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Thousands of people worked at its Merthyr Tydfil washing machine plant over 60 years. It stopped production in 2009 but a warehouse still operates.
The company will contribute £60m to the pension scheme.
The Pensions Regulator has approved the proposal and the scheme is expected to transfer into the Pension Protection Fund (PPF).
The deal has been struck because there was "clear and extensive evidence" that Hoover would inevitably fall into insolvency otherwise.
The regulator said it was the "best possible outcome for members in challenging circumstances".
Up to 4,000 people in Wales could be affected. Those still under retirement age could receive an immediate 10% cut in their pension pot.
The pension scheme has 7,500 members, made up of 5,319 pensioners and 2,184 who have deferred their pensions.
A distribution warehouse and head office is still based at Pentrebach in Merthyr.
At about £500m, the pension scheme is roughly the same size as collapsed store group BHS's scheme. That is still being assessed for take-over by the PPF, which acts as a pensions "lifeboat".
The Hoover pensions scheme will also receive a shareholding worth a 33% stake in the company as part of the deal.
The scheme has a deficit of about £250m and Hoover had to prove the business was at risk of going bust in the next 12 months unless action was taken.
Nicola Parish, of The Pensions Regulator, said: "We do not agree to these types of arrangements lightly but in this case we believe it is the right outcome for scheme members and the PPF."
She said this type of pension restructuring was rare and guidelines were in place to the arrangements were "not abused by businesses seeking to offload their pension liabilities".
This is the first such deal approved in 2017 and only the second in the last two years.
Hoover is a century-old household appliances brand but has been owned by Italian firm Candy for more than 20 years.
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A deal has been struck for Hoover to move the company's pension scheme into a protection fund.
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Under the Wales Act, passed last year, ministers can borrow up to £500m.
But the Lib Dems said this should be doubled to bring Wales and Scotland into line.
The plans will form part of the Lib Dems' general election manifesto, due out later this month.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "This increase in power would mean Wales would be able to invest in projects that could help build a fairer society, such as building schools and hospitals.
"Our record in government shows that we are the party that will deliver further powers and fairer funding to create a stronger Wales."
Roger Williams, the deputy leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, added: "By doubling the amount of money Wales can invest on infrastructure projects, the Welsh Liberal Democrats would be delivering a significant step in securing a stronger Welsh economy.
"Increased borrowing powers means that Wales would have greater scope to stimulate the economy with investment in significant capital expenditure projects. This is an announcement that would benefit all of Wales.
"This will allow Wales to catch up with the rest of the UK in terms of infrastructure and ensure that our nation is competitive in attracting jobs and investment."
The Welsh government is planning to use its existing borrowing powers to fund a new motorway to the south of Newport.
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The Welsh government should be able to borrow up to £1bn to fund major new projects such as motorways or hospital buildings, the Liberal Democrats have said.
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More than half of the dead were women and children, according to aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Taiz has been the scene of intense clashes between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia and its allies.
The coalition began targeting the Houthis in March.
It wants to defeat the rebel group, which controls much of Yemen, and restore the government of exiled President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi.
The conflict has killed about 4,000 people so far, nearly half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.
Seventeen of those who lost their lives in air strikes late on Thursday were members of the same family, MSF said.
A number of civilians also died in rebel shelling in Taiz.
"We call on the warring parties to stop attacking civilian targets, especially hospitals, ambulances and densely populated neighbourhoods," MSF said in a statement.
The Houthis - backed by forces loyal to the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh - say they are fighting against corruption and marginalisation of their northern powerbase by Mr Hadi's government.
Sunni power Saudi Arabia alleges its Shia rival Iran is providing the rebels with weapons. Tehran and the Houthis deny this.
Yemen crisis: Who is fighting whom?
Meeting the Houthis and their enemies
Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe
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At least 65 civilians have reportedly been killed in air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition on the Yemeni city of Taiz.
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He was helped off in the 40-7 defeat by the Chiefs on Tuesday.
Captain and flanker Sam Warburton came through Tuesday's tour game as a late replacement for Ellis Jenkins, who pulled out with a tight thigh.
Back Gareth Anscombe and back-rower Ross Moriarty also withdrew from the bench with Jamie Roberts and Taulupe Faletau coming into the match squad.
Wales had already lost flanker Dan Lydiate with a shoulder injury before the tour and fellow British and Irish Lion George North departed after the opening 39-21 defeat by New Zealand because of a hamstring tear.
Prop Paul James (calf) and scrum-half Lloyd Williams (ankle) have also left the tour with prop Aaron Jarvis and 18-year-old Ospreys wing Keelan Giles called up.
Warburton was the only player in the starting XV against the Chiefs who featured in the opening Test.
Scarlets' Aled Davies and Rhys Patchell were on the bench having been flown to New Zealand as injury cover.
Ball came off the bench against New Zealand in Auckland and if he is ruled out of contention for the second Test, Luke Charteris will take over having led Wales in Hamilton.
WALES TOUR SQUAD
Backs: Gareth Davies, Rhys Webb, Aled Davies, Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Rhys Priestland, Jonathan Davies, Tyler Morgan, Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos, Matthew Morgan, Rhys Patchell, Tom James, Keelan Giles, Eli Walker, Liam Williams.
Forwards: Rob Evans, Tomas Francis, Aaron Jarvis, Gethin Jenkins, Rhodri Jones, Samson Lee, Scott Baldwin, Kristian Dacey, Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, James King, Ross Moriarty, Josh Turnbull, Ellis Jenkins, Sam Warburton (captain).
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Lock Jake Ball has added to Wales' injury worries before their second Test against New Zealand on Saturday.
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John and Lynette Rodgers, from Holywood in County Down, were found on a beach at Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape on Friday.
Efforts were made to resuscitate them, but they were declared dead at the scene.
Rescue workers said sea conditions were rough at the time, with strong rip-currents in the water.
It is believed they had gone for a swim shortly after arriving at the popular tourist resort.
A local man raised the alarm at about 18:00 local time after discovering the body of Mr Rodgers, 28, in shallow surf on Robberg Beach, the National Sea Rescue Institute said.
Two women walking along the beach found the body of Mrs Rodgers, 26, about 200 metres away.
Rev Stephen Lowry of First Holywood Presbyterian, the church where the couple were married, said: "The happiness and joy of their wedding last Saturday has been replaced by grief and loss."
The UK Foreign Office said it was providing assistance to both families "at this extremely difficult time, and will remain in contact with local authorities".
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A couple in their 20s from Northern Ireland has drowned while on honeymoon in South Africa.
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New figures, published by KPMG, indicated 20% of employees earned less than the Living Wage - an increase of 1% from last year.
But Scotland had one of the lowest proportions of workers paid below the rate, 3% less than the UK average.
The Living Wage is set by an independent foundation and has been adopted by 380 Scottish firms.
The Living Wage Foundation sets its level based on a range of a cost of living measures such as accommodation, travel, healthy food and extras such as birthday presents.
It has just risen from £7.85 an hour to £8.25, making it nearly a fifth higher than the current national minimum wage and more than £1 higher than the the new minimum wage premium for over-25s of £7.20 an hour, due to come into force in April.
Glasgow University is the latest institution to become an accredited Living Wage employer
The research, conducted by Markit for KPMG, found East Renfrewshire had the highest percentage of workers earning below the Living Wage, at 32%, while the Western Isles had the lowest proportion at 11%.
The median hourly wage was £11.76 in Scotland compared to £11.61 for the UK as a whole.
Scotland's median wage per hour grew 1.5%, compared to 0.2% across the UK as a whole.
It has grown from below the UK average to 1.3% above the average since the same research was published a year ago.
The research also highlighted that part-time, female and young workers were most likely to earn below the Living Wage.
Part-time jobs were three times as likely to pay below £7.85 per hour as full-time roles.
For the third year, the research found that women were more likely to be paid below the Living Wage than men.
The data showed that an estimated 29% of females earned less than the rate, compared with 18% of males.
Nearly three quarters, 72%, of 18-21 year olds earned less than the Living Wage, compared to 17% of those aged 30-39.
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A fifth of working people in Scotland are paid less than the voluntary Living Wage, according to research.
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The Supreme Court's judgement follows an appeal against the High Court's rejection of ministers' arguments.
Theresa May says the government already has powers to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - starting Brexit talks - by the end of March.
But campaigners say Parliament must be consulted before she does so.
Labour has already said it will not vote against the government over invoking Article 50.
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The government will learn next Tuesday whether it has won its legal battle to get Brexit under way without the need for a vote by MPs.
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Graphic Design student Leanne Young won the competition with a forest fairy tale design featuring Highland cows, squirrels and the Loch Ness Monster.
It will feature on boxes to be given to every newborn baby from this summer until March 2019.
More than 70 students applied for the design competition, being run by the V&A Dundee, to decide what the boxes will look like.
One other design, by Marwa Ebrahim from Glasgow School of Art, was also highly commended by the judges.
The boxes, which are being piloted in Clackmannanshire and Orkney, will contain items including bedding, clothing and toys.
Ms Young, from Edinburgh Napier University, will receive a prize of £1,000 and "exclusive mentoring" from leading Scottish designers Holly Fulton and Scott Jarvie.
She said she was delighted her design would feature on Scotland's first baby box.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience from concept to realisation and hope that young families will interact with the design I have created," she said.
"It's really exciting to be involved with the entire process and I've appreciated all the support and encouragement I have received from my mentors so far.
"The course at Edinburgh Napier has allowed me to develop my graphic design skills and allowed me to participate in this exciting new government initiative."
Judges praised Ms Young's high contrast illustration which they said was "visually stimulating" for babies. The images can also be customised by each individual family.
Early Years Minister Mark McDonald said: "It was an extremely difficult task trying to pick an overall winner but the judges were in agreement that Leanne's concept should be the first ever design for Scotland's baby box.
"Not only is it incredibly interactive, allowing families to customise and decorate the box throughout the years, it also acts as a multi-purpose memory capsule. It has space to record key milestones, a family tree and even the baby's handprints or footprints.
"Although all babies born in Scotland will receive one of these boxes I am extremely pleased that each one will be completely unique to every family."
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The winning design for Scotland's baby boxes has been revealed.
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Chief executive Véronique Laury said the aim was to "leverage the scale of the business by becoming a single, unified company".
Details of the "ONE Kingfisher" plan came ahead of an investor day.
Investors reacted negatively to the move, sending Kingfisher shares down 6.1% to 324p in afternoon trading.
The slide made it the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 on Monday.
The retailer, which also owns Screwfix as well as Castorama in France, will face more competition following the sale of Homebase to Wesfarmers.
The Australian company plans to rebrand the DIY chain as Bunnings and revamp stores.
Ms Laury said improving Kingfisher's digital capability was one of its priorities.
Clive Black, head of research at Shore Capital, said: "It looks like Kingfisher is coming to terms with the realities of the limitations of large shops, so a focus upon the digital age. We think shareholders will welcome the focus on digital over stores and the return of cash, albeit the exceptional costs are substantial."
Independent retail analyst Nick Bubb said that the plan's goals would involve costs of up to £800m.
"The benefits aren't as clear-cut as you might think, although the news that Kingfisher also intend to return about £600m of capital to shareholders over the next three years (via share buybacks) will provide some comfort," he said.
Investec analyst Kate Calvert said the potential returns for shareholders outlined in the plan did not outweigh the risks involved.
"There are a lot of moving parts and no guarantee that all the costs will fall out and the profits come through," she said.
Kingfisher also said Rakhi Parekh, a former Amazon UK executive, had been appointed a non-executive director.
Ms Laury said Ms Parekh's extensive experience in digital and multichannel retailing would be vital to the company's plans.
Kingfisher said in November that profit for the 13 weeks to 1 November fell 11.8% to £225m, with total sales down 3.6%.
In France, sales slid by 9.3%, but the poor performance was partially offset by a 4.8% rise in the UK.
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Kingfisher, which owns B&Q, has announced a push to increase annual pre-tax profits by £500m within five years and return £600m to shareholders.
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MSPs are studying Scotland's options going forward following the UK's vote to leave the EU.
The committee has already reconvened once during the summer recess to take evidence from business leaders and economists.
And convenor Joan McAlpine said they had only "scratched the surface of identifying the true impact" of Brexit.
She appealed for businesses, organisations and individuals from across Scotland to engage with the committee by sending in written submissions or volunteering to give evidence.
The committee is looking for views on the alternatives to EU membership and the implications of these on Scotland, how the withdrawal process might be managed at the EU and UK level, the positions likely to be taken by other EU member states and the contribution that EU citizens make to Scotland's economy and society.
These views will inform the questions MSPs will put to Scottish and UK government ministers later in the year.
Ms McAlpine said: "Scotland is interconnected with the EU across a number of areas. From people, to investment, students, research and regional development funding to name a few. We need to understand both in the long and short term how Scotland will change as a result of this vote.
"More importantly when we hear from the Scottish and UK ministers later on this year, we will put to them some of the initial views we have heard in order to seek to influence the long and lengthy negotiations that will now follow."
The committee took the unusual step of meeting during Holyrood's recess for a first round of evidence-gathering from a range of groups.
They heard claims that Scotland's fishing industry could show "world leadership" having been "unleashed" by the Brexit vote.
MSPs were also told that it was "vastly important" to get the right deal with the European Union in the coming negotiations to ensure that talent and ideas can still move across borders.
The Scottish government is also studying the country's future links with Europe, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon setting up a special advisory council and laying out her views on Scotland's key interests in the Brexit talks.
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Holyrood's Europe committee has issued an appeal for evidence on the impact of the Brexit vote.
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"We're not doing this because we've had approaches, we're doing this because we have aspirations that rely on further investment," he said.
The WRU is prepared to give up its 50% stake in the region.
Davies would not rule out a new name for the team under new owners, a source of conjecture in the region.
Davies admitted that potential investors in the region, which has been the lowest-placed Welsh side in the Pro12 for eight out of 12 seasons, would not be attracted by the prospect of making money.
"This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity to take a place at rugby's top table and to shape the region," he said.
"If you look at who's involved with Welsh rugby, it's very wealthy and knowledgeable individuals who are involved for the love of the game.
"It's the start of the process. In terms of our success and competitiveness, we need that fresh injection (of money)".
The issue of the region's name would be up for any new owners to decide, with chairman Martyn Hazell admitting that it has been a problem since its launch in 2003.
The double-barrelled name has been a compromise to try to attract supporters within and outside the city of Newport.
"It's been a problem, but I'm not sure what the answer is," he told BBC Wales Sport.
"Every time you want to move (change) it to Gwent, the Newport people object to it, and every time you want to do Newport, the Gwent people object. It wants addressing."
There are no plans to move the team away from Rodney Parade, which is owned by Newport RFC and also hosts Newport County AFC.
Chairman Hazell and leading benefactor Tony Brown are willing to give away their shares as part of the process of attracting investors.
But Davies made it clear there would be no danger of the operation closing down if investors cannot be found.
"It's incumbent on us all to find fresh investors, but if they don't come forward, it's business as usual and we continue as we are facing the issues we have, and cut our cloth accordingly," the former Wales number eight said.
The region next play at Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final on Saturday 9 April.
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Newport Gwent Dragons chief executive Stuart Davies says the announcement of sale plans is "the start of the process," in attracting new investors.
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The 1917 Fowler engine, worth £250,000, came off the trailer in Crays Hill, Essex just missing an electric pylon.
The engine was being returned from its inaugural appearance, following a full restoration, at Young Farmers event near Chelmsford.
"The primary thing is that no-one was hurt," said the owners.
Phil Burrows, from Barleylands farm park, who owns the Panther said they were "unsure" what caused the incident at about 19:00 BST on Sunday.
"I got the scene and wanted to make sure no-one was hurt and the lorry diver was OK. Machines and metal can be replaced but people can't.
"The driver was devastated and the chap who looks after it was a bit distraught at the state of his poor old engine."
The engine had been "lovingly restored from a wreck to working condition" over the last five years, had "just finished its repair" and was on "its first outing before our country show in September," said Mr Burrows.
"It took about two hours with three cranes to right it and then another hour to get it onto the low-loader.
"All the steering arms were bent so you couldn't steer it. Due to its age and value, we had to spend a lot of time working out how to lift it as not to exacerbate the damage.
"With a steam engine you cant just buy something off the shelf everything has to be handmade so a lot of craft work and skill goes into it."
The engine's flywheel, boiler and steering mechanism were damaged in the accident.
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A 21-tonne steam engine that tipped off a low-loader and "slid down a road" could cost more than £100,000 to repair, its owners said.
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The University of Southampton team looked at available medical studies and found evidence the two were linked.
But there was no proof that one necessarily caused the other.
It may be that people taking anti-depressants put on weight which, in turn, increases their diabetes risk, the team told Diabetes Care journal.
Or the drugs themselves may interfere with blood sugar control.
Their analysis of 22 studies involving thousands of patients on anti-depressants could not single out any class of drug or type of person as high risk.
Prof Richard Holt and colleagues say more research is needed to investigate what factors lie behind the findings.
And they say doctors should keep a closer check for early warning signs of diabetes in patients who have been prescribed these drugs.
With 46 million anti-depressant prescriptions a year in the UK, this potential increased risk is worrying, they say.
Prof Holt said: "Some of this may be coincidence but there's a signal that people who are being treated with anti-depressants then have an increased risk of going on to develop diabetes.
"We need to think about screening and look at means to reduce that risk."
Diabetes is easy to diagnose with a blood test, and Prof Holt says this ought to be part of a doctor's consultation.
"Diabetes is potentially preventable by changing your diet and being more physically active.
"Physical activity is also good for your mental health so there's a double reason to be thinking about lifestyle changes."
Around three million people in the UK are thought to have diabetes, with most cases being type 2.
Dr Matthew Hobbs of Diabetes UK, said: "These findings fall short of being strong evidence that taking anti-depressants directly increases risk of type 2 diabetes. In this review, even the studies that did suggest a link showed only a small effect and just because two things tend to occur together, it doesn't necessarily mean that one is causing the other.
"But what is clear is that some anti-depressants lead to weight gain and that putting on weight increases risk of type 2 diabetes. Anyone who is currently taking, or considering taking, anti-depressants and is concerned about this should discuss their concerns with their GP."
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People prescribed anti-depressants should be aware they could be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, say UK researchers.
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In February, 2,977 patients spent more than 12 hours in hospital emergency units before being admitted, transferred or discharged.
That is down 25% on the number of patients facing longer waits in January.
However, the Welsh Government's target is that nobody should wait that long.
The figures also show there has been a slight improvement in performance against the four hour wait target - with 80.8% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within that time in February, compared to 79% in January.
The target of 95% has never been met in Wales.
On both measures the statistics show accident and emergency departments are performing better than the same time last year.
Looking at individual hospitals, Morriston in Swansea had 538 patients waiting more than 12 hours in February - but Wales' largest A&E in Cardiff had only 59 patients waiting that long - the fewest number in Wales of major units.
NHS Wales' chief executive warned in January that the service was facing "exceptional pressures".
Andrew Goodall said hospital emergency units and the Welsh Ambulance Service had experienced some of their busiest ever days this winter.
But the figures for February suggest the pressures have eased somewhat since the beginning of the year - with around 5,000 fewer attendances in urgent care units in February compared to the month before.
The Welsh Government said the latest statistics were "encouraging" and it would continue to monitor the situation.
A spokesman added: "Careful joint planning between local health boards, the Welsh Ambulance Service, local authorities and other key partners, coupled with an additional £50m Welsh Government investment has largely helped to manage significant peaks in both the numbers and complexity of patients who access A&E services over the winter period."
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Significantly fewer patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E departments in Wales in February, compared to the month before, the latest figures show.
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Police said an officer was responding to an emergency call at 19:00 BST when the car collided with a Ford Fiesta and hit a lamp-post on Park Road, Toxteth.
The police officer was taken to hospital with a back injury. The occupants of the Fiesta were assessed by paramedics at the scene.
An investigation into the circumstances of the collision is under way.
Two 14-year-old boys from Aigburth have been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery in relation to the original 999 call.
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A police car flipped on its side as it went to the scene of an attempted robbery last night in Liverpool.
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He has been included in their 18-man squad for the trip to Denmark and will at least be on the bench for the Europa League last-32 tie.
Poole left Newport County for Old Trafford in August but only recently received international clearance to feature in English football.
The 17-year-old played 15 games for the Exiles before his transfer.
Poole has been given squad number 41 by United manager Louis van Gaal, who signed the player for an undisclosed fee on the same day he paid an initial £36m for striker Anthony Martial.
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Wales Under-19 defender Regan Poole could make his Manchester United debut against FC Midtjylland on Thursday.
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Commissioners at the agency voted two-to-one to end a "net neutrality" order enacted in 2015.
Ajit Pai, head of the FCC, said the rules demanding an open internet harmed jobs and discouraged investment.
Many Americans and technology firms filed objections to the FCC's proposal prior to the vote.
"This is the right way to go," said Mr Pai ahead of the vote on Thursday.
In a statement, the FCC said it expected its proposed changes to "substantially benefit consumers and the marketplace". It added that, before the rules were changed in 2015, they helped to preserve a "flourishing free and open internet for almost 20 years".
The vote by the FCC commissioners is the first stage in the process of dismantling the net neutrality regulations.
The agency is now inviting public comment on whether it should indeed dismantle the rules. Americans have until mid-August to share their views with the FCC.
This call for comments is likely to attract a huge number of responses. Prior to the vote, more than 1 million statements supporting net neutrality were filed on the FCC site.
Many people responded to a call from comedian and commentator John Oliver to make their feelings known.
Separately, some protestors also used software bots to repeatedly file statements on the site.
Many fear that once the equal access rules go, ISPs will start blocking and throttling some data while letting other packets travel on "fast lanes" because firms have paid more to reach customers quicker.
US ISPs such as Comcast, Charter Communications and Altice NV have pledged in public statements to keep data flowing freely.
Despite this public pledge Comcast, along with Verizon and AT&T, opposed the original 2015 rule change saying it dented their enthusiasm for improving US broadband.
Facebook, and Google's parent company Alphabet as well as many other net firms have backed the open net rules saying equal access was important for all.
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The US Federal Communications Commission has voted to overturn rules that force ISPs to treat all data traffic as equal.
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The Class 700 Desiro City fleet is intended to ease overcrowding on the north-south route from Bedford to Brighton through central London.
Initial testing will be carried out at Three Bridges depot, then on the Brighton line before the train carries the first passengers next spring.
Thameslink said the new trains would transform the service for passengers.
The Class 700 trains will each have 12 carriages, instead of eight on many of the existing Thameslink services.
An extra 1,000 rush hour seats are promised between Brighton and London and 80% more peak seats across between Blackfriars and St Pancras in central London.
"The doors can open far more widely and people can get on and off the train more quickly, which means it can depart punctually," said Ruth Humphrey, project manager for Siemens which is building the trains in Germany.
All the new trains will be in use by 2018.
As well as the current Thameslink network and the Wimbledon Loop, they will be deployed across new routes from 2017 as part of £6.5bn Thameslink improvements currently under way.
Meanwhile, Chancellor George Osborne has said he is committed to a full study into building a second main line from Brighton to London (BML2).
The government has already said it will provide £100,000 for a new study into the reopening of the Lewes to Uckfield line in East Sussex.
In a letter to Conservative MP for Lewes Maria Caufield, Mr Osborne said he had extended the Lewes to Uckfield study, which would now also look at improving links between London and the south coast, including a feasibility study on BML2.
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The first of 115 new trains for the Thameslink network has arrived in West Sussex to begin tests.
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Witnesses said Nelson Curtis, 64, was "a few drinks away from not being able to walk" before he crashed into Lauren Danks' car in Suffolk in November.
He pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving.
The family of Ms Danks, 22, said they were "disillusioned" with the sentence.
Curtis, of High Street, Lakenheath, also pleaded guilty to failing to stop after a road traffic collision and failing to report it.
Ms Danks, from Soham, Cambridgeshire, was found dead in her car on the A11 at Red Lodge, Mildenhall, in the early hours of 11 November.
Police discovered a second vehicle - a Jaguar belonging to Curtis - had been involved.
The court heard Curtis had drunk excessively before driving his high-performance car at 134mph. At the point of the collision he was braking, but still doing 104mph and drove on despite losing a wheel.
Earlier that night Curtis was filmed on CCTV at the Brewery Tap pub in Lakenheath, the court heard.
He was described as "pretty steady on his feet, but only a few drinks away from not being able to walk" by bar staff interviewed by police.
Ch Insp David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said Miss Danks' family were "absolutely disillusioned" with the length of sentence passed.
He said Curtis's actions in drinking "10 pints of beer" and driving were "utterly despicable".
In a statement to the court, Miss Danks's father, Robert, said: "I feel broken and complete despair".
Judge Rupert Overbury described Curtis' actions as "cowardice" saying he showed "complete lack of remorse".
The 64-year-old was also banned from driving for eight-and-a-half years.
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A drink-driver who killed a woman when he got behind the wheel after drinking 10 pints and drove at 134mph has been jailed for seven years.
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MoneyGram has about 350,000 outlets in nearly 200 countries. Ant Financial has more than 630 million users.
The takeover by the Chinese group will need regulatory approval from the US Committee on Foreign Investment.
The inter-agency committee reviews foreign acquisitions of domestic American assets on grounds of national security.
Eric Jing, chief executive at Ant Financial, said in a statement that the marriage of the two companies will "provide greater access, security and simplicity for people around the world to remit funds, especially in major economies such as the United States, China, India, Mexico and the Philippines".
Ant Financial has a big market share in the online payments industry in China. The acquisition could help the company extend the lead as well as expand overseas, as competition is growing in China with rival Tencent's WeChat payment system.
US-listed Moneygram's shares rose by nearly 9% on the news. The takeover has been approved by MoneyGram's board of directors.
Ant Financial's shopping spree in the US comes against a backdrop of rising tensions between China and the world's biggest economy.
Before he took office, then president-elect Donald Trump was questioning whether the US should continue its "One China" policy, sparking fury from Chinese state media. And during his presidential campaign, Mr Trump threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports.
But Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of Alibaba, held a meeting with Mr Trump in December last year.
While President Trump has been critical of China, he said he had a "great meeting" with Mr Ma, who chose to float Alibaba on the New York Stock Exchange. The share sale in September 2014 was a record-breaker, as Alibaba raised $25bn in its initial public offering.
If the MoneyGram deal goes through, it will be Alibaba's second acquisition in the US. Last year the e-commerce giant purchased EyeVerify in a $70m deal.
EyeVerify is a start-up based in Missouri, which uses biometric authentication technology for securing user's online data and transactions.
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Ant Financial, the digital payments arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba, is buying US-based MoneyGram for $880m (£700m).
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The Bone Cancer Research Trust says the survival rate of 54% has barely changed in the last 25 years.
It says early diagnosis is key to spotting the condition, which mainly affects young people.
Symptoms include painful bones or swollen joints, which can be misdiagnosed as sporting injuries or "growing pains".
Primary bone cancer is cancer which starts in the bones rather than spreads there.
The two most common types are osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.
The condition is rare - there were just 531 new cases in the UK in 2010.
But it is an aggressive cancer, and those who survive are often left with significant disabilities.
The trust has teamed up with the Royal College of GPs to launch a specialist e-learning module to help doctors spot the symptoms and diagnose patients earlier.
Prof Andy Hall, chairman of BCRT's independent scientific advisory panel, said: "Primary bone cancer is, thankfully, very rare but it is vital that it is diagnosed early to give patients the best chance of survival."
He added: "The average length of time it takes for a patient to receive a correct diagnosis is 16 weeks from the time when the patient first noticed their symptoms.
"A simple X-ray, performed early, can make all the difference."
Callum Flynn, 18, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, experienced knee pain for 18 months before being diagnosed with osteosarcoma - on his 14th birthday.
"I would wake up with my knee locked. I couldn't stand up. That would last for about two weeks at a time - and it happened five or six times over an 18-month period.
"We kept going to the walk-in centre, because it seemed to be something that just happened overnight, and they thought it was a virus each time.
"But eventually I went to my GP who felt behind my knee and obviously felt the tumour, though I wasn't told then. I had an X-ray and a biopsy in the space of a week and a half."
His diagnosis came as a shock. "I'd never heard of it. I didn't think you could get cancer when you were young."
Callum had to have chemotherapy and a full knee replacement at the time, and has recently had to have a further operation on his knee.
He cannot play all the sports he used to, although he is part of the England physical disabilities cricket squad, and toured with them in Dubai last year.
Callum also works to raise awareness of bone cancer and funds for research.
He says his experience of going undiagnosed for 18 months means he feels it is vital to raise awareness about early diagnosis.
And in the end, he says, it is simple to check: "It just took one X-ray."
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A charity is urging GPs to do more to diagnose bone cancers early in order to help to improve the survival rate
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The 22-year-old Angola international has agreed a five-year deal with the Championship club.
Vetokele, who represented Belgium at youth level, moved to Denmark in 2012 after spells with Belgian sides Gent and Cercle Brugge.
He scored 13 goals in 29 appearances in the Danish Superliga last season and featured twice in the Champions League.
Vetokele, who has won two caps for Angola, becomes Charlton's second signing of the summer.
Recently appointed Addicks head coach Bob Peeters brought in midfielder Yoni Buyens on loan from Standard Liege at the weekend.
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Charlton Athletic have completed the signing of FC Copenhagen striker Igor Vetokele for an undisclosed fee.
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The Glasgow Warriors wing was initially left out of the squad for the two-Test trip, but injury to Tim Visser resulted in a call-up for the 35-year-old.
Lamont made his Scotland debut in 2004 and turned out for the 104th time during this year's Six Nations.
"When I was left out I was absolutely gutted. To get the phone call again was very nice," he told BBC Scotland.
"I love playing for Scotland it's a massive part of what I've grown up doing for 12 years now.
"It's been a big part of my life and I sure as damn don't want it to go away."
Lamont may be close to Paterson's record but realises that with every passing Test the competition for places in Vern Cotter's line-up is greater, with younger players breaking through.
"Eventually it will have to finish but it's been a fairly emotional roller coaster," he explained. "The disappointment of not getting the call-up and then getting the call, so it's nice to still be on that list.
"If someone's ahead of me I like pushing myself to get ahead of them, that's the way it should be.
"But in the cold light of day it's down to the coaches to make the choice.
"I know where I am in my career, I'm all for pushing the next generation through - it's good for Scottish rugby, it's something we need, so the more competition it's good for the player and the country."
The Scots are unbeaten in five meetings with Japan, with the last encounter a 45-10 victory at the World Cup in 2015.
Japan are 10th in the world rankings, one place below Scotland, and Lamont expects two strongly contested encounters in Toyota City and Tokyo.
"They're going to be two tough Tests, no shadow of doubt," he said.
"They'll be geed up because of the run they had at the World Cup, they'll be looking to claim a scalp and boost the profile of Japanese rugby.
"Things like home advantage and weather, I think it'll be hot and humid over there, and above all they're a good team so we've got be very wary.
"They pushed us in the World Cup for a good 60 minutes, but towards the end we ran away with it, but it was by no means easy, there were some real sticky moments."
BBC Scotland will provide live television, online and radio coverage of the Tests on 18 and 25 June.
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Sean Lamont aims to take a step closer to Chris Paterson's Scotland cap record of 109 on the summer tour of Japan.
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David Cameron also nominated Tory and Labour members, including former attorney general Dominic Grieve.
Mr Robertson was among a number of MPs who had called on the committee to investigate an RAF drone strike in which two British citizens were killed.
He is expected to use his position on the committee to re-affirm those calls for an investigation.
It was confirmed on Monday by the UK government that Cardiff-born Reyaad Khan, 21, and Ruhul Amin, from Aberdeen, died in Syria, alongside another fighter, in the first targeted UK drone attack on a British citizen.
The men had gone to the conflict zone to fight for the so-called Islamic State group.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the drone strike was a "perfectly legal act of self defence".
He added that the UK would not hesitate to launch more secret drone strikes in Syria to thwart terror plots.
The new appointments to the intelligence and security committee, which can summon intelligence chiefs to give evidence, include;
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The prime minister has appointed SNP MP Angus Robertson to Westminster's intelligence and security committee.
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The claim: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says 500,000 Irish people live in the UK.
Reality Check verdict: 331,000 Irish people live in Britain, according to the most recent ONS statistics.
He said that illegal immigration was the "real problem" and it was important that EU migration figures were not taken "out of proportion and out of perspective".
The UK has a population of 63.7 million, of which 5.3 million (8%) are non-British, and just over half of those - 2.9 million (5%) - are from Europe.
But which EU countries have the most citizens living in the UK?
We looked into this by checking the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, collected between January and December 2014 in its Population of the United Kingdom by Country of Birth and Nationality report.
They tell us that Polish nationals represent the largest group of EU nationals living in the UK overall, with 853,000 living in the UK.
The Irish were the second largest group, with 331,000 residing here. Romanian and Portuguese nationals are in joint third place, with 175,000 people from each country living in Britain.
These figures include only those who live in the UK long term: what the ONS calls the "usual resident population".
To count, people have to be living here for 12 months or more.
Those visiting for less than a year - for example those studying in the UK on a short course - would not be included.
In its report, the ONS defined nationality as "that stated by the respondent during the interview".
Italy, Spain and Greece - countries affected by the Eurozone crisis and high levels of unemployment - had 170,000, 131,000 and 54,000 respectively.
Polish citizens are also the largest group of foreign nationals living in the UK overall.
Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate
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On Monday, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that half a million of the EU citizens in Britain were Irish.
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Flankers Cudd, 26, and 27-year-old Evans have signed two-year extensions with the Rodney Parade-based region.
"I have no doubt that this news will give everyone involved with the Dragons a huge boost," said director of rugby Lyn Jones.
"Both Lewis and Nic are quality players. Lewis has characteristics that make him a really good leader."
Evans came through the Dragons age grades and played for Ebbw Vale and Newport RFC. before making his debut for the Men of Gwent in 2006.
Cudd has made 60 appearances for the region since joining from Llanelli in 2012.
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Forwards Lewis Evans and Nic Cudd have agreed new contracts with Newport Gwent Dragons.
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A tiara and more than 40 diamond, sapphire and emerald items were stolen during a break-in at Goodwood House, West Sussex, on 13 January.
The jewellery belonging to Lord and Lady March is said to be irreplaceable.
Police have not given a figure for the reward being offered in return for information about the missing items.
1820 diamond tiara worth £400,000
Det Insp Till Sanderson, of Sussex Police, said his team had been working closely with Lord and Lady March and the estate to trace and identify the people responsible for the theft of this "treasured property".
"I hope the offer of a substantial reward by the insurers, for information leading to the recovery of important items of jewellery and personal effects of historical significance, will encourage anyone who knows anything to come forward," he added.
A 26-year-old man from Hampshire who was arrested in connection with the raid has been bailed until February.
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A "substantial reward" has been offered after heirlooms, including a ring given by Charles II to a mistress, were stolen from a stately home.
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The Department for Transport predicted a "decline in network performance" once one in four cars become driverless.
However, should driverless vehicles make up between 50% and 75% of cars, DfT researchers say they will reduce congestion.
The average time spent delayed on city roads at rush hour will fall by 12.4% when 25% of vehicles are driverless.
The DfT said early models of the vehicles acted more cautiously and the result could be a "potential decrease in effective capacity" on motorways and A roads.
But as more people adopted the technology and it became common place on the country's road network, the study found that congestion could be cut by 40%.
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: "There's a prize to be had in terms of swifter, safer journeys, but the transition to that world will be challenging.
"There are around 32 million conventional cars on the UK's roads - as driverless cars come in, traffic flow could initially get worse rather than better, potentially for many years.
"Much will depend on how an autonomous car's parameters are set and just how defensively these vehicles will be programmed to drive."
The study used software to map out the effects of the cars on the road network.
The DfT said the report was the first step into more trials and researching, ensuring driverless cares are "safe and beneficial for all".
Transport minister John Hayes said: "This exciting and extensive study shows that driverless cars could vastly improve the flow of traffic in our towns and cities, offering huge benefits to motorists including reduced delays and more reliable journey times."
Ministers are also planning to extend existing insurance cover to driverless vehicles, covering individuals when they are driving and when they have handed over control to the computer.
In the event of a crash caused by the technology, a government consultation document suggests the driver and anyone else affected should be able to claim from the insurer and, in turn, the insurer would be able to claim compensation from the manufacturer.
In the document, the government adds it will incorporate the insurance proposals for automated vehicles forward into the Modern Transport Bill, which is expected to be debated by MPs later this year.
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Driverless cars could initially lead to longer delays on the UK's major roads, according to a government report.
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Their study of more than 7,000 people suggests exposure to bleach and other chemicals is a factor in one in six cases of adult-onset asthma among British people in their mid-50s .
The study, in Thorax, identified 18 high-risk jobs - four of which involved cleaning.
Top of the list were farmers, followed by aircraft mechanics and typesetters.
General cleaners, office cleaners, domestic helpers and care workers all featured on the list.
So too did hairdressers and laundry workers.
Experts say a person's working environment is to blame rather than their occupation per se.
Hundreds of occupational agents have been linked to asthma. This includes flour and grain as well as detergents.
Fine particles can be inhaled into the airways and cause irritation.
Lead researcher Dr Rebecca Ghosh said cleaning products were starting to be recognised as a potential cause of asthma.
She said there were specific Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) guidelines relating to cleaning products.
Employers are expected to control exposures to hazardous substances and report any cases of occupational asthma.
"Occupational asthma is widely under-recognised by employers, employees and healthcare professionals. Raising awareness that this is an almost entirely preventable disease would be a major step in reducing its incidence," Dr Ghosh said.
Malayka Rahman, of Asthma UK, said: "We advise anyone who works in the industries highlighted in this study and who have experienced breathing problems to discuss this with their GP, and we urge healthcare professionals to make sure they consider possible occupational causes in adult-onset asthma and tailor their advice to people with asthma accordingly."
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People who work with cleaning products risk developing asthma, believe UK experts who have explored the link.
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Wembley was being rebuilt, so the match was played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and was most notable for the stunning - and some would say unexpected - strike from Ray Parlour that sealed victory for Arsene Wenger's team.
Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Marcel Desailly - there were plenty of big names on the pitch back then, but what are they up to now?
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Arsenal and Chelsea have only featured in one previous FA Cup final in 2002 - when the Gunners defeated their London rivals 2-0.
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The Family and Childcare Trust (FCT) said the increase in Wales between 2014 and 2015 is far larger than rises in England and Scotland.
It also warned that there is not enough holiday childcare to meet demand.
Welsh councils said they are "working hard to support families in need of childcare, including during the summer holidays".
The FCT surveyed local authorities in Wales and found the average price of public sector holiday childcare, such as schemes run by councils or in schools, had risen by 69.9%.
The average increase between 2014 and 2015 across Wales, England and Scotland was 14%.
Jill Rutter, who carried out the survey, said: "Welsh local authorities have until very recently protected a lot of their public sector childcare.
"In England the cuts started much earlier, back in 2010, now things are really catching up on Welsh local authorities."
The average price of public sector holiday childcare in Wales is £108.31 a week. The average price in the private sector is £117.13 a week.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said it is working with the Welsh government and childcare providers from the voluntary and private sectors to "consider the issues that parents face in finding accessible and affordable childcare".
The FCT said 95% of Welsh councils lack sufficient holiday childcare for working parents and not one provides sufficient childcare for disabled children, compared to 87% and 88% of English councils respectively.
A spokesman for the WLGA said: "Local authorities in Wales carry out childcare sufficiency assessments which highlight any gaps in childcare provision.
"There is, however, no legal obligation for councils to provide their own holiday childcare."
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The cost of council-run school holiday clubs has increased by nearly 70% this year, according to a charity.
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LF15, nicknamed "Lassie", touched down on Thursday afternoon to join her mate LM12, who arrived on 17 March.
The charity said Lassie began rearranging her nest before the birds made their first attempts at mating.
The pair, who can be watched on the reserve's live webcam, fledged three chicks in both 2015 and 2016.
Charlotte Fleming, Perthshire ranger for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: "We knew it was LF15 as soon as she arrived.
"She has unmistakable features including a prominent dark brown "Y" on the top of her head and quickly set to work rearranging her nest to her satisfaction."
Ms Fleming said LM12, who has spent the last week fending off crows and creating a deep cup on the nest to hold this season's eggs, joined his mate within an hour.
She said: "While it was a frosty reception with lots of shouting and mantling at first, it only took a matter of minutes for them to begin to mate."
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A female osprey has reunited with her mate at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes reserve in Perthshire.
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But the committee said imposing financial financial penalties on those who did not meet targets would be counter productive.
Scotland is committed to reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050.
But a recent report confirmed the country again missed its target for emissions in 2012.
It was the third time an annual target had not been met.
The Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee voiced its support for mandatory reporting as a government consultation on climate change closes at the end of this month.
The committee heard evidence from public bodies and found that "everyone stressed how seriously they take their responsibilities both to reduce their carbon footprint, and to report on their climate change obligations".
It said there were different methods of reporting between local councils, voluntary organisations, police and other emergency services.
And it said clarification was needed before mandatory reporting was introduced.
Committee convener Rob Gibson, an SNP MSP, said: "The legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament commits Scotland to reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050 and is world-leading in terms of ambition.
"However that ambition has to be translated into action. It is now time to activate real change in approach and behaviour across all underperforming sectors of society, and this includes the public sector.
"The committee is encouraged to hear many examples of the positive impact voluntary reporting has had on actually reducing emissions, and by the unanimous support for mandatory climate reporting by the public sector bodies who gave evidence.
"We must support those who are not delivering as much as they can to make Scotland a world leader, and encourage them to engage and improve."
Net emissions in 2012 were 55.67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), compared to the target of 53.226.
Welcoming the committee's recommendation, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: "If Scotland is to get itself back on track to meeting its climate change objectives then its important everyone plays their part, and that includes Scotland's public sector bodies.
"With better coordination and support from central government, public sector bodies could be slashing their climate pollution while also saving money through initiatives to improve energy efficiency or by generating their own renewable energy."
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Public sector bodies in Scotland should be compelled to report climate emissions targets and progress, a Holyrood committee has recommended.
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The 22-year-old will miss the rest of the season after being punished for a breach of contract.
Turkish club Trabzonspor successfully claimed he had agreed to join them in 2013, before staying with Karlsruhe.
"Bayer had nothing to do with the incident," said the Turkey international.
"The club have, however, been affected by the resulting punishment in a sporting and economical sense.
"That's why, for me, it makes complete sense that I should not further harm the club and will therefore forgo my salary during the time of my exclusion."
Leverkusen, who are mid-table in the Bundesliga, face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
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Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu says he will not collect his salary during his four-month suspension.
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Peter Barnett, 44, travelled from Haddenham and Thame Parkway to London Marylebone, but dodged the full fare by claiming his journey began at Wembley in north-west London.
Chiltern Railways had argued he should pay back nearly £20,000 but the defence said the true value was £6,000.
Barnett, from Oxford, admitted fraud by false representation.
Deputy District Judge Olalekan Omotosho said: "There is a need not just to punish you for the offences but also deter others from committing offences."
She added: "It remains unclear why you acted so badly.
"You let yourself down and your family down, particularly in light of your profession as a lawyer."
Barnett admitted six counts of fraud by false representation between April 2012 and November 2014 and was ordered to pay back nearly £6,000.
City of London Magistrates' Court heard that Barnett - an Oxford graduate and former Rhodes scholar who also worked in the financial services sector - failed to pay for journeys on Chiltern Railways on 655 days between April 2012 and November 2014.
He was thought to have simply "tapped out" with an Oyster card, automatically being charged the maximum Transport for London fare.
Prosecutors had argued he should pay back £19,689, the full value of the cost of daily returns for the trips he made.
However, the defence claimed the value was a penalty imposed by the railway company rather than the true value, because if Barnett had bought a ticket it would have been a weekly one - rather than paying a daily fare.
The court heard that Barnett ran off when a member of station staff became suspicious about his story and called a supervisor, but had a change of heart and later handed himself in.
During an interview with British Transport Police, he confessed that he had been carrying out the scam since April 2012.
Barnett was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for 12 months.
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A barrister who commuted by train for two years without paying has been given a suspended 16-week prison sentence.
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The development will be an annex to the school for three to 18-year-olds in Ystalyfera.
Built on the site of the former Sandfields Comprehensive, the secondary school will have 650 places.
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: "This money will address the region's growing demand for Welsh medium education."
The Welsh Government has awarded £10.69m towards the project as part of the 21st Century Schools programme which aims to update school buildings across Wales.
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Money for a new £17m Welsh medium school campus in Neath Port Talbot has been approved by the Welsh Government.
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A club statement said Dortmund were "full of sadness" after one fan passed away and another had to be resuscitated following two separate incidents.
Fellow fans watched the rest of Dortmund's 2-0 win in virtual silence after news of the death spread through the stands.
The club said the second supporter was in a stable condition in hospital.
The club statement read: "During the game there were two tragic incidents in the stadium in which two spectators had to be resuscitated.
"Unfortunately one person did not make it and has died. We are full of sadness and the families are in our thoughts.
"We have received the news from the hospital that the condition of the second person is apparently stable."
Thousands of fans sang You'll Never Walk Alone during the match and following the final whistle as a mark of respect.
Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel: "My personal sympathies, just as those of the entire team and the backroom staff, go to the families and loved ones of the affected persons. It was a terrible situation.
"We all know that there are more important things in this life than football. It was very difficult to stand on the edge of the pitch or on the pitch, not knowing what was going on but still having to fulfil our obligation of putting in the best-possible performance."
Mainz boss Martin Schimdt: "Naturally our thoughts are with the relatives after such tragic events, and we wish to offer our deepest condolences.
"I found it inspiring how 80,000 fans fell quiet as a mark of respect in just a few minutes. Such solidarity is impressive, everyone in the stadium came together as a unit. That is, sadly, not always the case."
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A fan has died after falling ill during Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga game against Mainz on Sunday.
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Outsourcing firm Capita was the leading gainer, up by 4% after a reassuring trading statement.
The company, which in February warned of lower margins, said it was on track to meet expectations for 2016 revenue growth. The statement was described as "unusually numbers light" by one broker.
The FTSE 100 was up 38.92 points at 6,153.73.
Shares in Easyjet, which reported a loss - largely thanks to adverse currency movements - fell 0.4% after its gain of 3.8% on Monday.
There was the usual volatility in mining stocks. On Monday the index was dragged down by these with Anglo American losing 13.8%. Morning Tuesday trade sees them recover 3.4%.
On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.21% against the dollar to $1.4438 but was flat against the euro to €1.2669.
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(Open): London's FTSE 100 started higher on Tuesday.
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Tory Zac Goldsmith pledged to deliver a Southern Overground and secure funds for Tramlink, Bakerloo Line and London Overground extensions.
Labour's Sadiq Khan said he would freeze fares and crack down on what he called a "culture of excess".
Rival candidates want to cut fares but said Conservative plans were "uncosted".
Unveiling his manifesto in Ilford, east London, Mr Goldsmith said he would deliver planned upgrades to the District, Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, Northern and Jubilee lines, and would replace "sub-standard" suburban rail services with a Southern Overground.
He also spoke of securing funding for Crossrail 2 and extensions to the Sutton Tramlink, Bakerloo Line and London Overground to Barking Riverside, saying that delaying or cancelling these projects would risk 250,000 jobs and 270,000 homes.
He said: "And it's why Sadiq Khan's £1.9bn black hole in the transport budget would be such a dangerous experiment, bringing gridlock to our capital, fewer new homes and meaning council tax hikes for every family in Greater London."
Outlining his transport pledges in Brixton, south London, Mr Khan recalled riding on the number 44 bus with his siblings, when his father drove the bus.
"I'll be the bus driver's son who makes commuting more affordable", he said, adding: "I will wage war on waste, excess and inefficiency within TfL and crack down on the culture of excess."
He also promised a four-year fare freeze, a review of Transport for London (TfL) management, projects which "truly benefit Londoners" and more women on TfL's board. He said he would look at the amount spent on agency workers and consultants, currently said to be £383m a year.
Lib Dem mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon said Mr Goldsmith's manifesto was "an uncosted wish list".
"He makes no mention of any fare rises, and he appears to be relying on government to keep on funding London's transport network."
Green Party candidate Sian Berry has promised to lower costs for outer London, introduce flat fares by 2025, allow transfer between buses and trains without an extra cost and support walking and cycling.
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Conservative and Labour mayoral candidates have set out their transport manifestos, with a "war on waste" and Tube and train expansions promised.
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Episode VII: The Force Awakens will now be released in Britain on 17 December, a day earlier than previously announced.
The latest film is the first in a new trilogy for the franchise.
It will will run alongside the original three films and prequels that followed them.
The Force Awakens will be set 30 years after Return of the Jedi and the trailer sees the return of Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford again, alongside co-pilot Chewbacca.
French film fans get to see it before anyone else with the release date in France set for 16 December.
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The UK release date for the new Star Wars film has been brought forward by a day meaning it will be out here a day before it hits cinemas in America.
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The questions were answered by 131 leaders, out of 253 new Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).
A third said they felt under pressure to become larger, and two-thirds expressed fears that they might inherit debt.
The Department of Health said it expected parts of the NHS to work together to resolve any deficits.
The survey was organised by NHS Alliance and the National Association of Primary Care, which have joined forces to represent CCGs, who will take over buying and organising NHS services.
36% of GPs and other leaders who responded to the survey said they were under pressure from NHS managers to become bigger, so they could pass a viability test next month.
And 67% suspect they will have to deal with some legacy debt from former primary care trusts (PCTs) when the new system begins in England in April 2013.
Dr Michael Dixon, who heads the NHS Alliance, said: "Having a board with other clinical representatives and allowing for audit will be expensive.
"So the CCGs need to reach a critical mass in terms of size. But there's a risk of ending up recreating the old system of 150 primary care trusts.
"We're very concerned about the possibility of debts. My GP leaders don't want to be in the position of decommissioning services.
"It's been accepted that the CCGs shouldn't inherit deficits. But in practical terms, the squeeze on NHS finances is greater than people realise.
"Savings can be made in reducing referrals by GPs - but that won't achieve all the efficiencies that are needed.
"So there's concern not just about deficits but also the ongoing savings that are needed - and whether the CCGs will have sufficient budgets. It could be a double whammy."
Dr Dixon defended the idea of GPs taking a more active role in rationing treatment under the new system.
He said: "The NHS isn't some sort of soup kitchen where everyone can just pile in.
"GPs have always had to be responsible for the use of NHS resources, and to think about balancing them against the greater good.
"People are presenting this as a brave new world - but it's something we're doing anyway.
"Rationing is the duty of every patient, commissioner and manager - or we won't have a sustainable NHS."
Dr Dixon said though that he agreed with the British Medical Association that GPs should not receive bonuses for saving money.
A Department of Health spokesman denied officials were being prescriptive about the size of CCGs.
He said: "There are widespread variations in the size and population coverage of PCTs and there is no single 'right' size."
"CCGs will not be responsible for PCT debt that arose before this current financial year.
"During 2011/12 and 2012/13, we expect PCT clusters, PCTs and developing CCGs to work together to resolve PCT deficits."
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A survey of the groups due to take over commissioning NHS care is highlighting fears about their size and budgets.
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Opponents Yorkshire will be without England players Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow while overseas batsman Travis Head has been called up by Australia.
Fellow Aussie Tait still expects Yorkshire to be dangerous at the SSE Swalec Stadium on Thursday.
"They're a good side so they're going to come here thinking we've got a pretty good side as well," he said.
"Our chances are pretty good. It's going to be a good clash - a very important match for Wales."
The game against Yorkshire is Glamorgan's first home quarter final for 12 years, with treble-chasing Yorkshire starting as favourites.
"I see Travis Head has gone home so that's one bloke we don't have to worry about for Yorkshire," added Tait.
"But they still have David Willey, Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan - they're pretty experienced.
"Adil Rashid is absolutely their danger man with the ball.
"There's some really experienced players there who have played international cricket - there's not one stand out."
"From our point of view we just want to make that finals day and whoever stands in our way we're just going to try to knock them off.
"Yorkshire are first up for us and if we can do them on Thursday we head off on the 20 August and have a shot at it."
Both semi-finals and the final will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday, 20 August.
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Fast bowler Shaun Tait says Glamorgan have a good chance of progressing to the T20 Blast finals day.
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Pollock was only the fourth fastest Irish athlete but he got the nod ahead of Sergiu Ciobanu, who clocked the third quickest time.
A superb World Half Marathon run sealed Pollock's place along with Belfast's Kevin Seaward and Mick Clohisey.
North Belfast athlete Breege Connolly is in the women's team with Lizzie Lee and Fionnuala McCormack.
Fellow North Belfast competitor Gladys Ganiel is the first reserve for this summer's Games - Barbara Sanchez of Clonliffe Harriers is second reserve.
Ciobanu, who can appeal his exclusion from the team, is first reserve for the men with Rathfarnham's Sean Hehir second reserve.
Pollock, 29, set a personal best of 2:15.38 set in the Berlin Marathon last September but that was bettered by Ciobanu with 2:15.17.
However, Pollock impressed by finishing 14th at the World Half Marathon in Cardiff in March, with Mo Farah the only European ahead of him.
Pollock hoped to improve his marathon time in London last month but he was forced to pull out because of a foot injury.
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Holywood runner Paul Pollock has been selected in the three-man Irish marathon team for the Olympic Games.
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The four from Bangor's Cor Glanaethwy were freed by the fire service at 11:45 BST, half an hour before rehearsals were due to start at Wembley.
Musical director Cefin Roberts said they had been "sending us selfies from the lift to say they're ok".
"It's quite a drama at the moment."
Mr Roberts told BBC Radio Wales: "They've entertained the rest of the people stuck with them in the lift."
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Four members of a north Wales choir spent two hours stuck in a lift at their London hotel, disrupting their preparation for the first live semi-final of Britain's Got Talent.
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It is called Project Pilgrim - with £4m of the funding coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund - its aim is to improve the medieval building's facilities.
The proposals include building a new glass entrance, replacing the car park with a public space and installing solar panels on the Nave roof.
Project Pilgrim manager Anne Cranston said it was to "make sure the building is here for future generations".
Ms Cranston said: "From the city's point of view, there's so much regeneration going on in Gloucester and the cathedral is such an important tourist destination, we need to really work out what we can do to help with that."
She said the first thing people would see on site would be archaeologists to "reassure ourselves we're not going to disturb anything vitally significant".
"That's a very deliberate step on our part so that we don't hold up the rest of the construction programme. That'll just end up adding to the cost if we end up having to get the builders sitting there twiddling their thumbs," she said.
She said the "expensive" project had been funded completely by grants - as well as the Heritage Lottery Fund, other organisations included the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral, the Somerfield Trust and many individuals.
The project is expected to take three years to complete.
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A £6m project to renovate Gloucester Cathedral has begun.
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The crash happened between Manordeilo and Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire at about 10:30 BST on Thursday.
Her family said in a tribute: "Diane was a fun and loving wife, mother and mamgu. We are devastated by the loss of such a beautiful person."
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous or inconsiderate driving.
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A woman killed when a recycling lorry and her car crashed on the A40 has been named as Diane James.
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Members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers' Association were already set to go on strike on Thursday next week.
The union has now confirmed it plans to hold two strikes the following week and more after Easter.
If the dispute is not settled, they plan to go on strike three days a week indefinitely from the last week of April onwards.
The planned strike dates are:
The dispute is linked to the return of national pay bargaining in the sector.
Lecturers at most colleges are angry about a 1% pay offer and are concerned about the differences between pay at different colleges.
They claim there are disparities of up to £10,000 a year.
The dispute at colleges in Glasgow is over a distinct issue - the union wants these colleges to join the national pay bargaining set-up.
Colleges Scotland, the body that represents Scotland's colleges, has said the pay offer which it put before the union is the best deal possible.
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Lecturers at further education colleges across Scotland have announced more details of a planned series of strikes.
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A conference next month at the city's National Waterfront Museum will hear from delegates who have turned around the fortunes of Sydney, Australia, and Antwerp, Belgium.
It is being organised by the Design Commission for Wales in partnership with Swansea council.
One council leader said Swansea must rethink what makes a city successful.
It follows a series of shop closures across the city centre in recent years, followed by the loss of a £1bn project to transform the shopping district, when developers plumped to invest in the out-of-town Parc Tawe instead.
Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea council's cabinet member for enterprise, development and regeneration, said they needed to examine what makes a winning city.
"Shopping is a major part of the city centre offer here, but a lot more needs to be available to generate the footfall our traders need," he said.
"The city centre has to become a place that people want to go - a destination that's both easy to get to and offers a range of events that will create a buzz and attract people."
Initiatives have already begun to try and lure people back into town.
This week retailers have been invited to take to the streets on temporary market stalls in order to drum up passing trade with a variety of themed events.
Last weekend saw the re-launch of the Big Heart of Swansea loyalty card which offers discounts at participating stores within the city centre's Business Improvement District (BID).
According to Russell Greenslade, chief executive of Swansea BID, around 500 shoppers snapped up the offer on its first day.
"The beauty of the loyalty card is that discounts can only be redeemed in-store," he said.
"This helps attract more visitors into the city centre and boosts our traders. It's one of many schemes on which we work closely with Swansea council to benefit our city centre businesses."
But Julie Williamson, who chairs Swansea Bay's Federation of Small Businesses, said the success of the city lay with all businesses - not just the shops.
"Of course we need a healthy retail sector, but what keeps those shops going is the workers from other offices and businesses coming into town every day, and shopping in their lunch breaks and after work. And it's those other businesses which are leaving in increasing numbers."
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Swansea is calling in international experts to help regenerate its city centre.
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Motorists saw the vehicle "tootling along" the A601 in Derby on 2 March, with one capturing the scene on a dashcam.
Officers said they had traced the owner to the Chaddesden area.
The man, who had a stroke some years ago, also offered his apologies to other road users, police said.
PC Mark Atterbury from the Chaddesden Safer Neighbourhood Team said: "Unfortunately he had been given some incorrect information about where and when he could use it that caused him to be on a road that was very unsafe for a vehicle of that type.
"Thankfully with the information we received I have been able to pay him a visit and give him the correct advice that means he will now be able to use his scooter in a safer fashion.
"He wanted me to apologise to any of the other road users who had been concerned about his actions but is now pleased to have had the correct information."
Source: Derbyshire Police
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An 83-year-old man spotted driving his mobility scooter on a busy city ring road has been "offered advice" by police.
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The deal, to hand over the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, was agreed during a visit to Egypt by Saudi King Salman in April 2016.
It sparked rare protests in Egypt, with the president accused of "selling" the islands in return for Saudi aid.
The deal has been subject to challenges in court over the past year.
But parliament has insisted the issue lies in its jurisdiction. Final approval is now needed from President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
Protesters gathered outside the press union in Cairo as news of parliament's approval became known. Several people, including some journalists, were detained.
Mr Sisi said the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis had asked Egypt to station troops there in 1950 to protect them.
A court ruled in January that the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were originally Saudi, although this ruling was overturned by another court a few months later.
Opponents accuse Mr Sisi of violating the constitution and handing over the islands to please Saudi Arabia which has backed him financially since he led the military's overthrow of his elected Islamist predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013.
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Egypt's parliament has given its approval to a controversial plan to transfer sovereignty of two largely uninhabited islands to Saudi Arabia.
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The 49-year-old man sustained a head injury following the incident at about 09:00 on the Loan Footpath, at its junction with Fergus Avenue.
He was taken to the Western General where his condition is now considered to be serious.
Police Scotland are trying to trace the cyclist, who did not swap details with the jogger at the time.
Sgt Neil Inglis said: "We're eager to trace the cyclist, described as a man in his early 20s, and any witnesses, as soon as possible in the hope that they can help us establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident."
Police are also appealing for witnesses to a collision between a motorbike and car in East Calder.
A Kawasaki motorbike and a Kia Ceed collided at about 17:15 on Friday on the A71 junction with the B7031 Camps.
The A71 was closed for about an hour while the road was cleared.
A 41-year-old man was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with serious injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening.
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A jogger has been seriously injured in a collision with a bicycle in Livingston.
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Mr Anderson said he was angry his track record "wasn't good enough".
Unite Union aide Dan Carden, 30, has been selected in the safe seat.
Ben Williams, the secretary of the constituency party, tweeted he will resign in protest at a "disgraceful undemocratic stitch-up".
Steve Rotheram, the constituency's MP since 2010, said he was standing down from Westminster after being elected mayor of the Liverpool City Region last week.
Mr Carden, who joined the Labour Party while at school, was selected by Labour's National Executive Committee.
He is an aide to Len McCluskey, general secretary of the UK's largest union, Unite.
He was born in Liverpool, but critics argue he is inexperienced in the city's politics compared to the other candidates.
Mr Anderson, who was on the final short list along with Mr Carden said: "I put myself forward for the selection in Liverpool Walton on my track record of running a successful Labour council in a major city and my desire to use those skills for Walton, for Liverpool and a new Labour government.
"Apparently it wasn't good enough for the panel."
Mr Anderson said he had turned Labour's fortunes around in the city, leading a socialist council and protecting those most in need.
North West Euro MP Theresa Griffin had also put herself forward.
Labour won Liverpool Walton in 2015 with a majority of more than 27,000.
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Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has said Labour "is not always a meritocracy" after being overlooked as the party's Liverpool Walton candidate for the general election on 8 June.
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The health watchdog said it had taken "urgent action" after an unannounced inspection at Pro Medicus in Harpenden.
It has declined to say why it took the action, stating its reasons will be revealed in a report being published at a later date.
Pro Medicus director Stephen Burton said it had taken "robust action".
The CQC said it carried out an unannounced inspection on 3 and 4 August and chose to take "urgent action to temporarily suspend the registration of this provider".
It said that the suspension was due to last until 18 September "whilst they take action to address the concerns we have".
The CQC said the provider could not undertake any of its regulated work while it was under suspension.
Pro Medicus has more than 30 years' experience providing independent ambulances, medical supervision and first aid training courses throughout the UK.
Its website claims its clients include NHS trusts, Stevenage Football Club, Cambridge United Football Club and Saracens Rugby Club.
The watchdog gave the company a clean bill of health in its last inspection in November 2013.
Mr Burton declined to say what the issues were about, adding: "We've taken advice from the CQC. A number of things were highlighted - we're not denying what they've said need addressing.
"We've taken robust action and we've got staff in at the moment going through everything and we're updating lots of things.
"As far as we're concerned we've always had a good name. We're going to bring it up to scratch and hopefully in the next few weeks everything will be in place."
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A private ambulance firm based in Hertfordshire has had its registration temporarily suspended due to "concerns" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
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The problem affects voice-over-internet-protocol (Voip) phones, commonly installed by businesses, when default passwords are used.
Snom, the manufacturer whose phones were used in the research, has said the attack affects outdated software.
A spokesman said the tested firmware was "never in wide circulation".
The researcher carried out tests on a phone that was reset to "default" factory settings.
Just by running a couple of lines of code on a website visited by the phone user, the researchers demonstrated how premium-rate calls could be made.
By exploiting the fact that Voip phones and desktop computers are connected to the same internet network at many organisations, attackers are often able to access the phones themselves and operate them without the owner becoming aware.
"It's incredibly easy to do," said security researcher Per Thorsheim, who was involved in the demonstration by fellow researcher Paul Moore.
However, a spokesman for Snom said, "Snom's internal investigation reveals that the desktop telephone used in Mr Paul Moore's experiment was an old 2008 telephone model utilizing outdated beta firmware... which was never in wide circulation.
"The latest and current firmware is version 8.7.5.35 and there have been multiple firmware releases since the outdated beta release."
The spokesman added that Snom telephones by default request that both users and network administrators set a password during installation.
"If a password is not set, a continuous non-stop, endless visual warning on the device's display is illuminated," he said.
Mr Thorsheim explained that the tested phone could be compromised if the user visited a web page containing a couple of lines of Javascript web code.
Prof Alan Woodward, a security expert at the University of Surrey, said attacks on Voip phones were a "significant problem" and pointed out that by using online tools he was able to find many examples of phones that could be accessed using the method.
"The one we do know where it's being used a lot is premium-rate scams," he told the BBC.
"They use your phone to dial a premium-rate number. There's a lot of that going on - we're talking millions being made out of that."
The practice of using phone lines paid for by companies to make expensive calls for little or no fee is thought to be increasingly common, according to research by security consultancy Nettitude.
In a report last year, it said that the UK was particularly badly affected.
Prof Woodward said the issue was similar to flaws found in internet-connected devices and warned that with the rise of the Internet of Things, similar tricks were likely to become more and more common.
"It's a huge wake-up call to anybody who's building devices with embedded software," he said.
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Security researchers have hacked a phone to show how it is possible to eavesdrop on conversations and make premium calls on someone else's line.
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Madeleine Moon, Bridgend's Labour MP, said more military exercises are needed to show Russia "we are ready and we are capable".
It follows the crash of Malaysia airliner MH17 in Ukraine and growing tensions between Russia and the west.
Ms Moon, who sits on the Commons defence committee, called for a halt in a decline on defence spending.
A total of 298 people were on board MH17, when it was reportedly hit by a missile over a rebel-held area in Donetsk region on Thursday.
Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels have accused each other of shooting down the Boeing 777, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.
Western countries have criticised restrictions imposed by rebels at the crash site, and have asked Russia to pressurise them to allow more access.
Ms Moon said the "callous" behaviour of militia followed the annexation of Ukraine adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin had to realise that the "world is outraged".
She said: "I think we have to act as if we're entering a new Cold War.
"We've had Russian ships, we have had Russian submarines off our coast for the last few years.
"We've had Russian planes entering very close to our airspace for years, testing our defences.
"We've got no maritime patrol capability - that needs to be replaced."
Ms Moon, who is also part of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly, told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement Britain had ignored Russia's "flexing of its muscles".
She added: "We have to have more regular live exercises and snap exercises so that we are clear that we are sending a message to Russia that we are not sitting back - we are ready and we are capable - because that's the only message the Russians understand."
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Britain has to "act as if we're entering a new Cold War" with Russia, an MP has claimed.
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 369.96 points or 2.12% finishing at 17,847.63.
The broader S&P 500 index rose 42.07 or 2.05% to 2,091.69, while the Nasdaq index jumped 104.74 or 2.08% to 5,142.27.
The US market added 211,000 new jobs in November leaving unemployment at 5%.
Many investors now believe it is inevitable that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates when it meets on 15 and 16 December.
Bank stocks were among the days big winners. Shares of JPMorgan Chase grew by 3.2% while Citigroup shares were up 3% and shares of Wells Fargo rose 2.7%.
Oil services companies were some of the few to fall on Friday after OPEC- a group of large oil producing countries- announced it would keep production levels unchanged.
Servicing company Weatherford International lost 4.5% and Transocean fell 3.9%
While the domestic economy showed signs of strengthening, the slowdown in the global economy weighed on America's trade deficit.
Data from the US Commerce Department showed the gap between what America imports and what it exports rose 3.4% to $43.9 billion in October.
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(Close): Wall Street closed up following a strong US jobs report that showed unemployment remaining at a seven and half year low.
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The 26-year-old Southend United forward was jailed in May after admitting online banking fraud in which a woman lost more than £2,000.
His club said he was eligible for early release because of the short duration of his sentence and "his consistently excellent custodial behaviour".
Ranger will return to training with the League One club immediately.
In a statement, Southend United said: "Nile may regard himself as fortunate but will remain under an evening home curfew for the next five to six weeks."
The club said it was unclear whether this meant he would be able to play in midweek evening matches.
Ranger is set to go through an individual training regime over the next seven to 10 days before rejoining his team-mates.
The former England youth player came through the academy at Newcastle United and went on to play for Swindon Town and Blackpool, before moving to Southend United in last summer.
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Footballer Nile Ranger has been released from prison about 10 weeks into his eight-month sentence.
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Football's world governing body acted following the "internal wrangles affecting the FGF that have halted all football competitions in Guinea".
The committee, whose members will be selected by Fifa and the Confederation of African Football, will be tasked to organise FGF elections by 28 February.
Until then the committee will run the daily affairs of the FGF.
The problems have affected Guinea's campaign to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
They are third in their group behind Zimbabwe and Swaziland, with only the winners guaranteed a place at the finals in Gabon.
Guinea are also due to host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, a decision that was made by Caf in 2014.
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Fifa has appointed a normalisation committee to take charge of Guinea's Football Federation (FGF).
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World number four Massaro, 33, won 11-8 12-10 11-5 in 35 minutes to become the second woman to win the title twice, after Malaysia's Nicol David.
"I'm one of the oldest on Tour and as long as I feel I'm still in contention to win titles, I'm happy," she said.
Compatriot James Willstrop was beaten 12-10 11-9 11-8 by Egypt's Mohamed Elshorbagy in the men's final.
Former world number one Willstrop, who is now ranked sixth, said: "To make the final was a great pleasure. I was loving every minute, apart from losing.
"Full credit to him, he stopped me playing so there are no complaints."
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England's Laura Massaro defeated world champion Nour El Sherbini to defend her Dubai World Series Finals title.
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Set 240 to win, Michael Klinger (53) and George Hankins (67) added 99 for Gloucestershire's second wicket.
Taylor then smashed 64 from just 36 balls before being out with the scores level, but the visitors sealed victory.
Luke Wright had earlier made 84 for Sussex, but was caught behind off the impressive Chris Liddle (5-52).
After Wright fell on 182-5, having earlier been aided by Laurie Evans' 48, Sussex's batsmen struggled, with only Jofra Archer (30) making any real impact on the scoreboard.
Both sides are now on three wins after seven matches, but Sussex have a point extra after their rain-ruined match against Middlesex.
They can still make the top three - and a place in one of the two quarter-finals if they beat Hampshire at Southampton on Wednesday and Surrey lose to Gloucestershire at Bristol.
Gloucestershire's Jack Taylor:
"I'm hitting the ball well at the moment and it was nice to get us over the line for a good victory. We've just been too inconsistent in this format but we played well today.
"We weren't sure what a good score was going to be but we bowled well, especially Chris Liddle, and then Michael Klinger and George Haskins set things up nicely for me and Ian Cockbain at the end.
"Although we can't reach the knockout stages it's important to keep playing good cricket, not least because a lot of the skills are used in T20. It's good practice for that."
Sussex head coach Mark Davis:
"It's incredibly frustrating because we have played a lot better in this format but we have twice got ourselves in good positions and not won either game.
"We thought we had a competitive score but we got ourselves into a good position and then kept losing wickets at crucial times. They then set the game up with the way Klinger and Haskins batted.
"If we win the last game we'll give ourselves a chance of making the knockout stages so there is still a lot to play for."
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Jack Taylor's fourth One-Day Cup half-century of the season helped Gloucestershire to a six-wicket win over Sussex with eight balls to spare.
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Shares of the state-owned firm and its units were up between 16% and 42%.
The IPO was the biggest in the world this year and the largest since Alibaba's record $25bn deal in 2014.
It also marks the Japanese government's largest asset sale in nearly three decades.
The listing is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to boost the flagging economy by encouraging consumers to invest in the stock market.
About 10% of each company was sold to the public in the largest privatisation of a state-owned firm since Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in 1987.
The government allocated 80% of the shares to domestic investors, with the remaining 20% sold to international institutional investors.
Japan Post Holdings opened at 1,631 yen per share, 16.5% above the IPO price of 1,400 yen. The banking unit started at 1,680 yen, up almost 16% from its IPO price, while the insurance unit was 33% higher.
That compares with a rise of over 2% for the benchmark Nikkei 225 index.
Angus Nicholson, market analyst at trading firm IG, said the "blockbuster" IPO was helping drive the rally in Japanese markets as they returned from a holiday on Tuesday.
"It is a significant moment as the privatisation of Japan Post had been a rallying cry during former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reign in the early-2000s," he said.
The government plans to raise a total of 4tn yen in additional asset sales in the coming years.
It has said the funds will be used to help reconstruct areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
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Shares of Japan Post and its banking and insurance units surged on their stock market debut in Tokyo after the triple initial public offering (IPO) raised $12bn (£7.7bn).
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Media playback is not supported on this device
Bingham, 39, won his first world title in 2015 after beating Shaun Murphy, who comes up against Anthony McGill.
Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Dave Gilbert, world number one Mark Selby plays Robert Milkins and Judd Trump meets Liang Wenbo.
Bingham begins his campaign at 10:00 BST on Saturday, playing to a conclusion from 19:00 on the same day.
World number two Bingham, who won a shock maiden world title last year despite being a 50-1 outsider at the start of the tournament, drew one of the most difficult qualifiers in Carter.
O'Sullivan and Selby will be confident of progressing after gaining favourable draws, but in-form Trump, who won the China Open earlier this month, faces a significant test in 2015 UK Championship runner-up Liang.
"The very first match that came out, Trump against Liang, what a first round that is," said World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn. "That will be sensational and my pick for the first round."
All eyes were on China's number one player Ding Junhui, who had to qualify after slipping out of the top 16, and he comes up against Englishman Martin Gould.
Other standout ties see Northern Irishman Mark Allen come up against world number 74 Mitchell Mann, the only debutant this year, and an all-Scottish clash between Stephen Maguire and Alan McManus.
"Just because he is number 32 seed, it still won't be easy," said Allen. "I won the Players Championship, the last tournament I played in, but it is different pressure here. The place brings back special memories and there is so much history here."
This year's tournament sees 28 of the top 32 players in the world in action, with every champion from this century looking to win the title again.
Full draw
Stuart Bingham v Ali Carter
Stephen Maguire v Alan McManus
Ricky Walden v Robbie Williams
John Higgins v Ryan Day
Judd Trump v Liang Wenbo
Martin Gould v Ding Junhui
Mark Williams v Graeme Dott
Neil Robertson v Michael Holt
Shaun Murphy v Anthony McGill
Marco Fu v Peter Ebdon
Barry Hawkins v Zhang Anda
Ronnie O'Sullivan v David Gilbert
Mark Allen v Mitchell Mann
Joe Perry v Kyren Wilson
Michael White v Sam Baird
Mark Selby v Robert Milkins
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Defending champion Stuart Bingham faces two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round of the World Championship.
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Permission is being sought for three single turbines over 200m (655ft) high at Graythorp Industrial Estate, Brenda Road West Industrial Estate and Tofts Road West.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change said it believed these would be the highest in England and Wales.
Hartlepool Borough Council has recorded about 40 objections to the plans.
More than 300 consultation responses have been received from individuals, councils and other organisations.
The scheme developer is Hartlepool renewable energy company Seneca Global Energy Ltd.
Ward Hadaway solicitor Mark Whitehead, who is acting for the company, said single, taller turbines could generate the same volume of energy as three or four typical turbines used in other schemes.
"The increase in wind speeds at height allow the volume of renewable energy generation from each turbine to be maximised, whilst having the benefit of reducing the number of turbines used," he said.
"This is intended to deliver high levels of renewable power whilst minimising the visual impact on the surrounding area."
Of those replying to the consultation to date, just over one in 10 object on grounds such as reduction of property value, obstruction of view and effect on wildlife.
Further discussions are taking place about the location of turbines planned for Tofts Road West and Graythorp Industrial Estate.
The Ramblers Association and Network Rail pointed out their current proposed site left them within "topple distance" of the nearby railway line and buildings.
The application for three turbines with a maximum tip height - measured from the ground to the top of a turbine blade pointing upwards - of 206m (677ft) is due to be considered next year.
By comparison, turbines at Northumberland wind farms such as Lynemouth and Middlemoor are about 120-125m (about 400ft) high.
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Plans for what could be the highest wind turbines in England and Wales have been submitted in Hartlepool, Teesside.
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Colchester Winter Wonderland and Ice Rink, which opened last month, said it had become "financially impossible" to continue after the warm temperatures left people skating through water.
Customers had said it was like a "huge puddle" and "too dangerous" to use.
All remaining events have been cancelled.
On a statement on its Facebook page, the company said: "This decision has been taken with deep regret as it will have a major impact of (sic) its staff, partners and customers."
The ice rink, in Castle Park, was forced to close on six occasions since it opened on 27 November. It was due to run until 3 January.
On Tuesday morning Reflective Ice, which runs the rink, posted a message saying "the constant wind now on site and warmer temperatures have destroyed the ice pad again".
Angie Bailey, 36, who lives in Colchester, took her children to the rink on Saturday afternoon but said it was "too dangerous" for Jack, aged 10, and Sommer aged 5, to skate.
"My children had just got over colds and for them to skate and fall over in cold icy water isn't on," Ms Bailey said. "I paid for ice skating not water skating.
"The amount of people falling over due to catching their blades was crazy, the water was deep enough it covered the blades of the skates."
Some customers had praised the experience. A woman called Emma Barnes said her daughter "had a fantastic time... she did fall over and get completely soaked but we brought a spare set of clothes".
But other customers described the rink as "one huge puddle" and a "swimming pool ice rink."
Reflective Ice previously replied to say that the situation was "totally out of our control".
"All our equipment is working perfectly, it's just too warm," it said.
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An ice rink that melted in the unseasonably warm weather has closed with the company going into liquidation.
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They can be bought for a fraction of the genuine fare on the "dark web", using the virtual currency Bitcoin.
BBC South East bought a first class fare from Hastings to Manchester, and a monthly ticket between Gatwick and London, using them without problems.
The fraudsters said they were offering "an affordable public service".
The group, who are not being named by the BBC, said in a statement: "The train companies keep stuffing their pockets with public subsidies while treating the operation of rail services as an inconvenience.
"No-one should be ashamed of getting one over companies like Southern Rail.
"We wish one day everyone will be able to use an affordable public service. Until then, we will be providing it."
The fake first class ticket to Manchester was purchased for £111, instead of £285, while the monthly season ticket from Gatwick was sold to the BBC for £100 rather than the retail price of £308.
The web-seller said the magnetic strips would not work but rail staff would still let passengers through the barriers.
The fake tickets were used on 12 occasions, and each time they failed to be accepted by the barriers, but BBC reporters were allowed through without any questions asked.
They were also carrying genuine tickets.
Rail fraud investigator Mike Keeber said the counterfeit tickets were very convincing, but "there's something on there that shouldn't be on there".
"I'd rather not say what it is, as people who make this [could] change it and make our lives harder."
Some transport firms are testing new technology, including Transport for London which uses bank cards, so everything is traceable back to an individual's bank.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said fare dodgers "deprived the railway" of about £200m a year.
It said staff carried out regular inspections on trains and at stations, and being in possession of a forged ticket was a criminal offence, risking a hefty fine or prison sentence.
Det Insp Jeremy Banks, from British Transport Police's Cyber Crime Unit, added that it worked closely with the rail industry, and police forces nationally, "to investigate fraud and bring offenders before the courts".
"We are aware that criminals have been using the dark web in order to exploit rail firms by fraudulently selling tickets," he said.
Watch a full report on BBC Inside Out South East - BBC One on Monday 31 October 19:30 GMT.
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Forged rail tickets are being sold on a hidden part of the internet and being used at stations without detection, an undercover BBC investigation has found.
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He was presented with a prize of £15,000 for his story Briar Road at an event at the BBC's Radio Theatre in London.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time author Haddon was the runner up for his story Bunny.
Brighton-based Buckley said the award was "a huge and delightful surprise".
He is the author of nine novels, most recently The River is the River.
Chairman of Judges Allan Little said: "Jonathan Buckley's Briar Road is a quiet, intriguing mystery and focuses on a single moment in the life of one family who have turned to a spiritualist after their teenage daughter has disappeared.
He described Buckley's writing as "understated, stark and plain", adding: "The intrigue builds as key details are revealed slowly, hinted at and suggested rather than spelled out."
The winner was announced on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme.
Haddon's story Bunny tells of a morbidly obese housebound man who finds love in an old school friend.
Little called it "compassionate, touching and darkly funny".
Mantel's work, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, is set four years after Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 and imagines an IRA attempt on her life.
The two other shortlisted authors were Frances Leviston and Jeremy Page.
Gwyneth Williams, controller of BBC Radio 4, said: "I am thrilled to celebrate 10 years of our BBC National Short Story Award with such exceptional stories and gifted writers.
"Radio 4 is proud to broadcast more short stories than anyone, anywhere in the world. Writers and original writing lie at our very heart."
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Former Rough Guides editor Jonathan Buckley has beaten Hilary Mantel and Mark Haddon to win the 10th annual BBC National Short Story Award.
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The tax hike of 3.99% will include a 2% rise to pay for adult social care after falls in government funding.
Unions have said the £18m of cuts being made to the budget was putting staff and services under pressure.
The council says the budget is balanced but critics say the plan lacks specific details of where the cuts will fall.
Council leader John Osman said: "As we move forward the financial picture will get worse before it gets better.
"It's not until round about 2020 that the financial status of the council will improve, according to what the government has told us so far."
He added there would be some "quick wins" of cuts which would not affect frontline services.
The opposing Liberal Democrats are calling for more details about which services will be affected.
Leader of the Liberal Democrat County Group Jane Lock said: "It is a disgrace that the Conservatives will not give councillors and residents any information about the cuts coming on 1st April, yet they are happy to increase council tax yet again."
Independent Mike Rigby said: "I'm very worried because it was very clear last year the budget unravelled, so within three months the council admitted it was £24m overspent.
"I'm worried the same thing will happen again this year, particularly this year because we have no detail about where the cuts will fall."
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Taxpayers in Somerset will face at least a £50 rise in council tax after the Conservative-led county council agreed its budget earlier.
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The Swiss, playing his first match in two months, won the first set but succumbed to the German in the second-set tie-break having had match point.
"It's always special to play a close friend like Roger on grass, always lots of emotion," said the world 302.
"I saved a match point so was able to play more freely after that."
He added: "I even shocked myself."
It was Haas' fourth victory in 17 meetings against the former world number one.
The 35-year-old, who has started his build-up to Wimbledon, had not played since winning the Miami Open against Rafael Nadal in April and missed the entire clay court season.
It was only the world number five's second defeat of the 2017 season.
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Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was beaten 2-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 by 39-year-old Tommy Haas on grass at the Stuttgart Open.
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In September, the firm confirmed it was in the early stages of assessing an offer for the Premier League club.
But in a statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, the company said it had "terminated" its interest in a takeover bid and was "no longer considering making an offer".
Cain Hoy had until 10 October to firm up its interest or withdraw it.
Spurs are currently trying to finance a project to construct a new 56,250-capacity stadium.
When Cain Hoy confirmed their interest in a Tottenham takeover on 12 September, without the club's consent, Spurs swiftly issued a statement saying they had met company representatives but added there were "no ongoing discussions".
Instead, the club said it was focused on the new stadium development and the season ahead.
When contacted by BBC Sport regarding Cain Hoy's withdrawal of interest, the club said it had nothing further to add.
Cain Hoy's latest statement, however, did leave open the prospect of the company renewing its interest after a six-month restriction, which comes into place with immediate effect in accordance with the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.
Tottenham plan to move out of their White Hart Lane stadium by 2017, but a legal wrangle means they will have to find a temporary home venue for the 2017-18 season.
But West Ham would likely block any move from Spurs to ground-share at the Olympic Stadium, according to Hammers' vice-chairman Karren Brady.
Other potential ground-shares include Wembley and Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.
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American investment company Cain Hoy has said it is no longer considering making an offer to buy Tottenham.
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Alicia Moran, 14, was last seen at her home in the Linthwaite area of Huddersfield at 16:30 BST on Sunday.
She was found earlier in Bristol after previous sightings of her in Manchester, West Yorkshire Police said.
A police spokesperson said a 24-year-old man from the Bristol area had been arrested in connection with her disappearance.
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A missing girl has been found safe and well while a man who was with her has been arrested, police have said.
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Norwood, 24, insists Michael O'Neill's side, who are unbeaten in 10 matches after Monday's win over Slovenia, are continually underestimated.
Northern Ireland will face Poland, Ukraine and Germany in Group C in France this summer.
"We are not going there to make the numbers up," Norwood told BBC Sport.
"The lads were saying that we have had not much recognition for what we did achieve. I think it's worked in our favour a little bit to be honest because people do underestimate us a bit and it's worked out for us.
"I think we do surprise a few teams because of how good a team we are. But we've earned the right to take part in the tournament and we know what we are good at and that we can achieve good things."
Norwood has established himself as a regular starter alongside captain Steven Davis in Northern Ireland's midfield.
But he believes that he, along with Reading team-mates Paul McShane, Chris Gunter, and Hal Robson-Kanu, must maintain their club form to ensure a seat on the plane to France.
Gunter and Robson-Kanu have respectively earned 66 and 30 caps for Wales, while McShane has played 31 times for the Republic of Ireland, both teams also Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Reading have not won any of their last five matches and are only eight points above the Championship relegation zone.
"If you are not doing well at your club and not playing then it gives the international managers a decision to make," Norwood added.
"You do not want him to be making the decisions and then not make squad for the finals. It's important to get back in the team here [at Reading] as quickly as I can and play well until the end of the season.
"We have got to start picking up points, we do not want to be getting drawn into the bottom of the table. We are only eight points off it and we know we are not safe yet."
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Reading's Oliver Norwood believes Northern Ireland will continue to fly under the radar at Euro 2016 - their first major tournament for 30 years.
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The S&P fell 0.1% to 2,347.2, with TripAdvisor down 11% on weak profit figures. But the Dow Jones eked out a tiny gain of 7.9 points to 20,619.7.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq also slid 0.1%, to 5,814.9 points.
After Wall Street's recent strong run, Nate Thooft, of Manulife Asset Management, said the markets were taking "a little bit of a breather".
Signs of a strengthening economy and promises by President Donald Trump to cut corporate taxes and reduce financial red tape have been behind much of the recent gains.
But with a strong fourth-quarter earnings season mostly complete, many investors say they need concrete signs of progress from Trump to justify more gains.
Cisco Systems rose 2.38% after posting quarterly profit figures. Wells Fargo slipped 0.73% after Credit Suisse downgraded its stock to "neutral" from "outperform".
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The S&P 500 index ended lower, breaking a seven-day winning streak not seen for three-and-a-half years.
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Police were called to the scene, near a supermarket on Spring Bank, at about 14:00 BST following reports of two pedestrians being hit.
The lorry driver, a 55-year-old man from Hull, has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Motorists have been advised to avoid the area and the road is closed between Blundells Corner and Princes Avenue.
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A mother and her daughter have died after being struck by a lorry in Hull.
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"Paramedics found the bodies of three people lying inside the aircraft," ER24 medical service told News24 website.
The plane crashed into shacks in Benoni, about 40km (25 miles) east of the city.
Footage on social media show emergency services taking bodies away from the crash site.
The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in the city says incidents like this are not common in South Africa.
The country has a very good record of air safety, she adds.
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A light aircraft has crashed in the South African city of Johannesburg, killing all three people on board, emergency officials have said.
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The plans include the rebuilding of the North/South Stand and an increase in ground capacity from 17,000 to 20,000.
Club chairman Colin Graves said the changes were necessary to ensure the ground could continue to host international matches.
A detailed consultation over the plans will be held, the club said.
If given the go-ahead, the proposals will also see the installation of floodlights, extra seating in the upper tier of the North East Stand and the development of a new five-storey pavilion.
The phased "transformation" of the Headingley ground will take about 20 years to complete, the club said.
Mr Graves said it was "the most ambitious project the club and the venue will have undertaken since the ground was first established 125 years ago".
"As other venues around the country continue to invest in their facilities, we cannot afford to stand still and expect that Headingley will always host international cricket," he said.
"The stark reality is that if our stadium fails to evolve, we will lose our Test Match status which would be a devastating blow to the region."
The club will work with Leeds Rugby - which is also based at the Headingley ground - and Leeds City Council to prepare for the redevelopment work, the club said.
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Plans for a £50m revamp of Yorkshire County Cricket Club's Headingley ground to try to secure the stadium's Test Match status have been unveiled.
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Shaper/Caper will perform Within This Dust on 21 April as part of the museum's 15-year anniversary programme.
The show is inspired by the images of photographer Richard Drew, which capture a man falling from the World Trade Center during the attacks.
It was created by choreographer Thomas Small, who was previously BBC Radio 2's first Artist in Residence.
Mr Small, who was born and raised in Dundee, said the title of the show was inspired by an interview with a woman whose husband died in the attacks.
He said: "She knew from watching the towers that her husband would be above the point of impact.
"Just as she answered her phone, the tower fell and she talked about how she fell to the ground at the same time as him and she grabbed the dust that was on the ground.
"She said that she felt that she was now within that dust."
Within This Dust was first performed in full at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012 and has since been shown in Berlin and Sao Paolo.
Although it has been performed three times previously in New York, Mr Small said there was a "little" trepidation over its performance at the memorial museum itself.
He said: "The very first time we performed it in New York, we did it as part of a bigger festival and it really didn't sit in that programme of work.
"All the other bits were cabaret-style work and then there was this very, very sombre piece of work.
"No one clapped at the end at the end of the show and that was a real worry. I was really nervous about why that was.
"But then, very slowly there was a bit of a slow clap that eventually led to a standing ovation.
"Lots of people then came over and wanted to tell us their stories."
The dances in Within This Dust are accompanied by music and voices from witnesses to the attacks and relatives of those who died.
Mr Small said: "Wherever we've been in New York, people really want to take the time afterwards to sit down and thank us for making the work.
"People have obviously got quite extreme reactions to it.
"A lot of people get very upset. We've not had anybody angry, but lots of people were very emotional and crying.
"I think we have carried that into the work."
The invitation to perform at the 9/11 Memorial Museum came after its curator saw the show in New York last year.
Mr Small said: "She was really moved by it and was also crying and quite upset afterwards.
"They are adapting their auditorium and trying to accommodate ways in which the work might sit there.
"It marks the very first time a company has been invited to perform there, so we're pretty honoured, coming from Scotland."
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A Dundee-based dance company will be the first in the world to perform at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York.
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The Daily Telegraph recorded Paul Jerram and Omar Ali as part of an investigation into the allegations.
Mr Jerram, head of medicines management at the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been suspended.
Surrey and Sussex Hospital Trust said Mr Ali has resigned.
Both men had been accused of accepting payment to set up meetings between pharmaceutical companies and "advisory boards" responsible for deciding which drugs are used by GPs and hospitals.
A CCG spokesman said: "We recognise that these are serious allegations. We are undertaking an internal investigation and will complete a thorough review."
"Whilst this investigation is being undertaken we have suspended the head of medicines management.
"This is a neutral act which protects both the individual and the organisation.
"In view of the investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
Michael Wilson, chief executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said Mr Ali resigned on Thursday.
"Mr Ali has worked part-time for the Trust for ten years and has correctly declared his independent business with us," he said.
"We do not have knowledge of work that he undertakes in his own personal time."
A Department of Health (DoH) spokesperson said the allegations, if true, amount to an "abuse of trust" placed in the NHS by patients.
The NHS's fraud protection body has launched an "urgent investigation" into the claims, they said.
Mr Ali said as well as working part-time for the NHS he also runs a "market access consulting firm" which runs advisory boards for NHS experts and commercial organisations.
He said he had "done everything by the book" and "always made all the appropriate operational declarations for my consulting work in accordance with the usual NHS governance processes".
"I never allowed my NHS work to be influenced by my other activities," he added.
"A proper examination of the wider debate on this area of the NHS would be of enormous benefit, and could help inform best practice for the future."
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An NHS boss has been suspended and another has resigned over claims senior staff were being paid by drug companies to help promote their products.
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The details of more than a million members including their weight, height, job, and phone numbers were discovered unencrypted online in December 2015.
They have now been sold on the black market, said security expert Troy Hunt.
The firm said the data belonged to members who joined before July 2015 and that no passwords or financial information were included.
Security researcher Chris Vickery, who originally discovered it, told the BBC the firm acted quickly after he notified them - but by then, data had already been sold on.
"They published it openly to the world with no protection whatsoever," he said.
Beautiful People originally claimed the content was from a test server but Mr Vickery said the data itself was still genuine.
"Whether or not it's in the test database makes no difference if it's real data," he added.
It also transpired that a second researcher had identified the same weakness on the same day.
"The breach involves data that was provided by members prior to mid-July 2015. No more recent user data or any data relating to users who joined from mid-July 2015 onward is affected," Beautiful People said in a statement.
"As far as we were aware, at that time [in December 2015], only the two security researchers who informed us of the breach had access to this data."
Now the compromised data appears to have been sold on the black market, security expert Troy Hunt told Forbes.
"Now it's public, cybercriminals have the opportunity to use this information to steal personal identities or more," said David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
"Unfortunately, once a breach of this nature has been made, there is not much that can be done."
Cybercriminals use the genuine identities to synthesise new ones, and they tend to act within a month of receiving stolen data, said John Lord, managing director at identity data intelligence firm GBG.
"Organisations need to take action and use more data, analytical insights and triangulation of multiple-identity proofing techniques to minimise the potential effects of identity theft for both the user and the businesses serving them," he said.
People hoping to join the Beautiful People website submit photographs which are then rated by existing members of the opposite sex for 48 hours.
If they get enough positive votes, they are then granted membership.
The firm claims more than 700 marriages have taken place between people who met on its website.
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Data stolen from a dating website aimed at "beautiful people only" has been traded online.
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From 1 January cars and motor caravans will pay £6.70 - up 10p - while tolls for small goods vehicles and small buses will rise by 20p to £13.40.
Severn River Crossing raises the prices each year in line with inflation.
Labour MP Jessica Morden said the toll was now nearing the minimum wage, but UK ministers plan to halve the tolls in 2018.
Prices for heavy goods vehicles and buses will rise by 20p to £20.
The average increase is 1.3%, according to the operating company Severn River Crossing plc.
The Severn Bridges Act 1992 allows for the tolls to be amended annually with the agreement of the UK Department for Transport.
Ms Morden, who is MP for Newport East, said: "For many of my constituents on the Tories' minimum wage, the cost of travelling across the bridge is now almost equivalent to an hour's pay, and is actually above it for people under 21.
"That means they are effectively losing an hour's pay every day that they cross the bridge."
The government's National Living Wage is currently £7.20, while the minimum wage is £6.95 for 21 to 24-year-olds and £5.55 for 18 to 20-year-olds.
Ms Morden added that the UK government had yet to explain what its plans were for when the bridges return to public ownership - expected around 2018.
"All we know is that the government have announced that the tolls will come down next year when the contract comes to an end, but there is still no sign of the public consultation that was promised," she said.
Labour's Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: "With these higher toll costs about to hit people who are already having to tighten their belts, we now need absolute certainty from the UK government about what exactly is going to happen."
In March, the then Chancellor George Osborne announced in his budget that the toll charges would be halved in 2018, when the bridges were expected to have been returned to UK government ownership.
Welsh MPs were told by Transport Minister Andrew Jones in July that the switch may come as early as October 2017.
Mr Jones said tolls may still be charged to cover maintenance, but added: "They are not a cash system... to fund a scheme in Kent or a scheme somewhere else."
In November, assembly members from all four party groups backed a call to scrap the tolls, condemned by UKIP AM Mark Reckless as a "tax on Wales".
However, Labour backbencher Lee Waters argued that the tolls should be kept and used to fund the South Wales Metro project to boost public transport.
A UK government spokesman said it had "announced its intention to halve the tolls on the River Severn Crossings".
"We will launch a consultation on the Severn Bridge and confirm further details in due course," he added.
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Tolls to cross the Severn Bridge and Second Severn Crossing into Wales will increase in the New Year.
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Reports in the Netherlands say ex-Manchester United defender Jaap Stam, who recently left his role as a coach at Ajax, is a contender for the job.
McDermott, 55, returned to the Madejski Stadium in December for his second spell as boss of the Royals.
But he only won nine of his 30 games in charge and the Berkshire side finished 17th in the second tier.
A club statement said it had been a "difficult decision" for the board of directors to relieve McDermott of his duties.
Reading said they would now undertake a "rigorous recruitment process" in order to identify the former Arsenal midfielder's successor.
McDermott led the Royals to promotion to the Premier League in 2011-12, but he left the club in March 2013 after just over three years in charge.
Reading had also enjoyed considerable cup success under McDermott, reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2010 and 2011.
He agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal on his return to the club in December and again led the Royals to the last eight of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Crystal Palace.
Reading lost six of their final seven Championship games this season and finished the campaign 12 points above the relegation zone.
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Championship side Reading have sacked manager Brian McDermott after just over five months in charge.
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There have been concerns about the viability of the airport after Ryanair dropped a number of air services.
First Minister Arlene Foster said the money would allow the airport to plan for the future.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the £7m investment was vital because "connectivity is a pre-requisite for economic development".
City of Derry Airport is owned by Derry City and Strabane Council.
The business is currently running at a loss of more than £2m a year and its chairman does not expect it to break even until 2021.
The Northern Ireland Executive has now stepped in to help, but European state aid rules mean the airport cannot just be handed money to cover its operating costs.
Instead, £2.5m will be used for route development, which means attracting new airlines.
A further £4.5m will be used to invest in the airport's infrastructure.
The deputy first minister said discussions are at an advanced stage with another airline, which could pick up some of the lost Ryanair services.
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Details of a £7m funding package to support City of Derry airport have been revealed by Stormont ministers.
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The Premier League's bottom club have yet to confirm who will take over from Mike Phelan, who was sacked on Tuesday.
Reports suggest former Olympiakos boss Marco Silva has been lined up, while former Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett was an early favourite.
Ashbee, who played for the Tigers between 2002 and 2011, told the Press Association: "It's a poisoned chalice."
He continued: "I don't think Gary Rowett is going to take it.
"I think someone from overseas will be appointed. Someone who isn't aware of what's been going on."
Portuguese Silva quit Olympiakos for personal reasons in the summer after guiding them to the Greek title, and also won promotion to the Portuguese top flight with Estoril before a brief spell at Sporting Lisbon.
Vice-chairman Ehab Allam said on Hull's website the club hope to name their new manager before the weekend. Hull host Swansea in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
"They need to get the new guy in sooner rather than later," said Ashbee
"He's got good stock from overseas, but has no experience of the Premier League.
"It's a difficult task even if he had the whole of pre-season to put his plans in place, but it would appear to be impossible now."
It has been a tumultuous season for Hull, who are up for sale. In July, Steve Bruce left as manager after his relationship with Allam broke down.
Phelan was placed in temporary charge and, even though he had only 13 fit senior players at his disposal, his side marked their Premier League return with successive wins and he was named manager of the month for August.
However, the Tigers are now three points from safety and without a league win since 6 November.
Commenting on the situation, former Hull manager Phil Brown told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's not just about relegation as far as Hull are concerned. The fans are worried about their club.
"The stadium was a fortress when I was there and the fans kept us in the league. Now it's known as the library. It's scandalous what's happened to the club.
"There has to be joined-up thinking in wanting to take the club forward."
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The new Hull City manager is facing an "impossible task", according to former captain Ian Ashbee.
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Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control in part.
Today it remains one of the most militarised zones in the world. China administers parts of the territory.
Reporting on Kashmir from both India and Pakistan mainstream media is deeply politicized and reflects the tension between the two countries.
Media in Indian-administered Kashmir are generally split between pro- and anti-secessionist. Local journalists work under strict curfews and also face threats from militant groups. Internet access is sporadic and text messaging services are regularly blocked.
In Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, the media are used mainly for propaganda purposes, mainly to highlight the alleged human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Key dates in Kashmir's history:
1846 - Creation of the princely state of Kashmir.
1947-8 - Kashmir's Maharaja hesitates over whether to join India or Pakistan, prompting the two countries to go to war over the territory.
1949 - Kashmir is partitioned between India and Pakistan, with a ceasefire line agreed.
1962 - China defeats India in a brief war in a dispute over the Aksai Chin border area.
1965 - Second Indo-Pakistan war over Kashmir ends in a ceasefire.
Rise of Kashmiri nationalism: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front is founded with the aim of forming an independent state through the reunification of Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
1972 - Simla Agreement: India and Pakistan formalise the ceasefire line as the Line of Control as part of new resolve to negotiate differences after their war which ended in Bangladesh splitting from Pakistan.
1980-90s - Kashmir insurgency: Discontent over Indian rule leads to armed resistance, mass protests and a rise in Pakistan-backed militant groups. Ten of thousands of people are killed.
1999 - India and Pakistan engage in a brief conflict after militants cross the Line of Control into the Indian-administered district of Kargil.
2008 - India and Pakistan open trade route across the Line of Control for the first time in six decades.
2010 - Anti-India protests in Indian-administered Kashmir in which over 100 youths are killed.
2015 - Political watershed: Elections in Jammu and Kashmir see India's ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party emerge as a major political player in the region for the first time when it forms part of a coalition government with the regional Muslim People's Democratic Party.
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The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades.
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The League One team had the embargo placed on them in November because of a £300,000 bill from HM Revenue & Customs and fees owed to other clubs.
The Latics won their first league game since 18 October on Saturday as they beat Gillingham 1-0 in boss John Sheridan's first game since returning.
Sheridan replaced Stephen Robinson, who was sacked after six months in charge.
"We'll have three or possibly four players in next week," Sheridan, 52, told BBC Radio Manchester after beating Gillingham..
"We need them and they can only add to what we've got and make us stronger."
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Oldham Athletic have confirmed that they have had their transfer embargo lifted and can now sign players again.
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A new manager is required after Mark Warburton exited this month.
And they suffered a 2-1 defeat by Dundee on Sunday in Graeme Murty's second game in caretaker charge.
Further meetings with hopeful contenders are planned in London over the next few days as they look to reshape their management structure.
Ross Wilson, Southampton's director of recruitment and scouting, is one of those who has already met with Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson with a view to taking on the new director of football post.
However, there are reportedly at least another three candidates vying for the role.
Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish has said he would find it hard to turn down a return to Ibrox should he be offered another job there.
Frank De Boer, the former Rangers defender, has admitted that he would be interested but not until the end of the season.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes, another former Rangers player, could come into the Ibrox board's thinking with his current team six points ahead of the Glasgow outfit in second place in the Scottish Premiership.
Former Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew, St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright and Billy Davies, the former Rangers player who last managed Nottingham Forest, are behind McLeish in the bookmakers' odds.
Rangers are 30 points behind defending champions Celtic as the Ibrox side's city rivals lead the Premiership.
They have only won one of their last four games - a Scottish Cup win over Greenock Morton in Murty's first game in charge - and they are only five points ahead of Hearts as they chase a Europa League place.
However, PA reports that no appointment for either Ibrox position is expected this week, meaning Murty is again likely to be in charge when the Light Blues travel north to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Friday night.
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Rangers have held interviews as they seek a new team boss - and to fill the new role of director of football - PA Sport has reported.
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A 50-year-old was taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy after a fire broke out in a chalet in Kelty at 10:50 on Monday.
She has now been transferred to St John's Hospital in Livingston.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the blaze was still under investigation.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland and the Scottish fire and Rescue Service responded last night following a fire at a travellers site in Kelty.
"A 50-year-old woman was seriously injured.
"A joint investigation is currently underway to establish the full circumstances of the incident."
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A woman is in a serious condition in hospital with arm and chest burns following a fire at a travellers site in Fife.
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Strachan's side entertain Gareth Southgate's charges in World Cup qualifying Group F on Saturday.
And the boss believes his men are ready to reignite their qualifying campaign.
"The enthusiasm the players have had and the time they've put in, they're ready for the game, physically and mentally," said Strachan.
The Scots lost 3-0 to England at Wembley in October, but Strachan is convinced his side are well placed to avoid a repeat.
"We have real assets in our team and real assets as a group," said the Scotland boss, whose side are six points adrift of leaders England in the group.
"It's going to be well used tomorrow, we've got to use what we're good at.
"What we have in our group is enthusiasm, fitness and determination, so we must use that. Within that, we must relax when we have the ball, have no fear when we have the ball."
England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane goes into the match in fine form, having finished as the Premier League's top scorer in the last two seasons.
And Strachan reckons Scotland's best chance of nullifying him will be to dominate possession.
"I've been a big fan of Harry Kane for a long time," he said. "I'm sure that Harry Kane has a lot of confidence in himself, which he should have.
"If you keep the ball more than them, that's one way of doing it. If you have the ball at the other end then their attacking players have less chance of scoring."
The match is huge for both sides, but Strachan revealed he has no inspiring team talk planned.
"It's something you don't plan in advance, you feel it," he said.
"You feel the atmosphere and you have to talk it from there, so there's no planned Churchillian speech in the back of my mind at the moment, something kind of materialises.
"Alex Ferguson, I'm sure, never planned some of these team talks well in advance. I'm convinced he never.
"In the modern game, that 'get into them' theory, which a lot of people in Scotland are desperate for us to do when I meet them, died with the back-pass rule, tackling from behind, better pitches," said Strachan.
"That weapon Scotland had years ago, when 'get into them' was well and truly used, is not used so much now because you have to think your way through games."
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Head coach Gordon Strachan says his Scotland players are "physically and mentally" ready for their World Cup qualifier against England at Hampden.
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Only 13 of the 1948 Gandhi 10-rupee Purple Brown and Lake 'Service' stamps are in circulation.
The block of four was sold to a private collector-investor in Australia for the highest ever price for Indian stamps, said dealer Stanley Gibbons.
However, the record price for a stamp sold an auction was $9.5m (£7.4m).
That British Guiana one-cent magenta stamp was sold to an anonymous bidder in June 2014.
The Indian stamps were particularly rare owing to the fact they were in a set of four.
Stanley Gibbons previously sold one of these singles for £160,000 to a client in Uruguay last year.
A block of four is in the Queen's stamp collection, which is believed to be the world's largest and most valuable in private hands.
Keith Heddle, managing director of investments at Stanley Gibbons, said: "The market for high-quality Indian rarities has been strong for several years and is supported by the ongoing desire of the wealthy Indian diaspora and savvy international clients to own these historic assets."
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A set of four stamps featuring the portrait of Gandhi has been sold for £500,000 - but the total remains well short of an international record.
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The M74 will be closed in both directions between J4 Maryville and J5 Raith from 20:00 on Friday 18 November to 06:00 on Monday 21 November.
It is for the safe demolition of Bothwellpark Road Bridge near Hamilton.
The work is part of an ongoing £500m works programme to improve Scotland's motorway network.
Graeme Reid, Transport Scotland project manager for the M8, M73, M74 Motorway Improvements Project, said: "This is the most significant road closure we have implemented as part of the works and we are anticipating major delays on all approaches, the surrounding roads and the main diversion route.
"We are advising road users to plan their journey, avoid the area and surrounding local roads and, if possible, to use alternative modes of transport for the weekend."
The weekend closure will result in no access from the M73 to the M74 southbound at J4 Maryville or to the M74 northbound at J5 Raith.
Signed diversion routes will be in place via the A725, A8 and the M73, although Transport Scotland is warning road users to expect major delays on all surrounding routes.
Mr Reid added: "On a typical weekend we can expect to see as many as 140,000 vehicles using this main arterial route, and we fully appreciate the disruption this will cause.
"However, we need road users to play their part by avoiding the area where possible and using alternative modes of transport to keep traffic levels on the diversion route to an absolute minimum."
Motorists will continue to have access to the M74 southbound at J5 Raith and the M74 northbound at J4 Maryville and J3A Daldowie.
However, there will be no access to Bothwell Services from the M74 southbound.
The next available service area is the M74 southbound at J11 Happendon and J13 Abington.
In a bid to reduce congestion on alternative routes, South Lanarkshire Council will put in place parking restrictions on a short section of Main Street, Bothwell, for the duration of the weekend closure.
ScotRail will also provide extra capacity on trains on Lanarkshire railway services throughout the weekend.
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A busy section of Scotland's motorway link to England is to close for a full weekend next month causing "significant delays" to drivers.
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The event in Cattistock, which also incorporates a food festival, sees participants hurling the locally-made buns in pursuit of a new record.
The existing record holder, Dave Phillips, lobbed his winning knob an astounding 29.4m (96ft) in 2012.
For the first time this year, winners were presented with a bronze knob, cast by local foundry Coles Casting.
Other games include guess the weight of the big knob, knob archery, knob and spoon racing, pin the knob on the Cerne giant, and the knob eating cup.
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Thousands of people have turned out for the annual Dorset knob throwing contest.
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The 44-10 win sees Ireland go top of Pool D and they can seal a quarter-final spot if they beat Italy at the Olympic Stadium next Sunday.
"Next week is the pivotal week. It's pressure for us and pressure for Italy," said Schmidt.
"That is why people come to a World Cup - they want to see how teams respond."
After facing Italy, Ireland complete their pool fixtures with a match against France on 11 October.
"For us it starts in earnest now, because we know we can qualify if we win next weekend," added Schmidt.
"The game against France just decides who we play in the quarter-final if we can win next week.
"Italy, after a win and a loss, need to win to qualify. It becomes a last-16 game for us."
Ireland must wait to find out if Rob Kearney will be fit after he was injured in scoring the fifth try shortly after coming on as a substitute.
"Rob was involved in a high-speed play after coming on the pitch and just after scoring the try he's jarred himself," Schmidt added.
"We hope it is not too much but the next 24 to 48 hours will tell if he has done anything telling for next week."
Losing Kearney would be a setback for Ireland, but several players impressed in a dominant performance against Romania.
Schmidt made 12 changes with Italy and France in mind, but his altered line-up showed few signs of weakness, scoring six tries, including four in the second half.
Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls crossed the line twice each, before Kearney and Chris Henry added two more late on, and Simon Zebo also staked a claim with an impressive display at full-back.
"There were a number of players who performed really well and will create a big of selection headache for Italy," Schmidt said.
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Ireland's World Cup campaign "starts in earnest now" after Sunday's convincing bonus-point victory over Romania, according to coach Joe Schmidt.
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Published in Plos One, their study found empathetic people preferred more mellow, low-energy music.
While those who were "systemisers" - people who seek to analyse patterns in the world - enjoyed punk, heavy metal and more complex music overall.
Researchers say their work could have implications for the music industry.
Many people make snap decisions about the tunes they like or dislike, but scientists say what drives these preferences remains unclear.
To unpick this, researchers recruited 4,000 participants and put them through a series of different tests.
First, they were asked to complete self-reporting questionnaires with statements designed to assess whether they were "empathisers" or "systemisers" overall.
For example, people were asked whether they were interested in the design and construction of car engines and separately whether they were good at predicting how people were feeling.
Participants were then subjected to 50 short pieces of music spanning 26 different styles, and asked to give each a rating between one and 10.
People who scored highly on empathy were more likely to be drawn to R&B, soft rock and folk.
In contrast those who score more highly on systemising tended to like music by heavy metal bands and more complex, avant-garde jazz.
People who score highly on empathy might enjoy songs such as Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley and Come away with me by Norah Jones.
While people who identify as systemisers are encouraged to try Enter Sandman by Metallica.
And when researchers delved deeper, they found even within a given genre, there were differences in the intensity and style of music favoured by each group.
David Greenberg, a doctoral student at Cambridge University, suggests these findings could be employed by the music industry.
He said: "A lot of money is put into algorithms to choose what music you may want to listen to, for example on Spotify and Apple Music.
"By knowing an individual's thinking style, such services might in future be able to fine tune their music recommendations to an individual."
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A person's taste in music may offer insight into the way in which they think, researchers at Cambridge University say.
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The man, who has not been named, was with a friend on Scales Fell, one of the Blencathra peaks, on Thursday.
The terrain meant an air ambulance was unable to land at the scene, so members of the Keswick mountain rescue team took the decision to carry him to a waiting helicopter.
The man was taken to hospital in Newcastle with severe head injuries.
A spokesman for the rescue team said: "Two walkers on their way down Blencathra spotted something blue on a lower path.
"As they watched, they saw an arm move, and realised to their horror that it was a man in distress.
"One of them got down to him, and realised that he had fallen some considerable distance from the path above, and had suffered serious head injuries.
"A decision was taken to carry the patient down. This was achieved successfully and the casualty was then airlifted to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.
A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance added: "The helicopter took our doctor and paramedic as close to the scene as was safe, before landing at the base of Scales Fell.
"The patient was assessed and treated before being carried three miles down to the helicopter."
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Rescuers carried an injured man for three miles after he fell more than 130ft (40m) down a Cumbrian mountain.
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Audel, 30, ended a two-year association with the Magpies at the end of last season having made 53 appearances in all competitions.
The French centre-half has also played for Triestina and Pisa in Italy as well as Macclesfield, Crewe and Lincoln.
He is the National League Bluebirds ninth signing of the summer.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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Barrow have signed defender Thierry Audel on a one-year deal with an optional second year, following his release by Notts County.
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Neilston, south-west of Glasgow, polled best in Scotland, Morriston in Wales and Craigavon in Northern Ireland.
Royal Mail said the study, conducted by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, looked at green spaces, affordable housing and commuting times.
Seven northern locations, including Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria, were in the top 10 in England, the survey said.
Bebington residents, who live near the River Mersey and Port Sunlight model village, "enjoyed the ideal balance" of living close to their workplace, good schools and high employment, according to the report.
By Phil Cooper, BBC Radio Merseyside, in Bebington
Situated less than 10 miles from Liverpool, Bebington has been attracting people for well over a century with its laid-back charm. Villagers boast of a rural lifestyle combined with plenty of jobs and cultural highlights on their doorstep.
The nearby Port Sunlight village, built at the end of the 19th Century to house workers at the Lever soap factory, is now home to an art gallery and museum. Unilever still employs about 2,000 people in the area.
A future prime minister, Harold Wilson, studied here as a teenager and many of the schools retain their reputation for high academic achievement.
Throw in a fine choice of pubs and restaurants and good links to the historic city of Chester, and residents say the "Most Desirable" title is fully deserved - this is a place they never want to leave.
In Scotland, semi-rural areas on the outskirts of cities fared best "thanks to the affordable cost of living, lower levels of crime and better schools".
They were also judged to have better transport links than more remote locations.
Morriston, just to the north of Swansea, was praised for its "mix of low unemployment and reasonable house prices".
Meanwhile, Craigavon in County Armagh - a planned settlement built in the 1960s - was described as having "lower than average commuting times and fewer people working over 50 hours a week".
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Bebington in Merseyside is the most desirable place to live in England, according to a Royal Mail survey.
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The Inspiring Governance scheme will act as a bridge between people wanting to offer their services and schools trying to find governors.
A report last month found that many schools were struggling to fill gaps in their governing bodies.
Schools minister Lord Nash said it could "revolutionise" how schools and governors could be matched.
The project is being run by the Education and Employers careers charity and the National Governors' Association and has been funded for four years by the Department for Education.
It will allow schools to search for potential recruits, either by skills they can offer or where they live.
It will also provide links to support and training for new governors.
Emma Knights, the NGA's chief executive, said 300,000 people were already acting as school governors, but more were needed.
"School governance is very challenging but also extremely rewarding. It's for people who want to use their skills to make a positive difference to the lives of children," said Ms Knights.
Nick Chambers, founder of Education and Employers, said schools and colleges could find it hard to find governors and trustees, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
He said that the Inspiring Governance service would allow people to "express an interest in volunteering via a simple online form. Governing bodies can then look at the profiles of volunteers who have signed up in their area and get in touch with them directly".
The project has also been backed by Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, as a way for schools to find "highly skilled and highly motivated governors".
The government earlier this year abandoned controversial changes to the role of governors.
There had been proposals for academy trusts to operate without any parent governors - but this was scrapped by the incoming education secretary, Justine Greening.
Education minister Lord Nash said it was important to strengthen governing bodies.
"As the people who appoint head teachers and chief executives and hold them to account, governors and trustees should be the driving force behind school improvement, so it's essential that we do more to attract talented and committed volunteers."
The Inspiring Governance website is www.inspiringgovernance.org
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Schools in England are going to be helped to find governors by a free online service backed by ministers.
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It follows 66 Labour MPs voting to extend air strikes to Syria, a policy opposed by party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Morgan told BBC Wales most party members were "very loyal" to Mr Corbyn and "few" backed wider military action.
But he said most Labour MPs were "not really Corbynistas", so the party was having to deal with a "new phenomenon".
Speaking on the Good Morning Wales radio programme, Mr Morgan said: "In effect we have two Labour parties and this is a bit of a new phenomenon, so we've got to try to let it settle down and work out what's the best way forward."
Mr Morgan called a suggestion by the Labour MP and former minister Frank Field that the party should have two leaders was "quite clever" but "not very workable".
Mr Morgan's comments came as Labour celebrated victory in the Oldham West and Royton by-election.
Deputy party leader Tom Watson called the result "very, very good" for Mr Corbyn, and urged MPs to "swing behind" their leader after a "difficult week".
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Labour is effectively two political parties, due to the split between its MPs and wider membership, ex-Labour First Minister Rhodri Morgan has said.
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The Main Stand would be expanded to three tiers, while work on the Anfield Road Stand is also proposed.
In October 2012, the club said they would redevelop the ground rather than build a new one on nearby Stanley Park.
Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said: "Good progress has been made so far and we are proud to be able to unveil our plans."
Part of the proposed redevelopment would result in the memorial to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 moved into the rebuilt Main Stand.
If the proposals to expand both stands go ahead, the ground's capacity would increase to 58,800.
Local residents raised concerns about any expansion in 2012 because it would involve the demolition of some houses near the ground.
The club said that discussions with local property owners were "progressing well" and all parties are close to agreement but added details were still to be finalised.
Following a consultation process, the club expects to present its finalised plans and submit a planning application to the city council this summer.
If successful, they expect construction to begin early next year with work completed by the start of the 2016-17 season.
See the future plans for Anfield.
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Liverpool have revealed plans to increase Anfield's capacity from 45,500 to almost 59,000.
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Mr Hayes, 71, spent three months making and decorating the framework which contains 128 pots of home-grown blooms.
"It was supposed to be 40ft high but the wife wouldn't let me go any higher," said Mr Hayes, who also built his own home.
The tower is made up of six box sections welded and stacked on top of each other and tethered to a wall.
Mr Hayes spends three hours twice a week weeding and watering his upwardly mobile flower be, and has already given it a replanting makeover.
The part-time office furniture salesman said he thought up the project when he was left with a surplus of steel struts after recycling some office desks.
"My wife loves it to bits, so do all my neighbours," he said.
"The reason I'm proud of it is it's a one-off, it looks beautiful and I didn't need any help to make it, everything was done by me, nobody even handed me even a spanner."
With its overhanging cover, the pots in Mr Hayes's flower tower each contain five different plants.
Initially, they had daffodils and tulips but when those died out he replaced them with fuchsias, geraniums, pansies and others.
The couple live in the bungalow Mr Hayes built over three levels himself almost 40 years ago.
He has also worked as a window builder and fitter and has done odd jobs throughout his life.
Mr Hayes moved to Newport from Iraq when he was 19.
His father was an engineer but Mr Hayes says he is totally self taught.
He said: "If you can't think how to do it, think harder!"
"Some say "Jack of all trades but master of none" but I don't believe in that saying - I would challenge any plasterer, any welder."
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Retired steel worker Edward Hayes has built a 26ft (8m) tower of flowers in the drive of his Newport home.
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The move comes as US firm General Electric (GE) and Germany's Siemens vie to take control of French engineering group Alstom's power business.
Any such takeover will now need approval from Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg.
Mr Montebourg is known to favour the Siemens approach over the GE bid.
In a statement, he said the government's new powers of veto would be "applied in a selective and proportional manner, taking each situation into consideration".
Until now, the French government's power to intervene was confined to deals concerning defence and security matters. The decree extends this to the energy, water, transport, health and communications sectors.
Last week, Alstom reported a 28% drop in full-year net profit to 556m euros ($774m; £456m).
The company blamed the fall on restructuring costs, asset writedowns and tough economic conditions.
Alstom is currently considering a $16.9bn offer from GE for its energy business, but Siemens has also shown interest in the unit.
The French firm has said it will decide by the end of May which bidder it prefers.
The power business accounts for about 70% of Alstom's total revenue, and if a deal went through, it would leave the company as a transport business. Alstom's transport unit makes TGV high-speed trains and signalling equipment.
Both GE and Siemens have already met French President Francois Hollande to discuss their potential offers.
The French government has opposed GE's offer.
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French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has signed a decree giving the government new powers to block foreign takeover bids for companies deemed "strategic".
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