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The 16 part-time service personnel have been training alongside about 100 regular troops at the Army Medical Services Training Centre near York. The reservists, from all three armed services, trained in a mock-up field hospital in preparation for flying to Sierra Leone on 20 December. More than 6,000 people have died in the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The UK reservists were joined by Canadian military personnel and Danish health workers for their nine-day training at Strensall Barracks. They will take over from clinicians attached to 22 Field Hospital, who have been in country since October, manning a 12-bed facility reserved to treat health workers with the Ebola virus. Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois said UK forces had "already played a leading role supporting the UK's efforts to tackle Ebola". "During my visit to Sierra Leone last month, I witnessed the impressive contribution the military has provided to the fight against Ebola thus far; by treating infected healthcare workers, providing protective equipment training at the Ebola Training Academy, assisting in the build of six treatment units and providing logistical support," he said. The number of UK military personnel in Sierra Leone will remain at about 800. The Ministry of Defence said the UK had built facilities in the country for about 700 beds for Ebola patients. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the countries worst affected by the current outbreak, which was identified as Ebola in March 2014.
British military reservists are to join regular troops in Sierra Leone to help tackle the Ebola outbreak.
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Recent online leaks showed some officials were receiving over 100 times more than an average public sector worker on about $400 (£305) a month. The cap for government officials is now set for $2,630 and $5,250 for those in the mixed state-private sector. Public anger has already led to the sacking of several bank directors. One of them was paid about $60,000 a month, according to leaked payslips. However, it was not clear whether it was the director's monthly salary or total earnings, including a bonus. Any payment beyond the new limits would now be seen as "a violation and crime", government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht said on Tuesday. The row has also given conservative critics of President Hassan Rouhani new ammunition to attack him ahead of his likely bid for re-election next year.
The Iranian government says it will cap salaries of public officials after a row over the high level of pay of some employees.
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The Create Your Space programme will allow groups to apply for grants to make changes to their local areas or conserve existing sites. The money comes from the Big Lottery Fund and dormant accounts' funding from bank and building societies. Applicants will be able to seek grants from between £500,000 and £2m for a seven-year project. The total grants available come to £8.8m. The council areas are Caerphilly, Conwy, Flintshire, Anglesey, Newport, Monmouthshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham.
Nine councils in Wales are to share nearly £9m to improve natural environments used by local communities.
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Molanna angustata is a type of caddisfly that inhabits Wales and England up to the Lake District and Yorkshire. RSPB Scotland trainee ecologist Genevieve Dalley discovered and identified two males caught in a moth trap at Insh Marshes near Kingussie. The flies' larvae live in water and create protective cases. These tubes are made from tiny particles of sand and stuck together with silk. When they have grown to a winged adult they chew their way out of the case and swim up to the surface where they eventually fly away. However, this journey has to be done quickly or predators, such as fish, will eat them. Ms Dalley said: "It is fantastic to have discovered this new species, especially since it is the first ever record of its kind in Scotland. "However, there is still a lot of work to be done if we want to fully understand this interesting little creature. "We don't know why it's never been found in Scotland before - it could be that the species is starting to move north, or it could be that this type of caddisfly has simply gone unnoticed until now."
A species of insect not previously recorded in Scotland has been found at an RSPB reserve in the Highlands.
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The matter will be discussed at the International Football Association Board (Ifab) annual meeting at Wembley. Ifab are keen to reach a decision in principle at Friday's gathering. "The captain should be more than somebody who has a piece of material on their arm," Ifab technical director David Elleray told BBC Sport. "Can we consult them more about how the game should be played? Should we encourage much better relationships between the captains and players? Should the captain also bear more responsibility?" Former Premier League referee Elleray believes the measures may stop players crowding around referees, as only the captain would have the authority to talk to officials after what he describes as "major incidents". "If that stops six players from each team going to talk the referee that will enhance respect and improve respect for the game," he said. "When I was refereeing, sometimes you could say to a captain 'have a word with Freddy because he's getting quite close to a yellow card' and he could calm him down. "You could explain decisions to a good captain and he could pass that on." Elleray confirmed that discussions have already taken place with an expert panel of players, coaches and referees and that there is widespread support for the plans. Other items on the agenda include a proposal to introduce sin-bins for yellow-card offences. The measure has been tested in Uefa development competitions and some amateur leagues in recent years. If approved, sin-bins will come in at youth and amateur levels and could be introduced to the professional game within two to three years. Ifab will also talk about allowing national associations more freedom to decide on the number of substitutions in a game. The move is intended to help the development of the game at lower levels, "by promoting and encouraging more people to take part". Ifab is made up of Fifa and the four British home associations - the FAs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and is responsible for making the final decision on law changes.
Captains would be the only players permitted to speak to referees about "major incidents", should a proposal from football's lawmakers be adopted.
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Stephen Downing, 55, was jailed for five years after he and his partner Claire Holmes, 26, both of Marsh Green, earlier pleading guilty to supplying the class A drug Downing also admitted mortgage fraud and six counts of money laundering. Holmes, 26, was jailed for two years and six months. Downing, who owned seven houses, a strip of land and business premises in Wigan, has been ordered to pay back nearly £400,000 and Holmes more than £5,000. Police searched their home in October 2012 and found cocaine and drug-dealing paraphernalia and large amounts of cash. Officers returned in 2013 and found more cocaine, about £45,000 in cash, debt lists and details of drug deals. In 2005 Downing had illegally remortgaged his home and used the money to purchase other properties, the police investigation also revealed. The pair tried to blame the drug dealing on Downing's son and he was charged as a result of this false testimony, Greater Manchester Police said. He was acquitted in January when they changed their pleas. Constable Peter Jackson from Greater Manchester Police said the pair were "reprehensible". "Downing and Holmes were determined to live a lifestyle funded entirely by nefarious means. They made their money by dealing drugs and Downing then tried to hide this by fraudulently purchasing and leasing out a string of properties which supplied him with rental income." He said when they blamed Downing's son. it was a "a perfect of example of the phrase 'no honour amongst thieves'"
A couple have been jailed for dealing cocaine from their home in Wigan and ordered to pay back the money they made illegally.
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Bauer Media, which operates the main regional franchises, cited a 10% growth in the reach of its Clyde 1 station since last summer. The industry figures, known as RAJAR, reported that April to June saw an annual rise for Clyde 1 to 643,000 listeners for part of the average week. That was the highest share of the radio market since 2004. The total number of hours during which people listened to the station, which covers west central Scotland, was up by nearly 7% to almost five million hours in total. Forth 1, covering east central Scotland, had 366,000 listeners in the average week, up 5%, and representing nearly 18% of listeners in the area. It saw a rise of nearly half in the number of hours of listening. Tay FM had 135,000 listeners, and achieved a market share of 21%, its highest since 2011. There was a similar market share for MFR, based in Inverness, and Westsound, covering south-west Scotland. Graham Bryce, managing director of Bauer City Network, said: "These fantastic results demonstrate our ongoing commitment to, and passion for, local radio across Scotland. "Our station talent, along with our rich heritage of over 40 years in this sector, guarantee an unparalleled understanding of the market which is particularly reassuring for listeners in times of uncertainty. "Continuing to grow our listener figures in such a competitive space is a real achievement and allows our advertisers to access highly-engaged and relevant local audiences." The RAJAR figures were up for Capital and Heart FM stations. The commercial sector has to compete for audiences with the BBC, from which Radio 2 has continued to have the biggest reach in Scotland. The industry figures, based on a continuing survey of a sample of radio listeners, found that BBC Radio Scotland continued to reach more than a fifth of adults in Scotland. At 20.5% of the audience, that means 929,000 listeners in the average week listening for an average of six hours and 14 minutes. The head of Radio Scotland, Jeff Zycinski, said the share of the audience had remained stable, but that "time spent with the station, or hours per listener, seems to have taken a bit of a dip". He linked this to the end of the football season, and said there would be a marketing effort to increase the retention of audiences through the listening day.
Scotland's main commercial radio broadcaster has welcomed significant increases in listener figures.
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The logo, called Harmonized Chequered Emblem, replaces the first choice which was thrown out last year after the designer was accused of plagiarism. The designer denied stealing the idea. Organisers said the new design used traditional Japanese colours and patterns to represent the intercultural themes of the Games. "It incorporates the message of 'unity in diversity'," they said, and the idea that the Games "seek to promote diversity as a platform to connect the world". When designer Asao Tokolo found out he had won the re-opened contest he said "my mind has gone blank". "I put a lot of time and effort into this design as though it was my own child." The first design was rejected after Belgian artist Olivier Debie alleged it copied his design for a theatre logo. The Games organising committee never agreed to the allegation of plagiarism but said there were too many doubts over the emblem for it to be used. The logo dispute came shortly after Tokyo decided to scrap the designs for the main Olympic stadium because of spiralling construction costs. A cheaper design, by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, was chosen in December last year.
Japan's Olympic organisers have unveiled the new official logos of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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Burton, 62, worked briefly as Albion coach under Roy Hodgson before returning to the club in May 2014, to work alongside the club's sporting and technical director Richard Garlick. Day, 60, recruited in July 2014, was with Albion less than a year. "It was felt changes were required," said Albion chairman Jeremy Peace. Since appointing Garlick in January 2013 as 'sporting and technical director' to replace the FA-bound Dan Ashworth, Albion have had four head coaches - Steve Clarke, Pepe Mel, Alan Irvine and Tony Pulis. "We are looking ahead positively to a new beginning under Tony Pulis after two gruelling seasons," Peace told the Albion club website. "All our focus now is on preparing the squad for a stronger performance. "I am on record as saying we would be engaged in an on-going review at all levels. In Tony, we have a very experienced and hands-on operator." Former West Ham keeper Day was head of scouting and recruitment at Championship side Brighton prior to join Albion, while Burton left his post as Arsenal's head of youth coaching to return to the Midlands.
West Bromwich Albion technical director Terry Burton and head of recruitment Mervyn Day have left The Hawthorns as part of an expected summer reshuffle.
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All 33 crew died when the El Faro disappeared sailing from Florida to Puerto Rico in October 2015. Its wreckage was discovered a month later but search crews were not able to retrieve the black box until now. It is hoped the data will help determine what happened in the final hours before the boat's sinking. "The recovery of the recorder has the potential to give our investigators greater insight into the incredible challenges that the El Faro crew faced,'' said Christophe Hart, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The black box was found in April this year but only recovered after search crews drove a remotely operated vehicle down to the ship's resting place to remove it. Hearings earlier this year looked at Captain Michael Davidson's decision to leave port with a huge storm brewing, and the safety record of the ship's owner, Tote Services. A panel found that Davidson was aware of the hurricane and had planned a safer route but may have had out-of-date weather advice. The El Faro sent out a distress signal on 1 October, saying it had lost power and was taking on water The ship was eventually found 15,000 ft (4,570m) under the sea. A body wearing a survival suit was recovered shortly after the sinking, as was a heavily damaged lifeboat with no one aboard.
Search teams have recovered the black box data recorder from a cargo ship that sank last year near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin.
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The 33-year-old suffered several broken bones after suffering an accident while leading the Superbike race at the Ulster Grand Prix last weekend. Despite his injuries it has been reported that Martin has already signed himself out of hospital in Belfast. A spokesman for Triumph said Martin was "central" to their record attempt. The TT racer and television personality from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is planning to beat the current 376.363mph record (605km/h) in Triumph's 1,000 bhp Rocket III Streamliner. A spokesman for Leicestershire-based Triumph said: "Guy is a unique talent and having such a pilot is absolutely central to our attempt. "We wish him a full and speedy recovery and will confirm a new date for our 2016 bid as soon as we can." On Monday, Martin tweeted: "I'm on the mend - few upgrades to me hand& back but feel right enough. All part of the job. Thanks very much for the support as always." He is reported to have fractured a vertebrae, his sternum, and a number of ribs in the 100mph crash as well as damaging his throttle hand.
A British team has postponed its bid to break a 400mph land speed record after pilot Guy Martin crashed during the world's fastest road race.
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The ex-Middlesex captain moved to Lord's from Essex in 2009 and has scored 5,977 first-class runs since making his debut for Kent in 2005. Dexter, 31, has taken 28 wickets in all formats this season and is two scalps short of his 100th first-class wicket. "It's a bit of a coup for the club," elite performance director Andrew McDonald told BBC Radio Leicester. "It is nice to have someone of Dexter's experience, leadership qualities and skill set join the club. "What he will offer in all three formats of the game is going to be superb. We felt that the little bit of extra experience was needed for this group to be the real deal next season. "It is a good sign when players like Dexter approach us. It shows the steps forward we are taking on and off the field."
Leicestershire have signed Middlesex all-rounder Neil Dexter on a three-year contract from the start of next season.
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The 1954 Hague Convention was set up after World War Two but has never been adopted into law by the government. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale says destruction and looting in Syria and Iraq by Islamic State militants shows it is now essential. The UK is the only major nation not to have endorsed the convention. More than 115 countries are party to the agreement, including all United Nations Security Council members, except for the UK. The Hague Convention was meant to ensure nations and armies would not target cultural treasures. The UK was one of the original signatories to the convention but it was never ratified. The 1990s conflict in the Balkans saw the agreement revised and in 2004 the UK said it would ratify when time allowed. Mr Whittingdale says the convention will now become law in the UK "at the first opportunity". He said: 'While the UK's priority will continue to be the human cost of these conflicts, I am in no doubt we must also do what we can to prevent any further cultural destruction. "The loss of a country's heritage threatens its very identity." A fund to support future intervention by archaeologists to recover at-risk monuments in Iraq, Syria and Libya is also reportedly to be set up by the government at a summit in September. Professor Peter Stone, a leading campaigner for the convention's adoption, says it was "fantastic news... as long as there are no further delays". Shadow culture secretary, Chris Bryant, who says Labour is committed to prompt ratification, said earlier this month that he was "at a loss to understand" why the government had not yet acted. The director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, is also among those to have called on the UK to ratify the convention. IS militants have been accused selling Syria's cultural heritage to raise funds, leading to a UN ban in the trade of artefacts from the country. There are fears the militants may destroy the 2,000-year-old Roman-era ruins in Palmyra in Syria, while in Iraq the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud is among the sites they have targeted.
A major international agreement designed to protect cultural property during military conflict is to be finally ratified by the UK.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 27 August 2015 Last updated at 00:00 BST That's the good news. The bad news is that the Zano drone which the company hopes to start sending to backers next week will not at first deliver what was promised last year. BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones travelled to Pembroke Dock to find out just how challenging it is to deliver on the promises you make in a crowdfunding project.
Europe's most successful Kickstarter project is finally ready to deliver the tiny drone that won more than £2.3m in backing last November.
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Scrum-half Rhys Webb returns after injury, while former captain Sam Warburton is named on the blind-side flank by interim coach Rob Howley. Props Nicky Smith and Samson Lee come in to the team, with Jake Ball in for the injured Luke Charteris at lock. Bath number eight Taulupe Faletau has failed to recover from a knee injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Scott Williams is preferred at centre to Jamie Roberts, who is on the bench, while Dan Biggar will partner Webb at half-back. The Ospreys scrum-half missed the autumn Tests against Argentina, Japan and South Africa after injuring a knee against Australia on 5 November. Lock Alun Wyn Jones leads the team for the first time since taking over from Warburton as skipper. None of the uncapped players in the extended squad have made the match day 23, with interim coach Rob Howley saying it was important to start the tournament with a win. In fact Howley's starting XV averages more than 45 caps a man. "We've gone with a lot of experience with 10 out the XV who started against South Africa," he said. "It's important to start well hence the selection you see. "We've been there as coaches and some of the players have - 2009 comes to mind - when we made a number of changes and given opportunities but we just feel for the start of the campaign we want to start well. "We believe the Six Nations is going to be about momentum and we wanted to pick a rather experienced team to start the tournament." Meanwhile Italy coach, Conor O'Shea, has made five changes from the team that beat South Africa in November for the Wales clash. There are no uncapped players in the Italian squad as captain Sergio Parisse returns to lead the side and win his 122nd Test cap. Italy: Edoardo Padovani (Zebre); Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Luke McLean (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Treviso); Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Ornel Gega (Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne), Marco Fuser (Treviso), George Biagi (Zebre), Abraham Steyn (Treviso), Maxime Mata Mbanda (Zebre), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais Paris, capt). Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Sami Panico (Calvisano), Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Zebre), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Giorgio Bronzini (Treviso), Tommaso Allan (Treviso), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs). Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon); George North (Northampton), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester). Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins).
Wales have made five changes from the team that beat South Africa in November for Sunday's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome.
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More than 500 complaints have been made to the Environment Agency about the site in Cormongers Lane, Redhill. It said it was monitoring gas emissions and would consider formal action against operator Biffa if it was found to be breaching its permit. Biffa said if did not believe levels of hydrogen sulphide detected posed a threat to human health. Residents have been complaining about the smell from the site, described as like rotten eggs or sewage, for several weeks. Green Party councillor Sarah Finch said it reached its worst levels earlier in the week. "It smells like normal household gas, sometimes with a tinge of sewage smell," she added. "It is a very unpleasant smell which catches in your throat and can make you gag." Paul Bennett, from the Environment Agency, said officers were at the site at least once a day to collect data. The information will be sent to Public Health England to assess whether it poses a risk. "If Biffa don't keep the gas within the site and we find that they are breaching their environmental permit, then we are going to consider formal action against the company," he said. Biffa said it had installed a flarestack as a temporary measure, which would burn off the excess gas. It said a blue or yellow flame may be visible at night. "This action is being taken with the knowledge of the Environment Agency and is a tried and tested method to increase gas extraction capacity," it said. "Biffa has undertaken monitoring of the odours and provided the results to the Environment Agency. "Biffa's interpretation of these results is that the levels of hydrogen sulphide detected do not pose a threat to human health."
The operator of a Surrey landfill tip could face legal action over a smell of rotten eggs coming from the site.
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The Tories took six seats more than at the last election in 2013 despite a high-profile defeat for council leader John Osman. Mr Osman lost his Wells seat to former Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt by 95 votes. However, the Lib Dems lost six seats overall compared to 2013. Election 2017: Full results from across England Despite the Somerset losses, Ms Munt told BBC Radio Four she thought her party was "in full-on bounce back". UKIP lost all three of its seats on the council, while Labour retained its three seats. Along with the remaining 12 Lib Dem councillors, three Independents and two Greens complete the new council. The Green party took the Frome East and Frome West wards previously held by the Lib Dems. Following Mr Osman's defeat, deputy council leader David Hall is expected to take on the responsibilities of leader until a full council meeting on 24 May.
The Conservative Party took 35 out of 55 available seats to retain control of Somerset County Council with an increased majority.
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The Imperial College London team hope to overcome the dangerous and common problem of leaving bits of the tumour in a patient, which can then regrow. Early results, in the journal Science Translational Medicine, showed the "iKnife" could accurately identify cancerous tissue on the spot. It is now being tested in clinical trials to see if it saves lives. To avoid leaving cancerous tissue behind, surgeons also remove surrounding tissue. They can even send samples off for testing while the patient is still in theatre, but this takes time. Yet one in five patients who have a breast lump removed still need a second operation to clear their tumour. For lung cancer the figure is about one in 10. The team at Imperial College London modified a surgical knife that uses heat to cut through tissue. It is already used in hospitals around the world, but the surgeons can now analyse the smoke given off when the hot blade burns through tissue. The smoke is sucked into a hi-tech "nose" called a mass spectrometer. It detects the subtle differences between the smoke of cancerous and healthy tissue. This information is available to the surgeon within seconds. Tests on 91 patients showed that the knife could accurately tell what type of tissue it was cutting and if it was cancerous. Dr Zoltan Takats, who invented the system at Imperial, said: "These results provide compelling evidence that the iKnife can be applied in a wide range of cancer surgery procedures. "It provides a result almost instantly, allowing surgeons to carry out procedures with a level of accuracy that hasn't been possible before. "We believe it has the potential to reduce tumour recurrence rates and enable more patients to survive." Trials are now taking place at three hospitals in London - St Mary's, Hammersmith and Charing Cross. Prof Jeremy Nicholson, head of the department of surgery and cancer at Imperial College London, said: "This is part of what we call precision medicine, we're trying to change the world by very aggressively translating scientific discovery in to the NHS." Surgeon Dr Emma King, of Cancer Research UK, said: "The iKnife is an exciting development to guide cancer surgeons during operations. "If its usefulness is supported in further clinical trials, it could potentially reduce the time spent in theatre for many patients."
An "intelligent" knife that can sniff out tumours to improve cancer surgery has been developed by scientists.
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Jose Salvador Alvarenga thanked the president of the Marshall Islands, where he was found late last month, before boarding a flight to Hawaii. He says he left Mexico for a trip in a fibre-glass boat in December 2012 with a friend who died on board. He apparently survived the 8,000 km (5,000-mile) ordeal by catching fish, birds and turtles with his bare hands. For fluids, he claimed to have drunk urine, rainwater and the blood of birds. He was rescued on 30 January by people living on the island of Ebon Atoll. "Thank you for everything the people of the Marshall Islands have done for me during my stay," Mr Alvarenga, 37, said through an interpreter before leaving for Hawaii. He will make his way from there to El Salvador to be reunited with his relatives. President Christopher Loeak presented him with a woven garland, the AFP news agency reports. The fisherman had been due to leave last Friday, but doctors said he needed more rest. The family of his younger friend say they want to speak to Mr Alvarenga to find out more about how their son died, and what happened to his body. Known as Ezequiel, he is believed to have starved after being unable to eat raw birds and fish. Three Mexican fishermen were rescued off the Marshall Islands in August 2006 after what they said was about nine months drifting across the Pacific Ocean. They survived on rain water, seabirds and fish. Castaways from Kiribati, to the south, frequently find land in the Marshall Islands after ordeals of weeks or months at sea in small boats.
A castaway from El Salvador who claims he spent more than a year adrift in the Pacific has begun his journey home.
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Charting the Fife town's medieval history, they are to be housed in the existing Carnegie library and a disused bank. Fife Council has pledged £6.8m and the project has a first round pass for £2.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A first round pass means it meets the HLF's criteria for funding before detailed plans have been submitted. The project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award. The buildings would be redeveloped and a new extension added to create a huge development including a museum, art gallery, archive, library and local history services. Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland, said: "Museums, galleries and libraries are extremely valuable community assets. "They make a great contribution to people's education, self-identity and enjoyment. "They keep our history safe for future generations and they impact on the local economy, often as the cornerstone of an area's tourism industry. "We are delighted to be able to give Dunfermline our support at this stage." Jim Tolson, MSP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said he was "overjoyed" with the backing. "HLF's support for this project is crucial to the long-awaited addition of a museum and art gallery in Dunfermline which will benefit both local people and visitors for generations to come," he added. Brian Goodall, chairman of Fife Council's housing and communities committee, said: "The Heritage Lottery Fund's decision to support the development of Dunfermline's new flagship museum is a tremendous vote of confidence in the city. We are delighted with the news. "Fife Council has itself made a major commitment of £6.8m to delivering this project as part of the council's drive to improve leisure and cultural opportunities for all."
A new museum and art gallery are set to be built in Fife under multi-million pound plans for Dunfermline.
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The British Infrastructure Group (BIG) report says a lack of runway capacity at Heathrow is causing "substantial damage to the industry as a whole". Both Heathrow and Gatwick are bidding for an extra runway to be built. A Department for Transport spokesman said it was important to consider all the evidence before making a decision. Last month, the then transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said a decision on expansion had been put back until "at least October" following the result of the EU referendum. However, BIG - a Commons group led by the Conservative MP Grant Shapps - says a decision should be made immediately, adding that it would show new Prime Minister Theresa May's "mettle". It says it has gathered evidence from local and national authorities as well as academics about future airport capacity. The report's recommendations state: "The problem of capacity at the current hub, Heathrow, is causing substantial damage to the industry as a whole. "It erodes confidence in the government's stated ambition of growing the economy and our international trade." Last July, the independent Airport Commission recommended Heathrow be expanded with a third runway - a 3,500m strip north of the two existing ones - at an estimated cost of £18.6bn. But in December the government delayed its decision, saying further work on noise, pollution and compensation needed to be carried out. Then, last month, Gatwick said the UK's Brexit vote showed it was "clearer than ever that only Gatwick can deliver the new runway Britain needs". The group of MPs also called for the expansion of regional airports "for the good of UK plc". "Only their expansion can address the coming 'capacity crunch' and deliver sustained growth, underlining the concepts of the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine and sharing the proceeds of growth across Britain," the report says. BIG also calls for infrastructure at regional airports to be "joined up" and for airport passenger duty to be made "progressively lower".
The government must make an "urgent and immediate decision" on airport expansion in south-east England, a group of cross-party MPs have said.
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The 20-year-old was granted a work permit by the Home Office after a hearing in London on Tuesday. "I'm feeling very happy, it's a very important step in my career," Coutinho told Liverpool's official website. "Liverpool is a great club with great players. We've always heard about Liverpool's history in Brazil. I know they believe in me and my football." Southampton were also interested in Coutinho, who becomes Liverpool's second signing of the transfer window following the capture of striker Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea at the beginning of the month. Playmaker Coutinho, who has one cap for Brazil, is a product of Vasco da Gama's youth system. He was bought by Inter in 2008, at the age of 16, for €4m, although the Serie A side immediately loaned him back to Vasco, because foreigners are prohibited from playing professional football in Italy until they are 18. However, he struggled to make an impact when he returned to Italy and spent half a season on loan at Spanish side Espanyol in January 2012 before attracting strong interest from Liverpool. "We're always delighted when we get the players we go after," said Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre. "It has been a successful transfer window for us, coming off the back of acquiring Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and now Philippe from Inter Milan. "I think that bodes well for us for the rest of the season and the future."
Liverpool have completed the £8.5m signing of Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan.
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Wales were thrashed 40-7 by the Chiefs on Tuesday and scored just one try as the Super Rugby side ran in six. Gatland's men, beaten 39-21 by the All Blacks in the first Test, have scored four tries in their last three games. "We've spoken about chances that we create and being more clinical," he said. Wales have lost 27 consecutive games against New Zealand, with their last win coming in 1953. They are looking for a first win over the All Blacks on their own soil and play Steve Hansen's side at the Westpac Stadium on Saturday, before ending their tour against the Kiwis in Dunedin. Wales wasted a handful of try-scoring chances in Hamilton on Tuesday, while the two-time Super Rugby champions were supremely clinical. "The disappointment for us was, was there a little bit of white-line fever? There possibly was on a couple of occasions," said Gatland. "You've just to keep being tough on the players and say at this level if you create chances you've got to finish them off and be hard on the players about that. "Sometimes you don't get many chances to score at this level. "Every opportunity the Chiefs created they came away with points. We hammered away in their 22 and created some chances and we've come away with nothing, and that's where we've got to improve." Gatland admits defence is an issue too, with Wales having conceded 16 tries in their last three matches - a run which started with the 27-13 defeat by England in May. "For us, the big thing coming down to New Zealand is getting off our line defensively and looking to be more proactive in dominating those collisions defensively." he said. "At the moment we are coming off second best and that's what we have to better at. "If you win those collisions, you slow the ball down and you stop teams playing a bit more on the front foot. "We've got to get that right, hopefully over the next few days."
Wales coach Warren Gatland says his side must be better in attack in Saturday's game against world champions New Zealand in Wellington.
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Dr McBride will combine the temporary role with his current position as chief medical officer. Among Dr McBride's responsibilities as chief executive will be to improve unscheduled care services and elective care, He will also lead the development of a new 10-year strategy for the trust. Announcing the appointment of Dr McBride last month, Health Minister Jim Wells said he was a natural leader and gifted strategist. "He has been at the forefront of medicine in Northern Ireland for two decades both as an accomplished physician and a highly respected government advisor," he said. "He possesses all the skills and the wealth of experience required to lead Northern Ireland's largest provider of health and social care services." The previous chief executive of the trust, Colm Donaghy, resigned in March of this year to become chief executive of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. In July, Bill Maher, the chief executive of the West/North West Hospitals Group in the Republic of Ireland, was offered the top job in the Belfast Trust but turned it down.
Dr Michael McBride is beginning work as the new chief executive of Belfast Health Trust on Monday.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Calvin Wellington, Elliot Jenkins, Zak Williams, Josh Ralph, Caleb Aekins and Daniel Brown are the newcomers. Wales start against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on Saturday, 28 October. Further group games follow against Fiji on Sunday, 5 November, in Townsville and Ireland in Perth on Sunday, 12 November. The squad features 12 players from Super League clubs, nine players from Championship clubs, 13 players from League 1 clubs and four players from NRL and Australian clubs. "The train-on squad is a mixture of those who have achieved with us and newcomers who have come to our attention," said Kear. "We want to be able to pick the best squad for the World Cup. "Ben Flower, Ollie Olds and Rhys Evans are all currently injured. We're giving them every opportunity to recover, go through their rehab and put their hands up for selection." WALES: Larne Patrick (Castleford Tigers), Zak Williams (Coventry Bears), Courtney Davies, Steve Parry, Lewis Reece (all Gloucestershire All Golds), Danny Ansell (Hunslet), Sam Hopkins (Leigh Centurions), Michael Channing, Ben Evans, Dalton Grant, Elliot Kear, Rhys Williams (all London Broncos), Josh Ralph (Newcastle Knights), Matty Barron (Newcastle Thunder), Joe Burke (Oldham), Caleb Aekins, Daniel Brown (both Penrith Panthers), Ant Walker (Rochdale Hornets), Craig Kopczak (Salford Red Devils), Matty Fozard (Sheffield Eagles), Morgan Evans, Connor Farrer, Andrew Gay, Christiaan Roets (all South Wales Ironmen), Regan Grace, Elliot Jenkins, Morgan Knowles, Ben Morris, Calvin Wellington (all St Helens), Rhodri Lloyd (Swinton Lions), Jake Emmitt, Dan Fleming (both Toronto Wolfpack), Rhys Evans (Warrington Wolves), Ollie Olds (West Brisbane Panthers), Gil Dudson, Lloyd White (both Widnes Vikings), Ben Flower (Wigan Warriors), Phil Joseph (Workington Town). Wales World Cup group matches: Papua New Guinea v Wales - Saturday, 28 October, Port Moresby Fiji v Wales - Sunday, 7 November, Townsville Ireland v Wales - Sunday 12 November, Perth.
Wales coach John Kear has named six uncapped players in his 32-man training squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
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Farmers in the north-eastern Liaoning province, made use of different colours and varieties of rice saplings in order to mimic the 3D effect. The fields are housed as part of a theme park in Shenyang city, which also caters to weddings and camping trips for tourists. The Xibo farmers, an ethnic Chinese group, have an annual tradition of creating patterns on their rice paddy fields. Creating art on their rice fields also serves as a way of praying for blessings. Last year, they produced 13 images featuring different themes of places, animals, and people. Even the legendary Chinese deity Nezha was represented in rice paddy form. The murals set a 2012 world record for the "largest rice paddy work ever made". Officials are also hoping that this year's special 3D rice art will attract more tourists to Shenyang city. "Stunning work," remarked a Facebook user. "Crop circles are so last century." "It's Art Attack! In China," said another.
3D imagery has now reached China's rice paddy fields.
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The poet, from Bellaghy, County Londonderry, died at a Dublin hospital on 30 August 2013, at the age of 74. The inscription on his headstone is a line from Heaney's poem The Gravel Walks, which he used in his 1995 Nobel prize acceptance speech. It reads: "Walk on air against your better judgement." Heaney's memorial is located in a corner of the graveyard adjoining St Mary's parish church in Bellaghy, close to that of his parents and other members of the family. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past". Heaney previously explained why he chose the quotation to include in his Nobel acceptance lecture, as the Irish News reports. "A person from Northern Ireland is naturally cautious," he said. You grew up vigilant because it's a divided society. My poetry on the whole was earth hugging, but then I began to look up rather than keep down. "I think it had to do with a sense that the marvellous was as permissible as the matter-of-fact in poetry." The former professor of poetry at Oxford University said The Gravel Walks focused on heavy work as well as the "paradoxical sense of lightness" when lifting heavy things. It also alludes to a popular traditional Irish reel of the same name. "I like the in-betweenness of up and down, of being on the earth and of the heavens," he added. "I think that's where poetry should dwell, between the dream world and the given world, because you don't just want photography, and you don't want fantasy either." The Gravel Walks, features in Heaney's collection, The Spirit Level, which also includes a poem dedicated to his brother, Hugh, entitled Keeping Going. Hugh told the BBC he regularly visited the grave and encountered people from across the world who travelled to pay their respects to the poet. "Seamus wrote a lovely poem about myself which I'm very proud of and is very moving," he said. "I suffer from epilepsy and Seamus wrote a poem for me in The Spirit Level called Keeping Going, I was at the launch of the book when he said this is a poem for Hugh. "That was lovely and I'm very proud." Hugh said that what was heartwarming about his brother was that despite his outstanding literary career and stratospheric success "his feet never left the ground".
A headstone for Seamus Heaney's grave, inscribed with a quotation from one of his poems, has been unveiled ahead of the second anniversary of his death.
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City led 2-0 at half-time but lost 3-2 after Kieran Lee's 96th-minute winner. Both teams had a player sent off, with Gary O'Neil dismissed seconds after Lee Tomlin's penalty bounced clear off the post when Johnson's side were 2-1 up. "There was a turning point in the game. You couldn't make it up, it's like a bad dream," he told BBC Radio Bristol. "What we have showed is that we can go to a real intense environment and really silence everyone, especially for 45 minutes. "Whether you win or lose, you always learn from it. It's taught me, I know who can't quite handle the pressure and that's interesting." City have 10 points after their first seven Championship games of 2016-17, having won their first two matches.
Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson says their loss at Sheffield Wednesday showed him which of his players "can't quite handle the pressure."
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Chris Martin headed the hosts into the lead from Cyrus Christie's cross after Tom Ince had earlier seen a deflected effort hit the Town post. The Terriers had chances to get back in the game but Jamie Paterson dragged a shot just off target from 15 yards. Ince's shot struck the crossbar before sub Johnny Russell wrapped up the victory with a smart curling finish. It was just a third win in 11 matches for the Rams but victory maintains their hopes of pushing for an automatic promotion place. Darren Wassall's men are seven points behind second-placed Middlesbrough having played a game more. Huddersfield were competitive throughout but defeat means they drop to 18th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone. The Rams travel to QPR on Tuesday while Huddersfield host Reading, looking for their first win in four matches. Derby head coach Darren Wassall: "We believe in Chris Martin but what we did do at Brentford [on 20 February] was have a long chat before the game and say we wanted him firing on all cylinders because he's a great asset to the club. Media playback is not supported on this device "He hadn't scored in open play since October so we decided to leave him out for the Brentford game and he agreed with that decision. Since then, I think it was a weight off his shoulders and his attitude was great. "He came on at Brentford and scored a wonder goal and he's not looked back since. That's all we've done, we told him we really rate him as a player and he's responded which is full credit to him." Huddersfield head coach David Wagner: "Derby had to produce one of their best performances today to be able to beat us and so we can leave the stadium with our head up. "I think there were only some small key points that decided this game and those were in Derby's direction which is why we lost. "It's important that you trust and believe in yourself and sometimes you get what you deserve and sometimes not. Today I think we didn't get what we probably deserved, which was a draw or maybe more.
Derby County remain in fifth place in the Championship after a win over Huddersfield.
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It excludes the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, and, according to its terms, other UN-designated "terrorist" organisations, while including all warring parties that agree to it. The Syrian government says it will observe the cessation of hostilities, but insists that it will continue to fight IS, al-Nusra and "other terrorist groups linked to them". The Higher Negotiation Committee, which represents most of the main rebel factions, has given "preliminary approval" to the agreement, and is expected to announce its final position soon. Syria's Kurdish groups say they will still fight Islamic State, al-Nusra and the Ahrar al-Sham Islamist group, without clarifying their stance on the ceasefire agreement. Islamic State and al-Nusra control large tracts of land across Syria, where fighting will continue. The city of Raqqa, Deir al-Zour province and parts of neighbouring Hassakeh province, which both border Iraq, are under IS control, and it has a presence north and east of Aleppo, in particular in Al-Bab, Manbij, and Jarablus. In May 2015 it captured the city of Palmyra and extended its control into eastern Homs province, and has a limited presence in the rural areas of eastern Hama. The group is also present in the strategically important Qalamoun mountains north-east of Damascus, where it has clashed with al-Nusra. Al-Nusra Front is present in Aleppo and areas to the south and north-west of the city. It also controls parts of Qalamoun region and Hama province. Unlike IS, al-Nusra is willing to conclude tactical alliances and go into coalition with other groups, such as with the Islamist Jaish al-Fatah in Idlib Province. A question mark remains over the status of these allied groups under the ceasefire terms. No. Russia, Iran and the Syrian government regard Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam as terrorist groups. Ahrar al-Sham is likely to be excluded from the ceasefire, given its alliance with al-Nusra in Aleppo and Idlib. But Jaish al-Islam, which controls large areas of the Damascus countryside, has closer ties to the broader Syrian opposition, and any attack on its positions might therefore endanger the ceasefire. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women Protection Units (YPJ) are simultaneously fighting various Islamist groups as part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) campaign. They are fighting IS in Hassakeh province, and al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham around Aleppo. The ceasefire will not have a direct impact on these theatres. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.
The partial ceasefire for Syria brokered by the United States and Russia is scheduled to come into effect on 27 February.
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Middlesbrough Council has secured a £3.7m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore the Town Hall in Corporation Road. The council is putting £4m into the scheme which will turn the premises into a visitor "heritage" attraction. Ivor Crowther, head of HLF North East, said it was a "stunning reminder" of the town's proud industrial heritage. Parts of the Grade II listed building will be opened to the public, including the Victorian courtroom, cells and fire station. The plans also include the development of a new cafe, bar, and a new community space. Work is expected to get under way in January and the Town Hall is scheduled to be closed for nearly two years, the council said. Middlesbrough's deputy mayor Dave Budd said: "The Town Hall is the jewel in Middlesbrough's crown and this project will restore it to its full majestic glory."
Plans for a £7.7m revamp of a 120-year-old council building have been given the go ahead.
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The Reds impressed in last weekend's 2-0 win over Ballinamallard, leaving then eight points behind leaders Crusaders. "We were fantastic against the Mallards and we have to continue that when we play Portadown," said Lyttle. "We'll never give up on going for the title - our squad is in good shape and we'll just keep going for it." He added: "We are not worried about Crusaders, our focus is only on what we do. "We have brought in quality players and we have quality players coming back from injury so the squad if getting a bit bigger now. "Our aim on Saturday is simple - three points and a clean sheet." The Ports have bolstered their attack by signing striker Mikey Withers from Lisburn Distillery on an 18-month deal. Crusaders visit Coleraine while third-placed Linfield, who have brought in forward Michael McLellan from H&W Welders, welcome Carrick Rangers to Windsor Park. Ballymena United will be without the suspended Tony Kane for the Ferney Park clash against a Ballinamallard side sitting just one point above the bottom. The Mallards are under pressure from inform Warrenpoint Town, who remain the basement team but are eyeing safety after an unbeaten run of six league games. However, Warrenpoint's game at Dungannon has been called off because of snow while Glenavon's contest with Glentoran has also falling victim to the winter weather.
Cliftonville manager Gerard Lyttle hopes to maintain their Premiership title push with victory over Portadown at Solitude on Saturday.
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He made the comments during a "candid exchange" with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Hangzhou before the G20 summit, the White House said. In July, an international tribunal ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea. China dismissed the ruling and said it would not be bound by it. The ruling was made by an arbitration tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which both China and the country that brought the case - the Philippines - have signed. The White House said Mr Obama emphasised "the importance for China, as a signatory to UNCLOS, to abide by its obligations under that treaty, which the United States views as critical to maintaining the rules-based international order". Chinese media reports on the meeting between Mr Obama and Mr Xi made no mention of any discussion about the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by other nations, and has caused dismay in the region by building artificial islands and restricting access. Earlier on Saturday, the US and China - together responsible for 40% of the world's carbon emissions - both formally joined the Paris global climate agreement. "History will judge today's effort as pivotal," Mr Obama said. Last December, countries agreed to cut emissions in an attempt to keep the global average rise in temperatures below 2C.
US President Barack Obama has urged China to abide by its obligations under an international treaty in its activities in the South China Sea.
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No-one has applied for the job of lollipop man or woman at Broughton Moor Primary School in Allerdale, Cumbria, despite repeated advertisements since January 2011. Cumbria County Council has proposed scrapping the post and reallocating the money to the town's general budget. Traffic calming measures had been installed on the road, it said.
A school crossing patrol could be permanently scrapped after a four-year search for someone to staff it failed.
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The six "astronauts" wearing bright blue jump-suits and even surgical masks, were paraded before banks of television cameras and hordes of journalists at a news conference before entering their mock spaceship. Amongst the long rows of VIPs at the news conference were senior officials from the United States, China and the European Union. If, as some experts believe, the main aim of the Mars 500 experiment is to publicise the concept of human flight to the red planet, then it has surely succeeded beyond all expectations. "I am very happy to be part of this project," said Diego Urbina, the Colombian-Italian and most extrovert member of the crew. "It will raise awareness of space flight so hopefully a few years from now there will be a real flight to Mars." He confessed that Elton John had been his inspiration. "I don't know if you know that song Rocket Man," he asked. "I want a future like that… where people will be going frequently into space and will be working there and it will be very usual." In front of the world's media, all the team spoke confidently about the chances of the experiment being successful - in other words that noone would crack under the stress of such lengthy confinement in such claustrophobic and bizarre conditions and demand to be let out. "The target is for all six of us to be here for 520 days," said the French crew-member Romain Charles who took a guitar with him into the cluster of brown and silver-coloured metal tubes which will be home until November 2011. After the news conference, the six crew disappeared, re-emerging an hour later by the entrance hatch to the mock spaceship, where they put on another high-spirited performance for the media. Finally, blowing kisses and waving to wives, girlfriends and relatives, they walked up the steps and through the entrance hatch. A solemn-faced official slowly closed and sealed it behind them. So now reality bites for the six-member volunteer crew. What will they be thinking as they sit inside their tin cans in north-west Moscow where outside the warm sun shines and the flowers blossom? There is no thrill of a blast-off and flight through space. There are no windows from which to watch the Earth gradually shrink away. And no anticipation of reaching a new world more than fifty million kilometres away. Instead, silent inertia, stale air and tinned food. And everywhere cameras watching their every move, looking out for signs of mental collapse. They have just one thing to cling on to, that they are playing their part in the history of space exploration. That their success in this experiment will mean a human flight to Mars is a step closer. And space experts already believe the first flight could be just 25 years away or even less if there is the political and economic will from countries with advanced space programmes.
There was all the pageantry of a real space launch.
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Margaret Hughes, 91, died and 400 homes were overrun by water when the River Elwy burst its banks in St Asaph, Denbighshire in November 2012. Work to protect the city from future flooding starts on 10 October. A drop-in session on Wednesday outlines plans which include removing the Spring Gardens Bridge and replacing it with a higher and wider structure. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) hopes this will improve flow capacity downstream and reduce flood water levels in the city. The first phase will cost around £3m and is being funded by the Welsh Government with work scheduled to finish in May 2017. The second phase - set to start in January 2017 - will see flood defences raised and improved in the city and at other locations. Planning permission and funding for the second phase are yet to be finalised. NRW's Tim Jones said: "Building a flood risk scheme of this scale involves a vast amount of preparatory work - from modelling the flood risk, finding options for a scheme, deciding on a preferred option, working on detailed design and securing all permissions and funding. "This takes time but we are delighted to be in a position to start building now. "While we can't always prevent flooding from happening, we believe we have a robust scheme for St Asaph that will significantly reduce the risk and provide effective, long-term peace of mind for people in the city." NRW estimates the entire scheme will be completed within 12 to 18 months. Until then, short-term measures to reduce flood risk will continue on the River Elwy. Councillor Denise Hodgkinson said: "It's very welcome. People who were flooded still can't sleep at night when it rains. " Unfortunately it's taken a long time to raise the funds and put the right permissions and plans in place. Hopefully they will get it right first time."
A £7.5m scheme to protect an area devastated by floods almost four years ago is set to get underway.
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Danielle Marr, who is in her final year at The Waid Academy in Anstruther, Fife, has joined the RNLI crew in the town as a volunteer on local lifeboats. In addition to her studies, Miss Marr will have to carry a pager and respond to emergency calls throughout the day. She is following in the footsteps of her older brother Anthony. She said: "I am delighted to join the crew here at Anstruther. "I've grown up watching my brother volunteer and the difference the RNLI make in our community and I want to be a part in that. "I've been on a few exercises on both the D-class and all-weather lifeboat and have really enjoyed the experience and look forward to continuing my learning." The teenager is not the first pupil at The Waid Academy to be granted permission to leave class and rescue those in difficulties at sea. Station coxswain Michael Bruce joined the RNLI more than 24 years ago when he was at school, and he said he is "delighted" to welcome Miss Marr to the station. He added: "Having just completed her first exercise afloat since being enrolled, Danielle's enthusiasm to learn and become a competent member of the crew was clear to see. "My team are looking forward to training with Danielle and preparing her for the challenges that will undoubtedly lie ahead. "On behalf of the RNLI I would like to thank the Waid Academy for their supportive approach to pupils volunteering in the community and the benefits that come from doing so."
A 17-year-old schoolgirl has been granted permission to leave class to save lives at sea after becoming an RNLI volunteer.
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The line, from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, opened last year at a cost of £350m and carried almost 700,000 people in its first six months. That was 22% more than forecast for the route, which serves towns including Galashiels, Stow and Gorebridge. The line's success is the focus of a conference being held in Newtongrange. Allison Cosgrove, from campaign group Railfuture Scotland, organised this weekend's event. She said: "The Borders reopening has exceeded all expectations, so naturally there's interest from other parts of the country from people wanting to share that success. "The whole area is beginning to benefit from this project, with a hugely positive impact on local tourism. "We'll be telling the story from the point of view of campaigners and politicians, as well as looking at the practical challenges of rebuilding the railway." The Borders was without any connection to the rail network from 1969 until last year after the Waverly Route was axed in cuts recommended by Dr Richard Beeching in his British Railways reports in the 1960s. A plan to reopen the line was passed in the Scottish Parliament in 2006 with work starting in November 2012 and the first passengers travelling last September. The conference is being held at the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, Midlothian, on Saturday. Ms Cosgrove added: "It's appropriate that we've chosen a venue on the reopened line. "It's one of a collection of small towns in a forgotten area of Scotland which have been regenerated and reinvigorated. "Railways are now being talked about in Scotland, thanks to the success of the longest rail reopening for a hundred years."
Small towns on the Borders railway route have been "regenerated and reinvigorated" by the opening of the line, campaigners have said.
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The whirlwind, which Australians refer to as a "willy willy", made a surprise appearance at the Earthcore festival in Pyalong, north of Melbourne. Olivier Bonenfant, who shot the footage, told the BBC that partygoers immediately started running towards the column of dust and debris. He uploaded the footage to YouTube, dubbing the incident a "doofnado". "Doof" is an Australian term for a dance party held in the bush. "It looked pretty fun … if I wasn't filming I would have run into the Doofnado too," the 32-year-old Canadian said.
Revellers at an Australian dance music festival were filmed charging into a powerful dust whirlwind on Saturday.
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Sir Michael Wilshaw said it was critical to have a national system that identified, trained and nurtured teachers with leadership potential. He has given a paper to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, setting out his thoughts on how to ensure schools have strong leaders for the future. He also said school leaders' pay should be publicised to attract top graduates. Giving evidence to the Commons Education Select Committee, Sir Michael said more must be done to bring on the talent of the future. "Have we got a national system to identify good people early in their careers?" he asked. "We need to make sure we have a national system which identifies good people with potential leadership capabilities and to identify them and move them into leadership positions as soon as possible. "It's urgent, it's absolutely urgent." Good teachers could take on senior positions within a few years, school leaders could earn more than £100,000 a year, and the leaders of multi-academy trusts could be "very wealthy individuals", Sir Michael told the committee. "We should publicise that if you're good and you want to make teaching your career, leadership your career, you can do very well financially," he told the MPs. Sir Michael also warned improvements to England's education system would be undermined if more action were not taken to tackle teacher shortages. He said more needed to be done to boost the status of teaching and attract more good candidates. Sir Michael's words come against a backdrop of warnings about teacher shortages, notably from head teacher unions and the National Audit Office. The government has said overall teacher numbers have risen and has blamed unions for "talking down" the profession. But Sir Michael said: "I think what we've got to do as a country is to make sure we get more people applying for teaching and training - and we're not doing that successfully. "All the great improvements that we've seen over the last few years could be undermined unless we tackle this very serious issue." The status of teaching was very high in some other parts of the world and it needed to be the same in this country, the Ofsted boss said. He said it was the job of everyone working in education to help to boost the image of the profession. "We have to make sure that teaching is seen as a really great job," he said. "We need to say how good the job is. "So much of what we hear is negative - the workload, it's a difficult job, badly behaved children et cetera. "We've got to start saying that this is one of the most noble jobs in the world, and we don't hear enough about that."
The need to recruit good future leaders for England's schools is urgent, the head of Ofsted has said.
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Huge plumes of smoke billowed from the site at Belraugh Road, Garvagh, on Tuesday afternoon. The blaze was reported to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) shortly after 14:00 BST. Six fire engines from Coleraine, Dungiven, Maghera, Ballymoney and Limavady attended the scene. The NIFRS said its fire emergency support service vehicle was also deployed, along with a command support unit from Kilrea and water tanker from Pomeroy. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Alan O'Neill from the NIFRS said the fire had been brought under control. "When we arrived there was quite a significant amount of vehicles involved and we increased our fire appliances to six at the scene. "We have been there from shortly after twenty past two and we expect to be there for the next couple of hours."
Up to 600 vehicles have been damaged during a large fire at a car dismantlers' yard in County Londonderry, firefighters have said.
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30 November 2016 Last updated at 08:06 GMT One that has been making news because it's been hard to get hold of is the new 'Hatchimal'. It's a furry toy which hatches out of a plastic egg just like a real bird. But is it any good? We asked some Newsrounders to review it. Check out the video to hear their verdict!
Every year Christmas comes around and with it a whole bunch of new toys.
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The fighters are said to be "hiding in fewer than 10 houses" in the seafront district of Al-Giza al-Bahriya. The pro-unity government force announced its full control of Sirte on Monday, after the last IS-controlled area fell to the UN-backed fighters. However, a spokesman has told the BBC they are not declaring victory yet. The operation's Ahmed Hadia told the BBC: "They've now taken control of the last area, but that does not mean military operations have ended." Mr Hadia said the forces, which have been supported by US air raids, would now focus on "combing the city" to find any remaining IS jihadists. Sirte was IS's stronghold following its capture in June 2015, and had repeatedly portrayed it in propaganda as its main base outside of Syria and Iraq. But the group was forced back into just one small neighbourhood in late October by pro-government forces following a seven-month battle for control. According to the Facebook page of the force backing the Government of National Accord (GNA), IS had been using women and children as human shields during the battle. Pictures of their apparent captives emerging from the area, covered in dust, have been shown on Libyan television. "Today they [forces loosely allied to GNA] helped many women and over 20 children, mostly infants and toddlers, who came out terrified and in dire need of medical and post-traumatic assistance," the Facebook page said. It has been a long and deadly battle for the forces who fought to oust so-called Islamic State from Sirte. The end of the battle there will be welcomed by thousands who had to flee their homes, and by the international community. Although this does not spell the end of the radical group's presence in the country, it does significantly weaken it. It is likely that its members will increasingly resort to staging more deadly, isolated attacks. It still has cells operating under its banner in different parts of Libya. In 2015, when IS was driven out from the first Libyan city it ever controlled - Derna - it reverted back to control under a mix of local Islamist militias with links to al-Qaeda. Libya's complex network of local armed groups, and its continued dysfunctional politics, still provide ripe territory in which extremist groups can thrive. In the months ahead, Libya's vast array of politicians and rival administrations will need to start finding tangible solutions to the ongoing civil conflict, which led to Sirte's dramatic fall into IS hands in the first place.
Libyan forces are hunting down the last Islamic State (IS) jihadists in the city of Sirte, after ousting them from their former bastion.
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The seeds were collected last year during an expedition to a remote location in mountains near Tokyo. Experts suggest that the remaining wild population of Betula chichibuensis is too small to sustain itself unaided. The young trees will be shared with other arboretums in an effort to help conserve the threatened species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) forecasts a bleak outlook for the tree species in the wild. In its Red List of Threatened Species, it observes: "The small population and restricted distribution... make it susceptible to natural disaster or disease. "The species is also self-incompatible, requiring two individuals to be close enough to cross-pollinate one another, making seed production uncertain in small subpopulations." It adds that there was also evidence of deforestation and habitat degradation in the area where the remaining trees are found, "presenting a threat to the survival of this species". Growing hope During 2014, a team led by researchers from the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens, in conjunction with the University of Tokyo, embarked on an expedition to collect seed samples from the threatened birch trees. Part of the team was Dan Luscombe, a dendrologist from the Forestry Commission's Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest. He told BBC News: "I guess we got little lucky in terms of being there at the right time. "It is found in a very, very remote location and it is not an easy place to get to. It has got very, very low viability so we were very lucky that we were able to collect a lot of seeds... as birch seeds shatter and shed everywhere, so once it has done that you will never find it." Mr Luscombe estimated that the team were able to collect about 1,000 seeds, from which the team at Bedgebury Pinetum were able to produce about 100 seedlings. "Ideally, we always grow trees that have been sourced from the wild so we are conserving the gene (resource)," he explained. "At the end of the day, we have got these really rare trees and their habitats are highly threatened. If you want to put them back or want to put them somewhere else then you need to know how to grow them." The long-term aim of the project is also to plant Japanese birch saplings in arboretums all around the country, as well as working closely with their Japanese colleague to protect the survival of the threatened species in the wild. "We will share the love so then other arboretums can try growing this species in different climates and soils etc," Mr Luscombe added. He also explained that planting samples of the trees in various parts around the UK would reduce the risk of the species being lost to storm damage or disease. There are also plans to plant a grove of the trees, known as a seed orchard, to provide an ongoing supply of seeds.
UK scientists have successfully germinated seeds from the critically endangered Japanese Birch, a species that has just 21 known trees remaining.
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Victory ended the hosts' own poor run of four consecutive losses and moves them up to sixth in the table. Ben Foden and Tom Wood's tries gave Saints a deserved 14-0 half-time lead. Sale's rugby league convert Denny Solomona marked his Premiership debut with a superb, acrobatic finish before Luther Burrell's late Northampton try. Victory came at the end of a tough week on and off the field for Saints, who avoided any sanctions when a lengthy review into wing George North's latest head injury was published on Wednesday. They were thrashed 60-13 by Leinster in the Champions Cup last Saturday but Foden's early try quickly lifted the mood for Jim Mallinder's side. Stephen Myler was clinical with his boot, converting all three Saints tries and adding a precise, second-half penalty. Sale, who have not won in the league since October, improved in the second half after Mike Phillips was sent to the sin-bin and Solomona's brilliant try got them on the scoreboard, diving over the Saints defence when just inches from the touchline. For the hosts, Louis Picamoles was outstanding, while the impressive Nic Groom had two tries correctly ruled out; one was for a narrowly forward pass and another for letting the ball slip fractionally out of his grasp on the try line. Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder: "We started well for a change and attacked with accuracy. "It's disappointing we didn't get a bonus point as we needed Nic Groom to score one of the two tries that were disallowed by the TMO. "We've got Gloucester next week and then Bristol at home. These are games we are capable of winning and if we do we can move up the table." Sale Sharks boss Steve Diamond: "We are not clicking at the moment as we are panicking under pressure and can't beat anyone at present. "We've got to keep plugging away but our recruitment is in place for next season when we will have four or five new players. "We need leaders and direction and hopefully the new recruits will provide this. With 20 minutes to go, I thought we had a real chance of getting a bonus point but we couldn't convert our chances." Northampton Saints: Foden, Pisi, Burrell, Hanrahan, Estelles, Myler, Groom, Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Day, Wood (capt), Harrison, Picamoles. Replacements: Clare, Waller, Hill, Ratuniyarawa, Gibson, Kessell, Wilson, Tuitavake. Sale Sharks: Haley, Solomona, James, Leota, Charnley, MacGinty, Phillips, Harrison, Webber, Aulika, Evans, Ostrikov, Neild, Lund (capt), Ioane. Replacements: Briggs, Flynn, Longbottom, Mills, Beaumont, Seymour, Mitchell, Arscott.
Northampton Saints earned a much-needed Premiership win at Franklin's Gardens to inflict a seventh straight defeat in all competitions on struggling Sale.
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Labour had the most councillors on the city council after last week's elections. BBC Scotland revealed that as well as the Conservatives the coalition will rely on the support of three Independents. Labour's Barney Crockett will be the new council leader. The SNP and Lib Dems will form the opposition on the council. A new Independent-Conservative administration will run Moray Council. The Independent councillor for Keith, Stewart Cree, has been chosen as council convener. Meanwhile, the leader of the SNP group on Aberdeenshire Council has fought off a challenge to her leadership. At the group's AGM on Tuesday, Joanna Strathdee was ousted as leader by Rob Merson. BBC Scotland understands that Mr Merson was in post for about an hour before resigning, to be replaced by the former leader. The SNP is the biggest party in Aberdeenshire and is continuing negotiations to form a coalition.
Labour and the Conservatives have joined forces to form an administration in Aberdeen.
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The lender said that property prices grew by 3.6% in the three months to the end of July compared with the previous quarter. The monthly increase was 1.4% compared with June, making the average home worth £186,332. The figures are at odds with other surveys which suggest a slowdown. This is the first time since September 2007 that the annual change has gone above 10%, according to the Halifax. It accelerated from an 8.8% rise in June. "While supply remains low, housing demand continues to be supported by a continuing economic recovery, growth in employment, improving consumer confidence and low mortgage rates," said Stephen Noakes, mortgages director at the Halifax. The numbers, based on its own mortgage lending, counter the view put forward by rival lender Nationwide, which said prices had started to moderate. The Nationwide's estimate of the annual house price rise slowed from 11.8% in June to 10.6% in July. The year-on-year comparison is calculated slightly differently by the two lenders. The Halifax compares the previous three months with the same three months a year earlier to give a smoother comparison, rather than a direct comparison of the equivalent months as calculated by the Nationwide. The Land Registry has also suggested that seven out of 10 regions of England and Wales showed a monthly fall in prices, although these short-term price changes are often volatile. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist for IHS Global Insight, said: "On balance, we take the view that house prices will keep on clearly rising over the coming months but there will be some moderation from the recent peak levels." Halifax is part of Lloyds Banking Group, which recently announced that it was moving to reduce its share of mortgages under the government's Help to Buy scheme. Borrowers are now able to raise a maximum of £150,000 through Help to Buy, down from £500,000. Under the scheme, buyers are required to provide a deposit of of 5% of the home's value, with another 20% backed by the government if the buyer fails to keep up with repayments. The Bank of England has also taken action to try to ensure mortgage lending does not reach unsustainable levels. Enter your details into the calculator to find out: Find out more about this calculator
UK house prices in July were up 10.2% from a year earlier - the biggest annual change since September 2007, according to the Halifax.
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Scientists have analysed a cell found in heart scar tissue which could cause increased risk of cardiac arrest. Myofibroblasts cells in patients might increase the likelihood of an electrical "short circuit". "Cells recruited to the heart to repair damaged tissue might also be the cause of post-attack arrhythmia," said Prof Chris George. The university's molecular cardiology team has led an international team of experts in the research funded by the British Heart Foundation which has also found myofibroblasts can cause irregular heart rhythms which can lead to sudden death in post-attack patients. In Wales, around 50,000 people alive today have survived a heart attack and the latest findings could lead to an improved diagnosis for victims and better treatments. "The number of myofibroblasts that infiltrate into damaged areas of the heart is quite amazing," said Prof George. "To be able to also show that there's a link between the number of these myofibroblasts and the onset of arrhythmia lays the foundations for developing new approaches to prevent post-heart attack rhythm problems in patients." Ruth Coombs, head of BHF Cymru, added: "By investing in research in Wales today, we're making tomorrow's tests and treatments for heart conditions possible."
Research at Swansea University could help predict further attacks and detect problems in heart attack patients.
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The observatory claims radio interference from household appliances would pose "a significant risk" to the Lovell Telescope's operation. Developers deny their plans would cause an "unacceptable impairment" to the observatory, described by Cheshire East Council as "internationally important". A government inspector will now hold a series of hearings into the proposals. Cheshire East councillors rejected the plans for 119 homes in Goostrey last year, concluding the proposals would "result in impairment to the efficiency of the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope". In representations to the council, Simon Garrington from Jodrell Bank said: "Radio interference has an impact on almost all the observations which are carried out. "Interference is correlated with human activity, whether due to intentional transmissions or unintentional leakage from a wide range of electrical and electronic devices. "The proposed development itself is likely to generate interference which exceeds the internationally agreed threshold for what constitutes 'detrimental interference' to radio astronomy observations." The proposed development site, off Main Road in Goostrey, is 1.95 miles (3.14km) from the observatory. Representing Cheshire East Council, Christopher Katkowski told the inquiry that the protection of Jodrell Bank was "a matter of global significance", because the Lovell Telescope's work is "internationally important". The inspector, Gareth Jones, admitted that he was "no expert" in radio astronomy, but he may be making a visit to the observatory to understand its work as part of the process. Gladman Developments launched an appeal after the council refused its application, claiming there was "no evidence" their plans would cause a significant increase in radio interference. The firm argues that the village of Goostrey already produces radio interference, so 119 extra homes would not make an unacceptable difference. Richard Kimblin QC added that the situation may have "some apparent complexities" but insisted the developer's case was quite simple: not enough homes are being built in the east of Cheshire. In a statement to Cheshire East Council, the company said it was "prepared to work with (Jodrell Bank) and consider any reasonable mitigation measures that they might suggest to alleviate their concerns." The government planning inspector will make recommendations to Communities Secretary Greg Clark, who will make a final adjudication.
A public inquiry into whether a planned new housing development would "impair" Jodrell Bank's telescope has begun.
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Firefighters took more than three hours to douse the blaze in Balaghat district on Wednesday evening. Senior local official Bharat Yadav said the exact cause of fire was not known, but suspected that "someone might have thrown a burning beedi (cigarette)". Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories. Mr Yadav told PTI news agency that the rescue operation was over, and nobody was trapped inside the factory. "Of the seven injured, five have been rushed to Nagpur [in Maharashtra] for treatment, while two are being treated at a hospital in the district," he said. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees (£2,396; $3,104) to each the families of each victim. He said the government would also pay for the medical expenses of the injured.
At least 23 people have died and seven others were injured in a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
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East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 18:39 BST and two fire engines were sent to the scene to assist. The i360 pod was carrying a private party, including a heavily pregnant woman, who boarded the pod at about 17:00. It was lowered to the ground about two hours later. The BAi360 Twitter account said: "Our engineers are resolving the problem & expect it to be working normally soon." A local firm of building and quantity surveyors, MacConvilles, tweeted saying: "Our Director is enjoying the hospitality of the #i360. Technical hitch has halted ride but help is on its way!" Tim Jones, one of the party organisers, said: "We weren't very high up when we juddered to a halt and we were told by staff to move to one side of the pod to 'recalibrate the weight' - which made some people a bit nervous. "It was an interesting experience, and quite ironic as the party was organised by four local businesses who wanted to come together to celebrate the tower's opening." "Only two interactions were made over the two hours and they kept pretty quiet about the free bar and the emergency toilet until we were nearly on the ground," he added.
A "technical hitch" has been blamed for leaving 180 passengers stuck on British Airways's i360 attraction in Brighton.
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Made during the reign of King David I of Scotland, the penny was unearthed by a metal detector in a field in the north of England. Experts think it could fetch between £8,000 and £12,000 when it goes up for auction on 22 September. The penny bears the head of King David I, who ruled Scotland from 1124 to 1153. It is thought to have been struck some time after the Scots invaded England in 1136 to intervene in a civil war over the English throne. The coin will be auctioned in London by international coin specialists Dix Noonan Webb, and the auctioneers have described it as very important. It is one of the first to be struck bearing the head of a Scottish monarch and represents a key moment in the development of independent Scotland. The 54-year-old metal detectorist who found it has asked not to be named. He discovered the coin in a field in County Durham, on the site of a long-lost medieval village after he was given permission to search the area two years ago. He also turned up pennies from the reigns of English kings Edward I and Edward III as well as Elizabethan coins, two modern gold rings and a large number of bullets. The coin was almost certainly dropped in the medieval village which, in the 12th Century, was in an area of Northumbria granted to David I under the Treaty of Durham in 1139. It may, therefore, have lain in the soil for almost 900 years. Hiram Brown, of the Edinburgh Coin Shop, told BBC Scotland: "This coin is unique because it has an Edinburgh side with David on it, and the other side is Carlisle. It was probably struck in Carlisle. "David and his son Prince Henry attacked Carlisle and took over silver mines in that area and struck coins. "They went on to strike coins in many places in Scotland."
One of the earliest coins ever minted in Scotland is going under the hammer.
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More than 600 of the 800 employees at Porton Down are at risk of having their jobs relocated to Harlow in Essex. The HPA proposed the move to a single site in 2010 but now the Department of Health wants at least another 12 months "to fully assess all the details". Dorothy Fogg, from Unite, said despite uncertainty staff felt more positive. The HPA has been responsible for responding to public health hazards such as swine flu since 2003. In a letter sent to staff, the HPA said the government had requested a "considerable amount of additional work be done" on the business case for relocating staff to Essex which will "add a further year before the case is ready for resubmission". Dr Christine McCarthy, the executive director of microbiology at the HPA at Porton Down, said employees had "anticipated a decision with a five year wait and now it looks like it will be six years". "This is a very large investment of public funds - especially in the current climate - and they [the government] want as much information as possible to inform the final decision and they want to make the right decision," she said. "But it's putting staff in a very difficult position - they have had two and a half years of uncertainty and this uncertainty is now going to be prolonged for yet another year." But Dorothy Fogg, from the Unite union, said staff were also feeling optimistic about the decision. "There's the uncertainty - they keep being told it will be sorted out year after year which causes frustration - but they're also feeling more positive," she said. "And people are quite hopeful that when they review the case that they will hopefully recognise that it is better to keep the work and the people on site at Porton." And MP John Glen said it was "very good encouraging news". "What we're talking about here is spending possibly £300m on a very, very sensitive facility to deal with the most tragic circumstances in terms of public health so I think it's important that they get it right," he said. "But what I think is interesting, in the letter that was sent to staff, is that Justin McCracken [chief executive of HPA] says that a decision in principle has not been made. "I think that's an admission that the case has not been made and that those who work at Porton should be very reassured."
Hundreds of staff at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in Wiltshire are facing another year of uncertainty over the future of their jobs.
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Mytravelpass, which is funded by the Welsh government, will entitle 110,000 passengers aged 16-18 to a third off bus fares anywhere in Wales. Transport Minister Edwina Hart said it would make it easier for young people to access jobs and training opportunities. The pass applies to local journeys and longer distance TrawsCymru routes. The scheme is part of a Labour-Liberal Democrat deal struck in September 2014 to pass the Welsh government's budget.
A £15m discounted bus travel scheme for young people has been launched.
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The new measure comes into force on Friday as police launch their annual winter drink-drive campaign. Previously, police needed reasonable suspicion before asking a driver to take a breath test. The new legislation was passed through the Assembly in April, but this is the first time it has been used by police. The PSNI said there was no safe limit and that motorists should never drink and drive. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said the new legislation gave police "another tool that will hopefully help us to prevent people taking life-threatening, unacceptable, simply stupid risks". "Previously, police officers needed a reasonable suspicion about the manner of someone's driving, have seen a moving traffic offence, or been called to a collision before requiring a preliminary breath test from a driver," he said. "The new legislation means we can now establish vehicle checkpoints solely for the purpose of carrying out random breath tests, something which we hope will act as an even more visible, physical deterrent." During last year's operation, almost 400 people were caught drink-driving by police. "Just one drink can impair ability to drive. Considering that in some instances, we have stopped drivers who were so drunk, they could barely stand when they got out of their vehicle, just beggars belief," said Ass Chief Const Todd. "At the other end of the spectrum, we detected some drivers who had gone out socialising and not intended to drive, but their circumstances changed and they decided to take a risk. A risk which inevitably results in a driving ban." Police said they would also be working with officers from the Irish police traffic department in border counties. "In addition to the checkpoints, any driver or motorcyclist we stop, whether for speeding, using a mobile phone, or committing any moving traffic offence can expect to be breathalysed," he added. "So too can anyone involved in a collision or who we suspect may have consumed alcohol or taken drugs."
Police are to conduct random breath tests at vehicle checkpoints as a result of new legislation in a bid to crack down on drink-driving.
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Ministers have said it would be wrong to give a guarantee without a similar deal for Britons abroad, which they say they will seek in Brexit negotiations. But the Commons backed a Labour motion urging a rethink by 245 votes to two, as government MPs largely abstained. Leading Leave campaigner Boris Johnson was among several Tory rebels to vote against the government. The government had tried to avoid a Commons vote because defeat seemed likely - but Labour forced a division following its opposition day debate. The motion is not binding on the government but it acts as a signal of MPs' views on the subject. Mr Johnson supported Labour's call for ministers to "commit with urgency" to giving the estimated three million EU nationals in the UK the right to remain after the country has left the EU. He told MPs: "I would like to set on record that countless times the Vote Leave campaign gave exactly this reassurance to people from other EU countries that live and work here and it is very disappointing that this is being called into question. "It think it's absolutely right to issue the strongest possible reassurance to EU nationals in this country, not just for moral or humanitarian reasons, but very, very sound economic reasons too. "They are welcome, they are necessary, they are a vital part of our society and I will be passionately voting for this motion tonight." Home Secretary Theresa May, who backed staying in the EU, has been criticised - including by many Conservative MPs - for failing to guarantee EU citizens already in the UK the right to remain. She has said the issue will play a part in negotiations with the EU, as the UK maps out its withdrawal. Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham accused Mrs May of using EU citizens as "bargaining chips". He claimed Mrs May was trying to "woo" Conservative Party members in her bid to become the next leader and prime minister. Criticising her absence from the debate, Mr Burnham accused Mrs May of an "abdication of leadership". But immigration minister James Brokenshire - who faced criticism from MPs across the political spectrum over the government's stance - rejected the claim it was treating EU citizens as "bargaining chips". "In the approach the government takes and the agreements we make, we will never treat EU citizens as pawns in some kind of cynical game of negotiation chess." He said the government's aim was to secure a "fair deal" for EU nationals in the UK and Britons living abroad in other European countries. In a statement on Wednesday evening after the Commons vote, Mr Burnham said MPs' decision was "a victory for common sense and decency". "With this emphatic result, it is impossible to see how the government can now reverse what is the clear will of the House of Commons. "Theresa May should accept the decision of the House and confirm the legal status of EU nationals without delay," he added.
MPs have put pressure on the government to guarantee EU nationals living in the UK the right to stay after Brexit.
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Labour's Carwyn Jones said his government would fight Wales' corner, while Conservative Andrew RT Davies promised a "brighter future". Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood pledged to share her vision across Wales in 2016, while the Lib Dem's Kirsty Williams said her party was "up for the fight". UKIP is also expected to win its very first seats in the assembly in May. Giving his New Year's message, the Welsh Labour leader highlighted the organ donation laws as a defining moment in 2015. "For me, one of our greatest achievements of the year was Wales becoming the first country in the UK to introduce a new system for organ donation," said Mr Jones. He said his government continued to invest "record amounts" in the Welsh NHS, while delivering improvements in education, and economic growth that "continues to outperform the UK as a whole". He also wished the Wales football team well ahead of the Euro 2016 finals in France. But with a fight on his hand to win outright in May's elections, the Labour leader added: "We'll never take our foot off the pedal, we'll always fight Wales' corner, striving for the best. The people of Wales deserve nothing less." In his address, the Welsh Tory leader said 2016 gave Wales the chance for a "fresh start". "After 17 years with Welsh Labour at the helm, Wales finds itself at a crossroads and there are big decisions ahead," said Mr Davies. He said voters had a straight choice between "the change Wales needs for a brighter future, or sticking with Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party". Leanne Wood takes her party into the Welsh general election as leader for the first time, stating she will be travelling the "length and breadth of our country and making the case for Plaid Cymru and sharing my vision for Wales". "On that election day, the path Wales chooses will be in your hands. Forward with Plaid or more of the same, from the same old politicians." Liberal Democrat leader Ms Williams said Wales was "crying out for fresh ideas and a government that puts people first". "In 2016 our mission will be to show people that we will help them reach their aspirations, that we have a record of delivery for our communities and that our values are needed in the assembly now more than ever," she said. But while all four party leaders push their own messages home, they will also be keeping one eye on the challenge from UKIP, and what it may mean come 5 May. Opinion polls have suggested UKIP could win several seats in the Senedd. Their Welsh leader Nathan Gill told his party conference in the autumn that he was "extremely hopeful" of winning seven or eight assembly seats. "I have long predicted Wales will be one of the strongest regions for UKIP in the United Kingdom," he said. "Next May will see that come to fruition."
The assembly's four party leaders have delivered New Year messages with an eye on the 2016 elections.
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Wales kick-off their Six Nations campaign against Ireland on 7 February and Henry believes they have previously relied too heavily on strength. Despite lauding Wales for their "fabulous" World Cup performance, the 69-year old believes Warren Gatland's side are capable of more. "There are guys trying to use their brawn rather than brain," Henry said. Henry, who won the World Cup in 2011 as coach of the All Blacks, had a spell in charge of Wales between 1998-2002. In an interview with BBC Wales' Scrum V Radio, Henry also had plenty of positive things to say about Wales, stating that both George North and Dan Biggar are world class performers. "The Welsh have got very good forwards and a very good defensive system," Henry added. "They've obviously got a good coach and the way the play for each other and what they did in the World Cup was fabulous. "George North is as good a winger as anyone in the world, Dan Biggar is a fabulous 10, one of the players of the World Cup." However, despite individual talent, Henry feels Wales are struggling in attack. "But the attack game, how do they score tries? Well, they've got the players," he said. "But as a 15 they aren't putting it together as an attacking unit and that's the challenge moving forward. Media playback is not supported on this device "The Welsh defence is very good, they have world class goal kickers, but the attack has always been a bit questionable." Henry feels the World Cup group clash against Australia provided the perfect example of Welsh shortcomings. "I don't want to be critical, but in the Australia game they [Australia] were down to 13 players," he said. "Wales attacked for a long time, had numbers, but didn't use them. "So you wonder about the intelligence of the attacking game on the field. "So I guess that is the next step forward."
Former head coach Graham Henry believes Wales can improve their attacking play by showing more intelligence.
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Six of the nine people confirmed to have the infection in the past month are linked to a person who contracted it at the Green Gathering festival in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. Since the start of July, measles cases have been confirmed in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Powys. People have been advised to get the MMR vaccine. All cases have links to festivals in England and Wales and Public Health Wales has warned people they should not attend big events without checking they and their children have had the vaccination. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause complications and can even prove fatal. Measles - what to look for:
An outbreak of measles has been confirmed in Carmarthenshire, Public Health Wales has said.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 19 August 2014 Last updated at 11:03 BST Flight engineers Oleg Artemyev and Aleksandr Skvortsov launched a small satellite named Chasqui I. It is a joint project between the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Peruvian government. The two cosmonauts, which is the Russian term for astronauts, are also carrying out maintenance on the ISS during the spacewalk.
Two Russian cosmonauts have set off on a spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) to launch a nano-satellite.
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The former West Indies seamer was injured while playing football during the warm-up in a County Championship match against Yorkshire in April. Edwards, 34, is on crutches following an operation. "His injury is pretty bad and I think that it would be best to get him right for next season," Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein told BBC Radio Solent. Fellow ex-Windies pace bowler Tino Best has joined the county on a short-term deal in Edwards' absence. Benkenstein admitted the chance of seeing the Barbados duo, both signed as non-overseas players under the Kolpak ruling, sharing the new ball for Hampshire would have to wait. "You never know, maybe next year," he added. "Fidel is very fit and some people heal quicker than others. "But, as a fast bowler and with the force he puts through his body, an injury like that might be asking a bit too much from him."
Hampshire fast bowler Fidel Edwards is set to miss the rest of the season after surgery on a broken ankle.
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The Dons can move level with Celtic at the top of the Premiership with victory at Firhill, albeit having played two more matches. "The players are eager to get back to winning ways," McInnes said. "It's important to keep the games we lose to a minimum and try to make sure we bounce back with three points." McInnes stressed that his side will face a stern test against Thistle, and warned the condition of the pitch could also make life difficult. "They're a good team. They're a team that I admire greatly, how they go and try and win games. I think they're who will still have top six aspirations. "They are a side who are capable of getting results against anybody so we've got our work cut out. Equally they've got their work cut out against us, and we need to go down there and show what we are capable of. Media playback is not supported on this device "It'll be a tough game for us. The pitch might be difficult. It might not be pretty on the eye at times for both teams but we have to try and find a way to win." McInnes, who confirmed that winger Jonny Hayes will miss up to a month's action with a hamstring injury, expressed his "surprise" that no retrospective action has been taken over the penalty awarded to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Monday's loss in the Highlands. The Dons boss was furious after the Dons' 3-1 defeat, saying Ross Draper had "conned" referee Willie Collum to set up the spot-kick converted by Greg Tansey. "There was anger and frustration at the time but it's done and dusted and we move on," said McInnes. "There's no real merit in us getting involved in that. "While there is anger from everybody at the club, you just hope that things get dealt with properly." Media playback is not supported on this device The penalty was given when Draper and Aberdeen defender Ash Taylor both had their feet up high when challenging for the ball. And the Caley Thistle midfielder was adamant that there had been sufficient contact for him to go down. Draper was quoted saying: "Just say what you believe. I thought it was a penalty. That's me being honest. If he [McInnes] thinks it's a dive then say so." Asked to respond to Draper's remarks, McInnes replied: "I said what I had to say afterwards and that was clear. I think the incident is clear as well."
Derek McInnes wants to see his side bounce back from defeat at Inverness and keep their title hopes alive with victory at Partick Thistle on Friday.
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The biscuits were taken from Burton's Food Ltd on Ty Coch Way in Cwmbran, Torfaen, on 17 June. The man, from Liverpool, has been charged with theft and allowing himself to be carried in a motor vehicle which had been taken without the owner's consent. He appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The empty trailer was found in Warrington and vehicles used in the theft have since been seized by police.
A 24-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the theft of a trailer containing £20,000 worth of biscuits.
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The Gunners, who had lost back-to-back league games to rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, went ahead through Jordan Nobbs' fine long-range strike. Midfielder Dominique Janssen's header doubled Arsenal's lead after the break. Emma Follis curled in to give newly promoted Reading hope in the closing stages, but the Royals missed chances and remain winless in the top flight. Spain's Natalia had put the ball in the net for Arsenal with the score at 1-0, but was deemed to have been offside. Reading - who lost their opening game of the season 3-1 at Arsenal in March - rallied in the latter stages and Follis almost equalised in stoppage time but saw her volley go wide. Chelsea Ladies maintain 100% winning start Birmingham Ladies earn first points of the season Arsenal defender Casey Stoney: "If we had gone away with a draw we would've had to seriously look at ourselves. "Three points tonight was massive for us to just get a little bit of confidence back and a bit of rhythm back - and also some points, most importantly. "It should have been more comfortable, given the first half, but also in the second half we had a couple of one-on-ones with the goalkeeper and we haven't taken them. "But credit to Reading, they never give up, they always fight. They're doing really well considering they're a newly promoted team. They're very difficult to play against." Reading forward Lauren Bruton: "In the last 20 minutes we actually did really well and it's a shame that we didn't start that way. "It was a tough game and it's just a shame that we had all the pressure in the last 20 minutes, but it wasn't meant to be. "We were hoping to go in 0-0 at half-time and unfortunately they scored. But we were happy with 1-0 at half-time and we knew we could push them in the second half. It was just a shame that we let in that second goal but we finished so well."
Arsenal Ladies beat Reading Women for the second time in four league games to go third in Women's Super League One.
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Following a delayed start 34 overs were bowled, in which Gloucestershire moved on from 31-0 overnight to 120-1. After a long delay, the two teams came back out under the lights at 21:00 BST, but the visitors remained untroubled. After 21 from Chris Dent, Bancroft got to 69 with Will Tavare still there on 43 as the visitors closed on 150-1. Having begun the day with fears of following on, on his 50th first-class appearance, Tavare's unbroken stand of 88 with Australian Bancroft, who passed his previous season's best of 53, leaves Gloucestershire just 59 runs short of that initial target. But against a Sussex side who are unbeaten in seven matches with Gloucestershire, there is little hope of the visitors improving on their record of just two wins from 18 visits to Hove.
Cameron Bancroft made only his second County Championship half-century of the season as Gloucestershire reached 150-1 against Sussex at rain-hit Hove.
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The steps to Petit Port Bay were shut in May after damage caused by heavy rainfall during storms. An inspection by engineering consultants Frederick Sherrell Ltd will start on Monday and is due to end on 27 March. The department said if no further work was needed the steps should be re-opened for the Easter holiday. Four parking spaces will be suspended in the Petit Port car park for the duration of the works. The bay was previously closed between 2001 and 2005, after a series of landslides made the area too dangerous to access. It was only reopened after new concrete steps, handrails and fencing to contain rockfalls were installed.
Steps at a bay in Guernsey could be opened by Easter, according to the environment department.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Chris Kane struck six minutes from the end in Perth to claim a hard-fought 1-0 Scottish Premiership victory against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. It was only their second success in the last 12 league matches but was enough to move them on to 39 points - level with fourth-placed Ross County. "Overall we are having not too bad a season," said Wright. "I mentioned to the players that we are now just two points worse off than we were this time last season. "Hopefully we build on this now as I think we deserved the win." Saints, who have nine games to play, were made to wait for their win with David Wotherspoon having a penalty saved by Owain Fon Williams shortly before Kane's winner. "I thought we looked more likely to score but we have missed a few penalties and I feared the worst when that happened," Wright said. "But fair play to David as he didn't let that get to him and he had an excellent game and contributed in the build-up to the goal." Caley Thistle manager John Hughes reckons his team were responsible for their own downfall in a game they finished with just 10 men. Captain Gary Warren was sent off in the second half for two yellow cards, the second of which was for conceding the spot-kick. "I said to them at half-time, 'only one team can beat you here and that's yourself' and that's what happened," said Hughes. "There's no way we can feel sorry for ourselves. If we had kept 11 players on the park we might have got something. "I was a little bit disappointed that even with 10 men we couldn't see the match out and get a draw. "St Johnstone have thrown the kitchen sink at us and we nearly got the draw even if we lacked a bit of penetration up top. "We were trying to hang on a bit after Gary was sent off and he was just caught out a couple of times. "I really feel for the boys as they put their bodies on the line but it didn't work out after putting in so much effort. "Especially for the goalkeeper as Owain made a great save and I thought at that point it might be our night but it wasn't to be." The Highlanders remain ninth, five points clear of the relegation zone and three points off the top six. "It is very tight in the league at the moment and it is going to be nip and tuck right until the split," added Hughes. "We do still want to get into the top six and while we have had a hard programme there are no excuses. "There is still a lot to play for this season and I am hoping to have more numbers to pick from in the weeks ahead."
Tommy Wright insists St Johnstone are on course to equal last season's points tally of 57 despite a recent poor run.
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The talks will focus on the practical measures needed to reopen embassies in Havana and Washington. Although relations have improved in recent months a US trade embargo remains in place. Last month President Barack Obama said Cuba would be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Havana had said it needed to be taken off the list before talks to reopen embassies could begin. In a statement the State Department said it will host a Cuban delegation on 21 May. "A US Embassy in Havana will allow the United States to more effectively promote our interests and values, and increase engagement with the Cuban people." In April, President Barack Obama met Cuban President Raul Castro, the first sit-down talks between the nations' leaders since 1956.
The US State Department has said that US and Cuban negotiators will meet next Thursday to discuss re-establishing embassies in each other's capitals.
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The 24-year-old sustained the injury to his right knee during last week's EFL Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham. It is not the same knee in which he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October 2015 that sidelined him for seven months. "To say we are gutted would be an understatement," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. "He is such a great boy and has worked so hard that he deserves better luck than this. "It is typical of Danny's personality, on and off the pitch, that he picked up this injury to his knee when courageously trying to win the ball back for his team by making a tackle. "But it is this same personality that means he will come back as good and as strong from this latest setback as he has done in the past. "He is mentally strong, physically strong and will have the very best treatment and rehab possible to make sure when he returns he is ready to play for us at the level we know he is capable of." England international Ings will have surgery in London on Tuesday. He joined Liverpool from Burnley in June 2015 for a fee that was later set at £8m by a tribunal. However, injuries have limited him to just 11 appearances for the Reds since then, in which he has scored four times. He made his one and only England appearance as a substitute in the 3-0 Euro 2016 qualifier in Lithuania in October 2015, shortly before he suffered his anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Liverpool striker Danny Ings will be out for up to nine months with a knee injury that requires surgery.
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In an answer to Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Education Minister Anne Milton said the total 2016-17 budget for 16- to 19-year-olds in England was £5.9bn. But the Sixth Form College Association said its analysis of the detail showed only about £5.7bn had been spent. The government says it has tackled unfair funding in post-16 education. But the Sixth Form College Association says standalone sixth forms still lose out compared with sixth forms that are part of schools. And leaders of both schools and colleges say they have had to cut courses and reduce student support in response to growing funding pressures. The researchers say the shortfall amounts to a loss of £164 per student over the course of the year. The association says a survey of its members in standalone sixth-form colleges in October suggested two-thirds had dropped subject courses as a result of funding cuts and increased costs. While the Association of School and College Leaders, which represents secondary school head teachers, reports similar difficulties in school sixth forms. Sixth Form Colleges Association chief executive Bill Watkin said the quality of the education was suffering. "We urge the Department for Education to ensure that this £200m under-spend finds its way to colleges and schools in time for the beginning of the academic year in September," he said. "Ours is the last budget in the Department for Education that should be under-spent." And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and Colleges, said schools were being hit across the board by rising costs "but the situation in post-16 education is even more serious because these pressures come on top of funding cutbacks in the last Parliament". Ms Lucas, vice-chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sixth Form Colleges, said she found it "hard to understand why £200m of the sixth-form education budget has not reached the education front line". "The government needs to clarify where this money has gone and ensure that it is redirected to school sixth forms and colleges as soon as possible," she said.
The government has under-spent its sixth-form education budget by £200m this year, analysis of figures from a written ministerial answer suggests.
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James, 19, is the younger sister of double Olympic silver medallist Becky and double world para-cycling tandem pilot champion Rachel. She competes in the women's Under-23 race on Saturday. James believes she can improve on her 15th place in 2016 event, saying "My big aim is to get top 10." The 68th Cyclo-Cross World Championships are being held in Belvaux. "I got some really good training in over the winter and I feel in top form," James told BBC Wales Sport. Race preparations have been affected by a cold snap, which has left the course covered in snow and ice. "There have been so many people crashing (in training)," James said. "There are sheets of ice on some of the corners. "It's definitely going to level the playing field a little bit. "People can't just use their strength to ride away from everyone else." James watched her sister Rachel win silver in the National Track Championships sprint on Friday evening. Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.
Teenage cyclo-cross rider Ffion James hopes to impress at the World Championships in Luxembourg on Saturday.
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Ms Sturgeon, 46, who has no children, revealed that she had a miscarriage while she was deputy first minister. She said she hoped allowing the details to be written about in a new book would challenge assumptions made about women. "Sometimes... having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to," she added. In the book, Scottish National Party Leaders, Ms Sturgeon spoke about how she lost the baby when she was 40, shortly before the 2011 Scottish parliamentary election campaign period. Ms Sturgeon, who is married to SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was in the early stages of her pregnancy and preparing to share the news when the miscarriage occurred. She told author Mandy Rhodes that instead of dealing with her grief at home on 3 January 2011 she attended the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster, in which 66 Rangers football supporters were crushed to death. In a statement released following the publication of extracts from the book in the Sunday Times magazine, the first minister said: "This was obviously a painful experience for Peter and I and while Mandy has known about it for some time, she has always respected our decision not to talk about it publicly. "I gave her the go ahead to make reference to it now in the hope that it might challenge some of the assumptions and judgements that are still made about women - especially in politics - who don't have children. "There are many reasons why women don't have children. Some of us simply don't want to, some of us worry about the impact on our career - and there is still so much to do, through better childcare, more progressive working practices and more enlightened attitudes, to make sure we don't feel we have to choose. "And sometimes, for whatever reason, having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to. She added: "For me, as for many women, all of these things have been true at different times of my life - the point is that judgements and assumptions shouldn't be made about what are personal choices and experiences." On Sunday morning, Ms Sturgeon also tweeted: "Thanks for all your kind messages this morning. @PeterMurrell & I really appreciate it." In extracts from the book in The Sunday Times Magazine, Ms Sturgeon said she was uncertain if she could have been a mother as well as leading Scotland's devolved government. She said: "If the miscarriage hadn't happened, would I be sitting here as first minister right now? It's just an unanswerable question. I just don't know. "I've thought about it but I don't know the answer. I'd like to think 'yes', because I could have shown that having a child wasn't a barrier to all of this, but in truth I don't know." Miscarriage Source: NHS Choices
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has spoken for the first time about her "painful experience" of losing a baby in 2011.
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The concept involves using technology, such as smartphones and software, to help people chose food and drink best suited to their health needs. UHI believes it could offer protection from allergies and too many calories. The idea is similar to the "internet of things" which sees domestic products, such as washing machines, being controllable via online tools. Prof Maged Boulos, an expert in digital health at UHI, who is leading the research, said: "A new breed of automated food scanner apps, devices and methods is emerging which aim at identifying the nature of food and drinks in our diet. "Methods include barcode scanning, weighing with portable electronic scales, measurement of weight/portion size with smartphone photos and remote food and drink recognition by crowdsourced volunteers or dieticians. "However, these methods are of limited value if we cannot reason with the identified food and drink items in the context of a user's health conditions and preferences." Prof Boulos said increased use of technology to help people make selections of food and drink could greatly improve health. However, he added that it would require further research and funding. Prof Boulos said: "This will be a huge academic undertaking involving multiple research centres, universities and industry. "Based on the development of other technologies of similar scale, it will likely require several years and millions of euros of funding to complete an initial base version."
University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) scientists have been exploring the idea of the "internet of food".
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29 December 2016 Last updated at 18:10 GMT Ryan Holmes, 21, has covered more than 2,500 miles so far, running an average of two races a week. His efforts have also raised thousands for Cancer Research in honour of a good friend who is suffering from myeloma. "It's been challenging at times but it's been a good journey," he told BBC South East Today.
A Whitstable man is aiming to become the youngest person to run 100 marathons when he completes a race in Deal on New Year's Eve.
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The 1-0 win, courtesy of Nicky Cadden's penalty, kept Livi a point clear of Airdrieonians, who have a game in hand and beat Peterhead 4-2 away. Queen's Park moved above Albion Rovers into fifth place by beating Brechin. The Spiders, who won 2-0, are now five points behind third-placed Brechin, with Alloa, who are fourth, inactive. The Wasps, like Stranraer, East Fife and Stenhousemuir, were not in league action, though Stenny beat Forres Mechanics in the Scottish Cup. At Cliftonhill, Ross Dunlop fouled Dale Carrick in the box and Cadden converted the spot-kick in the penultimate minute. There was further misery for the hosts as Alan Reid was sent off in stoppage time following his second booking. Airdrie raced into a three-goal lead at Balmoor with Andy Ryan's strike, Sean McIntosh's header and Iain Russell's finish all coming within the opening 20 minutes. Nicky Riley replied for the hosts before half-time and Leighton McIntosh's penalty following Jack Leitch's foul on Riley further reduced Peterhead's arrears. But Ryan's second effort of the match deep into stoppage time clinched the visitors' win. Brechin City lost ground on the top two after losing at Hampden. Ross Millen opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a first-half foul by goalkeeper Graeme Smith on Dario Zanatta and Ryan McGeever headed home a late Sean Burns corner.
Livingston maintained their slender advantage at the top of Scottish League One with a narrow and late victory over Albion Rovers.
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Richard Garvie, 30, who stood for Wellingborough and Rushden, bought train tickets using a bank account he knew contained insufficient funds. He said he "did not set out to defraud East Midlands Trains". At Corby Magistrates' Court on Friday he was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge and court costs of £400. Garvie, from Corby in Northamptonshire, denied the offence but was convicted at Wellingborough Magistrates' Court on Thursday 30 April. At the time he told magistrates he ran up a debt in his own name in 2012 because he had been "desperate to see the people he cared about" in Berkshire. "I didn't know I'd get into trouble. I intentionally went overdrawn on my account, that account was then sent to a debt collection agency and the debt was paid off," he said. Garvie said he would appeal against the conviction. According to a Labour Party spokesman he resigned on the day of the elections when he lost to Conservative Peter Bone who had been MP for Wellingborough since 2005.
A parliamentary candidate for Labour at the May election must pay £894 compensation and do 60 hours of unpaid work after being convicted of fraud.
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The 30-year-old has joined the Cards following a short spell at Eastleigh, who signed him in January after he was released by Portsmouth. Poke made three appearances for Woking while on loan from Southampton - where he started his career - during the 2006-07 season. He has also had spells at Brighton and Torquay United and has been on loan at Oldham, Northampton and Bristol Rovers. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
National League club Woking have signed goalkeeper Michael Poke.
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Murphy has made 111 appearances for Leeds since arriving from Crewe for a fee of about £1m in July 2013. But the 27-year-old has played in just one first-team game this season, in a 1-0 EFL Cup win at Luton in August. "Burton are a very ambitious club and they've proved that in the last few years," he told the club website. "With the manager that's here I've always wanted to try and play for him and hopefully I can help the team do well." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.
Burton Albion have signed midfielder Luke Murphy on loan from Championship rivals Leeds United until the end of the season.
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Investors Steve Kaplin and Jason Levien, who run sports teams in the United States, are drafting in the former Everton striker as an adviser. The £100m takeover was agreed subject to Kaplin and Levien passing a Premier League test for prospective owners. But Donovan, now 34, will not take part in Swansea's day-to-day activities. Current chairman Huw Jenkins and deputy Leigh Dineen will retain their roles when the Americans take control but Donovan is seen as ideal to have on the board with football and commercial expertise. Levien, the managing general partner of Major League Soccer side DC United, and Kaplan, head of a capital investment fund and vice-chairman of NBA franchise Memphis Grizzlies, lead a consortium which has bought a controlling stake of 60% in the club. Donovan, who was on loan at Premier League side Everton in 2010 and 2012, is his country's record goalscorer and the second most capped United States international. The former LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes forward also had spells in the Germany Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.
Former United States captain Landon Donovan is to be part of the American investment group taking over Premier League club Swansea City.
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Pro Rugby America, in a statement, described Pro12 as an "interloper" and claimed the league "does not have a legitimate business plan." Pro12 officials held talks about US and Canadian sides being involved, which had been backed by World Rugby. "It's ridiculous. What they're doing is just disrespectful," Pro Rugby America chief Doug Shoninger told BBC Wales. "I understand Pro 12 is under a lot of stress, a lot of problem, but it's not our problem. And they need to solve that problem where they sit." Pro12 is made up of four teams each from Wales and Ireland plus two each from Scotland and Italy. Pro Rugby America is sanctioned by governing body USA Rugby to run a professional rugby division in the United States. The US league started in April with five teams based in Denver, Ohio, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco and Shoninger told BBC Radio Wales they were negotiating a deal with the southern hemisphere Super Rugby league. "We're bidding on a Super Rugby team," he said. "We're talking to big established countries, ones I feel that have player exchange at academy levels. "We're very honest about who we are - we have the potential great commercialism and we need the support of the rugby world to build up our infrastructure." Pro12 is commercially smaller than the English and French professional leagues, and in August, Scottish Rugby chief Mark Dodson said they were "seriously investigating" the possibility of expanding into the American market. The two Italian teams that compete in the league, Zebre and Treviso, have faced calls to be dropped from the Pro12 and were almost expelled in 2015 over money owed to the rest of the teams. Pro12 Rugby declined to comment.
Plans for American sides to join the Pro12 have been dismissed by the company running the pro game in the US.
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Archaeologists made the discovery at Tresness in Sanday while on a walk in poor weather on Monday. The remains of 14 houses and stone tools, including knives, have been described as "one of the biggest complexes of Bronze Age settlement in the Scottish isles". The finds on the beach could be more than 4,000 years old. Archaeologists believe the houses were buried by sand dunes in the second millennium BC - but have recently been exposed by the actions of weather and the sea. Prof Jane Downes and Christopher Gee, of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Prof Colin Richards, of the University of Manchester and Dr Vicki Cummings, of University of Central Lancashire, made the discovery. They were on a sea shore walk to visit a known archaeological site when they spotted the remains of the houses and stone tools. Prof Downes, who specialises in the Bronze Age, said: "This must be one of the biggest complexes of Bronze Age settlement in the Scottish isles, rivalling the spreads of hut circles in other parts of mainland Scotland." The scale of the Sanday has been described as "unparalleled in Orkney". The islands are well-known for the Skara Brae Neolithic settlement. Cath Parker, leader of the Sanday Archaeology Group, said: "This is incredibly exciting. "The archaeological landscape concealed beneath Sanday's shifting sands never ceases to amaze us. "I'm sure the local community will relish the opportunity to be involved with any work which stems from this thrilling discovery." Important Bronze Age discoveries have been made in recent years in other parts of Scotland. Skeletal remains found at Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness were identified in February as dating back to the Early Bronze Age. A wrist guard, for use with a bow and arrow, and shards of pottery were among remains found in a burial cist that was uncovered during work to build a new health centre. Evidence of Bronze and Iron Age settlements were found at the site of the new Inverness Campus. The remains of timber-built roundhouses and crop marks were recorded at East Beechwood.
Shifting sands have revealed a significant complex of Bronze Age buildings in Orkney.
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WWT Washington Wetland Centre has sighted 16 adults and 21 young this year, in comparison to 23 adult birds last year. They have nested by a lake and shingle island which expanded by the centre last autumn. Breeding at the site started in 2006. Reserve manager John Gowland said it was a "real conservation success story". "The high number of youngsters is a positive sign on the success of the improved shingle islands and emphasises the growing confidence of the nesting adults," he said. The birds, which are a rare on Wearside, were once declared an extinct breeding species in the UK. The avocet returned in the 1940s and is the emblem of the RSPB.
A wildfowl centre has recorded its highest number of rare avocet birds.
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15 June 2017 Last updated at 16:01 BST Carlos is famous for his free kicks. And now you can see what it's like for a footballer to take one in front of a huge crowd. See his point of view as he runs out onto the pitch, watches an incredible Luis Figo goal and hears the crowd roar. Video courtesy of Real Madrid TV
Former Real Madrid footballer Roberto Carlos wore a body camera at the legends match against Roma on Sunday 11 June.
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In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said that airstrikes on Thursday and Friday killed at least 18 civilians. It said the Taliban was also to blame, killing at least seven civilians in a suicide bombing on Saturday. The US military says that it is investigating the air strike incidents. The pilots have been defended by the Afghan government who pointed out that such events are inevitable when the Taliban use civilians as human shields. The UN statement said the air strikes were carried out by "international military forces". But US officials say only American planes have recently been in action over the skies of Afghanistan. "The people of Helmand have suffered greatly due to the armed conflict in Afghanistan, with 891 civilians killed or injured during 2016," the statement said. "This figure was the highest in the country in 2016 outside of Kabul." The statement urged all parties to the conflict "strictly to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law" to protect civilians from suffering. World powers jostle in Afghanistan's new 'Great Game' Did the UK leave Afghanistan's Helmand too soon? Afghanistan Taliban: Mistrust and fear in battle for Helmand US military officials say aircraft have carried out about 30 attacks in Helmand over the last week. "We are investigating the allegations and [are] working diligently to determine whether civilians were killed or injured as a result of US air strikes," Brigadier General Charles Cleveland told the Reuters news agency. But the families of those killed last week are outraged. "How could women and children be Taliban?" one man - who said 11 people were killed in his brother's house in Sangin by an air strike on Thursday - asked a correspondent for Reuters news agency. British forces were stationed in Helmand province since 2006, but left in 2014 when Nato ended its combat mission in Afghanistan. Since then the insurgency has continued unabated, and the drugs trade fuelling it is still booming.
The United Nations has said that it is increasingly worried about the high number of civilian deaths in the Afghan province of Helmand.
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There will be no Gatwick Express service and most Southern services will be diverted via London Bridge. Gatwick passengers will be able to use alternative services from Blackfriars or London Bridge. No services will operate between London Victoria and Brighton, but trains between the city and London Bridge will run in the early mornings and evenings. On Sunday, buses will replace trains between Gillingham and Faversham, and between Sittingbourne and Sheerness in Kent. Southeastern said rail replacement buses would also operate between Shepherdswell and Dover Priory on Monday. Network Rail has advised passengers planning to travel over the three-day holiday weekend to check timetables.
Rail passengers using the Brighton Main Line will face disruption over the bank holiday weekend from engineering work.
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ESPN has been struggling as younger audiences choose outlets like Netflix and Amazon Prime over cable television. In a statement president of ESPN, John Skipper, said though sports viewership was not diminishing cuts were necessary to keep a "competitive advantage". Disney, which owns ESPN revised its profit expectations in August after the channel saw a decreases in subscribers. ESPN gets money from cable companies when subscribers buy bundles that include the sport channel. As more people choose cheaper cable packages or opt for online subscription TV such as Netflix, ESPN is having to rethink its strategy. Disney said in August it was considering selling access to ESPN directly to viewers in the way outlets like HBO and Showtime already do.
Sports channel ESPN announced it is cutting 300 jobs or 4% of the company's workforce.
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The Belarusian challenger was relentless in his pursuit of the 33-year-old Scot in Glasgow but lost a superb battle unanimously on points. Burns made the most of his greater experience to try to quell Relikh, 26. "Boy, he could whack," remarked Burns, who now hopes to finalise a fight against America's Adrien Broner. "There were a couple of times when he shook me with body shots and head shots, but I managed to hide it from him and I stuck to my tactics and stayed on my bike." Broner had intimated that he would be ringside but did not travel across the Atlantic to assess Burns at close quarters. Burns' winning margin seemed generous, with one judge scoring the bout 118-110 and another two putting it, more accurately, at 116-112. Previously unbeaten Relikh, trained by Ricky Hatton and based in Manchester, began in a lively fashion, evidently enjoying the challenge. He chased Scotland's first three-weight world champion around the ring and succeeded in landing some good shots to his ribs. Even by round four, Burns, with 40 wins from 46 bouts prior to this bout, had to use his superior movement and many years of ringcraft to get himself out of tight spots and hope that his opponent would tire. The fifth round offered signs that Burns was finding his range and, although the eager Relikh did not take a step backwards, the Scot scored with blows to the chin. Relikh was becoming more ragged, but he maintained his work-rate with a series of assaults. However, despite the challenger having 19 knockouts in his 21 previous fights, it was Burns who looked the heavier hitter. The pattern continued into the middle rounds as Burns kept his focus to jab away at Relikh and then try to hurt him with body shots. The fight began to turn in Burns' favour by the eighth as he increased the tempo and connected strongly with his right. Relikh had never fought beyond eight rounds and, in the ninth, perhaps becoming increasingly desperate, he threw his shoulder up into Burns' jaw and was reprimanded by the referee. The 10th was the pick of the rounds. Relikh took two thumping shots to the jaw, but his aggression had not lessened and when he landed a big left he appeared to have Burns in trouble for the first time in the fight. The final action was no less engaging with the SSE Hydro crowd roaring Burns on, enough to see him over the finishing line. For Burns, a lucrative defence awaits. Relikh, surely, will fight for another world title. "Fair play to him, he stuck at it for the full 12 rounds," said Burns. "He was still in there at the end. He'll definitely come again, he's a good fighter."
Britain's Ricky Burns was given a stern test as he made a successful first defence of his WBA world super-lightweight title against Kiryl Relikh.
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Put together in 1973, the band enjoyed UK chart success with Gaelic songs in the 1990s and last year released their 14th and final studio album. Their song An Ubhal as Airde reached number 18 in the charts in 1995. The film, Journey Bound, is a romcom road movie being directed by Ryan Hendrick and starring Clare Grogan, Sylvester McCoy and Karen Dunbar. Runrig founding member Calum Macdonald said: "It's a refreshing and exciting challenge, so far removed from the familiarity of normal Runrig business." Still Game's Ford Kiernan, who also stars in Journey Bound and is an executive producer, said: "I first saw Runrig perform live at Glasgow University Union in the 1980s whilst I was working there, the place was jumping, the atmosphere was incredible. "It really is the icing on the cake for us and I'm over the moon they are onboard. They are the perfect musical fit for this quintessential Scottish movie."
Veteran Celtic rockers Runrig are to appear in a new Scottish film and will also compose the movie's title music.
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Speaking on RT?? radio, the minister said it would not be possible to get rid of the Health Service Executive structure this year. He said he wanted to focus on reforms that improve GP practices and building and developing hospital groups. Mr Varadkar said the 500m euros overrun in healthcare spending was due mainly to a significant increase in the number of people using services this year. He also said he could not put a deadline on when free GP care for children under six would be available. When asked if it would be in place as promised by the end of this year, he said: "I can't say that for certain. "That depends on how the talks and negotiations go with the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation). It is very important to me that we bring GPs with us. "This is a huge opportunity to put resources back into general practice, I hope they see that, and as well as that, it's an opportunity to change the way we provide healthcare." Mr Varadkar said he hoped to have a report from an expert group by the end of this month looking at whether medical cards should be issued to people on the basis of their medical condition. The minister said he would have to see what the group proposed, whether it was affordable and then discuss it in the context of the budget. He also said the issue of tax relief on health insurance was an issue for Finance Minister Michael Noonan.
Irish Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said the timeframe for the reform of the country's health service was overambitious from the start.
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Moorways had been used only by clubs since it closed to the public in early 2016 due to maintenance costs. Now the city council and clubs have said it is too expensive to continue. It will shut by the end of January. Double gold medallist Ross Davenport tweeted the awards won by Derby swimmers, while others labelled the move "disgraceful" and "ridiculous". Moorways, which was built more than 40 years ago, has struggled with maintenance and health and safety issues. Its loss was made more acute by the ongoing closure of the main pool at nearby Queen's Leisure Centre, due to structural problems, although two other pools remain open for public use at the centre. Peter Spink, chairman of the City of Derby Swimming Club, said they had met the council several times over rising costs. "The facility just could not made to be viable in the way it was being operated for any longer," he said. "So we made the decision that we should pull out sooner rather than later so we could stop incurring further costs." But former Olympic and Commonwealth swimmer Ross Davenport tweeted: "So glad the city hasn't produced an Olympic Champion, 2 Olympic, 8 World, 10 Commonwealth & 14 European swimming Medals in the past 10 years!" Paula West was one of a number of people to reply, saying: "Derby Clubs can't even access pool time in their own town, having to travel everywhere else #absolutely disgusted". The council said it regretted the situation but problems with the Queen's Leisure Centre were "unforeseeable" and it was working towards plans for a new 50m pool on the Moorways site. However the opening of this has already slipped from 2018 to 2020.
A former Olympian says he's dismayed one of Derby's last large council-run swimming pools is about to close.
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York Minster Police has been given the same powers as regular police officers within the minster's precinct. Eight constables and the cathedral's head of security were sworn in at a special ceremony on Tuesday. The force, established in the 13th Century, lost its powers in the 1930s when officers ceased to be attested. York Minster is one of only a handful of cathedrals to maintain its own police force. Those that do have a police force include Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, St Peter's Basilica in Rome, and Washington's National Cathedral in Washington DC. Mark Sutcliffe, Inspector of Cathedral Police at York Minster, said: "I feel very proud of the whole team for attaining their attestation. "It has been an important day for everyone involved but also a significant milestone in the history of the force, which has played an important role in life at the cathedral for hundreds of years. "The attestation and training the officers have completed ensures our cathedral constables have the professional skills and powers necessary to execute their duties." Powers were returned to the force following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Chapter of York and the chief constable of North Yorkshire. The memorandum recognises that although security provision inside the minster and its precinct remain the responsibility of cathedral constables, North Yorkshire Police will be responsible for investigating all crime. Any arrested people will be handed over to North Yorkshire Police for transport and processing and the force will be responsible for the submission of prosecution files. The Minster Police constabulary is thought to be the oldest continuing police service in the country.
A cathedral police force has been given back the power of arrest for the first time in nearly 80 years.
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The plan would see 150 homes built, 37 refurbished and about 280 demolished. The Department for Communities and Local Government ordered the hearing after deciding the plan for Toxteth "may conflict with national policy". Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said it was "patronising" for the government to tell residents what they need. The three-week inquiry will hear from the city council, residents, the housing association Plus Dane and the charity Save Britain's Heritage (SBH). A site visit will then take place to look at the extent to which the proposed development "is in line with Government policy on good design, enhancing the historic environment, bringing back empty homes and supporting healthy communities". Following the decision to delay the planning process, Mr Anderson said it was "hugely frustrating and bitterly disappointing for the local community". "Residents made clear in no uncertain terms that they backed what has been put forward," he said. City councillor Ann O'Byrne said "the evidence was overwhelming to show that the condition of these properties is such that it would cost more to refurbish them than it would to build new ones". The current proposal, which will see a small number of the houses saved from demolition, has been backed by residents organisation, Welsh Streets Homes Group (WSHG). A spokesman for WSHG said that for "further houses to be spared, it would take a leap of faith", including a "change of heart" by the council and Plus Dane and the "approval of residents on the south end of the site [whose] existing walls are crumbling around them". "WSHG wanted to avoid a public inquiry but since it is happening, we will be asking the inspector to encourage all parties back to the negotiating table in search of an agreement that would allow work to begin on site in 2015." The housing association Plus Dane has previously warned that any delays to the scheme would "seriously jeopardise" the available funding. Save Britain's Heritage, which owns a house in one of the streets, campaigned for the inquiry and wants more of the houses to be renovated, instead of demolished. Jonathan Brown, from the group, said structural engineers had said the houses were "still solid and viable and estate agents still say that they could sell them". Designer Tilly Hemingway, who is working on one of the houses in Madryn Street, said the homes had a lot of potential, which would be lost if they were demolished. "It seems absolutely insane that you'd knock these type of houses down when they are perfect in terms of space standards and they're beautiful," she said. The inquiry, which is set to run until 4 July, is due to deliver its findings in a report later in the year.
Campaigners supporting a £15m plan for Liverpool's Welsh Streets have protested outside the opening of a public inquiry into it.
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The ministry is asking for 180.5bn yen ($2.1bn, £1.3bn), some of which an official said would be spent on missile interceptors and fighter jets. The move comes with Japan embroiled in a territorial row with China. It also follows North Korea's recent successful long-range rocket launch. "We will request 180.5bn yen to be allocated to military spending from a stimulus package," a defence ministry spokesman told Agence-France Presse news agency. He said that part of it would fund the purchase of PAC-3 surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile systems and modernise four F-15 fighter jets. The defence ministry spokesman said the funds were needed "to prepare for the changing security environment surrounding Japan". The finance ministry has to approve the request before it can be added to the government stimulus package expected later this month. Q&A: China-Japan islands row The request for funds is in addition to news on Tuesday that the new government, which won elections in December, would increase the defence budget request by more than 100bn yen. Officials say the increase would be used for research into a new radar system and maintenance costs for military aircraft. The mooted increase is not large - the defence budget for the year ending in March 2012 stood at 4.65 trillion yen - but it represents a change. For 10 years, Japan's defence budget has been gradually declining. But in the last few months the country has been shaken from two sides, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo. In December, North Korea successfully launched a long-range rocket that flew over southern Japan. Much more worrying for Tokyo is China's push to claim disputed East China Sea islands, our correspondent adds. The dispute over the islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, has rumbled for years. Japan controls the islands but its purchase of three of them from their private Japanese owner in September sparked a renewed row. Since then Chinese ships have been sailing in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters around the islands, prompting warnings from Tokyo. New Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is known as a conservative, has pledged a strong stance on the territorial issue while also calling for dialogue with China.
Japan's defence ministry says it is seeking more funds for military spending, a day after news the government would boost the defence budget for the first time in 10 years.
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Brogan Mearns, 13, had not been seen after leaving for a walk from her father's house in the Castlemilk area of the city last Saturday. Police Scotland had expressed concern for her wellbeing. The force said on Friday that the teenager had been traced in Glasgow city centre.
A teenage girl who had been missing for almost a week has been found "safe and well" in central Glasgow, police have said.
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Alexander was centrally involved at McLaren for more than 40 years after being recruited by driver Bruce McLaren to help set up the team in 1963. He left in 1983, two years after McLaren was taken over by current boss Ron Dennis, but returned in 1989 and worked there until he retired in 2008. "Tyler was one of the first pillars of our company," said Dennis. "Bruce couldn't have asked for a sturdier pair of shoulders upon which to help build the team's reputation. Quite simply, Tyler lived and breathed McLaren." In the early years of the team, Alexander worked alongside Bruce McLaren and fellow American Teddy Mayer in F1, first as chief mechanic and then chief engineer before becoming a director of the company. The company continued under Mayer following McLaren's death in a testing crash in 1970. In the late 1960s, Alexander moved to run the company's successful programmes in the US, first in the CanAm sportscar championship and then in Indycar racing, before returning to F1 in 1979. Dennis took over McLaren in 1981, first running it alongside Mayer before taking total control, and two years later Alexander sold his shares to Dennis and left the company. He returned to the US to join Mayer in running an Indycar team, which recruited as engineer a young Adrian Newey, now Red Bull's chief technical officer and the most decorated design engineer in F1 with world titles at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. Alexander and Mayer were the joint team principals of the short-lived US-based F1 team Beatrice in 1985 and 1986. After its collapse, Alexander returned to Indycar racing before Dennis re-signed him as McLaren's special projects engineer in 1989. During his final 20 years with the company, McLaren won six drivers' and five constructors' world titles with Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton. In a tribute to Alexander on the McLaren website, Dennis said: "Tyler was one of the finest of the old school: hardy, humble and wise, leaving a reputation and a legacy that will remain indelible in the history of international motorsport."
American Tyler Alexander, one of the key figures in the founding of the McLaren team, has died aged 75.
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The Iceland midfielder, 27, scored nine goals and assisted 13 to help save the Swans from Premier League relegation. Sigurdsson's fine form has prompted speculation linking him with a move to clubs such as Everton. "It's a good honour for me. It's always nice when you get voted for by the fans and the players," he said. "It's been a very good season for me personally with goals and assists and a good ending for the team." Centre-back Alfie Mawson, 23, was named Swansea's young player of the year having joined from Barnsley in 2016. There were also awards for top-scorer Fernando Llorente and Oliver McBurnie, who is under-23s player of the year. But it was Sigurdsson who dominated Wednesday's awards ceremony at the Liberty Stadium. After playing a starring role in Iceland's improbable run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, Sigurdsson signed a new four-year contract with Swansea in August. He has continued to impress this season and, despite the Swans languishing towards the bottom of the Premier League table for much of the campaign, Sigurdsson has provided more assists than any other player in the division. As a result, the former Tottenham playmaker continues to be linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium, though Swansea head coach Paul Clement has said keeping Sigurdsson will be one of his priorities this summer.
Gylfi Sigurdsson has been named Swansea City's players' and supporters' player of the year for the second successive season.
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The 22-year-old Bath man will have a scan on Saturday. If Watson, who missed the autumn internationals with a broken jaw, is ruled out, then it could present an opportunity to Gloucester's Jonny May. England, Grand Slam winners in 2016, start their title defence at Twickenham on 4 February.
England winger Anthony Watson is a doubt for the Six Nations opener against France after suffering a hamstring strain.
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The first minister will say Wales needs two Labour governments to ensure the economy works "for everyone". The party says it will deliver tidal lagoons, rail electrification and the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Plant. It will also create a Development Bank of Wales, if in power in Cardiff and London. The party says it will ensure the level of funding Wales currently receives from the European Union continues beyond Brexit. Welsh Labour has so far been attempting to run a largely separate election campaign, fronted by First Minister Carwyn Jones rather than UK leader Jeremy Corbyn. At a launch for the campaign in Cardiff two weeks ago, Mr Jones made no reference to Mr Corbyn, and three of the five pledges unveiled related to the work of the Labour-run Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay, rather than issues under Westminster control. Speaking at the launch in the Delyn constituency in north Wales later today, Mr Jones will say: "Our manifesto is an ambitious, comprehensive plan of what Welsh Labour can do, together, working in the assembly and Westminster." He will add: "Working in partnership, Welsh Labour will commit to protecting the funding that would have come to Wales through the EU. "That money will be spent in Wales, and on Welsh priorities, and not stashed away in Whitehall as the Tories now threaten." The first minister will say a Labour government at Westminster would ensure an "estimated £1.5bn extra" will come to Wales every year. The general election manifesto says Welsh Labour will also work with a UK Labour government to abolish the Severn bridges tolls and hand over responsibility for policing from Whitehall to the Welsh Assembly.
Welsh Labour is promising a "real partnership" with a Labour government in Westminster as it launches its manifesto on Monday.
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The company said Messenger Lite had the "core features" of the full app such as the ability to share text and photos. The app will compete with Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which the company says is used by more than a billion people. One analyst said offering a stripped-back service for developing markets would "drive adoption of services". "Targeting users in emerging markets with 'lite' apps is not a new phenomenon," said Jack Kent, of the IHS Markit consultancy. "Companies such as Google and Line also offer streamlined services for users in emerging markets. "It makes sense to provide streamlined service to drive adoption of services rather than monetise users immediately." Facebook was criticised in June after it removed access to messages from its mobile website, in an attempt to steer people to use the Messenger app. Stan Chudnovsky, head of product at Facebook Messenger, said the company found people sent more messages when messenger was offered as a separate app. He told BBC News people also found it easier to discover new features when they were not "buried" inside the bigger Facebook experience. The company has slimmed the Messenger Lite app down to under 10MB, so it takes up less space on smartphones with limited storage. That is up to 95% smaller than the full-size Messenger app, which case top 150MB on Android devices. The Lite app will be released for Android devices in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela first.
Facebook has announced a "slimmed down" version of its Messenger app for countries where older smartphones and slower net speeds are more common.
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Australia levelled the Ashes series with a 405-run win at Lord's that saw England's top order collapse in both innings and the bowlers struggling. Gary Ballance has now been replaced by Jonny Bairstow in the squad for next week's third Test at Edgbaston. "This shows nobody is safe in the team," said Lyth. "Gary is averaging almost 50 and he now finds himself out of the side so if you aren't scoring runs you aren't in the side," Lyth wrote on his Facebook page. However, the Yorkshire opener believes such competition is "healthy" - and says he is in better form than his dismissals for a duck and seven at Lord's showed. "I played a bad shot in the first innings at Lord's," he said. "Hopefully there is a big score around the corner. I feel in good nick so I'm not too worried." The 27-year-old said he was "gutted" to see county team-mate Ballance dropped - he averages 47.76 from 15 Test matches, and scored a half-century in the first Test in Cardiff. But Lyth believes Bairstow - another Yorkshireman - will continue his strong domestic form for England. The return of Bairstow will see Ian Bell moved up the batting order to three. Bell has averaged just 14.50 with the bat this summer and there have been suggestions he could also be dropped if he fails to get runs in the third Test. However, Australia batsman David Warner says his camp is wary or writing off the Warwickshire batsman too soon. "He's got the weight of runs behind him, the experience in the games. I think he's a world class player," said Warner. "He may be out of touch at the moment, but we know what he's capable of, he killed us last time when we were over here, scored a lot of runs and we have to respect that." Meanwhile, Australia players are "very happy" that batsman Kevin Pietersen is not playing in the Ashes though, according to former England spinner Shaun Udal. Pietersen, 35, was left out after what previous captain and now England and Wales Cricket Board director of cricket Andrew Strauss called "trust issues". But the nature of the Lord's defeat means his omission is "unfair" on fans and "ridiculous", according to Udal. "That's also the view of three Aussie players I saw at Lord's," Udal said. "They are very happy Kev isn't being picked because, in their words, if he came back the 'chances of Australia winning the Ashes would be reduced'. Udal, who was Pietersen's captain at previous team Hampshire told Kicca.com: "If that's what the opposition thinks then that speaks volumes."
England batsman Adam Lyth says every player is at risk of being dropped from the team following their humiliating defeat in the second Test.
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