000 drivers, while typists had the lowest rate at just 0.021 per 1,000. Other types of employees in the top 10 for drink- and drug-driving convictions were ground workers, building labourers, roofers, labourers, road workers, plasterers, soldiers, bricklayers and fitters. Kevin Pratt at MoneySuperMarket, said: "Although it's no excuse, perhaps it's not surprising that manual labour jobs are most likely to have a drink or drug conviction as the desire to relax with a pint, after a long strenuous day, could be high." "The only job in the top 10 which bucks the trend is a soldier - but that's still a very physical job." The jobs with the lowest rates of admitted convictions - after typists - were police officers, clerks, health visitors, driving instructors, taxi drivers, nursery workers, occupational therapists, vets and building society clerks. |
Serious problems with BA's systems led to thousands of passengers having their plans disrupted on Saturday. Passengers described "chaotic" scenes at the airports, with some criticising BA for a lack of information. The airline apologised and said it was refunding and rebooking customers. BA advised customers to continue checking the status of their flight on its website www.ba.com before travelling to the airport. The airline said there was no evidence the computer problems were the result of a cyber attack. The company's chief executive Alex Cruz had said it was believed "the root cause was a power supply issue". Other airlines flying in and out of the two airports were unaffected. The IT failure had affected check-in and operational systems, including customer service phone lines. BA said although some of its IT systems have returned, "there will be some knock-on disruption to our schedules as aircraft and crews are out of position around the world. "We are repositioning some aircraft during the night to enable us to operate as much of our schedule as possible throughout Sunday." A BA spokesman added: "We are continuing to work hard to restore all of our IT systems... "We are extremely sorry for the huge disruption caused to customers throughout Saturday and understand how frustrating their experiences will have been. "We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations on to new services as quickly as possible and have also introduced more flexible rebooking policies for anyone due to travel on Sunday and Monday who no longer wishes to fly to/from Heathrow or Gatwick." Earlier, the airline said most long-haul flights due to land in London on Sunday were expected to arrive as normal. The GMB union had suggested the failure could have been avoided, had the airline not outsourced its IT work. BA denied the claim, saying: "We would never compromise the integrity and security of our IT systems". Aviation expert Julian Bray told the BBC the IT failure had an impact on planes taking off, as well as baggage systems, and staff access to computers. "This is a very serious problem, they should have been able to switch to an alternative system - surely British Airways should be able to do this," he said. BA aircraft landing at Heathrow had also been unable to park as outbound aircraft could not vacate the gates, which resulted in passengers being stuck on aircraft. Delays were also reported in Rome, Prague, Milan, Stockholm and Malaga due to the system failure, which coincided with a bank holiday weekend and the start of the half-term holiday for many people in the UK. Some passengers reported having to leave Heathrow without their luggage on Saturday. BA confirmed the IT failure had led to a "significant number" of bags being left at the airport. It urged passengers not to return to collect their luggage, saying it would be returned to them via courier free of charge. |
Currently it can take up to three months between an offer being put in and contracts being exchanged. During that time, buyers can be "gazumped" by others - meaning their offer is trumped by a rival purchaser. The government is planning to start an inquiry into the selling process within the next few weeks. "When you ask agents from around the world, they can't understand why in Britain it takes so long to sell a house," said Martyn Baum, president of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). "In the United States, it takes just three or four weeks," he told the BBC. Consumers currently spend £270m a year on failed housing transactions, according to figures from the Treasury. As announced in the March Budget, the enquiry will examine how to make the process "better value for money and more consumer-friendly". One option might be to adopt some aspects of the house-buying system in Scotland. Once an offer is accepted north of the border, it becomes a binding deal as soon as the contracts, known as missives, are agreed - making the process much quicker. Sellers also have to produce a home report, which includes a survey and energy performance certificate. This prevents each buyer having to commission their own survey. Another possibility might involve the buyer putting down a deposit or bond, to discourage them from backing out. A spokesperson from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) rejected the suggestion that the Scottish system might be adopted wholesale in England and Wales. |
Olivia Campbell-Hardy, from Bury in Greater Manchester, died in the explosion last Monday. Her family has set up a trust to enable young people to take part in the performing arts - Olivia's "passion". Her father Andrew said: "Please don't hate in Olivia's name, we choose to love." "Our memories are of happy times, of fun at family gatherings," he said. "The ones suffering most are the young people in our family. Their world has changed forever. Suddenly it is not so full of joy and possibility. Olivia's mother Charlotte said her daughter was "so lovely" but could be "an absolute nightmare in equal measure but everything she did we loved". Ms Campbell said: "She was so cheeky, but you just couldn't tell her off, it was impossible. You'd just end up laughing." She said Olivia loved her family and her boyfriend Lewis and that she was "obsessed with make-up". "Anyone who met Ollie would never forget her. She was so loveable and has already changed so many lives. "We will miss Ollie every day. But this house will always be full of laughter because of the 15 years of memories she gave us. Ollie - we love you so much." Hours after the attack, Olivia's mother Charlotte Campbell made an emotional appeal for help as the family desperately searched for her. Ms Campbell said Olivia had been to the concert with her friend, Adam, who was receiving treatment in hospital. Twenty-two people were killed in the explosion at the concert by US pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena. Police investigating the Manchester bombing have found a car they said may be "significant" to their inquiry. |
Directed by Maren Ade, Toni Erdmann premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is Germany's official candidate for next year's foreign film Oscar. American coming-of-age story Moonlight and adult drama Elle came next in Sight & Sound's Films of the Year poll. Last year's winner was The Assassin, by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Toni Erdmann, which will be released in the UK on 3 February, is one of three films with female directors to make this year's top five. The others are Certain Women, a triptych of tales from US director Kelly Reichardt, and Andrea Arnold's road movie American Honey. Nick James, Sight & Sound's editor, expressed delight that the poll "recognises the talent of women directors at the top of the art form". Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake, which won the veteran British film-maker his second Palme d'Or at Cannes, came sixth in the poll. Oscar-tipped Manchester by the Sea - named the National Board of Review's best film of 2016 earlier this week - is ranked seventh. According to the British Film Institute (BFI), publisher of Sight & Sound, the results represent "a small triumph for diversity". Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. |
The 14 cases of misuse by council staff recorded in 2012 included suggestive comments, threats, and criticism of the authorities concerned. Powys council sacked one worker and gave final written warnings to two others, while Gwynedd and Torfaen also reported three cases each. Ten Welsh councils said they had recorded no misuse of social media. The figures were obtained in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by BBC Wales' Welsh-language news website, Newyddion Ar-lein. Powys council recorded three cases of misuse of Facebook. One employee "sent messages of an inappropriate and suggestive nature to a learner through Facebook". This person was immediately suspended and their fixed term contract was later terminated. Two employees received a final written warning, one for "posting worrying comments" and the other for "bringing the council into possible disrepute by posting inappropriate comments". In a statement Powys council said: "The use of social media within the council is limited during core working hours unless staff members request access for business purposes to update information for the public. "In which case, they have to submit a business case to our communications team for approval." In Gwynedd, three council employees received a written warning for disparaging the council on Facebook. There were three cases of misuse in Torfaen in 2012, but the council would not release details claiming it would be "contrary to the principles of the Data Protection Act". There were disciplinary procedures in Swansea after a council employee "made threats and inappropriate comments" on Facebook about other staff. In Bridgend, one staff member was disciplined for misuse of Twitter outside the workplace. One Ceredigion council employee received a written warning for criticising the council's services on Facebook. In Caerphilly an employee received "advice and support" after posting inappropriate comments outside the workplace on Twitter. One case was recorded in Carmarthenshire, where an employee made inappropriate comments outside work hours on Facebook, for which they received a written warning and was monitored for six months. An employee of Rhondda Cynon Taf council was given an informal warning following "inappropriate and personal comments" on a website. There was one investigation into alleged misuse of social media in Newport council in 2012, but it was decided that "there was no case to answer". No cases of misuse were recorded in Blaenau Gwent, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Conwy, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Flintshire, Anglesey, and Wrexham. Neath Port Talbot council did not respond to the FoI request, and Denbighshire council said that the cost of retrieving the information from its records was too great. Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said councils were right to take action against those misusing social media. "Taxpayers want to know that council staff are using their time properly and getting value for local residents' cash," he said. "Whilst social media can be useful for letting residents know what the council are up to and for increasing transparency, it's important that it's not misused. "If council staff are posting inappropriate comments on social |
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russian "information troops" were involved in "intelligent, effective propaganda", but he did not reveal details about the team or its targets. The admission follows repeated allegations of cyberattacks against Western nations by the Russian state. Nato is reported to be a top target. During the Cold War both the USSR and the West poured resources into propaganda, to influence public opinion globally and sell their competing ideologies. Speaking to Russian MPs, Mr Shoigu said "we have information troops who are much more effective and stronger than the former 'counter-propaganda' section". Keir Giles, an expert on the Russian military at the Chatham House think-tank, has warned that Russian "information warfare" occupies a wider sphere than the current Western focus on "cyber warriors" and hackers. "The aim is to control information in whatever form it takes," he wrote in a Nato report called "The Next Phase of Russian Information Warfare". "Unlike in Soviet times, disinformation from Moscow is primarily not selling Russia as an idea, or the Russian model as one to emulate. "In addition, it is often not even seeking to be believed. Instead, it has as one aim undermining the notion of objective truth and reporting being possible at all," he wrote. Russia has been testing Nato in various ways, including targeting individual soldiers via their social media profiles, Mr Giles told the BBC. "They have been reaching out to individuals and targeting them as if it comes from a trusted source," he said. There have been reports of Russian information attacks targeting Nato troops in the Baltic states, the Polish military, and Ukrainian troops fighting pro-Russian rebels. Russia rejects Western narratives about its "disinformation", instead accusing Nato of aggressive expansion and support for anti-Russian nationalists in Ukraine. Russia's effort in cyberspace is under intense Western scrutiny following high-level US accusations that Russian hackers helped to swing the presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. According to Mr Giles, the Russian military decided to prioritise information warfare after the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict. The country's security apparatus drew lessons from its "inability to dominate public opinion about the rights and wrongs of the war", he said. Commenting on Mr Shoigu's remarks, former Russian commander-in-chief Gen Yuri Baluyevsky said a victory in information warfare "can be much more important than victory in a classical military conflict, because it is bloodless, yet the impact is overwhelming and can paralyse all of the enemy state's power structures". The EU has a special team to combat Russian "myths" spread on social media, called the East StratCom Task Force. |
The Republican nominee's supporters were accused of tweeting #repealthe19th - a reference to the US constitutional amendment granting women's suffrage less than 100 years ago. The hashtag went viral after polls suggested Mr Trump would win election if only men cast ballots. Mr Trump has struggled to win over female voters, especially since a recent tape emerged of his sexually aggressive boasts. The hashtag began trending after FiveThirtyEight, a political number-crunching blog, tweeted two polls which showed what the outcome of the presidential election would be if only women voted, and if only men voted. He found that if the election only counted the female vote, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton would win the presidency with 458 electoral votes and Mr Trump a meagre 80. If only men voted in the presidential election, Mr Trump would win the election with 350 electoral votes and Mrs Clinton only 188. A candidate must win 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. FiveThirtyEight: Women are defeating Donald Trump Some of the tweets calling for a woman's right to vote to be repealed seemed in earnest. The backlash was quick and unforgiving, with many blaming it on Trump supporters, labelling them ignorant and predictable. But a few Trump supporters pointed out most of the tweets seemed to express outrage at, rather than support for, the hashtag. Others, however, seemed to be in despair at what they see as the sorry state of America. How does the US election work? A-Z guide to political jargon Key issues - where candidates stand Why this election will make history Who is ahead in the polls? 48% Hillary Clinton 44% Donald Trump Last updated November 8, 2016 |
Or, at least, some of those with a long memory have been wondering. For the past few years, as the EU has grappled with economic and migration crises, even the idea of a European idea has been largely absent from the debate, apart from often vague-sounding calls for solidarity. In fact, many younger Europeans probably can't remember a time when the EU was anything other than a study in sustained crisis management. "United in diversity" remains the EU's official motto. "United in adversity" may be a more appropriate one. Not that there has seemed to be a great deal of unity of late. If the so-called Franco-German motor is still powering the continent (as the prominence of the Merkel-Hollande partnership in everything from the Greek crisis to the Ukraine ceasefire talks suggests), the car is filled with passengers with their own, distinct ideas about which direction to take. To cope with the large scale arrival of migrants, an external barrier is being built in Hungary, while internal measures have been taken on France's border with Italy. It doesn't look like a roadmap for harmony. If you rewind to the birth of the EU, the original idea behind it - the European idea, if you like - was a tightly focused one. By pooling their coal and steel production - and placing those industries under a higher authority - wartime rivals France and West Germany (joined by Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy) would build a foundation for peace. The EU promotes economic and political integration of Europe through: Profile: European Union They succeeded in preventing wars between EU countries, but, by introducing the idea of a supranational authority, they also sowed the seeds for future disagreements; between those in favour of a federal Europe and those who want to retain the maximum national sovereignty. Also contained in the 1950 Schuman Declaration, the basis for the EU's forerunner, the European Coal And Steel Community, was a set of principles from which future members chose to emphasise certain priorities. As the organisation grew, becoming the European Economic Community (EEC) and then the EU, sovereign countries brought their own perspectives about what membership meant. While a country like Britain was attracted to a common market of goods and services, Central and Eastern European nations were most keen on belonging to a unified Europe, no longer separated by an Iron Curtain. In fact, for the former Warsaw Pact countries, joining the EU was never simply an opportunity to improve their economic prosperity (which it clearly did), or increase their national security (for Eastern Europeans, EU and Nato membership were two sides of the same, post-Soviet coin), but the righting of a historical wrong. Poland, where I was based in the late 1990s, felt strongly that decades under Communist rule had robbed it of its European destiny. And that sense of injustice had consequences, as the practicalities of reintegration began. A romantic Europe of memory ran up against a pedantic Europe of rules. During my |
Is this now a time for reflection, manager Ronny Deila was asked after the 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce, but of course that had started long ago, as one disappointing result followed another. Yet, as each game unfolded, it appeared lessons were not being learned from one match to the next. While defensive lapses were highlighted by the media and acknowledged by the coaching staff, they recurred - again and again. Nonetheless, Deila has spoken continually of progress and reiterated his faith in his own methodology following Thursday's final Europa League group match in Istanbul. It appears he will be entrusted with Celtic's European fate for another season at least. What, then, needs to change if Celtic are to avoid missing out on the Champions League group stage for a third successive season next year? Celtic were rarely able to field the same defence in Europe and even when they could, Deila opted to make changes. That did nothing to diminish an uncertainty that threatened to become endemic, regardless of the personnel involved. Now, the back four that played against Fenerbahce seems to be Deila's first choice and they looked less vulnerable than in previous matches. Mikael Lustig is a dependable figure and teenager Kieran Tierney has emerged as a terrific talent in spite of the difficult circumstances. It is the central pairing of Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Simunovic that does not yet inspire confidence, and must show in the next six months that it can gel sufficiently to be entrusted with the next campaign. Craig Gordon's status has also come into question this season and while the goalkeeper remains virtually peerless in his shot-stopping, lapses in judgement have cost Celtic dearly. With Celtic's defence bearing the brunt of much of the criticism, less has been made of the pressure it has come under as a result of carelessness elsewhere. Even Nir Bitton, who has flourished under Deila, was guilty in Istanbul of inviting counter-attacks as a result of poor ball retention. Celtic, of the four teams in their group, looked least at ease with the ball at their feet, with the opposition harrying and hassling. There is no excuse for this and such weakness will be punished much more often in European competition than - as assistant manager John Collins pointed out - the domestic game, where Celtic can still get away with performing below their best. The absence of Leigh Griffiths was keenly felt in Turkey and it illustrated a dearth of attacking options open to the Scottish champions. Nadir Ciftci was well off the pace, which is quite predictable given the player has yet to play a full 90 minutes for Celtic. Deila felt it would be harsh to judge whether the former Dundee United forward has the ability to cut it at this level on the basis of his performance against Fenerbahce, but doubt certainly exists. Carlton Cole has been brought in and may yet prove to be a valuable addition, but whether he has the quality |
The first half was tight as the promotion chasers met their match against Luke Garrard's hosts. Early in the second half, Angelo Balanta opened the scoring for the Wood with a sweet curling shot that beat Tim Erlandsson. Byron Harrison battled hard to add to his 16 goals this season, but was denied by a firm Grant Smith save. He put that right 15 minutes from time, scoring from the penalty spot. Jordan Williams was sent off for a second booking late on, but it did not seem to affect Barrow. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Boreham Wood 1, Barrow 1. Second Half ends, Boreham Wood 1, Barrow 1. Substitution, Barrow. Paul Turnbull replaces Byron Harrison. Second yellow card to Jordan Williams (Barrow) for a bad foul. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Rhys Murrell-Williamson replaces Bruno Andrade. Femi Ilesanmi (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card. Akil Wright (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Matt Paine (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Boreham Wood 1, Barrow 1. Byron Harrison (Barrow) converts the penalty with a. Substitution, Barrow. Lindon Meikle replaces Ryan Yates. Kenny Davis (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Boreham Wood 1, Barrow 0. Angelo Balanta (Boreham Wood). Second Half begins Boreham Wood 0, Barrow 0. First Half ends, Boreham Wood 0, Barrow 0. Jordan Williams (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ryan Yates (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up. |
Vithiya Alphons, 24, has acute myeloid leukaemia and has been told she needs a donation in the next two months. But because of her Sri Lankan background, the search is more complex as not many South Asian people are on donor registers. The charity Anthony Nolan said it was looking for a "potential lifesaver". Miss Alphons was diagnosed with the aggressive form of blood cancer after falling ill just days after returning for her final year as an optometry student at Cardiff University. She had secured a graduate job at Specsavers and said she was feeling positive about the future. But she started feeling unwell with severe sickness and a fever, while she had a pain in her leg, so she went to the doctor for tests. "From the first symptom to being diagnosed, it was only five days," she said. "I'd been absolutely fine before that. My whole life changed in under a week." She underwent chemotherapy in Cardiff before being well enough to be transferred to a hospital in London, where she is from. After her third course of chemotherapy, she felt better and thought she had beaten her illness. "But unfortunately, further tests showed the leukaemia was still there in my blood and I'd definitely relapse in under a year unless I had a stem cell transplant," she said. "It was so upsetting and unexpected." Doctors told Miss Alphons her best option was now a stem cell transplant from a donor, which is needed in the next two months. Her brother Clime is only a 50% match and doctors have said her best chance of survival is a closer match from an unrelated donor. Anthony Nolan is now searching the world's donor registers for someone whose tissue type matches Miss Alphons's. But the search is complicated by the fact not many people from South Asia are on the registers. Miss Alphons and her family and friends are also using social media to campaign to raise awareness of the issue and urge people to help. "I knew it was going to be difficult because there aren't many people from South Asian backgrounds who are signed up as donors," she said. "It's frustrating but I don't think it's about Asian people not wanting to sign up. "They just don't know what it is - they think it's taking something from your bone. We have to raise awareness." Ann O'Leary, head of register development at Anthony Nolan, said: "Vithiya is a bright and inspirational young woman and somewhere out there, there's a potential lifesaver who could give her a lifeline by donating their stem cells." |
It is understood the deal for the 31-year-old could be worth up to £5m, depending on add-on clauses. The Scotland international made 280 appearances for the Bluebirds after arriving from Norwich City on a free transfer in 2009. He is the first senior player to join the Tigers since they secured promotion back to the Premier League in May. Cardiff executive director Ken Choo said that the club were "saddened to see him go", but added that "we felt it would be wrong to stand in the way of him moving back to the Premier League." Marshall could make his Hull debut against Burnley on 10 September. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. |
At about 22:00 BST on Saturday, a 23-year-old woman was grabbed near Rickgarth on Leam Lane Estate. She was not injured but left shaken, Northumbria Police said. At Gateshead Magistrates' Court, the teenager was remanded in custody and will next appear in court on 22 July. He had been arrested over the weekend and held in police custody. |
They're not your average men's best friends, but medical alert dogs. Strutting their stuff were seven golden retrievers training to be diabetes alert dogs and a Spanish water dog set to become an allergy alert dog. They were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with an airport and its surroundings. The dogs, aged between one and two-and-a-half years old, were walked through every area of the airport, from check-in, through security and onto an aircraft. Diabetes alert dogs are trained to warn their owners when their blood sugar is low and if a hypo or hyper glycaemic episode is imminent. This is important for owners who have lost their hypo-awareness and cannot feel an episode coming on. Shortly after check-in, one of the dogs, Beau, did exactly as she was trained to do. She alerted her owner, Debbie Trimble, that her blood sugar level was low. "I was sitting down. I wasn't feeling the best," said Debbie. "She came over to me and put her paw on my knee several times and that was to let me know to check my blood sugars." Debbie hadn't been aware that there was such a thing as a diabetes alert dog until she saw an advert in a magazine. But it has changed her life. "I live by myself and I have very unstable diabetes," she said. "I was reading an advertisement in the Assisi animal sanctuary magazine saying that there are diabetic alert dogs available, so I applied and about a year-and-a half later I got Beau. "Beau and I went into training together and now she is a fully fledged alert dog. "She lets me know when my blood sugars are going low and will alert me to that before they get dangerously low and she's been a great companion to me." Debbie said she finds flying stressful. "Stress does tend to make my blood sugars go low, so to have a dog gives me extra confidence and would enable me to do things that I wouldn't do without her," she said. Northern Ireland Assistance Dogs train and provide medical alert dogs to adults with medical conditions such as diabetes. One of the trainers, Judith Byrne, said a medical alert dog helps give their owners more independence. "It allows them to have a normal life," said Ms Byrne. "Diabetes, especially type-1, is a very difficult condition to live with. "It means they can have their holiday without worrying about 'am I going to go low'? Especially if they are used to having a dog around and that dog gives them that security." Tuesday's exercise was a chance for the animals to learn about airports and air travel, intended to help them acclimatise to the processes involved with taking a flight. "The dog's partners want to go on holidays, their condition goes with them on holiday so the dog needs to go with them on holiday," said Mrs Byrne. "It's a dry run; it familiarises the dog with everything that's happening, from |
The 37-year-old Leinster forward won 61 caps, making his Test debut in 2009, and was part of two Six Nations title-winning squads. Ross also represented his country at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, and made his final international appearance against South Africa last summer. The prop's honours with Leinster have included two European Cup medals. Ross, who joined Leinster from Harlequins eight years ago, also helped the Irish province win two Pro12 titles and two European Challenge Cups. "Rugby has been a huge part of my life, and I've been incredibly lucky to have been a part of some amazing teams," Ross told Leinster's official website. "In particular, I will never forget winning the European Cup in 2011 or the Six Nations Championship in 2014. "I never dreamt, having had such a late start in the professional game, that I would go on to achieve such goals, or win 61 caps for Ireland. I am indebted to my team-mates and coaches, my friends and family." Paying tribute to Ross, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen added: "Mike has played such a major role in Leinster's successes since he joined from Harlequins in 2009. "He was at the very heart of Leinster's famous comeback against Northampton in the 2011 European Cup Final with a brilliant second-half scrummaging display that helped turn the tide of momentum. "And the following season he played a huge role once again as the Leinster scrum pushed [European Cup final opponents] Ulster off their own ball in the first half that led to a try. "Mike has also been a great mentor to some of our younger props, always being prepared to pass on his experience to ensure their continued development." |
The boy, named locally as Tyler Thompson, was found injured in a busy residential street in Leicester after reports of a fight in the area. He was taken to hospital on Tuesday evening but later died. Three men aged 29, 34 and 35 were arrested along with an 18-year-old, who was taken to hospital. Police were called to a fight involving a group of men in Freeman Road North, next to Humberstone Park, at about 19:50 GMT on Tuesday where they found the injured boy. He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where he later died. The arrested men remain in police custody and a forensic examination is currently being carried out in the street and at a house in nearby Broad Avenue. A police spokesman said they would not give details of whether any weapon may have been involved. Tributes and flowers have been left close to the scene of the incident and friends on social media expressed sadness at his death. One card, left with a bunch of white lilies, read: "RIP Tyler. Thoughts are with your family. You're with the angels now. xxxxx" Aliyyah Khan, 16, from Evington, Leicester, said she had known Tyler for seven years and described him as a "really nice guy". "I was so shocked when I heard he had died. It's just heartbreaking," she said. Residents on the street described their shock at the news. A woman who lives near Freeman Road North said: "Sixteen is no age to die. He hasn't had half his life yet." |
Benjamin Stimson, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to an offence under UK terrorism laws. The 41-year-old, who is the first Briton involved in the Ukrainian conflict to have faced charges, travelled out in 2015 to join pro-Russian rebels. He was jailed for five years and four months at Manchester Crown Court. Stimson, who went to the conflict zone in the Donbass region, admitted intending to commit acts of terrorism and engaging in their preparation. His father Martin said: "We are surprised by the sentence. It is too severe. "I wish my son never went there. I regret it very much. I thought he just went to work at a farm." In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine, leading to a bitter conflict between the countries. Stimson - who smiled only once in court when he saw his friends and family on the balcony - left his home in August 2015 and travelled to Moscow before illegally entering eastern Ukraine. He then joined a frontline unit of the Russian-backed militia fighting against Ukrainian government forces. Stimson posted a photograph of himself on Facebook holding an AK-47 and summed up Donbass as "vodka, women and guns". But Manchester Crown Court heard that he did not actually engage in any fighting during his four months in eastern Ukraine and had intended to perform humanitarian work by driving ambulances. The judge agreed that Stimson had joined pro-Russian militia not to fight but to change the life he had in the UK. In November 2015, he returned to the UK where he was arrested on arrival at Manchester Airport. He was charged in September 2016 and remanded in custody. Benjamin Stimson's case is unusual - but it's really important because his conviction and jailing illustrates that terrorism legislation is not focused on offenders from one community who turn to violent extremism for one cause. The fighter pleaded guilty to preparing for acts of terrorism. Prosecutors have turned successfully to this offence time and again to prosecute British men who have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq - or tried to do so. Stimson's destination was of course different - but the offence was the same because of the British legal definition of terrorism. Under our law, an act of terrorism, put most briefly, means resorting to violence, or its threat, to influence a government or people for an ideological cause. Stimson's decision to support a militia attacking a legitimate government therefore fell foul of the law. And that's why he's going to prison with a terrorism legislation criminal record. Follow Dominic Casciani on Twitter @bbcdomc Sentencing him, David Stockdale QC said: "You ultimately did no physical harm to anyone but you assisted the militia by your presence and your involvement, and you will have given a lead to others. "I accept you do not hold extremist views and you have expressed your regret for your actions." Stimson's presentation as a "fighting man" was largely "an exaggeration or even the product of |
Mr Trump, a Republican, has never run for the party's nomination before, but has often talked about it. "I am officially running for president of the United States and we are going to make our country great again," he told supporters at New York's Trump Towers on Fifth Avenue. He said his fortune would allow him to be an effective president. "Our country is in serious trouble. We don't have victories anymore," he said. "When was the last time anyone saw us beating, let's say, China in a trade deal? "They kill us. I beat China all the time." Donald Trump is actually running for president. Few people expected it to happen - he's gone through the motions many times before - and his political rants up until now have been roundly derided as a joke. But this time he actually said the words, and he seems like he means it. With campaign staff in key early voting states and a net worth he puts at more than $8.5bn, he has the resources to roil the Republican presidential field. Mr Trump is polling high enough to get a spot on the stage in the forthcoming Republican debates, and he's already proven a willingness to take swings at his opponents. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio "don't have a clue", he said in his announcement speech. "How are these people going to lead us?" he asked. If he says that enough times during a debate - or in a multi-million dollar television advertising spree - a lot of people are going to stop laughing and take notice. And that's probably just what Mr Trump wants. Mr Trump expressed support for gun rights and said he would protect US government programmes like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. And he said he would "immediately terminate" President Barack Obama's executive order on immigration, which would save undocumented migrants from deportation. "Sadly, the American Dream is dead", Mr Trump said. "If I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and strong than ever before. We will make America great again." He becomes the 12th Republican to declare, with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Florida's former governor Jeb Bush among the early frontrunners. US 2016: Meet the possible candidates |
Writing in the Sunday Times, Carwyn Jones called the result a "clear mandate" for his party to govern. Mr Jones said he would talk to remaining Liberal Democrat AM Kirsty Williams and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood about "areas of common ground". But he emphasised the conversations would not constitute coalition talks. Describing the assembly election result as "good", Mr Jones said there were "some tough contests" and in parts of Wales "voters gave us tough messages about what they expect from Welsh Labour". "Those lessons won't be lost," he said. The election campaign was seen by Labour as the "start of a conversation we need to have with the Welsh people, not an end point", Mr Jones stressed. "With that in mind, we will likely look to form a minority government in the coming days. "The result is a clear mandate to govern, and we believe that is the best option for Wales right now. "I will be having discussions with Kirsty Williams, the remaining Liberal Democrat, and Leanne Wood, the Plaid leader, about upcoming issues and areas of common ground that we can work on but these won't constitute coalition talks." He said the two major issues the new administration "urgently" needed to address were the steel crisis and the EU referendum. Ironically, the key relationship in the new assembly term will be between Labour and Plaid - a relationship which fell apart spectacularly right at the end of the last term when Plaid withdrew its support for new public health legislation. Labour has agreed deals with Plaid in recent years but crucially it then had the Lib Dems as a possible alternative. This time round Plaid is the only game in town as Labour doesn't have an overall majority and the indications are that Plaid will play hardball in any negotiations. There won't be a coalition because at this stage no-one wants one. But expect talks to focus on areas like social justice and economic development where there's plenty of common ground. The elephant in the room will be the proposed £1bn M4 relief road which is Labour's preferred option but something strongly opposed by Plaid. Vaughan Gething, Labour's deputy health minister in the previous assembly, told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales programme he was "quite relaxed" about minority rule. He said Plaid Cymru had "ruled themselves out" of a coalition and Labour could not do a deal with UKIP or Tory AMs. On Friday, Plaid leader Leanne Wood said she could not see how her party could "prop up" Labour "in any way". Mr Gething said of Plaid: "We know there are differing views within that party as to what they should do. "We've already made it clear that we could not and would not do a deal with UKIP and the Tories. "So there will be a sensible conversation about what the programme for government will look like, and about how we can work together as we have done in the last five years, because |
Hales's county colleague James Taylor is also named, after impressing during the one-day series with Australia. There is no place for Yorkshire's Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth, with the latter dropped after a poor Ashes series. The three-Test series begins in Abu Dhabi on 13 October. All-rounder Ben Stokes is rested from the one-day squad, to which batsman Joe Root returns. Lancashire spinner Stephen Parry and Sussex bowler Chris Jordan are recalled to the T20 squad. The England and Wales Cricket Board has also announced former England limited-overs captain Paul Collingwood and ex-Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene will join the England management team in consultancy roles. National selector James Whitaker said Hales, 26, "fully deserved" a chance at the top of the order after scoring 886 runs at an average of 52.11 in the County Championship this season. "He has scored heavily for Nottinghamshire in first-class cricket and has shown he can play match-winning innings for England in white-ball cricket," said Whitaker. Left-armer Ansari, 23, who has taken 44 wickets and scored more than 700 runs this season, will provide a third spin option alongside Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. Ansari was told he had been selected on Monday, describing the news as "a surprise". He said: "Going into this season it wasn't on my radar. I just wanted to have a solid, consistent season with Surrey and establish myself a bit more. Things have gone my way and this is what happens when that happens. "If the conditions prove to be very spin-friendly and I make an impression, then great. I'm there as much as anything to learn and try to develop quickly and if I get my chance, to go out and perform." Within hours of his call-up, Ansari was forced to leave the field in Surrey's County Championship match against Lancashire and went to hospital after injuring his hand trying to take a catch at cover point. Taylor, 25, is recalled to the Test set-up after winning the last of his two caps against South Africa in 2012. The middle-order batsman, who may compete with Jonny Bairstow for a place in the side, enjoyed a prolific ODI series against Australia, scoring 246 runs at an average of 49.20. "I've been desperate to get back in the Test side for a number of years now and I know that any runs in international cricket are going to count no matter what format, especially against Australia," Taylor told the BBC. "I knew going in to the UAE there's going to be a lot of spin bowled, and that'll hopefully work in my favour as I love playing spin. Overall, it's worked out nicely and those runs will have made a big impact." With Lyth dropped after averaging just 12.77 in the Ashes, captain Alastair Cook seems certain to have a seventh opening partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, though it is not clear whether Hales, Moeen or even Ansari will be selected. Former Scotland assistant Collingwood will join |
BBC Sport looks at five things you may have missed in the Football League on a Saturday that saw the 2013 FA Cup winners bring an end to their one-year stay in the third tier of English football. It is not unheard of for a goalkeeper to save a penalty on their club debut, from Simon Mignolet doing so on his first appearance for Liverpool in 2013 to Jens Lehmann and Tim Howard's club-debut antics for Arsenal and Manchester United in the 2003 Community Shield. But saving a penalty on your senior career debut? That is a completely different story. Saturday, 30 April 2016 will therefore forever be a day to remember for 17-year-old Swindon Town stopper Will Henry, who saved a 15th-minute penalty on his first competitive appearance. Henry denied Rochdale's Ian Henderson from 12 yards, to maintain Swindon's 1-0 lead at the time, although the Robins did later go on to have two players sent off and draw 2-2. Nevertheless, the teenager's name goes down in the Wiltshire club's history books and evokes memories of Peter Brezovan saving not one but two penalties on his Swindon debut in 2006. However, all the above have arguably got nothing on then 19-year-old Birmingham City goalkeeper Tony Coton, who saved a spot-kick with his very first touch in league football, after 54 seconds against Sunderland in 1980, helping his side go on to win 3-2. There were plenty of late goals in the Football League on Saturday and none came later than at Oakwell, where play-off chasing Barnsley conceded a 98th-minute equaliser against Colchester. But the most dramatic matches of the day were surely at League Two Barnet and League One Shrewsbury, with both games providing seven goals and stoppage-time winners. At the Hive, six second-half goals saw Darren Way's Yeovil come from 2-0 and 3-1 down to eventually beat Barnet 4-3 thanks to Harry Cornick's 95th-minute strike. Meanwhile, in Shropshire, there were also six second-half goals, but in Shrewsbury and Peterborough's case, five of them came in the final 21 minutes. The Posh had led 3-0 before Shrewsbury fought back to level at 3-3 in the 89th minute, only for Jon Taylor to snatch victory for the visitors on 94 minutes. Yet, after all that, Shrewsbury's survival in the third tier was secured by virtue of Doncaster losing at Crewe, coupled with Blackpool's earlier defeat by Wigan. And it was hardly a dull first match in charge for Peterborough's caretaker boss Grant McCann, after Graham Westley was sacked last weekend. "I've never been involved in an experience like that in football," Town manager Micky Mellon told BBC Radio Shropshire. The two remaining automatic promotion places in League Two will be decided on the final day of the season after victories for second-placed Accrington, third-placed Oxford and fourth-placed Bristol Rovers. Despite their inferior points tally, Rovers will fancy their chances if either of their rivals slip up on 7 May, as they host bottom club Dagenham & Redbridge. But all three |
The Scots Scriever residency will last for two years and cost £50,000. It is part of Creative Scotland's Scots Language Policy, designed to support the language across the arts. The policy was unveiled at an event at the National Library of Scotland, which is jointly funding the Scots Scriever role. The library said it was a "unique type of creative residency" with a "high level" of public engagement. The successful applicant will be paid a salary of £15,000 a year for the two years the post lasts. Culture minister Fiona Hyslop, who was at the launch of the policy, said it was the Scottish government's ambition for the Scots language to be "recognised, valued and used" in public and community life. "The Scots language is an essential part of Scotland's distinctive culture and heritage, and the Scottish government takes seriously the promotion of the Scots language throughout Scotland in all its regional and local variants," she said. "In adopting this policy, Creative Scotland acknowledges the contribution the Scots language has brought, and continues to bring, to Scotland's rich culture and heritage, in a country with over 1.5 million Scots speakers." Writer and Scots publisher James Robertson said: "I hope this policy encourages creative individuals and organisations throughout the land to engage with Scots in all kinds of ways. "This is not about looking back, whatever the language's past achievements. It is about ensuring that Scots goes forward to be seen and heard in the future." The Scots Scriever will be expected to produce work in all the variants and dialects of Scots, across all art-forms, as well as raising an appreciation of the language. |
It said the people killed had been armed with machetes and wooden clubs. On Saturday, the army launched attacks with helicopter gunships on Rohingya villages in Rakhine. Eight people, including two soldiers, died. The attacks were "clearance operations" targeting armed militants, the army said. Images and videos on social media showed women and children were among those killed. Hundreds of villagers were forced to flee their homes over the weekend. There's no independent media access to northern Rakhine State, so the official accounts must be read critically. If you're to believe the army version you have to accept that Rohingya men armed only with "wooden clubs and machetes" would launch attacks on soldiers equipped with guns. You also have to accept the idea that the Rohingya are setting fire to their own homes, making themselves intentionally homeless. State media report that the Rohingya torched 130 homes on Sunday in order to "cause misunderstanding and tension" and get international aid. There's a very different narrative on Rohingya social media. Again it should be viewed critically, in the past the Rohingya have exaggerated alleged atrocities. The Rohingya images and videos from this last weekend show dead women and children and people fleeing burning homes. Helicopter gunships fly overhead. Some of it is certainly genuine. The security forces in Rakhine are controlled by the army not the country's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But the former Nobel peace prize winner is conspicuously silent. So far she's refused diplomats' demands for a credible independent investigation into events. Rakhine has been under military lockdown since last month, after nine policemen were killed by insurgents in a series of attacks on border posts. The state is home to more than a million Rohingya Muslims, who are not recognised as Myanmar citizens. Tens of thousands are living in temporary camps, after being displaced during fighting with majority Buddhists in 2012 which left scores dead. The Rohingya are disliked by many in Myanmar, who consider them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite many having lived in the country for generations. Rights groups say the Rohingya population has been subject to severe restrictions on movement and are denied the most basic of human rights. |
The 24-year-old was injured in the altercation involving guests at Thornton Manor at about 22:50 BST on Sunday. Staff found the man in the garden with what appeared to be a stab wound to his abdomen, Merseyside Police said. He remains in hospital in a stable condition. The two men, aged 25 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of assault. Police said the venue had been hosting a "large scale function" at the time of the fight. The Grade II-listed manor in the village of Thornton Hough is a popular wedding venue and celebrity events have been held there. |
Farmers have said some areas resemble the "Wild West" after an escalation in the level of violence used by coursers. The National Farmers Union said the problem had got "out of control", with one incident before Christmas involving 50 men and children. Last week, 75 incidents were reported to police. Supt Mark Housley, from Lincolnshire Police, said rural crime teams are working with specials for the first time in a bid to stamp out the illegal activity. "The peak time for this activity is weekends - and we have highly trained, passionate members of our community - called specials - who want to help the community they are part of," he said. "It's an absolutely perfect solution to meet some of the demands we have." Some farmers have criticised the lack of a police presence in the past, but welcomed the initiative. One farmer, who does not want to be identified, said: "It's like the Wild West out here - it's completely lawless." Another farmer said: "They would kill us if they could - they have got no scruples, or respect for anybody." Others have reported threats of violence, cars being rammed, verbal abuse and property and crops being damaged. Mr Housley said: "They are absolutely right - we should be doing something about it - and we are." "This is an important issue, when you've got people coming to our county, making threats, abusing people, and committing anti-social behaviour," he added. Traditionally, coursing starts to rise in the autumn after crops have been harvested. They then continue until spring. Source: Lincolnshire Police |
Officials say a small group of protesters also tried to burn copies of the Koran in the capital, Ajaccio. Overall, several hundred people gathered in the city to express support for two firefighters and a police officer injured on Thursday. The government condemned both acts, pledging to punish the perpetrators. On Friday, the crowd gathered in front of the prefecture in Ajaccio to show their solidarity with the firefighters. Some protesters later marched to the scene of the attack on Thursday night - a poor neighbourhood in the capital. They chanted "Arabs get out!" and "This is our home!", AFP news agency reports. The demonstrators then attacked the local Muslim prayer room, ransacking it and partially burning books - including copies of the Koran. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the attack was "an unacceptable desecration". The French Council of the Muslim Faith also denounced the violence. In Thursday's incident, the firefighters were ambushed by "several hooded youths", French media report. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve pledged that the perpetrators of both the attack on the emergency services and the Muslim prayer hall would be identified and arrested. Mr Cazeneuve also stressed that there was no place for "racism and xenophobia" in France. France has beefed up security measures for the Christmas holidays, following the 13 November attacks in Paris by Islamic militants that left 130 people dead. |
Frederick Boyd failed to return to the open prison on Tuesday 11 April after being on leave at his home in Glasgow. Officers had warned the public not to approach the 54-year-old. Police Scotland said Boyd was traced in the Glasgow area. |
The ex-England Under-18 international, who made his Town debut on the final day of the season, is one of 17 players whose deals are set to expire. "It's a case of waiting to see what happens," Burton told BBC Shropshire. "There are a lot of lads out of contract here, because a lot signed two years ago," added 19-year-old Burton. Speculation has previously linked him with Wolves, Aston Villa and even Glasgow Rangers. But Newport-born Burton has witnessed the route to the top taken by England's number one, fellow Shropshire lad Joe Hart, who did a full season as Shrewsbury keeper a decade ago. "I've grown up watching the club," he said. "I want to stay and play for the team as much as I can. We will have to see what happens to everyone. "It feels like I've been waiting a long time to get on the pitch, because I've been here since I was 10. But I couldn't wish to make my debut for a better team." The League One club have until 23 May to tell their soon-to-be out-of-contract players if they want to keep them or not. Shrewsbury, who finished 20th, remained at the third tier of English football by four points in the end, having secured their safety on the penultimate weekend of the season. Town boss Micky Mellon last week revealed that he is to remain as manager next season, following their relegation near-miss. |
On Monday night, the three Belfast City Council members abstained on a vote condemning harassment and intimidation of people outside the facilities. It is understood Pat Convery, Kate Mullan and Declan Boyle have been suspended for an indefinite period. The SDLP had seven members on Belfast City Council but now it has only four. Mr Convery, a former lord mayor of Belfast, will be replaced as SDLP group leader, and Kate Mullan will be replaced as deputy leader. The party said its councillors had been instructed to support the motion, brought by Green and Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) members, during Monday's council meeting. |
The 26-year-old - ranked 78 in the world, six places lower than Italian Knapp - won 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-4. Although the big-serving Broady wasted a set point in the first-set tie-break, she broke early in the second. Next she faces defending champion Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia or France's Pauline Parmentier. Never want to miss the latest tennis news? You can now add this sport and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home. |
Mr Justice Treacy upheld a legal challenge to police decisions by an east Belfast resident. The judge told the High Court in Belfast that police had not understood their powers over the protests. Chief Constable Matt Baggott said the PSNI's response had been "measured" and they would appeal the judgement. There were widespread loyalist protests when Belfast City Council limited flying the union flag in December 2012. The judge was referring to protests that happened between December 2012 and February 2013. Mr Baggott said his officers had operated under "very challenging and difficult times" and believed the PSNI's approach during the protests had been "responsible". The chief constable said they were studying the judgement carefully, but it had raised a number of operational dilemmas. "This judgement does not appear to me to take full account of the sheer scale of the protests," he said. A resident of the nationalist Short Strand area won a judicial review over the PSNI's "failure" to provide assurances that it would prevent any future parades past his home. He claimed this breached his privacy and family life entitlements. Lawyers for the resident argued that no notification was given for any of the parades in December or January. Police instead allowed un-notified processions to take place and failed to arrest those involved in organising and taking part, they claimed. The court heard evidence from Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr, who said police did not have powers to ban the protests but had powers to manage disorder. ACC Kerr denied that the PSNI adopted a "laissez-faire" attitude to policing the parades and reiterated that their role was to collect evidence of those organising or taking part in un-notified parades and to refer them to prosecuting authorities. Mr Justice Treacy said: "It is evident that ACC Kerr was labouring under a material misapprehension as to the proper scope of police powers and the legal context in which they were operating." The judge said in the period following 8 December 2012 until about the start of January 2013, ACC Kerr "did not address himself to the question of whether to stop the weekly parade, nor did the police behave proactively, or at all, in relation to prosecuting those organising and participating in the parades". The judge went on to say that the "impugned policing operation during the period complained of was characterised by an unjustified enforcement inertia". The judge said the police had "misdirected themselves" into thinking the issue was legally complex. "This was simply wrong and I consider that it was this misdirection which explains and led to the situation in which the police facilitated illegal and sometimes violent parades," he said. No explanation was given for why, having facilitated some form of protest at Belfast City Hall, protesters were permitted to march back via the Short Strand when the return leg was associated with serious public disorder, the judge said. He also said that, even though police had met with march organisers as far back as 9 |
The award-winning actress, screenwriter, singer and director won multiple awards for her contributions to the entertainment world, including five Baftas. Wood's long-time comedy partner Julie Walters said: "Too heart sore to comment. The loss of her is incalculable." Comedy actor Reece Sheersmith, who worked with Wood on BBC drama Eric and Ernie and other productions, also noted his shock at the news of her sudden death, tweeting: "RIP the brilliant Victoria Wood. She was such an inspiration - unparalleled comedy genius. What terrible shocking news." Fellow comedian Sarah Millican called Wood "a true comedy icon", while The Great British Bake Off presenter and comedian Sue Perkins tweeted: "RIP, the brilliant, brilliant Victoria Wood." Comedian Alan Carr was amongst those who paid tribute on Twitter, saying "another legend gone". Sir Lenny Henry said: "I am devastated - this is very, very sad news. Victoria will be sorely missed. Always funny, she worked incredibly hard. A killer stand-up and a fantastic songwriter. My condolences to all her family." His former wife, Dawn French, also paid tribute saying "there will never be another". Comedian Catherine Tate said the news was "devastating". "It's so shocking and sad. We have lost an incredible talent who was a huge influence and inspiration to so many - a true game changer," she said. Comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted his sadness at the news, saying: "RIP the brilliant Victoria Wood. So innovative, funny and down to earth. This has not been a good year." Sir Roger Moore also expressed his condolences: "Difficult to absorb the news about Victoria Wood. She was a total joy to work with and watch on TV. 2016 is becoming a terrible year." Comedy writer and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar praised Wood's legacy: "I think Victoria Wood changed a fundamental attitude towards women and comedy in this country, as performer and writer." Writer Caitlin Moran also took to social media to express her sadness at Victoria's passing, tweeting: "Oh, Victoria Wood. You were so my hero. I can quote whole scripts by heart." Presenters Ant and Dec also paid tribute to Victoria, saying "Very sad to hear of the passing of Victoria Wood. Another great taken from us in 2016. RIP. Eastenders actor Danny Dyer admitted Victoria was his "first major crush" in his tweet tribute, adding: "A world without Victoria Wood is a sad sad thing. RIP beautiful. 2016... the year of taking the greats." The Great British Bake Off judge and baker Paul Hollywood, who worked with Victoria on a recent Comic Relief special of the show, tweeted a picture of himself with her and Mary Berry adding: "A sad loss, I was fortunate to meet Victoria Wood a very funny, lovely lady .. My thoughts are with her family". Actor Richard Armitage tweeted: "RIP Victoria Wood. Hilarious Northern Lass who gave many of her funniest lines away." Sherlock star Mark Gatiss tweeted: "Inconceivable that Victoria Wood has gone. She had a kindly yet savage eye for the ordinariness and the grotesquerie of life." |
The change follows a high-profile sexual assault case in Stanford earlier this year. In June, Brock Turner, 20, was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on a university campus. The sentence was widely criticised for being overly lenient. In California, the use of force in a sexual assault results in a mandatory prison sentence. In cases where no force is used - when the victim is unable to defend themselves - no mandatory sentence exists. State assembly members voted unanimously to amend the law, and prevent the use of probation in such cases. The bill has been passed to Governor Jerry Brown for approval, but has not yet been signed into law. Turner, a former top swimmer at Stanford University, was found guilty in March of three felony charges. Two witnesses said they had seen him sexually assaulting the woman, who was lying on the ground unconscious, on the university campus. Prosecutors wanted a sentence of six years in state prison. Judge Aaron Persky, who handed out the sentence, expressed concern about the impact of prison on Turner. In his decision, he said positive character references and Turner's remorse and lack of previous criminal record were mitigating factors. Brock Turner's father, Dan, also caused controversy during the case, saying his son should not have been jailed for "20 minutes of action". The victim, referred to by the pseudonym Emily Doe, then released her victim impact statement publicly. It was read by millions, and openly praised by US Vice President Joe Biden. Turner is expected to be released later this week after serving half his sentence, the Mercury News reports. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, who prosecuted Turner in the Stanford case, said legislators had helped protect "the next Emily Doe against the next Brock Turner". "They not only read Emily Doe's now famous letter, but they clearly understood it as cry for change," he said in a statement. Assembly member Evan Low said: "rape is rape, and rapists like Brock Turner shouldn't be let off with a slap on the wrist." The Stanford case was widely criticised, and became the focus for a campaign for tougher sentencing. Judge Persky has faced death threats and online petitions demanding his removal following the case, and has now been assigned to the court's civil division at his own request, where he will no longer hear criminal cases. The case has also been used as an example in other cases involving sexual assault on university campuses across the US. In Massachusetts, high school athlete David Becker, 18, was sentenced earlier this month to probation on charges of indecent assault. His attorney, Thomas Rooke, told local media "The goal ... was not to impede this individual from graduating high school and to go onto the next step of his life." "We all made mistakes when we were 17, 18, 19 years old, and we shouldn't be branded for life with a felony offence and branded a sex |
Jack Moran, 85, from Crosby believes a misunderstanding led to his eviction from the Royal Caribbean ship and is demanding an apology. He was celebrating his diamond wedding with his wife Anne and family in May when their cruise was cut short. Royal Caribbean said its first priority is "the best interests of guests." Mr Moran said he got wet paint on his hand and trousers after arriving in the cabin, as the balcony had been recently painted. After making several complaints, he told a member of the restaurant staff he wanted to "jump ship" at the next stop. When he returned, security staff and the second captain told the family the company's head office wanted him taken off as he was a "security risk." A security guard was stationed outside his cabin all night and regularly checked on him. Mr Moran said he believes his comments were misunderstood and the cruise company overreacted. "Cruises are a great holiday, it's just unfortunate that staff that were dealing with me misunderstood everything. It could have been so simple, everything could have been sorted out." The couple, their daughter and son-in-law and his mother, left the ship at Zeebrugge and made their way home to Merseyside after just 23-and-a-half hours on the cruise in May 2014. The group has been refunded the cost of the four-day holiday and the return trip home. They are hoping to receive an apology soon. A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean Cruises said: "Our first priority is always to look after the best interests of our guests and crew. "We acknowledge Mr Moran's ongoing concerns and have contacted him to discuss these in more detail." |
The memo, dated 11 January, said those who were already married to foreigners should declare this within a week. It said failure to do so would "attract disciplinary action". Police spokeswoman Esther Katongo said: "Issues of security are delicate. If not careful, spouses can be spies and can sell the security of the country." Ms Katongo told the BBC that a standing order had been issued, notifying police officers of the measure, but that the ban itself was not new. She said officers had previously obeyed the ban but the new order had been thought necessary because some police had begun ignoring it. "There are a few officers who have started marrying foreigners," she said. "They are ignoring the previous requirement and this is why another standing order has been passed to remind officers what they are supposed to do and not supposed to do." She said it was likely officers who had married foreigners would now be given "some rules they should follow". Asked why such measures were necessary, Ms Katongo said: "When you get married, they say that you are one. You know what marriage is - you share secrets. And you can tell officers 'do not disclose' but you have no control. You won't be in their homes to always check on them. "The security of the nation is what is paramount." |
The firm is appealing against a ruling that it must pay almost £1.25m in total to victims including actor Shane Richie and ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne. Awarding the compensation in May, Mr Justice Mann said the invasions of privacy were "serious" and "prolonged". The Mirror Group agrees it should pay but disputes the amounts. Lord Pannick QC, representing the company, told the Court of Appeal the compensation awards were "manifestly excessive". He repeated the Mirror Group's apology for hacking into people's phones to listen to voicemail messages, calling the practice "unlawful and plainly inexcusable". But he said: "The sums awarded in this case are out of all proportion to the gravity of the harm done, the damage caused, when consideration is given - as we say it must be - to the established scale of damages for personal injuries." He quoted guidelines for the loss of an eye, impotence in a young man or infertility in a young woman - all of which attracted less in damages than the awards made to the hacking victims. Actress Sadie Frost won the largest compensation payment - £260,250. Richie, Gascoigne, Alan Yentob, Lucy Taggart, Robert Ashworth, Lauren Alcorn and Shobna Gulati were awarded between £72,500 and £201,250. All the victims except Mr Yentob had stories about their private lives published in Mirror Group titles. In March Mr Yentob told the High Court he felt "violated on a truly massive scale" by journalists who hacked his phone. The compensation to each exceeded the previous record for a UK privacy case - the £60,000 the News of the World was ordered to pay former Formula 1 boss Max Mosley in 2008. Lord Pannick revealed that 70 more phone-hacking cases have been launched against the Mirror Group, and another 50 victims have told the company they intend to sue. |
He met the family of Paul Whitters, a 15-year-old schoolboy killed by a plastic bullet in 1981. In 2007, a police ombudsman's report criticised a police investigation of the case. Paul's uncle, Tony Brown, said it was a productive meeting and that he was "cautiously optimistic". Mr Brown was part of a delegation from the Pat Finucane Centre who want the secretary of state to make progress on dealing with the past. Paul Whitters was wearing a mask and throwing stones at windows when he was shot by a police officer on Great James Street 35 years ago. It followed a day of rioting in and around the Bogside area of Derry during the IRA hunger strikes. The police had said the baton round was fired to prevent a lorry being hijacked. "Paul's death was never properly investigated and that made a mockery of the inquest," Mr Brown said. "There was no warning given. Paul was shot at a range which was unacceptable, within the regulations at the time. "We subsequently learned that the plastic bullet gun was defective. "The most appalling thing was that Paul was dragged from the scene where he was shot, there was no attempt made to preserve the scene for forensic reasons." Mr Brown said they were delighted that Mr Brokenshire had met them so soon after getting the job. "Nineteen secretaries of state later, I'm cautiously optimistic that we've had a proactive engagement," he said. James Brokenshire acknowledged victims families had been waiting a long time for progress on dealing with the past. "I had a very positive, very constructive initial conversation with the Pat Finucane Centre in these early days of my time as secretary of state. " I am very keen to create the climate where we are able to progress these issues, get those legacy bodies up and running and I hope provide some answers for people who have been waiting a great deal of time," he said. The secretary of state will also meet local business leaders to hear their concerns after the Brexit vote. Derry's nearest geographical neighbour is County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It leaves the area particularly vulnerable to any changes to border check points. Mr Brokenshire, who campaigned to remain in the EU, said he was opposed to any resurrection of a hard border between the two countries. The secretary of state will also visit the Seagate factory, one of the area's biggest employers, and is due to meet members of the Apprentice Boys of Derry. |
Many of us hanker after the very latest cars, TVs, computers and the like, but there's a growing realisation that there are not enough raw materials in the world for us all to have them. Unchecked consumerism, quite simply, is incompatible with a world of finite resources and an exploding global population. Something has to give, and as supply becomes ever-more constrained, demand must be moderated, at least in the rich industrialised countries that account for the vast majority of global consumption. There is no one solution to this most complex of issues, but a growing number of businesses are at the forefront of a movement that may go some way to addressing the problem. It's a simple concept - instead of buying products, you rent or share them. The obstacles may appear entrenched, not least mankind's seemingly innate obsession with accumulating material possessions. But the benefits to consumers are clear - you only pay for what you need, when you need it, and you don't have to worry about owning obsolete technology or outdated objects. The success of some of these start-ups suggests businesses can also flourish under this model. Of course most of these companies were not set up to help tackle the problem of resource depletion, but to make money. And many of them are doing rather well. Take Zipcar, the car-sharing service. The number of cars in the world is expected to double by 2030, with grave consequences for both resources and CO2 emissions. What better way, then, to share a car rather than buy one, reducing at a stroke demand for these energy-intensive products? Zipcar leases cars from major manufacturers, then makes them available to its members, who pay an annual fee and an hourly rate for using the car. Compared with buying a car, maintaining, insuring and taxing it, the average member saves more than £3,000 a year, according to the company. And every car shared takes 20 vehicles off the road, it says. The company is coy about its profitability, but it must be doing something right - more than 750,000 people have joined up. By 2030, there will 30 million members of similar schemes across the world, according to consultancy Frost & Sullivan. It is this growth potential that persuaded global car hire giant Avis to buy out Zipcar for $500m (£318m) earlier this year. This simple business model can be applied to all manner of products, and has been embraced by a number of small companies. Girlmeetsdress.com, fashionhire.co.uk and handbagsfromheaven.co.uk, for example, offer access to designer fashions. Not only can you wear a different dress every night, but you can wear a top designer you may not otherwise be able to afford. Better still, you're not lumbered with a piece that's outdated Other companies have taken the concept a step further. Rather than buying products to rent out, they simply allow people to share their own possessions. Whipcar, for example, effectively allows you to rent someone else's car. You pay a |
Cancer researchers in Europe analysed blood from 265 men with the disease. They found those with multiple copies of a particular gene did not respond to abiraterone and enzalutamide - drugs commonly used to treat advanced cases. More trials are needed but the team hope the test could prevent thousands of men undergoing unnecessary treatment and allow more personalised care. The drugs abiraterone and enzalutamide are given to men whose cancer is no longer responding to traditional hormone therapy and has started to spread. Costing less than £50, the test is a quick and relatively cheap way of preventing men from undergoing the side effects of therapy that will fail. Lead researcher Dr Gerhardt Attard, from the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: "Abiraterone and enzalutamide are excellent treatments for advanced prostate cancer and some men can take these drugs for years without seeing a return of their cancer. "But in other men, these drugs do not work well and the disease rapidly returns. Currently, there is no approved test to help doctors choose whether these are the best treatments for an individual. "We have developed a robust test that can be used in the clinic to pick out which men with advanced prostate cancer are likely to respond to abiraterone and enzalutamide, and which men might need alternative treatments." For the study, published in the journal Annals of Oncology, scientists took blood samples from patients taking part in three different clinical trials. Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said the test could be a significant step towards moving away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to treatment. About 46,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year, one in four of them at an advanced stage. |
The figure, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), was worse than expected and compared with a 0.9% increase seen in September. Manufacturing output was 0.1% lower than in October a year ago. On Monday a survey by industry body the EEF said UK manufacturing was suffering from the "gathering gloom" of the global economy. The EEF cut its manufacturing forecasts, expecting a 0.1% fall in output this year, with 0.8% growth in 2016. Despite the fall in October's figure, analysts said the underlying picture was not so bad. "The fall in manufacturing output seen in October was weaker than the consensus forecast and left output marginally down on the level a year earlier," said Martin Beck, senior economic adviser to the EY Item Club. "This was the fifth consecutive month to see the sector contract on an annual basis. However, October's fall only reversed a minority of September's hefty 0.9% rise. And there appears to have been some erratic factors at work in pushing output down. For example, the repair and maintenance of aircraft saw a colossal 21.5% month-on-month contraction." The ONS figures showed that the wider measure of industrial production increased by 0.1% in October from the month before, and was 1.7% higher from October last year. These numbers showed three out of four sectors increasing, with mining and quarrying the best performer, growing by 8.5% from a year ago. However, the ONS said the level of industrial production was still almost 9% below its pre-recession peak reached in early 2008, while manufacturing output was 6.1% below its peak. |
So the news that the governing body of amateur boxing, the International Boxing Association (AIBA), is set to reposition itself as yet another professional governing body will be greeted with groans by many. But - stick with me, I'll try to keep the acronyms to a minimum - this lot might be different. See their profiles On Tuesday, it was announced that a British-based franchise will compete in the latest instalment of AIBA's World Series of Boxing (WSB): no vests, no headguards, five rounds, 10-9 scoring, salaries, win bonuses - it all sounds suspiciously like the pro game. Which is because it is, just not as we know it. In short, WSB involves nation-based franchises competing against each other over the course of a season - think the Champions League with gloves. It is all part of AIBA's masterplan to make Olympic boxing the pinnacle of the sport. WSB boxers compete as professionals but retain their Olympic eligibility, while also being allowed to compete in World and European championships, Commonwealth Games and other traditional events. Ten boxers will qualify for Rio 2016 through WSB, while another 56 will qualify through something called AIBA Professional Boxing (APB), more of which a little later. "After the Olympics my head was in a bit of a pickle and I had a lot of discussions," Scottish lightweight Josh Taylor told BBC Sport. "But I've been following WSB for a wee while now and as soon as I had a chance to be a part of it I jumped at it. I'm getting the chance to use all the GB Boxing facilities in Sheffield, still being funded, still being coached by the same coaches, still getting the physio, the nutritionist and all the other support. "And I'm also earning a bit of extra money. Staying within the system, boxing regularly and getting looked after, that's what I want. It was a no-brainer for me." Group A Dynamo Moscow Azerbaijan Baku Fires Argentina Condors Mexico Guerreros Poland Hussars Group B Italia Thunder German Eagles Ukraine Kazakhstan Astana Arlans USA Knockouts British Lionhearts GB Boxing withheld its fighters from the first two editions of WSB because of financial concerns but chairman Derek Mapp is now assured the home nations will not take a monetary hit and that the participation of the Lionhearts, as the British franchise is called, will be underwritten by AIBA. So for Mapp, as for Taylor, WSB is a "no-brainer", a phrase I heard a few times on Tuesday. "We have to optimise our Olympic opportunities," Mapp told BBC Sport, "that's my job." The next step in AIBA's masterplan will be unveiled next year, with APB, an extension of WSB. In APB, the cream of the crop at each weight will fight over eight to 10 rounds, making it an almost identical product to what you might call traditional professional boxing. And this is when it could get really interesting, because it will effectively be a declaration of war on the established promoters and |
Media playback is not supported on this device The American broke down in tears after confirming she had dislocated her right patella and ruptured her patellar tendon in Thursday's fall. The injury will require surgery, which will sideline the 32-year-old for some time. "I will get through this and I will get back out there," she said on Saturday. Mattek-Sands said she will fly to New York on Sunday to seek further medical advice. "I was coming to the net and all I remember is hearing this pop in my leg. Everything is kinda slow after that," she said. "I remember my knee feeling tight and I took a look at it and something was wrong. I just for a second thought maybe I could adjust it, and I knew it was either dislocated or broken. "It was one of the most painful injures I've had, and I've had a few." Rafael Nadal partially tore his patellar tendon in 2013, with a doctor at the time saying tendon recovery takes "a long time". In an emotional video message, Mattek-Sands thanked fans for their messages of support, and praised her opponent, Sorana Cirstea. Romanian Cirstea comforted Mattek-Sands as she lay on the court, alongside her doubles partner Lucie Safarova and Mattek-Sand's husband, Justin. "I'm a pretty positive person naturally but there's moments when it helps to hear so many positive things from fans," she said. "I remember Sorana talking to me and telling me it's going to be OK and I think that's amazing. "We're all competitors on tour and yet some of these girls are my friends and in that moment, she was there as my friend, no matter that we're in the middle of a match. It means a lot to me." This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser |
For more than three months since the referendum she has said little about how she will deliver the vote of the British people. That much-repeated phrase "Brexit means Brexit" sounded increasingly meaningless as the pressure mounted for her to say when, how and on what terms Britain would leave the EU. Now we have some answers to the first two questions. Article 50 will be triggered by the end of March next year beginning the formal negotiations with our EU partners and will have to be completed by the end of March 2019, though the departure date could be later than that. This will leave the prime minister with just over a year to explain and sell the Brexit arrangements to the public before the next election which must be held in 2020. The repeal of the 1972 European Communities Act will mean that all EU laws will be transferred into UK law and will no longer override domestic legislation. The Great Repeal Bill will be introduced in the Queen's speech next year but it will not take effect until the moment Britain leaves the EU. It's a key demand of leading Brexiteers and has already been welcomed by former minister Iain Duncan Smith as a big and positive announcement. This will also go some way towards answering the demands for a vote in Parliament. For a government with such a slim majority that could be tricky. Ministers are already giving explicit assurances that the process will not mean eroding workers' rights - pointing out that in many areas, including annual and parental leave, UK law goes further than the minimum standards offered under EU law. But the opposition could seek more concrete commitments. Ministers know they cannot expect an easy ride but believe that it would be difficult for any party to vote against a Bill which is a key plank of implementing the will of the British people. The big remaining question of course is what the government's negotiating stance will be, how it will balance the need to reduce immigration whilst getting a good trade deal with the EU. The prime minister said she would look at the various ways of bringing in the controls on immigration which the British people want, but would not put her cards on the table. Until the government sets out its terms for a future deal the arguments and debates will continue over what Brexit will really mean. |
Saddled by Colin Tizzard, the 10-year-old, who fell three from home at Cheltenham's big race in March, accelerated away from Don Poli and Djakadam to win by nine lengths. Cue Card has also won the Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase this season. In the next race, Annie Power streaked to victory in the Aintree Hurdle. The 4-9 favourite, ridden by Ruby Walsh, left My Tent Or Yours in her wake - just as she had in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. There were two fatalities on the opening day of he meeting, with Clonbanan Lad and Marasonnien collapsing after being pulled up by their jockeys. On The Fringe, ridden by Jamie Codd in the absence of the suspended Nina Carberry, continued to dominate his division as he won the Fox Hunters' Chase. He has completed an Aintree-Cheltenham double for the second year in succession. That 'double-double' could become a 'treble-double' if he repeats his 2015 success at Punchestown later this month. Download the Grand National sweepstake kit here Pinstickers' guide - Grand National The Kildare course could also witness a rematch between Cue Card and Gold Cup winner Don Cossack. "He has always been brilliant, but not has good as he has been this season," Cue Card's trainer, Tizzard, told Channel 4 Racing. Cue Card's career earnings now exceed £1m, while Annie Power has won 15 of 17 races during her career. Annie Power, trained by Willie Mullins, has also become the first horse since Istabraq in 1999 to complete the Cheltenham Hurdle-Aintree Hurdle double. "She is dynamite," said Walsh. "She is a wonderful mare, she was fantastic at Cheltenham and she was as good today if not better." |
Umbrellas were handed to many of the guests at the event - with others compromising their fancy attire with rain ponchos. More than 30mm of rain has fallen at the course since Friday. The ground was officially described as soft after another 4mm of rain fell overnight. Up to 280,000 racegoers are due to attend the event over five days. Read more about Royal Ascot's first meeting |
Hugh James Rodley, 69, from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, was sentenced to eight years in jail in 2009 for trying to steal £229m from a Japanese bank. In 2012, he was given an additional seven years after being convicted of conning 741 pensioners out of £6m. He was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Rodley was ordered to handover £1,236,737 or face an additional seven years in jail in November 2014. The money had been identified by National Crime Agency (NCA) and City of London Police financial investigators as profits he had made from both criminal enterprises. Among the assets were luxury cars and his manor house in Gloucestershire. He bought his title at an auction in 1986. Acting Det Sgt Melonie Moody, from City of London Police, said his sentence was "one of the biggest" they had seen in recent times. He said the force hoped to reunite the 741 victims with money they lost to Rodley. Stephanie Jeavons, from the NCA, said the sentence showed the "seriousness of his failure to pay". |
Figures by Public Health Wales showed 204,100 - 77.8% - of women aged 25-64 years were screened in 2015-16, the lowest since 2006-07. The charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust warned more lives will be lost if the number rises. However, smear testing coverage in Wales is the highest in the UK. The figures showed about 264,700 women aged 25-64 were invited for screening in 2015-16, meaning 60,600 did not attend. Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said this meant one in five women were not receiving the "life-saving test". The charity is calling on the public to help them raise awareness of cervical screening by getting involved with their #SmearForSmear campaign. It comes ahead of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which starts on Sunday. Maria Dullaghan, from Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, was 25 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer after experiencing abnormal bleeding. "It was a very big shock," she said. "I remember just saying 'ok, ok' for about 20 minutes. "Having to tell everybody as well, I had to be quite tough because I didn't want to break down every time I told somebody. "I told all my friends in one job lot and they were all brilliant and supportive - and work kept my job open for me, even though I had only been there for four days." Mum-of-one Ms Dullaghan, now 31, underwent keyhole surgery and then a hysterectomy, but because of the position of the tumour doctors felt she also needed chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy - where radioactive material is inserted into the affected area. She began this on her 26th birthday in February 2011, and was given the all clear three months later. "My son was eight at the time, so I didn't use the word 'cancer'," she said. "I was in an awful lot of pain so we told him I was having an operation to sort out my stomach pain and [during the radiotherapy] that I was being given medicine. "It wasn't until he was 11 I told him it was cancer." Ms Dullaghan is keen to encourage women to attend smear tests - despite worries it "might hurt" or fears over the outcome. "It's five minutes and it does not hurt. It can affect you at any age and if you're going to get bad news, it's going to be bad news," she said. "People think it's big metal contraptions but it's plastic, it doesn't hurt, and for these nurses it's their job day in day out - don't be embarrassed, they've seen it all." Robert Music, the charity's chief executive, said: "We have one of the best cervical screening programmes in the world saving approximately 5,000 lives every year. "However, at a time when the number attending in Wales is at a 10-year low, we need to be seeing increased investment in targeted awareness campaigns to encourage women to take up their invitation for cervical screening. "Cervical screening prevents 70% of cervical cancers from developing and if we do not prioritise prevention, there will |
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. |
Newcastle suffered a 2-0 defeat by Wolves while strugglers Blackburn beat Rotherham for their first league win of the season. All 24 Championship sides were in action on Saturday and you can read their match reports below. Cardiff 0-2 Leeds Barnsley 1-2 Reading Blackburn 4-2 Rotherham Brentford 5-0 Preston Bristol City 1-1 Derby Burton 0-1 Brighton Huddersfield 2-1 QPR Ipswich 0-0 Aston Villa Newcastle 0-2 Wolves Nottm Forest 1-2 Norwich Wigan 0-0 Fulham Birmingham 2-1 Sheff Wed Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. |
The 13ft (4m)-long fish was discovered at Freshwater East in September last year, and initially thought to be a swordfish. But Oliver Crimmen, the museum's senior fish curator, said it was "the first complete blue marlin to be washed up on British shores". The museum collected the fish and it is now on display in its new Hintze Hall. Mr Crimmen said: "The blue marlin is still highly prized by fishermen and is under threat from both commercial and trophy fishing, and the species is listed as vulnerable to extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List." He said it was one of the largest of more than 900,000 fish specimens stored at the museum. Mr Crimmen said the display would initially appear cloudy during the first few weeks after installation as the fish has been specially preserved in glycerol. But he added: "It is hoped that this technique will give a more natural appearance, restoring some of the specimen's pigmentation." Blue marlin spend most of their life in the open sea, far from land, and are more often associated with warmer waters. Two of the three which have washed up in the UK were found in Pembrokeshire - the first in Saundersfoot in 2008, but it was not good enough to be preserved. |
Charles Zentai, 90, was alleged to have tortured and murdered a Jewish teenager in Budapest in 1944. But the Australian High Court backed an earlier ruling that he could not be extradited because there was no offence of "war crime" in Hungary in 1944. Mr Zentai has been fighting extradition since 2009. He has also denied the allegations that he committed the crime. He is accused of carrying out the crime with two other soldiers when he was a warrant officer in the Hungarian army, which was allied with Nazi Germany. The Hungarian government alleged that Mr Zentai took part in the fatal beating of Peter Balazs for not wearing a Star of David to identify him as Jewish. Mr Zentai said he was not in Budapest at that time. Hungarian authorities requested to question Mr Zentai in 2005. He moved to Australia after World War II and was living in the western city of Perth. In November 2009, an Australian court ruled that he could be extradited, but a federal court overturned the ruling. The government appealed against the federal court's decision, but the High Court rejected their case. Mr Zentai is an Australian citizen. His family members say he will agree to answer questions from Hungarian authorities, but will not leave Australia. |
Fletcher, in at number six as a nightwatchman, helped his side from their overnight 96-4 to 305 all out. He was run out just short of a maiden first-class century, slipping after been sent back by James Pattinson (59). Durham reached 162-5 at the close, leading by 19 runs, but with opener Keaton Jennings unbeaten on 62. Much will depend on England Test batsman Jennings if the hosts, who began the season on minus 48 points because of last season's financial issues, are to start 2017 with a positive result. The match was turned in Notts' favour by an eighth-wicket partnership of 108 between Fletcher and Australia pace bowler Pattinson, who made a career-best 89 not out in the win at Leicestershire in their first match of the season. Jake Ball (2-46) made early inroads with the ball before Pattinson (2-24) broke a fourth-wicket stand of 71 between Jennings and Paul Collingwood (40) when the latter edged to Riki Wessels, who took a stunning high catch at first slip. |
Baggies boss Tony Pulis said Berahino, 22, had "wasted three or four months" after a move to Tottenham was blocked last August. The forward suggested he would not play for Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace again after the deal did not go through. Berahino made a rare start against Peterborough in the FA Cup on Saturday and scored twice in a 2-2 draw. Media playback is not supported on this device He took his tally for the season to six, while he has scored 22 league goals for Albion, and scored 20 in all competitions last season. "The chairman will make the decisions on the financial matters and that's really what it boils down to," said Pulis. "I think football-wise, everyone would want to keep Saido here. When you put Saido in front of goal, he's a goalscorer. "But we need to get him fit because he's not fully fit." West Brom are just seven points ahead of Newcastle, who are in the relegation zone, and may not want to sell to a close rival. The transfer window will also close on Monday, 1 February, which would give the Baggies limited time to find a replacement. However, if Newcastle succeeded in landing Berahino, he would join Jonjo Shelvey, Andros Townsend and Henri Saivet as new arrivals at the club. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. |
Gareth James, 41, broke into a house in Brecon, Powys, believing it was the home of someone who owed him £400. But when he opened the laptop he stole, he saw the wrong name on the screen, Merthyr Crown Court was told. James, of Llanfaes, near Brecon, admitted burglary and was jailed for four months, suspended for a year. Prosecutor Rachel Knight told how James confessed to a barmaid at the Boar's Head pub about his crime. Miss Knight said: "He told her he had done something stupid. He felt embarrassed he had gone into the wrong house." James told her he had gone into the house thinking that the occupier owed him £400 for building work but his only intention was to keep the laptop until he paid up. But when he saw the wrong name he realised he had gone into the wrong house. He was caught and arrested when he went back to return the laptop, letting himself in through an open door. Sentencing him, Judge Richard Twomlow jailed James for four months suspended for 12 months with supervision and ordered him to complete the thinking skills programme. |
The 6.2m (20ft) bra was crocheted by the Swindon Bitch and Stitch knitting group to raise funds for the charity Against Breast Cancer. Despite attracting about 200 views, the bra, listed as "used", did not sell. Tracey Major, from the group, said: "It's very heavy, each cup weighs about 5kgs so it could be used as beanbags." Measuring 6.2m wide and 2m high, the giant bra took around four months to create. Along with bras belonging to Honor Blackman, Barbara Windsor, and Twiggy, it is currently on display at the Brunel Centre in Swindon. Ms Major said they had been hoping to find a "good home" for it and raise "a giant amount of money". "I listed it as used because so many people were touching it and doing selfies with it and I thought I can't sell that as new," she said. "But if it doesn't sell, I'm not too fussed because we can donate it to the charity and they can use it and take it around to exhibitions with them." |
Maasai tribesmen in Kenya traditionally hunt the big cats to compete for recognition, impress women and identify leaders. But conservationists fear the killings are contributing to an alarming decline in lion numbers. It is hoped the 2014 Maasai Olympics could help foster a culture-change. Chester Zoo is the main sponsor for Saturday's event, which features sports based on traditional warrior skills such as sprinting, spear throwing, and high jump. The event, founded in 2012, is being held at Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Medals, trophies and prizes will be won, while the winning village - or manyatta - will be given cash and a premier breeding bull. Dr Maggie Esson, the zoo's education programmes manager, said: "The Maasai Olympics has conservation at its heart. But it is a sports competition just like any other with winners and losers, close finishes and memorable victories. "The road to protecting species is never a straight one but we're delighted to be a part of such a ground-breaking event." Kenyan Olympic gold medallist and world 800-metre record holder David Rudisha, a former Maasai warrior, is patron of the games. |
He has pledged to end the culture of privilege in Indian politics, and used public transport to reach the ceremony. Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or Common Man's party, won 28 of the 70 assembly seats and was able to form a government with Congress party support. The Congress party lost control of Delhi, winning only eight seats. "This is a huge victory for the people of Delhi,'' said the former civil servant, to applause from tens of thousands gathered at the ground. "The people of Delhi have shown that elections can be fought and won with honesty." Earlier, the main opposition BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 32 seats, declined to form a government. It said it would sit in opposition since it did not have the support of 36 legislators needed to rule Delhi. The AAP had initially taken a similar stand, only to change its mind in saying it had received "overwhelming support" from voters to go ahead and form a government. The AAP - whose party symbol is a broom - was born out of a strong anti-corruption movement that swept India two years ago. |
Media playback is not supported on this device Craig Jones had given Westfields, who play in the ninth tier of English football, a dream start when he fired a ninth-minute penalty low and hard into the net to put his side in front. Curzon, the Greater Manchester side from National League North, enjoyed the majority of possession but the home side always looked dangerous on the counter and deserved their lead going into the interval. Marshalled by the superb James Febery, the Westfields defence stood firm and the home side almost doubled their advantage when Jones met Richard Greaves' pass on the hour mark. But the linesman's flag came to Westfields' rescue when Kane Kahaki turned the ball into his own net with 20 minutes to go. And with less than 10 minutes remaining, Westfields' hearts were broken as Morgan was quickest to react when a Luke Clarke corner created panic in the goalmouth. Ashton continued to press in the closing stages but Westfields goalkeeper Kieron Blackburn claimed a number of dangerous crosses to ensure the game finished level and set up a replay for his side. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Westfields 1, Curzon Ashton 1. Second Half ends, Westfields 1, Curzon Ashton 1. Attempt missed. Chris Ham (Westfields) right footed shot from long range on the left is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Sam Archer-Plane. Attempt missed. Connor Hampson (Curzon Ashton) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Rory Gorman with a cross following a corner. Corner, Curzon Ashton. Conceded by Kane Kahaki. Attempt blocked. James Baillie (Curzon Ashton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rory Gorman. Joe Guest (Curzon Ashton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Chris Ham (Westfields). Substitution, Westfields. Jamie Saunston replaces James Febery. Offside, Curzon Ashton. Paul Ennis tries a through ball, but Adam Morgan is caught offside. Foul by Paul Ennis (Curzon Ashton). Kane Kahaki (Westfields) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Curzon Ashton. Conceded by Kane Kahaki. Substitution, Curzon Ashton. Paul Ennis replaces Niall Cummins. Attempt missed. Jamie Stott (Curzon Ashton) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Luke Clark with a cross following a corner. Corner, Curzon Ashton. Conceded by Kane Kahaki. Rory Gorman (Curzon Ashton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Sam Gwynne (Westfields). Goal! Westfields 1, Curzon Ashton 1. Adam Morgan (Curzon Ashton) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal following a corner. Connor Hampson (Curzon Ashton) hits the right post with a header from very close range. Assisted by Rory Gorman with a cross following a corner. Corner, Curzon Ashton. Conceded by Sam Gwynne. Attempt blocked. Luke Clark (Curzon Ashton) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Rory Gorman (Curzon Ashton) left footed shot from the right side of the box |
The agreement could also see the National League side's home being used for the Baggies' Under-18 side and may include potential FA Youth Cup ties. "We're excited about getting this completed for some time," said Harriers chief executive Colin Gordon. "West Brom are great to deal with. It's an arrangement that'll benefit us." Harriers have been working on finding a new partnership since the start of March when it was announced that National League North side Worcester City would end their groundshare arrangement after three years at Aggborough. Gordon, who will give up his temporary role as head coach at the end of the season, says the new deal will help move the club forward off the field. "There is a financial aspect to the deal that suits us as a club," he said. "But, more importantly, we're looking forward to hosting some exciting games with some of the brightest young talent in the country. "The pitch at Aggborough has held up magnificently this season thanks to the work of our own groundsman but, from next season, the wear and tear will be significantly less and we'll be able to tap into some of their expertise in that area as well." Harriers have also confirmed that Albion will play a pre-season friendly at Aggborough this summer, the date of which will be confirmed in due course. With only six wins all season, Harriers' difficult season is likely to end in relegation this weekend. Bottom of the table and 14 points from safety with five games to play, they have to win at Welling on Saturday and hope that Halifax, Guiseley and Torquay all lose. A point for either Halifax or Guiseley would leave Harriers with only a mathematical chance of survival. |
It is believed the suspension, announced on Wednesday, is not directly related to a critical internal review. The report, by new chairman Paul Thomas, has been leaked to BBC Wales. It is understood that Welsh ministers decided to intervene after a vote of no-confidence in Mr Thomas at a Sport Wales board meeting earlier this week. The organisation, which promotes grassroots and elite sport, received £22.4m of Welsh Government funding for 2016/17. The report by Mr Thomas said Sport Wales was in "danger of stagnating" and accused its managers of not listening and engaging with people outside its Cardiff base. He also said it had been spending an "unacceptable" amount on its board. In a written statement on Wednesday, Social Services and Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said the Welsh Government had intervened as a result of matters that had emerged in recent days. Welsh Government officials are now investigating Sport Wales, with the probe not expected to be completed until the end of the year. Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: "The really important message for people who rely on the activities of Sport Wales is that its day-to-day activities absolutely continue as normal." Welsh Conservative economy spokesman Russell George called for "greater transparency" from ministers. "The Welsh Government has made a very serious intervention into the running of a publicly funded organisation, and this statement raises more questions than it answers," he said. |
The US author told the BBC he expects 95% of the reviews for Doctor Sleep to be a comparison between the two books. "You are faced with that comparison and that has got to make you nervous", he said, "because there is a lot of water under the bridge. I'm a different man". He admitted visiting literary websites to see what fans were saying about the book ahead of its publication. Now aged 65, the veteran author said he thinks the quality of his writing has improved since he wrote The Shining at the age of 28. "What a lot of people are saying is, 'Well okay, I will probably read this book but it cannot be as good as The Shining'. But I am obviously an optimist and I want them to say when they get done with it, that it was as good. "But what I really want them to say is that it is better than The Shining". Speaking to the BBC's arts editor Will Gompertz, King voiced his concerns that people who read the original story of the Torrance family's terrifying experiences at the Overlook Hotel when they were younger will have the same expectations of Doctor Sleep. "The fear is that people will come back expecting that kind of scare as grown-ups and that just never happens. I wanted to try and write a more adult book." King added that people are more difficult to scare today as they "have gotten a lot more savvy about the tricks that novel writers and film-makers use to scare them with". But he does believe it is still possible to scare people "in a really honourable way, if they care about the characters". "What I want the audience to do is to fall in love with these people, and really to care about them and that creates the suspense that you need. Love creates horror." King, who has published more than 50 novels, admitted critics are kinder to him now than when he started his career. "Little by little the wind changed a little bit. I think a lot of what happened was, that a lot of the old timers, the critics who really greeted my work with disdain died off and the people who are critics now, I know I scared the hell out of them when they were kids and they kind of respect that," he said. Doctor Sleep follows the young boy who survived the horrific events of The Shining. King said he decided to write the book because "people kept asking" him "whatever happened to that kid from The Shining?" In the book, Danny Torrance has become a care worker in a hospice, who uses his psychic 'Shining' ability to help people who are dying move from this world into the next. He meets a little girl who also has the Shining and is pursued by psychic vampires who live on the essence of children like her. Doctor Sleep will be released on 24 |
The heroine and her creator, Naoko Takeuchi, have teamed up with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to launch a new public campaign. Officials want to raise awareness about the rise of diseases like HIV and syphilis among young Japanese women. Condoms and fliers featuring the pretty soldier, as she is famously known as, will be distributed at several venues. An official press release stated that the campaign hoped to increase prevention, early detection, and treatment of STIs. The ministry said it planned to distribute 60,000 of the pink, heart-shaped educational packages. It also reworked the anime star's famous catchphrase - "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" - to: "If you don't get tested, I will punish you!". Sailor Moon was adapted into a TV series in the 1990s that was dubbed and released in overseas markets including Australia and the United States. Fans on social media expressed amusement and support for the novel approach to sex education. "I say good for them, in the name of the moon to protect people from STIs and HIV," wrote Josh Hastings in a post on Facebook. "Moon crystal power - this is an adorable way to market an important message," said another fan. But the magical-themed sexual education campaign isn't new. Anime and manga dominate many aspects of Japanese culture and its characters have often been used to promote campaigns and products. |
Germany's biggest lender is facing a $14bn (£10.8bn; €12.5bn) bill for mis-selling mortgage-backed bonds before the financial crisis of 2008. In the worst-case scenario, the government would even take a 25% stake in the bank, according to the article. Deutsche Bank has denied the report. In a statement, the German finance ministry stressed: "This report is false. The federal government is preparing no rescue plans. There is no reason for such speculation. The bank has said that clearly." Die Zeit wrote that "despite earlier denials", the rescue plans were being prepared and would come into force if the bank needed additional capital to pay the fine and could not raise the money from the markets. The record fine was imposed by the US Department of Justice earlier this month and is nearly triple the amount Deutsche had put aside to cover the payout. The level of the fine is seen as an opening gambit and it is not expected that the bank will have to actually pay $14bn. Chief executive John Cryan told the Bild newspaper that it had been clear from the beginning that the bank would not pay that amount. Under the rescue plan, Die Zeit said, if the bank really could not pay the fine by itself, then it would be able to sell parts of its business to other financial institutions at prices set at such a level that the burden on Deutsche was eased and it would not make any significant losses. That could happen, said the newspaper, if the businesses were going to have to be sold at clearly less than their value. In an emergency, those transactions could be supported by state guarantees, it added. Separately, on Wednesday, Phoenix Group Holdings, the UK's biggest owner of life assurance funds closed to new customers, announced it would buy Deutsche Bank's UK insurance business Abbey Life Assurance for £935m ($1.22bn). Die Zeit also made clear that the government still hoped the bank would be able to manage without state backing. Shares in Deutsche are down by more than 50% this year. On Monday and Tuesday, they fell to new lows as a result of concerns about how it will manage the fine. But in Wednesday trading, they rose by more than 2.5%. |
Warnock is unhappy Healey was allowed to speak to the media about interest from County's FA Cup second round opponents Plymouth Argyle. "I disagree totally with what's happened and I'm very, very annoyed with Graham at the moment if I'm honest," said Warnock. Healey's loan expires in January. The row will put a big question mark over the forward staying with the League Two side, with other clubs also interested in Healey, who has scored six goals in 18 appearances this season. Warnock has confirmed Cardiff will now reconsider their position. "To ask a young lad to face the media and talk about Plymouth, I think is totally out of order and I'll be speaking to Rhys on Sunday," he confirmed. "Plymouth have spoken to me as have a number of clubs, but the club has not spoken to Rhys - that's been made up. "He knew of the interest but he didn't speak to them. His agent has spoken to clubs, which is normal for a young player out on loan." Though Warnock has no intention of selling Healey, he admits he could now move elsewhere on loan at the end of his Rodney Parade agreement. "We have to weigh up the pros and cons of whether we want the lad playing at a team at that end of the table or another challenge," he said. "That could be either in another division - because a number of League One clubs have asked - or whether we want him to go to the other end of the League Two table, like Carlisle where Keith Curle has asked me, or Plymouth. "I expect him to play until January - if he gets selected, which might not happen this weekend. It'll be disappointing for him but that's up to their manager." Warnock says the current situation has hurt relations between the two south Wales clubs. "I've no idea if Rhys will move. Last time I spoke to Graham, if I thought it was beneficial to let him stay I would have let him stay," he said. "But the current situation is not helping. I believe you should talk manager to manager about things, not through the papers. "I have no intention of selling him. We've got three other young lads from the Under-23s Newport want a look at and by all means, I don't mind helping them out, but that's another matter." |
A smaller dose would provide immunity for at least 12 months, they said. Emergency stocks have been depleted by a mass immunisation programme in Angola, where the disease has killed more than 300 people since December. A surge of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised fears of a crisis situation. The current outbreak of the disease has seen 18 million vaccine doses distributed in Angola, DR Congo and Uganda. The global stockpile of the vaccine has already been depleted twice since February. In a statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned that so-called "fractional dosing" would only be used as a short-term measure in emergency situations where a shortage exists. A regular dose of the vaccine provides immunity for life. The WHO said it remained unclear whether fractional doses would work for young children. It said that current vaccine stocks were adequate but an outbreak in DR Congo's populous capital, Kinshasa, meant the strategy was being seriously considered "to prevent transmission through large-scale vaccination campaigns". DR Congo has reported 1,044 suspected cases of yellow fever since March, including 71 deaths, according to the WHO. Of 61 confirmed cases, 53 were linked to travel to Angola. Angola has reported 3,137 suspected cases since December, with 345 deaths reported. Studies have shown that even vaccine doses of one 10th the regular amount can produce an immune response in healthy adults, Jacqueline Weyer of South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases told the BBC. "The fear is that yellow fever outbreaks may occur in other locations, or continue to spread, with the consequent need for more vaccine, which cannot be produced in good time," she said. Source: WHO |
Fitted in vehicles mainly for insurance purposes, the cameras store pictures on a hard drive in case of incident, and have provided a rich vein of material on social media and video-sharing websites. The phenomenon went viral with "Driving in Russia", a 13-minute compilation video of crashes and unusual sights uploaded to the internet in early December 2012. Dash cam videos have become an addition to the popular "fail" genre. On 29 December, the crash-landing of a Tupolev-204 aircraft was recorded on the dashboard camera of a car on a nearby motorway. Wreckage could be seen flying over the perimeter fence, and striking a car in front, and footage of the incident was widely used in news media. Much of the video of the Urals meteor posted to social media came from dashboard cameras, usually accompanied by exclamations and expletives from surprised drivers. Other footage was obtained from camera phones and fixed CCTV cameras. Despite their growing cult status on YouTube and other video websites, dashboard cameras have a serious purpose, installed by Russian drivers in increasing numbers to fight the growing industry of insurance fraud. Business Insider's Alex Davies notes that many courts no longer accept verbal evidence in the case of traffic disputes, so video evidence is essential to succeed in a claim. According to Radio Liberty, drivers are using the cameras to fight back against Russia's notoriously corrupt traffic police, and scammers trying to extort money out of drivers. Criminal gangs can make up to $1,000 a day by staging accidents and forcing drivers into a quick settlement, it said. Footage available on YouTube shows criminals loitering at road junctions, before hurling themselves at slow-moving vehicles, then confronting drivers and demanding compensation. Dashboard cameras are not just restricted to Russia. Cameras are now appearing on roads in other countries, with some vehicle hire companies in the United Kingdom offering them as standard equipment, and hauliers to ensure the safety of their drivers. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. |
The 27-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist was badly injured in a motorbike taxi accident in Vietnam. More than £304,000 has been raised so far to help cover the costs of hospital treatment in Vietnam and Thailand and fly her home to Scotland. Her parents Alison and Robert Inglis said she was in a "stable" condition. At a media conference near Edinburgh's Western General, they told of their relief at having Stephanie back in Scotland. Her father, who is involved in judo in the Highlands and was a Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton bearer along with Stephanie, said: "To get her home, we never thought we would get her home, it's a miracle, we are so happy to be home." Her mother said: "When the money started coming in we were blown away. Every donation, every post shared, everyone of you has saved her life. "She would not be here if it was not for you. "They would not do anything in the hospital without you signing for it. Every day we have lived in fear, we couldn't eat, we couldn't sleep, we couldn't talk." She added: "We knew we had to get her back because the fear was if we ran out of money then the treatment would stop. "She's stable. They're running tests on her and keeping her in quarantine because of where she's flown in from. "It is too early to say what they are expecting but it's looking good and we are confident." Stephanie's father said he could see his daughter is in a lot of pain but she is on the road to recovery. He said: "She can't speak but she acknowledges us with a little nod of the head and she holds our hands and doesn't want to let go - it's marvellous. "She is a judo player like myself and I've told her she will have to fight again like she has done all her life. "She moved her two fingers and her leg and her ankle. To us it is marvellous because it means we know her brain is there and we feel it is encouraging." He added that he found things very difficult when they were in Vietnam. He said: "The doctors were arguing, one said if you move her she will die and the other was saying if you don't move her she will die. "I have never been so emotional, it took a long time before the tears stopped." Doctors in Vietnam had given her a 1% chance of surviving her injuries. After arriving at Edinburgh Airport in an air ambulance on Monday, Stephanie was taken to Edinburgh's Western General Hospital where she was been receiving care in a specialist unit. She was flown from Thailand where she was treated in a Bangkok hospital for a serious head injury and also infections, including pneumonia. Stephanie, who grew up in the Highlands but has been living in Dunfermline, had been transferred to Bangkok from a hospital in Vietnam where the |
New analysis from the Office for National Statistics showed they came after six London boroughs, plus Milton Keynes and Berkshire. The 2015 measure of Gross Value Added (GVA) showed Edinburgh growing at 4.5%, the fastest pace of any UK city other than Belfast. GVA is a calculation of economic output similar to Gross Domestic Product. However, neighbouring East Lothian and Midlothian were among those 10 local areas with the UK's lowest GVA, along with East and North Ayrshire. While Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, combined, had the 10th highest GVA in the UK, it had the third highest level of decline, after Central Bedfordshire and West Northamptonshire. The north east economy declined 2.5% in the first full year of the downturn in the oil and gas sector. The figures compare statistically comparable areas known as NUTS - Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics. GVA per head was at nearly £300,000 in the City of London, reflecting its measure of financial commuters' economic impact. The measure was just under £37,000 in Edinburgh and also in north east Scotland. In East and North Ayrshire, as well as East Lothian and Midlothian, GVA per head in 2015 was just above £15,000. Across the UK, GVA per head was calculated to have grown 2.1% during 2015, to £25,350. At the level of nations and regions, Scotland was on £23,700, having grown 1.8% during the year. |
Addressing the Howard League for Penal Reform's conference, Mr Gove said he hoped numbers would "fall over time". He also indicated there could be major reforms to sentencing - but added that he did not want to "leap to any conclusions". The use of body-worn cameras, currently being trialled, would improve prison staff behaviour, he also said. "If prison officers are wearing body-worn cameras, that does mean they're less likely to be assaulted. "It also means that they are more likely - and I don't think that this is as much of a problem as it was 20 years ago - but it also means that any individual prison officer is more likely to behave appropriately and decently as well", he told the central London conference. The justice secretary was directly asked by a panel member whether the prison population, currently 85,000, needed to be cut. He replied: "Obviously I'd like to see the prison population fall over time. "I believe the best way we can do that is by dealing effectively with those offenders who are in our care at the moment, through effective rehabilitation." Like his predecessor, Chris Grayling, Michael Gove does not like to use the word "crisis" to describe the state of the prison system. Nevertheless, he was remarkably frank about the "deeply concerning" problems in jails - highlighting rising levels of violence, high self-harm rates, poor sanitation in some establishments, lack of purposeful activity, drug misuse and staff corruption. Unlike some of those who've held the prison brief before, Mr Gove spoke openly about his desire to reduce the jail population. This is significant. It confirms the change in direction in crime and punishment policy, described by the justice secretary as "a new era"; it sends a message to magistrates and judges to explore alternatives to custody, where possible; and it prepares the ground for sentencing reform, possibly next year, which might see fewer people locked up. Mr Gove's remarks echoed David Cameron's comments at the Conservative Party conference last month, in which the prime minister called for an end to the sterile "lock 'em up or let 'em out" debate. The justice secretary said he wanted to "transcend the old divisions that used to bedevil the debate". BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said that in recent years government minsters had tended to shy away from answering questions about wanting to reduce prison numbers, worried that they could appear "soft" or that their aims would not be achieved. Mr Gove also indicated that there could be major reforms of sentencing. "We do need to look at our whole sentencing framework," he said, adding that he did not want to "leap to any conclusions". He said more research was needed on the effectiveness of sentencing before devising plans as to how a "more sensitive" regime could be achieved and said it was "worth analysing" the impact of short sentences. Other options ministers are understood to be looking at include greater use of electronic tagging as |
Media playback is not supported on this device The game comes four days after a total of 129 people were killed in attacks across the French capital, Paris. France's game with Germany at the Stade de France was targeted in the attacks. "We are here to represent our country and its colours blue, white and red with even more pride than we normally would," said Deschamps. Listen to French journalist on 5 live: "I will cry when Wembley sings La Marseillaise." "It has been a difficult, stressful time, but we have been together and each of us, in our way, has kept up to date with the events. "Each player and individual has dealt with this in their own way. The main thing is that we have kept together and shared our grief. "The match will be full of emotion but we have a duty to perform and give a good account of ourselves and represent our country in the right way." A Belgian citizen has been identified as the mastermind of the attacks, and Belgium's friendly with Spain on Tuesday in Brussels has been called off because of security fears. Media playback is not supported on this device Midfielder Lassana Diarra's cousin, Asta Diakite, was one of 129 people killed on Friday, while striker Antoine Griezmann's sister escaped from the Bataclan theatre where 89 people died. Both players have remained with the squad, with the former having posted a message on Twitter stating: "In this climate of terror, it is important for all of us who represent our country and its diversity to stay united against a horror which has no colour, no religion." Deschamps said: "We have two players who have been profoundly touched by the incidents. "Antoine Griezmann was fortunate to have a feeling of relief and happiness, that his sister managed to stay alive despite being at the Bataclan. "As for Lassana Diarra, his life has been touched by the deep loss of a relative who he was close to. "It was good he stayed with us, I have talked with him, as all of us have, and his place has been a source of reassurance for us. "We have learnt the value of unity and solidarity. I can only repeat the message Lassana has delivered on social media." Media playback is not supported on this device Deschamps offered his players the chance to withdraw from the England friendly, as France observes three days of mourning. But none did after the French Football Federation turned down the Football Association's offer to cancel the match. France captain Hugo Lloris said: "We had some concerns about the game but the president confirmed that we have to play this game. "We respect this decision. It will be a good opportunity to represent the French nation, which is more important than French football tomorrow. "Tuesday will be a great moment of solidarity. The last three days have been dramatic and I think we were in mourning together. It will be |
The 34-year-old defender has played four times since joining the club on a short-term contract in August after nearly four years out with injury. Barker made his Burton debut in a win against former club Derby. He said: "Every single second I'm at Burton I'm loving it and it's a fantastic club to be involved in. I'm proud to be part of that." |
The match on 14 January will be the American basketball league's sixth regular-season game in the capital. Orlando played two pre-season games in London in 2003, while the Raptors played there twice in 2011 as the NBA visited Europe for the first time. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: "This underscores our commitment to growing basketball in the region." |
Rangers beat Derby County 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday. Victory secured a top-flight return at the first attempt for the London club. But it may give the Football League a problem recovering a huge sum in Financial Fair Play penalties. Any Football League club that exceeds an £8m loss for the 2013-14 campaign when their accounts are submitted by 1 December this year is subject to a punishment. As the 2012-13 accounts of QPR Holdings Limited posted losses of £65.4m, with a wage bill of £68m, it is not hard to envisage another hefty deficit this term given the Loftus Road outfit have lost out on about £50m in television money. The rules encourage clubs to manage their finances in a way that allows the club to be sustainable The present parachute payments do not come close to covering those losses because relegated clubs receive £60m over four years. QPR may have loaned out a number of high-earning players, including Loic Remy and Adel Taraabt, but many others remain, not all of whom featured in the play-off semi-final win over Wigan. "If QPR or any club breaches the Financial Fair Play rules, there is a system in place that calculates the potential sanctions," said Ian Clayden, a football financial expert, speaking before Saturday's final. "For the Championship, if a club is promoted to the Premier League there is a calculation table which calculates tax, if you will, on the club, based on spending over and above the acceptable limits." In 2012, after two years of detailed discussions, the Football League and its clubs agreed on a Financial Fair Play framework across all three of its divisions. A Football League statement said at the time that the framework aims to "reduce the levels of losses being incurred at some clubs and, over time, establish a league of financially self-sustaining professional football clubs". It went on to say "the decision to adopt Financial Fair Play regulations follows a strategic review by the Football League board which identified the state of club finances as the organisation's biggest challenge". Clayden said the rules were put in place because sustainability of football clubs is a key concern of the Football League. "The rules encourage clubs to manage their finances in a way that allows the club to be sustainable," he said. Had QPR remained in the Football League, they would have faced a transfer embargo until such time as they could "demonstrate they were on track to record acceptable losses or profit". However, having secured promotion to the Premier League, they will be subject to a fine. A club is allowed to lose up to £8m without sanction. Above that level, there is a sliding scale on the next £10m of losses, with a maximum fine of £6.681m. Once losses exceed £18m, the fine is imposed on a strict pound-for-pound basis. So, should there be an overall loss of £30m, the Football League would be left chasing almost £19m. If |
The one-tonne vehicle, known as Curiosity, was reported to have landed in a deep crater near the planet's equator at 06:32 BST (05:32 GMT). It will now embark on a mission of at least two years to look for evidence that Mars may once have supported life. A signal confirming the rover was on the ground safely was relayed to Earth via Nasa's Odyssey satellite, which is in orbit around the Red Planet. The success was greeted with a roar of approval here at mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. Within minutes, the robot was returning its first low-resolution images - showing us its wheels and views to the horizon. A first colour image of Curiosity's surroundings should be returned in the next couple of days. Engineers and scientists who have worked on this project for the best part of 10 years punched the air and hugged each other. The rover's Twitter feed announced: "I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!!" The descent through the atmosphere after a 570-million-km journey from Earth had been billed as the "seven minutes of terror" - the time it would take to complete a series of high-risk, automated manoeuvres that would slow the rover from an entry speed of 20,000km/h to allow its wheels to set down softly. By David ShukmanScience editor, BBC News The day I watched Curiosity being built in a clean room at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena last year, the rover's six wheels were lying on one work bench while the chassis stood on another and it was hard to believe the white-suited engineers could make sense of the maze of tubes and cabling. But what they've created now stands on the red soil of Mars - and it's in one piece. In the hallway of a JPL building we were shown a full-size replica. Walking around it made me realise something difficult to grasp from the pictures and video: this is a beast of a machine, a kind of cosmic Humvee with instruments instead of weapons. Sometimes Nasa public relations can appear bragging. Today it feels justified. Curiosity is all set to discover something remarkable about our strangest neighbour. The Curiosity team had to wait 13 tense minutes for the signals from Odyssey and the lander to make their way back to Earth. Data suggested the vehicle had hit the surface of Mars at a gentle 0.6m/s. "It looked at least with my eyeball that we landed in a nice flat spot. Beautiful," said Adam Steltzner, who led the descent operation. The JPL director, Charles Elachi, added: "Tonight was a great drama that was played. I felt like I was in an adventure movie but I kept telling myself this is real; and what a fantastic demonstration of what our nation and our agency can do." That sense of national pride was picked up by US President Barack Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren. "Landing the Mars |
Head coach Antonio Conte is likely to recall Diego Costa and Eden Hazard after leaving them out for the FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham. Southampton midfielder Oriel Romeu is available to face his former side after completing a two-match ban. Sam McQueen is set to miss the fixture because of a minor groin strain. Long-term absentees Matt Targett and Charlie Austin will return to training later this week. Jonathan Pearce: "This is huge. If Chelsea follow up their FA Cup semi-final win with an emphatic victory they'll hold their nerve and land the title. "But this is a slippery one. They've found Southampton troublesome at home and the Saints have had 10 days to prepare. "A defeat for the league leaders will open the door for Spurs. "Chelsea were far too open in the thrilling semi-final. They also haven't gone this long without a league clean sheet in nearly 21 years. "Southampton may not have beaten a current top-six side all season but they've looked dangerous away recently. Tricky this for the leaders!" Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte: "I have in my mind the starting 11 but tomorrow I want to check very well the physical consideration of every single player as our last game was an intense one and used energy. "But we have trained very well this season and we have a lot of energy to face this type of situation. "It is important for us to win and look at ourselves, but we all know that tomorrow it won't be easy because Southampton is a very good team with a good coach and good players." Southampton manager Claude Puel on the importance of Oriol Romeu: "I think he's not far off [N'Golo] Kante. He recovers the ball so well and is a technical player. "He's an important player for this team because he can do fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play. It's difficult for us without him. "We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain, for example." Head-to-head Chelsea Southampton SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches. |
In eastern West Bengal and southern Tamil Nadu, regional parties are expected to dominate. In the southern state of Kerala, it will be a fight between left parties and the Congress. That leaves the BJP pinning its hopes for a win on Assam, which will vote in two phases on 4 and 11 April. Ethnically diverse and prone to conflicts, Assam has been ruled by the Congress since 2001. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi led the party to power in 2001, 2006 and 2011, making him a legend in the state. But this time, he is facing the toughest challenge of his political career. The BJP is desperate for a win in Assam, after the humiliating defeats it suffered in the capital Delhi and the northern state of Bihar. "We are keen to break the jinx and it is here in Assam that we will do it," Kabindra Purkayastha, a former BJP federal minister who is leading the party in Assam's Bengali dominated Barak valley told the BBC. The Congress' failure to form a pre-poll alliance with the Muslim-dominated All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal is one major factor working to the BJP's advantage. "A divided Muslim vote is the Congress' worst case scenario and that will help the BJP," says political analyst Nani Gopal Mahanta. The BJP has also formed an alliance with the Bodoland's Peoples Front, a key regional party representing the important Bodo tribe. Its chief ministerial candidate is Sarbananda Sonowal, a former Assamese student leader and now a federal minister. His trump card is an electoral understanding with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which ruled Assam between 1985 and 1990 and then returned to power in 1996. He is considered a 'jatiyo bir' (national hero) among the ethnic Assamese people because he fought to get the controversial Illegal Migrants Determination Tribunal Act (IMDT) scrapped in 2005. The law's opponents said it sought to protect illegal migrants from Bangladesh. But despite all these advantages, the BJP's potential path to power is not without obstacles. Mr Sonowal is facing challenges from some leaders in his own party and the party is also seeing serious dissidence among workers who say that there has been favouritism in handing out contestant tickets. This potential implosion as well as infighting within the AIUDF has given the once flailing Congress party hope. As many as five incumbent AIUDF legislators have been denied nominations amid allegations of "selling off" tickets. "This may hit us hard. The Muslims, who are the core strength of our party, may go back to the Congress," AIUDF leader Smita Mishra said. The Muslims in Assam traditionally voted for the Congress party until the AIUDF was formed in 2006. The party's electoral debut the same year was impressive. "But now, the AIUDF has messed up and the dissidence will affect it badly," says Hafiz Rashad Ahmed Chowdhury, a co-founder of the party who has since broken away. "This will not go down well with the Muslims |
In a newspaper interview, David Coburn is alleged to have said: "Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza". Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland the comment was "Islamophobic" and "among the worst racial slurs" he had ever received. A UKIP spokesman denied the comparison had been made and said it was a "slip of the tongue" on Mr Coburn's part. Mr Yousaf, Scotland's minister for external affairs and international development, has written to UKIP leader Nigel Farage demanding that Mr Coburn, who is Scotland's only UKIP MEP, is expelled from the party. Mr Yousaf said he was taking legal advice on the matter. "I'm the first to tell people to report it, so if potentially a crime has been committed - and as I say, I'm seeking legal advice on that - then of course I will report him to the police. "If not, then, you know, at least - at the very least - the political party UKIP should certainly be taking disciplinary action against him." Radical cleric Abu Hamza was sentenced to life in prison for a string of terrorism offences by a judge in New York in January, after being extradited from the UK. Hamza, who previously lived in London, was jailed in the UK for seven years in 2006 for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred. The comments were reportedly made over the telephone to a Daily Mail reporter during a conversation about the BBC Scotland's Big Immigration Debate, which took place earlier this week. Mr Coburn is reported to have said: "Humza Yousaf, or as I call him, Abu Hamza, didn't seem to turn up." Speaking to BBC Scotland, Glasgow MSP Mr Yousaf said: "I have had racist and Islamophobic slurs many times over the years, but this is among the worst. For this to come from an elected representative is beyond the pale and completely unacceptable." He added: "This is an insult to the entire Muslim community, which is fighting Islamophobia in society. It has caused hurt and deep offense. David Coburn should resign, and if he does not, Nigel Farage should remove him from UKIP." Scotland's main political parties have united in condemning Mr Coburn's reported comments, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon describing them as "reprehensible". She added: "For David Coburn to effectively compare Humza to a convicted terrorist because he is Muslim is disgraceful and he must surely face consequences for that." Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said: "This isn't the first time that Mr Coburn has been caught out for having vile views. People across Scotland, including even those who voted for him, will now want to see the back of him." Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives tweeted: "Totally unacceptable. Our country is better than this. And he's got form. Mindless idiot." Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called Mr Coburn "an offensive fool". Mazhar Khan, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Scotland, said: "The stereotyping of Muslims as extremists and terrorists is one the most shameful |
He was released from Long Lartin prison, in Worcestershire. He has spent most of the last 10 years in custody. A UK court approved his appeal against deportation after deciding witness evidence obtained by torture might be used at trial in Jordan. The government believes the wrong legal test was applied and is to appeal. "We had received a number of assurances from the Jordanian government - they had even changed their constitution," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said. By Dominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent Abu Qatada has lived in the UK for almost 20 years - and he might be here a few more yet because the legal roadblock on deportation is very difficult to remove. Judges say there is a real risk that the preacher's retrial in Jordan would be unfair because it would include incriminating statements made by men who were tortured by the secret police. They want to see either an unambiguous change to Jordan's criminal court code to exclude such material, or a ruling by its higher courts to the same effect. So there is little prospect of Abu Qatada being deported unless the home secretary can convince Jordan to change or convince the UK's Court of Appeal that Siac got the law wrong. If either of those routes were successful - and that's a very big "if" - it wouldn't end there. The cleric could ask the European Court of Human Rights to examine what Jordan is saying - something that could take years. "We believe that we have got the right assurances from the Jordanian government." He added: "The Home Office will be ensuring that we take all the steps necessary to ensure that Qatada does not present a risk to national security." Jordan's acting information minister Nayef al-Fayez told the BBC his government shared UK authorities' disappointment at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) ruling on Monday. When Abu Qatada arrived back at his home in London, around lunchtime on Tuesday, a small group of protesters - holding a "get rid of Abu Qatada placard" - gathered outside and chanted, "Out, out, out." Earlier this year, judges at the European Court in Strasbourg ruled the cleric - whose real name is Omar Othman - would not face ill-treatment if returned to Jordan, citing assurances outlined in a UK-Jordan agreement. Crucially, however, the judge did not believe he would get a fair trial because a Jordanian court could use evidence against Abu Qatada that had been obtained from the torture of others. On Monday, despite the UK obtaining additional assurances from Jordan, Siac chairman Mr Justice Mitting ruled he was not satisfied Abu Qatada would be tried fairly. Speaking to ITV's Daybreak, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "He should not be in this country, he is a dangerous person. He wanted to inflict harm on our country and this coalition governs lived in the UK for almost 20 years - and he might be here a few more yet because the |
Dr Jeffrey Brown, along with controversial NOP coach Alberto Salazar, has been under investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), since the BBC's Panorama programme and ProPublica alleged doping and unethical practice at NOP in 2015. The elite endurance camp is funded by Nike and led by Salazar, who has coached Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah since 2011. Both Salazar and Dr Brown strongly deny any wrongdoing. In February this year, an interim report by Usada investigators into the NOP claims was leaked by the Russian hacking group Fancy Bears. Details of various alleged anti-doping rule breaches outlined in the report were published by the Sunday Times, the BBC and the New York Times. Usada has yet to formally charge anyone in relation to its investigation. Now, new disclosures seen by the BBC and ProPublica further implicate Dr Brown, a Texas-based endocrinologist who has treated many of Salazar's athletes and has been previously accused of prescribing thyroid medication (which is not banned under World Anti-Doping Agency rules) to athletes to boost performance. Dr Brown denies this. Dr Brown, who is Salazar's personal physician, handed to Usada the medical records of certain athletes, including Steve Magness, then also Salazar's assistant coach. But Magness, a central contributor to the BBC/ProPublica investigation in 2015, says his medical notes have been altered by Dr Brown. He says he asked for a copy of his notes to be provided to him in August 2015, before he signed a release form to allow Usada to recover them from his former physician. One note shows details of an infusion of a controversial but legal supplement L-carnitine carried out by Dr Brown in his office in Texas, on the instructions of Salazar, in 2011. The note on the left is, according to Magness, his copy of the note of the infusion, a medical procedure that involved Dr Brown putting him on a drip for more than four hours. In the same note later provided by Dr Brown's office to Usada, on the right, and seen in the Usada report, various additions appear to have been made. A number of ticks seem to have been added under 'EXAM' options, including 'General,' 'Lungs,' 'Thyroid,' 'CV' (cardio vascular), and 'Neuro,' suggesting a full health check has been carried out by Dr Brown on Magness. Magness, who left NOP in 2012 and is now a coach at the University of Houston, says those checks were never done. He says: "I do not recall these being done. I wasn't even in a patient room, but instead in his office during this visit. I do not recall him going through his normal checks of my thyroid or [anything else]. "My only speculation is that [those boxes were ticked] to make it look like care for the patient had been given. He might have realised after the fact that when you have a patient, your doctoral duty is to the health of that individual. "And that without the proper checks, it might look like |
The 39-year-old has played for his hometown club his entire career but is out of contract this summer. He has been used sparingly under Spalletti, but scored twice late on in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Torino. Totti, who won the Serie A title with Roma in 2001, released a statement on his website on Saturday. Former Italy international Totti's cameo on Wednesday, coming off the bench in the 85th minute at 2-1 down to score twice, left some fans in tears. With 247 goals he is the second top scorer in Italian top-flight history and the third-highest appearance maker with 597. However, this season he has only played 11 times, scoring four goals, and has been linked with Leicester and New York Cosmos. His statement read: "The great beauty of Rome and Roma - like the fairytale we experienced at the stadium on Wednesday night - can only be truly appreciated by those who love these colours, as I do and as you do. "My goals helped the team and the club I've always loved to win the game. That should unite people, not divide. "We have a big match coming up on Monday and the only thing that matters to me - as always - is being able to celebrate with my team-mates, the coach, the club and our very special fans." Spalletti, who took over in January and would not confirm if Totti will face Napoli on Monday, said: "I've had a non-existent rivalry with Totti thrust upon me. I'm pleased if he's doing what he loves. "I really enjoyed Totti's message on his website. A true captain's statement. "I need everyone in my squad, Totti included obviously. I have to make sure all the lads feel important. He is always an asset to us." |
The expected increase in jobs would see the international banking giant's workforce at Chester Business Park double in size by 2020. Many of the roles - in finance, support and regulatory compliance - will be relocating from London, with a company director saying this would save money. Since 2010 the bank's Chester workforce has grown from 200 to about 1,000. Managing director Stephen Miller said new European financial regulations have resulted in new jobs being created. "All of that activity is effectively new to banking, which requires new roles," he said. "That support can be done outside London. Of course there is a cost advantage to not being based in a metro centre." City Minister Harriet Baldwin welcomed the news as being a boost for the Northern Powerhouse. "We want to see growth in financial services jobs right across the UK," she said. Chester MP Chris Matheson said: "It's fantastic news and proves, once again, Chester's continuing pre-eminence in the financial sector." |
Buy-to-let investors face a 3% surcharge on stamp duty from April. The Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said the number of homes coming onto the market was insufficient to meet demand from landlords aiming to beat the deadline. Various figures have shown an increase in buy-to-let mortgage lending in recent months. New buyer enquiries rose for the 10th month in a row in January, accelerating for a second successive month, the survey of Rics' members found. Housing experts have been predicting that prospective landlords will move as quickly as possible to complete purchases before the extra stamp duty on second home purchases kicks in. The Rics survey reveals that 74% of respondents expect there to be an increase in purchases from landlords before April. Although the number of homes coming onto the market picked up slightly in January, this was outstripped by demand and would result in prices rising, Rics said. "The near-term pressure on prices is if anything intensifying despite a higher level of supply," said Rics chief economist Simon Rubinsohn. "How the tax changes planned for the buy-to-let sector over the next few years play out remains to be seen but there are concerns raised in the survey that some existing landlords will look to either gradually scale back on their portfolios or exit the market altogether as the more penal regime begins to bite. "Against this backdrop, it is perhaps not surprising that the key Rics indicators points to further rent - as well as house price - increases." |
The agreement was signed by Afghanistan's newly appointed national security adviser, Hanif Atmar. Previous President Hamid Karzai had refused to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US, straining ties and raising security fears. Most Nato forces are to withdraw this year, leaving 9,800 US troops behind. The total number of troops in a new Nato-led mission - including US soldiers - to train and assist Afghanistan's security forces will be about 12,000 next year. There will also be a separate US-led force dealing with the remnants of al-Qaeda. US ambassador to Kabul Jim Cunningham signed the long-delayed agreement on behalf of the government in Washington. Ashraf Ghani, newly elected Afghan President, welcomed the deal. He said: "Today Afghanistan has regained its sovereignty as a power." Meanwhile US President Barack Obama said the BSA marked a "historic day" in US-Afghan relations. "We look forward to working with this new government to cement an enduring partnership that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability, unity, and prosperity," he added. The BSA allows for some foreign special forces to stay in the country to conduct "counter-terror operations" and others to support and train Afghan forces. Under a separate Nato agreement also signed on Tuesday, several nations, led by Germany, Turkey and Italy, will contribute to a further force of about 3,000 troops. Analysis: David Loyn, BBC News, Kabul The Bilateral Security Agreement between Afghanistan and the US allows American troops to remain in Afghanistan after the end of 2014. But the force will be quite small, at 9,800 troops, and will be cut in half by the end of 2015, before a full pullout at the end of 2016. Under a separate Nato agreement, a further force of about 3,000 troops will be contributed by several Nato nations, led by Germany, Turkey and Italy. Britain's only contribution will be at the officers' training academy, which is modelled on Sandhurst, at Qargha close to Kabul. By agreeing to the deal so quickly, President Ghani is resetting a relationship soured by his predecessor Hamid Karzai, who refused to sign the agreements, and to the end criticised the US and its forces. The US ambassador to Kabul, Jim Cunningham, said that Tuesday's signing sent a broader signal to the region about the continuing US commitment to Afghanistan. The US deployment will be halved by the end of 2015 and withdrawn almost completely by the end of 2016. The Associated Press news agency reports that the US plans to leave about 1,000 troops in a "security office" after this deadline. Nato countries have been steadily reducing the number of troops they have committed to the Afghan mission, handing over control to local security forces. Earlier this year, there were estimated to be just over 50,000 Nato troops serving in Afghanistan from 49 contributing nations. Of these the bulk - about 34,000 - were US troops. Mr Ghani was sworn in as Afghanistan's new president on Monday, replacing Mr Karzai in the country's first democratic transfer of power. The |
Bank governor Mark Carney said the "vast majority" of City firms already had contingency plans in place. However, he said that some financial firms still needed to prepare in case of a "more extreme" outcome. In a speech, Mr Carney urged the UK and EU to recognise each other's bank rules after Brexit. Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 last week, starting two years of formal talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Goldman Sachs, HSBC and UBS are among the banks that have said they will move some jobs out of London as a result of Brexit. The UK's central bank wrote to all banks, insurers and other financial firms with branches in the UK which operate in the EU. It has given the companies three months - to 14 July - to explain what contingency plans they have in place. In the letter, it says some companies may not be ready for the "most adverse potential outcomes". That would happen if a trade deal and interim arrangements were not in place when the UK leaves. Mr Carney said: "Prudent planning means that you have to also plan for a shorter time horizon and a more extreme outcome. "That in no way shape or form is saying that that's what our expectation is, and certainly we'll be absolutely clear that is not in the best interest of the EU 27 or the United Kingdom or the global system as a whole." Asked if firms should move now, he said: "No, that's not the most prudent. It's prudent to be in a position to continue operating after the UK leaves." The central bank has indicated it is largely happy with the large foreign banks' planning, but says the standard of contingency planning across the sector is uneven. Many US and European banks are based in London, offering their services throughout the EU under a process known as "passporting". In a major speech on the impact of Brexit on the City, Mr Carney urged the UK and EU to strike a deal on UK-based banks offering services into the EU and vice versa. Mr Carney said the two sides were "ideally positioned" to reach an agreement, because they currently have exactly the same bank regulations. He also underlined the importance of the City of London to the EU, saying it was "Europe's investment banker" and a "global public good". The Bank governor said the City of London and other financial centres were at a "fork in the road" going into the Brexit talks. "The outcome of the Brexit negotiations could prove highly influential in determining which path the global financial system takes," Mr Carney said in a speech at Thomson Reuters in Canary Wharf. He warned against countries taking the "low road" where they turned inwards, cut back on regulations and did not work with other regulators. This would lead to fewer jobs, lower growth and higher domestic risks, he said. In the Brexit talks, the "high road is |
The so-called "International Verification Commission" says it has put a small part of Eta's arsenal under seal. The Spanish government has dismissed the disarmament move, and the verifiers' role, calling the Eta gesture "theatrical". Eta declared a definitive end to hostilities in 2011. Video passed exclusively to the BBC in London by an intermediary shows two masked militants from Eta, dressed in black, displaying a few of their weapons laid out on a table for inspection by the verifiers. The video was handed over by an intermediary acting with full approval from the Amsterdam-based team of arms verifiers, who are trying to build on Eta's ceasefire. The pictures, recorded by Eta at a secret location, show two of the international verifiers looking on. They are hoping this could mark the beginning of full disarmament by Eta. The verifiers in the video are Sri Lankan Ram Manikkalingam and Ronnie Kasrils, a former South African guerrilla leader in the African National Congress (ANC). They are seen signing what is apparently an inventory. They say these guns and explosives have now been put under seal and beyond use. They call it a hugely important first step. The weapons seen on the video include what appears to be a G3 assault rifle with two magazines, a semi-automatic pistol and two revolvers. There are also seven plastic bags, each labelled as containing half a kilo of Pentrita high explosive, plus what look like three anti-tank rockets, but without a launcher, as well as detonators and timing devices. The verifiers regard this as only a very small part of Eta's total arsenal, but for them the symbolism of Eta's participation in an apparent act of disarmament is what counts. The militant group was declared "a terrorist organisation" by the European Union in 2001. It has a long and bloody past, and has killed more than 800 people across four decades. Eta was formed more than 50 years ago in the era of Spain's dictator, General Franco, to fight for an independent Basque homeland. A huge Eta bomb in Madrid in 1973 killed Spain's then Prime Minister, Luis Carrero Blanco. That killing ensured the whole world took notice. In 1980, Eta militants killed 118 people in Spain, making it the group's deadliest year. But the combined efforts of French and Spanish security forces over the past 20 years in the border area known as the Basque Country led to a string of arrests, stripping Eta of its leadership and driving it to a position seen by many observers as effective defeat. When Eta declared an unconditional end to armed activities in October 2011, it was seen as a major breakthrough. The Spanish government welcomed the move, but insisted Eta must go on to disband and disarm entirely. The government in Madrid refuses to negotiate with Eta, and does not recognise the verification commission, which is spearheading efforts by large numbers of international political figures and specialists in peace-making. Those mediators hope the latest move by Eta could |
The Publishers Association has obtained a High Court order that requires the internet service providers (ISPs) to act by 9 June. The offending sites are based overseas. The movie, music and luxury goods industries have previously employed similar tactics to cause more than 100 other sites to be blocked. The Publishers Association said that more than 80% of the material it had found on the ad-supported platforms involved, had infringed copyright. "A third of publisher revenues now come from digital sales but unfortunately this rise in the digital market has brought with it a growth in online infringement," said the body's chief executive Richard Mollet. "Our members need to be able to protect their authors' works from such illegal activity. Writers need to be paid and publishers need to be able to continue to innovate and invest in new talent and material." The sites affected are: The administrator of Freebookspot - which provides links to others' uploads but does not host eBooks itself - has posted a message to the site claiming to have deleted more than 10,000 titles following the ruling, in an apparent attempt to avoid the ban. However, its search tool still points users to download links for other copyright-protected eBooks. The ISPs affected are BT, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk and EE. They typically require a court order before they will agree to block a website outright. The Publishers Association also said that it had asked Google to remove more than 1.75 million links from its search results relating to material found on the offending sites. |
Among them is The Teapot Trust, a Scottish charity which provides art therapy to child victims of trauma in hospital. It was set up in 2010 by Laura Young whose daughter, Verity, had hated her frequent visits to hospital. "She would kick, she would bite, she would scream," said Ms Young. "If we got her into the car and said we're going to hospital, she would be trying to get out, and we got to the point where we were literally at our wits' end." She said they found art a distraction which later, after Verity died, also became a way of helping children cope with trauma. "I hit on the idea of getting one of our babysitters who was actually studying art at the time to meet up at hospital so that the main focus of the visit to hospital wasn't that she was going to have her blood test. "I'd say we're going to see Christina at the hospital and whilst you're there they might do your bloods. "And it meant she could come with a picture and say this is what I did today." Now The Teapot Trust provides medical art therapists at hospitals and hospices in Scotland and London, helping children make something they can keep, gain in confidence and feel better able to cope - whatever their condition. In one of the waiting areas of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh there's a large table laden with art materials. There are coloured felt tip pens, crayons and pencils, pots of paintbrushes, mounds of clay. One of the art therapists is Shelly Kinloch. "They can just drop in and use the art materials however they want," she said. "We also support them with building peer relationships and just trying to make the hospital experience a bit easier." Paediatric art therapy is being offered to children caught up in the Grenfell tower tragedy, in which around 80 people died. It is delivered on a one-to-one basis as well as in groups, giving the youngsters a chance to express themselves, help them feel more in control and learn how to cope with their situation. Susan Rudnik is an art psychotherapist with The Teapot Trust working in London. She helped set up an art therapy space in a community centre close to the Grenfell Tower in the days after the blaze. She said: "The children just have some art materials and they're free to do whatever they want to. "That's been enormously helpful in this crisis and trauma whereby the children are just allowed a space to process their feelings through the art when words really aren't enough or even possible quite a lot of the time." She added: "The tower features in a lot of their drawings because it's there, it's everybody's eye shot. It's in everything, it's everywhere we look, it's everywhere we go. "But also there's a lot of other stuff, there's indescribable things, a lot of mess-making, a lot of stuff that's just |
But a US soldier wounded in the raid died of his injuries - the first killed in action since US operations against IS began last year. The early morning operation on Thursday took place near the town of Hawija in northern Iraq. Five IS militants were captured and a number killed, the Pentagon said. About 70 hostages were rescued, defence officials said, including Sunni Arabs, 20 Iraqi security force members and IS members being held as suspected spies. No Kurds were rescued, the Pentagon and Kurdish officials said, despite initial reports to the contrary. A Kurdish intelligence source however told the BBC only 17 were rescued, all former IS militants. He said the operation's aim was to capture prisoners who had defied orders of their IS leaders. The raid targeted an IS-held prison near Hawija, in the predominantly Kurdish province of Kirkuk. The US military was involved at the invitation of the Kurdistan regional government, the Pentagon said. American helicopters flew troops to the site, with Kurdish special forces taking the lead but with US ones on the ground. "This operation was deliberately planned and launched after receiving information that the hostages faced imminent mass execution," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement. "It was authorised consistent with our counter-ISIL effort to train, advise, and assist Iraqi forces," he added, using an alternative acronym for IS. Questioned on whether the action represented "boots on the ground", defying previous commitments from President Obama, Mr Cook stressed the rescue was a "unique circumstance" and not a change in tactics. The US soldier killed was said to have come under fire from IS militants during the operation. Gen Lloyd Austin, who heads the US military's Central Command, said "we deeply mourn the loss of one of our own who died while supporting his Iraqi comrades engaged in a tough fight". A US-led coalition has been carrying out daily air strikes on IS positions in Iraq and Syria for more than a year. The raid on the prison in northern Iraq comes amid a fresh push by Iraqi and Kurdish forces to capture territory seized by IS. |
Some 25 pensioners had to be rescued from Peebles Nursing Home as the River Tweed overflowed into the streets. They had to be re-housed about 18 miles away at the Waverley Care Home in Galashiels. It has been confirmed that is where they will stay for six months while structural and interior overhauls take place on the building in Tweed Green. The entire ground floor was damaged when water poured into the care home on the afternoon of 30 December. Mountain Rescue volunteers along with fire and rescue teams took part in the rescue operation to get the residents to safety. Nine of the 24 bedrooms are on the bottom floor as well as two lounges, a dining room, a kitchen and a laundry room. Peebles Nursing Home manager Jane Rogers said she had experienced nothing like it in her 10 years in charge. She said: "The water rose very quickly and there was a sudden surge of water which breached walls and our usually effective defences in a matter of minutes." The residents were having lunch when the flood waters hit. "By about 2.20pm a lot of water had come in but luckily by that time we had moved everyone upstairs," said Ms Rogers. "All of the rooms on the ground floor are completely condemned. "But before any of the restoration work even begins the building has to be completely emptied and then we have to leave it to dry out substantially which is going to take a while. "So the residents won't be back in for approximately another six months." Ms Rogers said the residents were happy and nobody had been upset by the move. She added: "Our residents are still seeing the same staff which is comforting for them. "And the families can be reassured that the level of care their relatives are receiving has not been affected." Meanwhile, Borders Sport and Leisure Trust is unable to say when Peebles Swimming Pool will re-open - 10 days after the flooding. Both boilers were seriously damaged and due to the heating being off there has been movement in the wooden ceiling above the pool. |
The 24-year-old midfielder joined Dale from Stoke in 2013, but missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. A former Northern Ireland Under-21 international, Lund started his career at Crewe and has also had stints at Oldham, Bristol Rovers and Southend. "It shows that the manager has got faith in me by offering me a new contract," said Lund. He joins Peter Vincenti in agreeing a new deal at Spotland this week. |
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