The National Trust has rejected a fracking application at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.
The National Trust has rejected a fracking application at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.
The trust said it was "unlikely" that it would allow fracking on its land.
The trust said it was "unlikely" that it

A petrochemical company is threatening legal action over the National Trust's refusal to allow testing for shale gas on its land.

Article: He said businesses will have to pay higher wages but will pay lower taxes in return - while  workers will get higher pay but fewer benefits.
This created a "new centre" in British politics and was a "fair deal" for all, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Labour has attacked the Budget for being too hard on the poor and called the National Living Wage a "con".
Budget Calculator: How will the Budget affect you?
The Institute for Fiscal Studies, in its Budget analysis, said Mr Osborne was "plain wrong" to argue that the National Living Wage he announced on Wednesday would compensate for benefit cuts and said it will cost three million families an average of £1,000 a year.
IFS director Paul Johnson told BBC News: "The cuts will be bigger for people in work than they will be for people out of work and in the new universal credit system it will reduce the incentive for people to move in to work."
He also questioned whether another of Mr Osborne's announcements, a four year freeze on public sector pay, was sustainable as it will leave public sector pay at its lowest level compared to private sector pay since records began.
"The tax and welfare changes between them mean that poorer households have lost quite significantly and as a result of yesterday's Budget, much more significantly than anything that has happened to richer households," added Mr Johnson.
Downing Street said the combination of the living wage, higher personal tax allowance and welfare changes meant the typical family with a full time worker on the minimum wage would be better off in 2020.
Mr Osborne unveiled the National Living Wage in a surprise announcement at the end of his Budget speech on Wednesday. Paid to over-25s, it will start at £7.20 and rise to £9 an hour by 2020.
But a £4.5bn cut to tax credits, part of a £12bn package of welfare cuts announced on Wednesday, will kick in next April, leading Labour to accuse Mr Osborne of "pulling the rug from under" many poor families.
Shadow Chancellor Chris Leslie said: "Don't underestimate how...

Summary: Chancellor George Osborne has rejected criticism of his Budget insisting it offers the country a "new contract".
###
Article: Ms Hanson won a Senate seat in Australia's recent election, and has called for an inquiry into Islam and "zero-net" migration.
She also repeated claims that Australia was being "swamped by Asians".
Her One Nation party could win several Senate seats once votes are counted.
"We have plenty of examples about how licensing hate can lead to serious violence and ugliness in our streets and communities," racial discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"We shouldn't be doing anything to compromise the remarkable success story of Australian multiculturalism," he said.
Australian PM urged to quit after vote
Cartoon: Planet of Forbidden Prime Ministers
The massive scale of Australia's election
Who's who in Australia's 2016 federal elections?
Neither of Australia's major parties have been able to form a majority government after Saturday's election, and whoever can once the count is finalised will likely need to negotiate with Ms Hanson and other minor party senators to pass legislation.
A record number of Australians voted for minor parties such as One Nation, with commentators speculating that she secured a conservative vote that would have traditionally gone to the Liberal-National coalition government.
During a news conference Ms Hanson said she was "not sold" on climate change, and was against foreign ownership of Australian agricultural land.
She also called for a royal commission into Islam, said no new mosques should be built in Australia and suggested existing mosques should face increased surveillance.
However, she said her policy priorities would be a royal commission into the banking sector and reform of the family court system, which makes decisions on child-custody disputes.
Ms Hanson first entered Australia's lower house as an independent MP in 1996, using her maiden speech to warn that Australia was at risk of being "swamped by Asians".
She repeated this view after her recent election victory, saying "a lot of Australians feel Asians are buying...

Summary: Comments made by Australian senator-elect Pauline Hanson could lead to violence, according to the country's racial discrimination commissioner.
###
Article: A so-called "Brexit" would disrupt established trading relationships and cause "major challenges" for both the UK and the rest of Europe, it said.
The IMF said the referendum had already created uncertainty for investors and a vote to exit would only heighten this.
Vote Leave said the IMF had been "consistently wrong" in past forecasts.
The IMF, one of the main pillars of the global economic order with a mandate to oversee the international monetary and financial system, also cut its UK growth forecast.
It now expects 1.9% growth in the UK this year, compared with its January estimate of 2.2%. For next year, it expects 2.2% growth, unchanged from its earlier forecast.
If the 23 June referendum in the UK were to produce a vote in favour of leaving the EU, the IMF would expect negotiations on post-exit arrangements to be protracted, which it warned "could weigh heavily on confidence and investment, all the while increasing financial market volatility".
It also believes a UK exit from the EU would "disrupt and reduce mutual trade and financial flows" and restrict benefits from economic co-operation and integration, such as those resulting from economies of scale.
However, the Fund said that domestic demand, boosted by lower energy prices and a buoyant property market, would help to offset the impact on UK growth ahead of the EU referendum.
Chancellor George Osborne said the IMF's comments reinforced the case for staying. "The IMF has given us the clearest independent warning of the taste of bad things to come if we leave the EU," he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "The IMF is right - leaving the EU would pose major risks for the UK economy. We are stronger, safer and better off in the European Union."
Maurice Obstfeld, economic counsellor to the International Monetary Fund and the organisation's chief economist, says there could be "severe regional and global damage" if Britain were to vote to leave the European Union.
An exit would present "major challenges" and a prolonged period of...

Summary: The UK's exit from the European Union could cause "severe regional and global damage", the International Monetary Fund has warned in its latest outlook.
###
Article: Ineos wants to conduct seismic surveys at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire to see if there is potential for fracking.
The firm said the charity had blocked any contact for almost a year and it was considering seeking a court order.
The National Trust said it opposed any activities leading to the extraction of fossil fuels, so rejected requests.
Moves to look for shale gas in the Sherwood Forest area have proved controversial due to environmental concerns over extraction - known as fracking - and expansion of fossil fuel use.
Ineos said it already had permission from nearby landowners for the the non-invasive survey and its ability to extract gas would be "significantly limited" if it could not get on to Clumber Park.
"If the National Trust refuses to change its position, Ineos will have no choice but to write to the Oil and Gas Authority, asking for permission to seek a court order enforcing its rights to carry out these surveys on National Trust land," it said in a statement.
The company said government licences gave it a legal obligation to investigate shale gas deposits around the country and criticised the charity's position as "overtly political" as shale gas had lower carbon emissions than either oil and gas.
A National Trust spokesman said: "The National Trust is opposed to fracking on its land and will reject any fracking requests or inquiries.
"Consistent with this, we say no to surveying on our land for fracking purposes."

Summary:


A woman has been rescued from the River Dart in Devon.
The RNLI said the woman was "safe and well" after being pulled from the water.
The woman was taken to hospital with "minor injuries".
The RNLI said the woman was "safe and well" after being pulled from the water

A bride-to-be who wanted a "no-fuss and low-key" hen party had to be rescued by the RNLI after their hire boat ran aground in a river.

Article: The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said it was concerned ministers, not the watchdog, set the appointments code.
MPs said they were not assured that candidates would not be deliberately excluded from high profile public appointments on an arbitrary basis.
The government has said that changes have strengthened the process.
Public appointments are ministerial appointments to the board of a public body, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or UK Sport, or advisory committees.
Last year, officials said changes stemming from a review by the businessman Sir Gerry Grimstone would strengthen current procedures and that transparency and accountability would remain "key elements".
It came amid reports of increasing intervention by ministers over appointments to key positions, including on behalf of those with links to the Conservative Party.
The committee said it had expressed "serious concerns" about the content of the Grimstone proposals.
Its inquiry into the review said that "without extensive amendment, the Grimstone proposals will not and cannot sustain public confidence".
The inquiry said the proposals "significantly weaken" the powers of the public appointments commissioner - who is in charge of ensuring major public jobs are handed out on merit - as previous powers such as appointing independent assessors were taken away.
Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said: "We remain concerned that there seems to be an effort by government to weaken the robustness and transparency of public appointments according to the principles established by the very first Committee on Standards on Public Life, under Lord Nolan."
He added: "We hope that the new commissioner for public appointments will do all he can to defend the Nolan principles on public appointments."
The committee also said it was "a matter of great concern" that the government, rather than the public appointments commissioner, set the Public Appointments Code.
The government said it had implemented the Grimstone...

Summary: The process for filling senior jobs at public bodies is not transparent despite changes, MPs have said.
###
Article: EU tourists booking a break will be told whether the deal constitutes a "package holiday".
Operators ensure that anyone on a package deal is flown home if an airline goes bust, or is given a refund or replacement if hotels go under.
UK travel organisation Abta argued that the rules should have gone further.
It said that the extra protection failed to cover all trips that "look and feel like a package holiday" to consumers.
The new rules were given approval by the European Parliament and must be adopted by member states in the next two years.
European officials decided to review rules made in 1990 owing to the changing way that holidaymakers buy holidays, with many more now booked online.
Protection for package holiday deals has been in place for some time, with an operator responsible for all aspects of the holiday, should things go wrong. For example, a refund or replacement of a hire car would be the responsibility of the tour operator if the provider went bust.
New Flight Plus arrangements were added in the UK a few years ago, giving greater protection to those who book a flight and then a hotel through the same website than to those who book everything independently.
Now the new EU rules ensure that it is clear to holidaymakers whether their deal is a full package holiday, and which consumer protections that includes.
A new "linked travel arrangement" system relates to those who book a flight online and are then invited to click through for other services such as a hotel, which they then book in the next 24 hours.
The new rules will make it clear which operator is liable at each stage of the holiday and customers will be guaranteed the right to compensation if services provided are not up to standard.
Business trips arranged by an organiser through a general agreement are excluded from new rules, as these agreements usually offer separate protection for travellers.

Summary: Protection for holidaymakers if operators go bust is to be strengthened and made clearer, following new rules approved by MEPs.
###
Article: PM Theresa May refused to give a "running commentary" on the talks when pressed by the SNP's Angus Robertson on membership of the single market.
Mrs May said her government would not "reveal our hand prematurely" over the UK's negotiating position over Brexit.
The first minister said "there must be greater transparency" from Westminster.
Mr Robertson, leader of the SNP at Westminster and a candidate to be the party's deputy leader, accused Mrs May and her ministers of "waffle" for repeatedly insisting that "Brexit means Brexit".
During the weekly session of prime minister's questions, he pressed Mrs May to say whether she would argue for the UK to remain part of the single market post-Brexit.
She replied that she would seek "the right deal" on trade in goods and services, but added: "We will not take decisions until we are ready, we will not reveal our hand prematurely and we will not provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiations."
In a later statement at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that she was "concerned" by this approach.
The first minister said: "I accept that while negotiations are under way there are aspects of that which have to be done behind closed doors. But I do not think it is acceptable to have a cloud of secrecy hanging over the UK government's negotiating position.
"I don't think it's acceptable to have a prime minister who is unable or unwilling to answer the simple question of whether we should remain in the single market or not.
"The UK government I suspect right now I think is using phraseology like that to mask the fact that it doesn't yet have a clue what it is seeking to achieve let alone what its chances are of achieving that are.
"But before we get too much further into this, there must be greater transparency from the UK government so people from across the UK can judge whether or not what the UK is trying to achieve meets our national interests or not."
Ms Sturgeon, who also said she did not believe that the prime minister had a "mandate" to take the UK...

Summary: Nicola Sturgeon has hit out at the UK government for maintaining a "cloud of secrecy" around its plans for the Brexit negotiations.
###
Article: Four women were celebrating on the River Dart, Devon, on Saturday when the vessel became stuck in mud as the tide went out.
An RNLI spokesperson said the party were were travelling to Dartmouth when they got into difficulty.
The spokesman said the group were "cold but otherwise unhurt".
Posting on the Dart RNLI Lifeboat Facebook page the crew said: "They came back to the lifeboat station for a warm drink and to meet and thank the lifeboat crew.
"The girls were on a hen party and the irony is that the bride to be had requested a 'no-fuss and low-key day'.
"The hens who had arranged the day thought an afternoon afloat on the beautiful River Dart would set the mood for dinner in Dartmouth in the evening.
"Best laid plans and all of that. I don't think they will ever forget the hen party."

Summary:

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The Thai government has said it will not bow to pressure to cancel a report on human rights in the country.
The report, which was due to be launched at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, was to be hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.
The report, which was due to be

Thailand's military-run government has forced Human Rights Watch (HRW) to cancel an event in Bangkok to launch a report into alleged abuses in Vietnam.

Article: Stormont Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said it was the first major shake-up in the law since the alcohol limit was introduced in 1968.
Under the plans, the permitted blood alcohol limit would be reduced to 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood - down from the current UK limit of 80mg.
It is thought the bill could become law by early next year.
The legislation also proposes changes for driver training and testing:
Mr Durkan said Northern Ireland's drink-drive laws would be brought into line with Europe, including the Republic of Ireland.
"Radical measures are necessary if we are to pursue an ambition of zero road deaths," he said.
"This new legislation will tackle drivers who shamelessly continue to drink and drive.
"It will provide powers to radically overhaul how we train, test and protect our vulnerable new drivers.
"It will also reduce the risk to riders of quads on public roads by requiring them to wear helmets."
The chairman of the Driving Instructors Association in Northern Ireland said the lowering of the minimum age for learner drivers "has been sprung on us".
"It wasn't in the consultation paper that we responded to, and we are told it was a ministerial decision," said Tom Burns.
"We are going to be completely out of kilter with the mainland, who are talking about raising the age to 18 - it doesn't seem to have been thought out.
"Also, the one-year minimum period for learning is too long for many people, and it doesn't suit people like pregnant women for example, who have to get their test as soon as possible."
The legislation proposes a number of other measures on drink-driving:

Summary: The drink-drive limit in Northern Ireland would be reduced by almost 40% under a proposed new law.
###
Article: The special maps, called Tate Worlds, are based on real-life pictures and sculptures on display at the Tate gallery.
Each world is different, and has many challenges and activities based on the theme of the artwork.
Paintings such as Soul of the Soulless City by Christopher Nevinson have been turned into a playable world.
It shows 1920s New York, with towering skyscrapers and a rollercoaster train ride.
Martin went to chat to one of the Minecraft experts who helped to build the special maps to find out more.

Summary: A famous art gallery has teamed up with Minecraft experts to create 3D worlds inspired by paintings.
###
Article: The NHS Atlas of Variation - published by NHS England and Public Health England - looks at service performance in more than 200 local areas.
It found a two-fold variation in early cancer diagnosis and quick stroke treatment between the best and worst.
The atlas also pointed to "unwarranted" differences in diabetes monitoring.
Patient groups called the findings "extremely concerning", while NHS bosses warned action must be taken by local health chiefs as the variations in care would be costing lives and harming health.
The atlas found:
NHS England medical director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh urged local health bosses to take action.
"The atlas exposes some inconvenient truths about the extent of variation in care for some common conditions."
And Prof Julia Verne, from Public Health England, said: "It is really important to tackle this unwarranted variation because patient lives are being put at risk.
"If we can iron them out then more patients will survive, they will have fewer complications and they will have better quality of life."
The report is effectively an annual stocktake of what is happening in each of the 211 clinical commissioning groups in England.
It has been compiled using official data across more than 100 different areas of care. Extreme outliers - the very best and worst - are excluded to try to ensure the figures are not skewed by possible data collection errors.
This, the authors believe, is a more accurate way of reflecting the true differences in performance.
There are some areas - liver disease and tooth decay in children for example - where the variation is as much, if not more, to do with how people are living their lives as it is about the quality of care.
But in other areas, such as stroke and diabetes, the differences are more likely to be down to how the NHS is performing.
Alexis Wieroniey, of the Stroke Association, said: "Immediate treatment on a stroke patient is essential as this helps to minimise the long-term effects and can prevent death.
"The wide-ranging variation in the time it...

Summary: Differences in access to key NHS services, including stroke and cancer care, are putting patients at risk, an official report suggests.
###
Article: Thai officials said the event, which was halted minutes before it was due to start, could have affected relations between the two countries.
The HRW report focuses on the treatment of a Christian group in Vietnam.
The group said the Thai response showed how freedom of speech had been eroded since the army seized power last year.
Thai police said the event at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand could "have an impact on the country's security or could affect the friendship and cooperation between Thailand and Vietnam".
It is the third human rights event at the venue that has been halted by authorities in the past month.
The HRW report describes what it says is the persecution of Montagnard Christians in Vietnam's central highlands. Their religious practices have been described by the Vietnamese government as "evil".
Sunai Phasuk, Human Rights Watch's senior researcher in Asia, said the decision to cancel the report's launch was "very disappointing".
"Thailand is now going to be known as the defender of human rights violators in [Southeast Asia], which adds more damage to Thailand's already tarnished international reputation under the military rule," he added.
Thai authorities have launched a crackdown on critics since the military seized power from a civilian government in May 2014.

Summary:


The British government has said it is "not in a position" to comment on the case of a British man who was arrested in Iran.
The Foreign Office said it was "aware of reports of an individual in Iran who was arrested on suspicion of spying".
"We are in contact with the Iranian authorities and are

A student has pleaded for the return of her prosthetic hand after losing it on a night out.

Article: Shane Logan made the comments during a meeting of the Northern Ireland Assembly's social development committee.
It is taking evidence as part of its review of the Licensing Bill.
The bill would allow outdoor stadiums to apply for licences to sell alcohol.
Currently, stadium operators have to apply for temporary licences.
Mr Logan said, as it stands, there are up to 19 professional games played a year at Ulster Rugby's Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.
Each time, Ulster Rugby has to apply to a court for an occasional licence, and it has "no certainty" of a licence in advance, as these are only granted on the day of the match, he said.
He said that while Ulster Rugby had never been refused an occasional licence, it had "bid for events with certainty of licensing".
"This precludes us from bidding for major events," Mr Logan said.
"We would not be able to fulfil the criteria for access to alcohol bars and family access to entertainment that is required to allow us to bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup."
"[With] the law as it stands, we would have to withdraw from that."
The Licensing Bill is a private member's bill proposed by Judith Cochrane, the Alliance Party MLA.

Summary: A bid for Ireland to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup would have to be withdrawn unless Northern Ireland's licensing law is changed, the chief executive of Ulster Rugby has said.
###
Article: When bullying claims at South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) emerged in February the trust commissioned an independent review.
About half the workforce surveyed experienced bullying in the past year.
The trust said the report revealed "unacceptable" behaviour.
In his report, Prof Duncan Lewis from the University of Plymouth said: "Common decency is a right, not a privilege, and harassment or bullying, including sexual harassment must end now."
He pinpointed Coxheath in Kent and Tangmere in West Sussex as areas "plagued by poor practices/behaviours".
In parts of Kent there are "serious questions of sexual harassment and sexual grooming", with newly qualified women often targeted.
42%
of staff reported exposure to bullying
50%  said they had been treated in 'disrespectful or rude way'
30% reported feeling 'threatened and intimidated'
2,000 employees responded to survey
The survey revealed good "peer support" between colleagues, with the reasons for bullying firmly located in manager behaviours and often "militaristic" leadership.
Prof Lewis added: "Whilst it is possible sexual harassment might not have been known to the executive because employees are fearful of speaking out against a macho, boys club culture in Kent and in other parts of Secamb, ignorance is no defence."
Key issues raised in focus groups:
Employees also frequently spoke of a fear of reporting bullying.
Those who voiced concerns had "suffered" for it, with more monitoring, work, and pressure because "managers default to supporting each other".
The frequently changing leadership at Secamb was also said to be contributing factor.
Chief executive Daren Mochrie, who has been in the post since April 2017, said: "I am truly disappointed and upset that so many of our staff have experienced bullying and disrespectful behaviour in the workplace.
"Secamb is full of extremely dedicated and professional people who are concerned about caring for their patients as well as each other.
"However, I was also aware that the trust is facing a number of...

Summary: A damning report into an ambulance trust has revealed a culture of bullying and harassment with concerns over "toxic" atmospheres, sexual grooming and a fear of speaking out.
###
Article: Iran's oil minister has reportedly repeated that the country will continue to increase production and exports.
The slight rise follows big falls on Friday after Saudi Arabia said it would freeze production only if other major producers did the same.
Oil producers are to meet on 17 April to discuss a deal to freeze output.
Brent crude crept up by 0.5% to $38.86 in morning trading.
In February, Saudi Arabia struck a deal with Russia and other Opec nations to freeze oil output at January levels.
But Iran wants production to hit pre-sanction levels before beginning talks.
Over the weekend, Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh told Iran's Mehr News agency that the country would continue increasing its production and exports until it reached the market position it held before the imposition of sanctions.
Mehr quotes him as saying he would attend the meeting in the Qatari capital "if he had time".
His latest comments reinforce similar comments he made last month. Then, he made it clear Iran would only join discussions to cap output after its production reached four million barrels per day.
Oil prices hit a peak of $116 in June 2014, but have subsequently dived because of oversupply and sluggish demand.
The producers' meeting later this month will take place in the Qatari capital, Doha. It will involve Opec and non-Opec members and will discuss freezing supply at January levels to help push the oil price back up.
However, in an interview with Bloomberg last week, Saudi Arabia's deputy crown price Mohammed bin Salman said: "If all countries agree to freeze production, we will be among them."
He was asked if Iran had to be among those countries, to which he replied: "Without doubt."
Despite the late morning's slight rise in Brent crude, the price is still hovering around its lowest level for a month.
"It's not very strange to see a wave of profit-taking and some unwinding of long positions, and some people even saying they could reposition for a move towards lower prices," said ABN Amro chief energy economist Hans van...

Summary: Oil prices have rebounded slightly after early falls, although doubts still remain that output will be curbed at a meeting later this month.
###
Article: Amelia Welch, 20, from Axminster in Devon, was partying with friends in Plymouth on Friday when she lost her hand, which cost about Â£3,000.
The Plymouth University marine biology student said she only realised the cosmetic prosthetic was missing the following morning.
She thinks she could have left it in a nightclub and forgot to pick it up.
Click here for live updates on this story
Amelia, who was born with a congenital malformation in her right hand, said she had gone to Oceana nightclub after a university ball.
Her hand is "more functionable" without the prosthetic which has very little movement, she said.
"I do take it off to go to the toilet, but most of the time when I go out I put it on because it gives me confidence," she said.
"I must have been drunk when I took it off and forgot about it.
"I went back to halls with friends and went to bed and the next day I realised that I did not have it."
It is the first prosthetic she has had and fits on her hand "like a glove" she said.
Another one could cost as much as Â£5,000 and mean many hours of visits to orthopaedic specialists.
"Someone might have picked it up and not realised what it was," she said.
"It's worth everything to me, but nothing to anyone else."

Summary:


The Great Central Railway (GCR) was a railway in the East Midlands of England, which was formed in 1846.
It was the first railway in the world to use steam locomotives.
It was also the first railway to use steam locomotives to haul passenger trains.
The GCR was

An exhibition of photographs has gone on show to mark 50 years since the demise of "one of the most beautiful stations there has ever been".

Article: The political party primaries in Nigeria have drawn to a close and voters now have a clearer picture of whose turn it might be to divide up the national cake after the elections in February 2015.
But the winning candidates won't be the only ones taking their share of the country's riches.
In Nigeria, news of a person's success in an election often travels at the speed of lightning, over rivers and mountains and past fields and forests, to his kindred in all corners of the globe.
Those with no jobs believe their days of unemployment are coming to an end; those with no education think it will soon pose no barrier to climbing the corporate ladder; those in faraway lands begin plans to return home.
Soon, these kith and kin launch their pilgrimage towards the successful candidate.
They ring his phone; they send text messages; they knock at his gate.
They offer to help his campaign in any way they can; they organise prayer sessions for his victory, usually late at night in his living room.
A friend of mine who lives in Lagos told me last week that he was travelling to Benin city.
His friend had just "picked up" a spot in the House of Assembly there. Another person he knew was set for another top position.
"He's a good friend of my elder brother in Florida," he said. "I've already told my brother: 'You'd better come down and rub minds with him and introduce us to him.'"
Another friend whose husband is a close associate of a winning candidate in one of Nigeria's choicest states told me her phone did not stop ringing after his victory was announced.
People had been calling to offer congratulations. Indeed, even I had called for that very reason.
In Nigeria, the culture has always been that anyone who gets into power, who suddenly finds himself holding a knife with which to cut the national cake, must invite his clan to both slice and eat it with him.
The most unforgivable sin a politician can commit is to forget "his people" after he assumes office.
He must "remember" his sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews,...

Summary: In our series of letters from African journalists, Nigerian writer and novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at the clamour for assistance that accompanies a politician's rise to office.
###
Article: Pastor James McConnell denies two charges relating to a sermon he gave in a Belfast church last year.
Belfast Magistrates' Court heard that Pastor McConnell called Islam "satanic" and "heathen".
His remarks were made at the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in north Belfast in May 2014 and were streamed online.
Pastor McConnell, 78, of Shore Road in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, is charged with improper use of a public electronic communications network and causing a grossly offensive message to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network.
The prosecution against Pastor McConnell centres on his remarks about not trusting Muslims.
In a sermon criticising Islam in May last year, the pastor said: "I don't trust them [Muslims]."
A prosecution barrister told the court this meant the pastor was saying he did not trust a single Muslim.
From the back of the court, Pastor McConnell shouted "no".
The barrister acknowledged the shout, but said the sermon had been grossly offensive, and was outside any legal protection given to preachers from the pulpit.
The court was also read transcripts of an interview the pastor took part in with BBC presenter Stephen Nolan.
The barrister said the pastor was "unrepentant" in the interview about what he said about Islam.
However, he made it clear that the prosecution was based on what was said in church, not in the BBC interview.
More than 100 supporters of the preacher sat in the public gallery in court 12.
The trial is expected to last three days.

Summary: The trial of an evangelical preacher accused of making "grossly offensive" remarks about Islam has begun.
###
Article: Federica Mogherini said they had agreed to work on closer ties in a number of areas, including the economy, energy, education, migration and transport.
The visit follows last year's historic nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.
She said the results of their talks would "make a real difference" to the lives of Iranians and Europeans.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been holding talks with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential palace in Ankara.
They agreed to increase banking and economic co-operation and boost trade to $30bn (Â£21bn) within two years.
Mr Erdogan said they also agreed to "reduce our differences" over Syria and other issues, to "work together to overcome the problems of terrorism and sectarianism and the related humanitarian crises that are shaking our region".
Ms Mogherini said the issue of Syria and stability in the Middle East region had been discussed in her talks with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Also, the question of human rights in Iran, of which she said "it is not a secret we have some concerns in this respect".
Mr Zarif, for his part, welcomed the EU's support for Iran's bid to join the World Trade Organization, but called on the US to fulfil their commitments in relation to the nuclear deal and remove obstacles to the banking sector.
Major European banks and businesses continue to be wary of investing in Iran, where US sanctions are still in place linked to alleged terrorism and human rights questions.
"Iran and the EU will put pressure on the United States to facilitate the co-operation of non-American banks with Iran," Mr Zarif said. "It's essential that the other side, especially the United States, fulfil its commitments not on paper but in practice and removes the obstacles especially in banking sector."
Engaging directly with Iran - a key player in Syria - is for Europe one of the main benefits of the nuclear deal.
Iranian officials also said they wanted to strengthen this relationship - especially because the kind of dialogue is...

Summary: The European Union and Iran have "turned a new page" in their diplomatic relations, the EU's foreign policy chief said on a visit to Tehran.
###
Article: Trains from Nottingham Victoria Station used to take passengers to destinations around England, including London, York, Bristol and Oxford.
It was demolished in 1967, a year after the final service to London left the station.
The site is now home to a shopping centre.
Following the station's closure, all rail traffic was sent to Nottingham Midland, now the city's central station.
Exhibition organiser Janine Tanner said: "It was one of the most beautiful stations there has ever been.
"People used to refer to it as a cathedral.
"I think the majority of people were horrified when it closed.
"Obviously there were people who thought it should stay but the general consensus was that it shouldn't have closed."
The station opened in 1900 and was named after Queen Victoria but its owners cited falling passenger numbers and increased car travel in the 1960s as the reason for its closure.
All that remains now as a reminder of the site's railway past is the clock tower, a tunnel entrance and a retaining wall.
Pictures highlighting its past are on show at the Nottingham Industrial Museum for the next three weekends.
The images then go on display at the Great Central Railway at Ruddington and the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Summary:


The airline's chief executive Andrew Swaffield said the airline's "core business" was "not in any way affected" by the attacks.
Mr Swaffield said: "The core business is not in any way affected by the events of 11 September.
"We're a very resilient business.
"

Monarch has said passengers have been booking their trips later since the terror attacks in Paris and Sharm el-Sheikh.

Article: While e-cigarette adverts have been on television for some time, showing the device itself was banned until a change in advertising rules which came into force on Monday.
The Committee of Advertising Practice has ruled that adverts must not show tobacco "in a positive light".
Critics warn showing e-cigarette use could normalise the imagery of smoking.
The British government banned cigarette advertising on television in 1965.
1. On some e-cigarettes, inhalation activates the battery-powered atomiser. Other types are manually switched on.
2. A heating coil inside the atomiser heats liquid nicotine contained in a cartridge.
3. Liquid nicotine becomes vapour and is inhaled. The "smoke" produced is largely water vapour. Many e-cigarettes have an LED light as a cosmetic feature to simulate traditional cigarette glow.
The new rules, put in place by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) state that adverts must not:
One advert, featuring a group "vaping" while having a meal, was shown in the morning on Channel 5.
Sandy Chadha, the chief executive of e-cigarette producers KiK, said: "The new advertising rules are a positive step to show people how vaping can help them move away from tobacco products and we are delighted to make history.
"Vaping is a new way of life for past smokers and the advert highlights friends talking about the impact making the change has had for them. We hope it is well received and gives smokers some food for thought."
Another advert, showing a woman exhaling vapour from an e-cigarette, will be shown in the evening.
Dave Levin of VIP, the Bury-based company behind the advert, says: "E-cigarettes have attracted a lot of controversy recently, which has largely been due to concerns over safety, so it will be interesting to see how people respond to our advert's debut."
Prof Martin McKee, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, opposed the change to advertising rules.
He told the BBC: "This is a very daft idea, as many of us said during the consultation.
"A lot of questions...

Summary: The first UK TV adverts featuring the use of an electronic cigarette - vaping - are being shown.
###
Article: The "fovea", a patch of tightly packed receptors that delivers sharp vision, forms a horizontal streak instead of the usual circular spot.
This allows the animal to scan the shoreline without moving its head, according to Australian researchers.
They also found differences in the cone cells, which sense colours, between saltwater and freshwater crocs.
Published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the findings suggest that although the beasts have very blurry vision underwater, they do use their eyes beneath the surface.
This is because light conditions are different in salt and freshwater habitats, but only underwater - and the crocodiles' eyes show corresponding tweaks.
"There's generally more blue light in saltwater environments, and more red light in freshwater environments. Animals tend to adapt to this," explained Nicolas Nagloo, a PhD student at the University of Western Australia.
He and his colleagues studied eyeballs from juvenile "salties" and "freshies", shipped to the university from a crocodile farm in Broome.
When they measured the light absorbed by single photoreceptors in the retina, they found that those of the freshwater crocs were shifted towards longer, redder wavelengths compared with their saltwater cousins.
Finding this skewed sensitivity in crocodiles was unexpected, Mr Nagloo said, because the famous predators were only semi-aquatic and did their hunting, feeding and mating on land.
"It's surprising because these guys can't actually focus underwater. [But] light sensitivity seems to be important to them," he told BBC News.
"That tells us there's potentially some aspect of their behaviour underwater that we're not aware of yet."
The team also studied the density of receptors across the crocodile retina. In this regard, the two species were more similar.
Overall, crocodile vision appears to be less precise than ours, achieving a clarity some six or seven times lower than the human eye. But their "foveal streak" is a striking adaptation that suits their lifestyle perfectly.
The fovea...

Summary: A new study reveals how crocodiles' eyes are fine-tuned for lurking at the water surface to watch for prey.
###
Article: Peter Robinson is appearing before Stormont's finance committee.
It had previously heard he was set to benefit from a "success fee" after Northern Ireland's biggest ever property deal.
Mr Robinson said the allegation from a political blogger was "groundless" and made "without a shred of evidence".
Robinson defends Cushanhan Nama role
Nama deal: The key figures and background you need to know
Timeline of Nama's Northern Ireland property deal
The deal concerned the Republic of Ireland's state-owned so-called 'bad bank', the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).
It had been set up to take control of property loans made by the country's banks before the property crash in 2008.
Last year, Nama sold its entire portfolio of Northern Ireland loans to US investment firm Cerberus.
Mr Robinson outlined to the committee on Wednesday his contacts with Cerberus and another investment fund, Pimco, that was interested in buying the portfolio.
He said the deal to sell the portfolio was necessary to help stimulate the Northern Ireland economy as it would allow fresh investment in properties.
Mr Robinson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said he "neither received, expected to receive, sought, nor was I offered a single penny" as a result of the sale.
"Any and all efforts that I made were motivated by what was in the best interests of our economy," he added.
"It would have been a dereliction of my duty not to seek to protect the position of Northern Ireland."
He also said that Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was "kept informed throughout the process".
Mr McGuinness had told the committee he was not informed about meetings and contacts between Nama, bidders for the portfolio and DUP ministers.
In his evidence last month, he said it was "totally, absolutely misleading" for the DUP to say he was being kept informed about the Pimco bid.
Mr Robinson said his first meeting with a potential buyer of the portfolio in May 2013 may have been set up by Frank Cushnahan and Ian Coulter.
Mr Cushnahan was at the...

Summary: Northern Ireland's first minister has told a parliamentary inquiry it is "outrageous" to allege he was to benefit from a £1.24bn property deal.
###
Article: The airline's chief executive Andrew Swaffield said bookings had dropped off in the immediate aftermath but were now recovering.
Monarch's flights to Sharm el-Sheikh are still suspended and it does not expect them to resume before next year.
The comments came as Monarch returned to profit for the year to 31 October.
Mr Swaffield told BBC Radio 5 Live that customers were "booking closer to departure" in the wake of the attacks.
He said: "They're booking in pretty big numbers and there's no lack of interest, but they're not booking quite so far out because they're waiting to see what the world has in store.
"That will probably last a little while and then things will get back to normal again."
Luton-based Monarch expects annual profits to exceed £40m after cost cuts helped to achieve a turnaround.
Mr Swaffield said: "The key for us has been the £200m of costs we took out of the business during what was a pretty thorough restructuring during 2014."
Monarch streamlined its network and fleet, modernised its working practices and benefited from lower fuel prices.
The company made a loss of £94m in the previous year.

Summary:


Nigeria's president has accused activists of "playing politics" after his meeting with parents of the abducted schoolgirls was called off.

Article: Uber presented the offer as an attempt to improve its relationship with London's cabbies.
But a cab drivers' association said it would be "amazed if any drivers decide to take up Uber's offer".
And rival Hailo described the offer as "posturing", saying it doubted the move would calm matters.
There has been friction between Uber and some cabbies, who have said the app is "unfair competition".
Uber said that from Tuesday, it would waive its 5% commission for black taxis for a year.
Jo Bertram, regional general manager of Uber in the UK, said: "London's cabs are famous the world over because they are an iconic part of our city's transport infrastructure.
"It's why the impact of apps like Uber on traditional taxis has generated such a heated debate in the capital.
"We believe that black cabs and Uber can coexist."
Ms Bertram said in a blog post that the Knowledge, which requires four years of study by aspiring black cab drivers to memorise London streets and landmarks, was "an onerous test" which could be completed more quickly in "the age of GPS and live traffic apps".
But Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), said: "With over 15,000 cabbies registered with specific taxi-hailing apps like Gett and Hailo, we would be amazed if any drivers decide to take up Uber's offer."
He said the Uber offer was "just another PR stunt from a company that spends Â£250,000 every month on lobbying and PR".
"The response is 'Thanks, but no thanks'," he added.
The offer has been launched on the eve of a planned protest by cabbies affiliated with a separate drivers' association, the United Cabbies Group.
Mr McNamara said the protest had not be organised by LTDA, but that "cabbies have a right to make their voices heard".
Len Martin, chairman of the United Cabbies Group, said: "The taxi trade neither want nor welcome any such offer from an outfit that will tarnish our reputation by association."
A number of protests against Uber have been held by taxi drivers around the world, including...

Summary: Cabbies have rejected an offer from Uber which would allow them to use the taxi-hailing app for nothing for a year.
###
Article: The rate of unemployment in Wales for January to March fell to 4.8%.
The UK average was unchanged at 5.1%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Figures show the number of people working in Wales is also 74,000 higher than for the same period a year ago.
The number of people not working and not able to work is 26,000 lower.
Wales has seen the biggest proportional increase in employment of all the regions and nations of the UK in the last year.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns called it a "hat-trick of good news" for the Welsh jobs market with employment up, unemployment falling and a drop in the claimant count.
"Across the country, the investment we have put into rebalancing the economy and welfare reform is now paying dividends with record numbers coming off benefits and into work," he said.
"Yet again, we are seeing an unemployment rate below the national average as Wales shows an increasingly confident and entrepreneurial face to the world."
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "It is pleasing to see the labour market in Wales outperform all other regions of the UK and continue to go from strength to strength.
"Over the past year Wales has also seen the largest fall in unemployment of any other part of the UK and now has a rate substantially below that in Scotland and the UK as whole."
Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb called it "fantastic news".
"This month's figures show a record 1.45m people in work in Wales and the country's employment rate is at a record high of 72.5%.
"More people in work means that more families across the UK are benefiting from the security of a regular wage and the fulfilment that employment brings."

Summary: Unemployment has continued to fall in Wales and is once again lower than the UK average, according to the latest figures.
###
Article: Gravity's Alfonso Cuaron became the first Latin American to win the best director award, adding to the film's six Oscars for technical achievement.
Cate Blanchett was named best actress for her portrayal of the heroine in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine.
Matthew McConaughey won the best actor Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club.
It is the second consecutive year the best director and best picture prize have been awarded to different films.
Cuaron praised the "transformative" power of film and singled out the film's star Sandra Bullock as "the soul, the heart of Gravity".
The film - which took five years to complete, and owes much to the technical prowess of British visual effects specialists - also won Oscars for film editing, sound mixing, sound editing, cinematography, visual effects and original score.
Gravity - 7 awards
12 Years a Slave - 3 awards
Dallas Buyers Club - 3 awards
Frozen - 2 awards
The Great Gatsby - 2 awards
Blue Jasmine - 1 award
Her - 1 award
Steve McQueen, the British director of 12 Years a Slave, dedicated the best picture Oscar to "all those people who have endured slavery".
"Everyone deserves not just to survive, but to live," he said. "This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup."
Based on a true story, it follows the life of a free black man - Northup - who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana.
Producer Brad Pitt praised "the indomitable Mr McQueen" - a Turner Prize-winning artist-turned-director - for "bringing them all together" to tell Northup's story.
Newcomer Lupita Nyong'o won the best supporting actress award for her film debut as slave worker Patsey.
The Kenyan actress paid tribute to her character and thanked her for her "guidance". "It doesn't escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's," said the star, who turned 31 this weekend.
The film won a third Oscar for John Ridley's adapted screenplay. "All the praise goes to Northup," Ridley said. "These are his words."
In other developments:
Spike Jonze collected the...

Summary: Historical drama 12 Years a Slave has won best picture at the 86th Academy Awards, while space drama Gravity won the lion's share of awards.
###
Article: The #BringBackOurGirls group should be ashamed of manipulating "the victims of terrorism", he said.
Mr Jonathan had been due to hold his first meeting with some of the girls' parents on Tuesday.
Islamist group Boko Haram captured more than 200 girls during a raid on their boarding school in Chibok in April.
Mr Jonathan had been widely criticised for failing to meet distraught parents and not doing enough to rescue the girls.
#BringBackOurGirls was a global campaign launched on social media to secure the release of the girls.
Mr Jonathan agreed to the meeting on Monday following an appeal by Pakistani rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
Mr Jonathan had planned to meet 12 parents and five girls who escaped shortly after being captured but the parents withdrew at the last minute without giving any reason.
"Unfortunately, political forces within the Nigerian chapter of Bring Back Our Girls have decided to take this opportunity to play politics with the situation and the grief of the parents and the girls. They should be ashamed of their actions," he said in a statement.
"Those who would manipulate the victims of terrorism for their own benefit are engaging in a similar kind of evil: Psychological terrorism," he added.
Mr Jonathan's spokesman Doyin Okupe said the president was "extremely distraught".
"He cannot understand this. He cannot fathom this - that Nigeria's mothers will do this type of thing for children," Mr Okupe said.
Nigeria is due to hold presidential elections next year.
Mr Jonathan has not yet declared his candidature, but speculation is rife that he intends to run for another term.
Last year, he declared a state of emergency in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, which are worst affected by the insurgency.
All three are under opposition control.
New York-based Human Rights Watch says more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in Nigeria this year by Boko Haram.
The deaths occurred in around 95 separate attacks in more than 70 towns and villages in the north-east, where Boko Haram...

Summary:


The government has announced a new £1bn fund to help the NHS to buy medicines from overseas.
The fund will be used to buy medicines from overseas, but the government has not yet said how it will be spent.
The fund will be used to buy medicines from overseas, but the government has not yet said

UK drugs manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has said it will not file patents for its products in the world's poorest nations.

Article: It follows approval by Liverpool City Council of a Â£5.5bn plan for redevelopment of the waterfront in March.
Unesco decided the scheme, involving skyscrapers, could "irreversibly damage" historic docklands.
Liverpool City Council described Unesco's move as "premature".
The plans have yet to go to the secretary of state for final approval, and could be subject to a public inquiry.
Unesco inspectors visiting the site in November 2011 expressed concerns about the height of buildings planned for the development, which would include the tallest UK building outside London.
The organisation's World Heritage Committee ruled earlier, at its 36th annual meeting in St Petersburg, that the site should be put on the "in danger" list.
The committee warned that if the project goes ahead Liverpool may entirely lose the "outstanding universal value" for which it was given World Heritage status.
They said it would significantly alter the skyline and fragment the dock areas.
A Liverpool City Council spokesman said they believed safeguards could be put in place to protect the site's heritage.
He added: "We believe that this decision is premature as the government has not yet determined whether the Liverpool Waters application can go ahead.
"The city council is continuing to discuss the plans with the developers and other interested parties and have always firmly believed that Liverpool can retain its World Heritage status while sensitively developing the derelict docklands.
"It is important to note that although this decision has been made it does not mean that Liverpool is in imminent danger of having its status removed.
"This is a long term development which will take several decades to complete and as it progresses we will continue to work to ensure that we can reach a situation which satisfies all parties."
The Liverpool Waters development would include a cruise liner terminal and thousands of apartments.
Bidder Peel Developments said the scheme could create up to 20,000 jobs.
Liverpool was awarded World Heritage status in...

Summary: Liverpool's historic docklands have been added to Unesco's "in danger" list for possible removal of its World Heritage Status.
###
Article: Members of Lifestage, currently only available on Apple devices in the US, upload pictures and videos based around feelings, likes and dislikes. These are then turned into video profiles.
All posts are public and there are no options to restrict viewing. The idea is to connect members of the same school, its creator said.
One expert told the BBC the lack of privacy settings was a concern.
School members can view each other's profiles once the individual school has registered 20 members or more.
Users aged more than 21 are only able to view their own profiles, reports the Tech Crunch website.
However the app warns that it cannot guarantee whether all its users are genuine.
"We can't confirm that people who claim to go to a certain school actually go to that school. All videos you upload to your profile are fully public content," it says.
Lifestage has no messaging functionality but users can display contact details from other sites such as Snapchat and Instagram.
The app currently has a 2.5 star rating on the iTunes store with comments describing it as "kinda sorta creepy" and "confusing".
According to statistics website Statista only 8% of Facebook's US users are aged 13-19.
It has been designed by Facebook product manager Michael Sayman, who is 19 years old.
In a Facebook post he wrote that the app was based around the original social network's early days.
"Back in 2004, Facebook was all about 'who I am'. I could post my relationship status. I could share what my favourite music was. And it was all about expressing myself," he said.
"Today as Facebook has grown into so much more, we see the opportunity to explore that concept of 'who I am' once again, but for Generation Z in 2016."
Dr Bernie Hogan from the Oxford Internet Institute told the BBC the app's lack of privacy settings could prove unpopular.
"The lack of privacy settings on this app in its current state is indicative of Facebook ideology - which is to stay open and connected as much as possible," he said.
"From their point of view that's a great...

Summary: Facebook has launched a new social media app aimed at school teenagers.
###
Article: Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of France's EDF Energy, told the BBC the project was not too expensive.
He said power from nuclear plants  would cut bills compared with low carbon without nuclear power.
The project has come under fire for both its £24.5bn cost and delays to investment decisions and the timetable for building.
The original plan was for it to start generating electricity by 2023.
There is still no start date for the new facility, which will be built next to two existing generation plants at Bridgewater in Somerset.
Three days ago, the chancellor, George Osborne, who is visiting China, secured investment from the Chinese by guaranteeing a £2bn deal under which China will invest in Hinkley Point.
The deal will be signed next month during the Chinese president's State visit to the UK.
Another controversial issue is a government guarantee that EDF will receive £92 per megawatt hour, twice the current wholesale price for power.
EDF said it needed that because the price of energy would be much higher in the future: "You cannot compare the price in the next decade with the price of today, which is being depressed by the current low price of gas. We have to protect our self against volatility."
Mr de Rivaz said it was a similar situation to a consumer replacing their car with a new one, "more expensive but you will get a much better car".
He rebuffed suggestions that building gas power plants would be more cost effective, saying that would mean the UK importing billions of dollars of gas from elsewhere, putting the country at the mercy of geopolitics.
What is becoming clear is Britain's increasing reliance on Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects.
On his visit to China today, the chancellor has called for Chinese bids for more than £11bn of contracts to build HS2, the proposed high speed rail link between London, Manchester and Leeds.
Mr de Rivaz said that China was now an essential partner, and that safety and security were the top priorities.
"We know these companies, we have been...

Summary: The owner of the Hinkley Point nuclear power station has defended the plan to build a new plant at the Somerset site.
###
Article: The step may make some important new medicines more affordable in the developing world, by leaving the way clear for generic companies to make cheap copies of GSK's drugs.
GSK said it would adopt a graduated approach linked to a country's wealth.
It said it would still seek full patent protection in richer nations.
The company says the changes it is making should help people who currently cannot afford life saving medicine.
In the world's poorest countries, it will allow other companies to make generics or cheaper copies of its medicine.
In what it calls lower middle income countries it will continue to file patents but will grant licences to generic manufacturers in exchange for a royalty.
Pharmaceutical firms are often criticised for not making their medicines affordable to people in developing countries, but the firms have argued that patenting their products is the only way to ensure research for new treatments can be funded.
One exception is HIV/AIDS, where the price of drugs for people in many poor nations who are living with the condition have been drastically reduced.
Sufferers of other serious illnesses though, for example, cancer, often cannot afford the drugs to treat them.
GSK says changes to the way it patents drugs will make its next generation of cancer drugs more affordable.
Recent figures showed GSK's sales rose 2% to £6.29bn in the quarter.
However, the company fell to a pre-tax loss of £416m compared with a profit of £531m for the same period in 2014.
New treatments for HIV, respiratory conditions and meningitis vaccines had sales of £682m in the quarter.

Summary:


will not be able to negotiate a free trade deal with the

Theresa May has said the UK will emerge from Brexit as a "great, global trading nation", becoming "safer, more secure and more prosperous".

Article: UK property prices increased by 10.4% annually in October, down from 12.1% the previous month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The average home in the UK was valued at Â£271,000, the ONS said.
This comes on the day that the ONS reported the rate of inflation stood at just 1% in November.
This was the lowest level for the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation for 12 years.
Annual house price rises were fastest in England at 10.8%, followed by 5.7% in Wales, 4.9% in Scotland and 4.9% in Northern Ireland.
Regionally, increases were driven by London, which saw prices rise year-on-year by 17.2%. They increased by 11.9% in the South East of England and by 9.6% in the East of England.
"There is still momentum in the market although it is definitely slowing," said Mark Harris, chief executive of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients.
This has been echoed by figures in various other surveys. Mortgage lenders Nationwide and Halifax have both reported a slowdown in the UK housing market in recent months.
The ONS said that the slowest annual increase was a 3.9% rise in the North East of England.
It also said that first-time buyers were seeing sharper house price rises compared with owners moving home.
Prices paid by first-time buyers were 12% higher on average in October compared with a year earlier. Existing owners saw prices increase by 9.7%, on average, over the same period.
"This is yet another blow to the millions of young people and families desperate to build a stable future in a home of their own," said Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter.
"With the average house in England now costing more than ten times the average wage, millions of people are finding themselves stuck in the rent trap with little hope of ever saving for a deposit."
He called for a greater number of affordable homes to be built.

Summary: The annual rise in UK house prices slowed in October, official figures show, but prices still went up much faster than the general cost of living.
###
Article: The joint enterprise law has been used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants "could" have foreseen violent acts by their associates.
However, judges ruled it was wrong to treat "foresight" as a sufficient test.
Their decision could pave the way for hundreds of prisoners to seek appeals.
It will apply in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most UK overseas common law territories but not in Scotland, which has its own rules on joint enterprise.
Campaigners against joint enterprise welcomed the ruling, saying it would mean a fairer law - but some murder victims' relatives said they were worried about possible appeals.
What is the controversial 'joint enterprise' law?
A moment of genuine legal history
The ruling came after a panel of five Supreme Court judges considered the case of Ameen Jogee, who had been convicted under joint enterprise of the murder of former Leicestershire police officer Paul Fyfe in 2011.
The court heard that Jogee had "egged on" his friend Mohammed Hirsi, who stabbed Mr Fyfe in the heart. Both men received life sentences for murder.
Jogee had argued he was not inside the house when the incident took place, and could not have foreseen what his friend intended to do.
Joint enterprise law has been used to convict and hand down long sentences in several high-profile cases:
Delivering the judgement, Lord Neuberger said it was wrong to treat "foresight" as a sufficient test to convict someone of murder.
"The court is satisfied after a much fuller review of the law than in the earlier cases that the courts took a wrong turn in 1984. And it is the responsibility of this court to put the law right," he said.
The judgement refers to a case in which three gang members armed with knives burst into the home of a prostitute and her husband, intending to collect a debt.
The husband was stabbed to death at the hand of at least one of the gang members. All three were convicted of murder.
BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman said Thursday's ruling did not mean those convicted under...

Summary: The law which has allowed people to be convicted of murder even if they did not inflict the fatal blow has been wrongly interpreted for more than 30 years, the Supreme Court has ruled.
###
Article: The assessment was written by the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) on 27 August and released by Downing Street on 29 August.
The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera gives his analysis of the assessment below (GC).
A chemical attack occurred in Damascus on the morning of 21 August, resulting in at least 350 fatalities. It is not possible for the opposition to have carried out a CW attack on this scale.
GC: A central reason for the relative confidence of the assessment is a view that it could not be the opposition and therefore had to be the regime which launched the attack.
The regime has used CW on a smaller scale on at least 14 occasions in the past.
GC: The accompanying letter from the chair of the JIC says that it has judged with the "highest possible level of certainty" that chemical weapons have already been used 14 times but not on the same scale. The JIC appears very confident that these attacks were by the regime and may have more intelligence about these incidents than the 21 August attack.
There is some intelligence to suggest regime culpability in this attack.
GC: This key sentence indicates that they have only "some" intelligence pointing to the regime carrying out the attack but nothing so conclusive as to dispel all doubt. It is described in the accompanying letter as a "limited but growing body of intelligence". It is also described as highly sensitive, meaning it might be intercepted communications or material from another country. The prime minister has been shown it, but it is not included in this assessment.
These factors make it highly likely that the Syrian regime was responsible.
GC: This is the key judgement of the document. The phrase "highly likely" indicates a significant degree of confidence but not absolute certainty.
Extensive video footage attributed to the attack in eastern Damascus (which we assess would be very difficult to falsify) is consistent with the use of a nerve agent, such as sarin, and is not consistent with the use of blister or riot control agents.
GC:...

Summary: UK intelligence chiefs have told Prime Minister David Cameron it is "highly likely" the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical attack on 21 August, which killed at least 350 civilians in eastern Damascus.
###
Article: But in April - before the EU referendum - the then home secretary gave a speech warning of the implications of a vote to leave the EU. Here's how some of the key quotes compare:
April 2016: "So, if we do vote to leave the European Union, we risk bringing the development of the single market to a halt, we risk a loss of investors and businesses to remaining EU member states driven by discriminatory EU policies, and we risk going backwards when it comes to international trade.
"But the big question is whether, in the event of Brexit, we would be able to negotiate a new free trade agreement with the EU and on what terms."
January 2017: "I respect the position taken by European leaders who have been clear about their position, just as I am clear about mine. So an important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market, on a fully reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive free trade agreement."
April 2016: "The reality is that we do not know on what terms we would win access to the single market. We do know that in a negotiation we would need to make concessions in order to access it, and those concessions could well be about accepting EU regulations, over which we would have no say, making financial contributions, just as we do now, accepting free movement rules, just as we do now, or quite possibly all three combined.
"It is not clear why other EU member states would give Britain a better deal than they themselves enjoy."
January 2017: "If we were excluded from accessing the single market, we would be free to change the basis of Britain's economic model.
"But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world. It would jeopardise investments in Britain by EU companies worth more than half a trillion pounds... and I do not believe that the EU's leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the eurozone, and millions of others,...

Summary:


A man has been charged with murder after a man was found dead in a field in Bowness-on-Windermere.
The body of a man was found in a field in Bowness-on-Windermere on 1 July.
A man has been charged with murder after a man was

A man has denied the manslaughter of another man who was found lying in a street in Windermere close to where he lived.

Article: Jane Christie's daughter Sarah Ewart had to decide whether to travel to Great Britain for a legal termination.
Justice Minister David Ford has recommended a change in the law.
However, First Minister Peter Robinson said draft guidelines to be published soon provided a better way forward.
At present abortion is only permitted under law in Northern Ireland to save a woman's life, or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health.
The issue of fatal foetal abnormality came to public attention when Sarah Ewart contacted the Nolan Show to highlight the choice she faced - of either carrying her baby until it died in her womb or travelling to Great Britain where she could access a legal termination.
Mrs Christie told the Nolan Show on Friday that she and her daughter had met Mr Robinson and other DUP members on a number of occasions.
She said she had believed that they were in favour of changing the law in these "exceptional circumstances".
"He said he had a difficult job with some of his party members, but that he understood and he was prepared to help," she said.
"We were being led to believe we were going to get the help, by a number [of people] in the party."
Amnesty International described Mr Robinson's latest comments as "disingenuous".
"Peter Robinson knows full well that any new guidance from the Department of Health on the existing law cannot address a glaring gap in that law," said spokeswoman Grainne Teggart.
The issue of fatal foetal abnormality has been examined by health and justice officials over the past 18 months, following the publicity surrounding Sarah Ewart's case.
Mr Ford had put forward his plan for legislation in such cases following consultation on reforming Northern Ireland's abortion law.
Draft guidelines on abortion law, released by the Department of Health in 2013, stated: "Foetal abnormality is not recognised as grounds for termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland."
Mrs Christie said she also attended a meeting with Mr Robinson that was attended...

Summary: The mother of a woman who faced carrying her baby until it died in her womb has said she is devastated by the DUP leader's comments that attempts to change the abortion law are doomed.
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Article: The Red Lion in Oakley Green, near Windsor, was registered as a community asset in March in a bid to protect it from development.
Punch Taverns is now selling the pub, which remains open, and community interest groups have until 14 July to confirm their interest.
According to a residents' association, a group of locals are hoping to run it as a co-operative.
Under Community Right To Buy legislation, any interested party would have six months from the deadline to put together a bid.
In a newsletter, the Oakley Green, Fifield and District Community Association said: "The wheels are in motion and various organisations have been identified as potential sources of funding.
"At some stage there may be an opportunity for local residents to buy shares in the business."
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead communities councillor Samantha Rayner, said: "One of the Royal Borough's manifesto commitments is to support residents to access the government's Pub Loan Fund."
The government's pub loan fund, launched in September last year, is aimed at helping community groups take over the running of their locals by providing loans to carry out feasibility studies, pay for lawyers or buy refurbishment materials.
According to the local Campaign for Real Ale, there are nine pubs in Windsor and Maidenhead listed as community assets.

Summary: Residents in a Berkshire village could soon be the owners of their local pub.
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Article: The measure, officially known as House Bill 1523, will allow employees to refuse to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.
The bill is scheduled to become law on 1 July.
The writers said in a letter that the bill has prompted hateful rhetoric that "poisons our political discourse".
Grisham formerly worked as a lawyer in a Mississippi practice and was also elected to the House of Representatives during the 80s before becoming a writer.
Mississippi is one of about 10 states considering the measure after a US Supreme Court ruling last summer which effectively legalised same-sex marriage nationwide.
The measure protects "persons, religious organisations and private associations" from discrimination claims if they refuse to serve anyone based on the belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
Republican governor Phil Bryant signed the bill last week despite objections from big businesses such as Nissan.
"It is our policy to prohibit discrimination of any type, and we oppose any legislation that would allow discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals," a statement from the company read.
But the Family Research Council, a Christian-based lobbying group, applauded the governor's decision to sign the bill.
Tony Perkins, the president of the group, praised the governor for "standing up for the fundamental freedoms of the people they represent".
"No person should be punished by the government with crippling fines, or face disqualification for simply believing what President Obama believed just a few years ago, that marriage is the union of a man and a woman," Perkins said.
The authors say the legislation is an example of Mississippi's reactionary side. They argue the state also has a humane side that treasures compassion.
"It is deeply disturbing to so many of us to see the rhetoric of hate, thinly veiled, once more poison our political discourse," the letter signed by the authors said.
The statement was written and organised by Katy Simpson Smith, a novelist...

Summary: John Grisham and Donna Tartt are among 95 authors urging state officials in Mississippi to repeal a controversial new religious liberty law.
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Article: Gordon Smith, 44, was found dead on Lake Road about 400m (0.2 miles) from his home on Church Street on 1 July.
Mark Russell, 27, previously of Holly Terrace, pleaded not guilty to manslaughter at Carlisle Crown Court.
He was was given conditional bail ahead of trial on 14 March. It is expected to last up to five days.
Judge Paul Batty QC said one of the conditions is that he does not enter Windermere or Bowness-on-Windermere.
A 31-year-old man from Millom, a woman aged 48 and a 15-year-old girl, both from Kent, previously arrested on suspicion of murder, have been released with no further action, Cumbria Police said.

Summary:


A "dangerous sexual predator" who raped a woman and attempted to assault another in  separate attacks in  separate incidents in  separate locations in  Scotland has been jailed.
The Care Inspectorate said it was "not satisfied" that the home was meeting the needs of residents.
The home was inspected in April

A care home has been ordered to raise its standards after the industry watchdog criticised areas including infection control.

Article: It says last year's council initiative to entice more shoppers, increased traffic congestion and disrupted bus services.
Instead, Translink and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) are offering alternative ideas, including reducing bus and train fares.
Their proposals for Christmas 2016 are to be considered by a Belfast City Council committee on Wednesday.
In 2015, the council, for the first time in several years, offered free parking for 1,500 vehicles in the evenings and at weekends.
However, Translink considered the move "counterproductive" - it says it increased congestion as people queued or circled the city centre looking for no cost parking.
It said the knock-on impact reduced the punctuality and reliability of its bus services.
As an alternative this year, it says it is prepared to run fare reduction offers on buses and trains during the month of December.
It said it will also extend the opening hours at park and ride facilities.
In a statement, Translink said: "Planning for Christmas parking and traffic are part of the discussions we have each year with Belfast City Council and other partners to help keep Belfast moving during this extremely busy period."

Summary: Translink is asking for an end to free Christmas parking in Belfast.
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Article: They said they want to devise a new method of transferring pupils from primary schools within two years.
The party launched its assembly election manifesto on Thursday.
The UUP said successive Sinn FÃ©in ministers have pushed for an end to academic selection, but there is no evidence that this would shorten the tail of underachievement.
Instead the Ulster Unionist manifesto says the party will pursue numeracy and literacy initiatives and provide extra help for children through a "book buddy" scheme.
They believe a new method of transferring Year 7 pupils should be based on continual assessment of pupils during the course of their primary education.
Last year, the party pulled out of the Northern Ireland Executive in a protest over IRA activity in the wake of the murder of Belfast man Kevin McGuigan.
The manifesto says they will rejoin the power sharing coalition, provided its programme for government is progressive, and there is a collective political will to deliver it.
The manifesto does not link the UUP's participation in government to the question of IRA activity. Instead, the party says it has engaged positively with the group established under the Fresh Start agreement to recommend ways to end paramilitary groups.
The Ulster Unionists say the next executive must prioritise tackling what they describe as the current "crippling hospital waits". They pledge to increase the number of GPs here by 400 over the next five years.
On the economy, the party pledges to implement a strategy to tackle the high level of economic inactivity in Northern Ireland. That strategy was drawn up for the last  executive, but was not funded and so not implemented.
The party wants to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021 with new community facilities in each of the six counties.
They propose a centre piece could be a "people park", as a tribute to the famous people born in Northern Ireland or who have chosen to settle there.
They suggest the new park could be sited in the Titanic Quarter and argue that the cost to...

Summary: The Ulster Unionists say if they join the next Stormont executive their priority department will be education.
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Article: Paul Mansfield, 28, of no fixed address, denied the charges but was found guilty at Preston Crown Court and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Police said he befriended the "clearly intoxicated and vulnerable" victims, promising to help them.
The two attacks took place in 2014, the second while he was on bail for rape.
Police said Mansfield befriended a 20-year-old homeless woman and promised to give her somewhere safe to stay in the early hours of 17 June.
He took her to a flat on Charnley Road in the resort but when the victim tried to go to sleep, Mansfield raped her, biting her neck and striking her face during the attack.
She managed to escape and ran to Blackpool police station to report the attack.
Mansfield struck a second time on 9 September when he befriended a woman, 21, from Glasgow on a night out in the resort, said police.
She had become separated from her boyfriend after an argument, said police, and Mansfield offered to take her back to her hotel in a taxi.
Police said they ended up on Loftus Avenue where he dragged her down an alley and attempted to rape her.
She managed to push him off and run away, said police.
Lancashire Constabulary's Det Con Lisa Wainwright said Mansfield was a "dangerous sexual predator" who targeted his victims when they were intoxicated.
She said it was disturbing that he used the guise of befriending them when he had "clear intentions of assaulting them to satisfy his own sexual urges".
Mansfield was also found guilty of two sexual assaults and supplying Class A drugs, for which he was sentenced to two years to run concurrently.

Summary: A "dangerous sexual predator" who raped a woman and attempted to rape another in  separate attacks in Blackpool has been jailed.
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Article: Acorn Park Care Home in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, was warned it must make a "significant improvement".
If not, it could face having its registration cancelled.
The privately-run home was served with a formal improvement notice by the Care Inspectorate and given until next month to make changes.
Seven areas of concern were listed after an inspection, with nutrition and hydration, personal plans for service users, environmental safety, staffing and administration of drugs all being criticised.
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: "Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate care which meets their needs and respects their rights.
"Where we have concerns, we do not hesitate to take action.
"Our first priority is always the safety and well-being of residents and this improvement notice sets out what we expect the service to do to ensure that the care provided to residents improves.
"We will be inspecting this service again soon to ensure that progress is being made."
An Acorn Park spokesman said: "We are working hard with the Care Inspectorate to meet their requirements within the timescales set."

Summary:


The number of cases of syphilis and gonorrhoea has risen by 76% and 41%, respectively, in the last five years, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.
The figures show that the number of cases of syphilis and gonorrhoea has risen by 76% and 41

Syphilis and gonorrhoea sexually transmitted infections are continuing to rise in England, new figures show.

Article: At the start of 2015, Rics expected that prices would rise by just 3%.
However it has now revised its estimate upwards, due to the shortage of homes on the market, and "accelerating prices".
Mortgage lender the Halifax said house price inflation in the year to August was 9%, with the monthly rise up 2.7%.
That is the highest monthly increase since May 2014.
"Strengthening demand, and highly constrained supply, are likely to mean that house price growth continues to be robust in the short-term," said Martin Ellis, Halifax economist.
The average price of a home across the UK is now Â£204,674, according to the Halifax measure.
In response, economist Howard Archer, of IHS Global Insight, said he was raising his house price inflation forecast from 6% to 7% for 2015.
The Rics price indicator was the highest for 15 months, with 53% more respondents reporting price rises than price falls.
"Given current market conditions, the latest data unsurprisingly shows house prices continuing to rise, and at an accelerating pace," said Simon Rubinsohn, Rics chief economist.
"And there is good reason for this trend to be sustained into next year, however uncomfortable that may be for those looking to enter the market."
Prices are expected to rise fastest in East Anglia and Northern Ireland.
In East Anglia, Rics has raised its forecast from a 3% rise in prices this year, to 9%.
Northern Ireland is now expected to see an 11% increase, instead of 4% predicted earlier.
Earlier this summer, Rics reported that the stock of homes for sale was at a record low, and called on the government to get more houses built.
However the Nationwide Building Society estimates house price inflation to be significantly lower than its rival Halifax.
It said prices in the year to August rose by 3.2%. It uses different methodology to the Halifax.

Summary: House price inflation across the UK is now likely to hit 6% this year, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).
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Article: The charity questioned 1,000 people seeking opinions about abortion in cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormality.
Of those questioned, 72% agreed abortion should be lawful if the pregnancy was a result of sexual crime.
Some 7% did not agree or disagree and 15% disagreed.
In Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, abortion is only allowed if a woman's life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her physical or mental health.
The Amnesty International figures also suggest that the numbers of people supporting access to abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality has risen.
Two years ago a similar poll showed 60% of respondents backed abortion in such circumstances. That figure has now risen to 67%; 17% disagreed.
Almost 60% of those asked thought abortion should not be a crime in Northern Ireland, while 22% were opposed to a change.
The poll also indicates the views of DUP and SDLP supporters - parties who have been traditionally opposed to changing the law.
Seventy-three per cent of DUP supporters support access to abortion in cases of rape or incest, with 17% opposed.
Among SDLP supporters, 69% back access to abortion in such circumstances, also with 17% opposed.
In the survey 1,000 people were questioned face-to-face in their homes by independent research company Millward Brown.
The polling was carried out in the middle of September and the representative sample were aged 16 and over in multiple urban and rural locations across Northern Ireland.
Adrianne Peltz of Amnesty International said: "These poll findings demonstrate an overwhelming demand for change to Northern Ireland's draconian abortion laws.
"This is not a small margin of support for women's access to abortion, it's a definitive landslide. Northern Ireland has changed."
However, Life Northern Ireland said it was concerned by the results of the poll.
"Life Northern Ireland does not believe that abortion is best healthcare, nor is it a solution to the crisis the woman and her family may be facing," said spokeswoman...

Summary: More than 70% of people in Northern Ireland have shown support for a change in abortion law, according to an opinion poll by Amnesty International.
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Article: The elections will be Myanmar's first openly contested polls in 25 years, following decades of military rule.
The ruling Union Solidarity Development Party, which has been in power since 2011, is holding a rally in Yangon.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) is expected to make major gains on Sunday, though she is barred from the presidency.
But the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Yangon says there are no reliable opinion polls in the country, also known as Burma, so no-one really knows how the vote is going to play out.
Decision-making in the Delta: the BBC's Jonathan Head in the small but crucial town of Hinthada
Elections explained: Why does this vote matter?
'Abandoned people': What rights do the Rohingya Muslims have?
Myanmar vote causes business uncertainty
On Friday, campaign signs and stickers were being taken down ahead of a day of "silence" in the campaign, from midnight until polls open on Sunday.
Former Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ms Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency, even if the NLD wins, because of the constitution which disqualifies anyone with foreign offspring.
But at a press conference on Thursday, she repeated her insistence that if her party wins she would lead the government anyway and be "above the president".
Ruled by the junta for nearly half a century, Myanmar has seen economic and political reform in recent years.
However, according to the constitution 25% of all parliamentary seats will still be reserved for the military in this election. Therefore, the NLD must take 67% of all contested seats in order to gain a majority.
Ms Suu Kyi has already raised concerned about poll fraud and voting irregularities. In the 1990 election, the NLD won a majority, but the results were largely ignored by the generals.
For its part, the government has warned that rapid change could lead to civil unrest.

Summary: Candidates in Myanmar have entered their final day of campaigning ahead of Sunday's general election.
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Article: Between 2012 and 2015, cases of syphilis increased by 76%, from 3,001 to 5,288, while gonorrhoea infections rose by 53%, from 26,880 to 41,193, Public Health England data reveals.
The rise was notable among men who have sex with men.
At the same time, rates of genital warts decreased, thanks to a vaccination campaign.
Rates of sexually transmitted infections as a group also went down slightly, totalling 434,456. But experts say this could be because fewer people came forward for testing.
Chlamydia was the most commonly diagnosed STI, accounting for nearly half of the cases diagnosed in 2015.
Young people are routinely offered chlamydia screening, but only 13% of young men and 32% of young women were tested in 2015.
The large fall in genital warts - a 7% drop - was seen in young women, and experts say this was probably because of the national human papilloma virus vaccination programme.
All girls aged 12 to 13 are offered the jab as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.
The FPA charity's chief executive, Natika Halil, said boys should be offered the vaccine too, which is something ministers are considering.
Genevieve Edwards, of Marie Stopes UK, said the statistics should "set alarm bells ringing" about the availability of sexual health services for young people and men who have sex with men.
"We have to keep a focus on preventing sexual ill health, and providing prompt diagnosis and treatment to those who need it," she added.
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV said the continued rise of gonorrhoea was extremely disturbing, given the further spread of drug-resistant infections.
Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance at PHE, said: "We need to do more to raise awareness about STIs and how they can be prevented, especially the effectiveness of using condoms.
"We recommend that anyone having sex with a new or casual partner uses condoms and tests regularly for HIV and STIs."

Summary: