The UK's National Health Service is to be given a £1.5bn boost to help it cope with the growing number of people with mental health problems.
The money will be used to provide more mental health nurses, more community mental health teams and more support for people with long-term conditions.
The extra

A faulty gene could help explain some cases of unexplained male infertility, according to research.

Article: You might think that they would want to boast about it, but in this case it's secret and you're not meant to know.
Since 2011 the Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, has cut its carbon dioxide emissions and shifted from being in the worst category for energy efficiency to rating better than would be typical for its kind of building.
This is disclosed in the organisation's official Display Energy Certificate, which I reveal here. Until recently this document was publicly available on the internet, despite this being contrary to the relevant regulations, but it has now been removed.
The certificate states the address for the MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall Cross in central London. It gives "GCB" as the occupier of the building. This stands for Government Communications Bureau, which is sometimes used as a cover name for MI6.
The document shows that since 2011 the building's energy rating has improved from 166, a very low score which would put it in the least efficient grouping, to a much better 88. Carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by around 10%, but it doesn't use any renewable sources of energy.
This change has been achieved in a building which must doubtless contain complex arrays of sophisticated electronic equipment.
Public buildings are required to display energy performance certificates with details of their energy efficiency, in line with a European Union directive. Generally the certificates should also be published on the website of the non-domestic energy performance register, to maximise transparency and enable public scrutiny.
However some buildings are meant to be excluded from this public register. This includes those belonging to the security agencies (as well as prisons, and those used by the armed forces and the royal family).
The GCB/MI6 certificate was however available on the register until recently to anyone who searched for it using the building's postcode. After I discovered this, saved a copy and sought a comment from the service on its impressive improvements in...

Summary: Now here's a public service which seems to have a very good record of improving the energy efficiency of its headquarters over the past two years.
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Article: Mutations of the NR5A1 gene were found in a small percentage of infertile men, reports the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Scientists from the Pasteur Institute in France and University College London said it could help doctors investigating men with the condition.
A UK expert said he hoped that further gene defects could be found.
In the majority of cases, doctors can find no cause for male infertility, despite it accounting for up to half of cases in which couples have difficulty conceiving.
Male infertility appears to be more common within certain families, and this leads scientists to believe that there may be a genetic root for some cases, but only a handful of gene mutations which might be responsible have actually been found.
The latest research looks at a gene already known to be involved in sexual development in both men and women - defects in NR5A1 have been linked to physical defects in the development of the testicles or ovaries.
Their findings suggest that, even where there is no physical evidence of a problem, defects in the gene may be hampering the ability to make sperm.
They looked at the gene in 315 apparently healthy men who had an unexplained inability to produce sperm.
From this group, they found mutations in the gene in just seven, and closer examination revealed the men had altered levels of sex hormones and, in one case, mild abnormalities in the cellular structure of the testicles.
The research authors, from the UCL Institute of Child Health in London and the Institut Pasteur in Paris, said: "We conclude that approximately 4% of men with otherwise unexplained failure to produce sperm carry mutations in the NR5A1 gene."
Although the find would affect only a small proportion of infertile men, other specialists believe that other similar discoveries could help build up a clearer picture of the origins of the condition.
Dr Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, said that there was still "embarrassingly little" known about the genetics behind male...

Summary:


The European Commission has approved a €1.5bn aid package for the Irish economy.
The aid will be used to help the country's banks and insurance companies weather the economic crisis.
The package will also help the country's banks and insurance companies weather the economic crisis.
The aid will be used to help

Hewlett-Packard says it will cut another 25,000-30,000 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, as it plans to split the company in two.

Article: The £200m scheme will give Northern Ireland greater access to generating capacity in the Republic.
Approval was granted in December 2016 but was challenged by the North East Pylon Pressure Campaign.
The judge said there was "no lawful reason" to overturn the planning permission.
The Utility Regulator has said the scheme is needed to ensure security of supply, particularly as some older power stations in Northern Ireland are due to be decommissioned.
The scheme will involve connecting the two power grids via 138km of overhead lines between Moy in County Tyrone and County Meath.
The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) held a public inquiry into the northern element of the the project in February.
The PAC is due to make a recommendation later this year.
The Northern Ireland section is being overseen by System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI).
Robin McCormick of SONI welcomed the court decision and said the inter-connector was needed to address security of supply problems facing Northern Ireland.
"This decision is encouraging and means our colleagues in EirGrid can now engage with landowners in the project area in the south," he said.
Angela McGowan, CBI Northern Ireland Regional director, said it was a welcome development but stressed that "urgent clarity" on the northern section of the project was needed.
"We would encourage the Planning Appeals Commission and the Department for Infrastructure to reach a positive decision on the planning application as soon as possible," she said.

Summary: The High Court in Dublin has upheld planning approval for the southern element of the north-south electricity interconnector.
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Article: It follows 55,000 job cuts announced earlier this year.
The losses will come in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), which is splitting from the printer and PC business.
The company says the cuts will save $2.7bn (Â£1.76bn) in annual costs, although the plan will cost $2.7bn to carry out.
At a meeting for Wall Street analysts, chairman and chief executive Meg Whitman said: "We've done a significant amount of work over the past few years to take costs out and simplify processes and these final actions will eliminate the need for any future corporate restructuring."
The new structure proposed by Ms Whitman sees HP Enterprise focusing primarily on businesses and government agencies, and the PC and printing divisions on the consumer market.
The company currently has more than 300,000 employees.
"The number is sadly larger than some people might have expected, but I think it's a reflection of how much trouble HP has been having with its services," said Charles King, analyst at the Silicon Valley IT consulting firm Pund-IT.
"I'm frankly not sure if HP is finished with the layoffs."
The company will not say where the cuts will fall, but part of the plan involves changing the nature of the workforce.
The proportion of workers in what HPE calls "low-cost locations" is expected to rise from around 42% now to 60% by 2018.
The tech company has struggled over the last decade to keep up with changing demands as customers move away from desktop computers.
However, Hewlett-Packard is still one of the world's largest technology companies, with revenues this year expected to top $50bn.
The company famously started life in a Palo Alto garage in California in 1939 and grew to be the guiding light of what became known as Silicon Valley.
Its fortunes started to decline with a series of expensive and much criticised acquisitions including Compaq for $25bn in 2002, consultants EDS for $14bn in 2008 and Autonomy for $11bn in 2011.
In 2012 it lost its position as the world's leading supplier of PCs to Lenovo.
The share price peaked at...

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A man has been charged with the murder of his wife and her lover.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of killing his wife, who was found dead in their home in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The woman's body was found in the couple's home in the early

A woman who acted as a legal analyst for the media during the Oscar Pistorius trial has appeared in court charged with fraud.

Article: Hull City Council, which brought the action, said the chain should provide sanitary facilities if food and drink are consumed on the premises.
Newcastle City Council, Greggs' home town authority, opposed the move.
An earlier ruling in Greggs favour said outlets serving simple takeaway food did not need toilet facilities.
More on this and other local stories in Hull and East Yorkshire
Hull City Council took legal action after Newcastle City Council issued guidance relating to toilet provision in food outlets.
The guidance, approved by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills' Better Regulation Delivery Office, argued bathroom provision at food outlets should be based on a predominant trade test.
Officials said, that if "takeaway trade was predominant" food and drink would not "normally" be sold for consumption on the premises, and outlet owners should therefore not be required to provide toilet facilities.
Hull City Council said that approach could not be right, as such an interpretation gave the two Greggs' bakeries in Hull an "unlawful and unfair" commercial advantage.
In his ruling at a hearing in Leeds on Tuesday, Mr Justice Kerr said Hull council's claim was "well-founded" and the advice given by Newcastle council "flawed".
He said he would quash the Better Regulation Delivery Office's decision to approve Newcastle council's guidance.
The judge added: "It is obvious that if a person sits down in a Greggs outlet at the seats provided and proceeds to eat a pasty and a fizzy drink just purchased at the counter for that purpose, that is a normal use of the premises.
"The fact that most customers take away their purchases and those who stay do not normally stay long, does not change that."
A Department for Business, Innovation & Skills spokesman said: "We have lodged an appeal."
Responding to the latest ruling, a Greggs spokesperson said: "This is the first time the statutory Primary Authority scheme as set up in 2008 has been challenged in the courts.
"Until this matter has been finally determined by...

Summary: Greggs could be forced to provide toilets in all its stores that have customer seating following a High Court ruling.
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Article: Brenda Wardle - who denies the charges - is accused of pretending to be a practising attorney and offering to represent a convicted murderer.
She appeared at Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, South African media report.
She featured as an expert on the BBC during the 2014 Pistorius trial.
Ms Wardle, 56, also boasts of appearing on Sky News, Fox News and a number of South African broadcasters on her social media profiles.
She has published a book called To Kill A Fragile Rose: The State's Case Against Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius.
According to local media, these allegations date back to 2009, when she offered to represent a convicted murderer.
The family accuse her of charging around 500,000 rand (£28,600; $36,800) for her services over the next four years.
Ms Wardle will represent herself, against the advice of the magistrate, The Herald reports.
She was refused bail after failing to arrive at court on several occasions, IOL News said.
Ms Wardle will next appear in court on 27 July.

Summary:


A Melbourne man has been charged with the murder of his wife and their two children.
The bodies of the couple, aged two and four, were found in their home in the Melbourne suburb of Eltham on Monday.
The bodies of the couple, aged two and four, were found in their home in the

A mother was suffering from "forgotten baby syndrome" when her young son died in a hot car, an Australian inquest has heard.

Article: John Radcliffe left the bulk of his fortune to charitable causes on his death 300 years ago in 1714.
This funded the Radcliffe Camera, which was Britain's first circular library, the Radcliffe Observatory and the Radcliffe Infirmary.
Remembering Radcliffe: 300 years of science and philanthropy is at the Bodleian Library until March.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about this remarkable physician and philanthropist," said librarian Richard Ovenden.
"John Radcliffe's legacy lives on today - not only in Oxford's stunning buildings but through his legacy's investment in scientific research and its support for UK heritage and crafts and classical music performance and composition through the Radcliffe Trust."
The exhibition, which is free to attend, includes engravings, watercolours and architectural drawings.
Highlights include a 3D scale model of the Radcliffe Camera from 1735, rare and first edition books from the first collection of books housed in the Radcliffe Camera and items from Radcliffe's medical career.
"The exhibition explains how an 18th Century doctor became one of Oxford's greatest benefactors," said curator Stephen Hebron.
"Visitors can discover the story behind one of Oxford's most famous buildings, the Radcliffe Camera, including its origins, its design, how it was built, and its role as a university library."

Summary: The legacy of a physician who gave Oxford some of its landmark buildings is being explored in a new exhibition.
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Article: Noah Zunde, who was 22 months old, succumbed to heatstroke after being left in the car for seven hours.
His mother, Romy Zunde, had mistakenly believed she dropped Noah at childcare, the Coroners Court of Victoria heard.
Ms Zunde was sleep-deprived, stressed and dealing with a change in routine before the tragedy, the court was told.
Police did not lay charges. A coronial lawyer recommended that Ms Zunde should not be held criminally responsible.
The inquest into the death in the Victorian town of Kyneton in 2015 is investigating ways to prevent similar incidents.
A psychologist told the inquest he believed Ms Zunde suffered a memory lapse called "forgotten baby syndrome".
"If you are capable of forgetting to post a letter, you are capable of forgetting to take your baby out of the car," said Matthew Mundy, an associate professor at Monash University.
"Your memory is limited, it's limited in the number of things you can remember at any given time, and it's limited in the amount of time you can remember a thing for.
"Your brain at the neural level doesn't discriminate between [posting] a letter, a baby or remembering to pick up your mobile phone".
In his opinion the lapse could happen to anyone, he said.
Noah is one of five children within 10 years who have died in Victoria after being left inside a vehicle.
The court was told sensors installed in some cars in the United States alerted parents to the presence of children.
Coroner Sara Hinchey will hand down her findings at a later date.

Summary:


The government has announced a new £1.5bn fund to help councils tackle the problem of rough sleeping.
The Rough Sleeping Outcomes Fund will be used to tackle the causes of rough sleeping, including the impact of the bedroom tax.
The government said the fund would be used to "help councils tackle the causes

The London living wage is to rise from £9.15 an hour to £9.40, the Living Wage Foundation campaign group has said.

Article: Akhtar Javeed, 56, from West Ham, was gunned down outside his warehouse in Digbeth, Birmingham on 3 February.
The 18-year-old was arrested in Derby on Thursday night and is in police custody.
A silver Renault Megane has also been seized and is being examined. Police had been looking for a similar car seen in the area at the time.
On the day of the shooting two masked men in a silver Renault Megane entered Direct Source 3 Ltd on Rea Street South, police have said.
Five staff members were handcuffed with cable ties and it appeared Mr Javeed was shot while fighting off the attackers.
He was found outside his business premises with a "major neck wound" and pronounced dead in hospital.
The robbers escaped empty-handed in the Renault Megane and turned on to McDonald Street, without their vehicle lights on, detectives said.
Det Ch Insp Martin Slevin of West Midlands Police said investigations into the Mr Javeed's death are continuing.
"We are still appealing for anyone who saw a silver Renault Megane in or around that time to get in touch," he said.
Detectives are also keen to speak to two people - a worker pushing a bike and a private hire taxi driver - also seen in the area at the time.

Summary: An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a man shot and killed during a raid at his warehouse.
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Article: While its recommended nationwide pay rate goes up from £7.85 an hour to £8.25 - an increase of 40p - in London the suggested rise is only 25p.
Next year, when the government brings in a compulsory National Living Wage across the United Kingdom, there will be no separate rate for London.
The living wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living.
The capital's voluntary living wage - which is not legally enforceable - is assessed by the Living Wage Foundation and economists at the Greater London Authority.
Mayor Boris Johnson's office estimates 724 employers in London have now signed up.
Those employers now have six months to implement the new pay level.
National minimum wage: The current mandatory minimum is £6.70 per hour for people aged 21 and over, and £5.30 for those aged 18 to 20
National Living Wage: This will be mandatory from April 2016 for workers aged 25 and above. It will initially be set at £7.20 an hour and is intended to exceed £9 an hour by 2020
London living wage: A voluntary higher rate of the living wage in the capital, which will rise from £9.15 to £9.40 an hour. There are currently no plans to make this scheme mandatory
Mr Johnson said the move would help "pay the people who work hardest on lowest incomes decently".
While he is a prominent supporter of the voluntary London living wage, he has resisted calls to make it mandatory, saying small businesses "would struggle with wage rigidity".
Labour's mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan called in-work poverty "a shameful blight on our city", adding: "Neither the government nor the mayor are doing enough to turn things round."
The Green Party highlighted disparity between the new recommended rate in London and the national minimum wage for Londoners aged 18 to 20, currently £5.30 an hour.
Assembly Member Baroness Jones said: "The mayor should be making the case for raising the minimum wage in London to a living wage, especially for young Londoners."

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A man has been arrested after a woman was found dead in a flat in the city centre.
The body of a woman was found in a flat in the city centre on Monday.
The body of a woman was found in a flat in the city centre on Monday.
The body of a woman was found in

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 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:


A new report by the Welsh Government has found that the number of people in Wales who are in work has increased by more than a million since 2010.
The report, which was published today, said that the number of people in work in Wales had increased by 1.4 million since 2010.
The number of people

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.
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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."

Summary:


The headteacher of a North Devon school has been appointed as the new headteacher of a school in the US.
Russell Hobby, the general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "I am delighted that Mr Hobby has been appointed as the new headteacher of a school in the US

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.
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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 Warwick Society has objected to plans for a luxury glamping site at Warwick Castle.
The society said the site would be "a step too far" from the castle.
The society said the site would be "a step too far" from the castle.
The society said the site would be "a step

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.
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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 has agreed to release a Cuban detainee who was held at Guantanamo Bay for more than a decade.
The US has agreed to release a Cuban detainee who was held at Guantanamo Bay for more than a decade.
The US has agreed to release a Cuban detainee who was held at Guantanamo Bay for more than a decade

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.
###
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 confirmed that the day-night Test match between Pakistan and West Indies will be played at Edgbaston in August.
The ECB has confirmed that the day-night Test match between Pakistan and West Indies will be played at Edgbaston in August.
The ECB has confirmed that the day-night Test

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: 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 EU's new migration policy is a "political decision"
Austria's interior minister said the country had no choice but to act, as there was no European solution yet in place for the current migrant crisis.
Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said Austria had no choice but to act,

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: 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:


The UK government has announced that it will not be pressing ahead with a controversial new nuclear power station in Somerset.
The decision to scrap the Hinkley Point C project was announced by the energy secretary, Amber Rudd, in a letter to the company.
The decision was made after the company said it would need several

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: 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:


The otters' return to the slough has helped restore the seagrass, which is now thriving.
The otters, which were hunted to near-extinction in the 19th Century, have been reintroduced to the slough, and the researchers believe that their return has helped restore the seag

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: 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 movement of cancer cells.
The protein is found in the cell membrane of many types of cancer cells, including lung cancer.
The researchers found that Zeb1 is a key player in the movement of cancer cells.
They found that

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.
###
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 champions have been charged after fans set off fireworks during the 1-1 draw in Group A at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on 10 December.
The Scottish FA has written to both clubs and continues to investigate.
Celtic have been charged with improper conduct after five fans were booked for their

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.
###
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 number of trains that are delayed by more than 30 minutes has risen by more than a third in the last year, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
The figures show that the number of trains that are delayed by more than 30 minutes has risen by more than a third in the last year

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.
###
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:


The FTSE 100 closed 25 points, or 0.35%, higher at 7,404, after ITV announced its new chief executive.

Article: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 469,696 new cars were registered in the month, a rise of 1.6% from 462,517 last year.
It is the highest sales total for September on record, but the figures also showed sales to private motorists fell for the sixth month in a row.
The best-selling new car in September was the Ford Fiesta.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: "September is always one of the biggest months for Britain's new car market.
"The new 66-plate, combined with a diverse range of exciting new models featuring the latest technology, has certainly helped draw buyers into showrooms."
The total number of cars registered so far this year has now reached 2.15 million, according to the SMMT. Fleet sales continued to drive growth, climbing 7.3% year on year in September.
But registrations to private motorists slipped by 1.7%, the sixth consecutive month of decline.
This followed "record levels of growth in 2015", the SMMT cautioned. But Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, warned consumers were "recoiling" from making big-ticket purchases due to uncertainty about the economy.
"Car manufacturers also are beginning to raise prices in response to sterling's depreciation," he added.
"In addition, much of the pent-up demand from households that put off car purchases during the recession also has now been satiated.
"As such, with growth in households' real incomes set to slow sharply, as inflation revives and firms pause on hiring, and loan rates now at a floor, we expect [private] car sales to continue to fall over the next year."
Source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
Mr Hawes also said the car industry continued to face uncertainty.
"Business and consumers place September orders many months in advance," he said.
"So the ability of the market to maintain this record level of demand will depend on the ability of government to overcome political uncertainty and safeguard the conditions that underpin consumer appetite."
In September, Mr Hawes warned...

Summary: UK new car sales rose in September, helped by strong purchases from fleet buyers and the new 66 number plate.
###
Article: Shares in ITV rose 1.3% after the broadcaster said it had appointed EasyJet's boss Carolyn McCall.
ITV's previous chief executive, Adam Crozier, left in June, but Ms McCall will not take up her new post until January next year.
Carillion shares leapt 19% on the news it was part of a consortium granted HS2 contracts by the government.
Carillion, in the wider FTSE 250, announced on Monday that it had appointed the accountants EY to support its strategic review, which has been launched after it issued a profit warning last week and announced the departure of its chief executive.
Carillion's shares were trading at about 67p, although this was still well below the 191p level they stood at prior to last week's profit warning.
Staying in the FTSE 250, shares in Weir Group rose 8% after the company, which makes pipes and valves for the energy and mining sectors, said revenue and operating profit for the full-year were set to beat expectations.
Weir said it been helped by a faster than expected recovery in the North American oil and gas markets.
The FTSE 250 index closed 112 points, or 0.6%, higher at 19,520.
The pound weakened slightly against both the dollar and the euro.
The pound fell 0.3% versus the US dollar to $1.31; sterling was also 0.3% down against the euro at 1.14 euros.

Summary:


The Pope is in Mexico City for his first visit to the country.
The Pope is in Mexico City for his first visit to the country.
The Pope is in Mexico City for his first visit to the country.
The Pope is in Mexico City for his first visit to the country.
The Pope is in

The second inquest into the death of Cumbrian toddler Poppi Worthington has again been adjourned, a coroner has confirmed.

Article: He is putting the finishing touches to a portrait of Pope Francis.
"This is a homage to him," he says. "Coming to Mexico, meeting us and praying for our virgin is very important - that's why I'm painting this."
There is a great deal of affection towards the Argentine Pope here and a lot of excitement ahead of the pontiff's first visit to Mexico, which has the second biggest Catholic population in the world
The Pew Research Centre estimates 81% of Mexicans identify as Catholic, and Mexicans feel that as a fellow Latin American, Pope Francis understands the Mexican people.
One of the highlights of his trip will be the Pope's visit to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Millions of pilgrims visit the site in honour of Mexico's patron saint every year, and they see it as a source of pride that Pope Francis will do so too.
"The impact will be huge, it's great for people because of all the violence here - we have faith that this could change things," said Fernando Medina, who was visiting the Virgin with his daughter Sofia.
The Pope will also meet President Enrique Pena Nieto in what will be a highly symbolic encounter.
In 1917, the Mexican constitution limited the role of the Catholic Church in public life, and Pope Francis is the first pontiff to be invited to the National Palace.
"The state is very conscious of Francis' popularity and his huge standing particularly in Latin America," says Austen Ivereigh, author of a biography of Pope Francis.
"I think they want to be identified with it - they want a bit of the stardust that attaches to Francis."
President Pena Nieto's approval rating has been hit by the country's continuing struggles with drug violence, human rights abuses and corruption scandals.
Pope Francis condemned the situation ahead of his visit, saying Mexico was living its "little piece of war".
"The Mexico of violence, the Mexico of corruption, the Mexico of drug trafficking, the Mexico of cartels, is not the Mexico our mother wants," he said.
And it is a war the Catholic Church in...

Summary: Jorge Santamaria sits at his easel outside Mexico City's cathedral, palette in hand.
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Article: The 13-month-old was found with serious injuries at her home in Barrow in December 2012.
A second inquest was ordered after a seven-minute hearing in 2014 determined Poppi's death was "unascertained".
It was due to be held in Kendal from 15 May and will be rescheduled for October while her father seeks legal aid.
Poppi Worthington death: Key dates
David Roberts, senior coroner for Cumbria, said the adjournment followed a request by Poppi's father, Paul Worthington, who had been unable to secure legal aid in sufficient time.
Mr Roberts said it was "of real importance for Mr Worthington to take part in the process and it will be difficult for him to do so in the absence of legal representation".
He added: "It is self-evident my findings and conclusion at the inquest may (depending upon what they are) have significant ramifications for Mr Worthington."
A family judge previously ruled the toddler had been sexually assaulted by her father, who has always denied any wrongdoing.
No-one has been charged in connection with Poppi's death. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had no "realistic prospect" of securing a conviction.
The second inquest was initially suspended in September after the CPS carried out a review of the case, concluding it was right not to bring any charges against Mr Worthington.

Summary:


The Welsh Government has announced that the new £1.5bn National Assembly for Wales will be based in Cardiff.
The new Assembly will be made up of 60 members, elected by the people of Wales.
The Assembly will be responsible for making laws for Wales, and will be the first devolved legislature in the

Mebyon Kernow, which campaigns for a National Assembly for Cornwall, has announced it will not be putting forward any candidates for the 2017 general election.

Article: Rhys Rowlands has been made the region's resident judge, taking over from Judge Merfyn Hughes QC, who recently retired.
Born in Bangor, he is married with two daughters, lives in the Vale of Clwyd and will work across north Wales.
Educated at University College London and Cardiff University, he is a former prosecuting solicitor for North Wales Police.
He was called to the bar in 1986, practising from Chester chambers.
Judge Rowlands was appointed a recorder in 2000, and became a circuit judge in 2010, based at Cardiff Crown Court.
He has also conducted trials in north Wales, sitting at Mold and Caernarfon Crown Courts.

Summary: A new senior judge for north Wales has been appointed.
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Article: A party spokesperson said the timing made it "impractical" to put together and finance "a meaningful campaign".
At the recent Cornwall Council elections four Mebyon Kernow councillors were re-elected.
It lost deposits in all six seats at both the last general elections.
More on Mebyon Kernow not fielding candidates, and other news
On 18 April the prime minister called a snap general election for 8 June - three years earlier than scheduled.

Summary:


The Night Tube will provide services on several lines from September.
The Night Tube will provide services on several lines from September.
The Night Tube will provide services on several lines from September.
The Night Tube will provide services on several lines from September.
The Night Tube will provide services on several lines from September.

Tube drivers on the London Underground (LU) are to be balloted for strikes in a row over pay for new all-night services, the Aslef union has said.

Article: The F-Rating was introduced by Bath Film Festival director Holly Tarquini in 2014 and has been taken up by more than 40 UK cinemas and festivals.
IMDb boss Col Needham said: "The F-Rating is a great way to highlight women on screen and behind the camera."
Ms Tarquini said 21,800 films had been tagged with the F-Rating on IMDb.
Film information site IMDb gets more than 250 million visitors per month.
Ms Tarquini said: "The F-Rating is intended to make people talk about the representation of women on and off screen.
"It's exciting when new organisations decide to join us in shining a light both on the brilliant work women are doing in film and on how far the film industry lags behind most other industries, when it comes to providing equal opportunities to women.
"But our real goal is to reach the stage when the F-Rating is redundant because 50% of the stories we see on screen are told by and about film's unfairly under-represented half of the population - women."
The F-Rating is a classification for any film which:
Newest adopter to the campaign is the Barbican Cinema in London.
Curator Gali Gold said the rating was "a simple and effective way to signpost films where the stories are told by and about women and to highlight the issue of gender imbalance within the film industry".
Anna Navas, from Plymouth Arts Centre, said she added the F-Rating "as soon as I heard about it".
"The F-Rating is such a clear, fun, accessible way of highlighting women on screen it felt like a no-brainer," she said.
The F-Rating was inspired by US cartoonist Alison Bechdel, whose 1985 comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For featured two women discussing "movies".
The cartoon became known as the "Bechdel Test" with the characters deciding a film should include at least two women who talk to each other about something besides a man.
Some films meet all three criteria with significant women on screen in their own right and are written and directed by women.  Those with the triple rating include:
Other films with the rating include those...

Summary: A feminist film classification created to highlight the lack of women working in the movie industry is now being used on the IMDb film information site.
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Article: The Night Tube will provide services on several lines from September.
Aslef said it had been told that unless drivers agreed to rosters they would automatically be imposed and no pay offer would be made this year.
The union said LU had "closed down" negotiations, however LU said these claims were "completely untrue".
The new rosters would include covering all-night services on Friday and Saturday nights when they begin.
Finn Brennan, Aslef's district organiser, said: "London Underground has closed down the negotiations.
"Our members are entitled to a family life and to some sort of work/life balance.
"We aren't opposed to all-night services but we want them introduced in a fair and sensible way which rewards staff for their hard work."
About 80% of all London Underground drivers are members of Aslef.
Mr Brennan said drivers would have to work an unlimited number of weekend and night shifts for no extra pay.
The Night Tube services will initially run on the Piccadilly, Victoria, Central, Jubilee and Northern lines.
They will be extended to the Metropolitan, Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines by 2021, the London Overground in 2017 and the Docklands Light Railway by 2021.
The plans are part of a six-point long term economic plan that Chancellor George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson said would add £6.4bn to the London economy by 2030 and create 500,000 new jobs.
Labour's London Assembly transport spokeswoman Val Shawcross said the Night Tube would be a great thing for London but "it's important it's done properly".
She said: "That means recognising the impact it will have on staff who will make the night Tube possible and listening to their concerns.
"Instead, last year the mayor announced a start date for the night Tube without any proper consultation with the staff and unions."
Nick Brown, chief operating officer for LU, said: "To suggest that we've closed down negotiations is completely untrue and it is extremely disappointing the co-ordinated response by the unions has been to announce...

Summary:


The Guildhall in Carmarthen has been sold to a private buyer.
The Grade II listed building was bought by a private investor for £225,000.
The Guildhall was built in 1878 and was the setting for the landmark Gwynfor Evans' victory as first Plaid Cymru MP in

Carmarthen's Guildhall has a "self sufficient" future say council leaders, as the county takes ownership of the historic building.

Article: Two Technics SL-1200 models were unveiled - one of which is limited to a run of 1,200 units - marking the first update in years to the brand.
Panasonic has said the launch was inspired by a resurgence in vinyl record sales.
The production of Technics turntables had ceased in 2010.
At the time, some audiophiles and DJs had expressed disappointment over the well known brand's discontinuation.
But in September last year, Panasonic said that Technics would return.
The decision to halt the production of Technics turntables five years ago was a "strange" one, according to Andy Clough, editor of What Hi-Fi magazine.
"They had a fantastic brand with a huge heritage," he said. "From our point of view [the re-launch is] really exciting, it's a sort of update if you like on an iconic turntable - something of a legend amongst DJs and hi-fi people."
Mr Clough commented that while there was a resurgence in vinyl sales, the boom should be viewed in context.
"It's still very much a niche thing - albeit a growing niche," he said.
The refreshed models boast a number of mechanical improvements.
Panasonic has included a new motor in the updated turntable, which is designed to be quieter and less prone to vibrations than previous models. The result is, the firm claims, better sound quality.
Both editions will be released later in 2016 with the 50th Anniversary model, the Grand Class SL-1200GAE, being made available this summer in a limited edition run.
Retro audio formats aren't the only nostalgic tech featuring at CES this year.
Kodak has also announced an initiative to revive the Super 8 film format and is presenting a prototype of a new Kodak Super 8 camera.
It features digital functionality - including an LCD screen allowing users to frame and view recorded scenes live.
The company's initiative has already garnered support from top Hollywood directors including Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and Steve McQueen - all of whom have praised the qualities of Super 8 film.
There are no details on when Kodak's new camera might...

Summary: Panasonic has revealed the capabilities of its revived Technics turntables at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.
###
Article: It bought the Grade II listed building for £225,000 in the summer.
The Guildhall had been facing uncertainty after the Ministry of Justice announced it was one of 10 law courts to close in Wales.
The council said it was still investigating how to make best use of the venue.
Carmarthenshire council's deputy leader and executive board member for resources, David Jenkins said one of the main reasons for buying it was to "ensure a secure future."
He said it was a "focal point" not just for Carmarthen, but for the whole county.
"It has a tremendous history. Murderers have been tried and condemned to death here."
They include Ronnie Harries, who was one of the last men to be hanged in Wales. He was sentenced to death in 1953 after murdering his relatives Phoebe and John Harries at their home in Llangynin, Carmarthenshire.
The Guildhall was also the setting for Gwynfor Evans' landmark victory as first Plaid Cymru MP in 1966.
Mr Jenkins admitted when the Ministry of Justice announced the building was to be sold, they were hoping "to pick it up for a £1," but ended up paying the district valuer's price tag.
The council is now speaking to potential partners, including Carmarthen Town Council and Dyfed-Powys Police, about the building's future.
"We've got ideas of bringing some of our own services in here," said Cllr Jenkins.
"It'll also be good as a museum. We could bring people inside just to see how beautiful it is.
"The intention is to make the building self sufficient."

Summary:


FIFA's Ad-Hoc Electoral Committee has decided to allow the Swiss to stand in the election to replace Blatter.
FIFA's Ad-Hoc Electoral Committee has decided to allow the Swiss to stand in the election to replace Blatter.
The Swiss have been campaigning for the right to stand in the election

The man overseeing Fifa's presidential polls should step aside due to conflict of interest, says the Liberian FA.

Article: ITV talent show X Factor averaged an audience of 5.6m for the first live show of the series on Saturday night.
More than 9.4m people saw Kirsty Gallacher perform her last routine - a Halloween-themed one - on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.
The two shows overlapped for 15 minutes at 2000 GMT.
A spokesperson for ITV said audience figures for The X Factor would rise when recorded viewing was factored in, including people watching on ITVPlayer.
Audience figures for Sunday's results show were up, with an average of 6.7m viewers tuning in to watch Bupsi and girlband Alien Uncovered leave X Factor. Sunday's instalment of Strictly, which did not overlap with X Factor, got 9.6m viewers.
Bupsi, who was mentored by Simon Cowell in the Overs category, had the lowest public vote, meaning she was the first to exit the series.
Alien Uncovered failed to impress the judges in the sing-off, who opted to save 18-year-old Kiera Weathers following her rendition of REM's Everybody Hurts.
After the result, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who is mentoring the groups, said: "I think I'm in shock. I'm devastated."
On Strictly, Gallacher's Halloween-themed Charlston failed to wow the judges as she and partner Brendan Cole were voted off the show.
She became the fifth celebrity to leave after singer Jamelia triumphed in the dance-off.

Summary: Strictly Come Dancing attracted nearly 4m more viewers than X Factor on Saturday, with ITV's show losing 1m viewers since last week.
###
Article: Domenico Scala, who heads up Fifa's Ad-Hoc Electoral Committee, is Swiss-Italian - as is Gianni Infantino, one of the five presidential candidates.
Scala excused himself from the 2015 elections as he shared nationality with a candidate, Swiss Sepp Blatter.
LFA boss Musa Bility says he will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if Scala does not withdraw by Thursday.
The battle to replace long-standing president Blatter takes place in 18 days' time.
"Article 7.4 of the Electoral Regulations is clear that any member of the Ad-Hoc Electoral Committee who has a conflict of interest … is thereby barred from sitting as a member of the Committee and must be replaced," Bility wrote in a letter to Scala on Monday.
Ahead of elections in May 2015 between Blatter and Prince Ali of Jordan - both Scala and Claudio Sulser, who was also on the Ad-Hoc Electoral Committee, stepped aside for this reason.
"Prior to the final review process, Domenico Scala (as a dual Swiss/Italian national) and Claudio Sulser (as a Swiss national) withdrew from their positions to avoid any appearance of a potential conflict of interest based on nationality," Fifa wrote at the time.
However Andreas Bantel, a spokesman for Scala, says "the fact that a member of the ad-hoc electoral committee has the same nationality as a candidate does not result in a conflict of interest.
"There is no such provision whatsoever in the relevant regulations of Fifa," he told BBC Sport.
"For the last election period Mr Scala withdrew because the Swiss candidate was the incumbent President. Scala did so in order to avoid even any appearance of a potential conflicted of interest situation and simply as a precautionary measure on a voluntary base.
"For this election there are five candidates with no incumbent President. Hence, there is no potential conflict of interest at all."
It remains to be seen whether Bility will go ahead with his threat to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In his letter to Scala, he wants to know why the same process has not...

Summary:


A new report from the National Audit Office has found that the NHS is not doing enough to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance.
The report, published on Wednesday, says the NHS is not doing enough to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance.
It says the NHS is not doing enough to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance

A collection of manuscripts and notebooks which belonged to poet and novelist Edward Thomas are to be conserved thanks to a grant.

Article: Figures show that for those aged 65, men can expect to live for another 19 years and women a further 21 years.
But there is concern that too many elderly people are living in poor health.
And the figures vary across the country, with the North East and North West having lower life expectancies for 65-year-olds than other regions.
Life expectancy among older age groups in England rose to its highest level in 2014 - with male life expectancy increasing by 0.3 years at age 65 and 0.2 years at ages 75, 85 and 95 since 2013.
Female life expectancy increased by the same amounts at the same ages.
This comes after a fall in life expectancy in some older age groups between 2011 and 2012.
The only region where male and female life expectancy did not increase in 2014 was in the North East, where male life expectancy was higher in 2013.
Among local authorities in England, the majority showed an increase or no change in life expectancy at age 65 - but one quarter showed a decrease.
In the past, statistics have tended to focus on life expectancy at birth but now that most deaths in England occur in people over the age of 80, patterns of mortality in older age groups are becoming more important.
Prof John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England, said the report presented a positive national picture that made achieving "a good quality of life in later years even more important".
"This report is an opportunity to remind people that, even during mid-life, it is not too late to improve your health," he said.
"Most of us could make changes today, like stopping smoking, being more active or eating better, that would allow us to look forward to healthier later years."
He said it was not clear what had caused the variation in trends between local areas.
Danny Dorling, professor of human geography at the University of Oxford, said there was an urgent need to find out why improvements had stalled in many parts of England in recent years.
"Beneath the headline figures of this report, there is evidence of worsening...

Summary: Older people in England are living longer than ever before, a report from Public Health England says.
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Article: Cardiff University is currently exhibiting some of its collection as part of a three-day event to mark the centenary of Thomas' untimely death.
But Alan Hughes, head of special collections and archive, said some other items were in poor condition.
The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust has awarded them almost Â£3,000.
The university holds the largest archive of Thomas' letters, diaries, notebooks, poems, photographs and personal belongings.
Mr Hughes said the grant had allowed us it to "collaborate with Glamorgan Archives to undertake essential conservation work on many of Edward Thomas' notebooks".
He said nine were in particularly poor condition due to acidification, fragile bindings and general deterioration over time.
"Many are unable to be handled without a high risk of further damage and are therefore inaccessible to scrutiny, celebration, digitisation and study," he said.
Thomas, known for his poems written as World War One raged across Europe, was killed in the Battle of Arras at Easter 1917, at the age of 39.
While he was born in England, Prof Katie Gramich who organised this week's event, said his parents were Welsh and he loved Wales.
She said his work was influenced by the time he spent walking in Wales and he felt "cheated of a Welsh identity".
The exhibition, which runs until the autumn, features previously unheard archive recordings of family and friends, interviewed by the university's Prof R George Thomas in 1967.

Summary:


The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined the four biggest banks in the UK £1.5bn for colluding to fix the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).
The CMA said the banks had colluded to fix the rate between banks in order to boost their profits.

Local and international banks have been accused of rigging the price of South Africa's currency, the rand, by the country's competition watchdog.

Article: Kite Power Systems (KPS) has gained backing for its project at West Freugh near Stranraer from E.ON, Schlumberger and Shell Technology Ventures (STV).
Paul Jones of the company said it was an "endorsement" of its research and development work on the technology.
A demonstration system will be put in place next year with further systems planned in years to come.
The technology uses two kites tethered to spool drums and as they fly they turn the drums to produce electricity.
A full-sized kite could generate two to three megawatts of electricity, which KPS said was comparable to a 100m conventional wind turbine.
The company has said it could eventually employ up to 500 people by 2025.
Mr Jones said: "The backing of these companies will accelerate KPS's commercial development plans towards deploying lower cost, deep-water offshore wind energy on a global scale."
KPS was established in 2011 and to date has invested more than £3m in technology development.
Geert van de Wouw, managing director of STV, said he had been convinced over time of the value of the KPS technology.
"It is an interesting contribution to renewable energy generation and a good fit to explore through Shell's New Energies business," he said.
E.ON senior vice president Frank Meyer said: "The approach of KPS has the potential to become a game changer for the wind energy market.
"It supports one of our overall targets to drive down the costs for renewable energy.
"In addition to this, we catch the opportunity to be a first mover in producing renewable energy at locations where it is, for economic and technical reasons, not possible today."
Oil and gas services company Schlumberger made its investment as it believes the technology could be used on offshore oil platforms, remote onshore drilling operations and decommissioned offshore wind turbine towers.
Commenting on the news, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: "We hope the investment enables this emerging renewable technology to achieve its aim of developing a commercial-scale project.
"Kite...

Summary: Plans for one of the world's first kite power stations in south west Scotland have secured £5m of new investment.
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Article: Global giants Barclays, JP Morgan and HSBC are among 17 banks named as part of the two-year investigation.
Banks colluded, using online chat rooms to co-ordinate fictitious bids and offers in order to sway the market, the competition commission says.
It has called for the banks to be fined 10% of in-country annual turnover.
The banks are now likely to face prosecution at the country's Competition Tribunal over the alleged currency manipulation, which investigators say goes back as far as 2007.
Several banks have already said they will cooperate with the authorities.
Speaking in parliament earlier, South African President Jacob Zuma welcomed the competition commission's investigation, saying that the government was prepared to act against the distortion of the financial markets "to protect our country's economy".
He also reiterated the government's commitment to establish a state bank, adding that new players must be allowed to enter to diversify the financial sector.
Analysis: Matthew Davies, Africa Business Report editor, Johannesburg:
Foreign exchange scandals have rocked the international markets over the past ten years and now it's South Africa's turn to host one.
The governing ANC party says the latest developments expose an "ethical crisis in the South African banking sector".
The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters is calling for the banks to have their operating licences immediately revoked.
However, another opposition party, the Democratic Alliance says the timing of the case is suspicious, given that in his State of the Nation address last week, President Jacob Zuma referred to the competition authorities as one of the tools that would be used to drive radical economic transformation forward.
Even if, as expected, the 17 banks come to some sort of settlement with the South African authorities, the whole saga will still be another blow to the sector's reputation.
It has also given certain politicians more ammunition to bash the banks yet again - President Zuma recently accused the country's four...

Summary: