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Bribes of between $1,000 - $5,000 (£800; £4,000) have been paid, Gen Nur Farah Jimale said. The BBC has also learned that some candidates have been offering bribes of up to $1.3m (£1m) to secure votes. Indirect elections have been taking place since October as the country remains too unsafe for a national vote. Much of the country is still under the control of Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda. Gen Nur told the BBC Somali Service that some seats should be re-run because money had been used to "out-manoeuvre" other candidates, in some cases, meaning all but one candidate had withdrawn. Cases of government resources being used in the election have also been documented, he said. The elections are being funded by the United Nations which also supports the government based in the capital, Mogadishu. Somalia has not had a functional national government since the ousting of its former leader Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.
Massive cases of corruption and voter intimidation have marred the ongoing parliamentary elections in Somalia, the auditor general has told the BBC.
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The Austrian first became a shareholder in Williams in 2009 but has been slowly reducing his links since the start of his involvement with Mercedes in 2013. Wolff's shares, a little under 5%, have been bought by US businessman Brad Hollinger, whose stake rises to 15%. Healthcare entrepreneur Hollinger first bought into the team in 2014 but has no formal management role at this stage. However, he said that he would be "happy to participate in any way they see fit". And Williams chief executive officer Mike O'Driscoll said the team "would be delighted if he could make a greater contribution to our business in the future". Wolff, who agreed with Mercedes when he became its F1 boss that he would work towards ending his involvement with Williams, said: "I am surprised how emotional I am about this day, to be cutting my final business ties to [team founder] Sir Frank Williams and to the team at Williams. "Having entered the team from a pure investment perspective, I soon found myself in a much more active role, helping to restructure this great independent F1 team. "I am proud to have joined the sport with a team of true passionate racers, where we had to make spot-on decisions for the future of the business and its employees; I learned some lessons the hard way, but they were all valuable for understanding the industry." Sir Frank Williams remains the majority shareholder in his team with 52% of the stock; his co-founder Sir Patrick Head holds about 9%, with just under 21% listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and 4% held by an employee trust. Wolff added: "I look back with pride on the first ever IPO (initial public offering) of an F1 team in Frankfurt, and can see the next generation of the Williams family leading the team into a bright future." Sir Frank Williams said: "Given his role at Mercedes-Benz, a full divestment in Toto's shareholding became inevitable and we thank him for this judiciousness in only selling to a suitable buyer when the time was right. "In Brad Hollinger, Toto has sold his full shareholding to a highly successful businessman with an immense passion for Formula 1 and our team - he is a great asset."
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has sold off his remaining shareholding in the Williams team.
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The clubs agreed a deal for the Bury academy graduate in November and he became a Toffees player when the transfer window reopened on Saturday. Foulds signed his first professional contract with League One Bury in February and made two first-team appearances, both in cup competitions. He has also played on a trial basis for Everton's Under-18 and Under-21 sides.
Everton have completed the signing of 17-year-old Bury defender Matthew Foulds for an undisclosed fee.
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The disease, historically associated with sea explorers, has been found in seven diabetes patients at Westmead Hospital in western Sydney. Scurvy is now a rare condition caused by having too little vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, in your diet. Professor Jenny Gunton discovered the latest cases after treating a patient whose leg wound would not heal. She said scurvy could be more widespread than previously thought. "There's no particular link to diabetes ... except that if you have a poor quality diet you're more likely to get diabetes," said Prof Gunton, who heads the Centre for Diabetes, Obesity and Endocrinology research at The Westmead Institutes. "But of course, a lot of people with diabetes eat perfectly reasonable diets." Health authorities in Australia do not generally test for scurvy or keep statistics on patients suffering from it. However, Prof Gunton said the disease was easy to prevent. "Eat some fruit, eat some vegetables - and don't overcook the vegetables," she told the BBC. "If you really can't manage that, take one vitamin C a day. But healthy diet is the better fix." Is scurvy making a comeback?
Doctors in Australia have reported a resurgence in patients suffering from scurvy.
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The unusual move by the agency came after White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer cited claims first made on US TV channel Fox News earlier this week. GCHQ responded by saying the allegations were "nonsense, utterly ridiculous and should be ignored". Mr Trump has claimed that Trump Tower in New York was under surveillance. The GCHQ claims were initially made by former judge Andrew Napolitano. Mr Spicer quoted Mr Napolitano as saying: "Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command. "He didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI and he didn't use the Department of Justice, he used GCHQ." A GCHQ spokesman said: "Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense. "They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored." It is unusual for GCHQ to comment directly on a report about its intelligence work, normally preferring to stick to the policy of neither confirming nor denying any activity. But the allegations are so sensitive that the agency clearly felt they could not let them go unchallenged. Donald Trump's claim that the Obama administration had ordered surveillance on him has generated enormous attention but with so far little evidence to back it up. And British intelligence is clearly determined to avoid being drawn into what is an increasingly toxic row in Washington. A Senate committee has concluded that there are "no indications" Trump Tower was under surveillance by the US government before or after the election. The statement from Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr dismissed Mr Trump's claim his phones were tapped. Mr Trump had accused his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the presidential race. Mr Spicer said Mr Trump maintained his claims.
Britain's communications intelligence agency GCHQ has issued a statement denying it wiretapped Donald Trump during the US presidential campaign.
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Midfielder Phillip Billing is also a doubt, which may mean that former Aston Villa man Jonathan Hogg could come in. Villa will be without midfielders Birkir Bjarnason and Jack Grealish, who both picked up knee injuries in Saturday's win at Rotherham. Boss Steve Bruce could use full-back Jordan Amavi in a more advanced role. Villa are now looking a lot safer having climbed to 13th after three straight wins - all of them clean sheets.
Huddersfield Town are hopeful that goalkeeper Danny Ward will be fit after going off with a knock in the weekend home defeat by Newcastle.
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Sheffield Eagles said it had failed to find a venue in the city for the 2017 season but had reached agreement to use Wakefield Trinity's Belle Vue Stadium. The Championship club has been without a permanent home since the 2013 demolition of the Don Valley Stadium. Sheffield City Council said it was working with the club to secure its future in the city. The move to Wakefield is subject to approval by the sport's governing body. Read more about this and other stories from across South Yorkshire The club said season ticket prices would be reduced and it was investigating introducing some form of subsidised transport for fans. Mark Aston, head coach, said the club had tried everything to stay in the city. He said: "We have tried everywhere, every single football club and every ground we can think of. "It is a crying shame, it is a slant on a great city that we cannot get the support in our hour of need." The club had hoped to eventually move into the Olympic Legacy Park in Attercliffe but Mr Aston said delays are damaging the club's ability to attract investors. Sheffield City Council said the club had been told the pitch at the Olympic Park would be available for most of their 2017 games. "However, the council has always been clear that spectator facilities around the pitch will have to be provided by a private investor," a spokesman added. "We know that the Eagles continue to work on securing an investor which could potentially help them invest in the Olympic Park facilities."
A Rugby league club said it has been forced to move almost 30 miles (48km) away from its home city.
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It was one of four lorries involved in a collision on the motorway in Bedfordshire between junctions 12 and 13 at about 07:00 GMT. Highways England said the jam had been cleared up and all southbound lanes had now reopened. However, it warned of continuing delays and said other routes, including the A5, had extra traffic. Police said no-one was injured in the crash. More on this and other news from Bedfordshire
Motorists faced a sticky situation when a lorry shed its load of jam on the M1.
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The proposal, dubbed Hornsea Three, would create a complex that would be the "world's largest offshore wind farm", Dong Energy said. Hornsea Project One, which is being built 75 miles (120 km) out at sea, is expected to be operational in 2020. The RSPB has previously voiced concerns about the "high collision risk for seabirds using the area". Brent Cheshire, Dong Energy UK's chairman, said moving forward with Hornsea Project Three "underlines our commitment to the UK offshore wind industry." An application for consent to build Hornsea Project Two was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in January last year. A decision is expected later in the year. The energy firm said it expected to submit a planning application for Hornsea Project Three in 2018. If approved, construction was anticipated for sometime between 2022 and 2025. Dong Energy has already built the Westermost Rough wind farm which consists of 35 turbines located 16 miles (25km) off the Holderness coast.
A public consultation into plans for a third offshore wind farm off the East Yorkshire coast has started.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The 39-year-old Somerset captain played 313 first-class matches, scoring 25,470 runs at an average of 49.55. He hit two centuries in his final match as Somerset kept their hopes of a first County Championship title alive with a 325-run win over Nottinghamshire. "It's a pretty special way to go out," Rogers told BBC Radio Bristol. Victory took Somerset to the top of the table, although they will win the title only if Middlesex's game with Yorkshire at Lord's is drawn. The former Middlesex and Northamptonshire batsman averaged 49.55 in 25 Tests for Australia between 2008 and 2015. Rogers finished unbeaten on 100 at Taunton on Thursday - the 76th first-class hundred of an 18-year career - having made 132 on Tuesday. He added: "I remember Darren Lehmann being carried off at the Adelaide Oval after he had slogged 150 against us and I always hoped that I could do something similar. "But, not only that, we've had a fantastic year. To walk around and see the standing ovation from the Somerset supporters is a nice way to go out."
Former Australia Test opener Chris Rogers has announced his retirement following title-chasing Somerset's final match of 2016.
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However Rami Jarrah said in his post that his detention appeared to be related to his work in Syria. His arrest caused concern among media groups, who called for his release. Jarrah - who met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in January - was held in the city of Gaziantep. He was reported to be applying for a residence permit at the time. "The location I was transferred to late Wednesday evening contained prisoners that were all held under the same suspicion of being terrorist elements, all have not been charged and some have been there for up to nine months after having being declared innocent by a court of law," Mr Jarrah said in his Facebook post. "It disturbs me that I was placed in this situation given my background and obvious distance from such an accusation." The reporter said that while he understood "the pressure the Turkish government is under" and the responsibility it has to prevent terrorism, a little more research by the authorities would have prevented unnecessary hardship. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at the time of his arrest that Syrian journalists should be protected rather than detained. Jarrah founded the independent citizen journalist group Ana Press, providing reports to international media, after leaving Syria. He was initially held in a detention facility for foreign citizens, but was moved to a different facility on Thursday, the CPJ said. Supporters say Jarrah is well known for his independent reporting, often carried out at great personal risk. Jarrah, who was brought up in the UK, fled Syria with his wife and child in 2011, fearing that he was in danger, but continued to go back to report. Press freedom 'a major concern' Turkey urged to free Syrian journalist
A Syrian journalist who was arrested on Wednesday in Turkey has been released without charge and with no explanation as to why he was detained, he announced on Facebook.
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The 65-year-old woman and dog living in the home escaped without injury and were led to safety by firefighters. The man taken to hospital is in his 20s and is believed to have been the driver of the car. It happened in Fairfield Street in the Nottinghamshire town of Bingham shortly after 23:00 GMT on Saturday. Firefighters who attended the crash said it also involved two other parked cars. John Betts, who lives nearby, saw emergency services helping someone trapped in one of the cars. "It looked pretty horrendous when I saw them," he said. "I saw the frontage of the house was totally taken out and the curtains were billowing out of the house. "I know the lady there, that's why I've come down to see if she was all right."
A man has been taken to hospital after a car crashed into a parked car and a house.
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Chantal Ramazani, who is now in hiding, believes the intention was to block Mr Katumbi's bid for the presidency in elections due in November. President Joseph Kabila is required by the constitution to step down this year but no poll date has been set. The intelligence services deny the accusations. Africa Live: More on this and other stories Last month, Mr Katumbi was convicted of illegal property selling and sentenced to three years in prison, in absentia. The 51-year-old businessman, owns one of Africa's biggest football clubs, is currently out of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seeking medical treatment. In a letter addressed to the president and other politicians and organisations, Judge Ramazani says the facts against Mr Katumbi were never examined in tribunal. She claims the purpose of the trial was cripple Mr Katumbi's political future and that she was threatened with losing her job, even imprisonment, if he were not convicted. After sending the letter, she went into hiding. The BBC's Maud Jullien, in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, says Mr Katumbi is seen as a favourite in the race for the presidency and is expected to return to the country before an opposition rally on Sunday. Opponents of President Kabila say he is trying to stall elections to stay in power, but the constitution states he must stand down after his two terms in November. Moise Katumbi was governor of the south-eastern Katanga province for almost a decade. In September last year he broke ties with the ruling party when he accused President Kabila, his former ally, of wanting to cling to power. His popularity is partly down to his job as the president of a great source of Congolese pride - football club TP Mazembe. They are Africa's reigning football champions, having won the African Champions League for the fifth time in November.
A judge in the Democratic Republic of Congo has said she was pressured by the intelligence service to convict opposition politician Moise Katumbi.
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Rescue officials said Minor Vidal, 35, was found with head injuries away from the site of Tuesday's crash. Mr Vidal told his rescuers he escaped after being trapped in the wreckage and survived by drinking his own urine and water from a lagoon. Eight people were killed in the crash near Trinidad, in north-east Bolivia. The Aerocon Airlines flight was travelling from Santa Cruz to Trinidad when air traffic controllers lost track of it. All nine passengers and crew were originally reported to have been killed in the crash. The head of the rescue mission, Captain David Bustos, said they began searching further away from the wreckage when they found only eight bodies at the crash site. "From several kilometres (miles) away, we saw a man on the river bank signalling to us. When we got closer, he knelt down and thanked God," Capt Bustos said. "He said he'd been trapped in the plane for more than 15 hours and that when he finally escaped he began to walk and survived by drinking his own urine and water from a lagoon," Reuters quoted Capt Bustos as saying.
A Bolivian man who was the sole survivor of a plane crash has been found alive in the Amazon jungle three days after the plane went down.
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1 July 2016 Last updated at 08:02 BST The Hitachi Super Express was due to start testing a year ago, but despite being delivered on time, was delayed as the electrification programme to power it is more than three years behind schedule. Fifty seven trains are now being fitted with diesel engines meaning they can go into service next year on the Paddington line. The train, built in Japan, made its first run from Reading to London on Thursday.
A new high speed train for the Great Western Railway's services through the Thames Valley has taken to the tracks.
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The first meeting of the Fed since Donald Trump took office as president discussed the possibility of a rate rise as early as March. Most economists have been forecasting a rise in June. However, Fed officials appear divided on the timing of a rise amid uncertainty over Mr Trump's policies. "Several'' expressed fears that unemployment could fall substantially below the Fed's 4.8% target. That could trigger inflation pressures and force the Fed to boost rates at a faster pace than financial markets expect. Unemployment in December was 4.7%, although it was back at 4.8% in January. Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, said the "fairly soon"' phrase in the minutes "clearly leaves the door open to a March rate hike, although ... we still think the Fed will delay until June". IHS Markit said the minutes and other recent comments signalled that a March rate hike was a "strong possibility". If inflation and employment data for February were "in line with the recent trends", the Fed might "have no excuses to hold off". Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the next increase was more likely to come in May than March unless there was a big increase in employment in February. The minutes also showed that a couple of Fed officials had suggested the central bank might need to alter the wording of its policy statement. The bank's assurances that it planned to raise rates at a "gradual" pace could be "misunderstood as a commitment of only one or two rate hikes per year", they argued. The Fed left its key interest rate unchanged at the 31 January-1 February meeting. In December it boosted its key rate by 0.25 percentage points to a new range of 0.5% to 0.75%. The Fed had waited a full year to raise rates for a second time after its initial rate hike in December 2015.
Federal Reserve officials have said they may need to raise interest rates "fairly soon" if the economy stays strong, minutes of their meeting show.
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Taylor, 26, made her debut keeping wicket for Northern Districts in the West End Premier Cricket Competition against Port Adelaide Magpies. The two-day event is the highest level of cricket played in South Australia outside first-class cricket. "I am completely proud of what I have achieved today," Taylor told the BBC World Service's Sportsworld programme. "I would like to think I am not going to be the last woman to play in men's A grade. "To be the first was never a plan of mine, it has just happened that way. I have to thank the Jets for letting me have that chance. "It was a long day, it was tough, but overall I was pretty happy with my performance." Former Australia Test cricketers Darren Lehmann, who is the current coach of the men's national team, and Ryan Harris have previously represented Northern Districts in the West End Premier Cricket Competition. The second day of the two-day match will be next Saturday, when Taylor will bat. "It has been a rollercoaster for me and them these past few days, but the guys were brilliant about it," she added. "There was pressure internally, rather than worrying about external factors, but I am happy with what I have done." Taylor, who has played in men's league cricket in England, is also playing 50-over state cricket for South Australia in the Women's National Cricket League, and will feature for Adelaide Strikers in the inaugural Women's Big Bash League, a Twenty20 competition. "One day there might be a girl who comes through and doesn't want to play women's cricket, and wants to see how far she can go in the men's game," said Taylor. "For me personally, it was just to make a me a better women's player." Earlier this year, England seam bowler Kate Cross became the first woman to play in the 123-year-old Central Lancashire League.
England's Sarah Taylor made history on Saturday by becoming the first woman to play Australian first-grade cricket.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Darren McCurry and Peter Harte led the charge with a combined total of 10 points as the Red Hands recovered from a slow start to triumph at Clones. Mickey Harte's holders will play Derry at Pairc Esler on Saturday in a repeat of the 2016 final. Derry saw off Monaghan 2-12 to 1-13 in the other semi-final at Armagh. Fermanagh started the game with a flourish, driven by energy and desire, and they ran at the Tyrone defence at every opportunity, using support runners to stretch their opponents. They went ahead through Eddie Courtney and Tomas Corrigan, and the Tyrone defence was under sustained pressure. Midfielder Eoin Donnelly charged through with a goal on his mind, but he was denied by a superb Peter Harte block. Tyrone finally got their opening score in the 10th minute when McCurry split the posts, and Niall McKenna brought the holders level moments later. The Tyrone defence grew in stature as the game wore on, and restricted the Erne men to just one point in the second quarter, a third free for Corrigan. An injury to Colm Cavanagh saw older brother Sean enter the action on the half-hour for his first appearance of 2017 and the beginning of a 16th season in the Tyrone county colours. Harte's fourth free sent Tyrone in with a 0-7 to 0-4 interval lead, and they started moving more freely in the second period, with McCurry taking over the free-taking duties, as well as adding a magnificent effort from play. They went ahead by 0-10 to 0-5 and, after Paul McCusker had pulled back an Erne point, the Red Hands went 0-13 to 0-6 up, with McCurry, Cathal McShane and Lee Brennan hitting the target. Fermanagh introduced Sean Quigley, who landed a couple of long range frees, with Aidan Breen and Corrigan also on target, but the holders held out for a place in the final.
Tyrone overcame a stubborn Fermanagh side 0-14 to 0-11 to reach the Dr McKenna Cup final and stay on course for a sixth successive title.
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Kent finished second in Division Two last season and were not given a spot in the top flight after Durham were relegated because of financial issues. Gillespie, who joined Kent as cover for Allan Donald in March, led Yorkshire to promotion from Division Two in 2012. "For this whole squad, the world is their oyster," he told BBC Radio Kent. "Kent have shown that they can do it and they can challenge to play in the first division. "They play against first division sides in white-ball cricket all the time so the lads know they can do it, it's just a couple of things falling into place."
Kent interim assistant coach Jason Gillespie says they can challenge for promotion to Division One of the County Championship this season.
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The soldier, who has not been named, died after the device detonated in Ayn Issa, north of the IS stronghold Raqqa. It is the first such death since US special forces deployed in Syria in October 2015. Meanwhile at least 32 people have been killed in intense Syrian air strikes on rebel-held east Aleppo, monitors say. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors casualties, said the attack was one of the heaviest since Syrian forces resumed an offensive on the east earlier this month. A statement from the anti-IS US-led coalition said the serviceman died on Thursday from wounds sustained in the blast. Coalition commander Lt Gen Stephen Townsend called the soldier a "hero" and praised those he said were protecting his country from IS's "hateful and brutal ideology". "On this Thanksgiving, please be thankful that there are service members willing to take up the fight to protect our homeland," he said. US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the soldier's death was a "painful reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face around the world to keep us safe". About 300 US special forces personnel have been deployed in Syria to advise an anti-IS alliance of Arab, Kurdish and other fighters, and improve the coalition's targeting of air strikes. Meanwhile, the Syrian government has intensified its offensive on east Aleppo, monitors and activists say. "There was an escalation in the evening, with successive bombardments," SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP news agency, adding that many people were trapped under rubble. Five children were reported to be among the dead. Syrian forces stepped up ground and air attacks on eastern Aleppo in November following a three-week moratorium. Once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has been divided roughly in two since 2012, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east. In late September, two weeks after encircling the east and reimposing a siege on its estimated 275,000 residents, the army launched an all-out assault to take full control of the city. Rebels launched a counter-attack in an attempt to break the siege in late October. But their progress slowed after early gains.
A US serviceman has been killed by an improvised explosive device while fighting against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, officials say.
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Morpeth beat Hereford FC 4-1 to become the seventh Northern League side to win the FA Vase in eight years. Hereford went ahead after 75 seconds through Rob Purdie's 25-yard shot, but Morpeth rallied to clinch victory. In the FA Trophy final, Scott McManus scored the only goal of the game as Halifax beat promoted Grimsby 1-0 in their first visit to the stadium. Grimsby Town were at Wembley for the second time in eight days, having won promotion back to the football league after a six-year absence with last weekend's victory over Forest Green in the National League promotion final. But it was Halifax Town, recently relegated to National League North and on their first trip to Wembley, who started the brighter with McManus sending a curling free-kick over the bar. Following a first half in which neither keeper was really tested, McManus scored the game's only goal in the 48th minute. The 26-year old sent the 10,000 Halifax Town fans wild when he lobbed Town keeper James McKeown from 25 yards. The Mariners upped their intensity, almost grabbing an equaliser in added time, but Halifax cleared off the line to hold on for a famous victory. In their first season in their new existence, following the demise of wound-up Hereford United in December 2014, Peter Beadle's reformed Bulls had already won three trophies this season - notably winning the Midland League at their first attempt. Hereford had three players on show - Purdie, Ryan Green and skipper Joel Edwards - who also used to play for the Bulls in their Hereford United days. After Purdie's explosive early opener, roared on by more than 20,000 travelling fans, the Bulls dominated the first half, hitting the bar and wasting a string of other first-half chances. But the game turned on 45-year-old Chris Swailes' leveller when he chested in after a goalkeeping error to become the oldest scorer in a Wembley final and it triggered the Highwaymen into action. Luke Carr scored from close range straight after the break, followed by further goals from Sean Taylor and Shaun Bell to earn Morpeth their first FA Vase triumph. That earned veteran former Ipswich, Bury and Rotherham defender Swailes his third winner's medal, having won the competition in 1993 with Bridlington Town and in 2012, with another north-east side, Dunston. And, in the end, they deservedly maintained the Northern League's recent stranglehold on this competition. which began with Whitley Bay's triumph in 2008-09. Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside: "We didn't get the icing on the cake, that's all I would say. Congratulations to Halifax, they played very well." "We had our day last week. Its a learning curve for us all. I think at the start of the season if we'd have said we'll win promotion and get to a trophy final, everyone would have snapped our hands off." "What we can look forward to is league football and that's what we'll celebrate tonight together."
Morpeth Town and Halifax Town caused a double upset in the first Non-League Finals Day at Wembley.
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Speaking on Saturday, Sinn Féin's Stormont leader said she has contacted the other party leaders to stress her party's commitment to the talks. Ms O'Neill said Sinn Féin had a team ready to "crunch" the issues. The process was suspended for the summer at the beginning of July. However, Ms O'Neill said she is disappointed that all unionist parties have not condemned what she described as "rogue bonfires with effigies, with things which have been absolutely disgraceful and wouldn't be tolerated anywhere and shouldn't be tolerated in the north". She said: "We can't have actions like this that 'sectarianise', that promote hate, that promote distance right across our communities. "We need the unionist leaders to come out and say it's wrong, it needs to stop, it doesn't play its part in culture. "We all should encourage culture and celebrate our culture, Orangeism is a big part of that culture, but it has to be done in a respectful way," she added. Ms O'Neill indicated that Sinn Féin intended to continue to push for an Irish language act, a key sticking point in the talks. "We need to deliver that, that's what the citizens are asking for," she said, adding that "legacy issues" relating to the Troubles also have to be resolved. Ms O'Neill also criticised the deal between the DUP and the Conservatives at Westminster. She said: "Look at the deal which they have done with the Tories, they have given them a blank cheque in relation to Brexit and we all know the devastating implications there are going to be for the island of Ireland". Ms O'Neill said that part of the reason there is a political crisis is because the "DUP has been pandered to by the British government for the last ten years". She said a deal with the DUP is in their own self interests "only to keep Theresa May and her millionaire cabinet in power". "It doesn't bode well for the rigorous impartiality which the British government is supposed to display," she added. Northern Ireland has been without a functioning devolved government since January, when the coalition led by the two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, collapsed over a green energy scandal.
A relatively peaceful marching season bodes well to create the right atmosphere for political talks aimed at restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland, Michele O'Neill has said.
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The number four seed from Tipton averaged 94.10 against Harms to reach the last four at Lakeside, where he will play 2013 champion Scott Waites. "I played very well but I'll probably have to play better," Hughes, 29, told BBC Sport. "It's going to be tough but I'm going to enjoy it." He continued: "I'm on so much of a high at the moment, I'm not thinking about what's coming up. I just want to enjoy this moment." Hughes was frustrated with below-par displays in the opening two rounds but showed real quality against Dutch fifth seed Harms to get to a Lakeside semi-final for the first time in his career. "That's what I've been waiting for all week," added Hughes. "I've been saying that if I clicked, someone was going to get a right hammering. That's given me a massive confidence boost." By reaching the last four, Hughes has automatically qualified for next year's World Championships. "When I came here, the semi-finals were the aim," he said. "I should be a more relaxed person over the next year because I haven't got to do as much of the circuit around Europe."
Jamie Hughes believes he must improve on his 5-1 quarter-final win over Wesley Harms to reach the BDO World Championship final.
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The men were located on Thursday on the remote Pacific island of Fanadik in Micronesia. US Navy officials said they had been stranded for three days. The crew aboard a US Navy plane, dispatched after the men were reported missing, spotted them around two hours into their search. As well as the sign, the men were waving brightly-coloured lifejackets to attract attention. The men said their vessel capsized due to a large wave a few hours after their departure from Pulap in the Federated States of Micronesia on Monday. They say they spent the night swimming until they arrived on the island. "Our combined efforts coupled with the willingness of many different resources to come together and help, led to the successful rescue of these three men in a very remote part of the Pacific," said Lt William White.
Three sailors have been rescued from an uninhabited Pacific island by the US Navy after spelling out "help" with palm fronds.
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Media playback is not supported on this device At 63-63, Robertson took the first frame with a respotted black but Carter took the second with a 94 break. Carter won the third frame to go 2-1 up but Robertson fought back with a break of 43 and 57 to take a 3-2 lead. However, Carter came from behind to seize victory, as he won three straight frames including an 84 break. He will face off against Trump, who beat Ronnie O'Sullivan on Wednesday, in Friday's semi-final. Semi-finals Judd Trump v Ali Carter Mark Selby/Marco Fu v Ding Junhui/Anthony Hamilton Quarter-finals Mark Selby v Marco Fu Ding Junhui v Anthony Hamilton Neil Robertson 3-5 Ali Carter Ronnie O'Sullivan 3-5 Judd Trump Round one Stuart Bingham 1-5 Anthony Hamilton Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-1 Liang Wenbo Mark Selby 5-4 Ryan Day Marco Fu 5-1 Anthony McGill Barry Hawkins 0-5 Neil Robertson Judd Trump 5-2 Mark King Ding Junhui 5-4 John Higgins Ali Carter 5-4 Shaun Murphy
Ali Carter beat Neil Robertson 5-3 in the Players Championship quarter-final in Llandudno, to set up a semi-final tie against Judd Trump on Friday.
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The man was walking near Slieve Binnian on Monday when he fell at about 16:30 BST. Other walkers spotted him and raised the alarm. A team of 18 people from the Mourne Mountain Rescue Service helped the man before he was airlifted to hospital. The man had been in a place known as the water slabs, said Martin McMullan, a rescue team coordinator. He described the area as very slippery and quite challenging. "It seems that he lost his footing at the top and then slid down part of the water slabs and started to tumble before he came to rest at the bottom," said Mr McMullan. "He had taken quite a fall and sustained multiple injuries primarily to the upper part of his body. "We treated him for head, neck and chest injuries as a result of that fall." The Mourne Mountain Rescue Service was also involved at the weekend in the search for the two missing crewmen of an Irish Coast Guard helicopter that crashed off Blacksod in County Mayo. Both men have been missing since Rescue 116 crashed on 14 March.
A man is in a critical condition in hospital after falling up to 50 metres in the Mourne Mountains.
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Adam Mudd admitted creating malware in 2013 which was used to carry out 1.7 million cyber attacks. The 20-year-old of Toms Lane in Kings Langley was jailed for two years at the Old Bailey in April. But on Thursday, judges at the Court of Appeal found the original punishment had not given enough credit for his guilty plea. Mudd, who made more than £380,000 worth of US dollars and Bitcoins from victims including gaming websites Minecraft and Xbox Live, had his sentence reduced by three months.
A computer hacker who masterminded global online attacks from his bedroom has had his prison sentence reduced.
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The New Syrian Army (NSA) said it had captured a number of IS positions on the outskirts of Albu Kamal, after overrunning a nearby military airport. However, a raid into the town launched at dawn is reported to have been repelled by militants. The offensive, which began on Tuesday, is aimed at cutting a key route between IS-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq. The NSA said it was co-ordinating the assault with Iraqi government forces, who were advancing on the border from the other side. Several hundred rebels are reportedly involved in the attack on Albu Kamal, just a few kilometres from the Iraqi border in Deir al-Zour province. The NSA and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, both said on Wednesday morning that the rebels had taken control of Hamdan airport, about 5km (3 miles) north-west of the town. Fighting was continuing between the two sides in agricultural areas around the town, and coalition warplanes were conducting air strikes on IS hideouts in the town, according to the Syrian Observatory. NSA spokesman Mozahem al-Saloum told the Associated Press that airborne fighters had also been dropped onto the southern edge of Albu Kamal. Later on Wednesday, the NSA issued a statement saying its forces had "conducted a deep penetration raid" into Albu Kamal. "At this time fighting is still ongoing, but the NSA maintains control of the desert, the approaches to Albu Kamal, and maintains freedom of manoeuvre," it added. The Reuters news agency cited two rebel sources as saying that the NSA had been forced to retreat to the outskirts after an IS counter-attack. One of the sources said militants had encircled the rebels in a surprise ambush. The rebels had incurred heavy casualties and lost some of their weapons, the source added. As the rebels advanced on Albu Kamal, IS released a video showing militants beheading five young men in the town who they claimed were working with the NSA, the Syrian Observatory said. The NSA was formed about 18 months ago by rebel factions driven out of eastern Syria by IS, which proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate" in June 2014. NSA fighters, who have been trained at US-run camps in Jordan, captured the Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq from IS earlier this year. IS is also facing pressure from a US-backed offensive in northern Syria by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, who have surrounded the town of Manbij and cut a route to the Turkish border from the IS stronghold of Raqqa. In a separate development on Wednesday, at least seven people were killed in a car bomb attack in the Kurdish-controlled northern town of Tal Abyad, near the Turkish border, state media reported.
US-backed Syrian rebels say they are closing in on a town on the border with Iraq held by so-called Islamic State.
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The shadow home secretary told the Guardian she was diagnosed with the condition two years ago and it was "out of control" during the campaign, when she gave some faltering performances. "During the election campaign, everything went crazy," she said. She said she was managing the condition and was ready to get back to work. Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. It can be controlled by taking medication to reduce glucose to normal levels and also by making lifestyle and dietary changes. Ms Abbott was criticised for her performance during the election campaign, in which she stumbled several times during interviews and appeared unable to give detailed answers to questions. In one interview with LBC Radio, she mistakenly said plans to boost police numbers by 10,000 would cost £300,000. It led to a barrage of criticism from the Conservatives who said she could not "add up". She pulled out of an interview on BBC's Woman's Hour with just a few minutes' notice amid unconfirmed reports that some within the party leadership had lost confidence in her. Just 48 hours before polling day, Labour said Ms Abbott was taking a period of sick leave and would be replaced "indefinitely" by Lyn Brown. Ms Abbott, a key ally and friend of Jeremy Corbyn, said she was badly affected after facing six or seven interviews in a row without eating enough food - vital to managing blood sugar levels. "During the election campaign, everything went crazy - and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control," she said. Ms Abbott, who was re-elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington with a majority of more than 30,000, accused her political opponents of mounting a "vicious" campaign against her. She told the newspaper she was disappointed a female prime minister had singled her out as a national target. The Guardian says a Conservative source "angrily rejected" Ms Abbott's accusations and said it was "legitimate in a campaign to point out weaknesses in the opposition's front bench" The source wished Ms Abbott well with her health, adding: "No-one knows more about the difficulties of diabetes than the prime minister." Theresa May revealed in 2013 that she had type 1 diabetes. During the election campaign she said she managed it by injecting herself with insulin six times a day. Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar to become too high. More than three million people suffer from type 1 and and type 2 diabetes in the UK.
Diane Abbott has revealed she has Type 2 diabetes and that the condition is what forced her to take a break from the election campaign.
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The industry lobby group the British Retail Consortium and KPMG said sales had risen 5.6% since April 2016 - up from a fall of 1% in March. Food spending accounted for most of the growth, but shoppers were more cautious about other items. The BRC said consumer spending would slow as inflation climbed. Chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE said: "The positive distortion from the timing of Easter was largely responsible for the month's growth and looking to the longer-term signs of a slowdown, the outlook isn't as rosy." According to the research, sales of food and drink soared over the long Easter weekend boosting total spending. Over the three months to April, total food sales increased by 3.6% - much faster than the 12-month average of 2% growth, it found. However, quarterly sales of non-food items grew more slowly at 0.7%. Exceptions included sales of children's clothes and toys and furniture, although researchers said these rises were seasonal. According to official statistics, UK retail sales posted their biggest quarterly fall in seven years in March, as the prices of everyday goods continued to climb. The value of the pound has slumped by around 14% against the dollar since the EU referendum last June, pushing up the price of imported goods. This threatens to derail a consumer spending boom that has underpinned economic growth since the referendum. Ms Dickinson said: "Although today's figures do indicate that consumers are still willing to spend, with a cocktail of rising costs and slowing wage growth as the backdrop, conditions for consumers will get tougher."
Retail sales jumped in April thanks to higher spending over Easter, although tougher times may be ahead, a survey has found.
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The show's producers told the Coronation Street star as he woke on Thursday morning that Dean, 50, had died of a heart attack. An ITV spokesperson said: "Craig decided to leave the Celebrity camp... and will be heading back to his family in the UK. We send our sincere condolences to Craig and his family." Charles was missing from last night's show when presenters Ant and Dec entered the campsite. The pair told viewers that they could not vote for Charles when deciding which celebrity should take part in the next bushtucker trial. The 6 Music radio presenter and former Red Dwarf star had been in the jungle for less than a week. He was one of the favourites to win. The 49-year-old is the second celebrity to leave, following reality TV star Gemma Collins's exit. Westlife singer Kian Egan, who won the jungle crown in 2013, has tweeted his condolences. Craig - a DJ at BBC Radio 6 Music - had said his rocky past had prepared him for the jungle. He admitted he went to hell and back over his crack cocaine addiction in 2006. He finally beat the habit after a stint in rehab, but said recently that heights, snakes, rats and spiders won't prove to be as challenging as getting clean. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube
Craig Charles has left the I'm A Celebrity jungle after the sudden death of his older brother.
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The better-than-expected growth rate came after higher government spending helped to offset weakness in business investment and exports. Capital expenditure fell by 1.4% during the quarter, indicating that businesses remain reluctant to spend. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell slightly to 16,644.69. The broader Topix index ended up 0.2% at 1,338.38. Despite the better-than-expected GDP figure, analysts are concerned about the outlook for consumer spending, which accounts for about 60% of GDP. That could take a hit if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe moves to increase the country's sales tax to 10% from the current 8%. Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported this week that Mr Abe plans to postpone the move and will announce his decision after the G7 meeting later this month. Other stock markets in Asia were lower ahead of the release of the US central bank's meeting minutes later on Wednesday. Investors are looking for guidance on what and when the Federal Reserve's next move is going to be. Many investors are now predicting the Fed may raise interest rates at its June meeting following a recent run of positive economic data. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 1.5% to close at 19,826.41 while the mainland Shanghai Composite dropped 1.3% to finish at 2,807.51. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index lost 0.7% to finish at 5,356.20, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi index fell 0.6% to close at 1,956.73.
Japanese stocks closed little changed after data showed the economy dodged a recession, growing at an annual pace of 1.7% in the first quarter of the year.
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According to its website, both the 32GB and 64GB models are "currently unavailable", and Amazon says it has no plans to replenish its inventory. It follows reports of lay-offs at the US company, after the phone failed to resonate with consumers. Amazon has not responded to requests from the BBC for comment about its plans for the phone. Launched with much fanfare in June 2014, the Fire Phone was Amazon's first foray into the smartphone market. The main selling point was its "dynamic perspective" camera, which can track the user's movements and give the impression of depth and 3D. It also includes a 24-hour customer service tool and an in-built encyclopaedia called X-Ray. But the rollout quickly faltered, as reviewers took against the phone, and Amazon cut its price drastically last September. In October 2014, the company revealed it had suffered a $170m (£110.5m) writedown "primarily related" to the gadget. And last month, the Wall Street Journal reported it had laid off "dozens" of Fire Phone engineers at its Silicon Valley research-and-development lab. Stuart Miles, editor and founder of technology news website Pocket-lint, said he was not surprised by the decision to pull the phone. "The phone industry is incredibly competitive, and it's very foolhardy for any company to believe you can come in on your first product and make a difference. "Amazon obviously believed it could launch something, which unfortunately didn't gain any excitement. "The dynamic perspective camera was pretty much seen as a gimmick which didn't really add anything to the overall experience." Amazon is still selling its tablets, such as the Kindle and Fire. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported Amazon planned to launch a cut-price $50 (£33) tablet this Christmas, along with new tablets with 8in (20cm) and 10in screens.
Online retailer Amazon has stopped selling its Fire smartphone, just 15 months after the handset was launched.
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A spokesman said the closure was part of a wider plan of "simplifying the business", which has already seen the closure of about 40 branches in the UK. He said the branch handled £400m from 16,000 customers, with 6,000 in Guernsey and 2,000 to 3,000 in Jersey. The spokesman said a factor in the decision was the high cost of operating in an offshore banking centre. The branch is the only one in the Channel Islands. He said account holders would be contacted directly over the next few days to outline what he described as the "next steps", but customers should not be concerned and mortgages would continue to be honoured. The company would look to find room for its employees elsewhere in its business, the spokesman added.
The Guernsey branch of the Co-operative Bank is to close early next year with the loss of 11 jobs.
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The government has put aside 10bn roubles ($272m; £164m) to pay owners of cars that are at least six-years old an incentive to buy a new vehicle. Car owners will be eligible for a discount of at least 40,000 roubles. The government expects the scheme, which will run to the end of the year, to subsidise the sale of more than 170,000 vehicles. The scheme could "seriously stimulate sales," said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to local news agencies. Car sales fell by almost a quarter in July compared with a year earlier, following a sharp fall in the previous month. Russia, along with many other countries including the US, the UK, Germany and France, first introduced a car scrappage scheme during the global economic downturn.
Russia has said it will introduce a new scrappage scheme to try to boost flagging car sales.
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Deborah Fenlon's Menos 4 trial will investigate how routine CBT could help patients regain a sense of control over difficult side effects. Hot flushes and night sweats are experienced by about 70% of women undergoing treatment. The trial has been funded by a £300,000 Breast Cancer Now grant. Royal Glamorgan Hospital is one of six participating in the three-year project, led by Swansea University's Prof Fenlon. Hormone replacement therapy, normally offered to women experiencing hot flushes as part of the menopause, cannot be used by women with breast cancer as it can increase the risk of their disease returning. The scientists said although CBT was known to be effective, it was not routinely offered on the NHS for women with breast cancer and can only be given to groups by trained clinical psychologists. During the study, half the women will receive group CBT from a specially-trained breast cancer nurse in six weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes. The other half will receive whatever support they would normally receive. A 52-year-old teacher, taking part in the trial, said: "I had never expected hot flushes to be quite so awful. "Some nights I just do not sleep as the hot sweats keep me awake and then I have to work the next day as though everything's ok and it's not." Prof Fenlon said: "Hot flushes and night sweats can have a major impact on women's lives; affecting their work, social life and disrupting their sleep. "There are very few effective measures to help support women with this problem, particularly after breast cancer and proven interventions are not widely available. "With this study we hope to show how an effective intervention can be offered more widely."
A Swansea scientist is trialling how cognitive behavioural therapy could reduce the impact of hot flushes for breast cancer patients.
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The fairy tale will be made available for free on Daydream, Google's mobile virtual reality product. Daydream is a mobile headset which covers the eyes of the user and immerses them in the film they are watching. The corporation has released a trailer for the experimental project ahead of its release next week. The BBC said the project is part of the corporation's drive to explore emerging technology and new storytelling mediums for future audiences. Read More: Google's hot take on affordable VR The storyline of The Turning Forest sees a young child staring into the eyes of a fantastical creature before they embark on a journey together into a new realm of "folkish dimension and boundless imagination", the BBC said. The film also has its own "spatial" soundtrack, which is intended to be heard via headphones, further immersing the viewer in the virtual reality experience. The Turning Forest debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, and was originally created for another VR product - the Oculus Rift. The BBC said the film has now been enhanced to further improve the sound design and introduce new controller interactions. Zillah Watson, executive producer of BBC R&D, said: "The Turning Forest is unique in that it's been designed from the sound up, using state-of-the-art audio to help transport people to a magical world. "It takes advantage of decades of research and experience from our own team, partners and universities to create a beautiful soundscape that we hope people will love." The Turning Forest has been produced by the BBC's Research & Development team in collaboration with virtual reality production studio VRTOV. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
The BBC has confirmed it will launch a new virtual reality film, The Turning Forest, next week.
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12 November 2015 Last updated at 07:08 GMT He blasts off for his six-month mission on 15 December. But what exactly is the International Space Station and what will Tim be doing on it? Hayley's been finding out.
In a few weeks' time, British astronaut Tim Peake will be making himself at home aboard the International Space Station.
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Election campaigning in Cardiff, Michael Fallon said such a government would mean "chaos and instability". Hearing the Welsh Tory leader had not read his party's UK manifesto, Mr Fallon said it was "well worth a read". Labour said the Conservatives had not ruled out a "dangerous pact with UKIP". Mr Fallon told BBC Wales said there was a "threat of instability, of putting our economic recovery at risk, if you end up with a minority government". "It's becoming clear that Labour can't form a government on their own and a cobbled together coalition or minority government, depending day after day on the support of other parties, is simply a recipe for chaos and instability. "The only way to have a sure, certain government that would continue the recovery and the 50,000 new jobs in Wales is to vote Conservative." Responding, a Welsh Labour spokesman said: "The Tories have consistently not ruled out a dangerous pact with UKIP, that would risk the tens of thousands of jobs dependent on Britain's place at the heart of the EU." The spokesman added: "The IFS [Institute for Fiscal Studies] lifted the lid on the Tories extreme spending plans today, which would be disastrous for Wales." Liberal Democrat candidate Roger Williams said no party would win a majority and an "unstable government....pulled sharply to left or right" would "cost us all dear". "This is why we need the Liberal Democrats in government, providing a stable government that can build both a stronger economy and a fairer society."
The Conservative defence secretary has warned a Labour minority UK government, or "cobbled together" coalition involving Plaid Cymru and the SNP, would put economic recovery at risk.
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Marian Fields had an aggressive and very rare form of skin cancer, which left her with large, open wounds around her backbone following multiple operations and radiation treatments. She was beginning to lose all hope of recovery after plastic surgeons in the US refused to take on her case because of the size of the wound. But her identical twin sister Mary Jane provided the solution. "There was never a moment of hesitation when the option to donate skin and tissue was a possibility," Mary Jane said. "I had what she needed. We are two bodies with one soul. She is my other self." Dr Jesse Selber, a plastic surgeon from the MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas, who had previously performed the first skull-scalp transplant, said the surgery was "incredibly challenging and complex". His team of five plastic surgeons removed skin, tissue and blood vessels from Mary Jane's abdomen and transplanted it to Marian's back, connecting eight different arteries and veins under a microscope during surgery. The hole in Marian's back was 21.5in by 8.5in (55cm x 22 cm), making it one of the largest tissue transplantations on record. By donating skin to her sister, Mary Jane - in effect - got a giant tummy tuck. Having an identical twin made the transplantation process more likely to succeed for Marian because no suppression of her immune system was required - but there were still huge risks. Surgeons said they were concerned about the donated skin being rejected and the possibility of the cancer recurring. Although the tumour in Marian's back was very aggressive, it was not a type that spreads to other parts of the body so receiving her sister's skin and tissue was a perfect fix. Dr Selber said: "Marian's wound was impossibly large - without her genetically identical sister, we would not have had enough tissue to reconstruct it." The surgery took 14 hours and involved "extensive resection through skin, muscle and bone", followed by "hours of meticulous microvascular work". This involved re-connecting countless veins and arteries. The surgery was meticulously planned beforehand - and it paid off, according to Dr Selber. "It went quite beautifully," he said. Before the transplant surgery, Marian was in horrible pain. She couldn't lie on her back or sit up in a chair properly. One month on from the surgery, the twins have been discharged, the stitches have been removed and they have returned home. Marian says: "I'm looking forward to getting back to work, driving, running and sitting comfortably. "I've never been sick before 2012 and am ready to get back to life."
The 66-year-old Fields twins, from Missouri, have lived together all their lives - now they are even closer after sharing their skin.
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The 25-year-old German was on the losing side in last season's UEFA Champions League against Frankfurt. Blues have also brought in a player from the winners Frankfurt, German international forward Isabelle Linden. They also signed Norwegian midfielder Andrine Hegerberg this week from Swedish side Kopparbergs/Gothenburg "To sign Paris Saint-Germain's number one goalkeeper says it all," said Blues Ladies manager David Parker. "We have had to work hard to prise her away. "It is another signal of intent and statement that we can attract the very best players to the club with the vision and strategy we have. "When meeting Ann-Katrin and showing her everything we had to offer at the club she was blown away by what we are developing here and wants to be part of this special journey we are embarking upon." The arrival of Berger, Linden and Hegerberg comes on top of the signings of Corina Schroder from Liverpool and Marisa Ewers from Bayer Leverkusen. But Blues have lost two players, England internationals Jade Moore and Jo Potter having both opted to leave, after buying out their contracts. Blues stand third in Women's Super League One, seven points behind leaders Manchester City, having gone into the mid-season break with two wins in three matches.
Birmingham City Ladies have made their third foreign signing of the mid-season break by bringing in Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
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The research showed nearly one in five (18%) boys were in need of extra learning support, compared with fewer than one in 10 (8%) girls. One in eight (13%) Scottish eight-year-olds were reported by their parents as having an additional support need. The survey was carried out in 2012 by social research body ScotCen. Its study, Growing Up In Scotland, tracks the lives of thousands of children and their parents from birth. The data has been released to coincide with Learning Disability Awareness Week. Other findings showed children from families with the lowest incomes were more likely to have an additional support need than those from families with the highest incomes - 17% compared with 9%. And youngsters living in the most deprived areas were more likely to have an additional support need - 15% compared with 11% living in the least deprived areas. Local authorities and other agencies are legally required to provide additional support where needed to help any child or young person benefit from education. Some of the reasons cited in the study for children requiring learning support included speech problems, dyslexia and autism. Paul Bradshaw, head of longitudinal surveys at ScotCen, said: "The findings show that a significant proportion of today's youngsters are in need of additional support from an early age. "The challenges they face are varied, aren't always straightforward to manage and it's likely that they'll have a significant impact on their adult lives, so it's important that every effort is made to provide this support where possible. "The earlier extra support for children's development is identified and delivered, the more likely it is they'll succeed throughout childhood and into adolescence." The survey's results come from interviews with the parents of 3,685 children and are taken from data collected in 2012 when they were aged eight, and in either primary three or primary four.
Boys are twice as likely as girls to need additional support for learning, according to a study of eight-year-old children in Scotland.
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Barbara Bonansea scored the only goal midway through the first half, eluding two defenders before shooting from close range. For the hosts, Asisat Oshoala had a goal ruled out for a foul. The match marked Liverpool manager Matt Beard's final game in charge before moving to Boston Breakers in the USA. Liverpool dominated long periods without turning pressure into goals. Ashley Hodson forced two good stops from goalkeeper Camelia Cesar, while Lucy Staniforth saw her two direct free-kicks well saved. Other than the goal, the Italian side created few clear openings. Chiara Marchitelli and Valentina Cernoia had shots from outside the area, but both were straight at keeper Libby Stout. Beard said: "I was pleased, we've done everything but score again, we threw the kitchen sink at them in the second half. "To be fair to Brescia, they defended really well which restricted us. "And over the course of the two ties, they probably deserve to go through." Liverpool Ladies: Stout, Harris, Murray, Omarsdottir, Ryland, Staniforth (Williams 70), Zelem, Oshoala, Hodson, White (Dale 79), Dowie (c). Unused subs: Darbyshire, Beckwith, Schroder, Pacheco, Smorsgard. Brescia: Marchitelli (Cesar 32), Gama, D'Adda (Boattin 61), Linari, Cernoia (c), Eusebio, Rosucci, Bonansea, Girelli, Sabatino (Alborghetti 76), Tarenzi. Unused subs: Serturini, Ghisi, Lenzini. Referee: S Frappin Attendance: 387
Liverpool Ladies have been knocked out of the Champions League after losing 1-0 at home in their last-32 tie, suffering a 2-0 aggregate defeat.
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The 31-year-old is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, alongside Sussex and England pace bowler Chris Jordan. Wiese has made 20 T20 appearances for South Africa, including two against England earlier this year. He will be available to play for Sussex against Somerset on Wednesday, 1 June and Surrey two days later.
Sussex have signed South Africa all-rounder David Wiese for their first two home T20 Blast matches.
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Nat Sciver (77) and Danielle Hazell (45) helped England recover from 58-6 to post 240-9 on Thursday before rain forced the game into a reserve day. Laura Marsh took 4-21, including her 100th ODI wicket, and Hazell 3-21 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 78. England secured qualification for the 2017 World Cup in the second ODI. "It was nice, in the face of a potential collapse, to turn it around and win," captain Heather Knight said. "We've had a really good year and I think the girls are really starting to take responsibility and grow into their roles." New Zealand guaranteed World Cup qualification with a seven-wicket defeat of Pakistan in Nelson on Thursday - joining Australia and England in next year's tournament, which will be held in England in June and July. The fourth and final automatic place is between West Indies and India - and will depend on how the International Cricket Council rules on an unplayed series. With every team expected to play each other over a two-year period, a scheduled series between Pakistan and India - due to take place before the end of October - did not happen, and looks unlikely to do so for political reasons. If the six available points from that series are shared, fourth-placed West Indies would finish above India as they have recorded the most wins of the pair. The Windies would also stay fourth if Pakistan, as the home side, are awarded the points because of the Indian board's perceived reluctance to play them. The fifth-placed side will join South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and six other teams in Sri Lanka early next year, to play a final qualifier for the last four places in the World Cup.
England completed a 4-0 women's one-day international series whitewash as they thrashed Sri Lanka by 162 runs in the final match in Colombo.
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The 15-year-old Scot became the youngest ever Commonwealth medallist when she finished third in the SB9 100m breaststroke aged 13 in 2014. However, she was told in April her impairment was now not serious enough for her to compete in Para-swimming. A second panel, at the Berlin Open event, upheld the result on Wednesday. Davies, from the Delting Dolphins club in Shetland, has Perthes disease, a condition that affects her hip bones and joints. Before losing her classification, she was only eligible to compete in breaststroke events.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Erraid Davies has been deemed ineligible for disability swimming after medical tests.
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He was available after being released by Truro, with whom he won promotion out of Chesham's division in 2014-15. It extends Hayles' 26-year career, which has taken in teams including Leicester, Cheltenham and Arlesey Town. "He is incredibly fit, and still loves the game," Chesham boss Andy Leese told the club website. "He has a lot to offer on the pitch still and now off it as well as he looks to start a coaching career." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Former Fulham and Stevenage striker Barry Hayles has joined Southern League Premier Division side Chesham United as a player-coach at the age of 43.
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Handmade at Amazon is currently invitation-only, with an initial 5,000 sellers on the site. Goods must be "factory-free", with items such as wooden cufflinks and handstitched baby bibs already on sale from around the world. Its competitor, artisan website Etsy, was valued at $1.8bn (£1.2bn) when it launched on the stock market in April. "We had thousands of searches every day from customers looking for handmade or handcrafted items,'' said Peter Faricy, vice-president for Amazon Marketplace. "Knowing an item has a unique story behind it creates a personal experience that customers have told us makes owning handmade items special." The firm will initially take a 12% sales fee from its handmade retailers with no other charges. Etsy, which was founded 10 years ago, takes a 3.5% sales fee from its 1.5 million sellers and also charges a listing fee of $0.20 per item. The firm's chief executive, Chad Dickerson, told the Associated Press that almost half of the site's sellers already used other retail outlets in addition to Etsy but that the site was still "usually" their main source of income. "We believe that Etsy is the best platform for the creative entrepreneur," he said. "Etsy has a decade of experience understanding the needs of artists and sellers and supporting them in ways that no other marketplace can."
Amazon is entering the handicraft market with the launch of a new online store for handmade goods.
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Police Scotland named the men as Craig Munro, 30, and 26-year-old Allan Robertson. One image appears to have been taken at the same location where missing mother Farrah Fadli was sighted earlier this month. Police Scotland and the Crown Office said they were unable to confirm if the investigations were linked. A spokesman for the Crown Office said it was also unable to say, for legal reasons, why the two men were being sought. Ms Fadli, who is also known as Farrah Gillespie, has been missing from her home in Ayr since Wednesday 12 October. The 29-year-old initially disappeared with her children but dropped them off at a friend's house in Irvine on 14 October. She has not been seen since. Ms Fadli is 5ft 4in, of slim build with dyed blonde hair. She has not gone missing before and officers have said previously it is extremely unusual for her to leave her children for such a long time and not be in touch with her family and friends.
Police have released CCTV images of two men they are trying to trace and have warned the public not to approach them.
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Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach offers free access to a variety of rare breeds including sheep and bees, a healthy eating kitchen and café, and sustainable orchards. Organisers say their core Volunteer and Child and Youth programmes have some funding from external sources beyond March 2017. But day-to-day running costs do not. Founded in 1998, the farm has been an accredited Agored Cymru training centre since 2012. It has also delivered a range of courses in cooking skills and healthy eating, food growing, nature conservation skills and animal care. Phil Budd of Swansea Community Farm said the farm had fallen foul of austerity. "Everyone we speak to agrees that the farm is doing vital work in reconnecting under-privileged urban youngsters with where their food comes from, but when local authorities and the Welsh Government have to choose between us and, say a hospital, it's hardly surprising we are where we are now," he said. "All the available grants are for specific projects, but it's extremely difficult to get funding for the day-to-day nitty-gritty." It is hoped £25,000 can be secured from a crowd-funding campaign, and the same amount via grants, government and business. Organisers say that would secure its future for six months, while they look for a longer-term partnership. "It's terribly sad, at what should be our busiest time of the year, we're already having to keep one eye on the prospect that we won't be here this time next month," Mr Buss said. "Many of our sheep should be going into lambing shortly, so we've already had to start re-homing them, as we don't want to have to move them while they are delivering and suckling. "Hopefully we can welcome them back in the summer, but we all need to pull together and find new ways of working."
Swansea's only community city farm is facing closure at the end of the month, unless it can raise £50,000.
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The design, said to represent the relationship between the medieval monarchies of Europe and the castles they built, was unveiled on Friday. But critics including Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said it symbolises the oppression of Welsh people. Monuments body Cadw said the plans were "about investing in Flint". Flint was one of the first castles to be built in Wales by Edward I - construction began in 1277. The winning design was selected by a panel following a nation-wide competition, and the architects said it demonstrated "the unstable nature of the crown". But Mr Gruffydd said a sculpture celebrating the conquest of Wales by Edward I was "inappropriate and insulting". "The 'ring of steel' is the description given to the chain of castles across Wales that were built to conquer and subjugate Wales," he said. "From a Welsh perspective, this is certainly not something to celebrate. It does not either reflect the many rich Welsh legends that could have been the source of a far more appropriate sculpture." A petition has also been launched calling the design "extremely disrespectful". By Monday it had attracted more than 2,000 signatures. People have also criticised the sculpture on social media. TJ Buck tweeted: "I think even a 'balloon made of lead' would have gone down better than this idea", while Carolyn Hitt posted: "Flint has rich history of female factory workers. Turn those into legends rather than remember Edward I's Iron Ring." But Andrew Barrattâ€
Plans to create an iron ring sculpture at Flint Castle have been described as "insulting to Wales".
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Anderson is the first recruit brought in by new boss Justin Edinburgh, who took over on Monday with the club 16th in the League One table. The 21-year-old joined Palace from non-league Barton Rovers in January 2015, but has yet to play a first-team game. He had previous loan spells with Doncaster and Bolton and could make his Cobblers debut at MK Dons on Saturday. "I felt we needed a striker who could stretch defences and worry them with speed and movement, and Keshi can do that," said Edinburgh. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.
Northampton Town have signed Crystal Palace striker Keshi Anderson on loan until the end of the season.
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Ashley Talbot, 15, died at Maesteg Comprehensive School in December 2014 after a crash with a minibus driven by a teacher as the school day ended. The girl said she saw Ashley run between two buses with a friend before the collision happened. Teacher Chris Brooks was questioned by police but no action was taken. About 1,000 children were leaving the site in Bridgend county on foot, in buses or cars. On Monday, the jury was told there was regularly "major chaos" outside the school. The inquest in Aberdare heard the girl had been on a different bus waiting to leave when she saw Ashley with a single earphone in his ear. She heard three beeps from a vehicle and then saw Ashley run between the buses before colliding with the minibus. She said he was thrown onto the bonnet and landed on the floor before the wheel went over him. Mr Brooks got out of the minibus and ran to the back of it and then to the school to get help. Teachers and bus drivers attempted to give first aid. She said in a statement she had previously witnessed five near-misses when children had been moving between buses, causing cars to beep and brake. Other children gave statements saying they had been involved in near-misses but had not reported them because they did not consider them to be serious enough. Many pupils reported seeing Ashley running with his friend towards the buses on the day he died. Ashley's friend, who was injured by the minibus, said in a statement he saw it "one or two seconds" before he was hit but could not avoid it and had only heard the engines of the buses which were "quite loud". He saw Mr Brooks looking ahead and driving at around 10mph. He felt he and Ashley were to blame for the collision and they should not have been running, adding they had been taught when they were young to "stop, look and listen". He said they were both racing to get a seat at the back of the bus. Another child who was on the minibus described seeing Ashley being hit and go underneath, while another passenger described it as feeling like "driving over a speed bump". One child said in a statement that he had "nearly been knocked over twice at the same location". He said he had been crossing the road between the buses when a minibus was coming towards him but did not report it because "such occurrences happen nearly every day" A female pupil told the jury in a statement that she and a friend had nearly been knocked over by a taxi at the same location a couple of weeks before Ashley's death. However other pupils said they had not been involved in near misses, and they had received instruction on road safety when they joined the school. The inquest is continuing.
A girl who witnessed the death of a teenage boy hit by a minibus at his school has told his inquest she had previously seen five near-misses.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Mark Rosekind criticised FCA's recall of 11 million cars and handling of fatal accidents. He told a hearing in Washington of failures to inform owners of recalls, delays in repairs, and not doing work. Fiat said it "learned from [its] mistakes and missteps". The recalls cover Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Mitsubishi vehicles from model years dating back to 1993. Much of the testimony in the hearing focused on a recall of 1.56 million older-model Jeeps with gas tanks mounted behind the rear axles. The tanks are vulnerable to being punctured in a rear crash. At least 75 people have died in fires involving the Jeeps, according to the NHTSA. "There will be action," Mr Rosekind said. "What you've heard here is that there's a pattern that's been going on for some time." He did not detail the sanctions, although they could be a mixture of fines and orders to buy back or replace vehicles. The NHTSA has yet to decide whether to forward the case to the Justice Department for possible criminal action. "Recall execution is where we have fallen short," said Scott Kunselman, FCA's senior vice president for vehicle safety and regulatory compliance in North America. "We have learned from our mistakes."
Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) faces action over the mishandling in the US of car recalls, the country's top vehicle safety regulator has said.
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The 19-year-old has become a fans' favourite at Aggborough after scoring four goals in 15 appearances. The National League side have also tied the midfield pair of Ousmane Fane and Elton Ngwatala to new deals. The French duo, both 22, are contracted until the end of the 2016-17 season. All three players have helped the Harriers hit their best run of form of the campaign, with the club winning three successive games in February to lift themselves off the bottom of the National League table. Before this month, Kidderminster had won just two of their previous 28 league fixtures. With 15 matches remaining, the Harriers are seven points from safety. Chief executive and majority shareholder Colin Gordon has been back in caretaker charge since Dave Hockaday left the club last month.
Relegation-threatened Kidderminster Harriers have extended the youth loan of midfielder Ben Whitfield from Premier League side Bournemouth until the end of the season.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The New Zealand-born flanker was part of the Scots' 36-20 win over Italy in Rome, their first Six Nations victory in two years. "Hopefully now that the pressure is off a bit, we can really express ourselves in our last two games against France and Ireland," Hardie said. "I think we can now look to end on a couple of really good wins." Hardie scored his side's second try as Vern Cotter's men put an end to a nine-match losing run in the Six Nations with victory in the Stadio Olimpico. He believes putting that losing streak behind them will give the squad a confidence boost. "We were never too far away," the Edinburgh back-row explained. "We were just one or two performances away from opening this Six Nations up. "We tried to stay positive. We knew we were close to a big display and it is great to get that pressure off our shoulders. "I'm really proud of how the boys did on Saturday. The defence was solid and the attack was really good too. I loved it. "We're good enough to win these next two games and really push on. "If we do that I will be really happy with how we are progressing as a team." Greig Laidlaw delivered a man of the match performance in Rome, contributing 21 points with the boot. Media playback is not supported on this device Hardie says it was not only Laidlaw's near-flawless goal-kicking that helped Scotland to victory, but the captain's leadership when the Italians applied the pressure to move within six points in the second-half. "Tempers flared a bit in the last 10 minutes but that's rugby. "It was a heated game and Italy were at home - they were always going to make it hard. "But we came and weathered the storm and ended up running away with it. "Greig's leadership in those final stages was so important. I came into this environment last year and already I've built up so much respect for the guy. "He has been so good to me and I've really enjoyed playing under him. I listen to everything he says."
John Hardie says Scotland can finish off their Six Nations campaign with victories over France and Ireland.
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Media playback is not supported on this device He lost the captaincy to Alun Wyn Jones at the start of 2017. "He's been outstanding in the first couple of games in the way that he's competed (at the break-down) and brought physicality," said Gatland. Warburton has been playing at blind-side flanker alongside Justin Tipuric. Gatland says Warburton, the Lions captain in 2013 in Australia, has shown the sort of attributes that will be needed on the 2017 tour to New Zealand. "New Zealand have got three or four open-sides that are very strong at the break-down and you've got to be able to have someone who can do that," said Gatland. "I'm not saying you don't have someone at seven who can carry and play a bit wider, there are options for that as well but you get potentially poor weather conditions in New Zealand and someone who's able to get on the ball, slow things down, Sam's able to do that. "For him the challenge is to stay injury-free because he's picked up a few injuries, the challenge for him and a lot of players is getting a run of games under his belt." But Gatland also highlighted the strength of Wales's next opponents Scotland in the same area of the pitch, after their narrow defeat to France in Paris, despite injuries to flankers John Barclay and John Hardie. "The break-down area is pretty critical and I thought on Sunday it was one area Scotland were very strong against France, it kept them in the game because of the turnovers they got, the penalties and they competed very hard at the break-down, it was a real strength of the Scottish performance." Former Ireland and Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll believes that Scotland open-side flanker Hamish Watson is currently worth a place in the Lions match-day squad of 23, with their win over Ireland boosting their chances of improving their Lions representation. "I've been really impressed with Watson at seven, the first couple of games, (lock) Jonny Gray's been great, (full-back) Stuart Hogg's had a quality couple of games," O'Driscoll told BBC Wales Sport. "If they can pick up another victory at least, I think you'll have more of a showing from the Scottish team, (wing Tommy) Seymour as well has an outside chance, so maybe you'll have more than you've had in recent years."
Wales flanker Sam Warburton has been praised as "outstanding" in the first two rounds of the Six Nations by British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland.
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The House of Representatives passed HJ Res 43 on Thursday by a mainly party line vote of 230 to 188. The repeal proposal is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Donald Trump. A number of measures to curtail access to abortion have been introduced by US state legislatures already this year. Republicans have vowed to "defund" Planned Parenthood, a women's reproductive health organisation that provides birth control, STD testing, cancer screenings, breast examinations and pregnancy terminations. HJ Res 43 would overturn a rule instituted two days before Mr Trump came into office. The Obama administration measure banned states from withholding federal dollars from groups that provide abortions. The rule was instituted after more than a dozen conservative states denied funds to Planned Parenthood through a Nixon-era family-planning programme known as Title X. Planned Parenthood receives hundreds of millions of dollars a year in funding from the federal government, but it is banned by law from using any of that money to fund abortions. Anti-abortion Republicans cheered the first step to overturning the Obama administration rule. New Jersey Representative Chris Smith said: "Planned Parenthood is Child Abuse Inc," referring to secretly recorded footage of employees at the group discussing foetal tissue donation. But critics warned that low-income and young women would bear the brunt of HJ Res 43. Democratic Congresswomen Diana DeGette said: "Despite their promise to focus on jobs and the economy, Republican leaders have made attacking women's health care their top priority." Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards condemned Republican "extremists" who had backed HJ Res 43. This week, an Oklahoma bill which would force women to get permission from their sexual partner for an abortion passed its first hurdle.
Republicans have overwhelmingly approved a resolution allowing states to withhold funds from abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
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The male hedgehog, who had inflated to twice its size, was found wandering around in circles by a member of the public in Toll Bar, Doncaster. The unnamed animal was diagnosed with the rare "balloon syndrome", caused by gas collecting under the skin. He was taken to a RSPCA centre in Cheshire where a needle was inserted to vent the trapped air. More news from across Yorkshire Bev Panto, head vet at the RSPCA's Stapeley Grange centre, said it was a very unusual syndrome. "In my career I have seen three or four of these cases and they are very strange every time and quite shocking," she said. "When you first see them they appear to be very big hedgehogs but when you pick them up they feel so light because they are mostly air." She said the condition only occurs in hedgehogs and was due to their ability to curl up, meaning they have a lot of space under the skin. In some circumstances air can get trapped under the skin due to an injury or trauma. "They literally blow up like a balloon," she said. "The first thing to do is to just pop them. To pop a needle in and drain all that air out." Ms Panto said the hedgehog was eating well and staff were hopeful of a full recovery. "It is certainly not out of the woods yet so it's fingers crossed," she added.
A hedgehog who had "blown up like a beach ball" is said to be doing well after a vet "popped" him with a needle.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 10 June 2015 Last updated at 13:59 BST The three-year-old slowly walked up to the Queen at the famous Epsom Derby event in England. The boy is believed to be linked with the Dubai royal family.
A young boy took off his top hat and approached the Queen for a handshake at the horse-racing event.
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India is one of the world's largest consumers of electricity, and the bulk of it is generated from coal. The new reactors amount to more than the country's present installed capacity of nuclear power. But it is not clear when they will begin working. India currently operates 22 nuclear plants, with a capacity of 6,780 megawatts. "A total of 7,000 megawatts will be added. It will help produce clean energy," Power Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters. The planned nuclear units will generate business worth $11bn (£8.48bn) and create more than 33,000 jobs, the government said. The homegrown reactors will be built under the ambitious "Make in India" initiative, with the government saying it will boost India's nuclear manufacturing capability.
India will build 10 heavy water reactors to boost its nuclear power capacity, the government has announced.
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The "Total Blackout Tour" will see Rock head to Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham and London in January 2018. His last tour in the UK, "No Apologies", saw two nights at the O2 Arena in London sell out. The shows also broke a Guinness world record for the largest audience at a comedy show at the time. "I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my career", Rock wrote on his website. "The crowds were incredible. The people were smart and came to have a good time." Rock began his career as a comedian and cast member on Saturday Night Live, and has also featured in films such as Madagascar and Grown Ups. The first UK show will be in Manchester on 11 January, with Rock travelling to Glasgow to play the SSE Hydro on 24 January.
Comedian Chris Rock will play a show in Glasgow as part of his first UK tour in 10 years.
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The 22-year-old joined Dungannon five years ago after impressing for County Tyrone in the Milk Cup tournament. "Despite being offered a new contact by the club Jamie has opted to sign for Crusaders," said the Swifts. Crusaders will start the 2017/18 campaign with a Europa League qualifier first leg against FK Liepaja of Latvia at Seaview on Thursday night. "All the best in the future Jamie and thanks for your commitment during your five seasons at Stangmore Park," added Dungannon on Tuesday. Glackin's arrival at the north Belfast club follows the close-season signings of Danish goalkeeper Brian Jensen, defender/midfielder Sean Ward and striker Mark McAllister. Crusaders missed out on a third straight Premiership title last season and boss Stephen Baxter will be determined to regain the Gibson Cup.
Crusaders have snapped up midfielder Jamie Glackin from Dungannon Swifts on a two-year contract.
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Both Real and Atletico Madrid were banned after breaching rules over the transfer of foreign players under 18. As part of the ban, football's world governing body Fifa said the young players involved were not allowed to play. However, Cas has agreed to suspend that requirement while the appeal is heard.
Real Madrid has told the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) it will appeal against its Fifa ban on signing players.
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The Court of Cassation rejected Mr Sarkozy's challenge to the seizure. The diaries were initially confiscated as part of an inquiry into alleged illegal funding during his successful 2007 presidential campaign. That case has since been dropped, but the diaries may be used in other investigations targeting Mr Sarkozy. The former president, who lost his re-election bid in 2012, is planning a political comeback and correspondents say the drip of allegations has harmed him. The diaries were seized after claims surfaced in 2010 that Mr Sarkozy had taken advantage of 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt when he was standing for president. It was alleged that Mrs Bettencourt had given large sums of cash to Mr Sarkozy's aides. Both Mr Sarkozy and Mrs Bettencourt denied this. Last October, Mr Sarkozy was removed from the list of defendants. Lawyers for Mr Sarkozy argued that confiscating the diaries had been illegal. But in Tuesday's ruling, the Court of Cassation - France's top court - decided there was no need to rule on the issue as Mr Sarkozy was no longer a suspect in the case. The ruling comes days after Le Monde newspaper reported that Mr Sarkozy had recently had his phone tapped on orders from judges investigating alleged campaign donations from late Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The papers said the phone taps had revealed evidence of tampering with the justice system. Mr Sarkozy denies the claims. French media say the diaries could be used in this case, and also in an investigation into allegations that French tycoon Bernard Tapie received a huge payout in 2007 to settle a long-running legal battle with the French state. In a separate development regarded as embarrassing for the former president, transcripts of recorded conservations taped by a former aide of Mr Sarkozy were leaked last week. Mr Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni say they were recorded without their consent.
A French court has ruled investigators can retain the seized diaries of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is battling corruption allegations.
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Across England, 490,000 (77%) pupils met the required standard, up 120,000 on 2012, when the tests began. The National Union of Teachers said the jury was "still out" on the "obsession" with one teaching method. But the schools minister pledged to challenge councils with poor results to come up with swift plans to improve. Nick Gibb said the results showed the focus on phonics was ensuring children were becoming "confident, inquisitive and fluent readers". The top performing local authority was Richmond-upon-Thames, where 86.5% of six-year-olds made the grade, followed by the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Wandsworth, Newham, Greenwich, Harrow, Bromley and Bexley - with Darlington, on 82.3%, the only non-London borough in the top 10. By contrast only 69.5% of six-year-olds met the standard in Nottingham, the worst performing council - followed by Peterborough, Wakefield, Doncaster, Derby, Liverpool, Bury, Oldham, Middlesbrough and Tameside. Mr Gibb said: "Today's results demonstrate the effectiveness of the government's continued focus on phonics as the primary way of helping young people to read. "For years, children were being denied the joy of becoming fluent readers because of a reliance on teaching methods that failed too many children. "We will continue to challenge those local authorities whose phonics results are below the levels achieved elsewhere. "The evidence is clear that the systematic teaching of phonics is the most effective way to help children master the basics of reading so they can go on to become confident, inquisitive and fluent readers." But NUT general secretary Christine Blower said the point was not whether test scores were rising. "It's whether the government's decision to focus the teaching of reading on one method, synthetic phonics, is producing an improvement in children's literacy. "Here, the jury is still out. "The [Department for Education's] own study, published earlier this year, found no conclusive evidence that any improvements are attributable to the check." This "very narrow approach to learning to read" risked sidelining reading for pleasure, Ms Blower added.
Nine of the 10 local authorities in which most six-year-olds passed the government's phonics reading test this year are in London, figures show.
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They compared pictures collected by a US reconnaissance programme with recent satellite data to measure the extent of glacial melt. They believe the now-declassified images could help to show how other remote regions have changed over time. The research was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall meeting in San Francisco. “This imagery will be getting used more and more,” said Josh Maurer from Columbia University in New York. The images were taken by a United States spy satellite programme that went by the codename of Hexagon. During the 1970s and 1980s, it launched 20 huge reconnaissance satellites into space, which secretly snapped areas of interest below. The images were taken on rolls of film, which were then dropped by the satellites, and collected mid-air by passing military planes. The material collected was declassified in 2011 and is now being digitised by the US Geological Survey (USGS) for scientists to use. Among the spy images are pictures of the Himalayas, an area for which historical data is scarce. By comparing them with more recent satellite imagery from Nasa and Jaxa (Japanese Space Agency) scientists have been able to see how the region has changed. “What we are trying to do is to quantify by exactly how much are the glaciers retreating, how much ice are they losing and at what rate,” said Josh Maurer. “So we’ve used the images to extract 3D models of the terrain back in the 1970s. “We can see the height of the glacier ice in 1973, and we take those elevation models, and can take the difference between those and the modern day elevation models, and we can work out how the ice volume is changing over time.” The researchers have found that the extent of the ice loss has been great. “At every point on the glacier surface across the whole of the Himalayas a quarter of a metre of water is being lost each year,” said Mr Maurer. “I wouldn’t say it’s surprising given the climate data we have, but it is very very interesting to see how much ice is lost. “And populations downstream where they depend on these water resources are going to be affected. “As the glaciers shrink and retreat, the amount of run-off they provide to these streams will increase in the short term as they melt, but over the next 100 years it will decrease more and more, and that’s going to have a negative impact on water resources.” He said that the images from the Hexagon programme are now being used by various research groups to track how other parts of the Earth have changed over time. Follow Rebecca on Twitter
Scientists have used Cold War spy satellites to reveal the dramatic environmental changes in the Himalayas.
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The Cardiff teenager, fresh from his A-levels, bowled top-scorer Ben Duckett for 80 with the ball before lunch, and later ran through the lower order, finishing with 5-28. Earlier Duckett and Rob Newton (78) had put on 140 for the first wicket. Glamorgan reached 23-0 in 11 overs by the close of play. Northants had looked set for a substantial total as Duckett and Newton sailed along at more than four runs an over against some bowling of variable quality. But no-one after the openers made a real contribution as the home side lost their last nine wickets for 84 runs. Carlson, who was picked mainly for his batting, bowled his first three victims and had two caught at cover, while another young spinner, Owen Morgan, took two wickets. Carlson studied at Whitchurch High School, known for producing Welsh sports stars Gareth Bale, Sam Warburton and Geraint Thomas, and has a place at Cardiff University in 2017 after gaining three A grades in his A levels. Glamorgan's Kiran Carlson told BBC Wales Sport: "I was playing in a second-team game at Newport and was told Mesch (Craig Meschede) had failed a fitness test so I had to get to Northampton, it was amazing. "I'm a batsman by trade and bowl a bit of part-time spin but today it came off, I wasn't expecting to bowl but that one over before lunch saw a bit of spin. "From there I knew I was going to have to play my part in the game- to make my debut as a batter and get a five-wicket haul was a bit mad, but I'm really happy. "(At Whitchurch School) they promote sport so much and if you're elite in your sport they just love it and let you get on with training." Northants opener Ben Duckett told BBC Radio Northampton: "From the position we were in, it's a pretty poor total after a good start with 140 for one, to collapse like that. "I thought it was a flat wicket, there was only the odd one in the morning that turned from the left-arm spinner (Morgan), then the right-arm offie (Carlson) on debut ended up getting a five-for but there were a few poor shots including myself. "We can definitely keep them below 269 if we bowl well with the spinners, the first-innings lead could be very important for us because if the wicket's doing that on day one, I don't know what it'll be like on day three."
18-year-old Kiran Carlson enjoyed a dream Championship debut for Glamorgan, claiming five wickets with his spin as Northants stumbled to 269 all out.
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He said at an industry event that Britain's largest carmaker by volume would like to double production from 500,000 to one million cars a year. But it would depend on the government helping to upgrade power supplies and invest in surrounding infrastructure. The firm would also like a guarantee on access to engineering talent. A company spokesman said the production target was "very much a want, rather than a will", but declined to commit on precise job numbers. The 10,000 figure was mentioned by Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, chairman of Warwick Manufacturing Group, which is part of Warwick University. Although it was not confirmed by the company, it was not dismissed either. The carmaker's vision comes after the decision of Nissan to move two new next generation models to its Sunderland plant, backed by assurances from the government that it would help to invest in automotive research and development. Nissan produced almost 477,000 vehicles in the UK last year, while just under 490,000 rolled off Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) production lines, according to industry body the SMMT. Now it seems JLR has thrown down the gauntlet to the government to match its ambition with big pledges for investment. Specifically, the company is looking for help with infrastructure surrounding a 60 acre site and provide significant additional power resources. Lord Bhattacharyya said he was sure "more than 10,000 jobs" would be created if JLR expanded to manufacture electric vehicles and batteries in Coventry. He said the Business Secretary, Greg Clark, gave his assurances the government would look at the plans very seriously, because "in order to make the batteries and cars we need the power supply, which there is a shortage of in this area". "There are challenges, but Coventry and Warwickshire is well placed to help make it happen, and I believe the timing is right," agreed Jonathan Browning, chairman of the region's Local Enterprise Partnership. It is a tantalising vision of huge investment in the automotive heart of Britain. Can the government match the soaring ambition of one of the UK's largest manufacturers with similarly ambitious support? Although the company described this as an aspiration more than a plan, it is much more than day-dreaming. According to company sources, this vision has been long held by JLR's boss, but he had chosen not to share it before and the Business Secretary was in the room to hear it. The message was clear - the ball is now in the government's court.
Jaguar Land Rover's chief executive Dr Ralf Speth has laid out a future vision which could see 10,000 new jobs created in the West Midlands.
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The 36-year-old previously spent three seasons with the Spitfires before joining Sutton in May 2015. He scored 11 goals for the club and has also previously played for Woking, Crawley Town and Newport County. McAllister will go straight into the Eastleigh squad for their National League home match against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Striker Craig McAllister has rejoined National League club Eastleigh from Sutton United.
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It follows an unannounced inspection at the hospital in Dundonald in February. In every area inspected, there were concerns about nurse staffing levels, patient care records and training for staff, said the RQIA team. The report is part of the RQIA's programme of unannounced inspections across all hospital sites. Its inspection team were advised that there was an insufficient number of junior medical staff at the Ulster Hospital, particularly at nights and weekends. The report, however, said staff were compassionate and showed empathy to patients at all times. The RQIA's Olive MacLeod said staff in the emergency department raised concerns about: "RQIA's inspectors also highlighted essential equipment was not always available at busy times and designated rooms for vulnerable patients could not always be guaranteed," she said. "We were also concerned that routine safety rounds for patients were not carried out." Mrs MacLeod said the RQIA recognised that increases in the number of admissions placed additional pressure on staff in ensuring the provision of safe, effective and compassionate care. "However, it is vitally important that this continues to be delivered - even at times of such pressures," she added. In response to the report, the South Eastern Health Trust said: "Many of the concerns raised by the inspection team were issues that we were already aware of and were working to address. "This work continues and since the inspection, has included an increase in senior nurse leadership in our emergency department and an overall improvement in permanent nurse staffing. "There are, however, a number of factors which are relevant to this report, both regionally and within the trust. "This inspection was carried out on one of the busiest weeks of the year, when all hospitals were under extreme pressure. There is a well recognised capacity issue within the Ulster Hospital."
Concerns about staffing levels at the Ulster Hospital have been raised by the health regulator, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
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The 23-year-old academy graduate only made a total of 18 first-team appearances for the county following his debut in 2011, and did not play a first-class game in 2015. "Saying goodbye to a man who has come through the club's youth structure is not something we enjoy doing," managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said. "The lack of first-team opportunities has frustrated him." Sandhu featured five times for Middlesex this year, with all of his appearances coming in one-day competitions. "Gurjit is fit, strong and capable," added Fraser. "I believe he has the potential to play far more first-team cricket at another club than he has for us and hopefully he will get those opportunities elsewhere."
Middlesex have released left-arm seamer Gurjit Sandhu.
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The hotel, which claims to have invented the tradition of the afternoon tea, was opened by the Prince of Wales - later Edward VII - on 10 June 1865. It became renowned for what were at the time luxury touches, such as electric lighting and hydraulic lifts. Over the years, the Langham has played host to many notable guests, including the exiled French emperor Louis-Napoleon III, Charles Dickens, one of the "Cambridge Five" spies Guy Burgess and his wartime employer, the BBC. The hotel sought to attract well-heeled guests and ensured staff members were immaculately dressed at all times. The five men pictured above were waiters. During World War Two much of its regular clientele decamped to the countryside but the building in Regent Street remained open and served as a first-aid point and military post. On 16 September 1940 it came under intense fire from Luftwaffe raiders who destroyed a large section of the west wing. As the Langham was so close to the BBC's Broadcasting House, across the road at Portland Place, it was in constant danger from German bombers. The BBC's wartime staff used to broadcast from the roof of the Langham, in particular the US correspondent Edward Murrow. JB Priestley was also a guest in this period to be close to Broadcasting House for his frequent late-night transmissions of Britain Speaks to North America. In 1941 the notorious Soviet spy Burgess was involved in what became known as the "Langham incident". An internal memo from his wartime employer the BBC revealed that he tried to break down the door of his room when he could not get in. It was some time after the war was over before the Langham could be returned to its original splendour. In 1965 the BBC took out a partial lease and made the bar the home of the BBC's private members club. The royal suites were used for office printing and the grand ballroom became the registry. The Langham was eventually returned to its original use after significant refurbishment. Today, the hotel is still capable of attracting the well-heeled guests it could in its Victorian heyday when the likes of Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde would grace its corridors. More recently, the hotel has played host to the England cricket team, with bowler Stuart Broad claiming the building was haunted. Broad told the Mail on Sunday how the taps in the bathroom came on for no reason and turned themselves off, leaving him "really freaked out".
Billed as London's first "Grand Hotel", it is exactly 150 years since the Langham began serving the whims of the rich and famous.
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But television viewers saw another side to the nice-guy Virginia senator as he assumed the role of attack dog against Republican rival Mike Pence. Kaine, who has described himself as "boring", was picked in July by Hillary Clinton to be her vice-presidential running mate. Serving in Congress since 2012, he was elected after serving as Virginia's governor for four years - a title he won in part by getting support in areas of the state usually dominated by conservatives. As governor, Mr Kaine supported expanding early childhood education, digitising historical records, and smoking bans. While in the Senate, he has served on committees for Armed Services, Aging, Budget and Foreign Relations. He is a former head of the Democratic National Committee. Before Mr Kaine began his career as a lawyer focused on housing rights, he spent a year volunteering alongside Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. There, he became fluent in Spanish - a skill that could help Mrs Clinton's Hispanic outreach. He is popular with the White House, and was on the short list for Barack Obama's running mate in 2008. Bill Clinton was said to push for Mr Kaine's appointment to be Clinton's VP. However, his support for free trade and deregulating local banks make him unpopular with more progressive members of the party. A practising Catholic, he is personally opposed to abortion. While he is committed to the broader tenets of Roe v Wade, including a woman's right to choose, he supports restrictions on certain types of abortion, parental consent laws and "informed consent" practices. Although he has lived in Virginia for most of his adult life, and is a huge bluegrass music fan and harmonica player, he is originally from Minnesota and was raised in Kansas. He has a Midwestern appeal that Mrs Clinton could rely on to help gain voters in the Rust Belt. Virginia is considered a swing state, and Mr Kaine's popularity could improve Clinton's chances there. Should Mrs Clinton win the election, Virginia's Democratic governor would appoint someone to temporarily fill Mr Kaine's Senate seat, and a special election would be held in 2017.
The reputation that proceeded Tim Kaine before he appeared in the vice-presidential debate was of a mild-mannered Democrat, occasionally known to play his harmonica.
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The authority said traffic often tried to switch lanes at the "dangerous junction" on Berkeley Place and Triangle South. The scheme was financed by a local office development as part of its planning agreement. Mayor George Ferguson said the changes would be "welcomed by all". "I don't believe there are many people who drive, walk or cycle in the area who would contest how dangerous that corner is," he added. The work will take eight weeks to complete.
A £95,000 scheme to add a signalled pedestrian crossing to a busy section of road in Bristol will make it safer, the city council has said.
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Based on CT scans, the organs are fitted into a realistic synthetic "body" and connected to pumps which mimic human breathing and blood flow. Nottingham Trent University, with the NHS and Ministry of Defence, used silicone gels to replicate the feel of human tissue. Bespoke models could now be created to prepare for individual operations. Richard Arm, of Nottingham Trent University's School of Art & Design, said he was asked to come up with a heart model for a surgeon who wanted to practice performing an implant. He said: "When making more organs, the trickiest part was the flexibility. "The heart has 17 different 'hardnesses' so 'does it feel right?' turns out to be a bit vague. "Then we put them together and I knew we were getting it right when I started to feel sick." The prototype - officially known as a thoracic trauma trainer - will be exhibited to trauma treatment experts. After feedback, two models are due to be produced for the MoD by December 2017. Colonel Peter Mahoney, emeritus professor at Defence Medical Services, said the requirement was for training equipment that was portable, robust and reusable, while "also achieving a realism" that had only previously been possible with dead bodies. He added: "We wanted to start with the chest, because it is a common area connected with trauma, but if it could be created with realistically-moving lungs and blood vessels then any other body parts would be possible." Future developments could include the brain, eyes, stomach, pancreas, liver and kidneys, the vascular system in a person's legs and bespoke models for patient-specific preoperative surgical planning.
Life-like body parts have been 3D printed to help army surgeons deal with trauma injuries.
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Leader Leanne Wood said her party accepted the referendum result to leave the European Union, but claimed no part of the UK voted for a "hard" Brexit. In an article for The Times, she said the Welsh Government should not "sit back and let Brexit take its course". Meanwhile First Minister Carwyn Jones has told AMs that UK ministers will have to compromise on immigration. Ms Wood said the UK was "still in the dark" four months after the June vote on what the result meant. She said Plaid accepted the High Court ruling that Parliament must give its approval for the triggering of Article 50, to formally launch the two-year process of the UK's departure from the EU. Ms Wood said the ruling "should not be seen as an opportunity to overturn the result", but gave an opportunity for the 48% of voters who backed Remain "to have an input" and pursue a "soft" Brexit. She accused the UK government of making "nothing but contradictory statements, with comments from one minister ridiculed by another", and claimed the Welsh Government had been "at best incoherent and at worst utterly clueless" in its response to Brexit. "Wales voted Leave, but it does not mean that the Welsh government should sit back and let Brexit take its course," Ms Wood wrote. "Our exit from the EU will be one of the most pivotal moments in our history and it is vital that both governments get it right." Stressing her party's preference for continued membership of the single market, Ms Wood said Plaid AMs and MPs would table written questions on Brexit every day until ministers in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay gave a "satisfactory outline" of their intentions. "People need and deserve answers, and Parliament needs answers before it can be expected to support the triggering of Article 50," she said.
People need clarity on what Brexit means for both the UK and Welsh governments, Plaid Cymru has said.
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Four fire engines and a water carrier were called to the incident at Hay on Wye on Friday at about 22:50 GMT. The barn contained about 1,000 hay and straw bales along with four farm vehicles. Mid and West Wales Fire Service said they expected to remain at the scene throughout Saturday morning.
Firefighters have spent the night tackling a large barn fire in Powys.
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The 87-year-old went to hospital following the fall and pulled out of presenting his BBC variety show Bruce's Hall Of Fame. Speaking after his fall, Sir Bruce said he was "really sad" not to be part of the programme. Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong will take over as the show's host. Sir Bruce said: "I was really looking forward to this show and working with such a talented cast, and I am really sad not to be part of it. "It is now in the most capable hands of Alexander Armstrong and I would like to wish him, the guests and the whole production team good luck on Sunday." In a statement, the show's production company Kalooki Pictures said: "This morning, Sir Bruce Forsyth slipped and fell at his home resulting in facial abrasions and minor concussion. "He attended hospital and had a series of scans and tests all of which happily proved negative. "However, because of his injury, he has been told by doctors he must have complete rest for at least seven days." Sir Bruce had to pull out of hosting Strictly Come Dancing after being taken ill with flu in October 2013. He announced he was leaving Strictly Come Dancing in April last year and Claudia Winkleman took over his role, alongside his regular co-host Tess Daly. Bruce's Hall Of Fame, to be filmed in London's Dominion Theatre, is expected to be screened in the new year.
Sir Bruce Forsyth has been told by doctors to have complete rest for at least a week after suffering a fall at his home.
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Youngsters say Stubylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, has fallen into a state of disrepair and is no longer safe. One graffiti message sprayed on a ramp reads: "Instead of painting over all the graffiti why don't you sort the floor out?" Councillor Andrew McNae said a meeting has been set up with the youths. Mr McNae, portfolio holder for regeneration at Rossendale Borough Council, said: "For quite a while now we have recognised that the state of the park is not what we have wanted it to be. "Over the last couple of months we have been trying to bring money into the skate park. I've just heard we've got a small amount. "But the easiest way to let people know anything that they feel we are not doing is just to give me or any other councillor a ring. "We are hear to listen to these things, and it's a lot simpler than painting on the walls."
A war of words has broken out at a skate park - after teenagers sprayed graffiti accusing council officials of failing to maintain the site.
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The Glasgow-based company said revenues rose by 3% to nearly £608m in the year to the end of March. Pre-tax profits for the group also increased by 3%. Edrington's brands include The Macallan, Highland Park, Cutty Sark, Snow Leopard vodka and Brugal rum. During the year, Edrington established new sales, marketing and distribution companies in Singapore and the Middle East. It has since launched Edrington Americas, which means the company now owns the route to market for its leading brands in the world's largest premium spirits market. The group said its Macallan brand grew last year across "a broad range of territories" , while Famous Grouse performed strongly in the UK and Sweden and showed "continued progress" in emerging markets. Edrington chief executive Ian Curle said: "I am pleased to report that Edrington has delivered another strong year of growth. "We have again increased our annual turnover, profit and dividend - over the past five years our turnover and profit have increased by 45% and 84% respectively, demonstrating the success of our international expansion. "The market for premium spirits worldwide continues to grow with more and more consumers gaining an appreciation for our brands. "Last year we made significant investments in our route to market and now own the distribution capability in 11 countries which, together with our joint ventures, collectively represent 80% of Edrington's total sales." The group said its strategy of investing in quality and long-term growth would continue this year. It is committing more than £100m to a new Speyside distillery and visitor centre for the Macallan brand. Work is scheduled to begin in the autumn of this year and is due for completion in spring 2017.
Famous Grouse producer Edrington Group has announced a strong set of results, after increasing its presence in both established and emerging markets and investing in its brands.
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Countryman Gary Hunt, 32, retained the Best High Diver of the Year award after a second successive World Cup success. Hungary's Katinka Hosszu, 27, who won three Olympic golds, was Best Female Swimmer for a third year in a row. American Michael Phelps, 31, who retired after Rio with a record 23 Olympic golds, won the men's award. Phelps' 19-year-old compatriot Katie Ledecky, who won four gold medals in Brazil, took the female Olympic performance award from swimming's world governing body. Peaty, 21, clocked 57.13 seconds to win gold by more than 1.5 seconds and become Britain's first male Olympic swimming champion for 28 years.
Britain's Adam Peaty won Fina's Olympic Performance of the Year award for his world record-breaking 100m breaststroke final win at Rio 2016.
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A mayday call was made at about 05:00 BST from the Pegotty, a motor cruiser taking on water just north of Grimsby dock, the Humber coastguard said. A pilot vessel from Grimsby took two people off the boat, which sank about 25 minutes after the emergency call. The Humber and Cleethorpes RNLI lifeboats were also launched. The pilot vessel, Venus, and the two lifeboats returned to Grimsby after the rescue. "The casualties were checked over and found to require no medical attention", said the RNLI. Daniel Cooper, Cleethorpes RNLI Lifeboat operations manager, said: "Our volunteer crew managed to respond very quickly and launched the lifeboat within six minutes of the request for their assistance." The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been informed.
Two people have been rescued from a sinking boat in the Humber estuary after a collision with another vessel in the fog.
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The road bridge over the River Wharfe at Tadcaster, near York, partially collapsed in December. Currently the river can only be crossed using a temporary footbridge. North Yorkshire County Council said "persistent and unusually high river levels" had delayed the work, which had been expected to finish by next month. In a statement, the authority said: "The County Council has learned in the last few days that the primary cause is damming of the river by Network Rail five miles downstream at Ulleskelf for work on a railway bridge. "Although the Environment Agency issued a permit for this work to be carried out, North Yorkshire was not notified about the operation." Councillor Chris Metcalfe said: "We are extremely frustrated by this development." Network Rail said it had "agreed the terms of our work with the Environment Agency prior to accessing the river" and was first made aware of the issue on Wednesday. "After speaking with the Environment Agency today, we have agreed to remove our worksite from the river to allow water levels to drop and essential work to take place at Tadcaster." The Environment Agency said: "We regulate work in rivers to ensure that any works carried out do not increase flood risk. When we issue a permit we take into account flood modelling data and determine if consent can be granted under Environmental Permitting Regulations. Our decision does not take into account whether one project is more or less important than another, whether they are related to rail infrastructure, road infrastructure, or other purposes." The government pledged £3m for repair work within days of the bridge collapse, and £1.4m was given by the region's Local Enterprise Partnership to widen and strengthen the bridge.
The completion of repair work to a Grade II listed bridge damaged by winter flooding last year has been delayed until January.
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The group, and two teachers, were from Joseph-Koenig school in Haltern, western Germany. "This is the worst thing imaginable," the town's Mayor Bodo Klimpel said at an emotional media conference. All 150 people on board flight 4U 9525 travelling from Barcelona to Duesseldorf are assumed to have died. The Airbus A320 airliner went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. The cause of the crash is not known. Most of those who died from the school were girls aged about 16, an official told the BBC's Katya Adler. Students at the school in Haltern were sent home for the day, but some returned to lay flowers and comfort each other. Mr Klimpel confirmed that the group was on the passenger list and said he was informed by the Spanish school they had boarded. He said the school would still open on Wednesday, but instead of normal lessons there would be "an opportunity for the pupils to talk about this terrible [tragedy] and begin to process this". The group had been participating in a week-long exchange at a school in Llinars de Valles, near Barcelona. Their Spanish counterparts visited late last year. Tributes have been paid. "They were flying home after having what was probably the most wonderful time of their lives," said Sylvia Loehrmann, the education minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. "It's so tragic, so sad, so unfathomable." German international footballer Benedikt Howedes, who was born in Haltern, tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the victims and families of the tragic airplane accident. Anyone could have sat on that machine."
Sixteen teenagers on a Spanish exchange programme were among those on board a Germanwings plane that crashed in the French alps, German officials say.
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Barrister Mona Bayoumi's comments come as a Welsh Assembly committee holds an inquiry into human rights in Wales. The committee said its inquiry is instrumental in ensuring the assembly is prepared for future changes. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the UK government was "committed" to reforming domestic human rights. Speaking to Sunday Politics Wales, Ms Bayoumi said: "Just to put it in to some context, there was obviously existing UK legislation going back to the 70s that protected, for example, employee rights in respect of discrimination, so it's important to remember that. "But yes absolutely, I do think that there will be a slow erosion of the existing rights and protections, that really is in line with the debate that we've heard." The UK government has proposed replacing the Human Rights Act 1998, which could curtail the role of the European Court of Human Rights. The assembly's Equality Committee is looking at how this could affect Wales. All Welsh Assembly laws must comply with human rights legislation, and with Theresa May repeatedly saying Britain would be better served by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, the terms of the legislation could change. Newport East AM and committee chairman John Griffiths admitted there was "a lot of worry that some of the inclusive practises that we've built in Wales are under threat at the moment". Wales has to "guard against that", he said. Mr Griffiths acknowledged there was an issue with how the public view human rights laws, following recent debates about votes for prisoners and human rights regulations blocking criminals from being deported. "There can be a problem with public perception but it can mainly come, I think, from media sensationalism around fairly atypical cases," he said. "I think if we look at the general experience and well beyond Wales, their everyday lives are improved, their rights are safeguarded and protected by that human rights approach and the international standards that apply." Stonewall's Mabli Jones raised concerns that possible changes to legislature could undo the progress of LGBT rights. "Since the introduction of the Human Rights Act there have been several rulings in UK and EU courts which have advanced legal protections for LGBT people," she said. "Our concern is that without those protections we could see progress go back decades." A MoJ spokesman said the UK government would consider the Bill of Rights further "once we know the arrangements for our EU exit" and would "consult fully on our proposals in the full knowledge of the new constitutional landscape that will create".
Current political attitudes are likely to lead to a "slow erosion" of existing human rights and protections, according to an expert.
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Images posted on social media showed flames emerging from many of the building's 24 floors. There were no immediate reports of fatalities from the blaze, the cause of which is unknown. A number of people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, officials told the Gulf News newspaper. Residents were evacuated from the building and the power was cut, Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, head of civil defence in Sharjah, told Gulf News. Around 200 families live in the tower, the newspaper said. Images suggested that the fire started on one of the building's lower floors before spreading rapidly upwards. Flaming debris could be seen falling into the adjacent car park. The blaze reportedly brought traffic to a near standstill in the roads around the building.
A high-rise residential building in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has caught fire, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air.
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Xinhua state news agency said that as of Sunday afternoon the film had earned 1.317bn yuan ($212m, £137m) since it opened on 16 July. The previous record was held by 2012 road trip comedy Lost in Thailand which earned about 1.27bn yuan. Monster Hunt, a blend of live-action and animation, tells the story of a radish-like baby monster called Huba. The surreal comedy is set in a fantasy world resembling ancient China, where monsters and humans co-exist uneasily in two separate lands. When revolutionaries in the monsters' world attempt to overthrow their royalty, the monster queen flees to the land of humans and impregnates a hapless human man, Tianyin, with Huba. He ends up being pursued by both monsters and monster-hating humans keen on capturing the newborn Huba. Why China has fallen for a baby radish monster The movie was directed by Raman Hui, who co-directed 2007 Hollywood animated film Shrek the Third. In its review, Screen Daily praised the animator for creating "a menagerie of eccentric and intriguing characters to rival the best fantasy adventures". However, it added, Monster Hunt's "uneven tone and wayward plotting" could restrict its audience overseas. The Hollywood Reporter agreed, noting that, outside China, the family-friendly film faces stiff competition from the likes of Minions and Inside Out. "But given Monster Hunt's novel setting and sprinkling of kung fu antics" international success is "not completely" out of the question. The highest grossing film ever in China is Hollywood car racing movie Furious 7, which earned about 2bn yuan after it opened in April.
Fantasy comedy Monster Hunt has become the highest-grossing domestic film in China, state media said.
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The Antonov An-12 plane, which was heading to a factory in Irkutsk, caused a fire at the military unit, but there were no casualties on the ground. Six crew members and three others on board were killed. The authorities have given no explanation for the crash, but Russia has a poor air-safety record. Accidents are relatively frequent and planes are often poorly maintained, according to safety experts.
A Russian cargo plane has crashed into warehouses at a military facility in Siberia, killing all nine people on board, officials have said.
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Fans from across the world have been voting for their favourite since the five-man shortlist of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Yaya Toure was revealed during a special live launch broadcast on Saturday 12 November. The 2016 recipient of the award will be announced on Monday, 12 December, live on BBC Focus on Africa TV and radio, starting from 17:35 GMT. The BBC Sport and BBC Africa websites will also carry the announcement. Borussia Dortmund and Gabon striker Aubameyang is on the shortlist for the fourth consecutive year, while West Ham's Ghana attacking midfielder Andre Ayew - winner in 2011 - is also shortlisted for the fourth time. Leicester's Algeria forward Mahrez is the only player not to have been nominated before, Liverpool and Senegal striker Mane made his debut on the shortlist last year, and Manchester City's Ivorian midfielder Toure has featured for eight consecutive years and is a two-time winner. Aubameyang, 27, has had an outstanding 2016, scoring 26 goals (at time of writing) for Dortmund. He became the first African to be named Bundesliga player of the year, the first Gabonese to become the Confederation of African Football's Player of the Year, and has earned a place on the shortlist for the 2016 Ballon d'Or. Read a full profile of Aubameyang here. In August, West Ham broke their transfer record to sign Ayew, the £20.5m they paid Swansea a clear marker of his form in 2016. The 26-year-old's impressive performances, and his 12 goals in 35 appearances, earned him the title newcomer of the year at the Swans' end-of-season awards in May. Read a full profile of Ayew here. Another English Premier League player, Mahrez enjoyed spectacular success as he inspired Leicester - who had been 5,000-1 outsiders - to a first league title. Mahrez, 25, scored 17 league goals and was voted Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year - the first African to win the award. He also starred for Algeria as they qualified for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Read a full profile of Mahrez here. Mane, 24, became the most expensive African footballer in history when he joined Liverpool for £34m in the summer. He has made an immediate impact at Anfield, with six goals and four assists in 11 matches for the Reds. Before his move, he had scored eight league goals this year for Southampton, including a hat-trick against then champions Manchester City, Read a full profile of Mane here. Toure collected yet another trophy in 2016 - the 17th of his career - when he lifted the English League Cup with Manchester City, scoring the winning penalty as they beat Liverpool in a shootout in the final. This was the year the 33-year-old powerhouse called time on an illustrious international career. But he declared he was still a force - and his inclusion on the list for another year backs that up. Read a full profile of Toure here.
Voting for the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2016 has now closed.
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In excess of £8bn will come into the league from new broadcast deals. But Wenger says clubs will need that additional cash to meet the rising cost of transfer fees and player wages. "What will happen is the prices of the players will go up and you will need this supplement of money coming in to buy new players," he said. "I believe that the pressure on spending the money will become bigger and you cannot necessarily distribute the money to other people." Wenger said the vast amounts of money now being spent on players in China was evidence that the Premier League could fall behind if it does not continue to bring in new talent. In the past 10 days, Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs have spent: Wenger says the new trend of spending in the Far East could be a concern and drive up the cost of players across the globe. He added that the first £100m transfer will soon be "easy to reach". Asked if the amount Chinese clubs are able to spend on transfers is a worry to the Premier League, the Frenchman replied: "Yes, of course. "China looks to have the financial power to move the whole league of Europe to China." But he added: "Will they [the CSL] sustain their desire to do it? Let's remember, Japan started to do it a few years ago but slowed down. "I don't know how deep the desire in China is, but if there's a very strong political desire, we should worry."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned extra television revenue for Premier League clubs will be used to buy players rather than cut ticket prices.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Scrum-half Luke McGrath snapped up two first-half tries but the visitors were just 12-9 down at the break thanks to three penalties by Dan Jones. Leinster broke clear in the second half at the RDS with Rhys Ruddock crashing over and Joey Carbery scoring twice. Replacement Ed Byrne also got over and Jamison Gibson-Park came on to score a try with the last move of the match. The five-point return takes Leo Cullen's men two points clear of the Ospreys who had gone top on Friday with victory in Edinburgh. Scarlets were unchanged from their first win over Munster at Thomond Park for 14 years, but their hopes of an Irish double were blown away in the second half as Leinster coasted to their fourth successive bonus-point victory of the Six Nations period. After Jones had kicked the visitors ahead early on, Leinster turned down a kickable penalty and from a close-in scrum, McGrath scrambled over for the opening try. A second successful penalty followed from Jones, but the Scarlets fly-half then blundered when a was charged down by McGrath, who finished smartly for his second try. The Welsh club were just three points in arrears at half-time but conceded 33 without reply after the interval. Leinster ran in four tries during the third quarter - Ruddock charging through and full-back Carbery snapping up two and replacement Ed Byrne also scoring. Just to rub it in at the death, another replacement, Gibson-Park, completed the rout for Leinster, profiting from Dan Leavy's barnstorming run towards the right corner. Leinster: Carbery, A. Byrne, Kirchner, Reid, McFadden, R. Byrne, L. McGrath, Dooley, Strauss, Bent, Molony, Triggs, Ruddock, Leavy, Conan. Replacements: B. Daly for Reid (56), Gibson-Park for L. McGrath (60), B. Byrne for Dooley (57), E. Byrne for Strauss (57), Ross for Bent (49), M. McCarthy for Triggs (60), Deegan for Ruddock (68). Scarlets: McNicholl, T. Williams, S. Hughes, Parkes, van der Merwe, D. Jones, J. Evans, W. Jones, Elias, Kruger, Price, Beirne, Shingler, J. Davies, Boyde. Replacements: Nicholas for S. Hughes (45), A. Thomas for D. Jones (56), D. Smith for J. Evans (79), Garrett for W. Jones (68), D. Hughes for Elias (69), N. Thomas for Kruger (49), Bernardo for Price (60), Allen for J. Davies (49). Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Leinster returned to the top of the Pro12 table and bagged a bonus point with an emphatic win over the Scarlets.
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It was the final major barrier to building an additional 20,000 homes in the city over the next decade. The Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out where new houses can be built, based on a forecast that the population will grow by a quarter over 20 years. Cardiff council said the city was in "dire need" of the plan, to help it manage its growth. A final decision will be made by the local authority in the coming weeks, but it is expected to be rubber stamped by the council. Under the plan: The inspector has not given as much protection to the greenbelt on the edge of the city as a number of councillors and residents had campaigned for. The process has been long and controversial. Supporters say the expansion is needed to deal with the shortage of housing in the city, while opponents claim the city's infrastructure will not be able to cope. The plan is based on projections of a growth in the population from the 320,000 to nearly 400,000 over the period between 2006 and 2026. The last time Cardiff grew at this scale was at the height of the coal industry a century ago. Cardiff council cabinet member for planning and sustainability Ramesh Patel said the city was "in dire need" of the plan. "The last plan was approved 19 years ago and has led to insufficient land being made available for urgent housing needs," he said. "When the new plan is finally adopted at the end of January, we will ensure that developments in the city are managed effectively with new transport infrastructure, schools, health facilities and other community facilities. "The plan gives us the control to guide development and manage the growth of the city."
A controversial plan for the biggest expansion of Cardiff in a century has been approved by a planning inspector.
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A man walking his dog reported seeing the body in the water at about 09:00 BST, Humberside Police said. It was recovered from the water as an area near the pier gates was cordoned off by police. The male body is yet to be identified and the force is appealing for anyone with information to contact them. Withernsea lies about 18 miles east of Hull. The pier out into the North Sea was demolished more than 100 years, ago, but the gates were left standing on the promenade.
A body was washed up on a beach at Withernsea, East Yorkshire.
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28 January 2015 Last updated at 20:47 GMT The figure of Boba Fett, a minor character that has become a cult figure, fetched the sum at Vectis Toy Auctioneers in Thornaby, Stockton. Craig Stevens, from Croydon, is a former chairman of the UK Star Wars Fan Club and was selling his memorabilia to help him buy a house.
A Star Wars fan who bought a toy 25 years ago for £50 has sold it at auction in Teesside for £18,000.
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All group two matches will be played in Romania between 22 August and 28 August. The Welsh Premier League champions are one of 40 teams in 10 qualifying groups. This will be Swansea's third time in the competition.
Swansea City Ladies have will face Scottish side Hibernian, Olimpia Cluj-Napoca of Romania and Ukraine's WFC-2 Kharkiv in the Champions League qualifying group stage.
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Emergency services were called to the incident near Cathedine at 16:13 BST on Sunday. A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the person was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital with minor injuries. Mid and West Fire Service sent two crews from Brecon and one from Crickhowell to the scene.
A person has been airlifted to hospital after a small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in the Brecon Beacons in Powys.
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Michael Forbes' art portrays the US President-elect and also Madonna, who is shown as the Statue of Liberty. Black Isle-based Forbes created the piece this week. Madonna, who opposed Trump's election campaign, has posted an image of the painting on her Facebook and Instagram pages. Her post to Facebook has had more than 57,000 "likes" and her Instagram post more than 40,000. Pop surrealist artist Forbes is part of the Tripping Up Trump movement which protested against the building of Trump's golf resort at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. The artist painted a mural on a barn of a farmer, also called Michael Forbes, who refused to sell land to Trump for the golf course. Artist Forbes has a gallery in New York and his work in Scotland includes posters for the Highlands' Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, created his painting of Trump this week. Among the latest Trump piece's references are the US election's popular vote won by Hillary Clinton. She lost the election due to the electoral college system. American comic book superhero and pop culture icon, Superman, also appears in Forbes' piece. Madonna features because of her views on Trump and also Forbes' admiration of her activities in the gay community in the US. The artist, who in his youth worked as an assistant to British Pop artist Gerald Laing, has been amused and pleased with the reaction to his Trump painting. He said: "After Madonna posted it on Instagram my phone has been ringing repeatedly with people telling me about it." President-elect Trump takes the oath of office on Friday with an estimated 900,000 people expected to gather in Washington for the induction and related activities.
A Scottish artist's painting of Donald Trump as King Kong has been shared thousands of times online after postings by singer Madonna.
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Seventh-placed Vikings went into the break 8-0 ahead thanks to two tries from Corey Thompson. Liam Farrell's converted score brought Warriors back to within two against a side who defended stoutly despite at one stage having two in the sin-bin. Wigan turned down a late chance for goal, but the visitors held out. Shaun Wane's side need only one point to confirm a top-four finish, but decided against trying to draw the match when they won a 79th-minute penalty. They decided to run it and, after it came to nothing, Widnes saw the clock down. Wigan: S Tomkins, Charnley, Gelling, Sarginson, Tierney, Williams, Shorrocks, Sutton, Powell, Flower, Farrell, Bateman, Isa. Replacements: Tautai, Gildart, Nuuausala, Bretherton. Widnes: Hanbury, Thompson, Dean, Runciman, Marsh, Mellor, Brown, Burke, White, Buchanan, Whitley, Houston, Cahill. Replacements: J Chapelhow, Dudson, Heremaia, Farrell. Referee: Phil Bentham (RFL)
Widnes Vikings produced a superb defensive display to beat Wigan and leave Warriors still waiting to confirm their Super League play-off place.
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Mr Maskey took 70.6% of the vote in Thursday's by-election with 16,211 votes. The turnout of 37.53% was one of the lowest for Northern Ireland. In second place was the SDLP's Alex Attwood on 3,088, with Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit third on 1,751. The by-election was held after Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams resigned earlier this year to become a member of the Republic of Ireland's parliament. Brian Kingston of the DUP took 1,393 votes, Bill Manwaring of the UUP 386 and Aaron McIntyre of the Alliance Party 122. The result was seen by many as a foregone conclusion as it is the safest seat in Northern Ireland, and the fourth safest in the UK. The full turnout of 37.53% drops to 37.35% when spoiled votes are excluded. The previous record low was 38.75% at North Down in 1995. Mr Maskey, who is a sitting assembly member and a long-time Belfast city councillor, was also celebrating his 44th birthday. He said he was not concerned by the turnout, adding that people had been asked to cast three separate votes just five weeks ago for the Northern Ireland Assembly, local government and AV referendum. He said: "I am delighted to be elected by the people, they have endorsed Sinn Fein yet again for their Westminster seat." 'Strong legacy' Accompanied by wife Patricia and his brother, fellow Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey, he paid tribute to his predecessor as he vowed to improve the lives of people in a constituency that has some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland. "This part of the city is moving forward and I will endeavour to be part of that and work tirelessly to do what I can for the people of west Belfast," he said. "I take on the proud and strong legacy of Sinn Fein party president Gerry Adams and look forward now to the challenges in front of me." Mr Adams presented his successor with a special hurley to mark the result as other supporters urged him to blow out the candles on a birthday cake. "It's Paul Maskey's night," said the Sinn Fein president. "Once again Sinn Fein in west Belfast has delivered and we delivered big time." Sinn Fein's MPs have not take their seats at Westminster because they refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey has been elected as the new MP for West Belfast.
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