Standing seven feet tall, China's maritime giant Admiral Zheng He led the world's mightiest fleet, with 300 ships and as many as 30,000 troops under his command.

Article: The move means Glasgow-based Loganair will stop flying under the Flybe brand from 31 August next year.
The Scottish airline operates on lifeline routes between the Scottish mainland and islands, including the Western and Northern isles.
Loganair, which has operated under franchise agreements for 24 years with other airlines, said it will operate in "its own right" from 1 September 2017.
The company, which also operates flights between Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee to airports in England, had a franchise agreement with British Airways from 1993 to 2007, and then from later in 2007 with Flybe.
Flybe said its decision followed "a failure to agree future operational standards and commercial arrangements".
Executive chairman Simon Laffin said: "Scotland is very important to Flybe, and we want to ensure that we serve our customers there to the highest standards, whilst delivering a return to our shareholders.
"We shall announce our plans on continuing to serve Scotland in due course.
"In the meantime our customers can travel and book tickets exactly as before, while any new arrangements will be put in place from September 2017 onwards."
Loganair said it was looking forward to operating under its own brand. The company said it was continuing to discuss with Flybe potential opportunities to work together in future.
Peter Simpson, chief executive of Airline Investments Ltd, Loganair's parent company, said: "Today's announcement is a major milestone in the 54-year history of Loganair.
"Although Loganair has flown as a franchise carrier for larger airlines over the last 24 years, there is still a huge level of recognition and affinity for the Loganair name throughout Scotland and beyond.
"We believe the time is right for Scotland's airline to now spread its wings once again, and are delighted to be introducing a bold new corporate identity to accompany this important move."
Jonathan Hinkles, Loganair's managing director, told BBC Radio Scotland that the end of the franchise agreement would not change its route...

Summary: Flybe is ending its franchise agreement with Scottish airline Loganair.
###
Article: His comments came as official figures showed just 4.4% of full-time firefighters in England and Wales are from non-white communities.
In Greater Manchester the figure is just 2.8% - even though 16.2% of the population is from an ethnic minority.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the figures were "totally unacceptable".
Mr Penning, who took over the fire and rescue portfolio in January, said diversity was "not an optional extra".
"Firefighters, like police officers and other local emergency services personnel, should reflect the communities they serve and we expect fire and rescue authorities to do much more to improve BME... representation," he said.
In West Yorkshire, which includes the cities of Leeds and Bradford, ethnic minority firefighters make up 3.8% of full-time firefighters, compared with 18.2% of the population, the figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government showed.
In the West Midlands - where the BME community makes up 29.9% of the population - only 8.1% of full-time firefighters are from ethnic minorities.
Mick Nicholas, the most senior black member of the FBU, told BC Radio 5 live the fire service had been "inconsistent" at recruiting from non-white communities.
Percentage of BME firefighters compared to proportion of local population
Greater Manchester - 2.8% (compared to 16.2% local population)
Merseyside - 3.6% (compared to 5.5% local population)
South Yorkshire - 2.6% (compared to 9.4% local population)
West Midlands - 8.1% (compared to 29.9% local population)
West Yorkshire - 3.8% (compared to 18.2% local population)
Greater London - 12.2% (compared to 40.2% local population)
Source: Department for Communities and Local Government
"I think BME people don't go for fire jobs because they don't know about them. It's still quite nepotistic. There's a dearth of information about the fire service in BME communities," he said.
"The figures for places like West Yorkshire and Manchester are totally unacceptable. Manchester has just recruited a load of fire officers but not...

Summary: Fire services must do "much more" to recruit black and minority ethnic (BME) firefighters, new fire minister Mike Penning has said.
###
Article: The BBC spoke to nuclear and defence experts Ankit Panda, James Acton and Bruce Bennett about the latest test.
At this stage, not a lot. The United States Geological Survey did say it generated seismic waves equivalent to a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, although analysts at the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said it was equivalent to a 4.9 quake.
Working out exactly how powerful the blast was - also known as its "yield" - depends partly on how deep underground the test was.
Initial estimates have been in the 10 to 15 kiloton range, according to Bruce Bennett, a senior defence analyst at the Rand Corporation, making it just slightly larger than the 2013 test.
However, some reports say the yield was smaller.
North Korea's tests in 2006 and 2009 are thought to have been plutonium fission devices, but speculation was rife that its 2013 test was of an uranium-enriched device, though this has never been confirmed.
"In general, uranium devices are much more difficult to fabricate and operate," says Ankit Panda, associate editor of The Diplomat.
A test based on a uranium device would spell new dangers because weapons-grade plutonium enrichment happens in large facilities that are easier to spot and uranium enrichment uses many, possibly small, centrifuges that can be hidden away.
North Korea has also depleted its stocks of weapons-grade plutonium but has plentiful reserves of uranium ore.
Whatever your starting material, the significance of an H-bomb is that it is more powerful and technologically advanced than atomic weapons, such as those that devastated two Japanese cities in World War II.
H-bombs use fusion - the merging of atoms - to unleash massive amounts of energy, whereas atomic bombs use nuclear fission, or the splitting of atoms.
The estimated size of the blast suggests that they did not succeed in detonating a full thermonuclear device, experts say, because in that case you would expect a blast closer to 100 kilotons or more.
"It tentatively appears too small to be a hydrogen bomb," James...

