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Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that American Martin, also undefeated, is a possible opponent for Joshua at London's O2 Arena on 9 April. Martin, 29, has won 23 and drawn one of 24 fights and beat Vyacheslav Glazkov for the vacant IBF belt in January. An Olympic gold medallist at London 2012, 26-year-old Joshua has 15 knockouts from 15 professional fights. He most recently beat Dillian Whyte with a seventh-round knockout to claim the British heavyweight title, the first time he has been taken past the third round. Tyson Fury was stripped of the IBF world heavyweight title after he opted for a rematch against Ukrainian Glazkov's compatriot Wladimir Klitschko rather than face the mandatory challenger.
Unbeaten British heavyweight Anthony Joshua is in talks over an IBF world title fight against Charles Martin.
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The woman, in her early 20s, was rescued by RNLI lifeguards who were on duty for the first day of the season at Newquay's Fistral beach. Lewis Timson, lifeguard supervisor, said the surfer's longboard leash snapped while she was competing in the Natty Surf Jam one-day event. He described conditions at sea as "pretty wild". The "distressed" woman, who is thought to be from Newquay, was taken ashore, but was not believed to need hospital treatment. The festival was arranged in memory of 25-year-old local surfer Nathaniel Loney who died after battling severe depression and bi-polar disorder. The money raised is being given to the Invictus Trust, a charity which supports young people with mental health issues. The rescue highlights statistics from the RNLI, which show a big increase in the number of incidents around the South West. Last year, beach lifeguards dealt with more than 11,000 incidents, while lifeboat crews launched 1,614 times - a 35% increase from the previous year. There will be full-time lifeguard cover at Fistral and Croyde in Devon until the end of the season, with a number of other beaches in Devon and Cornwall patrolled during the Easter school holiday period.
A woman has been rescued from the sea after getting into difficulty during a charity surfing festival in Cornwall.
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Tata Steel closed its Dalzell mill in Motherwell and the Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang with the loss of 270 jobs. Both were later bought by international metals firm Liberty House which intends to restart production at the Motherwell site in September. About 60 staff are currently working there, with 40 more recruits expected - many of them former Tata Steel staff. Liberty Steel said that the Dalzell plate-rolling mill had taken delivery of about 1,500 tonnes of slab steel rom the British Steel plant at Scunthorpe. This is in preparation for the restart of steel plate production next month. Jon Bolton, chief executive of Liberty Steel UK plate division, said: "This is a significant milestone for the plates business in Scotland, but also positive news for the UK steel sector as steel once again is manufactured in British Steel's Scunthorpe site to be rolled in Scotland. "It is pleasing to watch the plant gradually coming back to life as more people arrive on site and particularly pleasing to welcome young apprentices to the team." Liberty said that about 60 staff were involved in the preparations to reopen Dalzell, with a further 40 expected to join the workforce before production starts. The firm said that about 70% of the initial wave of recruits were former employees returning to their old jobs. It has also awarded about 20 new supply contracts, for business and engineering services, to firms in the Motherwell area. Liberty House Group executive chairman, Sanjeev Gupta, said this was the beginning of the fulfilment of a promise to the local community. "We said we would revive this historic steelworks and that is exactly what we are doing," he said.
Steel production is set to resume next month at one of two Lanarkshire plants that were mothballed last year.
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The company's decision last week to grant the equivalent of a 50% pay rise to six top executives sparked outrage. Quebec's government agreed to a CA$1.34bn ($1bn; £800m) bailout in 2016, a year after it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "not pleased" with the pay hike. But he welcomed the change of heart. Protesters gathered outside the firm's headquarters in Montreal on Sunday, hours before Bombardier relented and said the rises would be deferred to 2020. They will be payable only if the firm achieved performance goals, it said. "Over the past 75 years, our fellow citizens have always been by our side," said Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare on Sunday night. "It is because of this deep relationship that we are sensitive to the public reaction to our executive compensation practices." He was one of the six executives who were set to receive payments of CA$43.7m ($32.6m; £26.1m) in 2016. That was up from CA$30m the year before, according to regulatory filings. Bombardier originally justified the pay increases as a necessary measure to retain top talent. But two Quebec cabinet ministers pressured the company last week to heed the backlash. The Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard tweeted that he was "satisfied" with Sunday's climb-down by the firm. The Quebec government last year invested CA$1.34bn in Bombardier's C-Series aircraft programme in return for a nearly 50% stake. In February, the federal government agreed to give the company CA$372.5m in interest-free loans. In 2016, Bombardier also announced lay-offs for 14,500 people, including about 20% of its workforce in Belfast. The redundancies came as the firm secured orders with Delta Air Lines and Air Canada and made its maiden commercial voyage with Swiss Air Lines.
Canadian plane and train manufacturer Bombardier has said it will defer some hefty executive pay increases following a public outcry.
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The senator from South Carolina told CBS This Morning that he would make an official announcement on 1 June in his home town of Central. But when asked why he was considering it, he said "I'm running" because "the world is falling apart" and he would make the best commander-in-chief. He becomes the seventh leading Republican to join a crowded field. Mr Graham has been a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. He wants US ground troops to be sent into Iraq and Syria to combat Islamic State, to prevent terror attacks in the US. Lindsey Graham tried to be coy about whether he was going to run for president, but his decision is clear - he's in. That makes four members of the US Senate - 9% of all Republican senators in office in 2014 - now running. A foreign policy hawk in the mould of Senator John McCain of Arizona, he is likely to make national security the central theme of his campaign. If polls are to be trusted, that may play well with Republican audience. He is still a long-shot, however, given that his past efforts at co-operation with Democrats and support of sweeping immigration reform put him out of step with many Republican primary voters. The mere fact that he's in a position to run for president now, however - given that just a few years ago he was seen as a prime target for a grassroots Tea Party primary challenger - is an impressive political achievement. When asked by CBS whether he thought the Republican field was weak, he revealed his intention to run himself. "I'm running because of what you see on television, I'm running because I think the world is falling apart, I've been more right than wrong on foreign policy," he said. "It's not the fault of others, or their lack of this or that that makes me want to run, it's my ability in my own mind to be a good commander-in-chief and to make Washington work." Meet the 2016 hopefuls
Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican foreign policy hawk, has confirmed that he will run for US president in 2016.
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Duarte played under Mourinho when he began his career with Uniao Leiria in 2001 and has been strongly influenced by his fellow Portuguese. "He congratulated me and said he is not surprised (that we reached the semis)," Duarte told BBC Sport. "He is like a father for me, and for the young Portuguese coaches." Duarte added: "For me, for us, Mourinho is a good reference so when he called me I was very happy." I'm very happy because every day my team is better. We are playing very good football Although Duarte is still searching for a first trophy while Manchester United boss Mourinho boasts 23, what do they have in common is that both began their coaching career with Uniao Leiria. Duarte, who spent a decade at the club between 1995 and 2004, was Mourinho's centre-back as Uniao Leiria finished seventh in 2002. "Mourinho is very important in my career because 15 years ago, he changed the mentality of Portuguese football. The training and the mentality of the players changed," Duarte said. Of the four semi-finalists at this year's Nations Cup in Gabon, the Burkinabe - surprise runners-up in 2013 - are the only side to have never won the title. After a season in charge of Leiria, Duarte instantly moved to Burkina Faso - leading the side between 2008 and 2012. After spells with French side Le Mans, Tunisian club Sfaxien and Gabon's national team, the 47-year-old returned to take charge of the Stallions in 2015. Now, they are impressing observers with the quality of their football - particularly when beating Tunisia 2-0 in Saturday's quarter-final in the Gabonese capital Libreville. "Egypt have a good team but I have a good team, too," Duarte explained. "I know this team from 10 years ago but back then, we didn't have so many good players because they were all playing in second or third divisions. Now everybody plays in a premier league. "The success of the team is hard work and humility. "I'm very happy because every day my team is better. We are playing very good football and this is very important for me."
Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte has revealed Jose Mourinho has phoned him ahead of Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Egypt.
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Flight AF953 was travelling from Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, to Douala, Cameroon's largest city and commercial capital, when it hit bad weather on 2 May. While avoiding storm clouds, the plane came close to hitting the 4,040-metre (13,254 feet) Mount Cameroon. French accident investigators BEA have now opened an investigation. The Boeing 777 aircraft had 37 people on board as it made the short journey to Douala, which is around 100km (62 miles) from Malabo. It was due to arrive in Cameroon to pick up more passengers before continuing to Paris. After diverting north to avoid storm clouds shortly after 21:00 local time, the plane's new route to Douala took it directly towards the mountain. An initial incident report published by BEA said an automated warning, saying "Pull up", was activated. The plane then ascended quickly from 9,000ft (2,743m) to 13,000ft (3,962m) to avoid a collision. BEA did not say how close the plane came to Mount Cameroon. The flight landed 44 minutes after leaving Malabo, and no-one was injured. Air France said they were conducting an internal investigation into the incident.
An Air France aeroplane narrowly missed central Africa's highest mountain in early May, French investigators say.
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Police said four men, aged 72, 58, 56 and 55, were being held in the probe into financial irregularities at LCC. Liverpool City Council's chief executive Ged Fitzgerald and leader of the Tories at LCC Geoff Driver are among those arrested. The probe is into a council contract. Lancashire Police said the arrests at addresses in Preston and Merseyside were made on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and witness intimidation, but not on suspicion of fraud. The investigation, which was launched in 2013, relates to allegations of financial irregularities over the tendering of a £5m contract with One Connect Ltd, a joint venture between the council and BT to run some services. The deal included running the council's fleet of vehicles which was agreed by LCC's Conservative administration, which was then led by Mr Driver. The contract was revoked later that year by the new Labour administration. The Conservatives regained control of LCC in the elections earlier this month, and Mr Driver, 72, is expected to be named as leader of the council at a meeting on Thursday. Mr Fitzgerald was the chief executive at LCC before he left to take up the same post at Liverpool City Council. In January Lancashire's police and crime and commissioner Clive Grunshaw said the investigation into the allegations had cost £2m and 22 police officers were working on it. LCC said it was not making any comment although it was aware of the police statement. A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: "We do not comment on personnel matters relating to individual employees."
A council chief and the leader of the Conservatives on Lancashire County Council (LCC) have been arrested as part of a long-running fraud investigation, the BBC understands.
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The family of the entertainer, who died on 1 August, has asked those wishing to pay their respects to line a two-mile stretch of Woolton Road. The funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, in the suburb of Woolton, at 13:00 BST (12:00 GMT). More than 3,000 people signed books of condolence in Liverpool, the star's home city, following her death. The funeral cortege will start at the junction of Woolton Road and Church Road North, and will travel to the junction with Blackwood Avenue before continuing to the church. The family said the public would not be able to access the church grounds and asked people not to travel to Woolton village as "as this may compromise the funeral party and invited guests from attending". After the funeral, the entertainer's body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried. Some parking and traffic management restrictions will be in place on the day: Black, who made her name as a pop singer in the 1960s before becoming the host of hit TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, died after a fall at her villa in Estepona on the Costa del Sol. A coroner ruled last week that the 72-year-old died from an accidental traumatic head injury. The star made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts last week when her greatest hits collection, The Very Best Of Cilla Black, rose to number eight in the UK albums chart. Her former number one single Anyone Who Had A Heart, first released in 1964, returned to the charts at number 41.
The cortege route for Cilla Black's funeral in Liverpool on Thursday has been announced.
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Lincoln Castle underwent a £22m renovation project ready for the document's 800th anniversary. Castle manager Rachel Thomas said about 34,000 people visited in April - up 21,000 on last year. Last month, the castle was named as one of 12 sites in the county that could be outsourced to save the council money. Since the 11th Century castle reopened at the beginning of April, 33,941 people have visited, compared with 12,503 last April. Lincoln's copy of Magna Carta, is one of only four surviving copies. Ms Thomas said she had not expected so many visitors. "Partly, no doubt, the coverage around Magna Carta and the raising in the public consciousness of Magna Carta has helped," she said. The renovation project included a new wall walk and the reopening of the Victorian prison to visitors. The high-security underground vault houses the 1215 Magna Carta, alongside an original copy of the Charter of the Forest, which was signed two years later. The work was funded by Lincolnshire County Council, Heritage Lottery money and private donations. The authority said a final decision on whether to outsource 12 attractions including the castle, Gainsborough Old Hall and the Museum of Lincolnshire Life has not yet been made.
A castle that had a multi-million pound vault built to house a surviving copy of Magna Carta has almost tripled visitor numbers.
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It took some amazing photos of the dwarf planet and now scientists are hard at work looking through all the information it sent back. Here's Newsround's rundown of the most interesting things we've discovered about Pluto so far from the New Horizons probe. The high-resolution cameras on board New Horizons have shown Pluto to have a distinctive heart-shaped crater on its surface. The shape is believed to have been caused by an impact at some point in the past. One side of the heart is smoother than the other, and researchers believe the crater is filled with frozen gases from the atmosphere, including nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. The first image released by Nasa showed Pluto to be reddish in colour. But, this doesn't mean it's the same as the other famous red planet, Mars. Both planets are red, but for different reasons, due to the ways chemicals react in their atmospheres. New Horizons has provided more accurate information about Pluto's size, and we now know it's about 80km wider than previously predicted. Nasa experts say it's around two-thirds the size of our Moon. This means that Pluto is likely to be made up of less rock and more ice beneath its surface, according to members of the mission team. One of the main things we learned is that Pluto does have a polar ice cap. Scientists had thought this before but couldn't prove it until they saw the new images beamed back from the probe. Temperatures on Pluto are extremely cold! They range from -172 to -238 degrees Celsius depending on where it is on its orbit. Experts had assumed that the dwarf planet was cooling but the new data shows that this isn't happening. The New Horizons probe is 5 billion kilometres from Earth. This means it can only send back its information to mission control in the US very slowly. So, just one black and white picture of Pluto would take over three hours to transmit back to Earth. Getting all the data from its flypast of Pluto last week will take almost 16 months. So, we can look forward to lots more new discoveries about the far away dwarf planet over the next year or so.
The New Horizons probe successfully completed its fly-by of Pluto last week.
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The John Muir Trust has carried out its latest clean-up of Ben Nevis after the thaw of winter snow. Last September, trust volunteers found as many as 1,000 banana skins dropped at the summit. Walkers and climbers were warned that the skins take up to two years to break down and did not biodegrade as quickly as they may think. Plastic bottle and tissues have also been collected in the latest clean-up. Sarah Lewis, trust conservation officer, said most walkers and climbers dealt with their litter responsibly. She added: "But it is clear that some people just don't see the impact that their litter has - 100,000 people climb up Ben Nevis every year, so if even a tiny minority of them leave their litter it can quickly build up."
Discarded banana skins are still being found on Britain's highest mountain despite warnings from conservationists.
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Turley, 26, had spells with non-league Salisbury City and Forest Green before joining Eastleigh in 2014 where he made 49 National League appearances. "I'm delighted to be finally making the step up to the Football League and I want to take full advantage of this opportunity," he told the club website. "I'm a quick and aggressive player, your typical centre-half really." Manager Warren Feeney hopes Turley, who turned down an improved deal at Eastleigh to join the Exiles, is the first of several summer signings. "We know exactly what we want in terms of mentality and ability," Feeney told BBC Wales Sport. "It might take a few weeks, but we are confident of putting a very competitive squad in place." Newport have offered contracts to eight members of last season's first team, but Feeney is unconcerned that none of the players are yet to agree to a stay at Rodney Parade. "It is not an issue at this stage," he said. "We won't let it drag on and on and I've made that clear to the players." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Newport County have signed defender Jamie Turley on a two-year deal from National League side Eastleigh.
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The 41-year-old, who joined the BBC in 2008, said she was "mega-excited" if "petrified" to be taking part in the BBC One ratings hit. "I'm going to give it my very best and enjoy what's bound to be a great adventure," she continued. Munchetty, a keen golfer, also revealed she has known she would be taking part since February. Only her husband knew she would be following in the footsteps of former BBC Breakfast presenters Natasha Kaplinsky and Bill Turnbull, she said on Thursday. "I never thought I'd have the courage to say yes, but it would be simply silly to turn down the chance to learn to dance with a professional," Munchetty said. The broadcaster, who started out career as a financial journalist on the London Evening Standard, said she was "equally excited, nervous and scared". Munchetty's involvement was announced by BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood - herself a Strictly contestant - at the end of Thursday's programme. Ed Balls, Daisy Lowe, Danny Mac, Melvin Odoom, Louise Redknapp, Ore Oduba, Laura Whitmore and Will Young are the other confirmed celebrities. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email [email protected].
BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has been named as the ninth celebrity on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
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The 8-11 shot defeated 12-1 chance Algometer by one and a half lengths with the other four rivals well beaten. Midterm is a son of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and Group One victor Midday. After the Sandown win, Midterm's odds for the Derby at Epsom in June were cut by some bookmakers from 8-1 to 6-1 second favourite. The 4-1 market leader is US Army Ranger. In the 1980s, the trial was won by subsequent Derby winners Shergar and Shahrastani, although the last runner to triumph at Epsom was 1997 Sandown runner-up Benny The Dip. You can check out the latest racing results on the BBC Sport website.
Odds-on favourite Midterm, ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, won the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday afternoon.
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He was convicted at a retrial in March of accepting illegal payments from an American businessman while he served as mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister. Last year, he was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing and will remain free until his appeals against both convictions are heard. A Supreme Court decision on the first appeal is expected in the next couple of months. If he is unsuccessful OImert will become the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed. Olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009. He was forced to resign amid a flurry corruption allegations, which ended his political career and disrupted the peace process with the Palestinians. In 2012, Olmert was acquitted of fraud, concealing fraudulent earnings and breach of trust in connection with donations received from a New York-based financier, Morris Talansky between 1997 and 2005. However, a retrial was ordered after a former aide, Shula Zaken, accepted a plea bargain and testified against Olmert. Ms Zaken gave prosecutors diary entries and tape recordings of conversations in which Olmert referred to receiving the money. Olmert was found guilty of fraud and breach of trust in March and on Monday was sentenced to eight months in jail. He was also given a suspended sentence of an additional eight months and fined 100,000 shekels ($25,000; £16,000). The Jerusalem District Court said the sentence recognised Olmert's contributions to Israeli society, but noted that "a black flag hovers over his conduct". Olmert's lawyer Eyal Rozovsky said they were "very disappointed" by the sentence. The former prime minister has always insisted that he is innocent and has described the allegations against him as "a brutal, ruthless witch-hunt". The 69-year-old is also appealing against the six-year sentence he was given in May 2014 in connection with a real estate deal at took place when he was mayor of Jerusalem in the 1990s. He was convicted of accepting bribes in return for speeding up a controversial residential development, known as Holyland, in the heart of the city.
A court in Jerusalem has sentenced the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to eight months in prison for fraud and breach of trust.
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Mabey Bridge has begun a consultation on the planned closure of its business in Station Road where 150 people work. It is also looking for a buyer for its renewables section in Mathern, Chepstow, which employs 180 people. A company spokesman said it anticipated a buyer would be found to support that area of the business. "We have not made these decisions lightly and we understand that this is a very difficult time for our people." the spokesman added. BBC Wales understands the firm is now looking for employees to apply for voluntary redundancy. One employee said: "Everyone's absolutely stunned, some people guessed what was going to happen but the majority had no idea at all. "The announcement today is that the infrastructure side is gone, that it will finish. It was just shock, complete and utter shock; very few could believe that they have taken such as drastic decision." The company's infrastructure section makes highway bridges, railway bridges, footbridges and sign gantries while its renewables division builds wind turbine towers and carries out work in offshore renewable energy. Analysis, Brian Meechan BBC Wales business correspondent Mabey Bridge is a big name in construction. As specialists in bridges, it is one firm that would have been expected to weather the difficult economic times the sector has been through. In recent years, it has branched out into renewable energy including the towers for wind turbines. The construction industry is expected to grow by three percent a year until 2018 so the future might have been considered promising. But the Mabey Bridge site in central Chepstow has been up for sale for months and may prove appealing for redevelopment for housing rather than further industrial uses.
An engineering firm has announced the proposed closure of one site in Chepstow and the sale of another, putting 330 jobs at risk.
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Secret service and regular police have been searching for Ivan Kaspersky, 20, for at least two days, a police source told Interfax news agency. His father's firm, Kaspersky Lab, told a newspaper it could not confirm news he had been abducted. Yevgeny Kaspersky made his fortune developing anti-virus software. News of his son's abduction was reported by Russian news website Life News, quoting its own sources. The kidnappers are demanding 3m euros (£2.6m; $4.3m) for Ivan's safe return, the website says. According to the unconfirmed report, he was snatched while on his way to work in Moscow on Tuesday. When contacted by Russian newspaper Gazeta, Kaspersky Lab said it could neither confirm nor deny the report. There has been no official comment on the story. Kaspersky Lab is regarded outside Russia as one of the country's few business success stories not related to the energy sector. The US business magazine Fast Company recently ranked Kaspersky Lab among the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies worldwide.
The son of Russian software entrepreneur Yevgeny Kaspersky has gone missing in Moscow and may have been kidnapped, Russian media report.
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Marc Martin, 22, and Matt Preece, 21, died after the BMW crashed in High Beeches Lane, Handcross, West Sussex, in December 2014. Mr Martin, from Haywards Heath, and Mr Preece, of Lindfield, were both sitting in the back of the BMW. Kyle Witney, 21, of Lindfield had previously admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Witney has been jailed for six years at Lewes Crown Court. The court heard Witney had been smoking cannabis and had gone out to get more drugs when the crash happened. His girlfriend said at the time of the crash he had been showing off in front of his friends "trying to be smart". The jury was told Witney had said immediately after the crash: "Oh my God, what have I done? I hope I haven't killed my friends." He told paramedics he had been driving at 100mph. Mr Martin and Mr Preece were taken to hospital after the crash but died from their injuries. A 16-year-old girl who was a front-seat passenger in the BMW was also treated in hospital for minor injuries. Witney had been left the BMW by his grandfather three months before the crash, the court was told.
A man has been jailed after two of his friends died when his car hit a tree and flipped onto its roof.
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The report for 2015 is due out in the next few weeks, so the most recent report we have is the 2014 one. In the year covered by that report, 1,013 tests were conducted for IPC sports (which include athletics, swimming, powerlifting and skiing) in which prohibited substances were found nine times. During the year, sanctions were taken against 11 athletes. If you break that down into the sports involved it is clear that most of the IPC's anti-doping problems come from the sport of powerlifting, which was the source of seven of the positive tests and eight of the sanctions. The IPC announced in 2014 that it had suspended 13 powerlifters in the previous 14 months. The sport has been targeted with a "Raise the Bar - Say No! to Doping" campaign. Since then, the IPC has also adopted a new anti-doping code, which came into effect on 1 January 2015. Paralympic athletes have the same list of banned substances as Olympic athletes and, like them, anyone who requires additional medication for pain or treatment must apply for an exemption. "It's a common misconception that a lot of Paralympians will be on prescription drugs. That's not the case at all," Nicole Sapstead, UK Anti-Doping chief executive, told the BBC ahead of London 2012. "Obviously there are athletes with spinal injuries and they need pain relief. But mostly it is the same as the Olympics - things like asthma and diabetes." Only one athlete was given a doping sanction at the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, but since then the McLaren Report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found that Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples provided by its athletes between 2011 and 2015. The report identified 27 samples relating to eight Para-sports, five of which are summer sports, including some governed by the IPC. The IPC also found evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi Winter Paralympics, adding that it planned to reanalyse every Russian sample given at the event. So now the Russian team has been banned from this year's Paralympic Games in Rio, and the IPC is wondering if it has more of a doping problem than it previously thought.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) gives details of anti-doping activities in its annual reports.
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A selection of photos from Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week:
Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Stoke City forward, 32, limped off after 64 minutes of Monday's 1-1 Group E draw with Sweden in Paris. Walters has not trained since and his absence for the Belgium game was confirmed on Friday. West Brom midfielder James McClean, Walters' replacement against Sweden, is expected to start in Bordeaux. Media playback is not supported on this device Belgium - ranked second in the world - lost 2-0 to Italy in their opening game. Italy, who beat Sweden 1-0 on Friday to seal their progress into the last 16, take on the Republic in Lille next Wednesday. "He thinks he is going to be able to make the Italian game," O'Neill said of Walters on Wednesday. Wes Hoolahan's opener for the Republic against Sweden at the Stade de France was cancelled out by a Ciaran Clark own goal. "If that performance doesn't lift you, nothing will," said O'Neill. "We will have to show the same attitude again, go and compete and be strong on the ball." Media playback is not supported on this device
Republic of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters has been ruled out of Saturday's Euro 2016 clash against Belgium because of an Achilles injury.
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Leonid Papachin, 51, from Lithuania, is alleged to have performed the manoeuvre on Thursday after missing an exit slip-road near Lichfield. Other vehicles are said to have been forced to slow down to avoid his articulated lorry. He appeared at Cannock Magistrates' Court charged with dangerous driving but did not enter a plea. Mr Papachin was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on Tuesday.
A lorry driver has appeared in court accused of doing a U-turn on the M6 toll motorway.
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Figures from the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) have shown that, in total, 1.81 million people visited the Edinburgh museum - a 15.5% rise on the previous year. Edinburgh Castle welcomed 1.77 million people, up 13.4% on 2015. Visits across Scotland rose for the third year running in 2016. Almost 30 million visits were made to 249 of the ASVA members' sites in Scotland last year - a rise of 6% on 2015 figures. The National Museum of Scotland opened 10 new galleries in July 2016. Director Dr Gordon Rintoul said: "I am delighted that the latest ASVA visitor figures have confirmed the National Museum of Scotland's place as the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland. "In addition, we recorded the highest-ever visitor numbers across all our sites with nearly 2.7 million visits." 1 National Museum of Scotland (free), Edinburgh - 1,810,948 visitors 2 Edinburgh Castle (paid) - 1,778,548 visitors 3 Scottish National Gallery (free), Edinburgh - 1,544,069 visitors 4 Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (free), Glasgow - 1,259,318 5 Riverside Museum (free), Glasgow - 1,259,042 6 St Giles' Cathedral (free), Edinburgh - 1,171,793 7 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (free) - 857,268 8 Gretna Green (free) - 794,543 9 National War Museum (free), Edinburgh - 678,982 10 Gallery of Modern Art (free), Glasgow - 646,567 Four other sites welcomed more than one million visitors each, with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Riverside Museum, both in Glasgow, attracting more than 1.25 million people each. The Scottish National Gallery and St Giles' Cathedral, both in Edinburgh, drew 1.54 million and 1.17 million visitors respectively. Eleven of the top 20 attractions were located in the capital, compared with nine in 2015. Sites outside the top 20 were also successful in attracting more visitors. The Black Watch Castle & Museum in Perth and Kinross saw a 1,248% rise in numbers, largely on the back of "Weeping Window", a sculpture featuring thousands of handmade ceramic poppies commemorating those who died in World War One. Last year, 195,301 people visited the museum, up from 14,483 visitors in 2015. In the Highlands, interest generated by the Outlander TV series helped boost visitor numbers at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, which rose 21% from 115,923 in 2015 to 139,691 last year. Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "It is fantastic that Scottish visitor attractions recorded another successful year in 2016, with almost 30 million visits to some of Scotland's most popular and iconic tourist sites. "I commend the sterling work of ASVA in creating quality visitor experiences and building Scotland's reputation as a top tourist destination for visitors from around the world." ASVA chairman Douglas Walker said the figures demonstrated that the visitor attractions sector in Scotland was in "robust health".
The National Museum of Scotland overtook Edinburgh Castle to become the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland last year.
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A drilled shot by experienced Slovenia international Milivoje Novakovic threatened to leave Aberdeen with an uphill task in next week's return leg. But Republic of Ireland international Hayes finally converted one of the many chances the Dons created at Pittodrie. However, Aberdeen will need to score in Slovenia to stay in the tie. All seven of the Dons' goals in the previous two rounds had come in the last 22 minutes of matches, with three in stoppage time. And though there was a constant threat from Derek McInnes' side, full of pace, movement and intensity, they could not find a way past goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic until the closing stages. The aim from McInnes was to disrupt a team who like to slot into a steady defensive pattern in an effort to get an early goal. Top scorer Adam Rooney fastened on to a mistake by Dare Vrsic, but the striker's shot was indecisive and Handanovic saved at the second attempt. The visitors then squandered the best early chance after a great run and cross on the counter-attack by right-back Denis Sme, Marwan Kabha sending his shot from 12 yards hopelessly over the bar when he should have scored. Handanovic made a brave block at Rooney's feet and then saw the same player miss an excellent Andrew Considine delivery by inches as crosses kept flashing across his penalty box. The keeper again excelled by blocking Jayden Stockley's header at point-blank range just before the break. Vrsic caused a few moments of anxiety for Aberdeen when stopper Joe Lewis was forced to make a sharp dive to his left to prevent the former Austria Vienna player netting. Rooney did have the ball in the net after some great build-up play by Niall McGinn but the striker had strayed offside. Then, with time running out, Novakovic struck. It was a wonderful finish from the 37-year-old as he brushed off the challenge of Ash Taylor before arrowing a shot beyond the despairing dive of Lewis. But Taylor redeemed himself with a determined contribution to set up Hayes' sidefoot finish minutes later. That gives Aberdeen greater hope of reaching the play-off round, but Maribor know they will progress if they avoid losing a goal next week.
Aberdeen struck late in Europe again as Jonny Hayes equalised against Maribor in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg.
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The group is managed by Hong Kong's Argyle Street Management and funded by Indonesia's Sinarmas Group, which is managed by Indonesia's Widjaja family. The offer values Asia Resource Minerals at £98.8m and includes plans to inject $150m equity in the embattled company. British financer Nat Rothschild submitted an alternative $100m refinancing plan in April. Asia Resource Minerals, formerly known as Bumi, is grappling with tumbling coal prices and a continuing battle for control of the company. It was founded in 2010 by Nat Rothschild and Indonesia's wealthy Bakrie family. The co-founders fell out and the company was broken up in March 2014 and renamed Asian Resource Minerals. The Argyle-Sinarmas bid for the company once again pits Mr Rothschild against a powerful Indonesian family. The potential acquirers have stressed the importance of "an experienced and proven Indonesian partner", to lead the company. Foreign ownership of businesses is a contentious topic in Indonesia. Asia Resource Minerals controls nearly 85% of Indonesian coal mine operator Berau. The country's energy minister said on Thursday that it would prefer Berau to be locally owned. "Berau Coal is a corporate matter between shareholders. But as a policy matter, we want coal to be the pillar of our energy security. The more national mines that are controlled by national firms, the better," said Energy Minister Sudirman Said.
A group of Asian investors has submitted a bid to acquire Indonesian coal miner Asia Resource Minerals.
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The 45-year-old, who stepped up from assistant in December after Mark Burchill was sacked, has signed a one-year deal. "Continuity is one of the main objectives of the board of directors," said a club statement. "The club is also delighted that it will retain its full-time status." Livingston had hinted at their intentions by announcing three new signings immediately after their play-off semi-final defeat by Stranraer. Midfielder Jordan Sinclair, 19, arrived from Hibernian and central defenders Sean Crighton and Alan Lithgow joined from Airdrieonians. Meanwhile, Ryan Currie agreed a new contract, but Bulgarian midfielder Spas Georgiev, who was loaned to Albion Rovers in February, was released.
Livingston have decided to remain a full-time club despite being relegated to Scottish League One and have handed head coach David Hopkin a new contract.
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Heavy rain in Glasgow has resulted in a waterlogged pitch at Thistle's Firhill Stadium. Not date has yet been set for the rearranged fixture. Thistle, who have won their last four games, also had a top-flight match against Motherwell called off due to rain on 5 December.
The Scottish Premiership game between Partick Thistle and St Johnstone has been postponed following a morning pitch inspection.
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Harrold has scored nine goals in 68 games for Crawley since signing from Bristol Rovers in June 2014. The 32-year-old acted as player-manager in the Reds' final game of last season following Dermot Drummy's departure. "I feel like I've got a bit of a point to prove after my injuries and the tough season last year," he told the club website.
Crawley striker Matt Harrold has signed a new contract to stay with the League Two side until the end of next season.
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The Football Association charge relates to an incident around the 66th minute of the 2-2 draw when City were awarded a penalty. The club "failed to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion", the FA allege. Middlesbrough have until 18:00 BST on 5 May to respond to the charge. Referee Kevin Friend awarded City a penalty for Marten de Roon's challenge on Leroy Sane. Boro players were furious at the decision, with De Roon and Fabio booked for dissent.
Middlesbrough have been charged with failing to control their players in Sunday's Premier League match against Manchester City at the Riverside.
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In the last PMQs before the summer break, Mr Corbyn said people were held back by low pay and accused ministers of a "lack of touch with reality". Mrs May said she, like the Labour leader, valued public services. "The difference is on this side of the house we know we have to pay for them," she added. Mrs May is seeking to restore order to her party following a series of leaks and negative briefings, with Chancellor Philip Hammond reported to have told a private cabinet meeting public service workers were "overpaid". Mr Corbyn asked whether, given the "squabbling" inside government, Mr Hammond had been talking about Mrs May's ministers. He urged her to lift the cap on wage rises and cited the case of a nurse living with pay restraint for seven years. "I look along that front bench opposite and I see a cabinet bickering and backbiting while the economy gets weaker and people are pushed further into debt," he added. Mrs May said she recognised the sacrifices made by public servants towards reducing the deficit. She said the Tories had a "record to be proud of" and accused Labour of unfunded spending pledges. "The government doesn't seem to have any problem paying for DUP support," Mr Corbyn replied, in a reference to the £1bn package that secured the Democratic Unionist Party's backing for the Tories' minority administration. Parliament goes into recess on Thursday and returns on 5 September. Mrs May, under pressure since losing her Commons majority last month, has warned ministers and MPs that any "backbiting" between party figures could let Mr Corbyn into Downing Street. During PMQs, Labour MP Ian Murray referred to her as the "interim prime minister" when he asked his question. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said there was now "something of a backlash" from MPs towards the "big beasts" thought to be manoeuvring themselves behind the scenes to replace her. "I sense there's a real pushback now to keep her in place at least for the short to medium term," he added. A senior backbencher, 1922 Committee vice-chairman Charles Walker, said Mrs May would have MPs' backing if she sacked plotting ministers. And Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon called for military discipline from the cabinet ranks to confront the "dangerous enemy" of Mr Corbyn. In an interview with LBC Radio, Mrs May urged ministers to "accept collective responsibility". Asked whether there would be any punishment for those who'd leaked private conversations, she said there was "no such thing as an unsackable minister but at the moment the team is together and we're getting on with the job of delivering what we believe that British public want us to do".
Theresa May has said she recognises the "sacrifice" made by public sector workers as Jeremy Corbyn urged her to lift the 1% cap on their wages.
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Work is to be carried out on Edinburgh Airport's main runway over the next three weekends between 23:00 and 05:30. Areas affected include Bonnyrigg, Loanhead, Fairmilehead, Colinton, Sighthill, South Gyle, Oxgangs, Kirkliston and Bo'ness. The work will resurface runway areas particularly the touchdown zones. The airport said 16 flights would operate during the renovations, and the main runway would reopen before 06:00 each morning. Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "As the airport continues to grow our runway is subjected to heavier loads and more frequent aircraft movements. "These heavy forces can cause the runway surface to degrade over time. "The work we're carrying out over the next few weeks will involve resurfacing a number of areas on the runway, particularly at the aircraft touchdown zones. "As we'll be operating a different take-off and landing route, some areas around Edinburgh may notice a slight increase in the number aircraft operations between the hours of runway maintenance. "Although this runway maintenance work may cause some minimal inconvenience in the short term, it is essential that we continue to invest in and improve our facilities."
Residents close to Edinburgh Airport have been warned about increased aircraft noise while the regular flight path is temporarily changed.
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The justices voted 5-4 to grant an emergency appeal from the clinics after a federal appeals court had earlier upheld the new Texas law. Clinics have argued that the measures will lead to a second major wave of Texas clinic closures in as many years. The southern US state had 41 abortion clinics in 2012 but only 19 remain. The new restrictions were due to take effect on 1 July. They require abortion clinics to meet hospital-grade standards and for doctors at the clinics to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Critics say both provisions are designed to shut down abortion providers and will force women to seek abortions at illegal and unlicensed facilities. Monday's ruling means clinics unable to meet the restrictions will remain open at least until the Supreme Court decides whether it will hear the appeal from clinics.
Several abortion clinics in Texas will remain open after the US Supreme Court decided to put strict new measures against them on hold.
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The most extreme arctic blasts, blamed on a weather pattern known as the polar vortex, were said to have affected nearly 190 million people. In Kentucky, an escaped prisoner turned himself in to get out of the cold. Some parts of the Midwest hit -26C (-14F), as low as the Antarctic coast in winter, and much colder than the inside of a domestic freezer. Temperature records were shattered in states across the US, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. It was -17C (1F) in the small town of Hell, Michigan, prompting online jokes that the weather was so bad even hell had frozen over. But it was Embarrass, Minnesota, that experienced the lowest temperature in the nation on Tuesday: -37C (-35F). That was colder than readings recently recorded on the Red Planet by the Mars Rover. A video of a meteorologist tossing a pot of boiling water into the air in Wisconsin, to demonstrate how it immediately turns to snow, quickly went viral on the internet and was widely imitated. A woman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was taken to hospital with severe burns after she slipped on ice while attempting the trick, spilling boiling water on herself, the Argus Leader newspaper reported. The extreme weather resulted in the usual travel chaos - nearly 2,700 US flights were cancelled on Tuesday. More than 500 rail passengers on their way to Chicago were marooned overnight into Tuesday morning in northern Illinois on three Amtrak passenger trains after drifting snow and ice covered the tracks. The big freeze was even testing the resolve of Canadians, no strangers to cold weather. Temperatures in parts of Ontario fell to -30C (-22F), causing flights in and out of Pearson International Airport to be halted for several hours on Tuesday morning. Roads in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa were coated in dangerous black ice. Freezing temperatures were recorded even in usually mild southern states. In northern Florida temperatures briefly dropped below freezing. Atlanta, Georgia, was 25 degrees below average for this time of year. "I didn't think the South got this cold," Marty Williams, a homeless man in the city, told the Associated Press news agency. "That was the main reason for me to come down from up North, from the cold, to get away from all that stuff." People in the Midwest are still digging out from two massive snow storms recently which dumped more than 2ft (61cm) of snow. A reprieve is expected soon, however, with forecasters predicting temperatures above freezing for much of the US in the coming days.
Weather records have tumbled across North America, with freezing temperatures even in the southern US.
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Tobefair, a seven-year-old gelding, has won his last seven races. He was gifted as a colt to Michael Cole three years ago, in return for looking after two fillies on his farm. Unable to afford the training costs on his own, he decided to offer 50% of the ownership to people he knew through his local pub, the Cresselly Arms at Cresswell Quay. The syndicate grew to 17 members but none except Mr Cole had owned a racehorse before. They said they were amazed when Tobefair started winning races and never dreamed he would make it to Cheltenham. The festival runs from Tuesday to Friday and culminates in the showpiece contest, the Gold Cup. Mr Cole said: "There's a lot of these big people now, they've got 40, 50, 60 horses, and it doesn't mean anything. But it means something to us." Syndicate member Andy Pannell described the experience as "total exhilaration", adding: "We were stood on the steps at Newbury and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. My heart was pounding, thumping." This is also a first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival for Tobefair's trainers Debra and Paul Hamer's, whose yard is at Nantycaws near Carmarthen. At least two bus loads of supporters will be travelling from the Cresselly Arms to Cheltenham for Tobefair's race, the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle, on Thursday. But syndicate member Jennifer Cole said they have only one real wish: "Win or lose, just get him round the track and bring the boy home."
A racehorse owned by a syndicate from Pembrokeshire is a favourite to win at this year's Cheltenham Festival.
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The corruption allegations came in a video by opposition campaigner Alexei Navalny, viewed by millions on YouTube. Mr Medvedev's properties include a vineyard in Italy, a mountain villa, and two luxury yachts, it is alleged. "They pick up any old tosh, nonsense, about me or my acquaintances, and people I've never heard of," he said. It is the first time he has commented on the claims published by Mr Navalny's anti-corruption network on 2 March. Mr Navalny said the prime minister profited from a complex business network which concealed "bribes" by using offshore schemes and charity foundations. The claims stirred up mass protests which saw thousands of Russians march against the government in several cities on 26 March. Hundreds of demonstrators were detained, many of them young supporters of Mr Navalny. The following day a court jailed Mr Navalny for 15 days for disobeying a police officer. Mr Medvedev said the "provocative" video was "expensively produced - financed by private sponsors" and "aimed at achieving a specific political result". "They lure young people via social media, and those youths come out with certain slogans, unfortunately in violation of the law. In essence, they expose them to the machinery of law enforcement, and those youths suffer as a result." He was speaking to workers at a bacon factory in the Tambov region, south of Moscow. Mr Navalny - a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin associates - plans to run for the Russian presidency next year. Mr Medvedev said he had "strong nerves" which protected him from such attacks. "If I reacted each time to such attacks I simply wouldn't manage to get on with my job as normal."
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed as "nonsense" allegations that he has secretly accumulated a vast fortune including country estates.
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The deal with GlaxoSmithKline will enable the vaccine to be rolled out "this year", easing one of the "biggest worries" for parents, he said. It follows a long-running stand-off over its cost. Advisers recommended last year that all UK children over two months old should be given the vaccine on the NHS. Campaigners have warned the Department of Health that delays are putting children's lives at risk. Scotland's health secretary, Shona Robison, said the vaccine would be introduced to the immunisation programme for all infants in Scotland "as quickly as possible" following the deal - which was also made on behalf of the devolved government. Mr Hunt said he was "delighted" to have secured an agreement with GSK - the company that now manufactures the vaccine. It follows lengthy negotiations with another supplier - Novartis - which used to own the vaccine, called Bexsero. GSK acquired the vaccine from Novartis, which resulted in the price of the vaccine being reduced and the deal being struck, Mr Hunt said. Announcing the agreement, he said: "I think that this is something families across the country - particularly ones with young children - will particularly welcome." The vaccine has been available privately in the UK - but the deal could mean the jab is offered as part of a routine childhood vaccination programme. It comes after charities called for urgent action from the prime minister and Mr Hunt to conclude negotiations with manufacturers. Meningitis is a bacterial infection that usually affects children under the age of one. There are about 1,870 cases of meningitis B each year in the UK. Symptoms include a high fever with cold hands and feet, confusion, vomiting and headaches. Most children will make a full recovery with early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. It is fatal in one in 10 cases. About one in four of those who survive is left with long-term problems, such as amputation, deafness, epilepsy and learning difficulties. Q&A: Meningitis B vaccine
An agreement has been reached with the drug manufacturer GSK to provide a meningitis B vaccine for all UK babies, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.
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Cryne joined Barnsley's board in 2003 as part of a consortium led by ex-Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale. Ridsdale left the Championship club in December 2004, leaving Cryne and former chairman Gordon Shepherd in control. In August, Cryne told the Barnsley Chronicle that he would welcome takeover offers from fans' groups.
Barnsley owner Patrick Cryne will not be involved in the club "for the foreseeable future" while he receives cancer treatment.
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Investors shrugged off data that showed core consumer prices fell 0.1% in August from a year ago - the first annual drop since April 2013. The decline in prices, which includes oil products but not fresh food, had been expected by economists. Japan's benchmark Nikkei index ended up 1.8% at 17,880.51. Shares in Sharp fell as much as 10% after the Nikkei business daily said it was likely to report a half-year loss of 30bn yen ($250m; £163m) as a result of weak sales of LCD panels for smartphones. On the currency markets, the US dollar rose in Asian trade after the head of US Federal Reserve Janet Yellen said the central bank was still on track to raise interest rates later this year. The dollar was up to 120.32 yen from around 120.00 yen before her speech. In China, investors continued to digest the mixed news coming out of the economy this week. A preliminary reading of China's factory activity fell to the weakest level since 2009, but home prices rose for the fourth month, indicating growth. The Shanghai Composite closed down 1.6% at 3,092.35, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.4% to 21,186.32. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.6% at 5,042.10. South Korean shares fell despite a central bank survey showing consumer sentiment had hit a four-month high in September. The benchmark Kospi finished down 0.2% at 1,942.85.
Japanese shares finished higher on Friday, recovering some of the losses in the previous session when the market lost nearly 3%.
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Warnings are being displayed at bus stops, Tube stations and roadsides in the capital because of "high pollution levels". Mr Khan said the warnings would help Londoners take "appropriate measures to protect themselves". Under previous mayor, Boris Johnson, air pollution alerts were available through a subscription text service. Anyone experiencing discomfort is advised to consider reducing their activity, particularly outdoors. "This is particularly crucial for Londoners who are vulnerable, such as asthma sufferers," Mr Kahn added. According to official statistics from the Mayor of London, 9,400 people die from air pollution in London each year. The alerts are being displayed at 2,500 bus stops and river piers, the entrances of all 270 Tube stations and on 140 signs next to the busiest main roads into London with instructions to switch engines off when stationary to reduce emissions. The mayor has proposed a series of measures to tackle the problem, including introducing charges for the most polluting vehicles in the Congestion Charge Zone. King's College London's air quality network describes air pollution in London as "high" due to an area of high pressure over the UK resulting in calm, settled and cold conditions and poor dispersal of local pollutants. Dr David Green of King's College London said: "Letting people know about the problem is very important. "The more information, the more action people can take to protect themselves and the more well known the problem the less likely people are to buy that diesel car in the future."
Air quality alerts have been issued across the capital by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for the first time.
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Alun and Mary Williams from Cwm Pennant got into difficulty after taking out a short-term loan with a farm finance company called UK Acorn Finance (UKAF). UKAF won a court judgment last July to repossess the farm. On Thursday, Mrs Williams lost an application for the right to appeal against that ruling. The family took out a £1.2m loan in 2011 which, they say, rose to £3.1m. In the hearing last July, His Honour Judge Milwyn Jarman found that Mrs Williams had received independent advice which was required by UKAF before signing any documents. Mr and Mrs Williams' sons are the fifth generation of the family to farm at Rhwngddwyafon, a 600 acre (242 hectare) sheep and beef farm in the heart of Snowdonia.
A Gwynedd farming family are to lose their home after getting into debts of over £3m.
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The data show subsidence of up to 23cm (9in) as a roughly 20km-long fault ruptured in the Apennine mountains in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Scientists will use the information to better understand what caused the magnitude-6.2 event and to make hazard assessments for the future. Almost 300 people are now known to have died in the big tremor. The worst affected town was Amatrice, but the settlements of Arquata, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto were also badly hit. The specialised picture displayed at the top of this page is what is known as an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) map. It is made by combining observations of the ground acquired by orbiting satellites "before" and "after" a quake. The coloured bands, or fringes, represent movement towards or away from the spacecraft. In this case, each fringe is a step of 2.8cm. “The InSAR data show that the earthquake has warped the Earth's surface by a maximum of 23cm, causing subsidence in a 25km-long elongate region roughly between the towns of Norcia and Amatrice,” explained Dr Richard Walters from Durham University, UK, who built the map. “The fault that ruptured was around 20km long. The average slip at depth on the fault was about half a metre, but is concentrated in two major patches, which probably means two separate fault segments ruptured together. “Most slip took place at depth, with only a small amount reaching the surface.” Dr Walters is affiliated to Britain’s NERC Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET). To make the map, he used radar data from the European Union’s Sentinel-1a and 1b satellites. These spacecraft circle the globe, routinely imaging all land surfaces at least once every six days. Their rapid return to any one location means they were in a position to view central Italy as soon as Friday after the quake, and then again on Saturday. Dr Walters’ point about most of the slip being at depth illustrates the usefulness of InSAR. Not all ruptures will show an obvious surface expression, such as a buckled road or a newly opened fissure in the ground. But the InSAR data, in revealing the scale of warping, still permits scientists to trace the fault involved even if some of its sections are somewhat hidden. This was true of 2009’s damaging quake in L’Aquila, to the south of Amatrice, which killed 309 people. Surface breaks were small and geologists initially had some difficulty in identifying the fault responsible for the magnitude-6.3 event. [email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
Europe’s Sentinel radar satellites have mapped the ground movement in the Italian earthquake.
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Eighty-five per cent of all births in Brazilian private hospitals are caesareans and in public hospitals the figure is 45%. The new rules oblige doctors to inform women about the risks and ask them to sign a consent form before performing a caesarean. Doctors will also have to justify why a caesarean was necessary. They will have to fill in a complete record of how the labour and birth developed and explain their actions. Each pregnant woman will now be assigned medical notes which record the history of her pregnancy, which she can take with her if she changes doctors. The new rules are designed to reduce unnecessary surgical procedures, and ensure pregnant women are aware of the risks associated with caesareans. However, experts say that a scarcity of maternity beds and wards equipped to deal with natural births means that for many women in Brazil, caesarean birth is seen as the best option. "The best way to guarantee yourself a bed in a good hospital is to book a caesarean," Pedro Octavio de Britto Pereira, an obstetrician and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said in an interview with BBC Brasil last year. Women who want to give birth naturally in a private hospital have reported finding all the beds are reserved for scheduled deliveries. There have been numerous reports of women going into labour without a caesarean scheduled and being forced to travel from hospital to hospital in search of a bed. Researchers say many women also see caesareans as more civilised and modern, and natural birth as primitive, ugly and inconvenient. In Brazil's body-conscious culture, where there is little information given about childbirth, there is also huge concern that natural birth can make women sexually unattractive. Many doctors prefer caesareans too, as they can plan the time of a birth, and feel more protected from litigation. Gynaecologist Renato Sa told BBC Brasil: "Doctors are responsible for what happens and in a situation of risk they chose a caesarean, because if there is a death or complication they will be asked why they didn't do this. Doctors are afraid of natural childbirth."
New rules have come into force in Brazil aimed at reducing the country's high number of caesarean births.
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On Monday the number of cars on the road in Paris will be cut in half - only motorists with odd-numbered plates will be allowed to drive. Public transportation will be free as well car-sharing and bike-sharing programmes. Similar measures were put in place last year when pollution soared in Paris. The city saw a severe spike in smog on Wednesday last week and briefly had the world's dirtiest air, AP news agency reported quoting Plume Labs, a monitoring company. The mayor's office announced at the weekend that alternating number plate measures would be implemented on Monday, with exceptions for electric or hybrid vehicles as well as emergency vehicles. Public transport is free on Monday in Paris and surrounding towns to try to entice drivers to leave their cars at home. About 750 police officers were being mobilised in the city and its suburbs to enforce the traffic restrictions which went into effect at 05:30 local time (04:30 GMT), Le Monde newspaper reported. Other cities are also imposing various restrictions.
The French authorities have introduced measures to combat a sharp increase in pollution affecting Paris and other cities in northern France.
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The song sold more than 172,000 copies, about 87,000 more than Ronson's Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars. It is Goulding's second number one, after Burn in 2013. Love Me Like You Do is the fastest-selling single of the year so far. Ronson's Uptown Funk has spent nine weeks in the chart in total, seven of them in the number one slot. Rounding off the top five singles, was Hozier's Take Me To Church; Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's FourFive Seconds, and Meghan Trainor's Lips Are Movin.
Ellie Goulding's song Love Me Like You Do has gone straight to number one in the UK singles chart, ending Mark Ronson's reign at the top.
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The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said the figure was 7% up from June, and 15% higher than July last year. Caroline Offord, a CML analyst, said that mortgage lending remained robust, despite regulatory changes earlier this year to toughen lending criteria. There was a 25% rise in property transactions in the first half of 2014, the CML said. However, Ms Offord said that affordability pressures could start to affect the property market. "Economic conditions have strengthened, but while the Bank of England has signalled an improved economic outlook since May, headwinds remain," she said. A rise in interest rates could hit the housing market, although any increase was likely to be "measured and gradual", she said. New rule changes mean lenders must do more checks on borrowers' ability to repay loans, something that was blamed for slowing the number of loans and transactions earlier this year. Net mortgage lending for the first six months of the year reached £10.5bn, which Ms Offord described as a "strong figure" compared to the past five years when the total barely exceeded £10bn for the whole 12 months. "This is a sign of growth in the market and not just churn," she said. The Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday that UK house prices had risen by 10.2% over the 12 months to June to hit a new record high of of £265,000. However, the London average was now almost £500,000.
Mortgage lending rose to £19.1bn in July to reach the highest monthly total since August 2008.
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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) provided no explanation for the missing funds, the auditor general told MPs. Oil revenue accounts for two-thirds of the government's funding. President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to crack down on corruption since coming to office last May. The NNPC has not commented on the auditor general's findings. This finding by the auditor general, while shocking, is not a surprise. Officials from the previous administration allegedly indulged in wholesale corruption where billions of dollars of oil funds simply disappeared. When the then central bank governor Lamido Sanusi pointed out that billions of dollars were missing from the treasury, he was sacked from his job. Nigeria's oil reserves should have been blessing for Nigeria to be used to build infrastructure and invest in social services. Instead, it has been a curse, a lubricant that has produced massive corruption and dysfunctional governments. President Buhari was elected on a platform of cleaning up the country's notoriously corrupt politics. But some officials from the previous administration accuse him of using corruption to pursue a political vendetta. The state oil giant has been mired in corruption allegations and losing money for many years. Last month, the government announced that the NNPC would be broken up into seven different companies. A separate audit ordered under former President Goodluck Jonathan and carried out by global accountancy firm PwC, found that the NNPC had failed to pay the government $1.48bn between January 2012 and July 2013. It did not provide a total figure for how much revenue the NNPC should legally have handed over to the treasury. However, the company said that it could not vouch for the integrity of the information it was given when it conducted the audit. Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer, but the economy has suffered because of the recent decline in the price of oil.
Nigeria's state-owned oil company has failed to pay the government $16bn (£11bn) in a suspected fraud, according to an official audit.
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The requiem mass was held at St Mary's Church on the Melmount Road. The teenager who died in a water-filled quarry in County Tyrone is the third member of his extended family to die in a drowning tragedy. The body of Rhys Jack was recovered from the disused quarry in the Backtown area of Strabane on Tuesday afternoon. Parish priest, Father Michael Doherty, said both of the teenager's parents had lost family members through drowning. His mother lost her five-year-old brother about 40 years ago, while his father's uncle drowned in recent years. Father Doherty has been with members of the Jack family since the tragedy began to unfold on Monday evening. The 17-year-old was in the quarry with three teenage friends when they fell into the water from a makeshift raft. His three friends, who were later rescued, had frantically tried to save him. Father Doherty told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme that Rhys's parents, Elaine and Mark, identified his body at the quarry shortly after it was recovered by search teams. He said: "They knew over the past day, or from about eight o'clock last night (20:00 BST) that although they would have liked to have thought there was a chance he would be still alive, they knew that he was gone and their hope was that the body would be found sooner rather than later." The priest said that their "deep sadness" at losing their son was mixed with "relief". He explained that the corpse of Elaine Jack's young brother had never been found, so they were relieved that Rhys's body had been recovered. He also said it was his understanding that Mark Jack's uncle had drowned in the River Finn a number of years ago. Father Doherty was the Jack family's parish priest and had baptised Rhys 17 years ago. He was also a chaplain at the teenager's school. The priest said the three friends who had tried to save Rhys were "traumatised and upset". He described the atmosphere in Rhys's school as "subdued" and said staff had tried to make special arrangements for those taking exams.
The funeral mass has taken place of teenager Rhys Jack who drowned in a quarry in Strabane last week.
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Former Fulham man Pavel Pogrebnyak sprung the offside trap and dinked a delicate chip over County goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley to open the scoring. Striker Nick Blackman doubled the lead for the Championship side with a solo effort before Shaun Jeffers' header gave League Two Newport hope. Seconds after coming on for his debut striker Craig Tanner made it 3-1. Newport County manager Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Wales: "I thought we needed a reaction after our performance on Saturday and certainly got that from the players. "I thought from start to finish we gave a good account of ourselves and ran Reading hard. "We had nothing to lose second half and I felt we deserved the goal that we got at the end."
Reading coasted into the second round of the Capital One Cup at the expense of Newport County.
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The 19-year-old, who won four golds at last year's World Championships in Glasgow, has a progressive neurological condition which causes muscle weakness. "A recent progression in my condition, coupled with an ongoing shoulder injury, has affected my ability to train," she said. "I did everything in my power to get to Rio, but it just wasn't to be." The Paralympics begin on 7 September, while the swimming events run from 8-17 September. Kearney, who has been battling to be fit since the start of the year, missed the British Paralympic swimming trials in April but was named in the team in May. She added: "I'm devastated not to be able to represent GB in Rio. I have worked incredibly hard in training for many years to get to this point in my career and last year was fantastic for me. "Obviously, I hope that there will be a way for me to continue to compete in the sport I love so much next season and beyond." British Para-swimming national performance director Chris Furber said: "We all share in Tully's disappointment in this news. "As a team we worked closely with Tully to ensure she had the right support and as much time as possible. "Our whole medical and coaching team has and will continue to provide the best support possible for Tully. We all wish her a speedy return to competition."
Swimmer Tully Kearney has had to withdraw from the Great Britain team for the Rio Paralympics through injury.
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Organisers say that as many as 48,000 people took part but police estimates were far lower at just under 20,000. The BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong says the protest was far more low key than this time last year when organisers said 500,0000 people demonstrated. In June a Beijing-backed reform package was rejected by Hong Kong legislators. The reforms would have given Hong Kong voters the right to choose their leader for the first time - subject to approval by China - and foreshadowed the huge so-called umbrella protests that followed for several months afterwards. Campaigners dismissed the reforms as offering only "fake democracy". Our correspondent says that the lower number of protesters this year has resulted in questions as to whether the public is growing tired at the failure of the pro-democracy movement to gain concessions from the Chinese government. Some have expressed disappointment that after nearly three months of paralysing the city's streets, they were unable to secure greater voting rights from China. Protesters on Wednesday congregated at Victoria Park to march in sweltering conditions to city government headquarters. Many held yellow umbrellas, the symbol of last year's demonstrations and the preferred tool of defence against police pepper spray. The demonstrators chanted derogatory slogans against Hong Hong's Beijing-backed leader CY Leung, demanding his resignation. Some carried banners calling for universal suffrage or for the downfall of the Communist Party, while others carried colonial-era Hong Kong flags. The demonstrators were in places heckled by pro-Beijing groups who hurled insults at them as they made their procession through the streets, with police often having to separate the two sides. Earlier in the day Mr Leung urged people to look to the future, Reuters news agency reports. "Even though political reforms have taken up considerable effort and time, the Hong Kong government will strengthen economic development and improve people's livelihoods," he told a flag-raising ceremony to mark the anniversary.
Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong have attended a pro-democracy rally to mark 18 years since Britain handed the territory back to China.
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It comes after Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock said the poll result could cause "irreparable damage" to the industry. Newport-based steel group Liberty is determined to press ahead with its bid, BBC Wales understands. Tata said no interested parties had changed their positions. A spokesman added: "Like the rest of the business world we will be taking the time to consider the implications of the verdict of the British people. "We have received no notifications from any of the interested parties of any change in their position." Concerns had been raised in the run-up to Thursday's referendum that international buyers for Tata Steel's UK business would drop out if the result was a loss of access to European markets. Mr Kinnock told BBC Radio Wales he feared for the Port Talbot plant amid rumours bidders were pulling out after the vote to leave the EU. "I spent almost the entire referendum campaign saying 'if you want to save steel industry, you must vote to remain'," he said. "I find it absolutely extraordinary that that hasn't been understood because of the uncertainty it now unleashes. "The vote has taken place, the people have spoken, but I am deeply, deeply concerned about the future of our steelworks in the light of this vote." Asked about the future, he told the Sunday Supplement programme: "I'm already hearing rumours that the bidders are going to now pull out. "If you look at the government, it was actually the PM that was pushing this forward," he said. "The prime minister realised that it was a political priority - he's gone now, so where is the voice at the top level of the British government standing up for the steel industry? I don't see it. "The enemy of business is uncertainty and that is fundamentally why this referendum vote is going to potentially cause irreparable damage to the steel industry." First Minister Carwyn Jones told the programme he was "still fighting" to keep the Port Talbot plant open. "I'm not going to pretend to you that Thursday helped because it didn't," he said. "I think if we'd seen things different on Thursday we'd have been in a stronger position with regard to Tata. "But now things are once again up in the air." Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, on the winning side of the referendum result, called the first minister's comments "scare-mongering of the highest order". "If we get this [withdrawal from the EU] right, there are enormous opportunities," he said. "The deals and the trade agreements are in place, business continues."
No bidders have pulled out of trying to buy Tata Steel's UK operations in the light of the Brexit result, the firm has said.
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Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said it was a great deal for taxpayers, with the club paying about £4.4m per year in return for the council's support. But the city's Liberal Democrat leader Richard Kemp asked why a club largely owned by "billionaire" businessman Farhad Moshiri needed council backing. He asked: "What are the safeguards?" The council cabinet has agreed to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to help Everton secure the investment it needs to build a new 50,000 capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock on the banks of the Mersey. Everton last week announced a deal to acquire the land needed for the project. The local authority said its agreement with Everton includes measures to ensure it will always be paid by the football club. "It is not just a good deal for the council in terms of receiving funding but equally it is going to be the driver for regeneration for north Liverpool," said Mr Anderson. "From my point of view, it is job done." Mr Kemp said he still has his doubts. "I am not against the deal itself but I want to know what the safeguards are. I want to know the direct benefit for the council. "Why do billionaires need a guarantee from a third party? In fact why do they need a loan at all?" Mr Anderson said he had had several meetings with Iranian businessman Mr Moshiri, who bought a 49.9% share in the Premier League club last year. "We're not funding a billionaire - we are actually doing a great deal for Liverpool City Council," said Mr Anderson. "I am not here to browbeat Everton into starting but... I certainly want them to crack on because if we get chosen for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 we will need to deliver." Prof Tom Cannon, emeritus professor at the University of Liverpool's School of Management, said the stadium would bring direct benefits to the city and the council. "The economic benefit is development of another strong economic agent in a growth area like sport and it reinforces the city's burgeoning strength as a leading centre for an array of sports from soccer, through equine to golf. "Sport is a high-growth industry with strong multipliers." Everton Stadium deal
Everton's ambition to build a new £300m stadium has been backed by Liverpool City Council, which has formally agreed to financially guarantee the project.
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The award of the franchise to FirstGroup was scrapped on Wednesday because of bidding process "flaws". The Times has reported that she learned of a potential flaw a week before the Cabinet reshuffle on 4 September. The DfT says this was not the error that caused the process to collapse. Three civil servants - who face possible further disciplinary action pending an investigation - have been suspended after the government admitted major failings over the contract to run the rail line. BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said the department told him Ms Greening had been made aware of an area of "potential concern" but that she had been told it would "not affect the outcome". She asked officials to check it further and it turned out to be a "minor error". The department insists it is not related to the main flaw that they found later on and which brought the whole process down. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said a "terrible mistake" in evaluating the relative merits of four bids had been made by Department for Transport staff and that the fault lay "wholly and squarely" with the department. Staff reportedly failed to include predicted passenger numbers and inflation forecasts in some of the risk assessments of the rival bids from firms. They included Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Trains, which currently runs the route - which links London with Glasgow and Edinburgh via the Midlands and north-west of England. Mr McLoughlin said the estimated cost of reimbursing the four companies for the cost of their bids would be £40m. Meanwhile, the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents one of the suspended men, said it would ensure the inquiry examined all the issues, including ministerial involvement and oversight of the bidding process. General secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The way ministers have sought to blame civil servants in the Department for Transport before any of the facts have been established has been deplorable but sadly not out of character. "It is entirely consistent with the way the civil service is being treated by many ministers as an irritation, rather than as a professional body that works to ensure the smooth running of government." Scotland's transport secretary has hit out at the handling of the franchise, saying the Scottish Government had been given no notice of the decision to scrap the FirstGroup deal. In a statement at the Scottish Parliament, Keith Brown said: "The department's handling of the procurement process has been incompetent and shambolic. Most importantly, it has caused a great deal of confusion and speculation about arrangements for West Coast services after the franchise handover date of 9 December." He said the Scottish government would be keeping a close eye on assurances which had been given by the Department of Transport that services would not be affected.
Former Transport Secretary Justine Greening did not know about the problem which led to the collapse of the West Coast Main Line franchise award, the Department for Transport has said.
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Daphne Reid, 66, died after a fire broke out at her Silverhill Park home in Enniskillen on 27 December 2015. Her husband Franklin, who was 70, died just over a week later from injuries sustained in the blaze. Coroner Joe McCrisken said police officers disregarded their own safety to try to rescue the couple. He added that they should be hailed as heroes. The fire began when a cigarette fell on to a carpet in a bedroom where Mr Reid was sleeping. The inquest in Enniskillen on Monday heard how police officers, who were the first of the emergency services staff to arrive at the scene, did not follow official training guidelines that say all rescue attempts should be left to the fire service. Mr McCrisken said the Police Service of Northern Ireland should consider an official recognition for the officers who tried to save the couple. PC Daniel Finnegan broke windows to let some smoke out before attempting to enter the burning house. He told the coroner: "It was a personal judgment call." PC Damien Maguire also attempted to enter the house through the burning, but was prevented from doing so by thick smoke. The coroner also praised paramedics and firefighters, one of whom entered the property without breathing apparatus to rescue Mr Reid. Enniskillen fire station commander Padraig McKeon arrived at the scene shortly after the failed police efforts to access the pensioners. The inquest heard that he felt able to enter the property without breathing apparatus because much of the smoke had left the building.
A coroner has praised emergency services staff who attended a house fire in County Fermanagh that claimed the lives of two people.
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The 38-year-old played more than 100 games for the Black Caps in all formats and was a key figure as they reached the 2015 World Cup final. Bears sport director Ashley Giles said: "Grant has proven himself as a match-winner on the biggest stage. "He top-scored in the final and semi-final of the World Cup in 2015 and has a wealth of T20 experience." To join the county as a non-overseas player under the Kolpak ruling, South Africa-born Elliott has ended an international career in which he played five Tests, 83 one-day internationals and 16 Twenty20 internationals since making his debut against England in 2008. He joins fellow countrymen Colin de Grandhomme, who signed for the Bears earlier this month, and Jeetan Patel at Edgbaston.
Birmingham Bears have signed former New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott on a Kolpak deal for the T20 Blast.
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Manager John Hughes had recently been quoted as saying the 46-year-old was likely to pursue another opportunity. Latapy confirmed his departure in a statement on the Caley Thistle website without revealing his destination. "I have never hidden my ambition to one day be my own man in management terms and believe now is the time," he said. "My journey here has been fantastic and I have enjoyed every minute of my time in Inverness, culminating in us finishing third in the SPFL and winning the William Hill Scottish Cup, a massive achievement for any club let all alone ICTFC." Latapy, who thanked Hughes for giving him the opportunity to be his assistant 18 months ago after a spell in a similar role with Boavista in Portugal. The former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder had been Hughes assistant at Falkirk before a spell as his country's national head coach. Caley Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron said: "Whilst we are particularly sorry to see Russell depart for pastures new, we fully appreciate his desire to further develop his undoubted talents in a new environment. "Russell will always be remembered here at ICTFC, as a member of a great winning team." Cameron hinted that Caley Thistle were prepared for such an eventuality. "I recognise that any form of organisational change brings with it its own range of challenges," he added. "I am, however, confident in our abilities to mitigate these challenges and look forward to working with the board and the club management as we seek to secure future successes for ICTFC."
Russell Latapy has left his post as assistant manager with Inverness Caledonian Thistle saying it is time to become a boss in his own right again.
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Manager Chris Coleman says he does not know when Ledley will be available to play in France. Adam Matthews, Paul Dummett, Emyr Huws and Wes Burns were cut from Chris Coleman's training camp group. Coleman dismissed concerns over the fitness of Gareth Bale after suffering cramp in the Champions League final. Three players - forwards Tom Bradshaw and Tom Lawrence and defender Adam Henley - were not considered because of injuries. Wales begin their campaign against Slovakia on 11 June, before facing England five days later. Media playback is not supported on this device Ledley, 29, missed the FA Cup final after being injured playing for Crystal Palace on 7 May. Manager Chris Coleman, who recently signed a new deal after leading Wales to a first major tournament in 58 years, says Ledley 'is looking good' and should be back to play his part in the group stages. "We can't say he is going to be ready, we don't know that," he said. "He's included because of what he brings to the squad. "He deserves the chance. The conversation is, what stage of the group games will he be available for? "He is in the squad because he is looking good. "In the last three or four years he has been fantastic for us." Coleman also said striker Hal Robson-Kanu is suffering with a 'leg issue' while Joe Allen is also struggling for fitness ahead of Wales' final warm-up game in Sweden on 5 June. Wales Euro 2016 squad: Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness). Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Chris Gunter (Reading), Ashley Williams (Captain, Swansea), James Chester (West Brom), Ashley Richards (Fulham), James Collins (West Ham). Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Joe Allen (Liverpool), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace), George Williams (Fulham), Andy King (Leicester), Dave Edwards (Wolves). Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Simon Church (MK Dons), David Cotterill (Birmingham City) Pick the XI that you think can take Wales to the final of Euro 2016 - and then share it with your friends using our team selector.
Joe Ledley has been selected in Wales' squad for Euro 2016 after returning to training less than a month after breaking his leg.
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The Welsh number nine, only playing in the absence of Charlie Mulchrone (injured) and Jonny Arr (suspended), was one of the stand-out performers. "We showed the spirit at this club," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester. "The character the boys showed says what we can go on and do next year." Bruzulier's only action this season had been in Warriors' Monday night reserve team, the Worcester Cavaliers, as well as captaining effectively a second-string Warriors side to victory in the British & Irish Cup. He then found himself thrust into the limelight when Worcester lost both their senior scrum-halves Mulchrone and Arr in the semi-final first-leg win over London Scottish. But he was quick to pay tribute to the part the pair played in helping him perform to his maximum, both in the second leg and then in the two-leg final against Bristol, to help Worcester win back their place in the Premiership, a year on from being relegated. "The reason I've not been first or second choice all year is because they've been so fantastic," he added. "But they've been great with me over the last two weeks, helping me out with all the calls. "When you're playing for the Cavaliers, you can chill out and have fun. It's a more serious business with the first team. But it was great to be part of it all against Bristol and show such spirit. "Our defence was massive and to then come back from 14 points down with 10 minutes left to win was incredible. We didn't think we'd do it, but we had the character to see it through." While Bruzulier took his chance well over Warriors' final three play-off matches, the only scrum-half cover they had on the bench was 17-year-old schoolboy Jamie Shillcock, who was in the middle of revision for his 'A' levels at Warwick School. Shillcock, along with five other players (winger Josh Adams, locks Charlie Hewitt, 20, and Justin Clegg, 18, and props Gareth Milasinovich, 22, and James Page, 17) has now been rewarded with a place in the Academy set-up at Sixways next season. Current Academy player, lock Andrew Kitchener, has extended his stay at Sixways while continuing his studies at Birmingham University. Jack Singleton, Huw Taylor and Sam Smith make up the rest of next season's Academy squad, while Tiff Eden, Christian Scotland-Williamson and Mike Daniels, who signed contracts earlier this year, move into the first team squad. Meanwhile, prop Rob O'Donnell, 29, has joined Yorkshire Carnegie on a two-year contract after three years at Sixways, becoming the ambitious Leeds club's ninth signing ahead of next season.
Worcester Warriors scrum-half JB Bruzulier says the character the team showed in their thrilling, last-gasp Championship play-off final win over Bristol augurs well for next season.
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Begonia elachista was discovered at the mouth of a limestone cave in a national park in central Peru. The park authorities want to build a tourist route to the cave - a move which could threaten the species. Staff at the botanic garden hope their work will inform conservation efforts for the new species which has been classed as critically endangered. The Peruvian cave is the only place botanists know that the begonia grows in the wild, but the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) said it was "not a safe haven" for the plant as more tourists begin to arrive RBGE staff are now working with partners in Peru and the US to try to save it. Peter Moonlight, a tropical biodiversity research scientist at the RBGE, said the begonia did not deserve its reputation as being "repulsively ugly" - as Monty Don once labelled them. "Many are still poorly understood although they play a critical role in tropical ecosystems and are of great importance as environmental indicator species," he said. "In many cases they also have a strong role to play in the horticultural sector and as a food source, medicine or other products of benefit. "The species discovery programme at RBGE gives previous hidden gems - including begonia elachista - a voice on the global conservation stage."
The newest and smallest species of begonia ever found has begun to flower at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden.
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The number of voluntary officers working for Northamptonshire Police has fallen from 722 to 377 since May 2016. Police and crime commissioner Stephen Mold said the drop-out rate had not changed much recently but recruitment efforts had fallen. Mr Mold said he preferred to "focus on quality, not quantity". His predecessor Adam Simmonds had aimed to recruit 900 specials to the force but when Mr Mold took over in May 2016 he pledged instead to maintain a ratio of full-time officers to specials of about two to one. Northamptonshire Police currently has 1,220 full-time officers. A report due to be presented to Northamptonshire County Council on Thursday suggests part of the decline is due to the way the statistics were presented. However, it adds 260 special constables have resigned in the past 10 months. It listed reasons for leaving including a loss of commitment, or volunteers becoming a full-time officer or a change in work-life balance. 260 The number of specials who have resigned since May 2016 900 Adam Simmonds' target 722 Number of specials when Adam Simmonds left in May 2016 377 Current number of specials It noted that some specials had raised concerns about equipment, particularly a lack of lockers or body-worn video equipment. Mick Stamper, the force's head of operation policing, said many of the specials who had left "didn't meet the standard" required or had not been able to commit to regular duties. One special constable, who spoke to the BBC on the guarantee of anonymity, said: "There are so many unhappy and unsupported and rarely valued officers. "The lack of help and support for the special constables is mind-boggling. "Who would want to stay and volunteer in an organisation that shows no respect or helps their volunteers." Mr Simmonds' target was part of plans to "make Northamptonshire the safest place in England". In an article on ConservativeHome in 2014, he said the force had "the highest proportion of Special Constables of any force in England and Wales". In July 2013, the force employed more than 250 specials and Mr Simmonds pledged to put more "boots on pavements" by increasing their numbers.
A police force that boasted of having the highest proportion of special constables in the country has seen almost half of them leave the force.
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The hosts restricted Ireland to 219-8 from their 50 overs, Gary Wilson scoring an unbeaten 70 and Ed Joyce adding 53. Ireland reduced Zimbabwe to 171-7 before Raza's unbeaten knock helped them to victory with an over to spare. The second game takes place on Sunday before a potential decider on Tuesday. Paul Stirling (24) and Kevin O'Brien (16) contributed to a modest Ireland total while John Nyumba (2-35) and Wellington Masakadza (2-45) each picked up two wickets. Spinner George Dockrell was the pick of the Irish bowlers with 2-29. Ireland hope to end the series still ahead of Zimbabwe in the world rankings. The Irish started the series in 10th and Zimbabwe 11th, with the tourists holding a two-point advantage over their rivals. Zimbabwe fell to a 2-1 series defeat by Pakistan in Harare last week.
Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza both hit 60 as Zimbabwe clinched a two-wicket win over Ireland in the first of three one-day internationals in Harare.
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Abbie Bloodworth, 19, died after a blaze broke out at a house in Cwmparc, Treorchy, just before 12:00 BST on 19 August. In a family tribute, her mother, Samantha Dorricott said: "Abbie was my rock, my world and I miss her deeply." The cause of the fire is being investigated by the fire service and South Wales Police. "She was a fabulous and loving mother to her three-year-old daughter Chantelle," added Ms Dorricott. "She was kind, funny and had a heart-of-gold."
A young mother who died in a house fire in Rhondda had "a heart of gold".
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That is despite the result being an eight-month delay in Hearts passing into fan ownership. Present owner Ann Budge had proposed delaying the repayment of her £2.5m investment to help fund the project. Following a vote of foundation members, only 43 were against the proposal and 3,790 in favour. Hearts said on their website: "We are absolutely delighted that the foundation members have given such a resounding vote in favour of the offer from Ann Budge. "This significant milestone on the road to the 'new' Tynecastle once more demonstrates our collective strength." Hearts hope to fund the new stand via £3m from club reserves, £2.5m from benefactor contributions, £0.5m from commercial contributions, which leaves a shortfall of £6m once the club adds a contingency for an increase in costs. The Scottish Premiership club hope to build up further reserves and launch a new debenture scheme, but the delay of up to two years in the Foundation of Hearts buying Budge's stake will allow funds to go directly into the club in the meantime. "Assuming contributions continued at today's levels, majority ownership would pass to FOH only eight months later than originally envisaged," Hearts have stated. Full planning permission is still required from City of Edinburgh Council, but Hearts have already planned out the progress of the two-year project that will result in a stadium with a capacity up to 21,000. To prepare for the building of the new stand, the buildings behind the current stand - the administration block, the shop and nursery - would be knocked down, with temporary facilities being provided during construction. The temporary buildings will be occupied in October, with the demolition beginning the following month. Construction of the new stand will start over and behind the current stand during next season before being completed during the 2017 close season.
Fans group the Foundation of Hearts has voted overwhelmingly in favour of helping to fund the Tynecastle club's new £11m main stand.
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Nigeria wants mobile phone companies to verify the identity of their customers. The government says it is concerned unregistered Sim cards are being used by criminal gangs. The South African company has been in talks with authorities since October when the original fine was imposed. It said on Thursday it had succeeded in reducing the fine by a third. The original fine amounted to double MTN's annual profits last year. Since it was imposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN has made a number of senior managerial changes, which included the resignation of the chief executive of its Nigerian unit, Sifiso Dabengwa. "After further engagements with the Nigerian authorities, the NCC has reduced the imposed fine," MTN said in a statement. It added the fine was now $3.4bn. MTN has 231 million subscribers in 22 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. However, Nigeria is its biggest market. In September, the company was named as most admired brand in Africa in the Brand Africa 100 awards, beating Samsung, while it was also awarded the continent's most valuable brand, worth $4.6bn (£3bn). MTN was South Africa's second mobile operator when it was set up in 1994 after the end of apartheid. It began its expansion across Africa four years later with operations in Rwanda, Uganda and Swaziland.
Africa's largest mobile operator, MTN, has succeeded in its bid to reduce a $5.2bn £3.4bn) fine imposed by Nigerian authorities for failing to cut off unregistered users.
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The Argentine, 44, was appointed in May 2014 on a five-year deal and guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and a League Cup final in his first season in charge. With one game to go, Spurs are guaranteed a top-three Premier League finish this season. "We believe this is just the beginning," said Pochettino. Spurs were challenging for the Premier League title until a bad-tempered 2-2 draw at Chelsea last week ensured Leicester City were crowned champions of England. Pochettino has created a fast and powerful side with a backbone of young English players such as striker Harry Kane, defender Eric Dier and midfielder Dele Alli, who have all received their first international caps during the Argentine's tenure. He was photographed having lunch with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson this week, prompting rumours he could be a target for the Old Trafford team this summer. However, the former Paris St-Germain player believes he can bring trophies to Spurs. Media playback is not supported on this device "We have a long-term project and huge belief that we can achieve something big here for the future," added Pochettino. "This club has all the ingredients to continue to challenge at the very top in both the Premier League and in Europe. "We want to be here to be a part of what I believe will be a special period in the club's history." Assistant head coach Jesus Perez, first team coach Miguel D'Agostino and first team goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez have also agreed extensions to their contracts.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed a contract extension which commits him to the club until 2021.
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The wall, which was nine feet high, was sent crashing down in Listmas Road, Chatham, just before 22:00 GMT. Equipment normally used to find casualties buried under collapsed buildings was drafted in to help specialists assess the damage. A fire service spokesman said no-one was injured, adding that the cause of the collapse was unknown.
A 130ft long wall suddenly collapsed on to a Kent road severely damaging a number of vehicles on Thursday night.
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The 22-year-old made two senior appearances while at Craven Cottage and had loan spells at Shrewsbury and Portsmouth. After leaving Fulham, he spent the 2015-16 season at Dagenham & Redbridge, playing 38 times in League Two. Last season, Passley made 13 appearances in National League South for Whitehawk. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
National League side Dover Athletic have signed former Fulham defender Josh Passley on a one-year deal.
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About 23,000 pills were taken during a raid in Waterlooville, Hampshire, by officers working for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). MHRA is responsible for regulating all UK medicines and medical devices. Some of the drugs were marked "herbal", but actually contained the banned pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine. Sibutramine was licensed as the medicine Reductil until 2010, when it was withdrawn across Europe and the US because of an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes associated with the use of the drug, the MHRA said. The agency's head of operations, Danny Lee-Frost, said: "The action we have taken to seize these products demonstrates our total commitment to tackling this dangerous and illegal trade and to protecting patients. "Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medical products aren't interested in your health - they are only interested in your money." He said that the pills "may contain dangerous ingredients" and warned that the "consequences (of taking them) could be devastating". Mr Lee-Frost added: "The internet offers access to a vast number of websites offering a wide range of products marketed as 'slimming pills' or 'diet pills'. Many make attractive claims and offer quick-fix solutions. Be aware that 'natural' doesn't always mean safe."
Unlicensed slimming pills with an estimated value of £30,000 have been seized by enforcement officers.
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Committee chairwoman Bethan Jenkins said it would "better reflect Welsh life" and AMs were pleased it was being considered by the corporation. AMs also called for an extra £30m to be spent each year on BBC English-language drama and broadcasting about Wales. The BBC said plans for more spending would be announced "in due course". The broadcaster has previously conceded aspects of Welsh life had not been "sufficiently captured" by its TV services in Wales. During its inquiry into the state of the broadcast media industry in Wales, BBC Director General Lord Hall told the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee that putting Wales-based news bulletins on Radio 1 and 2 was being discussed as part of a review. Ms Jenkins said her committee believed "flagship stations such as Radio 1 and Radio 2 should carry Wales-specific opt-outs for their news programmes to better reflect Welsh life". AMs were "pleased to hear" this was being seriously considered, she added. The committee's report said there should be no more funding cuts for S4C until an independent review of the channel had been completed. It also called on ITV Wales to take a more proactive approach to getting its programmes broadcast across the ITV network. A BBC spokeswoman said: "We've said that improving how we portray and represent the different nations of the UK - including Wales - on our UK-wide services is a priority for the new Charter period. "As part of this we've committed to spending more on English-language television programming in Wales and will set out the proposals in due course."
Welsh listeners to BBC Radio 1 and 2 should hear news bulletins about Wales at certain times of the day, according to the assembly's culture committee.
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Called Throw Up 20.18 and led by Highland Print Studio, it will involve artists working with players, club volunteers and fans. The clubs taking part are Beauly, Fort William, Newtonmore and Skye. The finished artworks are to be produced as prints and will be exhibited at shinty events next year. The first of these event will be the Camanachd Cup Final followed by the Shinty/Hurling International before the prints are taken on tour. The four professional artists appointed are: Steven Mackenzie, of the Camanachd Association and Beauly club secretary, said: "The Camanachd Association is very happy to be involved with this project and to hear that the four artists have been appointed. "There is a lot of interest from the four clubs involved. "From Beauly's perspective, we're looking forward to working with Tom Smith - even though he has connections with our traditional rivals, Lovat Shinty Club."
Artists are to work with four Highland shinty clubs to create a series of artworks inspired by the sport's contemporary culture and heritage.
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The new banknote will be smaller than the current one and be printed on a thin plastic. For more than 100 years, English banknotes have been made from cotton paper. Polymer banknotes are made from a very thin, flexible, see-through plastic film, with the design printed on special layers of ink on the front and back. Because the main material is see-through, the design can include clear spots that are like little windows you can look straight through. More than 20 countries around the world already use polymer banknotes - they include Scotland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Bank of England says that polymer banknotes will be better than paper, because they will be: Cleaner: Shiny plastic doesn't get wet and dirty like paper. More secure: Features like the see-through windows are difficult to copy, so it's harder for criminals to make fake notes. Longer lasting: Plastic won't tear as easily as paper, so the notes should last longer. They're even expected to survive if they accidentally go in the washing machine, although they'd melt under extreme heat. The new £5 note will be going into circulation in September this year. And it's not just the £5 that's going plastic - polymer £10 notes are planned for 2017, and polymer £20 notes should be available by 2020.
The Bank of England has unveiled the design for the new plastic £5 note.
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Eubank Jr, 27, produced a fine display to win by margins of 118-110, 118-110 and 120-108 at Wembley Arena. It was only the sixth defeat of Abraham's 52-fight career. Eubank Jr will now take part in the inaugural World Boxing Super Series - an eight-man tournament featuring some of the biggest names in the division. WBA champion George Groves and fellow Britons Callum Smith and Jamie Cox are also in the competition, which has a $50m (£38m) prize fund. Eubank Jr will fight Turkey's Avni Yildirim in the Super Series quarter-finals in the autumn, with semi-finals in January and a May final in a tournament which organisers say will "change the world of boxing." Abraham, 37, has beaten Britain's Paul Smith (twice) and Martin Murray in his career and lost on points to Carl Froch in November 2010. But the German, who has held world titles at middleweight and super-middleweight, was outclassed by the younger man. Eubank took his record to 25 wins and one defeat and felt he made "a statement" with the victory. He told ITV Sport: "He's the most durable opponent I've faced. I hit him with every punch in the book. "I'm happy with the performance. I got to show my skills, I got to go the 12 rounds and get the experience in." His father, Chris Eubank Sr, a former two-weight world champion, added: "I believe he's the best in the world. Over the coming nine months, he will be able to clean the slate and come away with the Muhammad Ali Trophy and all the belts." On the undercard, Wales' Lee Selby retained his IBF world featherweight title with a unanimous points win over Argentina's Jonathan Victor Barros. Selby, 30, knocked the Argentine down in the last round before getting a wide verdict, with one judge scoring it 119-108 and two marking it as 117-110. In the featherweight division, Sheffield-based Kid Galahad maintained his unbeaten record with a 10th-round stoppage of Mexican Jose Cayetano. Galahad, 27, has now won all 22 of his professional bouts and this victory saw him collect the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title. Liverpool's Robbie Davies Jr suffered his first professional defeat in 16 contests as he was stopped in the last round of his super-lightweight bout with Poland's Michal Syrowatka. Martin Joseph Ward held on to his British super-featherweight belt and also gained the Commonwealth title with a unanimous points win over previously undefeated Anthony Cacace. Get all the latest boxing news sent straight to your device with notifications in the BBC Sport app. Find out more here.
Chris Eubank Jr retained his IBO world super-middleweight title by beating former two-weight world champion Arthur Abraham with a unanimous points win.
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The Exiles are bottom of the table following Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Mansfield Town, and are six points adrift of safety. "I know we've got a lot of work to do and I know we've got to win football matches," Westley said. "But honestly I think we're capable of winning football matches." Ryan Bird had given Newport an early lead against Mansfield but Krystian Pearce levelled for the home side. County's Jaanai Gordon was sent off for a second yellow card before Shaquile Coulthirst's penalty secured Steve Evans' side the win. Newport County had been unbeaten in five games before defeat at Cambridge United and although they secured a point at home to Morecambe, lost at Mansfield. The Exiles host the side one place and three points above them in the relegation zone, Leyton Orient, on Saturday "It doesn't matter who we win the points against, we've got to go and win some football matches," Westley added. "We'd been on a good unbeaten run until we lost at Cambridge and reacted well in midweek to earn another hard earned point. "I think the lads have come together really well and it's good that we've got a clear week ahead of us because one or two of the knocks can clear up. "We've got some good footballers here and we've been in a good run of form on the whole."
Newport County manager Graham Westley is confident his side can secure the points needed to pull away from the League Two relegation zone.
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With no play until 13:45 BST, the hosts declared on 478-8, a lead of 141, with 63 overs of play available. Calum Haggett's destructive spell of 3-13 from nine overs reduced the visitors to 132-6 with 21 overs left in the day. Jack Taylor (46 not out) and David Payne's (20 not out) unbeaten 53-run ninth-wicket stand saw Gloucestershire hold on as they finished on 211-8. Kent captain Sam Northeast told BBC Radio Kent: "The emotion from the team is of disappointment, but they shouldn't be really because we've played all the cricket. "I'm very pleased today with the effort from the bowlers on a pretty flat pitch. They bent their backs and nearly got the result. "We came so close and if it wasn't for the rain we probably would've got it. We're near at the moment, we're playing good cricket, which is a positive sign."
Kent were denied their second win of the season as Gloucestershire held on for a nervy draw at Canterbury.
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Cooper, 30, from Stroud, will compete in the Supersport and Supertwins classes over the 2.1-mile Orritor circuit, as well as the feature event. The ex-British 125cc champion will be joined at the meeting by Guy Martin and 2016 double Superbike winner Derek Sheils on a Cookstown BE Racing Suzuki. All classes for the races on 28 and 29 April boast full grids. Cooper qualified on pole positions for the two Supertwins outings at the North West 200 last May but crashed out in Thursday night's race after being unable to avoid fellow faller Ryan Farquhar as the pair diced for the lead at Dhu Varren. He will ride a 600cc Honda and an ER6 Kawasaki at the second Irish national road race of the season. Martin will be on board the new Honda Fireblade SP2 Superstock machine in the Open and feature races at Cookstown, while there remains a possibility that Michael Dunlop will make his roads bow on the Bennetts Suzuki. Other notable entries for the race include Mullingar's Derek McGee, McAdoo Racing recruit James Cowton, Michael Sweeney, Paul Jordan, Adam McLean and newcomer Alistair Kirk. Roads close for practice on Friday 28 April from 12:00 BST and from 10:00 BST on Saturday for racing. A week earlier, Honda Racing pilot Martin will also be part of the line-up at the Tandragee 100 on 21-22 April. Also on the grid for the local road racing season curtain-raiser will be William Dunlop on his Supersport Yamaha, Sheils, McGee, Sweeney, Alan Bonner, Seamus Elliott, Shaun Anderson, Gary Dunlop, Davy Morgan, Jordan and McLean. Meanwhile, 23-times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness is recovering after suffering a dislocated thumb in a testing crash at Castle Combe.
Dan Cooper, a Supertwins winner at last year's Ulster Grand Prix, will make his debut at the Cookstown 100 this month.
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Michael Ellerton said steroid hormones prednisone and prednisolone appeared in his system because of mouth ulcer medication he was taking. UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) refused his retrospective application for a therapeutic use exemption. But Ukad added it was "satisfied Ellerton did not act intentionally". Ellerton tested positive in an in-competition test at the Port Talbot Wheelers Cycling Club's annual 25 Mile Time Trial on 11 September 2016. A ComRes poll for BBC Sport released earlier this week of more than 1,000 members of sports clubs and teams found more than a third (35%) of amateur sports people say they personally know someone who has doped.
A 55-year-old amateur cyclist has been banned from all sport for two years after testing positive for banned substances at a race in September.
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The 19-year-old centre-back has made one substitute appearance for the Saints in the Premier League and is captain of the club's under-21 side. He led Southampton to victory in last season's Premier League Under-21 Cup. "Our last two games haven't reached our high standards defensively and he's a new option who adds competition," said Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth. "Jason's a very highly-rated defender who's had good experience in the under-21s at Southampton and they feel he's ready to go out and get a taste of what senior football is like at League Two level," Ainsworth added to the club website.
Wycombe Wanderers have signed teenage Southampton defender Jason McCarthy on an initial one-month loan.
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By the close, the benchmark FTSE 100 was up 170.6 points, or 3%, at 5,707.6. On Thursday, the index fell 2.4%, while US and European markets also posted sharp declines amid continued anxiety about the state of the global economy. Friday's biggest gains came from mining giant Anglo American after an uptick in base metals prices and an oil price rally. Aerospace firm Rolls-Royce also saw big gains, rising 16% after the firm announced annual profits of £1.35bn, although it added that it would be cutting its dividend by 50%. Share indexes in Frankfurt and Paris also rebounded by more than 2%. On the commodities markets, Brent crude was up 9.3% at $32.86, while US light crude rose 12.0% to $29.36. On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.74% against the euro at €1.2878. The currency was also 0.15% lower against the dollar at $1.4454.
(Close): London's leading share index has closed 3.06% higher, rallying after Thursday's big losses.
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Gales hitting 100mph (161 km/h) ripped through parts of Gwynedd in 2014, laying waste to the gardens at Plas Tan y Bwlch at Maentwrog. A specialist consultant was recruited by the Snowdonia National Park Authority to restore the landscape to its former glory. It involved planting 400 new plants - and has now erupted into colour. "The gardens were originally created by the Oakeley family who owned the estate in the Victorian era," said Plas Tan y Bwlch's head of business, Andrew Oughton. "They were particularly fond of magnolias, rhododendrons, camellias and Japanese maples, so we have planted new varieties of these, along with many other species." The venue had to be closed initially following the storms in February 2014 and could not reopen until the summer. But it has still needed another 18 months of constant work to clear fallen trees, replant shrubs and plants and reinstate paths. New trails and a tearoom have also been installed as part of the restoration project. "Only in the past few days everything has burst into flower, creating a spectacle of colour the like of which has not been seen for many years," added Mr Oughton.
A Victorian garden devastated by storms is back in full bloom in Snowdonia after two years of restoration work.
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20-year-old Shaw will have an operation on his return to Manchester, the club said. He was treated on the pitch for 10 minutes after Hector Moreno's tackle. "It was a very bad tackle. He had the oxygen mask on and was crying in the dressing room," said boss Louis van Gaal. Shaw has started all of United's eight games this season, as well as playing in England's European Championship qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland. Yet with just nine months to go until Euro 2016, Shaw has faces a tough battle to get himself fit and ready in time to get into the England squad again. Less than an hour after suffering the injury, Shaw wrote on Twitter: "Thank you everyone for your messages, words can't describe how gutted I am, my road to recovery starts now, I will come back stronger." Memphis Depay scored the opener for Manchester United before Hector Moreno, who has apologised for his tackle on Luke Shaw, headed in an equaliser just before half-time. Luciano Narsingh then nodded home in the second half to secure victory for PSV Eindhoven.
Defender Luke Shaw broke his right leg in two places in Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League loss at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
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Instead of the broad shoulders and square jaw of Colin Firth there is a modestly-sized chest and pointy chin. There is little description of him in Pride and Prejudice, so the academics used historical fashions from the 1790s, when it was written. This version also wears a powdered wig. "Our Mr Darcy portrayal reflects the male physique and common features at the time," says Amanda Vickery, professor of early modern history at Queen Mary University of London. "Men sported powdered hair, had narrow jaws and muscular, defined legs were considered very attractive," she says. Colin Firth got the nation's collective hearts racing in 1995 with his depiction of the mysterious Mr Darcy in the BBC's adaptation. Further adaptations since have followed in the style of Firth's portrayal including Matthew Macfadyen in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice. But the academics say their muscular chests and broad shoulders would have been the sign of a labourer and not a gentleman at the time the book was written. The fans' favourite Mr Darcy moments - when Colin Firth walked out of a lake dripping wet and Matthew Macfadyen crossed a field in the mist, both showing off their chests - would not have looked the same with the historically accurate Mr Darcy and his sloping narrow shoulders. Some fans have not been impressed by the portrait. Professor John Sutherland, from University College London, who led the research says they only had "scraps" of physical description of the character Fitzwilliam Darcy. As well as looking at the fashions of the day they also looked at Austen's relationships and the men who may have inspired her characters. "He is our most mysterious and desirable leading man of all time, says Prof Sutherland. And he appears frequently in modern culture. Further depictions of Mr Darcy include Matthew Rhys who played the character in the TV adaptation of the Pride and Prejudice "sequel" Death Comes to Pemberley. He also inspired the character of Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, also portrayed by Colin Firth in the film versions. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
Academics have revealed what they claim is the first "historically accurate" portrait of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy - and he's a world away from the romantic hero of films and TV.
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Short term loan provider Springleaf has been given permission to buy OneMain from parent company Citigroup, provided it sells 127 of its own branches. The new company would be left with more than 1,800 branches nationwide. Both firms provide personal loans of under $6,000 (£3,940), which have a set number of scheduled payments lasting between a few months and a few years. Springleaf announced its plan to buy OneMain for $4.25bn in March. The deal hit a snag when US authorities claimed the tie-up could make it harder for people with poor personal financial ratings living in 11 states to access lines of credit. The agreement reached on Friday with the Department of Justice and state regulators ends an anti-trust lawsuit. Shares in Springleaf rose 11.95% on the news.
The second largest provider of personal instalment loans in the US is to buy its biggest competitor.
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Of the 12 seats that were up for election, the Conservatives gained one with Matt Lacey taking the ward of Claines from the Liberal Democrats. It means the Conservatives have 17 seats, Labour has 16 with the Lib Dems and the Greens holding one each. Wyre Forest District Council also remains under no overall control and Labour retained control in Redditch. It has 17 of the 29 seats in Redditch, after gaining two. Conservatives remain the largest single party in Wyre Forest, with 15 seats, while UKIP were the big winners on the day, gaining five seats. In Worcester, the council was controlled by the Conservatives until May 2013, with the support of two Lib Dem councillors. Then the Lib Dems switched their allegiance, along with one Green councillor, to hand control to Labour. Adrian Gregson, Labour councillor and current council leader, said: "There will obviously have to be some discussions on what happens next, with all the parties. "We've held all our seats and have increased our votes in some of those, but the people of Worcester have said it's a really tight vote here and in most places have rejected the main national parties." Conservative Simon Geraghty said: "I think it is time to have a discussion and see if we can do things slightly differently in Worcester."
No party has managed to gain control of Worcester City Council following the local elections.
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The company wants to extract shale gas at Little Plumpton and Roseacre Wood on the Fylde Coast. In June, the council rejected both planning applications, after fracking was suspended in the UK in 2011. The company said "a natural step" would now be to appeal. Cuadrilla said the council's planning officer "had recommended approval of the Preston New Road site" at Little Plumpton "and was very clear that the proposals were acceptable in relation to noise and visual impacts.". Its chief executive, Francis Egan, said: "We have given careful consideration to appeal the planning decisions taken by Lancashire County Council. This is a natural step in the democratic process for deciding any planning application." He added: "We recognise that onshore shale gas exploration still feels relatively new in the UK and we remain committed to engaging with local communities to reassure them that exploratory operations can and will be carried out safely and in an environmentally responsible way." The company was granted planning permission for monitoring works around the proposed site at Roseacre Wood, but said it would appeal against certain conditions that were imposed. The appeals on monitoring works are expected to be submitted within the next week, and the shale gas exploration site appeals will "follow in due course," the company said. Fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - was suspended in the UK in 2011 following earth tremors in Blackpool where Cuadrilla previously drilled. It is a technique in which water and chemicals are pumped into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas. Friends of the Earth campaigner Furqan Naeem said: "Cuadrilla's decision to appeal Lancashire's Council's resounding 'no' to controversial fracking shows a blatant disregard for the views of local people and local democracy. "Lancashire councillors and residents have rejected fracking and the government's recent report revealing potential negative impacts on everything from the health of residents, to house prices, to climate change shows they were right to do so." But Babs Murphy, chief executive of North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: "The delay has already cost our local business community approximately £3.5m of immediate contracting opportunities as five of six shortlisted contractors operate in Lancashire."
The shale gas firm Cuadrilla is to appeal against the decision by Lancashire County Council to refuse permission to drill and frack at two sites in the county.
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A study by professional services firm PwC found an average of six high street chain stores closed every week across Scotland last year. The figure was similar to 2013's but fewer new stores took their place. Overall, a net 66 shops disappeared from Scotland's high streets over the course of the year. The research found that mobile phone shops, bank branches and fashion stores were among those hardest hit. PwC said high streets were transforming as consumers increasingly adopted newer digital channels, mobile technologies and smartphone apps, adding that retailers were now favouring "clicks over bricks". Bruce Cartwright, head of business recovery services at PwC in Scotland, said: "The Scottish high street continues its drastic overhaul in response to the advance of online sales and changing consumer demand, with last year's numbers exposing the harsh impact of 'macro' changes on the high street, especially in certain sub-sectors. "Regulation has blindsided the money shops, the advance of technology has hammered some phone operators and the internet continues to dent the clothing sector. "Despite the Scottish economy reflecting healthy, sustainable growth during 2014 and into 2015, the net loss of shops has accelerated. "The insolvencies of Phones4U, Blockbuster, Albemarle & Bond and La Senza - a diverse cross-section of the retail market - epitomise these factors." He added: "Despite the continuing problem of closures, new sub-sectors - such as discount shops and charity shops - keep growing. "The strength of the restaurant and fast-food sectors is also a boost for the high street."
Scotland's high streets are facing drastic change because of pressure from online sales and changing consumer habits, according to a new report.
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The 27-year-old scored twice in eight appearances for the Hammers after joining from Velez Sarsfield. But he had fallen out of favour at Upton Park following his summer move. QPR boss Harry Redknapp said: "We're really pleased to bring Mauro in. He's a good footballer, someone with great ability who can play as a number 10." A move looked on the cards after Zarate was quoted in the press as saying his manager Sam Allardyce refused to play him because he was signed by Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan. Allardyce responded to that claim by saying the player "wasn't good enough" for West Ham. After joining QPR, Zarate said: "I need to play and Queens Park Rangers have given me this chance to show what I can do." He could make his Hoops debut in the Premier League at Burnley on Saturday.
West Ham's Argentina striker Mauro Zarate has signed for Premier League rivals Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season.
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The six-year strategy aims to produce 15 new cars or derivatives of existing models and lift annual sales to as much as 5,000 cars, from 1,600. At least half of the cars will have hybrid engine technology. McLaren Automotive, which draws on technology used by the F1 racing team, was launched just six years ago. Mike Flewitt, McLaren Automotive's chief executive, told the BBC: "This business plan confirms that McLaren Automotive will remain proudly and fiercely independent by continuing to build the world's finest two-seater sports and supercars." But he added that plan, called Track 22, was also about broadening the Uk supercar maker's customer base with a new range of cars more attractive to the rich - rather than just the super-rich. The company is responsible for supercars including the £1m petrol-electric hybrid McLaren P1, but has already started introducing cheaper models. This includes the launch at the Geneva Motor Show of the £150,000-plus 570GT, which is pitched at some rival cars produced by Ferrari and Porsche. Rather than being a racing machine, Mr Flewitt says the 570GT is designed to give a more relaxed drive, and has been designed with a more comfortable suspension. It also has more luggage capacity. "We see this [car] as being very easy to drive on a day-to-day basis," Mr Flewitt said. About a quarter of the new £1bn investment will go directly into research and development, Mr Flewitt said. This will include work on an all-electric prototype. Electric sportscar technology is advancing fast, led by the likes of Tesla. He also hopes that the new range of cars will bring down the age profile of a typical McLaren buyer, which is 40-plus in Europe. However, the typical Chinese buyer is in his or her 20s. The Track 22 plan will involve McLaren Automotive adding about 500 staff to its existing 1,500. A second production shift has already started at the company's factory at Woking, Surrey, and a recruitment drive has begun. Many of the jobs will be skilled engineering roles. Mr Flewitt said the market for good engineers is "undoubtedly getting more competitive." But he added: "Luckily, McLaren is an attractive brand to come and work for." More than 90% of McLaren's output is for export, and the company has seen sales fall in China as the economy slows. Is he worried about the health of the global economy? "You worry about it all the time. The strategy we took was to make sure we had broad distribution. "We sell cars into 30 markets, with 82 dealerships. As one market comes down - China has dropped this year and last year - other markets strengthen," he said.
McLaren Automotive, part of the F1 group, has unveiled a £1bn expansion plan to produce up to 15 new models and recruit 500 staff.
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In a televised address, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said "evil" forces were conspiring against the country but would not succeed. A range of groups have called for demonstrations, including against the handing of two islands to Saudi Arabia. Security has been stepped up across the country and at key sites. The protests have been called in defiance of an anti-protest law that gives the authorities the power to ban gatherings of more than 10 people. Monday is also a national holiday that marks the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982. President Sisi's decision earlier this month to cede control over the two Red Sea islands sparked a rare public backlash against him. He was forced to defend the move, saying the islands - Sanafir and Tiran - had always belonged to Saudi Arabia. Egyptian troops have been stationed on the islands since 1950 at the request of Saudi Arabia. Critics, though, have objected to the way Mr Sisi has handed them back to Saudi Arabia, saying it is anti-constitutional. In his speech on Sunday, Mr Sisi said there were "people calling once again for damage to [Egypt's] security and stability. "Our responsibility is to protect security and stability, and I promise Egyptians that no-one will terrorise them again." Troops have been deployed to key areas of Egypt's main cities, and agents have reportedly rounded up dozens of activists, journalists and lawyers from their homes and cafes in Cairo. On Monday, three journalists were arrested in central Cairo, the Associated Press news agency quoted a Press Syndicate member as saying, though the grounds for their arrest are not known. The BBC's Orla Guerin, who is in the Egyptian capital, said in a tweet that pro-Sisi supporters had attacked a colleague while a policeman stood by. The colleague was "ok", she said. Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar said security forces would "confront with extreme rigour any attempt to disturb public order", AFP news agency reports. Observers say public dissatisfaction with Mr Sisi has grown recently because of the poor state of the economy and recent alleged cases of abuse by security forces. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces in 2013, Mr Sisi led the military's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi following mass protests against his rule. Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and 40,000 are believed to have been jailed in a sweeping crackdown on dissent, most of them supporters of Morsi's now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Local and international human rights activists say the situation in the country is dire, with Amnesty International saying Egypt has reverted "back to a police state".
Egypt's president has warned against what he called attempts to destabilise the state, ahead of planned anti-government protests.
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The New Wales Link Path spans an extra 18 miles (29km), joining the route near the Cheshire border at Saltney Ferry. It takes in four counties in all, stretching into Wrexham at Caergwrle and meeting the Offa's Dyke trail at Llandegla Forest in Denbighshire. Flintshire council secured £30,000 in funding to pay for route-markers. "If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge to walk around Wales, this route is for you," said councillor Bernie Attridge, cabinet member for the environment. Work on Wales Coast Path, the world's first round an entire country, began in 2007 with the formal opening in May 2012.
A new link has been added to the 870-mile Wales Coast Path at Flintshire for walkers seeking a "bit more of a challenge".
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The Department of Health is launching an eight-week consultation on Monday to expand the rating programme which is run by the Care Quality Commission. The government want the ratings to cover up to 1,000 facilities including those offering pregnancy termination services and substance misuse advice. The health secretary said it would help end the "lottery" of poor practice. "Anyone who chooses to have a cosmetic procedure should have high quality and safe care - and that's why we have a tough regulator in place to help people make an informed decision," Jeremy Hunt said. "Our proposals to extend the CQC's powers to rate more providers are an important step forward in improving standards and will help to end the lottery of poor practice in parts of the cosmetic industry." The proposals also involve rating independent community health providers, ambulance services and dialysis units, with 100 cosmetic surgery clinics among the 1,000 providers who could be rated. The CQC has rated more than 10,000 providers since 2014 but it has focused on providers with the most patients, including NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts, GP practices, adult social care providers and independent hospitals.. It does currently inspect cosmetic surgery clinics, - but does not rate them as being "outstanding", "good", "requires improvement" or "inadequate" and publish the results online, as it does with hospitals and GPs. Officials believe extending the scheme is a necessary step towards improving safety and informed choice after high profile scares such as the PIP breast implant scandal in 2012.
Cosmetic surgery clinics in England which are not up to standard could be named under new government proposals.
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Arturo Vidal scored Bayern's first when he drilled home after his initial shot had been blocked. Germany striker Thomas Muller then turned in from close range as defender Mats Hummels nodded down from a corner. Forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and recent signing Ousmane Dembele went close for Dortmund. "It was difficult and Dortmund played very, very well," said Ancelotti, who took over from Manchester City-bound Pep Guardiola in the summer and has won his 18th title as a coach. "But things worked much better for us after the break and this gives us some self-confidence for the Bundesliga. "This team is already very, very strong." The Bundesliga season starts on Friday, 26 August, when Bayern begin their title defence against Werder Bremen.
Carlo Ancelotti gained his first trophy as Bayern Munich coach thanks to their 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup.
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The female panda Tian Tian came into season late on Wednesday night and she was artificially inseminated in the early hours of Thursday. Keepers then tried to introduce her to male Yang Guang but her hormone levels had already dropped and he guessed she was not interested. The zoo will now keep Tian Tian under observation for the three months in the hope that a panda cub will follow. Edinburgh zoo acquired the pandas on loan from China in 2011 and previous attempts to mate the pair have failed. Tian Tian, which means Sweetie, and male Yang Guang (Sunshine) were the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. The last pandas in the UK, Ming Ming and Bao Bao, left a zoo in London in 1994 after failing to mate.
Edinburgh Zoo's pandas did not manage to mate naturally, it has emerged.
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Simply titled Chuck, the 2017 release will be "comprised primarily of new, original songs" and was recorded "in various studios around St Louis". "I've worked on this record for a long time," Berry said in a statement. "Now I can hang up my shoes!" The veteran musician said the record was dedicated to Themetta "Toddy" Berry, his "beloved" wife of 68 years. Two of Berry's children, Charles Berry Jr and Ingrid Berry, will be heard on the album playing guitar and harmonica respectively. Berry Jr said the new songs "cover the spectrum from hard-driving rockers to soulful, thought-provoking time capsules of a life's work." Other longtime members of Berry's hometown backing group - among them bass player Jimmy Marsala and pianist Robert Lohr - will play on the disc. In a career spanning seven decades, Berry has released a string of classic songs such as Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B Goode. He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. "It is a great honour to be a part of this record and the broader legacy of Chuck Berry," said Paul Roper of Dualtone Records. "This body of work stands with the best of his career and will further cement Chuck as one of the greatest icons of rock and roll." Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
US rock and roll legend Chuck Berry has marked his 90th birthday by announcing his first new album in 38 years.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has won the competition twice as a coach, and never failed to reach the semi-finals in seven attempts. "To be here is not easy," he said. "I want to convince the players to enjoy that moment. It is beautiful." While Guardiola's previous two employers have been European champions 10 times between them, City reached their first semi-final last season and have progressed to the knockout round only four times. "People can think Manchester City have to be here but a lot of big clubs are not here," said the 46-year-old. "We are lucky guys. "Our recent history is quite good but over the long history, Manchester City was not here for a long time. "All of Europe will watch us, to analyse us, to kill us if we don't win or say how good we are if we do." City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne goes into the game having scored five goals in 32 appearances for the club this season. Last term - his debut campaign having joined from Wolfsburg for a club-record £55m in August 2015 - he scored 18 goals in all competitions. The 25-year-old Belgian says he is not interested in the figures because he is "playing better" this season. "It doesn't bother me at all that I haven't scored as often," he said. "Not everyone sees I am playing lower on the pitch. "I know how well I am doing for the team and if we can win a title, I will be very happy."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants his players to embrace the pressure of their Champions League last-16 tie against Monaco - even though he knows the club's critics will "kill them" if they do not progress.
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Tennyson, 22, will challenge Walsh for his belt at the Copper Box Arena. Known as 'The Assassin' he has a 16-1 record with 13 knockouts since turning pro in September 2012 and joined Warren's stable on Monday. "It's massive, I feel this move could bring my career to the next level," Tennyson said. "Beyond British title fights, I believe Frank Warren can bring me bigger and better titles in the future." Tennyson is the mandatory challenger to Walsh after dispatching Antonio Horvatic inside a round in Belfast last month. His British featherweight title fight is on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders' first WBO middleweight world title defence against Ukraine's Max Bursak. "I'm not expecting to go in and blow Ryan Walsh out of the water because he's a good fighter, and he's the British champion for a reason," said Tennyson. "I'm going to go in and get the job done regardless, but I'm training for 12 rounds."
Belfast featherweight James Tennyson will fight Ryan Walsh for the British title in London on 30 April after signing with promoter Frank Warren.
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Wilson, 24, is the only addition to the 18 women who formed the first group to be given central contracts in 2014. The right-hander made her international debut in 2010 but has not represented England since 2011. "She thoroughly deserves to be awarded a central contract," said ECB director of women's cricket Clare Connor. "She scored significant runs throughout the summer and has been a dedicated member of the England women's performance squad during the past 18 months." Following defeat by Australia in the multi-format Ashes series earlier this year, England appointed Mark Robinson as head coach in November. The former Sussex coach's first series in charge will be against South Africa in February 2016, with three one-day internationals followed by three T20 Internationals. England will also take part in the 2016 World Twenty20 in India, overseas tours to West Indies and Sri Lanka and a home series against Pakistan in what Connor called "the busiest ever 12 months for England women". She added: "The awarding of central contracts ensures that the squad will be as best prepared and supported as possible for each of those contests." Full list of centrally contracted professionals: Charlotte Edwards (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kathryn Cross, Georgia Elwiss, Natasha Farrant, Lydia Greenway, Rebecca Grundy, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Fran Wilson, Danielle Wyatt
Middlesex batter Fran Wilson has been awarded a central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board for 2016-17.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 11 October 2014 Last updated at 16:05 BST Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Alexandra Palace and Park says at the moment it is one of London's "least well known architectural treasures". The world's first television station could be renovated too under the plans, as John Thompson of Alexandra Palace Television Group explains. Jim Wheble reports.
A forgotten part of Alexandra Palace could be given a new lease of life if plans are approved to transform a Victorian theatre into a new film, play and concert venue.
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The Social Market Foundation, a left of centre think tank, studied policies in Australia and the US that are similar to the UK's pension reforms. It found a significant proportion of people withdraw funds at an unsustainable rate. In the UK, thousands have cashed in their pension pots since April. The new rules, which came into force in April, allow pension savers to cash in their pension pots from the age of 55. This is one of a number of options for savers. In doing so, they pay no tax on the first 25% of these funds, but pay the normal rate of tax on the rest. Figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) found that 146,000 people cashed-in pension pots in the six months since April, withdrawing a total of £2.7bn. Separate data, recorded slightly differently, from the Association of British Insurers suggested that £2.5bn was withdrawn over the same period in 166,700 cash lump sum payments, with an average withdrawal of just under £15,000. Research by financial firms indicates that the funds are being used to pay off debt, upgrade the car or go on holiday. The Social Market Foundation warned that evidence from overseas revealed a danger of pensioners spending money too quickly. It said four out of 10 Australians with pension savings spent them all by the age of 75, while Americans typically withdrew at an unsustainable rate of 8% a year. The think tank is urging the government to give older people a mid-retirement financial health check, to assess how fast they are using up their money. Early withdrawal of funds provides a tax income boost for the Treasury - it is expected to take double the amount it predicted during the first year of reforms. However, if pensioners use up savings, the eventual effect is an increased reliance on benefits and the state - a long-term cost to the Treasury. Providers suggest that people are taking relatively safe approach to retirement savings. "It is clear that people are taking a sensible approach and considering how they will pay for their retirement," said Yvonne Braun, of the ABI. "However, the figures also show that ensuring people save enough for retirement remains our key challenge. With life expectancy increasing and final-salary pension provision declining, we must now turn our attention to helping customers grow bigger pots." Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "For most retiring investors, a mix and match strategy will work best, using a combination of state pension, annuity purchase and drawdown."
Individuals could be at risk of running short of retirement funds after cashing in their pension pots, analysis of overseas schemes suggests.
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The funding is based on conditions including detailed development and financial plans and leasing a super-hanger at St Athan. The firm will build its new DBX model from 2020. The new plant will employ 750 highly-skilled workers. The information commissioner instructed the Welsh Government to release the details of the financial support given to the company. Ministers had initially refused to make the figure public. This was challenged through the Freedom of Information Act by businessman Tom Gallard. The £5.8m is "repayable business finance" according to the details released by the Welsh Government. Wales beat off more than 20 other countries to secure the deal, which was announced early last year. Mr Gallard, who runs a tech company, said: "I'm happy the Welsh Government has now released this information. It is an important principle that we must know how public funds are being spent."
Aston Martin is receiving £5.8m in financial support from the Welsh Government as part of the deal to bring the luxury carmaker to the Vale of Glamorgan, it has been revealed.
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