The North East Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the news that the Great Exhibition will return to the region.

One of the reasons the Great Exhibition of the North was awarded to Newcastle and Gateshead was because of the "ambition" of  organisers.

Article: But organisers hope the participation of Scotland's world number 24 Russell Knox, born in nearby Inverness, will compensate for the American's absence.
Tournament director Peter Adams said he regretted the absence of Fowler.
"No Rickie this year, which we're obviously disappointed about and so is Rickie," Adams told BBC Scotland.
"He has written to us and said he would have really liked to come back to defend, but it is some of the schedule congestion that has been an issue for him.
"The Olympics is here for the first time and that's meant date changes for some of the majors and, if you look at that run from the US Open right up until the Olympics, it's incredibly congested and all of the players who play in the top flight of world golf I think have had some difficulty organising their schedules."
Fowler has missed the cut three times in his past five tournaments in the build-up to this month's US Open.
The 27-year-old won his Scottish Open title at Gullane, but the tournament returns to Castle Stuart from 7-10 July after an absence of three years.
"I think it's been a good thing to travel around Scotland in the past few years," said Adams.
"In terms of what we do for the future, we have announced that it is going to be Dundonald for next year.
"We haven't really discussed and thought beyond that and I think there will be a lot of discussion at this year's tournament about where we go after that."
There has been speculation about the future scheduling of the Scottish Open, with Irish Open organisers thought to be keen to take over the slot before the Open Championship.
"It has always been the tournament the week before the Open Championship and, as we stand now, that is the position," said Adams.
"I think for as long as I've been working on the Scottish Open, there have been various tournaments that have eyed the week before the Open Championship.
"It has served the Scottish Open well, so I think for this golf tournament it would be good to have that unless there is a good reason to change.
"That is really...

Summary: World number five Rickie Fowler will not defend his Scottish Open title at Castle Stuart, citing a busy calendar with golf returning to the Olympics.
###
Article: However, the 2018 event, set to showcase art, design and innovation, will not be the first in the region.
In 1929, the North East Coast Exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales in Newcastle amid great fanfare.
So, will organisers take inspiration from the grand event, which attracted four million visitors?
Responding to the Newcastle and Gateshead announcement, the North East Chamber of Commerce said: "The Great Exhibition looks set to be the launch pad of real growth in our regional economy."
The Prince of Wales - later King Edward VIII - opened the 1929 event and said: "The industries of the North are not yet knocked out of the ring.
"They are fighting back gallantly with a good Northern punch."
And the "northern punch" included cutting-edge technology, such as a cow milking machine, a telescope brought down from Edinburgh University, and the local newspaper using a newly-designed electric sign to flash out the latest news items.
Industry and consumer items were represented, some of them household names that remain, such as Hoover vacuum cleaners, Singer sewing machines, and Pyrex glass ovenware.
Andrews Liver Salts showed off its brand with a 15ft "fountain of health".
For entertainment there was an amusement park, a Himalayan Railway, and an African village.
More than four million people passed through the turnstiles between May and October that year, including King Alfonso of Spain and the Sultan of Zanzibar. Each millionth visitor was presented with a gold watch.
When the exhibition ended, the pavilions were dismantled and the area reverted to a public park.
Unfortunately, that "northern punch" would fall victim to the economic depression a few years later, in the 1930s.

Summary:


A new study has found that a common type of cancer in children is more likely to be caused by a genetic mutation than a lifestyle factor.

The first major trial to see if losing weight reduces the risk of cancers coming back is about to start in the US and Canada.

Article: A report commissioned by the Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) said the position of religion had weakened in most areas of life in recent years.
But it said laws protecting religion in education had, if anything, been strengthened.
A Church of Scotland spokesman said religious groups from all faiths made appropriate contributions to education.
The 355-page HSS report, written by academics at Glasgow University, cited the growth of Sunday trading and the rise in popularity of non-religious marriages as evidence Scotland was becoming a more secular society.
HSS chief executive Gordon MacRae said: "The motivation for this commission came from the increased public and political awareness of the changing role of religion and belief in Scottish public life."
He added: "At a time when 47%, nearly one in two households in Scotland, say they have no religion, we think it is time to move to a secular education system.
"Every state school in Scotland is a faith school. We hope this document can be a catalyst for a new debate."
The report said the current education system was established by two Acts of Parliament in 1872 and 1918, when Catholic schools were absorbed into the state system.
All state schools are required to ensure all pupils take part in 'religious observance' - at least once a week for primary pupils and at least once a month for secondary schools.
These provisions were reinforced in 2004 by the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition, and accepted in a government circular in 2011 under the SNP.
The report outlines other areas in which the position of religion is guaranteed by law in the education system:
One of the report's authors, Callum Brown, professor of Modern European History at Glasgow University, said: "There is no particular move at foot to change this, in comparison to changes, dramatic changes to marriage law, with the arrival of same-sex marriage in 2014.
"That was a phenomenal and ground-breaking change which doesn't seem to have an equivalent in relation to education."
The HSS said the growth...

Summary: The role of religion should be removed from the school curriculum, according to a humanist organisation.
###
Article: Researchers believe achieving a healthier weight could cut the risk by a fifth in breast cancer.
Around 3,200 women will take part, with half of them shifting a tenth of their body weight.
Experts said the trials were vital as it was still unclear if weight made a difference.
Dr Jennifer Ligibel, from the women's cancer centre at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, said: "We have known now for many years that women who are overweight or obese and are diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of their cancer recurring and ultimately dying."
She said this had been seen in more than 100 studies, though the explanation for it was unclear.
She said preliminary evidence showed that losing weight after diagnosis could be helpful.
But the idea has never been tested in a large randomised trial, considered the gold-standard of medical research.
The two-year trial will start recruiting overweight and obese patients, with a BMI of at least 27, in August.
After their cancer therapy is completed, the women will have regular advice from dieticians to help them reduce their calorie intake to 1,200-1,500 calories per day.
Eventually, they will also exercise for up to 250 minutes a week.
For every 100 women in the study who do not lose weight, they expect to see 23 have a recurrence of the tumour.
If the researchers are right, then they expect only 19 in every 100 women who did shift the pounds to have a recurrence.
Dr Ligibel added: "I think it would be premature to say we know these things make a difference and that's why studies are important.
"I am quite convinced but I think we need the data to really prove it, but also to look at who benefits."
It is far from clear what changes inside an obese body could be leading to cancer recurrence, but there are theories around levels of the hormone insulin or inflammation, both of which are altered with weight gain.
If the concept is confirmed then it could apply to a wider range of cancers.
Prostate and colorectal cancer incidence is already known to be closely connected to...

Summary:

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We are not responsible for the content of external sites.

Tommy Hilfiger has said suggestions he thought Gigi Hadid was not thin enough to model are "completely false".

Article: Local authority areas in Scotland were placed in divisions that reflect the take-up of a range of renewable energy technologies.
Orkney was found to have the greatest amount of community-owned wind generation in a district with a population of less than 100,000 people.
The award was from the Scottish National Renewable Energy League.
Craig MacInnes, development manager of the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF), collected the award at the event in Glasgow.
He said: "This award for Orkney raises the profile of community wind projects and the benefits they bring.
"It shows how forward thinking many of Orkney's smaller and more remote communities have been in embracing renewable energy."

Summary: Orkney has won an award recognising the success of its community energy projects.
###
Article: The fashion designer had told Yahoo that casting directors dressed Hadid in a poncho for a fashion show because she was not as thin as the other models.
But he has now clarified his comments and said the story was misleading.
Hilfiger said: "The suggestion that I thought [Hadid] wasn't thin enough upsets me to no end. Gigi is the epitome of perfection."
In the Yahoo interview, Hilfiger referred to a 2015 fashion show in which Hadid wore a poncho which covered most of her body.
Hilfiger said he wanted Hadid to be dressed in something which better showed off her figure, but members of his creative team disagreed.
"Our casting director said, 'She doesn't really fit because you know she's not quite as tall as the other girls, she's not quite as thin,'" Hilfiger originally said.
"So they put a red, white, and blue poncho on her. It covered a lot of her body unfortunately, but it received millions of hits."
Hadid's appearance in the poncho proved hugely popular, and she later went on to collaborate with Hilfiger, launching her own line of clothing for the brand earlier this year.
After Hilfiger's comments sparked criticism, the designer criticised the original story's headline as "misleading".
Speaking to Page Six, Hilfiger said: "The casting people put Gigi in the poncho, and I was not happy.
"I was saying, 'Don't hide her body.' Even though the poncho ended up being the best-selling piece, I was very unhappy."
The designer also released a statement to Entertainment Tonight, in which he said he was "extremely proud" to have Hadid representing his brand.
"Gigi is truly the definition of a 'Tommy Girl' - her magnetic personality is bright, confident and always optimistic," he said.
"I've known her for many years, and am extremely proud to have her as the ambassador of my brand and as a collaborator of our collections.
"Any statement to the contrary is completely false. The headline from the interview with Yahoo was misleading and has since been corrected."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you...

Summary:


"I will fight for me and for Fifa."

"I will fight for me and for Fifa."

"I will fight for me and for Fifa."

"I will fight for me and for Fifa."

"I will fight for me and for Fifa."

"I

Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini have been suspended for eight years from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.

Article: Reading Borough Council said it had written to Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) demanding action following complaints from residents.
People in Cardiff Road had complained of trains parked in sidings with engines idling.
GWR has previously said the introduction of electric trains in 2019 will reduce the problem.
An online petition set up by residents living close to the GWR depot complained about "low-frequency noise" from trains idling in the early hours of the morning.
The council said it has warned GWR and Network Rail it could face an abatement notice.
Deputy council leader Tony Page said the responses form the companies had so far been "inadequate".
"The council is fully supportive of the huge benefits the realignment of rail lines in and around Reading has brought.
"By the same token, the concerns local residents have [about] noise and air pollution are very real and the council is lobbied on these issues regularly.
"We hope that escalating local concerns to senior management will prove more effective."
Earlier this year, GWR said the noise was within safe levels and it had changed the way it operated trains on the sidings.
Jonathan Dart, chairman of the Bell Tower Community Association, said he warmly welcomed the council's announcement to "put an end to the nuisance being caused to the residents of Cardiff Road".
However, he criticised the time it took the authority to investigate the issue.
"It took nine months and a press campaign for the council to release an officer's report stating that being in part of Cardiff Road at 03:29 was akin to being backstage at the Reading Festival," he said.

Summary: Noise and air pollution from a new rail depot in Reading could prompt legal action, it has been warned.
###
Article: Media playback is not supported on this device
They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) "disloyal payment" made to Platini in 2011.
The Fifa ethics committee found Blatter and Platini had demonstrated an "abusive execution" of their positions.
"I will fight for me and for Fifa," Blatter, 79, said at a news conference.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Platini said the decision was a "masquerade" intended to "dirty" his name.
Both men continue to deny wrongdoing and intend to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
Swiss Blatter and 60-year-old Frenchman Platini have also been fined £33,700 ($50,000) and £54,000 ($80,000) respectively.
Despite the ban, both Blatter and Platini will be allowed to attend matches - including Euro 2016 in France - if they buy tickets in a private capacity.
Fifa boss since 1998, Blatter had already announced he was quitting with a presidential election in February.
Platini was tipped as a future leader of football's world governing body and is a three-time European Footballer of the Year.
He is also a former captain of France and has been in charge of Uefa - European football's governing body - since 2007.
Unshaven and sporting a plaster over his right cheek, Blatter was in defiant mood at a news conference he had called in advance of the punishments being made public.
"I will fight," he said. "I will fight for me and for Fifa."
He said he was "really sorry" that he is still "a punching ball" and that he has become tainted in the eyes of humanity.
He added that he thought he had convinced the Fifa ethics tribunal that the payment from Fifa to Platini was legitimate.
He plans to appeal, first to Fifa, then Cas. He may also take legal action under Swiss law if needed.
Blatter: Key quotes from hour-long news conference
"The decision is no surprise to me," he said in a statement. "The procedure initiated against me by Fifa's ethics committee is a pure masquerade.
"It has been rigged to tarnish my name by bodies I know well and who for me are...

Summary:


A new study has found that the human arm is not as efficient at throwing objects as previously thought.

Scientists have calculated the optimal strategy for throwing something accurately - whether it's a dart or a crumpled-up piece of paper.

Article: The order came after activists challenged the government decision on grounds of cruelty to animals.
Tuesday's court order means there will be no Jallikattu festival this year.
The Jallikattu festival was scheduled to begin on 15 January across the state. No events were held last year.
At the annual festival held in January, thousands of men chase the bulls to grab prizes tied to their horns.
Read more: The state that loves bullfighting but isn't Spain
The Supreme Court banned the festival in 2014 after objections from animal rights activists.
In its order at the time, the Supreme Court had said that the use of bulls in the sport "severely harmed" the animals and was an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Unlike in Spain, however, the bulls are not killed in the contests in Tamil Nadu.
However, last Friday the government issued an order lifting the ban.
Many believe local political parties had lobbied to have the ban lifted with an eye on this year's state elections.
Also, the Thevar community of Tamil Nadu is politically and economically influential in at least five districts where the sport is popular and no political party wants to antagonise them.
Correspondents say Tuesday's order is a setback for the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Delhi, which had lifted the top court's ban last week using an executive order.
"With this single act of thumbing its nose at the Supreme Court, the BJP - like the Congress before - has sent the unfortunate signal once again that court orders are binding only upon ordinary citizens, and governments are above the law; lifting the ban on Jallikattu by circumventing the order of the apex court has put the executive on a collision course with the judiciary," a commentator wrote in The Wire website last week.
Tuesday's order shows that India's top court has again reasserted the judiciary's position, many observers believe.
On Monday, the Animal Welfare Board of India, animal rights groups and activists had filed six petitions in the court, challenging the...

Summary: The Indian Supreme Court has put on hold a recent government order lifting a ban on Jallikattu, a form of bullfighting which has been popular for centuries in the state of Tamil Nadu.
###
Article: US researchers say the slow-is-more-accurate rule generally applies.
In a series of calculations, they looked at the physics behind releasing a projectile with the human arm.
Their equations suggest a slow underarm throw is the best strategy for getting a piece of paper into a nearby bin.
Lead researcher Madhusudhan Venkadesan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Yale University, said faster throws tend to be less accurate.
This is because the ball travels in a nearly straight line, so any errors in the angle at which the object is released tend to be amplified.
In slow and curved flight paths, small errors in the angle of release have little effect, he said.
"What we find is that almost the slowest arc is often the most accurate," said Dr Venkadesan.
"We've compared these calculations to published data of people throwing into wastebaskets; we've compared it to a study in dart throwing."
In sports such as basketball or darts, the strategy depends on conditions and the trade-off needed between speed and accuracy.
For example, experienced darts players throw overarm at about 5.5 metres per second, optimally releasing the dart 17 to 37 degrees before the arm becomes vertical.
On the cricket pitch, fielders are more likely to strike the wicket with a fast underarm throw.
And in basketball, the underhand free throw, nicknamed "the granny throw", has a marginal advantage over overhand, despite almost disappearing from the game.
Accurate throwing is uniquely human - a skill relied upon by our ancient ancestors for hunting with spears or stone tools.
The researchers say monkeys also throw things, but they are really bad at it.
The study is published in the journal, Royal Society Open Science.
Follow Helen on Twitter.

Summary:


Google has been forced to spin off its self-driving project into a new company.

Researchers at Google say they are “years closer” to rolling out a network of huge balloons to provide connectivity to rural areas.

Article: Damien Midgley, formerly of Aberford, near Leeds, was tried for child sex offences in 2014, but did not attend the hearing.
He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to six years in jail, with a warrant for his arrest also issued.
North Yorkshire Police believe the 39-year-old visited Thailand before Cambodia. Arrangements are being made for him to be deported back to the UK.
Det Insp Jane Guymer said: "Midgley clearly thought that by fleeing the UK he would be somehow immune to the sentence that the courts handed him in his absence.
"However, this case proves that international barriers are no obstacle when it comes to ensuring vile and cowardly child sex offenders are held to account for their actions."

Summary: A convicted sex offender who fled the UK has been arrested in Cambodia.
###
Article: The Project Loon team, part of the company’s X research lab, said it was now able to use machine learning to predict weather systems.
It means the firm has far greater control over where its balloons go, making it possible to focus on a specific region, rather than circumnavigating the globe.
Clustering a small number of balloons greatly reduces the cost of the idea, Google’s “captain of moonshots”, Astro Teller, told reporters.
"We can now run an experiment and try to give service in a particular place in the world with ten, twenty or thirty balloons,” he said, rather than the hundreds needed previously.
“Real users” will be able to use the system in the “coming months”, he added - but he did not specify where the initial roll out would take place.
Rural ambition
Google’s aim is to provide connectivity to the around four billion people in the world who do not have access to the internet, particularly those in difficult-to-reach rural areas.
Rather than undertake huge construction projects to replicate connectivity networks in the developed world, the firm has instead experimented with beaming down connectivity from a network of huge, tennis-court sized balloons.
The balloons float in the stratosphere around 11 miles high. By raising or lowering altitude, the balloons can be caught in different weather streams, changing direction.
By using machine-learning algorithms, Google thinks it has cracked a way to predict weather with enough accuracy to make it possible to hover balloons over a relatively small area for a long period of time.
Last last year the firm was able to keep a cluster of balloons over Peru for three months.
Spin off
Over the past year Google has come under increasing pressure from its shareholders to rein in the costs of its more outlandish ideas.
Last month, the firm has spun off its self-driving project into a new company - Waymo - and has stepped up attempts to commercialise the technology amid criticism it was taking too long to make money from its work.
Mr Teller said Project Loon was one...

Summary:


The Woodland Trust is calling for more homes to be built in the UK.

The Woodland Trust have said that some trees should have the same rights as old buildings.

Article: Security firm Eset found the gang controlled its malware, called Turla, by posting comments about images in the singer's gallery.
The comments looked like spam but once transformed by code in the virus, directed victims to other sites.
Several other compromised websites were also being used to track victims and spread the malware.
Turla has been active since 2014 and sought to catch out government workers, diplomats and other officials, said Eset researcher Jean-Ian Boutin. It is believed to be run by a hacker group working for the Russian state.
Most often, he said, Turla's handlers compromised websites that targets would be likely to visit.
One compromised server asked visitors to install a booby-trapped extension for the Firefox web browser.
Digital detective work by Mr Boutin revealed that the command and control (C&C) channel set up between the creators of the extension and victims' machines was on the singer's Instagram page.
The malicious extension searched for comments that, when digitally transformed, matched a specific value. These were then converted into a website address that the compromised machine visited to report in or to update the malicious code they harboured.
Very few comments posted to the Instagram account had the key characteristics - suggesting that Turla's creators were testing or refining the control system.
Mr Boutin said using social media in this way made "life harder for defenders".
"Firstly, it is difficult to distinguish malicious traffic to social media from legitimate traffic," he wrote. "Secondly, it gives the attackers more flexibility when it comes to changing the C&C address as well as erasing all traces of it."
Mr Boutin added that he had been in touch with Mozilla, which was working on ways to stop extensions for Firefox being compromised in this way.

Summary: The comments section of Britney Spears' Instagram account has been used by cyber-thieves to co-ordinate attacks.
###
Article: The charity is campaigning to help protect ancient or old trees, that have grown in the UK for hundreds of years.
They say that having more trees is good for our health as well as the environment.
Currently around 2% of the UK is listed as ancient woodland.
The UK has seen around 45 rare species of trees disappear in the last 100 years.
Some people are calling for lots more homes to be built in the UK and the Woodland Trust say they are worried that building new houses would mean that old trees would be chopped down to clear space.
The Government have been talking about the issue in a new White Paper, which presents ideas for changes to the law.
It could mean that some trees in England would be protected like historic buildings.

Summary:


The average price of a home in the UK rose by 9.5% in 2015, according to the Halifax.

UK house prices rose by 9.5% in 2015, according to the lender Halifax, making it the fastest annual increase in nine years.

Article: Speaking to BBC Radio 3's In Tune, he said the "radical reducing of public subsidy" was a particular threat to regional companies.
"Opera companies are [being] forced more and more to rely on any private money they can raise," he said.
"Inevitably, a theatre like the Royal Opera House is able to raise more than smaller, less attractive companies.
"That's why we're seeing the extraordinary explosion of country house opera - Grange Park, Longborough, Glyndebourne and so on - and the shrinking of regional opera.
"All our marvellous regional opera companies are in real trouble and struggling."
Grant in aid to England's Arts Council has fallen nearly 30% in the last five years, and opera houses have not been spared from the cuts.
English National Opera was hit particularly hard, with its annual grant cut from Â£17.2m in 2014/15 to Â£12.4m in the next financial year, amid concerns over its management and business model.
Vick, who is the artistic director of Birmingham Opera Company and works in many of the world's major opera houses - including La Scala and the Royal Opera House - said he "fears for the future" of the artform.
The 61-year-old was speaking to BBC Radio 3's Suzy Klein ahead of the world premiere of Morgen und Abend (Morning and Evening) at the ROH this weekend.
He described the opera, written by Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas, as "an astonishing masterpiece".
"Unusually for opera, it deals with mature emotions," said Vick, who is directing the production about the life and death of a Nordic fisherman.
"The first half hour is about the last moments in the womb and his emergence into life," explained Vick, "and the rest of the opera is about his realisation that he's dead".
Praising the composer as a "genius", he said the opera was "existential, profound, complex and simple all at the same time".
"Today a first-time opera goer came to the dress rehearsal - a woman who does my VAT receipts for me," he said. "She said to me at the end, 'it was extraordinary - I could see the music in the...

Summary: British opera is in "crisis" as a result of funding cuts to the arts, says renowned director Graham Vick.
###
Article: In the last month, prices went up by 1.7%, said the Halifax, bringing the average price of a home to Â£208,286.
However, other lenders, such as the Nationwide measure, put the rate of increase much lower.
Last month, it said prices rose by 4.5% in 2015, less than half the Halifax estimate.
Halifax's housing economist, Martin Ellis, said one reason for the sharp increase was the continuing shortage of property for sale.
"This situation is unlikely to change significantly in the short term, resulting in continuing upward pressure on prices," he said.
The last time UK house prices rose so quickly was in 2006, when values soared by 9.9%.
The 9.5% increase in 2015 was way ahead of experts' predictions a year ago.
Martin Ellis himself predicted that prices would rise by between 3% and 5%, while most expected a figure around 4%.
Newham, in East London, was the town with the largest increase in 2015. Prices there rose by 22% in 2015, compared to 12% for London as a whole.
The different methodology of the most popular house price measures is explained here.

Summary:


The Liberal Democrats have reacted angrily to Theresa May's claim that a badly managed Brexit would mean fewer resources for public services.

Article: Russians now know the name of their next president - Vladimir Putin.
They know who their prime minister is going to be - Dmitry Medvedev.
They have a pretty good idea which political party will have the majority in parliament - United Russia.
They know all this, even though parliamentary elections are still two-and-a-half months away. And the next presidential election will not be until March 2012.
The results are already clear. When Dmitry Medvedev took the stage at a party conference on Saturday and backed Vladimir Putin for president, he effectively handed back the keys to the Kremlin. Job done.
The presidential election will be little more than a referendum on what has already been agreed behind closed doors - that Mr Putin will return to the presidency.
It is unthinkable that Vladimir Putin could lose that election. He remains the most popular politician in Russia.
That is partly because of his strongman image, that goes down well with the public.
And it is partly because the political system he has created prevents any potential rivals from appearing on the scene, from getting air time on national TV, and from gaining authority.
It is the same with Russia's political parties. In December's Duma election, only those parties approved or tolerated by the Kremlin will have the opportunity to contest the poll.
Experience shows that opposition parties viewed by the authorities as anti-Kremlin or anti-Putin, and which openly criticise the Russian prime minister, normally struggle to receive official registration.
So, what do Russians make of this pre-ordained transfer of power?
Judging from some of Monday's Russian papers, there is a degree of anger.
The popular tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets has a cartoon on its front page. It shows a ballot box with a heart-shaped slot for the ballot papers. It is a sign that, in Russia, elections have become little more than a plebiscite on the nation's love of one man.
The paper accuses Vladimir Putin of wanting more than just 12 more years - two terms - in power.
"You seek...

Summary: It feels like the day after a general election.
###
Article: Former party leader Nick Clegg called her comments "utter cheek".
"It is Theresa May's extreme version of Brexit which will cause real damage to the NHS," he added.
The prime minister gave a speech earlier on Tuesday in which she stressed that she was the best person to lead talks on leaving the EU.
She also told the audience in Wolverhampton: "If we don't make a success of Brexit, we won't have the financial means to fund the public services on which we all rely.
"Our National Health Service - the institution which is there for us at the most difficult times - needs us to make a success of Brexit to ensure we can afford to provide it with the resources it needs for the future."
Mr Clegg responded: "By insisting on dragging the UK out of the single market, she has chosen a UKIP-style version of Brexit which is already causing a squeeze on public services."
"It's time she came clean that the risks are all of her own making. It is her choice to take this country in a dangerous and damaging direction."
The Conservatives have promised increases in NHS spending in real terms reaching Â£8bn extra per year by 2022-23, while Labour has pledged Â£30bn in extra funding over the next parliament.
The Lib Dems have committed to adding 1p in the pound on income tax to raise Â£6bn for NHS and social care services.
They are also arguing for a referendum on the eventual Brexit deal, unlike Labour or the Conservatives.

Summary:


The survey found that the majority of English Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus, but fewer than 10% read the Bible and pray regularly, or go to church at least once a month.

Forty percent of people in England do not believe Jesus was a real person, a Church of England survey suggests.

Article: "And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story'."
To some, that statement was evidence of what many already believed - the president decided to fire Mr Comey to impede the FBI's investigation into the Russia scandal.
That has led to speculation that the president may have obstructed justice - a criminal offence. But experts say that suspecting obstruction of justice and proving it are two very different things.
Broadly speaking, obstruction of justice is any interference with a judicial or congressional proceeding. It might commonly be applied in cases where someone has tampered with evidence, intimidated a witness, or failed to report a crime.
The key legal statute in this case is 18 US Code Section 1512, which contains a broad definition allowing charges to be brought against someone who "obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so".
"The statutes are quite broadly written," said Alex Whiting, a former prosecutor and law professor at Harvard Law School, "but the key factor, certainly in this case, is intent."
Mr Trump was well within his legal rights in sacking Mr Comey. "The president can fire an FBI director for turning up in the wrong tie or socks, if he wants to," said Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan.
"The real question is whether in doing so he was attempting to impede the FBI's investigation."
Section 1512 requires a person not only to attempt to obstruct justice but to do it with "corrupt" intent.
"That's the key word here," said Mr Whiting. "The government would have to prove that it was done corruptly, defined as having a bad intent or wrongful purpose."
Proving corrupt intent on Mr Trump's part would be difficult, Mr Whiting said, given that the president had also accused Mr Comey of poor management of the FBI and of mishandling the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server.
"He has provided all these other explanations for why he fired him,...

Summary: The Trump administration's story of why FBI director James Comey was fired, which began to twist almost as soon as it was told, took another turn on Thursday when the president said this to NBC News:
###
Article: However, 43% of the people asked said they did believe in the resurrection - although many did not think it happened as described in the Bible.
The figures found while 57% classified themselves as Christian, fewer than 10% read the Bible and prayed regularly, or go to church at least once a month.
The Church of England's General Synod will discuss the survey in November.
The survey of more than 4,000 people was commissioned by the Church, Hope - which represents churches of all denominations - and the Evangelical Alliance - which represents evangelical Christians in the UK.
Many scholars agree that Jesus was a real man, who lived in Galilee more than 2,000 years ago, although many details surrounding his life are still debated.
But, the Church of England survey found that four in 10 people did not believe Jesus was a real person, with a quarter of 18 to 34 year olds believing he was a mythical or fictional character.
The poll was part of a wider research project looking at both practising Christians and the wider population.
After Christians, the second biggest group identified in the poll - 12% - were atheists, while 9% were agnostics, Muslims represented 3%, with Hindus and Jews both making up 2%.
English Christians are more likely than the average English adult to work in education, or professional jobs, but less likely to work in finance or insurance, the survey concluded.

Summary:


The US Department of Justice has announced that it will not pursue charges against a man who was arrested in the US in connection with a drug trafficking case.

Source: US Department of Justice

Summary: The US Department of Justice has announced that it will not pursue charges against a man who was arrested in the US

A major vendor on the illegal Silk Road website and his business partner, were sentenced to five years in prison for drugs offences.

Article: The adverts, which feature the slogan "For sights you'll want to remember - visit Skegness", describe the resort as England's cultural coast.
James Gilbert, of East Lindsey District Council, said the campaign was about publicising the town's summer events.
But Claire Smith, from Stay Blackpool, said it was a "dirty tricks" campaign.
Skegness attracts more than four million visitors each year, generating Â£450m for the local economy.
Last year the resort was described in the Lonely Planet guide as "good family fun if you immerse yourself in the whole tacky spectacle".
Mr Gilbert said that view was 30 years out of date.
He said the latest campaign was designed to publicise Skegness as an "amazing resort" and to get publicity for an "amazing summer of events", which includes So Festival and the Olympic Torch Relay on 27 June.
"We are not trying to upset anyone - it's a bit of friendly rivalry," he said.
Claire Smith, who has a five star bed and breakfast in Blackpool, is president of Stay Blackpool, a guest house and hoteliers association.
She said: "It feels like a dirty tricks campaign.
"Skegness is a lovely little place and this campaign isn't drawing me in - in fact it's making me think about Blackpool and Brighton.
"It is difficult times - Blackpool has an abundance of stuff going on all summer as well, as I am sure Brighton has, but I don't think this campaign is the way to attract visitors," she said.
Blackpool attracts about 13 million visitors each year, with plans in place for a Â£220m transformation of the resort's centre.
Both Skegness and Blackpool are featured in a TV advertising campaign to encourage Britons to take their holidays at home in 2012.

Summary: Officials in Skegness are using adverts showing unflattering images of Blackpool and Brighton in a bid to promote the resort.
###
Article: Peter Ward, 54 of Barnstaple in Devon and Richard Hiley, 30 of Tividale in the West Midlands were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday.
Ward was given five years and two months, Hiley five years.
The pair pleaded guilty to possession, supply and importation of Class A and Class B drugs.
Peter Ward was known online as PlutoPete. His business specialised in supplying military-grade foil packaging that claimed to hide illegal materials from detection.
He also provided new psychoactive substances, commonly known as legal highs.
He was arrested by National Crime Agency officers in Barnstaple in October 2013 following an international operation targeting prominent vendors on dark web marketplaces like Silk Road.
Officers searched Ward's rural home and found class A and B drugs and numerous computers.
Analysis uncovered his close working with an ex-customer, Richard Hiley, who was commissioned by Ward to convert bitcoins into cash.
In December 2013, NCA officers raided Hiley's address in the West Midlands after financial records seized from Ward identified large scale transactions between the pair.
Hiley also pleaded guilty to two counts of importing a prohibited weapon after he imported five stun guns. He said they were for personal protection.
NCA Branch Commander, Ian Glover, said: "Criminals and their customers like to think that dark web market places provide an anonymous haven.
"The reality is that law enforcement works together internationally to identify and pursue these people."
Source: US Department of Justice

Summary:


The leader of the Welsh Conservatives has written to Presiding Officer Elin Jones asking her to remind AMs to use more appropriate language.

"Aggressive" language used by some AMs in debates about Brexit is heightening public tensions over the issue, Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies has said.

Article: The culprit left the Christmas paper after unwrapping and stealing Â£900 in items, including three Android tablets.
Sue Percival's grandchildren and daughter, Steph Summers, found the grim scene when visiting her home at Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taff.
Her four-year-old, Tristan, the first in the house, told her: "Mum, Santa's been. All the presents are open."
Grandmother-of-seven Ms Percival said: "We are devastated.
"I had finished all of my Christmas shopping because I started it in September.
"They stole the presents, including the electronic tablets I bought, all the alcohol and even all of my change that I had put in a coin counter for emergencies.
"The police said they think it is a personal targeted attack and that somebody might had waited for me to go to work."
South Wales Police's Sgt Adam Johnson said the burglar struck on Wednesday between 07:30-11:30 GMT.
He said: "The burglar forced the back door and made a search of the house, spending time to unwrap the Christmas presents which were in the house and choosing to take the high-value items and alcohol.
"The carnage was discovered by the children in the family who have now had their Christmas spoilt thanks to this callous person."
Among the items stolen were three computer tablets, trainers, perfumes sets and a large amount of alcohol.

Summary: A "callous" burglar has broken into a family's home and stolen their Christmas presents from under the tree.
###
Article: He complained that Dawn Bowden referred to "Goebbels-like propaganda from the right-wing media" in a recent debate.
He claimed Eluned Morgan "trivialised suicide" when saying Brexit would "slit the wrists of the Welsh economy".
Mr Davies has written to Presiding Officer Elin Jones asking her to remind AMs to use more appropriate language.
"There is a danger that the aggressive nature of debates on the subject of Britain's vote to leave the European Union is likely to worsen any tensions which exist in Welsh society," Mr Davies said in his letter to Ms Jones.
"Whatever we may feel individually and collectively about the result we all have a responsibility to conduct that civic discussion in a rational manner and with respect."
An assembly spokesman said the presiding officer had "received this correspondence on Friday afternoon and will reply to the Leader of Welsh Conservatives soon".
In response, Ms Bowden said she stood by what she said, criticising the way the "right-wing press" has portrayed recent issues such as immigration.
She added: "If he [Mr Davies] has a problem with that then my view would be, he is being over sensitive."
Ms Morgan have been asked to comment.

Summary:


The government has been forced to apologise for a "lack of clarity" over the number of people who will be able to get a Covid-19 booster jab.

A teenager is "stable and improving" in hospital after the prototype powerboat he was training in crashed and overturned in the Solent.

Article: The Department of Health had appealed against an FOI ruling that the transition risk register, requested by Labour MP John Healey, be published.
But it lost, despite civil servants' warnings that to publish confidential advice could have a "chilling effect".
Mr Healey said the ruling gave "strong legal support to a full and open debate" about NHS plans for England.
"The judgement backs the public's right to know about the risks the government is taking with its NHS plans," he said - accusing the government of having "dragged out" the process for 15 months.
The government still has the option of a further appeal to the "upper tribunal".
Meanwhile the controversial Health and Social Care Bill, which introduces an overhaul of the way the NHS is run in England, is in the final stages of its passage through Parliament.
The government had used the "section 35" defence under the Freedom of Information Act, which exempts information used in policy formulation and development from having to be released.
But it must be weighed against the balance of public interest - and in an earlier ruling the information commissioner had said in this case, that was "very strong".
A two-day hearing in central London this week heard evidence from Labour MP and former shadow health secretary Mr Healey, Una O'Brien - the top civil servant at the Department of Health - and Lord O'Donnell, who until recently was the UK's top civil servant before retiring as cabinet secretary.
Ms O'Brien told the tribunal that civil servants, who compile the risk register, needed a "safe space" to be able to advise ministers on controversial policies in "frank" language.
She argued that publishing the information would ultimately have an "insidious" effect as people would hold back in what they were prepared to write down.
Lord O'Donnell argued that the document itself was unbalanced - focusing more on the negatives than positive outcomes - and predicted the way they would be compiled in future would change, if they were published.
But the Information...

Summary: Ministers have been ordered to publish a risk assessment of the NHS shake-up under Freedom of Information laws.
###
Article: Simon Dredge suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash on Wednesday.
He was travelling in the boat along with three other professional crew including his father Peter, a champion powerboat racer.
Powerboat company, Vector World said the boat was on its first test run when it overturned just after 08:20 BST.
A spokeswoman said: "We are encouraged to hear that Simon is stable and improving."
Peter Dredge, Simon Wood-Power, a powerboat racer and Lee Hurst, a powerboat engineer were all taken to Southampton General Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
They have since been discharged.
Eyewitnesses described seeing the high-powered vessel come out of the water "like a rocket" before flipping over.
In a statement following the crash, Hampshire Constabulary said it appeared the powerboat "lost control" just before it collided with the Hamble Point cardinal mark.
The large metal buoy marks the entrance to the Hamble River.
A joint investigation into the crash is being carried out by Hampshire Police Marine Unit and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

Summary:


A petition has been set up to oppose the introduction of pay and display meters for Addington Road, Erleigh Road and other roads around the hospital in Reading.

Plans to cut free parking on roads around the Royal Berkshire Hospital have been opposed by a petition of more than 2,300 signatures.

Article: Falco, a black German shepherd, was taken off active duty by Lincolnshire Police after a Yorkshire terrier named Barbie was bitten earlier this month.
The police dog was also accused of biting a member of the public in a separate incident two days earlier.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating both incidents.
More on this and other stories from across Lincolnshire on our Live page
The incident involving Barbie happened on a private lane while Falco was with handler Mick Judge. The three-year-old terrier had to be put down because of the extent of her injuries.
Barbie's owner Charles Giermak said the attack on his dog could have been avoided if Falco had been muzzled.
In a statement, Deputy Chief Constable Heather Roach said: "This was an incredibly tough decision to make given the nature of the circumstances and the fact that our dog handlers care a great deal about their dogs, as we do as a force.
"As difficult as it was to take this action, which was carried out with very heavy hearts, it was decided that the best course was to euthanise Falco to ensure this type of incident never happens again.
"An IPCC investigation is still under way so we are limited in what we can say in relation to the exact circumstances until those enquiries have been completed."

Summary: A police dog that fatally injured another dog in an unprovoked attack has been destroyed, its force has revealed.
###
Article: The proposals mean charges would be placed on 625 spaces in the area and restrictions placed on a further 741.
Reading Borough Council has spent four years designing the scheme "to relieve parking pressures at the hospital" and to make parking easier for residents.
The petition, set up by hospital staff, describes the scheme as "problematic".
The online petition opposes the introduction of pay and display meters for Addington Road, Erleigh Road and other roads around the hospital in Reading.
Clare Goulbourn-Lay, a Royal Berkshire Hospital midwife, set up the petition to express her concerns about the potential consequences of the scheme.
"By making changes to this road, you're not just making it difficult for the staff, you're making it difficult for the patients and pushing the problem further out," she said.
"With the university so close as well, there simply isn't enough parking space as it is. To add another restriction is just silly."
She has called for the scheme to be cancelled or redesigned to "help make spending time with loved ones easier" and to limit the "stress and anxiety" of staff and patients.
John Sharpe, who lives on Erleigh Road, has called the plans "divisive" and said he is concerned the restrictions will make parking pressures worse.
"I'm scared it will become impossible to live in the area," he added.
Reading Borough Council said "up to five years of public consultation had taken place on the principle of prioritising parking for residents in the area" and that further public input on the plans are being sought.
Residents have until 13 June to submit their views to the council.

Summary:


Birmingham City Council has warned that Park View and Nansen Primary schools, which are rated inadequate by Ofsted, could lose their funding unless they address concerns.

Two schools at the centre of the Trojan Horse inquiry are to lose their government funding.

Article: Clothing sales suffered in April as unseasonably cold weather deterred shoppers from summer purchases.
Better weather in May sent clothing sales up 4.3% month-on-month - the biggest rise for more than two years.
The Office for National Statistics said the May increase was 6% higher than for the same month in 2015.
Analysts had expected retail volumes to increase by just 0.2% last month.
Scott Bowman, UK economist at Capital Economics, said: "It appears that Brexit concerns haven't been weighing on consumer spending. Looking ahead, we would expect retail spending to keep up a strong pace."
Average prices at stores, including petrol stations, fell by 2.8% year-on-year.
Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the slide in prices was the reason for the strong growth.
He said the fall in sterling over the past nine months meant retailers faced rising costs that they would soon pass on to consumers.
"Growth in retail sales volumes therefore is likely to slow markedly in the second half of this year, regardless of the referendum result," Mr Tombs added.
Online sales jumped by 6.4% compared with April and were 21.5% higher than May last year.
The ONS also revised up the rise for April from 1.3% to 1.9%, reflecting an unusually high amount of data received late from stores.
The three-month rate, which is less volatile than the monthly figures, rose to 1.5% from 0.9% in April.
"Even a significant fall in sales in June would see growth in the second quarter above the 1.3% rate experienced for the first quarter," Mr Bowman added.
Martin Beck, senior economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, said the May rise in retail sales meant UK economic growth for the second quarter was "increasingly likely" to eclipse the 0.4% increase recorded for the first three months of the year.

Summary: Retail sales volumes rose by a much better than expected 0.9% in May, compared with the previous month, as UK consumers bought more clothing.
###
Article: Birmingham academies Park View and Nansen Primary - rated inadequate by Ofsted - will have their funding agreements terminated.
Park View Educational Trust said it may be removed from running the schools.
Oldknow Academy and Golden Hillock School, also rated inadequate, were warned they could lose funding unless concerns were addressed.
A head teacher at one of the Trojan Horse schools said parents tried to undermine her authority and descended on the school during an Ofsted inspection.
The head teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said she heard parents speaking to an inspector about her.
She said she came close to quitting her job on a number of occasions but everything "fell into place" when news of the Trojan Horse letter broke.
"From 2012 I felt alone," she said.
"I did not know it was happening to other heads. If I had known, I could have rationalised it but at the time I felt embarrassed.
"I started thinking 'maybe it is me, maybe I'm doing something wrong.'"
On Monday, the watchdog published 21 reports into schools allegedly targeted as part of a hardline Muslim takeover.
Five of those schools, including Park View and Oldknow, were rated inadequate.
'Islamic-themed assemblies'
Birmingham City Council said it would work with Saltley School, the only local authority school placed in special measures, and the Department for Education to install a temporary governing board.
In a letter to Park View chairman Tahir Alam, education minister Lord Nash said there were "deep concerns" about the way Park View School was run.
The letter said: "I have decided under clause 5.6 of the supplementary funding agreement for the academy to give written notice of the Secretary of State's intention to terminate that agreement."
Lord Nash criticised the trust for failing to promote "spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils".
"I am deeply mindful of the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations," he said.
A similar letter about Nansen Primary School,...

Summary:


The SNP MSP has called for a review of the system, which often sees highly-paid council chiefs get extra payments of tens of thousands of pounds.

MSPs are to examine the payments received by election returning officers in Scotland.

Article: And yet, for women across France, it has huge importance: it is the moment they effectively stop being paid for 2016, thanks to the gender pay gap.
And this year, many were determined not to let it go unnoticed.
On Monday, French women were urged to quietly pack their bags and walk out of their offices at the appointed time to unite in their call for equal pay.
In France, the gap between men and women's average hourly wage was 15.1% in 2010, which, feminist group Les Glorieuses calculated, means a woman will work 38.2 days more than a man for the same salary. And that, they say, is not on.
Rebecca Amsellem, founder of Les Glorieuses, which launched the campaign, told the BBC: "To be really honest, I knew there was a huge difference between the pay - but I thought the difference would maybe be 10 working days, not a month-and-a-half."
Ms Amsellem had been inspired to do the maths after reading how Iceland, a country considered a world leader in gender equality, still has a pay gap of 14%.
For the last 11 years, women in Iceland have been walking out on 24 October at the time they should leave every day if they were to be paid the same hourly-rate as their male counterparts.
In that period in the Nordic country, the time has moved from 14:08 to 14:38.
If the pace continues, it will only take another 52 years for them to be able to leave at the same time as men - an unacceptable length of time, according to Gylfi Arnbjörnsson, president of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour.
He told Iceland's national broadcaster: "No-one puts up with waiting 50 years to reach a goal. It doesn't matter whether it's a gender pay gap or any other pay gap.
"It's just unacceptable to say we'll correct this in 50 years. That's a lifetime."
In France, it appears a parallel sense of injustice has inspired activists to adopt the symbolism of Iceland's precisely timed protests.
More than 10,000 women have indicated their interest in joining the movement on Facebook, and the hashtag "7novembre1634" has been trending in France, with...

Summary: It seems an insignificant time: 16:34 on Monday 7 November.
###
Article: There have been calls for reform of the system, which often sees highly-paid council chiefs get extra payments of tens of thousands of pounds.
Holyrood's local government committee is to examine how the payments are made and how appropriate they are.
Convener Bob Doris said there was "understandable public concern" about the sums being paid out.
Returning officers have been in high demand in recent years, with Scotland going to the polls for five elections and referendums across three years.
It is estimated that almost Â£500,000 was shared between the 32 returning officers inside a matter of weeks in 2016, due to the Holyrood election and the EU referendum.
Mr Doris said the total sum may stretch to Â£1m over two years when the 2015 general election is taken into account.
The SNP MSP said: "The level of payment varies for different elections and different councils, and we're also aware some returning officers claim their payment, while others share payments with their staff. We want to find out more about how these payments operate, what their uptake is and whether they remain appropriate."
Returning officers are responsible for ensuring the smooth running of elections at a local, national and European level, as well as referendums. The role is often carried out by council chief executives on top of their normal duties.
MSPs will hear from electoral law experts and local government officials, trade unions and academics as well as returning officers across two meetings in November.

Summary:


The security services could remotely take over children's toys and use them to spy on suspects, MPs have been told.

Article: Jack Lew was speaking at a meeting of the G20 group, which includes several of the world's largest economies.
Earlier this month, the European Central Bank introduced new measures to stimulate the area's flagging economy.
However it has stopped short of adopting the policies favoured by its US counterpart, the Federal Reserve.
As well as launching an asset purchase programme, through which it will buy debt products from banks, the ECB cut its benchmark interest rate to 0.05%.
The bank has been under pressure to kick-start the eurozone economy, as manufacturing output has slowed and inflation has fallen to just 0.3%.
"Europe is going to need to solve its problems and resolve differences it has internally," Mr Lew told reporters at the meeting in Australia, "but what's clear from the US experience is that the combination of taking action to boost demand in the short run and make structural changes for the long run is an important combination, and it shouldn't become a choice between the two.
"You really need to pursue both."
Mr Lew also expressed concern about the political tensions between European countries, and the effect this may have on pushing through urgent policies.
"The concern that I have is that if the efforts to boost demand are deferred for too long, there is a risk that the headwinds get stronger, and what I think Europe needs is more tailwinds in the economy," he cautioned.

Summary: The US Treasury Secretary has urged eurozone countries to "boost demand" in order to reduce unemployment and avoid deflation.
###
Article: The draft Investigatory Powers Bill would place a legal duty on internet providers to assist in hacking devices.
But it would not be restricted to phones and PCs, a tech industry chief told the Commons science and technology committee.
Antony Walker, of techUK, said anything that connected to the internet could "in theory" be hacked into.
In the future, this could include driverless cars or household appliances connected to the internet - the so-called Internet of Things - said Mr Walker.
He said the Home Office needed to spell out more clearly where it draws the line over what it calls "equipment interference", highlighting recent concerns about "smart toys" that connect to the internet and have microphones and cameras built-in.
"A range of devices that have been in the news recently, in relation to a hack, are children's toys, that children can interact with," he told the committee.
"These are devices that may sit in a child's bedroom but are accessible.
"In theory, the manufacturer of those products could be the subject of a warrant to enable equipment interference with those devices.
"So the potential extent, I think, is something that needs to be carefully considered."
In November, electronic toy company Vtech had its app store database hacked, allegedly resulting in the appearance online of personal data including children's names, dates of birth and gender.
Talking dolls, such as Hello Barbie and My Friend Cayla, have also been put under scrutiny by security experts in recent months.
Barbie manufacturer Mattel reportedly made modifications to Hello Barbie, which allows children to talk to the doll over a cloud server connection, after concerns were raised about cyber attackers potentially stealing data through it.
The police, security services, HM Revenue and Customs and other law enforcement agencies can already hack into devices provided they get a warrant.
This allows them to download the contents of computers or smartphones, track locations, listen to calls, or even switch on microphones and...

Summary:


The UK government has announced changes to the way onshore wind energy schemes are supported.
Critics fear this could lead to some proposed schemes getting the axe.
Industry body Scottish Renewables said five Scottish councils could lose out on income if developments they have invested in do not go ahead.
The UK government announced last

A Fifa official who assessed bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has had his ban from football cut to two years.

Article: The UK government recently announced changes to the way onshore wind energy schemes are supported.
Critics fear this could lead to some proposed schemes getting the axe.
Industry body Scottish Renewables said five Scottish councils could lose out on income if developments they have invested in do not go ahead.
The UK government announced last month that new onshore wind farms would be excluded from a subsidy scheme from 1 April 2016 -  a year earlier than expected.
But there will be a grace period for projects which already have planning permission.
Energy firms had already been facing an end to subsidies in 2017.
The funding for the subsidy comes from the Renewables Obligation, which is funded by levies added to household fuel bills.
Making the announcement, UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd said: "We are driving forward our commitment to end new onshore wind subsidies and give local communities the final say over any new wind farms.
"Onshore wind is an important part of our energy mix and we now have enough subsidised projects in the pipeline to meet our renewable energy commitments.
The Scottish government condemned the move.
Scottish Renewables, which promotes the industry, said five councils, had already invested more than £650,000 in site investigation and pre-planning work on publicly-owned wind farm projects.
Glasgow is one of the five local authorities. The other four were not identified in the survey.
The wind farms, if they go ahead, would bring in revenue to the councils over the next two decades.
The planned UK government changes mean many schemes could face delays or cancellation.
The survey - carried out by the Association for Public Service Excellence for industry body Scottish Renewables -  also found that 30 jobs would be at risk if projects were scrapped.
Joss Blamire, senior policy manager at Scottish Renewables, said: "Given the pressures on local authority budgets, many have looked elsewhere for income.
"Renewables not only allow Scotland's cities and towns do their bit...

Summary: Scottish councils may lose out on more than £44m of income over the next 20 years if changes are made to wind farm subsidies, according to a trade body.
###
Article: Former Chilean Football Association president Harold Mayne-Nicholls, 56, was one of five senior officials Fifa said were being investigated.
Mayne-Nicholls has served the suspension because the initial seven-year ban was issued in 2015.
He admitted speaking to officials from Qatar's bid about work placements for relatives at the Aspire youth academy.
Fifa's ethics committee felt those conversations provided "cause enough to doubt the integrity of the inspection process", according to leaked emails between a committee member and Mayne-Nicholls.
The Chilean's ban was initially reduced on appeal to three years, but on Friday it was further cut to two by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Mayne-Nicholls chaired Fifa's bid evaluation group for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.
In his 2010 report to Fifa, Mayne-Nicholls expressed serious concerns about conditions in Qatar, where summer temperatures can reach 50C.
Mayne-Nicholls was one of several senior Fifa officials to call for an independent report into the award process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to be published in full.

Summary:


The government has agreed to a compromise on the powers to investigate terrorism suspects, after a series of votes in the Commons and Lords.
The government has agreed to a compromise on the powers to investigate terrorism suspects, after a series of votes in the Commons and Lords.
The government has agreed to a compromise on the powers

Day two of MPs' detailed consideration of the Investigatory Powers Bill - and the issues of the day should be the retention of internet connection records and protection of medical records and journalistic privilege.

Article: The Guardian newspaper claims Whisper has an in-house tool which can track the locations of all its users.
This includes some who have specifically opted out of sharing location details, the report claims.
Whisper editor Neetzan Zimmerman tweeted that the article was "riddled with outright lies and made-up quotes".
The Guardian also claimed the app was tracking "newsworthy" posters and was sharing data with the US Department of Defense in instances where secrets were uploaded from military bases.
"We are not sharing specific user data with any organisation," wrote Mr Zimmerman in response.
"We noticed how frequently suicide is mentioned among those living on US military bases or compounds and reached out to organisations to see how we could work together to address this important issue."
However, he added that "violent or child-endangering threats" were reported to law enforcement agents "to protect our users and the public".
"We comply with the legal process in all instances," he wrote.
"We respond to both subpoenas and preservation requests from law enforcement. Whisper is not a place for illegal activity."
Two journalists from the newspaper had visited Whisper's offices in the US to explore a working relationship, which the Guardian says it will no longer pursue due to concerns over user privacy.
The Guardian has been contacted by the BBC for comment.
News and community site Buzzfeed has also announced it is "taking a break" from its partnership with the platform following the report.
"We're taking a break from our partnership until Whisper clarifies to us and its users the policy on user location and privacy," it said in a statement.
Millions of "secrets" - a short sentence written over a picture - have been shared via the social media platform since its launch two years ago.
"You look at all of these services like Facebook and Instagram, and they're all about, 'Let me show you the best version of me,'" Whisper co-founder Michael Heyward told the BBC earlier this year.
"Whisper is about showing people the...

Summary: The editor of Whisper, an app for people to share secrets anonymously, has angrily denied reports that it has been tracking users and sharing data.
###
Article: There may be clashes, but a series of deals between Labour and the government have defused most of the big problems in advance. I've lost count of the number of times Labour's point person, Keir Starmer uttered the words: "I am grateful for that indication," as the Security Minister John Hayes announced changes.
Today's big compromise announcement will be the composition and remit of the panel which will assess the operational case for the powers, under the leadership of the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, David Anderson QC.
This matters because the panel have to report by the time the bill reaches committee stage in the House of Lords, and if they called for significant changes that would be pretty hard for ministers to resist.
That follows on from the government accepting special protections for Trade Unions and from a government "manuscript amendment" on the role of the "Judicial Commissioners" who would co-sign warrants for investigatory powers - which would allow them to scrutinise the facts of the case, not just the reasonableness of the process by which a warrant was issued.
In both cases Labour got pretty much everything they asked for.
Further compromise may well emerge on the issue of keeping internet connection records and the level of access to them, and on the protection of medical records. Protection of journalists and their sources seems a tougher issue - although some suspect that the government would like a few compromise-able issues in its back pocket, so that it can throw a few bones to their lordships, when the bill is considered in detail in the Upper House.
I suspect Labour will probably vote for the bill at tonight's third reading - perhaps with a few reservations, while the SNP and probably the Lib Dems will oppose.
And then the action switches to the Lords.

Summary:


The Kenyan government has said it will not honour a 2013 deal to increase salaries.

Police have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of doctors striking in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Article: Successful applicants will be granted one of 100 new licences to perform at designated locations on the network.
Only soloists and duos will be allowed to audition to access the 1,800 bookable slots each week shared by the current crop of 250 buskers.
"Busking has become an essential part of London Underground's identity," said LU managing director Mark Wild.
Ed Sheeran, Bob Geldof and Jessie J are among the stars who have previously busked on the Tube.
Musicians are being asked to apply online by 13 August.
Shortlisted applicants will then audition in front of a panel of music experts and operations directors at Transport for London (TfL) at a range of busking hotspots and music venues around the capital.
Deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries Justine Simons said: "London is a world leader for culture.
"Around every corner there is a cultural gem bringing our city to life, and nowhere is this more apparent than with the atmosphere buskers create on the Underground."
Mr Wild added: "This new wave of auditions will bring in a range of musicians who will continue the strong tradition of entertaining our customers with a high standard of music."

Summary: Auditions to busk at London Underground (LU) stations are being held for the first time in two years.
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Article: The medics, wearing white gowns and surgical caps, were demanding the government honour a 2013 deal to increase salaries.
Dozens of mental health patients were said to have walked out of a hospital in Nairobi during the strike.
Officials say the action is premature and negotiations should continue.
They say doctors have defied a court order suspending the strike until the end of this month to allow for more talks.
But the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) said it had run out of patience after government commitments failed to materialise.
"We have had lots and lots of diplomacy, and lots and lots of dialogue. Dialogue has to come to an end," union chairman Samuel Oroko said.
About 5,000 medical staff in more than 2,000 public hospitals stopped working at midnight on Sunday.
Hospitals would not offer even emergency services during the action, the union said.
A BBC correspondent says this puts thousands of lives at risk because many Kenyans cannot afford private medical care.
At one hospital in western Kenya, a reporter with the Daily Nation newspaper heard a nurse tell a crying woman in labour to go and see the county governor. Under the Kenyan system, counties are responsible for paying some medical staff.
Meanwhile, at least 50 mental health patients at the Mathare mental hospital in Nairobi were reported to have left the facility amid the chaos of the strike.
Video posted on the website of the Standard newspaper appeared to show patients climbing over hospital walls and walking away.
Medical staff want a deal signed between the Kenya Medical Practitioners' Union and the Kenya government in 2013 to be implemented.
The agreement included a 300% pay rise for doctors.
The doctors' union also says it wants more medics hired to reduce the doctor-patient ratio, currently one doctor for more than 16,000 Kenyans.
"We have a big shortage of doctors yet our counties are sending doctors away, saying they cannot hire more doctors," union representative Gitau Kagona told the Daily Nation....

Summary:


The UK's car market is expected to grow by 2.7% in 2016, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

New car sales in Scotland grew last month but at half the rate of the UK as a whole, according to motor traders.

Article: The approval is the latest hurdle Marriott has overcome in its effort to buy Starwood- owner of the Sheraton, Westin and W hotel brands.
Marriott will pay $12.4bn (Â£8.7bn) - a figure it reached after a bidding war against Chinese insurance firm Anbang.
Anbang abandoned its $14bn takeover offer for Starwood last week, citing "market considerations".
"Today's vote is a significant step toward closing, and we are grateful for the continued enthusiasm and support for this merger," said Thomas Mangas, Starwood's chief executive officer.
The purchase will create the largest hotel chain with 5,500 properties worldwide.
Marriott said the deal is expected to close by mid-2016. Its shareholders voted 97% in favour of the deal, while 95% of Starwood's voted for the purchase.
The three week back-and-forth between Marriott and Anbang highlighted the growing role of Chinese companies in global mergers and acquisitions.
There have been $92bn worth of foreign takeovers by Chinese companies this year, according to data provider Dealogic.
Marriott shares were up 0.9% and Starwood shares rose 0.25% on Friday.

Summary: The shareholders of both Marriott and Starwood Hotels have approved the tie-up of the two hotel chains.
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Article: Just over 46,000 vehicles were registered north of the border - a year-on-year increase of more than 2.7%.
However, UK sales increased by 5.3% to almost 519,000 - the strongest month recorded since 1999.
March is typically the biggest month, accounting for about a fifth of the year's car registrations.
Last month saw Vauxhall retain its position as market leader in Scotland, with more than 10,000 units sold.
The Vauxhall Corsa remained the most popular new car, while the Ford Fiesta had a strong month and moved into the number two spot for the year to date.
The figures were compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Top Scottish sellers in March
1. Vauxhall Corsa 2,575
2. Ford Fiesta  1,772
3. Vauxhall Astra 1,249
4. Ford Focus 1,126
5. Volkswagen Polo 1,077
Source: SMMT
Scottish Motor Trade Association chief executive Sandy Burgess said: "All areas have experienced growth with the exception of Dumfries and Galloway and Strathclyde.
"The reductions however are minimal and with the fantastic growth on 2015 numbers elsewhere, we have come out of this critical sales period well ahead for the year to date.
"We have been aware of some dealers who were experiencing new vehicle delivery issues towards the end of the month, and this may well have had a small but noticeable negative effect.
"The rest of the UK continues to show stronger growth but as we have mentioned previously this may not all be down to sales with specific manufacturers and dealers taking tactical decisions on registrations."

Summary:


A total of 179 cases of child sexual exploitation (CSE) are being investigated in Keighley and Bradford, West Yorkshire Police has said.

Article: In the latest war of words, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker accused the government of misleading voters after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the country's creditors were trying to "humiliate" its people with demands for reforms.
But strong language has long been a feature of the bailout negotiations.
Just days after Syriza won the country's election, the new Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said Greece was "determined not to be treated as a debt colony that should suffer what it must".
And the imagery of suffering and servitude was also apparent when he called on Germany to help end the "gross indignity" of the Greek debt crisis.
More recently, PM Tsipras denounced the fiscal "strangulation" of his country, while European Council President Donald Tusk delivered an unusually forthright plea for Greece's leaders to stop "gambling".
"The day is coming, I'm afraid, that someone says that the game is over," he said.
The analogy of the crisis as some sort of card game or contest has been used by both sides, even though the Greek government has denied approaching the talks in this manner.
Mr Varoufakis told Italian television back in February that the euro was as "fragile" as a house of cards. "If you take out the Greek card the others will collapse," he said.
Meanwhile, the drama of ancient Greece has also provided an irresistible opportunity for some speakers.
When describing the progress of the talks in June, EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: "I really like Greek tragedy, but I think now we really have to move on to the happy ending."
But more unusual metaphors have also begun to emerge.
Mr Juncker sparked some amusement last week while describing the grave task facing negotiators as they try to divert Greece away from default and exit from the eurozone.
He said Greece was a cow slipping on ice that must be pushed to firm ground.
Wall Street Journal reporter Gabriele Steinhauser then revealed that a Commission spokesman had decided it necessary to clarify further -...

Summary: The Greek government and its international lenders have increasingly ramped up their rhetoric as they wrestle over a deal to end the country's debt crisis.
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Article: The cases involve 165 suspects and more than 100 victims.
A police spokesperson said many cases had "multiple suspects and multiple victims" but there was also a large number involving single suspects.
Last year, 12 men were jailed for their part in the abuse of a single victim in Keighley.
Eleven were jailed at Bradford Crown Court after being convicted of raping the girl from the age of 13 and another man was sentenced for sexual activity with her.
The CSE figures, which were given to the Keighley News and confirmed to the BBC by police, compare with last year's figure of 220 cases.
There were 261 suspects under investigation at the same time in 2016.
A police spokesperson said: "West Yorkshire Police and partners have been proactive in their approach to encourage victims to come forward and reassure them that all reports will be taken seriously.
"We have developed a far greater understanding of CSE than in the past and this has led to rapid action to prioritise resources to improve the identification and prosecution of perpetrators of this abhorrent crime."

Summary:


Sir Albert Bore, the former Labour leader, has been appointed as the new leader of Birmingham City Council.

Birmingham City Council has elected a new leader - with the winning contender clinching the position by a single vote.

Article: Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said out of nearly 1.5 million women eligible for a smear test last year, only 76.6% had been screened.
The charity found attendance had dropped among all age groups.
It said incidences of cervical cancer could be cut by 21% in just one year, if uptake could reach 85%.
According to the charity, the five-year cervical screening uptake has been falling since 2001-2002 when it was at 86.5%.
The exception was 2009 when celebrity Jade Goody's death from the disease resulted in increased attendance.
Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said its cervical screening awareness campaign #SmearForSmear, which targeted women aged between 25 and 29 last year, improved attendance from that age group.
It is relaunching the campaign at the start of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to encourage more women to attend screenings.
It also aims to highlight a trend of declining attendance as age increases.
Last year in Scotland, screening coverage for 50-54 year olds was 82.1%, down from 89.3% nine years ago. Meanwhile, coverage for 55 to 59-year-olds fell from 86.8% to to 78.7%.
Cervical cancer facts and figures:
Source: Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust
Jo's chief executive Robert Music said: "Cervical cancer is a preventable disease and we cannot afford for screening uptake to keep falling.
"So it is a matter of urgency that we see positive actions to turn around the downward trend in cervical screening uptake and we are urging policy makers and health professionals to increase investment in targeted approaches to tackle barriers to screening for women of every age, ethnicity, location and circumstance."
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "The earlier a cancer is detected the easier it is to treat.
"We know that screening is the best way to detect cervical cancer at its earliest stage.
"Through our Â£39m Detect Cancer Early programme we aim to increase the proportion of cancers detected at the early stage of disease and raise awareness of all cancers and screening programmes amongst the public and health...

Summary: The number of Scottish women who attend screenings for cervical cancer is falling, according to a national charity.
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Article: John Clancy, Labour councillor for Quinton, beat closest rival Penny Holbrook in Monday night's ballot.
Ahead of the vote, he said providing new homes and improving existing social housing should be the authority's "top priority".
He will officially replace Sir Albert Bore on 1 December.
Mr Clancy, who has bid to become leader of the city council several times, was chosen in the ballot by the authority's 78 Labour councillors.
Updates on this story and others on Birmingham and Black Country
Sir Albert announced he would stand down as head of the self-styled "largest local authority in Europe".
A close call for a man waiting in the wings for more than a decade.
John Clancy has become leader of the Labour group after five attempts - and by just one vote. He will officially become leader of Birmingham City Council on 1st December when it's ratified at full council.
An English teacher for many years, he's no stranger to working in the public sector but he also had a spell as a solicitor, as well as a business lecturer.
His big message at a hustings last week was the council under his leadership can provide smarter financial decisions, political openness and free school meals for all primary age children.
Some critics from within the party are already saying they're worried he won't have the clout or the vision to make the huge and rapid improvement needed to keep government commissioners at bay.
The former Labour group leader's departure followed two other senior party figures, who resigned after criticising the way city was being run.
Ian Ward, the deputy leader of the local authority and councillor Barry Henley also stood for the position.
Mr Clancy, a former teacher and lecturer, has also pledged to widen access to free school meals for primary school children and expand regeneration outside the city centre.
Birmingham City Council has found itself under scrutiny from a government-appointed independent panel.
The panel was appointed at Sir Bob Kerslake's recommendation to oversee changes at the council.
Sir...

Summary:


The petition calls for a directly elected mayor to replace the current mayor.

A referendum on an elected mayor for Bath and North East Somerset will be held in 2016, after a petition reached the threshold of 6,437 votes.

Article: Provisional data for the 12 months to March 2017 revealed an increase of 4% on the previous year's recycling rate of 60%.
Wales is well ahead of the rest of the UK, second in Europe and third in world recycling league tables.
Environment Secretary Lesley Griffiths said the statistics made for "extremely satisfying reading".
The Welsh Government has set statutory targets for recycling that local authorities must meet or risk facing fines.
The target for 2016-17 was 58%, rising to 64% by 2019-20 and then 70% by 2024-25.
By 2050, the Welsh Government is aiming for no waste at all ending up in landfill.
The figures showed all but one local authority - Blaenau Gwent - met the current 2016-17 target.
Top of the recycling league was Ceredigion, recycling 70% of its waste and hitting the 2025 target nine years early.
Although Blaenau Gwent missed the 58% target, its 57% recycling rate was an increase on the 49% seen a year earlier.
Newport and Torfaen have missed targets in recent years but managed to exceed the goal this year.
The residual household waste generated per person decreased by 4%, falling to 48kg per person between January and March 2017 compared with the same quarter in 2016.
Ms Griffiths said Wales should be "extremely proud of our recycling performance".
"This is an area where we lead the way in the UK and indeed just two countries in the whole world recycle more than we do," she said.
"We are always looking at how we can continue to improve. Only last week I announced I intend to consult on plans to halve food waste by 2025."
The most recent recycling rate for England was 43.9% and 44.2% for Scotland, based on figures for 2015.
Recycling experts have put Wales' success down to the introduction of statutory targets and better separate waste collections.

Summary: A target for 64% of waste to be recycled in Wales by 2019-20 has been met four years early.
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Article: Legally, it needs at least 5% of local electors for a referendum to go ahead.
Those behind the petition say a mayor would offer more dynamic leadership and "rise above party politics".
Council leader Tim Warren said it felt "unnecessary" so soon after the elections. If successful, a directly elected mayor would replace him.
The council announced on Monday that it had received 6,818 valid signatures. A further 2,789 signatures were ruled to be invalid.
Directly elected mayors were created by the Local Government Act 2000 as one option for local government, as long as the idea was backed in a referendum.
Bath & North East Somerset Council said the threshold set out under the 2000 Act had been reached and "it is anticipated that the referendum will be held early next year".
In Bath, the council is run by a leader and cabinet system.
Philip Raby, one of the team working for a referendum, said they favoured holding it on 5 May 2016, the day of the police and crime commissioner elections.
He felt a directly elected mayor would offer "visible and accountable leadership" for the wider area - something he felt the current system did not offer.
Mr Warren said there were "challenging budgetary issues" to concentrate on and questioned whether there was much public appetite for a referendum.
Local petitions sparked referendums which resulted in elected mayors in Salford, Greater Manchester in 2012 and in Copeland, Cumbria in 2015.
The Localism Act 2011 allowed central government to trigger referendums for elected mayors - but of the ten held in May 2012, only Bristol voted in favour of getting a mayor.

Summary:


A man has been jailed for a string of sexual offences against women.

Article: A man has been jailed for a string of sexual offences against women.

Article: A man has been jailed for a string of sexual offences against women.

Article: A man has been jailed for a string of sexual

A "manipulative and calculating" police officer who abused his position to have sex with vulnerable women he met while on duty has been jailed.

Article: Queen's University, Belfast, (QUB) was involved in a European project to solve the mystery of an "extraordinarily brilliant" light in a distant galaxy.
Last year, US scientists assumed that the light came from an exploding star.
But after studying it for 10 months, QUB astronomers believe the star was ripped apart by a spinning black hole.
Black holes are regions of space where gravity is so powerful that even light cannot escape.
The largest type of black hole is referred to as "supermassive" and the one under examination is believed to have a mass of "at least 100m times that of the sun", according to QUB.
The team from QUB's Astrophysics Research Centre was involved in gathering months of data from a selection of telescopes, both on earth and in space, including the Hubble space telescope.
The light source, named ASASSN-15lh, was initially categorised in the US in 2015 as the brightest supernova (exploding star) ever seen.
However, QUB Professor Stephen Smartt, said: "We observed it and thought: 'Nah, it doesn't look like a supernova to us.'"
Prof Smartt is the leader and principal investigator of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) project, based in Chile.
"We've a big group at Queen's," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.
"We work in the School of Maths and Physics at Queen's and our speciality is looking for things that move - like asteroids that might hit the earth, or things that flash, which might be supernova or these black holes."
He said the light "puzzled us for months" but based on their telescopic observations, the QUB team proposed a new explanation for the object in a galaxy far, far away.
It believes the sun-like star wandered too close to the black hole and was "ripped apart", a phenomenon known in astronomy as a "tidal disruption event".
In the process, the star was "spaghettified and some of the material was converted into huge amounts of radiated light," said a QUB statement.
"This gave the event the appearance of a very bright supernova explosion, even though the...

Summary: Belfast-based astronomers have helped to discover a very rare celestial event - a star being "swallowed" after it passed too close to a black hole.
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Article: Darren Heath, 45, from Taynton, was sentenced to three years and nine months after pleading guilty to five counts of misconduct in public office.
Bristol Crown Court had heard how Heath got one of his victims pregnant and convinced her to have an abortion.
Gloucestershire Police believe there may be more victims.
In sentencing, Judge Neil Ford QC described Heath's behaviour as "corrosive to the reputation of the police service generally".
The force said Heath used his position to identify women - "often victims of crime who were already extremely vulnerable" - whom he could offend against.
He was described as "manipulative and calculating" by the force, which suspended him last year following an investigation into a complaint made against him in 2012.
The offences took place between 2002 and 2012.
Previously, Bristol Crown Court had heard that Heath was first warned about his behaviour in 1996 - a year after joining Gloucestershire Police - following a complaint by a student.
He had asked her if she "fancied a bit of fun".
"She subsequently made a complaint which was dealt with by Pc Heath being given advice."
Heath met his first victim in 2002 after she was arrested for drinking and driving.
Six years later he met another victim who approached him in a police car after a man fell unconscious in the street.
He later visited her home where the pair had sex and then persisted with visits - up to four times a week - before the woman fell pregnant with twins.
Heath, who has two children of his own, then convinced her to have a termination.
He met another victim after arranging a restorative justice programme for her son.
The woman ended the relationship after realising Heath was "only interested in a sexual relationship", the court heard.

Summary:


The BBC has learned that the mayor of Cheshire East, Michael Jones, has been accused of misleading councillors about his links to a fitness company.

The leader of Cheshire East Council has rejected a call to resign over claims he "misled" councillors about contracts awarded to his physiotherapist's firm.

Article: Odeon & UCI is currently owned by private equity firm Terra Firma, and has 242 theatres with 2,236 screens.
Dalian Wanda, the world's biggest movie theatre operator, is led by China's richest man Wang Jianlin.
Odeon & UCI will continue to be based in London and will operate as a subsidiary of AMC.
Adam Aron, AMC's chief executive and president said in a statement: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire Europe's leading cinema chain and create the world's biggest and best theatre operator."
He said there were uncertainties created by Brexit, but added "we are encouraged that current currency rates are highly favourable to AMC with the pound falling to a three decade low versus the dollar".
The addition of Odeon & UCI will mean AMC has 627 theatres and more than 7,600 screens in eight countries.
The sale is still subject to competition clearance from the European Commission.
David Hancock, head of film and cinema at IHS Technology, said: "AMC is part of the Wanda group, which includes screens in China, AMC in the US, Hoyts in Australia and now Odeon UCI in Europe: all major exhibitors in their part of the world and making Wanda the largest global cinema exhibition group.
"In addition, Wanda has built the world's largest film production studio in China and acquired Legendary Entertainment, a US producer of blockbuster features, as well as assets in big data, entertainment marketing and gaming distribution."
Wang Jianlin was born in 1954 and spent 16 years in the People's Liberation Army before moving into property.
He founded Wanda in 1988 and built it up to become China's biggest commercial real estate firm.
Wanda's expanding entertainment and tourism sector spans movie cinemas, theme parks and film production.
The company owns a share in a US film studio, Legendary Entertainment, the maker of blockbuster hits such as Jurassic World and the Dark Knight Batman trilogy.
As well as AMC, the Chinese giant has picked up a slew of other foreign companies - with a focus on investing in hotels and big...

Summary: Odeon & UCI Cinema Group has been bought by AMC Entertainment, a US chain owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, in a deal worth £921m ($1.21bn).
###
Article: Hilda Gaddum, the mayor of Cheshire East, said her fellow Conservative Michael Jones's position had become "untenable".
The council waived its own financial rules three times when granting Core Fit Ltd contracts totalling £156,000.
Mr Jones said he was "clear" that he had "not misled council".
The fitness company runs classes in schools and is owned by Mr Jones's personal physiotherapist, Amanda Morris. Neither Ms Morris nor her company have commented on the claims.
Mr Jones has previously said he had publicly declared his interest in the firm, while a council spokesman said there had been no "unlawful expenditure or any breach of EU procurement rules".
However, Ms Gaddum said Mr Jones had "misled" councillors at a meeting in October, where he questioned why his link with the company was "being brought up", and had lobbied for it to receive help.
The BBC has seen a letter written by Mr Jones to local MP George Osborne - whose Tatton constituency is included within Cheshire East - in which work carried out by Ms Morris's company is praised.
Emails released following a BBC Freedom of Information Act request show Mr Jones helped Ms Morris write a positive assessment of how Core Fit had fulfilled one of the council's contracts.
Core Fit Ltd contracts
June 2014
March 2015
Ms Gaddum said she had written to Mr Jones asking for his resignation, which led to "a very, very difficult meeting with him".
In a statement, Mr Jones said he would "not be resigning but thank the mayor for recognising the many good things I have achieved".
"I am disappointed, given that I vigorously sponsored her mayoralty to my group, at the comments made. But that is Hilda for you."
The council has not responded to requests for a comment.

Summary: