A coroner has ruled that a crematorium in Shropshire was in breach of the Human Rights Act.
The coroner has ruled that the crematorium in Shrewsbury was in breach of the Human Rights Act.
The coroner has ruled that the crematorium in Shrewsbury was in breach of the

Lawyers representing families in the baby ashes scandal have said they are to take legal action against Shropshire Council.

Article: The project aims to take a snapshot of current trends and map out the ways the public engage with music.
It is hoped the survey will help measure live music's cultural and economic value and identify future challenges and opportunities.
The 24-hour survey began at 12:00 on Thursday in Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford, Leeds, Southampton and Brighton.
It has been commissioned by UK Music, the campaigning and lobbying group that represents the recorded and live music industry, and is being led by the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.
Prof Martin Cloonan, professor of popular music politics at Glasgow University, said: "What is being proposed has never been done before and is set to reveal the true state of the UK's live music industry.
"Live music is a vital cultural and economic asset and it is important to monitor its health and to support it.
"The results will help to provide the clearest picture of the Glasgow live music scene yet, illustrating that vibrancy while also show issues which need to be addressed."
According to UK Music, the music industry is worth an estimated Â£3.5bn to the UK economy and creates almost 101,600 jobs.
The group said that despite the value of live music to the economy, the full picture of what the public is listening to and how they listen and interact has never been fully and accurately surveyed.
Dr Matt Brennan, from Edinburgh University, is leading the UK Census project.
He said: "Venues around the country have been telling us that they already operate on thin margins, so proposed increases in rateable values of up to 55% in some cases will have a significant impact.
"The UK Live Music Census will be very important in identifying challenges that the industry faces, such as rising rates and other issues.
"It will give us a detailed picture of what exactly it means to be venue owner, a musician, and a live music lover in 2017. Our hope is that the census will be a vital tool in strengthening a much-loved part of the UK's culture."
The census aims to cover 70 music...

Summary: The UK's first ever live music census is being carried out in six cities across the UK.
###
Article: An international study led by the university said there was "strong evidence" of metformin's anti-inflammatory properties.
The researchers said this "may prove significant" in relation to non-diabetic cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Metformin has been in use for more than 50 years.
The study said the drug "continues to reveal significant possibilities for treatments other than those for diabetes."
The drug is also undergoing new clinical trials to determine if it can promote healthy ageing.
The study is being led by Professor Chim Lang and Dr Graham Rena, from the university's division of molecular and clinical medicine.
Professor Lang said: "The anti-inflammatory effects of the drug were observed, not only in those with diabetes, but also in a cohort of non-diabetic heart failure patients."
Dr Rena said: "We found that this drug acts differently to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by inhibiting a different target."
Dr Rena said the next step would be to establish exactly how the drug inhibits this target and to identify "specific non-diabetic" patient groups that benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties.
Prof Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation said: "These findings offer further evidence that old drugs can perform new tricks.
"Repurposed medicines can much more quickly benefit patients.
"If this existing and affordable drug can be repurposed as a heart disease treatment, then this is excellent news for the 2.3 million people in the UK living with the condition.
"We look forward to seeing how the research progresses in patient studies."

Summary: The world's most commonly-used Type 2 diabetes drug could be used to treat non-diabetic conditions, according to Dundee University researchers.
###
Article: It comes after nearly 500 animals at South Lakes Safari Zoo died over four years.
Local officials have said they don't think the zoo's conservation plans are good enough.
The zoo's owner has 28 days to appeal against the decision. If there's no appeal, then it's expected that the zoo will shut down.
Inspectors found the animals weren't being looked after properly, and there were problems with housing and overcrowding.
A keeper also died at the zoo in 2013.
South Lakes Safari Zoo opened in 1994 and has more than 1,500 animals, including giraffes and rare birds.

Summary: A zoo in Cumbria, north-west England, could close after the owner was refused permission to keep it running.
###
Article: About 60 families were unable to get their child's remains because of poor training and out-of-date equipment at council-owned Emstrey Crematorium, Shrewsbury, between 1996 and 2012.
Lawyers believe the crematorium breached the Human Rights Act.
The council said it was liaising with its insurers.
A spokesman for the authority said: "Shropshire Council confirms it has received a letter of notification in respect of Emstrey Crematorium and this has been passed to the council's insurers, who will deal with the matter confidentially in the usual way."
If the legal challenge is successful, it could pave the way for action against crematoriums across the UK where other families were not given their child's ashes.
A Freedom of Information inquiry by the BBC last year found the ashes of more than 1,000 babies were not handed to their parents between 2008 and 2013.
The scandal in Shropshire came to light following a BBC Radio Shropshire investigation.
The lawyers are representing families who have joined the campaign group Action for Ashes.
In June, an independent inquiry into what happened in Shropshire ruled a national inspector should be created for crematoriums.

Summary:


The US government has said it will not be changing its position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.
The US Trade Representative's office said in a statement: "The United States is committed to the successful conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
"The United States is also committed to working

US investigators have closed an inquiry into whether To Kill A Mockingbird author Harper Lee was pressured into publishing a sequel.

Article: 18 January 2016 Last updated at 19:54 GMT
VPN services are useful for securely accessing your work computer systems while you are away from the office.
But they are also commonly used to circumvent government censorship, or location blocking on movie streaming websites.
BBC Technology reporter Chris Foxx explains what some people use a VPN service for.

Summary: A virtual private network (or VPN) is a secure connection between your device and another computer over the internet.
###
Article: The switch would save the government £768m, while the council say it could create up to 6,500 more jobs.
The announcement comes as a report said the HS2 project faced cost pressures.
David Higgins, of HS2 Ltd, said a revised route through South Yorkshire would be announced next week but would not comment on specific changes.
Live updates on this story and others in South Yorkshire
Ms Dore described the decision as "fantastic news for Sheffield".
"We are delighted the Government has concluded that a city centre station location is the best option," she said.
"We have been making this case for years because analysis shows it will create thousands more jobs than the Meadowhall option."
A spokesman for the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority said it welcomed the switch, adding that it hoped HS2 would consider building an additional "parkway station" in the region and a stop on the high speed network at Chesterfield.
The council has campaigned for an HS2 station in the city centre ever since Meadowhall was chosen in 2013, calling for it to be built on the site of the city's old Victoria station.
In 2015, it emerged the authority had spent £190,000 lobbying for the move..
It is understood the switch could see HS2 trains arriving and departing from Sheffield Midland Station, in Sheaf Street, via a spur line linked to the main HS2 line between Birmingham and Leeds.
Mr Higgens, the non-executive chair of HS2 Ltd, told the BBC's Today programme he had spent Monday with council leaders in South Yorkshire and details of a revised route through the region would be announced next week.
He described it as "a solution that's better for the communities to be served by the railway and will deliver savings".
Sim Harris, Managing Editor of the Rail News, said the switch would involve significant work to existing infrastructure, including building two new platforms, but diverting into the city was unlikely to affect the overall service, saying "speed would not really be an issue".
"I know Meadowhall is linked by ordinary...

Summary: Sheffield's HS2 station will be built in the city centre rather than at Meadowhall, according to council leader Julie Dore.
###
Article: The claim: The green belt is safe from an increase in development.
Reality Check verdict: The rules for developing green belt previously said that it was allowed only in exceptional circumstances. The government has now specified what would count as exceptional circumstances. It is not clear whether the new rules will be more or less strict than just letting councils decide what counted as exceptional circumstances.
A big question in discussions of increasing the supply of homes is whether planning regulations will be changed to make it easier to build on green belt land.
Green belts were introduced after World War Two to stop cities from sprawling and countryside being spoilt. About 13% of England is now covered.
This covers scenic sites open to the public, such as the Chiltern Hills and North Downs, but it also covers a lot of land that has limited public access and may not be particularly beautiful.
In the House of Commons, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: "In 2015, we promised the British people that the green belt was safe in our hands and that is still the case."
So what has changed?
There has been little variation in the amount of green belt land since 1997, although data is not available for every year.
The Housing White Paper says the current planning regulations allow building on the green belt only "in exceptional circumstances" but that there is no detail given of what would amount to exceptional circumstances.
The government has now specified that before allowing development on green belt land, councils would need to rule out options including:
The White Paper also says that councils allowing the boundaries of green belt land to be changed would have to make up for it by improving other bits of green belt.
It also asks for suggestions of other things councils should take into account before doing so.
Read more from Reality Check

Summary: The government has described the housing market as broken, promised more affordable homes and said it would help people to buy and rent.
###
Article: The Alabama Securities Commission led the investigation, which helps prevent financial fraud against the elderly.
After an agent interviewed Lee, the commission's head said he was satisfied she wanted a second book published.
The new work - Go Set a Watchman - will be the 88-year-old American author's first release since the 1960s.
The surprise move prompted some suggestions Lee was manipulated into publishing the decades-old manuscript, which was discovered by her lawyer in the author's possessions last year.
"We closed the file. Let's just say that she was able to answer questions we asked to our satisfaction from our point of view,'' said Joseph Borg, Alabama Securities Commission director.
The New York Times reported that the investigation was sparked by requests from a doctor that the state investigate whether Lee was capable to have consented to the release of the work.
Lee herself was "extremely hurt" by allegations she was manipulated, her lawyer Tonja Carter said.
To Kill a Mockingbird was published in July 1960 and has sold more than 40 million copies around the world.
Go Set a Watchman was written before To Kill A Mockingbird, and features many of the same characters, with an adult Scout Finch returning to her native Alabama from New York to visit her father.

Summary:

Article: {{document}}

Summary: ||| {{target}}


A new study has found that the number of people who have a mental health problem is rising.
The number of people with a mental health problem is rising.
The number of people with a mental health problem is rising.
The number of people with a mental health problem is rising.
The number of people with

Scientists have begun the most detailed analysis ever carried out on a Stegosaurus skeleton.

Article: Inspectors also found the treatments handed out by custody staff were "unreasonable" and included the handcuffing of women and children.
Cells were found to be daubed with pornographic and racist graffiti.
The care of detainees, including those with ill health or who had been self-harming, was given "very little importance", inspectors found.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons' report said: "The condition of the court custody suites in Kent was among the worst we have seen.
"In many cells, there was scarcely an inch of wall or door that was not covered in graffiti. Much of it was obscene or racist, and some contained allegations against named individuals."
In one cell at Folkestone Magistrates' Court, there was a swastika and graffiti with the phrase "Muslim scum", the report said.
The Inspectors reported they were concerned to hear a custody officer refer to a transgender detainee as "it".
Another officer was found to have called a detainee with a mental illness "nutter".
The inspectors looked at two crown and eight magistrates' courts in Kent.
The report said the introduction of virtual courts, where detainees appear via a video-link, had the potential to reduce long journeys and cut waiting times at court.
Low staff morale stopped many workers from trying to improve the poor conditions for the detainees, the inspectors found.
Nick Hardwick, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, said the various agencies involved in providing court custody facilities in Kent rarely worked together and none had overall responsibility.
He said: "This report contains recommendations that we hope will encourage the various agencies involved in the provision of court custody to work together more effectively.
"Those detained at Kent courts should be held in a safer and more decent environment than is currently in place."
An HM Courts and Tribunals Service spokesman said inter-agency relationships had been strengthened since the inspection "to ensure that operations are run effectively and in accordance with the contract".
He said it would be...

Summary: Custody suites in Kent courts are "among the worst" seen by the prison watchdog, a report has said.
###
Article: The Traveller Movement complained after former host Jeremy Clarkson was seen holding a placard with "Pikey's Peak" while shooting in Worcestershire.
In March, the BBC Trust said it had been used to mean "cheap", rather than as a term of racial offence.
Ofcom said there was "sufficient context in the way the word was used to minimise offence".
The broadcasting regulator said it recognised that "some in the audience would perceive the word pikey as a derogatory term for gypsies and travellers".
It added: "We have advised broadcasters this doesn't mean the use of the word is acceptable in any programme in any context and that it is capable of causing significant offence in certain contexts."
The BBC also admitted the word could be "a derogatory term" but cited online encyclopaedia Wikipedia as proof it also referred to someone who "lives on the cheap".
In its complaint to Ofcom, the Traveller Movement said: "Had a more neutral word like "cheapskate" been used, it would not have had such a 'transgressive punch' ie provocative impact".
However, the BBC had argued "the issue in determining whether it is offensive in any particular case is the intention behind its use, and the context in which it is used".
In the scene, Clarkson held up the sign as co-presenter Richard Hammond prepared to test the performance of a used hatchback car by racing up Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb in Worcestershire, the site of a particularly steep racing climb.
Presenter Jeremy Clarkson mocked Richard Hammond for choosing a Vauxhall Nova, and erected a placard at the start line that read "Pikey's Peak", a play on words in reference to Pikes Peak, a famous hill climb in Colorado.
In its considerations, Ofcom had noted Top Gear was "widely known for its irreverent style and sometimes outspoken humour" and added the reference to the use of the term "pikey" was part of a "long running gag" on Top Gear and that "Richard Hammond had been linked to it on previous occasions".
It concluded that "it is likely that the audience would not generally have...

Summary: Ofcom has backed a BBC Trust decision not to censure the BBC over using the word "pikey" in an edition of Top Gear.
###
Article: The scarecrow, part of a Derbyshire village's annual festival, was on display at Scargill Primary School.
Head teacher Andrew Poole said the thieves scaled the fence and left only one plimsoll behind.
The school's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is due to open on Wednesday.
More news from around the East Midlands
Mr Pull said: "Each pupil put in about a day's work on each on their own bit of material that they sewed into an intricate pattern.
"One of our TAs spent about two days sewing it into a coat.
"It was the fact it was their hard work that was taken that makes it heart-breaking for everyone."
He said the school's Year 3 and 4 pupils were in the village touring the scarecrow trail and would be "keeping their eyes peeled" for the missing coat and Derbyshire police had been informed.
He added several other scarecrows had been damaged or stolen from the trail, which is in its ninth year. All proceeds are donated to charity.
Louise Trueman said on Facebook: "Each patch had a design on them that all year 5s had chosen and individuals hand sewed them on. Lots of hard work and time went in to this coat. Please please return."
Trail organiser, Pete Lilley, said:  "People spend a lot of time and energy in producing the 65+ scarecrows that are on display throughout the village during this week, and to see those efforts destroyed overnight through mindless vandalism, fills us with anger and despair."

Summary: A Joseph scarecrow wearing an "amazing" technicolour coat has been stolen from a school just days before it was due to be worn in a play.
###
Article: Researchers hope to learn how much it weighed, how it moved and what it used its iconic back plates for.
A UK team has scanned each of its 360 bones into a computer and has digitally reconstructed the dinosaur.
The specimen, nicknamed "Sophie", has been acquired by the Natural History Museum in London.
Although Stegosauruses are one of the most well known dinosaurs, they are among those that scientists know the least about. There are only six partial skeletons of the creature, which lived around 150 million years ago.
It could grow to the size of a minibus and the gigantic plates which ran along its back were its most distinctive feature.
Surprisingly, it was 100 years ago that the dinosaur's skeleton was properly assessed and scientifically described. Now, using medical imaging techniques and 3D modelling, researchers at the Natural History Museum hope to learn much more about this iconic creature.
Prof Paul Barrett, who is leading the research, said that they were particularly interested in finding out what stegosauruses used their plates for.
"We want to find out whether they were used for defence or whether they were used as a radiator to help the animal pick up or lose heat," he told BBC News.
Sophie is 80% complete and is thought to be the most complete specimen in the world. Dr Charlotte Brassey, who is working with Prof Barrett, helped to scan in its 360 bones and digitally recreate it on her computer as a detailed 3D model.
"I reconstructed the skeleton to see what it might have looked like and then began to reconstruct the muscles and how they connected with the skeleton. From that we can begin to say how effective its muscles were and eventually in the future we would like to reconstruct how it moved," she told BBC News.
Among the mysteries the researchers would like to solve is how the species was able to walk with such small front legs and such large back legs.
Follow Pallab on Twitter

Summary:


The French government has ordered the closure of all its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa.
The French government has ordered the closure of all its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa.
The French government has ordered the closure of all its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa.
The

Security has been increased at France's interests abroad after a French satirical magazine published obscene cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Article: The film, starring Richard E Grant and Paul McGann, depicts the lives of two unemployed actors who spend a disastrous weekend in the countryside.
The copy of Bruce Robinson's novel, written between 1969 and 1970, is estimated to reach between Â£4,000 and Â£6,000 when it goes under the hammer.
It includes extensive handwritten revisions by Robinson.
He has described Withnail and I as "70% autobiographical" - and was living in a house in Camden, north London, where much of it is set, when he was writing the novel.
The work for sale also includes a page torn from a magazine featuring the author and his flatmates outside their house in the late 1960s.
Withnail and I was adapted for the screen in 1987, produced by former Beatle George Harrison's HandMade Films and directed by Robinson.
It also starred Richard Griffiths as the flamboyant Uncle Monty, in whose rural cottage Withnail (Grant) and McGann (I) stay.
While it did not make an impression at the box office at the time, it became hugely popular in the following decade - particularly with students.
It became famous for lines including Withnail's: "We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here, and we want them now."
The draft is to be auctioned as part of Sotheby's sale of English literature, history, children's books and illustrations on 15 December.

Summary: The first draft of the novel that went on to be turned into cult film Withnail and I is set for auction at Sotheby's.
###
Article: The independent inquiry is looking in detail at historical abuse of children in residential care in Scotland.
The inquiry has been separated into a series of phases, the first of which continues on 31 October.
Phase two starts on November 28 with a study of homes run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.
Applications to appear in relation to this case study are now open, with a particular focus on Smyllum Park in Lanark and Bellevue House in Rutherglen. The deadline for applications to appear, for people with a direct or substantial interest in the hearings, close on 4 September.
Further case studies will be announced in due course.
More than 60 institutions including several top private schools and church bodies are being investigated as part of the probe, which is chaired by Lady Smith and is due to report no sooner than October 2019.
The inquiry states its purpose as being "to investigate the nature and extent of abuse of children whilst in care in Scotland", while considering "the extent to which institutions and bodies with legal responsibility for the care of children failed in their duty", in particular seeking any "systemic failures".
However, it does not cover children who were abused while living with their natural or adoptive families, while using sports and leisure clubs or attending faith based organisations on a day to day basis. The inquiry will also not examine allegations of children being abused in non-boarding schools, nursery or day-care centres.
The evidence given at hearings will supplement written statements taken from witnesses in advance, and the inquiry is continuing to take statements from survivors of abuse in private sessions.
The first phase of hearings, which began in May, heard apologies from groups who said they "deplored that physical sexual abuses could occur".
The inquiry, which had cost more than Â£7.8m as of 30 June, is taking place at Rosebery House in Edinburgh.

Summary: The second phase of hearings in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is to open with a case study centring on care establishments run by a Catholic order.
###
Article: It falls upon the fight for the Republican presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton's White House quest and the debate over the future direction of the Labour Party in Britain.
Even freshman politicians, like Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was three years shy of heading to Washington when the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled in Baghdad's Firdos Square in April 2003, have been touched by its gloom.
Seeking to follow his brother into the White House, it was inevitable that Jeb Bush would be quizzed about the decision to go to war.
What's been surprising, astonishing even, is his fumbling response. After all, he and his team must surely have war-gamed such a predictable line of inquiry.
Over the course of four days earlier this month, he came up with four different iterations of his policy.
To start with, he told an interviewer on Fox News that he would have authorised the invasion, and then added buoyantly: "So just for the news flash to the world, if they're trying to find places where there's big space between me and my brother, this might not be one of them."
By the end of the week, he had flip-flopped, that cardinal sin of candidates seeking the presidency. "I would not have engaged," he now ventured, prompting much ridicule in the press. "I would not have gone into Iraq."
More unexpectedly, every Republican candidate is being pressed on whether they, as president, would have invaded Iraq.
Interrogated on the war question, again on Fox News, Mr Rubio offered what sounded like a reasonable formulation - that presidents never get the luxury of making decisions with the benefit of hindsight.
Yet that did not prevent him from getting a torrid grilling from host Chris Wallace, which damaged his campaign.
Even as the world is being buffeted by a geopolitical superstorm, with wars in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Libya and elsewhere, the prime question for Republicans has been a historical hypothetical.
With the race stuck in a sort of time warp, a war that started 12 years ago has become a litmus test of their...

Summary: On both sides of the Atlantic, the Iraq war continues to cast a diffuse shadow from which politicians are struggling to escape.
###
Article: French embassies, consulates, cultural centres and schools in some 20 countries will be closed for the next few days as a precaution.
Government ministers voiced concern at the Charlie Hebdo cartoons but defended the freedom of the press.
Riot police have been deployed around the magazine's offices in Paris.
The magazine has confirmed that its website has been attacked.
Its paper edition features caricatures which play on both the uproar in the Islamic world over an amateur video which mocks Islam and the row over the publication in France of topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge.
A tenet of Islam bans the portrayal of its founder, the Prophet Muhammad.
Some 30 people have died in violent protests which erupted early last week over the Innocence of Muslims video, which was made in the United States.
The dead include the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans, who died in Benghazi. US and other Western embassies have come under attack in mainly Muslim countries.
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was "concerned" at the cartoons and had ordered "special security measures... in all the countries where this [publication] could pose a problem".
By Christian FraserBBC News, Paris
The French schools are already closed in Tunisia. In Libya, French journalists are withdrawing from known hotels. And in the Muslim community of Belleville in Paris, they have been buying the latest edition of Charlie Hebdo just to rip it up.
No wonder the French authorities are concerned. The foreign minister acted quickly this morning in an attempt to suppress the anger, while articulating the government's frustrations. The decision to print the cartoons at a time when Western embassies are already threatened, he said, would only "add fuel to the fire".
Last night Charb, the editor of Charlie Hebdo, told me he rejected criticism that he was inciting violence, putting French lives at risk. He was using the cartoons, he said, to make fun of the film rather than the Prophet. But he would know what...

Summary:


The US Supreme Court has upheld a key portion of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, preserving health insurance for millions of Americans.

Article: The discussion is expected at the Scottish Police Federation's annual conference on Tuesday.
It follows the terror attack on Westminster last week when four people were killed, including PC Keith Palmer.
SPF general secretary Calum Steele said there would be a focus on improving readiness for terror attacks.
The topic of arming more police officers was not originally on the agenda of the event, according to The Sunday Post.
However it reports that it is now a "racing certainty" to be examined following the events in London on Wednesday.
Mr Steele told BBC Scotland that the conference had taken on much more significance, given its timing less than a week after the attack.
He added: "It is inconceivable that in light of the events that have taken place in London over the past number of days, that delegates attending for the Scottish Police Federation conference would not be minded to have significant debates and discussions round about the state of readiness for policing in Scotland and how that is likely to impact on them as individuals."
He said one of the main considerations of any discussion was likely to centre on the resources available to police officers.
"I have said repeatedly that the issue of firearms is a tactical response arguably towards the end of the scale and once something has taken place rather than trying to prevent and mitigate incidents in the first place," he added.
"Ultimately terrorism or the fight against terrorism does not start a few yards from the intended target, it starts with communities. And the importance of having police officers embedded in our communities, building trusting relationships, gathering intelligence and helping communities thrive is where the real fight against terrorism begins - and not by bolstering the numbers of tactical officers to deal with the event after it has taken place or as it is taking place.
"Surely it's much better to invest in the prevention than to invest in the response. Although in saying that, clearly it is vital that we have adequate...

Summary: Rank-and-file police officers in Scotland are expected to hold an emergency on debate whether more of their number should carry guns.
###
Article: The rate of unemployment remained at 5.1%, maintaining a decade-low rate.
Some 31.42 million are in work, 478,000 up on a year ago. The employment rate is 74.1%, the joint highest since current records began in 1971.
Average earnings went up by 2.1% in the year to January including bonuses, 0.2% higher than the previous month.
Excluding bonuses, the increase was 2.2%.
"With the Chancellor [George Osborne] setting the backdrop to this afternoon's Budget as one where the global 'storm clouds' are gathering, today's labour market figures offer a ray of sunshine," said Scott Bowman, UK economist at Capital Economics.
He added that the UK's jobs recovery remained "in full swing", but cautioned that wage growth was "still fairly subdued by past standards, especially considering how much the labour market has tightened recently".
The East of England saw the biggest fall in the number of unemployed people, down by 15,000, followed by the North East of England, down by 11,000. However, Scotland saw an increase of 16,000 in the number of jobless people.
The North East still has the highest rate of unemployment, at 7.8%, and the East of England has the lowest, at 3.6%.
In all, 22.94 million people were working full-time, 302,000 more than a year earlier, while 8.48 million were working part-time, an increase of 177,000 on a year earlier.
The number of people on the claimant count in February fell by 18,000 to 716,700, said the ONS.
The unemployment figures are based on a large survey, so they are estimates rather than precise figures.
For example, the figure of a 28,000 fall in unemployment has a margin of error of plus or minus 79,000, which means the ONS is 95% confident that the actual change in unemployment is between an increase of 51,000 and a fall of 107,000.
Earlier this month, the US Labor Department said the US economy added 242,000 jobs in February, far better than the 190,000 expected by economists.
The US unemployment rate remains at 4.9%, an eight-year low.
Eurostat, the EU's statistical agency, has said...

Summary: UK unemployment fell to 1.68 million between November and January, down 28,000 from the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics says.
###
Article: Senior figures within the bank have told me that the government body responsible for the public's 80% stake, UK Financial Investments, has been approached about exploring a series of small stake sales to kick start the process.
The bank believes that the government should sell an initial tranche of shares worth about Â£5bn to test the market.
Although the sale would be at a loss on the amount the government originally paid to bail out the bank, it would automatically boost the share price - RBS believes - as institutional investors would take the prospect of future sales more seriously.
Senior figures insist that the core bank, which is profitable, is attractive to the market.
They point out that the initial sale of the government's then 40% stake in Lloyds Banking Group in 2013 led to a spike in the share price.
Over the year, Lloyd's share price rose by 65%. The sale also had the not unwelcome effect of raising Â£3.2bn for the Treasury's coffers.
The government bailed out RBS in 2008 at around 500p a share. That price dropped to an average 407p over subsequent weeks - a price the Treasury could argue is "break even". RBS also paid billions of pounds in fees to the government for a continuing insurance facility.
Today, RBS shares are trading around 340p, a figure little changed from six months ago.
I asked one senior figure intimately involved in the discussions when RBS would like to see the stake sale commence and he answered, only half in jest: "Tomorrow."
The source said that UKFI was very sympathetic to a sale, as it understood that a bank outside direct political control was likely to perform more strongly.
"Shareholders dislike the present arrangement, clients dislike it and I'm sure ultimately the government dislikes it," the source said. "This arrangement was never supposed to last this long. As an enduring model, it is very tough to make it work.
"The question is, is it acceptable to sell initially at a loss? Well, that is the economic reality.
"You don't need to make your money back on all the...

Summary: After six years and a myriad of rows and mis-steps, RBS is to make a fresh push for a return of the bank to private ownership.
###
Article: In a 6-3 decision, the justices said that tax subsidies that make health insurance affordable for low-income individuals can continue.
The ruling preserves the law known as Obamacare, which Mr Obama considers a major part of his presidential legacy.
Republicans have vowed to continue fighting the law.
"We've got more work to do, but what we're not going to do is unravel what has now been woven into the fabric of America," Mr Obama said.
The case, known as King v Burwell, was the second major challenge the law has faced in the US's highest court.
Unlike in many other western countries, the US does not have a single-payer healthcare system. Private companies, rather than the US government, provide health insurance for US citizens.
The enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - one of Mr Obama's most significant and controversial domestic achievements - in 2010 mandated that every American had to purchase private insurance. It provided the subsidies to allow many to do so.
In 2012, the mandate portion of the law was challenged in the court. The justices ruled to preserve it.
In that decision, as in the decision on Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts surprised observers by siding with his liberal colleagues in support of the law.
"Congress passed the Affordable Care act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion.
Justice Anthony Kennedy dissented in 2012, but sided with the majority on Thursday.
Had the court made the opposite decision, an estimated 8.7 million people in the US would have been at risk of losing the aid that makes healthcare affordable.
The stakes could not have been higher.
People's health (crucially important) and Obama's legacy (less important, but for him and those around him fairly vital) were at stake.
Well a politically finely balanced Supreme Court has given an emphatic, overwhelming vote in favour of the president by 6-3.
I bet "No-drama Obama" is high-fiving anyone and everyone in the White House - that is how big it...

Summary:


The Rhinos have been training across the city of Leeds since the river Aire burst its banks at Christmas.
The Rhinos have been training across the city of Leeds since the river Aire burst its banks at Christmas.
### Article: The Rhinos have been training across the city of Leeds since the river A

Leeds Rhinos rugby league team face a £1m bill for flood damage that could keep them out of their training ground for a further six months.

Article: The Food and Drug Administration said it had given approval on the grounds that "food from the fish is safe to eat".
The biotech company behind the fish, AquaBounty, first submitted its application almost 20 years ago.
Opponents say consumers do not want to eat genetically engineered seafood.
They have also expressed concern that the salmon could pose risks to other fish if it were to escape into the environment.
Dr Bernadette Dunham of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine said: "The FDA has thoroughly analysed and evaluated the data and information submitted by AquaBounty Technologies regarding AquAdvantage Salmon and determined that they have met the regulatory requirements for approval, including that food from the fish is safe to eat."
The FDA ruled that the salmon must be raised in tanks on land at only two facilities in Canada and Panama. It will not be bred or raised in the US.
Safety measures include producing fish that are sterile to prevent cross breeding with wild fish "in the highly unlikely event of an escape".
The transgenic salmon is a type of Atlantic salmon injected with a gene from Pacific Chinook salmon to make it grow faster.
Dr Ron Stotish, chief executive of AquaBounty, said the salmon was "a game-changer that brings healthy and nutritious food to consumers in an environmentally responsible manner without damaging the ocean and other marine habitats".
He said the young reach adult size much quicker than conventional fish, making it feasible to raise salmon in tanks on land near urban areas.
However, it is unclear whether retailers will want to sell the salmon and whether the public will want to buy it.
Lisa Archer, food and technology programme director at Friends of the Earth, said despite the FDA's "flawed and irresponsible approval of the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption, it's clear that there is no place in the US market for genetically engineered salmon".
There are also uncertainties over how long it will take for the salmon to be produced in sufficient...

Summary: US regulators have given the go-ahead to genetically modified salmon, making it the first GM animal destined for human consumption.
###
Article: A bottlenose dolphin has been photographed playing with an unfortunate fish.
The flounder was thrown into the air from the mammal's mouth and bounced off its nose, before being devoured.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation field officer and photographer Charlie Phillips captured the action on camera on Friday from Chanonry Point on the Moray Firth.
The firth is home to a population of bottlenose dolphins.

Summary: All images are copyrighted.
###
Article: It aimed to spare succeeding generations from the scourge of armed conflict, and its Security Council - which met for the first time in 1946 - was specifically tasked with ensuring global peace and security.
Once widely criticised as a talking-shop, the council has had a more active role on the world stage in recent years, introducing sanctions regimes and authorising the use of force in conflicts.
Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. They reflect the post-war power structure that held sway when the council was formed.
Members of this privileged group work alongside 10 non-permanent member countries. Each member - permanent or otherwise - holds the presidency of the council for a one-month period, on a rotating basis.
The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by members of the UN General Assembly, the body that represents all UN members.
The aim is to achieve a regional balance, with five Asian or African members, two Latin American members, one east European, and two members from western Europe or other regions making up the mix of non-permanent members.
Nations compete keenly for council membership, maybe because of the prestige attached, or the chance to raise an issue that is in the national interest. Some countries announce their candidacy many years in advance and actively canvass votes.
Draft resolutions are drawn up by one or more members of the council and circulated privately to the others.
The drafts can be negotiated or changed in a process called "consultations". If agreed to by all members, the resolution is formally proposed to the council.
Each member has one vote. Decisions on what the council calls "substantive" issues need a majority of nine votes before they can be passed, including either votes or abstentions from all five permanent members.
Not surprisingly, the question of whether an issue is substantive or not is itself the subject of lively debate.
Thus, each of the permanent members has the right of veto; if one of them votes against a...

Summary: The United Nations rose from the ashes of World War II as an organisation of "peace-loving" states.
###
Article: The Rhinos have been training across the city of Leeds since the river Aire burst its banks at Christmas.
Chief executive Gary Hetherington told BBC Radio Leeds: "It is looking like £1m in total. It has caused massive disruption.
"But sport throws up all sorts of challenges and this is another one."
All seven training pitches and the main building at the Kirkstall site the Rhinos share with rugby union side Yorkshire Carnegie were contaminated by flood water at the end of December.
The Rhinos, who begin the defence of their Super League title against Warrington on 4 February, say that 80 members of staff based at the site, plus 120 players, have been kept out for the last month.
"We couldn't get anywhere near the site," said Hetherington.
"When we were able to access it, the reality hit everybody. The whole site was under water. The changing rooms, medical rooms and gymnasium, and all the equipment was completely destroyed.
"All the pitches are contaminated so they need to be dug up and reseeded. The 3G pitch needs to be replaced. The buildings need to be replastered, all the floors need to come up.
"It will be the best part of six months before we can use the grass pitches and gymnasium."

Summary:


The Chilcot Inquiry has been criticised for taking so long to report.
The inquiry was set up in 2009 to investigate the decision to go to war in Iraq.
It was set up after the publication of a damning report by the Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Lord Hutton, which concluded that the decision to go

MPs will question the chairman of the Iraq War Inquiry later this month for the first time since it published its official report in July.

Article: Leaders and managers in public life rarely escape criticism when they make unpopular decisions either. "The power has gone to his head" is an oft-heard accusation.
So are leaders losing touch with reality when they act in a power-hungry way?
According to psychologist Guy Claxton, professor of learning sciences at the University of Winchester, their actions could be to do with "a disorder of intelligence".
At a Royal Society of Medicine conference this week, entitled The Intoxication Of Power, Prof Claxton says that human intelligence is made up of four different mental systems working in harmony.
When one of these systems is not used, the decision-making process can become unreliable and potentially dangerous.
Instead of analysing actions, checking through the consequences of those actions and chatting through the decisions made, leaders too often rely on impulsive decision-making - and this is when hubris can set in.
"None of these systems is infallible. You need a jazz quartet of them to achieve full human intelligence," Prof Claxton says.
When it comes to governments and prime ministers, this failure of intelligence creates the need for ways of stopping power getting out of hand like the House of Lords checking the power of the House of Commons.
When individuals are in positions of great power, there are other dangers, he says.
"Politics can become dangerous. Leaders have the power to create wars."
When the rest of the world makes it known that they do not like this type of leadership, they tend to resort to something which Prof Claxton calls 'messianic hubris'.
"They transpose their leadership into a sense of humility, as if they are listening to an inner god or higher power when making decisions."
This is when self-deception and an inflated sense of self-worth sets in.
To combat against this, a sense of humour is a useful tool, Prof Claxton says.
"Traditionally, powerful people had a joker following them around, making jokes and poking fun at them, reminding them that they are just human beings."
This...

Summary: World leaders are often accused of hubris, of wielding power in arrogant and self-serving ways.
###
Article: The Wilton Mill clock tower is situated on the town's Commercial Road.
It has been claimed it could cost in the region of Â£2m to make the building safe and useable which, a local developer believes, means saving it is out of the question.
An application to demolish the listed building has been lodged with Scottish Borders Council.
Agents for the developers said the building was now "derelict and unsafe" and said it was "stifling advancement of redevelopment" of the site.
A structural assessment earlier this year also recommended removal of the building "as soon as possible".
However, the plans have provoked objections to the loss of an "iconic feature of Hawick's industrial landscape".
Opponents believe that in a "better economic climate" a new use could be found for the building.
The local authority and Historic Scotland will have the final say on whether the clock tower stays or goes.

Summary: A landmark building in Hawick could be demolished amid claims it would cost too much to restore.
###
Article: Under the deal, Ping Petroleum Ltd and Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad will each acquire 50% of Shell and Esso's interests in the Anasuria cluster.
It will give them a 100% stake in the Teal, Teal South and Guillemot A fields and 38.65% in the Cook field.
The deal includes the Anasuria Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit.
The Anasuria cluster is located about 175km east of Aberdeen in the UK Central North Sea.
Hibiscus said the acquisition was subject to regulatory approval, and consent from third parties.
The agreement was signed by Shell UK Ltd and Shell EP Offshore Ventures Ltd as well as Esso Exploration and Production UK Ltd, which is part of Exxon Mobil.
In a statement, Ping and Hibiscus said the acquisition "reflected the support provided by the UK government to encourage smaller independents to invest and revive the North Sea basin".
Hibiscus managing director Ken Pereira said: "This acquisition will complete our company's strategy of acquiring a balanced portfolio of assets which includes exploration, development and producing assets within five years of listing our company.
"We will be able to cut our teeth as an operator in conjunction with Ping in one of the world's foremost oil and gas production basins.
"The Anasuria Cluster has development potential for a company of the size of Hibiscus and provides us with an excellent foundation upon which we can build a significant North Sea presence."
Ping is an upstream company focusing on shallow water offshore production and development in south east Asia.
Hibiscus owns exploration and development assets in the Middle East, Norway and Australia.
A Shell spokeswoman said: "Shell can confirm that it has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Ping Petroleum and Hibiscus Petroleum, for the sale of its interests in the Anasuria Cluster.
"The deal is subject to partner and regulatory approvals, with completion expected in quarter four of 2015.
"This deal fits with Shell's strategy to deliver strong shareholder value across our assets.
"The Anasuria...

Summary: Shell and Esso have agreed to sell off their stakes in a cluster of North Sea oil and gas fields to a pair of Malaysian firms for a total of $105m.
###
Article: Former civil servant Sir John Chilcot will appear before MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee on 18 October.
The report, which took seven years to complete, criticised Tony Blair and his government's case for going to war in 2003.
Mr Blair defended his actions, saying military action had been justified.
The Chilcot Inquiry, which began its work in 2009, after UK troops left Iraq, did not attempt to reach a verdict on the legality or otherwise of the military action.
Mr Blair has continued to insist the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was justified, although he has acknowledged that the intelligence on which it was based was flawed.
Appearing before a separate committee of MPs last month, Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heyward said he and other civil servants were in the "preliminary" phase of learning lessons from the report in terms of how government should operate in future.
He said he was frustrated at the length of time the inquiry had taken but believed that it could not have been expedited without changing the large terms of reference or restricting access to vital declassified documents and other material.
The liaison committee, made up of the chairs of individual parliamentary committees, is best known for questioning the prime minister of the day two or three times a year.

Summary:


A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman in a house fire in Wakefield.
The body of a woman was found in a house in the Wakefield area of the city on Saturday.
Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious.
The woman's next of kin have been

A plea has been made to trace the mother of a baby whose remains were found in a plastic bag at a nature reserve a year ago.

Article: "We know that after two weeks they're starting to have some immune response and there are no adverse reactions," says Dr Samba Sow, an infectious disease epidemiologist and vaccine expert and director of Centre for Vaccine Development (CVD) in Mali.
The first volunteer in Mali was paediatrician Dr Seydou Sissoko, who was vaccinated on 8 October at the CVD in the capital, Bamako.
"Since I received the vaccine, I feel well, there is no difference in the way a feel now and how I felt before," he said.
Ten other healthcare workers are due to receive more Ebola vaccines on Thursday in the trial.
The exercise is part of a bigger multi-country study which began in the UK in September.
It is a joint effort involving the World Health Organization (WHO), the US National Institutes of Health and UK pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.
It is also one of the most fast-tracked vaccines in history - with experts hoping to find a way to develop immunity to Ebola - which has killed nearly 5,000 people this year in West Africa - in a matter of months.
"What motivated me to join the study was the fact that I am a medical doctor and I'll be regularly in touch with patients of Ebola," says Dr Sissoko.
This week he has been asked to investigate two suspected cases of Ebola - one of them was a man who died after bleeding from the mouth.
"It is first to protect myself and secondly to help the scientific community find a good vaccine against the disease."
At first, his family were worried about his participation in the trial, which is being funded from the research charity the Wellcome Trust, the UK's Medical Research Council and Department for International Development.
"I explained to my wife and brother how it works and now they are fine with it.
"But I have not talked about it to my parents because I thought they may not understand," he adds.
In total 40 volunteers are taking part in the Mali study - all of them are health workers who could be called upon to deal with Ebola should more cases appear in the country.
The first and...

Summary: Preliminary indications in Mali from the first trial for an Ebola vaccine taking place in Africa seem promising.
###
Article: The six-mile march from central Belfast to Stormont marked the 100th anniversary of the Ulster Covenant, to oppose Home Rule for Ireland in 1912.
There was no trouble at a contentious feeder parade past a north Belfast Catholic church on Saturday morning.
It was the biggest policing operation in the city in 20 years.
A century ago, the signing of the document laid the foundations for the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland a decade later.
Northern Ireland's Parades Commission, which makes determinations on contentious marches, had placed restrictions on the part of the route past St Patrick's Church on Donegall Street.
By Mark SimpsonBBC Ireland Correspondent
The huge security operation surrounding the Ulster Covenant parade went better than anyone dared to hope.
Yes, there were some unsavoury incidents, but no-one was injured and the vast majority of the 30,000-strong marchers behaved impeccably.
The nationalist protesters had their say. The unionist marchers enjoyed their big day.
Much of the credit must go to the police. For the 10-year-old Police Service of Northern Ireland, this was their finest hour.
Parade bodes well for centenaries
Mark Simpson on Twitter
What was the Ulster Covenant?
A representative of a nationalist residents group which had contested the ruling said he was glad it had passed off without incident, but claimed the Parades Commission's determination had been breached.
"With one band in particular, the bass drummer danced outside St Patrick's and nobody can work out what type of hymn that was," said Frank Dempsey of the Carrick Hill Residents Association.
"The minute they passed the church, a number of bands reverted to playing (Orange Order song) the Sash and clearly broke the restriction."
The commission also placed the sacred music restriction on bands passing St Matthew's Catholic Church on the Newtownards Road, in the east of the city.
However, this was breached by some bands who played the Sash as they passed the church.
A Parades Commission spokesman said:...

Summary: Thousands of people have taken part in commemorations in Belfast to mark one of the most significant dates in unionist history.
###
Article: The permitted increase - which is taken from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation measure for July - will be the highest since January 2013.
Passenger groups said commuters would be worst-hit, and suggested that the RPI measure should be scrapped.
The most widely watched and used measure, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), was unchanged at 2.6%.
The fare rises will affect "anytime" and some off-peak fares as well as season tickets in England and Wales.
In Scotland, it is mainly commuters who will be affected, with off-peak fares rising by a smaller amount. The Scottish government currently limits rises in off-peak fares to RPI minus 1%.
There are no plans for increases in Northern Ireland.
Unregulated fares, which include super off-peak travel and advance tickets, will be set in December.
Transport Focus, which represents the interests of passengers, said rail users were already fed up with getting poor value for money.
David Sidebottom, director of Transport Focus, said: "Yet again, passengers, now majority funders of the railway, face fare rises next January. Commuters do not give value for money on their railways a high satisfaction score - just one third according to our latest survey.
Transport Focus also queried the use of the RPI measure to determine fare increases: "Why is the Government not using its preferred measure of inflation: the one that is used to determine wages and pension increases, and one which is often lower than RPI? Why not use the Consumer Prices Index for rail fares too?"
The CPI measure has gradually replaced the RPI over the past few years as the benchmark for changes to most government-controlled funding.
James Tucker from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it was not in favour of using RPI as a benchmark: "We know there will be a focus on the RPI this month, but the National Statistician has been clear it is not a good measure and we do not recommend its use."
The Department for Transport rejected the idea of using CPI, saying RPI was used across the rail industry -...

Summary: Millions of rail users in the UK will see the price of regulated rail fares rise by up to 3.6% in January.
###
Article: Police now have a DNA profile for the mother of the girl whose bones were discovered by a member of the public at Washlands nature reserve in Wakefield.
Forensic analysis of the remains suggest they had been left in the area some time before October 2015.
A post-mortem examination was inconclusive, police said.
Live updates on this story and others from around Yorkshire
The bones were found in a blue plastic bag wrapped in a pair of dark leggings or trousers, which had a drawstring at the waist and were from Matalan, police said.
They were discovered just off a towpath leading from Welbeck Lane on 3 May last year.
West Yorkshire Police said it was believed the baby was born at full term.
Det Ch Insp Nicola Bryar, from the homicide and major inquiry team, said the DNA profile of the mother meant several people had been ruled out of the inquiry.
She said: "Twelve months on we continue to appeal for the mother of this baby to come forward.
"While she may not require medical assistance, she will have suffered deep trauma and may very well be in need of some counselling and professional emotional support."

Summary:


The UK's largest provider of home energy efficiency services has launched a new app to help people save money on their energy bills.
The app, which is free to download, allows users to see how much they could save on their energy bills by making simple changes to their home.
It also provides information on the best

Hundreds of eggs belonging to a protected species of bird have been stolen from an important nesting site, with fears they could be sold to the restaurant industry.

Article: The government regulator has voiced concerns over how sites not yet connected to the grid choose where they get their power from.
The regulator said it had also found evidence that SSE may have breached competition law.
Ofgem will now examine whether SSE put its competitors at a disadvantage.
Customers who are not yet connected to the electricity grid, such as new housing developments, can choose who they get their electricity connection from, with the option to select an alternative, independent connection provider rather than the local distribution company.
Publishing the findings of a six month review into the electricity connections market, Ofgem said: "While we have seen more progress over the last five years to increase competition, the network company remains the sole provider for a number of key parts of the connections process."
Ofgem opened the review into the market for new connection in response to concerns about whether competition in the market was effective.
The watchdog invited responses from the public, carried out customer research and met a broad range of connection providers.
The review also identified differences in how connection services were provided across Britain.
Ofgem suggests network companies commit to an enforceable code of practice which would "level the playing field for competitors by reducing their reliance on the local electricity network companies".
The regulator said it was expecting electricity distribution network companies to confirm their commitment to the code by 18 February 2015.
Ofgem's senior partner for distribution, Maxine Frerk said: "We are requiring electricity network companies to work quickly to resolve the issues identified in the connections market, to reduce the hassle of getting connected to the grid and help lower costs for customers.
"We are determined to ensure this part of the energy market works in customers' interest and will use the full range of our powers to do so."
Ofgem, however, stressed that the fact it had launched an investigation did not...

Summary: Energy firm SSE is to be investigated by Ofgem over concerns that it restricted competition in the electricity connections market.
###
Article: The two-year long study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) included nearly 500 overweight volunteers who were asked to diet and take more exercise.
Half were given a fitness tracker to help them keep tabs.
This group had lost less weight than the other one by the end of the trial.
The study authors say this does not mean people should ditch the technology altogether, but neither should they put too much faith in them, at least as a slimming aid.
Manufacturers say that the  technology has moved on since the study, and that their own research suggests activity trackers can help with weight loss alongside diet and exercise regimes.
Despite the popularity of activity trackers, there have been very few studies to see what actual impact they have on weight and fitness levels.
The University of Pittsburgh research is one of the first randomised trials to gather such evidence.
The investigators found that over the course of the study, the volunteers who wore the fitness trackers had lost, on average, about 8lb (3.6kg).
In comparison, the control group that were not given these devices lost about 13lb (5.9kg).
The study authors say there are many possible explanations for this surprising finding but, as yet, no proof.
Lead researcher Dr John Jakicic said: "People have a tendency to use gadgets like these for a while and then lose interest with time as the novelty wears off.
"And we did see a drop off in the usage data as the study went on."
Perhaps people who use fitness trackers became fixated on exercise goals and forgot to follow the diet advice, Dr Jakicic suggested.
"You might think to yourself, 'I'm being so active I can eat a cupcake now,'" he said.
Dr Jakicic said he would like to explore if certain people were more likely than others to benefit from using the technology.
For example, a person who was very goal-driven might find tracking their exercise regime very motivating. - but others might just find it depressing.
"It might be very discouraging if you can see that you are not...

Summary: Wearing an activity device that counts how many steps you have taken does not appear to improve the chances of losing weight, research suggests.
###
Article: The CleanSpace app provides users with details of the local air quality, which Lord Drayson hopes will raise awareness of the problem.
The app also rewards it users with CleanMiles for low emission journeys.
Last year, a Commons select committee report described air pollution as a "public health crisis".
MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee called for new schools, care homes and hospitals to be built far away from major roads because of the dangers of air pollution.
It is estimated that it is responsible for 29,000 deaths in the UK each year.
Despite the government arguing that it was investing heavily to improve air quality, the UK Supreme Court ruled that ministers had to take immediate action to cut air pollution.
'CleanMiles'
Lord Drayson, a Labour government minister between 2005 and 2010, said the idea for the CleanSpace app came from people asking what they could do to tackle global problems like climate change and air pollution.
"After coming out of government and deciding to start a technology business it really struck us that we are living at a time where modern internet technology gives us the tools to answer that question for people by giving them information about the air that they are breathing and motivating them to see the central truth, which is that the little things do add up," he said.
"That is the core idea behind it. For us, it is not just telling people about the problem but motivating them to see that the solution is in all of our hands."
The app, developed by Lord Drayson's company, provides the user with a map and information about the air quality in the local area.
"The second aspect is that as you go about your day, the app automatically tracks you. We use the sensors within the phone to generate a signature of the way that you are moving so the phone can automatically work out how you are moving so it can work out whether you are walking, or cycling or in a vehicle," Lord Drayson told BBC News.
If you are moving in a way that is not contributing to air pollution - cycling or...

Summary: Former science minister Lord Drayson has launched an app that monitors air quality and encourages people to choose cleaner ways to travel.
###
Article: The Mediterranean gull and black-headed gull eggs were illegally harvested from from islands in Poole Harbour, Dorset.
The theft has been branded "sickening" by bird charity Birds of Poole Harbour.
The group said some eggs - sometimes eaten as a delicacy - were not cleared for human consumption.
Dorset Police and Natural England have launched an investigation.
Natural England is urging any restaurants or pubs to ask to see a valid licence before buying eggs to prepare in meals.
Birds of Poole Harbour had been surveying a group of islands in the harbour when the theft was discovered.
Mediterranean gulls are classified as a Schedule One species, meaning anyone disturbing their nests must have a special licence.
Paul Morton, who runs the charity, said Mediterranean gulls' eggs were not approved for human consumption, and could be a "health issue".
"I'm distraught, really. To see the taking of hundreds and hundreds of eggs from an important colony is quite sickening," he said.
Mr Moreton said there had been previous convictions for egg poaching in the last 10 or 15 years.
He said continued monitoring was needed to understand the effect on the gull population in the harbour, which he said had fallen by 70% since 2008.

Summary:


The EU is to introduce a common list of tax havens, which will be used to target tax dodgers.
The EU is to introduce a common list of tax havens, which will be used to target tax dodgers.
The EU is to introduce a common list of tax havens, which will be used to target

EU nations have agreed to draw up a blacklist of tax havens in the wake of the Panama Papers leaks.

Article: These ephemeral ecosystems support unique flora and fauna species that do not occur in permanent wetlands.
Yet these poorly understood habitats are being lost to future generations as a result of poor land-use practices, the authors observed.
The details have been published in the Global Change Biology journal.
Although these intermittent, shallow-water seasonal natural features are most closely associated with arid or semi-arid landscapes, they are more widespread than generally realised.
For example, more than half of the total river length in the US, Greece and South Africa is made up by sections that have temporary flow.
"They tend to occur during the rainy season which is when you will see shallow water but for most months of the year, it will appear to be dry,"  explained co-author Tatenda Dalu, from Rhodes University, South Africa.
The seasonal wetlands are dominated by aquatic biodiversity, he told BBC News.
"You have your plankton, you have your insects, which then brings in the birds to feed on these insects," Dr Dalu said.
"Some of these systems have unique communities of fish, such as the 'lung fish'."
However, these unique ecosystems were vulnerable for a number of reasons, explained Dr Dalu.
"The biggest threat we are seeing at the moment is either the digging up of the ecosystems or making them permanent.
"By making them permanent, people accidently introduce invasive species which then wipe out the unique invertebrate communities."
For example, people look to have a lake full of fish on their land. Very often, the introduced species of fish results in the unique habitat that had previously thrived in the intermittent water being squeezed to the point of becoming locally extinct.
The team also recognised that changes to the climate system were set to alter rainfall and temperature patterns.
The researchers observed in their paper: "In tropical regions of southern Africa, for example, drought is projected to be particularly problematic.
"In such areas, ephemeral wetlands are highly likely to be...

Summary: Seasonal wetlands - ecologically important habitats that become visible during rainy seasons - are facing an uncertain future, warn scientists.
###
Article: Asgardia "will become a place in orbit which is truly 'no man's land'," its website says.
The new "nation" aims to launch its first satellite late next year and hopes to one day be recognised by the UN.
But some experts have cast doubt on the viability of the plan, given international law prohibits national sovereignty claims in outer space.
"Citizens" of Asgardia, who will be scrutinised before admission, will eventually obtain passports, says Lena de Winne, a senior member of the project team who worked for the European Space Agency for 15 years.
"Clearly it's difficult to wrap your head around the concept [of] how can you be a citizen of something you cannot put your foot on," she told the BBC.
"But I'm a citizen of the Netherlands and I'm now in Parisâ€¦ There is nothing unusual about it if you are a citizen of a land where you don't live and where you don't go."
The project is being directed by the Vienna-based Aerospace International Research Center, a private company founded by Russian scientist and businessman Dr Igor Ashurbeiyli.
He joked to reporters in Paris at an event announcing the project that he would not be surprised if the media labelled him a "crazy Russian rocket scientist" talking "utter nonsense".
Its website says the new nation, the name of which derives from a city in the sky in Norse mythology, "will offer an independent platform free from the constraint of a land-based country's laws".
The group says it will open up new opportunities in space for commerce, science and "peoples of all countries on earth".
Competitions are being held to decide a national anthem and flag design.
Professor Sa'id Mosteshar, director of the London Institute of Space Policy and Law, cast doubt on the idea that Asgardia would be recognised under international law.
"The Outer Space Treatyâ€¦ accepted by everybody says very clearly that no part of outer space can be appropriated by any state," he said.
Given Asgardia will not be associated with a self-governing territory, with its 'citizens' remaining on...

Summary: A group of scientists is launching what they say will be a new pacifist nation-state in space.
###
Article: The spider, which has been named Big Boy, was caught in bushland in Newcastle, NSW, last week and handed over to the Australia Reptile Park.
The park encourages the public to catch and send in spiders so it can use them to produce anti-venom.
Programme supervisor Billy Collett said he had not heard of a bigger specimen.
"There might be one at a museum, but this is the biggest one we've had in our venom programme," Mr Collett said.
A "good Samaritan" had handed the spider in at a local hospital, which acts as a collection point for the Australian Reptile Park's venom milking programme, he added.
Desperately seeking deadly spiders
Find out more about spidersâ€™ impressive skills - from BBC iWonder
Big Boy is a male Sydney funnel-web spider, which is the deadliest spider in Australia and one of the most venomous in the world.
The average leg span of a funnel-web is between 6cm and 7cm.
Mr Collett said earlier reports that Big Boy's size was 7.5cm were based on an incorrect measurement taken when the spider's legs were not fully extended.
Big Boy will now become one of more than 500 funnel-webs that are milked for venom at the Australian Reptile Park.
"We get them into a defence position and with a glass pipette we vacuum the venom right off their fangs," Mr Collett said.
Sources: Australian Museum, US National Library of Medicine

Summary: A deadly funnel-web spider with a leg span of 10cm (4in) is the largest specimen ever handed in to Australia's only venom-milking programme.
###
Article: Finance ministers have endorsed the move, which is to be completed by the end of the summer.
The European Commission says nations on the tax blacklist should be sanctioned if appeals for change go unheeded.
The leak of millions of files from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca revealed how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth.
Full coverage: Panama Papers
Plans for a single EU list of "non-cooperative jurisdictions" have been blocked in the past by conflicting national interests.
Currently the 28 EU states have different national lists of tax havens and can decide individually whether to impose restrictive measures.
Negotiations on the new common list are expected to be complex and the number of jurisdictions to be included remains unclear.
Ministers have also agreed to exchange information on the beneficial owners of companies and the EU is planning a crackdown on banks and tax advisers who help clients hide money offshore.

Summary:


The bill would allow Ukrainians to apply for Russian passports at Russian diplomatic missions before they have to give up their Ukrainian citizenship.
The bill would also allow Ukrainians to apply for Russian passports at Russian diplomatic missions before they have to give up their Ukrainian citizenship.
The bill would also allow Ukrainians to apply for Russian passports at Russian

Russian MPs have proposed new laws that would make it easier for Russia to incorporate parts of Ukraine, and allow Russian citizenship to be fast-tracked.

Article: The Izumo is the largest vessel built by Japan since the end of World War Two - and she looks very much like an aircraft carrier.  She has already participated in Singapore's first ever fleet review, an international naval gathering with fleets from Asia and beyond to demonstrate their power.
There is growing support in Japan for a more strident response to Chinese military assertiveness around Japanese waters and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has been increasingly active in the region.
It is all part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's determination to loosen constitutional strictures over the role of Japan's self-defence forces.
The sea is where this is playing out right now.
Japanese navy officials are careful to describe the ship as a "helicopter destroyer" capable of carrying more than 20 helicopters from its expansive flight deck, and thus playing down any offensive capabilities forbidden under Japan's constitution.
Against the backdrop of China's narrative of suffering and humiliation at the hands of Japanese imperial forces during World War Two, the transit of the Izumo through the South China Sea is particularly sensitive for China, since Japan has been very vocal in its support of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration overwhelmingly against China's claims to a large expanse of the South China Sea and its features.
The widening of Japanese naval operations in the South China Sea and beyond is also a response to a more pressing concern for Japan: China's own relentless drive to dominate the waters around Japan.
Chinese critics of Japan's naval modernisation will point out that with a few minor adjustments, this ship could carry vertical take-off and landing fighter jets, including the F-35 stealth fighter.
For China, therefore, the Izumo and the latest additions to the JMSDF fleet are both a symbol of a new era of military expansionism under Prime Minister Abe's administration and a painful reminder of China's wartime suffering and the destruction wrought by Japan's powerful carrier...

Summary: The pride of Japan's naval defence, the JS Izumo, is making an unprecedented journey through Asian waters over the next three months.
###
Article: Asia's third-largest economy grew 7.5% in the three months ending in March, higher than the previous quarter and above expectations. Forecasts were for growth of about 7.3% for the period compared with a year earlier.
But the new growth figures have come at a time when Indian companies are at their weakest in two years. Earnings are flat and profits are down. Most major industries, including infrastructure and automobiles, are struggling. Historically, says Business Standard newspaper, when India's growth has hit 7.5% at constant prices, corporate revenues and profits have soared above 14% on average. So how does the economy grow so fast when corporate growth is so slow?
A month after the government declared a new way of calculating GDP, India baffled experts in February when it announced 7.5% growth between October and December compared with the same period a year earlier. The latest figures again raise questions about the new way.
Some critics say the government is raising GDP figures to meet fiscal deficit targets, and trying to present a rosier picture of the economy. Economists such as R Nagaraj say the new and higher figures "seem quite at odds with other economic indicators such as growth in bank credit, the index of industrial production and corporate performance". Even the government's Economic Survey earlier this year found the new growth figures "somewhat puzzling" when compared to the falling savings, investments and exports.
India's government has defended the new way of calculating GDP by saying it is using an improved database for the private sector, in place of the earlier, smaller sample of large firms with high paid-up capital. It also said it had taken into account half a million companies which had been used for the first time in the series.
India's economy is a complex beast. There's a thriving "underground" or black economy which evades taxes, while more than 90% of India's workers are employed by small businesses which employ less than 10 workers.
"The new methodologies are very...

Summary: Last week, India announced growth figures which would make the world envious.
###
Article: Lois Slemp, 62, from Virginia, Missouri said she developed the cancer after four decades of using talc products.
Prosecutors argued the company did not adequately warn about the cancer risks associated with the items.
Experts say links with ovarian cancer are unproven. J&J says it will appeal.
The verdict in a St Louis state court is the largest so far to arise out of about 2,400 lawsuits against J&J over its talc-based products, Reuters news agency reports.
Ms Slemp is currently undergoing chemotherapy after her ovarian cancer initially diagnosed in 2012 returned and spread to her liver.
She said the products she used included J&J's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder.
"Once again we've shown that these companies ignored the scientific evidence and continue to deny their responsibilities to the women of America," said Ted Meadows, a lawyer for Ms Slemp.
The verdict included $5.4m in compensatory damages and $105m in punitive damages against J&J.
The company said it planned to appeal. "We are preparing for additional trials this year and we continue to defend the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder," it said in a statement.
"We deeply sympathise with the women and families impacted by ovarian cancer."
J&J lost three jury verdicts last year in cases related to its talc-based products, but won its first trial in March, when a jury in Missouri sided with the company.
There have been concerns for years that using talcum powder, particularly on the genitals, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
But the evidence is not conclusive. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies talc used on the genitals as "possibly carcinogenic" because of the mixed evidence.
The mineral talc in its natural form does contain asbestos and does cause cancer, however, asbestos-free talc has been used in baby powder and other cosmetics since the 1970s. But the studies on asbestos-free talc give contradictory results.
It has been linked to a cancer risk in some studies, but there are concerns that the research may be...

Summary: Pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered by a US court to pay more than $110m (Â£85m) to a woman who says she developed ovarian cancer after using its talcum powder.
###
Article: Pro-Kremlin party A Just Russia put forward both bills, and linked them directly to the situation in Ukraine.
Separatist and pro-Russian feelings are strong in Ukraine's Crimea region, which is now the focus of the crisis.
Russian MPs say a referendum or a plea from a territory's leaders would be enough to trigger the new provisions.
There are already many Russian citizens in Crimea.
In Sevastopol, base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, a majority hold Russian passports.
Under Russia's existing law, a neighbouring state would have to sign a treaty with Russia to allow part of its territory to become a new "subject" of the Russian Federation.
But Mikhail Yemelyanov, deputy leader of A Just Russia, said the law had been drafted for peaceful times, and did not go far enough for situations where a state was falling apart.
"In conditions where a neighbouring state is disintegrating I don't think the Russian Federation should be restricted in its ability to accept a territory whose people have expressed a clear will and desire to be in Russia," he said.
Since Russia's war with Georgia in 2008, the breakaway Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have come under Moscow's control.
Russia poured troops into both regions to help pro-Russian separatists who did not recognise Georgia's authority.
The other bill to be considered by the Duma - Russia's lower house - would speed up the procedures for issuing Russian passports.
Passport applicants would not have to pay a state tax, and previous residence in Russia would no longer be required.
In addition, they would not have to have sufficient funds to support themselves and would not have to give up their Ukrainian citizenship.
The bill's preamble says it is aimed "at supporting the fraternal people of Ukraine, especially the Russian-speaking ones, who are defenceless in the face of the 'brown threat'," a reference to World War Two fascists who wore brown uniforms.
The bill would allow Ukrainians to apply for Russian passports at Russian diplomatic missions before...

Summary:


The Welsh Government has announced a new mental health strategy.
The strategy sets out how the Welsh Government will work with the NHS to improve the quality of care for people with mental health problems.
It also sets out how the NHS will work with the Welsh Government to improve the quality of care for people with mental health problems

The number of people waiting for mental health treatment has doubled in the past six years, figures have shown.

Article: It fell again today - a move some are interpreting as a second devaluation.
However, the system China has put in place means the yuan could, in theory, keep on devaluing.
As long as it decides it wants it to.
For the first time the central bank is allowing the market to play a part in setting the exchange rate.
The central bank, the People's Bank of China, said in a statement: "Since China's trade in goods continues to post relatively large surpluses, the yuan's real effective exchange rate is still relatively strong versus various global currencies, and is deviating from market expectations.
"Therefore, it is necessary to further improve the yuan's midpoint pricing to meet the needs of the market."
Before Monday the official rate for the yuan or renminbi was arbitrarily fixed each day by the bank.
Since then bank has said it will still fix the rate, but will base it on the level it reached in the market on the previous day.
So in theory the market will dictate the rate at which the yuan is traded at at the beginning of each day.
The devaluations of the last two days have therefore been in response to the downward pressure of the market on the currency, with Wednesday's opening rate reflecting Tuesday's close.
However, in reality the central bank will intervene in the market to keep some control over the exchange rate.
On Wednesday the yuan fell almost 2% during the day as investors aggressively sold it off.
But it was then yanked back by the central bank buying equally aggressively just before the close. So the new trading level on Thursday will be only 0.8% lower than the start of the previous day's trade.
Jonathan Fenby, managing director of the China team at Trusted Sources believes that the central bank really is moving towards liberalisation.
He said: "What you've done is gone to market fixing for the currency. It's still controlled. There's still a 2% band either side of the fixing. But this is a move towards market liberalisation."
He says that there is a genuine desire among the reformers in the...

Summary: China devalued its currency on Tuesday, a move that left it with its biggest one day fall in more than 20 years.
###
Article: HM Inspectorate of Prisons said the influx of drugs at HMP Lindholme near Doncaster was "destabilising" the establishment.
The Category C prison holds just over 1,000 adult male inmates.
The National Offender Management Service said "the governor was working hard with police" to tackle the issue.
Prison inspectors said they were told "horrific" stories concerning the possible effects of new psychoactive substances (NPS).
Following the Psychoactive Substances Act, brought into effect on 26 May, the production, distribution, sale and supply of drugs previously called "legal highs" is now an offence punishable by up to seven years in prison.
The Inspectorate's report, following an unannounced inspection in March, said links with crime agencies were "impressive" and a kilo of NPS, 67 mobile phones and 145 Sim cards  had been seized in a month.
What are so-called "legal highs"?
Nearly two-thirds of prisoners told inspectors it was easy to obtain illegal drugs.
The report added: "The stories we were told, concerning the possible effects that NPS was having on individuals, including one young man who had literally blinded himself, were nothing short of horrific."
The watchdog said serious concerns still need addressing at HMP Lindholme, but its deterioration had been halted and work, training and education had improved.
Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said the site had a "focus on rehabilitation", but efforts were "undermined by the illegal supply of new psychoactive substances".
"The governor is working hard with police colleagues to tackle this threat and to generally improve safety," he said.

Summary: A kilo of drugs previously known as "legal highs" and dozens of mobile phones have been seized at a  prison in a single month.
###
Article: In January, a painting showing Donald Trump and singer Madonna went viral. But who is artist Michael Forbes and why did he paint it?
The painting, called Not My President, was made in the days leading up to Mr Trump's inauguration as the 45th president of the USA.
It depicts the billionaire businessman as King Kong sitting on the head of Madonna. The superstar singer is portrayed as the Statue of Liberty, holding up a placard protesting against his election.
Madonna, a critic of Trump, posted an image of the painting to her Facebook and Instagram accounts. The posts soon gathered thousands of "likes".
The US singer is a fan of Forbes, who exhibits artwork at a gallery in Manhattan, New York City, and whose other celebrity supporters include Monty Python's Terry Gilliam and comedian Ricky Gervais.
Forbes describes himself as a Pop Surrealist.
His work has referenced women's rights campaigns, featured "mash ups" of glamorous Hollywood icons, also past US presidents such as Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln as well as bears wearing sunglasses.
But Forbes was born and brought up far from the glamour - and occasional controversy - of the subjects of his paintings.
The son of a mechanic, Forbes was born in Dingwall in Easter Ross and he grew up in the area surrounded by peers who joined the Armed Forces after leaving school.
But he was drawn in a different direction.
"I grew up in a world without 'art'," says Forbes. "There were no trips to museums or art galleries. I didn't know any artists and I remember at 15 having not even taken art in secondary school."
Later he was given a harsh lesson that carving a successful career in the Arts would not be easy.
Forbes says: "I was once stopped by someone taking a survey on Inverness High Street. I agreed to take her survey as she said no-one had stopped.
"I had some time to kill before catching my train. Her first question was 'what is your occupation? I said 'artist'. She went through her whole list of occupations but couldn't find 'artist'.
'It's not there," she said....

Summary: All images are copyrighted.
###
Article: There were 1,820 patients waiting to be seen in May, compared to 916 in 2011.
About half had waits of up to four weeks, the other half up to 26 weeks and a small number waited longer.
Charity Mind Cymru said it was "very concerned" by the figures but the Welsh Government said more money was being ploughed into services and more people were being referred.
Sara Moseley, director of Mind Cymru, said: "Our own research shows that far too many people are waiting for significant periods, sometimes as long as 12 months, to get the treatment they need to stay well.
"We also know that the services offered across Wales are patchy, with some health board areas providing a much better service than others."
She added the vast majority of Welsh speakers were not offered the choice of therapy in their first language.
Although the figures have risen steadily over the six years, this year's were slightly down on 2016 but still double of that in 2011.
Andrew Tamplin suffered a breakdown and paid to be seen privately.
"I couldn't wait six months to see someone," he said. "I don't like to think what would've happened. I paid thousands for 20 to 30 sessions.
"When you're suffering mental illness the last thing you need is more stress and anxiety [from waiting]."
Gwen Goddard also paid privately for treatment but now works for Training in Mind, which teaches first aiders about mental health.
She told Newyddion 9: "It was a crisis, I was so ill. When you talk about self harming and suicidal feelings it is a crisis.
"People have to have prompt treatment."
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We want to ensure that people experiencing mental health problems have access to appropriate and timely services as close to their home as practical.
"We continue to spend more on mental health services than on any other part of our NHS and have put in place more stringent waiting time targets to help us achieve that ambition.
"We recognise there is more to be done to improve waiting time performance, but this needs to be set in context of...

Summary: