A new study has found that the number of people in the UK who have been bullied at work has increased by more than a third in the last decade.
The study, by the charity Mind, found that one in five people have been bullied at work.
The charity said the figure was a "wake-up

More than 200 businesses in part of Edinburgh have been found to be breaking rules on using communal bins.

Article: In a report, net firm Akamai said in the last 10 months it had seen 141 attacks on its customers by the group.
The gang, called DD4BC, threatens to swamp servers with data unless a ransom of up to 50 bitcoins (Â£8,000) is paid.
The attacks mounted by the gang can flood sites with more than 56 gigabits of data a second, it said.
DD4BC had been active since September 2014, said Akamai in a report about the group, but had recently stepped up its attacks against net-based businesses.
"The latest attacks - focused primarily on the financial service industry - involved new strategies and tactics intended to harass, extort and ultimately embarrass the victim publically," said Stuart Scholly, manager of Akamai's security division, in a statement.
Mr Scholly said that as well as threatening to knock companies offline, DD4BC said it would also post messages on social networks to shame firms if they did not pay up.
DD4BC had a substantial network of computers to call on to mount its attacks, said Akamai, and was capable of rapidly increasing the amount of data being directed at a site to overwhelm it.
The group's main tactic is to use what are known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks which, on average, were able to pipe about 13.3 gigabits of data every second (gbps) towards victims. The average connection that most firms have to the net can run at a speed of about 10gbps, said Akamai, so such an attack would completely overwhelm that link.
The largest attacks seen by Akamai involved more than 56.2 gigabits of data per second - far more than most companies could cope with.
In emails sent to targets, DD4BC claimed to have the ability to direct about 500 gigabits of data at victims but Akamai said it had seen no attacks of this magnitude.
Analysis of the attacks DD4BC had carried out showed it was using 10 separate methods of generating DDoS data floods. One method exploited weaknesses in the WordPress blogging tool to bounce data at targets.
The payments demanded by the group ranged from 25 to 50 bitcoins....

Summary: Banks, media groups and gaming firms are being hit with extortion demands by a cyber gang who threaten to knock them offline unless they pay up.
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Article: Quantum computing and science that could enable shoes to charge a mobile phone are among the list compiled by Physics World.
A potential new tumour treatment called hadron therapy and the "wonder-material" graphene also feature.
The magazine also picked its top five breakthroughs of the last 25 years.
In all, the publication compiled five lists of five to examine different aspects of physics.
Graphene has been one of the most talked-about discoveries in the last decade.
Its strength, flexibility and conductivity make it a potentially ideal material for bendable smartphones and superior prosthetic limbs.
But graphene has another, less-heralded property which could help it transform the everyday lives of people around the world.
Despite being just one atom thick, it is impervious to almost all liquids and gases.
Generating holes in sheets of graphene could therefore create a selective membrane - "the ultimate water purifier" - which might someday create drinking water from the sea.
"Predicting the future is a mug's game. Of course, we expect to get a few of them wrong," Hamish Johnston, editor of physicsworld.com told BBC News.
"Grandiose, utopian predictions that never materialise always look faintly ridiculous in years to come - have you seen anyone recently flying to work on a nuclear-powered jet-pack?"
Physics World is the monthly magazine of the Institute of Physics and was first published in October 1988.
Selecting the five most important breakthroughs of its lifetime was "harder than choosing Nobel laureates", according to reporter Tushna Commissariat.
"There have been so many eye-popping findings that our final choice is, inevitably, open to debate," she wrote.
"Yet for us, these five discoveries stand out above all others as having done the most to transform our understanding of the world."
They are, in chronological order:
The magazine's 25th anniversary issue also highlights five images that have allowed us to "see" a physical phenomenon or effect.
They range from the microscopic - electrons on a...

Summary: Five physics discoveries with the potential to transform the world have been selected by a leading science magazine for its 25th birthday issue.
###
Article: During a drive to tackle overflowing bins around Leith Walk, officials found that more than half of firms they visited did not have the correct waste collection contracts in place.
They discovered evidence that some were using communal bins meant for residents to dispose of their waste.
One leading councillor accused the businesses of "abusing the system".
Transport and environment convenor Lesley Hinds said their actions "undoubtedly" resulted in overflowing bins, litter and fly-tipping.
Compliance officers visited 406 traders during the Our Edinburgh initiative to address anti-social behaviour like littering.
A total of 215 did not have the correct waste collection contracts in place.
They also carried out a detailed inspection of one bin at Bernard Street and three-quarters of its contents were found to be trade waste.
Five businesses were handed a Â£200 fixed penalty notice on the back of the investigation.
Ms Hinds said: "We have focussed phase two of Our Edinburgh on the Leith Walk area as it's been identified as a hotspot for overflowing bin complaints and it's becoming clear why.
"Communal bins are meant for residents' household waste so it's unacceptable that businesses are abusing the system, which undoubtedly results in overflowing bins, litter and fly-tipping.
"That's why this campaign aims to provide information and advice to businesses in order to ensure they have the right waste collection arrangements in place, as well as penalising those that continue to break the rules."
Three further bins have been examined and found to contain up to 50% trade waste, according to the City of Edinburgh.
It said five more businesses will receive fixed penalty notices as a result.

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A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a baby boy was found dead in a house in Maidstone.
The baby boy, who has not been named, was discovered at a property in Lapwing Close, Minster, at around 5.30am on Tuesday.
Police were called to the address in

A man and a woman have appeared in court charged with causing or allowing the death of a baby.

Article: Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith will take part in the first live debate of the leadership contest on Thursday.
Russell Goodway, the former leader of both South Glamorgan and Cardiff councils, said Labour needed to move back to the centre ground.
But Labour AM Mike Hedges said the centre ground had lost them voters.
Mr Goodway told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme he did not think he would see another Labour government in his lifetime.
He said: "I think we've learned the lesson over the years we win elections by occupying the centre ground of British politics... the centre of gravity has shifted towards the Conservative party and we have to get it back.
"I'm not sure that somebody who prosecutes the same agenda [as Jeremy Corbyn] has any better chance of winning an election and particularly [an agenda] that seems to be committed to promising a second EU referendum.
"It was in our heartlands, in our core voting areas where people voted in their biggest numbers to leave and I think that to suggest we are going to win those people back by promising another referendum is futile.
"[The message] that's being put forward by Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters is such a narrow message that it's leaving so many people in the party who say 'he doesn't speak for me'."
He said: "We only have to stay out of power as long as we were out of power between '79 and '97 for me to be approaching 80 by the time there will be another Labour government.
"If the party were to split, and I really, really hope it does not split, I think the Labour party would disappear in the way the Liberals disappeared."
Swansea East AM Mr Hedges said he agreed with Mr Goodway's stance on the EU referendum.
"This idea of having a second referendum, I can think of no better way of annoying and losing the support of that swathe of Labour supporters in what's traditionally described as our heartlands," he said.
But he added: "2010 and 2015 -  we lost those elections because of the continuation of the Blair/Brown/Milliband centre of the party.
"We...

Summary: Neither contender for the Labour leadership could win a General Election with their current agenda, a party councillor for 30 years has said.
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Article: Len McCluskey told the BBC that Mr Murphy had used him as a "bogeyman".
And he said some Unite members in Scotland wanted the union to end its affiliation with Labour.
Meanwhile, a UK Labour leadership candidate has said there was a case for the Scottish party to run its affairs entirely separately from London.
Andy Burnham, who is seen as being the frontrunner, said he would look at the issue if he wins the contest to succeed Ed Miliband.
Scottish Labour's only remaining MP, Ian Murray, has distanced himself from suggestions he could stand for the Scottish leadership by saying he believed the job should go to an MSP.
Mr Murray said the best person for the role would be deputy leader Kezia Dugdale, who will become acting leader when Mr Murphy stands down.
He told the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland programme that Ms Dugdale could inspire both the party and the country, but said Scottish Labour's problems were far deeper than just Mr Murphy or Mr McCluskey.
Some of those who had called for Mr Murphy to step down in the wake of Labour's crushing defeat at the hands of the SNP also want to see the Scottish party given more autonomy from central control.
Mr Murphy announced on Saturday that he would resign next month despite narrowly surviving a vote of no confidence at a meeting of the party's national executive in Glasgow.
He has said he will submit proposals for reforming Scottish Labour before he steps down.
Mr Murphy also delivered a strongly-worded attack on the "destructive behaviour" of Mr McCluskey, who opposed his appointment in December and had been a vocal critic of his leadership since.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics, Mr McCluskey said he understood Mr Murphy was "hurting" but claimed his "arrogance" was part of why Labour had failed in Scotland.
He said: "He represented the ideology that has completely alienated (voters) ... not just in the election, not just in the (independence) referendum, but for years.
"Since 2008 the SNP have been gaining ground and Scottish Labour have...

Summary: The head of the Unite union has hit back at claims by outgoing Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy that he was the "kiss of death" for the party.
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Article: Four-month-old Eli Cox was found at an address in Lapwing Close in Minster, Sheppey, on 13 April and died in hospital on 27 April, Kent Police said.
Katherine Cox, 32, and Danny Shepherd, 25, both of Millfield Road, Faversham, appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Both were released on conditional bail.
Ms Cox and Mr Shepherd are also accused of one count of causing or allowing serious injury to a child and one count of possession of a class B drug (amphetamine).
They are due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on 13 December.

Summary:


The Conservatives have won the seat of Cardiff South and Penarth, with the party's candidate Stephen Doughty winning the seat with a majority of 9,194 votes.
The Labour Party's candidate, Alun Michael, polled 9,194 votes, while the Liberal Democrats polled 9,977.
The Conservatives have

Labour has kept hold of the Cardiff South and Penarth seat in Parliament following a by-election.

Article: Noah fell into the 7ft (2m) ditch in Heydon, Cambridgeshire, on 17 August after metal thieves stole the cover, and was rescued by firefighters.
Fans of the donkey raised more than £2,000 to help with vet care, which Noah is still receiving at his stables.
He is said to be "back to his cheeky self".
After six-year-old Noah toppled into the drain in his field, Cambridgeshire Fire Service, stable workers, a vet, and a man with a mechanical digger worked into the night to save him, holding his head above the water.
After he was winched out, it was initially thought Noah had suffered just scrapes and bruises.
However, three days later he "went into shock as donkeys get very stressed", said Elaine Fisher, who runs Lovely View Stables where he is kept.
Noah was admitted to Cambridge University's equine hospital.
A Just Giving page was started with the aim of raising £500 to help fund Noah's care. So far about 150 people have pledged more than £2,200 and many have followed Noah's progress on a Facebook page.
Tina Pankhurst, who is looking after Noah at the stables and started the fundraising drive, said she was "overwhelmed and blown-away by people's generosity".
"He was looked after really well and had exceptional care at the hospital," she said.
"I was amazed at how Noah progressed during those two weeks, but there's still some way to go before his wounds heal."
She said vet bills had come to almost £3,000 so far, although the donkey will need weekly visits for at least the next month.
Noah is owned by All Saints' Church in Melbourn, which is holding collections to help with the bills.
The donkey is well-loved in the village, having starred in the church's Nativity services for the past five years.
Firefighters who rescued Noah were presented with an Animal Hero award by animal rights campaigners Peta for the "skill, determination and compassion" they demonstrated in saving him.

Summary: A donkey that spent two weeks being treated at an equine hospital after falling down a water-filled storm drain has returned home.
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Article: Media playback is not supported on this device
Cycling's governing body missed the 28 July deadline and only sent its application to the International Paralympic Committee last week.
"[It] sums up how high we appear on the UCI radar. Not surprised at all," tweeted British rider Jody Cundy.
The IPC has announced 16 of the maximum of 23 sports for the 2020 Paralympics.
Para-badminton has been included and will makes its Games debut in Japan.
The other sports included are athletics, archery, boccia, equestrian, goalball, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.
Para-cycling is one of eight sports left chasing up to seven places with the final line-up to be confirmed early next year.
All of the 24 sports seeking to be part of the Tokyo programme had been required to submit their application for assessment by the IPC's management team by 28 July.
They include the 20 sports which took part in London, Para-canoeing and Para-triathlon, which will make their debuts in Rio in 2016, as well as Para-badminton and Para-taekwondo, who were bidding to be included for the first time,
Their recommendations were discussed by the IPC Governing Board on Tuesday at a meeting in Berlin.
Cycling's late application meant it could not be assessed in time for the meeting in Berlin, to the disappointment of the the IPC and the frustration of the riders.
"How as riders can we have faith in the UCI, when they can't even submit an application to be in the Tokyo Paralympics on time," added Cundy.
The remaining eight sports will now have to present additional information to the IPC addressing the issues identified in their applications and a further meeting will be held in Abu Dhabi on 30 January and 1 February.
"Our aim is to ensure that the final Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports programme is fresh and features the best Para-sports possible," said IPC president Sir Philip Craven.
"Although we can have a maximum of 23 sports in six...

Summary: Para-cycling has been left out of the first phase of sports confirmed for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics after the UCI failed to submit the paperwork on time.
###
Article: Stephen Doughty won the seat with 9,193 votes, a majority of 5,334 over the Conservatives. The Lib Dems were third, with Plaid Cymru fourth.
The turnout was 25.65% - down from more than 60% at the 2010 General Election.
Mr Doughty succeeds Alun Michael, who stood down after 25 years as an MP to stand in the police and crime commissioner elections.
The new MP beat seven other candidates to retain the seat for Labour.
Mr Doughty, a former head of Oxfam Cymru, said in his acceptance speech that his victory was a "condemnation" of the policies and priorities of the UK government, particularly in areas such as proposals for regional pay.
He called for stronger regulation of banks and a "greater sense of community and society", with more emphasis on fairness.
Mr Doughty also paid tribute to previous holders of the Cardiff South seat, including former Prime Minister Jim Callaghan and former Welsh First Secretary Alun Michael and promised to serve his constituents with humility.
Labour has held the seat since it was created in 1983 and the party's representation of southern Cardiff in Parliament has been unbroken since Mr Callaghan was first elected as an MP in 1945.
Cardiff South and Penarth includes inner-city neighbourhoods such as Grangetown and Butetown, the redeveloped waterfront around Cardiff Bay and the town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Its 78,000 voters makes it the biggest seat in Wales in terms of electors.
Parliamentary by-elections also took place in the seats of Corby and Manchester Central on Thursday.
And elections were also held for the newly-created police and crime commissioners were held for all 41 forces in England and Wales outside London.

Summary:


The Department for Education has announced that it will be introducing a new system of transfer tests for pupils in P7.
The move is part of a wider review of the way in which children with special educational needs and disabilities are supported in schools.
The Department for Education has announced that it will be introducing a new system

Pupils preparing to leave primary school are being taught how to deal with stress and to be more resilient as part of a new mental health initiative.

Article: The coach was suspended by Archery GB (AGB) last month following a complaint to police over an alleged incident involving a young female Para-athlete.
Less than three weeks later, AGB announced in a statement on their website that the suspension of the coach had been lifted after they had been informed that "no new information or evidence has been received, and that there is no live UK police investigation in relation to this matter".
The BBC can reveal that police have now reopened the investigation into the alleged sexual assault, which is understood to have taken place in the last four years while overseas at an international competition.
The former athlete told the BBC in June that she did not pursue her original complaint at the time because she felt threatened after staff at the sport's governing body implied she could lose her funding, and cost the coach his job.
AGB said the case was "investigated and dealt with at the time, to the satisfaction of the alleged victim and [a relative] of the alleged victim".
However, following the BBC report, the AGB said it received a call from the alleged victim who confirmed contact was made with the police.
This led to the suspension of the coach, before it was overturned on 20 July.
AGB have not commented on the current employment status of the coach.

Summary: The BBC has learned that police have reopened an investigation into a senior Archery GB coach.
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Article: The National Association of Head Teachers said reducing the per-place funding for such units from £10,000 to £6,000 a year would be "disastrous".
It also said the plans would not address the wide disparity in funding for children with similar needs.
The government says it has boosted high needs funding by £90m this year.
In its report, Getting it right: Funding pupils with complex needs, the NAHT looks at the impact of the proposed changes to the funding for children with high special educational needs.
The changes include basing the way funds are allocated to local authorities on the number of two- to 18-year-olds in the area.
This will then be modified by three factors - the number of children in bad health or on a disability benefit, low attainment and deprivation levels in the area.
But the NAHT says the proposals do not address the so-called "top up" funding for children with very complex needs, where there are big differences in funding.
The variability in funding levels means children with very similar needs could attract £2,000 of education funding in one local authority but £20,000 in another.
"This is clearly unacceptable and the DfE needs to develop parameters and controls to ensure that funding is fairly distributed within local authorities," the NAHT said.
Kim Johnson, president of NAHT and principal of Bradfields Specialist SEN Academy, says: "Those of us who are passionate about the education of children with high and complex needs have been pressing for this review of high needs funding for a long time.
"We desperately need a new approach that creates greater consistency and transparency.
"But we also need to be mindful that local authorities have taken very different approaches and that the transition to such an approach could result in some significant changes."
The NAHT also opposes plans to cut funding for special units within mainstream schools from £10,000 to £6,000 per pupil.
"Such a move would be disastrous for such units, leading to potential closures," the heads' union said.
Heads...

Summary: Plans to shake up special educational needs funding could see special units in mainstream schools close, a teaching union says.
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Article: Children in P6 and P7 will learn how to cope with change under the Healthy Me programme developed by Northern Ireland charity, Action Mental Health.
Its chief executive David Babington said it will help prepare pupils for the stresses of the transfer test and big changes in their educational life.
Five schools took part in a pilot.
The charity is now hoping the programme will be rolled out in schools across Northern Ireland.
It consists of "interactive workshops" in which pupils are made aware of the importance of emotional wellbeing; encouraged to seek help if they are in distress and helped to identify sources of support.
The workshops also provide teachers with basic training in promoting emotional wellbeing.
The Healthy Me initiative was launched at Carrick Primary School in Lurgan, County Armagh, on Friday morning.
The school's pastoral care co-ordinator, Helen Hamilton, is also its P7 teacher and said the programme has helped pupils and parents ahead of the big move.
"I see the anxiety in kids starting to build about secondary school," Ms Hamilton told BBC News NI.
"No fault of the secondary school - they're excellent and many are very excited to be going there - but they're apprehensive too and a lot of the time, that can be fed down from parents as well, they're worried about them.
"You're going from a very close-knit family atmosphere in a primary school - where you have one teacher who sees a child every day all day, and gets to know them and their wee quirks and can spot very quickly if they're out of sorts - to the very difficult job of senior school teachers who see them maybe for half an hour.
"It's more difficult for them to pick up on those things, much as they try, so parents sometimes need the reassurance and understanding that the transition can be easier than they expect."
Getting a place in a secondary school can be source of stress however, and last month, thousands of P7 pupils began to sit this year's unofficial transfer tests, set by two different examination bodies, the Association...

Summary:


The new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is a "game changer" for the city, according to the Hong Kong government.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is a "game changer" for the city, according to the Hong Kong government.
The

Hong Kong's government has unveiled a controversial plan which would allow Chinese mainland law to apply in the territory for the first time.

Article: Like-for-like sales excluding petrol, which strip out the effect of sales from new stores, rose by 3.6% in the 14 weeks to 8 January from a year earlier.
The UK's third-largest supermarket chain said non-food sales had grown particularly strongly.
The group said it had created nearly 6,000 new jobs over the period.
Earlier this week, it said it aimed to create 20,000 jobs over the next three years.
"Our strategy of providing universal customer appeal through great food at fair prices has helped Sainsbury's to deliver its best-ever Christmas," said the group's chief executive Justin King.
He added that Sainsbury's had increased its market share slightly to 16.6%.
Transactions made during the week of Christmas hit an "all-time high" of 24.5 million, the group said.
It also reported "record" online orders for groceries and said it had seen "strong growth" in sales of home and electrical wares.
Sales of lingerie and clothing accessories jumped by 45%, it added.
"Additional promotion of its higher margin products, along with the weather conditions tempting shoppers to buy more in fewer trips, played into the company's hands such that its performance could yet prove to be the best of the big four [supermarkets]," said Richard Hunter at broker Hargreaves Lansdown.
Research released earlier this week from data provider Kantar Worldpanel, formerly TNS Worldpanel, indicated  that Sainsbury's was the only one of the UK's big four supermarkets to increase its market share in the three months preceding Christmas.

Summary: Sainsbury's has reported its "best ever" Christmas sales despite what it called the "challenging weather conditions".
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Article: The festive installation, in Leicester, was widely mocked when it was erected last week, with baffled locals poking fun at the "abysmal" effort.
Some suggested workmen had forgotten to finish it, while others wondered if decorations had been stolen.
The council explained the tinsel it had ordered was "actually really thick", and had bent the tree's branches.
They have now started decorating it again, without the tinsel.
Daniel O'Donovan, who photographed the tree on Sunday, said it was "embarrassing" and described it as "five baubles and half a tree of tinsel".
"The tree has always been a bit abysmal but I was expecting more this year seeing how much of a focus there has been on the city," he said.
"With everything great that's happened in Leicester - Richard III, Leicester City FC's victory, boasting the best Diwali celebrations in the UK - you'd expect something a little more special."
City centre director Sarah Harrison said it's a "long, complicated job" to make the city look "beautifully festive".
"They've obviously put the tinsel on the top of the tree first and realised the branches were being bent out of place," she said.
The council is now considering whether or not to use the tinsel at all.
"We've got hundreds and hundreds of multicoloured LED tea lights this year which are all new, so we are going to put those on first," said Ms Harrison.
"We are going to put the baubles on, and then we are going to take a view as to whether the tinsel has got a place on the tree or not."
The tree was also mocked on social media.
One person tweeted: "Well done Leicester for forgetting to finish the tree? I presume in the past, bits got stolen."
The city's Christmas lights are being switched on  at 18:30 GMT on 17 November by the Lord Mayor.

Summary: "Heavy tinsel" has been blamed after a city centre Christmas tree's decorations were left "half-finished".
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Article: It's part of attempts to streamline operations at the new Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, which will open next year, costing just under $11bn (Â£8.45bn).
Under the new plan, passengers will be able to undertake border clearance procedures for both Hong Kong and China successively in one building in West Kowloon, Hong Kong.
And it will be mainland law which will be in force in parts of the terminal, even though it's on Hong Kong soil.
The government says that will be more convenient for passengers, but opponents say it could violate Hong Kong law.
For those travelling overland, the process is similar to most border crossings between countries.
At the busiest land crossings, passengers must first clear immigration and customs in one physical jurisdiction, then walk or be driven a fair distance to clear immigration in the other jurisdiction.
Hong Kong immigration procedures are handled on undisputed Hong Kong territory, and Chinese immigration procedures are handled in Shenzhen, which is the mainland.
Hong Kong officials are touting this as a "one-stop" clearance.
Passengers will be able to complete both Hong Kong and Chinese clearance procedures under one roof inside the West Kowloon terminus building, before boarding trains to all cities on the national high-speed railway network.
Hong Kong officials say this will be like similar arrangements between for example the US and Canada, and the UK and France on the Eurostar.
China will lease the so-called "Mainland Port Area" from Hong Kong. The area will comprise the Chinese section of immigration and customs and the waiting hall for departure passengers, as well as all platforms and trains.
Full Chinese law, both criminal and civil, will prevail in this entire area, even though it is physically located on Hong Kong soil.
Hong Kong officials say the area will be considered to be outside the territorial boundary of Hong Kong.
There will be immigration, customs, quarantine, administration and police officers stationed in the area.
Hong Kong has a...

Summary:


The Scottish Government has announced a new £1bn fund to help councils invest in infrastructure.
The Scottish Government has announced a new £1bn fund to help councils invest in infrastructure.
The Scottish Government has announced a new £1bn fund to help councils invest in infrastructure.
The Scottish Government has announced a new

Some of the first projects to be funded by the City Deal programme for the west of Scotland are to be discussed by councillors.

Article: While England, Scotland and Wales use private companies, local commissioners said they could not afford to do it.
In Scotland and Wales, NHS spending in the independent sector represents about 1% of their respective budgets.
In England, that figure is close to 7%. Officials elsewhere say outsourcing appears to keep waiting lists down.
Up until a year ago, Northern Ireland was doing this.
However, last September, the plug was pulled on a significant contract.
The Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Board said this had contributed to the current waiting list crisis.
The multi-million pound contract was between the Department of Health and Kingsbridge private hospital.
Chief Executive of Kingsbridge Mark Regan said people were now borrowing money in desperation to pay for their elderly parents' hip operations.
"The patients we see are now turning to other options to pay for their health care including credit unions, bank loans or family members for money," he said.
"Perhaps they aren't buying that new car in order to pay for their mother or father's hip replacement."
He told the BBC that private companies provided value for money.
"Use of the independent sector, contrary to popular belief, means we are charging exactly the same as the NHS - it is called the NHS tariff," he said.
However, the health unions argue that the Department of Health should not be funding the private sector and should plough any money back into the health service.
Patricia McKeown, of the union Unison, said she did not believe that health care should be used for profit.
"I don't know why there would be any place inside the NHS for private medicine," she said.
"Why is it that people can be offered next day treatment if they pay for it and very often by the same doctor who is the person they are seeing inside the NHS system."
The British Medical Association (BMA) said a short term financial fix to private companies was not the answer. Dr John D Woods said the BMA strongly opposed it.
"Paying private companies is a knee jerk reaction,"...

Summary: Northern Ireland is the only region in the UK that is not using the private health sector to help clear hospital waiting lists.
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Article: He said they would be accusing the Remain camp of "faking the moon landings" next, as he claimed an EU exit would risk £200bn a year in trade.
He was sharing a platform with former political foes Ed Balls and Sir Vince Cable who are backing the Remain cause.
The Leave campaign accused Remain of resorting to "lurid scare stories".
Vote Leave, meanwhile, was backed by 306 business figures who signed a letter published in the Daily Telegraph,.
Voters will be asked to decide whether they want the UK to stay in or leave the European Union on 23 June.
In a speech at Stansted Airport on Monday, Mr Osborne unveiled what were billed as surprise guests, Ed Balls and Sir Vince Cable, as he warned that it would be a "huge mistake" to quit the EU.
He said leaving the single market - in which there are no tariffs, quotas or taxes on trade and where there is free movement of goods, services, capital and people - would cost Britain £200bn in a trade a year - as well as £200bn overseas investment.
How trade and the UK's economy are affected by membership of the EU.
"There is a reason the three of us are standing here today putting aside our political differences," said the chancellor.
"It's not a conspiracy, it's called a consensus," he said, adding: "Britain will be worse off if we leave the EU."
Mr Osborne said the economic consensus that had emerged, that "Britain will be poorer" outside the EU, was shared by organisations including the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England and by figures including US President Barack Obama.
But he said the Leave camp "say it is all a massive conspiracy" and claim it is "all part of some global stitch-up to give misinformation to the British people".
"The next thing we know, the Leave camp will be accusing us of faking the moon landings, kidnapping Shergar and covering up the existence of the Loch Ness monster," he said.
Just as the chancellor is trying to claim victory in the economic debate his colleagues on the other side like Boris Johnson are digging in, characterising...

Summary: Chancellor George Osborne has accused Leave campaigners of indulging in conspiracy theories in their response to economic warnings about an EU exit.
###
Article: They include a new water sports park, railway station and a sliproad from the M77.
The City Deal scheme will see eight council areas around Glasgow receive about £1bn from the UK and Scottish governments.
The councils also have the power to borrow extra cash.
The Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal involved massive investment by both the Scottish and UK governments last year.
Eight councils - Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire and East and West Dunbartonshire - are involved.
The City Deal scheme will see Westminster and Holyrood give £500m each in additional grant funding to the eight council areas.
The councils will supplement this by borrowing £130m.
Councillors from across all eight areas will meet to discuss some of the schemes.
Several of the projects being discussed later are in East Renfrewshire, where £44m is expected to be invested over the next few years, with much of the money coming from the City Deal funding.
One is a water sports park at the Dams to Darnley Country Park. It would open in 2017 and include a centre offering wakeboarding, the fastest-growing extreme sport in the world.
A new railway station in Barrhead and sliproad from the M77 would serve an area which could become one of East Renfrewshire's fastest growth areas. The council expects 1,000 new homes to be built there.
Another project would transform the Levern Works site in Barrhead. A site formerly occupied by Nestle, where pet food was once made, would be cleared. The site will then be marketed for development for a range of uses that will bring new jobs to Barrhead.
A wide range of other infrastructure projects across the eight council areas will also be discussed.

Summary:


A new study has found that the more a person is able to understand a text, the more likely they are to be able to read it.
The study, by the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Los Angeles, found that the more a

Researchers have developed an algorithm to help robots fall more gracefully, to protect them from damage.

Article: One in every 200 women loses her baby after an amniocentesis, in which the fluid around the developing foetus is tested for genetic disorders.
A trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital of the new test - for fragments of foetal DNA in the mother's blood - suggested it could be cost-effective.
The NHS is to decide if it should be added to screening for Down's syndrome.
About 750 babies are born with Down's syndrome in the UK each year.
All pregnant women are offered testing for genetic disorders.
Initially an ultrasound scan and chemicals in the mother's blood are used to assess the likelihood of the baby having Down's.
Anyone calculated to have up to a one-in-150 chance of a baby with Down's syndrome is offered an amniocentesis - in which a needle is used to extract a sample of amniotic fluid, which surrounds the foetus.
But those women, of whom most would probably not have a baby with Down's, need to decide whether to have the risky test.
Fragments of the developing foetus's DNA naturally end up in the mother's bloodstream.
"Non-invasive prenatal testing" - or NIPT - uses this DNA to test for major genetic abnormalities.
It is already used in nearly 100 countries, but Great Ormond Street Hospital has assessed how it could be used on the NHS.
Prof Lyn Chitty, who led the trial, told the BBC: "It's a much more accurate test, so it's 99% accurate for Down's syndrome so it reduces the number of [invasive] tests significantly.
"In our study it reduced the number of invasive tests by more than 80%."
However, it does not completely eliminate the need for an amniocentesis.
Anyone who has a positive NIPT test result would still need final confirmation with an amniocentesis.
One anonymous mother who took part in the trial said: "We probably wouldn't have done [invasive testing] because there's a risk of miscarriage.
"I think that we were very lucky, it's enabled us to make an informed choice about what happens for the rest of our lives."
Prof Chitty, who will present data from the trial involving 2,500 mothers at the...

Summary: A safer test for Down's syndrome that reduces the risk of miscarriage could soon be available on the NHS.
###
Article: Harrison Ford, who plays space smuggler Solo, last appeared in a Star Wars film more than 30 years ago when Return of the Jedi was released in 1983.
The footage from the new film was included in a trailer shown at an official fan convention in California.
The Force Awakens is set for release on 18 December and is the first in a new series of the sci-fi franchise.
The event was also streamed live on the internet.
Ford, 72, is still recovering after crashing his plane onto a golf course and was unable to attend the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim.
Original trilogy actors Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, who also return after three decades as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in The Force Awakens, were on stage to answer fans' questions.
Hamill paid tribute to the franchise's supporters. "Over the years, all my entire life, I've felt such love from you," he told the thousands in the audience.
"You're more than just fans. You're family."
Hamill and Fisher were joined by other cast members, including the two young British actors who play central roles in the film, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.
The relatively unknown Ridley, speaking for the first time about her role in Star Wars as a scavenger called Rey, described her as "very solitary until she meets another character and an adventure begins".
She added: "[I] cannot wait to show you guys what we've done."
John Boyega said he was excited but also nervous. "I was scared to tell my parents that I'd got the part of Finn", he admitted.
He added he had only told them once the official casting announcement had been made.
The film's director JJ Abrams was also on the special panel which launched the four-day Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim.
He said he had had a lot of fun making the movie as well as feeling a huge amount of pressure in "honouring the legacy" of the Star Wars series.
"Though there are moments of sheer horror, the opportunity far outweighs the risk," Abrams said.
Disney bought Lucasfilm, the company behind the Star Wars films, in 2012.
The first teaser...

Summary: Fans have been given a first glimpse of Han Solo in the new trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
###
Article: 16 October 2015 Last updated at 16:43 BST
Karen Liu, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, said a falling robot can damage its components and also the people around it.
She said the algorithm could help reduce the impact when a humanoid robot takes a tumble.
She hopes robots will eventually be able to learn how to recover from a fall.
Watch the video to see the algorithm in action when a robot gets pushed over.

Summary:


The government has announced that it will not be devolving the funding formula for the NHS to the English regions.
The government has announced that it will not devolve the funding formula for the NHS to the English regions.
The government has announced that it will not devolve the funding formula for the NHS to the English

Yorkshire should be given its own "White Rose Parliament" with its own budget, MP David Blunkett has said.

Article: Virgin Trains' Azuma fleet will provide an extra 12,200 seats and cut up to 22 minutes off journeys.
Work on the body shells has begun in Japan, before the trains arrive in the UK to be built at Hitachi's factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
The introduction of the fleet will also see the launch of direct routes to a number of destinations.
Virgin Trains East Coast managing director David Horne said: "We are very excited to be moving closer to the day when our fantastic new train comes into service.
"The arrival of Azuma in 2018 will mark another milestone on our journey towards totally transforming travel for our customers, and the work happening now in Kasado and beginning in the summer at Newton Aycliffe are important steps on that journey."
Azuma is the Japanese translation for "east".
The extra seats will increase capacity into London King's Cross by 28% during peak times.
Direct routes to destinations such as Middlesbrough and Huddersfield will be launched once the fleet enters service in 2018, and services to locations such as Harrogate and Lincoln will be significantly increased.
Up to 22 minutes will be sliced off East Coast journeys as they will accelerate from 0-125mph around a minute quicker than current trains.
Hitachi Rail Europe managing director Karen Boswell said: "The new Azuma fleet will be a combination of Japanese design and British manufacturing.
"The trains are built using Japanese bullet train technology, world famous for its quality and reliability.
"We are proud that our Newton Aycliffe team, based a short distance from the East Coast main line, will work on pioneering trains used by millions of passengers."

Summary: Work has begun on 65 new trains set to boost capacity and reduce journey times on the East Coast Main Line.
###
Article: Its research was based on figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the three months to the end of September 2016.
According to the ONS, total unsecured debt hit an all-time high of £349bn at that point.
The TUC divided that number by the total number of households in the UK.
However, its figures are inflated by the inclusion of student loans, which have increased rapidly over the last couple of years.
Last week's figures from the Bank of England, which exclude student loans, put the total at £192bn up until the end of November 2016.
That is the highest figure since December 2008, but not a record.
Nevertheless, officials at the Bank have indicated they are not that worried about debt levels at the moment.
"Interest rates are still very low, and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future, so there are fewer concerns on debt servicing than there were in the past," said Andy Haldane, the Bank's chief economist, last week.
"There are reasons not to be too alarmed about it ticking up, but it is absolutely something we will watch carefully," he said.
But others believe many households could run into financial difficulties this year.
"The majority of borrowers will currently be able to cope with this extra debt," said Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust.
"However, if the economy does indeed suffer in 2017, this borrowing could become more difficult to repay - and some households risk finding themselves exposed to sudden changes in financial circumstances."
The TUC said that unsecured debt as a percentage of household income had now reached 27.4%, the highest figure for eight years.
And it claimed that weak growth in wages had left more families reliant on borrowing.
"These increases in household debt are a warning that families are struggling to get by on their pay alone," said Frances O'Grady, the TUC's general secretary.
"Unless the government does more for working people, they could end the New Year poorer than they start it."
The exclusion of student debt from the...

Summary: The average household in the UK now owes a record amount of £12,887, even before mortgages are taken into account, according to the TUC.
###
Article: Mr Blunkett said using the same funding formula applied to Wales - which has a devolved budget - Yorkshire would be entitled to a Â£24bn budget.
"You put great store by devolving decision-making to ordinary people," he told Prime Minister David Cameron.
Mr Cameron said the government had already got rid of a "centralised" approach that Mr Blunkett was part of.
Mr Blunkett, a Labour former Cabinet minister and the MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, made the suggestion during prime minister's questions in the House of Commons.
He said: "Can you think of one single reason why the people of Yorkshire shouldn't determine their own priorities?
"And, mischievously, one reason why the people of Yorkshire shouldn't have their own White Rose Parliament?"
Mr Cameron said: "What we are doing is we are saying to councils in Yorkshire, as up and down the country, 'We are getting rid of the ring fences, we are giving you the power to spend your money in the way that you choose'."
He added: "We have got rid of the bossy, centralised interfering approach that I'm afraid you were rather part of."

Summary:


The UK's immigration system is "not working" and the government should be "more open" about the number of people coming to the UK, the home affairs select committee has said.
The committee said the cap on the number of skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) was "not working".

The government's immigration cap on skilled workers has had no effect on bringing down net migration and is not "fit for purpose", MPs say.

Article: There were 1,874 repossession court cases started in 2015-16 - 82% fewer than in 2008-2009.
The latest Civil Justice Statistics also showed that the number of divorces in Scotland was it its lowest for almost 40 years.
There were a total of 77,721 civil law cases in 2015-16.
The number of cases has been roughly similar over the last three years, but is 41% fewer than in 2008-2009.
Last year there were 8,875 divorces, the lowest number recorded in Scotland since 1979.
Divorces and dissolutions made up 95% of the 12,892 family cases started in 2015-16, an overall figure which has fallen by 13% since 2008-2009.
Legal Affairs Minister Annabelle Ewing said: "I am pleased there has been such a dramatic fall in the number of people seeing their homes being repossessed, which continues a longer term downward trend.
"This is thanks largely to historically low interest rates and is a positive indicator of Scotland's general economic picture.
"The overall number of civil cases, which includes debt, damages and personal injury has fallen by over 40% in just seven years which is very encouraging."

Summary: The number of home repossession cases going through Scottish courts has fallen by more than 40% in a year, according to government figures.
###
Article: The revision still indicates that the world's biggest economy is growing healthily.
Earlier this month, the US central bank raised interest rates for the first time in nine years amid optimism over the country's economic strength.
Strong consumer spending offset high stocks of goods.
Inventories reached record levels in the US in the first half of the year and high stocks mean manufacturers replace these unsold items at a slower rate.
Consumer spending, by far the largest element of the US economy, grew by 3% in the third quarter.
The latest growth estimate from the Commerce Department is the third for the July-to-September period.
The pace is almost half the 3.9% annualised rate recorded in the second quarter of the year, but that rate was boosted by businesses catching up ground lost during the cold winter weather at the start of 2015.
Last week, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points to between 0.25% and 0.5%.
The Fed accompanied its rate rise with a forecast that the US economy would grow by 2.4% next year.

Summary: The US economy grew at an annual pace of 2.0% in the third quarter, according to official figures, slightly slower than the previous estimate of 2.1%.
###
Article: While it limits recruitment from outside the EU, it has "stimulated recruitment" from EU countries, the home affairs select committee said.
Net migration rose by 30% in the year to June, to 336,000 - more than three times David Cameron's intended target.
The PM has said he will not abandon his aim to reduce the figure to 100,000.
Under the immigration cap, introduced in 2011, the number of "tier 2" visas issued to skilled workers from non-EU countries is limited to 20,700 a year.
But a report by the select committee concluded the limit had been "counter-productive".
It added that "a large number" of applications from nurses with job offers in the UK were being rejected because of limits on the number of visas issued each month.
Committee chairman Keith Vaz said the government's immigration cap was having "no effect" on bringing down net migration - the difference between those coming into the country and those going out each year - but "could have caused a crisis in the NHS this winter".
He said: "When the cap was reached earlier this year, we saw the perverse effects of the system, as the cap prioritises higher-paid jobs.
"In June, nurses were being prevented from working in the UK, which necessitated the government taking emergency measures to allow recruitment to continue.
"Whilst this was a very welcome move, it is clear to see that the system could have caused a crisis in the NHS this winter.
"A system which encourages panicked adjustments to be functional is not fit for purpose. Nurses should remain on the shortage occupation list."
A total of 641,000 people moved to the UK in 2014, the Office for National Statistics said.

Summary:


A man who had been on a trip to Germany was arrested at Edinburgh Airport on 1 June.
He was found to have a knife, a knuckle duster and a knuckleduster.
The court heard that the items were "readily available" in Bavaria.
The BBC's John Simpson in

A man caught at Edinburgh Airport with knives, knuckledusters and CS gas canisters in his luggage has been jailed for three years.

Article: Tate said there had been 143,000 visits since the revamped and expanded modern art gallery opened on Friday.
On Saturday alone there were more than 54,000 visits - around double the usual visitor number and the highest ever attendance for a single day.
A new extension, a pyramid-like tower called the Switch House, increases the size of Tate Modern by 60%.
The structure, boasting panoramic views of London, was part of a Â£260m redevelopment project.
"We are absolutely delighted that so many visitors experienced the new galleries and performances at Tate Modern over the opening weekend," said Frances Morris, Tate Modern's director.
"Although we have almost doubled the number of regular visitors to the galleries during our opening weekend, we have space for it to feel comfortable even when busy.
"There has been a tremendous response from the public and we look forward to welcoming many more visitors over the coming months."
A weekend of special events to celebrate the opening included a specially-commissioned choral work by artist Peter Liversidge, performed on Saturday by more than 500 singers from community choirs across London.
Tate Modern's relaunch is accompanied by a complete rehang of the gallery's artworks which showcase more than 300 artists from about 50 countries. Half of the solo displays are dedicated to women artists.

Summary: A record number of people have visited the new Tate Modern in London in its opening weekend.
###
Article: The BBC's online archive RemArc helps stimulates conversations between people with dementia and their carers.
It draws on photos, music, spoken word recordings and film from 1940 to 1980.
The universities' team advised on making best use of the archive with regard to psychology, design, and software engineering.
People with dementia can choose their own conversational path triggered by what is on the screen during the 20-minute sessions.
Dr Norman Alm from the Dundee and St Andrews computer interactive reminiscence and conversation aid (Circa) team said one of dementia's most distressing aspects was the inability of some patients to carry out simple conversations with relatives and carers.
He said: "With depleted short-term memory, people with dementia tend to repeat themselves endlessly and are unable to participate in a conversation.
"However, their long-term memories can be relatively well preserved. If the person's long-term memories can be prompted, they are able to enjoy relating events from their past."
Dr Alm said that while it was possible for someone well-acquainted with the person's past to support them telling their stories, it can be "hard work."
He said: "We have devised ways in which the person with dementia and their carers can again enjoy a conversation, by having easy access to a carefully-designed structure holding a rich array of reminiscence content."
The BBC has made the software behind it open-source, meaning that archives and museums around the world could provide a similar service using their own material.
Jake Berger, from the BBC's archive development team, said: "We hope that amongst the 1,500 items from our archives that are available on RemArc, there will be something that triggers a reminiscence for everyone.
"Dr Alm and colleagues from the universities of Dundee and St Andrews have spent many years working in the area and we benefited hugely from their knowledge, experience and passion."

Summary: The BBC's archive is helping trigger memories among dementia patients with help from Dundee and St Andrews universities' researchers.
###
Article: Kevin McKell, from Dundee, had returned from a visit to Bavaria when his suitcase set off alarms going through an X-Ray machine.
McKell, 31. told security staff that he had a knuckle duster and a knife.
But a check revealed three CS gas canisters, seven knives and 10 knuckledusters.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that the items were "readily available" in Bavaria and that McKell was bringing them back for friends.
McKell admitted possessing the weapons without reasonable excuse or lawful authority at Edinburgh Airport on 1 June last year.

Summary:


The earthquake has caused a series of mudslides and landslides, making it difficult for rescuers to access some areas hit by the quake.
Summary: The earthquake has caused a series of mudslides and landslides, making it difficult for rescuers to access some areas hit by the quake.
Summary:

Two powerful earthquakes have struck China's north-west Gansu province, killing at least 75 people and leaving more than 400 others injured.

Article: Michel Barnier also said more work needs to be done to protect cross-Irish border co-operation "in particular".
He was speaking at the end of the second week of Brexit negotiations with the UK in Brussels on Thursday.
He described north-south co-operation in Ireland as being "embedded in the common framework of EU law".
Mr Barnier added that the EU needs to better understand how the UK intends to ensure the continuation of this co-operation.
North-south relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland forms strand two of the Good Friday Agreement, the 1998 deal that agreed a framework for how Northern Ireland should be governed.
Stand two is overseen by the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC).
There are also six all-Ireland implementation bodies, which include the Special European Union Programmes Body, which oversees EU-funded cross-border programmes.
Mr Barnier said there was also agreement that, in the next round of talks, the UK should clarify how it intends to maintain the common travel area (CTA).
The CTA is a bilateral UK-Ireland arrangement that has existed since 1922 and allows for free movement of UK and Irish citizens between the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland the rest of the UK.
It also allows Irish and UK citizens to access various services and benefits in each country such as the right to work, to access public services and to vote in certain elections.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has previously described the continuation of the CTA as "non-negotiable".
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Mr Davis described talks about the EU exit bill as "robust" after Mr Barnier said the UK must say where it stands on the issue before discussions over a trade deal can begin.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Mr Barnier said that talks on the operation of the Irish border will not happen until next year.
In evidence given to the House of Lords EU committee, he said: "In 2018 we will be working on the specific arrangements for border checks without there being any hard border."
He also gave...

Summary: More detailed discussions are needed on how Brexit will affect the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland, according to the EU's chief negotiator.
###
Article: The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published its assessment of the Smith Commission's plans, saying that "big issues have yet to be resolved".
Its main concern is with the calculation of the UK Treasury's block grant to the Scottish Parliament.
As more powers are devolved to Holyrood, it means the grant funding formula will have to be adjusted.
The IFS calculates the share of taxation under Holyrood control or assigned to it as a share of UK tax take would rise from 13% to more than 50% under the plans.
It says the changes to the block grant should be "relatively easy" in the first year. But in subsequent years it becomes more difficult to calculate what should happen if Westminster raises tax to pay for shared provision, such as UK debt reduction, but Scotland does not.
"Inflation and economic growth mean that the amount raised from a tax or spent on a particular area tends to grow over time," according to David Phillips, author of the IFS report.
"The Smith Commission recognises this, by stating that these block grant reductions or additions should be 'indexed appropriately'. But what does this rather cryptic phrase mean?"
One challenge it identifies is to find a balance between giving Scottish ministers the autonomy to adjust tax rates and benefit from growth in the tax base, while also providing UK protection against sudden shocks.
Another problem the IFS sees with the Smith Commission plans, published last month, is that there is supposed to be compensation between Westminster and Holyrood when a taxation decision has an impact on each other. This could be to compensate for loss to each other's treasuries, or as a penalty for harming one another.
But this is seen as very hard to calculate, and also hard to get to a common understanding of how this should be calculated.
"The Smith Commission has provided a set of proposals for further devolution of taxes and spending, agreed by the five main Scottish parties. This is a significant achievement," reports the Institute.
"But many difficult issues...

Summary: The cross-party agreement on devolving more tax powers to Holyrood may not be feasible or fair, it has been claimed.
###
Article: The first earthquake near Dingxi city had a magnitude of 5.98 and was shallow, with a depth of just 9.8 km (6 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
Just over an hour later, a magnitude 5.6 quake hit the same area, it added.
In 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan province left up to 90,000 people dead and millions homeless.
A factory worker in Minxian county told AFP that he felt "violent shaking" and "ran to the yard of the [factory] plant immediately".
"Our factory is only one floor. When I came to the yard, I saw an 18-storey building, the tallest in our county, shaking ferociously, especially the 18th floor," he said.
The area has been hit by 371 aftershocks, according to the Earthquake Administration of Gansu province.
Tremors were felt in the provincial capital, Lanzhou, and as far away as Xian, 400km (250 miles) to the east.
At least 5,600 houses in the province's Zhangxian county are seriously damaged and 380 have collapsed, while some areas suffered from power cuts or mobile communications being disrupted, the earthquake administration added.
"Many have been injured by collapsed houses," a doctor based in Minxian county was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. "Many villagers have gone to local hospitals along the roads."
The earthquake has caused a direct economic loss of 198 million yuan ($32m; Â£21m), the Dingxi government said on its microblog.
Both the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang had called Gansu province to express their concern for the victims and stress the importance of the rescue operations being conducted well, the Dingxi government added.
Crews of fire fighters and rescue dogs have already arrived at the scene, the BBC's Celia Hatton in Beijing reports.
In pictures: Quakes aftermath
The closer to the surface an earthquake strikes, the more damage it can cause, our correspondent adds.
The earthquake reportedly triggered a series of mudslides and landslides, making it difficult for rescuers to access some areas hit by the quake.
The Gansu military police have deployed...

Summary:


A new study has found that people with a particular type of facial disfigurement are more likely to be bullied at school.
The study, published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that people with a particular type of facial disfigurement are more likely to be bullied at school.
The study

A charity has criticised a series of adverts which it claims are offensive to people with facial burns.

Article: Labour will set out its devolution offer for Wales, including giving 16 and 17 year olds the vote by May 2016.
Their plan also includes devolving fracking, and powers over transport such as the Wales and Border rail franchise, ports and speed limits.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems want a guarantee that funding for Wales will not fall below an agreed level.
Shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith said Labour's proposals "map out a historic new chapter in Wales' devolution journey, creating a lasting settlement allowing us to advance social justice, improve equality of opportunity and create a fairer society for all".
The Liberal Democrats have said they would introduce a Barnett funding floor, set at a level which reflects Wales' needs.
They said they would also commission a study to update the Holtham Commission's analysis, which five years ago estimated a funding shortfall to Wales of Â£300m.
The party said it would then seek to increase the Welsh block grant to an equitable level.
Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Jenny Willot said: "The Liberal Democrats not only recognise that Wales is underfunded, but we will commit to putting in place practical measures to address this."
Labour also said it would deliver "fair funding for Wales" through introducing a Barnett funding floor.
But Plaid Cymru said it was "a smoke and mirrors solution".
The party's candidate in the Vale of Glamorgan, Ian Johnson, said: "A Barnett floor does not offer a lasting solution, and if austerity continues then a Barnett floor will not generate any additional resources for Wales at all.
"At best it will stop the situation getting worse, it will not make the situation any better. It will not give fair funding to Wales.
"Plaid Cymru will fight to deliver parity of funding and responsibility for Wales with Scotland."
The Conservatives have previously also proposed introducing a "floor", but said the exact level would be worked out later.

Summary: Devolution and funding for Wales are under the spotlight, as the general election campaign continues.
###
Article: NHS patients in England will be able to access Kalydeco, also known as ivacaftor, from 1 January.
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust said not funding the drug in Scotland would cause "dismay and heartache".
The trust said it was appalled that people in Scotland were denied a potentially life-changing treatment.
Ed Owen, the trust's chief executive, has written to the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) on the day before the NHS in England begins to fund it for all people over the age of six with the G551D cystic fibrosis mutation.
A decision by the SMC over the drug is expected on 14 January, the charity said.
In his letter Mr Owen said: "We trust that the SMC will reflect carefully on the decision in England, and its rationale, before making its decision on funding in Scotland.
"As the organisation representing people with cystic fibrosis across the UK, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust would be dismayed and appalled at a situation where people in Scotland were denied a potentially life-changing treatment freely available to those in England.
"Such an outcome would cause considerable and unacceptable heartache for families across Scotland."
The charity said around 4% of patients across the UK have the G551D mutation, compared to around 11% of the Scottish cystic fibrosis population.
It said this equates to about 80 people in Scotland who would be eligible for Kalydeco.

Summary: A new drug for people with a particular form of cystic fibrosis, available in England, must also be prescribed in Scotland, a charity has said.
###
Article: A poster for conference call firm Powwownow shows a man on an underground train surrounded by zombie-like characters in masks.
Changing Faces says the adverts are "insensitive" because of the similarity to masks worn by people recovering from burns.
Powwownow says the images are not targeting those with facial disfigurements and instead show characters from "fantasy horror".
In one advert, a woman is shown in the middle of a group of people wearing masks similar to that of Jason, the main character of the Friday The 13th movie franchise.
In a blog post, Changing Faces chief executive, James Partridge, said the tagline of the campaign - Avoid the Horror - was "disturbing".
He wrote: "It reinforces the harmful association that people who wear masks as part of their treatment and who have burn scarring, are to be feared and avoided."
Changing Faces says Powwownow originally agreed to take down the adverts.
In a statement to Newsbeat, a spokesman from the conferencing service said: "When we received a complaint from Changing Faces, we pulled the advert as a mark of respect to the charity's perspective and undertook a review of the advertising strategy.
"After this robust review, we reinstated the advert as a reflection of our belief in the creative concept, its clear reference to the fantasy horror genre and the fact that we are in no way targeting or discriminating against people with facial disfigurement, or indeed any people.
"The adverts focus purely on the horror of the commuting experience and in no way target any individuals."
Catrin Pugh from Wrexham sustained burns to her face and body when the coach she was travelling in crashed in France in 2013.
She's been undergoing treatment ever since.
Speaking to Newsbeat, she said: "Wearing my compression mask is why my face looks 'normal' and was one of the most important parts of my treatment.
"This advert, suggesting people in masks are 'horrors' makes me so angry."
"I remember when I first went out into the public wearing my mask, and due to my eyesight I...

Summary:


The first 10 satellites to be launched into orbit by the OneWeb constellation will be the first to be launched from the new Toulouse assembly line.
The first 10 satellites to be launched into orbit by the OneWeb constellation will be the first to be launched from the new Toulouse assembly line.
The first

European aerospace giant Airbus and its partner, OneWeb, have begun the production of a satellite mega-constellation.

Article: In an email, the firm told buyers of self-balancing scooters with "non-compliant UK plugs" to dispose of the product at a recycling centre.
Such customers would be automatically refunded within three days, it said.
It comes after Trading Standards seized 15,000 unsafe boards being brought into the UK.
Many had faulty cables, chargers or plugs that could catch fire or explode, it said.
Amazon is understood to have stopped selling the devices. Retailers Argos, John Lewis have also reportedly pulled them from sale.
A Tesco spokesman said: "We've suspended the sale of all hoverboards both in store and online as a precautionary measure."
In the email, Amazon said: "We regret the inconvenience this may cause you but trust you will understand that your safety and satisfaction is our highest priority."
It advised customers to dispose of their product at a centre registered to recycle electrical items "as soon as possible", and said a refund was being automatically processed.
The company also sent a separate email to customers who had bought the so-called hoverboards with compliant UK plugs to give them tips on safe battery and plug use "as a precaution".
Such customers could contact Amazon customer services if they did not wish to keep the product, the firm said.
Earlier this month, Trading Standards officers said they had seized 88% of all scooters examined since October 15, mainly for having non-compliant electrical components that could explode or catch fire.
Many of the boards were found to have plugs without fuses, and cut-off switches which failed when tested.
Chargers, cabling and batteries were also found to fail safety standards.
The London Fire Brigade has warned that at least three house fires were caused by such devices over 10 days in October.
Trading Standards is giving these tips to consumers who have bought a "hoverboard", or are thinking of buying one:
Anyone who finds such products for sale is being urged to contact the Citizens Advice helpline on 03454 04 05 06.
The Retail Ombudsman watchdog urged...

Summary: Online marketplace Amazon has told customers who bought certain "hoverboards" to throw them out after concerns they can catch fire.
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Article: Desmond Bartley, 21, was charged with the unlawful killing of Tommy Main at a birthday celebration in June last year.
The court heard Mr Main, 23, had collapsed and died during a "macho" game of "blow for blow" in which the two men exchanged punches.
Mr Bartley denied the charge, saying they had been "playing" and was found not guilty at Inner London Crown Court.
He explained they took turns to hit each other but each had no intention of seriously hurting the other man.
The court heard the men, who had known each other for 10 years, had both taken cocaine.
They were among 30 adults, teenagers and children attending a 16th birthday party at a house in Erith, south-east London.
Mr Bartley said that after being punched twice by Mr Main, he took his turn and struck him in the chest.
He told the jury: "Basically he (Mr Main) said 'ah, I felt that', looked at me, laughed and then collapsed."
Mr Bartley said he thought Mr Main had just lost his breath until he started turning blue and people began trying to resuscitate him.
The formal cause of death was given as cardiac arrest following blunt chest impact and the presence of cocaine and alcohol.
Mr Bartley told police he had "hardly touched him", adding in court: "The punch that I threw, I never thought it would do something like that, him collapsing."

Summary: A man accused of killing a father-of-two in a party prank that went wrong has been cleared of manslaughter.
###
Article: The network will comprise at least 600 spacecraft in the first instance, but could eventually encompass more than 2,000.
The aim is to deliver broadband links from orbit to every corner of the globe.
In particular, the project wants every school to have a connection.
Building so large a constellation requires a step-change in the manufacture of satellites - especially for Airbus.
It can take Europe’s biggest space company many months and hundreds of millions of dollars to build some of today’s specialist platforms. But for the OneWeb venture, it is all about high volume and low cost.
That means new assembly line methods akin to those in factories producing cars and planes.
The idea is to turn out three units per shift at well less than a million dollars a piece.
The boss of Airbus, Tom Enders, concedes he initially thought the OneWeb concept to be fantasy.
"Everything in space as you know traditionally has been 'gold-plated'; it had to work perfectly, [and have] the most expensive materials, etc.
"Here, we’ve had to go other ways, to be really commercial and calculating according to the target cost because that is very decisive in the whole business case for OneWeb," he told BBC News.
Airbus and OneWeb have inaugurated the first assembly line in Toulouse, France. Two further lines will be set up in a soon-to-open factory complex in Florida.
The most obvious difference you notice between these new lines and the conventional satellite cleanroom is the trolley robot, which moves the developing satellites between the various work stations. But the "revolution" here goes far beyond automation; it requires a whole chain of suppliers and their components to scale their work to a different game plan.
The first 10 satellites to come off the Toulouse assembly line have a deadline to launch in April next year.
Another batch will follow into orbit around November. And then the launch cadence will kick on apace.
The establishment of the OneWeb constellation requires the greatest rocket campaign in the history of...

Summary:


The man who set fire to a black Land Rover Discovery in Musselburgh has been arrested.
The man, who was arrested on suspicion of arson, was in his 20s.
He was arrested at the scene and taken to a south-east Scotland police station.
The vehicle was destroyed in the blaze.

Police are appealing for witnesses following a suspicious car fire in East Lothian.

Article: Marie Baltazar, from Llanelli, was secretly filmed by a member of staff at St James Care Home in Swansea.
The 36-year-old was also caught banging a metal pan next to the sleeping man before poking him with a wooden spoon.
Baltazar pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court to causing ill-treatment and was jailed for 20 weeks.
Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said the cruel treatment was not done to torment the victim, but to make Balatzar's life easier.
"The complainant suffers with Down's Syndrome and lacks mental capacity," he added.
"It would be right to say that he was restless and wanders.
"And in order to keep him on his chair the defendant would tie a small table to his chair to effectively stop him wandering off."
Mr Rouch said on one occasion, after returning from a visit to a day centre, the complainant was trapped between 17:00 and 21:00.
He added: "Mr Templeton could not freely go to the toilet or get up. This took place routinely."
The offences came to light thanks to the home's cleaner, who covertly filmed the neglect in November 2015.
Baltazar claimed she had the victim's interests at heart - but had gone about things the wrong way.
However, Judge Paul Thomas QC said the defendant had treated Mr Templeton with no dignity.
He said: "He was tethered like an animal for hours at a time.
"And when he needed to sleep you kept him awake by banging metal objects next to his head.
"Mr Templeton was in the early onset of dementia. He must have found this highly distressing, bewildering."
The court heard that the home - where the defendant's husband Ashley Bowen was the manager of - closed in March 2016 following an inspection by Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales.
Speaking after the sentencing, South Wales Police praised the whistle-blower who came forward.
"This case could not have been brought about without the commendable decision of a staff member to speak out about abuse being perpetrated within the care home," said Det Sgt Christopher Williams.
"The defendant's actions were both cruel and demeaning,...

Summary: A carer who "tethered" a man with Down's Syndrome for four hours by tying his chair to a table in order to make her shift easier has been jailed.
###
Article: But the reality in Europe's poorest country is more complicated than that.
It is a political crisis.
The anti-government camp is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pavel Filip's government and early parliamentary elections.
They include two pro-Moscow groups and one pro-European group - the Dignity and Truth movement, led by Andrei Nastase.
They have put their differences aside, at least temporarily, and have given the government until Thursday to come up with a schedule for elections. Otherwise, they threaten to begin a campaign of civil disobedience.
At the heart of their demands, however, is a desire for sweeping change: to replace a political establishment, which they say is rotten with corruption and whose members are controlled by oligarchs.
The government's pro-European stance, they claim, is just a smokescreen to conceal this graft.
Last year, Moldova was rocked by what was for the country the mother of all scandals: more than â‚¬1bn (Â£710m) disappeared from three banks.
It was suspected that the money was embezzled. The loss also put a heavy strain on the financial system, since the â‚¬1bn represented about 14% of the country's GDP. Moldova's currency, the lei, was sharply devalued.
In the wake of the scandal, heads rolled:
But this unleashed another wave of outrage.
Pavel Filip's election was highly unorthodox, and may have violated protocol.
Deputies were suddenly called to vote within a couple of hours. Then Mr Filip was sworn in at midnight, seemingly in secret, since no media were invited.
Protesters stormed parliament, and more than 20,000 gathered on Sunday to demand that he resign immediately.
There is also some dispute about Pavel Filip's background.
Critics say he is closely connected to the country's richest man, Vladimir Plahotniuc, who they maintain is the main power broker behind the scenes, and in their eyes the man most responsible for official corruption.
"Moldova is a 'captured state' and Mr Plahotniuc is the symbol of this evil," said Oazu Nantoi, programme director at...

Summary: Some people say the street protests in Moldova are by pro-Russian protesters trying to unseat a European-friendly government in a former Soviet republic.
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Article: A black Land Rover Discovery was set on fire in Cairds Row in Musselburgh between 23:30 and 23:55 on Monday.
Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Sgt Stuart Higginbottom, of Police Scotland, said: "Fortunately, no one was injured as a result of this fire but we are treating this extremely seriously."

Summary:


The man was found dead in Inverness on 27 October.
The man was found dead in Inverness on 27 October.
The man was found dead in Inverness on 27 October.
The man was found dead in Inverness on 27 October.
The man was found dead in Invern

An investigation has been launched into the police response to a call from a 72-year-old man who was later found dead in a sheltered housing complex.

Article: The 165-hectare (408 acres) Dunsbury Farm borders the wildlife-rich chalk downland of Compton.
The trust intends to develop the farm habitat to support species including the Glanville fritillary.
Manager Tony Tutton said the Â£2.7m purchase was a "crucial piece of the coastal jigsaw" for the trust.
The trust said it was its largest coastal acquisition in England since 1993.
The Isle of Wight is home to the UK's main population of the Glanville fritillary, and Compton Bay is a traditional stronghold.
The butterfly relies on crumbling cliffs, and the downs behind the coast provide additional breeding habitat.
The National Trust said it would work in partnership with Butterfly Conservation to create the right conditions to safeguard its habitat.
Source: Butterfly Conservation
"Given time and lots of hard work the farm will also become a vital place where we can combine people's enjoyment of butterflies and farmland birds with the stunning views along the chalk cliffs towards the Needles."
Funding for buying the farm came mainly from the National Trust's Neptune Coastal Campaign appeal.

Summary: The habitat of a rare butterfly on the Isle of Wight is to be protected following a major acquisition of farmland by the National Trust.
###
Article: A House of Lords committee was told the devices were also being flown in protected airspace and that officers found it difficult to identify the people responsible.
The warning came from Ch Insp Nick Aldworth, of the Metropolitan Police, who is part of a nationwide group tasked with looking at the issue.
Civilian use of the aircraft, which can be legally flown, is increasing.
Drones, which are officially known as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, range in size from small craft operated by enthusiasts, TV companies, police forces and surveyors and weighing a few kilograms, to larger military versions.
Smaller ones can be flown without special permission although restrictions apply if they are used in congested areas or near people's homes.
The Lords Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment Committee has been holding an inquiry into their use by civilians.
Ch Insp Aldworth said the devices, which he described as "things that fly and do not have pilots in them", could be used in a "reckless" or "malicious" way.
Baroness O'Cathain, the committee chairwoman, said a number of concerns about privacy had been raised, but Ch Insp Aldworth said this was not a police matter as there was no criminal privacy law.
However, he said other legislation could be used, for example laws banning voyeurism, in the event of drones with cameras "hovering outside people's bedrooms for whatever nefarious reasons".
Footage posted posted on the internet was the most common way of drone use coming to light, he said, and the peers were told of the difficulties of finding the people responsible.
If a drone "whizzes past your window and catches something that you would rather it didn't catch", he said, it was difficult to catch the person flying it unless the police arrived immediately.
Ch Insp Aldworth said his group's task was to find a "sensible application" of existing laws to control the use of the drones.
He said there was no doubt drones had been used in London and around the UK, pointing to footage posted of football stadiums...

Summary: Unmanned drones are "undoubtedly" being used to harass people, police say.
###
Article: The man died in Inverness on 27 October this year.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc), Kate Frame, has been asked to scrutinise the initial police response to the man's call.
Police Scotland said it was "fully engaging" with the investigation and awaited its findings.
A spokesman for Pirc said: "The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has instructed the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner to undertake an investigation into the initial police response to a call from a 72-year-old man who was later found dead at a sheltered housing complex in Inverness.
"A report on the commissioner's findings will be submitted to the COPFS in due course."

Summary:


The Kenyan marathon world champion has been suspended for two years.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has suspended the Kenyan marathon world champion for two years.
The IAAF said in a statement: "The IAAF has suspended the Kenyan marathon world champion for two years.
"The IAAF

Kenya's Rita Jeptoo, winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons, has been banned for two years after failing a drugs test.

Article: They passed on variants involved in type 2 diabetes, Crohn's disease and - curiously - smoking addiction.
Genome studies reveal that our species (Homo sapiens) mated with Neanderthals after leaving Africa.
But it was previously unclear what this Neanderthal DNA did and whether there were any implications for human health.
Between 2% and 4% of the genetic blueprint of present-day non-Africans came from Neanderthals.
By screening the genomes of 1,004 modern humans, Sriram Sankararaman and his colleagues identified regions bearing the Neanderthal versions of different genes.
That a gene variant associated with a difficulty in stopping smoking should be found to have a Neanderthal origin is a surprise.
It goes without saying that there is no suggestion our evolutionary cousins were puffing away in their caves.
Instead, the researchers argue, this mutation may have more than one function, so the modern effect of this marker on smoking behaviour may be one impact it has among several.
Researchers found that Neanderthal DNA is not distributed uniformly across the human genome, instead being commonly found in regions that affect skin and hair.
This suggests some gene variants provided a rapid way for modern humans to adapt to the new cooler environments they encountered as they moved into Eurasia. When the populations met, Neanderthals had already been adapting to these conditions for several hundred thousand years.
The stocky hunters once covered a range stretching from Britain to Siberia, but went extinct around 30,000 years ago as Homo sapiens was expanding from an African homeland.
Neanderthal ancestry was found in regions of the genome linked to the regulation of skin pigmentation.
"We found evidence that Neanderthal skin genes made Europeans and East Asians more evolutionarily fit," said Benjamin Vernot, from the University of Washington, co-author of a separate study in Science journal.
Genes for keratin filaments, a fibrous protein that lends toughness to skin, hair and nails, were also enriched with...

Summary: Gene types that influence disease in people today were picked up through interbreeding with Neanderthals, a major study in Nature journal suggests.
###
Article: The new rules will affect anyone taking money out of a personal pension from 1 April 2017.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said providers who already charge less than 1% will not be allowed to raise their fees.
Those taking out new pension contracts will face no early exit charge at all.
Workplace pensions will be subject to the same rules, but these will not come into effect until October 2017, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced.
Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA, said: "People eligible for the government's pension reforms should feel able to access them as they wish.
"The 1% cap on early exit charges for existing pensions, and the 0% cap for new contracts, will mean that current and future savers will not be deterred by these charges from accessing their pension pots."
Previously some pension providers were charging fees of up to 10%, after the government announced that anyone over the age of 55 could withdraw as much as they wanted from their pensions, subject to income tax.
The "pension freedoms" came into effect in April 2015.
However, some experts believe the 1% cap is still not low enough.
"The cap on early exit fees for pensions, including occupational schemes, is a start, but 1% of a Â£100,000 pension is still a Â£1,000 charge for accessing your own savings," said Tom Selby, senior analyst at investment platform AJ Bell.
"We hope the authorities continue to monitor the cap, to assess whether it should be lower or even abolished if early exit penalties continue to prevent people utilising the new flexible pension rules."

Summary: Early exit charges for people taking money out of their pension pots will be capped at 1%, the financial regulator has confirmed.
###
Article: She became Kenya's first high-profile athlete to fail a test, when she tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in September.
Jeptoo, 33, says she may have been prescribed some banned substances at a local hospital after a road accident.
She has become the 45th Kenyan athlete to have failed a doping test.
David Rudisha, the Olympic 800 metres champion, said he fears for Kenya's hard-won reputation after repeat allegations of doping.
"Athletics Kenya followed due process in her matter and it was appropriate that she serves a two-year ban," said the governing body's chief executive Isaac Kamande.
The ban comes only a few days after Athletics Kenya announced that eight more Kenyan athletes have been suspended for between one to four years for taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Over the last two years Kenya has been in the spotlight after a German television programme claimed that many Kenyan athletes are doping.
Jeptoo, one of most successful runners in Kenyan history, was due to be crowned world Marathon Major Champion for the year 2014 but the ceremony was called off soon after news of her failed test.
She has won the previous three Boston and two Chicago marathons and also previously won the Stockholm, Paris, Milan and Lisbon marathons.

Summary:


A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a man in a suspected hit-and-run in Edinburgh.
The man, aged in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of murder.
He is being questioned by detectives from the Major Investigation Team.
The man was arrested in connection with the death

Eurotunnel passengers have faced fresh delays after "migrant activity" led to extra security measures in France.

Article: Sports scientists found the youngsters became mentally quicker and sharper after a series of short sprints and slightly longer periods of walking.
The Nottingham Trent University team said that by doing exercise the children were effectively speeding up their minds.
The effects on cognitive ability lasted for about an hour.
The study, published in the journal Preventative Medicine Reports, involved a group of 44 12-year-olds undertaking a series of ten-second sprints, interspersed with 50 seconds of walking.
These particular exercises were chosen to replicate the kind of activities that children usually do in the playground - running for a short while, then stopping then running again for a short while.
They were then required to sit some tests measuring brain function.
These measured attention and focus by asking participants to identify the colour a word is written in rather the word itself.
For example, if the word "green" is written in blue letters, then "blue" is the correct answer.
Dr Simon Cooper, the lead researcher, said: "These tests measure cognitive ability - concentration levels, ability to focus, memory, attention - all the things you need for learning.
"Essentially, following the exercise the children were mentally quicker, but still as accurate in their answers to the tests.
"By doing exercise, they are speeding up their minds ."
Dr Cooper added: "Our findings are of great importance to schools, demonstrating the importance of physical education in the curriculum. They support the inclusion of high-intensity sprint-based exercise for adolescent pupils during the school day."

Summary: Bursts of intense exercise during the school day improve pupils' focus and concentration in class, a study says.
###
Article: The festival, which has been running for more than 30 years, has spilled out onto George Street from its traditional home of Charlotte Square.
It comes after the owners asked the festival to reduce its impact on the space and grass damage.
Organisers also believe the move will capture new audiences. The Edinburgh International Book Festival runs until Monday 28 August.
It opens with speakers including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Paul Auster, Zadie Smith, Richard Ford, Andrew O'Hagan and Ali Smith.
Comedians Andy Hamilton, Joe Lycett and Sara Pascoe will be appearing together with actors Simon Callow, Harriet Walter, Isla Fisher and Stephen McGann and from the world of politics Harriet Harman, Sayeeda Warsi, Vince Cable, Jess Phillips, David Owen and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
There will be conversations, performances, lectures, workshops and discussions featuring 1,000 writers including 50 debut novelists from more than 50 countries.
Nick Barley, director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: "I'm really proud that we are able to expand into George Street this year.
"For many years Charlotte Square has been home for the book festival and it still is the home of the book festival.
"But expanding into George Street is a chance to reach out to new audiences and people who haven't yet had the chance to take part in what goes on in Charlotte Square gardens."

Summary: The Edinburgh International Book Festival has got under way.
###
Article: The firm said there were waiting times of up to three and a half hours at the terminal in Folkestone and an hour in Calais.
It tweeted the delays were "due to increased security measures" and said it was working hard to minimise them.
On Thursday, a teenager thought to be from east Africa was killed by freight train near the tunnel in Calais.
The boy is the 11th person to have died in or near the tunnel while trying to reach Britain, since late June.
In a statement, Eurotunnel said: "There is a waiting time of approximately three and a half hours on the terminal.
"We regret that we are currently unable to sell tickets to non-reserved customers.
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this will cause to your journey."
The rail operator also tweeted earlier that services had been affected by a power problem on the national French network but issues were later resolved.
It said security systems would be checked within the Channel Tunnel before any trains were allowed to enter.
There has been a fall in intrusion attempts at Eurotunnel's terminal in Calais after extra security measures were introduced in Europe.
The situation in Calais is part of a wider crisis across Europe, with migrants and refugees heading north from the Mediterranean.

Summary: