A new study has found that the number of people who have a stroke in the UK is increasing.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that the number of strokes in the UK has increased by 1.2% in the last decade.
The study looked at the number of strokes in the UK

Five cats have died from antifreeze poisoning on or near the same street in the space of two weeks, the RSPCA has said.

Article: The Esk District Salmon Fishery Board said giving Usan Salmon Fisheries an additional 14 days to catch fish was "recklessly irresponsible".
It has described the move as making "no sense at all" in terms of conservation.
A government spokeswoman said there was no evidence the extension would have a detrimental impact on stocks.
Usan Salmon Fisheries will be allowed to net and kill salmon between 1 September and 14 September, after the end of the statutory netting season on 31 August, for three years from 2012.
The reason for the extension had been stated as "to compensate the fishery for disruption" caused by Marine Scotland Science having "access to fish and genetic samples during the commercial fishery season" for tagging research purposes.
Hugh Campbell Adamson, chairman of the fishery board, said: "We are perturbed by the government's unilateral intention to allow netting in September.
"It makes no sense at all from a conservation perspective to permit any additional pressure on salmon stocks."
Mr Campbell Adamson said the government had paid Usan Â£30,000 for its assistance in procuring 95 salmon for radio-tagging between February and April, but an offer by the board to continue to make cash payments to the company as compensation for the tagging programme in May and June was rejected by Scottish government.
The chairman said that instead the government is allowing Usan to kill up to 1,000 more salmon with a potential gross value of some Â£50,000.
Mr Adamson said the move was in stark contrast to the government's promotion of catch and release to fishery boards and anglers, he added: "Usan's nets in the South Esk district killed 6,500 salmon last year.
"It beggars belief that the netting season is now being lengthened."
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said it was fully committed to salmon conservation and that no license would have been granted had there been evidence it would have a detrimental impact on stocks.
She added: "The licensed fishery has been granted in support of the National...

Summary: A fishery board has condemned the Scottish government's decision to extend the season for the country's biggest wild salmon netting company.
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Article: The National Trust counted 2,342 pups born this season at Blakeney in Norfolk - about 80 fewer than last year.
Ajay Tegala, National Trust ranger, said: "This is good news as the seals were spreading at such a rate over such a big area that it makes it easier to protect them."
The Trust said the lower birth rate meant the colony had "stabilised".
After grey seals began colonising the spit on the north Norfolk coast, the Trust said there was anecdotal evidence of two pups being born in 1987 or 1988 and a first "official" record of five pups in 1999.
A more accurate standardised method of counting pups began in 2006 when 213 were recorded.
2,342
recorded in 2015
2,426 (2014)
1,566 (2013)
747 (2010)
213 (2006)
The Trust has 12 volunteers to try and make sure people visiting with their dogs did not disturb the breeding colony.
Mr Tegala said: "The seals have filled the key habitats on Blakeney, so it's good news the population has stabilised this year.
"If they continued to spread into the dunes and along the beach towards Cley, this would make them harder to protect.
"When a breeding site becomes too densely populated, grey seals tend to colonise new habitats and there is already anecdotal evidence seals from the Norfolk colonies at Blakeney and Horsey have moved south to the Thames estuary and northern France."
The Trust said it was estimated more than 750 pups had been born at Horsey this year.

Summary: The number of seals born at England's largest colony has dropped for the first time after nine years of growth.
###
Article: The tiny probe is set to rendezvous in a few hours with one of the strangest objects in the solar system.
The latest in a series of manoeuvres will bring Rosetta to within 100km of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
One of the scientists leading this European Space Agency (Esa) venture described it as "the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever".
Confirmation of Rosetta's rendezvous with 67P - the start of its extraordinary trek alongside the comet - should come by 09:35 GMT (10:35 BST).
Throughout human history, comets lighting up the night sky have triggered fascination and fear but their speed and distance have made them difficult to investigate.
One theory is that they delivered water, carbon and other essential building-blocks for life to the early Earth.
Previous missions have had to be fly-bys - brief encounters crossing a comet's path to gather data or collect samples of dust.
By contrast, Rosetta is designed to fly around comet 67P in a form of orbit for more than a year, its 20 instruments providing unprecedented information about the comet's structure and composition.
If all goes according to plan by November, mission managers will pick a spot for what will be an audacious attempt to send a lander, known as Philae, to touch down.
For the moment though, all eyes will be on Wednesday's landmark manoeuvre which should bring Rosetta into a controlled flight in a triangular pattern around the comet.
With 67P hurtling along at 55,000 km per hour (34,000 mph), the spacecraft's speed has been adjusted so that in relative terms it will be flying beside the comet at a slow walking pace of 1m/sec (2.2mph, 3.6kph).
This has never been tried before - and because radio signals take more than 22 minutes to travel between Earth and the spacecraft, the main moves have to be pre-programmed.
Project scientist, Dr Matt Taylor, said: "We have to make baby steps as we approach it, because we don't know exactly how the comet is behaving and how the spacecraft will behave around it.
"We have a rough idea but we have to take a...

Summary: After a journey that has lasted a decade, Europe's Rosetta spacecraft is now on its final approach to a comet.
###
Article: The charity said tests confirmed all of the cats near Victor Avenue, in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, had ingested the toxic substance.
In the most recent case, seven-month-old Meereen died on Monday.
An RSPCA spokesman said it was unclear whether the poisonings were accidental or deliberate.
Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire
Three other cats in the area have died in the last seven days, while another cat died two weeks ago.
Meereen's "devastated" owner, Adria Pearce, said the cat came home on Friday evening and "seemed to be shivering a little".
"I haven't been able to stop crying since she died," she said.
"We found her behind the sofa, where she was foaming from the mouth and trying to be sick."
Meereen was taken to the vets - where it was confirmed she had consumed antifreeze - and died three days later.
RSPCA inspector, Andy Bostock, is appealing for everyone in the area to ensure pesticides and chemicals were stored safely.
"We are very concerned," he said.
"It is the time of year where people use antifreeze in their cars, so if you do, please make sure there are no leaks and any spills are cleaned up properly."

Summary:


The charity said it had seen a "significant increase" in the number of young people contacting it.
The number of young people contacting Childline has increased by more than a third in the past five years.
The charity said it had seen a "significant increase" in the number of young people contacting it.

Childline received a call from children experiencing suicidal thoughts in Northern Ireland almost every day over the course of last year.

Article: He said the announcement would "bring tourists to Wales, help our exporters reach new markets and create new jobs".
But the Bridgend AM called for consequential funding to flow to Wales as a result, as well as landing slots and new rail links.
Plaid Cymru's Adam Price accused Mr Jones of giving his support "in return for nothing".
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the UK government's move showed Wales was "open for business".
Mr Jones said: "I welcome this long-awaited announcement, which will benefit Welsh passengers."
He reiterated his call a "fair allocation" of landing slots for Wales at the expanded airport and urged the UK government to deliver the Western Rail Link to Heathrow by 2024.
Mr Jones added he would work to ensure Wales received consequential funding "to which it is entitled to under the Barnett formula" - the system which decides how much Wales is funded by the UK treasury - and would continue to press for air passenger duty (APD) to be devolved.
It is understood the Welsh Government would want a share of any UK government money spent on upgrading the rail network as a result of the third runway expansion.
Plaid Cymru criticised the Welsh Government after it emerged Scottish ministers had agreed a "memorandum of understanding" with Heathrow.
The agreement committed the airport to the creation of 16,000 jobs in Scotland, a reduction in the cost of landing charges and Â£200m in construction spending during planning and construction.
Mr Price, Plaid's economy spokesman, said: "Unfortunately, the first minister has granted the proposal the Welsh Government's support in return for nothing."
He said a "savvier first minister" would have sought out assurances on improved transport connections, construction spending and for a share of public funds invested.
The Welsh Government said officials had been in discussions with Heathrow about "maximising" the benefits of a third runway - including upgrading transport links and securing manufacturing and construction contracts.
Speaking to BBC Wales, Mr...

Summary: A decision to build a third runway at Heathrow has been welcomed by First Minister Carwyn Jones.
###
Article: Omar Khadr spent his youth between Canada, where he was born, and Pakistan, where his father had interests.
Ostensibly those interests were supporting charity work in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but according to the US government, Ahmed Said Khadr was a senior al-Qaeda member and helped fund terrorist training camps. He was arrested in 1994 in connection with the bombing of the Egyptian embassy in Pakistan.
The family moved to Jalalabad in Afghanistan in 1996, and the US alleges that the family had regular encounters with Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders.
In the summer of 2002, according to US intelligence, Omar Khadr received personal weapons training and was subsequently part of a unit that turned landmines into homemade bombs.
In July of that year, the then 15-year-old was captured during a clash between US and Afghan soldiers, and a small group of militants.
Khadr was accused of throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier and injured another. He was shot and seriously wounded in the aftermath.
Khadr's father was killed in Pakistan in 2003. His brother Abdullah was held for five years in Canada on US charges of supplying weapons to al-Qaeda, before being freed when a judge said he should not be extradited.
Khadr himself ended up in Guantanamo Bay. He and his supporters have complained about ill-treatment for several years.
Boycotting his tribunal in 2006, Khadr said he had been held in solitary confinement for long periods.
His lawyers have also argued that trying him for crimes allegedly committed as a juvenile violates international law.
They also said statements given by him were extracted with the use of indirect threats of rape and death.
The second person to face terrorism charges under the tribunal system, Khadr was charged in 2007 with murder and attempted murder, conspiracy, providing support to terrorism and spying.
The charges were thrown out by a US military judge two months later, prompting an appeal by the Pentagon. A military appeals court agreed that Khadr was designated an "unlawful...

Summary: The son of an alleged close associate of Osama Bin Laden, Omar Khadr was drawn into militant circles before becoming a cause celebre for opponents of Guantanamo Bay.
###
Article: In 2010 police investigated 60 rapes. By 2014, the latest figures available, the number had reached 124.
Neil Henderson, CEO of sexual abuse charity Safeline, said victims were "starting to believe" in the authorities which had given them "the confidence to come forward".
Home Office statistics showed recorded male rape increased 87% nationally.
The West Midlands figures were revealed after a Freedom of Information request.
The force's figures also showed recorded sexual abuse on males increased by 45% over the same time period.
The charity Safeline has said it has seen a 30% increase in men coming forward in the past year.
"These historic cases of abuse that are being mentioned in the media are triggering a lot of people's feelings that they now want to resolve," Mr Henderson said.
Between 2009 and 2014 numbers of recorded male rape rose from 1,172 to 2,197 nationally, Home Office statistics showed.
Duncan Craig, CEO of help group Survivors Manchester, said the majority of sexual assaults and rapes were "by someone that the victim will know".
Mr Craig, a rape survivor, said being abused had a "profound impact" on him.
"I had issues with alcohol and drug use for a while; anything that stopped me from remembering."
The Home Office statistics also revealed a 35% rise in recorded female rape between 2009 and 2014.
Det Ch Insp Tom Chisholm, from West Midlands Police, said: "I don't believe this means more offences are being committed, rather that victims are speaking out against offenders in confidence they will be listened to."

Summary: Figures from West Midlands Police have revealed the number of recorded male rapes doubled between 2010 and 2014.
###
Article: In its annual report, the charity said its local workers carried out a total of 349 counselling sessions with children at risk of suicide in 2015/16.
The callers considered most at risk were aged between 12 and 15.
Across the UK as whole, the number of calls from suicidal children almost doubled from the total five years ago.
The figure show that youngsters plagued by suicidal thoughts contacted Childline 19,481 times throughout the UK last year - an average of one call every 30 minutes.
The charity also said girls were more likely to seek its help than boys.
Geraldine McConaghy, a senior supervisor with Childline Northern Ireland, said suicidal thoughts were a result of the "pressures that young people are under".
"They might have poor mental health, they might be feeling pressure from school, pressure within the family," she said.
"When they come to us, what we've noticed is that, on average, one child in Northern Ireland contacts Childline each day who is feeling suicidal."
One 17-year-old girl who contacted the charity last year said she was having difficulties coping at college and finding the lessons "a struggle".
"In the past, I've had to take some time off because I've been suffering with mental health problems," the caller told Childline staff.
"Sometimes I feel so stressed and useless; I just have to walk out.
"I sometimes feel like I want to die."
Childline Northern Ireland's service manager, Mairead Monds, said: "We need to understand that there are children and young people living in Northern Ireland that are experiencing significant mental health problems, self-esteem issues, isolation and feelings of worthlessness.
"These are children who have very little support and who very often feel that life is simply not worth living."

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The headteacher of a school in North Devon has been recognised for his work with children with special educational needs.
Mr Reed, who has been at the school for 30 years, said: "I have been at the school for 30 years and I have never been there on a day when I have not looked forward

One of the longest-serving head teachers in the country is retiring after 35 years at the same school.

Article: Media playback is not supported on this device
While the exact figures have not been made public, insiders believe the 23-year-old's contract with Nike will earn him up to $250m (£156m) over 10 years. Why such staggering amounts of money? Why Rory, rather than any other young sportsman? What does this mean for Nike, for Tiger Woods - the man the brand was built around - and for golf?
A little context. If accurate, those estimates mean McIlroy's deal is substantially bigger than both Tiger Woods's most recent 10-year Nike contract - reportedly worth £124m - and David Beckham's lifetime deal with rivals Adidas, estimated to earn the footballer £100m. So how is such a monumental figure calculated?
Source: Forbes. Figures derived from bonuses, salaries, appearance fees, prize money, endorsement and licensing from June 2011 to June 2012.
Most Nike golf endorsements are determined by multiplying the player's world ranking points by an agreed figure. Each point could be worth $5,000 to a mid-level Tour player, $10,000 to a bigger name.
The better the golfer plays - and so the greater the profile for Nike - the greater the reward, with a guaranteed base-level income factored in to account for ranking fluctuations caused by injury or loss of form.
McIlroy's deal is different. Just as his abilities on-course and status off-course exceed those of his Tour colleagues, so too does his value to sponsors.
"There will be a sound business case behind the numbers: 'Rory will help us sell x amount of equipment and clothing'," says David Cushnan, sports business expert and editor of SportsPro magazine.
"But as scientific as they make it, there will also be an element of gut feeling about this. Nike didn't want their direct rivals to get their hands on him."
"There will be both a science side and an art side to the calculations," an industry insider told BBC Sport. "The science works out how much value he can add to a brand, how much he can bring in in golf sales.
"The art side is about reputation. How is the brand talked about...

Summary: On Monday, in a plush room at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel in Abu Dhabi, Rory McIlroy's ascent to the sporting elite was confirmed with the announcement of the most lucrative endorsement deal in British sport.
###
Article: Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd said measures to curb rising temperatures are about ensuring economic security.
She also sought to redress the view that green policies are "left-wing".
But Friends of the Earth have accused the Conservatives of "dismantling" 10 years' worth of low-carbon policies.
Ms Rudd is treading a difficult line - Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to lead the world to a climate change deal at a summit in Paris in November.
But Chancellor George Osborne has announced a slew of policy changes which will increase UK emissions.
In recent weeks he has scrapped subsidies for onshore wind and commercial solar - the two cheapest forms of clean energy.
He has also slashed the energy efficiency budget, ended the tax break for clean cars, abolished rules on zero carbon housing, lowered taxes on polluting firms and introduced a tax on clean energy.
Environmental organisation Friends of the Earth said Mr Cameron was "sticking up two fingers" to nations at the French climate summit.
Ms Rudd has to defend the position of both her bosses - and repel those commentators on the political right who believe climate change is not a problem at all.
"It cannot be left to one part of the political spectrum to dictate the solution - and some of the loudest voices have approached the issue from a left-wing perspective," she said.
"So I can understand the suspicion of those who see climate action as some sort of cover for anti-growth, anti-capitalist, proto-socialism.
"But it was Margaret Thatcher who first put climate change on the international agenda. She (said) 'the danger of global warming is real enough for us to make changes and sacrifices, so that we do not live at the expense of future generations.' I agree."
Ms Rudd insisted that the Conservatives' approach was to devise policies to stimulate low carbon businesses and get them off subsidy as soon as possible to keep bills down.
Industry bodies say the government's recent sudden changes to low-carbon policies have created mass...

Summary: A senior minister was accused of "grotesque hypocrisy" ahead of a speech outlining the government's plan to tackle climate change.
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Article: On the High Street, the NatWest brand will remain in England and Wales, while in Scotland it will be known as RBS.
The bank, which is still 73% owned by the taxpayer, must "ring-fence" its retail bank by 2019 under new rules.
The new structure "will better reflect who we are as a bank", said chief executive Ross McEwan.
The NatWest Markets name was last used by NatWest securities, but scrapped when the bank was taken over by RBS at the turn of the century.
The bank is being forced to act under new rules designed to avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.
"Our proposed future structure under the ring-fencing legislation and our brand strategy are key elements of the bank we are becoming," said Mr McEwan.
It is in the process of selling off its 300 RBS branches in England and Wales to meet European Commission rules, which will leave it with just the NatWest brand south of the border.
Eventually, the moves will leave it with 1,050 NatWest branches in England and Wales and 200 RBS branches in Scotland.
Its UK rivals are undergoing similar separations, with Barclays, for instance, splitting its business into two divisions to comply with the new rules.

Summary: Royal Bank of Scotland is renaming its investment bank NatWest Markets as part of its separation from the bank's High Street operations.
###
Article: 17 December 2016 Last updated at 12:26 GMT
Garry Reed joined Swimbridge Primary School in 1982, but retires this Christmas.
Known by his students as "a funny teacher with very good jokes", Mr Reed said he has never arrived at school in North Devon without looking forward to the day ahead.
Russell Hobby, the general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "Mr Reed is one of the longest-serving heads in the country.
"What a fantastic achievement to have led a school so well for so long"

Summary:


The company behind the Merlin attraction at Warwick Castle has been granted permission to build a new glamping site.
The company behind the Merlin attraction at Warwick Castle has been granted permission to build a new glamping site.
The company behind the Merlin attraction at Warwick Castle has been granted permission to build a new glamping site

The owners of Warwick Castle are appealing after a council rejected plans to put a permanent "glamping" site in its grounds.

Article: The think-tank expects the US economy to grow just by 2% this year and 2.8% next, down from its November forecast of 3.1% and 3% respectively.
It blamed the cut on "transitory disruptions", including a strong dollar and bad weather early in the year.
It also cut its global growth forecasts for both this year and next.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development expects the world economy to grow 3.1% this year and 3.8% in 2016, down from its prediction six months ago of 3.6% and 3.9% growth respectively.
It blamed the cut on an unexpectedly weak first quarter, with world growth its lowest since the financial crisis.
"The global economy is expected to strengthen, but the pace of recovery remains weak and investment has yet to take off," OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria said.
Overall, the OECD said the economy's "B minus" grade equated to just "muddling through".
And it said to accelerate world growth, both businesses and government needed to invest more.
"By and large, firms have been unwilling to spend on plant, equipment, technology and services as vigorously as they have done in previous cyclical recoveries," it said.
The OECD said many governments had also delayed investing in infrastructure, negatively affecting jobs and living standards.
The think-tank also expects China to grow more slowly than it last predicted in November, expanding 6.8% this year rather than 7.1%.
But the OECD hiked its growth forecasts for the eurozone economy, crediting bolder-than-expected monetary easting by the European Central Bank for the increase.
It now expects growth in the euro area to rise by 1.4% this year and 2.1% in 2016, up from 1.1% and 1.7% respectively.
Overall the OECD said the global recovery since the 2008 economic and financial crisis had been "unusually weak".
"To move from a 'B-minus' grade to an 'A' means boosting investment in order to create jobs and stimulate consumption," said OECD chief economist Catherine Mann.

Summary: The OECD has slashed its US growth forecast for this year and next and given the global economy a "B minus" in its bi-annual assessment.
###
Article: Clydesdale Bank and Bank of Scotland are already making the transition and the Bank of England is to introduce the plastic notes from next year.
Royal Bank of Scotland said it was to re-design its notes with new subjects for portraits.
The £5 note should be in circulation from the second half of 2016.
The £10 note will be in use a year later.
Polymer notes will be 15% smaller than the cotton paper variety. They have been found to be cleaner and more secure, and their increased durability should mean lower costs for the bank.
RBS has been issuing banknotes since 1727 and said it had an average of £1.5bn worth of notes in circulation on a single day.
Its current design features a portrait of Lord Ilay, the first governor of RBS.
On the reverse, it features castles; Edinburgh for the rarely-spotted £1 note, then Culzean, Glamis, Brodick, Inverness and Balmoral.
David Wheldon, chief marketing officer of RBS, said: "It is very important that people have confidence in our banknotes. The move to polymer notes will bring significant benefits to all those who use them. They will be smaller, cleaner and more secure."
The Bank of England announced on 2 September that it is extending its paper-to-polymer transition to £20 notes. It has been consulting with the public on which British visual artist should be on the note.
The new polymer £5 Bank of England note is to be introduced in autumn next year, featuring a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill.
The £10 note will have Jane Austen pictured on it, and comes into circulation a year later. The £20 note will take three to five years to introduce.

Summary: Royal Bank of Scotland is to switch from its paper money to polymer, following a lead set by its Scottish rivals.
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Article: The Â£25m Airlander 10 "nosedived" during its second test flight in Bedfordshire on 24 August.
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) said the line dropped during a second take-off.
It said it was "certainly a factor" in the landing.
The 302ft (92m) long vehicle made a successful maiden flight last month from Cardington Airfield but sustained damage to the hull and cockpit on landing from its second flight.
A report submitted to the Air Accident Investigations Board (AAIB) by HAV technical director Mike Durham said the aircraft had first made a "successful landing" but there was an "issue with the mooring mast" which required the pilot to take-off a second time and circle the airfield while it was repaired.
It was during the second take-off that the 150ft (46m) nose mooring line dropped free and trailed beneath the aircraft.
"As a result of this, the pilot had to make a higher than desired approach to its second landing of the day to reduce the likelihood of the trailing line snagging on the fence or trees to the south of the airfield," the report said.
An HAV spokesman said: "[This] did mean we had to make a higher than desired approach, and this is certainly a factor in the heavy landing."
The report confirmed that while the mooring line had been in "contact" with a power cable, this had not contributed to the incident.
"The contact of the mooring line with the power cable happened a number of minutes before landing and in no way damaged the aircraft and did not contribute to the heavy landing," the spokesman said.
A full investigation into the incident and repair and testing of the aircraft is expected to take an estimated three to four months.

Summary: A mooring line dangling from the world's longest aircraft meant it had to make a "higher than desired approach" to the airfield ahead of its "heavy landing" last month, it has been revealed.
###
Article: Merlin Entertainments Group (MEG), which runs the attraction, filed an application in 2014 to build lodges which was rejected by the council.
The Warwick Society said the plans for glamping - or luxury camping - were not in keeping with the landscape.
MEG has previously said the site would "benefit the wider economy".
The firm applied for permission to erect up to 20 permanent lodges, and create room for 41 glamping tents on land known as "Foxes Study".
It was previously granted permission to erect a temporary site for "medieval glamorous camping".
Neighbours at the site objected to the lodges, with one saying the move would be the "first step in turning this historic heritage site into a theme park".
James Mackay, chairman of the Warwick Society, said: "Merlin is a very successful company but the proposal to use part of a Grade I listed landscape for holiday lodges is not at all satisfactory."
Warwick District Council said any public inquiry would probably be held in March.
However, it added MEG had submitted a revised application - a "scaled-down" version of the original - which would go before the planning committee in September or October.
MEG said: "Warwick Castle submitted an appeal to the decision to refuse our planning application to build new accommodation, several month ago.
"However we have also been working closely with the experts at Historic England to develop a significantly revised and reduced accommodation proposal which we hope will be approved.  If the current application is approved we will not progress with the appeal."

Summary:


The US is considering a plan to send some detainees to the US for trial.
The US is considering a plan to send some detainees to the US for trial.
The US is considering a plan to send some detainees to the US for trial.
The US is considering a plan to send some detainees to the US

The White House is in the "final stages" of drafting a plan to close the controversial US military prison Guantanamo Bay, a spokesman has said.

Article: Tynwald will consider easing the entry requirements because Manx-based games companies have been experiencing problems recruiting qualified workers.
Tax breaks have attracted about 30 e-gaming firms, transforming the Isle of Man into a major international player.
The wider e-business industry accounts for about 25% of national income and employs more than 1,700 people.
Work permit exemptions would apply only to contracts of at least 12 months and with a salary of at least Â£25,000.
It is thought the sector will be looking to fill 100 skilled positions every year for the foreseeable future.
A government spokesman said if the work permit exemption is applied it will only affect some positions within Information Communications Technology and e-Business.

Summary: Some e-gaming specialists could be added to a list of professions exempt from Isle of Man work permits.
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Article: Thames Water said the sewer would stop millions of tonnes of sewage leaking into the River Thames every year.
But the Thames Tunnel Commission favours a shorter tunnel with "greener" options for preventing rain water entering the sewage system
Thames Water said it would study the findings of the commission which was sponsored by five London councils.
The inquiry was commissioned amid concerns that water bills would have to rise to finance the project and fears over the loss of green space and regeneration sites.
The Thames Tunnel Commission (TTC) examined whether the 20-mile (32km) tunnel from west to east London was the best solution to the problem of raw sewage entering the Thames.
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Lord Selborne, who led the team that scrutinised the plans, said: "Our forensic analysis shows there is a substantial body of evidence pointing to the fact that there is a smarter way to make the River Thames cleaner.
"A shorter tunnel, combined with green infrastructure solutions that are built up incrementally in the medium to long term, would be both compliant with EU directives and less costly and disruptive to Londoners.
"These alternatives require further study."
The report recommended the primary reason for rejecting a short tunnel that costs less than half the current "super sewer" estimate "should be revisited as a matter of urgency".
It also found complimentary environmentally friendly solutions that minimise the amount of fresh rain water entering the sewerage system should be considered.
A Thames Water spokesman said: "To be a viable proposition, any alternative to the Thames Tunnel would need to provide a more economical way of meeting the environmental objectives set by the Environment Agency for the health of the river, within the time scale required by the government."
He said it would be a "valuable contribution" to a second consultation into the scheme which starts on Friday.
At the same time as the...

Summary: Plans to build a so-called "super sewer" in London should be reviewed, an inquiry has concluded.
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Article: People spend longer inhaling the delightful aroma of a bouquet of roses than the foul stench of rotting fish.
The results of tests on 36 children, in the journal Current Biology, showed that there appeared to be no such difference in children with autism.
The National Autistic Society said smell could eventually become an additional tool for testing for autism.
Behaviour, social interactions and communication skills are all affected by autism and the disorder affects one in every 160 children globally.
It often takes until a child is at least two before it can be diagnosed.
The children in the trial at the Weizmann Institute of Science took part in a 10-minute experiment.
Autism appears 'largely genetic'
Trying to unravel the mystery of autism
Babies' eye movement autism link
A red tube sent either pleasant or unpleasant odours up the nose while the green tube recorded changes in breathing patterns.
One of the researchers, PhD student Liron Rozenkrantz, said children normally altered the depth of their sniffing to the odours.
She told the BBC: "Children with autism didn't show this modulation at all - they took the same sniff for the smell of shampoo as they did for rotten fish.
"This is striking and somewhat surprising."
The team developed a computer program that could detect autism in the group of children with 81% accuracy.
They also showed that the more severe the symptoms of autism, the longer the children inhaled the unpleasant smells.
The earlier autism is diagnosed, the sooner children can get access to behavioural or educational interventions.
The team at the Weizmann Institute of Science said that one of the advantages of a sniffing test was that it did not rely on the child being able to communicate so it may be useful at a very early age.
Miss Rozenkrantz added: "But before we can use it as a diagnostic test, we need to know at what age children start to develop a sniff response in the general population.
"Are you born with it? Do you develop it later in life? No-one has looked at it yet.
"I think...

Summary: The way children sniff different aromas could form the basis of a test for autism, suggest researchers in Israel.
###
Article: Josh Earnest said the closure of the Cuban detention camp was a national security interest.
It was one of the first directives President Barack Obama ordered two months after he was elected in 2008.
Inmates have slowly been transferred out and at the start of the year, 122 men were left.
The peak population in 2003 was 684.
Mr Earnest said the administration was "in the final stages of drafting a plan to safely and responsibly (close) the prison at Guantanamo Bay and to present that to Congress".
He added: "That has been something that our national security officials have been working on for quite some time, primarily because it is a priority of the president."
In 2009, President Obama admitted the January 2010 deadline he had set for closing the counter-terrorism facility would be missed.
Since then, Congress bipartisan opposition has meant the transfer of prisoners to the US has been blocked.
Some have been considered too dangerous to be released, but the US holds no evidence that can be used in civilian or military trials against them.
The US has slowly been sending prisoners back to their home countries or to third countries, a process Mr Earnest said needs to continue if the facility is to shut.
The camp was established in 2002 by the Bush administration to detain the most dangerous suspects for interrogation and the prosecution of war crimes.
Controversy has centred around the period of time detainees have been held without charge and the use of interrogation techniques.

Summary:


The ECB has announced that the first day-night Test match will be played in the UAE in the UAE in October.
The ECB has announced that the first day-night Test match will be played in the UAE in the UAE in October.
The ECB has announced that the first day-night Test match will be

Yorkshire have said they would be interested in hosting a day-night game in the County Championship in 2017.

Article: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that, on average, consumers will save just £26 a year.
MPs also warned that the technology could be out of date by the time the roll-out is complete.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said smart meters will lower bills and make switching easier.
Installing the meters - which begins in earnest next year - will cost £215 per household, or £10.6bn.
Customers will be charged an annual amount on their bills to cover the cost, peaking at £11 a year in 2017.
The £26 annual figure would be the net saving, after the installation costs have been taken into account.
"Despite consumers footing the bill, they can on average make a saving of only 2% on the average annual bill of £1,328 by the time the roll out is complete," said Margaret Hodge, the chair of the PAC.
"Even this is conditional on consumers changing their behaviour and cutting their energy use," she added.
The Committee also said that some of the technology is likely to be out of date by the time it is installed.
At the moment the meters carry an in-house display, which tells consumers how much energy they are using at any given time, and how much it is costing.
The idea is that will encourage consumers to use less electricity and gas.
But the MPs said customers could receive similar information on smart phones.
That could make the in-home displays "redundant," said the committee.
DECC said there would be no up front charge to consumers for having a smart meter installed.
Energy minister Baroness Verma said: "Smart meters put power into the hands of consumers, bringing an end to estimated billing and helping people understand their energy use.
"The nationwide rollout is part of the Government's complete overhaul of the UK's energy infrastructure which will revolutionise the market and support the development of smarter electricity grids.
"It will help reduce consumer bills, enable faster, easier switching and give households control at the touch of a button," she said.
The project has already run into...

Summary: Installing smart meters in every house in the UK will save consumers "only 2%" on their annual bills, a committee of MPs has warned.
###
Article: A previous inspection of HMP Cornton Vale in Stirling found many prisoners had to wait more than 10 minutes to use a shared toilet overnight.
Inspectors visited the jail after about 110 prisoners were transferred to HMP Polmont, near Falkirk, last August.
The new report said prisoners' access to healthcare had also improved.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland's (HMIPS) previous report, published in February 2016, said night-time sanitation arrangements at the jail were "wholly unacceptable in the 21st Century".
It noted that, in some cases, women were told to "pee in the sink" by staff.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, David Strang, said he was "encouraged" by the changes that had been implemented since the last inspection report.
He said: "There are still challenges for staff who are caring for some of the most vulnerable women in Scotland.
"When women return to the community after serving their sentence, it is vital that the right support is in place to encourage a successful reintegration into the community."
Cornton Vale is due to be replaced with a purpose-built 80-bed facility and five regional units holding 20 women each.
The new report is based on a three-day inspection carried out last October when the prison held 93 offenders, aged between 18 and 74.
It said that HMP Cornton Vale was a "significantly different establishment" since the previous inspection.
The report noted: "Inspectors found that good progress had been made in adjusting to the new arrangements.
"In particular all women now had unrestricted access to toilet facilities, which had not been the situation a year ago.
"The reduction in the number of women allowed more time for staff to work constructively with the women to make the most of their time in custody."
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said it welcomed the new report.
It noted: "SPS also welcomes HMIPS' comments that everyone in HMP & YOI Cornton Vale has worked diligently, with purpose and focus, to achieve the best possible outcome for the women who remain...

Summary: Inmates at Scotland's only all-women prison now have unrestricted access to toilet facilities, a new inspection report has noted.
###
Article: The 78-year-old, from Shore Road in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, denied two charges relating to a sermon he gave in a Belfast church in 2014.
A judge said while he considered the remarks offensive, he did not consider them "grossly" offensive under the law.
Supporters of the pastor applauded when the verdict was given.
Speaking outside court, Mr McConnell said his only regret was the response from the Muslim community that he was "out to hurt them".
He said: "There was no way I was out to hurt them. I wouldn't hurt a hair on their head.
"But what I am against is their theology and what they believe in."
He said he would do it again, but would be conscious that he was "hurting innocent Muslims".
Mr McConnell had denied two charges - improper use of a public electronic communications network and causing a grossly offensive message to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network.
He made the remarks at the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in north Belfast in May 2014.  His sermon was also streamed online.
During the trial, Mr McConnell said that he still believed in what he had preached, and did not go into church to "provoke anyone".
A prosecution lawyer had said his words were not "a slip of the tongue", while a defence lawyer said he should not be convicted.
Judge Liam McNally told Belfast Magistrates' Court he did think the pastor's passion in preaching  meant it "had caused him to lose the run of himself" and advised him to consider the impact of his words in future.
However, he concluded that the words upon which the charges were based, while offensive, do not reach the high threshold of being "grossly offensive".
"The courts need to be very careful not to criminalise speech which, however contemptible, is no more than offensive," he said.
"It is not the task of the criminal law to censor offensive utterances."
In a statement, the Belfast Islamic Centre said the Muslim community in Northern Ireland believes in the freedom of expression, but added that "insulting other faiths and beliefs"...

Summary: Evangelical Christian preacher Pastor James McConnell has been found not guilty of making "grossly offensive" remarks about Islam.
###
Article: England will play their first day-night Test when they host West Indies at Edgbaston in August.
Yorkshire say they were asked by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about their willingness to move one of the Championship games at Headingley and would be interested in doing so.
The club's chief executive Mark Arthur called it a "great opportunity".
He said: "Until the fixture programme is published, we don't know when it will be or who the opposition is likely to be. But because we have got the best lights in the country for cricket purposes, then it's likely that we would be one of the selected grounds to host such an event.
"Hopefully when the fixture list comes out, it's something that all members and stakeholders will save a date for in their diary.
"Whether you're a club cricketer or a member who works 9-5 you'll be able to come along and watch two or three hours of Championship cricket after work and it will be very interesting to see what the uptake is on this initiative."
The start of the second ever day-night Test match between Pakistan and West Indies earlier in October drew a crowd of just 68 in Dubai.

Summary:


The Austrian government has announced it will deploy up to 3,200 soldiers to help control the migrant crisis.
The move comes after the country's interior minister, Herbert Kickl, said the number of asylum seekers arriving in the country was "unacceptable".
Austria has taken in about 90,000 asylum seekers in

Austria will impose a daily quota on asylum claims and limit the flux of migrants travelling through the country.

Article: This remarkable rise attests to the military's predominant power and to the field marshal's ability to harness that power for his own and for his institution's purposes.
Key to his political skill has been his secrecy coupled with expert role-playing that duped his opponents into thinking he was an unambitious professional officer while simultaneously appealing to the Egyptian public as the man to lead them out of the post-Mubarak political morass.
Who then is this rather mysterious officer and how and for what purposes is he likely to rule Egypt?
First and foremost, Field Marshal Sisi is the product of the military high command under former President Hosni Mubarak, as his career trajectory and personal alliances suggest.
The "political track" in the Egyptian military is the army and within it, the infantry, the corps which produced both the late presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat.
Mr Mubarak was chosen by Sadat as his vice-president precisely because as an air force officer he did not command the loyalty of forces required for a coup.
After succeeding Sadat following his assassination in 1981, Mubarak ultimately settled on the lacklustre infantry general, Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, to preside over the officer corps - more or less as a CEO - rewarding loyalists with promotions and patronage generated in the military's sprawling economy.
Field Marshal Sisi was one of Field Marshal Tantawi's favourites, who doled out plum assignments to this rising infantry officer.
He was provided the necessary foreign training, contacts and polish by stints at the UK's Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), at the US Army War College, and as military attache in Riyadh.
His credentials as a commanding officer were burnished by appointments as battalion, brigade and division commander and chief-of-staff within the mechanised infantry and by his final operational command as chief-of-staff of the Northern Military Zone, headquartered in Alexandria.
Having established the professional basis for military...

Summary: Virtually unknown to the Egyptian public before the Spring of 2011, Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi looks set to become the next president of Egypt.
###
Article: The Humberside Police and Crime Panel had voted against Paul Robinson's appointment at a meeting last week.
It was concerned he would not have time to be able to fulfil both his roles of councillor and deputy commissioner.
Humberside PCC Matthew Grove said he had reflected on the panel's view but decided Mr Robinson was the right person for the Â£45,000-a-year post.
Mr Robinson is a Conservative councillor for the Howdenshire ward for East Riding of Yorkshire Council and worked closely with Mr Grove during his campaign for election as Humberside PCC.
Mr Grove, who was an East Riding of Yorkshire councillor until his election as PCC, said: "As commissioner I need someone who I have total trust and confidence in and who can fit this profile.
"My judgement is that Paul fits this role and can deliver everything I need to be delivered.
"This appointment represents a significant judgment call for me, and I recognise that the members of the panel had only a 12-page report and a 30-minute questioning session with Paul to base their recommendation on.
"I have seriously considered their views but my judgment is based upon significant knowledge of Paul, my personal experience and honest belief in him."
Police and crime panels, which include local councillors, have been set up to scrutinise the actions and decisions of each PCC and make sure information is available for the public, enabling them to hold the PCC to account.

Summary: A councillor has been appointed as the deputy Humberside police and crime commissioner.
###
Article: The Sunday Times published data from 5,000 athletes, which it says reveals an "extraordinary extent of cheating".
The IAAF, whose data was leaked, stressed the results referred to were not positive tests or proof of doping.
It also rejected the suggestion it had done nothing to act upon data showing "suspicious" results.
The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR obtained access to the results of 12,000 blood tests between 2001 and 2012.
An IAAF statement said: "Any reporting by the ARD and Sunday Times that the IAAF was negligent in addressing or following up the suspicious profiles is simply false, disappointing and misinformed journalism.
"In an attempt to catch and sanction the cheats in our sport, the IAAF has used every means available to it within the anti-doping framework it operates in."
In a detailed response, it also denied the data was "secret" and said it had published a detailed analysis of it more than four years ago.
It did, though, "condemn in the strongest possible terms the distribution, sharing, and publication of private and confidential medical data that was obtained from the IAAF without consent."
The allegations claimed more than 800 athletes - and a third of all medallists in endurance events at recent Olympics and World Championships - had suspicious blood test results which were not followed up by the IAAF.
The IAAF though "refuted outright" any allegation it did not appropriately follow up suspicious profiles.
It said: "What the IAAF cannot accept under any circumstances from the ARD/Sunday Times, or the scientists whom they have retained, is an accusation that it has breached its primary duty to act in the best interests of the sport of athletics.
"The experts have never worked for the IAAF and are therefore in no position to make any comment regarding what the IAAF has done or not done in the development and implementation of its blood and urine target testing program.
"To do so is simply guesswork on their part. The IAAF categorically refutes all allegations made by ARD and...

Summary: Allegations of widespread doping in athletics are "sensationalist and confusing", according to the sport's world governing body.
###
Article: Officials say 80 asylum applications will be accepted each day, and a maximum of 3,200 people will be allowed to travel through Austria.
The measures will be introduced on Friday.
The country has become a major transit route for migrants seeking to claim asylum in Germany.
Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said Austria had no choice but to act, as there was no European solution yet in place for the current migrant crisis.
"It is a matter of common sense to secure our borders as long as there is no European solution. I see it as our responsibility, to maintain security, order and the quality of life in Austria for our citizens," she said.
"We cannot cope with the number of asylum applications that we had last year. That is why we impose limits on the stream of refugees. Another step is the introduction of daily quotas."
Schengen: EU free movement deal explained
Austria's Plan B to cap influx of refugees
Migrant crisis in depth
Austria took in about 90,000 asylum seekers in 2015, about 1% of its population, and officials expect to cut this number sharply this year, to about 37,500.
Observers say the influx has contributed to the rising popularity of the far right in Austria, sparking tensions in the governing coalition.
Neighbouring Slovenia and other countries in the Balkans - the main route for migrants bound for northern Europe - have also indicated that they will impose tougher measures against migrants.
Some EU states have already re-imposed border controls on a temporary basis.
The migrant flux is expected to intensify in coming months as weather conditions improve.
The crisis will be high on the EU's agenda at a Brussels summit on Thursday, and countries are expected to debate the future of the Schengen Agreement that creates a 26-nation passport-free zone.
Following the Austrian announcement, the Slovenian government said it had asked its parliament to approve the deployment of soldiers to its borders to help control the migrant flow.

Summary:


Hinkley Point is the world's most expensive nuclear project.

Article: With a few notable exceptions, all the candidates kept their balance and stayed on their talking points. It's as if the unconventional Trump's absence from the hall made everyone a bit more restrained and, well, political.
But this was still a debate, and every debate has winners and loser, so here they are.
Hello there, stranger, where have you been for the last 12 months? The former Florida governor is still not the most skilful debater, but without Trump around to constantly kick proverbial dirt in his eyes, he gave his best performance of the campaign. He practically admitted as much when he sarcastically noted that Trump was "a little teddy bear to me" and they "had such a loving relationship".
Best moment: When asked about a "culture of hatred" directed toward Muslims, he said: "We're never going to win elections unless we have a broader, unifying message". This was big-tent Bush, the kind of campaign he said he wanted to run but hasn't been able to.
Biggest stumble: It's perhaps telling that his worst moment was still pretty good. During the debate's biggest conflict, over immigration reform, he stood by his position on giving undocumented migrants a pathway to permanent residency. That probably won't help him with rank-and-file Republicans, but disavowing his previous stance wouldn't have either.
Since being temporarily relegated to the undercard debate, the New Jersey governor has managed to string together several strong debate performances. He's a winner because, like Bush, he was best able to shine in Trump's absence. His forcefulness, whether talking about Hillary Clinton or national security, comes across in much sharper contrast when the New York billionaire isn't there to steal his thunder.
Best moment: The immigration portion of the debate was pivotal for many of the candidates, and it was tailor-made for Christie to contrast his executive experience as governor. After Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz struggled to explain their sometimes contradictory records on the issue in the Senate, Christie...

Summary: So this is what a Republican debate would have looked like in an alternate universe, where Donald Trump was still a reality show celebrity and a failed steak salesman.
###
Article: UC, which combines six benefits into one monthly payment, was intended to be more generous than the current system but the IFS said cuts to the programme meant this would not be the case.
But it said UC would encourage people into work and save £2.7bn a year.
Ministers said the IFS had ignored other benefits such as extra childcare.
Universal Credit's single payment replaces six current benefits, including Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
The new payments system still only affects a minority of claimants, but it is gradually being rolled out across the country.
The government has always said that Universal Credit (UC) would encourage more people to find work.
The IFS said that was true for most people, but not all.
It said that single parents, for example, have less of an incentive to work under UC than under the old system.
Where couples are concerned, UC encourages just one of them to find employment, rather than both, the IFS claimed.
Single parents claiming UC will keep 8% less of their earnings than previously, its figures suggest.
According to the IFS research, an estimated 2.1m families will face an average loss of £1,600 a year, while 1.8m will gain an average of £1,500.
Its figures suggest 1.1m homes with no-one in paid work will lose out by about £2,300 a year, while 500,000 are expected to gain of £1,000. Working single parents are said to face an annual loss of £1,000.
Robert Joyce, the author of the IFS report, added: "The potential gains from simplifying the working-age benefit system remain mostly intact: Universal Credit should make the system easier to understand, ease transitions into and out of work, and largely get rid of the most extreme disincentives to work or to earn more created by the current system."
Although Chancellor George Osborne abandoned cuts to tax credits in the Autumn, cuts to UC announced last summer will still go ahead.
From this April the amount that anyone on UC can earn before their benefits are cut will be reduced.
This...

Summary: The introduction of Universal Credit (UC) will leave working families worse off on average, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.
###
Article: Many readers wrote to Gwen asking for advice about a friend or family member who is transitioning.
Here Gwen, from Pennsylvania, addresses some questions from BBC website readers.
"There are going to be a lot of people out there who might hate her for who she is, but tell her that she has plenty of people in her life who are going to love her much more than any amount of hate she could receive.
"My personal rule is: Just don't read the comments. If you're going to read any comments people make, don't bother responding. They usually have their minds made up and no amount of arguing is going to make them apologise."
"The best advice is to just listen to what they have to say and try not to make it a big deal.
"When I was starting to transition, all I wanted was for life to feel 'normal' again.
"I didn't really want to talk about transitioning too much, but it was nice to have friends who just listened to me on the days where it was especially hard and told me they loved me anyway."
"The best thing would be to address someone by what it looks like they're going for. If this customer comes in every day in a dress and make-up, I would assume they wanted to be greeted as 'Ms'.
"It's always best to go by what you see and then, if they correct you, just go by what they'd rather be called instead.
"Maybe this person isn't comfortable being called 'Ms' yet, but that's something only they could know."
"I don't tell people until they need to know. I've found that letting people get to know me as everything I am first, aside from my trans status, helps them see me as someone other than a token trans friend after I disclose, if I ever choose to.
"If I'm not going to be having a sexual relationship with someone, they really don't need to know because it's not relevant.
"For jobs, it has to come up when listing former names on applications. But I don't treat it like a big deal and they follow suit.
"A lot of my colleagues still don't know that I'm trans, although my manager does and was really supportive."
"My biggest advice...

Summary: A transgender woman who let people ask her questions about her life on an internet forum was inundated with even more when the BBC reported on her story.
###
Article: After intervention from the Chinese ambassador, it is also now the litmus test for Anglo-China relations under the new regime at Number 10.
After EDF's board narrowly agreed to press ahead with the project, the UK government surprised company officials by saying it needed several weeks to consider before signing.
The decision to delay is widely thought to have come from Theresa May herself, influenced by Joint Chief of Staff and outspoken critic of China's creeping influence, Nick Timothy.
Without China's involvement, this project would not have received EDF board approval.
It was seen as a risk sharing mechanism for the French, a prestige project for China and the ushering in of ever-closer Chinese relations.
Nevertheless, and perhaps understandably, the prime minister wanted time to think.
Well, today's warning from the Chinese ambassador that the relationship between the two countries is at risk has given her plenty to think about.
Writing in the Financial Times, Liu Xiaoming made clear that the stakes here are high by linking government approval for Hinkley Point to the future of the relationship which is he said a "crucial historical juncture".
No kidding. In a post Brexit world, Britain needs all the friends it can get and much was made of the importance of forging close trade links with non-EU nations.
There may be legitimate security concerns over having sensitive infrastructure assets under Chinese management but a decision to back out will clearly take the shine off the "golden era" of collaboration between the two countries, proclaimed during Xi Jinping's state visit last year.
Theresa May is not the only one who wants to take her time. The French Journal du Dimanche quoted an unnamed EDF manager pointing out the benefits of hitting the pause button.
If construction was delayed until 2019 when a similar reactor will be up and running (fingers crossed) at Flamanville in France, the cost of financing the project would fall dramatically.
With a working example, EDF could secure cheaper loans with...

Summary:


erey Bay.
The study was carried out by a team of scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Monterey Bay Aqu

The return of sea otters to an estuary on the central Californian coast has significantly improved the health of seagrass, new research has found.

Article: The restrictions mean that fundraisers, typically referred to as "chuggers", cannot follow a person for more than three steps.
The introduction of the scheme follows a year-long trial.
Chuggers have been criticised for hassling people to set up direct debits, but others say they are vital.
Street fundraisers: Your stories
The new regime, to be enforced across the UK by the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA),   also means street fundraisers must not:
•stand within 3m of a shop doorway, cash machines, pedestrian crossing or station entrance
•sign up anyone to a direct debit who, due to illness, disability, drugs or drink, is unable to give informed consent
•approach members of the public who are working, such as tour guides or newspaper vendors
Breaches of the rules carry penalty points of up to 100 points for the fundraising organisation.
Each charity has a threshold of 1,000 points before having to pay fines. Once this threshold is breached, charities must pay a monetary fine equal to £1 per point, with all further breaches all carrying a £1 per point fine.
At the end of the financial year, the charity's point balance is reset to zero.
All the money raised through the fines system will be used to improve compliance checks, in what the PFRA says creates a "virtuous circle".
"The more people that break the rules, the more money we have for providing compliance officers to check street fundraisers are complying with the new regime," said Ian MacQuillin, PFRA head of communications.
PFRA will monitor compliance with the new roles via spot checks, as well as so-called mystery shoppers who pretend to be a member of the public and then report back.
Members of the public who believe the rules have been breached should complain directly to the charity in the first instance, says the PFRA.
If they feel the charity's response is unsatisfactory, the PFRA says they should then escalate their complaint by reporting it to the independent regulatory body, the Fundraising Standards Board.
"For a form of...

Summary: Charities now face fines of at least £1,000 if their street fundraisers breach rules designed to protect members of the public.
###
Article: The display was widely anticipated this year as the shower coincided with a new moon for the first time since 2007, creating a darkened sky.
People in the Midlands and the north of England had the best view of the meteor shower.
Cloud cover spoilt visibility for some parts of southern England and Scotland.
The Perseids - which are pieces of Comet Swift-Tuttle - are active each year from around 17 July to 24 August, although for most of that period only a few meteors an hour are visible.
The peak came overnight on Wednesday, with more than 100 meteors an hour produced.
The peak of the display occurs when the shower's "radiant" - the point from which the meteors appear to originate - is highest in the sky.
Prof Mark Bailey, director of Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, said the Perseids were "one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year".
Robin Scagell, vice president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: "The thing about shooting stars is they're a wonderful free spectacle we can all enjoy, assuming clear skies.
"The Perseids are usually fairly bright. Also, they tend to leave a trail, or train, behind them. You can see the train hanging there glowing in the sky for a few seconds - sometimes for several minutes - after the meteor has gone."
Marek Kakula, public astronomer at the Royal Observatory described the comet dust as "travelling faster than the speed of a bullet".
"When they hit the atmosphere, they burn up in a little streak of light that lasts for just a few seconds," he added.
For most people, meteor showers are best viewed with the naked eye. Experts advise finding a dark location, away from artificial light, and an unobstructed view of the sky.

Summary: Stargazers captured the dazzling display of the annual Perseid meteor shower as it reached its peak on Wednesday night.
###
Article: The measure sees a child placed with extended family, friends or foster parents until they reach 18 instead of being adopted or fostered.
The number of babies involved rose from 160 in 2012 to 520 in 2014, while most of the children are aged four or under.
The number of children placed for adoption has been falling.
The Department for Education says it is reviewing the situation.
But a spokeswoman said the orders were effective in many circumstances.
Special guardianship is a long-term placement and can be an alternative to adoption or care for children whose parents neglect or abuse them.
The process can be "quite speedy" and "is not nearly as thorough" as adopting, said BBC Today programme reporter Sanchia Berg.
Groups working with families have welcomed the fact more children can live safely with relatives or friends - but there are concerns too.
Andy Elvin, chief executive of fostering and adoption charity TACT, said children living with extended family "is a good thing".
But he said there were concerns over whether assessments were detailed enough, saying some family members may not be close to the child before the process begins.
He also raised concerns the level of "post-placement" support was not as high as it was after adoption.
Cathy Ashley, chief executive of justice charity Family Rights Group, said there was evidence that being placed with extended family was beneficial.
But she said it "isn't right that there isn't parity of support".
Hugh Thornbery, chief executive of Adoption UK, said special guardianship had provided "permanence" for many children.
He said: "The research evidence points to their success when used in the right circumstance and where the right support is provided to the carers."
But he added:  "Adoption UK's concern is that the drop in adoptions could be partly as a result of over-reliance on special guardianship orders in cases where they may not be appropriate or provide the lifelong permanence that adoption provides."
The last official set of figures for adoptions in England...

Summary: The number of babies being made subject to special guardianship orders in England has tripled in two years, according to data obtained by the BBC.
###
Article: Seagrass was deemed to be heading for extinction in this region before the otters returned.
But scientists found that the animals triggered a chain reaction of events that boosted the water-dwelling plants.
The research is published in the journal, PNAS.
The urbanisation of California has led to a huge increase in nutrient pollution in coastal waters, from increasing use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
This is said to be the reason for the dieback of seagrass, which has also been declining worldwide.
This research suggests that the hunting to near-extinction of sea otters in the late 19th and early 20th Century may have exacerbated the problem, and conversely that their reintroduction is helping revive ailing seagrass populations, even in the face of hugely nutrient-rich water.
The researchers assessed seagrass levels over the past 50 years in the Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay, and mapped their increases and declines.
They looked at a variety of changes that may have affected the grass, but the only factor that really matched the changes in seagrass was sea otter numbers.
They theorised that sea otters were eating the crabs which prey upon small invertebrates in the water.
These invertebrates eat a type of algae which blooms when there are more nutrients in the soil. It grows on the leaves of the seagrass, shading them from sunlight and causing them to die back.
This is quite a complex cascade of effects, so the researchers tested out their theory by comparing similar estuaries with and without sea otters, and by doing experiments in the lab, and in the field.
These experiments, which included putting cages that sea otters either could or couldn't access, down on the seagrass, confirmed their hypothesis.
Brent Hughes, lead author of the study, said: "This estuary is part of one of the most polluted systems in the entire world, but you can still get this healthy thriving habitat, and it's all because of the sea otters.
"So it's almost like these sea otters are fighting the effects of poor water quality."
Hughes...

Summary:


A new study has found that a protein called Zeb1 is critical to the process of cancer spreading.
Article: The study, published in the journal Cell, found that the protein Zeb1 is critical to the process of cancer spreading.
### The study, led by Dr. Daniel Ungar, a professor

Spreading lung cancer cells are like tents which have collapsed and are adrift in the wind, scientists from the University of York have discovered.

Article: The announcement was broadcast live on Wednesday from Havana, Cuba, where peace talks have been held for almost four years.
The conflict has killed an estimated 260,000 people and displaced millions.
President Juan Manuel Santos called the deal "the beginning of the end to the suffering, pain and tragedy of war".
"The Colombian government and the Farc announce that we have reached a final, full and definitive accord," Colombian government and Farc negotiators said in a joint statement.
The head of the Colombian delegation, Humberto de la Calle, and the chief Farc negotiator, Ivan Marquez, signed the agreement at a ceremony in Cuba.
Both sides have agreed to work together to address social exclusion, to deliver justice to the victims of the conflict and build a stable and enduring peace.
The agreement comes after two years of secret talks and almost four years of formal negotiations.
"We have reached our goal," said Mr de la Calle.
"The war is over but also there is also new beginning. This agreement opens the door to a more inclusive society," he added.
In Bogota, hundreds of people, many dressed in white, gathered at different points of the city waving the Colombian flag and cheering.
"I can die in peace because finally I'll see my country without violence with a future for my children," 57-year-old Orlando Guevara told the Associated Press news agency.
Farc negotiator Ivan Marquez said the Farc and the government had "won the most beautiful of all battles: the peace of Colombia".
Most major dailies in Colombia backed the deal in their lead editorials.
Centre-right El Espectador praised the government's "bet on a structured, calm negotiation, with enough time for thought" while centre-left daily El Heraldo considered it "a historical step" that has the chance of "transforming the country".
Among those who commented were three former Colombian presidents.
Alvaro Uribe criticised the deal, saying it would promote "impunity" and expressed doubts as to whether the rebels - who financed themselves to a large...

Summary: Hundreds of Colombians have celebrated an historic peace accord between the government and left-wing Farc rebels, signed after 52 years of conflict.
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Article: Bathgate received the accolade from the charity Toilet Twinning which encourages people to pay to provide a latrine for a family overseas.
People involved in the scheme met in Boghall Parish Church on Thursday - World Toilet Day.
It costs Â£60 to twin a household toilet.
Money raised goes to Tearfund's water and sanitation programme, which provides toilets, clean water and hygiene education in some of the world's poorest countries.
Gillian Reid, who has lived in Bathgate for 35 years, is involved in both the Bathgate and Whitburn Fair Trade groups whose coffee mornings funded some of the 20 local twins.
She said: "So many children die every day because they don't have clean water and sanitation. How much more basic can you get than needing a toilet to keep healthy?
"A toilet is something so fundamental. We're really proud to get this award - and I hope it will inspire others to twin too."
Lynne Paterson, director of Tearfund Scotland, said: "We tend to get a bit embarrassed talking about toilets in this country - but in the countries where we work, they are quite literally life-savers.
"Bathgate should be very proud of its achievement, its toilet twins will change many lives forever."

Summary: A West Lothian town has been named Scotland's first toilet-twinned town after locals raised money for sanitation projects in poor countries.
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Article: There are many types of epilepsy and epileptic seizure, including both convulsive (involving shaking/body spasms of some kind) and non-convulsive (where people might show no signs of having had a seizure).  We spoke to Sophie Harries, who had her first convulsive seizure at the age of 15.
So, what is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition which leads to the person to have seizures. These occur in the brain and can be focal or generalised.
What kind of epilepsy do you have?
I have generalised idiopathic epilepsy with photosensitivity, which means that the cause is thought to be genetic and I have generalised seizures. I have tonic clonic or grand mal seizures, which is the stereotypical shaking and grunting.
Also, my epilepsy is triggered by flashing lights which is the photosensitivity part. Only 5% of people have photosensitive epilepsy and it is typically triggered by flashing lights such as strobes, camera flashes or bicycle lights - but sunlight flickering through trees is another trigger.
Can you describe what it's like to have a seizure - do you remember it?
I can never remember my seizures, I've lost up to four days before.  Afterwards I sleep for a very long time - I also ache, and have a really bad headache that lasts the whole day.
Do you get any warning signs that you're about to have a seizure?
Find out more from Epilepsy Society
Most of my seizures have occurred when I'm either asleep or going to sleep - however I have had one whilst awake and I didn't get any warning signs like some people get.
How does someone get epilepsy - were you born with it?
Epilepsy can be inherited (idiopathic) or caused through injury such as stroke or a tumour (symptomatic). Although my epilepsy is thought to be genetic I developed my epilepsy at 15; this may be due to my seizure threshold (the level of stimulation at which your brain will have a seizure) becoming less but no one can say for certain.
Do you remember your first experience of epilepsy?
My first experience of epilepsy was really scary. I was...

Summary: According to research by Epilepsy Society, over half a million people in the UK have epilepsy.
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Article: Communication between two proteins is what triggers the cell tent to lose its shape and become unanchored, their research found.
This allows the cells to travel to other areas of the body.
The researchers said their findings could help prevent the spread of lung cancer.
Writing in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from York and the University of Texas describe how the communications centre of a cell - known as the Golgi apparatus - receives a signal from proteins which prompts the movement of membrane sacks inside it.
This movement alters the shape and surface of the cancer cell, allowing it to break free from its moorings and move around freely.
Dr Daniel Ungar, from the University of York's biology department, said it was apt to think of the cancer cell resembling a tent structure.
"It has fixed sides to hold its shape and is firmly anchored to the ground in order to secure its contents.
"In order to move the tent, we have to rearrange its contents and collapse its sides in order to lift it out of its anchored position and carry it away," he said.
He added that a similar process happens with cancer when it spreads - its outer edges are altered leaving it unanchored.
The study found that a protein called Zeb1 was critical to this process and the research team now want to look at how to target the protein without damaging healthy cells, in which the protein also exists.
The researchers only looked at lung cancer cells and do not know if the same process occurs in other cancers.

Summary:


The Scottish FA has written to Celtic and Stranraer over sectarian chanting during their Scottish Cup semi-final.
The Scottish FA has written to Celtic and Stranraer over sectarian chanting during their Scottish Cup semi-final.
The Scottish FA has written to Celtic and Stranraer over sectarian chanting during

Celtic have been fined £13,000 after poor behaviour by their supporters and player indiscipline in their Europa League match against Fenerbahce.

Article: It comes amid divisions over female priests and same-sex relationships.
Talks could lead to a looser communion in which cultural differences are respected, BBC religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt said.
The Most Rev Justin Welby's spokesman said the gathering would allow primates to look at fresh ways of working.
In recent years, splits between liberals and conservatives in the communion have become more pronounced.
If talks fail, it could lead to a permanent schism in the third largest Christian body in the world, our correspondent added.
The worldwide Anglican communion has become an increasingly fractious and divided body over the past decade, with many of the heads of the national Anglican churches no longer on speaking terms.
Some churches in Africa support legislation against homosexuality, while bishops in the US have voted to allow clergy to solemnise same-sex marriages.
So the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is now deploying a high-risk strategy.
A source at Lambeth Palace described this meeting of the "Anglican family" not as discussions over divorce, but more a possible move into separate bedrooms.
A spokesman for the archbishop said the meeting would be an opportunity for the 38 leaders of national churches to talk face to face and decide together their approach to the next Lambeth Conference - a once-a-decade gathering of the worldwide Anglican bishops in Canterbury.
The archbishop himself added: "I have suggested to all primates that we need to consider recent developments but also look afresh at our ways of working as a communion and especially as primates, paying proper attention to developments in the past.
"The difference between our societies and cultures, as well as the speed of cultural change in much of the global north, tempts us to divide as Christians: when the command of scripture, the prayer of Jesus, the tradition of the church and our theological understanding urges unity."
The meeting's agenda is likely to include the issues of religiously-motivated violence, the...

Summary: The Archbishop of Canterbury has invited the leaders of the world Anglican communion to a meeting in January to discuss its future.
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Article: British Chambers of Commerce chief John Longworth has called for a vote in 2016, a year earlier than Mr Cameron has promised, to end uncertainty.
Labour's Ed Balls has warned a referendum would be "hugely destabilising" to business.
But Mr Cameron said the BCC boss's call showed firms were getting behind him.
"They are saying it is quite right to have a strategy that gives Britain the best chance of staying in a reformed European Union that works in our interest and that is what my approach is," Mr Cameron told the BCC's annual conference.
"Let's get stuck in there, let's hold a negotiation, let's deal with those things that are holding Britain back, and then let's have this put to the British public in an in/out referendum."
He said the danger of not following his plan was that "Britain would just steadily drift towards the exit of the EU because the British public would not be taken along for this very important decision".
A Conservative source said if it was possible to hold a referendum earlier than 2017 "that would be fine".
But Mr Cameron is sticking to the 2017 date for now as he attempts to get the backing of other EU leaders for Britain to take back powers in areas such as welfare and immigration - if he wins May's general election.
Mr Longworth - who wants Britain to stay in the EU - questioned Mr Cameron's negotiating strategy, telling the BCC conference: "The next government must set out what it will do to protect the United Kingdom against the prospect of being in a club where all the decisions are made by, and for, the eurozone.
"More than any repatriation of powers, businesses want to know that the UK has safeguards against being drawn closer to the eurozone - especially as history tells us that currency unions inevitably fall apart unless there is real political, economic and social integration."
And he said any EU referendum should be held in the first year of the new government after May's general election, adding: "It is crucially important that we don't have too long a period of...

Summary: David Cameron says business leaders are increasingly backing his plans for an EU referendum after a renegotiation of the UK's role within the EU.
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Article: In a speech in Australia, he said there was a "pernicious and false" belief that the law did not apply online.
This undermined the rule of law and could lead to journalists cutting corners in order to "steal a march" on their online competitors.
Creative thinking was needed to ensure the law was applied equally, he said.
Lord Justice Leveson, whose report into the press was published last month, is taking part in a lecture tour, although he has ruled out commenting on the report itself.
During a speech at the University of Melbourne, he insisted there was an important difference between mainstream journalists with "a powerful reputation for accuracy" and bloggers and tweeters who were "no more than electronic versions of pub gossip".
But, he said, there was a danger that a perception online competitors were operating without legal restraints could damage wider journalistic standards and "lead to journalists adopting an approach which was less than scrupulous in the pursuit of stories".
He said: "In order to steal a march on bloggers and tweeters, they might be tempted to cut corners, to break or at least bend the law to obtain information for stories or to infringe privacy improperly to the same end.
"It may encourage unethical, and potentially, unlawful practices to get a story.
"In a culture which sees some act with impunity in the face of the civil law, and the criminal law, a general decline in standards may arise."
It could also lead to some newspapers deciding to publish entirely online and moving abroad to avoid UK law, although this was unlikely in the near future, he added.
He called for creative thinking on making sure the law was applied equally and more international co-operation to enforce standards.
"It might be said that if we facilitate or condone breaches of the law, and thereby weaken the rule of law by failing to act and to recognise judgements and court orders which emanate from other countries, we encourage the weakening of the rule of law at home too," he said.
"If we are to ensure that...

Summary: The law should be enforced against tweeters and bloggers to avoid a drop in mainstream journalistic standards, Lord Justice Leveson has said.
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Article: The Scottish champions had been charged after fans set off fireworks during the 1-1 draw in Group A at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on 10 December.
Uefa's disciplinary body also charged the club with improper conduct after five players were booked.
Celtic finished bottom of the group and without a win in their six matches.
It is the third match in a calendar year - and the eighth in five years - that has resulted in the Glasgow club being fined by European football's governing body.
Last season, they were disciplined for crowd disturbances against Dinamo Zagreb and then for supporters setting off flares, as well as player indiscipline, against Inter Milan.
Celtic issued indefinite bans to two supporters following the incidents in Turkey and revealed in December that they were considering legal action against individual fans.
Five fans were arrested this month in connection with complaints of sectarian singing during Celtic's Scottish Cup win away to Stranraer.
The Scottish FA has written to both clubs and continues to investigate.

Summary:


The rail industry is to beleaguered by a "perfect storm" of rising passenger numbers, a squeeze on capacity and a need to invest in new rolling stock, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has warned.
The group, which represents the industry, said the industry is facing a "perfect storm" of

A social media feed of rail works at Reading is due to the "embarrassing fallout" of engineering delays at Christmas, it has been claimed.

Article: More than 5,000 trains were delayed by 30 minutes to two hours between July and September, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) data showed.
Govia Thameslink Railway had on average nine severely delayed trains per day while Great Western Railway had seven.
Operators said a busier network meant incidents had a greater knock-on effect on other services.
But the Campaign for Better Transport said the companies should make more effort to ensure passengers received compensation for significantly delayed trains.
According to analysis by the Press Association, the Caledonian Sleeper - which runs overnight trains between London and Scotland - was the operator with the highest percentage of its services suffering severe disruption with 3.7% or one in 27 trains.
Passengers using Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) - which is responsible for Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express services - suffered from the largest year-on-year rise in the number of significantly late trains up 73% to 816 over the three-month period.
*The figures do not include trains that were at least two hours late.
Rail delays: How to get your money back
James MacColl of the Campaign for Better Transport said: "Late-running trains can be very frustrating, but far too few passengers understand when they're due compensation or how they should go about claiming it."
Since July, passengers have also been able to claim compensation in cash, rather than receiving vouchers against future travel.
But campaign groups wants customers to be told - for example, by a public announcement on the train - that they are entitled to get some money back and compensation forms to be handed out.
Just over half the country's train operators offer compensation after a 30-minute delay, under what is known as the Delay Repay scheme.
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, described timetables as a "promise to passengers" and insisted "we never want people to suffer delays or disruption".
He added: "Train operators and Network...

Summary: About 57 trains are significantly late every day on the British railway network, according to industry figures.
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Article: Steve Hastings joined the city's UKIP group in 2013, ahead of European elections, and became its deputy leader.
In 2011, he stood as a Tory candidate in the Chichester district council elections.
He said: "The best hope for a European referendum now lies with the [Tories]."
Mr Hastings said a referendum was a "locked-in" promise from Prime Minister David Cameron.
"He knows it has to happen and the sooner he puts a date to that the better," he said.
"I don't want to be governed and controlled by Brussels.
"If the public vote yes, then I can go with it and support it, but until we've had the referendum I can't run with that, I cant accept it."
Mr Hastings said his defection was "by no means a reflection" on his UKIP colleagues or group, and was not as a result of a "falling out".
In a letter to Portsmouth City Council, on his resignation from the UKIP group, Mr Hastings added: "I feel strongly about protecting Britain's borders and ensuring we have tighter border controls and lower managed levels of immigration."
Colin Galloway, Portsmouth's UKIP group leader, described Mr Hastings defection as "a surprise and a disappointment".
Last May, UKIP saw six councillors elected in Portsmouth. However, Paul Godier quit the group in January to become an independent, and following Mr Hasting's departure there are four remaining.
Asked whether he expected any further defections, Mr Galloway said: "That'll be up to councillors and their conscience."
Portsmouth City Council remains under no overall control following Thursday's elections. The Conservatives are five seats short of a majority.

Summary: A Portsmouth UKIP councillor has defected to the Conservatives, having previously been a Tory member for more than 30 years.
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Article: How and when water got trapped in volcanic lunar rocks is a huge and open question for planetary scientists.
This international team has compared the chemistry of Apollo mission samples with various types of space rock.
They say that icy, early asteroids were the likely source of most of the water.
After such impacts the Moon's developing crust could have trapped the water in the cooling magma.
Much later, volcanic activity spewed some of that magma back onto the surface and, much later again, a precious few of those volcanic rocks were bagged by Apollo astronauts.
Tightly bound up in the rocks is a trace of water: somewhere between 10 and 300 parts per million (0.001-0.03%).
"It's not pools of water, it's not lakes of water, it's not frozen ice. When we're talking about interior - or magmatic - water, we're talking about water that is locked up in minerals," said Dr Jessica Barnes from the Open University in the UK, first author of the new paper in Nature Communications.
The source of that water is a topic of ongoing debate.
Previous research revealed that some of these watery deposits have a similar molecular signature to water-rich "carbonaceous chondrite" meteorites that occasionally reach the Earth from the asteroid belt.
So was water brought to the Moon by chunks of asteroid? Perhaps via the very early Earth, which was similarly bombarded before the brutal collision that created our satellite?
Or, as other researchers have suggested, did lunar water arrive in comets - the Solar System's more distant, icy travellers?
Working with colleagues in the US and France, Dr Barnes modelled various scenarios to explore what could have produced the chemistry of the Moon's water as we know it. To run these tests, they surveyed all the published results about the make-up of lunar rock samples and various possible contributors - from Earth rock to comets.
"We've taken an approach that's the most quantitative so far, in terms of deciphering which types of objects would have been impacting the Moon," she told BBC...

Summary: A smattering of water is buried deep inside the Moon and it arrived during the satellite's very early history, a new study concludes, when asteroids plunged into churning oceans of magma.
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Article: Network Rail said it would provide Twitter updates of engineers installing new freight lines over Easter weekend.
But Railway Magazine said the firm's PR team had gone into overdrive after work overran during the festive period leading to heavy criticism.
The rail firm said they would "definitely have a story to tell".
Major work, including extensive signalling improvements, is being carried out on the route from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
Patrick Hallgate, from Network Rail, said: "We are acutely aware that some of our work could inconvenience those who want to travel over the Easter period.
"Which is why we want to be open and provide the public with live information about how we are using this time to make improvements to this part of the network."
Railway Magazine assistant editor Nick Brodrick said this live feed is a result of "the embarrassing fallout caused by the delayed engineering works on the East Coast Main Line after Christmas".
He said: "It is therefore not surprising to see its PR team go into overdrive to reassure passengers that it can deliver on its promises."
He added that following the minutiae of rail engineering works would not be a popular pastime this Easter.
"Most people won't be particularly interested in the nuts and bolts of the work involved; what they expect is a better train service as a result."
The improvement work can be followed on Twitter from Friday morning via @networkrailgwrm and the hashtag #greaterwest.

Summary: