The Ospreys have named a 23-man squad for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against the Samoa.
The Ospreys have named a 23-man squad for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against the Samoa.
The Ospreys have named a 23-man squad for their European Challenge Cup

Lock Rory Thornton says he is "champing at the bit" ahead of winning his first Wales cap against Samoa in Apia on Friday, 23 June.

Article: Net income rose to a record 7.04tn won ($6.6bn; Â£4.2bn), up from 4.01tn won in the same period a year earlier, beating analysts' expectations.
The Korean firm said its mobile profits more than doubled over the same period.
Last year, Samsung became the world's biggest smartphone maker, overtaking Apple, its main rival in the sector.
"Overall its earnings momentum remains intact," said Lee Se-chul, from Meritz Securities in Seoul.
"Smartphone shipments will continue to grow, even in the traditionally weak first quarter, as Samsung's got a broader product line-up and Apple appears to be struggling in pushing iPhone volumes aggressively."
Samsung did not provide data on the number of smartphones it had shipped, but analysts estimate it sold 63 million smartphones in the quarter.
The strong sales numbers come after Apple shares tumbled 12% in the US on Thursday, over fears the company was losing its edge in key smartphone markets.
Apple had reported record quarterly revenues of $55bn, but there was disappointment over sales of the company's new iPhone 5.
Galactic sales
Samsung said its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets has been its top seller, driving profits.
The handsets division, which sells about a quarter of all mobile phones in the world according to analysts, saw an operating profit of 5.44tn won, up from 2.56tn won a year earlier.
Earnings were also helped by Samsung's displays unit, which made a profit, after losses a year earlier.
The unit enjoyed a sales boost from its organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) screen, used in the Galaxy smartphones.
The firm said its capital spending this year will be similar to 2012 levels, despite analyst expectations that it would be cut.
However, it did caution that increased competition in the smartphone sector could lead to a softening of demand in some regions.
"The furious growth spurt seen in the global smartphone market last year is expected to be pacified by intensifying price competition, compounded by a slew of new products," the company said in its...

Summary: Samsung Electronics said its profits surged 76% in the last three months of 2012, helped by sales of its Galaxy smartphones.
###
Article: The party says the new ministers would be accountable to the assembly and not to Westminster.
TUV leader Jim Allister set out his "Plan B" as he launched the party's manifesto on Wednesday for the assembly election next month.
The party is standing 15 candidates in 14 constituencies.
Mr Allister described the current structures at Stormont as "a shambles" and insisted voluntary coalition with an opposition was the only way to make government work.
"There must, there has to be surgical change, root and branch change, to the abysmal failure of the present arrangements," he said.
"We can't go on as we are, we need to abandon mandatory coalition and move to voluntary coalition with a real opposition."
But Mr Allister said if the parties could not agree on voluntary coalition, then his plan B would prevent the collapse of the Assembly.
"Executive functions would be exercised by British ministers under the scrutiny of the Assembly," he said.
"Then when our politicians grow up and agree to voluntary coalition, they could then replace the British ministers and in that way we build durable and workable devolution."
The TUV leader said his party had "shone the bright light" into the corners of Stormont and exposed squander and failure.
He also hit back at those who claim he is a one man party.
The TUV's 43 page manifesto called "Straight Talking, Principled Politics" set out how it would tackle problems in the health, education and housing sectors.
It also outlined how it would turn the economy around.

Summary: The TUV has proposed bringing back "British ministers" to replace the Stormont executive as part of its new plan for government.
###
Article: The 22-year-old was an unused squad member during the 2017 Six Nations, as well as the 2016 autumn internationals.
"It's been building as I've been in a few camps now, but to finally get my name called out on that team sheet was an awesome feeling," he said.
"I've been champing at the bit these last few camps, training hard."
The Ospreys player comes in to replace Cory Hill, who was called up by the British and Irish Lions following Wales' 24-6 win over Tonga.
Coach Robin McBryde has made seven changes in all to the side that started that game at Eden Park last Friday
Another two uncapped players - scrum-half Tomos Williams and lock Adam Beard - are also on the bench.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Thornton made 25 appearances for Ospreys in the 2016-17 campaign, but expects a big transition to international rugby.
"I've been playing a lot for the Ospreys this year and being involved in the Pro12 and the [European] Challenge Cup has given me quite a bit of experience," the former Wales Under-20s captain told BBC Wales Sport.
"But Test rugby is a completely different animal, so I'm really looking forward to the challenge on Friday against a strong Samoan team.
"Like every young Welsh boy I want to play for Wales, but when it actually comes round you get that sensation of pride."
Thornton is part of an inexperienced Wales side, with the forwards having won just 31 caps between them.
"Samoa have a big experienced pack and we have a couple of young guys here looking to blood themselves on the international stage, so I think it'll be a good challenge overall," Thornton added.
Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary:


Canada Post is to cut up to 8,000 jobs as part of a five-year plan to cut costs and improve services.
The postal service said it would close more than 100 retail locations and reduce the number of delivery days from five to three.
The plan will also see the closure of more than 100 post

Canada Post will phase out home delivery in urban areas over the next five years as the postal service struggles to rein in persistent losses.

Article: The Corporation's committee of 125 elected members, who represent the Square Mile, do not normally adopt a political stance.
But its policy chairman said the City "cannot afford to remain quiet".
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU.
Mark Boleat, the policy chairman, said: "When City firms of all sizes and in different sectors, who we represent, are voicing their concerns about the risks of leaving the EU, we need to make sure the City of London Corporation remains relevant to our stakeholders.
"While we might be criticised for taking such a stance, we need to speak up and encourage others to follow suit.
"We have taken positions on controversial matters like a new Heathrow runway and immigration policy in the past and can no longer be a silent partner in the run up to the 23rd of June."
A number of City grandees, including the former chancellor Lord Lamont have criticised the Corporation's decision to hold the vote.
Alex Deane, one of the committee members, wrote in City A.M it was "strongly akin to adopting a party political stance".
"We steer clear of that; for we will need to be able to operate with people on both sides of this debate long after it is done.... Opinion in the City is divided, not united," he wrote.
The head of the British Chambers of Commerce has told a conference in London that referendum voters faced a "tough choice" between "the devil and the deep blue sea."

Summary: The City of London Corporation has voted "overwhelmingly" to support the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.
###
Article: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said the force had "fragile" staffing levels and needed to "implement improvement plans rapidly".
Inspectors visited the force after criticising its response to government spending cuts last year.
Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins said the report was "out of date".
In the HMIC's Policing in Austerity: Meeting the Challenge report last year, Bedfordshire Police was judged to be "requiring improvement".
Inspectors, who said the force would be "monitored closely", returned in October and found it was not performing well compared to similar forces.
It highlighted problems in the force control room, although said these should be improved by a recent increase in staff.
The report described staffing levels as "fragile but improving" and said although there had been recruitment, it was not clear what investment the force had made in preventive work to reduce demand.
"There is a concern that it may not be tackling longer-term issues," the report said.
Inspectors said it needed to implement its plans for improving policing in "an affordable way more quickly" while ensuring its service "remains effective".
However, they said the force was "moving in the right direction and the pace of change is increasing".
Mr Martins said: "All that publishing out-of-date snapshots of a force, such as today's report does, is potentially undermine police force morale and mislead the public.
"When HMIC have already made their subsequent inspection it frankly seems incompetent, to say the least, to still publish a report that's seven months out of date."
HMIC said it had made a further assessment in March and would be returning in May and July.

Summary: Concerns over the service provided by Bedfordshire Police have been raised by the constabulary watchdog.
###
Article: Under a five-year plan released on Wednesday, the cost of stamps will also rise and as many as 8,000 jobs will be eliminated.
But the agency says it will also open more retail locations across Canada.
The service faces a projected 1bn Canadian dollar ($943m; Â£576m) loss by 2020 without "fundamental changes".
Canada Post lost C$73m in the third quarter of the current fiscal year, CBC News reported.
"Canadians expect Canada Post to continue to remain financially self-sufficient and not look to their hard-earned tax dollars for funding," the postal service said.
At the same time, "the rise in digital communications has dramatically changed the postal needs of Canadians".
Direct to the home delivery will be replaced by community post boxes installed throughout residential areas, Canada Post said in its plan.
The agency said two-thirds of Canadians, mostly in newer suburban neighbourhoods and rural areas, already receive their mail through this method.
The cost of postage stamps purchased in bulk will rise to $0.85 per stamp, up from $0.63 today, among other price rises.
In all, the plan will return the agency to financial sustainability by 2019, Canada Post said in a report, citing annual savings of up to C$900m.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 jobs will be eliminated as part of the plan - 12% of Canada Post's employees, although it says its workforce is ageing and it expects almost 15,000 workers will retire or leave the company in the next five years.
Canada Post delivers close to 10 billion letters and parcels each year but has seen a 24% drop in letters delivered since 2008.

Summary:

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The Lionhearts were outclassed by their Cuban opponents, who claimed the first six bouts to seal a second WSB title in three years.
The Lionhearts were outclassed by their Cuban opponents, who claimed the first six bouts to seal a second WSB title in three years.
The Lion

British Lionhearts were beaten 9-1 by Cuba Domadores in the final of the World Series of Boxing in Uzbekistan.

Article: In modern times, the international credit markets could be seen as the confused multitude.
On Tuesday, attempts by Spanish Economy Minister Luis De Guindos to rally German, French and Italian counterparts to openly back a plan to speed up the implementation of plans agreed at the last EU summit to reduce Spain's borrowing costs ended in farce as France and Italy first denied all knowledge of the plan and then, a day later, pledged their support albeit with no concrete timetable.
Confusion.
So, it was no surprise that the "great beast" drove Spain's implied cost of borrowing over 10 years to a euro-era high of nearly 7.6% on Thursday in response.
Greece, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland all had to seek international bailouts when their own borrowing costs reached similar exorbitant levels.
But, on Thursday, everything seemed to change. A short sentence from Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank seemed to succeed where every single eurozone finance minister had failed: "The ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro."
The yield on ten-year Spanish bonds plunged to 6.55% in a couple of days.
Mr Draghi appears to be the only voice capable of commanding the international markets.
For that reason, the leader of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker and other eurozone leaders speaking over the weekend, have put the ECB at the heart of plan to drive down Spanish and Italian borrowing costs.
The ECB's SMP bond-buying programme, discontinued in January, had temporarily managed to bring down the implied cost of borrowing for governments as determined by the trade between banks and other institutions of government bonds on the secondary market.
However, governments' actual cost of borrowing is determined at auctions where they sell bonds direct to banks - the primary market - such as Monday's sale by Italy.
So, to have any lasting effect on government borrowing costs, the ECB would need to bring down costs in the primary market.
But the ECB's constitution prevents it from lending money...

Summary: The great enemy of virtue - that is how 17th century philosopher Sir Thomas Browne described the multitude, or "one great beast", when confused.
###
Article: Now he is mere leader of the opposition, the chance comes less frequently - but Monday night offered up a humdinger.
In full flow with France Television's star interviewer David Pujadas, Sarko delivered this pearl: "Just because I get the salad, doesn't mean I pass the rhubarb."
The context was the aftermath of the regional first-round elections on Sunday, which by giving the far right such a huge score poses the problem for the two main parties of how best to react.
Should Sarko's Republicans and President Francois Hollande's Socialists stand and fight in each of the 13 regions?
More from Hugh: Far right taps into voters' disquiet
French press sees parties in meltdown
Marion Marechal-Le Pen and the far-right charm offensive
The risk is that by doing so they would split the anti-FN vote, and thus increase the National Front's chances of victory.
Or, should one of them withdraw in each region - thus allowing all anti-FNers to concentrate the vote?
This is what the Socialists have agreed to do in the two regions where the FN is best-placed (and they - the Socialists - came a rotten third).
The withdrawal poses a serious challenge to Marine Le Pen's hopes of becoming regional president in the north, as well as to Marion Marechal-Le Pen in the south, because now Socialists can vote for the centre-right candidate.
But Mr Sarkozy is refusing to make any such arrangement.
His argument is that by stitching up the regions with the Socialists (you stand here, we stand there),  the two parties would be playing straight into the FN's hands.
They would be displaying exactly the kind of chumminess at the top that the far right constantly denounces.
As Nicolas Sarkozy said, political parties cannot go round giving each other mutual favours.
Or put another way: "Just because I get the salad, doesn't mean I pass the rhubarb."
Except he got it wrong.
The real French expression is: Pass me the rhubarb, and I'll pass you the senna.
Why senna? Well like rhubarb, senna is a natural laxative. The proverb means, I'll do you a...

Summary: In the olden days of Nicolas Sarkozy's French presidency, much fun was to be had irreverently pointing out his tics and verbal idiosyncracies.
###
Article: The Lionhearts were outclassed by their Cuban opponents, who claimed the first six bouts to seal a second WSB title in three years.
It was heading for a clean-sweep for Cuba but British super heavyweight Frazer Clarke beat Leinier Pero in the final bout to earn a consolation point.
This was the Lionhearts first appearance in the WSB final.
Johanys Argilagos (Cub) beat Galal Yafai (GB) 48:47/49:46/49:46
Robeisy Ramirez (Cub) beat Peter McGrail (GB) by round three KO
Yasniel Toledo (Cub) beat Dalton Smith (GB) 49:46/49:46/49:46
Arlen Lopez (Cub) beat Troy Williamson (GB) by round three KO
Erislandy Savon (Cub) beat Lawrence Okolie (GB) by round one KO
Yosvany Veitia (Cub) beat Muhammad Ali (GB) 48:47/49:46/47:48
Lazaro Alvarez (Cub) beat Luke McCormack (GB) 50:45/50:45/50:45
Roniel Iglesias (Cub) beat Ekow Essuman (GB) by round two KO
Julio Cesar La Cruz (Cub) beat Thomas Whittaker (GB) 50:41/50:41/50:41
Frazer Clarke (GB) beat Leinier Pero (Cub) by round four KO

Summary:


The claim: The UK will be forced to pay £350m to the EU every week after Brexit.
Reality Check verdict: The Treasury analysis gives two scenarios, described as "shock" and "severe shock". Both point to a recession in the short term, but in the case of the lesser "shock"

Matthew Perry "will not" attend the Friends reunion show due to rehearsals for his West End play.

Article: The body of Kevin Turnbull, 52, was discovered with a head injury at a property in Samuel Street Walk, Bury St Edmunds, at 12:15 BST on Wednesday.
A 51-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, both from the town, were arrested on Friday evening.
They were taken in for questioning but have been released on police bail to return on 15 November.
Suffolk Police said inquiries into the death of Mr Turnbull, who was from Great Whelnetham, are continuing.

Summary: Two people arrested on suspicion of murdering a man found dead in Suffolk have been released on police bail.
###
Article: The claim: Leaving the European Union would create a year-long recession.
Reality Check verdict: The Treasury analysis gives two scenarios, described as "shock" and "severe shock". Both point to a recession in the short term, but in the case of the lesser "shock" scenario, while there would be an impact on the economy, the predicted recession would be very mild and well within the bounds of forecasting uncertainty.
And it's not pretty - the Treasury predicts that economic growth would decline, wages would be lower than if we'd stayed in and house prices would fall.
If you're prepared to be influenced by economic modelling (read our Reality Check on the subject here) then there is a simple message, which is that in the first two years, a vote to leave the EU would be a considerably bad thing for the economy.
If you want to go a bit further into the figures, there is more to say.
The Treasury no longer does economic forecasts - that job has now been given to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
What the Treasury is doing is what it calls scenario analysis, which is taking what would happen if we stayed in the EU as a base-line and then considering what the impact would be were we to leave.
So all the figures you see today are not how much worse things would be than they are today. They are how much worse things will be in two years if we leave the EU, than they would have been if we stayed in.
The Treasury has modelled two scenarios, the "shock" and the "severe shock" scenarios.
The shock scenario is what it reckons would happen if the country decided to negotiate a bilateral agreement to cover its relationship with the EU. The severe shock scenario is what would happen if we decided to trade as just another World Trade Organisation member, with no special relationship with the EU.
The Chancellor said in his speech: "Within two years the size of our economy - our GDP - would be at least 3% smaller as a result of leaving the EU - and it could be as much as 6% smaller."
"We'd have a year of...

Summary: The Treasury has released its analysis of the short-term effects of a vote to leave the European Union - that's what would happen in the two years after 23 June.
###
Article: According to his spokeswoman, "Matthew may tape something" for the tribute to the show's creator James Burrows.
"In other words, this is not the reunion people have been hoping for," Lisa Kasteler told Us Weekly.
His former co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc are all expected to take part in the special.
It is set to be aired on NBC on 21 February.
Friends ended in 2004 after 10 series. As well as Friends, Burrows worked behind the camera on sitcoms including Cheers and Frasier.
Perry has written and will star in the play The End of Longing... which is set to run in London's West End from 2 February until 14 May. It will be directed by Lindsay Posner.
The dark comedy follows four disparate people approaching middle age, who meet in a bar one night.
It marks Perry's first return to the West End since 2003, when he starred in David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago.

Summary:


A man has been charged with the murder of two young girls in south-east London.
The bodies of Makayah McDermott, 13, and Rozanne Cooper, eight, were found in a car in Penge, south-east London, on Wednesday.
The car was being pursued by police from nearby

A 23-year-old man has been remanded in custody following the deaths of a 10-year-old boy and his aunt who were a hit by a car being pursued by police.

Article: The aim is to give up-to-date information to parents submitting application forms for secondary school places this month for September 2016.
Full secondary school league tables will be published in January as usual.
Head teachers warned the partial, provisional tables may give parents an "inaccurate and incomplete picture".
The Department for Education data, to be published at 09:30 BST on Thursday, will include the percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and maths.
They will also show the percentage of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (GCSEs at grades A* to C, including maths, English, two science qualifications, a foreign language and either history or geography).
But the tables will be based on results given out in August, before the appeals process took place, and will not include subsequent changes to grades following re-marks.
In 2014, more than 54,000 GCSE grades were changed after being challenged.
Announcing plans to publish "early" league tables, in July, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said it would provide parents with a more informed choice.
The Department for Education said: "By improving the timeliness and accessibility of these statistics, this will also mean that results are published in advance of the 31 October deadline for secondary school admission applications.
"This will support parents who may wish to use the information when applying for a secondary school place for their child."
But the Association of School and College Leaders said there were "serious problems" with the information being published early.
ASCL general secretary Brian Lightman said: "It's not uncommon for schools to have several grades altered after challenges to results, and this can have a dramatic effect on performance tables.
"There is a real risk that the information being published early will not accurately reflect the achievements of some schools, and this may have a damaging effect on them and give parents an impression which is not correct."
Mr Lightman also...

Summary: The education department is publishing league tables for secondary schools in England, based on provisional data from this summer's GCSE results.
###
Article: The alleged victims and their families told BBC Persian that they had decided to speak out after failing to get justice through official channels.
Saeed Tousi, 46, who has ties to both the religious and political elite, faces accusations that he assaulted 10 boys, all Koran students from religious families.
Mr Tousi has strongly denied the claims, which surfaced last week when some of the alleged victims took the unusual step of telling their stories to the foreign media.
One of the accusers described to the BBC an assault which he said took place in a public bath house when he was 12 years old.
"I was so shocked I couldn't understand what was going on," he said.  "I was so afraid to say anything because of the shame it would bring upon my name, but then I found out that there were so many other cases among his students. So I broke my silence."
In claims which cannot be verified independently, the accusers say they launched an official complaint about Mr Tousi six years ago, which resulted in him being brought to court.
The case was dropped and a second alleged victim told the BBC he had now "lost all hope" that justice would be done.
Despite the allegations, a spokesman for the judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, said there was "insufficient evidence" to investigate the abuse claims.
Iranians are not used to hearing such sensitive issues discussed openly in public, and the revelations have prompted much anguished and impassioned debate on the social media platforms which many now use to follow and share news.
BBC Persian's interview with the alleged victims was viewed an unprecedented 400,000 times on its Telegram channel.
"Another shameful page in the history of the Islamic republic," wrote one user, called Meysam. "People are being abused under the banner of religion... and no-one is going to be held accountable."
"If the victims had been girls, [the authorities] would've accused them of being dressed inappropriately and provocatively. And they would argue that the assault was understandable" wrote...

Summary: Child sex abuse allegations involving one of Iran's best-known Koran reciters are causing shock and anger in the country, days after several accusers took the unprecedented step of going public with the claims.
###
Article: Joshua Dobby appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court earlier charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Makayah McDermott and Rozanne Cooper died after the car crashed in Penge, south-east London on Wednesday.
Three girls were also injured and remain in hospital.
No application for bail was made during the short hearing and Mr Dobby was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 30 September
He was also charged with:
More updates on this and other London stories
The Met said the three injured girls - two aged 13 and one aged eight - were related to Makayah and his aunt, who was a 34-year-old hairdresser.
The car struck the group at about 14:05 BST on Lennard Road. It had been pursued by police from nearby Birkbeck Road in Beckenham.
One witness said the car was being followed by two police vehicles when the driver "lost control and ploughed into a family".
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating.
Over the past 10 years, 252 members of the public have died following road traffic incidents involving the police in England and Wales, according to the IPCC.
In London, there were 498 crashes involving a pursuit by Met officers in 2015-16.
Friends and neighbours left floral tributes at the scene of the crash on Thursday.
Family friend Emma Cameron called the news "devastating" and said Ms Cooper was "a genuinely lovely girl".
"She never had a bad word to say about anybody. She was the kindest friendliest warmest person. It's just awful," she added.
Makayah had recently auditioned for a part in a television series.
His agent Sam Brown, managing director of Brown and Mills Entertainment, described Makayah as "an extremely talented young actor" and "joy to be around".
"We cannot express enough our sadness and our thoughts are with the family at this terrible time," she added.
A victim support fund for those injured in the crash on the Gofundme website had raised nearly Â£5,000 by Friday morning.

Summary:


The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has said it has completed its first visit to Syria since the country's civil war began.
The OPCW said on Friday that its team of inspectors had visited 19 of the 23 sites disclosed by Syria.
The OPCW said it had also completed

Syria has handed in a plan for the destruction of its chemical weapons to the watchdog monitoring the process.

Article: The Commission has called for mandatory national quotas to relocate many migrants who have reached Europe. That is highly controversial, and there will be intense government discussions about the proposal.
Countries in the front line of the migration surge want a fairer EU-wide distribution of the burden. Italy faces unprecedented migrant boatloads in the Mediterranean, while Germany faces by far the most asylum claims.
What is the Commission asking member states to do?
The Commission has issued the "European Agenda on Migration", setting out common policy goals for the 28-nation EU to adopt and make law.
It argues that the current system is failing to cope with the migrant influx, which is fuelled by the profits made by people traffickers. The war raging in Libya has exacerbated the flow from there.
There is a human rights imperative for the EU too, as the Mediterranean has seen more than 1,800 migrant deaths at sea this year. Migrants who make it to Europe are often deeply traumatised by the traffickers' brutality.
The impulse for this far-reaching agenda came from the escalating crisis in the Mediterranean and a 10-point emergency plan from EU governments. It called for "a systematic effort to capture and destroy vessels used by the smugglers". It also said the EU must "consider options for an emergency relocation mechanism" for migrants.
The Commission has come up with a "distribution key" to spread the burden of processing asylum claims in the EU. Italy, Greece and Malta are struggling to cope.
That new mechanism is based on countries' population size, GDP, unemployment rate and numbers of existing asylum applications.
Separately, the EU aims to bring 20,000 refugees to Europe in the next two years, at a cost of â‚¬50m (Â£36m). That is being organised in non-EU countries with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
Under the Geneva Conventions, refugees fleeing from persecution or life-threatening violence have a right to claim asylum in Europe.
The Commission acknowledges that too many poor economic migrants...

Summary: The European Commission has unveiled new proposals for dealing with Europe's migration crisis.
###
Article: Pre-tax profit fell to €3.2bn (£2.4bn) in the first quarter, down from €3.97bn in the same period a year ago.
Chief executive Matthias Mueller said he was "satisfied" with the start of "what will undoubtedly be a demanding" 2016.
VW admitted last year that it installed software to cheat US emissions tests.
It has already set aside more than €16bn to pay for costs arising from the scandal. Analysts at the bank NordLB expect the total to rise to between €20bn and €30bn.
The German giant has agreed a deal with the US Department of Justice in which it will buy back and "substantially" compensate more than 500,000 American owners of its diesel cars affected by the emissions cheating. Final details are expected in June.
"In the first quarter, we once again managed to limit the economic effects of the diesel issue and achieve respectable results under difficult conditions," Mr Mueller added.
Group sales revenue fell 3.4% to €51bn in the period.
Sales of VW-branded cars were particularly hard hit, with profit from that part of the business falling 83% to €73m from €514m last year.
The company maintained its forecast of a 5% fall in 2016 sales revenue compared with last year, "depending on economic conditions - particularly in South America and Russia - and exchange rate developments as well as against the backdrop of the diesel issue".
However, it predicted "a marked decrease in sales revenue" in 2016 for its passenger car brands, which include Audi, Seat and Skoda.
"2016 will be a transitional year for Volkswagen... we remain confident that our operating business will again record solid growth this year," Mr Mueller added.
VW shares fell 3% in Frankfurt to €133.57 and are down 40% over the past 12 months.
Ana Nicholls, automotive analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said: "Unit sales continue to rise, up 0.8% in the first quarter of 2016, suggesting that customers care less about the emissions scandal than investors and the media do.
"Ironically that means Volkswagen is now on track to become the world's...

Summary: Volkswagen profit has tumbled 20% in the first three months of 2016 as it continues to grapple with fallout from the diesel emissions scandal.
###
Article: In a statement, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons (OPCW) said the declaration was submitted three days ahead of schedule.
OPCW inspectors are also due to complete visiting the last four of 23 weapons sites declared by Syria.
The OPCW's mission was set up following outrage at a chemical weapons attack near the Syrian capital in August.
Sixty inspectors have been in Syria since 1 October. The OPCW, which is based in The Hague, said on Friday that its  team in Syria had visited 19 of the 23 sites disclosed by Syria.
Chemical stockpile
How to destroy chemical arsenal
Q&A: Disarmament deal
21 August attack: What we know
Under the UN resolution which set up the mission, Syria's chemical weapons production equipment must be destroyed by 1 November and stockpiles must be disposed of by mid-2014.
The organisation's work in Syria marks the first time the international chemical weapons watchdog - which won this year's Nobel Peace Prize - has been asked to oversee the destruction of a weapons armoury during a conflict.
More than 100,000 people have been killed in the fighting that has ravaged Syria for two-and-a-half years, according to the UN.
More than two million people have fled Syria and some 4.5 million have been forced from their homes within the country.
Casualty figures vary for the chemical weapons attack on the Ghouta agricultural belt around Syria's capital, Damascus, on 21 August.
It was estimated to have killed hundreds of people. The United States and other Western powers blamed the attack on President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
But Mr Assad accuses Syrian rebels of being behind it.

Summary:


The government has announced a £1.5m fund to help small businesses in England and Wales.
The money will be used to help small firms with the costs of complying with new regulations.
The government said the fund would help small firms "to meet the costs of complying with the new regulations".
The fund

Bird flu has been confirmed in a flock of 19,500 turkeys at a farm in Boston, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

Article: Middlesbrough's mima will receive the money from the Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund.
It will allow it to explore the possibility of lending its collections to other museums and non-museum venues, such as schools, shopping centres or town halls, for a fee.
Under the scheme, mima will recruit a registrar and conservator.
Mima curator James Beighton said: "We hope that this will become a case study that can be used by other museums to justify appointments to these positions in the future."

Summary: Collections owned by a Teesside arts centre could be shown at other venues after it was awarded a £68,912 grant.
###
Article: Researchers found the "social, economic and political contexts of the 1980s" may have caused an increase in drug deaths in the following years.
The new analysis was carried out by NHS Health Scotland and Glasgow University.
The news comes as the Scottish government convenes a meeting of health leaders to discuss future drugs policy.
The research found a cohort within those born between 1960 and 1980, the group known as "Generation X", who had an increased risk of drug-related death from 1990 onwards.
They also found links to gender and deprivation - young men in poor neighbourhoods were found to be 10 times as likely to die from drugs as women of the same age from a more affluent area.
Report author Dr Jon Minton, a quantitative research associate at Glasgow University, said similar patterns had previously been reported about the risk of suicide in deprived areas.
His analysis was "consistent with the hypothesis that economic and other policy decisions during the 1980s created rising income inequality, the erosion of hope amongst those who were least resilient and able to adjust, and resulted in a delayed negative health impact".
He said: "The same kind of pattern we have observed and reported on previously regarding the risk of suicide in vulnerable cohorts in deprived areas in Scotland is repeated, and even more clearly visible, when looking at trends in drug-related death risk.
"For people born in 1960s and 70s, the risk of drug-related deaths throughout the life course was much increased, and gender and area inequalities in these risks increased even more.
"The similarity in trends in both suicide and drug-related deaths suggests a common underlying cause."
Drug deaths in Scotland hit a record high in 2015 with 706 people listed as having died as a result of drug abuse that year. A similar pattern occurred elsewhere in the UK.
The number has been steadily increasing since 1995, when 426 deaths were recorded, and a rising number of deaths have been among older age groups - 73% of the 2015 deaths were of...

Summary: Rising inequality during the 1980s increased the risk of drug-related deaths among members of "Generation X" in Scotland, a new study has found.
###
Article: It is the third confirmed diagnosis of the H5N8 strain of avian flu in Lincolnshire in about four weeks.
Some of the birds at the undisclosed premises in Lincolnshire have died. The rest are due to be culled.
Defra said an investigation was "under way to determine the source of the infection".
A 1.8-mile (3km) protection zone and a six-mile (10km) surveillance area have been set up around the turkey rearing farm to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.
An outbreak of the virus in a flock of about 6,000 turkeys at Low Farm, in Fulstow, near Louth, was "unlikely to be directly linked to the previous case" at the nearby Austen Fen Farm, Defra had said.
All restrictions were removed around Austen Fen Farm on 18 January but still remain at Low Farm while an inquiry there continues.
This latest case in Boston comes two days after bird flu was found in pheasants that were being bred at a farm in Wyre, Lancashire.
The same strain has been discovered in birds in Settle, North Yorkshire, a swannery in Dorset and flocks in Carmarthenshire, south west Wales.
In December, the government introduced an avian influenza prevention zone, which lasts until 28 February, to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian flu after the strain was found in 14 European countries including Germany and France.

Summary:


The partial eclipse was visible in Australia, parts of South East Asia and the Pacific.
Article: The partial eclipse was visible in Australia, parts of South East Asia and the Pacific.
Article: The partial eclipse was visible in Australia, parts of South East Asia and the Pacific.
Article: The partial eclipse was

People across Indonesia and the Pacific have witnessed a total solar eclipse, with some parts of Indonesia in total darkness for up to three minutes.

Article: Cardiff University's survey of 152 hospitals found 188,803 people were admitted for injuries from a fight or assault - 10% fewer than in 2015.
The figures are the lowest since 2001, when the survey first recorded data.
But they are at odds with police statistics which have recently recorded increases in violent crime.
The study's lead author, Professor Jonathan Shepherd of the Violence Research Group at Cardiff University, said there had been a substantial decrease in violence-related injuries for both men and women in 2016 compared with 2015.
Since 2010, researchers found a decline of 40% in people needing treatment in emergency departments after violence, he added.
Decreases in drug uses and binge drinking were said to be possible reasons for falls in violent incidents.
But the group's latest report, which also assessed records from minor injury units and walk-in centres, said casualties peaked at weekends - suggesting that alcohol-related violence remained a significant problem.
The data showed males and people aged 18 to 30 continued to be at most risk from violence.
Violence-related injuries sustained by children aged up to 10 showed a year-on-year rise of 10% in 2016.
The research does not examine the reasons for the decline in violence but better detection and reporting of serious violence by emergency departments and more targeted policing were also cited in the report as possible factors.
Prof Shepherd told the BBC that increased CCTV which allowed police to target incidents quicker and efforts to reduce domestic violence should also be taken into account.
He said the substantial year-on-year decline meant "costs imposed on health services and the criminal justice system by violence have been substantially reduced".
Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning
Earlier this month, Metropolitan Police figures showed sharp jumps in recorded knife and gun crime.
And police in England and Wales recorded an annual rise of 22% in offences recorded as "violence against the person" in the year to...

Summary: Injuries from violence in England and Wales fell "substantially" in 2016, an annual study of people treated in accident and emergency units suggests.
###
Article: Beijing's China Daily: "The agreement [on raising the US debt ceiling] is likely to avert default by Washington and it certainly is a relief for China... We still cannot rule out the possibility of a downgrade of the US credit rating if Washington fails to come up with a long-term and balanced solution to address its debt problem... For policy makers in Beijing, seeking alternative ways to invest the massive foreign exchange reserves and to reduce its rapid accumulation remain the crucial challenges." (Interview with Chen Daofu, director, Policy Research Centre, Financial Research Institute, State Council Development Research Centre)
Beijing's Global Times: "It is too early to cheer for this deal, since raising the debt ceiling simply means the US can now borrow itself into further debt... This does not seem a smart move. By using new debt to pay back the old, the US is sinking further into quicksand." (Editorial)
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: "Naturally, the problems of the USA and the dollar as well as of the EU and the euro cannot but disturb Russia. As we know, it holds its currency reserves in dollars and euros. We should assume that our government is not leaving matters to chance and is taking steps against possible risks... [There is] one unfortunate thing that Russia does not need to fear: at least, it will not face a default in the next few days." (Article by Yevgeniy Grigoryev)
Moskovskiye Novosti: "America has changed its mind about having a Judgment Day... But the obvious inability to reach an agreement that was demonstrated by political forces in the US has had an equally damaging effect on the country... The image of the country as a responsible borrower has suffered most." (Article by Denis Voroshilov and Igor Kryuchkov)
Sueddeutsche Zeitung: "State bankruptcy has been avoided, but the compromise announced by US President Barack Obama is flawed from an economic point of view. It does not resolve any of the real budgetary problems and some of its elements are even harmful to the economy." (Commentary by...

Summary: International press reaction to the voting of the US bill to avert a US debt default.
###
Article: A partial eclipse was visible in Australia, parts of South East Asia and the Pacific.

Summary:


The attack was discovered on Wednesday, and made public on Saturday.
The attack was discovered on Wednesday, and made public on Saturday.
The attack was discovered on Wednesday, and made public on Saturday.
The attack was discovered on Wednesday, and made public on Saturday.
The attack was discovered on Wednesday, and

The UK's data watchdog is "making inquiries" after Carphone Warehouse said the personal details of up to 2.4 million of its customers may have been accessed in a cyber-attack.

Article: Its research shows staff are victims of more than 1,500 physical and verbal attacks by pupils every year.
Two schools in England are taking part in a three-month trial where all teachers are wearing police-style body cameras to stop pupil disruption.
One teacher said there was one problem pupil in "most classes".
"I've been stabbed with a pencil, I've had my fingers slammed in a door, I've had a child bite me, I've had the backs of my hands clawed with fingernails, furniture thrown at me, kicked, punched.
"It sounds horrendous when you say it all in one list but those things are happening fairly regularly," the teacher said anonymously to S4C's O'r Senedd programme.
"It's getting worse year by year, it's getting harder to manage year by year, it's getting more distressing year by year, both for the pupils and the staff."
Owen Hathway of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said about eight "verbal or physical" assaults took place against teachers every day.
While he said the union could not "completely dismiss" the use of body cams, he said they could also prove to be a hindrance.
"What we need to ensure is that whilst this sort of technology may be able to safeguard teachers and pupils, it's perhaps a bit too intrusive at the moment, and there are other avenues to explore that could help develop better relationships in the class and better levels of discipline in the class," he said.
"I think first and foremost we know that the schools with the best level of discipline are those who have good relationships between schools and the communities."
While he said the idea was "something we have to be ready to embrace", he was cautious about its implementation.
"It shouldn't be a case of being an intrusive platform for school leaders to spy potentially on teachers or pupils, but as a way of safeguarding pupils and teachers and working with the profession about how it's developed," Mr Hathaway added.
Educational well-being consultant Siriol Burford does not think they should be used in every classroom.
"I think...

Summary: The idea of teachers wearing body cameras in Welsh classrooms cannot be dismissed, the National Union of Teachers has said.
###
Article: The drop comes after Argentine Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay said he would eliminate the foreign exchange restrictions that have propped up the peso since 2011.
After his announcement, markets opened with one dollar buying 14 pesos.
Analysts had predicted a fall of up to 30% from the previous controlled rate of 9.8 pesos to the dollar.
They said they expect it could fall to 14.5 pesos to the dollar. That is the rate at which the currency has been trading on the black market.
Argentine Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay said that the country's central bank had been given the right to buy pesos if the exchange rate fell too rapidly.
But he said the restrictions needed to be removed to improve the country's ailing economy. Exchange controls would end for all businesses, who would be allowed to buy as many dollars as they needed.
But ordinary Argentines would still face restrictions on the amount of dollars they could buy a month.
Shop owners said consumers could cut spending in the short term as they see their purchasing power reduced, especially when it comes to dollar-denominated imports.
The previous government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner tried to end the buying of dollars four years ago, but prohibition simply fuelled the black economy.
Since then, informal street sellers in Buenos Aires offer foreign currency at much higher rates than the official one.
Argentines also found other creative ways to circumvent restrictions, from organised day-trips to neighbouring Uruguay to get US dollars from cash machines to Bitcoin trading.
The new policy may satisfy middle and upper-class Argentines who will now be able to get their dollars freely.
But they are also fearful of the consequences: higher prices and a potential devaluation of their currency.

Summary: Argentina's peso has lost about 30% of its value after the country lifted currency controls.
###
Article: The attack was discovered on Wednesday, and made public on Saturday.
The encrypted credit card details of up to 90,000 people may have been accessed, the mobile phone firm said.
The Information Commissioner's Office, which examines data breaches, confirmed it was aware of the incident.
Carphone Warehouse says the data could include names, addresses, dates of birth and bank details and it is contacting all those affected.
Those who think they have been the victim of fraud should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Carphone Warehouse said the "sophisticated" cyber-attack, which happened in the past two weeks, was stopped "straight away" after it was discovered on Wednesday afternoon.
The affected division of the company operates the websites OneStopPhoneShop.com, e2save.com and Mobiles.co.uk, and provides services to iD Mobile, TalkTalk Mobile, Talk Mobile and some Carphone Warehouse customers.
The retailer's owner, Dixons Carphone, has apologised for the attack and said additional security measures have been brought in. It has also taken the affected websites down.
Carphone Warehouse customer Kerri, from Petersfield, in Hampshire, said she believed her email address had been hacked, and "things stolen", since the breach.
"I am extremely upset as well as worried and scared," she said.
"Firms like Carphone Warehouse need to be held accountable for security breaches."
Some customers complained they should have been made aware when the breach was first detected.
Technology analyst Tom Cheesewright said the company may have been trying to assess the level of damage before making the announcement.
"I don't think we'll know until the Information Commissioner's Office looks at this - whether they did the right thing, whether they were prudent in waiting a few days." he added.
He said it was likely the data would be sold on.
"There's a ready market in this sort of information. You might pay Â£5-10 for one set of credit card details, maybe twice that for a full identity," he said.
The details may then be used to shop...

Summary:


A gang of armed robbers have targeted a family in Greater Manchester.
The three men, who were armed with a handgun, a knife and a balaclava, forced their way into the home of a family in the Turf Hill area of the city at about 05:30 BST on Wednesday.
The three men

A heavily pregnant woman had a gun pressed to her head when masked burglars broke into her Rochdale home.

Article: The European Commission has given Glybera marketing authorisation, meaning it can be sold throughout the EU.
It is a gene therapy for a rare disease which leaves people unable to properly digest fats.
The manufacturers say it will be available next year.
Gene therapy has a simple premise. If there is a problem with part of a patient's genetic code then change the code.
However, the field has been plagued with problems. Patients have developed leukaemia and in one trial in the US a teenager died.
In Europe and the US, the therapies are used only in research labs.
Glybera is used to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency. One in a million people have damaged copies of a gene which is essential for breaking down fats.
It means fat builds up in the blood leading to abdominal pain and life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
The only way to manage the condition is by having a very low-fat diet.
The therapy, developed by UniQure, uses a virus to infect muscle cells with a working copy of the gene.
The European Medicines Agency recommended the therapy was made available for the most severely ill patients earlier in 2012.
UniQure chief executive officer Jorn Aldag said: "The final approval of Glybera from the European Commission marks a major step forward in making gene therapies available not only for lipoprotein lipase deficiency, but also for a large number of rare diseases with a very high unmet medical need."
The company said it would apply for regulatory approval in the US and Canada.
China was the first country to officially sanction a gene therapy.

Summary: A treatment which corrects errors in a person's genetic code has been approved for commercial use in Europe for the first time.
###
Article: The tweet, which criticised the waste of plastic, was posted on Thursday and has since been retweeted 60,000 times.
The mandarins, an easy-peel variety called Sumos, were available in some shops in Northern California.
Whole Foods subsequently tweeted back: "Definitely our mistake. These have been pulled."
Twitter user Nathalie Gordon posted the image and wrote: "If only nature could find a way to cover these oranges so we didn't need to waste so much plastic on them."
Underneath she posted a photograph of the Sumo mandarins.
In a press statement Whole Foods Market said: "Many of our customers love the convenience that our cut produce offers, and this was a simple case where a handful of stores experimented with a seasonal product.
"Orange and tangerine slices have long been a staple favourite in our stores. We're glad some customers pointed it out so we could take a closer look and leave Sumos in their natural packaging - the peel."
The retailer told the BBC that the packed slices of oranges and tangerines would remain on the shelves.
Sumo is a trademark name for a citrus fruit which is easy to peel, sweet, seedless and bigger than an ordinary mandarin.

Summary: Pre-peeled mandarins in plastic packaging have been removed from sale by Whole Foods Market after a customer's photo and tweet went viral.
###
Article: The 28-year-old's nine-year-old daughter was also threatened by a member of the gang, who had a knife.
The burglary happened at their home in the Turf Hill area at about 05:30 BST on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Police said.
The three balaclava-wearing men stole cash, jewellery and a mobile phone before fleeing.
The offender carrying the gun, said to be a small silver metal handgun, was described as Asian, slim and aged between 20 and 30.
The man with the knife was black, between 30 and 40, of a medium build and with bloodshot eyes.
It is believed they were met by three other men outside the property.
Police are now appealing for anyone with information to contact them.
Det Con Rich Shelton said: "This gang targeted a mum and her young daughter, even stooping as low as to hold a gun to the head of a woman who was clearly heavily pregnant and absolutely terrified.
"Thankfully they were not physically injured and the unborn baby not harmed but the emotional trauma they have suffered is immeasurable."

Summary:


The North East Coast Exhibition was a huge success, attracting four million visitors.
###Article: The North East Coast Exhibition was a huge success, attracting four million visitors.
###Article: The North East Coast Exhibition was a huge success, attracting four million visitors.
###Article: The North East Coast Exhibition was a

One of the reasons the Great Exhibition of the North was awarded to Newcastle and Gateshead was because of the "ambition" of  organisers.

Article: But organisers hope the participation of Scotland's world number 24 Russell Knox, born in nearby Inverness, will compensate for the American's absence.
Tournament director Peter Adams said he regretted the absence of Fowler.
"No Rickie this year, which we're obviously disappointed about and so is Rickie," Adams told BBC Scotland.
"He has written to us and said he would have really liked to come back to defend, but it is some of the schedule congestion that has been an issue for him.
"The Olympics is here for the first time and that's meant date changes for some of the majors and, if you look at that run from the US Open right up until the Olympics, it's incredibly congested and all of the players who play in the top flight of world golf I think have had some difficulty organising their schedules."
Fowler has missed the cut three times in his past five tournaments in the build-up to this month's US Open.
The 27-year-old won his Scottish Open title at Gullane, but the tournament returns to Castle Stuart from 7-10 July after an absence of three years.
"I think it's been a good thing to travel around Scotland in the past few years," said Adams.
"In terms of what we do for the future, we have announced that it is going to be Dundonald for next year.
"We haven't really discussed and thought beyond that and I think there will be a lot of discussion at this year's tournament about where we go after that."
There has been speculation about the future scheduling of the Scottish Open, with Irish Open organisers thought to be keen to take over the slot before the Open Championship.
"It has always been the tournament the week before the Open Championship and, as we stand now, that is the position," said Adams.
"I think for as long as I've been working on the Scottish Open, there have been various tournaments that have eyed the week before the Open Championship.
"It has served the Scottish Open well, so I think for this golf tournament it would be good to have that unless there is a good reason to change.
"That is really...

Summary: World number five Rickie Fowler will not defend his Scottish Open title at Castle Stuart, citing a busy calendar with golf returning to the Olympics.
###
Article: Stargazers across Scotland photographed the Aurora Borealis on Wednesday night.
Scotland is one of the best places in the UK to observe the Northern Lights, which are related to activity on the sun.
On Wednesday night, the aurora was visible from the Isle of Skye, as well as Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and North Berwick in East Lothian.
Lancaster University's AuroraWatch UK said that 2017 had started quietly for aurora watchers, but overnight on Wednesday and Thursday the UK received "a whopping 13 total hours of elevated geomagnetic activity".
Five of those hours had activity strong enough to trigger amber-level alerts to the displays. Amber is AuroraWatch UK's second highest alert for chances of seeing the Northern Lights.
The rise in the activity was due to what is known as a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream.
BBC Radio Scotland's Brainwaves programme has looked at the science behind the Northern Lights, a phenomenon that some scientists believe could become harder to see from Scotland.

Summary: All images are copyrighted.
###
Article: However, the 2018 event, set to showcase art, design and innovation, will not be the first in the region.
In 1929, the North East Coast Exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales in Newcastle amid great fanfare.
So, will organisers take inspiration from the grand event, which attracted four million visitors?
Responding to the Newcastle and Gateshead announcement, the North East Chamber of Commerce said: "The Great Exhibition looks set to be the launch pad of real growth in our regional economy."
The Prince of Wales - later King Edward VIII - opened the 1929 event and said: "The industries of the North are not yet knocked out of the ring.
"They are fighting back gallantly with a good Northern punch."
And the "northern punch" included cutting-edge technology, such as a cow milking machine, a telescope brought down from Edinburgh University, and the local newspaper using a newly-designed electric sign to flash out the latest news items.
Industry and consumer items were represented, some of them household names that remain, such as Hoover vacuum cleaners, Singer sewing machines, and Pyrex glass ovenware.
Andrews Liver Salts showed off its brand with a 15ft "fountain of health".
For entertainment there was an amusement park, a Himalayan Railway, and an African village.
More than four million people passed through the turnstiles between May and October that year, including King Alfonso of Spain and the Sultan of Zanzibar. Each millionth visitor was presented with a gold watch.
When the exhibition ended, the pavilions were dismantled and the area reverted to a public park.
Unfortunately, that "northern punch" would fall victim to the economic depression a few years later, in the 1930s.

Summary:


A new study has found that a healthy weight could cut the risk of breast cancer by a fifth.
###Article: Researchers have found that a healthy weight could cut the risk of breast cancer by a fifth.
###Article: Researchers have found that a healthy weight could cut the risk of breast cancer by a fifth.

The first major trial to see if losing weight reduces the risk of cancers coming back is about to start in the US and Canada.

Article: A report commissioned by the Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) said the position of religion had weakened in most areas of life in recent years.
But it said laws protecting religion in education had, if anything, been strengthened.
A Church of Scotland spokesman said religious groups from all faiths made appropriate contributions to education.
The 355-page HSS report, written by academics at Glasgow University, cited the growth of Sunday trading and the rise in popularity of non-religious marriages as evidence Scotland was becoming a more secular society.
HSS chief executive Gordon MacRae said: "The motivation for this commission came from the increased public and political awareness of the changing role of religion and belief in Scottish public life."
He added: "At a time when 47%, nearly one in two households in Scotland, say they have no religion, we think it is time to move to a secular education system.
"Every state school in Scotland is a faith school. We hope this document can be a catalyst for a new debate."
The report said the current education system was established by two Acts of Parliament in 1872 and 1918, when Catholic schools were absorbed into the state system.
All state schools are required to ensure all pupils take part in 'religious observance' - at least once a week for primary pupils and at least once a month for secondary schools.
These provisions were reinforced in 2004 by the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition, and accepted in a government circular in 2011 under the SNP.
The report outlines other areas in which the position of religion is guaranteed by law in the education system:
One of the report's authors, Callum Brown, professor of Modern European History at Glasgow University, said: "There is no particular move at foot to change this, in comparison to changes, dramatic changes to marriage law, with the arrival of same-sex marriage in 2014.
"That was a phenomenal and ground-breaking change which doesn't seem to have an equivalent in relation to education."
The HSS said the growth...

Summary: The role of religion should be removed from the school curriculum, according to a humanist organisation.
###
Article: The call comes after a New York-bound plane was forced to turn back to London Heathrow Airport after a laser beam hit the cockpit after take off, causing a "medical issue" for one of the pilots.
It is illegal to shine a light at a plane "so as to dazzle the pilot", but not an offence to own or carry a laser.
The union says they are "incredibly dangerous", and could blind pilots.
Virgin Atlantic flight VS025 turned back after it was struck by the laser on Sunday evening, about six or seven miles west of Heathrow.
How dangerous are lasers to planes?
'It's only a matter of time until someone dies'
"This is not an isolated incident," British Airline Pilots Association's (Balpa's) general secretary Jim McAuslan said. "Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength."
"Modern lasers have the power to blind and certainly to act as a huge distraction and to dazzle the pilots during critical phases of flight."
Former pilot and fellow member of the pilot's union Dave Smith said legislation on lasers - first introduced in 2010 - should be much tougher.
"The law from 2010 is just an offence of shining the laser into the cockpit, but of course that is very difficult to prove," he said.
Balpa is calling for sales of all but the lowest power devices to be regulated.
"Lasers should be specifically included in the offensive weapons legislation so that if someone is found to be carrying a laser without good reason then they are treated in the same way as if they are carrying a knife," a spokeswoman added.
But Dr John O'Hagan, a laser safety expert at Public Health England, believes the existing laws are adequate.
"Our recommendation is that only low-powered lasers, one milliwatt - one thousandth of a watt - should be generally available to the public.
"And in the UK now it is relatively unusual to be able to buy a laser, that looks like a laser pointer, that's at a higher power. The trouble is that you can buy them over the internet at much higher powers."
Lasers produce a...

Summary: Laser pointers should be classed as "offensive weapons", the British Airline Pilots Association has said.
###
Article: Researchers believe achieving a healthier weight could cut the risk by a fifth in breast cancer.
Around 3,200 women will take part, with half of them shifting a tenth of their body weight.
Experts said the trials were vital as it was still unclear if weight made a difference.
Dr Jennifer Ligibel, from the women's cancer centre at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, said: "We have known now for many years that women who are overweight or obese and are diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of their cancer recurring and ultimately dying."
She said this had been seen in more than 100 studies, though the explanation for it was unclear.
She said preliminary evidence showed that losing weight after diagnosis could be helpful.
But the idea has never been tested in a large randomised trial, considered the gold-standard of medical research.
The two-year trial will start recruiting overweight and obese patients, with a BMI of at least 27, in August.
After their cancer therapy is completed, the women will have regular advice from dieticians to help them reduce their calorie intake to 1,200-1,500 calories per day.
Eventually, they will also exercise for up to 250 minutes a week.
For every 100 women in the study who do not lose weight, they expect to see 23 have a recurrence of the tumour.
If the researchers are right, then they expect only 19 in every 100 women who did shift the pounds to have a recurrence.
Dr Ligibel added: "I think it would be premature to say we know these things make a difference and that's why studies are important.
"I am quite convinced but I think we need the data to really prove it, but also to look at who benefits."
It is far from clear what changes inside an obese body could be leading to cancer recurrence, but there are theories around levels of the hormone insulin or inflammation, both of which are altered with weight gain.
If the concept is confirmed then it could apply to a wider range of cancers.
Prostate and colorectal cancer incidence is already known to be closely connected to...

Summary:


The fashion designer has apologised for comments he made about Gigi Hadid.
Hilfiger said: "I am extremely proud to have Gigi as the ambassador of my brand and as a collaborator of our collections.
"Any statement to the contrary is completely false. The headline from the interview with Yahoo was

Tommy Hilfiger has said suggestions he thought Gigi Hadid was not thin enough to model are "completely false".

Article: Local authority areas in Scotland were placed in divisions that reflect the take-up of a range of renewable energy technologies.
Orkney was found to have the greatest amount of community-owned wind generation in a district with a population of less than 100,000 people.
The award was from the Scottish National Renewable Energy League.
Craig MacInnes, development manager of the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF), collected the award at the event in Glasgow.
He said: "This award for Orkney raises the profile of community wind projects and the benefits they bring.
"It shows how forward thinking many of Orkney's smaller and more remote communities have been in embracing renewable energy."

Summary: Orkney has won an award recognising the success of its community energy projects.
###
Article: European Union statistics agency Eurostat said the jobless rate in the currency union fell to 10.9% in July from 11.1% the month before.
The fall was helped by a sharp fall in unemployment in Italy, where the jobless total fell by 143,000.
It is the first time the unemployment rate in the eurozone has been below 11% since February 2012.
The wider 28-member EU saw the unemployment rate fall to 9.5%, the lowest rate since June 2011.
The lowest unemployment rate was in Germany, at 4.7%. Greece had the highest unemployment rate, at 25%, the latest available data from May showed, followed by Spain at 22.2%.
The rate of youth unemployment across the eurozone also declined to 21.9% in July from 22.3% a month earlier.
A survey released earlier on Tuesday suggested that growth in the eurozone's manufacturing sector had eased slightly in August, despite factories barely raising prices.
The closely-watched Markit eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) was 52.3 last month, below a preliminary reading that suggested it had held steady at July's reading of 52.4. However, it has remained above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction for more than two years.
There was some good news within the data. Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and Italy all saw strong growth, with Germany's manufacturing PMI reading jumping to 53.3 in August from 51.8 a month earlier.
Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit, said the data suggested the eurozone manufacturing sector showed continued resilience in August, with output growth and inflows of new business both strengthening.
"Based on the historical relationship, the PMI is tracking at somewhere close to a 2% annualised increase in industrial production so far in the third quarter, a modest gain but still representing a positive step forward," he said.
"The job numbers are also looking more positive, with employment rising at the fastest pace in four years. On the inflation front, lower oil prices led to the first dip in input costs since February, while selling...

Summary: Unemployment in the eurozone fell to its lowest rate in July for more than three years, figures have shown.
###
Article: The fashion designer had told Yahoo that casting directors dressed Hadid in a poncho for a fashion show because she was not as thin as the other models.
But he has now clarified his comments and said the story was misleading.
Hilfiger said: "The suggestion that I thought [Hadid] wasn't thin enough upsets me to no end. Gigi is the epitome of perfection."
In the Yahoo interview, Hilfiger referred to a 2015 fashion show in which Hadid wore a poncho which covered most of her body.
Hilfiger said he wanted Hadid to be dressed in something which better showed off her figure, but members of his creative team disagreed.
"Our casting director said, 'She doesn't really fit because you know she's not quite as tall as the other girls, she's not quite as thin,'" Hilfiger originally said.
"So they put a red, white, and blue poncho on her. It covered a lot of her body unfortunately, but it received millions of hits."
Hadid's appearance in the poncho proved hugely popular, and she later went on to collaborate with Hilfiger, launching her own line of clothing for the brand earlier this year.
After Hilfiger's comments sparked criticism, the designer criticised the original story's headline as "misleading".
Speaking to Page Six, Hilfiger said: "The casting people put Gigi in the poncho, and I was not happy.
"I was saying, 'Don't hide her body.' Even though the poncho ended up being the best-selling piece, I was very unhappy."
The designer also released a statement to Entertainment Tonight, in which he said he was "extremely proud" to have Hadid representing his brand.
"Gigi is truly the definition of a 'Tommy Girl' - her magnetic personality is bright, confident and always optimistic," he said.
"I've known her for many years, and am extremely proud to have her as the ambassador of my brand and as a collaborator of our collections.
"Any statement to the contrary is completely false. The headline from the interview with Yahoo was misleading and has since been corrected."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you...

Summary:


The Fifa boss has been banned from football for life.
Blatter: "I will fight for me and for Fifa"
"I am really sorry that I am still a punching ball and that I have become tainted in the eyes of humanity."
"I will fight for me and for Fifa."
Blatter

Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini have been suspended for eight years from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.

Article: Reading Borough Council said it had written to Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) demanding action following complaints from residents.
People in Cardiff Road had complained of trains parked in sidings with engines idling.
GWR has previously said the introduction of electric trains in 2019 will reduce the problem.
An online petition set up by residents living close to the GWR depot complained about "low-frequency noise" from trains idling in the early hours of the morning.
The council said it has warned GWR and Network Rail it could face an abatement notice.
Deputy council leader Tony Page said the responses form the companies had so far been "inadequate".
"The council is fully supportive of the huge benefits the realignment of rail lines in and around Reading has brought.
"By the same token, the concerns local residents have [about] noise and air pollution are very real and the council is lobbied on these issues regularly.
"We hope that escalating local concerns to senior management will prove more effective."
Earlier this year, GWR said the noise was within safe levels and it had changed the way it operated trains on the sidings.
Jonathan Dart, chairman of the Bell Tower Community Association, said he warmly welcomed the council's announcement to "put an end to the nuisance being caused to the residents of Cardiff Road".
However, he criticised the time it took the authority to investigate the issue.
"It took nine months and a press campaign for the council to release an officer's report stating that being in part of Cardiff Road at 03:29 was akin to being backstage at the Reading Festival," he said.

Summary: Noise and air pollution from a new rail depot in Reading could prompt legal action, it has been warned.
###
Article: Tory Monmouth MP David Davies said forecasted migration would place "huge pressure" in the coming years.
The figures come from research published by Vote Leave Cymru.
But Wales Stronger in Europe said it was "shameful" for Mr Davies to promote "fantasy figures", based on the prospect of Turkey joining the EU.
Voters will decide in a referendum on 23 June whether Britain remains a member of the 28-country union, or leaves.
Mr Davies said if Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey all gained entry to the EU, it could see the UK population grow by five million in the next 14 years.
Vote Leave suggested that could result in as many as 131,000 people coming to Wales from the EU between 2016 and 2030.
It is forecasted that, as well as an extra £246m, the Welsh NHS would need to employ 328 additional doctors in Wales just to maintain current staffing levels.
Mr Davies added: "The Welsh NHS is already facing the challenge of an ageing population, and scarce resources, but future migration will inevitably place huge additional pressures on investment and standards of care.
"Rather than sending money abroad to countries that want to join the EU I believe we should be spending our money on local priorities here in Wales, and across the UK."
Wales Stronger in Europe chairman Geraint Talfan Davies said: "These fantasy figures from Vote Leave contribute nothing to the debate except prejudice and discomfort - they are an insult to Welsh voters.
"It is shameful that David Davies - the chairman of a parliamentary committee - would put his name to this nonsense.
"He very well knows the UK has a veto on any new members and that Turkey is making next to no progress in completing the admission requirements."
Mr Talfan Davies added that with 100,000 EU citizens working in the NHS, migrants were "not straining it, they are strengthening it".
"Here in Wales, 9% of our doctors come from other EU nations and one-in-five of our care workers were born overseas," he said.
"Vote Leave would pull us away from this vital level of...

Summary: The Welsh NHS would need an extra £246m a year by 2030 to cope with EU migration if the UK stays in the union, leave campaigners have said.
###
Article: Media playback is not supported on this device
They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) "disloyal payment" made to Platini in 2011.
The Fifa ethics committee found Blatter and Platini had demonstrated an "abusive execution" of their positions.
"I will fight for me and for Fifa," Blatter, 79, said at a news conference.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Platini said the decision was a "masquerade" intended to "dirty" his name.
Both men continue to deny wrongdoing and intend to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
Swiss Blatter and 60-year-old Frenchman Platini have also been fined £33,700 ($50,000) and £54,000 ($80,000) respectively.
Despite the ban, both Blatter and Platini will be allowed to attend matches - including Euro 2016 in France - if they buy tickets in a private capacity.
Fifa boss since 1998, Blatter had already announced he was quitting with a presidential election in February.
Platini was tipped as a future leader of football's world governing body and is a three-time European Footballer of the Year.
He is also a former captain of France and has been in charge of Uefa - European football's governing body - since 2007.
Unshaven and sporting a plaster over his right cheek, Blatter was in defiant mood at a news conference he had called in advance of the punishments being made public.
"I will fight," he said. "I will fight for me and for Fifa."
He said he was "really sorry" that he is still "a punching ball" and that he has become tainted in the eyes of humanity.
He added that he thought he had convinced the Fifa ethics tribunal that the payment from Fifa to Platini was legitimate.
He plans to appeal, first to Fifa, then Cas. He may also take legal action under Swiss law if needed.
Blatter: Key quotes from hour-long news conference
"The decision is no surprise to me," he said in a statement. "The procedure initiated against me by Fifa's ethics committee is a pure masquerade.
"It has been rigged to tarnish my name by bodies I know well and who for me are...

Summary:


A new study has found that the slow-is-more-accurate rule generally applies to throwing objects.
The slow-is-more-accurate rule is a common one in sports such as basketball and darts.
It says that the best strategy is to throw the ball at a slow speed, so that

Scientists have calculated the optimal strategy for throwing something accurately - whether it's a dart or a crumpled-up piece of paper.

Article: The order came after activists challenged the government decision on grounds of cruelty to animals.
Tuesday's court order means there will be no Jallikattu festival this year.
The Jallikattu festival was scheduled to begin on 15 January across the state. No events were held last year.
At the annual festival held in January, thousands of men chase the bulls to grab prizes tied to their horns.
Read more: The state that loves bullfighting but isn't Spain
The Supreme Court banned the festival in 2014 after objections from animal rights activists.
In its order at the time, the Supreme Court had said that the use of bulls in the sport "severely harmed" the animals and was an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Unlike in Spain, however, the bulls are not killed in the contests in Tamil Nadu.
However, last Friday the government issued an order lifting the ban.
Many believe local political parties had lobbied to have the ban lifted with an eye on this year's state elections.
Also, the Thevar community of Tamil Nadu is politically and economically influential in at least five districts where the sport is popular and no political party wants to antagonise them.
Correspondents say Tuesday's order is a setback for the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Delhi, which had lifted the top court's ban last week using an executive order.
"With this single act of thumbing its nose at the Supreme Court, the BJP - like the Congress before - has sent the unfortunate signal once again that court orders are binding only upon ordinary citizens, and governments are above the law; lifting the ban on Jallikattu by circumventing the order of the apex court has put the executive on a collision course with the judiciary," a commentator wrote in The Wire website last week.
Tuesday's order shows that India's top court has again reasserted the judiciary's position, many observers believe.
On Monday, the Animal Welfare Board of India, animal rights groups and activists had filed six petitions in the court, challenging the...

Summary: The Indian Supreme Court has put on hold a recent government order lifting a ban on Jallikattu, a form of bullfighting which has been popular for centuries in the state of Tamil Nadu.
###
Article: Carolyn Harris, who is chairing a parliamentary group investigating the subject, said addicts could lose thousands of pounds in one sitting.
She said the electronic touch-screen machines made "phenomenal" amounts of money for the bookmaker.
The UK government has said it was monitoring existing gambling controls.
Speaking to BBC Wales, the Swansea East MP said: "These machines are capable of taking £100 every 20 seconds, that's £300 every minute.
"And the machine doesn't give the punter, as they like to call them, the opportunity to stop and think about what they're doing. It's so rapid, it's literally pressing a button."
Fixed odds betting terminals first appeared in British betting shops in 1999. Last year, customers lost £1.7bn on the machines.
Betting shops are restricted to four machines in each shop, but critics say that had led to clusters of shops as companies try to increase the number of the terminals on the high street.
Ms Harris says the bookmakers have opened more shops in deprived areas, such as in her own constituency, and that the machines have changed how bookmakers are perceived.
"When the bookies were on the high street and they were just doing horse racing and dog racing, they were part of the fabric of the community now they're the scourge of the community."
"We need to have a complete overhaul and review of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and hopefully come up with a solution which, it's not going to suit the bookies, but at least will help all the associated problems with these machines, including anti-social behaviour, money laundering, violence."
BBC Wales has spoken to addicts who describe them as the "crack cocaine" of gambling.
One man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "Once you're in that zone it's like nothing matters around you.
"There's nothing in the world that's more important than that machine, like making you play, put more money in, and nothing could have stopped me unless the place burned down, and even then I would have still hit the buttons till the fire brigade...

Summary: Fixed odds betting machines in bookmaker shops are dangerous and the government should review their use, a Swansea MP has said.
###
Article: US researchers say the slow-is-more-accurate rule generally applies.
In a series of calculations, they looked at the physics behind releasing a projectile with the human arm.
Their equations suggest a slow underarm throw is the best strategy for getting a piece of paper into a nearby bin.
Lead researcher Madhusudhan Venkadesan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Yale University, said faster throws tend to be less accurate.
This is because the ball travels in a nearly straight line, so any errors in the angle at which the object is released tend to be amplified.
In slow and curved flight paths, small errors in the angle of release have little effect, he said.
"What we find is that almost the slowest arc is often the most accurate," said Dr Venkadesan.
"We've compared these calculations to published data of people throwing into wastebaskets; we've compared it to a study in dart throwing."
In sports such as basketball or darts, the strategy depends on conditions and the trade-off needed between speed and accuracy.
For example, experienced darts players throw overarm at about 5.5 metres per second, optimally releasing the dart 17 to 37 degrees before the arm becomes vertical.
On the cricket pitch, fielders are more likely to strike the wicket with a fast underarm throw.
And in basketball, the underhand free throw, nicknamed "the granny throw", has a marginal advantage over overhand, despite almost disappearing from the game.
Accurate throwing is uniquely human - a skill relied upon by our ancient ancestors for hunting with spears or stone tools.
The researchers say monkeys also throw things, but they are really bad at it.
The study is published in the journal, Royal Society Open Science.
Follow Helen on Twitter.

Summary:


Google has launched a new project to provide internet access to the four billion people in the world who do not have access to the internet.
The firm has launched Project Loon, which will use giant balloons to beam down internet connectivity to remote areas.
The balloons will be able to stay in the air for up to

Researchers at Google say they are “years closer” to rolling out a network of huge balloons to provide connectivity to rural areas.

Article: Damien Midgley, formerly of Aberford, near Leeds, was tried for child sex offences in 2014, but did not attend the hearing.
He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to six years in jail, with a warrant for his arrest also issued.
North Yorkshire Police believe the 39-year-old visited Thailand before Cambodia. Arrangements are being made for him to be deported back to the UK.
Det Insp Jane Guymer said: "Midgley clearly thought that by fleeing the UK he would be somehow immune to the sentence that the courts handed him in his absence.
"However, this case proves that international barriers are no obstacle when it comes to ensuring vile and cowardly child sex offenders are held to account for their actions."

Summary: A convicted sex offender who fled the UK has been arrested in Cambodia.
###
Article: The firm launched its campaign last November, but has so far been unable to reunite a single toy with its owner.
There are currently more than 40 soft toys in its lost property.
A spokesman said some would be donated to charity if not claimed within the next three months.
The toys were all found travelling on the First Great Western network, which covers the Thames Valley, Hampshire, London, Dorset, Sussex, Wiltshire, Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire, Hereford, Worcestershire, Devon, Cornwall and South Wales.
A spokesman for the firm said it receives about 15 lost toys every three months.
As well as bears, he said there was a "huge range" of different cuddly animals including monkeys, rabbits, a hedgehog, penguin and lion.
He said toys found towards the start of the campaign would be washed and sent to children's charities if they remained unclaimed in November.
The train company, which originally hoped to return the toys to their owners in time for Christmas, had used mug shots of the toys on its website and posters but has now also photographed some against a beach backdrop for summer.
The train company's website enables people to submit a search for a teddy, even if they are unable to remember exactly where it was lost.

Summary: Unclaimed teddy bears found on First Great Western trains are be donated to children's charities following an unsuccessful campaign to reunite them with their owners.
###
Article: The Project Loon team, part of the company’s X research lab, said it was now able to use machine learning to predict weather systems.
It means the firm has far greater control over where its balloons go, making it possible to focus on a specific region, rather than circumnavigating the globe.
Clustering a small number of balloons greatly reduces the cost of the idea, Google’s “captain of moonshots”, Astro Teller, told reporters.
"We can now run an experiment and try to give service in a particular place in the world with ten, twenty or thirty balloons,” he said, rather than the hundreds needed previously.
“Real users” will be able to use the system in the “coming months”, he added - but he did not specify where the initial roll out would take place.
Rural ambition
Google’s aim is to provide connectivity to the around four billion people in the world who do not have access to the internet, particularly those in difficult-to-reach rural areas.
Rather than undertake huge construction projects to replicate connectivity networks in the developed world, the firm has instead experimented with beaming down connectivity from a network of huge, tennis-court sized balloons.
The balloons float in the stratosphere around 11 miles high. By raising or lowering altitude, the balloons can be caught in different weather streams, changing direction.
By using machine-learning algorithms, Google thinks it has cracked a way to predict weather with enough accuracy to make it possible to hover balloons over a relatively small area for a long period of time.
Last last year the firm was able to keep a cluster of balloons over Peru for three months.
Spin off
Over the past year Google has come under increasing pressure from its shareholders to rein in the costs of its more outlandish ideas.
Last month, the firm has spun off its self-driving project into a new company - Waymo - and has stepped up attempts to commercialise the technology amid criticism it was taking too long to make money from its work.
Mr Teller said Project Loon was one...

Summary:


The Woodland Trust is calling for more trees to be planted in the UK.
###Article: The Woodland Trust is calling for more trees to be planted in the UK.
###Article: The Woodland Trust is calling for more trees to be planted in the UK.
###Article: The Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust have said that some trees should have the same rights as old buildings.

Article: Security firm Eset found the gang controlled its malware, called Turla, by posting comments about images in the singer's gallery.
The comments looked like spam but once transformed by code in the virus, directed victims to other sites.
Several other compromised websites were also being used to track victims and spread the malware.
Turla has been active since 2014 and sought to catch out government workers, diplomats and other officials, said Eset researcher Jean-Ian Boutin. It is believed to be run by a hacker group working for the Russian state.
Most often, he said, Turla's handlers compromised websites that targets would be likely to visit.
One compromised server asked visitors to install a booby-trapped extension for the Firefox web browser.
Digital detective work by Mr Boutin revealed that the command and control (C&C) channel set up between the creators of the extension and victims' machines was on the singer's Instagram page.
The malicious extension searched for comments that, when digitally transformed, matched a specific value. These were then converted into a website address that the compromised machine visited to report in or to update the malicious code they harboured.
Very few comments posted to the Instagram account had the key characteristics - suggesting that Turla's creators were testing or refining the control system.
Mr Boutin said using social media in this way made "life harder for defenders".
"Firstly, it is difficult to distinguish malicious traffic to social media from legitimate traffic," he wrote. "Secondly, it gives the attackers more flexibility when it comes to changing the C&C address as well as erasing all traces of it."
Mr Boutin added that he had been in touch with Mozilla, which was working on ways to stop extensions for Firefox being compromised in this way.

Summary: The comments section of Britney Spears' Instagram account has been used by cyber-thieves to co-ordinate attacks.
###
Article: The common species Lumbricus terrestris found on Rum are more than three times the weight and length of the average earthworm.
The researchers found the island worms growing to almost 15in (40cm) in length.
A lack of predators and fertile soil have helped to boost their size.
Rum's "optimum conditions" also mean its worms could be living for up to 10 years when worms elsewhere in UK have a lifespan of about two years.
The research has been published in the Scottish peer-reviewed scientific journal, The Glasgow Naturalist.
It draws on university scientists' investigations in 2006 to 2011 of "very large" worm burrows.
Kevin Butt, professor at the University of Central Lancashire who led the study, said: "I first noticed the large worm burrows in 2005, so I had my suspicions that there may be some pretty big worms in the area.
"We went back out to investigate this the following year and finding worms of this size was very exciting, especially when the Natural History Museum team confirmed that they had no specimens like this."
He added: "There are still unanswered questions and we plan to continue our research to find out as much as possible about these creatures.
"We're also looking forward to exploring more rural areas in the UK and abroad, in the hope that we will make more exciting discoveries like this."

Summary: A Scottish island is home to the UK's largest earthworms, according to researchers from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
###
Article: The charity is campaigning to help protect ancient or old trees, that have grown in the UK for hundreds of years.
They say that having more trees is good for our health as well as the environment.
Currently around 2% of the UK is listed as ancient woodland.
The UK has seen around 45 rare species of trees disappear in the last 100 years.
Some people are calling for lots more homes to be built in the UK and the Woodland Trust say they are worried that building new houses would mean that old trees would be chopped down to clear space.
The Government have been talking about the issue in a new White Paper, which presents ideas for changes to the law.
It could mean that some trees in England would be protected like historic buildings.

Summary: