The Scottish Government is to launch a new campaign to encourage Chinese visitors to Scotland.

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Mr Gilbert said that view was 30 years out of date.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.
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Article: A series of social media posts and adverts will aim to encourage more Chinese visitors to come to Scotland, as figures show tourism from China exceeded Â£43m over three years.
The Edinburgh Tourism Action Group posts, written in mandarin, will highlight key points of interests.
History, architecture, film locations and shopping are featured.
Edinburgh Castle had more than 160,000 Chinese visitors in 2015 and the city is said to be the second most popular UK destination among the Chinese, after London.
Robin Worsnop, Edinburgh Tourism Action Group chairman, said: "The growth of the Chinese visitor market to Edinburgh presents a great opportunity for the city's tourism sector.
"We know Chinese visitors love our historic, walkable city, our top attractions, our architecture and our unique links to major films like Harry Potter.
"Working together as a group of businesses, and supported by Scottish Enterprise and the VisitScotland Growth Fund, we're confident that these brand new official Edinburgh channels on Chinese social media platforms will help Scotland's capital become a 'must see, must visit' destination for Chinese visitors."
Manuela Calchini, regional director at VisitScotland, said: "China has huge growth potential for tourism in Scotland and we're delighted to support the Edinburgh Chinese social media campaign, through the VisitScotland growth fund.
"The campaign will give a platform to promote the very best of what Edinburgh has to offer, from its stunning architecture, fascinating history and world-renowned festivals to its delicious food and drink. And with the Scottish capital receiving 87% of Chinese visitors to Scotland, the success of this campaign will no doubt be felt far beyond the city walls.
"With Edinburgh playing a prominent role in the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, it is the perfect opportunity to encourage Chinese visitors to come face-to-face with history and explore our rich cultural heritage."

Summary: The history and culture of Edinburgh is to become the centre of a new tourism campaign in China.
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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:


A man has been jailed for stealing a £1,000 mobile phone from a woman in a supermarket.
The man, who was wearing a nappy, was caught on CCTV stealing the phone from a woman in the supermarket in the town of Wajir, about 100km (60 miles) north-west of

"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.
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Article: Officials say the rule is to protect the town's newly laid tarmac road.
A letter told donkey-cart owners they must manage their animal's faeces "to avoid poop all over the tarmac road creating nuisance".
BBC Monitoring's Abdullahi Yusuf Osman in Kenya says cart owners are complying - some sharing tips on social media on how to attach nappy sacks.
Donkey carts are a common sight in Wajir's town centre, our reporter says.
A similar nappy order was issued in Limuru, about 50km (30 miles) north-west of the capital, Nairobi, in 2007 but it was never put into practice, he says.
The authorities in Wajir, which is more than 600km north-east of Nairobi, are probably keen to protect the new tarmac road after waiting decades for such development, our correspondent says.
The new road was built last year and is 27km long.
The nappy notice was issued on Monday and came into affect on Thursday.
"[The county government] appreciates the contribution of the donkey-cart operators to the economy of Wajir... However the town must be kept clean at all times," it says.
"In view of the above you are directed to manage your donkey poop (faeces).... No donkey will be allowed in town without this poop-collecting bag."

Summary: Donkeys have been banned from entering Kenya's north-eastern town of Wajir unless they wear nappies.
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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:

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The New Horizons spacecraft has been launched into orbit around Pluto, the first of its kind to be sent to the dwarf planet.

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.
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Article: The probe is set to hurtle past the dwarf world on Tuesday, grabbing a mass of pictures and other science data.
Controllers got a last health status report, before the robotic craft turned its antenna away from the Earth to concentrate on its target.
Only when New Horizons has its trove of images safely in its onboard memory will it call home again.
This is not expected to happen until just after midnight (GMT) into Wednesday.
It means there will be a long, anxious wait for everyone connected with the mission, as they hold out for a signal that will be coming from almost five billion km away.
New Horizons' flyby of 2,370km-wide Pluto is a key moment in the history of space exploration.
Its successful execution will complete the initial reconnaissance of the "classical" nine planets in our Solar System.
It will mark the fact that every body in that system - from Mercury through to Pluto - will have been visited at least once by a space probe.
New Horizons has been returning a steady stream of information on approach to the dwarf world in recent days, but this will be as nothing compared to the huge number of observations it plans to acquire when passing just 12,500km from the surface.
This is timed to occur at 11:50 GMT (12:50 BST).
The probe will investigate not only Pluto but also its five moons: Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra.
To achieve that, it must perform a furious set of manoeuvres as it points every which way in the sky to get the images and other types of data it needs.
"I can't wait to get into the data and really start making sense of it. Right now, we're just standing under the waterfall and enjoying it," New Horizons' principal investigator, Alan Stern, told BBC News.
Just getting the probe in position to make the flyby has been a monumental feat.
Because the observations are all run on an automated command sequence, New Horizons must fly a perfect path past Pluto, and with perfect timing - otherwise its cameras will shoot empty sky where the dwarf or its moons are expected to be.
This has...

Summary: Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft has begun the most intense period of its encounter with Pluto.
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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:


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.
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Article: Ferouz Myuddin, who is 11 months old, was born in Brisbane when his mother was transferred to hospital from a refugee detention centre on Nauru.
A judge backed the government's earlier ruling that the baby was an "unauthorised maritime arrival" so could not claim refugee status.
Lawyers said he and 100 similar babies could now be sent to Nauru.
The hearing comes as the federal government considers amending the Migration Act to retrospectively declare all babies born to asylum seekers who arrive by boat as unauthorised maritime arrivals, irrespective of whether they were born on Australian soil.
If the amendments are passed, babies born to asylum seeker parents in Australia will have no right to apply for a permanent protection visa and should be transferred offshore.
Ferouz's family are Muslim Rohingyas who said they fled to Myanmar (also known as Burma) to escape persecution.
They landed on Australian territory in September last year and were taken to the off-shore processing centre in Nauru. Ferouz was born prematurely after his mother was taken to hospital in Brisbane because of concerns over her pregnancy.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison had previously denied Ferouz a protection visa - which allows refugees to live permanently in Australia - on the basis that he had arrived on Australian territory by sea illegally.
Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?
His parents then appealed to the Federal Court but after examining how the family had entered Australia, Judge Michael Jarrett backed the government view.
He said the rule was intended to discourage people smugglers.
Lawyer Murray Watt said he was advising the Myuddin family, currently staying in a detention centre in Darwin, to appeal.
"This is a ludicrous decision given he was born here in Brisbane's Mater Hospital and he even has a Queensland birth certificate," ABC News quoted him as saying.
He said his firm - which is representing the families of 100 babies born in Australia to asylum seekers who arrived by boat - would be seeking assurance...

Summary: A federal court has ruled that a baby born in Australia to an asylum seeker is not entitled to a refugee visa.
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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:


The government has announced it will cut the number of police officers by up to 20,000, as part of a £1.5bn package of cuts to the police budget.
The cuts will be made in the police budget for the next three years, with the number of officers to be cut to just over 1

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.
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Article: With inflation outpacing the government's 1% limit on pay rises for state employees, real wages are being eroded, said the trades union body.
It said prison officers and paramedics were more than £3,800 a year poorer.
However, the chancellor has said state sector workers get a 10% "premium" over private sector counterparts.
The government has come under pressure since the election in June to alter its policy of limiting pay rises in the public sector.
"It's been seven long years of pay cuts for our public servants. And ministers still won't tell us if relief is on the way," TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said.
Inflation measured by the most commonly used method, CPI, which does not take housing costs into account, has picked up in recent months hitting 2.9% in May. According to the Bank of England it averaged 2.7% a year between 2010 and 2016.
The TUC calculates that if firefighters' wages had kept pace with inflation their average pay would be nearly £2,900 higher than it is. For nuclear engineers and teachers the figure is about £2,500.
On the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Chancellor Philip Hammond said public sector pay had "raced ahead" of the private sector after the economic crash in 2008.
He added that when "very generous" public sector pension contributions were taken into account, public sector workers enjoyed a 10% "premium" over their private sector counterparts,
But Mr Hammond refused to comment on reports he had said at a meeting that public servants were "overpaid".
The average pay for an NHS paramedic is £35,577.
But if the paramedic's salary in 2010 had kept pace with inflation measured by CPI, by now he or she should be earning £39,435 - £3,888 more, says the TUC.
The TUC says if RPI (the inflation measure which does include housing costs) is used, the paramedic would need to earn £41,717 - £6,140 more -  to maintain their 2010 spending power.
The TUC's analysis suggests workers in different parts of the public sector are out of pocket in real terms to varying degrees (based on...

Summary: Firefighters, teachers and other public sector workers are thousands of pounds a year worse off than they were in 2010, the TUC has said.
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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:


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.
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Article: Members of RMT will go on strike from 12 to 15 August, and 27 to 29 August during the bank holiday weekend.
TSSA staff plan to strike on 14 and 15 August, and 28 and 29 August.
Eurostar has made some modifications to its weekend timetable to ensure "all passengers will be able to travel", with eight services cancelled.
Eurostar said this represents just 4% of its services between Friday and Monday.
Two scheduled trains will not run on Friday. Services on Saturday will run as planned, and four services have been cancelled on Sunday and two on Monday.
A Eurostar spokesman said: "We are aware of the plans for strike action and our focus has been seeking a joint resolution whilst planning to provide a good service for our customers."
The cancelled services on Friday are the 08:04 service from London to Brussels, and the 12:52 departure from Brussels to London.
On Sunday the 14:13 and 16:43 trains from Paris to London and the 10:01 and 16:31 trains from London to Paris will not run.
On Saturday none have been cancelled, while on Monday the 07:55 train from London to Paris and the 08:43 train from Paris to London have been cancelled.
"We have made some small changes to our timetable with all passengers due to travel on affected trains notified in advance, to allow them to change their booking to another train on the same day," Eurostar said.
Eurostar runs services between London and mainland Europe, and the walkouts coincide with the Assumption Day holiday in France and Belgium on 15 August and the 29 August bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said the actions "feel like an excuse to be militant".
But the RMT says the dispute concerned unsocial hours and duty rosters for about 80 train managers. It says Eurostar has failed to honour an agreement from 2008 over conditions for their staff.
General secretary Mick Cash said: "Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's...

Summary: The first of four separate Eurostar strikes by staff from two unions gets under way on Friday but the impact on services is set to be limited.
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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 UK government has announced it will be introducing a new system to help doctors and nurses monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate.
The new system, called the Pulse Monitoring System, will be used by doctors and nurses to monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate.
The system will be used to help doctors and

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.
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Article: The National Audit Office found the General Practice Extraction Service had cost Â£40m to set up instead of Â£14m.
The system was meant to make data from GP systems in England available to bodies across the health service.
But the system has provided information to just one organisation - NHS England.
The NAO said in its current form, it was "unlikely" the system could deliver what it was set up for.
The idea was to create a system that could help gather information from GP surgeries, such as the number of patients being diagnosed with dementia or getting immunised, to help with research and monitoring.
It also provides information to determine how much doctors are paid.
As well as finding that GPES had run over budget, the National Audit Office also said it was delivered late.
The original plan was for the service to be up and running by 2010, but in the end it was not until April last year that data was sent to the first customer, NHS England, which has since used it a number of times.
However, no universities, academics or other organisations have been given data, mainly because of the time taken to extract it.
A spokeswoman for the Health and Social Care Information Service, which runs the system, said: "It is clear the procurement and design stage was not good enough."
She said the organisation was in the process of improving the system.

Summary: A new GP IT system designed to improve quality and planning in the NHS in England has been criticised for running over budget and behind schedule, by a finance watchdog.
###
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 it will be introducing a new tax on offshore wind farms.
The new tax will be levied on the first £1m of wind farm development, and will be paid by the UK government.
The tax will be paid by the UK government on the first £1m of wind farm development

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: BlueBox Labs said it was particularly concerning as phone and tablet owners did not need to grant the malware special permissions for it to act.
The company added it had alerted Google to the problem in advance to allow it to mend its operating system.
Google confirmed it had created a fix.
"We appreciate BlueBox responsibly reporting this vulnerability to us. Third-party research is one of the ways Android is made stronger for users," said a spokeswoman.
"After receiving word of this vulnerability, we quickly issued a patch that was distributed to Android partners, as well as to the Android Open Source Project."
However, the many thousands of devices still running versions of the operating system ranging from Android 2.1 to Android 4.3 have not been sent the fix by relevant network operators and manufacturers remain vulnerable if they download apps from outside the Google Play store.
BlueBox has dubbed the vulnerability Fake ID, because it exploits a problem with the way Android handles the digital IDs - known as certification signatures - used to verify that certain apps are what they appear to be.
The issue is that while Android checks an app has the right ID before granting it special privileges, it fails to double-check that the certification signature involved was properly issued and not forged.
Jeff Forristal, chief technology officer of BlueBox, likened the issue to a tradesman arriving at a building, presenting his ID to a security guard and being given special access to its infrastructure without a phone call being made to the tradesman's employer to check he is really on its books.
"That missing link of confirmation is really where this problem stems," he told the BBC.
"The fundamental problem is simply that Android doesn't verify any claims regarding if one identity is related to another identity."
To make matters worse, he added, a single app can carry several fake identities at once, allowing it to carry out multiple attacks.
Mr Forristal gave three examples of how a faked certification...

Summary: An Android flaw has been uncovered that lets malware insert malicious code into other apps, gain access to the user's credit card data and take control of the device's settings.
###
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 announced a series of changes to the way it handles the investigation of terror suspects.

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: PM Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc pushed it through the upper house early on Thursday, despite vocal opposition.
The government argues the law is needed to improve security ahead of the 2020 Olympics, and to comply with a UN agreement Japan has signed.
But critics say it weakens civil liberties and could be abused to monitor and target innocent citizens.
The law has sparked protests, including one on Wednesday night outside the parliament building which was attended by thousands of demonstrators.
The law, which criminalises the plotting and committing of 277 acts, amends an existing law against organised crime syndicates.
It bans the procurement of funds or supplies and the surveying of a location in preparation of any of these offences.
An entire group - defined as two or more people - can be charged if at least one member is found to have been plotting the crime.
It also bans the expansion or maintenance of illicit interests of organised crime groups.
Japan has signed a UN convention against transnational organised crime, but not yet ratified it. The government said the news law was needed for ratification to go ahead.
Mr Abe told reporters the law would allow Japan to "firmly cooperate with international society to prevent terrorism".
The ruling bloc has been attempting to push through the legislation for months. An earlier draft had listed 676 crimes, but it was pared down to 277.
The law bans the plotting of serious crimes such as terrorism but also lesser offences such as;
Though the government has promised that the law will not be used unfairly, critics remain unconvinced.
They say the law is too broadly worded and gives the authorities sweeping powers.
They have also questioned the inclusion of certain acts and asked how they could be linked to terrorism and organised crime.
The government argues some could be used in association with criminal operations - for example, a gang or terror cell could fund its operations from the sale of illegally picked mushrooms.
But an editorial by newspaper The Mainichi said...

Summary: Japan's lawmakers have passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to target terror conspiracies.
###
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:


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.
###
Article: Dawn Copley was one of several senior officers at Greater Manchester Police accused of "corrupt practice" by another officer who was later sacked.
Kent Police investigated the claim.
South Yorkshire's Chief Constable David Crompton, who is suspended, previously said he had taken "appropriate advice" ahead of her appointment in October.
The force has been approached for comment.
While Assistant Chief Constable at Greater Manchester Police, Ms Copley was in charge of the force's professional standards branch.
The branch was investigating Chief Inspector John Buttress over alleged mortgage fraud.
A criminal case against Ch Insp Buttress was thrown out in 20 minutes, but the force pursued a case of gross misconduct against him and he was eventually sacked.
Mr Buttress claimed he was the victim of "corrupt practice" within the force's anti-corruption unit and complained about misconduct within the force.
Kent Police then conducted an investigation and its report has now been given to Greater Manchester Police for consideration.
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: "We've received a copy of the report and sent it to the complainant as requested.
"The individual now has 28 days to appeal the findings."
Mr Buttress said he was yet to receive a copy of the report.
In October, Mr Crompton said he was aware of the Greater Manchester Police investigation when he appointed Ms Copley as his deputy and said he had taken "appropriate advice" and "taken these matters into account".
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings revealed he was not made aware of the Greater Manchester Police investigation prior to her appointment.
Chief Constable David Crompton was suspended on Wednesday over his force's behaviour during the Hillsborough inquests.

Summary: The new Acting Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police has been appointed despite being investigated over her conduct with another force.
###
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 government has announced a £1.5bn investment in the care sector, with the aim of reducing the number of people in care homes.
The government has also announced a £1.5bn investment in the care sector, with the aim of reducing the number of people in care homes.
The government has

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.
###
Article: The "care calculator" covers both residential care and the support provided in people's own homes.
Users can submit their postcode and find out how much each service costs wherever they live in the UK.
Care Minister Norman Lamb said it was a great example of "public sector broadcasting", while users praised they way it explained the system.
The gudie also gives details about how the systems differ in the four nations - since devolution, the way services are organised has diverged.
The ageing population means there is an increasing focus on care services - and how they link up with the NHS.
About 420,000 people live in care homes across the UK, while another 1m get help in their own home.
Some people pay for all their care, while others get help from their local councils towards their fees.
There are another 1.5 million people who rely on friends and family for support.The guide has been compiled using information from analysts LaingBuisson, councils and through the Freedom of Information Act.
It shows how care costs can vary - in Barnsley the average sum paid for a care home place is £399.13 a week, for example, while in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea costs top £1,000.
Users in England are also able to get an estimate of how much they may have to pay before their care costs are capped under a reform due to be introduced in April 2016.
420,000
people live in care homes
1 in 3
pay for themselves
£574 avg weekly fee in England
£513 avg weekly fee in Wales
£510 avg weekly fee in Scotland
£492  avg weekly fee in N Ireland
Elsewhere in the UK, the guide provides information about local fees - and what elements of the system are free.
In Scotland, personal care is free, while in Northern Ireland many do not have to pay for home care. In Wales, help at home is capped at £55 a week.
Norman Lamb, England's care minister, said: "This calculator is a fantastic resource.
"It gives you lots of great information and is what public sector broadcasting is all about. I'm really impressed."
Janet Morrison, chief...

Summary: The BBC has been praised for launching a "fantastic" online guide to the care system for the over-65s.
###
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.
###
Article: Animal rights campaigners Peta claimed they saw "frightened owls [in] tiny cages" when they visited the attraction in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.
Warner Bros Studio Tour London said: "It is essential the welfare of the birds... is of the highest standard."
It added it had asked the company which owns the birds to "review this matter".
The tour allows Harry Potter fans to meet Harry's owl, Hermione's cat and other "animal stars" from the film franchise.
A Peta investigator secretly filmed the attraction, apparently showing handlers encouraging visitors to touch the owls and making them perform "demeaning" tricks.
"Confining frightened owls to tiny cages where they can only chew at their tethers in frustration goes against every message of respect and kindness that JK Rowling's wonderful books taught us," Peta director Mimi Bekhechi said.
"Peta are calling on Warner Bros Studio Tour London to make sure that the Harry Potter tour stays magical - and not cruel - by keeping live animals out of it."
In response, Warner Bros Studio said: "The owls that appeared in the Harry Potter film series occasionally come to the studio tour.
"They appear for short periods and are exclusively handled by the experts at Birds and Animals, the company that owns and trains them. We have asked them to review this matter."
A spokeswoman for Birds and Animals said: "The welfare of our birds and animals is our number one priority and we want to ensure they remain stress-free and healthy.
"The owls are always given regular breaks and closely monitored by a vet. Now that we have had the opportunity to see the footage, we have instigated a review of the issues raised.
"We will take appropriate action to ensure that the birds and animals always receive the very best care."
The Making of Harry Potter attraction at Warner Bros Studios opened in March 2012.
Located where the successful movie franchise was filmed for more than 10 years, the tour features sets, costumes and props from the series.

Summary: The welfare of animals at a Warner Bros Harry Potter studio tour is to be reviewed after concerns about their treatment.
###
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:


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.
###
Article: Labour's Mark Dempsey said it was important the town "gets better as it gets bigger", and James Faulkner, UKIP, said brown field sites should be used.
Liberal Democrat Janet Ellard and Poppy Hebden-Leeder, Green, agreed more needs to be done to develop communities.
Justin Tomlinson, Conservative, said the growth had resulted in Â£19.2m of New Homes Bonuses from the government.
The five candidates were speaking on a BBC Radio Wiltshire election debate programme.
In the last decade, the population of Swindon has grown by over 16% and the borough council is forecasting by 2021 there will be around, 240,000 people living in the town.
Poppy Hebden-Leeder, from the Green party, said the the infrastructure was not "keeping up" with the population.
"We're having to play catch-up very fast and I'm not sure just putting in a [northern link road] is sufficient," she said.
Liberal Democrat Janet Ellard said some areas lacked community feel and the town needed extra "community halls, shops and possibly new churches".
UKIP's James Faulkner said he wanted a new link road but said brownfield sites should be developed.
"There are areas - the park and ride facility and industrial sites behind Stratton Road - which could now be used for house building," he said.
But Labour's Mark Dempsey said a University of Swindon and a "better town centre" were the "big priorities".
Conservative Justin Tomlinson said Mr Dempsey's "grand plans to go on a spending spree" could be jeopardised if Labour came into power.
"The Labour shadow minister confirmed they would scrap the New Homes Bonus because that money should be going to towns where they don't have development," he said.
"Swindon is the fastest growing town. It would rob Swindon of Â£19.2m."
The candidates for the constituency are:
Mark Dempsey, Labour
Janet Ellard, Liberal Democrat
James Faulkner, UKIP
Poppy Hebden-Leeder, Green
Justin Tomlinson, Conservative

Summary: Swindon's rapid growth needs to be matched with better infrastructure and a new link road, candidates have said.
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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:


A new report has found that the number of people who are homeless in the UK is increasing.
The report, by the charity Shelter, found that the number of people who are homeless in the UK is increasing.
The charity said the number of people who are homeless in the UK is increasing because of a combination of

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: Whitbread confirmed it had added pork to a dish served in Table Table and Whitbread Inns restaurants, but denied claims in the Sun that it had continued to advertise it as a "beef lasagne".
The chain said although online menus had not been immediately updated, menus in "all restaurants" had been changed.
A spokesman said pork was part of "a traditional Italian lasagne recipe".
According to the Sun, which carried the story on its front page on Tuesday, the restaurant outlets did not change some of their menus for three months after pork had been added to the recipe.
The newspaper said the dish was still being advertised as a "beef lasagne" even though it had pork in.
The paper said the move could offend Jewish and Muslim customers, who do not eat pork for religious reasons and could have ordered the dish in the belief it contained only beef.
A Whitbread spokesman confirmed it had changed its recipe in the restaurants in September, saying "most people will be aware a traditional Italian lasagne recipe would typically include a beef and pork ragu".
"We mistakenly, and with no ill intent, missed updating the website/online menus for our Table Table and Whitbread Inns brands, but as soon as we were alerted to this we corrected them," the spokesman added.
"This was a genuine mistake on our part and we sincerely apologise to customers if this resulted in any confusion when they were presented with the correct menu at the restaurant."
However, the firm denied it had misled customers.
"We strongly refute the Sun's claim that we have added pork to our lasagne recipe at our restaurants without telling customers," the spokesman added.
"We believe that the Sun are using an old menu which has not been in use in our restaurants for some time.
"We changed the menu from 'beef lasagne' to a more authentic 'lasagne' recipe that includes pork in September last year and, at that point, we updated the menus in all of our restaurants to reflect the change."
It added: "We are confident, therefore, that our customers would have been...

Summary: A restaurant chain has apologised for failing to update its online menu after it added pork to its lasagne recipe.
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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 new study has found that the use of ecstasy (MDMA) is associated with a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety.

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: Police Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) said that ecstasy - especially in crystalline form - was "potent" and potentially deadly.
They said there had been recent cases of young people "experiencing significant adverse effects".
The warning comes with the UK's outdoor music festival season under way.
Det Insp Michael Miller, Police Scotland's national drug co-ordinator, said: "Any drug can be dangerous and MDMA in crystalline form is likely to be far more concentrated.
"These incidents highlight the dangers of taking MDMA in both its crystalline and pill form.
"These drugs are potent and you are putting your health at risk if you take ecstasy."
He added: "The festival season has now started, ecstasy and other drugs will be in circulation with some people trying them for the first time.
"The police message is clear -  taking any illicit drug puts your health in danger and if you are found with illegal drugs you will be reported to the procurator fiscal and may be arrested."
Dr Richard Stevenson, NHS GGC's consultant in emergency medicine, said anyone who feels unwell after taking illegal drugs should seek medical help as soon as possible.
"A description or if possible the substance/tablet taken brought with the patient to the department to assist in treatment would also be helpful."

Summary: A health warning has been issued about the dangers of ecstasy (MDMA) after some young people became ill on taking the drug in tablet or crystal form.
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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 UK economy is set to grow by 2.5% in the second quarter of this year, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The growth is expected to be the fastest in the UK since the second quarter of 2008.
The ONS said the economy will grow by 2.5

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).
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Article: The Economists for Brexit argue that if the Vote Leave campaign is successful on 23 June, the UK can look forward to faster growth, lower prices and a larger economy.
They are up against formidable opposition - what those who support Britain remaining in the EU call the "consensus view" that the UK would be poorer if Brexit were to happen.
The group that make this argument includes the Bank of England, the Treasury, the International Monetary Fund, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the London School of Economics.
The studies they have produced are indeed substantial and serious.
One Remain source told me this morning that "the economic case against leaving the EU is beyond doubt".
And that claiming the debate was in any way "balanced" between in and out was akin to disputing climate change evidence.
Certainly, the weight of established economic opinion has favoured Britain staying in the European Union on economic grounds.
But that does not mean that the Economists for Brexit group can lightly be dismissed.
First its membership includes Patrick Minford, professor of applied economy at Cardiff University who was formerly one of the "wise people" advising the Treasury between 1993 and 1996.
And Gerard Lyons, former chief economist at Standard Chartered Bank who is now adviser to Boris Johnson, the London Mayor and of course prominent Brexit campaigner.
Many would baulk at describing such figures as "lacking credibility", despite the efforts of some in the Remain campaign.
"Tinpot" was one word I heard used.
Second, the economic model they use to forecast the future - though different from the Treasury's for example - has a long track record and has been influential in the past.
That economic model does produce a radically different view of the future if Britain were to leave.
Where the Treasury report last week said the economy would be more than 6% smaller - and poorer - by 2030 if Britain leaves the EU, today's report says it would be 4% larger, and richer.
I asked Professor Minford why there was such a...

Summary: Today eight economists have struck out against much mainstream economic thinking and suggested that the UK economy would flourish outside the European Union.
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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: