The discovery of a new drug to treat river blindness and elephantiasis has been hailed as a "major milestone" in the fight against the diseases.
The drug, ivermectin, is a derivative of the sweet wormwood plant Artemisia annua.
It kills the first larval stage of the parasite

The Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine has been split two ways for groundbreaking work on parasitic diseases.

Article: Norbert Hofer's new slogan translates as "So help me God" which his party says reflects "a strong anchorage in Christian and Western values".
But leaders from Protestant churches said God was the defender of the weak, "who today include refugees".
Mr Hofer's Freedom Party has campaigned against immigration.
The Christian leaders - not including the country's dominant Catholic Church - also said God was not Western, but universal.
"God cannot be manipulated for personal intentions or political purposes," Bishop Michael Buenker said in a joint statement with other Protestant leaders (in German).
"We consider that mentioning God for one's own political interests and using him along with reference to the Christian West to indirectly attack other religions and cultures amounts to an abuse of his name and of religion in general.
"We reject the use of God for political campaigning."
In response, Mr Hofer tweeted the lyrics to the Austrian national anthem (in German), which mention God, a picture of a US dollar note  bearing the slogan "In God we trust" and a picture of the cover of a book about German Chancellor Angela Merkel, entitled So wahr mir Gott helfe.
Mrs Merkel used the optional phrase at her swearing-in ceremony. It is the exact same slogan as Mr Hofer used, and translates to "So help me God".
Mr Hofer is facing an independent Green-backed candidate, Alexander van der Bellen, in an election which is being rerun because of procedural irregularities. If he wins, he will become the first far-right head of state in Europe since the EU was founded.
In May, he lost by 31,000 votes to Mr van der Bellen, but the Freedom Party's claim of procedural irregularities was upheld in court and the election will be re-run in December. The re-run had to be postponed after an October attempt was curtailed due to postal vote envelopes not being sticky enough.
The Freedom Party said Mr Hofer's slogan had come directly from his heart.
Party official Herbert Kickl said the phrase was "in no way a misuse of the concept of God"...

Summary: Christian leaders in Austria have criticised a far-right presidential candidate for invoking the name of God in a political campaign slogan.
###
Article: There were two incidents - one in December and one last week - on the service run jointly by Translink and Irish Rail.
Translink said at no stage were any passengers in danger.
All the refurbished trains are due to be operating on the Belfast to Dublin route from the end of February.
However, the Railway Safety Commission (RSC) has issued a prohibition notice on NI Railways, banning them from operating in the Republic of Ireland.
The RSC said the notice was independent of its approval of the newly re-furbished Enterprise Trains and that the doors or door circuits were not part of the re-furbishment project.
One of the refurbished trains was unveiled by Translink in November and had been undergoing a three-month trial.
It was one of four de Dietrich trains upgraded by Translink and was described by the company as a "major milestone" in its £12.2m NI railways upgrade programme.
New livery and interiors were also included as well as a significant overhaul of the train's mechanical systems and a new electronic passenger reservation system.
In response to the latest incidents, Translink said "internal investigations have highlighted that the two door incidents are unrelated in nature and at no stage were passengers in any immediate danger".
"A technical investigation and remedial action is currently under way across the Enterprise fleet involving specialist door contractors and the train door manufacturer.
"The Enterprise train remains out of service while this is ongoing."
Translink has postponed the introduction of a new timetable for the Enterprise train service to Dublin.
An earlier 06.15 GMT Belfast departure time had been due to begin at the end of January.
But the journey time would have taken longer - almost two and a half hours.
However Translink has now said that "alternative options" are being looked at. Passengers have been consulted by Translink and Iarnród Éireann about the proposed changes.
The service is operated jointly by Translink and Iarnród Éireann.
"The companies will work together to review...

Summary: The newly-refurbished Enterprise trains have had their safety licence suspended in the Republic of Ireland after passenger doors opened mid-journey.
###
Article: The research, by William C Campbell, Satoshi Omura and Youyou Tu, has led to drugs to treat diseases affecting more than 3.4 billion people around the world.
One of them, malaria, most people have heard of. But the other two illnesses, onchocerciasis or "river blindness" and lymphatic filariasis or "elephantiasis" - both caused by roundworm parasites  - are lesser known.
People catch these worms from bites from infected insects such as flies or mosquitoes.
Left untreated, the worms grow and multiply, causing disabling symptoms in their host.
The drug ivermectin kills the first larval stage of the parasite - the babies of adult female worms.
William C Campbell discovered this by studying bacteria living in soil samples obtained by Satoshi Omura from a Japanese golf course in Ito City, in the Shizuoka region.
One particular strain of bacterium, Streptomyces avermitilis, caught his eye because of its potent anti-parasitic properties.
Working with drug company Merck and Co, he then set about purifying this agent.
Since 1987, Merk (MSD) has given ivermectin away free to those countries that need it most.
Last year, it donated more than 300 million doses to treat river blindness and elephantiasis.
Meanwhile, Chinese scientist Youyou Tu had been focusing her attentions in the 1960s and 70s on finding a new treatment for malaria.
The staples quinine and chloroquine were failing because the parasite that causes malaria - Plasmodium falciparum - had learned how to evade their attack.
Disheartened by the lack of effective drugs to tackle this mosquito-borne disease, the professor turned to traditional medicine to hunt for a new option.
She found that an extract from the sweet wormwood plant Artemisia annual was sometimes effective - but the results were inconsistent, so she went back to ancient literature, including a recipe from AD350.
This ancient document - Ge Hong's A Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies - recommended a handful of qinghao [the Chinese name for the plant extract] immersed in two litres of water,...

Summary:


The Scottish government has announced a new £1.5m fund to help farmers protect their livestock from the grey wolf.
The Scottish government has announced a new £1.5m fund to help farmers protect their livestock from the grey wolf.
The Scottish government has announced a new £1.5m fund to

In the summer months high on the French Alps the sheep graze on rich pastures.

Article: The clause will be included in a draft of the BBC's next Royal Charter.
Currently, the BBC only reveals the salary details of executives who earn more than £150,000, but the government wants it to go further.
But BBC Trust chairwoman Rona Fairhead said the move was not "in the long-term interests of licence fee payers".
Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Mrs Bradley said publishing the salaries would bring the BBC "in line with the civil service" on transparency.
The culture secretary said it would help ensure the BBC "produces value for money for the licence fee" and that more transparency could lead to savings that could be "invested in even more great programmes".
Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman - one of those expected to be on the list - said last week she was "all for" BBC stars' earnings being disclosed because they are "working for the public".
The BBC has said releasing stars' salary details would affect its ability to attract and retain top talent and that it has already cut the amount it pays its broadcasting stars by £8m.
Mrs Fairhead said: "We don't agree with the government on everything and are disappointed with the decision on the disclosure of presenters' pay. We don't believe this is in the long-term interests of licence fee payers."
Last month, a spokesman for the corporation said publishing stars' salaries would amount to a "poacher's charter" - which would give competitors an advantage, allowing them to make better financial offers to attract talent away from the BBC.
But the corporation must now publish the salary details of all of its staff, including on-air presenters, who earn more than £150,000 - and specify which £50,000 salary band they fall in to - in next year's annual report.
Director general Tony Hall said: "Our position on talent pay has not changed and all major broadcasters have questioned the merit of the proposal.
"The BBC operates in a competitive market and this will not make it easier for the BBC to retain the talent the public love."
The lower...

Summary: The BBC will have to name all employees and presenters paid more than £150,000 a year, culture secretary Karen Bradley has said.
###
Article: The parties announced the decision at a meeting of the new council on Wednesday evening.
Christine Simpson (Labour) was named as the new provost, and Graham Houston (SNP) as depute convener.
At the start of the meeting, a minute's silence was held to remember the victims of the Manchester terror attack.
The previous administration in Stirling was a Labour-Conservative coalition.
Most of Scotland's 32 local authorities have now formed administrations, but a few are still to reach decisions.
It was announced earlier on Wednesday that the SNP would form a minority administration in East Dunbartonshire.
West Lothian and Edinburgh councils are due to hold meetings on Thursday, after both adjourned meetings last week.

Summary: The SNP and Labour have agreed a coalition to run Stirling Council as a majority administration.
###
Article: In the Hautes Alpes, they are currently feeding beneath ski lifts on slopes that will soon be covered by a thick layer of snow.
But this year the freedom to roam has been curtailed. Somewhere in the dark, dense forests a grey wolf is on the prowl.
The wolf was hunted almost to extinction in France in the 1930s but, protected as an endangered species, it is making a surprising comeback.
Some 200 wolves have colonised the southern regions of France, divided into about 20 packs. They are believed to have crossed from Italy in the mid-1990s and they are moving ever further north.
Lionel Serres has 250 sheep on the mountainside this summer. Each night he pens them in behind electric fences. But the wolf is a cunning predator and so far it has killed 17 of his ewes, while 10 more are missing.
Sheep spooked
On the day we met, he was busy trying to recover an ewe that had been grabbed by a wolf around the neck. Its fleece was matted, thick with blood.
"We have had lots of dead and injured sheep," said Lionel. "The flock is in a pretty sorry state. Some are lame, they are stressed, and some are so frightened they have miscarried lambs."
At night the wolf will circle the pens until the sheep are spooked into jumping the electric fences.
And so costly are these losses that in recent weeks Mr Serres has been forced to hire another shepherd, who will sleep alongside the sheep at night.
He is not the only one with concerns. So angry are the farmers in this region, that on the road to Hautes Alpes, in south-eastern France, on the border with Italy, there are huge signs painted on the road - "NO to the wolf."
Two hundred wolves might not sound like a huge problem. But this year there have been almost 600 attacks in which more than 2,000 sheep have been killed. That constitutes a rise of 20% on the same period last year.
So, under pressure from farmers and faced with an increasing number of attacks, the local prefect has finally ordered a hunt for one individual wolf thought to be doing much of the damage.
Since an...

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A new campaign has been launched to encourage people to vote in the upcoming referendum on whether to abolish Arun District Council.
The poster features an officer and a message to parents asking them not to use the threat of the police when disciplining their children.
The poster has been shared more than 47,000 times and

A poster urging parents not to use the police to scare their children has been seen more than 3.5 million times.

Article: Exeter Chiefs chairman Tony Rowe was given the Freedom of Exeter for his outstanding services to rugby.
Mr Rowe immediately exercised his right to lead sheep through the city, draping four animals in the flags of the teams who will be appearing in Exeter.
The Chiefs are hosting three world cup games at their Sandy Park ground.
During his 20-year involvement with the Exeter Chiefs, Mr Rowe presided over the club's promotion to rugby's top flight in 2010 and the construction of the Sandy Park stadium.
Exeter City Council said it can bestow the honour on anyone who has "undertaken something which is outstanding or has helped enhance the reputation of the city".
The former Royal Marine bandsman is being recognised for his services to rugby union, which the council said has "helped promote the city around the globe".
The businessman follows in the footsteps of Exeter-based Olympic athlete Jo Pavey and Great Britain swimmer Liam Tancock, who were both given the Freedom of the City in 2015.
Sandy Park will host it's first world cup group game when Tonga face Namibia on 29 September. It will then host Namibia versus Georgia on 7 October and Italy versus Romania on 11 October.

Summary: A freeman has used his ancient right to herd a flock of sheep through a city centre to publicise the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
###
Article: They voted three-to-one in favour of ditching Arun District Council but only 435 people (2.8%) turned out.
The Parish Poll was proposed by town councillor Jan Cosgrove who said cutting districts and boroughs would save millions of pounds.
But fellow councillor Adam Cunard said the poll cost Â£20,000 and was a "complete waste of time".
He said turnout was "disastrous" and predicted Arun "would take very little notice".
The council's Chief Executive Nigel Lynn said the result was non-binding and would be considered in the context of "the lowest ever recorded turnout in Arun's history".
Mr Cosgrove said it would have been higher if the campaign was longer.
Voters were also in favour of merging Bognor's six parish councils and a seafront regeneration plan, which was recently rejected by Arun councillors.
A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said: "The government is willing to listen to any proposals which deliver better local services, greater value for money and stronger local leadership."

Summary: Hundreds of people in Bognor Regis have voted to abolish their district council in a non-binding referendum.
###
Article: The poster features an officer and a message to parents asking them not to use the threat of the police when disciplining their children.
Durham Constabulary wants children to see officers as people who can help rather than simply law enforcers.
And the force's poster has been shared more than 47,000 times and liked by almost 35,000 people on Facebook.
A force spokesman said: "Children should be taught from an early age that if they feel like are in danger and they need help, they can approach an officer who will reassure them."
However, the poster has divided opinion on Facebook.
Jeff Rowse said: "Telling them they will go to jail if they are bad is wrong how? Surely that is the major reason for having a police force? And jails?"
In response Paul Parry said: "Telling a three-year-old that if he doesn't eat his dinner the policeman will come and take him to jail isn't true and will only serve to instil fear into that child.
"The police shouldn't be used to reinforce bad parenting."
Others were more taken with the officer, with several people asking for him to be moved to their local force or saying they would happily go to him for help.

Summary:


The Mercian Regiment has announced the appointment of a new mascot, Private Derby XXX.
The ram, who is officially classed as a soldier, will be promoted to the rank of lance corporal at an event in Chester marking eight years of the Mercian Regiment.
He will be presented with his honour by

A sheep which is the mascot of a British Army regiment has been promoted at a ceremony marking its formation.

Article: Tropical forests are being cleared for rubber plantations, putting endangered birds, bats and primates at risk, say UK researchers.
By 2024, up to 8.5 million hectares of new rubber plantations will be needed to meet demand, they report in Conservation Letters.
This could have a "catastrophic" impact on wildlife, they warn.
Species such as the endangered white-shouldered ibis, yellow-cheeked crested gibbon and clouded leopard could lose precious habitat, said the team led by Eleanor Warren-Thomas, from the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia.
"The tyre industry consumes 70% of all natural rubber grown, and rising demand for vehicle and aeroplane tyres is behind the recent expansion of plantations. But the impact of this is a loss of tropical biodiversity," she said.
"We predict that between 4.3 and 8.5 million hectares of new plantations will be required to meet projected demand by 2024. This will threaten significant areas of Asian forest, including many protected areas."
Eight-point-five million hectares is about the size of the land area of Austria.
Rubber is the most rapidly expanding tree crop within mainland Southeast Asia.
Concern has been growing among conservationists that switching land use to rubber cultivation can harm soil, water and biodiversity.
The first review of the effects on biodiversity and endangered species found the problem was comparable to oil palm and was linked to the growing tyre market.
The study focussed on four biodiversity hotspots in which rubber plantations are expanding:
It found that numbers of bird, bat and beetle species can decline by up to 75% in forests that have been converted to rubber.
The researchers, from UEA and the University of Sheffield, are calling on tyre manufacturers to support initiatives such as certification schemes.
Commenting on the study, Dr Matthew Struebig of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, UK,  said certification standards for the rubber industry were key to protecting...

Summary: The global demand for rubber tyres is threatening protected forests in Southeast Asia, according to a study.
###
Article: The book, set 20 years after the events of Mockingbird, is guaranteed to be a summer bestseller.
The discovery of the novel was announced in February and hailed as the literary sensation of the decade.
One of the revelations in the new book is that the much-loved character of Atticus Finch is painted a racist "bigot".
Here is a round-up of reviews from the past few days.
"Go Set a Watchman" is a distressing book, one that delivers a startling rebuttal to the shining idealism of "To Kill a Mockingbird." This story is of the toppling of idols; its major theme is disillusion.
Teachers of American literature have been handed a fascinating potential course comparing and contrasting the pair, while there is clearly opportunity for a new movie of To Kill a Mockingbird combining the two genres most beloved by modern Hollywood - remake and sequel - within a structure of interlocking flashbacks that are the most fashionable form of movie narrative.
Until then, Go Set a Watchman shakes the settled view of both an author and her novel. And, unless another surprise for readers lies somewhere in her files, this publication intensifies the regret that Harper Lee published so little.
Because the action takes place 20 years later than the story of To Kill a Mockingbird, it feels like a sequel. But really, it's more like a ghost: The spectre of Lee's restless, ardent thoughts in progress.
The main source of shock will be the transformation of Atticus, now 72, into a racist.
This is not an easy book. It is a story about coming of age, brutally, into a changing world.
It is a story about putting aside childish beliefs and certainties. It is a story of acceptance â€” self-acceptance most of all.
But reading it, we can begin to see how far we have already come towards Scout's dream of equality and how far we still have to go.
Even with its weaknesses, Go Set a Watchman's voice is, at its best, beguiling and distinctive, and reminiscent of Mockingbird, and its similarity in style might finally end the speculation that Lee's...

Summary: More than 50 years after To Kill A Mockingbird was published, Harper Lee's second novel Go Set A Watchman has gone on sale around the world.
###
Article: Private Derby XXX was promoted to the rank of lance corporal at an event in Chester marking eight years of the Mercian Regiment.
He was awarded his honour by the colonel of the regiment, Brigadier Andrew Williams.
The Swaledale ram, who is officially classed as a soldier, received his promotion for "good behaviour".
He is the 30th in a line of mascot rams running back to the Indian Mutiny War in the mid-19th Century.
The first Private Derby was acquired in 1858 by the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot and became the mascot of the Mercian Regiment when it formed in 2007.
Lance Corporal Derby XXX joined the regiment in February 2014.
He has his own army number, gets paid to buy his rations and takes his holidays during the mating season on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire.
During his career, Lance Corporal Derby XXX has also helped switch on the Christmas lights in Ashbourne and met Prince William at the unveiling of a memorial commemorating the 1914 Christmas Truce.

Summary:


The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) has welcomed the launch of a new register of breast implant surgery.
The register will allow patients to be traced if they have had breast implant surgery.
The register will be managed by NHS Digital and will include patients treated

A register of patients in England with breast and other cosmetic implants has been set up to allow them to be traced in the event of any safety concerns.

Article: His rival Ted Cruz swept the board in that state, where delegates are selected by senior party activists.
Mr Trump is still well ahead in the Republican race but if he does not get 1,237 delegates in the state-by-state contests, he could lose out anyway.
A winner could well emerge from a contested convention in July.
In that scenario, many of the delegates can back who they want to after the first ballot, opening the door for Texas Senator Mr Cruz or even the third candidate in the race, John Kasich.
Senior Republicans have voiced concern about Mr Trump's chances of winning in November's general election, and oppose his hardline views on immigration.
Next week New Yorkers get the chance to pick their nominees in the Republican and Democratic contests, in a pivotal moment in the process.
But on Monday, Mr Trump, a New York businessman, told Fox News he was angry about the way Mr Cruz had won all the delegates in Colorado.
"They weren't given a vote. It's a crooked deal. The system is rigged, crooked. That's not the way democracy is supposed to work."
Delegates are party members with the power to vote for each candidate at the party conventions held in July, where the nominee is formally confirmed.
In the modern political era, most states have opted to hold state-wide primaries or caucuses to determine the number of delegates pledged to a particular candidate.
But Colorado decided to select its delegates in a different way, at its own state convention.
His new campaign manager Paul Manafort accused the Cruz campaign of "Gestapo tactics" in how they had persuaded delegates to support him.
Mr Trump told a rally on Sunday that the person who wins the most votes in the primary process should automatically be the nominee.
"What they're trying to do is subvert the movement with crooked shenanigans," he said.
He also revealed that only one of his three children residing in the state of New York will be able to vote.
"They didn't register in time," he said. "So they feel very, very guilty."
One of Mr Trump's most...

Summary: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has described as "rigged" the way the US state of Colorado picks its presidential nominee.
###
Article: It is a sign of the depth of regal displeasure.
It's the Sun headline, "Queen Backs Brexit" which is both toxic and very troubling to an institution which prides itself on remaining above the political fray.
But the course of action the palace has now embarked upon brings with it risks.  It's a far cry from the "never complain, never explain" mantra once deployed by officials in the past.
The letter to the press watchdog ensures that the Sun story continues to be debated.
And there continues to be a focus on what the Queen chose very deliberately to do four days before the Scottish referendum.
When she told a well-wisher in 2014 "I hope people will think very carefully about the future", it was interpreted as support for Scotland remaining within the UK.
It was a planned remark the Queen and her senior advisers may come to regret.

Summary: It is unusual for the Queen to take action against a newspaper.
###
Article: The move comes after faulty Poly Implant ProthÃ¨se (PIP) silicone breast implants were recalled in 2010, affecting thousands of women.
The inclusion of individual patients' details will not be mandatory.
However, all providers of breast implant surgery will be expected to participate in the scheme.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We want the NHS to be the safest healthcare system in the world and anyone who chooses to have a cosmetic procedure has the right to safe care.
"The PIP breast implant scandal in 2010 affected thousands of people which is why we asked NHS Digital to develop a new register which will allow people to be traced swiftly if that is ever needed."
As a result of poor record-keeping following the PIP scandal, many women were unable to find out if they had been given the faulty implants.
In some cases, because surgery providers had gone out of business, women who received the implants could not be traced.
The Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry - which will be managed by NHS Digital - will include patients treated by both NHS and private providers.
And participation in the registry will be noted during Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections.
The registry will be expanded in the future to also cover other cosmetic implants, such as buttock or calf implants.
It is expected to record more than 20,000 cases of implant surgery every year and allow complications with specific implants to be picked up.
Providers will be expected to submit data on patients via an online portal.
Explicit consent from patients will be required to add their details to the registry - and this is in addition to the usual consent for the surgical procedure.
Noel Gordon, chair of NHS Digital, said the registry marked a major step forward in improving patient safety for people who undergo breast implant surgery each year.
"We look forward to working with patients and providers to ensure that the benefits of this important registry are delivered."
The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic...

Summary:


A new study has found that the Scottish accent is becoming more distinctive.
The study, by researchers at the University of Glasgow, found that the Scottish accent is becoming more distinctive.
The study, which was published in the journal Language, found that the Scottish accent is becoming more distinctive.
The researchers analysed the speech

The Scots accent is flourishing and proving resilient against a growing homogenised anglicised accent across English regions, new research suggests.

Article: The final communique said members were determined to develop measures to stop firms shifting profits from a home country to pay less tax elsewhere.
The UK, France and Germany were the main movers behind the drive.
The communique also said members would refrain from devaluing their currencies to gain economic advantage, amid fears of a new "currency war".
The fears had been sparked by Japan's recent policies, which have driven down the value of the yen, aiding its exporters.
A recent survey carried out by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that multinational firms could exploit gaps between tax rules in the different countries in which they operate.
The finance ministers of the UK, France and Germany - George Osborne, Pierre Moscovici and Wolfgang Schaeuble - said international action was needed to crack down on companies which transfer profits from their home country to another in order to pay lower taxes.
CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet UK Ltd is a subsidiary of the imaginary US company CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet Corp. It assembles widgets from parts manufactured at CGHMN Corp factories in China, and then sells them in the UK.
"Transfer pricing" rules apply to the cost of parts, the fee payment and the interest on the loan. If CGHMN Corp overcharged for any of these, it would reduce CGHMN UK Ltd's corporation tax bill in the UK, while increasing CGHMN Corp's taxable profits in another country.
*For usage of intellectual property rights and brands owned by the US company
How do companies avoid their tax?
Mr Osborne decried a global taxation system he said had been guided by principles set out by the League of Nations in the 1920s, with few changes since.
He said: "We want businesses to pay the taxes that we set in our countries. And that cannot be achieved by one country alone."
Mr Moscovici said France was "strongly determined to fight against tax fraud, tax avoidance, and tax evasion".
He added: "We must avoid situations in which some companies use international and domestic law to...

Summary: G20 finance ministers meeting in Moscow have pledged to crack down on tax avoidance by multinational companies.
###
Article: Experts at the Dutch museum studied photos of the drawings ahead of a press conference unveiling a new book showcasing the sketches.
The museum's researchers "were of the opinion that these could not be attributed to Vincent Van Gogh".
Publisher Le Seuil said "their authenticity is well established".
Written by art historian Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, who specialises in Van Gogh, the book is titled Vincent Van Gogh, the Fog of Arles: The Rediscovered Sketchbook.
The book claims the ink drawings were created in the accounts book of a hotel Van Gogh was staying at in the French city of Arles in 1888.
Amsterdam's Van Gogh museum said in a statement that its experts had also examined some of the original drawings.
The 56 high-resolution photographs "did not change their minds", they added.
The Van Gogh Museum's director, Axel Ruger, said they had told the book's publisher about the museum's opinion on the sketches.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Ruger said of Ms Welsh-Ovcharov: "That's her opinion. She has some experience and knowledge as well. We may have to agree to disagree."
Ms Welsh-Ovcharov has created a number of exhibitions on Van Gogh, including one at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris.
Researchers from the Van Gogh museum - widely accepted as the world's authorities on the artist -  concluded that the style of the drawings were uncharacteristic of his work during the period and were unrefined, "clumsy" and "monotonous".
The team said another telling point was that the drawings in the sketchbook were executed in brownish ink, and this type of ink has never been found in Van Gogh's drawings from the period in question.
Experts also felt the artist was not very familiar with the places depicted, which was unlike Van Gogh. The Van Gogh Museum holds the largest collection of drawings by the artist.
But the book's editor, Bernard Comment, stood by the authenticity of the sketches, saying that the Van Gogh Museum had been wrong before and had dismissed work that was later proved to be his.
Le Seuil claimed the accounts book...

Summary: A series of previously unpublished sketches claimed to be by Vincent Van Gogh are imitations, the Van Gogh Museum has said.
###
Article: A team from Glasgow University studied recorded speech of Glaswegians from the early 20th Century to the present.
They found evidence of common UK accent changes, such as the use of "f" for "th" in words like think, and a dropped letter 'l', as in people to peopo.
Overall though, the researchers said the Scots accent remained distinctive.
The three-year Sounds of the City study, was led by Professor Jane Stuart-Smith, director of the university's laboratory of phonetics.
"We were quite surprised by what we found," she said.
"The assumption is that traditional dialects generally across the UK are being eroded and some are dying out altogether, but what we have learned, particularly with the Glasgow accent, is that Scots accents are actually flourishing.
"Interestingly, what is not happening in Scotland is the dilution of accents to a more homogenised anglicised accent on the scale that we are seeing in England, and in fact the Scots accent remains very distinctive."
As part of its study, the Glasgow team built up a digitised body of recorded speech sounds.
The team said its work suggested the distinctive Scots accent had undergone two kinds of changes.
One set are common accent changes, which have spread right across the UK, such as the "f" and "l" examples.
The team said this change was being spread partly by dialect contact and partly by the popularity of TV shows set in London.
The project also uncovered a second set of finer changes local to Scotland.
These included how vowels were pronounced in words such as boat, goat and coat, or stop sounds that are pronounced in words like pin, top and cat.
The researchers anticipated these sounds either to be stable over time, or perhaps to be changing in the same way as in Anglo-English accents.
Their evidence suggested, however, that these features and others were all changing, the changes were local to Scotland and not affected by Anglo-English changes, and that they had been happening for 100 years or more.
The Glasgow team said the trigger for some of these...

Summary:


The Russian Orthodox Church has said that it has not detected any signs of holy secretion on a bronze bust of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, in Crimea.
The Church's commission said it had not detected any traces of holy secretion on the bronze bust of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia,

The Russian Orthodox Church says it has not found any fragrant myrrh seeping from a bronze bust of Tsar Nicholas II, after a Russian MP made such a claim.

Article: Philipp Kirkorov was once referred to as Russia's Michael Jackson. The man who called him that was America's Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
"Oh, Donald Trump, oh my God," exclaims Kirkorov, when I mention the tycoon's name. "First time we met, we had a feeling we know each other many, many years!"
The two men have indeed known each other for more than two decades. In 1994, Kirkorov and his ex-wife Alla Pugacheva performed at Trump's Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City.
"After the show Donald Trump came to our dressing room. We got a big, fantastic gold trophy from him and his organisation for being the first Russian artists to play the Taj Mahal. When Alla and I divorced, I kept the trophy!"
In 2013, when Donald Trump brought the Miss Universe Contest to Moscow, Kirkorov was one of the judges. He has been a guest in the Republican candidate's home.
A President Trump, he believes, would be Russia's friend.
"He was very often a guest of Russia, he loves Russia and Russians," Kirkorov tells me. "If Trump will be President, the relationship between our countries will be much closer. And I pray for that. Because we are two big countries, two big nations. We must be friends."
Kirkorov's famous friend is singing from the same hymnbook.
Wouldn't it be nice if we actually got along with people? Wouldn't it be nice if we got along with Russia?"
"If we could get along with Russia, wouldn't that be a good thing, not a bad thing?" Donald Trump suggested on the campaign trail.
He has also hinted he would consider recognising Crimea as part of Russia, he has criticised Nato and suggested lifting sanctions against Russia.
So, how unusual is it for a US presidential candidate to be so pro-Moscow?
"It's never happened - it never happened in the last 70 years or so," believes Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Moscow, currently director and senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.
"Trump says things about Russia, about Putin personally, that are way...

Summary: On stage in Sochi, Russia's most famous pop star whips off his sequin-encrusted angel wings and launches into a love song.
###
Article: Only Sinn FÃ©in had held the education post until now.
But Peter Weir will be aware of many of the pressing issues he faces, as he recently chaired Stormont's education committee.
With Simon Hamilton responsible for universities as part of his economy brief, the DUP now oversee every aspect of education - from pre-school through to higher education.
In the run up to the assembly election, the party produced a policy document specifically on education which set out their priorities.
While they firmly back academic selection, it is unlikely that they will attempt to reintroduce a Northern Ireland-wide test.
Instead, it is likely that it will become easier for primary schools to teach to - and facilitate - the current Association of Quality Education and Post Primary Transfer Consortium-run tests.
However, the new minister may press both bodies to find a common test rather than continue to run separate ones.
The big problem facing Mr Weir will be money.
The education budget has fallen, while costs are rising.
Many school leaders warn that they are facing deficits which could lead, in the worst cases, to staff and subject cuts and higher class sizes.
The DUP have said that they support more money going directly to schools, so principals may have more say on what their budget is spent on - if not more funding overall.
In addition, the new minister may take a fresh look at the area planning process.
That aims to ensure that the size of schools and where they are located meets the needs of pupils.
A number of reports have said that we have too many schools in Northern Ireland.
Closing or merging a number of those deemed unsustainable would undoubtedly help save money, but, in practice, any move to do that inevitably meets strong local opposition.
The DUP also broadly backed the "shared education" approach favoured by previous minister John O'Dowd, where individual schools from different backgrounds collaborated while maintaining their own independence and ethos.
So it is unlikely that the integrated sector, which...

Summary: For the first time since the establishment of the Assembly in 1998 Northern Ireland has a DUP education minister.
###
Article: A Church commission inspected the bust in Crimea after Natalya Poklonskaya made the claim on a Russian TV channel.
Revolutionaries murdered Nicholas II - the last tsar - with his wife and children in 1918. The Church made most of the murdered family saints in 2000.
President Vladimir Putin has done much to restore the Church's prestige.
In the past some Russian Orthodox worshippers have claimed to see myrrh seeping from holy icons - but not from any busts of the old ruling family, the Romanovs.
Ms Poklonskaya's claim about the bust in Crimea's capital Simferopol was derided by some on Russian social media.
She claimed it was a sign that the dead tsar wanted Russia to "prosper and be great again", 100 years after his abdication.
The Crimean branch of the Russian Orthodox Church said its commission "did not detect traces of holy secretion on the bronze bust... nor on icons in the [nearby] chapel".
The Church said the chapel's priest "should continue observations, and if there are any traces of holy secretion he should immediately inform the bishop and the commission".
In the past some Roman Catholic worshippers have also made claims about weeping statues of the Virgin Mary.
Ms Poklonskaya was born in Ukraine and has lived in Crimea since 1990. She was appointed Crimean chief prosecutor in May 2014, after Russian forces had annexed the peninsula from Ukraine.
She has been a deputy in the Duma - Russia's lower house of parliament - since September 2016.

Summary:


The UK Cards Association has said that contactless payments are the fastest growing payment method in the UK.
Article: The UK Cards Association has said that contactless payments are the fastest growing payment method in the UK.
###: The UK Cards Association has said that contactless payments are the fastest growing payment method in the

One in eight purchases made on UK cards in December used contactless technology, marking a surge in the use of the alternative to loose change.

Article: This means the government cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning formal exit negotiations with the EU - on its own.
Theresa May says the referendum - and existing ministerial powers - mean MPs do not need to vote, but campaigners called this unconstitutional.
The government is appealing, with a further hearing expected next month.
The prime minister's spokeswoman said she would be calling President of the EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker to say she intended to stick to her March 2017 deadline for triggering Article 50.
Amid suggestions that she might try to call an early general election, she added that Mrs May believed "there shouldn't be an election until 2020 and that remains her view".
A statement is to be made to MPs on Monday but the government says it has no intention of letting the judgement "derail Article 50 or the timetable we have set out".
Brexit Secretary David Davis said he presumed the court ruling meant an act of Parliament would be required to trigger Article 50 - so would be subject to approval by both MPs and peers.
But the government was going to contest that view in an appeal, and said the referendum was held only following "a six-to-one vote in the Commons to give the decision to the British people".
"The people are the ones Parliament represents - 17.4m of them, the biggest mandate in history, voted for us to leave the European Union. We are going to deliver on that mandate in the best way possible for the British national interest," he told the BBC.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the government "to bring its negotiating terms to Parliament without delay", adding that "there must be transparency and accountability to Parliament on the terms of Brexit".
But UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he feared a "betrayal" of the 51.9% of voters who backed leaving the EU in June's referendum and voiced concern at the prospect of a "half Brexit".
BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said the court ruling could mean potentially "months and months" of parliamentary hurdles...

Summary: Parliament must vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the EU, the High Court has ruled.
###
Article: The leak suggested the Scottish first minister wanted David Cameron to remain as prime minister.
Mr Carmichael said it was an error of judgement and he accepted "the details of the account are not correct".
Ms Sturgeon said it had been a "blatant election dirty trick".
The confidential memo was published in the Daily Telegraph on 3 April as the general election campaign got under way.
It was written by a civil servant in the Scotland Office and claimed Ms Sturgeon told the French Ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Bermann, that she would prefer Mr Cameron, the leader of the Conservatives, to remain as prime minister.
The memo also claimed that Ed Miliband, who was then Labour's leader, was not prime minister material.
The official cabinet office inquiry into the leaking of the memo said Mr Carmichael's former special adviser Euan Roddin gave the details to the Daily Telegraph - but he had Mr Carmichael's permission to do so.
Mr Carmichael said, while he had not seen the document before it was published by the newspaper, he was "aware of its content and agreed that my special adviser should make it public".
The Lib Dem MP for Orkney and Shetland also accepted "full responsibility for the publication".
Ms Sturgeon said Mr Carmichael, who had been a minister in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government before the election, had attempted to cover up his involvement in the leak - and was only admitting it now "because he has been caught".
She added: "Mr Carmichael said at the time that the first he was aware of this matter was when he received a call from a journalist, but we now know that this is simply untrue. The false memo was leaked by a special adviser acting under the authority of Mr Carmichael.
"He knew all about it, but said in public that he knew nothing until a journalist phoned him.
"As well as the original dirty trick, which was bad enough, Mr Carmichael then tried to cover it up - and is only admitting it now because he got caught.
"He needs to seriously reflect on that - and reflect on whether his actions and...

Summary: Nicola Sturgeon has called on former Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael to consider his position as an MP after he admitted being behind the leak of a memo ahead of the general election.
###
Article: Just over one billion contactless transactions were completed in 2015, the UK Cards Association said.
More was spent using this technology last year than during the previous seven years combined.
About half of all debit and credit cards are fitted with contactless capability.
This allows shoppers to spend up to £30 on their card by placing it next to a sensor in a shop, without the need to enter a four-digit Pin.
One in 13 purchases was on contactless during the whole year, but use grew to one in eight by December, the UK Cards Association said.
One of the most common ways to use the technology is on the London Underground network, where more than a million journeys a day are paid for by placing credit and debit cards next to sensors when entering and exiting stations.
Transport for London said it was the first integrated transport authority to introduce contactless ticketing.
Concerns have been raised in the past over security of contactless cards, although the industry said that fraud levels on contactless payments were low.
Consumer group Which? said in July that, although the risks were low, it would be possible for somebody standing very close to "lift" card details without the owner knowing. Wrapping the card in tin foil, or putting it in a foil-lined wallet would guard against this.
Every contactless card has an in-built security check which requires a Pin to be entered after a number of consecutive contactless payments, to verify the genuine cardholder.

Summary:


A Welsh Conservative MP has said he will not be voting for a motion calling for a review of the possible routes for a Newport relief road.
The motion was tabled by Conservative group leader Andrew RT Davies.
It was passed by the National Assembly for Wales in January.
The motion called for a review of the

Three Welsh Conservative AMs have been "spoken to" by their leader for arguing about the party's M4 policy on Twitter.

Article: Halfpenny, 27, has an option for another year in France when his deal runs out at the end of the season.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young says the Wales full-back has turned down on offer to join them, but Cardiff Blues and Scarlets remain hopeful.
"It's a no brainer for him to stay in Toulon," said Byrne.
"He wasn't in a team photo a few weeks ago so people thought he was going to leave Toulon but it looks like he's maybe had a change of heart.
"People have linked him to the Scarlets but they've got Liam Williams there so that probably wouldn't be the right move either."
Young's comments are the clearest indication yet that Halfpenny, who could miss the whole season after having knee ligament surgery in September, feels his immediate future remains in France.
Returning to Wales would benefit national coach Warren Gatland given the limitations imposed on him on the number of foreign-based players he can select in the squad.
But Byrne, who did not play for Wales again after moving to Clermont Auvergne in 2011, believes Halfpenny's importance to the team as one of the world's best place-kickers means his place is safe irrespective of the so-called Gatland's Law.
"It would be great if Leigh came back to Wales but I think his international career is fine if he stays in Toulon," said Byrne, who helped Wales win the 2008 Grand Slam and scored 10-tries in a 46-cap career.
"I'm sure he's had a conversation with the coaches - he's a massive weapon for Wales in terms of his kicking."
Byrne also believes Halfpenny will improve as a player by playing alongside a host of world-class players, including New Zealand great Ma'a Nonu, who joined Toulon after winning the 2015 World Cup.
"The vast majority of the players who leave New Zealand or Australia end up in the Top 14," he said. "Playing with someone like Ma'a Nonu is going to bring his game on.
"So there's not a big rush for him to come back. He's winning trophies, he's playing in front of sell-out crowds week-in-week-out and he's being paid a very good salary."

Summary: Leigh Halfpenny will stay in France with Toulon rather than return to join a Welsh region, according to former Wales full-back Lee Byrne.
###
Article: Stephen Mansbridge, who resigned last year in protest over how the borough council was run, said a DEM would be a real opportunity for the Surrey town.
Councillor Tony Rooth said it would be too costly and he could become "a dictator".
A referendum is being held on 13 October to decide the issue.
The vote was triggered by a petition signed by 5,269 residents.
Guildford currently has a ceremonial mayor appointed by the council.
There are currently 17 elected mayors in England, including those in London, Bristol and Liverpool.
Guildford Borough Council said the current leader, Councillor Paul Spooner, receives £22,092 in allowances.
DEM salaries elsewhere in the country are £65,000 but the council would have to agree a salary on the recommendation of an independent panel.
The cost of the referendum is estimated at £130,000.
"I left because I felt that councillors had put in place a system of governance that was weak and that will not deliver the decisions we need for Guildford to get into the 21st Century because its not there yet," said Mr Mansbridge.
"Guildford is not just another place. It should be the premier location outside London in the South East and it has been in decline for at least the last two or three years.
"We need to turn it around and make Guildford the place that it really can be."
Fellow Conservative Mr Rooth, also a former council leader, said having a DEM would cost a lot more money.
"It concentrates power and influence in the hands of one person, whereas at the moment all the 48 councillors elected by the residents have the choice of who the leader and his or her cabinet are," he said.
"You don't know now much power the elected mayor may take, who it is going to be or whether they will effectively be a dictator."

Summary: A directly-elected mayor (DEM) would help to bring Guildford "into the 21st Century", according to a former council leader.
###
Article: Byron Davies asked if a message from William Graham supporting the so-called "black route" for a Â£1bn Newport relief road came from a "spoof" account, as party policy was to review the options.
Antoinette Sandbach accused Mr Graham of "not willing to put his vote where his principles allegedly are".
Group leader Andrew RT Davies said the online row would "not be repeated".
Mr Graham backed a Conservative motion in the Senedd in January calling for a review of the possible routes for an M4 relief road.
But following the debate he tweeted: "I am confident that when the public inquiry is held the 'black route' will be chosen", referring to the Welsh government's preferred option.
Some critics have claimed other routes would cause less environmental damage.
It prompted responses from two of Mr Graham's colleagues asking whether he supported or disagreed with Conservative policy to review the alternatives.
Group leader Andrew RT Davies told journalists on Tuesday he had "spoken to" each of the members who were "all signed up to the group position".
"If people want to go on to Twitter to have a tittle-tattle that's neither here nor there," he said.
"The people involved know my views on it and I'm confident it won't be repeated."

Summary:


The Office for National Statistics has published a report on the number of people who are expected to live to 100.
### Article: The Office for National Statistics has published a report on the number of people who are expected to live to 100.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a report on the number

A third of babies born in 2012 in the UK are expected to live to 100, according to a new report.

Article: The firm must make it easier for users to find out how their data is collected and what it is used for and submit to a two-year review.
The deal follows an investigation by the regulator. Similar reviews are continuing elsewhere in Europe.
It is understood that Google will seek to strike a similar deal with other European regulators.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that Google was "too vague when describing how it uses personal data gathered from its web services and products".
The regulator - along with its continental counterparts - began looking into the Mountain View firm after its controversial privacy policy update in March 2012, which combined 70 existing documents.
It was joined by other data regulators, which form the European Article 29 Data Protection Working Party.
Following the investigation, Google has agreed to ensure that its privacy policy is more accessible and redesign its account settings feature to allow users to find its controls more easily.
It will also provide "unambiguous and comprehensive information regarding data processing, including an exhaustive list of the types of data processed by Google and the purposes for which data is processed".
Among other clarifications, Google will have to include information about who may collect "anonymous identifiers" - which are similar to cookies - and the purposes to which they put that data.
It will also be made to ensure that "passive users are better informed about the processing of their data". The ICO defines passive users as people who use Google, but who are not signed in.
Google has until 30 June 2015 to implement the changes and it is believed it will roll out a single policy across the European Union in order to satisfy each of the regulators that opened investigations.
It has also dropped appeals related to investigations being undertaken by the French and Spanish watchdogs.
"This undertaking marks a significant step forward following a long investigation and extensive dialogue," said Steve Eckersley, the ICO's head...

Summary: Google has agreed to rewrite its privacy policy after pressure from the UK Information Commissioner's Office.
###
Article: The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has been investigating the country's interbank market since mid-2012.
Nigel Williams, chief risk officer of ANZ, said it was co-operating fully with ASIC.
The bank has been also been conducting its own investigation.
Mr Williams said: "This is a complex issue and ASIC's investigation and ANZ's internal review may not be complete for some time. In light of this, we are taking the precaution of having seven staff involved in markets trading step down pending completion of the investigation into practices to 2013."
ANZ said it was not appropriate to comment further while the investigations were completed.
Regulators have been examining rate-setting mechanisms after banks including Barclays, RBS and UBS were fined billions for rigging Libor, the London interbank offered rate.
Earlier this year, ASIC censured French lender BNP Paribas and Royal Bank of Scotland after revealing that its traders tried to influence the setting of Australia's interbank rate.
Australia scrapped its interbank rate-setting system last year after several banks decided to leave the panel. It was the first major market to dismantle the structure.
Shares in ANZ fell 0.2%, or 6 cents, to $31.77 in afternoon trading in Sydney. ANZ is valued at 87.7bn Australian dollars ($76bn; Â£48.6bn) - more than either RBS or Barclays.
Last month it announced a record full-year net profit of A$7.3bn, up 15% from a year earlier.

Summary: ANZ, one of Australia's biggest banks, has suspended seven traders as part of an inquiry into the potential rigging of key interbank interest rates.
###
Article: The Office for National Statistics experts base their projections on current and future survival trends.
And if their calculations are borne out, more than 95,000 of those who turn 65 this year can expect to celebrate their 100th birthday in 2047.
The number of centenarians has been steadily increasing - from 600 in 1961 to nearly 13,000 in 2010.
In 2012, the figure is expected to hit 14,500, and by 2035 will have breached the 100,000 mark.
And more of these will be women than men.
In 2012 there are 826,000 babies aged under one year. Although more are boys - 423,000 compared to 403,000 girls - the survival odds are greater for females. Women have higher life expectancies than men at every age.
Of those born in 2012, 135,000 men and 156,000 women are expected to still be alive by age 100.
The report -What are the Chances of Surviving to Age 100?- comes as ministers have pledged to double funding for dementia research in the UK.
In the next decade, the number with the disease - mostly elderly - is expected to top one million.

Summary:


The Scottish Government has announced a £1.5m fund to help farmers and crofters protect their livestock from the sea lice parasite.
The Scottish Government has announced a £1.5m fund to help farmers and crofters protect their livestock from the sea lice parasite.
The Scottish Government has announced a

Researchers at Glasgow University have developed a new way to protect farmed salmon from sea lice.

Article: Mortar shells landed in Mezzeh 86, an Alawite district near the presidential palace, and hit the prime minister's offices and Mezzeh military airfield.
Activists said the escalation might herald a concerted rebel campaign.
Meanwhile, Syria's main opposition bloc has elected a new leadership team at a general assembly in Qatar.
However, women delegates staged an angry protest when the Syrian National Council's (SNC) all-male team was announced in Doha, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister David Cameron urged newly re-elected US President Barack Obama to work with him to "do more" to end the conflict.
He said the US and its allies should do more to "shape the opposition, outside Syria and inside Syria, and try to help them achieve their goal - which is our goal - of a Syria without [President Bashar al-] Assad".
Mr Cameron made the plea after hearing "truly horrendous" stories of suffering from refugees at the Zaatari camp in northern Jordan.
In another development on Wednesday, a senior Turkish foreign ministry official told Reuters news agency that Ankara would make an official request to Nato to deploy a Patriot surface-to-air defence missile system along the border with Syria.
In Syria, state media broadcast pictures of the aftermath of the mortar explosions in Mezzeh 86, a western district of Damascus mostly populated by members of the president's Alawite minority sect.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based activist group, reported that three civilians had been killed and 12 injured.
Opposition activists said Mezzeh 86 had not been the target of the mortar fire. Rather, the rebels had targeted the nearby hilltop palace housing President Assad's offices, but made mistakes in calculating the trajectory of the projectiles, the activists added.
"This operation came in response to the massacres committed in our beloved city," the Lions of Islam rebel group said in a statement.
Mortars also fell on Hajar al-Aswad, killing three civilians, and there was...

Summary: Syrian rebels have carried out fresh attacks on government facilities and strongholds in the capital, Damascus.
###
Article: Hailing a "breakthrough" in Scotland and a strong showing in Wales, he said UKIP would target its first Westminster seat in next week's Newark by-election.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said he will not resign after his party lost all but one of its 12 MEPs.
He said he was not going to "walk away" from the job despite the poor results.
Mr Farage has been celebrating his party's triumph in the European polls, the first time a party other than the Conservatives or Labour has won a national election for 100 years.
UKIP won 27.5% of the vote and had 24 MEPs elected. Labour, on 25.4%, has narrowly beaten the Tories into third place while the Lib Dems lost all but one of their seats and came sixth behind the Greens.
With Northern Ireland yet to declare its results, the election highlights so far have been:
Mr Farage has said his party intends to build on what he has described as "the most extraordinary result" in British politics in the past century.
Speaking in London at an election rally, he said his party now appealed to all social classes and had made significant inroads in Wales and Scotland as well as winning the most votes in England.
By Nick RobinsonPolitical editor
He said the party was aiming to win the Newark by-election next week, to try and "turn the heat" up on David Cameron. They would target a dozen or more seats in next year's general election, he added.
"Our game is to get this right, to find the right candidates, and focus our resources on getting a good number of seats in Westminster next year.
"If UKIP do hold the balance of power, then indeed there will be a (EU) referendum."
Mr Farage said Labour would come under "enormous pressure" to offer the voters a referendum on Europe, and he said he did not believe Nick Clegg would still be Lib Dem leader at the general election.
"The three party leaders are like goldfish that have been tipped out of their bowl onto the floor and are gasping for air," he said.
Mr Clegg is facing calls to stand down after Sunday night's results, with MP John Pugh...

Summary: The UK Independence Party is a truly national force and has "momentum" behind it, Nigel Farage has said after its victory in the European elections.
###
Article: The tiny crustaceans are a naturally-occurring parasite that can cause disease and are responsible for many losses to wild and farmed fish stocks.
With resistance to chemical treatments rising, the Glasgow team has been looking at breeding resistance.
It has now come up with a new protocol to breed resistant fish and developed a mathematical model to predict outcomes.
Sea lice can cause skin lesions and increased susceptibility to infections by suppressing the host's immune system.
The parasite is estimated to cost the worldwide fish farming industry hundreds of millions of pounds a year.
Professor Michael Stear said: "Sea lice infection is a major threat to the health of farmed salmon and to the fish-farming economy.
"Our research has produced a practical tool for quantifying resistance to sea lice and shown that selection could substantially reduce the need for drug treatments.
"Selective breeding for sea lice resistance should reduce the impact of sea lice on fish health and thus greatly improve the sustainability of Atlantic salmon production."
The study outlining the Glasgow University model is published in the Royal Society journal Interface.
WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: "There is no doubt that sea lice are a major problem for Scotland's salmon farming industry and that large amounts of chemicals are currently used to combat the problem.
"If we are to protect the wider environment, then finding ways to reduce the industry's reliance on chemicals is to be welcomed.
"However, as chemical use is only one of a number of environmental impacts from salmon farming, we need to see more farms sign up to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council's "responsible farming" labelling scheme, and pledge to operate more sustainably in all aspects of their operations."

Summary:


The Orange Order has been banned from marching in Glasgow for the first time in its history.
The decision was made by the city council after a complaint was made by a member of the public.
The Orange Order is the largest Protestant organisation in the UK and has been holding its annual parade in Glasgow for more than 100

Glasgow City Council will consider banning future Orange Order marches after footage showed members of the public chanting a sectarian song.

Article: More than 50 cars and 170 lots of automobilia were auctioned on Saturday at Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire.
A 1962 DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible, originally owned by Sir Peter Ustinov, sold for £1,513,500.
Sir Peter was an actor, writer and dramatist who died in 2004.
The highest priced car sold was a 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible in Vantage specification  which made £1,524,700.
Tim Schofield, Bonhams' UK head of motor cars,  said: "The quintessentially British marque of Aston Martin attracts interest from enthusiasts across the world, a fact demonstrated here as we took bids from all corners of the globe.
"This year's sale attracted a larger and more cosmopolitan interest than ever before..."

Summary: Auction house Bonhams' biggest ever Aston Martin sale - which included a 1962 model once owned by Sir Peter Ustinov - has made more than £10m.
###
Article: Debbie has now blown out over the Tasman Sea after bringing a deluge of rain down the eastern coast from its impact point in Queensland.
Flood alerts remain, crops have been submerged and the bill may run into hundreds of millions of dollars.
A third body was found in Queensland on Saturday afternoon.
Seventy-seven-year-old Nelson Raebel died in the floodwaters in Logan, south of Brisbane.
Several people remain missing.
The main disaster zone stretches more than 1,000km (620 miles) from the point where Debbie made landfall, between Bowen and Airlie in Queensland, to the farming lands of northern New South Wales.
Evacuation orders and flood alerts remain in some areas, as water moves into the Fitzroy River catchment.
Michelle Verry, of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland, told Agence France-Presse: "It's almost the size of Texas, it's a huge catchment, and that's why it can take some time for water to make it's way downstream."
It is feared Rockhampton, in central Queensland, could suffer its biggest flood in 60 years later in the week, with thousands of homes and business at risk.
The army and emergency services are still working to restore water and electricity in badly hit areas. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes.
Local officials continued to issue warnings both about the floodwaters and the cost to their areas.
Luke Smith, mayor of Logan, said of the expected cost: "This is unprecedented for us. The sky is the limit at this stage about what that means."
The Logan river hit a 10m peak and Mr Smith urged people to stay away from swift-moving floodwaters.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: "Debbie is not done with us yet. It is going to take months to repair."
Further south in New South Wales, the mayor of Lismore described the scene there as "like a war zone".
"There is just so much debris floating around. It's really hard to even assess how long it's going to take to collect all of this rubbish," Isaac Smith said.
Two of the fatalities were in New...

Summary: Australia is surveying the devastation wrought by Cyclone Debbie, which has flooded vast tracts "almost the size of Texas" and left at least three dead.
###
Article: Footage emerged online of people appearing to sing the anti-Irish "Famine Song" at the weekend, while a band played along.
The council said the right of the Orange Order to march was not "absolute".
And it warned future parades could face greater restrictions or prohibition.
Police are investigating the footage of the song, which is sung to the tune of the Beach Boys' Sloop John B has previously been ruled to be racist by a Scottish court.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "The European Convention on Human Rights enshrines the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
"However, these rights are not absolute. They must be balanced by the responsibility to ensure the rights of others are not infringed."
He added that the council would have a full debrief with police and the parade organisers, and would take into account any issues of public disorder, anti-social behaviour or damage to property resulting from the procession.
And the spokesman said the council would also "take into consideration any evidenced issues and, if a future procession notification is received from the organiser, the likelihood of any restriction or prohibition may be greater."
The main County Grand Orange Order parade from George Square to Glasgow Green on Saturday saw 4,500 people in 63 bands take part and another 4,000 people spectating.
It was in celebration of Prince William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
Eight arrests were made for minor disorder and alcohol-related offences.
Robert McLean, executive officer for the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, said: "At the end of the day, members of the public will sing songs to tunes.
"I have been quite clear - if police investigate we will assist with their inquiries. We look forward to the debrief and looking at any incidents that occurred."
But David Scott, campaign director for anti-sectarian group Nil by Mouth, said: "If the Orange Order are a religious and cultural organisation, what would be the relevance of a Beach Boys...

Summary:


A white supremacist convicted of killing three people in Kansas last year has been sentenced to death.
Frazier Glenn Miller Jr, 74, targeted the sites in Kansas last year and will be put to death by lethal injection.
Johnson County District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan said: "Your attempt to bring hate to this community

A judge has sentenced a white supremacist to death for the killing of three people at two Jewish centres.

Article: The BBC asked Belfast's Institute for Global Food Security to examine 30 foods after the recent horsemeat scare.
Beef and lamb samples were all found to be clear, but two out of 10 products labelled as cod did not contain any traces of that fish whatsoever.
The institute said cheaper types of fish were being passed off as cod.
The institute is based at Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) and its director, Professor Chris Elliott, described the findings as "fish fraud".
He said while it was not a food safety issue, it was "another example of the integrity of the food chain being shown to be substandard".
Last month, the BBC bought a total of 30 food products at random for testing from supermarkets, shops and butchers in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
Ten products, labelled as beef, were tested by QUB for traces of horsemeat and 10 processed lamb products were tested for cross-contamination with pork.
All samples were found to be as described on the labelling.
Queen's University sent 10 cod products that were purchased at the same time to an institute it works closely with in Scotland for DNA testing.
"Only in eight of the 10 cases they could find cod being present," said Professor Elliott.
"Does it have an impact on safety? Really, it does not. People are buying cod, which is a high value fish, and actually they are getting a low value fish."
The snapshot survey confirms evidence from other studies, some carried out recently.
Biologists at the University of Salford carried out tests in fish and chip shops, supermarkets and restaurants across the UK and discovered that 7% of the fish was not what it was sold as.
Professor Elliott said: "The industry has to take this seriously."
He described the issue as "fish fraud" where a cheaper fish species is passed off as cod.
The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, which represents many but not all of the big supermarkets, said any labelling issue was of concern.
Its director, AodhÃ¡n Connolly, said: "It alarms me it could be a knock for consumer...

Summary: Food tests commissioned for BBC Northern Ireland have found some products labelled as cod did not contain any cod at all.
###
Article: He plans to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600 and review constituencies before the 2015 election.
The Boundary Commission is to be asked to redraw the constituency map, so each has roughly the same number of voters
However, Orkney and Shetland and the Western Isles would be exempt because they were "uniquely placed given their locations", Mr Clegg told MPs.
It had been feared that the island seats - which are small in terms of population - could disappear and that this would lead to their distinctive needs not being represented to the same extent in the UK Parliament.
SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan Iar, Angus MacNeil MP, said the announcement was a "victory for common sense".
"I have long argued that island constituencies are unique and cannot be parcelled up into neat population bundles in the same way as inner city seats," Mr MacNeil said.
"The announcement by the UK Government today is welcome recognition of this."
The leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Angus Campbell, said it was "good news for the Western Isles".
He said: "I am pleased that the Government has recognised the case that the Comhairle has made.
"If we had been tagged on to the west coast of Scotland the geography would have made it very difficult for an MP to properly represent constituents in such a spread out area. This is a common sense decision that will be warmly welcomed throughout the Western Isles."

Summary: Deputy PM Nick Clegg's pledge to retain island seats in the UK parliament has been welcomed in Scotland.
###
Article: Frazier Glenn Miller Jr, 74, targeted the sites in Kansas last year and will be put to death by lethal injection.
Johnson County District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan said: "Your attempt to bring hate to this community, to bring terror to this community, has failed."
Miller responded to the sentence, by shouting "heil Hitler" before he was removed from the courtroom.
He was convicted of one count of capital murder, three counts of attempted murder, and assault and weapons charges.
Miller, also known as Frazier Glenn Cross, represented himself during the trial.
He admitted to killing William Corporon, 69, and his grandson Reat Griffin Underwood, 14, outside the Jewish Community Centre in Overland Park, Kansas.
Terri LaManno, 53, was killed outside a Jewish retirement centre.
Miller told the jurors he "knew" they were going to put him on death row, and he did not care what sentence he would receive.
He said he was motivated to kill Jews before he died because he believes they have too much power.
Before the shooting, Miller founded several white supremacist groups and later ran twice for elected office on a white power platform.

Summary:


The founder of the original Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, has been sentenced to life in prison.
The US Justice Department said Ulbricht, who was arrested in October 2013, had been found guilty of seven charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking.
The 29-year-old was

An American who helped run a successor to the Silk Road drug marketplace has been sentenced to eight years in jail.

Article: The journalist, who has presented Channel 4 News since 1989, gave the MacTaggart Lecture at the annual Edinburgh TV festival.
He said Facebook's inaction was a "threat to democracy".
Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg says the company is "experimenting" with ways to support the news industry.
In a 50-minute speech, Mr Snow said Facebook had helped Channel 4 News find a wider audience for its reports, but left publishers at the mercy of the social network.
"Facebook's principles are seldom explained in detail and can change overnight at Mr Zuckerberg's whim," said Mr Snow.
He also criticised the company's reputation for allowing false stories to spread unchallenged.
"Facebook enabled the story, 'Pope endorses Trump for President'," he said.
"That engaged more than a million people during the US elections. That same algorithm that prioritised many amazing reports of ours, also prioritised fakery on a massive scale.
"Facebook has a moral duty to prioritise veracity over virality. It is fundamental to our democracy."
Mr Snow also said Facebook had paid news publishers a "nominal rate" for their stories, which was not enough to support truthful, investigative journalism.
"Facebook feasts on our products and pays all but nothing for them. This cannot last," he told the audience.
Channel 4 has posted a transcript of the full lecture.
On Wednesday evening, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook was exploring new ways to support journalists.
In a post on his Facebook profile, he said: "As more people get more of their news from places like Facebook, we have a responsibility to create an informed community and help build common understanding."
He said the social network was testing a way to make it easier for people to subscribe to publishers they liked, and Facebook would not take a cut of the subscription money.
He also described changes to help people check the authenticity of articles.
"Eventually, our goal is to put a publisher's logo next to every news article on Facebook so everyone can understand more about what they're...

Summary: Facebook should do more to tackle the spread of "cancerous" fake news, and help fund original journalism, newsreader Jon Snow has said.
###
Article: Researchers were able to make drops grow six times faster than normal by copying the insects' shell geometry.
Combined with other plant techniques, the team created drops that grew larger as temperatures increased.
The authors say the development could significantly improve water harvesting and electricity generation.
A little drop of water may seem insignificant but the physical processes involved in both the formation and movement of the liquid are essential to operation of thermal power plants, desalination and air conditioning systems.
Condensation is also critical to the more fundamental function of gathering water for human use in dry climates, a growing, global issue.
Researchers have made previous attempts to mimic the remarkable abilities of the Namib beetle, which uses its bumpy shell to draw all the water it needs from periodic, foggy winds in the desert.
The assumption until now has been that the surface chemistry of the beetle's back has been the key - but this new study says that it's actually the physical arrangement and location of the bumps that's critical.
The researchers also aped cactus spines by building their bumpy surface to guide the transport of the harvested drops. The slippery coating of pitcher plants inspired the team to coat the bumps with a smooth lubricant to reduce friction as the drops moved.
According to the study, drops grew six times more quickly on this surface and it was able to collect and transport a much larger volume of water in a short time compared to other materials.
"We experimentally found that the geometry of bumps alone could facilitate condensation," said Kyoo-Chul Park, a postdoctoral researcher and the first author of the paper.
"By optimising that bump shape through detailed theoretical modelling and combining it with the asymmetry of cactus spines and the nearly friction-free coatings of pitcher plants, we were able to design a material that can collect and transport a greater volume of water in a short time compared to other surfaces."
The researchers...

Summary: Scientists have drawn inspiration from the bumpy shells of Namib beetles to improve the collection and transport of water droplets.
###
Article: Brian Farrell admitted conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, in March this year.
Silk Road 2.0 was shut down in 2015, following Operation Onymous, raids that targeted almost 400 suspected illicit marketplaces around the world.
At the time, it was generating sales of about $8m (Â£5.5m) a month and had about 150,000 users.
Ross Ulbricht, who set up the original Silk Road, was sentenced in May 2015 to life in prison on several charges including distributing drugs.
Silk Road 2.0 was a copy of the original site and allowed people to use bitcoins to anonymously buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services via the Tor dark web network.
Farrell, who operated online using the alias "DoctorClu", had admitted his involvement with the site when prosecutors had been searching his Washington home in 2015, court papers revealed.
Blake Benthall, arrested in 2014, denies creating the Silk Road 2.0 site.

Summary:


A new study has found that people who sit for long periods of time are biologically older than those who exercise regularly.
###Article: A new study has found that people who sit for long periods of time are biologically older than those who exercise regularly.
###Article: A new study has found that people who sit for

Women who lead a sedentary lifestyle have faster-ageing cells than those who exercise every day, research suggests.

Article: The venue beat five other buildings to win the honour - the Royal Institute of British Architects' highest accolade.
Riba president Stephen Hodder called the Everyman an "exceptional new building".
"It is a ground-breaking example of how to build a daring bold and highly sustainable large public building in a historic city centre," he said.
The Everyman Theatre - famed for launching the careers of actors including Bill Nighy, Julie Walters and Pete Postlethwaite - first opened in 1964 in the shell of a 19th Century chapel on one of Liverpool's main streets.
However over the years it fell into a state of disrepair and architects Haworth Tompkins were tasked with designing a new theatre as part of a nine-year Â£27m rebuilding project, retaining its theme of being a "theatre for the people".
The building's facade features 105 punched aluminium panels portraying life-size images of Liverpool residents. Thousands queued to have their pictures taken, with the successful applicants having digital versions of their pictures etched onto the metal sun shades.
"The success of this exceptional new building lies in the architect's close involvement with the local community throughout the project," Mr Hodder said.
"Haworth Tompkins have struck the perfect balance between continuity and change to win the hearts and minds of the people of Liverpool with the vibrant new Everyman."
The theatre said it was "thrilled" to win the award.
"The Everyman was built with humanity at its heart," artistic director Gemma Bodinetz said.
"Since we reopened, the warmth of feeling from the public to their much-loved Everyman - given a daring and brilliant rebirth - has been almost overwhelming.
"Haworth Tompkins have delivered us a building that is sustainable, technically first rate and with unparalleled levels of accessibility for a theatre."
Steve Tompkins of Haworth Tompkins said: "Winning the Riba Stirling Prize is an enormous honour for our project team and our clients, the reward for an intensive collaboration over almost a decade,...

Summary: Liverpool's newly rebuilt Everyman Theatre has won the Riba Stirling Prize for best new building of the year.
###
Article: The 28-year-old won a dramatic keirin, that twice had to be restarted because of infringements, to add to his team sprint and individual sprint victories.
Kenny has won seven medals in total - his one silver coming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when he finished second to Hoy in the individual sprint.
GB's track cyclists won six golds, four silvers and a bronze in the velodrome.
Kenny was cheered on by fiancee Laura Trott, who had earlier retained her omnium title to become the first British woman to win four Olympic gold medals.
"I'm proud to be part of the team's Olympic success and doing my bit," said Kenny.
"It is pretty mental [matching Sir Chris Hoy]. I was there in Beijing and knew he was special and as the years have gone by I appreciated how amazing he was then.
"To do the same is amazing."
Kenny has helped Britain win the team sprint at the past three Olympics. In addition, he has won two individual sprints and now has his first keirin title.
His victory was Britain's 19th of the Rio Olympics - equalling the gold haul from Beijing - and the 49th British medal overall.
Matthijs Buchli of the Netherlands took silver and bronze went to Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang.
The final had to be restarted twice after issues with the positioning of the riders and the electric 'derny' bike that sets the pace in the early laps.
Kenny appeared to have overtaken the back wheel of the derny before it left the track to signal the start of the sprint for the finish line but, after a delay of several minutes, he was allowed to continue.
"How close was Jason Kenny to not contesting that final? I'd say very close given they had already fired the gun to stop the race," British Cycling head coach Iain Dyer told BBC Sport.
"Ordinarily, procedure would dictate you have stopped the race and you make a disqualification if the rider's front wheel has been adjudged to have overtaken the wheel of the derny.
Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.
"I don't want to make it sound too coercive. They had a good front view...

Summary: Jason Kenny equalled Sir Chris Hoy's British record of six Olympic gold medals on a sensational night in Rio.
###
Article: Research on 1,500 women aged 64 to 95 found those who spent many hours sitting and exercised for less than 40 minutes a day had cells that were biologically eight years older.
As people age, their cells age, causing DNA protectors to shorten and fray.
But health and lifestyle factors may speed up the process, researchers from California said.
Even in old age, it was important to keep active and avoid sitting for more than 10 hours a day, they said.
During ageing, tiny caps on the ends of DNA strands naturally shorten.
These telomeres - which have been likened to the plastic tips of shoelaces - are there to prevent chromosomes from deteriorating.
Telomere length is one indicator of biological age, which does not always match chronological age.
Shortened telomeres have been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and major cancers.
How much regular exercise people do now also appears to be a factor in their length.
To track the women's movements in the study, they wore wore an accelerometer on their right hip for seven days in a row, during the day and night.
They were also asked to complete questionnaires on their activity.
Dr Aladdin Shadyab, lead study author, from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, said: "We found that women who sat for longer did not have shorter telomere length if they exercised for at least 30 minutes a day.
"Discussions about the benefits of exercise should start when we are young, and physical activity should continue to be part of our daily lives as we get older, even at 80 years old."
The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
NHS Choices advises older adults to break up long periods of sitting with light activity because "sedentary behaviour is now considered an independent risk factor for ill health".
It says adults aged 65 or older who are generally fit and mobile should try to do:
Older adults at risk of falls, or with poor balance, should also do exercises to improve balance and co-ordination at least twice a week.

Summary:


The Welsh Government has warned that the number of children being "banked" at lower qualifications is "unintended" and could lead to "unintended consequences".
The warning comes after Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said children were being "banked" at lower qualifications.
The warning comes after Education Secretary Kirst

Some schools are "gaming" the exam system by entering children early, the Welsh Government director of education has said.

Article: Elizabeth Hart-Browne, 27, broke down in tears as she was cleared of all charges at the Old Bailey.
Miss Hart-Browne cried "I have just killed the man I love" after stabbing Stephen Rayner, 25, on 17 September in Acton, west London.
The mother of two said he had hit her and grabbed her by the throat.
The court heard that with young children sleeping feet away, she picked up a large kitchen knife and stabbed Mr Rayner three times, inflicting a fatal wound to the neck.
Mr Rayner staggered outside and collapsed in a pool of blood as neighbours rushed to help.
Meanwhile, Miss Hart-Browne, who worked as a jewellery designer, said she panicked and went back to clean the knife and clear up blood around the television.
When the police arrived at their home, Miss Hart-Browne was hysterical telling officers: "I didn't mean to do it, I'm so sorry.
"I have just killed the man I love."
The jury in the six-week trial took 15 hours to find Miss Hart-Browne not guilty of murder.
The court heard a row erupted after Miss Hart-Browne came home from a family party.
Miss Hart-Browne told jurors she regretted not just going to bed when she got home that night. She said if she had, Mr Rayner, originally from Bournemouth, would still be alive.
The jury was also told of the couple's volatile six-year relationship, during which Mr Rayner had attacked the defendant many times.
After one incident outside Liquid nightclub in Uxbridge in 2012, Mr Rayner threatened to throw himself into the Thames and went on to plead guilty to battery.
In 2015, Miss Hart-Browne said she had become so fearful she took out life insurance because "I believed I was in danger of him killing me and I didn't want my kids to be left with nothing".
The defendant, who was described as having had a troubled upbringing in Somerset, said her boyfriend would take on the persona of his hero Charles Bronson during his terrifying attacks.
She said: "He had a fascination with Charles Bronson. He liked his aggression.
"There were lots of stories about him attacking...

Summary: A woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend with a kitchen knife has been cleared of his murder after telling jurors she feared he would kill her.
###
Article: It has published a list of Twitter accounts it claims are spreading propaganda in support of the group.
Some accounts have been flooded with images of Japanese anime characters to try to influence search engine results for phrases connected to IS.
Many other accounts have been suspended or shut down as a result of the group's actions.
As well as targeting Twitter accounts, the operation also sought to take down Facebook pages, blogs, websites and web proxies used by supposed IS supporters.
The publication of the list is the latest in a series of "operations" by Anonymous and others hacktivist organisations against the IS group and its online supporters.
The list of more than 750 Twitter accounts that Anonymous has taken action against was published on the Pastebin website. Top of the list were accounts that had more than 10,000 followers, it said, but many others with smaller numbers of readers were also targeted.
Some accounts that Anonymous members won access to had their messages and images changed to show the ISIS-Chan anime character. Groups tackling IS propaganda online are starting to use images of the young girl in connection with the group's name and slogans in an attempt to dilute the results people get when they search for information about the group.
The Anonymous action comes after UK Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled a strategy to help tackle the "poison" of extremism. The package of measures included demands that ISPs and net firms do more to remove extremist material and identify who posted it.
It is not clear how much effect the action by Anonymous and others is having on the work IS does to spread its message online. One study released earlier this year estimated that the group and its sympathisers control more than 90,000 Twitter accounts.
"There is definitely utility in shutting down accounts," said JM Berger, an analyst that did the study of IS' use of social media.
"It's not going to eliminate IS's presence online, but it helps limit their ability to accomplish their goals,...

Summary: Hacktivist group Anonymous is ramping up efforts to tackle sympathisers of the Islamic State group on Twitter.
###
Article: Steve Davies told AMs officials were "concerned" about the volume of early entry.
It follows criticism from Education Secretary Kirsty Williams that children were being "banked" at lower qualifications.
Mr Davies said the government wants to take action on the issue in the autumn.
Ms Williams expressed concerns earlier in May that the focus on raising GCSE attainment to C grade has led to "unintended consequences", with some children put in for early entry to bank a lower qualification instead of potentially reaching higher.
The senior civil servant - asked about the issue of "early entry as a way of gaming the system" by Labour AM Lee Waters - said the Welsh Government advice was that decisions around early entry were made "in the interests of an individual child".
He told the assembly's public accounts committee that this year that some schools have conducted early entry "almost to test the system".
But he added: "I do believe... there are also those out there who are gaming."
Mr Davies acknowledged: "Sometimes that's the pressure that the system we have puts on them.
"I'm not in any way justifying it, but I can understand that people will resort to that."
Mr Davies said the government was working with Qualifications Wales (QW) to identify "the scale of the problem" with a report from the body due in September.
He added Ms Williams is "very aware of it" adding that action will be taken in the "early part of the autumn term" following the review.

Summary: