The Welsh language is a living, breathing language, and it is a living, breathing language that is being lost.
"The Welsh language is a living, breathing language, and it is a living, breathing language that is being lost.
"The Welsh language is a living, breathing language, and it is a

This week musicians and music industry leaders from across the globe are in Cardiff as WOMEX, the world's leading World Music Expo arrives in Britain.

Article: Five MPs from the current parliament who are running next month's London marathon got their kit on this morning for the benefit of the cameras at Westminster.
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns is one of the five and still basking in his "fastest MP" title from last year.
"It's a great way to keep fit when you're walking door-to-door. It's obviously a great way to take your mind off the stress of an election but most importantly there are two great charities, Macmillan Cancer Support, supporting patients and families of people suffering from cancer and the PDSA, supporting sick and injured animals."
With parliament dissolving on Monday, the five won't be MPs when they toe the line on April 26, although ministers do stay in office until after the election so Mr Cairns and Children's Minister Edward Timpson will be flying the ministerial flag around the streets of London.
With an election to fight, the Vale of Glamorgan MP has also set himself a more modest target. "I did 3:34 last year. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it this year, I'll be happy with sub 4 (hours)".

Summary: It's a marathon, not a sprint - and that's just the general election.
###
Article: What's different about this paint is that some particles are on a nanotech scale, at just one thousandth the width of a human hair.
However, other particles are larger, meaning the paint separates into two layers as it dries.
The "self layering" coatings will be useful in industry, say UK researchers.
"This is literally like watching paint dry because we are looking at polymer colloids, which is the base of most commercial paints and varnishes," said Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani of the department of physics at the University of Surrey.
"So literally what we are doing is mixing two different sizes of these latex particles that are used in paints and then we are watching how this blend dries and seeing how the small and the big particles are distributed after the drying of the paint."
The two physicists found that during evaporation, the small particles pushed away the larger ones, so that they naturally separated out into layers.
"We mix these two different types of particles in two different sizes and we see that just by drying we can create a layer of just small particles on top, while all the other particles are at the bottom," lead researcher Dr Andrea Fortini told BBC News.
The physical mechanism, outlined in the journal Physical Review Letters, has not been described before.
But the experiment could lead to better products used across a range of industries.
In a sun screen, for example, sunlight-blocking particles could be designed to move to the top when applied, leaving the particles that stick to skin underneath.
And a coating for a mobile phone could be developed with dual properties such as scratch-resistance on top and the ability to adhere to glass at the bottom.
The research was carried out in collaboration with the Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, and was funded by the EU project Barrierplus, which aims to reduce environmentally damaging compounds in paints.
Follow Helen on Twitter.

Summary: Scientists have been watching paint dry in experiments they say could improve the performance of everyday items, from sun screen to mobile phones.
###
Article: It is thought David Ellam, 52, was trying to protect his own Yorkshire Terrier when the larger dog turned on him.
Police had seized the dog in June on suspicion it was a banned pit bull breed, but returned it on Wednesday.
A man, 29, thought to be the dog's owner has been arrested and bailed.
More on this story and others in West Yorkshire
Mr Ellam suffered bites to his body on Riddings Road in the Sheepridge area of Huddersfield on Monday morning and was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Det Ch Insp Mark Swift, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "We believe that the victim was out with his own dog at the time of the attack near to his home address.
"His dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, was also injured during the incident and received emergency veterinary care."
The dog has since been returned from the vets.
Police said the larger dog was caught in a nearby garden and taken to kennels.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the matter had been referred to them by the force.
Carol Hanson, a friend of Mr Ellam, said: "We're lost for words, just devastated.
"It had only been out for five days, why did they let that dog back out, why did they let it go when it was vicious?"
Last week, a BBC investigation on the 25th anniversary of the Dangerous Dogs Act found 7,000 dogs had been put in kennels by police over the past five years.
West Yorkshire Police spent more than Â£550,000 on kennelling dogs over the same time period, with only the Greater Manchester and Merseyside forces spending more.
Speaking to the BBC following the man's death Caroline Kisko, from the Kennel Club, said she believed the act was "completely flawed".
She said the legislation had led to people "being fooled into thinking that just the way a dog looks defines its behaviour".
"The problem is that we've been given the idea that we are all secure because the Dangerous Dogs Act has vilified a certain type of dog and therefore, as long as they're illegal, we're all safe," she said.
"Any dog can be dangerous if it is wrongly handled and wrongly...

Summary: A dog previously seized by police over fears it was dangerous has attacked and killed a man days after being returned to its owner.
###
Article: Each evening Cardiff Bay will become the venue for a world music Showcase Festival featuring a tapas of world music from around the world.
Folk music played a large part in this year's opening ceremony featuring Cerys Matthews and other leading Welsh musicians taking the audience on a journey of Welsh music and culture spanning 30,000 years.
We asked ten of the leading exponents of Wales' folk music to share songs that best represent what makes each tradition so unique.
The earliest surviving manuscript of harp music in Europe - the manuscript of Robert ap Huw, comes from Wales.
"The tablature of the Ap Huw manuscripts provide a vital insight into early, traditional music and his music is still celebrated and performed widely" said internationally renowned harpist, Catrin Finch.
"Caniad Y Gwyn Bibydd" (The Song of the White Piper) demonstrates his music's amazing ability to sound contemporary, even though it was written nearly five centuries ago."
This unique tradition of singing or chanting poetry to harp accompaniment is a direct descendent of the form used by early bards to intone poetry in praise of their kings and princes.
Gwenan Gibard, a musician and leading exponent of the tradition chose the track  Bum Yn Caru Cainc Y Datgeiniad by one of the old style singers, Einion Edwards, from Meirionydd - a stronghold of the tradition for centuries.
Considered by many to be Wales's national instrument, the triple harp was brought to Britain from continental Europe in around 1630. It became popular with harpists in London, many of whom were Welsh and brought it to Wales where it became popular amongst the Gipsy community.
"The 'shimmering' voice of the Triple Harp's three rows of strings is truly as timeless and unique as the Welsh language itself" said Robin Huw Bowen, a full-time professional Welsh harpist specializing solely in the Welsh Triple Harp.
The track Pwt Ar Y Bys (Fingering Vamp) shows off the harp's capability and the Welsh tradition to great effect.
In many parts of Wales Christmas Day meant...

Summary:


A man has been jailed for life for killing a man in a hit-and-run in Leicester.
The court heard that the victim, a man in his 20s, was walking along the road in the early hours of 9 March 2016 when he was hit by a car.
The driver of the car,

A man who admitted causing a fatal crash while being pursued by an unmarked police car has been jailed for nine years.

Article: But a dogged group of winemakers in the foothills of the Altai Mountains have conquered the frosts to produce both red and white varieties, and hope to start selling them next year.
Vladimir Vagner, head of the Altaiskaia Loza ["Altai Vine"] wine company, is convinced the wines will prove a hit around the world.
He recruited the help of experts from France to find grapes that could weather the frosts and thrive during the area's balmy summers - which can be as hot as many parts of France and other wine-producing countries.
He told the Siberian Times: "Our French partners spent two years studying the climate conditions and soil, and once they made sure these were appropriate, they started choosing grape types.
"Initially, we selected an area for the vineyards. It was a former fruit garden, we planted 600 saplings to see if they could make it through winter - and all but two of them actually did so."
The vineyards lie around the village of Altaiskoye (population: 4,000). The first was planted in 2009 using cuttings from the Franche-Comté region of eastern France, supplied by the Guillaume family nursery. It included 20 types of grape chosen specially for their hardiness.
Ultimately, the growers picked four or five - including Pinot Noir and Muscat Blanc.
"We produced last year, three kinds of red wine and have made pink wine by mixing white and red grapes," Mr Vagner told the BBC.
"We made a white wine based on the varieties of Muscat, and as an experiment made the first wine from frozen grapes - so called "ice wine". Given our climate, we will continue to apply this technology further."
Ice wine, also known by its German name "Eiswein", is a very sweet dessert wine made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine - an ideal solution for winemakers in snow-capped climes.
Temperatures in Siberia are well below freezing throughout the winter, and remain sub-zero into April. In January, the average temperature is -17.8 °C (-0.4 °F), but by July the mercury can hit a more enjoyable 13.8 °C (56 °F).
Mr...

Summary: Siberia is known for its bitter, snowy winters - hardly the conditions associated with a thriving wine industry.
###
Article: Migrants are having to work long hours while living in expensive and overcrowded housing, says a new report.
Catholics are waiting longer than Protestants to get social housing, and the delay has doubled since 2009, adds the report.
The commission has compiled the report based on a range of evidence.
People from minority ethnic groups are said to be vulnerable to attack and a fifth of people with disabilities live in homes which do not meet their needs, says the report.
Dr Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission, said: "Ensuring that everyone has access to a sustainable, secure home and enjoys the right to independent living, and the development of shared, safe communities are essential building blocks to a successful, flourishing Northern Ireland.
"As a society we must not ignore inequalities in this crucial area
"Unchallenged, they will continue to affect the lives of many people across Northern Ireland and the life chances of future generations."
The report found that Catholics wait an average of 15 months for social housing, compared to Protestants, who wait an average nine months.
People from what is called "other religions" waited for 13 months according to the latest figures.
It was not clear why Catholics have to wait longer, said the commission, but it pointed to the short supply of housing in certain areas.
In west Belfast, for instance, people waited an average 28 months.
In certain areas, such as north Belfast, the peace line meant that when vacant housing did become available, it could not be filled by Catholic applicants, says the report.

Summary: Migrant workers in Northern Ireland are "extremely vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination", according to the Equality Commission.
###
Article: The cap, which applies to posts earning above £20,800, is a measure introduced under the coalition government in 2011.
The Home Office has confirmed that the monthly allocation of so-called "Tier 2" visas has been filled for June.
There were 1,650 allocations for June, but the Home Office will not confirm how many applications it received.
The BBC understands that as well as nurses, doctors and teachers other visas refused were applications to bring in accountants, solicitors and management consultants.
Under the Tier 2 scheme, there are 20,700 posts available a year to employers who want to recruit a non-EU skilled worker.
Applicants have more chance of success if the company is trying to fill a post on a national list of shortage occupations. The BBC understands that none of the visas refused this month under the cap relates to a job on that list.
On Thursday, Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to make it harder to bring in skilled staff from outside the EU, saying, it was too easy for some businesses to employ these workers, rather than train British employees.
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said there were no plans to change the current Tier 2 limit - and the independent Migration Advisory Committee would be advising on further reducing economic migration from outside the EU.
"Our reforms will ensure that businesses are able to attract the skilled migrants they need," he said. "But we also want them to get far better at recruiting and training UK workers first."
But some business representatives predicted that enforcing the cap would be damaging.
Mark Hilton, head of immigration policy at London First, said: "Every skilled migrant we turn away as a result of this cap will hit jobs and growth.
"Of course business wants to hire locally, but you can't just magic people up with highly specific skills because they take years to develop."
Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, said: "The cap has been hit at a time when many companies are hiring recent...

Summary: The government's immigration cap for non-EU skilled workers has been hit for the first time, blocking the arrival of some nurses, doctors and teachers.
###
Article: Guy Tomlinson, 37, was being chased by officers when his car hit a tipper truck in Leicester on 9 March 2016.
David Anger and Christopher Needham, who were both passengers in the car, died in the crash on Fosse Road South.
In addition to the prison term, Tomlinson was also given a 15-year driving ban at Leicester Crown Court.
The collision was described as "horrific" by Leicestershire police.
More on this story and other news in Leicestershire
Tomlinson previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing death by driving while uninsured and two counts of causing death by driving while unlicensed.
Two people in the lorry suffered minor injuries during the crash and damage was caused to a shop on the corner of Upperton Road.
Det Sgt Mark Watling said: "This was a horrific collision which resulted in the death of two men.
"Prior to the collision Tomlinson was travelling at speeds in excess of 64mph (102kmph) and failed to stop for a police officer on Narborough Road South.
"He took a massive risk that night when he disregarded the traffic lights and used excessive speed, he will now be facing a considerable amount of time in prison."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is still investigating the crash.

Summary:

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The technology is being trialled at New York Red Bulls' stadium, with a video assistant referee taking 30 seconds to review a challenge in a Red Bulls II match against Orlando City.
The technology is being trialled at New York Red Bulls' stadium, with a video assistant referee taking 30 seconds to review a challenge in

Video replays were used for the first time to send off a player for a professional foul in a Major League Soccer reserve match.

Article: The education watchdog warns of a "one-size fits all" model in England which leaves behind young people who do not succeed in exams.
Better vocational training would reduce youth unemployment, says Sir Michael.
"We simply have to improve the quality of our technical provision," insists the Ofsted chief.
Sir Michael says that complaints about the quality of vocational education have been made for 50 years, but without sufficient improvement
"I can almost sense eyes glazing over when I say this," he says.
But he argues that it is a "moral imperative as well as an economic one that we do something now to change direction".
Sir Michael says there must not be another "false dawn" in improving vocational options and "the country cannot continue to fail half its future".
He warns that vocational training should not be a "dumping ground for the disaffected and cater just for the lower-ability youngsters".
The Ofsted chief says that some European countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, had lower youth unemployment rates because of a better training system.
This reflects a recent survey from City and Guilds that showed how the most developed vocational systems were linked to better rates of youth employment.
At present, Sir Michael says the education system in England does not offer enough opportunities for those who do not succeed at GCSEs.
"The statistics show that those who fail to achieve the required grades in maths and English at 16 make little or no progress in further education colleges two years later," says the Ofsted head.
"Preparation for employment remains poor and careers guidance in both schools and colleges is uniformly weak."
Sir Michael's speech, responding to the Centre Forum think tank proposals to raise standards, also raises the question of who is responsible for the oversight of schools when some are academies, under the scrutiny of regional schools commissioners, and others the responsibility of local authorities.
He accuses the current system of being "confusing and ill-defined".
But Sir...

Summary: Vocational options for teenagers should be much better so the talents of non-academic pupils are not wasted, says Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw.
###
Article: Alarm bells sounded after Prime Minister Manuel Valls suggested he might stand against President Francois Hollande in party primaries.
However, the two had lunch together on Monday in a "cordial" atmosphere, Mr Hollande's office said.
Francois Fillon was elected as the conservatives' candidate on Sunday.
He triumphed at party primaries, winning 66.5% to 33.5% for his run-off rival, Alain Juppe.
A new opinion poll suggests he would easily beat the far right's Marine Le Pen in the actual election, held over two weekends in April and May.
According to the Harris Interactive poll for French parliamentary TV (in French), Mr Fillon would lead the National Front candidate by 26% to 24% in the first round, then win the run-off against her by 67% to 33%.
The same poll indicates that Mr Hollande or Mr Valls would win just 9% for the Socialists, leaving them trailing the far left and the centrists.
Mr Valls said on Sunday that he would not rule out running against Mr Hollande in the primary, telling the Journal du Dimanche he wanted to dispel the idea that the left had "no chance" of retaining power.
But government spokesman Stephane Le Foll stressed that Mr Valls would need to resign in order to stand.
"There will not be a primary between the president and the prime minister," he told Europe 1 radio.
At his weekly lunch with the president, Mr Valls apparently played down the idea of resigning, reportedly telling Mr Hollande: "I am head of the government, my instincts lie with the state."
The Elysee Palace said the two-hour lunch had taken place in a "quite cordial and businesslike atmosphere".
Speaking on French public TV, Socialist party leader Jean-Christophe Camabadelis sought to play down the divisions, saying the left was gripped by "fragmentation fever".
"I am for a primary of the whole left, not necessarily of the whole administration," he said. "That's enough fragmentation!"
According to the same Harris Interactive opinion poll, while a Socialist would win just 9% in the first round, former Hollande minister...

Summary: Leading figures in the ruling French Socialists have rushed to avoid a damaging split over their candidate in next year's presidential election.
###
Article: Infestations are on the rise around the world, but the pests are growing resistant to some chemicals.
Now scientists have found 14 genes associated with a number of biological changes.
These include the development of a thicker skin that stops poisons from penetrating, and mutations that prevent toxins from hitting the nervous system.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also suggests that some of the bugs are producing higher levels of enzymes that help to metabolise insecticides more quickly.
Others genes are associated with proteins that interfere with the way the deadly chemicals are carried around the bed bugs' bodies.
Subba Palli, professor entomology from the University of Kentucky in the US and an author of the study, said that the hardy insects were using a combination of these molecular tricks.
"Some used four different mechanisms, some three and so on," he explained.
"Bed bugs are employing more than one mechanism of resistance to avoid insecticide toxicity."
Nature's survivors
Bed bugs are present all over the globe, but in recent years Europe, the US, Canada and Australia have seen a huge influx of them.
The insects feast on the blood of their sleeping victims, leaving itchy, red welts as a calling card.
They are one of the toughest pests to get rid of. Vacating your bed - or even home - will not help, as the insects can survive for months without food, hiding away until their meal returns.
Direct exposure to insecticides - the most widely used are synthetic organic compounds called pyrethroids - was once an effective way to kill off the pests. But not any more.
Prof Palli said that the bed bugs had developed a number of biological systems to avoid death by poison.
Studying 21 populations of insects, which had been collected from infested apartments close to the university, the team discovered that the genes associated with resistance to pyrethroids were located in the bed bugs' tough outer shell.
"We are hypothesising that having these genes expressed in the epidermis will...

Summary: Bed bugs use a range of tactics to render insecticides useless, a study suggests.
###
Article: The technology is being trialled at New York Red Bulls' stadium, with a video assistant referee taking 30 seconds to review a challenge in a Red Bulls II match against Orlando City.
A screen at the side of the pitch helped the officials decide to dismiss Orlando's Conor Donovan for denying a goalscoring opportunity just outside the penalty area.
Video replays will be used to advise on "game-changing" decisions in United Soccer League matches - the third tier of US football. That includes goals, red cards, mistaken identities and penalties.
They will also be tested in six other countries in the next two years, including Germany and Italy.
The game's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), wants to decide by 2019 on whether to introduce video replays across the sport.

Summary:


A new study has found that a daily dose of vitamin E could help people with CML stay cancer-free.
The study, published in the journal Blood, found that a daily dose of vitamin E could help people with CML stay cancer-free.
The study involved a group of people with CML who

New research could see patients with a rare blood cancer live longer without the side-effects of drugs, doctors say.

Article: The electoral commission said Mr Lungu had secured 50.35% in Thursday's vote, just over the 50% threshold needed to avoid a second round under a new electoral system.
His main rival, Hakainde Hichilema, who alleges electoral fraud, won 47.67%.
Earlier, his UPND party withdrew from the ballot verification process.
Africa Live: More updates on this and other African stories
What is at stake in Zambia's elections?
Zambia's capital Lusaka has been brought to a complete standstill.
Thousands dressed in the green and white of the Patriotic Front are celebrating on the streets of the city.
Some are carrying makeshift coffins with opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema's name on them.
But the declaration by Zambia's electoral commission announcing Edgar Lungu as president-elect wasn't welcomed by all.
Mr Hichilema described this election as a sham which did not reflect the will of the people.
He plans to petition the constitutional court to challenge the result. He may well be going at it alone because of the fluidity of Zambia's political landscape.
The shifting of political allegiances, which in other parts of the continent would be seen as a betrayal, would mean those who left the Patriotic Front may go back to President Lungu, begging to have their old positions back.
The UPND has accused the electoral commission of colluding with the governing Patriotic Front (PF) to rig the result.
"We have evidence to the effect that the votes for Hakainde Hichilema have been deliberately reduced in collusion with the Electoral Commission of Zambia," UPND lawyer Jack Mwiimbu told journalists.
"We have confidence that the constitutional court will rise above board and declare the results a nullity."
The PF has rejected the allegations.
Election officials also denied the fraud claims, saying the slow publication of the results was because there were five different votes on Thursday - for president, parliament, mayors, local councillors and an amendment to the constitution on changes to the bill of rights.
Mr Lungu defeated Mr...

Summary: Zambia's President Edgar Lungu has been re-elected, according to official results, which are being challenged by the main opposition party.
###
Article: The backbench defence committee report is a rival to one being drawn up by shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry to decide party policy.
Labour's MPs are deeply divided over whether the UK should renew its nuclear weapons system.
Committee chairman John Woodcock is a vocal critic of Jeremy Corbyn.
The 65-page report, which contains contributions from former defence chiefs, ministers, historians and other experts, dismisses the case for getting rid of the submarine-based nuclear missiles as being based on "myth, science fiction and gross inaccuracies".
It says it would be "bizarre" for the UK to get rid of its nuclear arsenal at a time when Russian aggression meant the international environment was becoming more dangerous.
And it lists "common myths" about Trident - including a "highly exaggerated" warning by Ms Thornberry that underwater drones or cyber attacks will render it useless.
MPs are due to vote on Trident in the next few weeks, with many Labour MPs gearing up to vote with the government for renewal.
Ms Thornberry's defence review is widely expected to back Jeremy Corbyn's long-term opposition to Trident renewal.
Mr Woodcock, whose Barrow-in-Furness constituency contains the shipyard where the Trident-armed Vanguard-class submarines were built, said: "Voting to maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent by replacing its ageing submarines is a vital strategic decision which must be based on accurate information rather than the myths, science fiction and gross inaccuracies that have dominated the debate of late.
"This report is based on the widest available evidence, collected from the leading experts in their fields and will hopefully be of use to Labour members and MPs in the face of sustained efforts to muddy the waters with inaccurate figures and Buck Rogers-style scare stories dressed up as military expertise."

Summary: Labour MPs have stepped up pressure on leader Jeremy Corbyn over Trident with a report claiming arguments against its renewal are based on "myths".
###
Article: A study in the journal JAMA found people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease on high doses of vitamin E had a slower rate of decline than those given a dummy pill.
They were able to carry out everyday tasks for longer and needed less help from carers, say US researchers.
The Alzheimer's Society said the dosage was very high and might not be safe.
In the study, 613 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease received either a daily dose of vitamin E, a dementia drug treatment known as memantine, a combination of vitamin E and memantine, or placebo.
Changes in their ability to carry out everyday tasks - such as washing or dressing - were measured over an average of two years.
The study found participants receiving vitamin E had slower functional decline than those receiving placebo, with the annual rate of decline reduced by 19%.
Those on vitamin E (also known as alpha tocopherol) also needed less help from carers.
"These findings suggest that alpha tocopherol is beneficial in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease by slowing functional decline and decreasing caregiver burden," said a team led by Dr Maurice Dysken of Minneapolis VA Health Care System.
Commenting on the study, Dr Doug Brown, director of research and development at the Alzheimer's Society, said treatments which can help people with dementia carry out everyday tasks are key to enabling those with the condition to live well for as long as possible.
But he said more research was needed to see if vitamin E really does have benefits for people with dementia, and whether it would be safe to be taking such a high dose on a daily basis.
"It is vitally important that people always seek advice from their doctor before considering taking supplements," he said.
"In this instance, the dosage of vitamin E taken by participants was much higher than the recommended daily allowance and was at a level that could be significantly harmful for some."
Dr Eric Karran, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the trial suggested vitamin E may...

Summary: A daily dose of vitamin E could help people with dementia, research suggests.
###
Article: Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients are often required to take tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) indefinitely.
But 93% of those in a new study stayed cancer-free after stopping or reducing treatment.
Cancer Research UK said the results were "promising" but dosages should not be changed without a doctor's advice.
In 2000, trials of TKIs proved successful in controlling the rare disease, but also had side-effects,  including an increased risk of infection, skin rashes, nausea, hair loss and in some cases hormone disorder and a build of fluid around the heart.
The follow-up study, led by the University of Liverpool and involving consultants from Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, saw patients being given half the standard dose for the first 12 months. If leukaemia levels remained low, the drug was then stopped completely.
So far, out of 174 patients tested, 93% have shown no evidence of their leukaemia relapsing one year after reducing their dosage and many reported a significant decrease in side-effects within the first three months.
Source: CML Support
Dr Wendy Osborne, who is leading the Destiny study in Newcastle, said: 'We've gone from having patients with a potentially incurable disease and requiring toxic chemotherapy and transplantation, to now selecting some patients, again in a clinical trial setting, to stop the drug completely to remove any side-effects they have.
"This in itself is moving towards saying we've cured some patients and this is all because of research."
Dr Ã

Summary:


A man has been charged with murdering a woman in Pakistan.
The man, who has not been named, was arrested on Tuesday in the city of Lahore.
He is accused of murdering the woman, who was found dead in a park in the city of Lahore on Saturday.
The man, who has

Lawyers representing the first husband and father of alleged "honour killing" victim Samia Shahid say they will seek to have the case thrown out.

Article: Ian Jones told a parliamentary committee that reductions to the channel's funding could not "go on".
The UK government announced a 25% reduction to S4C's grant in 2015 - but this was frozen while a review took place.
The details of the review are yet to be announced by the UK government.
The outgoing chief executive Ian Jones and chairman of S4C Huw Jones said the lack of clarity over the review was creating a period of financial uncertainty.
They told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee the UK grant could be cut by £700,000 for 2017-2018, from from £6.762m to £6.058m.
The remainder of S4C's funding comes from £74.5m raised by the BBC licence fee arrangements.
However, the two heads of the channel said cuts to UK government funding would have a significant impact on S4C and that "they would cut everything else to the bone."
Mr Jones told the committee of MPs that since he became the chief executive there had been "cuts after cuts after cuts and it can't go on like that".
He said the board would look at further repeats, reducing subtitles and cutting the HD service if further cuts were made - but stressed that they would try to protect the high-definition service.
"We need to ensure that S4C doesn't become a second class service," he said.

Summary: S4C is facing a period of financial uncertainty after facing 'cuts after cuts', the Welsh language television channel's chief executive has warned.
###
Article: The authors say that offsets created under a UN scheme "significantly undermined" efforts to tackle climate change.
The credits may have increased emissions by 600 million tonnes.
In some projects, chemicals known to warm the climate were created and then destroyed to claim cash.
As a result of political horse trading at UN negotiations on climate change, countries like Russia and the Ukraine were allowed to create carbon credits from activities like curbing coal waste fires, or restricting gas emissions from petroleum production.
Under the UN scheme, called Joint Implementation, they then were able to sell those credits to the European Union's carbon market. Companies bought the offsets rather than making their own more expensive, emissions cuts.
But this study, from the Stockholm Environment Institute, says the vast majority of Russian and Ukrainian credits were in fact, "hot air" - no actual emissions were reduced.
They looked at a random sample of 60 projects and found that 73% of the offsets generated didn't meet the key criteria of "additionality". This means that these projects would have happened anyway without any carbon credit finance.
"Some early projects were of good quality, but in 2011-2012, numerous projects were registered in Ukraine and Russia which had started long before and were clearly not motivated by carbon credits," said Vladyslav Zhezherin, a co-author of the study.
"This was like printing money."
According to the review, the vast majority of the offset credits went into the European Union's flagship Emissions Trading Scheme. The authors estimate these may have undermined EU emissions reduction targets by 400 million tonnes of CO2, worth over $2bn at current market prices.
Unlike the Russian and Ukrainian projects, similar offsetting plans in Poland and Germany were said to meet very strict criteria.
"We were surprised ourselves by the extent, we didn't expect such a large number," co-author Anja Kollmuss told BBC News.
"What went on was that these countries could approve these...

Summary: The vast majority of carbon credits generated by Russia and Ukraine did not represent cuts in emissions, according to a new study.
###
Article: The Class 385 train, which was built by Hitachi, is the first of 70 that will operate on Scotland's busiest route from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk.
They will also be used between Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane, as well as some routes south of Glasgow.
Night testing of the train will start this week, ScotRail said.
All Edinburgh - Falkirk High - Glasgow services will be using the new trains from December 2017 and the whole fleet will be delivered by 2019.
ScotRail said the trains were inspired by the Japanese Shinkansen bullet train and would offer rail travellers in Scotland a "21st Century passenger experience".
The electric aluminium trains are much lighter than the current diesel stock which means they can accelerate faster and offer potentially shorter journey times.
They will also provide thousands of extra seats, according to ScotRail.
The four-car train was unveiled in Glasgow.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: "The arrival of the first new class 385 train for testing in Scotland is a great milestone in this government's commitment to our railway and a tangible sign to passengers of the very real efforts we are making to improve capacity and comfort.
"Since 2007, we have introduced an extra 140 carriages with 200 more to follow by 2019, increasing the ScotRail fleet by 50%.
"This forms part of the Scottish government's Â£5bn investment in transforming Scotland's railways and I will continue to push for improvements of this kind."
There has been much recent criticism from the public over the punctuality and reliability of ScotRail services since Dutch firm Abellio took over the franchise in 2015.
Opposition parties have also repeatedly questioned the Scottish government over the level of service.
In November, Mr Yousaf called for "immediate improvement" in rail services as the government published its improvement plan for ScotRail.
Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, said the delivery of the first Class 385 train was a "landmark day".
"We now have a visible symbol of our...

Summary: ScotRail has unveiled the first in a fleet of electric trains the company is billing as "faster, longer and greener".
###
Article: Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel is accused of murdering the beautician, while her father Chaudhry Muhammad Shahid is being held as an accessory to murder.
The men's lawyers, however, say they will apply to have the case dismissed due to a "complete lack of evidence".
Ms Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died in July in Pakistan.
Live updates and more from across West Yorkshire
Following a court hearing in Jhelum, in the state of Punjab, both men were remanded into custody ahead of their next appearance on 20 October.
The judge ordered that Ms Shahid's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazim should also appear on that date.
Mr Kazim, who married Ms Shahid in Leeds in 2014 before the couple moved to Dubai in 2015, claims his wife was murdered because her family disapproved of their marriage.
It is thought Ms Shahid had travelled to Pakistan to visit family in the village of Pandori after being told her father was ill.
Her relatives in Pakistan initially said she had suffered a heart attack but a post-mortem examination confirmed she died as a result of being strangled.

Summary:


The US has seen a rise in the number of people who have been killed by police in the past year.
The latest figures from the FBI show that there were 1,836 police killings in the US in 2015, a rise of 1,836 on the previous year.
The FBI says that the number

Fans were locked out of Baltimore Orioles' game against Chicago White Sox following violent protests in the city.

Article: The study used tree ring records and historical documents to reconstruct yearly temperatures going back 2,100 years.
Scientists say that past natural variability in temperatures was greater than previously thought.
As a result, climate models may be underestimating the frequency and severity of heat waves in the future.
According to the study, Europe has seen an increase in summer warming of 1.3C between 1986 and 2015.
In this period there has also been an increase in severe heat waves, most notably in 2003, 2010 and 2015.
The 2003 event was linked to the extra deaths of thousands of elderly people due to heat stroke, dehydration and increased air pollution.
In 2014, researchers from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that the period between 1983 and 2012 was likely the warmest 30 years of the last 1,400 in the Northern Hemisphere.
But this new, large-scale study, involving 45 researchers from 13 different countries, attempts to put the European temperatures experienced in the past three decades into an even broader context.
They have understood for many years that the last 1,000 years was cooler because of the Little Ice Age, which lasted from the 14th to the 19th Century.
They wanted to go as far beyond that as they could to better understand natural variability.
To do this, the researchers used recently developed statistical reconstruction methods, as well as a number of what they term "high quality proxy records", to estimate the European mean temperature variation since 138 BC.
"We've got 2,000 years of reconstruction where we have values for every year and the big surprise was that there wasn't a single 30-year period that was as warm as the last 30 years; that was unexpected," said Prof Danny McCarroll from Swansea University, UK, who was part of the research group.
The researchers then used modern climate models to predict past temperatures and compared the results with their newly reconstructed record.
"The modern models don't reconstruct the full range of climate change in the past,...

Summary: The past 30 years in Europe have likely been the warmest in more than two millennia, according to new research.
###
Article: Newcastle University student Ed Farmer, from Leicestershire, was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition on Tuesday last week.
The 20-year-old, who was studying economics, died in the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary the following day.
Friends posted tributes on social media sites, saying he lit up their lives with his "constant jokes and laughter".
Mr Farmer had reportedly been participating in an Agricultural Society event.
Northumbria Police said he had been drinking heavily.
Jonny Hedley posted a photo of his friend on Facebook and wrote: "RIP brother, been an absolute pleasure knowing you."
Another friend, Barney Carr, wrote on Facebook: "Gone too soon lad. You lit up all our lives, we'll miss you down here. RIP you legend."
The university said it was "deeply saddened" by the death of Mr Farmer, who had shown "great academic promise".
It added it took a "hard line" on behaviour that might constitute a risk and a full investigation would be carried out and "appropriate action" taken.
Northumbria Police said the investigation into the death of Mr Farmer, who is thought to have attended independent Oakham School, had now been passed to the coroner.

Summary: Tributes have been paid to a student who died after drinking "excessive amounts of alcohol".
###
Article: Lower oil prices, weak growth across Europe, the upcoming general election and political unrest in parts of the world have been identified as contributing factors.
The latest business confidence monitor shows Scottish businesses recorded a confidence score of 3.6.
That was down on 22 in the last quarter and below the UK average of 16.8.
Companies were asked how they would describe their confidence in the economic prospects facing their business over the next 12 months, compared to the previous 12 months.
They scored zero for stating "as confident", positively up to 100 for more confident, and negatively down to -100 for less confident.
An average score was then calculated from all the responses.
The business monitor is conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Grant Thornton UK.
More than a third of respondents to the survey said that competition is a greater challenge than it was a year ago, while customer demand is also a growing issue.
Grant Thornton's Scotland managing partner Kevin Engel said: "Given the impact of lower oil prices, UK elections, weak European economic growth and overseas political unrest, it is not surprising confidence has dropped.
"While such a significant drop in confidence is naturally concerning, there are reasons to be optimistic.
"Our research shows that despite low confidence levels in the past, the Scottish business community is resilient, innovative and in good shape to face these challenges.
"Scottish business output continues to grow, as does long-term employment and remuneration. Whether low confidence translates to a drop in economic performance is yet to be seen."
ICAEW Scotland president Paul Adderley said: "Whilst it is always disappointing to see confidence amongst Scottish businesses decline, we should be encouraged by the fact that Scottish confidence is still in positive territory.
"Factors such as the current uncertainty in the oil and gas sector and the fact that we are in the run-up to a general election have surely...

Summary: Business confidence in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in more than two years, according to a report.
###
Article: Protesters have been on the the streets since Freddie Gray's death on 19 April - a week after a police encounter where he sustained unexplained injuries.
Shops have been looted and objects thrown at police, injuring several officers.
It was the first time in the history of professional baseball that fans had been locked out of a game.
The game at Camden Yards started at 14:05 EDT due to the city's 22:00 curfew in the wake of the riots, with Baltimore winning 8-2.
Among the few able to witness the match were those who had paid for balcony rooms in the nearby Hilton Hotel, which overlooks the stadium.
Journalists accredited to cover the game reported that the voices of players on the infield could be heard clearly.
"Attention media: For record-keeping purposes, today's official paid attendance is ... zero," an announcement made over the press box public address system said.
Other reports said the stadium still played the traditional US baseball anthem - Take Me Out To The Ballgame - during the traditional seventh-inning stretch.
The Orioles and Major League Baseball officials had said the decision to shut out fans had been taken for safety reasons.
But Brendan Hurson, one of the 40 spectators gathered by a fence near the stadium's main gate, said it was a missed opportunity and held up a sign reading "Don't forget Freddie Gray".
Six police officers have been suspended following Gray's death and an internal investigation is under way.
On Sunday, more than 1,000 protesters were on the streets of Baltimore and at least 12 arrests made.
Gray, who was 25, is the latest of a series of black Americans to die in police custody in recent months, triggering angry protests accusing the police of brutality.

Summary:


The organisers of a festival in Oxford have broken a world record for the world's biggest bouncy castle.
The inflatable structure, measuring 23.8m by 19.7m by 12.8m, took six hours to erect at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London.
The festival, which is

Festival-goers are being invited to have a go on what is claimed to be the world's largest bouncy castle.

Article: Reports suggest increasing numbers of Buddhist monks are contracting diet-related diseases such as diabetes because of fatty, sugary gifts.
Traditionally monks do not cook and depend on donations given by devotees.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says on some occasions monks are given five-course meals.
Although most food given to monks is vegetarian, officials are worried that it is not always healthy, he adds.
"Because of their great affinity towards religious observances, most devotees offer food with high cholesterol content and the Buddhist monks have no choice but to partake of these foods all year round," Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said, according to the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror.
"The situation is further aggravated because monks do not engage in recreational activities or exercises to shed their excessive weight."
He said the new menu was being drawn up on the instructions of medical experts and nutritionists.
They advise the monks to eat more fruit, vegetables and rice, to drink more water and to cut down on wheat-based foods.
The minister has also instructed health officials to open a ward exclusively for the clergy at all hospitals, the Daily Mirror reported.
However, prominent Buddhist monk Maadulaawe Sobitha dismissed the government initiative.
"For thousands of years, the tradition was for the devotees to offer food for the clergy. It was up to the monks to decide what is appropriate to consume," he told the BBC Sinhala Service.
"We have to be satisfied with whatever is given to us.  We are not supposed to demand anything.
"The main problem is that there are many monks in rural areas who have no nourishment at all. They survive on meagre rations of some rice and green leaves. It will be much more useful to initiate a system to ensure that these poor monks have a square meal a day, than just wasting resources for political gain."

Summary: Buddhist devotees in Sri Lanka who traditionally give food to monks are to be given special menus in an attempt to stop the clergy becoming sick.
###
Article: Dabbous shut for a week in August to allow pest controllers to block up mouse holes in the building.
The Food Standards Agency released a breakdown of its most recent ratings to mark the fifth anniversary of the scheme.
It "doesn't reflect the hygiene levels we practise," said owner Ollie Dabbous.
A zero rating means urgent improvement is necessary.
Michelin guide inspectors gave Dabbous a single star for its "very good" food which it said comes with an "elegantly restrained finesse and a bewitching purity".
Camden Council said its environmental health inspectors had visited Dabbous in the summer and it was voluntarily closed "due to a mouse infestation".
"We are not aware of any other issues at the site. In line with standard council procedure we will be undertaking another inspection in the near future."
The restaurant reopened days after the inspectors' visit.
Mr Dabbous, owner of the restaurant in Whitfield Street, central London, described the rating as "incredibly disappointing given we had five stars for three years previously.
"We are a situated in an old building in central London, so pest control is something that quite literally goes with the territory," he told BBC London. "We did have some concerns and were unhappy with the services provided by our previous pest controller.
"We axed them just a few weeks prior to the inspection and immediately instated a new one, but unfortunately we could not remedy the situation in time."
Thousands of pounds were spent sealing off all access points, he said.
"We are confident our next inspection will be a totally different story and have asked for a re-inspection as soon as possible."

Summary: A Michelin-starred restaurant, which was closed due to a mouse infestation, is one of 300 London food outlets to receive a zero food hygiene rating.
###
Article: Exam passes are high by historic standards, more youngsters are staying on at school and going to college or university.
Is this a good thing in itself? Or is the education system simply having to adapt to the fact that in the modern world there are fewer good jobs for young people, and that unskilled jobs are disappearing?
It is an interesting philosophical question to contemplate - one quite distinct from the question of ensuring all young people can achieve their potential in education, regardless of wealth or family background.
The suspicion of some has always been that the education system has had to soak up youngsters who might otherwise have been unemployed - either because of economic problems or the gradual disappearance of some unskilled jobs.
In the 1970s the school leaving age was raised from 15 to 16 but it took a further 10 years for a qualifications system which had been designed with the more academically-able in mind to evolve.
For many years, youngsters who were not able to study for a full suite of O grades filled their third and fourth year timetables with "non certificate" courses - seen by some as a waste of effort. The boredom these students experienced was blamed by some teachers for indiscipline.
Standard grades were designed to make sure all youngsters could get a meaningful qualification. This underlying ethos has been carried into the current National qualifications.
But in the 1980s it was still unusual for a youngster who was not studying for Highers to stay on until S5. When someone who was not doing Highers stayed on past their statutory leaving age, again the suspicion of some was that the youngster was only at school to "stay off the dole".
In Scotland the official school leaving age is still 16, but the majority of pupils, regardless of their academic ability, stay on until S6. It is now unusual to leave at the end of S4 and schools would be genuinely concerned if a youngster wanted to leave early without a good reason for doing so.
S4, S5 and S6 are now classed as the...

Summary: On exam results day, education correspondent Jamie McIvor asks a fundamental and unfashionable question: is it a good thing that more youngsters than ever before stay on at school or go to college and university?
###
Article: The organisers of Common People commissioned the inflatable structure for the event on Southampton Common on Saturday and Sunday.
The castle, measuring 23.8m by 20.7m by 12.8m, is taller than the Great Wall of China and can be used by 100 people.
It will also appear at the organisers' other festivals - Bestival on the Isle of Wight and Camp Bestival in Dorset.
Festival organiser Rob da Bank said: "We do love breaking a record and this is one of our funnest builds so far."
There is currently no record for the world's biggest bouncy castle.
Guinness World Records is yet to verify the record.
Common People, now in its second year, features Duran Duran, Primal Scream, Craig David and Public Enemy.
For the first time, a simultaneous event is also being held in South Parks, Oxford.
The current record for a bouncy castle was set in 1997 by Dana Caspersen and William Forsythe, the festival said.
The castle, measuring 19m by 19m by 12m, took six hours to erect at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London.

Summary:


A new report has found that the number of people on the UK's donor register is falling.
The report, by the charity Anthony Nolan, found that the number of people on the UK's donor register is falling.
It said the number of people on the UK's donor register is falling by about 1,000

Thousands of people have come forward following a worldwide appeal to find a stem cell donor for a Cardiff University student who needs a match in the next two months.

Article: Auditors PwC found the festival had not been at arm's length and was operating as though part of the council.
A report raised concerns about appropriate controls not being in place over finances.
Councillors have agreed that a further report be prepared into the financial set up of the festival.
The AIYF, which has been running for more than 40 years, attracts thousands of young people from all over the world.

Summary: A further report will be carried out into the financial set up of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYF).
###
Article: A staff survey has shown alcohol misuse is a contributory factor in about half of 999 calls.
It is the first time the police, fire and ambulance services have come together to highlight the problem.
They said alcohol-related incidents tied up resources which could be needed elsewhere.
The staff survey, completed by 909 police officers, 824 paramedics and 167 fire officers, revealed one in three had been subjected to physical abuse in the previous four weeks while attending an incident as a result of alcohol misuse, and two-thirds had experienced verbal abuse.
Almost half of all incidents attended by the emergency services in that period were alcohol-related, while almost two-thirds of emergency personnel had faced difficulties in securing urgent information because of victims or callers being intoxicated.
In the anonymous survey one firefighter recalled: "I was in breathing apparatus at a house fire and I found a man lying in his bed. He had tried to cook after coming back from a night out but he was drunk and fell asleep.
"The smoke alarm was blaring but he only woke up when I shook him to see if he was alive. He punched me in the face."
An ambulance crew member said: "I have been assaulted, spat at and verbally abused too many times to mention.
"If people could only see the effect they have on an incident when they're under the influence of alcohol. We have to spend as much time looking after our own safety as looking after our patient."
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, of Police Scotland, said the demands placed on emergency services by people under the influence of alcohol were huge.
He said: "On many occasions, it delays police officers, firefighters and paramedics from getting to members of the public who really do need our protection and help."
Assistant Chief Officer David McGown, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said 999 calls from intoxicated people often gave confusing details of the incident.
"Being unable to get reliable, accurate information also means that firefighters can be...

Summary: Two-thirds of emergency service workers were punched, threatened or spat on while they dealt with incidents over a four-week period, new figures reveal.
###
Article: General secretary Frances O'Grady told delegates at its annual conference in Brighton that mistreatment is becoming more widespread in the UK.
She warned "greedy" businesses that her organisation would "shine a light on you".
This comes amid a renewed focus by trade unions on improving conditions for workers.
The TUC said the type of working practices "typified" by Sports Direct, which has been under fire for the treatment of its staff, was becoming more widespread.
"Sports Direct may be in the spotlight now, but they are not the only ones. There are other big companies that bring shame on our country. So let me give fair warning to any greedy business that treats its workers like animals - we will shine a light on you," Ms O'Grady told delegates.
"Run a big brand with a dirty little secret? A warehouse of people paid less than the minimum wage? A fleet of couriers who are slaves to an app? Let me put you on notice. There will be no hiding place. We will organise and we will win," she said.
Sports Direct's decision to end zero hours contracts in stores and put some agency workers on permanent contracts was a spectacular win for the trade union movement.
But unions know that the number of people on zero hours contracts is rising and self-employment continues to grow.
So, they are responding to this growing casualisation of the workforce - both to help those that are being exploited but also to sign up young people who are under-represented in trade unions.
Unions have also launched legal action against businesses like courier and taxi firms which have thousands of self-employed drivers who are not classified as workers and who don't enjoy basic workers rights.
Last week, Sports Direct promised to improve conditions after the sportswear chain's lawyers produced a critical report of how some staff were treated.
MPs had previously said working practices at the Shirebrook warehouse in Derbyshire were closer to "that of a Victorian workhouse than that of a modern High Street retailer".
Ms O'Grady said the firm's...

Summary: The TUC has warned companies that there will be "no hiding place" if they exploit their workers.
###
Article: Vithiya Alphons, 24, has acute myeloid leukaemia but her Sri Lankan background makes the search hard as not many South Asian people are on donor registers.
She launched a social media campaign  to help find a match.
Charity Anthony Nolan said 5,600 have signed up in the last week.
"The impact of Vithiya's appeal has been nothing short of incredible," said Ann O'Leary, head of register development, at the charity.
"But Vithiya still needs to find her stem cell match and there are people just like her all across the world who are still waiting.
"We need to continue to diversify the register so we can find a match for all."
Miss Alphons was diagnosed with the aggressive form of blood cancer after falling ill just days after returning for her final year as an optometry student at Cardiff University.
She started feeling unwell with severe sickness and a fever, while she had a pain in her leg, so she went to her doctor for tests.
She underwent chemotherapy in Cardiff before being well enough to be transferred to a hospital in London, where she is from.
After her third course of chemotherapy, Miss Alphons felt better and thought she had beaten her illness.
But further tests showed the leukaemia was still in her blood and doctors told her the best option was a stem cell transplant from a donor, which is needed in the next two months.
Speaking to BBC's Asian Network Miss Alphons said she is grateful for all the support.
"I would just like to say thank you so much to everyone who has registered so far and please, please do carry on registering because you can save my life and you can also save so many other's lives.
"Please spread the word and help me to save my life."

Summary:


The Environment Agency has warned that the number of eels in the River Wensum in Norfolk is falling.
The agency has said the number of eels in the river has fallen by as much as 95% in the last 40 years.
The agency said the decline was due to a number of factors including a

Eels have been found in a stretch of river where they have not been seen for nearly 40 years.

Article: Andrea Woodhead, 52, of Idle Road, Bradford, was also charged with assault and possession of an offensive weapon, West Yorkshire Police said.
One of the victims was pushing a baby in a pram when she sustained her injury on Friday. The child was unharmed.
Ms Woodhead is due to appear at Bradford Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Police were called to reports of a woman in her 50s having been stabbed in Scotchman Road, in the Manningham area of the city, just after 09:50 GMT on Friday.
Just 20 minutes later, at 10:10 GMT, a woman in her 30s pushing a pram was found with a stab wound to her back close to the Parkside Centre in Keighley Road,  in the city's Frizinghall district
Both victims suffered single stab wounds and were taken to hospital but were later discharged.

Summary: A woman has been charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm after two women were stabbed on the same morning in separate attacks in Bradford.
###
Article: It comes after community group Energise Galashiels claimed the move would have "significant advantages".
Scottish Borders Council had initially selected the Tweedbank terminus of the Borders Railway but an alternative site in Galashiels has since emerged.
Mr Kerr, an SNP MP, said the newer option could have a greater impact.
"It's clear that the presence of such a remarkable attraction in the heart of Galashiels could be transformative for the town centre, which is still struggling to recover from long term economic challenges in the retail sector," he said.
"Although the greenfield site at Tweedbank may appear to be the more straight-forward option, I don't think it offers comparable economic benefits.
"On the other hand, a site in the heart of Galashiels could kick off a new phase of town centre regeneration."
The MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk has written to Scotland's Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, to express his support for the move.
Energise Galashiels said it could provide a "major boost" for the town but also offer "greater benefits" to the region as a whole.
It said the potential visitor market on both sites was exactly the same.
The group said Galashiels had a wide choice of retail offerings and was the "prime hub" for transport in the region.
It added that putting the tapestry in the town would help its overall commercial viability.
"In the absence of a major intervention, it is doubtful that 'retail trading' will ever resolve the current level of vacancies," it said.
"Having the Great Tapestry of Scotland's home in Galashiels town centre will be an investment which will provide a massive boost to the existing efforts being made to regenerate the 'old town centre'."
The organisation said there were already a number of other projects ongoing in the town which could also boost visitor numbers to the tapestry.
"Energise Galashiels believe that securing the Great Tapestry of Scotland in a town centre location will act as a catalyst for other projects and initiatives which offer the...

Summary: Borders MP Calum Kerr has given his backing to Galashiels as the best place for a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland.
###
Article: However, it has thrown out several suggested cuts in local services which had caused local outrage.
The authority said it would use its own cash reserves to make up for a fall in government funding.
The options thrown out by the administration included a proposal to stop collecting litter at weekends.
The council will set its budget in February. But a consultation on savings options identified by council officials will not go ahead.
The leader of the administration, Councillor Martin Rooney, told BBC Scotland he expected there would be a 3% rise in council tax.
Discussing the decision to drop unpopular proposals for cuts, he said: "We've generated reserves through sound financial management, and will use these to protect residents from the brunt of funding reductions.
"I don't want our communities and service users worrying over Christmas about whether the vital services they receive will be reduced and can confirm now that we will not be taking any of the savings options put forward."
Other ideas suggested by council officers included axing hot school dinners, cutting school milk and replacing lollipop wardens with volunteers.
Sources at the council said that officers were always asked to identify a range of options, in the full knowledge some of them would prove politically unacceptable and were unlikely to ever happen.
However, the fact these options were made public can sometimes cause concern or anxiety to residents.
Across Scotland, it is not unusual for council officials to highlight savings options which prove unpalatable in order to demonstrate the financial pressures they face or make less radical but unpopular choices seem less draconian.
The majority of councils have still to say whether they plan to increase council tax. The government is ending a national freeze which has kept the tax at 2007 levels.
At least eight other councils have indicated they are likely to propose raising the council tax including Edinburgh, Falkirk and Fife. South Lanarkshire intends to hold the freeze for another year...

Summary: West Dunbartonshire has become the latest Scottish council to announce a planned council tax rise of  3% next year.
###
Article: The two small eels were found in a routine fish survey on the River Tud, a tributary of the Wensum in Norfolk.
Increased numbers have also been seen at the New Mills fish pass in Norwich, which was installed eight years ago.
The Environment Agency, which monitors numbers, said it was encouraging but did not "herald the recovery of the species as a whole".
Jez Wood, a specialist at the Environment Agency, said the discovery of the eels on the River Tud was important.
"Two doesn't sound like many, but these are the only small eels we've found on this stretch for years," he said.
"While this does not herald the recovery of the species as a whole, it does show the positive benefit of eel passes at barriers to migration."
The status of the European eel is regarded as "critical", and globally the population has fallen over the past 40 years, with numbers down by as much as 95%, the Environment Agency said.
Barriers to upstream migration is thought to be one of the reasons for the decline.
These reduce access to the freshwater habitat preferred by eels while they mature.
In Norfolk, the Environment Agency is creating passes at several key obstruction areas on rivers to help increase numbers.
It said numbers in Norfolk rivers rose to a record of 34,000 in 2009 after a pass was introduced at New Mills Yard, in Norwich.

Summary:


The UK's first independent slavery commissioner has said the country's police and other agencies must do more to tackle the problem.
Kevin Hyland, who was appointed by the government in July, said: "The UK has a long history of slavery and human trafficking, and we must do more to tackle it.
"

It is imperative that those involved in modern day slavery in Wales are caught and brought to justice.

Article: In an attack on sexism in Westminster, Labour's deputy leader says she was "surprised" she was not given the title in 2007 and claims that she would have got it if she had been a man.
She also suggests she was relegated to a supporting role at a G20 summit, attending a dinner for leaders' wives.
Damian McBride, a former aide to Mr Brown, said this was "utter bilge".
Ms Harman is the most senior female politician in the Labour Party and a longstanding campaigner for equality for women at Westminster.
She was elected deputy leader of the party at a same time as Gordon Brown became leader in 2007 but, unlike her predecessor John Prescott, was not afforded the title of deputy prime minister.
The position was left vacant for the three years Mr Brown was in No 10.
In a speech in Westminster, in which she also attacked David Cameron, Ms Harman took issue with that decision, arguing that "even getting to the top is no guarantee of equality".
"Imagine my surprise when having won a hard-fought election to succeed John Prescott as deputy leader of the Labour Party, I discovered that I was not to succeed him as deputy prime minister," she said.
"If one of the men had won the deputy leadership would that have happened?
"Would they have put up with it? I doubt it."
Ms Harman does not mention Mr Brown by name, but she does refer to criticism of the former prime minister by others, including former Europe minister Caroline Flint who resigned from the government in 2009 accusing Mr Brown of treating women as "window dressing".
"We must remember Caroline Flint's denunciation of women being used as window dressing," she said.
Ms Harman downplayed Ms Flint's criticism at the time of her resignation, saying it was untrue that Mr Brown "doesn't take women in politics seriously".
But in Tuesday's speech, Ms Harman she suggests she was sidelined during the crucial G20 summit in London in 2009, where Mr Brown co-ordinated efforts to stabilise the global financial system.
"Imagine the consternation in my office when we discovered that...

Summary: Harriet Harman has suggested Gordon Brown did not make her deputy prime minister because she is a woman.
###
Article: About 40 heads of state and government will reportedly attend President Robert Mugabe's inauguration, but the hype that normally pre-empts such ceremonies is hardly discernible in the streets.
The mood around the city - a stronghold of the defeated Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party - will be a striking contrast to the rehearsed colourful celebrations inside a packed National Stadium, where each of the country's 10 provinces is sending in buses loaded with members of Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.
The inauguration organisers have roped in several international performing artists, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Jamaica.
However, the MDC and its leader, outgoing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, will not be attending, bitter about what they say was a "stolen, and rigged election".
The official word from MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti is that "we weren't invited for the ceremony and we are not attending".
"Even if we were invited, we weren't attending, it would be akin to legitimising an illegitimate process. No-one ever told us such an event was happening, and we don't know about it," he adds.
Post-election rancour is not dying away. Both party leaders have been trading insults. It is likely to cascade down, polarising supporters and the nation alike.
Zanu-PF insiders are talking of the 89-year-old president working on a lasting legacy.
There seems to be an underlying feeling this could be his last term.
There is also talk of him reaching out to Mr Tsvangirai by offering a seat in a possible unity government - to build on the progress created by the coalition that governed Zimbabwe from 2009 until last month's disputed elections.
But the MDC has indicated it is unwilling to continue its partnership with Zanu-PF.
"We will not do that," Mr Biti says.
President Mugabe has kept silent on the possibility of a new unity government, keeping everyone guessing about his strategic plans.
Analysts say he may offer an olive branch to the MDC to avoid political ructions.
"He has to reach out...

Summary: Hotels in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, are filling up with foreign dignitaries and the heavy security betrays the nature of the guests booked in.
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Article: Scientists first heard the harsh call of the Sichuan bush warbler in 1987, but they only recently gathered enough data to formally describe it.
The new species, Locustella chengi, has been named after Prof Cheng Tso-hsin, a distinguished Chinese ornithologist.
The details have been published in the Avian Research journal.
"These birds are almost impossible to see when they are not singing," explained one of the scientists to describe the new species, Per Alstrom from the Swedish Species Information Centre, based at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
"If the species had not been singing when we first heard it back in 1987, we would never have seen it.
"They are incredibly difficult to see because they are so secretive, sneaking around in the dense vegetation, close to or on the ground. But when they are singing, you can hear them from quite a long distance.
He told BBC News: "By being patient or using tapes to attract them, you can see them - although they will stay in the dense habitat."
Harsh tones
The song of the new species is harsher than that of its closest relative, the russet bush warbler, and consists of a "drawn-out note followed by a shorter note that are repeated in series".
The team of researchers, from Sweden, China, Vietnam, the UK and US, carried out DNA analysis that showed the two birds were very closely related and were probably separated from a common ancestor about 850,000 years ago.
Prof Alstrom explained that the publication of the paper formally describing the Sichuan bush warbler came after a search lasting almost 30 years.
"I have been trying to find this bird ever since we first heard it back in 1987," he said. We suspected that it was something different, something new (to science).
"Last year, we had received information from colleagues that both these birds - the unknown species and the Russet Bush warbler - were present on the same mountain.
"We had not found both of them together previously, so we went there specifically to get more information on how they...

Summary: The distinctive song of a secretive and elusive bird in central China has helped researchers to identify it and deem it to be a new species to science.
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Article: That is the message from police and other experts gathering for a special event highlighting the issue on Friday.
Victims are due to share their experiences at the All Wales Anti-Slavery Conference in Llandudno.
Gwent Police officers who rescued a man who worked unpaid for 13 years on a Newport farm are also taking part.
Det Supt Mark Pierce from North Wales Police, who is the lead officer for the force on tackling slavery and human trafficking said: "It's imperative we identify and prosecute those responsible and make our communities safer.
"Human trafficking is serious and organised crime with those involved likely to be involved in the other serious crimes like drug production, kidnapping and the criminal use of firearms."
Among the guests also expected to address the event is the new UK independent slavery commissioner, Kevin Hyland.
North Wales Police are also launching a 'Say No to Slavery' campaign on its website on Friday.

Summary:


The London Assembly has called for a review of the London Underground's ticket office closures.
The Assembly's transport committee said: "The London Underground's ticket office closures are a major blow to the capital's transport network.
"The closures are a major blow to the capital's transport network.
"The closures are

Ticket offices will start closing on the London Underground later in a move that has prompted past strikes.

Article: The EY Scottish Item Club predicted a rise in employment and house prices.
It raised its growth forecast for the Scottish economy to 2.4% this year - 0.7% higher than its previous prediction in December.
But it warned that September's referendum carried risks for the economy - whatever the result.
The item club's latest summer update predicted substantial growth this year and further growth of 1.9% in 2015 and 2016.
However, it forecast UK growth would be 0.5% higher than Scotland's in both 2014 and 2015.
The group said that was due partly to the relative size of Scotland's public sector and lower population growth.
The item club also predicted 45,000 new jobs would be created in Scotland this year, and 33,000 in 2015.
But it suggested it could take until 2018 before Scotland's employment rate returned to the levels seen before the financial crisis.
Average house prices in Scotland are predicted to rise by nearly 7% this year and 5% in 2015, "after a period of stasis".
According to its prediction, the average price in Scotland is likely to be about 67% of the UK average in 2015.
Dougie Adams, senior economic advisor to the item club, said: "This year is shaping up to be the best for Scottish economic growth since the onset of the financial crisis, with business investments and exports adding momentum to the consumer-driven recovery.
"A handful of sectors including transport, food services and retail are expected to create employment while public administration and manufacturing shed jobs.
"We expect financial services, education and health to tread water."
The forecaster warned that its predictions were subject to "international and home-grown risks", including the impact of September's independence referendum.
It argued that a Yes vote would bring uncertainty for business on key economic issues such as the currency and Scotland's place in Europe.
But it also warned that a No vote would bring the Scottish Parliament more tax powers than it has ever had - and that could change the UK's economic landscape.
Mr...

Summary: Scotland is set to enjoy its best year for economic growth since the financial crisis, according to a leading economic forecaster.
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Article: Eight groups comprising five teams each will be drawn, with sides playing each other once in the group stage.
Hearts are one of the eight top seeds and Hibernian are one of the second seeds, with 24 unseeded teams.
Group winners and the four best runners-up progress to the second round, when Scotland's European representatives enter the competition.
Celtic, who will feature in the Champions League qualifiers, and Europa League qualifying participants Aberdeen, Rangers and St Johnstone all have a bye into the second round.
At the group stage, there are four 'north' groups and four 'south' groups. There are 38 teams from the Scottish Professional Football League, who organise the League Cup, as well as Highland League champions Buckie Thistle and Lowland League winners East Kilbride.
Each group will contain one top seed, a second seed and three unseeded teams, with seedings based on league position in season 2016-17.
Drawn matches at the group stage go straight to a penalty shootout after regulation time, in which case both sides take a point and the shootout winner receives a bonus point.
Dundee and Dundee United are seeded differently in the north section and, like Hearts and Hibs, could be drawn in the same group.
The new format for the first round was introduced last season and the tournament was eventually won by Celtic, who beat Aberdeen in November's final.

Summary: The seedings for Friday's Betfred League Cup first-round draw have been announced.
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Article: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it was a serious breach of the Data Protection Act.
The woman gave her phone to Kent Police because she said video footage backed her claims against her partner, but the phone also contained sensitive data.
Kent Police said procedures had been changed to avoid errors in the future.
ICO head of enforcement Stephen Eckersley said: "Kent Police was investigating a serious matter yet the need to take proper care of the personal details they were entrusted with does not appear to have been taken seriously."
He said the force handed the solicitor "the entire contents of the complainant's mobile phone".
It contained many other files, with sensitive personal data including text messages and family photographs.
The woman's partner was a police officer who was subject to a professional standards investigation by Kent Police into misconduct.
According to Kent Police, the unnamed officer was facing a criminal investigation over alleged domestic abuse and was then also investigated for misconduct following a breach of his bail conditions after his arrest.
The ICO said the data on the phone was sent by mistake in advance of the misconduct hearing, and the solicitor disclosed the information to his client.
An investigation by the ICO found Kent Police had inappropriate security measures and it had committed a serious breach of the law, likely to have caused "substantial distress".
In a statement, Kent Police said it accepted the ICO's decision.
The force said: "When the data breach became apparent Kent Police referred itself to the Information Commissioner and fully cooperated with the investigation.
"As soon as the breach was identified a new standard operating procedure was implemented to ensure that a similar error cannot be made in the future."

Summary: Kent Police has been fined £80,000 after it handed data on a phone belonging to an alleged domestic abuse victim to her partner's solicitor.
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Article: South Wimbledon and Queensway stations will be the first to see their staff moved from ticket offices into ticket halls and on to platforms.
Transport for London (TfL) said it would save £50m annually as it tries to save £4.2bn by 2020.
But Manuel Cortes, from the TSSA union, said London Mayor Boris Johnson was "rushing through" the closures.
Mr Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association said: "Talks on the safety implications of closing over 250 stations have not even been concluded.
"The mayor doesn't seem concerned about how millions of tourists will cope with fewer staff to help them on their way."
TfL said all stations would remain staffed and 150 new ticket machines would be installed by April 2016.
It added that new visitor centres would be created at larger stations such as Victoria and King's Cross to help visitors.
Nick Brown, London Underground's chief operating officer, said more staff were being placed "where they can offer the best possible assistance" as only 3% of Tube tickets were bought at ticket offices.
He said: "This forms part of our wider vision for the Tube, which includes a 24-hour weekend service on core parts of the network."
But the changes have led to previous strikes by the Aslef and RMT unions.
Labour's London Assembly transport spokeswoman Val Shawcross said: "When he was elected, Boris Johnson promised Londoners he would protect the capital's ticket offices, but today he starts the process of dismantling each and every one of them.
"Whilst there is obviously a big role for ticket machines to play, there is no substitute for a member of staff."
London Underground said after 100 meetings with unions the number of roles to be reduced had fallen from 950 to 897 with no member of staff facing compulsory redundancy or losing money.

Summary:


The Welsh Government has said it is "disappointed" that the inquiry into historical child abuse in Wales has been delayed.
The inquiry, which was set up after allegations of paedophiles operating in Westminster in the 1980s, was due to start on Monday.
But the Welsh Government said it was "disappointed

Police investigations into claims of historical child abuse should "take precedence" over a UK government-ordered inquiry, a Welsh MP says.

Article: Twenty "listeners" met and spoke to prisoners suffering from depression and mental health problems, including some who were suicidal.
Details of the number of calls have been released to mark the 10th anniversary of the scheme.
It operates in Maghaberry and Magilligan prisons.
There are currently more than 1,300 prisoners in the two jails.
The prison authorities have been strongly criticised in a series of inspection reports for treatment of vulnerable prisoners, including those with mental health problems.
The scheme is run by the Samaritans, who provide a 12-week training course for prisoners who pass an initial selection and vetting process.
Volunteers working for the charity outside the prison answered a further 1,500 telephone calls from prisoners in Northern Ireland last year.
The Listener scheme has been operating for 25 years in prisons across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Case study: The Listener who helps fellow inmates
The Samaritans said it is essential because research shows that prisoners are eight to 10 times more likely to die by suicide than the rest of the population.
According to the charity, around 23% of male prisoners and 46% of women prisoners suffer from anxiety and depression.
The first Listener programme in Northern Ireland began operating in Magilligan prison near Limavady in 2002.
The scheme in Maghaberry started in 2006.
A programme for women prisoners and young offenders is being developed at Hydebank in south Belfast.
Gillian McNaull, the Samaritans' regional prisons support officer, oversees the Listener scheme.
She said it works well because many prisoners prefer to talk to fellow prisoners.
"The prisoners who are suffering emotional distress know that the Listeners know what life in prison is like and know what they are going through," she said.
She believes those who volunteer to help their fellow inmates also benefit.
"I think there is something very redemptive about the process in that people who are in prison for punishment are being given a chance and are being...

Summary: Prisoners trained to help fellow inmates in emotional distress in NI's two largest jails were contacted more than 1,600 times last year.
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Article: The legal amendment would give it a "significantly enhanced" role in regulating the lucrative market.
London currently processes most of the trade in this financial sector, providing thousands of jobs.
The ECB's proposal comes shortly after the European Commission published a draft law to give it the power to move euro clearing business out of London.
Clearing is where a third party organisation acts as a middleman for buyers and sellers of financial contracts tied to the underlying value of a share, index, currency or bond.
Trillions of euros are handled through clearing houses every year, mostly through London.
The ECB said the amendment would give it "clear legal competence" in the area of central clearing, which is currently dominated by London firms.
Under the proposal, the ECB and its national central banks would monitor risks that could affect monetary policy, the operation of payment systems and the stability of the euro.
Analysis: BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker
Outside the financial world, clearing houses are a little known but important part of the "financial infrastructure" to use the phrase that appears in the key piece of EU legislation.
The European Commission has already called closer supervision for euro clearing that takes place outside the EU and the ECB's proposed rule change would give it the power to take on that role.
For the firms that use these clearing houses, the ECB's watchful eye is something they could live with.
What they don't want is a requirement to have euro denominated business decamp out of London.
They have to put money up front to use these facilities and they can use it more efficiently that if it's not dispersed in many different places.
Daniel Hodson of the Financial Services Negotiation Forum told the BBC that at the moment the ECB did not have sovereignty over euro clearing in London, as its UK regulator - the Bank of England - is responsible.
However, there are "substantial" arrangements in place with the ECB that are "very similar" to those in place with...

Summary: The European Central Bank has put forward a proposal to boost its oversight over euro clearing.
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Article: The Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that the tests demonstrated the country's "deterrent power".
US officials said that if the reports were confirmed, they would raise the matter at the UN Security Council.
In January, the US imposed sanctions targeting Iran's missile programme in response to the last round of tests.
UN experts said those tests had violated a Security Council resolution.
Resolution 1929, which barred Iran from undertaking any work on ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, was terminated after a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers was implemented two months ago. A new resolution, 2231, then came into force that "calls upon" Iran not to undertake such activity.
Iran says it does not have nuclear weapons and will continue missile development.
Iranian state television reported on Tuesday that the missiles were fired from silos at various locations, without naming them.
It broadcast pictures of one of the night-time launches, and a presenter said the missile was a medium-range Qiam-1, according to the Reuters news agency.
The Revolutionary Guards' statement said the tests were intended "to show Iran's deterrent power and also the Islamic Republic's ability to confront any threat against the [Islamic] Revolution, the state and the sovereignty of the country".
The head of the Guards' Aerospace Force, Brig Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh told state television that the missiles had "struck a target 700km (435 miles) away".
He warned the US was "trying to turn off the lights of Iran's missile programme", adding: "The Guards don't give into threats."
US state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said it was "aware of and following closely" the reports of the missile tests.
"If confirmed, we intend to raise the matter in the UN Security Council. We will also encourage a serious review of the incident and press for an appropriate response."
"This development underscores why we continue to work closely with partners around the world to slow and degrade Iran's missile...

Summary: Iran has launched several ballistic missiles from silos across the country as part of a military exercise, state media say, defying US pressure.
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Article: Cardiff North MP Jonathan Evans said it was "a tragedy" there was no agreement on who should chair the inquiry, set up after claims of paedophiles operating in Westminster in the 1980s.
The Conservative MP said cases should be investigated by the police first.
Child abuse survivors have urged the government to scrap the inquiry.
Instead, they want it replaced with a more powerful body.
It comes after Home Secretary Theresa May told inquiry members their panel might be disbanded.
The Met Police said earlier this month that detectives were investigating three alleged murders as part of their investigation into historical child abuse.
Mr Evans, who is chairman of the Welsh Tory party and a former deputy chairman of the Welsh NSPCC council, said: "Now I hear that a number of the groups who are representing victims have suggested the whole of the process should be stopped and a different sort of inquiry created.
"I don't know exactly what the terms of that inquiry should be and I'm not really sure what they mean by setting up a stronger inquiry because I think the inquiry that was being set up was a pretty strong one."
He said ongoing police inquiries introduced a "new dimension", and that they appeared to be proceeding on the basis of new evidence "in which the police have already made it clear to the media that there are real issues that are being investigated".
"It seems to me that those police inquiries have got to now take precedence. We ought not to have a situation in which we set up an inquiry and then we can only do half the job because police inquiries are ongoing."
Mr Evans, who was a Wales Office minister in the 1990s when the UK government set up the Waterhouse inquiry into abuse allegations at children's homes in north Wales, added: "It seems to me that the police inquiries are now at the forefront."
He said Mrs May should not be blamed for delays to the inquiry, which has been held up by the resignation of her first two choices of chairperson.
Victims must have confidence in the process, Mr Evans...

Summary: