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Research by the BBC found the shortfall facing 22 hospital trusts in the region had risen by 63% compared to 2013-14. NHS Providers, a lobby group representing NHS organisations, said the level of debt represented about a quarter of the UK's total NHS debt. The government said it had managed to increase the NHS budget by £2bn. Of the 22 trusts, only four - Luton and Dunstable, Bucks Healthcare, Papworth and James Paget - predict surpluses in 2014-15. Ipswich Hospital forecasts a £12m deficit, while the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, predicts a £14.9m deficit. Northampton Hospital predicts a £16.7m deficit. NHS Providers said "sustainable" funding solutions were needed. Saffron Cordery, its director of policy and strategy, said the whole NHS faced a £1bn deficit. "We've reached a point where we're at genuine risk of damaging quality of care for patients," she said. Allyson Pollock, a University of London professor of public health research and policy, said it was likely hospitals would look to generate cash through providing "non-NHS services, such as more private patients". Political blogger Iain Dale said: "I don't think there is a short-term solution. Any future government will at some point have to write-off debts." Richard Murray, director of policy at the King's Fund think tank, called for less "premium agency nursing" to be used and more care in the community. Both Ipswich and Bedford hospitals said their deficits were linked to increased demand from patients, with people living longer. Nick Hulme, chief executive of Ipswich Hospital, said there was a "systemic problem" with NHS funding, in that there were "more sicker patients and patients living longer". The Luton and Dunstable Hospital, which expects a £19,000 surplus, said it had not "sacrificed quality" and was meeting targets. A Department of Health spokesman said: "We've been able to increase the NHS budget by an extra £2bn for the next financial year, and NHS England's own chief executive Simon Stevens acknowledged we had 'listened and responded with the funding [needed] for next year to sustain frontline NHS services and kick-start transformation'."
The £259m deficit facing East of England hospitals poses a "genuine risk of damaging quality of care", it has been warned.
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Thomas Minito's body was found floating in a river in Machakos, 50km (30 miles) from the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi. Police say he was also being investigated for possible involvement in the shooting of Italian-born conservationist Kuki Gallman. The army has been deployed to the region to quell months of unrest. A biting drought in the Laikipia region had forced herders to invade private farms to get fresh grass for their animals. However, some analysts say local politicians incited pastoralists communities to invade private farms. Minito was a member of the Baringo county assembly in the Rift Valley and had been reported missing earlier this week, according to media reports. After examining the body, police said they suspect that he was murdered because he had a head wound. His family is however yet to verify his identity. Security forces have been conducting an operation in Laikipia county in central Kenya after a series of attacks on private lodges. Tristan Voorspuy, an ex-British army officer, was killed in March when he went to inspect his lodge. Pastoralists have accused police of killing hundreds of their animals in an attempt to drive them out of the farms. The privately-owned Star newspaper reports that Minito was arrested last month and freed on bond for allegedly planning violence in Laikipia and neighbouring Baringo county in which several people were killed or injured and livestock were either stolen or killed.
A Kenyan politician being investigated for the raids in private farms in the Laikipia region has been found dead.
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Kingston Police tweeted the note addressed to Tracey Dyke, who is suspected of multiple burglaries, accusing her of "blanking" them. Some users applauded the "novel" social media appeal, while others accused the Met of "public shaming". Police said Ms Dyke was a suspect in crimes involving "vulnerable victims". Officers posted the appeal, featuring a photograph of Ms Dyke, and the caption: "Please stop ignoring us Tracey". In a two-page letter appealing for her to contact detectives, they wrote: "We have come round to see you a number of times recently but it looks like you'd rather not speak to us, which is very disappointing. "We have a slight suspicion that you might be blanking us #Awkward. You don't text, you don't call back and haven't accepted our friend request." They added: "We won't stand for this and want to have a discussion with you at our custody suite." Met Police borough commander Nick Downing congratulated Kingston Police on its "very innovative" appeal. "Sure the brilliant communities of #Kingston will help track this suspect down," he wrote. But others were less impressed with the tone of the letter, and accused the force of being "unprofessional" by using hashtags and emoji. Christina wrote: "This reads like what a school teacher types up on a newsletter to try and be hip and cool but just comes across as awkward".
A police force's open letter to a suspected burglar - which included emojis and hashtags - has met with a mixed response online.
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Costa, 28, has reportedly been the subject of an offer to move to China. Shearer said: "It depends how bad an apple he becomes. If it affects the dressing room, you have to get rid." The former England captain added that Dimitri Payet was in the wrong if he is refusing to play for West Ham. The Hammers recently turned down a £19.1m bid for attacking midfielder Payet from his former side Marseille, and his current boss Slaven Bilic revealed this week that the France international wants to leave the club. "I have not got a problem with players wanting to leave football clubs," added former Newcastle and Blackburn striker Shearer. "You are allowed to do that, but there is a way and means to do it. "Refusing to play is not correct." Brazil-born Spain international Costa has been integral to the Premier League leaders this season, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists. However, this week he became embroiled in a dispute with a coach over his fitness, which led to him being dropped for Saturday's 3-0 win at Leicester - although manager Antonio Conte said the player had a back injury. His absence came amid reports of interest from the Chinese Super League in a deal that would be worth £30m a year. Shearer said: "Chelsea will miss Diego Costa. He has scored goals, provided assists and been the best player this season. It will be a huge uphill struggle to win the league without him. "He will dictate the situation. The players have the vast majority of the power. If the player does not want to be there, he will go." Media playback is not supported on this device Ex-Blues goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer added: "He is a big character, he is always joking in training and if he throws his toys out of the pram, he will be a big disruption. Knowing what Antonio Conte wants, they will not want him around the team. "On the pitch, he is as fighter, he wants to scrap for everything. Off the pitch, he is a real character among the players. He loves that position in the squad. Who knows? He may come back next week saying he had a back injury and it had all been blown out of proportion." Telegraph football correspondent Jason Burt added that he does not think Costa will be sold in January. "I'm not sure [Blues owner] Roman Abramovich will want to be pushed around by the Chinese market. He has spent a lot of money," said Burt. "Sometimes an owner like this may put his foot down. He will not be pushed around. If Costa is going to go, it will be in the summer." Media playback is not supported on this device Payet joined West Ham in June 2015 for £10.7m but has regularly been linked with a move away from London Stadium - despite being under contract until 2021. He was on the bench in their 5-0 FA Cup third-round defeat by Manchester City, and was left out of the squad for Saturday's 3-0 win over Crystal Palace. "If it is quite clear Dimitri Payet is refusing to play for the club, you have to get as much as you can and sell him. The dressing room is far more important," said Shearer. "For manager Slaven Bilic to come out and say what he did, that was the last straw. He had nowhere else to go. When he put Payet on the bench in the FA Cup and put him on at 4-0 down, he was saying 'I am the boss, don't mess me around'." Schwarzer added: "Payet is a commodity, you have to get as much money for him. "The players said they had a close-knit unit and they showed against Crystal Palace they are together and can win games without him. Then they can bring in players to improve the team." Take part in our Premier League Predictor game, which allows you to create leagues with friends.
Chelsea will struggle to win the Premier League if striker Diego Costa leaves the club, but they should sell him if he is disruptive, says MOTD2 Extra pundit Alan Shearer.
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The flag was taken from an 80ft (24m) post at Trump International Golf Links on the Menie Estate between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Police are keen to trace a white van seen in the area shortly before 22:00 on Monday. The flag and its pole were the subject of a planning wrangle after being erected without council permission. Trump International took its case against Aberdeenshire Council to the Scottish government, which later ruled in its favour.
A giant Saltire flag been stolen from the Trump golf course in Aberdeenshire.
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Sadly four people have died and around 40 people are injured. The attacker was shot dead by armed police, Lots of you have been in touch with us to ask questions about the attack, so we asked our reporter Leah to help answer some of them... If you're upset by anything in the news take a look at the advice here. Leah: I grew up in London and I was in the capital after the 7/7 bombings - I quickly realised that the capital and its people are resilient. Today, adults will have gone back to work as normal - using the usual transport network they always did. And children will be back at school. There's also a huge Police presence not just around London but across the UK. Leah: There's an on-going Police investigation and security forces will be working really hard to find out everything they can about the attacker and why he carried this out. police say he was British born and influenced by international terrorism. Leah: London is the capital of the UK and Westminster is a really important place and sometimes a target for attacks. But London has some of the best security in place to try to stop things like this happening. Leah: The attacker tried to get into the Houses of Parliament and the police were trying to protect the people who work there. Leah: It's perfectly normal to feel upset or even worried when something like this happens. It's really important to talk to friends, teachers or family members about how you're feeling. Always remember that attacks like this are rare and the people who were affected will be getting all the help they need to recover from what's happened. If you are worried about anything in the news, check out our guide Leah: Police were very quick to arrive on the scene and many different officers have been involved from transport police to counter-terrorism officers. The Metropolitan police say that there are police officers on duty 24 hours a day around the Palace of Westminster, and the area around that is also patrolled by police at all times.
On Wednesday an attack took place outside the Houses of Parliament in London.
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This is the first time he has explicitly confirmed the bank is making plans for different outcomes that could impact financial stablity. Mr Carney's comments came ahead of the 18 September independence referendum. Scottish and UK ministers are in dispute over plans for Scotland to keep the pound under a currency union. The Scottish government set out the scenario in the event of a "Yes" vote, but the leaders of the main UK parties have said they would not support a deal to share Sterling on a formal basis. In a speech given in January in Edinburgh, Mr Carney outlined the criteria for a currency union. He described his own speech as a "technocratic assessment of what makes an effective currency union between independent nations", rather than an assessment of Scotland's future economic options. During a news conference in London on Wednesday, Mr Carney stressed the decision about whether or not an independent Scotland would form a currency union with the rest of the UK would be made by politicians. In a carefully neutral comment, Mr Carney said it was the role of the Bank of England to implement whatever decision was made, and to ensure the financial stability of the whole of the UK. Sources in the financial world have told me that the plans are likely to focus on two issues - currency uncertainty and what is known as "deposit flight". I asked the Governor directly about both, and specifically fears raised in a recent report by UBS that in the event of a yes vote on independence, customers of financial institutions based north of the border may decide to move their money southwards. Some leading executives in the financial world are so concerned they had been hoping for a message of reassurance from the Bank. Mr Carney suggested he was across the issue, which I have been told by senior banking figures is of concern to at least four major financial institutions which are based in Scotland. Read more from Kamal To that end, he said that, as people would expect, the Bank had contingency plans for various possibilities. "It's never good to talk about contingency plans in public other than to assure that we have contingency plans," he said, adding: "In terms of our responsibilities for financial stability - we have a wide range of tools and plans." A key part of the role of governor is to provide reassurance both for the UK financial system and for markets. Mr Carney's latest comments were framed in that context. If Scotland does vote for independence, it would still be the role of the Bank of England to ensure financial stability for the whole of the UK - including Scotland - until an official date for Scottish independence is reached. The governor therefore repeated assurances that the institution would continue to act to ensure financial responsibility for the whole of the UK, whatever the outcome of the vote. He said: "I will reiterate that we will implement whatever we're asked to implement and I'll add further, if I may, that we also have responsibilities, as you know, for financial stability in the United Kingdom and we will continue to discharge those responsibilities until they change. "We will continue to discharge those responsibilities regardless of the outcome of the vote on the 18th September." Mr Carney's comments strike a different tone to the UK government, which has repeatedly said it was not putting contingency plans in place for the possibility of Scotland voting for independence. His remarks were welcomed by Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond who described them as "very helpful". In an interview on the BBC's Reporting Scotland, he said: "It shows that he is seeking to ensure financial stablity and that the Bank of England remains in the charge for that transition period. What a contrast with the views of the Westminster parties. "Secondly he has corrected once again the idea that he was against a currency union. He's said yet again he'll implement whatever is agreed." The first minister was asked about a BBC report that four major financial institutions in Scotland are worried that a "Yes" vote could result in customers moving their investments south of the border. Mr Salmond responded: "The fear of deposit flight is caused by a denomination risk. That is to say, you would use a currency other than sterling. "What we've been saying is exactly to prevent a fear of deposit flight, helped now by the governor of the Bank of England who makes it clear they would be in charge of financial stability." But Alistair Darling, the head of the Better Together campaign, said Mr Carney had undermined Mr Salmond's arguments. Mr Darling added: "The governor has confirmed that a currency union would not work without shared taxation and spending, the very things that Alex Salmond wants to dismantle with a Yes vote. "Mark Carney also confirmed that he will implement the decisions of the UK parties who have ruled out a currency union. "The money we would use if we vote for independence isn't an academic matter, it is critical to everyone in Scotland. Alex Salmond has got to come clean and tell us what Plan B is."
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has said the institution has drawn up currency contingency plans, whatever the outcome of the Scottish referendum.
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Matthew Wooby, from Trimley St Martin, was discovered in February by his parents with a ligature round his neck. His father David Wooby told the inquest he believed his son had been in a "spiral" of depression and had purposely taken his own life. But assistant coroner Nigel Parsley described it as a "truly tragic" case and recorded a verdict of misadventure. He said he was unable to record a verdict of suicide as it was not clear Matthew, who was mildly autistic, knew he could die as a result of his actions. Matthew's school, Felixstowe Academy, said there was one reported incident of bullying which was "dealt with swiftly" in line with its policies. The inquest heard Matthew's parents had left him with babysitters on the night of 12 February, who had looked after him many times before. They watched a film and he went to bed, asking if he was all right after they heard him shuffling around upstairs. But next morning when his mother went to wake him, he was found unresponsive and was taken to hospital. A week earlier, Matthew had watched a film that featured a scene with a child who had been saved after attempting to hang himself, the hearing was told. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and a post-mortem test revealed the cause of death was recorded as suspension by ligature. Mr Parsley said Matthew came from a "loving, close" family and attended Felixstowe Academy where there had been "bullying issues". He said he was aware Matthew had been bullied at school but he was also aware that he may have reacted to the film he saw. Mr Wooby told the hearing: "It's my personal conclusion that he was so unhappy because he was being bullied...and he went into a spiral of depression which I didn't notice at the time. "And I think he took his own life on purpose because he was so depressed." A statement from Matthew's parents, issued after the inquest, said: "We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our kind, loving, funny, beautiful and amazing son Matthew. "We hope that by raising awareness of bullying that no other family will have to suffer what we have to cope with every day." Felixstowe Academy's principal, Anthony Williams, said Matthew was a "lovely student" whose "sudden death was an unforeseen loss to the school community". He said he had been in contact with the family and commended them for their remarkable courage and dignity.
A "kind, loving, and funny" 12-year-old boy was found dead after being bullied at school, an inquest heard.
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Fletcher, 42, who is from the town, was made a Doctor of Letters in a ceremony at the university's Great Hall. The actor, best known as clumsy clown Mr Tumble on the CBeebies channel, said: "I'm thrilled to be honoured and enjoyed the day immensely." In 2008 Fletcher was appointed MBE for his services to children's television and the charity sector. Fletcher added: "The London Road campus is a hidden gem and the Great Hall is magnificent. "To be presented with the honorary degree from Professor Andy Kempe, who was my drama teacher at Theale Green School in Reading, was extra special as he really encouraged and supported me when I was 15." Fletcher has been a children's television presenter and voice-over artist for the past 15 years. "I'm a big lover of slapstick comedy and I like to try and make my slapstick minimalist in speech so any child in the world can enjoy it," he said. "When I'm presenting I always think of the children and imagine them sitting at home and really try to engage them and get them believing in my performance and the show." Nearly 3,500 students will graduate from the university this week in 18 ceremonies held over three days on the campus.
Children's TV presenter Justin Fletcher has been presented with an honorary degree by the University of Reading.
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The trio were stabbed after the licensed event at the Lyndeans Industrial Estate, off Felixstowe Road in Abbey Wood. The 26-year-old was found by police at about 05:00 BST after they had been called to reports of a fight. He died in hospital. The two other men, aged 24 and 26, have since been discharged from hospital. Scotland Yard has urged any witnesses to contact the force.
A man has died following a triple stabbing after a party in south-east London.
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It means Wales will be the first UK nation to introduce a system where people are presumed to have consented to become donors unless they opt out. It could come into force by 2015. Mark Drakeford said he was proud about Tuesday's vote but his thoughts were with those waiting for organs. The vote took place just before 22:00 BST and 43 of the 60 assembly members backed the bill. Eight Conservatives voted against and Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies did not vote. Plaid Cymru AM Jocelyn Davies abstained. Mr Drakeford told BBC Wales the vote followed an "epic" five-hour discussion, adding: "I'm very relieved to see the bill safely on to the statute books but very proud as well - proud of achieving this in Wales, proud of the job that the assembly has done in scrutinising and improving the bill." He said that "most of all, my feelings are with those people waiting for donation whose lives depend upon having an organ through transplantation". The current system, which operates across the UK, relies on people signing up to a voluntary scheme and carrying a donor card. But the Welsh government wants to drive up low transplant rates by 25% and say the new scheme will save countless lives. As currently happens, organs could go to recipients anywhere in the UK, not just in Wales. According to the NHS Blood and Transplant service, there are around 250 people on a waiting list for a transplant at any one time, and 33 people in Wales died in 2012/13 while waiting. Evidence from other countries with an opt-out system indicates that the rise in organ donors is small with around 15 additional donors provided each year and approximately 45 extra organs. There has been opposition to the scheme but ministers insist it will be implemented sensitively and they will launch a two-year, £8m publicity drive to inform people about their choices. The British Medical Association (BMA), welcomed the result of the vote. Dr Richard Lewis, BMA Wales secretary, said: "A few years ago, Wales was ready to lead the UK on banning smoking in public places but we didn't have the necessary legal powers. "This time we are delighted that our National Assembly has shown the rest of the UK the way forward and fully support its implementation. "Patients across the country will now benefit directly or indirectly from this bill." Roy J Thomas, chief executive of Kidney Wales Foundation (KWF) said: "Deemed consent has a positive and sizeable effect on organ donation rates of some 25% to 35% higher on average in presumed consent countries. • Q&A: Presumed consent proposals "One person dies every week in Wales waiting for an organ transplant. "Three people die a day in the UK. The current system has failed those waiting." There had been opposition to the changes from Christian churches and from within the Muslim and Jewish communities, who wanted a "soft opt-out scheme" to give deceased patients' families a say on donation if their relative had neither opted in or out.
A vote in favour of a system where people are presumed to have consented for their organs to be donated after death has been hailed as a "historic day" by Wales' health minister.
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Saturday's 24-17 semi-final defeat by Saracens leaves Wasps with only the Premiership to concentrate on. A top-four finish looks highly likely for Wasps, who can all but seal second place with victory at Sandy Park. "We've got a shot at another title," Young told BBC Sport. "It's a sobering thought that we've got to go to Sandy Park next week, but things just roll on. "We're disappointed with Saturday's result and that we could not go at least one step further, but we've come a long way in a relatively short space of time. "We were a little bit short. Sarries were the better team. Experience counted. They've been there a couple of times before, but we pushed them right to the edge. And I'm really proud." "I'd be surprised if Sarries didn't go on and win it now," said Wasps joint-captain James Haskell. "We gave it everything we had but Saracens are a team that plays that strangling rugby and it is very difficult to make inroads. "It all comes down to inches in the end. It's all about little margins. But we've still got a very good side, we've got to pick up the pieces and, in the Premiership, it's all still to play for." Sunday's sell-out at Sandy Park is the fifth time this season that Exeter Chiefs have sold out a top-flight game. Wasps will start the day in second place, four points behind Premiership leaders Saracens, whose final two games both look relative formalities against two of the bottom three - Newcastle and Worcester. Young's side are two points clear of Exeter, knowing that a bonus-point win on Sunday would guarantee a top-two place and home advantage in the play-offs. That would be through having most wins (15 to Exeter's 13) - no matter how many bonus points the Chiefs pick up or how they get on in their final game at Harlequins the following week. Wasps will have to wait to see if they are without prop forward Simon McIntyre. He was sin-binned for kicking out at England lock Maro Itoje's face at the back of a ruck in the 69th minute at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday - and has since been cited for foul play.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young is looking to this weekend's Premiership trip to Exeter as the prelude to another shot at winning silverware following their European Cup failure.
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One in six of those who earn more than £40,000 a year now work fewer than five days a week, the study said. That represents a rise of 12% over the past two years. The trend towards job sharing is also increasing, with senior staff at the Ministry of Defence, the Guardian and Lloyds Bank all benefitting. The study includes a Power Part Time list, which details the 50 most senior workers in the UK who work part-time. Nine of those people work in job shares, the highest number to date. "The dramatic increase in job shares on this year's Power Part Time List, offers us a glimpse into how jobs will be designed in the future," said Karen Mattison, one of the joint co-founders of Timewise. "All it takes is an open minded employer who is prepared to try something new in a bid to hire or keep the best people, and an innovative solution is born." In the UK as a whole, 8.5 million people work in part-time jobs, equating to one in four workers, according to the Office for National Statistics. Timewise said its research indicated that 86% of those actually wanted to work part-time, to fit in with something else in their life, such as caring for a child or relative. However, those who analyse employment figures have previously suggested that many of those working part-time are doing so only because they cannot find a full-time job. Two senior employees from Lloyds Bank are on Timewise's list for the first time: Alix Ainsley and Charlotte Cherry are joint HR directors at the bank, leading a team of 30 staff, and they each work three days a week. Other high profile part-time workers include Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, who are joint leaders of the Green Party, and Sarah Ellis, the head of marketing strategy at Sainsbury's.
An increasing number of senior staff are working part-time, according to a study by Timewise, a group which campaigns for flexible working.
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Liam Lyburd was sentenced to life in 2015 for planning killings at Newcastle College using pistols, pipe bombs and machetes. Following a tip-off, forensic and bomb disposal officers searched the garden of his former home in the city's west end on Wednesday. It was concluded after "nothing of concern" was unearthed. Nearby homes had been evacuated during the search and residents were allowed to return by 22:00 GMT. Ch Insp Alison Best, from Northumbria Police, said in a statement: "We want to thank local people for their support throughout this operation. "We received information that there could have been potentially harmful objects in the garden of the property and given the circumstances it was appropriate that we called in the experts to carry out the search. "We are now satisfied following assistance from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit and Tyne and Wear Fire Service that there is nothing of concern at the location."
Police have called off their search at the former home of a Newcastle man jailed for plotting a mass murder.
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The I-5 F4, which will service the voice, video and data needs of remote and on-the-move customers, was taken into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. It is the first time the London company has used the American launch provider. The rocket and its payload lifted away from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 19:21 local time (00:21 BST, Tuesday). The I-5 F4 was ejected from the upper-stage of the Falcon some 32 minutes later. At 6 tonnes, the satellite was on the limit of the rocket's performance, meaning SpaceX had no spare propellant to follow its usual practice of landing the vehicle's first-stage back on Earth after the mission. The booster was allowed instead to fall back uncontrolled over the Atlantic. Inmarsat has not made it clear precisely where or how it will use the new satellite. The firm already has three Ka-band spacecraft delivering its Global Xpress broadband service to customers worldwide. These clients include ships, oil and gas platforms, armed forces and the media - users who need telecommunications away from a fixed line. CEO Rupert Pearce told BBC News that the new "bird" would act in the first instance as a quick-response spare to fill in behind the primary satellites, should one of them unexpectedly experience a failure. But it was inevitable, he said, that with ever-increasing demand for capacity, the I-5 F4 would ultimately be deployed to exploit new market opportunities. "You could say it's something of a 'Swiss Army Knife' for us, and that's a nice position to be in," he added. "I expect we'll become clear on the early business applications of the satellite around the end of the summer." Inmarsat owns a number of orbital slots in the geostationary arc some 36,000km above the equator and so is under no pressure to say now exactly where the satellite will be stationed. This is a busy period for the London-based satellite operator. Next month will see the launch of an S-band spacecraft which will work in tandem with ground antennas to provide wifi services onboard aeroplanes. This project, which is a joint venture with Deutsche Telekom, will be the first hybrid space-terrestrial telecommunications network in Europe. Providing in-flight services has become a key battleground for satellite operators and promises large growth opportunities in the years ahead. Space analysts Euroconsult estimate that current revenues from in-flight connectivity of $1bn a year could top $6.5bn by 2026. The industry leaders in this sector - such as Inmarsat, Gogo, Intelsat, SES, and ViaSat - are all investing heavily in systems that will allow passengers to use their mobile devices in the cabins of planes. "There's a huge amount of effort going on at Inmarsat right now to make sure we take a meaningful bite out of this market because it's market share that will be determined in the next couple of years. So now is when you've got to participate," Mr Pearce said. Inmarsat's S-band spacecraft was supposed to be being launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket, a beefed up version of the Falcon-9. But delays in the vehicle's development led to Inmarsat transferring the mission to a European Ariane-5 rocket instead. Nonetheless, Mr Pearce said he was delighted to fly SpaceX for the first time, and looked forward to the occasion when an Inmarsat satellite would go up on one of the American provider's "second-hand" rockets. "I'd like to see a longer track record of refurbished rockets being launched successfully without problems," the CEO told BBC News. "At the moment, we don't put up satellites in sufficient numbers to be relatively sanguine about losing one. But I'm very encouraged by what I've seen in recent months, and once we feel that refurbished rockets are essentially the same as new rockets - we'll jump onboard and extend our relationship with SpaceX." Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
Inmarsat, the UK's biggest space company, has boosted its global broadband network with the launch of a fourth high-frequency satellite.
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Critics have said that the government is rushing the move, with one poll from newspaper Dagbladet suggesting 66% of Norwegians oppose it. Experts argue that the change needs to happen because digital radio can carry more channels and has clearer sound. Switzerland, Denmark and the UK are also considering a switch-off. The shutdown of the FM (frequency modulation) network will start in the northern city of Bodo on 11 January. By the end of the year, all national FM broadcasts will end. Cars will be the biggest challenge in Norway, where there are an estimated 2 million vehicles that are not equipped with digital audio broadcasting (DAB) receivers. Users are being told to buy adapters which cost 1,500 Norwegian kroner (£140). "Norwegian politicians have decided to make 15 million FM radios in Norway completely useless," digital media expert Jan Thoresen wrote in Dagbladet earlier this year, adding: "That's a bad idea". Norway's transition to DAB radio will be closely watched by others considering a similar move, including the UK. What is the digital radio switchover? Like the television switchover in 2012, the radio switch will see a change in the source from an analogue platform (AM and FM) to a digital one. It means listeners will need a device that can pick up a digital signal. In the UK, there are currently three national digital multiplexes (the platforms that hold stations) - one for the BBC and two commercial. FM will probably still be used for local and community radio stations, although Ofcom has trialled some small-scale digital radio multiplexes to bring DAB to these places too. DAB isn't the only way of listening to digital radio. Internet radio offers more stations, including ones that are in other areas and international stations. Some DAB radios can also stream internet radio so listeners can access podcasts and overseas radio stations. The UK switchover won't happen until digital listening reaches 50% of all radio listening and national DAB coverage is comparable to FM, the government has said. On the current trajectory, that critical mass may be reached in the UK in 2018, meaning switchover is unlikely to happen before 2020. Source: Which
Norway will start switching off its FM radio network next week, in a controversial move that will be closely watched by other nations.
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The scheme, Fit in 5, was developed at Llwyn yr Eos school in Aberystwyth. The council said it was inspired by the Daily Mile, which encourages children to run or walk a mile a day. The exercise is in addition to breaks and physical education and can be taken at any point during the school day. Alwyn Davies, from Ceredigion Actif, the council's service for sport and leisure provision, said the initiative involved no equipment, set up time, or changing time as children can take part in their uniform. "We believe this is an effective and sustainable way of implementing a project similar to the Daily Mile but with increased benefits," he added.
Primary schools in Ceredigion have been asked to give their pupils a five-minute exercise break each day in a bid to improve fitness, mental wellbeing and concentration levels.
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They did not mourn the 95-year-old's death - instead they rejoiced that Madiba (Mandela's clan name) had saved them from a potential racial bloodbath. Yet despite this sense of unity, there were many, especially white South Africans, who were visibly worried that the man they regarded as the insurer of a peaceful future had gone too soon and had left them exposed. They feared his departure opened up a door for the angry poor black masses to destroy their comfortable lives. However, 12 months have passed since he died and life continues as normal. In an attempt to try and understand how the Mandela dynasty is feeling one year on, I spoke to Madiba's first grandchild from his eldest son Thembekile. We met Ndileka Mandela in Soweto at her grandfather's old home now turned a museum. As we walked around she told me that South Africa is at peace with itself. When I said many people had thought that when Mandela went South Africa would go up in flames, she replied with a smile: "Even a year after he's gone peace still prevails. "People are still upholding his legacy and what he stood for because he stood for peace and reconciliation." Nelson Mandela: 1918-2013 This, of course, does not mean that all is well in the land of Nelson Mandela. This week, a survey, appropriately named South African Reconciliation Barometer, showed that about 24% of those questioned felt apartheid was not a crime - with nearly half of white people surveyed agreeing with the statement. When the survey was first conducted in 2003, 86% of South Africans agreed that apartheid was a crime. Kim Wale, the barometer's project leader, says this is an indication of how history is taught. "The danger of forgetting is that it encourages denial. The implication is that we are doomed to repeat the past," she told local media. I also asked Ms Mandela about some of the family squabbles that have played out in public. "Once we are around the table we celebrate more what brings us together than our differences," she said. "In any family you disagree with your brother, with your own siblings from the same mother and the same father, we are no different from anybody." As the nation enters its second year without Mandela, South Africa is coming of age. It is going to learn to face the joy and pain of being without a father figure. The rainbow nation, still celebrating 20 years of democracy, will have to rise to the occasion and follow his ideals of building rather than destroying - as we see the cancer of corruption eating away at the fabric of society. If it doesn't, then South Africans must face the consequences of not walking in his footsteps.
It does not seem that it was a year ago that South Africans danced and sang in the streets all night to remember the life of Nelson Mandela, the man who liberated them from the scourge of racial oppression.
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The family, a dad and mum and their daughter, who sat in the open-to-the-elements West Stand at Inverness Caledonian Thistle's stadium in the pouring rain. The rain chucked down from the start of the match against Motherwell until the final whistle. The family had come prepared, dressed in waterproofs, and even refused a steward's offer made to the handful of fans who could only find tickets in the West Stand of the chance to take up empty seats in the roofed North Stand. The family decided to sit out in the downpour because their seats offered a good vantage point across the whole field of play. Myself, wife and youngest daughter gladly took up the offer of shelter in the North Stand. For my daughter, it was her first experience of a professional football match. And what a first game. She saw five goals. Three for Inverness and two for Motherwell. All of the goals came in the second half. Inverness Caley Thistle were three goals up within a short spell of time - scoring in front of a raucous North Stand crowd. But like many other parents in the Inverness support - there was a large number of kids in the ground because U16s of both home and away fans got in for free - my wife and I had to explain that an Inverness win was not going to stop the club slipping out of the Premiership into the league below. There was an element of the Inverness support shouting "sack the board" when the team was not scoring goals. Members from this same group, mostly young teenagers, also mounted a mini pitch invasion after the final whistle. But there were mixed emotions around the ground. Some fans in the main stand gave the Inverness players a standing ovation. A touching moment was veteran Caley Thistle player David Raven going over to a small group of supporters next to the West Stand to shake their hands. I really hope that family that had sat in the rain were still around to share in that moment.
You had to admire them.
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The court has been hearing from defence witnesses including Pistorius's agent, his psychologist, and a corrections officer. Ms Steenkamp's cousin and the acting correctional services commissioner have both appeared as prosecution witnesses. Here are the key quotes from the hearings. Summoned by the prosecution and questioned by the defence "We have facilities that will cater for his disability. There should be no doubt in the minds of South Africans that Mr Pistorius or any other person with disabilities should be accommodated." "I can assure the court that he will go to the hospital section. It is common knowledge that Mr Pistorius is a paraplegic." Summoned by the prosecution and questioned by prosecutor Gerrie Nel "Reeva was the first baby that I ever held... I was so nervous and I was scared that I would drop her... I held her in my arms and I remember she didn't even cry... There was a very strong bond from a young age." "My husband and myself were driving to work... The radio DJ came on. And he said, 'breaking news, not confirmed'... And then he said 'Oscar Pistorius'... And I froze and the next words were 'Allegedly shot his girlfriend'. And I remember saying to my husband, 'I hope to God he is cheating on Reeva.'" "They hadn't confirmed the name, they said his girlfriend... I was trying to phone [Reeva] and she wasn't answering and I was screaming at my husband." "The doors opened and my mother was hysterical and that's when I knew it was true... That was for me the end of the world. Everything was just a blur from then onwards." "Mr Pistorius needs to pay for what he has done, for taking Reeva's life, for what he's done to my uncle, to my aunt and the rest of my family. My family are not people who are seeking revenge, we just feel that to take someone's life, to shoot somebody behind a door, that is unarmed, that is harmless, needs sufficient punishment." Called by the defence and questioned by prosecutor Gerrie Nel "[Prison] will not assist [Pistorius] but will break him as a person. The exposure of the accused on his stumps to inmates will have a severe effect on him." "There is also no facility to cater for the accused's disability. He cannot shower by walking and standing on the cement floors on his stumps." "I've recently done a case for rape within the prison, gang-rape, how can we say that he won't be exposed to that?" Called by the defence and questioned by prosecutor Gerrie Nel "I think that a lot of sportsmen actually really want to make a difference and contribute..." "The legacy that he's left behind is still relevant today." Called by the defence and questioned by prosecutor Gerrie Nel "The accused would benefit from correctional supervision as a sentence option. He will get an opportunity to restructure and modify his offending behaviour within the community context." "Not only retribution is considered when sentencing, we are also looking at the issue of reforming the accused in the interest of society as well... for the wrong that he has done, he will be compensating society by doing community service." Called by the defence and questioned by prosecutor Gerrie Nel "[Pistorius] was very emotional.... we could not conduct some of the sessions. Some of the sessions were just him weeping and crying and me holding him." "It is foreseen that Mr Pistorius will require intensive and ongoing psychotherapy. We are left with a broken man who has lost everything."
A court in South Africa is deciding what sentence to give the athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
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The 27-year-old came through the youth ranks at Sixways and has made 173 first-team appearances. "I have witnessed a lot of change but, under the current regime, we're in the perfect place to become the best we've ever been," Arr told the club website. "I want to continue to be a part of developing Warriors into a successful top-tier side." Arr, who has been with the club since he was 10 years old, made his first-team debut in 2007 and also helped England's Under-20 side win the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008. "Jonny epitomises everything we are trying to achieve at this club," added Warriors director of rugby Dean Ryan. "He recognises the importance of competition for places to make a strong squad and continues to raise his game. "His commitment, professionalism and experience are key attributes and he is a great role model for our younger players." The length of his new contract has not been disclosed by the club.
Worcester Warriors scrum-half Jonny Arr has signed a new contract with the Premiership club.
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The Grade-1 listed Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham, is larger than Buckingham Palace. Clifford Newbold, who bought it in 1999, died in April and his family has announced the "reluctant decision" to sell the property. According to campaign group Save Britain's Heritage, an estimated £42m needs to be spent on repairs. In a statement, the family said they wanted "someone to carry on our work and see the house in safe hands". Restoration work was under way in the house but has been hampered by subsidence caused by mining, the statement added. Wentworth Woodhouse is described as "one of the finest Georgian houses in England" by Savills, the agency handling the sale. Save Britain's Heritage has previously said that English Heritage surveys showed £42m was needed to be spent on the house over the next 15 years for repairs and subsidence damage. Wentworth Woodhouse, which is open to the public, sits in 82 acres of grounds and the earliest wing of the house was started in 1725. The Palladian-style east wing has a front that extends for 606 ft (184m). Mining in the area was a key source of income to help with running costs for the house's former owners. The interiors of the house are the work of three patrons -– the First and Second Marquess of Rockingham and the Fourth Earl Fitzwilliam. The history of Wentworth Woodhouse and the nearby village of Wentworth is linked with three aristocratic families, the Wentworths, Watsons and Fitzwilliams.
One of Europe's biggest private stately homes is up for sale in South Yorkshire with a price tag in excess of £8m.
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The visually impaired sprinter, 27, won gold medals in the 100m T11 and 200m T11 events at last year's Rio Paralympic Games. She had previously competed in T12 events at World Championships. "Really sad to announce that, due to injury, I won't be competing at the World Championships in London," Clegg said on Twitter. Due to her deteriorating eye condition and consequent reclassification from T12 to T11, Clegg wore a blindfold while competing in Rio, where Chris Clarke was her guide. She has a gold, a bronze and three silver medals from T12 events in World Championships and also took 100m T12 gold for Scotland at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Scottish Paralympic runner Libby Clegg will miss July's World ParaAthletics Championships in London.
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The man was caught on CCTV repeatedly lifting the exit barrier at Nottingham railway station up and down, causing "substantial damage". British Transport Police officers are hoping to track down the man and have asked anyone who recognises him to come forward. The stunt happened shortly before 19:00 GMT on Saturday 14 March.
A prankster who performed weight-lifting moves on a car park barrier is being hunted by police.
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Dunlop previously occupied the top step of the podium in 2011, 2012 and 2016 and rides the Bennett's Suzuki. Dean Harrison, Dan Kneen, Ivan Lintin and William Dunlop are expected to be among his chief rivals for top honours. Three-time Solo Championship winner Guy Martin is absent as further testing is still being carried out on his Honda. The Lincolnshire rider crashed out of the Superbike race at the Isle of Man TT last month and opted to sit out the Senior event later in the week. Bradford rider Harrison holds the lap record at 114.601mph from 2014 and will be on board Silicone Engineering Kawasaki machinery. Lintin rides for the Dafabet RC Express Kawasaki outfit, while Manxman Kneen will hope to build on a successful TT as he competes for Penz13.com BMW. Jamie Coward pilots BMW and Honda machines for the Radcliffe's Butchers team, with James Cowton on board a fleet of McAdoo Kawasakis in various classes. Ryan Kneen, Adam McLean, Dan Hegarty, Dominic Herbertson and Daley Mathison should also be in the mix, while notable newcomers to the meeting near Castletown include Joe Thompson, Derek McGee and Sam West. A total of 14 solo races and two sidecar outings make up a busy schedule, with racing getting underway with three races on Tuesday night, followed by four on Wednesday evening and nine on Thursday morning and afternoon. A prize fund of £36,015 is on offer, including £3,400 for the winner of the feature Solo Championship. A quality sidecar entry is headed by Ben and Tom Birchall, John Holden and Lee Cain , Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle, Conrad Harrison and Andrew Winkle and Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes.
Michael Dunlop is aiming to secure a fourth Solo Championship title at this week's Southern 100 road races held over the 4.25-mile Billown circuit.
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Part of a large family from Hackney, she studied jazz at the Guildhall School of Music before dreaming up her own style, which she calls "wonky funk". "It's just a fusion of everything," she says. "I can't tell you what, really. It just is." The 26-year-old has attracted attention for her two EPs - February 15 and So Good - and recently appeared on Disclosure's number one album Caracal, singing the track Superego. Speaking to the BBC, the singer discussed her influences, her musical education and why she does not want to reveal her surname. Were you surrounded by music growing up? There were five children in my mum's house and we all shared rooms - so it was very tight circumstances, but we all loved music and we were all playing it every day, from morning 'til night. Everyone was into different things. My brother was really big into US hip-hop, my other brother loved UK grime, pirate radio stations, jungle. So all of this was going on in the house and now, with hindsight, I can see all of it was a really big influence on me. Did you have to fight for control of the stereo? No - we all had our own devices. Walkmen, portable CD players. I had a karaoke machine so I could play tapes on that! And we had a piano as well, which I spent a lot of time on jamming and improvising. Did you take lessons? I had lessons in classical piano but I quickly realised that wasn't what I wanted to play, so I started teaching myself chords and harmony. I really loved gospel, so I ended up playing that. What was the first time you thought, I don't have to play other people's songs - I can write something of my own? I suppose I've always known that I could write - but I needed the confidence to actually step out of the shadows. Before that, I'd always sung other people's music - from doing Aretha Franklin at functions and parties, to singing music my friends had written. You studied jazz at Guildhall. What did that teach you? It taught me loads but, funnily enough, I don't know if it taught me to be more creative. Jazz is an amazing language and musical form, but you need to study that, and only that, to get your head around it so I didn't spend much time writing my own music. But it taught me discipline. I needed to wake up at 5am each morning to practice theory, harmony, singing... everything. Was there a lot of competition between the students? I think so. You feel guilty taking a break - because in every room around you, you can hear someone practising and aiming to get better. But I think it's a good thing. I became a better musician. What happened after you graduated? I was making my way as a professional singer - and that involved doing sessions or adverts or singing for other people. I really loved it. I never thought I could make money just being a singer without being, like, a pop star. How did you become a solo artist? I happened to be singing for someone in a nightclub and my now-manager was there. He hit me up the next day and was like: "Have you ever thought about doing your own music?" So the stars aligned and I was able to put everything down and start writing. The first song that got you attention was So Good - how long was it between that nightclub performance and writing that? About four months. Did you know it would take off the way it did? No! I call that sort of music "wonky funk" and I didn't know if people were really going to get it. I remember I put it up online and went into a rehearsal and turned off my internet and my phone's 3G. When I turned my phone back on eight hours later, it literally exploded. I'd never seen so many messages. Is wonky funk the dark side of Uptown Funk? Haha! I've never thought about it that way - but I like that because Uptown Funk is so energetic and happy whereas Wonky Funk is a little bit left field, a little bit darker, even a little bit cooler... even if I do say so myself. How well do you know your funk? Are you into George Clinton and Bootsy Collins and Donald Byrd? Yeah, I am! I saw George Clinton this year in concert. It was absolutely crazy - about 100 people on stage. And I love Prince, I love Earth Wind and Fire, Sly and the Family Stone. All these bands. You have a clear sense of your sound - but what sort of artist do you want to be? I'm not sure if I'm the type of act who'll dress up and wear loads of make-up. I've only just sorted out how to be myself, so I'm going to stick with that. That seems to be a theme with the artists on the Sound of 2016 list... I wonder why? We're in an age where people have millions of followers on Instagram and they spend all their time taking selfies so they get that one perfect shot. But I think it's nice that we see normal people, just doing stuff that's good and cool without it being about the image. And yet you maintain a certain sense of mystique. You don't tell anyone your second name, for instance. Yeah! I've been a singer for a long time, so I just wanted to have a clean slate. I wouldn't say it's mysterious, it's just a way of keeping a clear line. So there's early, embarrassing stuff online that you don't want people to find? No! Everything I've done is fine… But there's a lot of it! I'm singing other people's music and fans could misconstrue that as my own stuff. So for me it was about starting again. And because I've got such a distinctive name, it's not hard for people to find me. Except if you Google your name, you end up with a pages of results for the National Audit Office. I know! People tweet me about the National Audit Office every day! Your debut album is due in the summer. How close is it to being finished? I wonder if an album is ever finished? If it was up to me, I'd keep writing. You have a lyric on Golden: "Perfect is over-rated." Is that how you feel about writing? I think so. There is no perfect sound because, hopefully, you'll keep growing and changing and learning. That's why I said perfect is over-rated and that's why I think an album can never really be finished. All you can do is capture the moment. And presumably the music develops when you play it live. Exactly. That's so true. The songs on my EPs are totally different when I play them live because the bass player is changing his line and the drummer is doing some extra kicks and snares. So it's always changing, it's really cool. Every date on your UK tour sold out last month - how did that feel? I could understand it in London because that's where I'm from and I could drag people along - but across the UK I didn't know people would know the songs and come to the show. It's really lovely. The Sound of 2016 shortlist so far: More on the Sound of 2016:
Singer-songwriter Nao has taken third place on the BBC Sound of 2016 list, which highlights the most exciting new music for the coming year.
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Tries from Atelea Vea, Gareth Hock and Jamie Acton put Leigh 18-4 up at the break, with Saints' only first-half try an acrobatic effort from Adam Swift. Second-half scores from James Roby and Alex Walmsley gave Saints hope of salvaging something. But Micky Higham's try ensured Leigh's first Super League win over Saints. For former Saints hooker Higham, his try came more than 11 years and five months after he scored for the Merseyside club when they thrashed the Centurions 78-4 in their one and only previous Super League campaign in 2005. Roby, who also touched down for Saints in the same fixture more than a decade ago, gave the visitors hope of mounting a second-half comeback as his try helped close the gap to eight points early in the second half. But Higham restored Leigh's 14-point lead with 13 minutes remaining, which proved more than enough as Walmsley went over for a third Saints try. Leigh's first win in three games lifts them off the bottom and up to ninth following defeats for Wakefield Trinity, Widnes Vikings and Warrington Wolves on Friday. Leigh head coach Neil Jukes: "They have worked so hard and came so close last week. It was an incredible atmosphere and we got off to a great start. "It is a great result for everyone involved in the club. "Effort wise we were incredible and we have smartened a few things up on the last two games." St Helens head coach Keiron Cunningham: "The start was really disappointing - especially after a couple of good weeks of training. "But I don't want to take anything away from Leigh. They carried the ball in really hard and went straight through us. "We've created enough chances to win three games but we weren't clinical enough." Leigh: Brown; Higson, Crooks, Tonga, Dawson; Reynolds, Drinkwater; Hock, Higham, Green, Paterson, Vea, Hansen. Replacements: Pelissier, Tickle, Hopkins, Acton. St Helens: Lomax; Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Swift; Fages, Richardson; Amor, Lee, Douglas, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Peyroux, Wilkin. Replacements: Walmsley, Roby, Thompson, Knowles. Referee: Ben Thaler.
Leigh Centurions hung on to beat St Helens for their first Super League win since returning to Britain's top-flight competition after a 12-year absence.
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Bernardo Tercero was sentenced to death in 2000 for the 1997 murder of a school teacher in Texas. A Texas court ruled on Tuesday that the execution be postponed until an appeal is resolved. Lawyers for Tercero said that a witness for the prosecution had come forward to say she gave false testimony. A court will now review the claim. Tercero, 39, was found guilty of shooting dead 38-year-old teacher Robert Berger in Houston, Texas. Mr Berger was in a dry cleaning shop when Tercero came in to rob it and shot the teacher dead in front of his three-year old daughter. Tercero said that the gun had gone off accidentally as he struggled with Mr Berger, who tried to thwart the robbery. But an acquaintance of Tercero's told the court that he had given her various reasons for killing Mr Berger, including that he had seen his face and would be able to identify him. Tercero denied saying this. According to Tercero's lawyers the witness has signed a sworn statement saying that part of her evidence was false. They argue that Tercero was denied his rights to a fair trial and due process when the prosecution unknowingly used the false testimony to secure his conviction. They also say that he was denied his right to speak to the Nicaraguan consulate after his arrest. Tercero has been on death row in Texas for the past 15 years. He was scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on Wednesday at 23:00 GMT. Nicaraguan Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes wrote to Texas Governor Greg Abbott asking for clemency for Tercero. A spokesman for the governor said that "when anyone commits a crime in Texas, they are subject to Texas law". Ten people have been executed in Texas so far this year.
A Nicaraguan man who was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday has been given a reprieve.
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Fighting on the Groves-Froch rematch undercard DeGale, 28, knocked down Gonzales with two quick hits. Gonzales appeared to regain his composure, but after DeGale landed with another punch, the fight was stopped. Fellow Britain Jamie McDonnell earlier won the WBA bantamweight title. The 28-year-old knocked out Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat in the 10th round at Wembley with a sharp left hook. McDonnell, who has won 24 of his 27 fights, held the IBF bantamweight title last year, but was stripped of the belt for a contractual breach. Dagenham fighter Kevin Mitchell beat Ghislain Maduma with a late stoppage, but will not get the chance to fight Miguel Vasquez for the IBF world lightweight belt after breaching maximum weight rules. Mitchell, 29, initially struggled with Maduma's speed but started to take control as the latter tired and scored two official knockdowns in the 11th round, the second of which prompted the referee to stop the fight. British Olympic champion Anthony Joshua, 24, beat Matt Legg with a first-round knockout to take his professional record to six wins from six. Joshua knocked down his 38-year-old compatriot with a right uppercut after just 83 seconds of their heavyweight fight.
Britain's James DeGale stopped Brandon Gonzales in the fourth round to win the IBF super-middleweight final eliminator and set up a potential world title fight with Carl Froch.
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Concern about the Zika virus has led to many of the game's stars withdrawing from Rio. Reed was previously unequivocal about representing his country, saying on Wednesday that if the call came then he would definitely play. After Saturday's Scottish Open third round he said: "We have to weigh up our options and make the right decision." World number two Dustin Johnson is the latest big name to opt out, announcing that he would not put himself and his family at risk to the Zika virus. That meant Reed, 25, was immediately promoted to America's four-man team as the US Open champion's replacement. Reed has now expressed newfound doubt about his own participation. The Texan, America's best performer at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014, had previously said: "Any time I can wear the Stars and Stripes, I do it. If I get the call tomorrow, I'll be on the flight. It doesn't matter to me where it is, when it is. If I can play for my country, I'm going to play." After his third round 67 at Castle Stuart, and having been woken in the middle of the night with word of Johnson's withdrawal, Reed was a little more circumspect about his commitment. "My phone was blowing up at 3.30am, 4am," he said. "I didn't know what was going on. When the phone starts blowing up at that time I'm sitting there thinking 'All right, what's going on at home? Did something happen?' "The news was that DJ withdrew and everyone has to respect that decision. We have to weigh our options and make the right decision. As far as I know, I'm going to go and play, but at the end of the day I need to go and talk to the whole family and talk to my team and make sure it's the right decision." On Wednesday, Reid said he'd already spoken to his wife, Justine, a registered nurse, and that the decision had been made. If he was given the chance to play, he would. "I've always dreamed about being able to play for a gold medal," he had stressed. However, Reed pointed out on Saturday that there are certain things he still has to consider. "All the factors everyone else is (weighing up). You know, security, Zika, everything. Hopefully I can play." Golf will return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence but Johnson's decision has come as another terrible blow to the credibility of the event in Rio. Johnson has an 18-month son with his fiancée, Paulina Gretzky, and plans to have more children soon. "I feel it would be irresponsible to put myself, her (his fiancée), or our family at risk," Johnson said in his statement. "I believe I am making the right decision for me and most important for my family." Johnson joined a growing list of golf's players finest to pull out, among them Jason Day, the world number one, Rory McIlroy, world number three and Adam Scott, world number eight. The American became the sixth player from the game's top-20 to opt out of Rio. Earlier in the week, Colin Montgomerie was critical of those players who have withdrawn from the Olympics, saying that by staying away they are putting in jeopardy the sport's future in the Games. All Olympic golf teams - four-player squads - must be finalised by Monday. As it stands, the USA team will be Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Reed. Both Spieth and Fowler have, however, stopped short of fully committing to play.
Patrick Reed, the US Ryder Cup player, is the latest top golfer to waver in his commitment to the Olympic Games.
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Treating Muslim-Americans differently will only make the country less safe by increasing division between the West and the Muslim world, he said. On Monday Mr Trump extended his ban plan to people from all countries with a terror history against the US. He said the deadly Orlando nightclub shootings justified such action. Forty-nine people were killed when Omar Mateen, a US national with Afghan parents, opened fire in a gay club early on Sunday. Mr Trump said his proposal could be implemented through unilateral executive action, given the president's power to "suspend entry into the country of any class of persons that the president deems detrimental to the interests or security of the United States". But on Tuesday at the US Treasury in Washington, a visibly angry Mr Obama launched his strongest assault yet on the man who is expected to be confirmed as the Republican nominee next month. Obama v Trump: The gloves are off President Obama is often criticised for being emotionally aloof, for being too calm, deliberative. But today, after convening his national security council, his anger came to the fore as he delivered this presidential rebuttal, a general at his side, to Donald Trump and his demand for a ban on Muslims entering America. Tellingly, he avoided uttering Donald Trump's name, but the billionaire's demand after the Orlando massacre that he should resign as president for refusing to use the term "radical Islam" has clearly enraged him. Mr Trump's tough-worded response questioned the president's patriotism. While delighting many of his rusted-on supporters, who see Mr Obama as a weak commander-in-chief who has not done anywhere near enough to combat so-called Islamic State, it may lead more moderate Republicans to again question his temperament and judgment. In modern-day America, traumatic events like the massacre in Orlando tend to expose the country's divisions as much as bringing it together. And that's especially so in this angry election season. The president said the US had been founded on freedom of religion and having a "religious test" would be against the US Constitution. He also noted that recent terror attacks in the US had been carried out by people born in the US. Mateen was born in the same New York neighbourhood as Mr Trump. The president also urged the US to reinstate the ban on assault weapons. And he dismissed Mr Trump's suggestion that he resign because he refuses to use the word "radical Islamic terrorism". "If we fall into the trap of painting all Muslims with a broad brush and imply that we are at war with an entire religion, then we are doing the terrorists' work for them," he said. Mr Obama will visit the scene of the carnage in Orlando on Thursday. 28 things that Donald Trump believes Donald Trump's foreign policy assessed 50 Trump supporters explain why
The Muslim ban proposed by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is "not the America we want", President Barack Obama has said.
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Mukhtar Hussain, defence counsel for Roger Cooper, told Birmingham Crown Court that prosecutors have deployed "imaginary and erroneous" speculation against his client. Mr Cooper, 41, and his brother David, 38, deny murdering Sameena Imam, from Cardiff, on Christmas Eve last year. Ms Imam's body was found buried on David Cooper's allotment in January. Roger Cooper managed the Coventry warehouse of cash-and-carry firm Costco and was having an affair with Ms Imam, the company's marketing manager. It is alleged that Mr Cooper, from Coventry, thought he would be sacked if their relationship was exposed. Mr Hussain said Ms Imam was in a good mood after travelling from Coventry to Leicester with Roger Cooper to the home of his brother. Jurors were told she suddenly went rigid after a comment made by David Cooper. Mr Hussain added: "She was angry about the lack of trust and respect and told Roger Cooper that he had crossed the line. "She was sobbing, crying, shouting, hysterical. She clearly thought, you may think, that her privacy had been invaded when he had asked his brother to go and spy on her." The court heard Ms Imam demanded to be let out of the car so she could get a taxi. "He stopped at a Tesco. She gathered up her things and stormed off. That was the last he saw of her," said Mr Hussain. The case continues.
A man accused of murdering his lover last saw her after dropping her off at a supermarket, a court has heard.
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Economic weakness "counsels prudence", said Lael Brainard, a member of the Fed's Open Market Committee, which decides interest rates. Her comments come after several Fed officials recently suggested a rate rise this month should be considered. Ms Brainard has consistently voted against an increase. Speaking in Chigaco, Ms Brainard said the risk that higher rates would damage a fragile US economy exceeded the risk that higher rates would increase inflation. Her caution follows comments by Boston Fed chief Eric Rosengren on Friday that there was a case for higher rates. Earlier on Monday, Dennis Lockhart, Atlanta Federal Reserve president, said he still believed that economic conditions justified considering a rate rise this month. The Fed raised interest rates in December for the first time since 2006, but has held back from increasing them further amid concerns over persistently low inflation. However, last month Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said the case for a hike "had strengthened". The speculation over the Fed's next move comes amid a claim from Donald Trump that the US central bank was keeping interest rates low to boost the popularity of President Barack Obama. The US Republican presidential candidate said Ms Yellen was "obviously political" and had created a "false" stock market by keeping rates low. Economists and commentators were quick to dismiss his comments, with academic and commentator Paul Krugman tweeting: "In ordinary times this combo of ignorance and paranoia would be shocking. In this election, who'll even notice." Rates are unlikely to rise until there is a new president, according to Mr Trump. When that happens, the stock market is likely to go "way down", he told CNBC. "[Ms Yellen] is obviously political and she's doing what Obama wants her to do," Mr Trump said. Responding to his comments, Minneapolis Federal Reserve president Neel Kashkari told CNBC that at Federal Reserve meetings "politics simply does not come up". "We look at the economic data," he said. When asked about political pressure on the Federal Reserve, Mr Lockhart said: "I don't see the world that way." Earlier this month, Ms Yellen said the case for raising US interest rates had "strengthened". Speaking at an annual meeting of central bankers, Ms Yellen was cautiously upbeat about the US economy. She said economic growth and a stronger jobs market meant "the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months". Mr Trump said that while low interest rates had been good for his property business, savers had been hit. "The ones that did it right, they saved their money. They cut down on their mortgages... now they're getting practically zero interest on the money that they worked so hard for."
There is no rush to raise interest rates, a Federal Reserve board member has said a week before the US central bank announces its latest decision.
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A total of 12 Thomas Cook flights were affected after staff had to switch to a manual check-in system, leading to delays. A number of other airlines also experienced problems. Two flights at East Midlands Airport were also delayed. Thomas Cook said all affected flights had now departed. A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: "We're very sorry for the frustration caused to our customers at Manchester Airport check-in this morning. "Our system is back up and running and we're working hard to catch up and get our customers on holiday as soon as possible." It appeared "an issue with overnight maintenance" was to blame, said the spokesperson. Dannii Martin, from Manchester, queued for more than three hours to check-in with her husband and seven-month-old daughter. They were due to fly to Bourgas in Bulgaria at 05:40 BST. She said: "At check-in we were told so many different things and no-one could agree. Passengers were shouting at each other and arguing, people pushing in. "Such a nightmare. Sat in [the] plane now, and apparently everyone has checked in, but don't know when we will take off." She earlier tweeted Thomas Cook: "All systems down, manual check in so taking 20 mins per party. Got through after over 3 hours of queuing... "Get to gate, an hour and 20 after our flight is meant to take off and no-one is here....Half the plane is still trying to check in, no updates on screen, no staff anywhere. Nothing." Another passenger said: "Absolute ridiculous situation with @ThomasCookUK at Manchester airport! Systems are down complete and utter mayhem!! #no backup" "Crazy queues," another added. Manchester Airport earlier apologised and said: "Due to a technical issue this morning several airlines are having to check in passengers manually, which can take longer than normal."
Hundreds of passengers had to wait for several hours at Manchester Airport because of a "technical failure" with the check-in system.
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The warning came as Italy's EU representative, Maurizio Massari, warned in a letter to the bloc the situation had become "unsustainable". Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has accused other European nations of "looking the other way". An estimated 10,000 people are believed to have attempted the journey from North Africa in the past four days. More than 73,000 migrants have landed in Italy this year, an increase of 14% on the same period last year. Some 2,000 have died or are missing feared drowned, the UN's refugee agency says, the vast majority attempting the crossing from Libya. Libya is a gateway to Europe for migrants from across sub-Saharan Africa and also from the Arabian peninsula, Egypt, Syria and Bangladesh. Many are fleeing war, poverty or persecution. The Italian coastguard takes the lead in co-ordinating rescue operations but many of the vessels run by non-profit groups sail under the flags of other nations including EU countries like Germany and Malta. An Italian government source told Reuters: "The idea of blocking humanitarian ships flying foreign flags from returning to Italian ports has been discussed. Italy has reached saturation point." Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the Italian public were "exasperated" with the issue and a new long-term strategy was needed. Rules on disembarking are governed by international law and the EU office on migration said any changes to guidelines should give humanitarian groups time to prepare. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea dictates that any ship learning of distress at sea must assist regardless of circumstances, and that the country responsible for operations in that area has primary responsibility for taking them from the ship. It also clearly states that the relevant government "shall arrange for such disembarkation to be effected as soon as reasonably practicable." For boats departing from western Libya, Italy is likely to be the closest port. The European Commissioner for Immigration, Dimitri Avramopoulos, met Italy's Mr Massari to discuss the crisis. "Italy is right that the situation is untenable," he said, adding that the country's management of the crisis was "exemplary". It was time for EU member states to "step up", he said, and contribute financial support to Italy if needed, along with aid to African nations like Libya to reduce the numbers of people leaving - a promise made in February. "Now is the moment to deliver, and we will hold them to this," the commissioner said. "In everything we do, we all have a humanitarian obligation to save lives... we cannot leave a handful of EU countries on their own to deal with this." Medical charity Medicins Sans Frontieres said it had been calling for more support from the EU for some time, urging that "all the states should take part", Ansa news agency reported. Yes. In April, an Italian prosecutor claimed humanitarian charities were "colluding" with people smugglers in Libya, alleging that phone calls were made between the two parties. Italy has seen more than 500,000 migrants arrive by boat since 2014. The closure of a land route north through the Balkans has added to the pressure. Libya has been in chaos since long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in October 2011. On Wednesday, seven UN staff who had been visiting a migrant detention centre in the western town of Surman were seized by gunmen as their convoy headed towards the capital, Tripoli. They were later released unharmed to local security forces. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
Italy has threatened to stop vessels of other countries from bringing migrants to its ports.
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Many of the pets have been killed in their own homes by meat, laced with rat poison or insecticide, that has been tossed over walls and gates. Several stray animals are also thought to have been killed. It is unclear if the police has the resources to investigate the deaths. Hermosillo, an industrial city of some 800,000 people in northern Mexico, is plagued by violence and drug crime. The poisonings came to light in mid-March. According to the Associated Press news agency, the authorities were stunned when 10 dog deaths were reported in a single day - as many as the city usually registers in a month. "Everyone here believes that it is only one person performing these actions," animal rights activist Carolina de la Torre told AP. According to the agency, a Los Angeles-based actor, Raul Julia Levy, has offered a $10,000 (£6,700; €9,200) reward for information leading to an arrest. Local media have nicknamed the person responsible, "mataperros" - "the dog killer".
More than 60 dogs - many of them pets - have been poisoned to death in the last few weeks in the Mexican city of Hermosillo, leading to demands for an inquiry from animal rights activists.
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Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.3% in early trade, but closed down 0.37% at 16,052.05. Car parts maker Takata saw its shares lose 4.34% following reports that the firm may be hit with another recall. Takata is one of the world's biggest airbag makers but has seen millions of car recalled due to airbag problems. In Australia, the ASX 200 closed down 0.43% at 4,979.60 points as some of the country's big lenders weighed on the index. Qantas shares lost 5% despite posting its best first half-year profit in its 95-year history. Evan Lucas, an IG Markets analyst, said Qantas' share slide on Tuesday was partly due to an overnight rise in oil prices. Mining giant BHP Billiton also posted results on Tuesday. For the six months to December, it reported a huge half-year net loss of $5.67bn (£4bn) and warned that weak commodity prices will continue. However, its Sydney-listed shares finished the trading day up 2.62% due in part to a rise in the price of iron ore. In China, shares were divided in early trade, but were largely in negative territory by the afternoon. The Hang Seng ended the session 0.25% lower at 19,414.78, while the Shanghai Composite index closed down 0.8% at 2,903.33. Meanwhile, South Korea's Kospi index closed down 0.11% at 1,914.22
Shares in Japan fell into negative territory on Tuesday as a stronger yen hits some of the the country's big exporters.
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A giant database, Care.data, is being set up with anonymised records to help aid medical research and the monitoring of performance. But Healthwatch England said the way NHS England had tried to explain the system had been confusing. NHS England said privacy concerns were misplaced. The central database - to be launched after April - will enable experts to assess diseases, examine new drugs on the market and identify infection outbreaks as well as monitor the care patients get. Information is already available about what happens in hospitals, but to date it has been difficult to link those records with the information that was available about what is happening to patients when they are under the care of GPs. However, concerns have been raised about the prospect of keeping all of the information in one place, with campaigners saying that it could lead to privacy problems and data breaches. There is a proposal - to be discussed next month - which could give access to non-NHS bodies, including private firms. Healthwatch England chair Anna Bradley said nearly a quarter of the 148 local Healthwatch groups had been in contact to raise concerns about the scheme in recent days. It comes after NHS England started last month a mass mail out to every household explaining the project and giving people the chance to opt out. Not everyone has received the leaflets yet, but Ms Bradley said there had been reports of people throwing away the leaflets as they did not realise what they were, struggling to understand what they were about and cases where GPs have decided to opt out all their patients themselves. Ms Bradley said: "Once again the NHS has decided it knows best and is ploughing ahead with plans to share this data whether we like it or not. "To make matters worse, the communications around this have been so poor that we are now in the situation where all of us are about to be automatically opted in to a scheme we know little or nothing about. "While we recognise that sharing the data could be of significant benefit to researchers, the NHS has a moral duty to consult with all of us and trust us to make our own decisions." She said Healthwatch England has now written a letter to NHS England chief executive Sir David Nicholson asking him to put back the roll-out of the scheme so patients could be consulted more. Dawn Monaghan, of the Information Commissioner's office, also said she had concerns. "At the moment, we don't think it is clear enough on the website or in the information that has been sent out exactly what data is going to go and what is not going to go." But Tim Kelsey, NHS England's national director for patients and information, said patients need not have concerns as the information would not be "identifiable". "This data is stripped of all the identifiers so, for example, the name and address features nowhere on this data; postcode, numbers, the data is stripped of all the identifiers and in their place are substituted meaningless pseudonyms in order that this data can be linked with other data sets. "Can I be categorical? No one who uses this data will know who you are."
The roll-out of a new NHS data-sharing scheme involving medical records should be delayed as patients have been left "in the dark", a patient watchdog says.
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Ex-serviceman, Robert McNamara, 24, of Scarborough, pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to attempting to enter as a trespasser with intent to steal. The alarm at the footballer's £6m property in Prestbury, Cheshire was reportedly triggered on 3 August. McNamara will be sentenced on 21 December. Judge Nicholas Woodward said there were "very worrying features" in the case and ordered a pre-sentence report to be carried out by the probation service. Rooney, his wife Coleen, and their three sons, Kai, Klay and Kit, were attending the charity tribute game against his first club, Everton, when the break-in bid took place. McNamara of Newby Farm Crescent, Scalby, was arrested six days later. The prosecution case was not outlined during the brief hearing but the court heard that McNamara had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that his family had sought help from Combat Stress, a veterans' mental health charity, earlier this year.
A man has admitted attempting to break in to Wayne Rooney's home while he was playing in his testimonial match at Old Trafford.
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Gatland, who is also head coach of the British and Irish Lions, says he is happy with Wales' group after they were drawn against Australia and Georgia. Williams played under Gatland and says he is the man to lead them in Japan. "If he does want to come back then the hierarchy will look at his record in World Cups," Williams said. He continued: "That's why I think he will definitely get to the 2019 World Cup regardless of what happens between now and then, because he does get the team right for a World Cup campaign." Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Phillips expects Gatland to return to his Wales role after coaching this summer's Lions tour of New Zealand. Phillips reinforced his belief Gatland will return, saying he "made it very clear his intention was to come back". Media playback is not supported on this device Gatland, who succeeded Gareth Jenkins as head coach in 2007, is contracted to Wales until after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The former Ireland and Wasps coach said he rejected an approach from Super Rugby side Chiefs about leading them from 2018. Wales finished fourth at the 2011 World Cup when they were beaten by France in the semi-final after captain Sam Warburton was sent-off. Four years later, Gatland's Wales finished second in a pool containing Australia and hosts England to qualify for the quarter-finals where they narrowly lost 23-19 to South Africa. Williams, who played in three World Cups, says Gatland's experience of previous tournaments will be invaluable to Wales. "It would be his third World Cup," Williams told BBC Radio Wales Sport. "He's been very successful in the last two. Getting Wales out of the group of death [in 2015] was an achievement in itself and were very competitive in the quarter-finals against South Africa. "We'll never forget the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, where we could have got to the final."
Former Wales captain Martyn Williams expects head coach Warren Gatland to stay in charge for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, regardless of results before then.
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Greenpeace and French environmental campaigners had called for the shipment, sent by France-based nuclear company Areva, to be stopped. The BBC Shanghai is due to reach Australia by 27 November. French officials said an inspection had revealed no problems that could prevent the ship from sailing. The 25 tonnes of nuclear waste comes from Areva's reprocessing plant in Beaumont-Hague, near the port of Cherbourg, from where the ship set sail on Thursday. Yannick Rousselet, of Greenpeace France, said the BBC Shanghai "should not be used" to transport the nuclear waste. Nathalie Geismar, of French environmental group Robin des Bois, said that other ports had found a "staggering number of flaws" in the 14-year-old ship. Shortly before the cargo ship set sail, French Green MP Denis Baupin tweeted (in French) that Areva was "using a dustbin ship to carry waste, without any serious inspection". The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto) said a full inspection of the ship had been carried out by both French maritime safety authorities and by the French nuclear safety regulator on 14 October. "The ship's seaworthiness was confirmed and certified," a statement said, adding that the ship had been chosen by Areva. The waste comes from spent nuclear fuel sent from Australia to France for reprocessing in the 1990s and early 2000s, Ansto said. Under French law, the waste from the operation is required to have left the country by the end of 2015. The BBC Shanghai is registered in Antigua and Barbuda.
A ship carrying nuclear waste to Australia has left a French port despite warnings from environmentalists that the vessel may be unsafe.
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In just two words, Josh Hawkins teaches the basics of the Australian vernacular. The 30-year-old's advice is to "abbreviate everything". "We're from Australia. We love a good chat, but not for too long," Josh says at the start of the video, which also stars local actor Rhys Keir. The pair then run through a list of some of Australia's favourite abbreviations, including: The clip has already been viewed on Facebook more than 1.5m times since it was uploaded on Monday. It has been a surprise success for Josh, and a little like lightning striking twice, after he made headlines in May for his trick-shot video "The thug life chose me". "It was pretty insane and I didn't think it would happen again," he told the BBC. His only regret: misspelling the town of Wollongong (south of Sydney). "Practically the whole town has been messaging me. "I was in a rush so I didn't spell-check it and I got a whole bunch of messages today." He says he will use his appearance on breakfast television on Wednesday to issue a very public apology to Wollongong.
A youth pastor from Sydney has created a stir online with his very simple tutorial titled How to Speak Australian.
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Junaid Hussain, 18, admitted putting details online in June 2011 and making hoax calls to a counter-terror hotline. He was a leader of Team Poison, a computer hacking group which has claimed responsibility for more than 1,400 illegal activities. He was given a three month sentence for each offence at Southwark Crown Court. The jail terms will run consecutively. Team Poison - which identifies itself as "TeaMp0isoN" online - has previously claimed responsibility for computer hacking attacks involving foreign politicians, major international businesses, an international humanitarian agency and foreign law enforcement. Hussain admitted making the hoax calls to the Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist hotline between January 1 2010 and April 14 2012, which prevented legitimate callers getting through. A further offence was left to lie on file. Scotland Yard said further investigations are ongoing into the activities of other members of TeamPoison.
A hacker from Birmingham has been jailed for six months after publishing the address book of former Prime Minister Tony Blair on the internet.
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Batting first, Notts made 429-9, their second-highest List A score, anchored by Brendan Taylor's 154 off 97 balls. Somerset were well placed after a stand of 154 in 16 overs between Dean Elgar (91) and Peter Trego (66). The hosts' lower order kept attacking but continued to lose wickets and they were all out for 405 in 48 overs. Jamie Overton (40) looked to be taking the match to the final few balls with some magnificent six hitting, but was run out when attempting to keep the strike to give Notts victory. When South Africa opener Elgar and Trego were in full swing, the mammoth target looked achievable - the duo smashing Somerset to 221-3 in the 24th over. But the dismissal of Trego, caught on the mid-wicket boundary off spinner Samit Patel, was quickly followed by Stuart Broad bowling Elgar, checking the hosts' momentum. Somerset's lower order still managed to find regular boundaries as the required run-rate hovered around 10 an over, although Overton's cameo alongside Roelof van der Merwe (43) and Lewis Gregory (26) was ultimately in vein. Earlier Nottinghamshire's batsman had struck Somerset's bowlers to all parts on a flat Taunton track with Riki Wessels (81) and Patel (66) providing fine support for Taylor. The Zimbabwean raced to his hundred in just 69 balls, and appeared to be taking Notts beyond the List A best of 445-8 they made against Northants at Trent Bridge in 2016. He was eventually dismissed by Lewis Gregory (4-60) in the 48th over, but had already done enough to ensure the huge total which put his side in the last four.
Nottinghamshire set up a One-Day Cup semi-final at Essex on Friday after beating Somerset by 24 runs in a high-scoring thriller at Taunton.
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Valerie Armstrong died last Wednesday night after she was hit by the scrambler bike in a forest park in west Belfast the previous evening. A requiem Mass was held for Mrs Armstrong in the Church of the Nativity in Poleglass on Monday. Father Pat Sheehan said the days since her death were "hard and harrowing". Mrs Armstrong was walking her dog along a path near Mila's Lake in Colin Glen Forest Park on Tuesday when she was struck. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and having no insurance. Fr Sheehan said Mrs Armstrong's "terrible" death "could have been avoided and should have been avoided". He added that the hearts of those who knew Mrs Armstrong "have been heavy and our grief has been intense". "When I think of Valerie Armstrong, I think of a cheerful and positive person - a person of faith and hope," he told mourners. "Valerie loved life, she loved her husband Seamus, and she was committed to their three wonderful children, Dylan, Lucy and Sophie." He said her death "has shocked us, angered us and left us broken-hearted". He warned that people "need to think about what they are doing" when buying motorcycles for "young people living in built-up areas". "These choices can and have devastating consequences even though that was never intended. "These choices are destroying lives - both the lives of people like Valerie and the lives of young people responsible." He added: "Would it bring people to their senses if they had to face the heartbreak that has been caused? "What if they had to listen to Seamus' heartbreak; a young man who has lost a wonderful wife? "What if they had to they answer the questions of three young children who wonder why this terrible thing has happened to their mother? "What if they had to explain to Valerie's broken-hearted parents that it was meant to be just fun?"
The death of a mother who was struck by a motorcycle "has robbed us of a light and plunged us into darkness", mourners at her funeral have heard.
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He will also resign as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which he has led for a total of 20 years. Scottish voters backed the country staying in the UK by 2,001,926 votes to 1,617,989 in Thursday's referendum. Three arrests have been made after rival Union and independence supporters gathered in George Square in the centre of Glasgow. Police, including officers on horseback, had to separate the two groups. A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said there were about 100 people in each of the two groups, and although there had been some "minor disorder" it had been dealt with quickly, with no arrests so far. The square was closed to traffic with local diversions in place. The square had hosted a party by "Yes" supporters ahead of the referendum. BBC Scotland reporter Cameron Buttle, who was at the scene, said the confrontation started quickly with flares being fired and a "co-ordinated" charge from the Unionist side, who were singing Rule Britannia. Meanwhile, the Queen has said Scotland's vote to stay in the Union was "a result that all of us throughout the United Kingdom will respect". She added: "Knowing the people of Scotland as I do, I have no doubt that Scots, like others throughout the United Kingdom, are able to express strongly-held opinions before coming together again in a spirit of mutual respect and support." Elsewhere, Prime Minister David Cameron said the three main Westminster parties would now deliver their campaign pledge to boost the powers of Scotland's devolved parliament. Mr Salmond, 59, is Scotland's longest-serving first minister, having held the post since the SNP won power at the Scottish Parliament in May 2007. Speaking from his official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh, the first minister told journalists: "For me as leader my time is nearly over, but for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die. "I am immensely proud of the campaign that Yes Scotland fought and particularly of the 1.6 million voters who rallied to that cause." Mr Salmond said he would resign as SNP leader at the party's conference in November, before standing down as first minister when the party elects its next leader in a membership ballot. He said there were a "number of eminently qualified and very suitable candidates" to replace him. But Nicola Sturgeon, the current deputy first minister and deputy SNP leader, is seen as a clear frontrunner. Mr Salmond, who will stay on as MSP for Aberdeenshire East, added: "It has been the privilege of my life to serve Scotland as first minister. "But, as I said often during the referendum campaign, this is not about me or the SNP. It is much more important than that. "The position is this. We lost the referendum vote but can still carry the political initiative. More importantly Scotland can still emerge as the real winner." Ms Sturgeon said she could "think of no greater privilege than to seek to lead the party I joined when I was just 16," but said she would not make an announcement today. She added: "Alex Salmond's achievements as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister are second to none. He led the SNP into government and has given our country a renewed self confidence." Mr Salmond also used his resignation statement to question Mr Cameron's more powers pledge. "We now have the opportunity to hold Westminster's feet to the fire on the 'vow' that they have made to devolve further meaningful power to Scotland," he said. "This places Scotland in a very strong position. "I spoke to the prime minister today and, although he reiterated his intention to proceed as he has outlined, he would not commit to a second reading vote (in the House of Commons) by 27 March on a Scotland Bill. "That was a clear promise laid out by Gordon Brown during the campaign. "The prime minister says such a vote would be meaningless. I suspect he cannot guarantee the support of his party." Many politicians paid tribute to Mr Salmond's contribution to political debate, including David Cameron who spoke of his "huge talent and passion". On referendum night, 28 of Scotland's 32 local authority areas voted in favour of staying in the UK. Glasgow, Scotland's largest council area and the third largest city in Britain, voted in favour of independence by 194,779 to 169,347. But the the 75% turnout in Glasgow was the lowest in the country, and hoped for breakthroughs in other traditional Labour strongholds such as South Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and across Ayrshire never materialised for the nationalists. Edinburgh, the nation's capital, clearly rejected independence by 194,638 to 123,927 votes, while Aberdeen City voted "No" by a margin of more than 20,000 votes. Across Scotland, 84.6% of registered voters cast their ballot in the referendum - a record for a national election. Mr Cameron said the Westminster parties would ensure commitments on new Scottish parliament powers were "honoured in full" after the final referendum result was announced. He said that Lord Smith of Kelvin, who led Glasgow's staging of the Commonwealth Games, would oversee the process to take forward the commitments, with new powers over tax, spending and welfare to be agreed by November, and draft legislation published by January. The prime minister also spoke of the implications for the other nations of the UK, and said "millions of voices of England must also be heard". He added: "The question of English votes for English laws, the so-called West Lothian question, requires a decisive answer so just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues on tax, spending and welfare, so too England as well as Wales and Northern Ireland should be able to vote on these issues. "And all this must take place in tandem with and at the same pace as the settlement for Scotland."
Alex Salmond is to step down as Scottish first minister after voters rejected independence.
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It sounds like the sort of plan any normal golfing dad and lad might hatch. But not if your father's former Ryder Cup player Paul Broadhurst - and the three weeks he had in mind for his eldest son Sam included the job of being his caddie at the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. It was at Carnoustie almost a year ago when this father and son combination dovetailed to such good effect for the first time to win the British Seniors Open - and earn 51-year-old Broadhurst the added prize of a belated chance to play this week in his 16th Open. "Every dad dreams of winning a big tournament with his son on the bag," Broadhurst told BBC Sport. "It was quite emotional with Sam working for me, and having the rest of the family up there in Scotland too. "I said at the time that these sort of things don't normally happen to people like me. I've been around a long time, won some events and played in the Ryder Cup. "But I've never been one of the real, top, top players. So, for someone like me to come along and win a Senior Major was really special." Having played last week in the United States, where he now plays regularly on America's more lucrative Champions Tour, Broadhurst's success has meant a tough four-week schedule. Baltimore last week, Birkdale this. Then on to Royal Porthcawl, in South Wales, to defend his Seniors title before a week at North Berwick in the Scottish Seniors Open. And now he has Sam at his side for the majority of it. "I've got a regular caddie in the States, but Sam deserved to do these next few weeks, having done so well for me at Carnoustie. "He knows how far I hit it. He knows my game pretty well. And I've got my coach Tim Rouse here for a couple of days. I've got good people behind me, I've always had a relatively decent record in the Open and I'm very much looking forward to this week. "I probably thought my Open Championship days were in the past, since playing my last one at Lytham in 2012. But, five years later, I've got another go at it and it's a course I think I can play well on, weather dependent. "It's tough, but not necessarily a bomber's track and I think a senior like me can get it round." Find out how to get into golf with our special guide. Broadhurst tied for 17th in Southport when he played his only previous Open on this golden, golfing stretch of West Lancashire coast in 1991, finishing nine shots behind the winner, Ian Baker-Finch. But he has been playing steadily on the Champions Tour in America as he and wife Lorraine adjust to an exciting new life in their own private over-50s club. Apart from all the former American legends, he has fellow Europeans Bernard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jesper Parnevik, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie, Roger Chapman and Miguel Angel Martin to contend with. And it means a routine which currently involves three weeks out of every four away on the road, with his eldest daughter as "acting nanny" to their youngest son. "It can be a lonely place if you're struggling," he said. "But I've not struggled in many. I've had some good first-day scores, shot under par every time. "The Sundays haven't been great when, if you're not scoring four under or better, you're out of it. But I've been on the leaderboard and my game's not far away. I've been putting better the last three or four and I've earned my place." Not to mention more than $400,000 (£307,000) - to stand 25th in the rankings, well in contention for the US Seniors' end-of-season finale, the Schwab Cup. Aside from his rare claim of being unbeaten in Ryder Cup combat (played two, won two at Kiawah Island in 1991), Broadhurst's other main claim to golfing fame is a joint share of the lowest-ever round scored in an Open, or any Major in fact. He emulated Mark Hayes, Isao Aoki and Greg Norman when he shot his nine-under 63 in the third round at St Andrews in 1990. Since then, six more have matched that 63, including both last year's runner-up Phil Mickelson, in the first round, and last year's winner Henrik Stenson, on that final memorable record-breaking day, at Royal Troon. "People have been getting close the last few years," admits Broadhurst. "And, if we do get good weather, there's every chance it could go. "Mickelson had a go last year, then Stenson and Justin Thomas in the US Open had a good chance. It's just hanging on. Get a relatively calm, sunny day and then an eight-under 62 is definitely on the cards. "My share of it has lasted 27 years. But the weather could get up. And, hopefully, it won't go this week."
It is the summer holidays, you are 20 years old and your father asks if you fancy a few days' golfing.
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The attacks happened in Drumchapel at about 18:50 on Saturday. Police said a group of men were involved in an altercation outside the BetFred bookmakers in Hecla Avenue. Two men, both 38, were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital with stab wounds. Their conditions have been described as stable. Police have appealed for witnesses. A 39 year-old woman was also taken to hospital for treatment to a hand injury and has since been released. Det Sgt Raymond Sagan, of Drumchapel CID, said: "From our CCTV inquiries so far, we can see that there is a large group of around 20 to 30 people standing outside who all witnessed what happened. "It is absolutely crucial that these people come forward and speak to us as they will hold vital information that could help us trace whoever is responsible for this violent attack."
Police are investigating an attempted murder and a serious assault after two men were stabbed in Glasgow.
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While the optician normally delivers new glasses to the Vatican, Pope Francis insisted on travelling to the shop in central Rome this time. Large crowds gathered outside the shop as he spent an hour inside, at the end of which he insisted on paying. Pope Francis has reportedly expressed regret at not being able to walk freely on Rome's streets. The Pope was accompanied by an assistant, a bodyguard and several police officers on his visit. A German tourist, Daniel Soehe, said he had failed to see Pope Francis in the Vatican earlier in the day, but then spotted him in the optician's shop. "I told my father, 'Hey, that was better than going to St Peter's dome: Seeing the Pope in a shop trying on new glasses'," he told the Associated Press news agency. While archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was often seen travelling on public transport or walking through the city. In a profile in National Geographic magazine this month, Pope Francis is quoted as saying: "You know how often I've wanted to go walking through the streets of Rome - because in Buenos Aires, I liked to go for a walk in the city. "I really liked to do that. In this sense, I feel a little penned in."
Pope Francis drew crowds for an unusual reason on Thursday - after slipping out of the Vatican to visit an optician.
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Sean Ervine top-scored with 49 as Hampshire posted 148-8, with four wickets for Graham Wagg and two for Glamorgan debutant Wayne Parnell. Glamorgan slumped to 13-3 in reply before a 69-run stand between captain Jacques Rudolph and Mark Wallace. But four wickets from Chris Wood helped Hampshire regain control and seal a second win from three T20 matches. Having beaten Surrey and lost to Essex in their first two games of the campaign, Glamorgan had made an encouraging start to this encounter at the Swalec Stadium. South Africa fast bowler Parnell had missed both those fixtures through injury, but marked his first appearance for Glamorgan with a wicket in each of his first two overs. Hampshire captain James Vince and Jimmy Adams were his victims, caught at slip and third man respectively. Wickets continued to tumble as Parnell was replaced by Wagg, who claimed the prized wicket of England international Michael Carberry - caught behind by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace - before he had another former England star, Owais Shah, caught superbly by Colin Ingram at mid-wicket. Zimbabwean Ervine led Hampshire's revival as his abrasive 35-ball innings off 49 balls helped the visitors recover from 39-4 to 115-5, before he was trapped lbw by Wagg. Will Smith's swift 30 gave Hampshire late momentum as they ended on 148-8, and he was also prominent with the ball as he bowled Ben Wright with the second delivery of Glamorgan's innings. It was a disastrous start to the hosts' reply, with Chris Cooke and Ingram both chopping the ball on to their own stumps off the bowling of Wood to leave the Welsh county reeling on 13-3 in the fourth over. That brought Rudolph and Wallace together at the crease and their patient partnership of 69 guided Glamorgan to 82-4. But when Rudolph and Craig Meschede were dismissed either side of a rain delay the wind was taken out of Glamorgan's sails. Wood took two wickets in successive deliveries - leaving himself on a hat-trick when he next plays - as Glamorgan limped to 127-8 at the end of their 20 overs. Glamorgan squad: Jacques Rudolph (capt), Will Bragg, Chris Cooke, Dean Cosker, Michael Hogan, Colin Ingram, Craig Meschede, Wayne Parnell, Andrew Salter, Ruaidhri Smith, Graham Wagg, Mark Wallace, Ben Wright. Hampshire squad: Will Smith, Owais Shah, Jimmy Adams, Sean Ervine, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, James Vince (capt), Michael Carberry, Danny Briggs, Chris Wood, Adam Wheater, Fidel Edwards, Yasir Arafat.
Hampshire inflicted a second successive T20 Blast defeat on Glamorgan as they claimed a 21-run win in Cardiff.
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St Mary's Church in Barby, Northamptonshire, was packed with those paying tribute to Mr Lomax, who died earlier this month at the age of 67. He was a founding member of the NTST and a pioneer of supporters' involvement with their football clubs. The Cobblers Trust was the first of its kind when it was formed and became a template for many other clubs. Andy Burnham, a Labour MP and former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, was a pall bearer. He said: "I wouldn't be anywhere else, because Brian had a very big impact on my life. "He was a true father figure to many of us and that's why we had such a huge turn out here today. "He changed our lives when we were young men, radical men, who wanted football to change for the better and Brian Lomax offered us a vision for how that could be done." Mr Lomax was the first managing director of Supporters Direct and stepped down as its chairman in 2009. He also served as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Daventry District Council.
Hundreds of mourners have turned out for the funeral of Northampton Town Supporters' Trust founder Brian Lomax.
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Dr Don Hull, a consultant haematologist at Craigavon Area Hospital, said people living with cancer in Northern Ireland should be given the same treatment as patients in England. There are 38 cancer drugs available to patients elsewhere in the UK that are not readily available to terminally-ill people in Northern Ireland. Dr Hull has called for "equal access". He said: "I think local patients deserve equal access to the funding that is being made available to cancer patients in England. "I would urge the new minister to take counsel and discuss widely with me and colleagues in my profession." In February, the then-Health Minister Jim Wells proposed the reintroduction of prescription charges to pay for a new specialist drugs fund. A consultation by the Department of Health (DoH) on how to implement the fund including the possibility of introducing prescription charges to pay for it closed earlier this month. Cancer charities have said they are awaiting the outcome. Dr Hull also said that while the number of cancer patients is increasing, so too are advancements in the drugs that can help cure or sustain patients' lives. He added that while the drugs are not a magic bullet, in some cases they can target the tumour so effectively that all cancer cells are killed. "I know patients who could avail of these drugs and these drugs are known to be effective," he said. "They are expensive, but some cancer patients in England and Scotland are accessing them. "There are many advancements in cancer drugs and there is also a better understanding than ever before of the illness, so we are actually refining our cancer treatments to target particular mutations and abnormalities of the cancer cells that isn't present in normal cells. "It is good that we can be more specific in our treatment." Dr Hull was speaking to the BBC against a backdrop of new entertainment stations that have recently been installed in the Macmillan cancer unit at Craigavon Area Hospital. The Southern Health Trust has spent £200,000 on the bedside entertainment scheme, which provides touch screen systems providing access to TV, radio and internet for patients to use during treatments like chemotherapy or blood transfusions. Staff can also log onto these terminals to access patient records. For patients like Audrey Fenton, the new screens help pass the time as she receives her chemotherapy three times a week, with each session lasting six hours. It is gruelling for the former nurse, who refers to chemotherapy as her friend. "Oh it's definitely a friend because it is part and parcel of getting me well again. I lean on it to help get me through this time," she said. Audrey is 57 and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma eight months ago. She said: "The first thing that goes through your mind on receiving the diagnosis is how long have I got. No matter what your faith is, your lifestyle - no-one wants to leave their loved ones." Audrey has no issue with her cancer drugs, but recognises that it is the expertise of her doctors and the advancement of medicine that is keeping her alive. "There has been a moderate response to the treatment. At the moment the prognosis might be five to seven years, but if the treatment keeps working maybe longer," she said. "I feel the best I have felt in a long time. I'm staying positive." She added: "I feel I am living with cancer, I am not dying from cancer. I am living with it and the chemotherapy is all part of it. I will take what they give me to get me well." With a hearty laugh, Audrey told me that of course she is very scared. "You couldn't possibly be told you've got a cancer that can't be cured and not be scared," she said. "I try to look on this time as me time. I have had a busy life and now it's time for me to take time out to get well. "The chemotherapy is the starting point really of the recovery and I feel you just have to embrace it. The scarier time will be when maybe they tell me it is finished because then you are left on your own, but they will only do that when the results are good enough. "
A leading cancer specialist has urged the health minister to introduce a cancer drugs fund in Northern Ireland.
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Eastwood was the only animal left after a charity found new homes for 1,571 cats and dogs in just one day. Eastwood had been poorly when he was younger and the charity thought this may have put people off. But thankfully the story has a happy ending. The Bissell Pet Foundation had a free adoption day at 69 shelters in the American state of Michigan, which meant loads of people came to look for new pets. A thousand animals got new homes in the build up to the big day too. Lots of people heard about Eastwood being left on his own and tried to find him a new home. One family who heard about Eastwood was the Van Gundy family. Steve, the dad of the family, is coach of the Detroit Pistons, a very famous basketball team in the United States. They had meant to go to the adoption event but missed out. When they heard Eastwood was still waiting to find a new home they said the knew he was the dog for them. The family say they are looking forward to taking Eastwood swimming in the lake by their house.
A one-year-old Labrador finally has a new home after seeing thousands of his animal friends get new owners.
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The Hatters also reached the last 16 of a cup competition in 2014-15. Not the FA Cup this time, but the Cheshire Senior Cup and a tie at Alsager Town. The attendance? 141. The difference between the two fixtures - just 14 years apart - could not be more marked. It underlines just how far Stockport, who enter the FA Cup this weekend alongside the likes of Dunkirk, Deeping Rangers, Larkhall Athletic and Sporting Khalsa, have fallen. None of the other 159 clubs playing in the FA Cup this weekend can boast a continuous membership of the Football League that lasted more than a century, from 1905 to 2011. And none have a team named after them in China either. Stockport Tiger Star were a second division club based in Shenyang, 155 miles from the North Korean border, who changed their name after a visit from the English side in 2004. Remarkable as it sounds, County drew a crowd of 22,000 - comparable to matches involving Manchester United and Barcelona elsewhere in China around the same time - to a friendly against Tiger Star. The club made two such trips, thanks to contacts of then commercial director Steve Bellis, currently the director of a grassroots football organisation based in the north west who has just returned to Stockport in an advisory capacity. Instead of heading to the sprawling mass of Beijing or Shanghai, where Europe's biggest names now tour so regularly, they went to Shenyang and Urumqi, among the stops on Chancellor George Osborne's current trade mission, in the east. "They were different places - and things didn't always go to plan," said director Jon Keighren. "On the 2001 trip I remember laughing at Andy Welsh, who was a teenager at the time, and Mike Flynn, who brought Mars Bars and Pot Noodles with them. "When we went to the welcoming banquet and were given sea slugs and pigeon heads to eat, suddenly they were everyone's best friends." While Stockport Tiger Star no longer exist, there remains an affection for Stockport among football fans in the region. Visitors are still welcomed to Edgeley Park and there are loose plans to go back, although the stark reality of County's part-time status is an obvious hindrance, one of the clear differences between then and now. Stockport and Manchester City met six times in the league from 1997 to 2003. Stockport won three and lost one. In 1999 they were in a higher division than their illustrious neighbours. That's 1999. Sixteen years. Not that long ago. Tony Blair was Prime Minister, the euro was launched and Manchester United won the Treble. The years have been kind to City. Not so Stockport. "When I was a kid, I got most of my geographical knowledge through County and the teams they were playing," said Bellis. "Not for one second did I think I would be discovering new places like Brackley and Braintree." Stockport's fall has been dramatic. Administration in 2009. Relegated to League Two in 2010. Into the Conference a year after that. In 2013, they dropped into the Conference North with a hefty thud. Instead of Manchester City, Stockport's local derby now is a meeting with Curzon Ashton, five miles from Manchester City's Etihad Stadium in distance, a million in glamour and prestige. "I don't like to look back," said Bellis. "We have to deal with the reality of where we find ourselves. "But sometimes little things shake you. Seeing the Colwyn Bay directors celebrate beating County at Edgeley Park is what sticks with me. "I didn't begrudge them it - not one little bit. But you just think 'how has this happened?'." Last season's visit by Chorley drew a season high of 3,401, modest at best by Football League standards but 650 more than any other side in the league managed. The return of Bellis's marketing nous and the steady hand of Keighren and his fellow directors have brought stability to a club that was hurtling towards oblivion. A five-year plan is in place to return County to the Football League by 2020. And the approach - as it has had to - has changed dramatically. "Growing up as a Stockport fan was never easy," said Keighren, a lifelong fan who became a director in 2013. "So many kids in the area drifted off to watch United and City. To me, you were either one of them or one of us. "I don't think like that any more. Nowadays, you might see shirts of other clubs at Edgeley Park. We have to embrace that and try to give children and the wider community an experience they wouldn't have at United or City, purely because they can get closer to the players than is practical at those big clubs. "For all that has happened over the last few years, going into administration in 2009 had the biggest impact because we owed money to businesses in the community and it damaged them. "They are the relationships we are now trying to repair." A step in the right direction would be victory in the FA Cup second qualifying round on Saturday. A win would bring a reward of £4,500. But while Stockport's name stands out as the grandest of the 160 clubs involved, their progression is far from guaranteed. They face a tricky tie against fellow National League North side AFC Fylde, who are above them in the table. The trip to Kellamergh Park, with its 533 covered seats and a capacity of just over 3,000, will seem a long way from White Hart Lane or a game against Manchester City.
In 2001, then-Championship club Stockport County reached the fifth round of the FA Cup, facing Tottenham at White Hart Lane in front of a crowd of 36,040.
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With delicate features and an unkempt beard, Maxime Hauchard, 22, helped to carry out executions in the arid Syrian landscape. He was once, according to his uncle, a calm and happy little boy. "He was never even naughty as a child," Pascal Hauchard said. But this week, Maxime became the latest name in the roll-call of Western recruits fighting alongside Islamic State. He had already given a Skype interview to French television, describing life in Syria and his desire to become a martyr. It's an odd kind of celebrity for a French boy from rural Normandy who, according to local reports, converted to Islam at the age of 17. But converts appear to make up a striking number of the French citizens attracted to the militants' cause, and generate a huge amount of interest back home, as shown by the case of the British militant nicknamed "Jihadi John". The second Frenchman has been named by prosecutors as Mickael Dos Santos, 22, from a small town just south-east of Paris. "They do it on purpose, of course they do," says Professor Jean-Pierre Filiu, from the School of International Affairs at Sciences-Po. "Western recruits have no military value [to militant groups] at the moment; they have no training or expertise. Their value is in propaganda and recruitment. Militant leaders want to use European Muslims as hostages for their own propaganda, to generate fear of a fifth column back home. And it's working." Responding to the latest video, President Francois Hollande said that more must be done to warn French families of the dangers of militant recruitment campaigns, which he said could touch people from every background, including converts. Converts do appear to make up a substantial portion of those attracted to IS from France. One recent survey by the French Institute, CPDSI, found that 90% of those who adopted radical Islamic beliefs had French grandparents, and that 80% came from atheist families. Over half of all phone calls to a government helpline, set up to combat jihadist recruitment, concerned teenagers without any Muslim or Arab background. Those figures may not be representative of all French recruits in Syria, but they give some context to stories like Hauchard's. Pierre N'Gahane, who is a member of a government de-radicalisation team working on the issue, says the profiles of those attracted to IS ideology are hugely varied. "You have the young girl who got high grades at school, and went to dance lessons, who in the course of a single day rejected her friends, and changed her dress and diet," he explained. "Or the serial delinquent, always in trouble with the law, who dropped out of the army. Or the young student who was already isolated, and tips into radicalism during one moment of fragility." Prof Filiu believes that the reason these young people have such hugely diverse profiles is partly a reflection of the tactics used by IS. "Any recruits that arrive are brutalised in a kind of initiation ceremony," he told the BBC, "and then they are forced to recruit four or five of their buddies through Facebook. That's why you have profiles that are so unpredictable, and why converts bring in more converts." But, he says, it's also precisely because most of them don't come from a Muslim religious culture and aren't looking for religion at all. Instead they are isolated teenagers, "fast-tracked" into an extreme ideology, "a cult", whose appeal is very different to the piety and purity promised by organised religion, Mr Filiu adds. "If you look at the images sent home," he told me, " it's all pizza and guns and sunsets over the Euphrates. It's an offer to join 'the winners'. Anybody who wants to become famous knows that if he goes and kills a hostage, he'll become a star, and be splashed across the front page of the newspaper back home." Pierre N'Gahane agrees. "Converts to radical Islam are very different to those converting to Islam," he says. "They don't go through the mosque. They're fragile people who are drawn to a sectarian version of Islam, and really any other kind of sect would have done just as well. The attraction is a narrative that gives them an identity as victims of Western society, and as somehow special and chosen by God." That has clear implications for how the government here should be tackling the problem. Imams and mosques have little influence on recruitment drives which happen almost entirely on Facebook or via other internet sites. And there are few easy ways to tackle a network with such intimate connections and such disparate appeal. Some have blamed France's social inequality or lack of integration, but surveys have suggested that many converts are from well-integrated, middle-class families. But with more than 1,000 French citizens now either fighting with groups like IS, en route to join them, planning to do so, or returning to France, the government is under pressure to curb the flow of recruits. It has launched several programmes designed to target those at risk. One of the most recent, says Mr N'Gahane, focuses on offering psychological support to those wanting to leave France to join the group. The police now also have the power to confiscate the passports of anyone believed to be about to flee. Prof Filiu says societies may always harbour a radical fringe, ripe for cults to tap into. What makes this recruitment drive so effective, he believes, is the way it harnesses the internet for a simple but effective propaganda campaign. The only way to counter it, he says, is to ignore the European faces in its execution videos, and its use of Islamic symbols, and focus on the victims. But so far, he says, "they're winning. And we're just following each red herring they throw at us".
Two Frenchmen that have been spotted in Islamic State's latest execution video are reported to be recent converts to Islam, sparking fresh debate in France about what's driving the appeal of Islamic State, and how to tackle it.
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Three club patrons have resigned since BBC Sport revealed on Tuesday that Evans, 25, would train with his former club after serving a prison sentence. But United manager Nigel Clough said it had "nowhere near been decided" whether or not to re-sign Evans. Shirt sponsor DBL Logistics said it "strongly condemns rape and violence". Media playback is not supported on this device A company statement read: "DBL Logistics would end its back-of-shirt sponsorship with Sheffield United if the club employed a convicted rapist. "However, whilst the current situation remains and Ched Evans is not contracted to Sheffield United, DBL Logistics will continue its business to business relationship with the club." John Holland Sales, which sponsors the front of players' shirts, said it will "re-evaluate" its position if Evans rejoins the Blades. Clough, whose side were beaten 1-0 by Walsall in the Football League Trophy on Wednesday, told BBC Radio Sheffield: "How you can sign a player that has not played football for two years and seven months? I don't think anyone is in a position to do that. "Believe it or not, it isn't the top of our priorities. We have four games in 10 days. "Those games will determine if we stay in two cup competitions and whether we get back in the top six in the league. Those are our priorities." Campaign groups have criticised the decision to allow Wales international Evans to train with the club. TV presenter Charlie Webster said on Tuesday that she was standing down as a patron, saying the club failed to acknowledged the "extremity" of Evans's crime. Media playback is not supported on this device Two more patrons - 1960s pop star Dave Berry and school food and health adviser Lindsay Graham - stood down on Wednesday. Berry told the BBC he "needed to make a moral stand", while Graham said she was standing down for "personal" reasons. Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield wrote an open letter to Sheffield United co-chairmen Kevin McCabe and Jim Phipps urging the club to reconsider the decision to allow Evans to train with the squad. Evans, who maintains his innocence, has scored 59 goals in 167 appearances during spells with Manchester City, Norwich City and Sheffield United. He was sentenced to five years in April 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room in May 2011, having been found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court. At his trial, he admitted having sex with the woman but denied rape. Evans was released from prison in October after serving half of his sentence. He has not offered any apology to his victim. He has declined any request to be interviewed by the BBC, but released a video statement on his personal website in which he said he wanted to play again. An inquiry into his conviction will be fast-tracked by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the body which examines potential miscarriages of justice. Almost 157,000 people have signed a petition urging United not to take the player back after the club chose not to renew his contract following his conviction. His deal expired during his sentence. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) asked United to allow Evans to train at the club in an attempt to regain fitness. PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "As a trade union, it is our role to offer help and guidance to all our members, whether dealing with success or the utmost difficulties. "We have some current and former players who are in prison or have served time in prison. "It is a fundamental part of the justice system in this country and society in general that a person serves the punishment which the court determines is appropriate and, providing that has been done, an individual is entitled to be released to continue with his or her life."
One of Sheffield United's sponsors has said it will end its association with the club if they re-sign convicted rapist Ched Evans.
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The 28-year-old, who is undefeated since April 2013, won with a day and two races to spare. Scott is now one of six sailors to win three Finn world titles, along with fellow Briton Sir Ben Ainslie. "I have been really pleased with my year and the way I've been sailing," said Scott, who also won in 2014. "The last couple of months have been tricky to manage because we've been testing these new boats that have just come out, so to be able to come here and show good form and win with a couple of races to go is great. "I've sailed a good, consistent week and it's come good early, which is great." Weymouth-based Scott came into the penultimate day of racing on the Hauraki Gulf with an imposing 52-point lead, and claimed the top-18 finish he needed to secure overall victory by coming second in the first of the day's two races. He was also runner-up in the day's second race, giving him an overwhelming 54-point lead over France's Olympic bronze medallist Jonathan Lobert going into the final day of competition. "I was trying to stay risk-free where possible and fortunately the racing panned out in a manner that rewarded that," added Scott, who has already secured his place on Team GB for next year's Rio Olympics. Scott narrowly missed out on a place at London 2012 to Ainslie, who went on to take his fourth Olympic gold.
Britain's Giles Scott claimed his third world title courtesy of a dominant victory in the Finn Gold Cup in Takapuna, New Zealand.
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The Scottish Ambulance Service is to trial a new system aimed at prioritising life-threatening calls such as car crashes and cardiac arrest. It said the proportion of calls requiring the fastest response time of eight minutes would fall by 74%. Other calls would be prioritised by clinical need, with no time target. The new model has three levels of response: The first category includes serious road accidents, patients who are unconscious and not breathing, and pregnant or very young patients. The second category includes people with chest pains, breathing problems or stroke symptoms. The service said a year-long review of clinical data found 103,708 calls were classed as needing an eight-minute response but this was later found unnnecessary. In response to a Liberal Democrat Freedom of Information request, the ambulance service said: "In terms of 999 calls, the proportion of calls categorised as requiring an eight-minute response will change from 30.6% of the total volume to approximately 8% of the total volume." Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "These new figures reveal that the number of calls requiring an eight-minute response is set to be cut by almost three-quarters as the service prioritises those calls which are the most urgent. "In August, Scottish Liberal Democrats highlighted the pressure our ambulance service was under when we uncovered that over 4,000 of the most urgent call-outs took longer than 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. "If this system can avoid this happening and ensure crews get to those suffering cardiac arrests or caught in car crashes even quicker, then it is worth piloting." Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Pauline Howie said the new system would save more lives and improve the quality of care for patients. He said: "The model is based on the most extensive, clinically-evidenced review of its kind ever undertaken in the UK, involving almost 500,000 patient cases. "This review will help us send patients the right response based on their health needs. "We will be able to respond faster to more patients with time-critical, immediately life-threatening conditions, such as cardiac arrest. These are patients who may only have minutes to live without intervention. "In other situations, we will safely and more effectively send more patients the response they need first time, improving clinical outcomes. Many patients whose lives are not in immediate danger will still receive a response within eight minutes even though this is not clinically required." Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: "I am persuaded by the extensive clinical evidence that has been put forward and know that patient safety is at the heart of these changes. "We are keeping these changes under close review over the next 12 months to ensure that we are seeing the improvements to patient safety and patient outcomes that are expected."
A new ambulance response system is expected to reduce the proportion of calls requiring the fastest call-out by almost three-quarters.
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The Sentinel-1a spacecraft has been put in orbit on a mission to map the planet's surface using radar. It will be followed by a fleet of other satellites - also called Sentinels - over the next five years. Brussels is describing its Copernicus programme as the biggest ever effort to characterise our world. When the full satellite system is operational, it will be producing daily some eight terabytes of data to detail the state of Earth's land surface, its oceans and its atmosphere. European nations have so far committed 7.5bn euros (£6.2bn; $10.3bn) to the project. But the vision for Copernicus is that it is unending - that every Sentinel satellite is replaced at the demise of its mission, ensuring there is continuity of information deep into this century. "Once all the Sentinel satellites have been launched, the Copernicus programme will be the most efficient and fullest Earth-observation programme in the world," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. "This investment will allow Europe to establish itself at the forefront of research and innovation in a cutting-edge sector - namely, space. Many skilled jobs have been created and many more are yet to come." The Soyuz carrying the first radar observer lifted clear of the Sinnamary launch pad on the Guianese coast at 18:02 local time (21:02 GMT; 22:02 BST). The ride to an altitude of 699km took 23 minutes. A signal confirming a clean separation for Sentinel-1a from the rocket was received shortly afterwards. Controllers at the European Space Agency's (Esa) operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, must now commission the spacecraft. The first hours will be spent sending commands to the satellite to get it to unpack its solar wings and the panels of its radar instrument. These were all folded to fit inside the Soyuz. The task should be complete by early morning on Friday, European time. Formal entry into service is expected in about three months' time, although it is likely that the platform will start imaging the Earth as early as next week to begin the process of instrument calibration. Radar has myriad uses, from monitoring shipping lanes for pollution or icebergs, to mapping land surfaces to track deforestation or the performance of rice production. However, a key use for Sentinel-1a will be in disaster response. Copernicus uses a range of technologies to get a broad picture of the health status of the planet Radar is especially good at detecting the extent of flood waters, and this type of image is also regularly employed following major earthquakes to assess the damage to infrastructure. Sentinel-1a will test a new laser-based data-relay system that will be at the heart of the Copernicus system. The technology, developed by German engineers, will not only handle more data than traditional downlinks but speed the information's receipt on Earth. "The laser terminal will reduce the access time to data from hours to minutes," explained Esa Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain. "In the case of natural catastrophes, saving time will save lives." Five further Sentinel-themed missions with different types of sensors should be in orbit by 2019. The idea is that the satellites are flown as pairs so that the revisit periods to locations on the Earth to take the next swath of images are kept as short as possible. Thus, a Sentinel-1b will be launched next year. Sentinels 1c and 1d will be sent up to take over observing duties when it looks like 1a and 1b might be about to fail. In this way, Copernicus and its dedicated Sentinels will start to build continuous, cross-calibrated, long-term datasets. These will be a boon to climate studies. But the EU hopes the data will prove to be a powerful tool also to help design and enforce community-wide polices, covering diverse areas such as fish stocks management, air quality regulation, and keeping track of waste disposal practices. Copernicus is the EU's second major space project after the Galileo satellite-navigation system, which is also in the process of roll-out. As with "Europe's GPS", Esa has been engaged as the procurement agent, designing the satellites' requirements and contracting with industry to produce them. Sentinel-1a's construction has been led by Thales Alenia Space (Italy/France), with its C-band radar instrument and electronics coming from Airbus (Germany and UK). Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
A Soyuz rocket has launched from French Guiana with the first satellite in the European Union's new multi-billion-euro Earth-observation programme.
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David Patrick Hughes, 19, struck three parked vehicles, knocked down a lamp post and damaged drain pipes outside five different High Road addresses. The chase on 9 May ended when he crashed his Audi A3 into a garden wall. Hughes, of Fell View Drive, Egremont, admitted 17 offences and was sentenced to nine months in jail suspended for two years at Carlisle Crown Court. He must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and was banned from driving for a year. The police chase came five days after Hughes sped away from officers and damaged a taxi in the same town. Judge Peter Davies said it was "two moments of madness".
An uninsured teenager driver damaged cars and houses during a police pursuit in Whitehaven, a court has heard.
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Raich Alcock, 52, made his way from Accrington town centre to Arnold Street at about 03:30 BST on 6 September. Lancashire Police said he collapsed when he got home after sustaining a serious head injury. Detectives believe this either happened on the way home or at his house. He died in hospital 10 days later. Police want to trace two men and a woman who walked the same route - from near Accrington town hall, across Eastgate and Friar Court, to Dowry Street. Det Insp Tim McDermott said: "We are trying to establish exactly what happened to Mr Alcock, from making that journey home to being found collapsed at his home later that morning after sustaining a serious head injury which later proved fatal. "We need anyone who may have seen him - the people described or knows anything that could help us with our investigation - to get in touch at their earliest opportunity." Christopher Singleton, 37, from Derby Street, Accrington has appeared at Preston Crown Court charged with Mr Alcock's murder. He has been remanded in custody to appear at the same court on 25 November for a plea and case management hearing. A 44-year-old Accrington man, arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting murder, has been released without charge.
Detectives investigating a fatal attack on a Lancashire man are appealing for three people who walked the same route home as him to come forward.
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The 63-year-old was airlifted to Glasgow's Southern General after the aircraft came down near the airstrip at Kingarth at about 15:45 on Saturday. He died on Sunday morning. The other person on board, a 52-year-old man, was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital and remains in a critical condition. The cause of the crash is being probed. It is believed the plane came down about 1km from the airstrip, in the south of the island. Police Scotland said it was working closely with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. It has asked for any video or mobile phone footage which may help with the inquiry. The 63-year-old's relatives have been informed of his death and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
A man who was on board a light aircraft which crashed on the Isle of Bute has died in hospital.
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The 24-year-old left-back was a free agent, having left the Seagulls earlier this summer following a three-year stint at the Amex Stadium. Chicksen only made two appearances for Brighton last season, in between loan spells at Leyton Orient and Gillingham. He becomes Charlton's 11th signing of the transfer window. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
League One side Charlton Athletic have signed former MK Dons and Brighton & Hove Albion defender Adam Chicksen on a one-year deal.
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Media playback is not supported on this device In far from ideal conditions, the Olympic champion was only 10cm below his season's best, set in April. "I've opened the season better than I've opened before," said Rutherford. "Touch wood it continues." Dafne Schippers won the women's 100m and Kim Collins, 40, the men's, while Tiffany Porter won the 100m hurdles. Media playback is not supported on this device World 200m champion Schippers took the women's 100m in 10.94 seconds on a chilly Friday night. Britain's European champion Porter came home first in the women's 100m hurdles, clocking 12.89 secs despite a scrappy performance. "The championships are the main focus. We're still in some heavy training so I'm pleased to come away with the win," said Porter, the world indoor 60m bronze medallist. Media playback is not supported on this device Former Commonwealth champion Kim Collins won the men's 100m in 10.08 secs, pushing reigning 60m world indoor champion Trayvon Bromell into second, with Britons Chijindu Ujah and Richard Kilty third and fourth. "When you step on the line age has nothing to do with it, you step on the line as men," said veteran St Kitts and Nevis sprinter Collins. "My personal goal is to be the first over-40 under 10 seconds in the 100m and then retire." Rutherford, returning from a three-month training block in Arizona to compete in Manchester, said adjusting to the British weather was "a bit of a shock". "We're hopefully going to have a good run into the Olympics," he added. "It's always at the back of your mind. Ultimately, you want to set yourself up for a good Olympic Games. Not many people have retained it and I've got a good as chance as any." Elsewhere, Britain's Harry Aikines-Aryeetey won the men's 150m in 15.10 secs, compatriot Sebastian Rodger claimed victory in the men's 200m hurdles (22.66 secs) and America's Ryan Wilson won the men's 110m hurdles (13.62 secs). In the women's pole vault, America's Katie Nageotte won with a 4.50m vault, while Germany's Laura Muller won the women's 200m in 23.11 secs.
Britain's Greg Rutherford continued his impressive start to the season with a Games record 8.20m to win the long jump at the Great CityGames in Manchester.
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Ofcom chief executive Sharon White said in a speech in London on Wednesday night that "four operators is a competitive number". The proposed £10.2bn ($15.6bn) deal would reduce the number of UK mobile networks from four to three. She said mobile operators implied that the UK market was "too competitive". Ms White also said they claimed that profit margins were too low. O2 is owned by Spain's Telefonica, while Three is owned by Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. "Consolidation can in theory have benefits - improving economies of scale and making it easier to finance investment. However, Ofcom's experience is that competition, not consolidation, drives investment and delivers low prices," Ms White said. Having four UK networks had delivered "good results for consumers and sustainable returns for companies", she added. The Ofcom chief said a combined Three/O2 would have a market share of more than 40% and would remove the "competitive new entrant" in Three. Her comments follow last week's warning by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that the merger threatened to "affect significantly competition" in both the retail and wholesale mobile markets. The CMA has asked the European Commission for the right to investigate the deal, rather than the EC, as it said the deal mostly affected UK consumers. It also argued there were "clear links" between this deal and BT's £12.5bn deal to buy EE. The EC must decide by 30 October whether to allow the CMA to investigate. Ms White said this was a crucial period for the telecoms market. "The scale of change in the next 12 months and beyond could dwarf what we have seen over the last 10 years. If the current merger wave continues, there are risks to consumers and businesses who have enjoyed one of the most competitive markets of recent years," she said.
The UK telecoms watchdog has cast doubt on the merger of O2 and Three winning regulatory approval.
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Fr John McManus, from Portaferry, County Down, stepped aside in March 2011 during an investigation. In June 2012, the Public Prosecution Service decided he had no case to answer. Fr McManus told parishioners he was "delighted and privileged" to be joining them in celebrating Mass. "The last time I celebrated Mass in this Church of Saint Patrick was on 9 March 2011, Ash Wednesday, when I informed you that I had requested administrative leave from ministry for the duration of the necessary inquiries. "Since then, I have been very much at home living here among you. "I wish to thank especially my family, my neighbours and friends of all faiths and none for their support and kindness shown to me during this time." Police conducted an inquiry after a complaint was made to the Diocese of Down and Connor's child safeguarding office. Fr McManus was a former press spokesperson for the diocese and a member of its committee that oversees the safeguarding of children. He celebrated Mass in Portaferry on Saturday and Ballygalget on Sunday along with Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor. Bishop Treanor said Fr McManus had co-operated fully with a "thorough investigation by the police and the Public Prosecution Service", as well as an inquiry within the Catholic Church. He told churchgoers that the "canonical judicial inquiry concluded that there were not and are not any safeguarding issues that prevent his return to ministry". "I wish Fr John many happy years of fruitful ministry after the past four and a half years, during which time he has been supported by his family, by friends and by you, his parishioners."
A senior priest who was cleared of abuse allegations more than three years ago has returned to his duties.
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Jerry Yates tapped home Tom Adeyemi's cross on his debut to give the Millers an early lead. Norwich were then reduced to 10 men on 18 minutes when forward Oliveira seemed to strike the face of Kirk Broadfoot. Cameron Jerome's header gave the Canaries hope of a draw after the break, but Adeyemi nodded in against his former club to earn three points. Rotherham, who have the worst defensive record in the division this season and are bottom of the Championship, took the lead in the seventh minute. But the game came to a head after an unsavoury incident between Oliveria and Broadfoot. Centre-half Broadfoot was initially fouled and whilst down on the floor, Oliveira appeared to hit the the Rotherham player in the face and was immediately dismissed by referee Geoff Eltringham. It got even worse for Norwich when their influential midfielder Jonny Howson hobbled off injured. Despite pulling a goal back, Rotherham showed resilience to earn a vital win in their fight against relegation. Norwich's ninth defeat in 13 Championship games means they fall to 11th in the table, eight points off the play-off places. Rotherham caretaker manager Paul Warne: "I didn't think many people would give us a chance and I thought that would be in our favour. "Norwich came here today and I bet their staff did everything they could to say that it would be a difficult game, but I know how it works, they would have expected to beat the bottom of the league. "We haven't got as good as players as Norwich have, that's a fact. We set them up to play ugly and it caused them problems. "I still don't think a managerial career is for me but while the chairman has asked me to do it I will give it everything I have got." Norwich manager Alex Neil: "I have spoken to Jez Moxey (chief executive) and Delia Smith (owner) and the message is that it was a disappointing day and the decisions haven't helped us. "We didn't start playing until the man was sent off. We got ourselves back into the game and then gave away a sloppy goal. The damage was done in the early part of the game. "Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, that happens when you're on a poor run." Match ends, Rotherham United 2, Norwich City 1. Second Half ends, Rotherham United 2, Norwich City 1. Offside, Norwich City. Wes Hoolahan tries a through ball, but Timm Klose is caught offside. Attempt saved. Timm Klose (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Wes Hoolahan. Attempt blocked. Alex Pritchard (Norwich City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kyle Lafferty. Foul by Cameron Jerome (Norwich City). Richard Wood (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Lewis Price (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Cameron Jerome (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Alex Pritchard with a cross following a set piece situation. Steven Naismith (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jerry Yates (Rotherham United). Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Will Vaulks (Rotherham United). Offside, Rotherham United. Darnell Fisher tries a through ball, but Anthony Forde is caught offside. Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Anthony Forde. Attempt blocked. Steven Whittaker (Norwich City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Wes Hoolahan. Steven Naismith (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jerry Yates (Rotherham United). Attempt blocked. Steven Whittaker (Norwich City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Foul by Steven Naismith (Norwich City). Tom Adeyemi (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Norwich City. Kyle Lafferty replaces Alexander Tettey. Attempt missed. Darnell Fisher (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Anthony Forde. Ivo Pinto (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Joe Mattock (Rotherham United). Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United). Attempt blocked. Jon Taylor (Rotherham United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jerry Yates. Attempt saved. Will Vaulks (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by John Ruddy. Attempt saved. Anthony Forde (Rotherham United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Darnell Fisher. Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Will Vaulks (Rotherham United). Substitution, Norwich City. Alex Pritchard replaces Jacob Murphy. Substitution, Rotherham United. Jon Taylor replaces Joe Newell. Attempt missed. Jerry Yates (Rotherham United) with an attempt from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Tom Adeyemi with a cross. Offside, Norwich City. Wes Hoolahan tries a through ball, but Jacob Murphy is caught offside. Attempt saved. Kirk Broadfoot (Rotherham United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Anthony Forde with a cross. Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Russell Martin. Offside, Rotherham United. Darnell Fisher tries a through ball, but Jerry Yates is caught offside.
Championship strugglers Rotherham beat 10-man Norwich as Nelson Oliveria was sent off early for violent conduct.
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It follows an alleged row with a security guard before a show near Byron Bay on 2 January. According to a police statement the Brooklyn rapper, 19, was walking towards the stage at The Falls Music and Arts Festival when he was asked to prove his identity. Badass allegedly punched the 20-year-old guard, breaking his nose, before going on stage to perform his set. The rapper, whose real name is Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, was later charged with assault causing bodily harm and spent the night in police custody, the statement added. He could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison if convicted. Badass appeared in Lismore Local Court on 3 January and was released on unconditional bail, court official Melissa Everson said. She added that the rapper would not be required to appear when the charge is next listed in Byron Bay Local Court on 19 March. He is free to fly back to the United States and will be represented in court by a lawyer. Everson would not say whether the rapper had entered a plea at this stage. Badass, who is the co-founder of the hip-hop collective Pro Era, is set to play four shows in Australia and New Zealand over the next week. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube
Joey Badass has been charged with assault in an Australian court.
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Julie Bradford, 45, had baby Jack for daughter Jessica Jenkins, whose cancer treatment left her infertile. Jessica, 21, from Rhymney, had her eggs frozen at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales before her treatment for cervical cancer began three years ago. She said Jack, who was born last Friday weighing 6lb 10oz, was "perfect in every way". "My mam is the most brave and amazing woman in the world. I love her so much for giving me my son," Jessica said. "From a young age I longed to become a mother and our dream has come true." Jessica and her husband Rees decided to pursue IVF earlier this year after she had been in remission since the summer of 2014. She was diagnosed in 2013, aged 18, after doctors initially thought she was too young to have cervical cancer. Jessica said: "They managed to take 21 eggs before I started chemo but only 10 survived and they were made into embryos and grown for two weeks then frozen. "In May this year we had an embryo defrosted and implanted into my mother's womb for her to be the little oven helping our Jelly Bean grow." Jessica and her mother want the age for routine smear tests for women in Wales to be lowered from 24. Julie, from Rhymney, Caerphilly, said the last three years had been the "absolute worst" but she had the chance to "put things right". She had felt useless while Jessica was "in agony" with cancer, she said. "I've always known from a young age Jess has longed to become a mother just like I did. When cancer took the chance away for her to carry her own child we were all heartbroken. "I decided that if I could be Jess' surrogate then I would have the control again. It had been "an honour" to carry the couple's child, she added. "We've spent a lot of time in hospitals and it has become normal to us. I'm just so happy that this last visit was for such a wonderful reason." Canadian woman, 96, becomes a great-great-great grandmother Caesarean births 'affecting human evolution'
A woman has given birth to her own grandchild by having a surrogate baby for her daughter.
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Thomas's birthday cake design beat off fierce competition from more than 2,000 school children across south Wales. The first strike of the medal will be presented to the Queen to wish her a happy birthday. The pupil attended the Llantrisant-based mint in to see how and where his medal was made. As part of his prize, his class will join a schools workshop at The Royal Mint Experience, the organisation's visitor attraction. The Royal Mint Museum's education manager, Lucy-Ann Pickering, said: "We would like to thank the primary school children of south Wales for their overwhelming response to this competition." In 1967, the Royal Mint moved to Llantrisant in Rhondda Cynon Taff from London's Tower Hill where it makes billions of coins a year.
A seven-year-old from Cwmbran has designed both sides of the Queen's 90th birthday medal for the Royal Mint.
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Gabon president Ali Bongo Ondimba, Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Caf president Issa Hayatou were all in attendance at the ceremony. The Mascot sports Gabon's blue and yellow colours and Samba means hello and welcome in local Bantu language. Gabon will be hosting the continental tournament for the second time. They previously co-organised the competition with Equatorial Guinea in 2012. 'Sense of unity, equality and inclusion' The black panther is a national symbol of Gabon and demonstrates the Central African nation's long term commitment to environmental protection, which includes creating a sanctuary for the some of the world's most fragile species. President Ali Bongo Ondimba said: "I am thrilled today to see the Black Panthers play in this packed stadium where Gabonese from all walks of life are gathered to share their common passion for the game. "Football, like no other sport, creates a sense of unity, equality and inclusion. All of these are at the heart of my vision for a changing Gabon. "It is a pleasure to welcome the new president of Fifa, on his first trip to Africa, to see for himself the great welcome our country will give all participants and visitors to next year's tournament." Infantino arrived on Friday in Franceville on the last leg of a three-day Africa trip that took him to South Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The Group I match between Gabon and Sierra Leone ended 2-1 to the hosts but it was a friendly and points will not count towards qualification for the 2017 Nations Cup finals. Gabon is currently constructing two stadiums in Port-Gentil and the northern town of Oyem for January's tournament, with the capacity of 20,000 and 20,500 respectively. The Central African country will use four venues for the 16-team tournament, which will take place from 14 January to 5 February - these will be in Libreville, Franceville, Port Gentil and Oyem.
Gabon unveiled the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations mascot, a black panther named Samba, before their match with Sierra Leone in Franceville on Friday.
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Colby resident John Donald Collister, 93, left his estate, valued at £1m, to the Manx nation following his death in 2007. Director of MNH Edmund Southworth said: "This gift has the potential to make an enormous difference to heritage on the Isle of Man." MNH first became aware it had been mentioned as a beneficiary in 2011. Mr Southworth said it first heard the news in July when the administrator issued a claim in the High Court seeking the assistance of the court in the interpretation of Mr Collister's will. He said: "In may ways he was an ordinary man but this is an extraordinary story." Mr Collister, who worked as a painter, served in World War II with the Manx Regiment in Crete and north Africa and then returned to his trade in civilian life. "History books are all about kings and queens and the ordinary man tends not to appear, but we now have an opportunity to change that, so that Mr Collister will be remembered for what he had done for this island," added Mr Southworth. The Manx Museum and National Trust are now seeking views on how to best use the money. Suggestions must focus on Manx heritage and must specifically benefit the people and visitors to the Isle of Man.
Manx National Heritage (MNH) has launched a public consultation on how to use its largest ever donation.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The 35-year-old, who also won silver in 1996, overtakes Dane Paul Elvstrom, who won four golds up to 1960. Britain's Ainslie came ninth in a tense Finn medal race to edge long-time regatta leader Jonas Hogh-Christensen of Denmark into silver. France's Jonathan Lobert won the medal race to grab bronze from the Netherlands' Pieter-Jan Postma. Ainslie was handed a union jack and a flare after crossing the line and sailed past the huge, cheering crowds on the Weymouth shore. "It's times like this you are supposed to come out with something clever but I can't think of anything," said Ainslie, who won silver and gold in the Laser class before switching to the heavyweight Finn dinghy to win further Olympic titles in Athens and Beijing. "I am speechless. I am just so glad for everyone who has supported me over the last four years. It has been an amazing Olympics. "After six races I was in a bit of trouble. Thankfully I turned things around and got it right when it counted. Media playback is not supported on this device "It's been incredibly hard - there's a huge amount of pressure to perform at a home Games. It's been the hardest couple of weeks of my life but you just have to get on with the job. "This was one of the hardest courses I have raced on and I don't want to do anything like that again." Ainslie had trailed Hogh-Christensen all week and had not beaten the Dane until the seventh race of the regatta. He narrowed the gap to just two points on the final day of fleet racing and went into the medal race needing to finish ahead of Hogh-Christensen, and in the top six if Postma won. Most observers expected an aggressive match-race between Ainslie and Hogh-Christensen and the Briton tracking his rival around the committee boat in the pre-start manoeuvring. Ainslie got a slow start before sailing off to the right side of the course, which he had identified as being where there was most wind. He went around the first mark in fifth, with Postma behind him and the Dane in ninth. Ainslie climbed to second at the first downwind mark but then slipped back to join Hogh-Christensen at the back of the fleet. 1 Ainslie 46pts 2 Hogh-Christensen 46pts 3Lobert 49pts 4 Postma 52pts 5 Kljakovic Gaspic 55pts But the Briton was perilously close to losing gold with Postma in third and attacking New Zealand for second. Postma, though, hit Kiwi Dan Slater's boat on the final upwind leg and had to take a penalty turn which dropped him to fifth at the finish. Ainslie and Hogh-Christensen came home ninth and 10th and the Briton's coronation was confirmed. "You can never say never but I don't think I can sail one of these again, it's killing my body," said Ainslie. "I don't think you will see me in Rio [for the 2016 Olympics]. But it's the best way to bow out at a home Olympics. "I learned to sail for fun so it's been a long road but I have had a lot of support over the years and I am just so glad to have done it."
Ben Ainslie clinched his fourth straight gold medal to become the most decorated Olympic sailor in history.
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The visitors - without their 2016-17 top scorer Chris Wood, who is close to joining Burnley - were clinical on Wearside and deserved their victory. Samuel Saiz's crisp low finish across goal gave them a 1-0 half-time lead. Stuart Dallas headed in Saiz's second-half cross to secure the Whites' second league win from their first four games. Sunderland, who had begun the day level on points with Leeds with five from a possible nine, lacked cutting edge in the final third. The hosts' best chance came in the first half, as Lewis Grabban's effort was headed off the line and up on to the crossbar by Liam Cooper. Leeds' victory was their second from two away games this term and came after consecutive goalless draws at home. Christiansen's side are one of only three teams in the Championship still yet to be defeated, after four games, together with early leaders Cardiff and Ipswich. Sunderland manager Simon Grayson told BBC Newcastle: "For 20 minutes we were dominant. We asked a lot of questions of them. "I don't think (Liam) Cooper knew too much about it when it hit him on the head and hit the bar - 70 seconds later it's in the back of our next. Those are the fine margins in a football match. "From then onwards, I don't think you can fault the players' effort or commitment, but it was just that final ball that really matters, when you're trying to get back in to a game." Leeds head coach Thomas Christiansen told BBC Radio Leeds: "I don't know if it's the best performance (in my time here so far) but it comes in the best moment, especially when the team needed it. "We had the circumstances: Barcelona for me, personally, but also for the team, that Chris Wood will leave the team. "There is no one above Leeds. Everyone worked for the same goal. Today was proof again that we are not winning games because of the individual player, but as the team." Match ends, Sunderland 0, Leeds United 2. Second Half ends, Sunderland 0, Leeds United 2. Foul by Joel Asoro (Sunderland). Vurnon Anita (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Joel Asoro (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by George Honeyman. Offside, Sunderland. Jason Steele tries a through ball, but Aiden McGeady is caught offside. Attempt missed. Billy Jones (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Aiden McGeady with a cross. Attempt missed. Tyias Browning (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by George Honeyman. Attempt blocked. Aiden McGeady (Sunderland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by George Honeyman. George Honeyman (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Mateusz Klich (Leeds United). Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Ezgjan Alioski (Leeds United) because of an injury. Didier Ndong (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Didier Ndong (Sunderland). Ezgjan Alioski (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Pontus Jansson. Substitution, Leeds United. Mateusz Klich replaces Samuel Sáiz. Aiden McGeady (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United). George Honeyman (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Eunan O'Kane (Leeds United). Luke Ayling (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lewis Grabban (Sunderland). Goal! Sunderland 0, Leeds United 2. Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Samuel Sáiz with a cross following a fast break. Foul by Eunan O'Kane (Leeds United). Didier Ndong (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Sunderland. Joel Asoro replaces Lee Cattermole. Attempt saved. Ezgjan Alioski (Leeds United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Samuel Sáiz. Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Kalvin Phillips. Attempt blocked. Billy Jones (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by George Honeyman. Foul by Samuel Sáiz (Leeds United). Lee Cattermole (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Ezgjan Alioski (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Lamine Koné (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card for hand ball. Hand ball by Lamine Koné (Sunderland). Felix Wiedwald (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card. Offside, Sunderland. George Honeyman tries a through ball, but Aiden McGeady is caught offside. Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Pontus Jansson. Liam Cooper (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Leeds maintained their unbeaten start under new boss Thomas Christiansen while inflicting a first loss of the season on Simon Grayson's Sunderland.
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In some parts of the globe, the ground is going down 10 times faster than the water is rising, with the causes very often being driven by human activity. Decades of ground water extraction saw Tokyo descend two metres before the practice was stopped. Speaking at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly, researchers said other cities must follow suit. Gilles Erkens from the Deltares Research Institute, in Utrecht, in the Netherlands, said parts of Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and numerous other coastal urban settlements would sink below sea level unless action was taken. His group's assessment of those cities found them to be in various stages of dealing with their problems, but also identified best practice that could be shared. "Land subsidence and sea level rise are both happening, and they are both contributing to the same problem - larger and longer floods, and bigger inundation depth of floods," Dr Erkens told BBC News. "The most rigorous solution and the best one is to stop pumping groundwater for drinking water, but then of course you need a new source of drinking water for these cities. But Tokyo did that and subsidence more or less stopped, and in Venice, too, they have done that." The famous City of Water in north-east Italy experienced major subsidence in the last century due to the constant extraction of water from below ground. When that was halted, subsequent studies in the 2000s suggested the major decline had been arrested. Pietro Teatini's research indicates that significant instances of descent were now restricted to particular locations, and practices: "When some people restore their buildings, for example, they load them, and they can go down significantly by up to 5mm in a year." How far they descended would depend on the type and compaction of soils underneath those buildings, the University of Padova researcher added. Like all cities, Venice has to deal with natural subsidence as well. Large-scale geological processes are pushing the ground on which the city sits down and under Italy's Apennine Mountains. This of itself probably accounts for a subsidence of about 1mm each year. But on the whole, human-driven change has a greater magnitude than natural subsidence. Scientists now have a very powerful tool to assess these issues. It is called Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. By overlaying repeat satellite images of a specific location, it is possible to discern millimetric deformation of the ground. Archives of this imagery extend back into the 1990s, allowing long time-series of change to be assessed. The European Space Agency has just launched the Sentinel-1a radar satellite, which is expected to be a boon to this type of study. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
Subsiding land is a bigger immediate problem for the world's coastal cities than sea level rise, say scientists.
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Health watchdog Monitor has appointed an "improvement director" to work with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. It comes after an inquiry was ordered in the wake of Connor Sparrowhawk's death while in Southern Health's care. An emergency board meeting was held on Monday after the inquiry showed the trust failed to investigate his and other deaths. The trust has apologised for failings and said systems have improved. Monitor said the trust would now receive "expert support to improve the way it investigates and reports deaths" of people with learning disabilities. Mazars, an audit firm, published a report on Southern Health in December which said the deaths of mental health and learning-disability patients were not properly examined between April 2011 and March 2015. It blamed a "failure of leadership" at the foundation trust. The report was ordered in 2013 after Connor, 18, drowned in a bath following an epileptic seizure while a patient in a Southern Health hospital in Oxford. An independent inquiry said his death had been preventable, and an inquest jury found neglect by the trust had contributed to his death. Monitor said when investigating, the trust also failed to engage properly with families. The foundation trust covers Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and provides mental health services to about 45,000 people. Monitor has taken regulatory action and the trust has agreed to implement changes. Katrina Percy, chief executive of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We have agreed with Monitor that we will take a number of steps to show how we are improving. "These are implement the recommendations of the Mazars report through a comprehensive action plan, get assurance from independent experts on this action plan and work with an improvement director appointed by Monitor."
A health trust that failed to properly investigate hundreds of deaths is to be monitored by an external expert.
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Dywedodd David Davis mai sicrhau nad yw unrhyw ran o'r DU ar ei cholled yw bwriad trafodaethau Brexit. Roedd Mr Davis yn siarad yn Nhŷ'r Cyffredin wrth i'r llywodraeth gyhoeddi papur gwyn ar Brexit, fydd yn amlinellu'r strategaeth wrth adael yr UE. Gofynnodd AS Ceidwadol Sir Drefaldwyn, Glyn Davies, os allai'r ysgrifennydd gadarnhau y byddai Cymru'n rhan o bob trafodaeth o hyn ymlaen. Dywedodd Mr Davis: "Rydyn ni wedi cael nifer o gyfarfodydd o'r cyd-bwyllgor gweinidogion, dau dan arweiniad y prif weinidog, a thri dan fy arweiniad i. "Rydyn ni wedi bod i Gymru i weld Llywodraeth Cymru a thrafod rhai o'r materion yma." Dywedodd y byddai un o weinidogion adran Brexit, David Jones, yn cyfarfod gyda'r pwyllgor materion Cymreig yn fuan, gan ychwanegu: "Rydyn ni'n ystyried buddiannau Cymru o ddifrif a byddwn yn gweithredu'r trafodaethau yma fel nad oes unrhyw ran o'r DU yn methu allan. Dyna'r bwriad." Gofynnodd AS Llafur, Madeleine Moon i Mr Davis sicrhau y byddai mynediad heb dariffau i farchnadoedd Ewrop i weithwyr mewn ffatrïoedd ceir a dur yn ne Cymru. Atebodd: "Mae pob rheswm i ddisgwyl y gallwn ni lwyddo yn yr hyn yr ydyn ni'n bwriadu ei wneud sef amddiffyn swyddi ei hetholwyr." Wrth ymateb i'r papur gwyn, dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru: "Roedd y Prif Weinidog a'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Brexit gyda ni yng Nghaerdydd ddydd Llun i drafod llawer o'r materion hyn, ac felly mae'n hynod siomedig nad oedd Llywodraeth y DU wedi rhannu'r ddogfen gyda ni cyn ei chyhoeddi. "Bydd angen mwy o amser i asesu'r papur gwyn yn fwy gofalus cyn ymrwymo'n llawn. Ond fe fyddwn yn dweud ein bod yn croesawu'r ffaith fod Llywodraeth y DU wedi dechrau adlewyrchu ar rai o'r negeseuon yn ein papur gwyn ein hunain, Sicrhau Dyfodol Cymru. "Mae'n drawiadol fod y pwyslais, hanner ffordd drwy'r ddogfen, yn symud i ymateb i'r materion economaidd fydd yn wynebu'r DU yn dilyn Brexit. Mae hyn yn gyferbyniad trawiadol i'n papur gwyn ein hunain ac mae'n cryfhau ein safbwynt mai blaenoriaeth fwyaf y DU yw sicrhau mynediad llawn a dilyffethair i'r Farchnad Sengl. "Rydym yn croesawu'n ofalus y sicrwydd na fydd Llywodraeth y DU yn 'cipio tir' o ran grymoedd sydd wedi eu datganoli, ond rydym yn credu fod y ddogfen yn adlewyrchu diffyg dealltwriaeth o sail gyfreithiol a chyfansoddiadol y setliad datganoli. Ac rydym yn parhau i aros i gael ein darbwyllo fod y neges am ddatganoli'n gyntaf yn cyrraedd pawb yn San Steffan. "Ar wariant a grymoedd fe fyddwn yn chwilio am sicrwydd mwy eglur yng nghyfarfod nesaf y cydbwyllgor gweinidogion." Dadansoddiad Bethan Lewis, gohebydd gwleidyddol BBC Cymru, o'r papur gwyn: Mae'r Prif Weinidog Theresa May eisoes wedi datgan ei gweledigaeth mewn araith, ond nawr mae wedi ei gyhoeddi ar ddu a gwyn. Daeth y Llywodraeth dan bwysau gan rai o'i haelodau seneddol ei hun i roi mwy o gig ar yr asgwrn. A dyna fwriad y papur gwyn yma. Mae'n rhoi mwy o fanylion am 12 egwyddor sy'n ganolog i strategaeth Prydain wrth adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Yn eu plith mae cryfhau'r Deyrnas Gyfunol a sicrhau bargen sy'n gweithio i bob rhan ohoni. Mae 'na addewidion i sicrhau bod barn Gweinidogion Cymru'n cael eu clywed, a datganiadau sy'n trio tawelu eu meddyliau ynglŷn â rhai meysydd allweddol - dyfodol ariannu prosiectau Ewropeaidd a thaliadau i ffermwyr. Ac mae'n pwysleisio eto na fydd pwerau sy' wedi eu datganoli ar hyn o bryd yn cael eu tynnu'n ôl i Lundain o ganlyniad i Brexit. Cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru a Phlaid Cymru eu papur gwyn eu hunain wythnos diwethaf. Ar berthynas Prydain gyda'r farchnad sengl ac ar fewnfudo, mae 'na bellter sylweddol rhwng llywodraethau Prydain a Chymru. Bydd y ddogfen yma'n sail i fisoedd o drafod - ond mae yna gwestiynau di-ri yn parhau.
Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Brexit wedi dweud wrth ASau bod Llywodraeth y DU yn "ystyried buddiannau Cymru o ddifrif" wrth baratoi i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd.
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Amtrak's plans include expanding high-speed trains between Washington DC and Boston. The vice president said "America needs to go big on infrastructure" investment. Rail infrastructure in the US lags many other developed countries, particularly in terms of high-speed trains. The new trains, which Amtrak expects to begin running in 2021, will have initial speeds of up to 160mph, but will be capable of speeds up to 186mph. "We need these kinds of investments to keep this region - and our whole country - moving, and to create new jobs," said Mr Biden. America's Northeast corridor, which includes Washington, New York City, and Boston is one of the country's busiest route networks. Amtrak recorded 11.7 million riders along that route in 2015 - its highest number on record. "The Northeast corridor is a national economic engine that carries a workforce contributing $50bn annually to the national GDP," said New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
US vice president Joe Biden has announced plans to lend railway operator Amtrak $2.45bn (£1.86bn) to expand services and make upgrades.
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The 20-year-old made eight appearances, scoring once, in a season which was disrupted by injury. "The gaffer (Darren Way) has shown faith in me after I have been out injured and for that I would like to thank him," he told the club website. "You can see the gaffer is doing well here and young players are given an opportunity to prove themselves."
Yeovil Town defender Omar Sowunmi has agreed a new two-year contract with the League Two club.
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Craig Nairn tried to break the windscreen with his prosthetic limb after the lorry was blown over in high winds at Ruskington, near Sleaford. Eventually the glass broke with the help of his friend, Lincolnshire's Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Stuart Tweedale, who used a hammer. Mr Tweedale said the driver was dragged out shaken but unhurt from the cab. "I decided that I was going to make use of my prosthetic leg and try smash a bit of the glass out... So it did come in handy. Damaged it a little bit but it helped to save a man's life," said Mr Nairn. "My leg can be repaired or replaced but the man's life is well and alive." The pair were travelling independently of each other on the B1188 on Thursday afternoon when they both came across the lorry, which was on its side and had shed its load of straw bales with diesel fuel leaking out from the vehicle. Despite their best efforts neither of the two could get the driver out and in a last-ditch attempt Mr Nairn, who lost his leg in a road accident 10 years ago, tried to use his prosthetic limb before the pair turned to a hammer. "I was just doing what any normal person would do," said Mr Tweedale. "You just never know what's going to happen and I thought that diesel and straw was certainly not a good combination so it was best to get the poor driver out as soon as possible. "Thankfully I don't think he was injured but a little shaken by the experience."
A man used his false leg to try to smash an overturned lorry's window to rescue the driver during Storm Doris.
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It has backed a dedicated NSPCC helpline set up for victims of sexual abuse in the game. The move comes after a number of former players in England revealed they were abused by coaches as youngsters. The charity told BBC Scotland it had received calls from across the UK since it was launched on Thursday. Former Manchester City and England player David White is among several who claim they were abused by former Crewe Alexandra coach Barry Bennell. The 62-year-old was jailed in 1998 for sex offences against children and was imprisoned again last year. In the same year, James Torbett, a former coach at Celtic Boys' Club, was convicted of abusing three young players, including former Scotland international Alan Brazil. Donna Martin, the Scottish FA's child wellbeing and protection manager, said: "The safety and wellbeing of children is of paramount importance to the Scottish FA, and significant steps have been taken to ensure that their protection is integral to Scottish football's decision-making processes. "The Scottish FA takes its role as the governing body of the national game seriously. "We would urge anyone with any information relating to abuse or inappropriate behaviour - whether current or historic - to get in touch via the NSPCC's helpline, or childrenswellbeing@scottishfa.co.uk." Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, Tam Baillie, told BBC Radio Scotland the latest allegations may be the tip of the iceberg. "I fear we are on the brink on many more revelations," he said. Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "I think we should commend people who've been brave enough to speak out and certainly the early signs are very worrying." Mr Baillie praised the SFA for the speed of its response to the allegations. He said: "The cultural shift that's required is that people feel confident that when they come forward they will be believed, whereas previously we know from painful experience that's not been the case. "I think there's been an encouraging shift towards belief rather than trying to deal with it by sweeping it under the carpet and not acknowledging it." He added: "If any good can come of this, it would shift that macho culture to be much more willing to look at how we better protect children in all sports to ensure we don't have a repetition." Jim Gamble, the former chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, said sports clubs were a "perfect environment" for abusers. "Sport and clubs that bring young people together to participate in sport creates almost a perfect storm," he told the John Beattie programme. "You have young people who aspire to be something special. You're putting them in proximity to people they admire, people they sometimes put on pedestals, and the trust and the intimacy of the relationships that will develop as they work together can be the perfect facilitator for abuse. "So I'm not surprised this has happened in football, I would shocked if it wasn't happening in every type of organisation that brings together aspirational young people with adults and individuals they admire." John Cameron of the NSPCC, said the new helpline had received calls from people with information about historic abuse from across the UK. It has also been alerted to concerns about possible abuse of children currently involved in the game. He said the response was very similar to that which followed the exposure of Jimmy Savile's crimes. Both instances were an "abuse of authority and power", he said. "There were people in authority, in the past, where allegations have been made against them, where people found it extremely difficult to speak out," he added. "And if you look at the victims who came to our helplines during the Savile, Operation Yewtree investigation, we're hearing very similar tales of the difficulty, not being taken seriously if you did speak out, fearful of the implications if you did so." Mr Cameron said some of the information the NSPCC had received had been passed on to the police. "There are a number of people who have given us potential identifying information of alleged offenders and we are liaising directly with the police up and down the UK," he said. He said background checks on potential employees were only as good as the information held on the individual by police and courts. And he called for "robust recruitment processes" which would prevent potential abusers obtaining jobs in football.
The Scottish FA is supporting a campaign to encourage anyone with knowledge of child abuse in football to speak out.
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The firms are worried about the phrasing of proposals on encryption, bulk collection of data and openness. The submission joins another, from Apple, which challenges the reach of the draft legislation. If passed, the IP Bill would overhaul rules on how authorities access people's communications. The five firms form part of a coalition called Reform Government Surveillance (RGS) which aims to promote a series of principles on how governments should collect communications data on their citizens. "There are many aspects of the Bill which we believe remain opaque," the RGS companies state in their written evidence, citing the wording on judicial authorisation, encryption and technical requirements on tech firms among other things. Their comments come in the form of written evidence submitted to a parliamentary committee considering the scope of the bill. Currently, several of the corporations involved are standing by the provision of end-to-end encryption in some of their products - such as Apple's iPhones. This allows people to communicate privately in a form that cannot be decoded, even by the company which makes the device. The IP Bill would not outlaw encryption, but it would strengthen the power to force firms to give up decryption keys so that coded messages might be read. On this issue, the tech firms rally behind comments made to the committee by Apple. "We reject any proposals that would require companies to deliberately weaken the security of their products via backdoors, forced decryption, or any other means," the companies say. There has been some question over whether companies could or should be compelled to insert "back doors" in their software - allowing intelligence agencies to access data which they transmit or store. One key issue raised is that of extraterritorial jurisdiction - the extent to which UK authorities can compel foreign companies to comply with their laws. "We have collective experience around the world of personnel who have nothing to do with the data sought being arrested or intimidated in an attempt to force an overseas corporation to disclose user information," state the RGS firms in their written evidence. "We do not believe that the UK wants to legitimise this lawless and heavy-handed practice." The submission notes that other countries around the world are likely to be influenced by what sort of laws are laid down in the UK and warns against "an increasingly chaotic international legal system". There is also a comment on how surveillance might be made more transparent. "As a general rule, users should be informed when the government seeks access to account data," the companies say. "It is important both in terms of transparency, as well as affording users the right to protect their own legal rights." If it is deemed necessary to delay notice in exceptional cases, the firms argue that the burden should be on the government to show that there is an overriding public safety case for doing so. "I think it's very interesting how strongly the 'big players' of the internet have responded to the UK government's surveillance plans," said Paul Bernal, a legal expert at the University of East Anglia who also submitted evidence to the committee. "The breadth of the intervention is remarkable - they haven't kept to purely technical matters, but talk about judicial authorisation, transparency and so forth," he told the BBC. "This breadth shows how seriously they are taking the issue." Dr Bernal also pointed out that the firms had raised the issue of "technical impositions" - the requirements that would be placed on communications companies by the bill should it become law. Vodafone, in a separate submission, also commented on the obligation to obtain and generate data, saying: "There is nothing within the draft bill to indicate what this might mean, and could be used to require an operator to make changes to its networks and services simply to get more data — even relating to other companies' services — and to hold on to it for law enforcement." Alongside the silicon valley firms expressing some anxiety over the draft IP Bill is the UK's own Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). In an 11-page submission to the parliamentary committee, the ICO praises some of the bill's proposals while questioning the reach of others, including the retention of internet connection records (ICRs). ICRs are the domain names of websites visited by internet users, but not records of specific pages. "Although these are portrayed as conveying limited information about an individual they can, in reality, go much further and can reveal a great deal about the behaviours and activities of an individual," the ICO says. Among other concerns, the ICO also highlights a clause in the draft bill which enables the secretary of state to force the removal of electronic protections on communications data. The consequences of this clause could be "far-reaching" and have "detrimental consequences to the security of data", the ICO warns. "The Information Commissioner's comments will carry particular weight since he is a government-appointed official whose job it is to protect the public's information," commented the BBC's security correspondent, Gordon Corera. "His concerns echo some of those of the tech companies that some of the language in the act - for instance on encryption and equipment interference - is unclear and could have a real impact on the security and privacy of individuals' data."
Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo have expressed concerns to the UK Parliament over the draft Investigatory Powers Bill (IP Bill).
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Dylan Jackson, 20, of Crosby Close, Wolverhampton, attacked 46-year-old Herman 'Louis' Simpson at his home in Wolverhampton on 13 April. Following a police manhunt he was arrested in Bath on 29 April. Jackson was found guilty by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court and is set to be sentenced at a later date. Det Insp Warren Hines, from West Midlands Police, said it was believed Jackson arrived at Mr Simpson's home for a pre-arranged heroin deal before robbing and stabbing his victim. He described Jackson as "a determined criminal" motivated by greed, adding Mr Simpson's history of drug dependency left him "vulnerable". "Louis leaves behind a family who are absolutely distraught at his death and my abiding hope is that the guilty verdict will allow them to begin the slow process of recovering from their sad loss," he said. Sylvia Simpson, mother of Mr Simpson, said the family had "nothing but positive memories" of her son. "Louis was a much-loved son, brother and father whose death has already left a huge void in many lives," she said. "The outpouring of grief and kind words said by the community after his death showed what a kind, generous and loving person he was."
A man who went on the run after stabbing a former music teacher to death has been found guilty of murder.
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The game was held up several times through flares being thrown on to the pitch and some Coventry supporters coming on to the playing area in protest at the club's owners. But, on the Sky Blues' return to the ground where they played as tenants in 2013-14, it was the Cobblers who bagged the three vital points against the bottom club. City received an early setback when they were reduced to 10 men after Jordan Willis was given a straight red card for a reckless challenge in the 19th minute. The Cobblers had the better chances of a poor first half, but they began brightly after the restart, breaking the deadlock in the 53rd minute when a quick break ended with Richards finding Anderson in the box and he fired into the top corner. John-Joe O'Toole was also denied by the excellent Burge as Cobblers got on top. And, after another delay, Cobblers doubled their advantage in the 64th minute. Burge tipped over a shot from Anderson and, from Matt Taylor's ensuing corner, Zander Diamond set up Anderson, who fired home from six yards. Burge produce more heroics to thwart Richards while O'Toole should have done better when he fired over from a good position, but Anderson completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute when he swept home a cross from Boateng into the bottom corner. That led to more fans and flares coming onto the pitch but the delays failed to prevent Cobblers from picking up three crucial points to leave City in deep trouble - now eight points adrift of safety. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Northampton Town 3, Coventry City 0. Second Half ends, Northampton Town 3, Coventry City 0. Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Charles Vernam. Attempt saved. Ryan Haynes (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Neal Eardley. Substitution, Northampton Town. Harry Beautyman replaces Luke Williams. Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Nathan Clarke. Foul by Paul Anderson (Northampton Town). Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Northampton Town. Paul Anderson replaces Hiram Boateng because of an injury. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Charles Vernam (Coventry City). Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Northampton Town. Gregg Wylde replaces Keshi Anderson. Goal! Northampton Town 3, Coventry City 0. Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Hiram Boateng. Attempt missed. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Substitution, Coventry City. Jodi Jones replaces Ben Stevenson. Substitution, Coventry City. Andy Rose replaces Marcus Tudgay. Attempt saved. Marc Richards (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Goal! Northampton Town 2, Coventry City 0. Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Zander Diamond. Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Lee Burge. Attempt saved. Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Delay in match (Coventry City). Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ben Stevenson (Coventry City). Attempt saved. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Goal! Northampton Town 1, Coventry City 0. Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marc Richards. Attempt saved. Neal Eardley (Northampton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Second Half begins Northampton Town 0, Coventry City 0. First Half ends, Northampton Town 0, Coventry City 0. Attempt missed. Marc Richards (Northampton Town) header from the left side of the box misses to the left. Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Callum Reilly. Foul by Keshi Anderson (Northampton Town). Dion Kelly-Evans (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Luke Williams (Northampton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Callum Reilly (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Foul by Marc Richards (Northampton Town). Ryan Haynes (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Keshi Anderson's second-half hat-trick earned Northampton Town a much-needed League One victory over 10-man Coventry City.
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The BBC understands an undisclosed buyer will turn Dee House into a hotel, restaurant and bar. Campaigner Adam Dandy said the plan's critics feel "ignored" by the council. But the Labour-run council has insisted the proposal will "transform that area of the city". A Cheshire West and Chester Council committee decided on Thursday not to make any recommendations about the deal which means council officials can now authorise its completion. It will see the buyer, whose identity was not revealed by the council, sign a 150-year lease for the derelict 18th Century listed building, which has been empty since 1993. The BBC has learnt the council's preferred bidder will restore it without adding new buildings. There will be minimal impact on the archaeological remains. The plan includes improved public areas and viewing points, as well as a small interpretation room or cafe with an estimated £6m renovation cost. The deal was called in for further scrutiny by Conservative councillors after the cabinet's authorisation in July. The amphitheatre was partly uncovered in the 1960s, 2,000 years after it was built as part of a major legionary fortress called Deva with the unexcavated remainder behind a brick wall and underneath Dee House. Dig Up Deva campaign organiser Adam Dandy, who gathered an 18,000 signature petition, said the sale destroyed thousands of "people's long-held desires to see (the amphitheatre) uncovered in part or in full in their lifetime". It also ignored the wishes of the Romans 2,000 years ago, that Deva should "have a whole amphitheatre for Cestrians to enjoy". Conservative Jill Houlbrook said it could be "the jewel in Chester's crown", and claimed the decision was not based on "open consultation". But Labour cabinet member Louise Gittins said: "We'd never move forward as a council if we had a consultation on every single detail". Ms Gittins added: "Everything starts now. We're going to transform that area of the city. It's going to be amazing".
Plans to sell off a building which sits over the covered part of Chester's Roman amphitheatre have been approved, despite the objections of more than 18,000 people.
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Plans for some of the ships to dock at a Spanish port were cancelled after Nato allies voiced concern. Nato is concerned planes from the carrier could be used to attack civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo. President Vladimir Putin also hinted that an aerial bombardment of rebel-held east Aleppo could resume. Russia and its ally, the Syrian government, had said earlier that they would continue a moratorium on the bombing. At an international conference in the Russian city of Sochi on Thursday, Mr Putin said other parties to the conflict had not been keeping their promises. "Where is the disengagement of terrorists from the healthy part of the opposition?" Mr Putin asked. "So far we have been restrained, and we have not been rude to our partners, but everything has its limits. We could respond." The Admiral Kuznetsov can carry dozens of fighter bombers and helicopters. It has been sailing for the past week from Russia to the Mediterranean. The BBC's Jonathan Marcus reports from Brussels that the battle group is currently at anchor off the North African coast and taking on fuel. The group has two "oilers" (tankers) with it and it is not clear which of the vessels is actually refuelling, he adds. The Russian embassy in Madrid formally withdrew a request to Spain for refuelling after being approached by the Spanish foreign ministry. "Given the information which appeared on the possibility that these ships would participate in supporting military action in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the ministry of foreign affairs requested clarification from the embassy of the Russian Federation in Madrid," the Spanish foreign ministry had said on Wednesday in a statement to the BBC. It added that permission had been granted in September for three Russian ships to dock in the port of Ceuta between 28 October and 2 November. It said such stops for Russian naval vessels had taken place for years in Spanish ports. Nato had said the final decision on resupply rested with Spain. "We are concerned and I have expressed that very clearly about the potential use of this battle group to increase Russia's ability and to be a platform for air strikes against Syria," Nato's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told journalists on Tuesday. The naval group also includes a nuclear-powered battle cruiser, two anti-submarine warships and four support vessels, probably escorted by submarines. The battle group is expected to join about 10 other Russian vessels already off the Syrian coast. Some 2,700 people have been killed or injured since the Russian-backed Syrian offensive started last month, according to activists. Western leaders have said Russian and Syrian air strikes on Aleppo could amount to war crimes, an accusation rejected by Russia. About 250,000 civilians who live in Aleppo have been trapped by the fighting. Moscow announced last week a "humanitarian pause" in attacks as part of a plan to allow civilians and fighters to leave the area.
A group of warships including Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is reportedly refuelling at sea off North Africa en route to Syria.
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Wilson, who can play in defence or midfield, had two loan spells with the Cherries in 2007. The 28-year-old spent six seasons at Stoke, making more than 150 appearances, and has been capped 24 times by his country. He missed out on the Republic's Euro 2016 squad with a knee injury. Stoke manager Mark Hughes said last week that Wilson was set to leave the club. "It's fair to say that Marc probably feels his future lies elsewhere and it's fair to say I probably agree with him," he said. Wilson did not feature for Stoke in their 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough against Middlesbrough on the opening day of the Premier League season on Saturday. "I enjoyed my years at Stoke but I spoke with the manager Mark Hughes and we both agreed it was time to move on - I am excited now to start a new chapter in my career," he told Bournemouth's official website. "I didn't come to AFC Bournemouth to play in a team that's going to get relegated. I see a lot of positives in this team." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Bournemouth have signed Republic of Ireland international Marc Wilson from Stoke City on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee reported to be £2m.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 23 July 2014 Last updated at 12:17 BST To commemorate this special day two limited new coins have been made. A sterling silver £5 coin, featuring a version of the Royal Arms, and a limited number of gold £500 coins, known as the sovereign, have been produced. Jenny went to the Royal Mint to get an exciting behind the scenes look as the gold coins were being made.
Prince George, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, celebrates his first birthday today.
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Arrest warrants for the four were also dropped, a lawyer for the victims said. Ten Turkish activists lost their lives as a result of the raid, in which Israeli commandos stormed the lead ship in the convoy to Gaza. Dropping the charges was a key part of a deal agreed between Israel and Turkey this June to normalise bilateral ties. Under a deal reached this year, Israel agreed to pay $20m (£15.9) in compensation to the victims of the raid. In return, Israeli nationals would not be held criminally or financially liable for the incident. The officials, including former military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, went on trial in absentia in 2012. The deal allowed Turkey and Israel to restore normal relations in June, mending a six-year rift that followed the flotilla incident. It also allows Turkey to send aid to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects in the Palestinian territory. Turkey was once Israel's closest ally in the region, and the two countries share many strategic interests. The Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara was part of a flotilla attempting to breach an Israeli blockade of Gaza when it was intercepted by Israeli commandos on 31 May 2010. Ten pro-Palestinian Turkish activists, one of them a dual American citizen, were killed and dozens wounded as clashes broke out after the commandos boarded the ship, descending on ropes from helicopters. The two sides had blamed each other for the violence. A UN inquiry was unable to determine at exactly which point the commandos used live rounds. Correction 10 December 2016: This article mistakenly said the Mavi Mamara was an aid ship. It was a passenger ship that was part of an aid flotilla.
A Turkish court has dropped a case against four Israeli military officials charged over a deadly raid on a ship in an aid flotilla bound for Gaza in 2010.
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PC Steven Walters had denied two counts of sexual assault between February and April last year but pleaded guilty at Stafford Crown Court on Monday. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said Walters "targeted vulnerable victims of crime for sexual purposes". The 48-year-old will be sentenced on 29 September. Walters, who is suspended from his job in Sutton Coldfield, had also denied misconduct in a public office, but the prosecution offered no evidence on that charge. The police watchdog was alerted after one of the victims complained about the officer. IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell said Walters "completely abused" his position of trust. "I would like to praise the courage and bravery of the women who came forward to give evidence against him and hope that they can now move on with their lives in the knowledge that justice has been done. "Such unprofessional and disgraceful conduct cannot go unchallenged and I hope that today's outcome reinforces the message that officers who behave in such a way will be exposed and brought before the courts where appropriate."
A West Midlands police officer has admitted sexually assaulting two women while on duty.
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Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson Jr said prosecutors had two aggravating factors and that Craig Stephen Hicks is "death penalty qualified". Craig Hicks is charged with the murders of Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. Prosecutors said Mr Hicks shot the three after coming to their door. Their family has pushed for hate crime charges, saying Mr Hicks targeted them for their religious identity. Federal investigators have opened a separate inquiry and more charges could be added against Mr Hicks, District Attorney Roger Echols said, but for now "first-degree murder is the highest crime you can be convicted of and that is our focus". The killing of the three students in February sparked international outrage, especially on social media where the hashtag #ChapelHillShooting was used hundreds of thousands of times. US President Barack Obama himself denounced the killings as "brutal and outrageous murders", adding no-one in the US should be targeted for "what they look like" or "how they worship". Dozens of firearms were found in the condominium Mr Hicks shared with his wife, in addition to the handgun he had when he turned himself in, prosecutors said. He also kept pictures and notes on his computer about parking activity in the lots around his home, according to police search warrants. Neighbours described him as an angry man who had frequent confrontations over parking or loud music, sometimes with a gun holstered at his hip. Prosecutors said they believed Mr Hicks had gone to Barakat's door with a concealed gun and shot him and the two women further inside after an exchange, according to the News Observer. He then allegedly shot the two women a second time in the head and shot once more at Barakat, prosecutor Jim Dornfried said. Barakat was a second-year graduate dental student at the University of North Carolina, and his wife, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, was scheduled to begin dental studies in the next school year. Her sister, Razan, attended North Carolina State University as a design student.
A North Carolina judge has ruled a man accused of killing three Muslim students can face the death penalty.
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The sketch show, which featured Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nina Wadia and Kulvinder Ghir, explored the collision of British and Indian cultures. Goodness Gracious Me aired on BBC Two from 1998-2001, after starting life on Radio 4 two years earlier. The show's regular characters included Smeeta Smitten, the Competitive Mothers and Mr Everything Comes From India. An advertisement for people to feature in the audience of the London filming revealed that the original cast would be back for an episode of the "ground-breaking British Asian sketch show, featuring new characters alongside some favourites from the original series in a wealth of brand new sketches". Both Bhaskar and Syal went on to star in The Kumars at No 42, with them playing chat show host Sanjeev and her the grandmother Ummi. Wadia spent five years playing Zainab Masood in EastEnders, before leaving the soap last February. Mock the Week host Dara O Briain will front another of BBC Two's anniversary celebrations, in the form of a quiz called All About Two. Also featuring Richard Osman from Pointless, the show is described as "part quiz, part silliness, part discovery and all love".
The stars of Goodness Gracious Me are reuniting for a one-off episode to celebrate 50 years of BBC Two.
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Shabir Ahmed, 59, of Oldham, was one of nine men convicted of sex offences against children at Liverpool Crown Court in May. He was not named at the time because he faced further charges, but was jailed for 19 years. He has been found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of raping and sexually abusing a girl for more than a decade. Prosecuting, Rachel Smith said Ahmed, of Windsor Road, had treated his victim as a "possession" which he used for his own sexual gratification. She said he had been "a violent and controlling man" who had abused the girl on "an almost weekly basis". "She tried to make him stop, but it was to no avail," she said. The court was told the victim felt a sense of shame about what happened to her, which had stopped her reporting it to the police for many years. Ms Smith said the reality of what he had done "was never far from her thoughts" and that she had described "having dreams about it". Judge Mushtaq Khokhar adjourned sentencing until August to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. Speaking after the verdict, Det Ch Supt Mary Doyle said Ahmed's victim had "shown phenomenal bravery to come forward and tell the police about what happened to her". "We already knew Ahmed was an integral part of the Rochdale grooming case - now we can also say his horrific campaign of abuse began many years ago with the systematic rape of this one victim," she said. Ahmed was one of the nine men from Rochdale and Oldham who were found guilty of exploiting girls as young as 13 at two takeaway restaurants in the Heywood area of Rochdale. Ms Doyle said he had been "the ringleader of a loosely connected on-street grooming ring" and had been "the common denominator in a group of men who raped and abused girls aged between 13 and 17 at the time of the offences". The case sparked protests and vandalism in Heywood and caused national debate about the safety of children in care and whether race was a factor in on-street grooming. Ahmed was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of two rapes, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Sentencing him in May, Judge Gerald Clifton said Ahmed was an "unpleasant and hypocritical bully" who had ordered a 15-year-old girl to have sex with one of his fellow gang members as a birthday "treat".
The jailed leader of a Rochdale sex ring has been found guilty of 30 child rape charges.
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The 21-year-old from Uttoxeter broke his own world mark by winning in 57.13 seconds, well clear of the field. Peaty is the first British man to win an Olympic swimming gold medal since Adrian Moorhouse, who won the same event in Seoul in 1988. Welsh star Jazz Carlin won silver in the women's 400m freestyle soon after. "It's so surreal to get Team GB's first gold," said Peaty, who finished more than 1.5 seconds clear of his nearest rival. "I came out tonight and took the first 50 easy and came back with everything I have got. I did it for my country and that means so much for me." South African Cameron van der Burgh, the London 2012 champion, took silver, while Cody Miller won bronze for the USA. Peaty, who was already the world, European and Commonwealth champion, emulates the achievement of fellow Britons David Wilkie (1976), Duncan Goodhew (1980) and Adrian Moorhouse (1988) in winning breaststroke gold. It took five days for Britain to win their first gold at London 2012, but Peaty's medal came on the second day of action in Rio. Peaty, making his Olympic debut in Rio, has been dominant from the first moment he got into the pool at the weekend, having first broken his own world record with a time of 57.55secs in the heats. Moorhouse, who dominated British swimming in the late 1980s, believes Peaty's physical and mental attributes sets him apart from his rivals. "He is very good at turning threats to opportunities," he said. "He has the technical ability and talent to do this and can then cope with the pressure of the moment and put a bubble around himself. He has got everything." Five-times Olympic swimmer Mark Foster added: "Everything just went right. "He has had problems with his start but he has worked on it tirelessly and everything came right for him. "I knew the race was over before it started. Physically he is an absolutely beast. Rebecca Adlington, who won two Olympic swimming gold medals at Beijing 2008, said: "His stroke and power is incredible." Peaty's achievement delighted British Olympic team-mates Adam Gemili and Greg Rutherford. Sprinter Gemili said that Peaty was "in a class of his own", while long jumper Rutherford said on social media: "The whole of GB tower here in the village erupted when Adam Peaty won. What a brilliant feeling." BBC Sport's chief sports writer Tom Fordyce: "This was more than just Britain's first gold medal of these Rio Olympics, it was one of the finest displays by a British athlete in Olympic history. "To win over 100m by 1.56 seconds, to leave the last Olympic champion more than a body length behind, is extraordinary even by the exalted standards Adam Peaty has set in his young career. "Wilkie 1976, Goodhew 1980, Moorhouse 1988, and now Peaty 2016. The moment a young man's life changed forever." Media playback is not supported on this device Peaty still lives with his parents in his hometown of Uttoxeter in Staffordshire and was afraid of water as a child. The City of Derby swimmer rose to prominence in 2014, taking two golds at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He has also won eight European golds and three world golds. Shortlisted for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2014 and 2015, Peaty became the first man to go under 58 seconds in the 100m breaststroke at the world trials last year, setting what was then a world record of 57.92secs. He has lowered that time by 0.79secs in Rio. Peaty's grandmother Mavis, or Olympic Nan as she has called herself, is becoming a bit of a star on social media. Mavis has been following her grandson's exploits in the pool from her home in Staffordshire and has also been showing her enthusiasm on social media. Since Sunday morning, she has gone from 106 Twitter followers to more than 3,000. Find out how to get into swimming with our special guide. After Peaty qualified for the final, Mavis told BBC Radio 5 live: "Caroline [Adam Peaty's mum] had to phone me because I said: 'I can't get this telly on'. I couldn't get the red button going. Then I thought I know what I can do - my iPad. So I got the BBC up on my iPad and I watched it on there. "Since I've been going to watch Adam, it's given me a new life, a different life, that I never dreamed of. I've loved every minute of it.." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
Great Britain won their first medal of Rio 2016 as Adam Peaty took gold in the men's 100m breaststroke with a world record.
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The M11 has been shut in both directions between Harlow and Bishop's Stortford near Stansted Airport. The chemicals have been identified as melamine formaldehyde resin and phosphoric acid, Essex Fire and Rescue Service said. Firefighters have been advised they are not hazardous and Highways Agency clean-up crews are tackling the spill. The motorway has been closed from junction 7 to 8 and motorists have been urged to avoid the area and find alternative routes. "Diversions are in place but the road is likely to remain closed in both directions for some considerable time," a police spokesman said. "Motorists going to Stansted Airport should plan alternative routes avoiding the motorway and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys." The slip roads from the M25 onto the M11 have been shut and congestion is building up on other roads in south Essex. The Highways Agency said the motorway was not likely to be reopened until 03:30 BST on Friday and it may be later. Divisional fire officer Terry Povey said: "The chemicals are low risk to the health of people and we have contained the leak. "We have blocked the drains and a clean-up team is tackling the spillage. "This has been downgraded because the chemicals do not pose a significant health risk. "It is now a matter of getting the road cleared so it can reopen." Essex Police said: "The fire service will be dealing with the spillage in liaison with the Environment Agency. "The ambulance service is treating the driver of the lorry, who has received cuts and bruises but is not believed to be seriously injured." No other vehicles were involved in the crash which happened at 17:10 BST.
A lorry has overturned on a motorway in Essex and spilled a large amount of chemicals across both carriageways.
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The 34-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest early in the second half of the third-round tie while playing for the French sixth-division side. The medical services treated him on the pitch but were unable to revive him. Derme had been capped four times by Burkina Faso and had played in the French lower leagues and in Moldova, as well as in Burkina Faso.
Former Burkina Faso international Ben Idrissa Derme has died during a French Cup tie for amateur side AJ Biguglia.
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Essex Police posted an update on social media to say officers were searching for Bradley Cooper, 21, from Basildon. Cooper apparently commented using the profile name "Norman", saying: "Got to love the busy bodies." Someone else replied, saying: "Yes Norman, also known as Bradley Cooper, writing on your own wanted picture." The comments were later removed from the police page. An Essex Police spokesman said they "occasionally get this sort of reaction" from wanted people. "Essex Police regularly uses social media to encourage members of the public to help us find people wanted for offences," she said. "We occasionally get this sort of reaction from people who are wanted, but we will continue to use social media because it is such a valuable resource and work is ongoing to arrest this man." Photos of "Norman" on his Facebook page appear to be of the same person in the police picture. His profile suggests he is currently in Amsterdam. He has a London accent and is believed to have last been living in Curling Walk, Basildon, officers said.
A man wanted for breaching a harassment order seemingly labelled police as "busy bodies" in a Facebook appeal intended to help track him down.
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The striker has started the last four matches, scoring three goals, as Killie boosted their chances of avoiding the play-off with two wins and a draw. "Kris has been fantastic since he came into the starting line-up," Clark told BBC Scotland. "Kris needs to be the man who starts, he needs to be the main man that the team is built around." Two years ago Boyd scored the solitary goal that beat Hibernian on the final day of the season to retain Killie's top flight status and he looks like the go-to man again. Boyd, 32, captained the side in the 4-0 win at Hamilton last weekend due to the absence of goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald and he is likely to do it again against Partick Thistle. "He's been tremendous on the training ground, he's been a great example and been a real advocate of what I'm trying to do and he's pushed that forward and thankfully for any goalscorer he's getting his rewards with goals," said Clark. With Dundee United relegated, Kilmarnock are in the play-off position with three games remaining, four points behind Hamilton and six adrift of Partick. The Rugby Park boss has in the past battled relegation while in charge of Blackpool and Birmingham and he hopes that experience can help. "The main thing for me that I can pass to the players because I've got personal experience of it, is never give up," he explained. "We went to the 96th minute with Birmingham City against Bolton Wanderers to secure our Championship status. "So that just shows you never ever give up no matter what the situation - keep fighting right to the end - and that's obviously one thing we'll do in the last three games. "We've got three huge games and with each game that goes by if we keep getting positive results it gives us a better opportunity. "The next one is obviously Partick Thistle and if we get a win, we can drag them into the equation alongside ourselves and Hamilton. "Like I've said all along the only time we can effect a team around us is when we play them, so obviously the result against Hamilton and what we do against Partick will be important for us." Thistle are one of the sides Killie has played against since Clark took over the reigns so that gives him the benefit of having seen them first hand as opposition. "It give me personal knowledge but my staff have been brilliant for me in terms of helping me and that was crucial in terms of why I wanted to keep them when I came into the job - their knowledge of the game up here. "But I've seen Thistle and I've also watched their game from the weekend against Inverness. They'll be hurting because they weren't expecting to be in this position."
Manager Lee Clark sees Kris Boyd as the catalyst for Kilmarnock's quest to secure their Premiership status.
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Judges said the order should be enforced within 10 days and audiences must stand when the anthem is played. In the 1960s and 1970s, cinemas regularly played the anthem but the practice declined. Opinion on the court move is divided on social media. There is no uniform law in India regarding the anthem and the 29 states have had their own laws on the issue. According to the new ruling, the anthem must be played in all cinemas, accompanied by an image of the Indian flag. "The people should stop following individual notions of freedom and have a sense of committed patriotism," Indian media reports quoted judges as saying. The hashtag #NationalAnthem was one of the top trends on Twitter India on Wednesday afternoon. Shyam Narayan Chouksey, a 77-year-old resident of Bhopal, had petitioned the court asking for the national anthem order. "Over the years I've been seeing that the proper respect for the national anthem is not being paid by the common people as well as the constitutional functionaries," he told the BBC Asian Network. Shaina NC, spokesperson for the ruling BJP party, called the court ruling a "fantastic" move. The BBC India Facebook page asked its followers for their opinion. "Why are we moving backwards[?]" asked Krushik AV. "Patriotism is something through education..." Another follower, Sachin Sudheer, disagreed saying it was a "wonderful feeling to stand up with everyone". Although there is no specific law that mandates standing for the anthem in India, the home ministry's rules, which carry the force of law, specify that it is compulsory to stand to attention when the anthem is played. And cinemas that play the anthem often display messages asking audiences to stand up. There is some concern that people could be targeted for not "respecting" the national song:
India's supreme court has ruled that the national anthem must be played in every cinema before a film is screened.
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One of the big questions from the Rio Olympics is whether it matters what flag or nationality an athlete performs under. In other words, what should we do about the Kenyans who have been running under passports of convenience from other countries? The most popular of such countries would appear to be Bahrain, under whose flag lots of Kenyans and Nigerians have been performing. Bahrain obviously want to have their national anthem played at the Olympic Games, or at least have an athlete wearing their colours competing. They can't seem to be able to find their own nationals who can perform at this level but they have the money to buy top class athletes from other countries to do it for them. Elizabeth Ohene: "I have to confess that when the Olympic Games are on, I am not an enthusiastic Ghanaian" I started off thinking this was unfair. Then, I wondered what to make of the fact that we, the spectators, also seem to switch nationality at will. I have to confess that when the Olympic Games are on, I am not an enthusiastic Ghanaian. It is easy to understand why this is so if you consider what our performance record at the Olympics has been since we started participating way back. We have won a grand total of four medals, made up of two bronze and one silver in boxing and a bronze in football. The only way I watch sports, be it on television or sitting in the stands, is to adopt a team or an individual to support. Sometimes the decision on who to cheer might depend on what colour kit someone is wearing, especially when the game I am watching is something I don't know very much about. Obviously if a Ghanaian is on the field it is so much easier to decide where to direct my emotions. With Ghana not in the reckoning when it comes to the Olympics, I am often Kenyan, especially when a certain David Rudisha is on the tracks; I am regularly Jamaican for all kinds of reasons; I am sometimes British, American and every once in a while I am South African. During the Games that have just ended, I felt I had to be Brazilian simply to demonstrate my happiness that Brazil had managed to stage a well-organised Games in spite of all the recent problems they have had. Then the other night, I found myself caught between supporting Belarus and Uzbekistan when watching something called rhythmic gymnastics. It is not surprising therefore that watching the Olympics has been an exhausting experience for me. I am therefore now thinking that the nationality switching phenomenon could be quite a good idea. Look at it this way: The Kenyans obviously have more good and potentially great athletes than they need. If you are a Kenyan athlete and can't get into the Kenyan team, you are out of the Olympics. But if you call the Bahrainis and they gave you a passport, you could be performing at the Olympics and maybe even beat those who made it into the Kenyan team at the country trials. I certainly wouldn't mind if Ghana could find some money and entice a few top athletes to wear our colours, carry our flags, perform and win a few medals for us and then we shall even hear our national anthem played at an Olympic ceremony. We wouldn't have to worry about providing sporting facilities here. We would get a few temporary Ghanaians, they would give us a lot of joy performing under our flag for two weeks. They would come to Ghana after the games to call on the President and boost his standing and then go away. It seems a cheap and harmless way to make a lot of people very happy. More from Elizabeth Ohene:
In our series of letters from African journalists, Ghanaian writer Elizabeth Ohene looks at the Olympians who switched allegiances.
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