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They agreed to a government proposal to extend Stormont's talks until 29 June.
During the debate, the secretary of state also confirmed plans to provide legal authority for a Stormont budget, if the parties cannot reach a deal.
Stormont has been without a devolved government since January, when a coalition led by the DUP and Sinn Féin fell apart over heating scheme scandal.
The Ministerial Appointments and Regional Rates Bill gives the parties more time to negotiate after the general election on 8 June.
It also allows rates to be collected in the absence of a devolved government.
It took just under four hours for MPs to discuss the legislation proposed by Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire.
He argued that his bill provides the scope and space for the local parties to strike a political deal.
But proof that the government is planning for failure as well as success came in his confirmation that he has been talking to senior civil servants about the budget for the current financial year.
If implemented, Mr Brokenshire's indicative budget position will provide certainty, but a projected 2.5% cut to the education budget will undoubtedly cause concern.
The debate in the House of Commons was wide-ranging, touching on issues like the Irish language, same-sex marriage, the military covenant and Brexit.
The House of Lords will debate the bill on Wednesday and then the legislation, which is being fast-tracked through Parliament, should become law by the end of this week.
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MPs have passed a bill delaying the deadline for Northern Ireland parties to reach a deal to restore devolution.
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Organisers said they intended the Hope over Fear rally to send a message that the journey to Scottish independence continued.
The city of Glasgow voted in favour of independence at last year's ballot.
Hope over Fear said it is an apolitical organisation, which evolved from Solidarity co-convener Tommy Sheridan's referendum campaign speaking tour.
Twenty-eight speakers were to address the all-day gathering and organisers said thousands of people were expected at "Freedom Square".
Police estimated the crowd at about 1,500 at its peak. They said there had been no issues and no arrests.
Mr Sheridan told BBC Scotland: "We are very pleased that the Yes family is here in Glasgow again to say loud and clear, one year on, not only are we still Yes but more of us are Yes."
The former socialist MSP said independence was "no longer a question of if but a question of when" and he called the No campaign's success in the referendum on 18 September last year a Pyrrhic victory.
"They won a battle but they have lost the war for the hearts and minds of the people of Scotland," he said.
"Scotland is now a Yes country and the next referendum will prove that."
Mr Sheridan said a second referendum must be held by 2018 at the latest.
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A large crowd has gathered in Glasgow's George Square for a pro-independence rally one year after the referendum.
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After hosting the British Science Festival last year the university wants to capitalise on its success.
Visitors will be able to see demonstrations and workshops based on everyday science through to the latest cutting-edge innovations.
"We continue to inspire the next generation of scientists," said Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott.
The university's senior pro-vice-chancellor added hosting the British Science Festival was an "enormous success" and she wants it to create a "science legacy for Swansea".
It brought tens of thousands of people to the city to celebrate developments and talk about issues affecting our culture and society.
The new festival will be held at the city's National Waterfront Museum from 8-10 September.
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Swansea University will celebrate its achievements and research by holding a new science festival in September.
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A trailer featuring the number 13 in different locations was aired during the tennis on BBC One on Friday.
It finished with the caption: "Meet the 13th Doctor after the Wimbledon men's final, Sunday 16th July."
The actor will succeed Peter Capaldi who took the role in 2013 and will leave in the 2017 Christmas special.
Capaldi made the announcement during an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley in January.
The Glasgow-born star said: "I feel it's time to move on. I feel sad, I love Doctor Who, it is a fantastic programme to work on."
The locations in the trailer included 10 Downing Street, Beachy Head cliffs and the Statue of Liberty.
The popular sci-fi series features a Time Lord, known only as The Doctor, who travels through time and space in the Tardis, which resembles a 1960s police telephone box.
The main character has the ability to regenerate, a quirk that has allowed a number of actors to have played the role over the years.
Capaldi, who replaced Matt Smith as The Doctor, was previously best known for his role as foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series The Thick of It.
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The identity of Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord will be revealed following the Wimbledon men's singles tennis final on Sunday, the BBC has announced.
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The Australian won three league titles as a Tigers coach, working under former director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
"I cut my teeth in the Premiership," O'Connor told BBC Radio Leicester ahead of Newcastle's visit to Welford Road.
"I've got a good understanding of what is required in this part of the world to win trophies."
O'Connor, 46, coached at Leicester between 2010 and 2013, before leaving to take the top job at Leinster and subsequently going to work for Queensland Reds and Tonga.
He has now returned to replace Aaron Mauger, who had succeeded Cockerill in January.
"It is fantastic to be back," O'Connor said.
"I've got nothing but fond memories of the years spent here previously and I'm really looking forward to starting that legacy up again, hopefully.
"To be a part of one of the most successful rugby clubs in the world again was a fantastic opportunity too good not to pursue."
O'Connor has been given his old job title of head coach, but this time will take full charge of team affairs, with the club changing the coaching structure in the absence of a director of rugby.
And he believes the players now need to take this as a fresh start as they fight Bath for a top-four spot.
He said: "I think given the story of the season and the different philosophies that have been significant in the group there is a bit of clarity that needs to be brought.
"If we adjust a few of the things that we are doing on both sides of the ball I think it is an exciting three games and everything to play for."
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Matt O'Connor believes he will fit back into the Premiership seamlessly as he prepares for his first home game in full charge of Leicester Tigers.
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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he had accepted Ms Ley's resignation on Friday.
Entitlements scandals have engulfed Australian politics in recent years.
Mr Turnbull has now pledged to set up an independent watchdog, based on the UK system, to oversee parliamentary expenses.
"Australians are entitled to expect that politicians spend taxpayers' money carefully, ensuring at all times that their work expenditure represents an efficient, effective and ethical use of public resources," he said.
"We should be as careful and as accountable with taxpayer money as we possibly can be."
In her resignation statement, Ms Ley maintained she had not broken any rules, "not just regarding entitlements but most importantly the ministerial code of conduct".
However, she said the saga had become a distraction for the government.
"Whilst I have attempted at all times to be meticulous with rules and standards, I accept community annoyance, even anger, with politicians' entitlements demands a response," she said on Friday.
Ms Ley faced pressure over separate trips to the Gold Coast, where she purchased the A$795,000 (£473,300; $585,200) investment property in 2015 and attended New Year's Eve parties in 2013 and 2014.
She described the apartment purchase as an "error of judgement" that was "neither planned nor anticipated".
Mr Turnbull said he believed Ms Ley's resignation was the "right judgement" and thanked her for her service.
He said the new expenses watchdog would ensure that politicians' claims were transparent to the public.
"I have to say I hate the term entitlements. These are work expenses," he said.
"The circumstances require us to be seen to be putting these matters plainly… so that people can be assured there is independent oversight."
The opposition Labor Party offered "in-principle" support for Mr Turnbull's reform.
"We're happy to work with him on work expenses for politicians," said acting Labor leader Penny Wong.
"I think the country and the people expect it."
The UK set up the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in 2010 in the wake of the MP expenses scandal.
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Australian Health Minister Sussan Ley has resigned after using a taxpayer-funded trip to purchase an apartment on Queensland's Gold Coast.
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The huge cache was viewable online for a few days in April, but the motoring organisation said that it contained no "sensitive" information.
However, a security researcher who analysed the leak said he found details like email addresses, names and parts of payment card numbers.
He said said it was a "very serious incident" the AA needed to address.
AA president Edmund King said it first learned about the problem with data used for its online shop on 22 April. Soon after discovery, the firm that runs the shop on the AA's behalf was told about the problem.
"They identified the vulnerability and the issue was resolved on 25 April," he said.
A server "misconfiguration" was blamed for giving access to two back-up files that contained information about orders for maps and other products from retailers and some customers.
The AA said it investigated, sampled the data and, because it was not sensitive and only accessed a few times, ended the investigation.
The motoring group has started an independent inquiry into the breach and also told the UK's Information Commissioner about it.
"We take any data issues incredibly seriously and would like to reassure our AA Shop customers that their payment details have not been compromised," said Mr King.
Security researcher Troy Hunt alerted the BBC to the existence of the leak last week.
At that time, the AA said it related to shop orders and contained no sensitive information.
Mr Hunt, who runs a website dedicated to data breaches called Have I Been Pwned, persisted with his investigation, obtained a copy of the back-ups and subjected them to a deeper analysis.
He found 117,000 unique email addresses in them as well as names, net addresses as well as credit card types, expiry dates and the final four digits of the card.
A separate analysis by researcher Scott Helme for the Motherboard website found the same data in the cache.
"I have confirmed with many Have I Been Pwned subscribers in the data and they have verified that it's accurate," said Mr Hunt. "They're customers of the AA and they never received a notification about the data exposure.
"At no point does their statement acknowledge the severity of the exposed data nor that they failed to notify customers when learning of the exposure," he said.
He added that discussions with the Information Commissioner might take a "decidedly different tone" when it learned about the customer data in the cache.
Last week, the AA was forced to apologise after a mistake led to it issuing emails telling some members to update their passwords.
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The AA has been criticised over the way it has handled a data breach involving 13 gigabytes of data.
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Photographs and videos posted on social media showed the confused animal apparently trying to get off the road after falling out the back of a lorry.
The tiger had a chain around its neck and appeared to be someone's pet.
The tiger was eventually recaptured, and four men were reportedly spotted bundling it back into the lorry.
One video posted on Facebook showed the animal falling out of the back door of lorry that was driving down the Doha Expressway before running off.
Another video published on Twitter saw the tiger later making its way past cars stuck in heavy traffic.
Footage of the animal finally being recaptured was posted by the al-Watan newspaper.
Twitter users said the incident took place on Tuesday morning, but this could not be confirmed.
It is not clear who owns the tiger, but wealthy individuals in Qatar are believed to keep the animals as pets.
Columnist Sultan Al-Qassemi tweeted: "This obsession of keeping wild animals by rich kids in the Gulf has gone too far."
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Commuters on a motorway in Qatar's capital, Doha, were astonished to see an escaped tiger on the loose and walking through three lanes of traffic.
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About 30 people were stuck on the ride when it was stopped at about 12.00 BST.
A spokeswoman said a piece of rubber "came away from one of the carriages." "At no time were any guests at risk," she added.
The ride reopened in March, nine months after the horror crash.
Latest updates on this story
In a statement, the theme park said all visitors were evacuated from the ride in 30 minutes.
"The ride remained closed for a short period to investigate the matter, which is part of our standard process in assessing minor incidents," it added.
"The technical team have declared the ride safe and The Smiler re-opened at 16.22."
Liam Dennett, 33, from Cheltenham, was in the queue for the ride when an announcement was made about a "technical fault".
He said: "The ride's still closed now. We can see it in the distance that it's still closed. I would say between 30 and probably 35-40 minutes that they were stuck for."
He said he would not go on the ride after seeing what happened.
"My son still wants to go on it, but I wouldn't go on it personally now," he said.
Two women needed amputations after two carriages crashed on the track in June 2015.
Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act after an investigation found the crash was caused by human error.
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The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers had to be closed after debris fell from a carriage - 14 months after it crashed leaving five people seriously injured.
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The Turkish government imposed the blocks after a hacktivist group leaked emails it said it had stolen from the nation's energy minister.
The Redhack group had threatened to publish the information unless left-wing dissidents were released.
In total, more than 57,000 emails were put online by the group.
News about the block was broken by the Turkey Blocks digital rights group, which monitors net censorship in the county.
It said that Google's Drive storage service had also initially been included in the list of sites blocked but this block had been lifted soon after.
The blocks stayed in place on the other web companies until late on Saturday as links to the email cache were removed.
Turkey Blocks said customers of the TTNet, UyduNet and Turkcell ISPs and others had all been cut off from the sites.
It is not clear how effective the block proved as many people on social media said it was possible to reach the affected sites by using a VPN.
Turkey has not explicitly confirmed that the blocks were imposed.
However, journalists widely shared copies of court documents detailing action against the Redhack members that sought to suppress distribution of the 20GB email cache.
The action is the latest in a series of efforts by the Turkish government to clamp down on social media use in the country.
In late 2015, Turkey imposed a 150,000 lira (£33,000) fine on Twitter for failing to remove what the government called "terrorist propaganda".
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Access to online storage systems, including DropBox, GitHub and Microsoft OneDrive, was blocked in Turkey on Saturday.
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The fire service said it had been called to more than 25 incidents following the flooding caused by heavy rain.
One woman, who lives on Carrow Road, said the water was about an inch away from her front door.
"My house is OK," she said. "I've got the towels down in preparation, but sadly the council weren't able to supply us with any sandbags."
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service advised people not to wade into flood water, owing to the risk posed by hidden objects.
Flood water in sewers raised a drain cover near St Stephen's roundabout on the inner ring road and a car wheel jammed in the cavity.
Traffic was brought to a standstill for nearly an hour as firefighters tried to free the vehicle.
Outside the city centre, flood water made driving difficult in Sprowston and Rackheath.
People living on Hawthorne Avenue in Hellesdon grew frustrated that their road is flooded again.
One resident, Stacey Connerty, said: "Yet again it is left to local people to risk their safety to save their property and vehicles from flooding.
"This problem arises every time there is heavy rain.
"Despite repeated requests to highways and council to remedy this situation, to date nothing has been done."
There were also reports of flooding on the B1145, between Cawston and Aylsham, in Norwich Road, near to the junction with Allison Street in Marsham, at Crossdale Street in Cromer and on the A1062 at Hoveton.
Ch Insp Chris Spinks said: "Motorists should drive to the conditions and allow extra time for their journeys home.
"Standing water and heavy rainfall makes driving conditions hazardous and I would urge motorists to reduce speed, use headlights and increase the distance between you and the car in front."
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Buildings and roads have been hit by flooding in Norwich.
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John Lawton, 62, from Alsager, was last seen in an off-road race near Kalamata, in southern Greece in April.
Nine people from Cheshire Search and Rescue returned for a second time to the country on Friday.
The team said they covered a vast area of "unforgiving terrain" on Saturday, in temperatures of up to 44C.
A spokesperson said the search included olive groves and river beds around Aghia Sofia.
The six-day search has been funded thanks to an
online campaign
, which has now raised more than £16,500.
During the last hunt in May, rescuers found discarded energy gel packs which DNA analysis later showed had been used by Mr Lawton.
A spokesperson said the team members "remain positive" and are doing everything they can to find him.
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Volunteers searching for a missing runner in Greece have said they remain "positive" despite a second attempt to find him so far proving unsuccessful.
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Kirsty Williams said party membership in Wales has grown since last year's general election.
Speaking on BBC's The Wales Report programme, she said her party had returned a better result than expected in assembly elections five years ago.
She also refused to rule out a deal with other parties this year.
"Since the general election, which was a very, very difficult set of results for us, our party membership in Wales has grown," she explained.
"We have record numbers of people out on the streets delivering campaigns."
Speaking about the last assembly elections, she said: "We defied expectations, we returned with a strong Liberal Democrat group that has punched above its weight for the last five years.
"I'm sure we can defy expectations again."
She also insisted the Welsh Lib Dems' record proved they can deliver on their promises.
Later in the interview, Ms Williams said she would not rule out a deal with any other party after the election to achieve her objectives but she was quick to point out that collaboration with UKIP was unlikely, as their values were "so far apart".
Last week, informal talks between the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru for an assembly electoral pact failed to reach an agreement.
When asked if it was her party that pulled the plug on the talks, Ms Williams said: "We were approached informally by another political party about a proposition of doing a pre-election pact.
"We didn't think it was the right way to go."
Ms Williams added: "What keeps me going is that I know there are no political parties in this coming election that are committed to ensuring that there are the right number of nurses in our hospitals.
"We had to drag the Labour party kicking and screaming to introduce a system that put money into the education of our poorest children, and its working, its making a difference."
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The Welsh Liberal Democrats can "defy expectations" in the forthcoming assembly elections, the party's leader has insisted.
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The man, in his 20s, was pronounced dead at Fairfax House in Livesey Close, Kingston, at 08:00 GMT. His death is being treated as unexplained.
London Ambulance Service was initially called to reports of a injured man at the scene.
Nearby homes have been evacuated as a "precautionary measure", the Met Police said.
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A man has been found dead at a block of flats where a "possible noxious gas" was detected.
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Tycoon Sir Terry Matthews, JoJo Mamam Bebe founder Laura Tenison and Cardiff Airport chairman Roger Lewis are among 10 who have signed a letter backing the case for remaining in the EU.
It highlights access to the European market and EU investment in skills.
The Leave campaign argues that business would still be able to trade with the EU after Brexit.
It also believes funding that comes from the EU to Wales could be replaced by Westminster from the savings of not paying for EU membership.
But in the letter, the business leaders argue: "Our membership of the EU is vital to the Welsh economy - giving Wales favourable access to a market of 500 million people, supporting competitiveness and innovation and spreading investment in infrastructure to all parts of Wales."
At the moment, 41% of exports from Wales go to the European Union.
That has risen from £4.7 billion worth of goods and services in 1999 to £5 billion in 2015.
Those who support leaving the EU claim it would allow exporters to focus more on growing markets further afield.
Exports from Wales to countries outside the EU have risen from £1.7 billion in 1999 to £7.2 billion in 2015.
If Brexit does happen, selling abroad will be dependent on what trade deals can be negotiated with other countries.
Skills is one of the key areas for businesses and the letter goes on to say: "Investing in skills is so important to raise income levels and encourage further business growth, and in this decade, we will see £1 billion of EU funds invested in young people, training and skills."
Others who signed the letter include:
Advocates of leaving the EU argue the money saved from membership fees could be reinvested in other areas.
Reality Check: Would Brexit put 400,000 jobs at risk?
What does the EU referendum mean for Wales?
Businesses on Anglesey on the referendum
The independent think-tank, Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), has warned the savings from membership fees do not take any account of the potential damage to the economy of leaving the EU.
Most business surveys suggest that firms are, to a greater or lesser extent, in favour of remaining in the EU.
In April, aerospace company Airbus, wrote to its 6,000 workers in Flintshire warning about the risks of voting to leave the European Union.
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The Welsh economy is "stronger, safer and better off" in the European Union, a group of top business figures says.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device
1 July 2015 Last updated at 06:46 BST
Sally Holland said children needed to be protected from the impact of Westminster austerity measures.
She said too many children in Wales were being denied a decent childhood.
Ms Holland and the commissioners for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland said in a report to the United Nations they were alarmed at how welfare changes had increased child poverty.
They said under current policies figures were expected to rise, with 4.7m children projected to be living in poverty by 2020.
Figures released last week showed a third of children in Wales lived in poverty - defined as such when in a household with an income below 60% of the UK average of £453 a week.
The charity Barnardo's welcomed the report, and said millions of children were being failed.
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The UK government must stop making cuts to benefits or more children will be "pushed into poverty", the children's commissioner for Wales has said.
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The Google-owned video service had been at odds with Gema - a German rights body representing musicians, composers and publishers - since 2009.
The disagreement had affected clips in which the artists appeared as well as those that used their songs in the background.
Payments will now be made, but neither side has disclosed the terms.
Google's Content ID system means that clips flagged as containing Gema-protected tracks can now have adverts automatically added to them to recompense the songs' creators.
And red banners that had prevented thousands of YouTube's clips from playing in Germany have now been removed as a consequence.
"This is a win for music artists around the world, enabling them to reach new and existing fans in Germany... and for YouTube users in Germany, who will no longer see a blocking message on music content," blogged YouTube's head of international music partnerships, Christophe Muller.
Gema said there remained disagreement about whether YouTube or the person uploading a clip was ultimately responsible for licensing the music it contained but the new agreement still marked a "milestone"
"We remained true to our position that authors should also get a fair remuneration in the digital age, despite the resistance we met," said its chief executive, Harald Heker.
One industry watcher said it was a "significant" that the matter had been resolved.
"Gema had been a long-term holdout on and critic of YouTube, hitting out at the video site even when many record companies were supportive of it," said Chris Cooke, director of Unlimited Media.
"It has meant YouTube is not the music hub in Germany that it is elsewhere, which has hindered newer artists looking to use it as a marketing channel.
"Though it has to be said in the last couple of years most labels have also become critical of YouTube, the way it operates and the royalties it pays compared to, say, Spotify or Apple Music, even though they continue to work with the service.
"It will be interesting to know quite what deal Gema has secured and how its songwriter members feel about it."
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YouTube has resolved a long-running dispute that prevented many of its clips being accessible in Germany.
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From 2018, people who cannot have a dish installed will be able to receive Sky over the internet instead.
The company said the move would help it reach a further six million customers across Europe.
One analyst said the development was a "logical step", but customers would need to live in an area with fast broadband speeds to benefit.
"I don't think Sky is giving up on other things but they see this as an opportunity," said Toby Syfret, TV analyst at the Enders consultancy.
"There are about two million households in the UK, mostly in dense urban areas, where people can't put up dishes.
"If they can offer the full Sky experience without the need for a dish, that is broadening their offer.
"But there will be questions about which homes can get it. Not everybody has the necessary broadband speed."
Sky is also facing competition from new rivals such as BT and TalkTalk, which deliver pay-TV over the internet.
Sky already sells its Now TV streaming service, offering a small selection of television channels and a library of on-demand programmes over the internet.
However, the company told the BBC its new dish-free option was designed to provide a more complete service.
Details of which channels will be carried, and whether the service will support ultra-high definition 4K broadcasts have yet to be decided.
The company is currently in a dispute with broadcaster Discovery, which has threatened to remove its 12 channels from Sky on 1 February.
It claims Sky does not pay a "fair price" for its channels - but Sky says Discovery's threat is about "commercial self-interest".
On Wednesday, the pay-TV giant reported a 9% fall in operating profits after paying more for broadcast rights to Premier League football matches.
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Sky is to offer a complete subscription television package without a satellite dish for the first time.
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United are on the verge of completing a transfer for the 23-year-old that could cost them in excess of £100m.
"If you are making money and have to pay big money for the best players, why not do it?" Robson told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme.
Manager Jose Mourinho wants the deal to be completed before 14 August.
No deal has been announced for Pogba, who has been on holiday in the United States since losing the Euro 2016 final with France against Portugal last month.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has said he expects the midfielder to be at training on Monday, although reports in Italy say Pogba has flown to the UK for a medical.
Manchester United have not responded to these reports.
Pogba played at United for three years before rejecting a new contract and joining Juventus for a £1.5m compensation fee in 2012.
He won the Serie A title in four successive seasons in Italy and has established himself as one of the most highly rated players in the world.
"Sir Alex Ferguson allowed me to watch training as Pogba joined the first team squad [as a teenager]," said Robson.
"I was very impressed with him. He was a good build, with a good temperament.
"He is the type of player we need.
"He is similar to Yaya Toure in the sense he is very good going forward and can score spectacular goals.
"I am not sure he is a great defender but he does an adequate job."
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
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Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson says he has no problem with the club breaking the transfer world record to re-sign Paul Pogba from Juventus.
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After losing Adam Lyth cheaply, Ballance (55) and Andrew Gale (31) led the champions to 106-2 at lunch.
Steve Magoffin (2-33) removed Gale after the break and Ballance and Jonny Bairstow soon followed.
Jack Leaning (36) and Adil Rashid (53) added 72 for the seventh wicket after a rain delay, but Sussex reduced the hosts to 241-7 at stumps.
Needing to gain nine points from the game to guarantee survival in Division One, the visitors made a good start when England discard Lyth was trapped lbw for three by Chris Jordan in the fourth over.
Lewis Hatchett (2-47) picked up his first wicket when Alex Lees was given out leg before, but Gale and Ballance prevented any further damage before the interval.
As has so often happened in recent seasons, Magoffin was the man to break a partnership for Sussex, but Rashid and Leaning threatened to regain the initiative before Hatchett had Leaning caught at slip, and Chris Liddle (2-44) removed Rashid in the final over of the day.
Yorkshire have already secured their second successive County Championship title, having amassed a record 265 points this season.
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Sussex dominated the first day against Yorkshire to improve their hopes of retaining their Division One status.
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Northern is implementing increases of up to 50p from 21 May to "bring fares in line with other areas".
The RMT union said the "latest fares rip off is just another example of costs being shifted" to passengers.
Northern, which has introduced rises since September 2016, said fares in the area have been "historically low".
The rail operator said there would be an increase "of no more than 50p" on the majority of off-peak day returns and singles for journeys made within Greater Manchester.
It said there would be no change to anytime day single, anytime day return or weekly season tickets and Transport for Greater Manchester concessions.
There would be reductions on some tickets, it added.
Northern said the rises were to make fares "fair and consistent" across the network.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "This latest fares rip off is just another example of industry costs being shifted to the passenger."
Rochdale councillor Andy Kelly said the hike was "the great rail rip off " and would "affect the poorest".
"Many commuters tell me that they have changed their shift patterns to take advantage of off-peak discounts."
Northern said the travel increases would go towards its modernisation programme which will see it get rid of Pacer trains by 2020.
Rail workers on Northern, Southern and Merseyrail have gone on a number of strikes with the latest on 8 April over proposals for driver-only-operated trains.
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Rail fares for some off-peak Northern services in Greater Manchester will be increased by up to 10% - the third rise within the past year.
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It follows the Aslef, TSSA and Unite unions calling off their action over pay, the Night Tube and station rotas.
The RMT said the suspension would allow for "further consideration and consultation on the current offer".
However, it said further industrial action was still planned.
The proposed agreement includes a 2% pay rise in year one, RPI inflation or 1% (whichever is greater) in years two and three, and RPI plus 0.25% or 1% (whichever is greater) in year four, plus a £500 bonus for staff on lines where the night Tube will run.
General Secretary Mick Cash said: "The union makes it clear that we remain in dispute and the strike action scheduled for February remains on.
"The union is finalising the details for the continuation of that industrial campaign and the on-going fight over the threat to jobs, services and safety."
The Night Tube was due to begin last September but was delayed after the unions raised concerns over pay and conditions and went on strike over the dispute.
Two more 24-hour strikes have been arranged for 15 and 17 February.
An additional strike on 7 February has also been called in a separate RMT row over jobs and station staffing.
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A 24-hour Tube strike planned to start on Tuesday evening has been called off after the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union agreed to suspend it.
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A freedom of information request by Plaid Cymru revealed the Labour-run authority had paid out £144,000 for the legal costs of nursery campaigners.
It also paid the £97,500 legal bill of successful library campaigners.
The council said costs in such circumstances usually fell on the authority which was "regrettable".
RCT had previously revealed that its own external legal costs came to £113,199.
Parents took their fight to the High Court in May to overturn the council's decision to end full-time nursery education for younger children.
Meanwhile, in the same month, campaigners chained themselves to bookshelves to protest against the proposed closure of Rhydfelin library.
They were granted a judicial review before it was reprieved.
Plaid Cymru said the money would have been better spent on frontline services.
It said the council had tried to "railroad" local people and it had been "a very expensive mistake to make".
A council spokesman said due to continued UK government cuts unpopular decisions had to be made.
"As is their right, residents can and have challenged these particular council decisions which, in respect of the decision to make changes to the funding arrangements for nursery education, resulted in the council's decision being quashed."
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Rhondda Cynon Taf Council (RCT) has had to pay a £350,000 legal bill over challenges to cuts in nursery education and Rhydyfelin library's closure.
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About 1,700 people were asked for their opinions on proposals which were unveiled in June.
They involved new housing, a business hub and expansion of Liverpool FC's stadium, creating up to 700 jobs.
Mayor Joe Anderson previously said it was "shameful" there had been years of delays to improving the area.
The plans, drawn up by a consortium made up of Liverpool City Council, housing providers and Liverpool FC, would also see the creation of a wide avenue through Stanley Park ending in a new public square.
About 250 new homes would be built, with 296 removed to make way, and a 100-bed hotel constructed.
Feedback from residents during a six-week community engagement project will now be considered as more detailed plans are drawn up.
They will be subject to consultation before planning applications are submitted next year.
Mr Anderson said: "People have given us invaluable information about the entire range of regeneration ideas and concepts which we unveiled.
"In the coming weeks we will use this information to refine our proposals and to undertake another listening and consultation exercise.
"We believe the plans are exciting and will deliver a massive improvement in quality of life for many thousands of people and be of major benefit to the city, not just Anfield."
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More than 80% of people living and working in the Anfield area of Liverpool are backing plans for a £260m regeneration, according to a survey.
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New rules, which came into force in April, allow people aged 55 and over to cash in their pension pots rather than take a retirement income.
This new system "is not yet operating entirely as it should", the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said.
The government said any exploitation of retirees was unacceptable.
MPs on the committee also raised concerns about gaps in advice and charges.
And they said that there were dangers of a mis-selling scandal if pensioners were unable to make informed choices.
Some 204,000 people accessed pension pots in April, May and June. This was more than double the number in the same period in 2013, partly reflecting customers delaying accessing their pots until the reforms had taken place, the committee heard.
Annuity sales dropped to 12,000 for the same three months, compared with 90,000 in the same quarter of 2013.
Some 121,000 customers had opted for cash withdrawal and 71,000 had accessed some form of product to draw income from a pension fund that remained invested.
Making these financial decisions left many people at risk of being exploited by con-artists, the committee said.
"Financial scammers are notoriously adept at reinventing themselves to take advantage of such opportunities. But this does not mean scams should be accepted as a fact of life," the committee said.
In response, the government said it was working hard to tackle the issue.
"The Government has been absolutely clear that any attempt to exploit people who have worked hard and saved for their retirement is unacceptable, which is why we are working with police, regulators and other bodies to raise awareness and take action to protect consumers," said a spokesperson for HM Treasury.
Another danger was the lack of suitable advice for many people approaching retirement, especially those of middle-incomes.
Frank Field, who chairs the committee, said: "We have seen all too clearly, too many times, what happens when financial information is not properly provided and regulated. We literally cannot afford another financial mis-selling scandal."
There was also criticism of Pension Wise, the government-backed free service which guides people through the new rules.
"The website is not fit for purpose. It is static, offering no opportunities for personalisation, and lags well behind many private services," the report said.
A government and City watchdog review into financial advice should consider whether retirees facing jargon and complex financial choices should be given two or more Pension Wise guidance sessions rather than just one.
However the government said Pension Wise had been a "real success story", with over 20,000 guidance appointments since it started.
Pension Wise offers web and phone-based services, as well as face-to-face appointments through Citizens Advice.
The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, told the committee that, in July, Citizens Advice was running at 10% to 15% of its capacity to provide face-to-face appointments.
The committee also concluded:
"Freedom to choose is not enough, people must have freedom to make informed choices," the report said.
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Pension reforms have increased the prospect of people being conned out of their life savings, a committee of MPs has concluded.
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It suggested 91% of people were satisfied with GP care and 92% with their last NHS hospital appointment.
Finance Minister Jane Hutt said it was "heartening" to see such high levels of satisfaction.
The survey was an "important resource" which would help "support the delivery of public services", she added.
Asked to rate services on a scale of zero to 10, the average rating for health services was 6.3 and education 6.6, with performance of the Welsh government just above the middle of the range at 5.6, all in line with previous years.
On other aspects of life, there were large majorities satisfied with their accommodation (94%), recycling services (82%) and the level of respect in their local community (79%).
Overall, the survey of more than 14,000 people found that 83% were satisfied with their daily lives.
Other less positive findings included:
There were mixed views on the performance of councils, which have been getting to grips with steep budget cuts.
People agreeing that their local authority provides high quality services fell from 57%, in both of the two previous years, to 53%.
This varied from 42% in Blaenau Gwent believing their local services were high quality to 65% in Conwy.
Across Wales, just 37% agreed that their council "does all it can to improve my local area".
Powys came off worst on this question, with just 29% agreeing with the statement, while Caerphilly got the best result, where 45% agreed.
Welcoming the overall results, Ms Hutt said: "It is particularly heartening to see such high levels of satisfaction with the NHS and education.
"The survey is an important resource for us and will support the delivery of public services.
"Hearing the views of people across the country will help us make Wales an even better place to live, work and enjoy."
No wonder the Welsh government sounds happy - after a year when their record on public services, health in particular, has been under scrutiny like never before, it seems the people who use those services have had a positive experience.
The data confirms a paradox any politician who's knocked on a voter's door will recognise - people tend to think their own experience is good, but have a perception that the overall picture is poor.
Not that anyone should run away with the idea that life in Wales is without its problems.
Forty percent of people report finding it difficult to keep up with the bills, although that figure is lower than in previous years.
And one in five say they feel "materially deprived" - going without a holiday, failing to put anything aside or feeling unable to have the heating on.
It's not all good news for the Welsh government either - although the public has rated elements of the NHS and education highly, the administration that delivers them gets only a modest score: 5.6 out of 10.
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People across Wales remain "highly satisfied" with the NHS, education and with their daily lives, according to a national survey.
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The radio and radar station set up at Aird Uig, Gallan Head, 60 years ago was part of Nato's early warning system against Soviet submarines and aircraft.
Gallan Head Community Trust bought the site from the Ministry of Defence with help of grant funding.
It is working on turning parts of the site into a space observatory.
A marine research centre is also planned at what is to be called The Cetus Observatory.
The trust said: "Cetus will be a ground-breaking, multi-purpose space for observing the dark skies, changeable weather, listening to and spotting whales and getting absorbed in every aspect of nature and science.
"The observatory will hold an internet operated robotic telescope, a small radio telescope, a small radar, a solar telescope, a planetarium, a space exhibition, giant wide field binoculars for viewing cetaceans and birdlife, nature webcams, a café, educational facilities, and a small shop.
It added: "Outside the centre there will be a circular path around the headland, in some places leading to observation shelters, excellent for daytime marine life spotting walks or night-time star gazing."
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A ceilidh and a torchlight procession are to be held on Saturday to mark a year since a community buyout of a Cold War surveillance station on Lewis.
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More than 300 bags of rubbish were gathered during the beach cleans at Dun Canna, north of Ullapool.
The tins were from factory ships, known as klondykers, which would anchor in Loch Broom off Ullapool to process mackerel in the 1970s to early 90s.
Almost 50 volunteers were involved in collecting the rubbish.
The effort was part of the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Living Seas project.
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Tin cans from Soviet-era fish factory ships have been found among rubbish cleared from two shorelines in the north west Highlands.
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As campaigning officially gets under way for the general election on 20 December, there are new political figures on the block.
Firstly there is Albert Rivera, a dashing 36-year-old Catalan, whose party, Ciudadanos (Citizens) has burst onto the scene, apparently stealing much of the centre ground.
And then take Pablo Iglesias, a 37-year-old jeans-wearing, ponytail-sporting former university professor who leads the grassroots, left-wing movement born from the economic crisis called Podemos (We can). His allies swept to power in several big Spanish cities in regional elections back in May.
Both men sell themselves as a new brand of politician.
Mr Iglesias says the rich should pay more to end poverty and he would force King Felipe to stand in an election for the position of head of state.
Mr Rivera is socially liberal, but committed to free-market economics.
They both claim they will end corruption. Scandals have plagued Spain's traditional parties in recent years.
An impromptu exchange on the issue of corruption between Mr Iglesias and Celia Villalobos, a senior figure from the ruling Popular Party (PP), was trending on Twitter this week.
She warned him not to go around accusing all of her party of being corrupt.
Spain's incumbent prime minister, the slightly dour Galician, Mariano Rajoy, made other headlines.
First he was criticised for not appearing in a debate. An empty lectern alongside the three other candidates was one of the top images of the pre-election campaign week.
But the contrast between Mr Rajoy's non-appearance, and then his appearance in a Spanish celebrity's kitchen for an overly friendly interview could not have been greater.
The latter felt more like a political advert, broadcast on Spain's public broadcaster, TVE.
Soft questions, a biography, cheesy music and slow-motion shots of the two men walking only give ammunition to the critics that say Spain's public broadcaster is not independent.
However despite all the talk of change, according to the polls Mr Rajoy's party will be in the driving seat to form a government after the election, come 21 December.
It is true that we should not underestimate the seismic shift that is taking place in Spanish politics.
The political tennis match of the past in Spain, where for 33 years the ball of power was knocked back and forth between Mr Rajoy's PP and their rivals the Socialists (PSOE), is no more.
The two-party game is over.
One thing that is almost certain is that no party will get an overall majority in the Spanish parliament.
Mr Rajoy will tell voters their money is safe in his hands: that his party takes the credit for Spain's economic recovery and that there is more to do.
Some Spanish voters are yearning for something new, to do away with the politics of the past.
But others might opt for more of the same.
It is arguably modern Spain's most unpredictable election to date.
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On the face of it, it is an election that will change the face of Spanish politics.
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Laird shot a second round 68 in San Diego to stay within reach of KJ Choi and Gary Woodland, who were nine under.
England's Rose and Paul Casey missed the cut by a shot, along with American and world number four Rickie Fowler.
American Mickelson was a further shot behind, while Australia's defending champion Day missed out by three.
World number two Day's preparations were hampered by illness and the he missed the cut for the first time in nearly eight months.
Mickelson finished with three straight bogeys as his challenge was ended.
"I think I tried to force the issue a little bit," he said. "When I wasn't under par early, I kind of started to press a little bit. But that stuff happens."
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Scotland's Martin Laird moved to within two shots of the lead as Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose missed the cut at the Farmers Open.
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More than 300,000 children under the age of five are severely malnourished and require urgent assistance.
Most of those in need of help have been internally displaced following decades of conflict.
Malnutrition levels in Somalia have increased over the last six months with nearly half the population affected.
The number of people without enough food has increased by 300,000 since February.
Somalia drought leaves children 'facing death'
Peter de Clercq, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said those providing aid were ready to "scale up" their response to help families struggling to find food.
But he noted that funding for the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan has reached just 32% of its target.
The crisis follows poor rainfall in the south and central parts of Somalia where crop production has fallen by more than half in just six months. Farmers have also lost many of their livestock in the recent drought.
Aid agencies have warned that the numbers could go higher if the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya is closed down and thousands are forced to return to Somalia where they have no homes or livelihoods.
In January, aid agencies launched an appeal for more than $880m (£680m) to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Somalia but, so far, less than half of that sum has been donated.
The UN report, released on Tuesday, suggests that crop production was severely hit by insufficient rainfall and flash flooding in southern and central Somalia, "the breadbasket of the country".
The agency said continued population displacement following decades of conflict and attacks by extremist groups such as al-Shabab was a major contributing factor.
Who are Somalia's al-Shabab?
Al-Shabab, the Islamist militant group, has been battling the UN-backed government in Somalia for years and has carried out a string of attacks in neighbouring Kenya.
The group, which is allied to al-Qaeda, has been pushed out of most of the main towns it once controlled, but it remains a potent threat.
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Nearly five million people in Somalia are suffering from a shortage of food due to poor rainfall, floods and displacement, the United Nations says.
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Hanson UK had applied to use Sutton village to prevent mixer lorries getting stuck in A40 roadworks.
A county council report said lorries bound for the new Westgate Centre had been seen using the route before permission had been given.
The firm has apologised for the breaches.
In September 2015 the company was given planning permission by Oxfordshire County Council for a mobile concrete plant at Dix Pit in Stanton, on condition lorries used the A415 and A40 and avoided Sutton.
In November, Hanson said lorries bound for the new Westgate Centre were spending so much time in roadworks that 100 tonnes of concrete, worth more than £22,000, had been lost through prematurely setting while still in mixer lorries.
It applied for a change in the planning permission conditions to allow it to use the B4449 through Sutton.
However, council officers reported lorries were using the route before the request was approved, with a driver stopping to ask a council officer directions on one occasion.
The authority said it was "extremely disappointing" Hanson UK had not stuck to the agreement.
The council report said Hanson had apologised for the breaches and insisted it had warned drivers not to use the route.
County councillor for Eynsham, Charles Matthews, said the measures taken by the company "clearly hadn't worked".
"The trouble is the roads are not brilliant because its very narrow, the verges have been driven over and drain covers are sunk into the road," he added
If the council approves the request, 10 loaded mixing trucks could use the route each day until November 2016.
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A contractor supplying concrete for Oxford's new shopping centre has been criticised for breaching an agreement not to drive lorries through a village.
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell 8.9% in 2014 on the previous year, while emissions of all the greenhouse gases were 7.7% below 2013 levels.
The figures come from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc).
The biggest fall in 2014 was in homes (17%), where a warmer year meant less gas was used for heating.
A significant fall was also seen in the power sector (down 13.6%), which saw less use of coal in electricity.
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Greenhouse gas output in the UK fell almost 8% in 2014, although emissions from transport and agriculture rose slightly, official figures show.
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The 28-year-old MTN-Qhubeka rider maintained his 13-second lead over Team Sky's Wouter Poels on Sunday's 14-lap final stage around central London.
Team Sky's Elia Viviani was awarded the stage win after Andre Greipel, who crossed the line first, was penalised.
Owain Doull, riding for Team Wiggins, was the highest placed Briton in third.
The Welshman finished 10th on the stage but picked up bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint to leapfrog Rasmus Guldhammer to end the race 42 seconds behind Boasson Hagen and also win the points classification.
Germany's Griepel beat Viviani by milimetres in Saturday's penultimate stage and was again first over the finish line on Sunday.
However, the Lotto-Soudal rider was adjudged to have impeded Viviani in the sprint for the line and was relegated to the back of the bunch by race officials.
"I didn't see Viviani coming," said Greipel.
"Everybody was on the limit on the final corner. I didn't do anything for purpose that's for sure. That's sprinting."
After winning his third stage of the race, Italian Viviani, who crossed the finish line with his hand in the air in complaint, said: "He came across a little bit and that edged me towards the barriers.
"I'm disappointed because it is better to win without this but we won in London and that is the main thing."
Stage eight result:
1. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) 1hr 50mins 16secs,
2. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp/Movistar) same time
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Etixx-Quickstep)
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka)
5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Lotto-Soudal)
6. Sondre Holst Enger (Nor/IAM)
7. Mark Renshaw (Aus/Etixx-Quickstep)
8. Graham Briggs (GB/JLT Condor)
9. Ruben Zepuntke (Ger/Cannondale-Garmin)
10. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins)
General classification:
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 34hrs 52mins 52secs,
2. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) +13 secs,
3. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +42secs
4. Rasmus Guldhammer (Den/Cult Energy Pro Cycling) +43secs
5. Zdenek Stybar (Cze/Etixx-Quick-Step) +51secs
6. Ruben Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) same time
7. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Team LottoNL-Jumbo)
8. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale-Garmin) +53secs
9. Chris Anker Sorensen (Den/Tinkoff-Saxo) +59secs
10. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/An Post - Chainreaction) +1:02
Selected others:
18. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) +2:51
24. Ian Stannard (GB/Team Sky) +38:36
87. Bradley Wiggins (GB/Team WIGGINS) +1.31:03
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Edvald Boasson Hagen became the first rider to win the Tour of Britain twice since its return to the professional cycling calendar in 2004.
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Hearts value the Scotland Under-21 international at around £1m.
The 23-year-old attacker is contracted at Tynecastle until next summer and has turned down the offer of an extension.
Walker, who has made more than 180 appearances for Hearts and who scored 15 goals last season, can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club from 1 December.
Rangers' initial bid was rejected on Wednesday.
Hearts director of football Craig Levein said last month that Walker wanted to leave the club.
The club subsequently stated "the player would prefer to see out the remaining year of his contract".
Rangers finished third in the Scottish Premiership - two places and 21 points above Hearts - and have signed defenders Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso, midfielder Ryan Jack and forwards Daniel Candeias and Dalcio this summer.
The club, who will enter the first qualifying round of the Europa League later this month, have also had a second offer for Norwich City midfielder Graham Dorrans turned down.
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Hearts have rejected a second bid from Rangers, believed to be in the region of £600,000, for winger Jamie Walker.
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"This battle is ours... and I promise you victory," he said in a TV address.
Syrian rebels in the besieged town of Qusair say they are under heavy bombardment from Hezbollah combatants.
The town is close to the Lebanese border, a conduit for both the government and rebels to get weapons.
In the speech from an undisclosed location, Mr Hasrallah said if Sunni Islamists took over in Syria, they would pose a threat to the entire Lebanese population - Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as Christians.
He said his movement could never be aligned with Syrian rebels who, in his view, were supported by the United States and Israel.
Hezbollah plunges deep into Syria conflict
Dozens of Hezbollah militants are said to have been killed fighting alongside Syrian troops in Qusair since 19 May, when government forces launched an offensive to recapture the rebel-held town.
Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry said thousands of Hezbollah fighters were contributing significantly to the violence in Syria.
He added that Iran was actively supporting Hezbollah's involvement - a claim denied by Tehran.
Iran and Hezbollah are predominantly Shia, while Mr Assad's Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam.
The week-long fighting in Qusair intensified early on Saturday, when activists reported heavy bombardments, including two ground-to-ground missiles and an air strike as well as artillery and rocket fire.
Syrian state media said the army had launched a three-pronged offensive in the north, centre and south of Qusair, and was making big advances after "killing large numbers" of fighters.
Qusair is important for the Syrian government because it links the capital, Damascus, with the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast. However, official media made no mention of the part played by Hezbollah.
The Lebanese group is also known to have lost a number of fighters in Qusair, prompting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to warn the Shia militia against getting "bogged down in the sands of discord".
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group that monitors the conflict, said at least 22 people including 18 rebels had been killed in the latest fighting in Qusair. Dozens had been wounded, it added.
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The leader of the Lebanese Shia militant Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, has promised his supporters they will prevail in Syria, where they are backing President Bashar al-Assad.
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The 25-year-old star won gold on the track at London 2012, but, on the advice of British Cycling, switched full-time to road racing last year.
"Initially I was told I couldn't appeal," she said. "I'm going to explore that option.
"I haven't really been given a fair explanation as to why I haven't been selected, to be completely honest."
The Rio Olympics get under way on 5 August.
King is second-highest British rider in the world standings but was overlooked when the British road race team was revealed last week.
Emma Pooley and Nikki Harris were chosen instead - to support lead rider Lizzie Armitstead - despite both being ranked below her.
King called the decision "unfair" but thought she was unable to appeal against the decision because she was not on British Cycling's funded programme.
However, British Cycling's interim performance manager Andy Harrison subsequently announced she could.
"I have really enjoyed being on the road this year and I feel I've exceeded all expectations in terms of my results," said King.
"I was given nine criteria at the start of the year which I've been working toward and I'm absolutely gutted."
Media playback is not supported on this device
King defied expectations by returning to elite racing after a life-threatening training crash in November 2014 left her with eight broken ribs, a bruised liver and punctured lung.
She stopped receiving UK Sport funding two months later and was told she would not be considered for the Rio track cycling team late last year.
She has been focusing exclusively on road racing ever since.
Despite her Olympic omission and the controversies surrounding British Cycling following the departure of technical director Shane Sutton amid claims of sexism and discrimination, King refuses to be too critical of the national set-up.
"When I was on the programme, I was supported really well," she said. "It's just disappointing that I feel like this selection hasn't been fair to me."
She insisted: "I'm not here to slag off British Cycling and I do wish all of the British riders a lot of success in Rio."
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Olympic champion Dani King may appeal against British Cycling's decision not to select her for the Rio Games.
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Scientists from Stirling University looked at the effects a group of beavers had on a wetland in Tayside originally drained for farming.
The 12-year study found plant richness rose by 46% and the number of different plants recorded more than doubled.
The study is the first to measure the environmental benefits of the beavers' activity over time.
Between 2003 and 2015, the beavers constructed 195 metres of dams, 500 metres of canals and an acre of ponds at the site on a private estate in Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
Scientists said the surrounding vegetation "increased in complexity" by 71%.
Prof Nigel Willby from the university said wetlands were "tremendously important environments" for biodiversity, but were disappearing at an "alarming rate".
He said: "Beavers are renowned for their engineering skills, like dam building, and are now being considered as tools for restoring wetlands.
"They have been reintroduced widely, including in Scotland, partly for this purpose and our findings demonstrate the surprisingly large benefits they can bring to biodiversity."
The study was partly-funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and published in the international journal Science of the Total Environment.
Following trial reintroductions, Eurasian beavers were readmitted to Scotland last year, 400 years after being hunted to extinction in the UK.
Co-author Dr Alan Law said: "We know lots about the benefits of beavers in natural settings, but until now we did not know the full extent of what they can achieve in present-day landscapes where restoration is most needed.
"Seeing what beavers can do for our wetlands and countryside highlights the diverse landscape we have been missing for the last 400 years."
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A new study has highlighted beavers "exceptional" ability to rebuild diverse wetlands.
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Allan Fleming, 48, from the Faifley area of Clydebank, was struck by an Asda articulated lorry on the A82 at Duntocher at about 11.00 on Sunday.
The incident happened on the westbound carriageway between the Kilbowie roundabout and the Erskine Bridge.
Mr Fleming was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash.
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Police have released the name of a cyclist who died after being hit by a lorry in West Dunbartonshire.
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Pritchard, a former England Under-21 international, has made two senior appearances for Spurs.
He has scored a total of 20 goals in 100 matches on loan at Peterborough, Swindon, Brentford and West Brom.
The 23-year-old would become Championship club Norwich's third summer signing, after keeper Michael McGovern and winger Sergi Canos.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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Norwich City are in talks to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alex Pritchard, reports BBC Radio Norfolk.
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The move ends an embarrassing situation for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who last year pledged to try to put Wonga out of business by helping credit unions compete with it.
It later emerged that the Church had indirectly staked about £75,000 in Wonga through an investment fund.
The archbishop told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" that the investment had ended.
When details of the link emerged last year, Archbishop Welby had admitted to being "embarrassed" and "irritated".
The Church Commissioners for England, which deals with the Church's investments, said on Thursday it was "pleased to announce" the indirect exposure to Wonga as part of its venture capital portfolio had been removed.
"At no time have the commissioners invested directly in Wonga or in other payday lenders," the commissioners' statement said, adding that the indirect exposure was "considerably less than 0.01% of the value of Wonga".
It said the commissioners believed venture capital to be "a good and useful instrument with significant potential to serve the common good", but that a number of "ethical investment changes" had been made.
These included tightening investment restrictions for direct investments, with new controls on indirect investments due to be announced later in the year.
The statement added: "We no longer have any financial or any other interest in Wonga."
In an interview to be broadcast on this Sunday's Andrew Marr show, Archbishop Welby said: "I have been absolutely clear that I do not believe that the rates of interest charged by these companies are ethical and moral - they are legal but they are not ethical or moral."
As he does not sit on the Church's assets committee, he had no "legal right to intervene", he said, adding: "I can obviously apply pressure, encouragement, and I've tried to do that and I'm absolutely delighted that we are now out of Wonga and have taken no profit from it."
Details of the investment emerged in July 2013 shortly after Archbishop Welby said he had "bluntly" told Wonga boss Errol Damelin "we're not in the business of trying to legislate you out of existence; we're trying to compete you out of existence".
The expansion of credit unions would provide an alternative, he had suggested.
Wonga responded by saying it was "all for better consumer choice".
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The Church of England has ended its investment in the payday lender Wonga.
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First Minister Carwyn Jones will travel with former Wales football striker Ian Rush to Switzerland on 21 April to get the trophy from Uefa's headquarters.
The trophy will be "welcomed" to the host city with a parade from Cardiff Castle to the Principality Stadium.
It will then embark on a tour around Wales, stopping at schools, clubs and popular public locations.
The women's Champions League trophy, the final of which will be staged at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 1 June, will also be on the tour.
The second-legs of the men's quarter-final ties will be staged this week.
UEFA Champions League Trophy Experience, public event dates in Wales:
Friday 21 April: 16:45 Trophy arrival in Wales and procession from Cardiff Castle to Principality Stadium
Saturday 22 April: 13:30-15:00 Liberty Stadium in Swansea
Sunday 23 April: 16:00-20:00 Aberystwyth Town Football Club
Monday 24 April: 14:00-19:00 Bangor City Football Club
Tuesday 25 April: 17:00-18:30 Llandudno Football Club
Wednesday 26 April: 18:00-20:00 Bala Town Football Club
Saturday 29 April: All day Beaumaris Castle
Sunday 30 April: 11:00-17:00 Portmeirion (Public event)
Monday 1 May: 18:00-20:00 Cefn Druids Football Club, Wrexham
Thursday 4 May: 10:00-16:00 Haverfordwest town centre
Saturday 6 May: 09:00-11:00 Newtown Football Club, 13:00-15:00 Brecon Leisure Centre, 17:00-20:00 Merthyr Town Football Club
Sunday 7 May: 10:00-14:00 Tenby
Monday 8 May: 14:00-16:00 Friars Walk Shopping Centre, Newport, 18:00-20:00 Cwmbran Stadium
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The Champions League trophy will go on tour around Wales before the 2017 final in Cardiff on 3 June.
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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said there were "major issues" in the way allergies were recorded and shared.
In its first guidelines on allergy, it is calling for known allergies to be recorded on all prescriptions.
The charity Allergy UK said a "lack of awareness" was putting lives at risk.
Official data recorded 18,079 incidents of drug allergies affecting patient safety in the NHS in England and Wales between 2005 and 2013.
Most involved medicines which were prescribed to a patient with a known allergy to that class of drugs.
Prof Mark Baker, the director of the centre for clinical practice at NICE, said: "If we know that giving someone a particular drug could cause them harm, or in the worst instances may even kill them, the utmost care must be taken to ensure they are not prescribed or administered that drug."
NICE said efforts were needed to "dispel confusion" over allergies after "major issues" were discovered as the guidelines were drawn up.
It called for improvements in the way doctors collect information on patients' allergies. It also wants a re-design of all prescriptions to include information on the classes of drugs to which a patient is known to be allergic.
Signs of allergy include fever, hives, wheezing, redness and swelling.
Dr Shuaib Nasser, a consultant allergist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, stated: "The guideline stresses the care all healthcare professionals must take when documenting new drug allergies and the importance of sharing this information with patients and other healthcare professionals.
"People should be provided with structured written information on drugs to avoid and be advised to check with their pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medicines.
"In some cases, specialist investigations will be required to confirm or exclude drug allergy."
Maureen Jenkins, clinical director at the charity Allergy UK, said: "Drug allergies can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening reactions but are often undiagnosed.
"We frequently have calls about the lack of awareness about drug allergy, inadequate documentation and communication between health professionals, which can put patients' lives at risk. We welcome these NICE guidelines, that will lay the foundation stone for better understanding and management of drug allergy across primary, secondary and tertiary care."
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Thousands of lives are put at risk by doctors prescribing drugs to which patients are known to be allergic, the medicines watchdog says.
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Lorraine Warden forged the signature of a doctor at Ninewells Hospital in order to take the money, which was intended to pay for medical staff, equipment and training.
An investigation found the 44 year old had written 61 cheques to herself.
She told police she had taken the money due to spiralling debts from payday loans.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Warden had been working as a secretary for NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee when she took the money, which had been donated to the Tayside Otolaryngology Fund.
Dr Stephen Jones, the only signatory on the bank account for the fund, noticed discrepancies between a spreadsheet used to manage the fund's money, chequebook stubs and the bank account.
An investigation revealed a total of 62 cheques, including one in the name of Warden's daughter, had been cashed for a total of £55,000 between 2007 and 2012.
Warden, of Muirhead, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of embezzlement.
Sheriff Elizabeth Munro deferred sentence for the preparation of reports, and allowed Warden bail meantime.
The Tayside Otolaryngology Fund, which was in place to "provide staff, instruments, equipment or materials for the purposes of promoting and furthering research and advancing specialist techniques", ceased to operate in November 2013.
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An NHS secretary has admitted embezzling £55,000 from a Dundee hospital charity fund.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, is seeking a big enough majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.
However his hopes may be scuppered if the pro-Kurdish HDP crosses the 10% threshold and enters parliament.
Explosions at its election rally in Diyarbakir on Friday killed four.
Officials said the blasts were caused by improvised bombs.
HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas criticised Mr Erdogan's response to the killings.
Casting his vote on Sunday Mr Demirtas commented: "The election campaigning process was not a fair and equal race."
However he added: "Hopefully we will wake up to a new and freer Turkey on 8 June."
Polls across Turkey's 81 provinces opened at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) local time and closed at 17:00 (14:00 GMT). First results are expected late on Sunday.
If the left-wing HDP succeeds in winning seats in parliament for the first time, it would reduce the number of seats won by Mr Erdogan's AKP, thwarting its plans to change the constitution and transfer the prime minister's executive powers to the president.
A strong showing from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the third-placed Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) could even force the AKP into a coalition, correspondents say.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the CHP echoed Mr Dermirtas and called the campaign period "unequal". He promised however to "continue to work with a sense of responsibility".
Turkey's current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu shied away from accusations of unfairness telling reporters: "Whatever [the people's] will, it is a will that must be respected by everyone.''
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says Sunday's election is the biggest electoral challenge for the AKP since it came to power 13 years ago.
Growth has stalled, he says, critics talk of an authoritarian President Erdogan who has eroded free speech and burnt bridges with the West - and they are desperate for change.
The result may have ramifications beyond Turkey's borders.
The country is a vital Nato member in a volatile Middle East and a rare mix of Islam and democracy, our correspondent notes.
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Turkey has voted in a general election which will determine whether the ruling party can change the constitution.
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The midfielder, 20, agreed to a five-year deal with the French champions.
He scored 13 league goals for Anderlecht last season to help them win the Belgian title.
"Monaco is a club with an ambitious project, recognised on the European stage, and which relies on young players," Tielemans said.
"I am very happy to be here. I will now do everything possible to progress here and repay the confidence the club have shown in me."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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Monaco have signed Belgium's young player of the year Youri Tielemans from Anderlecht for a reported 25m euros (£21.63m).
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Mr Cushnahan was one of the key figures in the controversy over the sale of National Assets Management Agency's Northern Ireland property portfolio.
The former banker tried to stop the BBC from reporting on his involvement in the sale.
He has now withdrawn his claims against the BBC.
The claims related to two major Spotlight investigations into NAMA, which were broadcast in February and September 2016.
NAMA took effective control of a property loan portfolio in Northern Ireland worth more than £1bn after the financial crisis.
It set up a committee to advise it on Northern Ireland issues and Mr Cushnahan was recommended for appointment by the Democratic Unionist Party.
He served on the committee from 2010 to 2013.
Both Spotlight programmes investigated the circumstances surrounding the sale of NAMA's remaining Northern Ireland loan portfolio, known as Project Eagle.
They also examined the role which, amongst others, Mr Cushnahan played in advising NAMA, commercial bidders for Project Eagle and Northern Ireland-based debtors, whose assets were controlled by NAMA.
Mr Cushnahan's claim for an injunction was rejected in its entirety by the senior judge of the Queen's Bench Division, Mr Justice Stephens, in a judgment dated 10 March 2017.
In his judgment, the judge recognised that "there could be no sensible contention" that the broadcast of the programmes was not in the public interest and that there was a "clear public interest in publication."
Several parts of the claim were also struck out by the judge as an abuse of process, including an attempt to bring action against the Editor of BBC Spotlight for contempt of court.
Following nine months of legal action, Mr Cushnahan dropped his appeal against Mr Justice Stephens' decision on 21 June.
Reporting restrictions put in place at the outset of this case in September 2016 have now been lifted by the court, allowing the BBC and other media organisations to report the matter for the first time.
The BBC has not apologised, paid damages, or any of Mr Cushnahan's legal fees.
In a statement, Mr Cushnahan acknowledged that his court action against the BBC had not been successful, but said he had co-operated at all times with the investigation into Nama.
He also said he now intends to bring a case against the UK government to the European Court of Human Rights because he believes that UK law does not provide adequate safeguards to allow him to protect his reputation.
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All legal claims brought against the BBC and BBC Spotlight's Editor, Jeremy Adams, by Frank Cushnahan have been dropped.
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The pedestrian, in her 20s, was struck on the Dunchurch Road at 12:20 GMT, police said.
The car that hit her was being driven on a 999 callout to the A45 at Stretton-on-Dunsmore.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman was anaesthetised at the scene and taken to University Hospital Coventry.
The IPCC said it had sent investigators to the scene of the crash at the junction of Dunchurch Road and Overslade Lane.
Eyewitness David Williams said: "A container lorry was coming along and behind that I could see there was a police car - blue flashing lights, siren on.
"I looked because it was coming quite fast. The road was in essence blocked by the slowing container lorry and the police car proceeded to pass him on the other side of the carriageway."
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A woman has suffered serious head injuries after being hit by a police car in Rugby.
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The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says the UK still has "more than enough capacity" to withstand future fuel shortages.
It said 92% of all UK postcode areas have more than two petrol stations less than 10 minutes away.
But the AA warned that the fuel network is still susceptible to "panic buying".
The number of petrol forecourts has fallen from 37,500 in 1970 to 9,000 in 2011, while the UK's diesel and petrol reserves have dropped to six-to-eight days, down by two days compared with 10 years ago.
The AA's Luke Bosdet told the BBC: "The vast majority of motorists have access to fuel; the big problem is how much they are being charged for it.
"But the network is still susceptible to breakdown when there is panic buying."
The Petrol Retailers' Association (PRA), which represents the UK's independent forecourt retailers, said: "The report indisputably confirms that the majority of fuel forecourts are running with dangerously low levels of stock and that the continued closure of forecourts is reducing onsite storage capacity across the country."
Supermarkets now own 15% of all forecourts but account for 39% of total fuel volumes, the report said, leading to the demise of many independent petrol retailers.
Tesco recently overtook oil giant BP as the UK's largest fuel retailer by volume.
The Office of Fair Trading is currently gathering evidence about the fuel supply market, estimated to be worth £47bn a year, and will report its findings in January.
The watchdog is considering whether falling costs of crude oil are reflected in prices paid by motorists.
Fears are growing that fewer petrol stations, lower reserves and a rise in the number of cars on the road from 27 million to 35 million over the last 15 years, is putting too much pressure on the fuel supply network.
The AA says that the industry's "just in time" delivery business model is leaving it exposed to supply shortages in the future.
Earlier this year, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude advised drivers to fill up their tanks and store extra fuel in a jerrycan to prepare for a possible strike by fuel tanker drivers. Demand shot up, leading to queues and shortages at some petrol stations.
"The experience from March 2012 showed us that many stations don't fill their tanks because it is too expensive to do so," said Mr Bosdet.
But the DECC report, compiled by consultants Deloitte, concluded that UK retail sector had "more than enough capacity to meet fuel supply shocks until contingency measures can be put in place".
Energy Minister John Hayes said: "This report was commissioned by my department to get an accurate picture of the retail fuel market and to consider any possible implications for our security of supply.
"Although it is very clear there has been a market shift from independent to supermarket forecourts in the past 40 years this has not had an impact on the vast majority of motorists."
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The number of petrol stations has plummeted since 1970, says a government study, while fuel reserves have dropped by a fifth over the last 10 years.
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The 3,000m (10,000ft) volcano is in Argentina's south-western Neuquen province, near the Chilean border. It began spewing ash and gas on Saturday morning.
In Argentina, the authorities have told residents of local villages to monitor the situation.
Many people have already left the area as a precaution.
Ash has been raining down on both sides of the border.
The Chilean authorities raised the alert - first issued on Saturday - to the highest level in Biobio region after the Copahue volcano increased seismic activity overnight.
Roads were being cleared for possible evacuation.
The plume of smoke is about 1,500m (5,000ft) high and the wind is pushing it away from Argentina, said Chile's emergency office (Onemi).
Planes flying over the southern Andes have also been warned to avoid the area.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled last year due to the eruption of Puyehue volcano, in Chile.
That eruption caused huge economic damage not only to property in the area but also to tourism in Bariloche and other resorts.
The Copahue eruption comes at the height of the tourism season.
Visitors from all over the world go to the area in the summer months to enjoy the mountains, lakes and also the Copahue and Caviahue thermal spas.
Copahue in the indigenous Mapuche language means "sulphur waters".
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Chile has raised the alert level for the Copahue volcano to red, the highest possible.
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16 December 2015 Last updated at 00:22 GMT
One bans women from marrying for six months after divorce, the other forces married couples to have the same surname.
The laws are also linked to a rule that children born within that six months are considered to be the former husband's.
The case was brought by three individual women and one couple in a civil partnership, who argue that the law is unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Two lower courts have already ruled against them and public opinion on the questions is split.
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Japan's Supreme Court is due to rule on two 19th century family laws which critics say are sexist and out-of-date.
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Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said last month he was not convinced Communities First was the "most effective way to deliver for Wales".
He said there would be a new approach but, so far, community groups supported by the scheme say they are in the dark.
The Welsh Government said no final decision had been made.
In Swansea, Faith in Families, which runs three family centres, said it would be forced to close without Welsh Government support.
It is converting St Teilo's Church in Swansea into a £1m community hub with half the money provided by the Welsh Government.
Boss Cherrie Bija said: "We are not going to give up on these families."
She added that people were "really disappointed" after hearing the phasing out of Communities First would have a knock-on effect on the services the centre could deliver.
Communities First spends about £30m each year, with more than £300m spent since it was launched in 2001 and, at one point, it was supporting about 200 projects.
In Flintshire, Dave Wisinger, the county councillor for Queensferry, said the Communities First office covering his area provided crucial support.
"There has to be something else to take over," he said.
"And I would have thought the minister, if he has a serious look at this, he will appreciate the good work that's been done and he will keep these staff on, or as many as they can...maybe under another project."
Communities First supports four dementia cafes in Flintshire, helping those with the condition and their families, as well as running food banks, lunch clubs and family learning sessions.
It also runs job search clubs and employability courses.
Mother-of-two Kelly Latham from Garden City, who attended once such course in Mold, said: "I've been unemployed for nearly five years now.... child care's a big issue for me... and they've sorted it all out for me."
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Although the communities secretary has said he is minded to phase out Communities First, no final decision has been made.
"We are currently seeking views on this and how to engage, support and strengthen communities and would urge anybody with an interest to have their say.
"It is too early to speculate on how any new approach might impact on particular areas."
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Community groups are seeking assurances following the announcement that a scheme which supports deprived areas in Wales is set to be dropped.
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Warren Gatland's side can take another step towards the quarter-finals against Fiji on Thursday. Their last group game is against Australia on 10 October.
"We've all celebrated in the last few days," said Gibbs.
"But it counts for nothing unless we win on Thursday and go unbeaten throughout this group."
Gibbs, 44, starred for the British and Irish Lions as they beat South Africa in 1997 and also played for the Wales and Great Britain rugby league teams during a glittering career.
He famously scored a last-minute try at Wembley when Wales beat England 32-21 in the 1999 Five Nations Championship.
The former Ospreys and Swansea centre added: "The nation is behind them - they just need to play smart football, conserve energy and probably put the pressure on Fiji to play rugby."
Meanwhile, Wales centre Jamie Roberts says once-capped centre Tyler Morgan, 20, can impress on his World Cup debut after being called in to replace the injured Scott Williams.
"He was unlucky to make the squad in the first place," said Roberts.
"He's a very explosive player, a young guy who's very enthusiastic and he has to put that into 80 minutes.
"He's a talented fella and he'll fit straight in.
"He's got experience around him with myself and Dan [Biggar at fly-half] and George [North] and Alex [Cuthbert] as well.
"It's the same for Matthew Morgan [at full-back].
"He comes into a backline with a lot of experience and just has to take care of his own job and the rest will happen for him."
Roberts felt Fiji could also have beaten England in the tournament opener had a crucial moment gone their way.
"I thought they played some great stuff and when [Niko] Matawalu's try was disallowed, that was a massive, massive turning point in that game," said the Harlequins player.
"If they'd have scored then, I really feel they might have gone on and won it.
"I've played against quite a few of those lads in the Top 14 and they're serious rugby players and serious athletes."
Fiji captain Akapusi Qera, 31, starred in their back row as they dumped Wales out of the 2007 tournament in Nantes.
He said: "It's the best memory ever so far in my rugby career.
"For me as a young boy coming into that big tournament and to win and get qualified for the quarter-finals, it was a major, major boost in my rugby career.
"And maybe that's why I'm still hanging around for a few a couple more years in order to replicate that history."
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Wales legend Scott Gibbs says they must beat Fiji and Australia in the World Cup or their stunning Pool A win over England "counts for nothing".
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England beat France 2-0 in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday but do not play again until March.
Hodgson wants to spend time with the players to keep the team spirit intact, after a run of 13 wins from 16 games since the 2014 World Cup.
"I would like an afternoon or early evening with the players," he said.
"We can go through a little bit of what we have done in the Spain game and the France game and see what we want to do going forward.
"I am hoping that the clubs will go along with that. To be honest there wasn't an enormous amount of opposition to it last time around.
"I guess with any luck we will get that afternoon but it will have to be discussed with the clubs to make sure they think it is an afternoon that is right for them because I and (assistant) Ray Lewington are full-timers and can go any time it suits them."
England will build up to next summer's European Championship with March friendlies against world champions Germany in Berlin and Netherlands at Wembley.
With injured players coming back into contention next year, Hodgson will add up to another four friendlies in the build-up to the tournament in France, which starts in June.
"We are hoping to have at least three warm-up games, possibly four, in addition to the two in March so we will have games," Hodgson added.
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Boss Roy Hodgson wants to resurrect plans for a winter meeting for his England squad - an idea previously vetoed by Premier League clubs.
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The 26-year-old, who came through the youth ranks at QPR, had loan spells at AFC Wimbledon, Northampton and Wycombe before joining Oldham in 2011.
He has since had spells with Oxford, Slovenian side Domzale, Serbian outfit Red Star Belgrade and Aberdeen.
The Antigua & Barbuda international becomes the League One club's second signing of the transfer window.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.
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Gillingham have signed forward Josh Parker on a deal until the end of the season following a spell on trial.
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Highlights of all of Saturday's Scottish Cup ties will be on Sportscene on BBC One Scotland at 22:30 GMT.
And, on Sunday, Raith Rovers v Hearts (13:05) will be broadcast live on BBC One Scotland and Radio Scotland will provide commentary of that match and Albion Rovers v Celtic (15:00).
Sportscene returns with more highlights at 18:15 on BBC Two Scotland on Sunday, with a repeat at 23:40 on BBC One Scotland.
Scottish Cup
Aberdeen 4-0 Stranraer
Alloa Athletic 2-3 Dunfermline Athletic
Ayr United 0-0 Queen's Park
Bonnyrigg Rose 1-8 Hibernian
Dundee 0-2 St Mirren
Elgin City 1-2 Inverness CT
Greenock Morton 2-0 Falkirk
Kilmarnock 0-1 Hamilton Academical
Livingston 0-1 East Fife
Partick Thistle 4-0 Formartine United
Rangers 2-1 Motherwell
Ross County 6-2 Dundee United
St Johnstone 2-0 Stenhousemuir
Stirling Albion 2-2 Clyde
Scottish Championship
Dumbarton 1-2 Queen of the South
Raith Rovers v Hearts (13:05)
Albion Rovers v Celtic (15:00)
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Match reports of Saturday's Scottish Cup and Championship matches and previews of Sunday's Scottish Cup ties.
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The city's mayor said test results had showed no contamination, and locals could resume using water for drinking, bathing and cooking.
The ban was issued on Wednesday over fears that a leak at an asphalt plant could have tainted the water supply.
Long queues formed at grocery stores as shoppers stocked up on bottled water.
About 85% of Corpus Christi, which has a population of about 320,000, was under the restrictions.
The chemical behind the scare was Indulin AA-86, an asphalt emulsifier which can burn human skin in its concentrated form.
The leak took place at an asphalt plant leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions by oil refiner Valero.
Mayor Dan McQueen told a news conference that investigations into the 24-gallon (91-litre) spill of Indulin AA-86 had determined that the water was safe to use.
It was not clear if the public water supply was ever contaminated by the chemical.
Officials said that none of the 28 drinking water samples analysed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested positive for the contaminant.
However, the EPA said there have been seven "unconfirmed" reports of symptoms possibly related to prohibited water use.
Mr McQueen said officials would seek possible damages from those responsible for the leak.
There has been some confusion over exactly when city officials were notified of the problems at the plant that prompted the water use ban.
Valero Energy Corp said in a statement on Saturday that it had alerted the city to "milky, sudsy water" at the plant on 7 December - a full week before the ban was announced.
Ergon said the issue arose when "soap solution" flowed back into a pipe through which the plant receives water.
It said the pipe is not directly connected to the city's water main, but that the two are interconnected.
Corpus Christi locals have been warned to use water conservatively to avoid overtaxing the system.
The EPA will continue collecting and testing water samples in the city over the coming days.
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Residents of Corpus Christi, Texas, have been told it is safe to drink tap water again, after a chemical leak sparked a four-day ban.
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At least two of those who died were children, according to reports in local media.
A search operation is under way for people who are still missing.
The flash flood occurred at Cold Springs, near Payson, on Saturday afternoon, sweeping people down East Verde River.
The Payson Fire Department said that multiple forest fires in recent months had created piles of debris that burst down a creek and through the swimming hole.
But it was not raining in the area where people were swimming.
At least four people have been rescued from the water and treated for hypothermia.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood alert for much of Arizona until Monday evening, with more storms expected in the middle of next week.
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A deadly flash flood sparked by monsoon-like rains has swept through a swimming hole in the US state of Arizona, killing at least eight people.
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The 25-year-old scored one goal in 58 games in two seasons for the U's, having moved from Rotherham in 2015.
Newton began his career at Newcastle United but never made a first-team appearance for them.
His most successful stint came on loan to St Mirren, where he won the Scottish League Cup in 2013.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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Hartlepool United have signed midfielder Conor Newton on an undisclosed contract following his release by Cambridge United.
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The deputy head of the bloc's executive Commission, Frans Timmermans, said it was determined to uphold EU values.
Thousands of Hungarians have protested against laws which could see the closure of a prestigious university.
Hungary is also forcibly housing asylum seekers in secured shipping containers.
There was a serious question whether that was compatible with EU law, Mr Timmermans said at a news conference.
He said the Commission would consider its next steps in coming weeks and would act if there were no positive developments.
"Taken cumulatively, the overall situation in Hungary is a cause of concern for the Commission," Mr Timmermans said.
Hungary's increasingly radical right-wing Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has declared war on liberalism, reports BBC's Nick Thorpe, in Budapest.
Hungary to detain all asylum seekers in border camps
Large protest in support of Hungary's Soros-backed university
His government has come under growing criticism of its treatment of asylum seekers - including on Monday, when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the container camps would surrounded by razor wire would "have a terrible physical and psychological impact on women, children and men who have already greatly suffered".
Mr Grandi also said he was "very concerned about highly disturbing reports of serious incidents of ill-treatment and violence against people crossing the border into Hungary, including by state agents".
Hungary's Higher Education Law, signed earlier this week, could force the closure of the Central European University (CEU), founded by philanthropist George Soros and ranked among the top 200 universities in the world in eight disciplines.
Last Sunday, Budapest also saw the largest protest yet against the move, which has also inspired an international campaign of solidarity.
Late on Tuesday, US state department spokesman Mark Toner urged the Hungarian government to suspend implementation of the law.
Another protest is planned in Budapest on Wednesday evening.
But the Hungarian government says it will not respond to the campaign, saying CEU has a year to comply with the new rules.
Hungary passes bill targeting Central European University
Hungarian attack on George Soros prompts NGO anger
The university built to defend democracy
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The EU has warned it could take legal action against Hungarian legislation cracking down on higher education, non-governmental organisations and asylum-seekers.
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The app was designed to enable doctors to share pictures of their patients, both with each other and with medical students.
So far, more than 150,000 doctors have uploaded case photos with the patient's identity obscured.
However, some experts have expressed concern about patient confidentiality.
Patients' faces are automatically obscured by the app but users must manually block identifying marks like tattoos.
Each photo is reviewed by moderators before it is added to the database.
Founder Dr Josh Landy told the BBC that the Figure 1 service did not access any patient records.
"We do not possess any personal medical data at all. The best way to keep a secret is not to have it. We are not an organisation that delivers healthcare," he told the BBC.
But doctors must provide identifying credentials and are also advised to notify their employees and patients to find out about consent policies.
"Legally, we found that identifying the doctor does not identify the patient," said Dr Landy.
"However some [medical] conditions are so rare that they can't be posted. One user wanted to post something but there are only seven cases of it in the US and they had all been reportable because they are rare, so the patient could have been identified."
Anybody can download the app for free, but only verified healthcare professionals can upload photos or comment on them, he added.
"We reject sensationalistic images," said Dr Landy.
"Everything is there for educational purposes. That said, there are very colourful images - things medics see every day. It's a transparent view into a world you rarely get to see."
The app is already available in North America, the UK and Ireland.
While digital services such as UpToDate and DynaMed - both requiring a subscription - are already widely used within the healthcare community as clinical knowledge databases, they are not rivals to Figure 1, said Dr Landy.
"UpToDate is an app I love, and have used for years. However, they have a highly curated repository of articles written and edited by experts in the field.
"What our app does is provide the opportunity to contribute any case no matter how classic or unusual. Ours is all image-based and totally crowdsourced."
The app has received $6m (£3.75m) in investment in the last year.
British GP and author Dr Ellie Cannon gave it a cautious welcome.
"I think it's potentially really useful to share photos with medical students and other doctors," she said.
"Obviously the potential pitfall is the confidentiality. Of course, they are anonymised but even uploading from a certain doctor may go some way to identify a patient," she added.
"And can a patient later opt out? We've seen with other sites the downsides of sharing too much."
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An app which enables healthcare professionals to share photos is to be rolled out across western Europe by the end of the year.
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The 46-year-old, who has won 12 medals, including two golds, will be hoping to create history as the sport makes its Paralympic debut.
London Games Maker Anne Dickins is also included alongside 2012 competitors Nick Beighton and Emma Wiggs.
Debutants Ian Marsden and Rob Oliver complete the GB squad.
All of the squad had secured their places thanks to their performances at the British Championships in Nottingham earlier this month, but had to wait for the British Paralympic Association to verify their selection.
Chippington appeared at her first Games in Seoul in 1988 and also competed in the pool in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens.
After retiring from swimming she took up canoeing in 2011 and has won world and European titles in the KL1 class.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Dickins, 49, from Guildford, took up the sport after a chance meeting with a coach while volunteering in 2012.
The former endurance cyclist suffered a freak debilitating back injury in 2011 and recovered from a viral illness to win world gold in the KL3 category last month.
"I thought I couldn't do any more sport because of my injury, so to give back to sport I thought I would do some volunteering," she told BBC Sport.
"Not for one minute did I ever think I would be competitive in any sport, let alone one I hadn't done before. It's just been such a crazy, incredible four years."
Beighton, who lost both legs while serving in the Army in Afghanistan in 2009, rowed at the London Paralympics while Wiggs, who was left paralysed overnight while on a gap year in Australia, aged 18, was part of the sitting volleyball squad.
Marsden is a former world champion powerlifter, while Oliver broke his leg playing football in 2008 and had his leg amputated after 17 operations.
Great Britain is one of only two countries, along with Australia, to have qualified places in all six Paralympic events.
Squad: Nick Beighton (Men's KL2), Jeanette Chippington (Women's KL1), Anne Dickins (Women's KL3), Ian Marsden (Men's KL1), Rob Oliver (Men's KL3), Emma Wiggs (Women's KL2).
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Former swimmer turned canoeist Jeanette Chippington has been officially named to compete in her sixth Paralympics for Great Britain.
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More than 100 schools have been closed.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it was "experiencing difficulty in responding to some emergency calls" due to the weather.
"We would ask that people only call 999 in a real emergency and to remain patient if there is a delay in ambulance response," the NIAS said.
It said NIAS staff would "continue to prioritise calls on the basis of clinical need".
A number of Translink Metro bus services were also affected on Thursday due to the snow.
The Upper Hightown Road in Belfast has been closed because of poor road conditions.
Police patrols in the area appealed to the public to avoid the road and obey the cordon and diversion signs.
The Met Office said a yellow warning of snow and ice will remain in place until 11:00 GMT on Friday.
Parents of pupils at Loughash primary school, Dunamanagh, County Tyrone, are advised that the school will be closed on Friday.
Transport NI, formerly known as Roads Service, said that strong winds are also likely to combine with the snow to make conditions more difficult.
It said salting and ploughing operations are continuing.
Police have advised drivers to slow down, put their lights on, leave more room to stop than usual and brake gently to avoid skidding.
"Drive slowly on snow in the highest gear possible," a PSNI statement said.
"Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads," it added.
Places in the south east of Northern Ireland that do not have much snow will still be bitterly cold and will be at risk of ice, forecasters have said.
The cold weather will continue throughout Thursday and it will remain very cold until the beginning of next week.
Check out the latest travel news for Northern Ireland
For the latest on the roads visit the BBC's travel news page and keep up-to-date with the latest updates on BBC News NI's Live pages.
Alternatively, for regular travel bulletins listen live to BBC Radio Ulster and follow @BBCNITravel.
Below are a number of other traffic information sources.
Trafficwatch NII
Transport NI
Translink
@PSNITraffic
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Snow showers are continuing to affect the road network across Northern Ireland on Thursday and there is also the risk of ice on roads.
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Stargazers and photographers around the world have captured some stunning images of the spectacle in recent days.
Here is a selection of their images:
The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of the solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere. Find out more about the Northern Lights.
The lights themselves are often visible in Scandinavian countries, but also in northern parts of the US and Canada.
The Northern Lights were also seen off the coast of Norfolk, England too. Thanks to Ben Gadsby-Williams for this time-lapse video.
Thank you for sharing your pictures with us.
You can email your pictures and video to [email protected] or upload them here.
Compiled by Rozina Sini
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The Aurora Borealis also know as the Northern Lights have been making an appearance across parts of the UK.
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Members of the Bournemouth e-Panel mailing list, who had signed up to take part in surveys, received an email with all the recipients' addresses visible.
The council apologised and asked recipients to delete the original email which was sent last week.
Service director Richard Saunders said "further investigations" were being carried out to prevent a repetition.
An Information Commissioner's Office spokesman said it was aware of the breach and would be keeping a note on its system.
He said as it was not regarded as significant enough to take further action and the council had followed the recommended procedures following the error.
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Hundreds of email addresses have been inadvertently circulated following a mistake by Bournemouth Borough Council.
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Trains will not serve Moorfields, Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations for six months during the "essential renewal works", Network Rail said.
Services will not operate beyond Birkenhead Central and Birkenhead North at certain times.
Alternative travel arrangements will run during the works.
Merseyrail managing director Jan Chaudhry Van der Velde said: "The work that Network Rail will undertake next year is essential for maintaining the safe and reliable operation of the infrastructure built in the 1970s.
"However, we do not underestimate the inconvenience this will cause to our Wirral line passengers in the short term."
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Rail passengers travelling between Liverpool and Wirral are being warned of longer journey times when major engineering works begin in January.
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Tiler, 18, was due to compete in the women's -69kg category on Sunday.
UK Sport cut all funding for British Weightlifting (BWL) because the sport was not a "credible" medal chance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
"Sorry guys, won't be at the British this year on strike till some funding is found. British Weightlifting, thanks for messing my life up," she tweeted.
British Weightlifting told BBC Sport that the event had been a success and added: "BWL no longer has the funds to support an elite squad of female lifters training for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the major championships leading up to it, despite the possibility of winning a medal at the Games.
"Sport England continues to support BWL, although that funding is ring-fenced for the development of the sport and at grassroots level. A small budget from Sport England has been allocated to support the squad ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games."
Tiler finished 10th at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is a four-time European champion.
She had previously criticised the sport's governing body, saying that she was living in student accommodation and there was no physiotherapist to treat her sore knees.
British Weightlifting responded by saying there was little they could do without the UK Sport funding.
Tiler claimed silver in the snatch and finished fourth overall in the -69kg division at the European Championships in April.
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Olympian Rebekah Tiler has missed this weekend's British Championships in protest over funding.
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The author was trying to find a publisher for The Cuckoo's Calling, which was eventually released in 2013.
Rowling posted the rejections on Twitter, saying she was doing so to encourage other aspiring writers.
One of the letters, from publishing house Constable & Robinson, says it "could not publish [The Cuckoo's Calling] with commercial success".
The letter goes on to suggest politely that Galbraith "double check in a helpful bookshop" or in the twice yearly "buyer's guide of Bookseller magazine", about who the current publishers of his fiction genre are.
The letter adds "a writers' group or writing course may help" Galbraith to get constructive criticism of his debut crime novel.
The second letter, from Creme de la Crime publishers, explains simply that they have become part of Severn House Publishers and are "unable to accept new submissions at the moment".
Rowling, who has more than seven million Twitter followers, posted them in response to a fan's request for a picture of a rejection letter.
She explained: "The Potter ones are now in a box in my attic, but I could show you Robert Galbraith's?"
The Harry Potter author removed the signatures from the letters because she said she was posting them "for inspiration, not revenge".
"I wasn't going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen," she added.
Author Joanne Harris joined the Twitter discussion, joking that she got so many rejections for her 1999 novel Chocolat that she had "made a sculpture" out of them.
The novel went on to become hugely successful and was made into a film starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp.
The Cuckoo's Calling was eventually published by Sphere Books, an imprint of Little, Brown & Company.
The book sold about 1,500 copies before Rowling's identity as the author was revealed by the Sunday Times newspaper.
It was Rowling's second novel for adults, having released The Casual Vacancy under her real name in 2012.
The Harry Potter series of books has to date sold more than 400 million copies. The eight film adaptations of the books have been named as the second-highest grossing franchise and film series of all time.
Rowling has also been named as the first female novelist in the world to become a billionaire.
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JK Rowling has shared two rejection letters she received for her first novel writing as Robert Galbraith.
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The Gunners were knocked out of both the FA Cup and Champions League this week.
Wenger's position has been questioned and his team's performances criticised but they won 2-0 at Goodison Park to stay third in the Premier League.
"I was pleased with how well they responded today," said Wenger.
"It was a very significant win for us and a mental test.
"I like this group, I like the mental attitude, it has been questioned and that hurts me," he added after Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi scored in the win over Everton.
"When you work with them every day, you see how much effort they put in."
Arsenal were top of the Premier League on 4 January and fighting for silverware in two cup competitions.
But their form has collapsed in recent weeks and Saturday's win was their first in four games in the Premier League.
They lost to Watford on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-finals and a 3-1 defeat by Barcelona on Wednesday sealed their exit from Europe.
They are now 11 points behind leaders Leicester City and three behind second-placed Tottenham.
But Wenger does not think his side are out of the title race with eight games remaining.
"Why should it be a two-horse race with one team three points in front of us? Let's focus on performances and after that we will see how we finish," he added.
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Arsene Wenger said it "hurt" that his players' attitude was questioned and believes Arsenal passed a "mental test" to beat Everton on Saturday.
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The 30-year-old scored four goals in 22 appearances for the Spitfires last season and spent three months on loan at Aldershot Town.
Lafayette has previously had spells with Welling, Woking and Luton Town.
Dover host Boreham Wood in the National League on Tuesday, having begun the 2016-17 season with a 0-0 draw at Wrexham on Saturday.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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National League side Dover Athletic have signed Ross Lafayette following his departure from Eastleigh.
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Leicester City 1-0 Southampton
Manchester United 1-0 Everton
Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea
Arsenal 4-0 Watford
Bournemouth 0-4 Manchester City
Norwich City 3-2 Newcastle United
Stoke City 2-2 Swansea City
Sunderland 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United 2-2 Crystal Palace
Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
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Premier League previews and reports as Spurs are held to a draw and Leicester beat Southampton to move seven points clear at the top.
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It comes 10 months after Kamara, who plays in USA's Major League Soccer for New England Revolution, temporarily stopped playing for the Leone Stars.
He had accused the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) of a lack of respect for players - a claim the SLFA denies.
Kamara says a number of factors helped him decide to return to the international fold, including the passion he has for Sierra Leone.
"There is no time to fix everything that made me to walk away from Leone Stars," Kamara who turns 32 in five days time told BBC Sport.
"But I have decided to come back to the national team because firstly I love my country."
"Also I have been persuaded by my family, my big brother and Sierra Leone legend Mohamed Kallon and sports minister Ahmed Khanou" Kamara said.
It is not yet known whether Kamara will be invited for Sierra Leone's match against Ivory Coast, scheduled to be played in Bouake next weekend.
The Leone Stars coach Sellas Tetteh has already named a provisional squad of 30 players, which comprises of 14 foreign-based and 16 local-based players.
The team is presently in Accra preparing for the crucial group I match.
Sierra Leone need to win the game to qualify for the 2017 Nations Cup finals in Gabon while a draw is enough for Ivory Coast to have the chance to defend their title.
Kamara's last game for Sierra Leone was against Ivory Coast in the reverse fixture in September last year in Port Harcourt, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
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Former Norwich and Middlesbrough forward Kei Kamara has ended his international break and made himself available for selection ahead of Sierra Leone's forthcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast.
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Malcolm Sherratt, 64, claimed more than £46,000 in disability benefits over eight years, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.
He had told authorities he needed help dressing and going to the toilet.
Sherratt, from Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for 12 months after being secretly filmed by the DWP working out at a gym.
He previously admitted two counts of false representation and three counts of making a dishonest representation.
Sherrat, of Arbourfield Drive, began making claims three weeks after taking part in Mr Universe 2007.
He told authorities he needed help cooking and washing and sometimes needed a wheelchair or sticks, the DWP said.
But officials discovered he worked out twice a day and filmed him lifting weights.
Sherratt was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday.
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A former Mr Universe contestant who claimed he had a bad back has been jailed for benefit fraud.
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The 24-year-old, who came through Norwich's youth system, made 43 appearances for the U's last season.
Barnet head coach Rossi Eames said: "It's a fantastic coup for the club as he's got vast experience.
"He was part of an excellent side at Colchester and he's going to bring athleticism, technical and tactical abilities to our back line."
The defender also had a two-year spell at Rotherham and helped them win promotion to the Championship in 2014.
The Bees have not revealed the length of Brindley's contract.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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Barnet have signed right-back Richard Brindley on a free transfer after he was released by Colchester.
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Worcestershire Parkway station has been proposed close to junction 7 of the M5.
The government has set aside a total of £20m to pay for 75% of the cost of either building or renovating stations in England and Wales.
The county council has until 25 February to submit its bid for the fund, which is managed by Network Rail.
The Conservative-led authority has said it wants Worcestershire Parkway completed by summer 2016 if it is given money from the New Stations Fund.
The plans form part of the Worcester Transport Strategy, which requires £200m of investment.
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Worcestershire County Council is to bid for £7m of government money to go towards the construction of a third railway station in Worcester.
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Patients often have a catheter fitted, either to drain urine stuck in the bladder or to monitor urine output.
But these flexible tubes can harbour nasty bugs and cause infection.
Scientists at University of Southampton have shown in the lab that diluted honey stops some common bacteria from forming sticky, hard-to-remove layers on surfaces such as plastic.
In theory, a honey solution might be useful for flushing urinary catheters to keep them clean while they remain in the bladder.
Many more trials would be needed to check it would be safe to use in humans, however.
Honey has been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic. People have used it to treat burns and wounds and many companies now sell a range of "medical grade" honey products that comply with regulatory standards.
The laboratory work, published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, looked at two common bacteria that can cause urine and bladder infections - E. coli and Proteus mirabilis.
Even at low dilution - about 3.3% - the honey solution appeared to stop the bacteria from clustering together and creating layers of known biofilm.
Dr Bashir Lwaleed's team used Manuka honey (made by bees that feed on the nectar of the manuka tree) in their study because this dark-coloured honey from Australia and New Zealand is known to have bacterial-fighting properties.
They say other types of honey might work too, but they have not tested this.
Dr Lwaleed said: "Nobody knows exactly how or why honey works as an antibacterial. And we don't know how well honey would be tolerated in the bladder. We are the first to propose this."
Prof Dame Nicky Cullum is an expert in wound care and has looked at the evidence around honey as a treatment.
She said: "This work from Southampton is at a very early stage so we shouldn't get too excited. But it is an interesting avenue that is worth pursuing.
"Obviously, we'd need more studies to check that it wouldn't irritate the bladder or cause any other problems.
"People like things that are natural but they are not always more effective."
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Honey and water might be a useful weapon against urine infections in hospital patients, say UK researchers.
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The Crues face a testing away trip to third-placed Coleraine on Saturday as they aim to protect a seven-point lead.
"If you are going to try and win a title, you have to go and win games. We are only thinking of collecting the three points," said Baxter.
"There is no point going there, sitting back and accepting pressure."
The Crues boss believes the outstanding recent form of the Bannsiders has made them "the big surprise package" of the campaign, but concedes that their progress does not come as a total surprise to him.
"I always knew Coleraine were developing something very strong - they have very good young players in their team with a lot of quality.
"They have really come to the fore in the last two months and hats off to Oran (Kearney) because he has worked tirelessly behind the scenes.
"He's a good manager and it will be a big test for us."
Kearney's charges have hit form at just the right time and are now unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions.
"This is the business end of the season and it's full of big games. Crusaders had another emphatic win over Ballinamallard so we have a tough task ahead of us," observed the Coleraine manager.
Meanwhile Ballymena United boss David Jeffrey expects Cliftonville to pose a major threat to their ambition to get back to winning ways after picking up just one point from two home fixtures in the last week.
"It's going to be difficult at Solitude. They are a class act and are coming off the back of a few disappointing results. They will want to make amends on Saturday," argued the Sky Blues' boss.
Linfield will be out to keep up their pursuit of Crusaders at the top when they travel to Ferney Park to take on Ballinamallard United.
David Healy's outfit are on an impressive run of form, winning 11 and drawing one on of their last 12 outings.
"We are going to be playing the second best team in the country and they gave us a lesson the last time we played them at Windsor Park," said Mallards manager Gavin Dykes.
"Having said that, when we're at it, we can give anyone a game at Ferney Park."
Dungannon boss Rodney McAree has seen his side drop to eighth spot after Glentoran's 1-0 win over Carrick Rangers on Friday night as the Swifts head to Shamrock Park to face basement club Portadown.
"We don't want to finish any lower than seventh and we have to fight tooth and nail to try and achieve that," said McAree.
Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton is expected to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up for the Premiership game at Ards, with the Irish Cup semi-final against Coleraine a week later in mind.
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Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter has urged his players to keep chasing wins in every game as they close in on a third consecutive Premiership title.
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Three team-mates have made the shortlist - Stuart Armstrong, Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair - along with Aberdeen winger Johnny Hayes.
But Rodgers feels his captain should not have been overlooked.
"I still can't get away from how Scott Brown's not on it. I really can't," he said of the Scotland midfielder.
"I don't know what he was like in other years, but for this season, in my first season up here in Scotland, the level that this man has played at, he's the most influential player in Scottish football.
"I look at Chelsea's N'Golo Kante down south as a central midfield player and I think he got the player of the year award down there - and I think that Scott is certainly at least worthy of being a nominee."
Rodgers, though, would not reveal whether 31-year-old Brown would have been his choice for player of the year.
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He also declined to nominate which of the three Celtic players on the list deserved to win.
However, he praised the consistency and leadership shown by Brown throughout the campaign.
"I can only remember him having one bad game and that was Hearts when we won the league - and I think he said it himself he was hopeless," added the Rodgers.
"Every other game has been at a top level and this is Champions League, this is big games.
"The players here will tell you the catalyst he is for them, what he gives the team. He has been superb.
"I can't believe why he isn't in it, but of course, I'm really happy for the other boys and the young players that are nominated as well."
At Ibrox on Sunday, Sinclair was subjected to racial gestures from a Rangers fan, who has since admitted the offence in court, and Rodgers said the English winger had put the incident behind him.
"Racism - whether it is football or whether it is society - there is no place for it," added Rodgers.
"He's fine. He's got the support of all the people here, all the supporters and he moves on from it.
"He's been playing the game quite a long time, so it says something that it's the first time he has come across it in his life.
"There's been so much great work over the last 20 years to wipe out this kind of thing.
"In this day and age, when you do hear about it, it's very, very surprising, so thankfully it's been dealt with straight away, which is good to see, and we hope we don't have any more incidents like it for players like Scotty and whoever else."
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers cannot believe Scott Brown is absent from the nomination list for the PFA Scotland player of the year award.
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The 91st annual conference of the National Federation of Women's Institutes Wales was held at St David's Hall, Cardiff, on Saturday.
About 600 members attended.
Part of the event included celebrating the first meeting, which took place in Llanfair on Anglesey on 16 September, 1915.
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A celebration has been held to mark 100 years since the first Women's Institute (WI) meeting in Britain.
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Coach Michel Dussuyer has also left out Newcastle's Cheick Tiote, plus Siaka Tiene and Lacina Traore for the match on 6 September.
Dussuyer says Toure is still thinking about his international future.
"At the moment he's in a period of reflection about his international future," Dussuyer said.
"I met him in London and told him I was counting on him.
"He's a big player and the captain of the team. I hope he'll continue his adventure with us."
Toure said in March that he was considering whether to continue playing for the 2015 Nations Cup winners.
Dussuyer also explained the absence of several other experienced players.
"As for Cheick Tiote we tried to get in contact with him through various means but there was no sign of life.
"I just wish he had made his position clear. Siaka Tiene still doesn't have a club,
"As for Lacina Traore and Tallo Gadji, I have to make a choice but it doesn't mean that I won't call on them in the future.
"They will just have to play well for their clubs."
The match will be played in the Nigerian city of Lagos as Sierra Leone are banned from hosting matches at home due to the Ebola crisis.
Sierra Leone lost their opening Nations Cup qualifier 1-0 to Group I opponents Sudan in June.
The group also includes 2017 Nations Cup hosts Gabon but their matches will not count towards qualification. Only the group winners advance to the finals.
Ivory Coast and Gabon drew 1-1 in June.
Ivory Coast squad:
Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohou (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Ali Sangare Badra (Asec Mimosas) Made Sayouba (Stabaek, Norway)
Defenders: Serge Aurier (PSG, France), Mamadou Bagayoko (KV St Trond, Belgium), Eric Bailly (Villareal, Spain), Simon Deli (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Sheriff Jymoh (Athletic Adjame), Franck Kessie (Cesena, Italy), Adama Traore (Basel, Switzerland), Ousmane Viera (Rizespor, Turkey)
Midfielders: Jean Daniel Akpa Akpro (Toulouse FC, France), Ismael Diomande (St Etienne, France), Yao Serge N'Guessan (AFAD), Geoffrey Serey Die (VFB Stuttgart, Germany), Jean Michael Seri (OGC Nice, France)
Forwards: Wilfried Bony (Manchester City, England), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Gervinho (AS Roma, Italy), Max Gradel (Bournemouth, England), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Giovanni Sio (Rennes, France), Thomas Toure (Bordeaux, France)
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Manchester City's Yaya Toure has asked not to be included in Ivory Coast's squad for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone.
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The so-called Immortal Regiment procession sees people carrying flowers and portraits of loved-ones.
It followed Russia's annual Victory Day parade, which marks the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
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Tens of thousands of people have marched in Moscow and cities around the world to remember relatives who took part in World War Two.
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Bryony Freestone, 19, from Little Houghton, Northampton, died off the island of Koh Chang on 14 August.
Kurtis Middleton, who had been with the Exeter University student for more than three years, said she taught him "to seize life by the horns".
Her twin Sophie said Bryony recently said "if she were to die right now, she would have lived her life to the full".
Bryony, a student at the university's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, was said to be "talented, dedicated and hugely popular".
Describing her as "my beautiful Bryony", her boyfriend said: "You were more than just my partner, you were my best friend and over our three years and three months we had together I've grown into a much better person, simply through knowing you."
Her sister agreed, saying: "You were the most vibrant, passionate, happy person I have ever known, enthusiastic about absolutely everything.
"I will endeavour to live my life the best I can for her."
Mr Middleton added: "Bry taught me how to seize life by the horns and make the most of every moment... we could all learn a lesson from her.
"Sleep tight Bryony, I love you with all my heart."
Earlier this week the Foreign Office confirmed it was supporting the family of a British national "who sadly died in Thailand on 14 August".
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The boyfriend of a student who drowned in Thailand has spoken of the "big open space where [she] should be".
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David Mayman, a former commercial pilot, flew at a height of 30m for four minutes wearing a turbine jet engine-powered JB-10 jetpack.
He hopes to make an electric version of the jetpack to be available in 2019 - at a price of nearly £200,000.
Mr Mayman said: "It feels absolutely amazing, awesome - it's freedom."
The project to develop a commercially viable electric jetpack is seeking to raise £300,000 through crowdfunding, with work on the project planned to start in April 2017.
The Australian former pilot took off in the jetpack from the Royal Victoria terminal of the Emirates Air Line cable car by the River Thames and made two short trips towards the ExCel centre.
"This is for the City boys who grew up in the 70s and 80s and dreamt of being a real-life Iron Man," said Lucy Sharp from Seedrs Investment, the company behind the fundraising for the electric jetpack.
"He's in talks with the US navy to give it a use beyond commercial flights.
"He's done over 400 test flights and they've all gone smoothly but it is jet fuel on his back so it can be dangerous."
The former pilot, who has worked on the project for more than a decade, has previously flown close to the Statue of Liberty in New York City and in Monaco.
Engineer Bennie Van De Goor said Mr Mayman's "passion for a long time has been to develop a small man-carrying vehicle that he can put in his car, take out and fly".
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A pilot wearing a jetpack has taken to the skies above the River Thames in east London like "a real-life Iron Man".
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The Dutchman took over at Stamford Bridge in December after the dismissal of Jose Mourinho.
And Mikel told BBC's Match of the Day that the mood at Chelsea is now better.
"It's the way he communicates with the players and maybe that's what the players felt they didn't get from the previous manager," he said.
"Sometimes players - not just because they're not playing - you need to communicate with them. You need to speak to them and don't just ignore them because players like to be communicated to.
"This is what [Hiddink] has brought into the football club. In some ways you barely know he is in there, he is that calm and relaxed."
Hiddink, who led Chelsea to FA Cup triumph in 2009, took over with the Blues 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone. They are currently 13th, nine points off the final Champions League place.
The Nigerian was linked with a move away from the club last summer but Mourinho reportedly refused to sanction his departure. However, he has become a regular under Hiddink.
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Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi says communication has improved within the team since the arrival of interim manager Guus Hiddink.
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The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, says it was she - and that it was the Lib Dems' coalition partners who insisted on the explicit link.
Her version of events is - to put it mildly - disputed at Westminster.
As I reported last month, the initial offer from the UK government had strings attached. Those strings were later cut after the Welsh Lib Dems threw their toys out of the pram.
But that was only after the referendum link had apparently been agreed by the deputy Prime Minister (and Lib Dem leader) Nick Clegg and (Lib Dem) Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander.
There are even suggestions from Conservative sources that senior Lib Dem ministers wanted to go further - and require a Welsh government commitment to campaign for a "yes" vote in that referendum.
But Kirsty Williams has presented the proposed link as a dastardly Conservative plot, telling us: "I do not think it is reasonable for the Tories to say you can only deal with Wales's under-funding if you have that income tax referendum.
"That's why I blocked that announcement when that was being proposed from London to make sure that's not the case."
She may have opposed the explicit link but so, I'm told, did Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb. It appears they were both on the same side of the argument arguing against senior figures in their own - and each other's - parties.
Coalition 2.0 anyone?
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Who blocked an attempt by the coalition to tie a new funding deal for the Welsh government with a commitment to hold a referendum on income tax powers?
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More than 2,000 pigs would be bred at the farm on the Moys Road and slurry spread on nearby land.
Thousands of people have objected claiming it would impact on their health and the environment.
However, an environmental statement said that the scale of the proposed development would have "no adverse impact" on either.
The BBC has tried to contact the farmer behind the plans, Thomas Simpson, but has not yet had a response.
Causeway Coast and Glens Council confirmed it has received more than 3,000 letters of objections.
"Over 3,000 letters of objection, five petitions with a total of almost 14,000 signatures and two letters of support have been received," said a council spokesperson.
"Once all consultations have been returned the application will be considered further - taking account of all material planning issues raised through letters and petitions of representation."
Thousands of objectors have also signed an online petition claiming the proposed farm would cause pollution and noise and affect traffic and rivers.
In February, the Public Health Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency wrote to the council's planning department expressing their concerns.
"Our main concern remains the potential for bioaerosol releases from pig rearing activities and the associated anaerobic digester plant," said Gerry Waldron from the PHA.
A number of other government agencies - including NIEA, Shared Environment Services and Transport NI - also had concerns.
However, last month an environmental statement from an independent company concluded that the scale of the proposed development would have "no adverse impact" on people's health or the environment.
The report also stated that 500 more pigs would be included in the plans, bringing the total figure to more than 2,700.
It also stated that an anaerobic digester would no longer be needed and that slurry would be spread in local fields.
The council has said it is still considering the application.
Dozens of Limavady residents attended a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss their concerns.
Marcus Moore, chairman of Roe Angling Limited, said: "This is a disaster waiting to happen. I don't think the destruction of the environment is worth six jobs."
Former Justice Minister and Independent MLA Claire Sugden said further clarification was needed.
"We need to be sure that it isn't going to have a detrimental impact on the environment," she said.
However, the DUP's Adrian McQuillan said that the proposal would be good for the local economy and create a lot of jobs in the area.
The Ulster Farmers' Union said it did not discuss or comment on the development or proposed expansion plans of any farm business.
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Campaigners opposed to plans for a controversial pig farm outside Limavady have met to voice their concerns.
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The BBC's Milton Nkosi says it is believed the taxi was carrying 20 passengers when it went over a bridge and hit a train as it plunged onto a railway line below.
South Africa has an exceptionally high accident rate on its roads.
At least 10,000 people die on the roads a year, mostly due to reckless driving.
No-one on the train was injured, according to ENCA news.
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A minibus taxi has collided with a train near Ballito in South Africa, killing at least 14 people, according to KwaZulu-Natal emergency services.
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Brexit Secretary David Davis told the Exiting the EU Committee: "I think I'm right in saying that we're expecting Royal Assent tomorrow."
The PM has said she plans to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of March.
Mr Davis was questioned by the MPs about the negotiations that will follow Article 50.
The government says it can complete separation talks and a trade deal "in parallel" within two years, but EU leaders say the two negotiations have to take place separately.
Mr Davis said this would be the "first formal conversation" he would have with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier.
He said he was confident other countries would agree to a free trade deal with the UK even if every national Parliament's approval was required.
"Every country will have an interest," he said.
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The legislation allowing Theresa May to trigger Brexit will be rubber-stamped on Thursday, MPs have been told.
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The visitors led 14-6 at half-time after two tries from Thomas Waldrom wiped out Gopperth's two kicks.
Wasps' Charles Piutau and Chiefs prop Harry Williams traded tries and Gareth Steenson kicked Exeter 24-11 ahead.
Frank Halai gave Wasps hope, but Exeter looked set to hang on until Gopperth converted Piutau's last-second try.
Wasps, who won the Heineken Cup in 2004 and 2007, will play Saracens in the last four at Reading's Madejski Stadium on 23 April after the English champions fought back from a half-time deficit to beat Northampton 29-20 in the second semi-final on Saturday night.
Match-winner Gopperth was mobbed by his team-mates as the ball sailed over the posts from the right touchline, sparking wild celebrations among the Wasps fans at the Ricoh Arena.
Exeter players slumped to the turf in disappointment as the Premiership club, only promoted to the English top flight six years ago, missed out on their first European semi-final.
The Chiefs had defended admirably throughout the quarter-final, particularly in the opening half hour when they limited their dominant hosts to just two Gopperth penalties.
And tries from Waldrom and Williams, plus the reliable boot of Steenson, left a quietened home crowd fearing the worst.
But Exeter's efforts finally told as Wasps produced a memorable fightback in the final 15 minutes.
With Exeter threatening, the home side played out from behind their posts as Elliot Daly and Christian Wade turned last-ditch defending into an attack full of sharp running and trickery, Halai eventually finishing off a few phases later and Gopperth converting for 24-18.
Wasps relentlessly pounded the tiring away defence in search of a dramatic finale - and it finally arrived.
The game had ticked past 80 minutes when Piutau raced on to a flat pass to dart through the Exeter line, and Gopperth applied the coup de grace.
Gopperth, 32, told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: "As a goalkicker they are the moments you practice night and day.
"I had to treat it as my first kick of the match. I was relaxed and as soon as it hit the foot I've never celebrated so much. As soon as I struck it, I knew it was good.
"The win was a great team effort from that position and we showed a lot of character. I was happy to finish it off for the boys."
Wasps: Charles Piutau; Christian Wade, Elliot Daly, Siale Piutau, Frank Halai; Jimmy Gopperth, Dan Robson; Matt Mullan, Carlo Festuccia, Jake Cooper-Woolley; Joe Launchbury, Kearnan Myall; James Haskell (capt), George Smith, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Ashley Johnson, Simon McIntyre, Lorenzo Cittadini, Bradley Davies, Thomas Young, Joe Simpson, Ruaridh Jackson, Rob Miller
Exeter: Lachie Turner; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ian Whitten, Olly Woodburn; Gareth Steenson (capt), Will Chudley; Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Moray Low; Mitch Lees, Geoff Parling; Don Armand, Julian Salvi, Thomas Waldrom.
Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Alec Hepburn, Harry Williams, Damian Welch, Dave Ewers, Dave Lewis, Michele Campagnaro, James Short.
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Jimmy Gopperth kept his nerve to kick Wasps into a European Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens after an extraordinary win against Exeter.
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Bertrand Denarie worked at hospitals in Bristol, Salford and Gateshead from 2013 until early 2015.
An investigation by North Bristol NHS Trust found mistakes in 106 cases, including two that led to a delayed diagnosis of cancer.
An NHS spokesman said "immediate action" was being taken, with patients "now receiving appropriate care".
The results were all follow-up examinations where initial cervical screening tests had shown abnormal results and were collected in colposcopy clinics.
The trust said it had contacted all the patients involved.
A "final letter" with the findings of the investigation would be sent out to those involved soon.
"We are aware that errors may have occurred in relation to the laboratory testing of cervical biopsies at four trusts," the NHS added.
"These were discovered as a result of routine audit and are being investigated by the trusts concerned and NHS England, with the support of Public Health England."
Of the 106 mistakes found in the Bristol cases, 87 of those led to "no harm" with 11 needing extra testing and two having delays in cancer diagnosis.
Dr Denarie worked in Bristol at Southmead Hospital in two periods in from January to April 2014 and then later that year from May to July. He also reviewed cases from St Michaels Hospital in Bristol during those periods.
Before Bristol, he worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead for nine months in 2013 and worked at Salford Royal Hospital for about four months at the end of 2014.
A spokesman for NHS England said investigations at these two hospitals were at a much earlier stage.
Salford Royal Hospital said it had identified three errors with the pathologist's cervical biopsy work, which "had the potential to lead to minor harm for the patients concerned".
"We've been in contact with those three patients to apologise, explain the outcome of our review and discuss any changes we need to make to their treatment plan," said Dr Pete Turkington, medical director for standards and performance.
"It's important for me to emphasise that we are confident no patient has experienced significant harm. However, we apologise unreservedly for any stress or inconvenience that this has caused."
The General Medical Council confirmed they were investigating Dr Denarie and that a number of conditions had been placed on his licence.
One of those specified he "must not report on any cervical biopsy specimens".
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A pathologist is under investigation after a series of mistakes were made in cervical tests.
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Jones won 95 caps for Wales and played in five Tests for the Lions across their tours of South Africa in 2009 and Australia in 2013.
Sinckler has played with Jones since the Welshman's move to Quins in 2015.
"When you have guys like that around you, it shows you what it takes to get to the top of the game," Sinckler said.
"He [Jones] has been a massive help to me - probably changed my life, to be honest, in the way I see things.
"He is a top bloke, a good man."
The England forward says he can shine in New Zealand thanks to the lessons he has learned from his fellow front-rower.
"Looking back now, when you are a young player, you want to play. Then you see Adam Jones come in to the club, and you are probably not going to play as much," he added.
"From my first day, Adam has been unreal. He's been like a coach to me, even though he is a player.
"He will be a top coach in no time at all. He's been a coach, a mentor, a father figure to me - and a headmaster when he is telling me off."
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Lions and England prop Kyle Sinckler says the effect his Harlequins team-mate Adam Jones has had on him is life-changing.
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The party went from 37 Dáil (Irish parliament) seats in 2011 to just seven.
Ms Burton was Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Social Protection in the last government.
She took over from Eamon Gilmore, two years ago, but will stay on until her successor is chosen.
The front runner is Brendan Howlin, from Wexford, who is the former Minister for Public Expenditure.
But it is understood that he only wants the job of Labour leader if he is the unanimous choice.
Other possible candidates include Alan Kelly, the former environment minister, and Sean Sherlock, a junior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs who was involved in the Fresh Start Agreement talks in Northern Ireland.
If there is a contest it could be late August before the outcome is known.
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The leader of the Irish Labour party, Joan Burton, is to stand down after the party's poor performance in February's general election.
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The 51-year-old, who won 30 caps for Scotland, was recently the director of Manchester United's youth academy.
"I am sure my experiences can be of benefit to Scottish football," said the former Motherwell and Celtic striker.
SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said McClair "has been at the cutting edge of coaching evolution, analysis and performance management".
McClair, who takes over the role following the departure of Dutchman Mark Wotte, spent almost 30 years at Old Trafford as a player, youth coach and director of the youth academy.
The SFA said he "was identified unanimously as preferred candidate during a recruitment process which involved the current Scotland national coach, Gordon Strachan, previous national coaches Walter Smith and Andy Roxburgh, as well as the Scottish FA's chief executive, Stewart Regan".
McClair begins in the role on 1 June and will be responsible for implementing the SFA's performance strategy.
He added: "I am extremely proud to have been given the responsibility to help Scottish football move forward as performance director of the Scottish FA.
"Having spent the majority of the last 30 years in England with Manchester United, I am looking forward to coming home, working with the coaching team at the Scottish FA and the clubs, and sharing the knowledge I have built up in that time to take on this new, exciting challenge."
Having started his playing career at Motherwell, McClair moved to Celtic in 1983 and went on to score 126 goals in 204 matches. He then joined Manchester United, where he made 471 appearances between 1987 and 1998. He scored 126 goals for the Old Trafford side and won four Premier League titles, one European Cup-winners' Cup, one European Super Cup, three FA Cups and one League Cup.
"The process of identifying a new performance director was thorough and hugely uplifting when we considered the quality of candidates," Regan added.
"Brian very quickly became a stand-out with his blend of experiences, not just from his trophy-laden career as a player at Manchester United, and his international contribution, but the depth of his coaching experiences with one of the biggest and most successful teams in the world.
"He has been at the cutting edge of coaching evolution, analysis and performance management at Manchester United and the recruitment panel were convinced he was the ideal person to lead the performance strategy into an exciting new era, enhancing the current provision while demonstrating the benefits of the investment so far to the future of Scottish football."
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Brian McClair has been appointed performance director of the Scottish Football Association.
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Tigers were awaiting official clearance from the French Rugby Federation and the 30-year-old, who has won 35 Test caps, is now able to cover for injured duo Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua.
Head coach Aaron Mauger said: "We are missing two big players in midfield.
"We're very happy to be able to bring in a player of Maxime's style, quality and experience."
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Leicester have completed the signing of France centre Maxime Mermoz from Toulon until the end of the season.
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His villainous character Ethan Rayne was the arch enemy of regular character Giles, played by Anthony Head.
The London-born actor also played the evil General Sarris opposite Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest.
His ex-wife Casey Defranco called him "a wonderful person, extraordinarily talented as an actor."
Staff on his official website wrote: "Please join us in raising a glass to Robin - goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much."
Sachs' first role was with the British Hammer film studio, in the movie Vampire Circus.
He went on to play Adam Carrington in the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion when the original actor Gordon Thomson was unavailable.
Sachs worked on several sci-fi shows, with appearances in Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager and Torchwood: Miracle Day.
His stage work included touring productions of Hamlet and Twelfth Night.
In 1999, he appeared heavily disguised under layers of heavy make-up as the baddie Sarris in the satirical comedy Galaxy Quest, which co-starred Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman.
Later in his career, Sachs provided voices for several video games including Mass Effect 2 and 3 and Resident Evil Damnation.
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British actor Robin Sachs, best known for his role in the hit TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 61.
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Henrique Capriles said 37% of the 195,000 signatures needed to trigger the next phase of the recall referendum were collected on the first day.
Those who endorsed the petition have until Friday to have their identity checked.
Mr Maduro's term runs until 2019.
But the opposition wants to oust President Maduro, whom they blame for Venezuela's economic problems, before the end of his term.
Venezuela is in the midst of an economic crisis which has brought the South American country to the brink of collapse.
What has gone wrong in Venezuela?
Chavez backer decries anarchy
It has the world's highest inflation rate and chronic shortages of basic food and medicine.
Mr Capriles said the massive presence of voters on the first day of the validation process was a clear sign that Venezuelans wanted a change of government.
"What we saw today were queues across the country," said Mr Capriles on Monday night. "That's a warning for Maduro."
Those who endorsed the petition will have until Friday to have their identity cards and fingerprints checked at centres set up by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The petition had almost two million signatures but election officials said 600,000 of those were fraudulent.
Only 1% of the electorate, or 194,729 voters, however, need to endorse the referendum in this first phase.
Mr Capriles said 71,557 signatures had been authenticated on Monday alone.
But the opposition still has to overcome a number of hurdles before a recall referendum can be held.
If enough signatures on this initial petition are validated, opposition leaders will have to hand in a second petition signed by almost four million people.
Only when the electoral authorities have established that the requirements have been met on that second petition will the recall referendum be held.
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The process of validating signatures on a petition calling for a referendum to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from office is proceeding apace, an opposition leader says.
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Of the 78 seats contested, the Conservatives have taken 51, which represents 45.9% of the vote. It is five more than the 46 seats they won in 2013, when 77 seats were contested.
The Liberal Democrats have taken 18 seats, two more than the 16 they won in 2013 and Labour have nine, six fewer than the last vote.
The turnout was 34.1%.
Election 2017: Full results from across England
The leader of the council's Labour group, Leon Reefe, who had held the Borehamwood North division since 2013, lost his seat to Tory Susan Brown. In Stevenage, Labour lost three seats out of the five they held.
Labour's Sharon Taylor, who held her county council seat and is standing in the general election, blamed the former UKIP vote going to the Tories.
She said: "UKIP didn't put candidates up in many of our county seats."
Sitting Conservative MP Stephen McPartland, who will defend his seat in June, said: "It's a fantastic result. There's been a very, very warm reception from voters on the doorstep and we've been rewarded tonight."
In Conservative-controlled Hertfordshire, as expected, we've not seen a seismic change.
The Tories have more county council seats than in 2013 - adding five extra seats - even if you take into account that this time there are 78 councillors up for election - one more than in 2013 thanks to boundary changes.
The Lib Dems have made progress, gaining an extra two seats in the county, including taking St Albans North from Labour.
They still have five seats in St Albans - although they lost St Stephen's ward to the Conservatives - with the party claiming it reflects their pro-European stance in the city which voted against Brexit.
Labour have lost six seats, including their leader on the county council, Leon Reefe, plus three seats in Stevenage.
Sandy Walkington, re-elected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for St Albans South, said the party's positive attitude towards Europe had been well-received in the city.
"Ann Main [the sitting Conservative MP] should be trembling in St Albans for her parliamentary seat on the back of these results, given it's so close to the general election," he said.
"If you read the social media in St Albans, it really is showing that people have been touched and interested by the fact that we are the party that is saying 'hang on, we don't have to go down the road to hard Brexit'."
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The Conservatives have extended their control at Hertfordshire County Council.
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The British and Irish Lion, 27, left for France in 2014 and will return for the 2016-17 season.
In a joint WRU-Scarlets statement, Davies said: "The time is right to return to Wales and signing a [dual contract] is the best decision for me."
Davies has 48 Wales caps, but a knee injury ruled him out of the World Cup.
Davies left Scarlets to join Clermont Auvergne on a two-year contract before the 2014-15 season. He is expected to return for the French club during December.
The WRU tweeted: "Welcome home Jon! @JonFoxDavies returns to Wales and @scarlets_rugby on National Dual Contract."
WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips added: "His return demonstrates the value of the NDCs as a means of ensuring as many of the most talented players as possible play their rugby here in Wales.
"Here in Wales our four regions are ambitious for success and the WRU will continue to work alongside them to achieve that."
Scarlets chief executive Darran Phillips said the signing was "further evidence of our ambition to be competitive at the highest level".
Davies was part of the Clermont side that lost to Toulon in the 2015 European Champions Cup final at Twickenham.
A few weeks later Davies ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out of the World Cup.
He is the 17th player to sign a dual contract, which give the WRU greater control over players in return for paying 60% of their wages.
Former Wales dual-code wing Adrian Hadley says Davies' signing is "good for Scarlets and for Wales and Welsh rugby".
But Hadley believes the WRU and regions should prioritise signing rising talent rather than established stars who have moved out of Wales
"It's good to have players like Jonathan Davies playing within Wales, no shadow of a doubt," said Hadley.
"But I would look at the younger players to actually dual-contract rather than actually spend money on players that have decided to play their rugby out of Wales out of their own choice, really."
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Wales centre Jonathan Davies will return to Scarlets from Clermont Auvergne on a dual deal with the Welsh Rugby Union.
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It is widely believed that polling day will be on Friday 26 February.
RTÉ reports that ministers had predicted that Mr Kenny would announce his intention at Tuesday's cabinet and go to the country thereafter.
Mr Kenny has decided to allow the Irish parliament another sitting day in part to allow for an orderly dissolution.
He is aiming to become the first Fine Gael leader to be returned as prime minister.
Fine Gael ministers met for two hours on Monday night to sign off on their party manifesto.
The outgoing Fine Gael and Labour coalition, which had a huge majority, is set to lose a massive number of seats.
However, it hopes to be re-elected, arguing that at a time of economic recovery - fragile though it may be - stability is better than uncertainty.
Micheál Martin's Fianna Fáil party and Gerry Adams's Sinn Féin have said the fruits of the recovery are not being evenly distributed.
The 32nd Dáil will have 158 seats, eight fewer than the previous one, and the number of constituencies has been reduced to 40 from 43.
Fianna Fáil, the party that dominated politics in the Republic of Ireland until the 2008 economic crash, has ruled out both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin as coalition partners.
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Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is now expected to call a general election on Wednesday.
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Researchers tested 15-year-old girls and boys from 26 countries in 2012.
They wanted to find how gaming affected their learning, using computer and paper tests in maths, science and reading.
The results found that those who played single-player games every now and then, did better than those who never, or hardly ever, played games.
Single-player gamers did particularly well in computer tests to do with maths and problem solving.
The researchers think this could be because they're more familiar with computer games, so they're more at ease with tests on computers.
However, the researchers also found that those who played games every day or very regularly did worse on paper-based tests.
They reckon too much gaming might crowd out other activities like doing homework and reading books.
The report found those who played multi-player online games did a lot worse in both paper and computer tests.
Those who played single-player games did much better.
Online multi-player games are typically played late at night, and for long periods of time, which might make those who play them more tired and less able to concentrate.
The research was published by the international organisation the OECD, which helps governments come up with plans for improving life in their countries.
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A new international report suggests that gaming regularly can help you to do better in tests at school.
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