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The firm regularly gives away free toys via the paper, but said there would be no more "in the foreseeable future".
Lego did not say why the tie-up had ended - but said it had listened carefully to parents and grandparents.
Stop Funding Hate has lobbied firms to stop advertising with some newspapers.
The group, formed in the summer, has criticised several national newspapers for "portraying migrants in overwhelmingly negative terms" and whipping up hatred before and after the EU referendum.
It has urged companies including John Lewis, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer to stop advertising with the Daily Mail, the Sun and Daily Express.
Responding to a tweet from Stop Funding Hate, Lego confirmed its promotional agreement with the Mail had ended.
A spokesman said: "We don't comment about dialogues with 3rd parties. But our main purpose is to create Lego experiences for kids.
"The agreement with the Daily Mail has finished and we have no plans to run any promotional activity with the newspaper in the foreseeable future."
Lego told the BBC it spends "a lot of time listening to what children have to say. And when parents and grandparents take the time to let us know how they feel, we always listen just as carefully."
It added: "We are both humbled and honoured to see how much consumers all over the world express their care for our company and our brand.
"And we will continuously do our very best to live up to the trust and faith that people all around the world show us every day."
The Mail has not commented on Lego's announcement, other than to say: "Our agreement with Lego has ended and we have no plans to run any promotional activity with Lego in the foreseeable future."
Lego's Daily Mail promotions - in which readers are offered a coupon with which they can claim a free Lego toy at a specific retailer - have been run at regular periods dating back to at least 2013.
Before that, the Danish firm ran similar giveaways with the Sun.
The Mail is the UK's second most-read daily newspaper and boasts almost 15m readers a day online - the biggest of any British newspaper.
Last week, a letter from a British father to Lego was shared online, in which he criticised the toy manufacturer for advertising with the Mail.
Bob Jones said the newspaper had "gone too far" and said he believed Lego's links with the Mail were "wrong".
He wrote: "Lego, to me has always been an inclusive product. Breaking barriers between gender, building children's imagination and confidence to do their own thing. Something adults and children can and do, bond over."
"Your links to the Daily Mail are wrong. And a company like yours shouldn't be supporting them.
The news was announced a week after the Daily Mail and Daily Express faced criticism for their headlines reporting the High Court ruling that Parliament must be given a vote before the government can trigger Article 50 to formally start the process of the UK's exit from the EU.
The Daily Mail branded judges "Enemies of the people", while the Daily Express said it was "the day democracy died".
The Bar Council demanded that the Lord Chancellor, Liz Truss, defend the judges who made the ruling, saying that they were coming under an "unprecedented" attack just for "doing their job". | Lego has announced its promotional giveaways with the Daily Mail have ended - amid a campaign to stop firms advertising with some newspapers over "divisive" coverage of migrants. | 37962425 | [
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Police said the 14-year-old reported feeling unwell and required hospital treatment. He was later discharged from hospital and is recovering at home.
The incident happened in Holywood, County Down, on Saturday.
The PSNI said the tablets were "as yet unidentified" but warned of the "potential dangers" they posed.
The 17-year-old, has been charged with possessing a Class A controlled drug with intent to supply; possessing a Class B controlled drug with intent to supply; possession of a Class A controlled drug; possession of a Class B controlled drug and supplying a Class A controlled drug.
He is due to appear at Newtownards Youth Court on 14 February. | A 17-year-old boy has been charged with drugs offences after a 14-year-old boy was treated in hospital after taking half of a 'Darth Vader' tablet. | 38793890 | [
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Media playback is not supported on this device
At 44 years old, Owens was the oldest of the 12 referees chosen for the World Cup, but his age will not prevent him from taking part in Japan in 2019.
Selection criteria is based on performances and fitness, and Owens feels he has plenty more years in him.
"My plans at the moment are quite clearly to go on until 2019," he said.
"We had a meeting with the assessors and I was asked what my plans were and I said 'I'm enjoying my refereeing and as long as I keep reffing well and I'm fit enough I want to go on to 2019'.
"Their response was 'great, we're glad to hear that, we'd like you to be there in 2019'."
Saturday's World Cup final at Twickenham, which New Zealand won 34-17 against Australia, was the pinnacle of Owens' 68-Test career.
He became the second Welshman to oversee the final following Derek Bevan, who was in charge in 1991 when Australia edged England, also at Twickenham.
South African Andre Watson is the only referee to be in charge of two finals.
He was 45 on his second appearance in the 2003 final, won by England against hosts Australia.
World Rugby, the game's governing body, has welcomed Owens' decision to prolong his international career, adding he had shown exceptional fitness standards during the recent tournament.
Owens admits the pressure, scrutiny and physical demands on referees are higher than ever, but he insists the passion for the job remains.
"I just thoroughly enjoy it and I'm going to keep on doing it as long as I can and as long as I'm good at it," he said.
"When the time is right and I know the body or the mind can't take it any more because of the travelling or the pressure, or when the legs can't get there to make those big decisions, then I'll know that and I will be calling it a day when that happens."
Sections of the Australian media have criticised aspects of Owens' performance in the final, claiming he missed a forward pass in the passage of play that ended with Dan Carter kicking a penalty to stretch New Zealand's advantage to 9-3.
Owens, though, says he has learned to deal with criticism, and feels his decisions on Saturday did not affect the eventual outcome.
"If you can't deal with criticism as a referee you just can't do this job," he said.
"There's something in you that helps you deal with that.
"It doesn't make it any nicer for me to hear criticism, especially if any criticism is personal.
"As long as you can look back on a game and say 'I did my best, I gave it my all' that's what counts."
Owens revealed he was hugged and thanked for a "great game" by Australia number eight David Pocock moments after the final whistle.
"For someone who's just missed out on winning the Webb Ellis Trophy to come up and do that to you says a lot about the integrity of the man himself and what a wonderful sport rugby is," added Owens.
The Welsh village of Gowerton will be Owens' next destination for a Swalec League Division One West match with Crymych.
Two weeks later, he will be in the south of France for Toulon's European Champions Cup tie with Bath.
"I could've had a weekend off this weekend - a couple of refs have taken a couple of weekends off," said Owens.
"But I'd rather be out there reffing, whether it's under-12s, a schools game, youth game, a Division One West game or a World Cup final." | World Cup final referee Nigel Owens says he intends to keep officiating in international rugby for another four years. | 34708101 | [
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Felicitas Rohrer, is seeking €200,000 (£145,000; $220,000) in damages following the life-threatening illness.
The case is the first of its kind in Germany, Bayer's home country. The firm has already faced a series of law suits in the US and elsewhere.
Bayer insists that its contraceptive pills are safe when taken correctly.
Ms Rohrer, 31, says she would never have taken Yasminelle if the increased risks of blood clots had been made clearer by Bayer.
She launched her lawsuit in 2011 and the civil case opens in the south-western city of Waldshut-Tiengen on Thursday.
In 2009, as a healthy 25-year-old, she collapsed and her heart stopped for 20 minutes.
Doctors found massive clots blocking the main artery to her lung and suggested the contraceptive pill could be to blame.
Ms Rohrer must now take an anti-coagulant, which reduces her chances of conceiving a child. She studied to become a vet but now works as a journalist as she cannot stand for long periods or lift heavy weights.
She accusing Bayer of failing to sufficiently warn women of the increased risks of thrombosis with its Yasmin range of contraceptive pill, which contains the progestin drospirenone.
Bayer rejects the accusations it concealed the dangers as "unjustified", according to AFP news agency.
The company has already paid out some $1.9bn to thousands of women in the US over the alleged side effects.
Source: NHS Choices, MHRA
Is my contraceptive pill safe?
How the contraceptive pill changed Britain
Medical notes: Pulmonary embolism
Ms Rohrer is suing Bayer for €200,000 but told AFP: "The money cannot compensate for what I and other women have gone through."
She said: "What I really hope for is justice," adding that she hoped to see Yasminelle withdrawn from the market.
In 2013, France temporarily banned the sale of Bayer's Diane-35, an oral acne treatment often used as birth control, after four deaths were linked to its use.
Bayer is also the target of a growing number of lawsuits in the US over the contraceptive implant Essure, which women complain has caused them pain and severe bleeding. | A German woman is suing pharmaceuticals giant Bayer, claiming its contraceptive pill Yasminelle caused her to suffer a pulmonary embolism. | 35120035 | [
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The roundabout, which saw more than 80 collisions and 90 people injured in 2012-14, was replaced with two-way traffic on Sunday.
Transport for London (TfL) said congestion was due to "traffic getting used to the new layout".
"It's a very busy junction and it always will be," a spokesman said.
The reintroduction of two-way traffic at the junction for the first time in 50 years was a "key milestone" in the £25m transformation at Elephant and Castle, TfL said.
In addition to the new road layout, left turns from Newington Causeway towards New Kent Road and right turns from New Kent Road to Newington Causeway have also been banned.
But road users took to Twitter to complain about their Monday morning commute.
"It's 8am and the queue for the new #elephantandcastle junction starts somewhere south of Camberwell. allow extra 1hr 4 journey (or walk!)", a Twitter user posted.
"Shock horror! All approaches to Elephant and Castle worse than ever. Only TfL could spend millions and millions to make something worse!" tweeted @tango97.
Andy Woodward tweeted: "Delays around Elephant and Castle even worse today. If this was the tube there would be outcry. Commuters use buses too!"
Road users had been advised of traffic changes with a countdown to the traffic switch and advisors and police were on site to help keep traffic moving, the TfL spokesman said.
A spokesman for London TravelWatch said: "It's early days - we need to wait and see how it pans out."
TfL plans to convert the space created by removing the roundabout into a new public area.
It will replace subways with new pedestrian crossings, create new cycle routes and introduce a 20mph speed limit, TfL said. | The removal of the Elephant and Castle roundabout has been causing chaos for commuters, with motorists complaining of queues of more than an hour. | 35026096 | [
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The interior of the Saab 340 that flies to and from Orkney was stripped out and renewed and the exterior repainted at a cost of almost £270,000.
Loganair, a franchise partner of Flybe, will spend £3.5m having the same work done to the rest of its fleet.
The first stage in the three-year project follows criticism about the reliability of Loganair services.
The airline's business includes operating lifeline routes to and from the Scottish islands, including Lewis in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
Last year, members of the public and MSPs raised concerns about the reliability of some of these services.
In January this year, the company announced that it was investing £15m in a programme of improvements and upgrades.
As well as being given a revamp, each plane is to undergo a specialist check every 36 months.
Loganair said this "intensive process" would involve stripping back the aircraft to the basic airframe structure for an examination using X-ray machines.
Both engines and the flight control surfaces would also be removed to give access to the aircraft's structure and internal systems.
Loganair chairman David Harrison said he was "extremely pleased" the first plane had been refurbished
He said: "Our engineers and support teams put an incredible amount of time and effort into the project, and I'm certain our customers will appreciate their endeavour and enjoy the comfort benefits the renewal project brings to the Saab 340 fleet.
"This Saab 340 renewal programme again underlines the commitment made by Loganair at the beginning of the year to embark on a significant investment programme to enhance the fleet and ultimately improve customer experience." | The refurbishment of the first of 13 aircraft operated by the Scottish airline Loganair has been completed. | 35695680 | [
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Tom Westley (57) and Ravi Bopara (61) made half-centuries but lacked support from the rest of their top order.
Just before tea, visiting captain Mark Cosgrove removed Bopara, chopping one of his medium pacers on to the stumps.
Bad light brought play to an early end with Essex on 266-9 - Charlie Shreck (4-79) the pick of the bowlers. | Division Two leaders Essex made a faltering start as Leicestershire's bowlers restricted them with wickets throughout the opening day. | 36562708 | [
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Immigration, healthcare and outreach to Latino voters dominated the debate, which disintegrated into long periods of shouting and personal insults.
Mr Trump has won three of the first four contests held so far.
Next week's vote in 11 states is held on what is known as Super Tuesday.
The three men are seeking to be named as the Republican candidate in November's presidential election.
At long last the Republican candidates have come to the realisation that Donald Trump can actually win this race, but it may be too late.
For more than two hours, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz took turns throwing punches at the New Yorker. They attacked him on his business record; they mentioned hypocrisy; they questioned his conservative credentials; and they criticised the lack of detail in his policies and his reliance on bluster.
"We're having a lot of fun up here, aren't we?" the front-runner quipped at one point. But the truth is that Mr Trump was on his heels for much of the evening.
The challenge for the men who would unseat the leader, however, is that the best time to bludgeon a candidate is before it is clear circumstances are forcing you to act. In a campaign where authenticity is worshipped above all, Thursday's fireworks could smack of the kind of political expediency many associate with traditional politicians.
Both Mr Cruz and Mr Rubio drew blood with their attacks but Mr Trump will be likely to emerge unbowed.
How Cruz and Rubio double-teamed Trump
What makes Super Tuesday super? - The long day of voting explained
The Republicans who hate Trump - Lifelong members of the party speak out
Mr Rubio, who has come second in several recent contests, mounted a series of attacks on Mr Trump.
"If he hadn't inherited $200m, you know where Donald Trump would be?" Mr Rubio said in one tense exchange. "Selling watches in Manhattan."
Mr Rubio also criticised Mr Trump's failed online education venture, Trump University, and assailed him for hiring foreign workers rather than Americans in his construction projects.
Mr Trump shot back: "I hired tens of thousands of people. You've hired nobody."
The billionaire real estate mogul found himself increasingly on the defensive about his business dealings and his conservative credentials.
In other exchanges
The fruit salad of their life is what I will look at.
Trump on Rubio: "This guy's a choke artist [not able to deliver on stage]."
Rubio to Trump: "You're a lousy businessman."
"If he hadn't inherited $200m, you know where Donald Trump would be right now, selling watches in Manhattan."
Trump to Cruz: "This guy is a liar."
Cruz response: "Falsely accusing someone of lying is itself a lie, and it's something Donald does daily."
Trump to Cruz: "You get along with nobody. You don't have one Republican senator backing you. Not one…You should be ashamed of yourself."
"I know you're embarrassed."
Rubio to Trump: "You're the only person on this stage that's ever been fined for hiring people to work on your projects illegally."
Trump response: "I'm the only one on the stage that's hired people. I've hired tens of thousands of people over my job. You've hired nobody. You've had nothing but problems with your credit cards."
Mr Trump has been extremely popular despite his controversial comments about deporting millions of undocumented workers and banning Muslims from travelling to the US.
He is currently leading in 10 out of 11 states holding contests on Super Tuesday when a quarter of the total numbers of delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination will be up for grabs.
He has 82 Republican party delegates, Mr Cruz has 17 and Mr Rubio has 16. To become the Republican party's nominee, a candidate has to have 1,237 total state delegates.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will compete for 1,004 delegates on Super Tuesday.
Mrs Clinton has a clear lead with 505 delegates, but the majority are super delegates who can change their mind during the course of the campaign. Mr Sanders has secured 71 delegates in the first three races.
Each party formally announces its presidential candidate at conventions in July, four months before the presidential election.
27 February - South Carolina primary (Democratic)
1 March - "Super Tuesday" - 15 states or territories decide
18-21 July - Republican convention, nominee picked
25-28 July - Democratic convention, nominee picked
8 November - US presidential elections
In depth: Primary calendar
How does the US election work? | Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have unleashed a barrage of attacks on front-runner Donald Trump in the last debate before next Tuesday's pivotal US primaries. | 35665575 | [
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Switzerland has been investigating Malaysia's scandal-hit 1MDB fund since last year.
Last week, its Attorney-General Michael Lauber said $4bn (£2.8bn) may be missing from Malaysian state firms.
A Malaysian minister said this was not possible due to extensive audits, and called the statements "premature".
The indebted 1MDB state fund, set up by Prime Minister Najib Razak to pay for socioeconomic projects, has been at the centre of a political scandal in Malaysia.
Mr Najib was himself cleared of any wrongdoing by Malaysian prosecutors last week.
The full background to the 1MDB scandal
Malaysia PM in the clear?
Swiss authorities opened their investigation after 1MDB amassed more than $11bn (£7bn) of debt.
Mr Lauber's office said on Friday there were "serious indications that funds have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies".
Some of the money, he said, had been transferred to Swiss accounts held by Malaysian former public officials and current and former public officials from the United Arab Emirates.
He said the Malaysian companies concerned had made no comment on the losses believed to have been incurred.
In a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday, Malaysia's communications minister Salleh Said Keruak said 1MDB had undergone extensive audits, some by international firms, and that billions of dollars "simply could not have been misappropriated under such conditions".
The fund had also issued explanations and financial breakdowns about alleged losses, he said, and other state-linked firms had made public filings that showed they did not sustain losses caused by misappropriation of funds.
He said Mr Lauber's comments were "very unusual and against normal protocol", and criticised him for speaking to the media, rather than to Malaysian authorities who he said had been waiting to hear from Switzerland.
"These premature statements appear to have been made without a full and comprehensive appreciation of all the facts," said Mr Salleh.
Mr Lauber's office told the BBC it would not comment on political statements.
But it said it "took note with satisfaction of the reaction of its Malaysian counterpart and of its commitment to fully support Switzerland's request for mutual assistance".
Singapore, the US and Hong Kong authorities are also probing the fund.
On Monday, Singapore said it had seized a large number of bank accounts as part of an investigation into possible money-laundering linked to 1MDB. The city-state had already frozen two accounts last year.
Officials said they were working with counterparts in Switzerland, the US and Malaysia in their investigation. | Malaysia has rejected allegations from Switzerland that billions of dollars may have been stolen from the South East Asian country's state fund. | 35468786 | [
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Su-24 was hit by air-to-air missiles fired by Turkish F-16s while it was flying over Syrian territory.
But Turkish military officials said the plane was engaged after being warned that it was violating Turkish airspace.
Mr Putin described the incident as a "stab in the back" committed by "accomplices of terrorists".
The crew ejected before the jet crashed in Latakia province, but Syrian rebels said at least one was dead.
It is the first time a Russian aircraft has crashed in Syria since Moscow launched air strikes against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in late September.
Follow the latest updates here
The Nato military alliance, to which Turkey belongs, said it was following the situation "closely" and was in contact with the Turkish authorities. There will be an "informational meeting" of ambassadors in Brussels at 16:00 GMT.
At a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Sochi, Russia's president confirmed that the Su-24 had been shot down over Syrian territory, 1km (0.6 miles) from the Turkish border, by an air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16 jet.
It crashed in Syrian territory 4km (2.5 miles) from the border, he added.
"This goes beyond the normal struggle against terrorism. This was a stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists," Mr Putin stated, an apparent reference to Turkey's support for Syrian rebel groups.
"Our pilots and our plane did not in any way threaten Turkey. It is quite clear," he added.
"They were carrying out an operation against [Islamic State militants] in the mountains of northern Latakia, where militants who originate from Russian territory are concentrated. So they were carrying the key task of preventative attacks against those who could return to Russia at any time."
This is exactly the kind of incident that many have feared since Russia launched its air operations in Syria. The dangers of operating near to the Turkish border have been all too apparent. Turkish planes have already shot down at least one Syrian air force jet and possibly a helicopter as well.
Russia insists that its warplane did not violate Turkish air space. So, was the Russian pilot's navigation wrong? Questions will also be asked about the readiness of the Turks to open fire.
It suggests that the much discussed arrangements to avoid incidents between warplanes over Syria are inadequate. The Turkish authorities will no doubt claim that such arrangements do not cover the approaches to their own airspace where tried and tested procedures should apply.
There are conflicting reports as to whether it was ground fire or Turkish jets that brought down the Russian plane. Air operations in the crowded skies over Syria just got a good deal more complicated. The only mitigating factor is that initial reports suggest that two parachutes were seen so the Russian crew at least got out of their stricken aircraft. Expect diplomatic fireworks.
However, the Turkish military said two F-16s on patrol had fired on an unidentified aircraft at 09:24 (07:24 GMT) after warning it 10 times over five minutes about violating Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatay province.
It noted that the F-16s had intervened "in accordance with the rules of engagement", which were changed after Syria shot down a Turkish plane in 2012.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the jet had crashed in the mountainous Jabal Turkmen area of Latakia, where air strikes and fighting between rebels and Syrian government forces had been reported earlier on Tuesday.
The Syrian Observatory also reported that a Russian military helicopter had been forced to make an emergency landing after being hit by rebel fire near the crash site.
A spokesman for a rebel group operating in the area, the 10th Brigade of the Coast, told the Associated Press that the jet's crew had tried to parachute into government-held territory, but that they came under fire from members of the group.
One of them was dead when he landed on the ground, he added. The fate of the second was not immediately known.
A video was posted online showing gunmen standing around a man in a flight suit who was immobile on the ground, either badly wounded or dead.
Russian aircraft have flown hundreds of sorties over northern Syria since September. Moscow says they have targeted only "terrorists", but activists say its strikes have mainly hit Western-backed rebel groups.
Turkey, a vehement opponent of Syria's president, has warned against violations of its airspace by Russian and Syrian aircraft.
Last month, Ankara said Turkish F-16s had intercepted a Russian jet that crossed its border and two Turkish jets had been harassed by an unidentified Mig-29.
The Turkish foreign ministry also summoned the Russian ambassador last week to warn him that there would be "serious consequences" if the Russian air force did not immediately stop bombing "civilian Turkmen villages" in the Bayir Bucak area, near Tuesday's crash site.
In a separate development on Tuesday, three Russian journalists were lightly wounded on Monday while driving in a convoy towards the Syrian government army frontline near Dagmashliya, in north-western Syria. Their vehicles came under fire, apparently from TOW anti-tank missiles.
Russian media named them as Tass correspondent Alexander Yelistratov, Russia Today Arabic Service TV correspondent Sargon Khadaya and RT English correspondent Roman Kosarev. | Turkish warplanes have shot down a Russian military aircraft on the border with Syria. | 34907983 | [
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The latest picture was taken by the rover at "Buckskin", which is the seventh rock target on its mission.
Curiosity does this planetary photography in the same way we would take a selfie - by holding a camera at arm's length and framing itself.
The pictures must then be stitched together to make this final scene.
Nasa is trying to take one at every location where the robot drills into the surface of the red planet.
The robot has now been on Mars for three Earth years. It is in what's known as Gale Crater.
Curiosity is currently climbing through what's known as Mount Sharp, examining the rocks as it goes.
Scientists want to understand when and how Mars became so barren. | The US space agency Nasa has issued a "selfie" portrait from its Curiosity rover on Mars. | 34013741 | [
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Google said it had "hidden a few British treats" in the device.
The speaker and assistant, which launched in the US in November, is part of a growing trend to make artificial intelligence available in homes.
The firm is also launching its own wi-fi service in the UK, in an attempt to solve the "frustration when wireless connectivity fails at home".
Like Amazon's Echo, Home can answer basic queries as well as control smart home devices, such as lights.
It can also help with translations, offer weather and traffic updates and deliver news updates from publications such as the BBC, the Guardian and the Financial Times.
"A combination of our natural language processing, machine learning and voice-recognition expertise allow users to interact naturally with the assistant," said Suveer Kothari, director of product planning at Google in a blog post.
"And of course, we've hidden a few British treats for you to discover. Just try asking Google Home about its hobbies or favourite foods."
The US version of Google Home proved controversial when it began playing information about the new film, Beauty and the Beast, unprompted.
Google apologised and denied that it was an advertisement, saying it was experimenting with "new ways to surface unique content".
Google Home will be available in stores such as Argos, John Lewis, Dixons and Maplin from 6 April, and will cost £129.
Google Wi-fi will be available at the same time and will also cost £129. | Google Home, the search giant's smart assistant that rivals Amazon's Alexa, will be launched in the UK in April. | 39417474 | [
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Last month, Pistorius began serving a five year prison sentence for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, although he could be out in 10 months.
The sentence failed to consider the "horrendous manner" in which Ms Steenkamp was killed, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors are also appealing against Pistorius' murder acquittal.
The double-amputee Olympic sprinter was charged by the prosecution with the pre-meditated murder of Ms Steenkamp, a model and law graduate who was his girlfriend.
He was acquitted of this and the lesser murder charge of dolus eventualis by High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa on 21 October.
In South African law, this charge - also known as common-law murder - applies if the accused knew they might kill someone but still went ahead with their course of action.
"The appeal on conviction is based on the question of law," said National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube in a statement.
In papers filed with the North Gauteng High Court and published by South Africa's Eyewitness News on its website, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Judge Masipa "erred in over-emphasising the personal circumstances of the accused and the fact that the accused was suffering from post-traumatic stress, was anxious and 'seems remorseful'.
"Not enough emphasis was placed on the horrendous manner in which the deceased died coupled with the gruesome injuries she sustained when the accused shot and killed her," he said.
Pistorius' sentence was "shockingly light, inappropriate and would not have been imposed by any reasonable court", Mr Nel added.
The judge failed to sufficiently consider that Pistorius acted with "gross negligence", and had fired four shots with a gun "loaded with black talon ammunition through a locked door into a small toilet cubicle from which there was no room to escape".
The prosecution had called for him to be given the maximum 15-year sentence for culpable homicide, or manslaughter.
Ms Steenkamp was killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in the capital, Pretoria, in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.
He said he feared there was an intruder but he did not intend to kill.
Mr Mncube said the application for permission to appeal was expected to be considered by Judge Masipa.
"If it's granted, the case will then be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal," Mr Mncube is quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
Prosecutors had the option to petition the Supreme Court to hear the case if permission was refused, Mr Mncube said.
The athlete was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.
Pistorius is currently serving his sentence in the hospital section of Pretoria's Kgosi Mampuru II jail.
He can apply to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest after 10 months in prison.
After the verdict, his family said that he would not appeal.
Inside Oscar Pistorius's home
1
2
3
5
4
Mr Pistorius said he and Ms Steenkamp had dinner at about 19:00 before going to bed at 21:00. He said he woke in the early hours, spoke briefly to his girlfriend and got up to close the sliding door and curtains.
Judge Thokozile Masipa questioned the reliability of several witnesses who said they heard screams and gunshots between about 03:12 and 03:17, saying most had 'got facts wrong'.
Mr Pistorius said he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars.
Mr Pistorius said he grabbed his firearm and told Ms Steenkamp, who he thought was still in bed, to call the police.
The judge said it made no sense that Ms Steenkamp did not hear him scream 'Get out' or call the police, as she had her mobile phone with her.
Mr Pistorius could see the bathroom window was open and toilet door closed. He said he did not know whether the intruders were outside on a ladder or in the toilet.
He had his firearm in front of him, he heard a movement inside the toilet and thought whoever was inside was coming out to attack him.
'Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door,' he said.
The judge said she did not accept that Mr Pistorius fired the gun by accident or before he knew what was happening. She said he had armed himself with a lethal weapon and clearly wanted to use it. The other question, she said, was why he fired not one, but four shots before he ran back to the room to try to find Ms Steenkamp.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom and noticed that Ms Steenkamp was not there.
Mr Pistorius said this was when he realised she could have been in the toilet and rushed back to the bathroom.
Mr Pistorius said he screamed for help and went back to the bathroom where he found the toilet was locked. He returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs and turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat.
When the door panel broke, he found the key and unlocked the door and found Ms Steenkamp slumped on the floor with her head on the toilet bowl. He then carried her downstairs, where he was met by neighbours.
3D animation of the apartment | South Africa's prosecutors have sought permission to appeal against athlete Oscar Pistorius' "shockingly light" sentence, court papers show. | 29895786 | [
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They are young and clever, and they want to change the world - one bus at a time.
"We've created the world's first bus that runs on formic acid, which is a much cheaper solution than hydrogen, yet it delivers the same environmental benefits," says Lucas van Cappellen from Team Fast, a spin-off company from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.
"We're building our own future."
Around 40 of his fellow students are endeavouring to develop emissions-free transport that will help in the global battle against climate change. And they're also trying to create careers for themselves.
Formic acid is found in nature, delivered in the stings and bites of ants and other insects - the Latin word for ant is formica.
And this simple carboxylic acid (chemical formula HCOOH) is already used in textiles and leather processing, as a livestock feed preservative, and is also found in some household limescale removers.
But Team Fast has found a way the acid can efficiently carry the ingredients needed for hydrogen fuel cells, used to power electric vehicles.
The fuel, which the team has dubbed hydrozine (not to be confused with hydrazine), is a liquid, which means you can transport it easily and refill vehicles quickly, as with conventional fuels.
The difference is that it is much cleaner.
"The tailpipe emissions are only CO2 and water," explains Mr van Cappellen. "No other harmful gases like nitric oxides, soot or sulphuric oxides are emitted."
To prove the concept in the real world, an electric bus is set to hit the road in the Netherlands later this year, where it will shuttle between running on conventional bus routes and appearing at promotional events and industry fairs.
The bus has an electric drive system, developed by bus builder VDL, that receives additional power from the formic acid fuel cell system mounted in a range-extender trailer, towed behind.
"Our tank is around 300 litres, so we will extend the range of the bus by 200km (180 miles). However, we could of course make the tank bigger very easily," says Mr van Cappellen.
Current hydrogen fuel cell buses have a range of up to 400km.
But why develop a bus rather than a car?
"If we built a car, we would compete with electric cars, but we believe battery-powered cars are a good solution for a lot of people," says Mr van Cappellen.
"But if we prove that we can build a bus that meets the needs of bus companies, with a range of around 400km and quick refuelling, we will have shown the potential of hydrozine in a segment where there is no sustainable competition yet."
Hydrozine is created through a chemical reaction between water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
More Technology of Business
"In a reactor, water and CO2 are bonded using sustainable electricity. This is a direct, sustainable electrochemical process," explains Mr van Cappellen.
The hydrozine is then broken down by a catalyst into hydrogen and carbon dioxide inside a piece of kit called a reformer that Team Fast is attempting to patent.
Its newly designed reformer is a tenth of the size of reformers of the past, which is why "it is now applicable in transport applications for the first time".
The hydrogen is then added to a fuel cell where it reacts with oxygen to generate the electricity that powers the electric motor.
"We are continuously looking for new technologies that can extend the range of zero emissions traffic in a simple way," says Menno Kleingeld, managing director, VDL Enabling Transport Solutions.
"The decomposition of formic acid into hydrogen gas is one of these new, promising technologies."
But does it really stand a chance of becoming commercially viable?
"It costs about 35,000 euros (£30,000) to convert a conventional petrol filling station to a hydrozine filling station, a process that essentially involves replacing the pipes and coating the tanks," says Mr van Cappellen.
As such, it is "100 times cheaper" to roll out a fuelling network for hydrozine than for gaseous hydrogen, he maintains.
"Hydrozine is currently cheaper than petrol and more expensive than diesel in the Netherlands, and in future we expect prices to come down so it will be cheaper than both," he adds.
Although the bus emits CO2, Team Fast argues that the original CO2 used to create the hydrozine is taken from existing sources, such as air or exhaust fumes, so that no additional CO2 is produced - it's a closed carbon cycle in the jargon.
Some experts believe the technology shows promise.
"Team Fast has a very good project," says Professor Richard van de Sanden, head of the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research.
"It works on a very important issue: the storing of renewable energy in a transportable form and in a form which can actually be used."
And several companies are supporting the project.
"What we're working on together is a version of renewable energy that can combine renewable energy with CO2 capture," says Martijn de Graaff, senior business development manager at TNO Industry.
"If we achieve this it will give us a stable future."
The students' own commitment is impressive, with 15 of the 40 working full time on the project, and the rest contributing at least 20-25 hours per week.
"We don't get study points for it, but you can only learn so much at university about the practical experience of things," Mr van Cappellen says.
"It's our own future we're making." | A group of students has developed a way of storing energy that could be cheaper to make, more practical and more sustainable than alternative renewable fuels. | 40403351 | [
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Growing up in diamond-rich eastern Sierra Leone, it was the natural thing to do.
Jobs were, and still are, few and far between, so the gemstones were a magnet. They persuaded many to drop out of school, but I worked as a miner mostly during school holidays and sometimes at weekends.
The Kono District was densely populated because the sparkling stones could be found virtually everywhere, sometimes through sheer luck.
My parents joined thousands of people from across the country, as well as The Gambia, Mali, Senegal and even Lebanon, to go to Kono in the hope of making a quick fortune.
Blistered palms
I grew up there and my work as a miner was hard. I dug the river beds for gravel and extracted the often muddy earth looking for diamonds.
The pickaxes and shovels would blister my palms and the sieve would harden or even deaden my fingers, often breaking my fingernails.
And because I had to also lift sacks full of dry red tropical gravel, my head and neck were almost always in pain.
Diamond deposits were sometimes so close to the surface in parts of Kono that it was common for people to pick up tiny gemstones that had been loosened by a heavy downpour.
I found a tiny stone once or twice in my birthplace, Bumpeh. I did not know their true worth, but got enough money to see me through for about a week.
1. Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905, weighed 3,107 carats
2. Lesedi La Rona, found in Botswana in 2015, weighed 1,111 carats
3. Excelsior Diamond, found in South Africa in 1893, weighed 995 carats
4. Star of Sierra Leone, found in Sierra Leone in 1972, weighed 969 carats
5. Incomparable Diamond, found in DR Congo in 1984, weighed 890 carats
Source: Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough and Polished
After doing my school-leaving exams, I took to full-scale mining to help pay for my university studies.
Apart from mining in Kono, I also went to Tongo Fields in neighbouring Kenema District. There, I discovered that the life of an artisanal miner was like that of an indentured labourer.
Diamond diggers generally had two layers of sponsorship, and still do. The Group of Geng, or Gang, is what the diggers are called.
In language which harks back to the days of slavery, each group has a Master who looks over them. He is also in charge of providing food, accommodation and medicine.
But when I was there, conditions were such that only one square meal a day was assured - and please do not ask how the sauce tasted.
We often slept on the floor of a room or veranda, with bedbugs and mosquitoes biting us in turns. As for health care, Panadol was all we would get if we fell ill.
Then there was the Supporter - the person who would provide the funds for the Master.
We rarely got to know him personally. He tended to be a big businessman or diamond dealer, and he provided us with tools and monthly allowances.
Like me, most diggers did not know - and still do not know - the real value of their diamonds. So, it was easy for the Master and the Supporter to connive and dupe us about the price.
There is a group known as Gado Geng. They prefer to sponsor themselves and sell their diamonds on their own.
But my three-member team had a Master. We worked on a licensed plot.
However, one day, we went to do illicit mining at an abandoned site belonging to the then state-owned National Diamond Mining Company.
Two of us were on the sieve, the third shovelling the pile of gravel. I was busy shaking the sieve under the water to wash the mud off the stones.
Then I saw a sparkling object right in the middle of the sieve.
I was not sure if it was a diamond or corundum, a sparkling stone that has little value. I brought up the sieve, to be sure.
I went straight to the spot to try to separate it from the rest of the stones and sand.
My heart pounded. I excitedly muttered to my colleagues: "Na diamond," a Krio phrase for "It's a diamond".
I made sure that I did not say it loudly for fear that someone in the distance would hear me.
My colleague, Yarpo, dropped the bucket and shovel to verify my find. He agreed that it was a diamond.
We flung the tools away and dashed into the tall swampy grass. We then fled before anyone could catch us.
Obviously, we kept our Master in the dark and sold the two-carat diamond to a local dealer for 100,000 leone. I am not sure how many US dollars that was worth in 1991, but it was a lot of money.
I was the youngest, but the other two diggers treated me fairly. We split the money, and they gave me 34,000 leone, a little more than my share.
Unlike many other diamond diggers, I did not waste any of it on buying brightly-coloured sneakers, jeans, shirts or cassette players.
I had a clear idea what I was going to do with it - pay my first year university fee of around 24,000 leone.
Dream fulfilled
As I was still awaiting my school exam results, I gave the money to my aunt to add to her capital and do some business.
I went back to concentrate on mining, but it turned out to be the last time that fortune would smile on me as a digger.
I always wanted to become a journalist as I was born with the BBC World Service blaring in our home.
My dad, who never went to school, was addicted to it. And there were old newspapers and magazines lined up under his mattress and piled up elsewhere in his tiny bedroom.
However, Sierra Leone's Fourah Bay College did not offer journalism at the time. So, my instinct told me to study English and French for an international edge.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and went on to work as journalist.
Like me, my children have grown up with the BBC World Service , except that my voice is among the voices that they hear. | In my teens, I worked as an artisanal miner, waist deep in water, sieving the gravel to find a diamond. | 39478462 | [
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Media playback is not supported on this device
Inverness were dominated after the interval with Kane Hemmings eventually cancelling out Ross Draper's opener.
"We've got [Owain] Fon-Williams to thank for making three or four wonderful saves to keep us in it," Hughes told BBC Scotland.
"We were second to every ball and I'm happy to come away with a point."
Dundee recovered from Draper's strike and spent most of the second half in and around the Inverness penalty area as they controlled the game.
"You have to be honest," said Hughes. "I felt in the first half the two teams were nip and tuck, we played some nice stuff and got our goal. In the second half it was all Dundee.
"My frustration was how Dundee were getting in so easily and I'm really disappointed with the goal that we lost and how it came about. We need to defend that better.
"We were second to every ball and that gives the other team the impetus to get on it and play. We just dropped off it, especially in the second half today. It's not a skill or a technique thing, it's a mental thing."
Dundee manager Paul Hartley, meanwhile, felt that his side created enough chances in the second half to win the game comfortably, and he praised his players for remaining patient as they pushed for an equaliser, even as Hemmings, Rory Loy and Greg Stewart all missed a series of chances.
"In the first 10 minutes we didn't start that well but in the second half we were terrific," said Hartley.
"We could have won that game 5-1, we had some fantastic chances and on another day you bank on Stewart and Hemmings scoring more than that given they chances they got.
"But the team kept going and I thought we were brilliant in the second half, some of our passes and combinations.
"You've got the give the [Inverness] goalkeeper credit, he made some great saves, but we kept going, we never gave in and I've got a smashing bunch of lads.
"[The battle to finish in the top six] is exciting, there's not a lot between the clubs. We've got a big week coming up, a real testing week for the club, the players and myself, and it's a week we want to do well in." | Inverness CT manager John Hughes admits Dundee "did enough" to defeat his side at Dens Park and that his own team did not merit more than a point. | 35679430 | [
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The man had originally been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Paul Colin Morrison, 51, from Burton Leonard, Harrogate, on 1 November.
Mr Morrison died at Harrogate District Hospital on 20 November.
A 44-year-old man, from Harrogate, is expected to appear before the town's magistrates in December.
Mr Morrison suffered head injuries in the incident which occurred in the beer garden at the Wetherspoons Royal Baths pub on Parliament Street at around 19:30 GMT.
A 43-year-old man from the York area also required treatment for facial injuries during the incident. | A man has been charged with manslaughter after a man died in hospital almost three weeks after an incident in a pub beer garden. | 30205858 | [
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The country, formerly known as British Honduras, was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland and still maintains strong ties with Britain.
Today Belize, which considers itself part of both the Caribbean and Central America, is cultivating relations with Latin America and the United States, although there is a lingering conflict with neighbouring Guatemala, which has made claim to part of Belize's territory in the past.
Tourism is a major source of foreign currency. Belize's attractions include wildlife, Mayan ruins and one of the longest barrier reefs in the world.
Belize has a problem with violent crime, largely drug-related, and the trafficking of narcotics to the US, however. In 2011 Belize was added to a US blacklist of countries considered to be major producers or transit routes for illegal drugs.
Population 324,000
Area 22,965 sq km (8,867 sq miles)
Major languages English (official), Spanish, Belizean Creole, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib)
Major religions Christianity
Life expectancy 75 years (men), 78 years (women)
Currency Belizean dollar
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, represented by a governor general
Prime minister: Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow was re-elected for an unprecedented third five-year term in office in Belize in November 2015.
Mr Barrow was elected to parliament in 1984 and served in senior positions in UDP governments. He led the party in opposition until its victory at the polls in 2008, unseating the People's United Party (PUP) government of Said Musa, which had been in power for 10 years.
Mr Barrow, a lawyer, has invested much of the $150m (£98m) Belize received from Venezuela in the past years in an ambitious infrastructure programme and road building. Belize is heavily dependent on aid from Venezuela, which also offers it oil at discounted prices.
Critics of Mr Barrow link bringing the 2015 polls forward to a possible Venezuelan move to cut its funding.
At the beginning of his new term Mr Barrow was expected to have to grapple with Belize's much larger neighbour, Guatemala, whose newly elected president, Jimmy Morales, said he would pursue with renewed vigour his country's claims over more than half of Belize.
The constitution guarantees media freedom, but provides exceptions in the interest of national security, public order and morality.
There are no official curbs, but internet use is low because of a lack of infrastructure and high costs, says US-based Freedom House.
Belize has no daily newspapers; some weeklies are subsidised by political parties.
Radio listeners rely on a range of commercial outlets, most of them networked nationwide. Privately-owned TV stations are on the air and cable TV is available in the towns.
Some key dates in the history of Belize:
16th-19th centuries - The Spanish arrive; Spanish rule ends in 1862 when Belize is formally declared a British crown colony and named British Honduras.
1954 - Constitutional reforms give Belize limited autonomy; general elections won by People's United Party (PUP), led by George Price.
1964 - New constitution gives Belize full autonomy and introduces universal adult suffrage and a two-chamber parliament. In 1973, the country changes its name from British Honduras to Belize.
1981 - Belize becomes independent with George Price as prime minister, but Guatemala refuses to recognise it. About 1,500 British troops remain to defend the country against Guatemalan territorial claims. Guatemala recognises Belize's independence in 1992 although the territorial conflict remains.
2002 - Belize, Guatemala agree on a draft settlement to their long-standing border dispute at talks brokered by the Organisation of American States (OAS). The deal, which proposed referendums in both countries, is rejected by Guatemala in 2003.
2005 - Rioting breaks out in the capital during a wave of anti-government protests.
2011 - Belize is added to US blacklist of countries considered to be major producers or transit routes for illegal drugs.
2015 - Prime Minister Barrow leads his ruling United Democratic Party to a record third consecutive five-year term in a snap election. Territorial conflict with Guatemala continues; Guatemala has made claims to all or part of Belize since 1940. | Tucked between the Caribbean Sea and the rainforest on the eastern coast of Central America, Belize is the home of a small and diverse nation. | 18724590 | [
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Liverpool City Council used a online budget simulator to ask residents about a proposed council tax rise of 5%, plus a further 6% to pay for social care.
Joe Anderson said the plan would not go ahead after 57% of respondents said no.
He also revealed plans for a Liverpool lottery in his New Year message on his Liverpool Express blog.
He said following the "feedback... I will not be proposing to hold a referendum on any additional increase beyond the 4.99% limit set by government".
Work was continuing on the full details of the authority's budget, he said, which would then undergo consultation in 2017.
He added that he was "surprised and proud that so many, 43%, said yes".
"It's a truly heart-warming reminder of how caring our city really is," he said.
Green party leader Councillor Tom Crone said the consultation was a "sham exercise".
"The weak consultation was never going to secure support for a tax rise," he said.
He said the mayor's decision not to hold a referendum meant there would be "tens of millions of pounds more cuts to services in the coming years".
Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Richard Kemp, said: "The public were never going to buy it over concern about the waste of existing council tax income."
Mr Anderson said the Liverpool lottery card would help local causes, adding that more details of it would be revealed in the coming months.
"Liverpool people are amongst the most generous in the country and I believe will support the initiative to help us cope with the growing numbers of people dependent on us," he said.
Councillor Kemp said his party would oppose the lottery idea.
He said: "The overwhelming evidence is that existing lottery users are already from the most deprived parts of the community.
"A new Liverpool lottery will be a tax on the poor to pay for services to the poor." | There will not be a referendum on an additional council tax rise in Liverpool after the results of an online poll, the city's mayor has said. | 38461448 | [
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Alasdair Dudgeon was killed near the Kincardine Bridge on 6 January 2013 when James Sneddon knocked him off his bike in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Dudgeon suffered a broken neck and internal injuries as he commuted to his work at a bakery near Falkirk at 02:00.
Sneddon, 42, was found guilty of causing the 51-year-old's death, after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Mr Dudgeon, of High Valleyfield in Fife, regularly cycled to and from his work as a baker at Tesco in Camelon, just outside Falkirk.
He was cycling on the A985 road between the Longannet roundabout and the Kincardine Bridge when he was hit by a Vauxhall Astra driven by Sneddon, of Falkirk.
Sneddon called an ambulance, but paramedics found no sign of a pulse on the victim before taking him to Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert, where he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses said weather conditions were clear and visibility was reasonable on the night of the crash, with a police officer noting that the red flashing light on Mr Dudgeon's bike was bright enough to be seen from 300m away.
Prosecutors said that although Mr Dudgeon had not been wearing a high visibility jacket, Sneddon should have seen him well before the collision and should have taken steps to avoid the cyclist.
The Crown originally charged Sneddon with causing Mr Dudgeon's death by dangerously failing to observe the cyclist and colliding with the rear of his bike, which he denied.
After a trial, the jury found him guilty on the lesser charge of death by careless driving. He will be sentenced later after background reports are compiled. | A motorist who fatally injured a cyclist has been convicted of causing death by careless driving. | 28528045 | [
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Cpl Kylo Gorman's medals for service in Afghanistan and at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee were taken from his car in Bolton-le-Sands on 4 or 5 January.
He said he "wasn't that bothered at first", but the reaction online "got me thinking 'it is a really big deal'".
Lancashire Police said they were investigating the theft.
The Port Talbot-born 28-year-old, who has served five tours of Afghanistan, said he had left the medals in the car after removing them from a uniform he was having altered.
"I didn't think twice about them. I'm based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire during the week and when I came home and the car had been broken into, I realised my medals had gone," he said.
"I want my children to be able to look at their dad's medals and be proud of what I did," he added.
Cpl Gorman, who has also served in the Falklands, Africa and Cyprus, has been in the RAF for 10 years and is due to leave the armed forces in April. | A RAF airman has made an appeal for the return of two stolen medals after hundreds shared his post about the theft on social media. | 35302855 | [
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Across the world, drug laws are being relaxed, from Uruguay to Portugal, Jamaica and the Czech Republic.
Does this mean the war on drugs has been lost?
The BBC World Service's The Inquiry hears from four expert witnesses, including a former Colombian president and a drugs prosecutor turned defence lawyer.
After many years prosecuting drugs offences as an Assistant US Attorney, growing frustration with the approach inspired Bonny Klapper to become a defence attorney.
"About 10 years into my career, it really hit me that the people I was prosecuting were not just drug traffickers. They were mothers, they were fathers, and I really began to take an interest in why these individuals got involved in drug trafficking."
One Colombian drug runner had a big impact:
"At 14 he had a choice: go work in the emerald mines, or do something else. So he started in the emerald mines, and it was a horrible experience. And then he was offered the chance to work as a driver for one of the leaders of the Norte Valle Cartel. He started as a driver, and ultimately rose up through the ranks.
"In countries like Colombia, sometimes if you want to support your family - and you don't come from a wealthy family or you're not highly educated - drugs is the only path that you have to get yourself out of poverty."
She noticed other problems back in the US at the other end of the chain:
"[We] would prosecute money remitter houses in Queens that were sending drug money to Colombia. We prosecuted one, we shut it down, and the next day another one opened up in the same location. Or we prosecuted very high level traffickers, either in the US or in Colombia, and once they were extradited, someone else came in to take their place.
"We've shifted the problem from Colombia to Mexico. Now all of Central America is inundated because the traffickers got sophisticated, and they're moving through Guatemala and Honduras, and those countries are turning into narco states."
She argues the approach to drugs users is equally flawed:
"The prison system is a disaster. There's virtually no rehabilitation. Locking up low level individuals who have drug problems or who have limited other options is not effective, because they go to jail, they come out, they get involved with drugs again, and they go right back to it.
"I have nothing but praise for the law enforcement agents I've worked with [but] so many of them have said to me 'we're fighting a war that can't be won the way we're fighting it'.
"The war itself is at a draw. And I believe that draw will be maintained indefinitely unless there's a dramatic change in our approach to drugs and drug trafficking."
Former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria worked on the Global Commission on Drug Policy report in 2011 which called on states to decriminalise drugs.
"Our recommendation is regulation for everything. That's what Portugal did.
"If you look at the last 50 years, what has been done? In the US, 600,000 people in jail, $40bn (£27bn) of spending a year. The highest rates of consumption of the whole world. You have to say that it doesn't work. It's a failed policy, and public opinion knows that.
"Ten years ago it was unthinkable that the US would move massively to the legalisation of cannabis.
"That taboo has been broken. In the US, a majority of people are talking about approving legalisation of marijuana."
He cites the example of Uruguay, the first country to legalise the marijuana trade.
"All Latin America's looking at Uruguay. It's a country that also looks how to deal with the production, with the supply of the marijuana that is in the state hands.
"I don't expect any major set back of the policy that the Uruguayans have put in place.
"From the beginning in 1961, the objective of the UN Conventions has been to live in a world free of drugs, but it's a utopia. It's something unreachable. It's not to recognise human nature."
Former chief scientist in the White House Office of National Drug Policy Control David Murray insists the billions of dollars spent tackling drug traffickers and destroying coca crops were well spent:
"A 75% reduction in the productive capacity of Colombian cocaine was achieved by strategic initiatives of supply reduction in partnership with the leadership and political will of the Colombians themselves.
"That's been a sustained achievement that then resulted in a more than 45% drop in the prevalence rate of cocaine use in the United States on the streets
"This is a global business. As a global business they have their preferred mode of operation where they would like to be with regard to supply routes - ungoverned safe havens where they would like to be to carry out their business with maximum efficiency.
"When you push them off of that spot they will adapt but they are diminished.
"We may have an idealised world where prevention and treatment and recovery happen in a certain way and we don't have to do the hard and dirty work, but that's not the reality on the ground.
"The reality is it's a tough slog, it is a cancer and it is worth fighting. Sure it's discouraging to see drug use continue but it actually is diminished if you take a long perspective over time and we actually are making progress with regard to it."
Professor Peter Reuter from the school of public policy at the University of Maryland has been a leading academic in the field of drugs policy for decades.
"The war on drugs was partly defined by its rhetoric.
"The need for national leaders to stand up and talk about the scourge of drugs, and signal to the population that [being tough on drugs] was a priority was an important part of the war itself.
"There's going to be less and less of that. I think there's going to be a change both in tone and substance, so the 'war on drugs' will become a less and less plausible metaphor for describing policy. I think it's going to be a public health rhetoric for the foreseeable future.
"I do believe that we have in a sense had an experiment with trying to be very aggressive about controlling drugs through use of prohibition. And we have a sense that that did not work well. And so we're now trying to find better ways of managing the problem, and I think that's welcome.
"If you look at the number of people who are in prison for drug offences, at least in the US, that's an important indicator of the change in real policy, and those numbers are starting to go down. Not dramatically, but they are definitely going down, and many states are making changes that are likely to accelerate that decline."
As drug laws soften he argues the question of regulation becomes key, as happened when gambling was legalised:
"Lottery play was always seen as a bad thing, you legalised it because you wanted to take money away from organised crime, but the result was that the state lotteries became the most aggressive promoters.
The Inquiry is broadcast on the BBC World Service, Tuesdays from 13:05 GMT
Listen to the programme
Download the programme
"You have slogans like 'Why be a mug and work when you can play the lottery and win easily?', just the kind of slogan you'd associate with the worst commercial promotion, but done by the state.
"Alcohol is still heavily promoted, and it's promoted in states that have state liquor monopolies, and we've only recently really been able to restrict smoking promotions.
"So I think there's considerable risk that even if there was a monopoly there would be promotion of marijuana, and clearly what we see in the state of Colorado where it is commercially available, it's regulated, like alcohol, what we see is very aggressive promotion, advertising.
"You cannot with a straight face say that marijuana legalisation won't lead to more marijuana dependence.
"Choose your problem. There is no solution. Use of psychoactive drugs is a social problem like a whole lot of other social problems. We manage it. And we may manage it better or worse, but the notion that we solve a problem is simplistic. We're simply managing a problem."
The Inquiry is broadcast on the BBC World Service on Tuesdays from 13:05 GMT. Listen online or download the podcast. | Forty-four years after President Nixon declared "war on drugs", four US states have now agreed to legalise the sale of marijuana and most Americans support legalisation. | 31922609 | [
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Sayes Court will double in size and provide an additional 210 places by September 2015.
Surrey County Council said it needs to "bridge a £215m funding gap" for 13,000 places, blaming an "unprecedented demand" on its services.
It said nearby Esher School is also being completely rebuilt to boost capacity by 210 places. | An artist's impression of how an expanded primary school in Addlestone will look has been unveiled. | 30157987 | [
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Gubbins (109) hit 15 boundaries as he enjoyed a 198-run partnership with opener Sam Robson (99).
Robson fell one run short of a fourth ton of the season, being bowled by Joe Leach (4-64) for 99 as the Somerset bowlers remained accurate.
Despite a middle-order wobble, Paul Stirling (85) played solidly as Middlesex reached 407-9 at stumps.
Resuming on 139-0, Robson and Gubbins continued their excellent opening partnership before Robson was dismissed.
Gubbins brought up his century from 208 balls before nicking Jim Allenby (3-51) to Marcus Trescothick at slip.
There was some hope for Somerset as Middlesex lost four wickets for 39 runs, but Stirling steadied the innings.
He fell to Leach five overs before stumps after pushing Middlesex into a lead, but a draw still looks the most likely result. | Nick Gubbins scored his first Middlesex century as their batsmen closed down Somerset's commanding total at Lord's. | 36365003 | [
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France's Dubuisson carded a 67 to tie with overnight leader Van Zyl of South Africa on 16 under par.
McIlroy carded a third straight five under-par 67 to move to 15 under par with Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
The world number three's round included an eagle on the 12th as he bids to win his first title since May.
"The 67s I've shot this week have all been a little different and I feel like I've played within myself for all of them, " said four-time major winner McIlroy of Northern Ireland. "I feel there's a low round out there for me and hopefully it's tomorrow."
McIlroy was level par for the day after 10 holes, dropping his first shots of the week by three-putting the third and 10th, the latter mistake prompting the 26-year-old to throw his putter at his bag.
But he hit back with a birdie on the par-five 11th and a towering four iron from 229 yards on the 13th set up an eagle from just four feet.
The former world number one ruptured a ligament in his left ankle during a game of football with friends in July, ruling him out of several tournaments.
But he returned in time to unsuccessfully defend his US PGA title at Whistling Straits in August and played in three of the FedEx Cup play-off events before starting the new PGA Tour season with a tie for 26th in the Frys.com Open in California.
He is targeting a third Race to Dubai title in four years and leads England's Danny Willett by 271, 214 points with three events remaining after the Turkish Open.
English pair Chris Wood (-13) and Richard Bland (-12) who were tied for second overnight are fifth and seventh respectively. | Rory McIlroy moved to within a shot of joint leaders Victor Dubuisson and Jaco van Zyl after the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open. | 34687720 | [
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The 21-year-old prop, who joined the club this summer under their Player Development Foundation scheme made his debut in the weekend win over Ospreys.
"He had a nasty injury early on and he came back and we weren't happy with his fitness and form," Paver said.
"He went to Redruth and I had a few doubts, we had a frank conversation and he's taken the bull by the horns."
The former Launceston player spent the 2014-15 season with Plymouth Albion in the Championship, but did not start a league game during the Devon club's relegation season.
But Paver says Chapman's performance in the British and Irish Cup win on Saturday has raised some eyebrows at the Mennaye.
"I left him out there for 80 minutes, started him at loose-head, pushed him to tight-head, not many can do that but he can do that, and he put his hand up and he's really impressed me," he added.
"The guys will give him a big slap on the back because he's valued within our squad and he's got an opportunity next week to back it up and that will be great for this young man.
"The Championship is not an easy place to play your rugby and the British and Irish Cup is a good place to start from. If he can impress next week who knows." | Cornish Pirates coach Alan Paver says he has been impressed with Luke Chapman's commitment after injury. | 38649933 | [
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London turned down the chance to host the Grand Depart, citing the cost of staging the event - reported to be about £35m - as the reason.
It will be the first time since West Berlin in 1987 that Germany has hosted the opening stage of road cycling's premier race.
La Manche in north-west France will host the 2016 Grand Depart.
This 2015 event started in the Dutch city of Utrecht, a year after thousands came to Leeds to watch the cyclists set off. | The 2017 Tour de France will begin in the German city of Dusseldorf, it has been announced. | 35160200 | [
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Media playback is unsupported on your device
17 December 2014 Last updated at 10:15 GMT
Will Watson was speaking after calls for the mining firm to accept the "moral responsibility" for cleaning up two major sites at Margam near Port Talbot and East Pit near Ammanford following the collapse of a fraud case.
The cost has been estimated at around £150m.
Celtic Energy transferred ownership of the mines to a firm in the Caribbean, leading the Serious Fraud Office to accuse six people including two former directors of trying to avoid paying restoration costs.
A judge threw out the case.
Mr Watson, speaking to Oliver Hides on Radio Wales, said the firm had accepted that for Margam the prospect of further mining to help pay for restoration costs was not an option. | The chief executive of Celtic Energy has said there needs to be collaboration between companies, councils and government to resolve the problem of opencast mining sites which need restoring. | 30511115 | [
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Jimmy Carlson, 64, from Islington, north London, has been appointed OBE for helping to improve services.
The former alcoholic became homeless after he was discharged from the Army.
Doctor Daniel Moynihan, who runs 13 academies across London, has been knighted, while Emma Colyer has been appointed MBE for charity work.
Mr Carlson served with the Royal Pioneer Corps (RPC) - which later became part of the Royal Logistic Corps - for five years.
When he was discharged in 1973, he became an alcoholic and lived rough on the streets and in hostels until 1996 when he stopped drinking.
Since then he has worked with Groundswell, a self-help organisation for the homeless, and has also helped to bring homeless people together with government ministers.
Mr Carlson has also raised £100,000 for The Haven, a club where people in recovery from substance misuse can meet in an alcohol and drug-free environment.
He said he was humbled to receive the honour.
"I have been to the very bottom and never would have imagined this day then.
"Lots of people have helped me on the way and I can only hope that my story can inspire others - the same way I have been helped."
He added: "My message is, 'never give up on anyone'. You would have walked over me in the street 15 years ago and thought I was a lost cause, just another drunk.
"However, I picked myself up and turned my life around and I have gone on to make a decent contribution to my community."
Metropolitan Police PC Mark Edwards, who helped raise more than £350,000 for terminally ill children, has been appointed an MBE.
PC Edwards ran a series of marathons in New York and took on other challenges to help raise money for Jack Brown, the seven-year-old son of two of his colleagues, who needed specialist treatment in New York.
Jack, who suffered from neuroblastoma, died in 2009, but the officer has continued to raise funds for children with cancer.
He said: "When my wife told me I'd got an MBE I nearly fell off my chair. This award is for the whole team who has helped raise the money - not just me."
A 74-year-old woman, Jane Warwick, also received an MBE for what the Met described as her "tireless work alongside police" in Lambeth to help set up a firearms and knives amnesty in 1995, which was "incredibly successful".
Others honoured include Ruth Owen, from the Victoria-based charity Whizz Kidz, who has been appointed OBE; Paul Elliot MBE now becomes a CBE for services to equality and diversity in football while Maxine Room, principal of Lewisham College, is appointed CBE for her work in education. | A former soldier who spent 23 years sleeping rough in London has been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for helping the homeless. | 18460388 | [
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Stephen Hammond said job roles would change when the paper system for car tax discs is scrapped in October.
The minister allayed fears about job losses in a letter to Swansea East AM Mike Hedges.
Mr Hedges said the minister's response would "give comfort" to DVLA employees.
Concerns over the future of some of the 5,000 workers at the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency centre were raised in October after Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement.
The chancellor announced that the tax disc would be replaced with an electronic system in October 2014.
The new system will allow people to pay the charge by monthly direct debit.
Mr Hedges had written to Mr Hammond asking for clarification of the government's intentions.
In his response to Mr Hedges, Mr Hammond said: "It is likely that the introduction of a direct debit scheme may mean there will be a natural reduction in the amount of refunds received, in addition to the withdrawal of the tax disc.
"This may mean changes to job roles and the need to train on new processes.
"Any reductions in numbers of people needed for these activities will be managed through redeploying to other growth areas of the business."
Mr Hedges welcomed the minister's assurances.
He added: "Whilst disappointed that the changes will reduce the number of job opportunities at the DVLA, I can see the advantages of both paying by monthly direct debits and not having to show a tax disc.
"I am pleased the minister is committed to redeployment rather than redundancies and I am sure this response will give comfort to many concerned DVLA employees." | Staff at Swansea's DVLA offices will be redeployed rather than face redundancy after changes to the way motorists pay their car tax, a UK transport minister has confirmed. | 25567298 | [
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Mr Zhou is the latest in a string of high-profile businessmen in the country to temporarily disappear.
Metersbonwe suspended trading in its shares over his unaccounted absence.
Chinese media reports have speculated he has been picked up by the police as part of Beijing's anti-corruption drive.
Zhou Chengjian has been named as the country's 62nd richest person by wealth publisher Hurun, attributing a fortune of $4.1 bn to him.
Starting out as a tailor, he build Shanghai-based Metersbonwe into one of China's biggest and best-known clothing companies.
A company statement said it could reach neither the chairman nor his secretary.
Metersbonwe also halted trading of its shares "to protect investors' interests".
His disappearance comes only weeks after Guo Guangchang, chairman of private sector conglomerate Fosun, temporarily went missing.
Fosun operates in sectors from steel and mining to pharmaceuticals. In 2015 it acquired the French vacation resort company Club Med.
Chinese media reports on links between the disappearance of businessmen and the authorities sweeping anti-corruption campaign remain unconfirmed.
In the case of Mr Guo, he reappeared after several days and according to his company had been "assisting in certain investigations carried out by judiciary authorities". | Chinese billionaire Zhou Chengjian of one of China's biggest fashion chains, Metersbonwe, has gone missing, the company confirmed. | 35261090 | [
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Facebook has been offering the service for its employees in the US since the start of this year.
The policy is designed to attract and keep top female talent, by helping them avoid having to choose between motherhood and professional progression.
Apple will follow suit from January 2015.
"We continue to expand our benefits for women, with a new extended maternity leave policy, along with cryopreservation and egg storage as part of our extensive support for infertility treatment," Apple said in a statement.
Both companies are offering up to $20,000 (£12,500) for US employees covered by their insurance plans, to finance the procedure to extract the eggs and for their storage.
"We want to empower women at Apple to do the best work of their lives as they care for loved ones and raise their families," Apple's statement said.
The competition for recruiting talented staff in Silicon Valley is fierce and the policy may help technology giants attract and retain the best candidates.
There has also been growing pressure on firms to increase diversity in the male-dominated sector.
Jennifer Tye, head of marketing for Glow, a technology company offering women services to control their reproductive health, welcomed the new policies.
"Egg freezing gives women more control," she said.
"When I turned 30, I had this notion that my biological clock was ticking, but I didn't know what my options were.
"These employers should be commended."
However other commentators suggested the companies should instead focus on offering more flexibility and support for new parents. | Women working for Facebook and Apple are being offered an additional perk: they can have their eggs frozen. | 29626291 | [
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The move comes as the Scottish government continues its investigation of tower blocks in Scotland.
The local government and communities committee said it would review building safety standards "in full, particularly in highly-dense urban areas".
At least 79 people are believed to have died in the Grenfell Tower blaze.
Cladding is thought to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
The Scottish government announced last week that it was working "intensively" with councils to establish the safety of high-rise flats.
On Friday, it said no local authority or housing association high-rise properties in Scotland had the cladding used in Grenfell Tower.
At the weekend, the UK government reported that cladding on 34 tower blocks in 17 council areas in England had failed fire safety tests.
Local government and communities committee convener Bob Doris said: "There are thousands of families and individuals living in high-rise accommodation across Scotland and they are understandably looking for reassurances at this deeply worrying time.
"Whilst both the Scottish government and our social housing providers have moved quickly to take action and to allay fears, it is important that our committee provides an additional layer of scrutiny both in terms of fire safety and building standards.
"That is precisely what we intend to do.
"All parts of the UK must learn from the disaster at Grenfell Tower and we must do all we can to ensure no-one has to experience the loss of a loved one in such tragic circumstances.
"Our committee will be reviewing building safety standards in full, particularly in highly-dense urban areas with many high rises.
"We will speak to local authorities, landlords, tenants and of course the Scottish government as part of this inquiry."
Councils across Scotland have moved to reassure high-rise residents over safety in the wake of the Grenfell fire.
In Aberdeen, the local authority is holding drop-in sessions this week for people living in 20 properties across the city, offering them a chance to raise any concerns.
One tower block resident in West Dunbartonshire said he welcomed news that building standards and conditions would be subject to further scrutiny.
Thomas Sellers, 52, who lives on the eighth floor of a high-rise property in Dumbarton, told BBC Scotland that he and other residents were still looking for reassurance.
He said: "There has been no clarification about whether the building I stay in is safe enough. There are no sprinklers and no main fire alarm for the building and we have no access to the roof as an exit in the event of a fire. We are just looking for answers." | The safety of Scotland's high-rise flats is to be examined by a Holyrood committee following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London. | 40397643 | [
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Leonie Granger from Gillingham, Kent, was sentenced at the Old Bailey having been found guilty of manslaughter.
Her boyfriend Kyrron Jackson, 28, and his friend Nicholas Chandler, 29, were found guilty of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years.
Granger targeted Mehmet Hassan, 56, in a Mayfair casino in March last year.
Judge William Kennedy described the attack as "pitiless and wicked", adding: "It was quite simply an act of brutality which defies reason and compassion."
Granger's lawyer Orlando Pownall said she only took part in the plot as she was in love with Jackson and "fell in with his desires" and now "deeply regretted" her actions.
"Her head was turned by Jackson, who she loved, and to some extent by Chandler who was persuasive and superficially charming," he said.
But Judge Kennedy said she had been "deceitful from the outset" and had "lost her sense and compassion" when she got involved.
He added that she clearly cared more for Jackson than he cared for her.
Granger, who posed under the name of Rachel, was wined and dined by the divorced father of three who boasted to friends he was not paying her to be with him, the court heard earlier.
On the night he was killed, Mr Hassan had taken Granger to the upmarket Nobu restaurant before giving her £1,000 to gamble with at the nearby Palm Beach Casino.
The two were seen kissing passionately by a poker supervisor, before leaving the casino together for Mr Hassan's flat in Islington.
Granger then let Jackson and Chandler into the poker player's flat before leaving in a taxi.
Both men tied up Mr Hassan with parcel tape and a neck tie before kicking and stamping him to death, the trial was told.
Afterwards, while he lay dead in a pool of blood, all three were filmed on Granger's mobile phone throwing £50 notes around a room and even stuffing them in their underpants.
Commenting on the footage, Judge Kennedy told the three defendants: "The eloquence with which it speaks about you is deafening." | A woman who set a "honey trap" for a professional gambler who was kicked to death for his winnings has been jailed for 16 years. | 32495927 | [
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An emoji of the Chilean flag is widely available while one of the Texas flag is not yet.
The Chilean flag with its white star on a blue background resembles that of the Lone Star state.
Tom Oliverson said the resolution was meant to be mainly educational.
The resolution calls on lawmakers "to reject the notion that the Chilean flag, although it is a nice flag, can in any way compare to or be substituted for the official state flag of Texas and urge all Texans not to use the Republic of Chile flag emoji in digital forums when referring to the Lone Star Flag of the great State of Texas".
Some Texans have developed a habit of using the Chilean flag in text messages and on social media as a sign of national pride.
None of the US states currently have their own emoji flag.
Mr Oliverson said that the idea was to raise awareness about the mix-up in a light-hearted manner.
"Even if the legislature decides not to hear it, we have achieved our objective," he said.
The resolution would be non-binding and cannot pass into law. There will be no penalties for using the wrong flag emoji.
"The Chilean flag is a fine design. Maybe it's the second best flag, who knows, we're not getting into a contest here. The important thing, though, is that it's not the Texas flag," joked writer Dan Solomon in Texas Monthly magazine.
"In these divided times, we anticipate that this bit of legislative silliness will be a refreshing breath of bipartisanship," he concluded.
The wording of the bill also emphasises the significance behind the flags' seemingly small differences. "The colours of the Chilean flag depict sky, snow, and blood spilled while fighting for freedom, but the blue, white, and red of the Lone Star Flag stand for the Texan values of loyalty, purity, and bravery," it says.
Chile and its national symbols have been the subject of mix-ups before.
At the 2016 Copa America football tournament, the organisers played Chile's national anthem instead of that of Uruguay as Uruguayan players looked on confused.
The following day, the Chilean national anthem was drowned out by music by the rapper Pitbull before Chile's match against Argentina. | A member of Texas' House of Representatives has filed a resolution to urge Texans to stop using an emoji representing the Chilean flag when they really mean to use the Texan flag. | 39039170 | [
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That is the eye-catching accusation in the Guardian, following a report in a trade publication, the Bookseller.
Amazon will not confirm that it has managed to do this.
The accusation hinges on the fact that since 2006, its UK business has been a subsidiary of its European headquarters in Luxembourg.
As a result, anyone buying anything from Amazon in the UK makes a payment to the retailer in Luxembourg, with the profits taxed there rather than here.
That is despite the fact that Amazon employs hundreds of staff in the UK, at several large depots, selling tens of millions of items each year to millions of UK customers.
"Amazon EU serves tens of millions of customers and sellers throughout Europe from multiple consumer websites in a number of languages, dispatching products to all 27 countries in the EU," Amazon said.
"We have a single European headquarters in Luxembourg with hundreds of employees to manage this complex operation."
Campaigners against tax avoidance arrangements - which are in fact quite legal - have taken a very dim view of all this.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Richard Murphy of the Tax Justice Network said the government had turned a blind eye to this sort of thing and was even encouraging it.
"I severely criticise our tax authorities for putting up with this sort of arrangement," he said.
"It is part of our "open for business" agenda - we will let a multinational company do what it likes, so long as they put some jobs in the UK, but we won't ask for tax."
In fact, HMRC has long had a specialist unit of 1,200 tax inspectors dealing just with the affairs of the 770 biggest companies.
It is called the Large Business Service for firms with a turnover of £600mn or more, or assets of £2bn or more.
"We can't discuss Amazon for legal reasons, but HMRC applies the tax laws as they apply to multinationals so the UK receives the tax revenues to which it is legally entitled," HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said.
"Where there is a high risk of the UK losing out, we move our resources to challenge that risk," it added.
When it comes to multinationals and tax authorities arguing about how much tax should be paid, and to whom, the arguments often last for years, frequently hinging on a concept known as transfer pricing.
This occurs when a division of a multinational in one country charges a division of the same firm in another country for the supply of a product or a service.
This is sometimes criticised as a technique in which artificially high charges are levied internally, with the aim of siphoning money from a firm's business in a high-tax country to a low-tax one.
There is nothing new in this problem and the issue hit the headlines in the UK as far back as the 1970s.
There is now a lot of legislation to stop transfer pricing being abused, but in the end, there may be no right answer to how much tax is owed by a firm, and a settlement can all come down to haggling.
One tax adviser at a leading firm of accountants - who wished to remain anonymous - said it was wrong to suggest the UK tax authorities were just sitting on their hands, watching taxable income move abroad.
"There are some very bright people at HMRC scrutinising these sorts of things, it is wrong to assume we are lax at policing this."
Another commonplace technique for multinationals to lower their tax bills - a variation on the transfer pricing theme - is for the head office in one country to charge all the national subsidiaries a large fee for "management services", such as accounting.
If the fee is legitimate, then it is an allowable expense and can be set against a national division's profits to reduce its tax bill, while cash is transferred from that outpost to the head office.
Ronnie Ludwig, a tax adviser at Edinburgh accountants Saffery Champness, says the arrangement is commonplace.
"It is perfectly legal for a company to levy a management fee on a subsidiary," he says.
"The question is whether it is proportionate and reasonable in relation to the actual services provided - the companies will be asked by the HMRC exactly what they are doing to justify the fees," he added.
For its part, Amazon says in its accounts that it may have to pay an extra $1.5bn in back taxes in the US if it loses various transfer pricing disputes with the tax authorities there, going back to 2005.
Amazon's accounts, filed at the United States chief financial regulator, theSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC), also make it clear that is facing investigations of some sort from several other national tax authorities.
"We are also subject to taxation in various states and other foreign jurisdictions including China, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom [and France]," the accounts say.
As a result, the company has set aside $229m to pay any extra tax bills that may now arise from these.
"Everyone of these jurisdictions is going to be very jealous of its entitlements to get tax," says Philip Spencer, a tax partner at accountants BDO.
"It is commonplace to have lots of investigations on the go at any one time."
Multinational firms will inevitably look for a good central site to administer their businesses in a region, not just for a low-tax regime, but to get good staff and enjoy good communications.
It all makes life easier.
Philip Spencer at BDO points out that a key advantage of a country like Luxembourg is that it also has a good network of double-taxation treaties with other countries.
These regulate the taxation of cash flowing from business activity in one country to another.
"Luxembourg is very favourable, it has lots of these treaties, which help avoid having to pay tax in one country and then reclaim it if tax is also levied in a second country."
A key feature in all this is that the internationalisation of business has been give a huge boost by the advent of the internet and online trading.
And this has made life increasingly hard for national tax authorities to deal with.
"What everyone is grappling with is e-commerce," says John Whiting, tax policy director at the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT).
"Everyone can see that firms like Amazon are making a shedload of profits - the question is where the profits were made." | Has the giant online retailer Amazon managed, quite legally, to avoid paying any corporation tax at all to the UK in the past year? | 17625874 | [
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Italy, Wales' first opponent in the 2017 tournament, have finished bottom of the table 11 times, and Georgia and Romania have been pushing to be included in the top tier.
But the 30-year-old, set to win his 46th cap in Rome, believes that would be a premature move.
"I think it's a debate to be had in a couple of years time," he said.
Italy's captain and talisman Sergio Parisse reacted angrily when the suggestion was put to him during the 2016 tournament.
And Six Nations chief executive John Feehan has said relegation will not be introduced in the short to medium term and dismissed criticism of Italy as unfair.
Owens expects the Azzuri to pose a serious challenge in Rome, where Wales have lost twice and believes that if relegation is eventually introduced, the teams and players will deal with the issue.
"I don't think any team goes into the competition to finish bottom," he said.
"If [relegation] comes, it comes and the focus wouldn't change because no side goes into the Six Nations wanting to win the wooden spoon."
Italy coach Conor O'Shea has made five changes from the team which lost against Tonga in November for the game against Wales.
It is also the first time Wales have faced the Italians since the appointment of their new coaching team.
"It's a tough away game, especially Italy first up," he added.
"They'll be wanting to build on a good autumn campaign after beating South Africa and they'll have been disappointed losing the last game against Tonga.
"But they've had time now with Conor O'Shea, Mike Catt and Brendan Venter in camp.
"We know hard it's going to be out there and it's all about getting a good performance first up." | Wales hooker Ken Owens has backed the decision not to introduce relegation from the Six Nations. | 38832283 | [
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Uefa has taken the disciplinary action following some of the Italian club's fans' continued racist behaviour.
Earlier this season, the Rome-based club were fined £120,000 by Uefa following racist chanting in a Europa League game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Lazio supporters have been found guilty of racist behaviour by Uefa four times during the current campaign.
The latest incident came during their Europa League last-32 match against Borussia Monchengladbach on 21 February.
The Serie A club won the second leg 2-0 to progress 5-3 on aggregate.
Uefa said the two-match supporters' ban will start with Lazio's Europa League game against VfB Stuttgart on 14 March.
"The remaining game behind closed doors applies to the next Uefa competition match for which the club would qualify. The Italian club have also been fined 40,000 euros (£34,475)," Uefa added.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito said the sanction was "incredible" and that his club would appeal against the decision.
"To suffer a punishment of one or two games behind closed doors, which will cause serious economic damage to the club and prevent fans from participating in an event like this, seems absurd to me," he added.
Meanwhile Uefa has also warned Turkish side Fenerbahce that they face suspension from European competition if problems with supporters continue.
The club's last European game, against BATE Borisov, was played behind closed doors but was still disrupted when fans threw fireworks from outside the stadium. | Lazio have been ordered to play their next two home European games behind closed doors following crowd trouble. | 21610508 | [
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Mr Trump's 2018 budget blueprint reportedly includes a 37% spending cut for the State Department and US Agency for International Development (USAID).
He will set out to convince Congress of his proposal in his first address to a joint session on Tuesday night.
But Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said his plan is "dead on arrival".
"It's not going to happen. It would be a disaster. If you take soft power off the table then you're never going to win the war," Senator Graham said.
Soft power is an American term that refers to diplomatic tools such as foreign aid and humanitarian relief.
"What's most disturbing about the cut to the State Department's budget is it shows a lack of understanding of what it takes to win the war," Senator Graham continued.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said Mr Trump's reported deep cuts to the State Department would "probably not" pass Congress.
The Republican-controlled Congress must approve any federal spending.
To the White House, foreign aid might seem like an easy target for cuts, but those who protect the country think otherwise.
In their letter to lawmakers more than 120 former military officers quoted the Defence Secretary James Mattis from his days as a field commander: "If you don't fully fund the State Department then I need to buy more ammunition."
They argued that strengthening diplomacy and development were critical to preventing conflict. International assistance in the State Department budget does more than respond to humanitarian needs, it also supports policy goals.
For example, it supplements the military fight against the so-called Islamic State through programmes to disrupt the group's financing and recruitment, and to stabilise communities where IS has been driven out.
There's money to address the underlying causes of migration from Central America, and to strengthen allies such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.
The former Secretary of State John Kerry was known to make a strong case for increasing the department's financing, (which at $50bn makes up just 1% of the entire budget).
The new Secretary Rex Tillerson will have to fight simply to keep what he has, or the State Department will be marginalised in an administration focused on the military.
The president released a budget proposal on Monday calling for a $54bn (£43bn) boost to military spending.
This would be paid for, according to the plan, by gutting other programmes including foreign aid and the environmental agency.
The White House also plans to reduce spending for the State Department and USAID, say US media reports, which together received an estimated $50.1bn during the current fiscal year, or a little more than 1% of the total federal budget.
More than 120 retired generals have signed a letter urging Congress not to cut funding for diplomacy and foreign aid.
The letter said: "As you and your colleagues address the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2018, we write as retired three and four star flag and general officers from all branches of the armed services to share our strong conviction that elevating and strengthening diplomacy and development alongside defense are critical to keeping America safe."
Development assistance would probably be hardest hit while staff reductions would see fewer security contractors at diplomatic missions abroad, the AP reported, citing officials familiar with the proposal.
The Office of Management and Budget has not yet said where overall reductions would occur.
The Republican pushback over Mr Trump's reported plan comes as the president is set to deliver his first major speech to Congress since taking office.
An address to Congress is a different kind of presidential speech. Will the American public see a different Donald Trump?
If history is any guide, that seems unlikely. Every time there has been talk of a pivot or shift of focus for candidate Trump, or president-elect Trump, or President Trump, the end result has been the same Donald Trump as always - blustering and belligerent, unvarnished and unapologetic.
Mr Trump would be well-served to take a different tack tonight, however. While he's spent his first month in office in a blizzard of activity, issuing executive orders and squelching controversies, there's been little progress with his agenda in Congress.
Top-line items like tax cuts and healthcare reform will be heavy legislative lifts with a baulky conservative caucus in the House and a narrow Republican majority in the Senate, requiring presidential leadership of a kind not yet demonstrated by Mr Trump.
Recent opinion polls have shown the president's standing with the public improving after a dismal first few weeks, but any progress can quickly evaporate if his "man of action" bravado runs headfirst into congressional obstinance.
Tuesday night's speech is the president's first major opportunity to avoid that outcome.
He is expected to set out in greater detail his plans to cut spending and boost the economy as well as offer an "optimistic vision" about the "renewal of the American spirit", a senior White House official told the BBC.
At least one Democrat has said he would refuse to shake Mr Trump's hand before the speech, bucking a longstanding bipartisan tradition in presidential first addresses to Congress.
Representative Eliot Engel, a top New York Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would not shake Mr Trump's hand as he enters the chamber, citing the president's attacks on media and refusal to work with Congress.
It will be the first time Mr Engel has not sought a centre aisle seat to shake the president's hand in his 29 years serving in the House. | Republicans are lining up against President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts to the State Department, hours before his address to Congress. | 39123281 | [
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The girl was attacked in the Jenkins Dale area of Chatham on 4 April and is still in hospital with serious injuries, Kent Police said.
The dog was shot by firearms officers.
A man and a teenager have been re-arrested on suspicion of offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Both had been detained on the day of the attack but released later.
Live: More news from Kent
The teenager was previously arrested over the same offences and the man has been now also been detained on suspicion of supplying cannabis.
A woman arrested on 5 April on suspicion of dangerous dogs offences answered bail on Wednesday and was released pending further inquiries, a police spokeswoman said.
Kent Police confirmed they had received a call from a member of the public shortly before the attack at 17:10 BST about a dog pulling its handler nearby.
They said there was no information "the dog was behaving aggressively or was of a dangerous breed as described under the Dangerous Dogs Act". | Two people have been re-arrested after a toddler suffered serious injuries in a dog attack. | 39729786 | [
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Katharine of Aragon died at Kimbolton Castle in 1536, and was buried at the cathedral following a lavish funeral.
A festival marks the anniversary of her death and a Catholic mass is celebrated - a rarity in an Anglican cathedral.
This is one of a number of unusual stories to be told in the BBC's People's Passion, which explores the purpose of cathedrals today.
Katharine was cast aside by Henry VIII for being unable to provide the Tudor dynasty with a male heir.
Stuart Orme, from Vivacity Heritage which co-organises the Katharine of Aragon Festival, said: "She was revered for her piety and dignity.
"Many of the population had a good deal of sympathy for Katharine after the divorce and felt she had been hard done by."
Despite living in reduced circumstances after the end of her marriage, she was given an elaborate funeral on 29 January 1536, involving four bishops and six abbots.
Her tomb was of black marble, with gilded letters and decoration.
Mr Orme said: "But Oliver Cromwell's soldiers stole the gilding during the sack of the cathedral in 1643, while a dean of the cathedral used the marble for the floor of his summerhouse in the 1700s."
It was not until the late 19th Century that a wife of one of the cathedral canons, Katharine Clayton, started a public appeal asking all the Katharines of England to donate to the replacement marble slab which can be seen today.
The cathedral now marks the funeral date with the Katharine of Aragon Festival on the Friday and Saturday nearest the 29 January.
A representative of the Spanish embassy is invited to a civic service on the Friday and a Catholic mass is held on the Saturday.
Hundreds of children are encouraged to dress in Tudor costume, and learn how people lived in the early 16th Century from historic re-enactors.
Flowers, and Katharine's heraldic symbol, the pomegranate, are laid upon her tomb.
She had chosen the fruit when she was still a princess in Spain because to the medieval world it symbolised fertility. | The connection between Peterborough Cathedral and Henry VIII's Spanish queen is little known outside the city. | 17337318 | [
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The 31-year-old editorial director at online US fashion website Highsnobiety is unsurprisingly passionate about clothes. He says his favourite luxury brands are now substantially cheaper in London.
"Like anything from Comme Des Garcons. I got a jacket last time I was there for 40% less than I would have paid here," he says.
Before June last year, when the UK voted to leave the EU, he rarely went shopping on his regular work trips to the UK.
"The littlest things from a pint at the pub to a short Uber ride were murder on my bank account because of the exchange rate."
Now that some brands are significantly cheaper, he spends about $350 (£274; 310 euros) each time he comes, but thinks the favourable exchange rate means he saves around $100.
"It's easier for me to splurge and sometimes I do it too much for my own good," he confesses.
Mr DeLeon isn't the only one indulging.
Just over a year on from the EU referendum, the pound is still around 16% lower against the dollar.
The weakness has lured over a flock of international tourists hungry for high-end brands at relatively bargain prices.
Payments firm WorldPay says non-UK consumers' card spending at department stores rose by a fifth in the first three months of the year, while spending on electrical goods rose 22.7%.
US shoppers like Mr DeLeon have been amongst the biggest spenders, splashing out an extra 21.5% on their cards during the same period, it said.
"The extreme currency fluctuations encourages shoppers to buy more," says Honor Strachan, principal retail analyst at GlobalData.
"They're getting more for their money."
But how do companies manage this kind of discrepancy; with precisely the same product priced significantly differently depending on where in the world it is bought?
After all a boom in revenues in one market, can seriously dent demand in the markets international shoppers are coming from.
Many of the world's most famous brands — such as Burberry and Apple — simply raised their UK prices to try and make sure what they sold cost broadly the same across their international markets.
But luxury footwear brand Crockett & Jones, which has 12 stores worldwide across locations including London, Paris and New York as well as global wholesale partners, says it has deliberately left prices unchanged.
"The last thing we want to do is abuse our customer confidence and raise prices in the UK.
"We certainly don't increase our prices at a whim to take advantage of said currency fluctuations," says James Fox, export sales director at the firm.
Mr Fox believes that in the long term it's best to keep pricing simple.
"We strive to have a level playing field as and where we can.
"We offer sterling, euro and dollar price lists, which gives our customers piece of mind that they are buying in their own currency at a level price to the potential competitors within their market."
He says generally any discrepancies tend to average out across currencies, and that re-pricing is only possible "once or twice a year" due to the upheaval it causes for the business overall.
So is he concerned that the firm could be losing out financially?
"We are fortunate to be in a position that we have a few very strong 'Brexit proof' markets which underpin the company when the UK is trying its best to screw up international trade," says Mr Fox.
By selling both through its own stores and through wholesalers the firm's risk is already spread out, he adds.
Crockett & Jones is not the only retailer which has kept prices steady.
Ray Clacher, executive vice-president at Trinity - owner of premium brands Gieves & Hawkes, Kent & Curwen and Cerruti 1881 - says non-EU tourists using either the US dollar or a currency that trades in line with the dollar, have driven up sales at its London stores.
Nonetheless, these sales are still just a small percentage of Trinity's total revenue.
"We certainly have not adjusted our retail prices to reflect the influx of tourism, in fact, quite the opposite as we want to encourage more UK [sales]," he says.
However, he admits this strategy could change if costs continue to rise.
"If inflation continues to rise and sterling continues to struggle against the euro and dollar, we will have no choice but to pass on the cost to our customers - but not at present," says Mr Clacher.
More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade:
The apples that need shading from the sun
How the 'better burger' is taking over the world
What it takes to get Beyonce on a world tour
The country losing out in the breakfast juice battle
Why a $1.6bn car plant has been left to decay
Read more global trade series here.
But it is also important not to be too greedy. Many US retailers that have come to the UK have simply swapped their dollar signs on their US price tags for pounds - betting that British consumers will be willing to pay a premium for their goods.
Banana Republic is one such example. After eight years in the UK, it announced last year it would close all eight of its stores. The decision followed six consecutive quarters of falling sales.
"They thought that because they were a big brand, they could demand higher prices.
But UK consumers "are savvier than that," says Ms Strachan.
Yet for retailers doing a straight currency conversion from their local currency to the country where they are selling their goods also doesn't necessarily work.
"Asos made a big thing about launching local websites with a straight currency conversion and it didn't work - local pricing didn't fit in line with competitors.
"Brands need to look at who else is operating in that space, the wealth of consumers there, and what they're willing to pay, and then price accordingly using localised pricing structures," says Ms Strachan.
Many firms, particularly larger brands such as Hermes also use currency hedging to protect themselves. This involves working with a bank to buy currency at the current rate to protect themselves against adverse future volatility.
In the end, though Ms Strachan says a company's ability to cope with currency volatility comes down to how much people want to buy what they sell.
"If they still want it customers will buy it," she says. | "I really shop when the pound falls in value," says American Jian DeLeon. | 40352908 | [
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The Dow Jones rose 0.2% to 19,251.78, while the wider S&P 500 gained 0.3% to 2,204.71, just missing a new record. The Nasdaq rose 0.5% to 5,333.00.
Banking shares performed strongly, with Wells Fargo up 2.2%, Bank of America rising 1.5% and Goldman up by 1.2%.
Financial shares have climbed by over 15% since the election.
President-elect Donald Trump's plans to reduce corporate tax and regulations are expected to benefit the sector.
Meanwhile, analysts are predicting the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week, in another boost for banks.
Financials in general are "benefiting from the feeling that interest rates are done going down and we are going to see a much more favourable interest rate and spread environment for financials," said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management.
Mr Trump's announcement that Japanese telecoms and internet firm SoftBank had agreed to invest $50bn in the US also boosted markets, with Sprint shares rising 1.5%and T-Mobile gaining 1.8%.
Other telecom stocks also rose.
AT&T shares increased by 1.9% after the firm said its new streaming television service DirectTV Now has gained more subscribers so far than expected.
Verizon shares climbed 1.2 % after the wireless carrier said it was selling 29 data centres for $3.6bn.
Chipotle was one of the top fallers on the S&P 500, dropping 7.6%, after it said sales had not recovered as well as expected.
Quarterly sales have been falling over the past year since food safety issues led to the temporary closure of dozens of Chipotle restaurants across the US. | (Close) The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a fresh high for a second consecutive day after a rally in financial shares boosted the index. | 38221487 | [
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Arscott, who spent four seasons at Bristol between 2006-2010, has featured in nine games for the club this term.
The 31-year-old made only seven league appearances for Bath after joining from Premiership rivals Exeter in June 2014.
"He's an assured presence in the full-back role," Bristol director of rugby Andy Robinson said.
"Luke has a wealth of Premiership experience with Bristol, Bath and Exeter so we are confident he can make the step up to top-flight rugby if we achieve our goals."
Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for the Six Nations, cricket scores, your football team and more. | Bristol's on-loan full-back Luke Arscott has signed a one-year contract to join the Championship leaders from Bath at the end of the season. | 35773789 | [
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Since 2014, the government has said key nursery workers must have at least a grade C in GCSE English and maths.
But campaign group Save our Early Years said there was now evidence that this requirement was blocking staff career paths and deterring new starters.
The Department for Education said it was working with the profession on a future staffing strategy.
Figures from qualifications body Ofqual show about 12,500 students completed the Level 3 Early Years Educator course between July and September 2015, compared with 18,000 in the same period in the previous year - a fall of about 30%.
The course, which takes between one and two years to obtain, enables students to obtain their first jobs in nurseries and work with children aged under five.
But industry leaders warn the drop in the number of those completing it is evidence of an impending recruitment crisis, which is already damaging the quality of childcare on offer to parents.
It also puts in jeopardy government plans to introduce 30 hours of free childcare to all three and four-year-olds from 2017, they say.
Under current rules, staff are only allowed to look after a specified number of children:
The government requires that there must always be at least one member of staff qualified to Level 3 on duty, which means these staff are essential to all nurseries.
Julie Hyde, executive director at the childcare qualifications awarding body Cache, said if the government did not reverse its decision, there would be "no nursery staff and therefore parents would have no childcare".
Liz Bayram, chief executive of the charity Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, said nursery chains were able to move staff around to cover gaps, but sole nurseries would be hardest hit by the crisis, she added.
In the association's survey of 75 Further Education college leaders, almost three quarters (72%) reported that enrolments on Level 3 courses had decreased in the latest academic year (2015-16), compared with the previous year.
A separate survey of 278 private nursery owners and managers across England suggested the main reasons for nursery staff leaving their jobs were low pay and a lack of progression due mainly to the GCSE requirements.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, which conducted the poll, said: "The serious staffing problems caused largely by these GCSE requirements can make these businesses unsustainable and force them to turn away children."
June O'Sullivan provides care for 4,500 children at 38 nurseries across London.
As chief executive of London Early Years Foundation, she is currently grappling with her business's recruitment and retention policy to try to fill 90 vacancies (of her 650 staff) for Level 3 nursery workers.
She fears that unless the government changes the requirements, the industry will end up with more unqualified staff and nurseries will see a high turnover of staff.
"People just don't understand the importance of the harmonious relationship you have to build with the children, their parents and the staff," she says.
If parents can't be sure their children are in safe hands, in a place where they are loved, hugged and taught, this may affect their confidence in going out to work every day, she adds.
Ultimately, there may be fewer nurseries, especially in London, if funds are eaten up paying agency costs. "Nurseries are not great profit makers. There is very little margin," she says.
Former childcare minister Liz Truss introduced the GCSE requirement in 2014 in an effort to raise the quality of care.
But campaigners want the new childcare minister, Caroline Dinenage, to accept equivalent or similar qualifications, such as Functional Skills, which also tests numeracy and literacy.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: "It seems completely counterproductive to persist with a policy that is actively blocking qualified, passionate and able early years practitioners from entering the sector.
"To say that the GCSE requirement is causing a recruitment crisis is not an exaggeration," he added.
Writing in Nursery World earlier this month, Caroline Dinenage hinted at a possible shift in government thinking, saying: "Our Workforce Strategy is in development and I am looking at ways of getting the best individuals into the profession, while recognising that excellence can be measured by qualities other than exam results."
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "We want to make sure we get the best staff into the early years sector.
"We are working with the profession to look at how we can develop people's talents and keep our most experienced staff. This is backed up by record investment in childcare - £6bn per year by the end of this parliament." | Nurseries in England are struggling to recruit qualified staff putting them at risk of closure, campaigners have said. | 37484477 | [
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Called Tupperware Party, it is wrapped up in challenging issues, and also marks a return for the actress to where her fascination with movies first began.
"Weirdly, I am back where I started," says the 29-year-old actress, writer and director on the set of Tupperware Party.
"I have been concentrating on acting for, I guess, the last decade.
"But when I first started off when I was a young child expressing an interest in all this I had a video camera and was directing little short films.
"It feels exactly the same, except everything is on a slightly bigger scale."
Inverness-born Gillan is best known for her roles as Amy Pond in the BBC's Doctor Who and also as space pirate Nebula in 2014's Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy.
Since her breakout role in Doctor Who she has also appeared in the films Not Another Happy Ending, Oculus and In a Valley of Violence and US TV shows, including Selfie.
But Gillan has also been busy writing and directing her own material. She already has two short films to her name, including a horror short called Conventional.
Tupperware Party, which she wrote and is directing and starring in, is an art house film set in her home city and is being made by a US-based film company.
Gillan says: "Tupperware Party follows the story of a girl called Lucy who lives in Inverness. She is dealing with the suicide of her best friend.
"It is one year one on and she is having a really hard time expressing how she feels about the whole event. Her angst manifests itself in quite destructive ways."
The film is being shot at locations across Scotland, including Inverness. When I catch up with Gillan the production is in Bo'ness, near Falkirk.
She says: "It was so important for me to film in Scotland first and foremost because the film is set in Scotland.
"The only other film I've seen set in Inverness was Loch Ness, which is great and I really enjoyed it, but I really wanted to show the reality of the place and what it is like to grow up there.
"There is a sense of identity that is beyond the tourist sort of aesthetic."
Tupperware Party is being made by Mt Hollywood Films, a film company with a mission to offer women and film-makers from minority backgrounds leadership roles such as writing, directing and producing films.
"I have such an amazing team to collaborate with," says Gillan.
"We have such a strong team of females on this project. We didn't choose anyone because they were female. To me gender is irrelevant and it is whoever is best for the job."
Andru Davies, of Mt Hollywood Films, says Gillan is "exactly" the kind of film-maker the company wants to work with.
"She wrote the script, she is directing it, she is the lead actress, it is female-driven and her partners are all women," he says.
But he adds: "It is a story that speaks to both men and women."
It is not only the Scottish actress that has won over the film company. Making Tupperware Party has convinced Mt Hollywood Films to return to Scotland to make other films.
Davies says: "It is great working here. We are actually moving some of our other projects to Scotland because of how much we have enjoyed working here. The crews are amazing and the towns are great."
Part of Tupperware Party's crew is producer Claire Mundell, who also has her own independent film company, Synchronicity Films.
She previously worked with Gillan on Not Another Happy Ending.
"At the end of that film she told me she was writing a script about suicide in Scotland, which is a really big issue as we know," says Mundell.
"That really resonated with me and I thought the opportunity of working with Karen as a writer, director and female film-maker would be really exciting."
Mundell also says that Tupperware Party is yet another film that underlines the need for Scotland to have its own studio with an industry-scale stage.
The Scottish government has been looking at how to provide such a facility.
Mundell says such a studio would allow whole film-making processes to be done in Scotland, and not just filming at locations before the movies are finished in a studio overseas.
"The stage is necessary to inspire our own indigenous film-making talent and TV-making talent to be more ambitious and be more international with the stories they tell," she says.
Tupperware Party should be available for release in cinemas this year - 12 months when Gillan will rarely be far from the big screen.
Over the course of 2017 she will appear alongside Tom Hanks and Emma Watson in The Circle, reprise her role as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume Two and at Christmas will feature in a follow-up to 1995's Robin Williams hit movie Jumanji.
"So look out for those," says Gillan. "And then I'll be making a little appearance in the next Avengers movies."
Avengers: Infinity War, expected to be released in cinemas next year, brings together many characters from the Marvel comic "universe", including characters from Guardians of the Galaxy as well as the Iron Man and Captain America stories.
Some scenes for Infinity War are reportedly to be filmed in Scotland.
"What are the chances of that?" laughs Gillan, hoping that if this is indeed the case she might be able to appear as her character from a galaxy far away in a place not too far from home. | Karen Gillan has come home to Scotland to direct her first feature-length film. | 38638907 | [
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The Mental Welfare Commission found elderly patients stuck on wards for months at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital because of a lack of care home places.
It also found patients left in bed until lunchtime due to staff shortages.
NHS Lothian said urgent changes were being implemented and the hospital would be redeveloped by 2016.
The commission, which expects NHS Lothian to act on its report, visited Royal Edinburgh's ward 14 and Canaan Ward, where dementia patients are assessed.
Dr Donald Lyons, the then chief executive of the commission, wrote to Tim Davidson, NHS Lothian chief executive, about its findings in March.
The letter said: "We found very poor evidence of activity provision, a serious concern about the high number of people who appeared to be delayed discharges and significantly poor care, apparently due to lack of staffing.
"I would particularly point out to you that, on Canaan Ward, we discovered that there were two individuals who were still in bed by lunchtime because staff had not had the time to get them up yet. This is not acceptable." | Hospital bosses in Edinburgh have been told they must improve care for dementia patients at the city's main psychiatric hospital. | 27391080 | [
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The scoring began in the fourth minute when Darren Carter's dummy set up Keanu Marsh-Brown to put Rovers ahead but Dan Sparkes then netted twice in seven minutes for the visitors, with David Fitzpatrick providing both assists.
Rovers quickly levelled through Marsh-Brown's second of the game but Torquay, 4-3 winners on Boxing Day, were back in front at half-time after Aman Verma headed in Fitzpatrick's free-kick.
Another Fitzpatrick cross then resulted in Ethan Pinnock putting into his own net to double Torquay's lead five minutes into the second half.
Christian Doidge gave Rovers hope in the 62nd minute after Torquay failed to deal with Dale Bennett's cross but Fitzpatrick then grabbed the goal he deserved with a stunning free-kick from 25 yards to seemingly seal the win.
Rovers stormed back in the closing stages though, with Doidge pouncing from close range after Elliott Frear's shot was parried before Torquay goalkeeper Brendan Moore pushed the ball into his own goal to gift Rovers an 88th-minute equaliser. The hosts almost snatched a dramatic winner in stoppage time as Doidge headed a corner against the crossbar.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Forest Green Rovers 5, Torquay United 5.
Liam Noble (Forest Green Rovers) is shown the yellow card.
Second Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 5, Torquay United 5.
Own Goal by Brendan Moore, Torquay United. Forest Green Rovers 5, Torquay United 5.
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 4, Torquay United 5. Christian Doidge (Forest Green Rovers).
Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Shamir Mullings replaces Kieffer Moore.
Substitution, Torquay United. Brett Williams replaces Sam Chaney.
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 3, Torquay United 5. David Fitzpatrick (Torquay United).
Aman Verma (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card.
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 3, Torquay United 4. Christian Doidge (Forest Green Rovers).
Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Elliott Frear replaces Darren Carter.
Own Goal by Ethan Pinnock, Forest Green Rovers. Forest Green Rovers 2, Torquay United 4.
Second Half begins Forest Green Rovers 2, Torquay United 3.
First Half ends, Forest Green Rovers 2, Torquay United 3.
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 2, Torquay United 3. Aman Verma (Torquay United).
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 2, Torquay United 2. Keanu Marsh-Brown (Forest Green Rovers).
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 1, Torquay United 2. Dan Sparkes (Torquay United).
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 1, Torquay United 1. Dan Sparkes (Torquay United).
Goal! Forest Green Rovers 1, Torquay United 0. Keanu Marsh-Brown (Forest Green Rovers).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Forest Green and Torquay followed their seven-goal thriller on Boxing Day with another classic on New Year's Day as the points were shared in a 5-5 draw. | 38429693 | [
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The story of Akong Tulku Rinpoche was screened at the Samye Ling site he founded in Eskdalemuir.
A Remarkable Life covers everything from his birth in Tibet in 1939 to his murder in China in 2013.
Shortly before his death, he authorised the film to be made which was given its premiere in southern Scotland.
Akong Rinpoche was installed as abbot of a monastery in eastern Tibet at the age of just four having been identified as the reincarnation of the previous abbot.
When he was 19, with China having occupied Tibet and tensions between the countries at their height, he joined a freedom walk over the Himalayas to India.
It took 10 months and of the 200 people who started, only 15 survived.
Akong eventually made his way to the UK in 1959 and acquired an old farmhouse at Eskdalemuir where Samye Ling was founded in 1967.
The film's executive producer Vin Harris told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I think they travelled around lots of places, there was a story that it kind of reminded them of Tibet.
"There was someone there who was running a spiritual centre and he was ready to move on so they basically took it over.
"They were very much welcomed, particularly in Dumfries, Rinpoche made his family life there and had very good friends here."
Samye Ling was the first Buddhist monastery to be founded in Europe and students later included David Bowie and Leonard Cohen.
It has now grown into a large complex for the study and teaching of Buddhism, with a vast temple at its heart.
From there, Akong spearheaded a range of projects including ROKPA International, which carries out humanitarian work in Tibet, Nepal, India and Africa.
It was while in China in October 2013 that he was murdered, aged 73, but before his death he authorised the film of his life to be made.
Its premiere at Samye Ling was attended by the current abbot, Akong's younger brother Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche.
"We feel that the film is more a message of hope actually - a celebration of his life," Mr Harris said.
"It kind of focuses on the fact that putting compassion into action, rather than being a kind of luxury, is so effective.
"We look at what, as a refugee, he achieved - setting up centres all over the world and helping thousands and thousands of people without compromising that value of compassion." | A feature-length documentary film about the founder of Europe's first Tibetan Buddhist centre in Dumfriesshire has staged its world premiere. | 39266257 | [
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It follows complaints over gangs of young adults gathering in Llangefni, drinking alcohol and causing criminal damage.
The power allows police and community support officers to force troublemakers to leave.
The order will remain in force until 01:00 BST on Sunday.
"The action we are taking is twofold," explained Sgt Tracey Llewellyn, from Anglesey's Safer Neighbourhood policing team.
"Initially we would like to reassure those living in or visiting the town centre that we are taking positive action against youths causing repeat issues of anti-social behaviour in and around the town to ensure that they are not plagued by the behaviour of certain youths.
"Equally importantly is to protect young people from the excesses of alcohol and its potential consequences."
The dispersal order means any person under 16-years-old can also be taken home, or to a place of safety.
Individuals can also be banned from the area for up to 24 hours, or face arrest if they return. | Youths gathering in an Anglesey town centre face being ordered to move, after police imposed an anti-social dispersal order in the area. | 39984790 | [
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Given the West's subsequent military failures in the region, some may even view it with a touch of nostalgia.
On the face of it, there was a simple military objective.
Saddam Hussein had invaded neighbouring Kuwait, and the world was willing to use force to eject him.
That unity of purpose was reflected in almost unanimous agreement at the United Nations and a Security Council resolution.
The "cause was both just and legal", says Maj-Gen Patrick Cordingley, the 7th Armoured Brigade's commanding officer in "Desert Storm" (few will remember it by its British name, "Operation Granby".)
Importantly, military action complied with both international and UK law, he adds, clarity lacking in the subsequent invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The first Gulf War brought together the largest military alliance since the World War Two - more than 30 allies, including Britain, which fielded a force of more than 50,000, the US, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
And it was a conventional fight far simpler than the murky insurgencies, asymmetric and hybrid warfare that would follow.
Michael Clarke, professor of war studies at Kings College London, says in many ways it was "the Nato war the West had prepared for, but never fought in Europe".
It was lined up against an Iraqi army that relied heavily on Warsaw Pact equipment and tactics, but without the same discipline and intelligence.
The Iraqis proved to be incredibly inept.
Prof Clarke says it was also the beginning a "military revolution" - the first time we really heard of "smart bombs" and precision guided munitions.
The world watched as America unleashed wave after wave of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Iraq's arsenal may have been less sophisticated, but, with its Scud missiles and potential use of chemical weapons, it still fuelled the fear factor.
And the revolution was not confined to new types of weapons.
It came in communication too.
Timeline: First Gulf War
Desert Storm was the first televised war in the new era of rolling news - with reports and live broadcasts from the front line - a challenge with which the military is still grappling.
The air campaign to "soften up" the enemy took weeks.
The ground offensive was over within days.
It was the "100-hour war".
But a secondary unstated goal was left unfinished.
Gen Sir Rupert Smith, who commanded the UK's 1st Armoured Division at the time, says while the objective of liberating Kuwait was achieved, "the strategic condition was hardly decisive and subsequently had to be maintained by no-fly zones and UN sanctions".
Any attempt to put Saddam Hussein "back in his box" or help bring about his demise failed.
Prof Clark says the quick military victory created "many illusions that soon came home to roost".
The hubris would soon come crashing down.
The subsequent US-led military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq were costly enduring campaigns against unconventional armies that would end without any clear victory.
In particular, the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 showed the limits of US military might and tested the unity of the international order - the UN was bitterly divided.
And Gen Cordingley says the British army, now designed to fight wars "among the people", would be "incapable" of ever again doing anything on the same scale as Desert Storm. | A quarter of a century on, seen through the fog of more recent conflicts, the first Gulf War might look like a straightforward military success, or even the last significant victory for American and British forces. | 35327084 | [
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However, it says it will still co-operate with its larger neighbour.
Speaking earlier in Miami, Florida, Mr Trump said he was reimposing certain travel and trade restrictions eased by the Obama administration, condemning a "completely one-sided deal".
But he is not reversing key diplomatic and commercial ties.
"The government of Cuba denounces the new measures toughening the embargo," Cuban state TV said.
But it also reiterated "its willingness to continue the respectful dialogue and cooperation".
Barack Obama attempted to thaw relations by loosening trade and tourism bans.
President Trump says his new policy will tighten rules on travel and on sending funds to Cuba.
Announcing the changes on Friday, he cited human rights concerns, saying doing a deal with the "brutal" Castro government was "terrible" and "misguided".
Later that night, Cuban state news was also talking tough.
"Any strategy aimed at changing the political, economic and social system in Cuba - whether by pressure or imposition or through more subtle means - is destined to fail," it said.
However, President Trump is not rowing back on all parts of Obama's deal.
He will not close the US embassy in Havana, commercial flights from the US will continue, and Americans will still be able to return home with Cuban goods.
"The embargo should continue. Why give credit to a country where the people don´t see a penny? They are still starving and there is no freedom whatsoever. Why should we keep feeding the people who are on top when they repress their own people." Jose Nadal
"I am 100% Republican. I agree 150% with everything Trump says and does. They should impose more sanctions against Cuba. When Obama made the agreement and restored relations with the Cuban government, he gave them everything they asked for. We received nothing from the Cuban government. This is why Trump wants to strengthen the sanctions." Cathy Henderson
"I am against the embargo. The Cuban tyranny uses the embargo as a pretext to justify that it has failed. Everything bad that happens in Cuba, they blame the embargo." Santiago Portal
Courtesy of BBC Mundo
1959: Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro leads a guerrilla army into Havana overthrowing the Batista regime.
1960: In response to Castro's communist reforms, US breaks off diplomatic relations with Cuba and imposes a trade embargo.
1962: Castro agrees to allow the Soviet Union to deploy nuclear missiles on the island bringing the US and the USSR to the brink of nuclear war.
April 2009: President Barack Obama lifts restrictions on family travel and the sending of remittances to Cuba.
July 2015: The US and Cuba reopen embassies in each other's capitals and restore full diplomatic ties.
March 2016: President Obama makes a three-day visit to Cuba and holds talks with President Raul Castro. He expresses hope the embargo will be ended, but it can only be lifted by the US Congress which is controlled by Republicans who oppose the move.
Aug 2016: US commercial flight arrives in Cuba for the first time in more than half a century. | Cuba's government has denounced US President Donald Trump's decision to roll back on policy changes towards the island nation. | 40311287 | [
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Kerry Foods confirmed the redundancies, which were initially announced in February.
The company said a consultation process "had failed to secure a strategy which would ensure the sustainability of production at the site".
The firm said it was retaining the factory on the town's Europarc industrial estate and was looking at "future possibilities for the site".
Kerry Foods said employees were given confirmation of the plant's closure on Wednesday following a 90-day consultation period.
A company spokesman said: "We are doing everything we can to assist employees in securing new employment." | A Grimsby frozen food factory has closed with the loss of 337 jobs. | 17958160 | [
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Johnny McGurk, 49, appeared in court in County Londonderry accused of theft from quarry firm Patrick Bradley Ltd.
Mr McGurk, an accountant, was released on bail and will appear in court again on 19 November.
He won an All-Ireland football championship and All-Star award in 1993.
Mr McGurk also captained his club Lavey to an All-Ireland senior club championship in 1991.
The accused's name was given to Coleraine Magistrates Court as John Malachy McGurk of Oakland Crescent in Knockloughrim, Magherafelt, County Londonderry.
He was charged with stealing £572,206 from Patrick Bradley Ltd, based in Kilrea, also in County Londonderry.
Mr McGurk was also accused of 36 counts of fraud relating to sums of allegedly stolen money lodged in his bank account.
All the offences are alleged to have happened between 1 July 2006 and 31 December 2011. | A Gaelic footballer who won an All-Ireland championship with Derry will stand trial accused of stealing over £500,000 from his employer. | 34475490 | [
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Ms Maréchal-Le Pen, 27, who is an MP for the National Front (FN), had been seen by some as a future leader of the party.
She is the granddaughter of FN founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.
She is one of the best known figures in the party and one of only two FN lawmakers in the outgoing parliament.
Analysts say she takes more of a hardline position than her aunt.
According to Le Figaro, Ms Maréchal-Le Pen will announce on Wednesday her intention not to stand for a new term in parliamentary elections in June. She will also quit her position as president of the FN in the south-eastern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
It is understood she wishes to spend more time with her young daughter, the newspaper adds.
The party would not confirm the report but senior FN official Bruno Gollnisch told reporters it would not be totally unexpected.
"I think it's in the works, but I will let her announce it if she wants to," he said. | Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, the niece of defeated far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, is to quit politics, French media report. | 39864948 | [
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The decommissioned Transocean Winner came ashore at Dalmore, near Carloway on Lewis, in a storm while being towed to the Mediterranean.
Its owner Transocean has paid the money requested by the MCA to cover costs in dealing with the incident.
The rig was eventually taken back under tow and scrapped in Turkey.
The rig's grounding last August sparked pollution fears due to the 280 tonnes of diesel on board.
Investigations found two of its four fuel tanks were damaged in the incident which resulted in the loss of 53,000 litres of fuel, most of which is thought to have evaporated with no damage to the environment.
Three weeks later it was towed to the safer anchorage at Broad Bay before being floated on to the deck of the Hawk, a semi-submersible ship used for transporting large maritime structures over long distances. | The owner of a 17,000-tonne oil rig which ran aground on the Western Isles last year has paid the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) £400,000. | 39999400 | [
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The service is available to Three customers travelling to the Republic of Ireland, Australia, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark.
European authorities have been clamping down on roaming charges.
But Three is the first network to abolish them altogether, albeit in selected countries, where it has sister networks.
Three says customers on a pay monthly contract would be able to use their allowances of free minutes, texts and data with no extra charges for being abroad.
However, those on unlimited plans will be subject to some restrictions.
In a press release, Thomas Malleschitz, marketing director at Three, said: "By abolishing expensive roaming charges in select countries, we are allowing our customers to get even more value from their minutes, texts and data abroad by removing the fear associated with staying in touch while travelling."
Analysts say that other operators of mobile phone networks are likely to follow Three's lead, particularly those who already have a presence in other countries.
Matthew Howett, a senior analyst at consultancy firm Ovum, says the deal from Three is also interesting because it applies to nations outside the European Union, where there has been pressure from authorities to lower roaming charges.
"Reducing roaming charges outside of that bloc will welcomed by many, since prices have remained stubbornly high in some countries," he said. | Three has announced that it has abolished international roaming charges in seven countries. | 23896896 | [
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Syed Ali attacked the teenager in Sunderland's Mowbray Park on 8 December last year.
Ali, from the city's Barnes area, was found guilty after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.
Det Insp Phil Bond said Ali had "preyed on his victim, befriending her and quickly gaining her trust before subjecting her to a horrific attack".
He said: "I hope the victim and her family can now move on from what has been an incredibly distressing time and can come to terms with what has happened and rebuild their lives.
"Although we know this sentence will in no way help erase what has happened, we hope there is some comfort in knowing Ali is now in prison." | A 47-year-old man who raped a 16-year-old girl in a Wearside park has been jailed for eight years. | 33928160 | [
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Two leading groups, Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham, which formed a pact last year, both say the plane was shot down.
Syrian state media said the crash was caused by a technical fault.
Jaysh al-Islam, the larger of the two groups, posted footage online which it claimed showed the pilot being held after ejecting from the jet.
The video, bearing Jaysh al-Islam's logo, showed an object engulfed in flames followed by an interview with the supposed pilot.
The man gave his name as Nawras Hassan, as well as his date of birth and hometown. He said he was based in Dumair air base and that he had been a pilot for 16 years.
A later image posted by the group appeared to show the pilot dead.
Jaysh al-Islam said in a statement that the pilot was captured by the Joint Operations Room - the name adopted by a collection of rebel groups in the region including Jaysh al-Islam, Ahrar al-Sham, and Jabhat al-Nusra.
Jaysh al-Islam said the pilot was captured by militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, who were supposed to hand him over but killed him instead.
Neither the claims nor the footage have been independently verified.
More than 280,000 have been killed and millions displaced by Syria's five-year conflict, according to UN estimates. | Syrian rebels say they shot down a Syrian air force jet and blamed an al-Qaeda-linked group for killing the pilot. | 36685284 | [
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Sakho, who is currently on loan at Crystal Palace, tested positive for the fat burner higenamine in March 2017 and served a provisional 30-day suspension.
Uefa dismissed the case in July.
European football's governing body blamed "gaps in communication" between Wada and two of its laboratories.
A Uefa report released on Thursday said it was "clearly not possible" for anyone to tell whether higenamine is a prohibited substance by reading Wada's banned list.
"The fact that the Cologne laboratory tested for higenamine but had to check with Wada before making a determination indicates a problem, as does the fact that the Lausanne laboratory does not test for it," it added.
"The onus is clearly on Wada to communicate to its laboratories what is and what is not on the prohibited list.
"There are clearly gaps in communication with regard to higenamine, something which also tends to support the suggestion that Wada's own internal procedure and analysis in respect of this substance is incomplete."
Sakho, 27, admitted taking the substance without Liverpool's knowledge but contended it was not on the banned list, which was supported by the report into the case by Uefa's control, ethics and disciplinary body.
The France international has not played for Liverpool since testing positive and moved to Palace on loan in February. | Liverpool centre-back Mamadou Sakho was suspended last season for taking a substance that was not on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (Wada) banned list, according to a Uefa report. | 39664838 | [
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Flames could be seen shooting from the roof of Scotway House, close to the city's Riverside Museum, after the fire broke out on Friday evening.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent a number of appliances to the scene.
There were no reports of injuries, and the nearby Riverside Museum was not damaged.
Scotway House is located on a large plot of wasteland west of Yorkhill Park.
It was built in 1885 as a drawing office for ship building firm D&W Henderson at the Meadowside Shipyard, and is a category B-listed building.
The building has been empty for about 20 years. Since the doors were closed it has been considered for a pub and restaurant development and a music venue.
Last year plans were submitted to convert the building as part of a student housing development on the site.
The Glasgow Harbour area is currently undergoing a major redevelopment. | Firefighters have put out a major blaze which swept through a derelict listed building in Glasgow. | 36348272 | [
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Andronicos Sideras, 55, is accused of mixing horsemeat with beef before selling it on through his company Dinos & Sons.
Two men who ran FlexiFoods - a meat suppliers linked to Dinos & Sons - have admitted passing horsemeat off as beef.
Mr Sideras denies one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The discovery of horsemeat in processed beef products sold by a number of UK supermarket chains in 2013 resulted in a series of product recalls.
The plot to pass horsemeat off as beef only came to light after horse identification chips were found in the meat by inspectors.
Ulrik Nielsen, 58, the owner of FlexiFoods, and his "right-hand man", Alex Beech, 44, have already admitted their involvement in the conspiracy.
Mr Sideras, of Southgate, north London, told the court in that in 2012 he agreed to store horsemeat for FlexiFoods.
He admits he relabelled the shipment because the packaging had been damaged during transit, but denies purchasing, selling or using the horsemeat.
The trial continues. | A businessman has denied being part of a conspiracy to pass off horsemeat as beef, claiming he was only storing the product for another company. | 40660011 | [
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The cinema chain has "provided the British public with unforgettable, cinema experiences", Bafta said.
The awards will be held at London's Royal Albert Hall on 12 February.
The Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award is presented annually in honour of Michael Balcon, the British film producer known for his work with Ealing Studios.
Previous recipients include Mike Leigh, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Working Title Films, Sir John Hurt and BBC Films.
Curzon's history stretches back to 1934 with the opening of its first cinema Curzon Mayfair.
Dame Pippa Harris, chair of Bafta's Film Committee, said: "I am thrilled that Bafta is honouring Curzon with the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award.
"For over 80 years, Curzon has provided the British public with unforgettable cinema experiences, while championing independent, art house and foreign language film-making.
"I would like to thank everyone at Curzon for their extraordinary contribution to our industry, and for their unwavering commitment to bringing the very best in film to audiences across the UK.
Philip Knatchbull, Curzon's chief executive, said he was "delighted" at the award.
"Curzon has a long and proud history in the British film industry and many talented and passionate people have contributed to its success story over the years," he said.
"We think of ourselves as champions of bold and visionary film-making from around the world supported by our growing network of cinemas and home cinema digital platforms."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | Curzon will receive an outstanding British contribution to cinema prize at this year's Bafta film awards. | 38649398 | [
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US researchers say the slow-is-more-accurate rule generally applies.
In a series of calculations, they looked at the physics behind releasing a projectile with the human arm.
Their equations suggest a slow underarm throw is the best strategy for getting a piece of paper into a nearby bin.
Lead researcher Madhusudhan Venkadesan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Yale University, said faster throws tend to be less accurate.
This is because the ball travels in a nearly straight line, so any errors in the angle at which the object is released tend to be amplified.
In slow and curved flight paths, small errors in the angle of release have little effect, he said.
"What we find is that almost the slowest arc is often the most accurate," said Dr Venkadesan.
"We've compared these calculations to published data of people throwing into wastebaskets; we've compared it to a study in dart throwing."
In sports such as basketball or darts, the strategy depends on conditions and the trade-off needed between speed and accuracy.
For example, experienced darts players throw overarm at about 5.5 metres per second, optimally releasing the dart 17 to 37 degrees before the arm becomes vertical.
On the cricket pitch, fielders are more likely to strike the wicket with a fast underarm throw.
And in basketball, the underhand free throw, nicknamed "the granny throw", has a marginal advantage over overhand, despite almost disappearing from the game.
Accurate throwing is uniquely human - a skill relied upon by our ancient ancestors for hunting with spears or stone tools.
The researchers say monkeys also throw things, but they are really bad at it.
The study is published in the journal, Royal Society Open Science.
Follow Helen on Twitter. | Scientists have calculated the optimal strategy for throwing something accurately - whether it's a dart or a crumpled-up piece of paper. | 39712282 | [
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Michael Coe, 35, saw the two 16-year-olds hugging in the street in Newham, east London, in April and demanded to know if they were Muslims.
Southwark Crown Court heard the Muslim convert then called the girl a "whore", before throwing the boy to the ground.
Coe also attacked a passing teacher who had tried to help the couple.
Judge Michael Gledhill QC said the two children had denied they were Muslim when challenged by Coe.
"Why? Because they were frightened of what you would do if they told you the truth, that they were in fact Muslim," Jude Gledhill said.
He added: "At the time of these offences you either held extremist views or views that were getting very close to extremist views."
Coe had admitted "shoving" the boy - who is half his size - claiming he was acting in self-defence, but was convicted in August of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery.
The court heard the father of two was radicalised in prison by al-Qaeda terrorist Dhiren Barot in 2007 while serving an eight-year term for firing a shotgun at police during an arrest.
Coe was also convicted of religiously aggravated harassment in 2013 after seeing a Muslim woman talking to a group of men and telling her that it was against Islam.
The defendant, also known as Mikaeel Ibrahim, became a close associate of convicted hate preacher Choudary, founder of the banned organisation al-Muhajiroun, of which Coe was a member.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay read a victim impact statement from the boy.
"He feels the offence has affected his life quite a lot," My Polnay said. "He doesn't see his friends outside of school.
"He has also split up with the girl who was his girlfriend at the time." | An associate of convicted hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been jailed for 28 months for knocking a boy unconscious because he was cuddling a girl. | 38210021 | [
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The England and Wales Cricket Board made the move in an attempt to improve the standard of pitches and Rhodes says it has already made a difference.
"I think it has," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.
"If you look back, there have been some very poor wickets - maybe this was the only way they could do it."
The 51-year-old former England wicketkeeper added: "I think, to a certain extent, it's worked.
"There have been some criticisms about wickets being too flat but if you're prepared to bat for a long period of time and concentrate, you'll get runs."
Worcestershire's two Championship matches so far - which have both been draws - have produced eight centuries, with five coming in the match against Gloucestershire and three more in their last game with Essex.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali, Joe Clarke, Brett D'Oliveira and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have all reached three figures for the New Road side and Rhodes says better pitches will help sort out the best players.
"Too many good players were playing forward defensive shots and getting out to average bowlers - that's what was happing before with the wickets," he added.
"Now those bowlers are struggling a little bit - which I think is a good thing." | Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes says the decision to scrap the toss in the County Championship this season looks like it is working. | 36213054 | [
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The parade by the campaign group, Veterans for Justice UK, is now set to take place in Coleraine, County Londonderry, on Saturday 4 March.
The original plan was to hold the march in Derry on the same date.
However relatives of Bloody Sunday victims objected, saying it was an "insult" to the people of the city.
John Kelly, whose brother was one of 14 Bloody Sunday victims killed by soldiers who opened fire on a civil rights march in Derry in 1972, had described the original plan as "an act of pure provocation".
The Derry parade was called off last week amid reports of counter-demonstrations planned by republicans.
Veterans for Justice UK has now lodged a fresh application with the Parades Commission to march through the centre of Coleraine.
The group said it expects 150 marchers to take part in the parade, which will start and finish at the Royal British Legion.
Last week, march organiser Anto Wickham said the aim of the event was to protect soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan facing "false prosecutions".
Mr Wickham said he was "upset" by suggestions that the Derry march had been planned to raise tensions in the city.
He told Tuesday's Belfast Telegraph: "With help from the Royal British Legion in Coleraine, we are now able to parade and carry on our fight for justice".
In recent months, a number of former soldiers and Conservative MPs have complained that Army veterans were being unfairly targeted by investigations into Troubles-era killings.
In January, hundreds of veterans marched through London to demand an end to the prosecutions.
A London-based law firm representing a number of ex-soldiers also called for an independent inquiry into the prosecution process.
The criticism drew a response from Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory QC, who defended his impartiality.
Mr McGrory told the BBC last month that critics who accuse him of treating former soldiers unfairly had insulted him and his office. | Organisers of a march for military veterans, which was cancelled in Londonderry due to security fears, have rearranged the event. | 38968468 | [
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Tait, who picked up a medal alongside Kate Hornsey in the women's pair, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013.
Australian Rowing head coach Chris O'Brien said: "Sarah has been, and will continue to be, an inspiration to many Australian rowers.
"She was a strong role model to young athletes, and particularly influential with our emerging female athletes."
Tait and Hornsey finished behind Great Britain's Heather Stanning and Helen Glover in the 2012 pairs final, which was GB's first gold of London 2012.
Glover became friends with Tait following the final and told BBC World Service she was an "incredible personality".
She added: "To achieve so much in her too short life - two beautiful children, a husband, an Olympic silver medal, the list goes on.
"Above all that, she was an inspirational and truly lovely person that has paved the way for women in sport at home in Australia and all over the world." | Australian rower Sarah Tait, who won silver at the London Olympics in 2012, has died aged 33. | 35714773 | [
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The UN estimates that a third more cocaine was being produced in the country in 2016.
The head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Bo Mathiasen, called the increase significant.
Analysts say much of it was due to the end of the eradication of coca crops by spraying.
The report said the total coca-growing area rose from 96,000 hectares in 2015 to 146,000 in 2016.
Mr Mathiasen said that he held out hope for a reduction in cultivation because Colombia had signed a peace agreement with the biggest rebel group in the country, the Farc, which controlled much of the drug-producing areas.
But local analysts argue that the rise was caused partly by a hiatus resulting from the government's peace deal with Farc rebels.
Under the deal, the Farc agreed to relinquish control over drug production areas and help the government try to encourage local farmers to plant substitute crops.
Farmers have taken advantage of the delays while the crop substitution policy is set up to plant coca, which has increased in price by almost 50%, because they know they will be offered subsidies later not to grow the plant.
Meanwhile, the Colombian government has increased by almost 50% its seizures of cocaine - from 253 tonnes confiscated in 2015 to 378 tonnes in 2016. | The United Nations says there was a 50% increase last year in the area of land being used to cultivate coca leaf in Colombia. | 40616502 | [
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South Wales Police officers were called to an address in Pencoed, Bridgend, at 17:30 BST on Saturday.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being questioned at Queens Road police station, Bridgend.
Police are appealing for anyone with information to call the incident room on 01656 306099 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. | A 43-year-old man has been arrested over the death of a 67-year-old woman in south Wales. | 33217239 | [
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The officer was carrying a handgun in the railway station in Inverness on Tuesday as he walked through the main concourse.
Police Scotland said the officer had breached new force policy.
A spokesman said he had been reminded of the strict criteria about the issue.
It was a sight more common in 2013 when a policy was introduced allowing firearms officers to carry handguns with them at all times while on duty.
However, after concerns from politicians, the chief constable of Police Scotland, Sir Stephen House, stated last October that specialist armed police officers in Scotland would only be deployed to firearms incidents or where there was a threat to life. | A police officer in Inverness has been photographed carrying a firearm despite assurances that sidearms would only be deployed under special circumstances. | 32333738 | [
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Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire have been worst affected, after 2-5cm fell overnight, with 10cm reported on higher ground.
Passengers waiting to depart Manchester Airport have reported being stuck on the runway for hours due to a lack of de-icers.
Leeds Bradford Airport suspended all morning flights but has since reopened.
Manchester Airport reported "minor delays to departing aircraft" - but passengers told the BBC they had been stuck on board outbound flights.
Shirley Hale said her Jet2 flight to Tenerife had been waiting to depart for over four hours.
"We have been told that there are not enough de-icers at the airport," she said.
The airport apologised and said de-icing was the responsibility of airlines and their ground teams.
More than 100 schools were closed across East Lancashire and Oldham, with 80 shut in West Yorkshire.
BBC Weather said Buxton in Derbyshire saw up to 17cm of snow, the deepest measured on Friday.
The avalanche risk in the Peak District was currently extremely high, Buxton Mountain Rescue Team said.
Parts of Staffordshire have been affected, with several centimetres of snow reported in Flash, England's highest village.
Commuters have been urged to allow extra journey time, and the Met Office has issued snow and ice warnings.
More on the snow and other stories in West Yorkshire
Weather updates for Lancashire and Greater Manchester
BBC Weather presenter Kay Crewdson said conditions were due to slowly improve into Saturday.
Molly Greenwood reported 10cm of snow in the Huddersfield area. "Don't think I'm going anywhere," she said.
Zulfi Hussain said the snow was causing "traffic chaos" in Woodhall Road, Calverley, near Leeds.
Elliott Hudson, another West Yorkshire resident, said: "Looks like I have woken up in Narnia."
West Yorkshire's Liversedge FC, who have had to cancel every home game for the last four months due to bad weather, tweeted a picture of snow with the caption: "It's not looking good for Liversedge FC's home game with Worksop Town tomorrow."
The A628 Woodhead, A57 Snake Pass and A537 Cat and Fiddle roads are all affected, with delays reported on the M65 motorway.
Highways England said the A57 eastbound in Great Manchester is closed between M67/A560 and B6174 due to severe weather conditions.
It said teams were working to clear the road.
Tony Hallwood, from Leeds Bradford Airport, said it reopened at about 09:00 GMT after crews used ploughs to clear snow from the runway.
He said: "We are asking passengers to make their way to the airport as early as they can given the difficult conditions."
Bus operators are also reporting delays to all services across West Yorkshire.
Oldham Council has said 48 schools had closed this morning as a result of the snow and severe weather.
Drivers are also being asked to take extra care after snow fell overnight in some parts of Northern Ireland.
A Met Office yellow warning for ice and snow in northern England and Wales ended at 15:00. | Heavy snowfall has caused travel disruption in parts of northern England. | 35723643 | [
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16 January 2017 Last updated at 17:18 GMT
Mr Murphy said the party had been "stretched to the limits" by their former partners in government, the DUP. (Democratic Unionist Party). | Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy says it's time for an election as the deadline passes for Secretary of State James Brokenshire to call one, after the party refused to re-nominate a deputy first minister. | 38639612 | [
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The degrees form part of the UK's cyber security strategy published in 2011.
The strategy recognised that education was key to improving defences against hackers and online fraud.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said internet cyber security was a "crucial part" of the government's long-term plan for the British economy.
He said the courses would help to make the "UK one of the safest places in the world to do business online".
He said: "Through the excellent work of GCHQ, in partnership with other government departments, the private sector and academia, we are able to counter threats and ensure together we are stronger and more aware."
UK universities were invited to submit their master's degree courses for certification.
The universities now running GCHQ-approved programmes in cyber security are Edinburgh Napier University, Lancaster University, the University of Oxford and Royal Holloway, University of London.
GCHQ has also given provisional accreditation to Cranfield University's cyber defence and information assurance course, and the University of Surrey's information security course.
A spokesman for GCHQ said the universities "were judged to provide well-defined and appropriate content, delivered to the highest standard". | Intelligence agency GCHQ has accredited six UK universities to teach specialist master's degree courses to future internet security experts. | 28623365 | [
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Media playback is not supported on this device
The Scot, 29, dismantled the Raonic serve in a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) victory to repeat his triumph of 2013 and claim a third Grand Slam title.
Murray is the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon singles titles since Fred Perry in 1935.
"I'm proud to have my hands on the trophy again," said Murray.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Murray gave a famously tearful speech after losing his first Wimbledon final against Roger Federer in 2012.
Twelve months later, he finally ended Britain's 77-year wait for a male champion - and the chance to see him repeat the feat attracted huge attention.
Spectators queued overnight just to grab a spot on Henman Hill, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and former champions Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker were among those watching from the Royal Box.
"This is the most important tournament for me every year," added an emotional Murray.
"I've had some great moments here, but also some tough losses. The win feels extra special because of the tough losses."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Murray was playing his 11th Grand Slam final and for the first time he was the favourite, having faced either Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer in the previous 10 finals.
He appeared to relish the role, ignoring the magnitude of the occasion to claim a sixth successive win over Raonic.
The 25-year-old Canadian was making his Grand Slam final debut, helped along the way by John McEnroe, who was in the opposite coaching corner to his old rival Ivan Lendl.
Whatever insights those two legends were able to pass on, the final came down, as expected, to a contest between serve and return, with the latter coming out on top.
Raonic went into the match with 137 aces, but it took him five games to add a 138th as Murray dialled in early on the return, just as he had in winning their Queen's Club final three weeks ago.
A blustery wind on Centre Court was not helping the Raonic serve and he was under pressure early on, seeing off two break points before Murray converted a third to lead 4-3.
That was enough to give the Scot the set and he continued to press in the second, earning four chances to break again but finding the net each time.
Raonic was unable to respond, failing to conjure up a single break point, but a tie-break offered the Canadian a chance to serve his way back to level terms.
Murray was having none of it, taking advantage of a slightly fortuitous early break to surge ahead with some magnificent defence and a rasping backhand winner.
At 6-1 down, there was no way back for Raonic - and when Murray clinched his third set point even the implacable Lendl was moved to applaud.
An unexpectedly routine contest came to life at the start of the third set when Raonic finally had two break points, only for a fired-up Murray to play his way out of trouble.
The world number two pumped his fist and roared in the direction of his player box, and when it came down to another tie-break, Murray again found his very best when it counted.
A brilliant backhand winner set him on the way to another 6-1 lead and, with the crowd chanting "Andy! Andy!", he pummelled a forehand into the corner on his second match point that Raonic could only return into the net.
In his previous 10 Grand Slam finals, Murray had only won 67% of his first-serve points - but it was a different story against Raonic as he won 87% of the points behind it.
He was not afraid to direct the majority of his serves to Raonic's strength, the forehand, and incredibly only lost one point when he did so in the match. In fact, over the course of both tie-breaks, Murray directed every first serve to the Raonic forehand.
The fact Murray was able to hold so comfortably throughout the match - he only faced two break points - meant that he could be ultra aggressive when returning.
He was able get 74% of his returns back in play and put pressure on the Raonic serve, which suffered under pressure, especially in the tie-break where the Canadian only won 44% of his service points.
Murray's ability to continually return the huge Raonic serve proved key to his victory.
The Canadian fired down the biggest serve of the tournament at 147mph, but it was still not enough, the Briton winning the point with a brilliant pass.
"He moves incredibly well, he returns well - those are his two biggest strengths, and he's been playing well," said Raonic.
"Every time you play him, you know he's going to get more returns back than anyone else, along with Novak."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Boris Becker, three-time Wimbledon champion: "Obviously, the big one is always the first one and once you break that duck there's room for more. He's 29, at the peak of his career, so I'm sure he's going to be up for a few more Grand Slams.
"Grass is his most natural surface, and he's always going to be a big threat at Wimbledon. Hard court is a great surface for him too. He'll be winning a couple more."
Lleyton Hewitt, 2002 Wimbledon champion: "Andy Murray is always trying to improve. It couldn't have been easy losing the Australian Open for a fifth time this year, and then losing to the one guy who's held the weight against him for so long in Novak Djokovic at the French Open, despite having taken the first set.
"I'm really pleased for him. You do put so much into this, he will be so relieved now."
Tim Henman, four-time semi-finalist: "Murray delivered in every aspect, it really was an amazing finish to a fantastic fortnight for him. He stamped his authority, got up 5-0 in both tie-breaks. His first serve percentage, he only made nine unforced errors... Murray used all his skills to keep making Raonic play and make life difficult and it paid off."
Pat Cash, 1987 Wimbledon champion: "It was almost a faultless tournament from Andy. It was so special. He perhaps had one blip by losing a set against Tsonga. How often can you say that?"
Media playback is not supported on this device | Britain's Andy Murray became Wimbledon champion for the second time with a superb performance against Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic in the final. | 36758518 | [
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The sofa was seen perched in the boot of the Toyota Celica on the A140 in Long Stratton, Norfolk, on Saturday by traffic officers, police said.
They found it was tied in by a loose, thin, suitcase-like strap, that was "only partially holding the sofa".
The driver was given a traffic offence report notice and may face more action.
An officer on a motorcycle saw the vehicle at about 15:10 GMT.
The Norfolk and Suffolk Roads Policing Unit tweeted about it and said it made them do a "double take".
"More suitable vehicle or straps would be a better bet," the unit added. | Police have stopped a driver after they spotted a sofa precariously hanging out of the back of a sports car travelling on a busy road. | 38122195 | [
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Warriors called off the game, without consulting Widnes, as the pitch had deteriorated following Storm Doris and needed time to recover so that Wigan Athletic could play football on it.
But the match then went ahead on the scheduled date at the Vikings' ground.
Warriors, who won the game 28-26, must pay £2,000 in costs for the RFL.
An independent operational Rules Tribunal determined the Warriors breached operational rules and some of the league's code of conduct.
The Rugby Football League said it would set up a working party so the stadium sharing clubs - Wigan, Hull FC, Salford Red Devils and Leeds Rhinos - can discuss the issues in relation to sharing a ground. | Wigan Warriors have been reprimanded and ordered to pay costs for postponing their Super League fixture against Widnes Vikings in February. | 40326938 | [
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Dataset Card for AutoTrain Evaluator
This repository contains model predictions generated by AutoTrain for the following task and dataset:
- Task: Summarization
- Model: facebook/bart-large-xsum
- Dataset: xsum
- Config: default
- Split: test
To run new evaluation jobs, visit Hugging Face's automatic model evaluator.
Contributions
Thanks to @AlekseyKorshuk for evaluating this model.
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