Summary: North Korea says it has carried out an underground test of a hydrogen bomb, a more powerful weapon than the atomic bombs it has tested before.
###
Article: Next month, archaeologists will begin work off the coast of Kenya to identify a wreck believed to have belonged to the man some historians believe inspired the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor.
Chinese archaeologists, who arrived in the African country this week, are hoping that the shipwreck could provide evidence of the first contact between China and east Africa.
Setting sail more than 600 years ago, Zheng's armada made seven epic voyages, reaching south-east Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Some say he even made it to America - several decades before the celebrated European explorer Christopher Columbus - although this has been widely disputed by historians.
Zheng, known as the Three-Jewel Eunuch Admiral, carried gifts from the Chinese emperor aboard his "treasure ship", which groaned with valuable cargo including gold, porcelain and silks.
These were exchanged along the established Arab trade routes for ivory, myrrh and even China's first giraffe, promoting recognition of the new Ming dynasty.
But within years of his death, Zheng appeared to fade from public consciousness, and for centuries his legend was overlooked as China turned its back on the world and entered a long period of isolation.
Now Zheng is enjoying a resurgence - and there appears to be more than historical curiosity behind his revival.
The sunken ship is believed to have been part of Zheng's armada, which reached the coastal town of Malindi in 1418.
The Chinese seem confident they will find the wreck near the Lamu archipelago, where pieces of Ming-era ceramics have already surfaced.
The Chinese government is investing Â£2m ($3m) in the three-year joint project, which Kenya says it hopes will throw up important findings about early relations between China and Africa.
Analysts say this ties in well with China's diplomatic overtures to African nations, as it goes about securing natural resources and political influence.
Zheng He - also known as Cheng Ho - is being hailed anew as a national hero; invoked by the Communist Party as a pioneer...

Summary:


The government has been trying to get rid of the "flood-like situation" in the UK, but the government has been trying to get rid of it.
The government has been trying to get rid of the "flood-like situation" in the UK, but the government has been trying to get rid

A prison has written to people who live nearby asking them to help stop packets of "illicit articles" being thrown over the jail walls.

Article: Angus Carpenter, 62, has played the Scottish instrument in Liverpool city centre for more than 30 years, usually dressed in kilt and piper's regalia.
Liverpool Crown Court heard he gave the impression he was collecting for charity three times in 2015.
He denied three charges of fraud and told the court he was busking.
Sgt Chris Gaynor told the court Mr Carpenter was spotted by police on three occasions in 2015, each time giving the impression he was collecting cash for charity.
On one occasion his collecting bucket was adorned with stickers resembling the Help for Heroes logo and the other two with a Hillsborough Justice Campaign banner draped on his bagpipes.
Passers-by would have assumed he was collecting on behalf of those organisations, the court heard.
Mr Carpenter said he has piped for charity in the past but on these occasions he was busking.
The court heard Kenneth Derbyshire, chairman of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, said he had given Mr Carpenter permission to design and display a banner featuring the eternal flame and the word justice.
But he said he had made it clear to Mr Carpenter he was not use it to collect funds for the charity.
Mr Carpenter told the court the banner was a tribute to the victims not an attempt to deceive anyone.
He told the court he was a busker who made money from performing on the streets and he never intended to give the impression he was raising money for charity.
On occasions when he did fundraise, he said, he always insisted that representatives from the relevant charities collected the cash.
The trial continues.

Summary: A bagpiping busker used a Hillsborough charity banner to dupe big-hearted Scousers into handing over money, a court has heard.
###
Article: Plenty it seems, especially if the minister decides that he can't walk through ankle-deep water.
A picture showing Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, being carried by police officials through flood waters went viral at the weekend.
The picture has sparked anger, memes and jokes on Twitter.
Large parts of India have been flooded after a number of rivers started flowing above the danger level. At least 17 people have been reportedly killed in flood-related incidents in Madhya Pradesh.
And in the eastern state of Bihar, at least 15,000 people have been evacuated from their homes after a "flood-like situation" in a dozen districts. Floods are common in India during the monsoon season between June and September.
Mr Chouhan, like other chief ministers, visited the flood-affected areas over the weekend to review rescue efforts, but ended up becoming the recipient of bad publicity.
His office told the Hindustan Times that police officials decided to carry him because "he had trouble walking after his foot hit a hard object in the mud".
But the statement did not stop Twitter users from reacting with amusement. Some Twitter users said the minister's picture had redefined the meaning of "aerial survey".
Some Twitter users also expressed anger over Mr Chouhan's conduct.

Summary: What could possibly go wrong if people take pictures of a chief minister visiting his state's flood-hit areas?
###
Article: National Grid, which owns and operates the UK's gas and electricity networks, faces "conflicts of interest", said the Energy and Climate Change Committee.
Despite its "technical expertise", it should be broken up, the MPs said.
But National Grid said there was "little evidence" that switching to the US system would bring any benefits.
The committee said that the change was necessary because more power was being generated by regional networks, making energy flows more complicated.
The committee complained of "legislative and regulatory inertia" and said small-scale generators, such as solar power producers, faced problems in connecting to the grid.
"The UK needs clean, renewable power, but it won't be built if it's too costly or difficult for generators to connect to the electricity grid," said committee chairman Angus MacNeil.
"Distribution networks have been overwhelmed at times by the challenge of integrating small-scale renewables."
The Independent System Operator (ISO) system advocated by the committee is used in the US. An ISO oversees the electrical power system in one or more states. The committee would like to see it adopted for energy transmission at a national level, while regional operators would control power flows locally.
"The Independent System Operator model has worked in the USA. It is time for it to be brought to these shores," said Mr MacNeil.
National Grid, a private company listed on the London Stock Exchange, rejected the committee's findings.
"There is little evidence that an Independent System Operator model would provide any benefits that would justify the cost to households, potential disruption to much of the energy sector, and the risks to security of supply such uncertainty could create," a spokeswoman said.

Summary: The UK's energy system needs major reform, with the National Grid replaced by a US-style independent operator, a committee of MPs has said.
###
Article: Chelmsford Prison told residents there had recently been "numerous incidents" of packages being hurled over the wall.
One former inmate said the jail was "notorious" for being "flooded" with mobile phones and synthetic cannabis.
The Ministry of Justice said staff worked "extremely hard" to stop contraband from getting into prisons.
"However more must be done, which is why the Justice Secretary has asked us to look at how we can ensure prisons have the tools in place to tackle this kind of problem," the spokeswoman added.
Follow updates on this story and other news from Essex
A woman who lives near the prison, who did not want to be named, said she had witnessed packages being thrown over the wall "four times in two weeks."
"It's getting quite bad at the minute. The prison wants us to come to an evening to talk about what to do if anything does get thrown over," she said.
"I don't feel frightened, but obviously it's not nice - I always lock the doors and everything."
The former inmate claimed drones were used to fly contraband goods "straight up to prison windows", but the Ministry of Justice said there was no evidence of drones coming into the Chelmsford site.
The spokeswoman said laws had been introduced which mean people who smuggle packages over prison walls could be jailed for up to two years.

Summary:

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The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says the SNP will be "coming to Westminster to break up our country".

A cyclist who was killed when he was hit by a car police were pursuing has been described by his family "as a respected and dedicated academic".

Article: The statement comes as a committee of AMs found the number of stillbirths in Wales to be "unacceptably high" at an average of 180 each year.
They say evidence from a one-day inquiry into stillbirths held last June showed 64 babies could be saved each year if Wales could emulate Scandinavian success in reducing the rate.
Julia Chandler, national officer for the RCM in Wales, also told BBC News the way foetal growth was measured needed to be standardised, and customised growth charts which made allowances for things like the mother's ethnic group should be rolled out across the country.
A study published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in January concluded better monitoring of pregnancies including measuring foetal growth, using scans at a later stage and recording the movements of foetuses more accurately could save up to 600 babies a year in the UK.
It came two days after the RCM warned a shortage of midwives and a fall in students and any future cuts would risk the quality of services.
Ms Chandler said all midwives used tape measures to monitor foetal growth past around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
However she said one thing which both midwives and doctors seemed to find very hard to do was to talk to pregnant women about the possibility of stillbirth occurring.
A sign that something may be wrong is often a reduction in foetal movements, and getting that investigated promptly can make a difference to the outcome.
"What the reduction of midwives will do is reduce the amount of time midwives have with women. You need some continuity with someone so that they trust them," she said.
"You need some time with people and it's not the sort of thing you can do if you only have two minutes with them.
"It's easier to have a difficult conversation if the mother knows someone.
"If you have just met somebody it's difficult to say midway through, 'we need to have a chat about stillbirth'."
She said since the inquiry into stillbirths had begun, many people had commented on how common stillbirth was but it was not in the...

Summary: The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says a drop in midwife numbers in Wales could be taking vital time away from appointments which could be used to talk to women about the risks of stillbirth and how to help avoid it.
###
Article: The Conservative leader told the BBC the idea of SNP influence over a Labour PM was a "frightening prospect".
But Ms Sturgeon said the SNP "want to be constructive, to get better politics coming out of the Westminster system".
Labour's Ed Balls said the Tories and SNP wanted each other to do well. "They are in bed together," he told Sky News.
The possible role of the SNP in a post-election government has been one of the key issues in the campaign so far.
Labour has rejected the idea of a coalition or deal with the SNP - who are threatening to take a swathe of seats from them in Scotland, if opinion polls turn out to be accurate.
But the Conservatives have demanded that Labour also rule out any prospect of operating as a minority government and relying on SNP support on a vote-by-vote basis.
The SNP have said that they would seek to prevent a Conservative government and would seek to ensure any Labour government was "progressive".
SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie told the BBC's Sunday Politics the party would vote against "cuts that we didn't like", highlighting the SNP's opposition to the Trident nuclear weapons system.
In the absence of a five-year deal, he said: "There would be no deal so we would be perfectly at liberty to table amendments to Budgets and legislation, vote against or table amendments to estimates, perfectly sensible."
Earlier on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Cameron said: "The SNP is a party that doesn't want to come to Westminster to contribute to a government; it wants to come to Westminster to break up our country.
"When you have a group of Nationalists that want to be involved with the government of a country which they don't want to belong to you have to ask yourself if you're a voter in England, or Wales, or Northern Ireland would these people care at all about what happens in my life and my constituency? The answer is 'no'."
Ms Sturgeon rejected the view the SNP would attempt to cause disruption at Westminster to further its goal of independence - while also ruling out any deal with the...

Summary: Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed David Cameron's claim that they would be "coming to Westminster to break up our country".
###
Article: The firm went into administration last month.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise has been selected as the preferred bidder to take over the assets of the company.
But administrators KMPG said they had been unable to sell the business as a going concern, so the remaining staff will now lose their jobs.
Edinburgh-based Pelamis Wave Power had employed more than 50 staff in the design, manufacture and operation of wave energy converters which it had been testing at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
Administrators were called in after Pelamis failed to secure enough funding to develop its technology.
The majority of Pelamis employees were made redundant following the joint administrators' appointment.
By Douglas FraserBusiness and economy editor, Scotland
Administrators found the best option was to sell the assets to the government.
That suggests a lack of other options.
Now, the challenge taken on by the Scottish government, its agencies, and the Wave Power Forum it set up when Pelamis went into administration, is to find a way to make use of the invention.
The aim is to stop it becoming another technology lost to foreign competitors.
The Scottish government announced it was establishing a public innovation company Wave Energy Scotland following Pelamis' demise and pledged to offer job opportunities for some of its staff.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise is responsible for setting up the new body and delivering on its remit.
Blair Nimmo, joint administrator and head of restructuring at KPMG in Scotland, said: "Following the sales process, I am pleased to confirm that Highland and Islands Enterprise has been appointed preferred bidder in relation to acquiring the assets of Pelamis Wave Power Limited.
"Over the coming days we will be working to finalise the sale and are hopeful that the transaction can be concluded in the near future.
"Unfortunately, as no going concern solution has been found, the remaining staff will shortly be made redundant. We are working with government agencies to ensure...

Summary: The 16 remaining staff at collapsed wave power company Pelamis are to be made redundant after no final offers were made for the business.
###
Article: Andrew Platten, 55, from Bingley, died at the scene in Cottingley Cliffe Road in the town on Tuesday.ã€€
West Yorkshire Police said officers had tried to stop the car after seeing the driver "acting suspiciously".
Police said the car then "sped off and collided" with Dr Platten a short distance away.
The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
A 22-year-old Bradford man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has been released on bail.
Dr Platten worked at Leeds Beckett University. Its website describes him as an associate dean for international and collaborative provision in the Faculty of Arts, Environment and Technology.
In a statement, his family said: "Andrew excelled as a respected and dedicated academic, with a love for art, poetry and music. For anyone that knew him, cycling was his true passion as he became a recognised competitive rider on the roads. ã€€
"Most importantly he was a loved friend, loyal brother and uncle, loving partner and a truly inspirational father. He will be deeply missed, but he has left his stamp on all who met him.
"He will always be cherished and never forgotten, living on in all our hearts."

Summary:


The A344 is a "new" monument, which is being built in the UK.
The A344 is being built in the UK.
The A344 is being built in the UK.
The A344 is being built in the UK.
The A344 is being built in the UK.
The

People concerned with traffic congestion in villages near Stonehenge are stepping up a campaign for "urgent action" to be taken.

Article: The leading UK authority on sports ground safety has distanced itself from a report seen by some as a 'route map' to getting the scheme back on track.
The report was published last month. It is called a "project assessment review" and was compiled by Cabinet Office officials.
The BBC understands that the Sports Grounds Safety Authority is unhappy with parts of it.
That is even though it referred to them as specialist contributors.
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is planning to build a 38,000-capacity stadium at its existing west Belfast sports ground, Casement Park.
However, the project has been dogged by issues of safety in its design.
Paul Scott, a safety chief on the project, raised concerns. He said that any design must allow for the ground to be evacuated in an emergency within eight minutes and that the pitch itself cannot be part of the emergency exiting plan.
His comments prompted several investigations.
Last month the project assessment review, commissioned by the Culture and Leisure Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and carried out by the Cabinet Office, recommended Mr Scott's removal as head of the safety group and concluded the new stadium was still achievable.
It said there could be flexibility on the eight minutes and that the pitch could be used as part of the plan.
Now, information has been provided to Stormont MLAs by the Sports Ground Safety Authority.
Known as the SGSA, it is the leading UK body on stadium safety.
Its chief executive said that while its experts were referred to in the Cabinet Office report, they had been asked general questions and were not asked to comment in detail on the specifics of the Casement plans.
It went on to say the conclusions "should not be taken to represent the SGSA's advice on the specifics" in relation to Casement.
Crucially, when it comes to the disputed eight-minute timescale and the pitch being used as a place of safety, the SGSA appears to agree with Paul Scott.
The SGSA also told MLAs that in new stadia, the exit routes should "allow all spectators to...

Summary: The GAA's Casement Park stadium project looks set for more problems.
###
Article: Mutations in BRCA genes can give women up to an 80% chance of developing breast cancer.
A trial involving 1,034 Ashkenazi Jews, who are at high risk, suggested more than half of their cases were not being picked up under the current NHS guidelines.
The Eve Appeal charity said wider testing would save lives and money.
Mutations in BRCA genes stop DNA repairing itself and increase the risk of cancer developing.
As well as breast cancer, they are also linked to ovarian and prostate cancers.
Around one in 800 people carry a BRCA mutation. But in the Ashkenazi Jewish population the figure reaches one in 40.
The research team, based at University College London and the University of Manchester, compared the effectiveness of screening all Ashkenazi Jews with just screening those who were identified as being at risk because of their family history.
They showed that 56% of those carrying a mutation would not have had a test for BRCA based on family history alone.
The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, show extra screening could save lives and money.
There are an estimated 114,400 Ashkenazi Jewish women in the UK.
A separate analysis showed screening all of them over the age of 30 would lead to "a reduction in ovarian cancer and breast cancer by 276 and 508 cases, respectively, at a discounted cost savings of Â£3.7m."
Prof Ian Jacobs, one of the researchers at the University of Manchester, said: "For the Ashkenazi Jewish community specifically, this suggests that population testing for BRCA1/2 mutations could save lives."
He told the BBC: "This can save lives and money, why wouldn't the NHS want to do something that could achieve both objectives.
"But the NHS does need to do its own proper evaluation."
The cost of this kind of screening, both for BRCA and other risk genes, is plummeting.
The NHS will eventually have to deal with questions about screening the whole population.
"No-one is suggesting we test the entire UK population for BRCA right now," Prof Ian Jacobs told the BBC.
He...

Summary: More people in high risk groups should have their DNA tested for breast cancer risk genes, a cancer charity says.
###
Article: The report gives details of a study into the potential for seals coming into contact with the renewable energy devices in the Pentland Firth.
The research suggests collisions could happen, but were not likely to be fatal to grey seals, a large seal species.
Smaller harbour seals might be "less robust", the report noted.
The report and analysis was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
The study examined the movements of tagged seals in the Pentland Firth, a narrow stretch of sea separating mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands.
Scientists based their research on a hypothetical array of up to 86 tidal turbines.
In their report, the researchers said there was potential for seals to collide with turbines, adding that larger grey seals were unlikely to be fatally injured.
But they also pointed out that seals should be able to detect turbines "both visually and acoustically and are also likely to be able to modify their behaviour to avoid collisions".
The scientists said this avoidance behaviour required additional research.

Summary: The ability of seals to avoid collisions with tidal turbines has still to be properly understood, a new report has suggested.
###
Article: The A344 next to the monument was shut in June to "restore the dignity" of the stone circle as part of a Â£27m project.
Residents of villages including Shrewton and Orcheston say their lanes have become "rat runs" for drivers avoiding congestion on the A303.
Campaigners will collect signatures for a petition this weekend.
Janice Hassett, from the Shrewton Traffic Action Group (Stag), said: "The A344 should not have been closed before the A303 was dualled.
"The A303 at Stonehenge Bottom was bad before, but it's a nightmare now.
"Traffic is stupidly backing up to Thruxton on a holiday weekend.
"Sat-navs are sending people right through our villages. There's going to be an accident."
The petition is asking for "urgent action" to be taken to tackle high volumes of non-local traffic using the B3086 through Shrewton, a 20mph speed limit to be introduced and better signage to be installed.

Summary:


The new watchdog is expected to be available in the next few months.
The BBC's David Cameron said the new watchdog will be available in the next few months.
The BBC's David Cameron said the new watchdog will be available in the next few months.
The BBC's David Cameron said the new watchdog will be

Rescuers used helicopters to pluck families from rooftops in the southern German town of Deggendorf on Wednesday as the Danube flood crisis continues.

Article: The rail network wants to pilot a ticketing system that scans people's phones to detect when they get on and off a train.
Each journey's fare is calculated and deducted from the user's bank account.
The tests are scheduled for 2017 and the technology could be available nationwide by 2018.
But one analyst claims the tech would result in only a modest improvement in convenience for passengers.
Using a smartphone's Bluetooth signal, the app allows passengers to open ticket barriers automatically, as well as get on and off trains, all without needing to hold a ticket.
Bluetooth sensors at the gates will detect when passengers enter and leave stations, and from this, calculate the journey each passenger has taken. The app will be connected to each user's bank account and charge for train fares in a manner similar to Uber does with taxis.
A design brief, written by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and seen by the BBC, suggests that the tech could eliminate consumers' problems in choosing the most affordable ticket.
It could also eliminate long queues at ticket machines, as well as provide a "seamless customer journey", the RSSB said.
A further benefit of the tech would be to track each train's performance, potentially leading to real-time journey and delay info, as well as simplifying the compensation process for delays.
For rail firms, each customer's smartphone could provide rich data on which journeys are most popular, potentially allowing them to reallocate trains to suit demand.
However, one analyst is not convinced that the tech is much of a breakthrough in terms of convenience.
"It's not too different from tapping an Oyster card on a ticket gate and tapping out the other end," said Ian Fogg, principal analyst at IHS Technology.
"All this is really saving is the trouble of taking a smartcard out and tapping it at the gate. That's a fairly small improvement."
But he said that simpler ways of proving a train has been delayed, as well as congestion tracking, would be a distinct advantage.
If Chiltern...

Summary: Smartphones could soon be used instead of rail tickets if an experiment by Chiltern Railways is successful.
###
Article: Owners Magnox said the workforce was being cut to 357, down from 522 staff, and about 25 agency workers by May.
Earlier this year, it said 1,600 jobs would be lost at 12 sites by 2016.
Anglesey's planned new nuclear power station, Wylfa Newydd, will employ more than 1,000 people once it begins working in the first half of the 2020s.
A company statement said: "When a nuclear power station moves from generation into the next phase of its lifecycle, which is defuelling, a reduced number of staff are needed for operational work.
"This is not unexpected and we've engaged fully with our staff and the trades unions about the planned changes.
"Wherever possible we will seek to make voluntary redundancies, as we have at our other Magnox stations."

Summary: A total of 165 jobs will be lost at Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey when the plant moves from energy generation to defueling, say bosses.
###
Article: But Sir Alan, the former judge who heads the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), said papers were unlikely to face exemplary Â£1m fines.
In a speech to the Society of Editors, he said Ipso would use a "slim, clear book of rules" not an "iron fist".
He insisted he did not want a "boring, defensive" press, but an "unruly" one.
"Mistakes and errors of judgement will always occur," said Sir Alan.
"But if you do so deliberately, flagrantly, without caring one jot whether you break the code or not, Ipso will damn you.
"We want a free, fair and unruly press ruled only by an independent regulator, Ipso, who will support you and encourage you to remain free, fair and unruly."
Most newspapers have signed up to Ipso, which replaced the much criticised Press Complaints Commission in the wake of the Leveson report into press standards.
The Guardian, Independent and Financial Times are three of those that have declined to embrace the new watchdog.
Campaign group Hacked Off, which wants tougher press regulation, has dismissed Ipso as a "sham".
Sir Alan has said Ipso will prove its independence with its actions.
Referring to the prospect of exemplary fines, Sir Alan said: "When Ipso was launched we were all told how different the regulatory regime would be now that there was power to fine up to Â£1m or 1% of annual turnover.
"And they said, 'There you are... now you can show your mettle by fining someone Â£1m, that's what you need.'
"You only have to say that, to see how unlikely it is. Proper successful independent regulation will not be established by manic firing of a big bazooka."
Sir Alan said Ipso's decisions would occasionally be unpopular.
"But we are not here to be popular. We are not here only to secure agreement but to manage disagreement.
"Of course it is important that there should be urgent and speedy resolution of complaints. Publications should be encouraged to settle disputes, with fairness, clarity and above all without delay."
One of the first tests for the new watchdog is the case of the...

Summary: Newspapers that break press rules "deliberately" or "flagrantly" will be "damned" by the new industry watchdog, its chairman, Sir Alan Moses, has said.
###
Article: Meanwhile more than 30,000 people in the eastern city of Halle have been told to leave their homes after rivers reached their highest level in 400 years.
Floodwater is also threatening parts of Austria and the Czech Republic.
At least 13 people have died and two are missing as a result of the floods.
Rising waters have been triggered by heavy rain following a wet spring.
Eight deaths were recorded in the Czech Republic and three in Germany, while two people were reported dead and two missing in Austria, according to a European Commission update on Tuesday evening.
Parts of Germany have not seen such severe flooding in centuries. However, in the Czech Republic, the water level has stabilised in the capital Prague, where there had been fears of a repeat of disasters in 2002 and 1997.
Helicopters started removing residents from their homes in Deggendorf on Wednesday after two levees along the Danube and Isar rivers broke.
Firefighter Alois Schraufstetter said the floodwater in the Bavarian town was 3m (9.8ft) high. "This is a life-threatening situation," he was quoted as saying by Germany's DPA news agency.
Four farmers were rescued at the very last minute by a helicopter before their tractor was submerged, he added.
German newspapers said water levels in the eastern city of Halle were at their highest for four centuries.
Officials said the city was in acute danger after floodwaters from the Saale river damaged a section of dykes.
The level of the River Elbe in the historic German city of Dresden, where at least 600 people were evacuated, is not expected to peak until Thursday morning.
Coaches reportedly ferried people out the town of Muhlberg, about 40km (25 miles) northwest of Dresden, as thousands were told to leave on Wednesday afternoon.
Chemical plants next to the swollen rivers have been shut down and their chemicals removed over safety concerns, the Associated Press reports.
Meanwhile, the floods were receding in the south German city of Passau. People could be seen sweeping up muck from their...

Summary:


"I am so happy to be part of the incredible and respected judging panel. Strictly is so loved by the British public, I have always been a massive fan.  I just can't wait!"

A row between a Police and Crime Commissioner and his deputy, who was found guilty of serious misconduct, has been resolved following a payout.

Article: Some infections are becoming almost impossible to treat, because of the excessive use of antibiotics.
And more than half of those used around the world are used in animals, often to make them grow more quickly.
The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance called for new targets on the amount of antibiotics used.
The great threat of excessive antibiotics use in agriculture was highlighted in China last month.
Scientists warned the world was on the cusp of the "post-antibiotic era" after discovering bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin - the medication used when all others have failed.
It appeared to develop in farm animals before also being detected in hospital patients.
In some cases, antibiotics are used in agriculture to treat infections - but most are used prophylactically in healthy animals to prevent infection or, controversially, as a way of boosting weight gain.
Using antibiotics as growth promoters was banned in the EU in 2006.
Such uses are more common in intensive farming conditions.
Based on current rates, the global consumption of antibiotics is expected to increase by 67% by 2030.
In the US alone, every year, 3,400 tonnes of antibiotics are used on patients, while 8,900 tonnes are used on animals.
The economist who led the review, Jim O'Neill, said such figures were simply "staggering" and 10 million people would die each year from drug-resistant infections by 2050.
He said a reasonable target for agricultural antibiotic use would be 50mg for every 1kg of livestock - a level already achieved by one of the world's biggest pork exporters, Denmark.
The UK uses just over 50mg/kg, the US uses nearly 200mg/kg, while Cyprus uses more than 400mg/kg.
Mr O'Neill told the BBC: "I'm sure many farmers will immediately think, 'Well, if we have to do this, that means the price goes up and I'll go out of business'.
"The Danish example shows that, after a very initial transition cost, actually over the long term prices weren't affected and Denmark has continued to maintain its market share."
Antibiotics are...

Summary: Farmers need to dramatically cut the amount of antibiotics used in agriculture, because of the threat to human health, a report says.
###
Article: International ballroom champion Shirley Ballas has been named as the new head judge on Strictly Come Dancing.
Nicknamed the Queen of Latin, the 56-year-old will replace Len Goodman when the BBC show returns this autumn.
Highly regarded in the world of ballroom, she has numerous titles to her name and is also the mother to Dancing with the Stars professional champion Mark Ballas.
Strictly professional Anton Du Beke and former judge Arlene Phillips were among the favourites to take on the head judge role.
Although not widely known to UK audiences, Ballas has been frequently seen on Dancing with the Stars, the US version of Strictly - on which Mark appeared for 10 years - giving masterclasses and commentary.
"I am so excited and over the moon to have been given this wonderful opportunity," she said.
"I can't wait to get in to the ballroom and be part of the incredible and respected judging panel. Strictly is so loved by the British public, I have always been a massive fan.  I just can't wait!"
Read more:
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Summary: It's the announcement everyone has been waiting a year for.
###
Article: These are the words of Graciela Yorio, the sister of Orlando Yorio - a priest who was kidnapped in May 1976 and tortured for five months during Argentina's last military government.
Ms Yorio accuses the then-Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio of effectively delivering her brother and fellow priest Francisco Jalics into the hands of the military authorities by declining to endorse publicly their social work in the slums of Buenos Aires, which infuriated the junta at the time.
Their kidnapping took place during a period of massive state repression of left-wing activists, union leaders and social activists which became known as the "Dirty War".
Orlando Yorio has since died. But, in a statement, Fr Jalics said on Friday he was "reconciled with the events and, for my part, consider them finished".
The Vatican has strenuously denied Pope Francis was guilty of any wrongdoing.
"There has never been a credible, concrete accusation against him," its spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, told reporters in Rome.
For Estela de la Cuadra, the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope, was "awful, a barbarity".
Her sister Elena was "disappeared" by the military in 1978 when five-months pregnant. Their father asked Fr Bergoglio for help in finding her.
"He gave my dad a handwritten note with the name of a bishop who could give us information on our missing relatives," Ms de la Cuadra says.
"When my father met the bishop, he was informed that his granddaughter was 'now with a good family'," she adds.
In 2010, then-Cardinal Bergoglio was asked to testify in the trial over the "stolen babies" - children born to the regime's opponents who were taken and handed over to be raised in suitable military families after their mothers were killed.
The cardinal said he had only known about that practice after democracy returned to Argentina in 1983.
Ms de la Cuadra believes the handwritten note contradicts this account, and testified under oath on the subject in May 2011.
Argentina's last military government left a deep scar on Argentine society that...

Summary: "I see a lot of joy and celebration for Pope Francis, but I'm living his election with a lot of pain."
###
Article: Yvonne Mosquito, the West Midlands Deputy PCC, was suspended after visiting a murder victim's family without informing officers.
Following a disciplinary in May 2016, Ms Mosquito had an employment tribunal listed to take place in May 2017.
A joint statement said "all outstanding matters" were resolved.
A BBC source said Ms Mosquito had received a payout. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner said it would not comment on whether money had exchanged hands.
Allegations against Ms Mosquito related to a visit she paid to the family of Kenichi Phillips, 18, who was shot dead in a car in Birmingham, on 17 March 2016.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said her actions "caused ongoing upset and distress" and "damaged the relationship" between the family and police "in the middle of a complex and sensitive murder investigation".
Her supporters insisted she visited as an ordained minister who wanted to offer condolences to relatives.
Her union Unite rejected the allegations, saying it was "deplorable" the hearing went ahead in Ms Mosquito's absence.
She was issued with a final written warning and her contract was never renewed.
The BBC previously reported Ms Mosquito wrote a letter of complaint about the PCC's behaviour towards her, of which the PCC was aware, four weeks before her suspension.
A joint statement issued by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Ms Mosquito said they were "happy to announce that they have amicably settled all outstanding matters between them".
"Litigation is a stressful business and the parties acknowledge and regret the effects that inevitably follow from that," it added.
The former colleagues thanked each other for their work around issues of equality, the statement added.

Summary:


The US and its major western allies, along with Russia, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, saw merit in the nuclear agreement that effectively "kicked the can down the road", postponing any confrontation with Tehran over its nuclear programme.
It is hard to see what practical impact these sanctions will have, since few of

Within days of an Iranian missile test and a subsequent warning from the Trump administration, the US has now followed up by imposing a new round of economic sanctions.

Article: They were investigating how the 4mm-long insect decides when to pounce.
Apparently the flies are not much good at judging the size of a target, so they use a strategy based partly on how fast a potential meal is buzzing past.
That means the researchers could trick the flies into going for targets that were far too big, but further away and faster-moving than expected.
The experiments, published in the journal Brain, Behaviour and Evolution, used a species called Coenosia attenuata, which is so good at killing other airborne critters - including fruit flies - that organic farmers use it as a biological control mechanism.
C. attenuata is an unfussy eating machine, explained Dr Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido - and that was partly why she started to study the little predators.
"It didn't look like they have a template for what they're looking for," she told BBC News.
"They go after things that are very slow, after things that are fast, after things that are white, things that are black..."
But a fly can't just pounce on everything. So what cue is the creature's brain looking for?
Many predators are able to gauge the size of their prey, using information like the comparison between two eyes to judge how far away it is and then calculate its size accordingly, before they decide whether to strike.
This includes dragonflies, which have much bigger eyes and brain than C. attenuata.
Dr Gonzalez-Bellido and her colleagues at the University of Cambridge set out to see whether these diminutive diners could do the same sums.
"We don't really know how well such small animals see; we don't really know what the constraints are on the system," she said.
In video experiments, her team presented the flies with moving beads of different sizes and speeds, as well as real fruit-fly meals. Every pounce was monitored using two cameras, so that the movement could be tracked precisely.
The cameras witnessed some extremely poor decisions, in which the 4mm insects set off after beads 12mm across. And the team saw similar mistakes when they...

Summary: Neuroscientists have recorded the first video footage of a tiny killer fly catching its prey in mid-air.
###
Article: Wiltshire Police said it was looking into the feasibility of a second unit in the Warminster area, instead.
It currently operates two units in Swindon and Melksham but will also be looking into closing the Melksham site.
Wiltshire's PCC Angus Macpherson, said the "heavy costs" of three units could not be justified and a second suite needed to be in an "optimum location".
According to the police, the three custody units in Swindon, Salisbury and Melksham, were costing "in excess of Â£4.5m a year to run".
Last June - in a bid to make Â£3m of cuts - the Salisbury unit was temporarily closed.
Now, following a review of the county's "custody needs", the Salisbury unit looks set to remain closed while Melksham could also face losing its custody suite.
"We are tied in contractually to the custody unit in Swindon because it was built under the Private Finance Initiative," said Mr Macpherson.
"That means we need our second unit in Wiltshire. We have agreed to carry out a feasibility study on the Warminster area because of its geographic location and the quality of transport links.
"The present custody unit in an estate on the outskirts of Melksham does not have that."
A feasibility study is due to begin in July and run through to the end of this year.

Summary: A new police custody suite will not be built in Salisbury, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has announced.
###
Article: The duo, who created Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son, are credited as "the trailblazers of the situation comedy format".
They were awarded OBEs in 2000 and will receive their Fellowship at the annual Bafta television awards on 8 May.
Alan Simpson said they were "extremely delighted" to receive the Fellowship in honour of their 60 year career.
"We always wanted a Fellowship, even though we did not know what a fellowship was. Not the sort of thing one associates with a couple of Cockney lads, apart from Alfred Hitchcock of course," he said.
Ray Galton added that they were "happy and honoured" to accept the award "on behalf of all the Blood Donors, Test Pilots, Radio Hams and Rag and Bone Men of the 20th Century without whom we would probably be out of a job. Thank you all".
Anne Morrison, Chair of Bafta, said it "comes as no surprise" that the duo were being honoured as they had "created some of the most iconic characters and programmes over the past few decades".
"Alan and Ray have had such successful careers, spanning over 60 years, with credits such as Steptoe and Son and Hancock's Half-Hour, two hugely popular sitcoms. They are rightly considered the trailblazers of the situation comedy format," she said.
The duo met while being treated in a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1949, and started writing for the hospital's radio station.
They went on to create the template for situation comedy with their popular series Hancock's Half-Hour, which started as a radio show in 1954.
It later transferred to TV and was aired on the BBC from 1956 to 1960.
Steptoe and Son, about a father and son rag and bone team, was their biggest TV hit.
It ran for 12 years from 1963-1974 and reached an audience of 28 million viewers.
Harold Steptoe and his father Albert lived in a squalid home, and the comedy and drama centred on Harold's constantly scuppered attempts to improve his lot.
Galton and Simpson are credited with bringing social realism to British comedy which helped lay the foundations for modern day classics like The...

Summary: Comedy writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson are to be honoured with a Bafta fellowship at this year's ceremony.
###
Article: The sanctions focus upon suppliers to Iran's missile programme and groups that help to arm what Washington sees as terror organisations in the region.
It is hard to see what practical impact these sanctions will have, since few of these organisations or individuals probably do business in the United States.
But the sanctions sends a clear warning to Tehran the guard has changed in Washington.
The Obama administration saw its relationship with Iran largely through the prism of the need to negotiate a deal to constrain Tehran's nuclear programme.
Iran's regional activities - support for Hamas and Hezbollah, military support for the Assad regime, backing of the Houthis in Yemen, and its growing influence in Iraq  - were all played down to ensure that the nuclear deal might go ahead.
For the Obama team, restraining Iran's nuclear activities was the overarching goal.
This was seen as an end in itself, one that might stave off military action, but also a step that might, over time, also lead Iran away from its relative economic isolation towards an improved relationship with the West.
Opinion was deeply divided on the nuclear deal.
The US and its major western allies, along with Russia, saw merit in the nuclear agreement that effectively "kicked the can down the road", postponing any confrontation with Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Washington's regional allies though - countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, who have watched Tehran's rise with alarm - were much less impressed.
And many of them may well have been hoping that the Trump team - which includes several vocal opponents of Tehran - might seek to undo the agreement.
Things are a little more complex than that. On a recent trip to Israel's major annual security conference last week, many experts and officials there took the view that a bad deal, if properly implemented, might be better than no deal at all.
What worries Israelis is the fact that Iran is now becoming a major player in the region.
Its support for the Assad regime in Syria...

Summary:


The club's new manager, David Cameron, has been suspended for a week after he was accused of assaulting a man in the back of a car.
The club's new manager, David Cameron, has been suspended for a week after he was accused of assaulting a man in the back of a car.
The club

Northampton's Kieran Brookes has been banned for two weeks after admitting charging into a ruck without using his arms in Friday's loss to Newcastle.

Article: Liberal Democrat Mick Longhurst, 82, had been due to stand for Mole Valley District Council in Surrey's Holmwoods ward.
Returning officer Yvonne Rees said she was cancelling Thursday's election and will set a new date in due course.
Mr Longhurst, who died on Saturday, had served as a councillor in the ward since 2000.
Voting in the general election will take place as planned.
Ms Rees said: "We will send out poll cards to let people know.
"I am following the protocol set out by law and will announce a new date for the election in the near future."
Other candidates who had also been due to contest the race for two council posts, will not need to be re-nominated.
"There will be an opportunity for other candidates to put their names forward," Ms Rees said.

Summary: A district council election has been cancelled at the last minute after one of the candidates died.
###
Article: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's leader Angus Campbell said the airline serving the route offered cheaper prices to get to the Algarve than Stornoway.
More than 11,000 people have "liked" the Facebook campaign.
Loganair, which flies the islands routes for Flybe, has defended the pricing structure.
It said children, student, people visiting family members in hospital and islanders were entitled to discounted travel.
Mr Campbell said bringing down the cost of air fares was a priority of Our Islands Our Future, a project seeking more powers for Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles councils.
He said: "A number of islanders have questioned why fares are so high.
"As an example, after a quick look on the Flybe website this afternoon I notice that a flight from Stornoway to Glasgow tomorrow, Wednesday, and returning Thursday would cost a total of Â£351.
"Just a few days later, the same company is offering a return flight from Aberdeen to Faro in Portugal for just Â£21 more."
Loganair said that like all commercial transport providers it offered a tiered fare structure and prices were determined by flight, by day and by season.
A spokesperson said: "As is the case with most airlines, fares purchased in close proximity to the time of departure are generally more expensive.
"Loganair is one of the few airlines which continues to offer a 33% discount for children as well as concession fares for students and family members visiting a relative in hospital.
"With the Scottish Government's Air Discount Scheme, island residents benefit from a 40% discount of the fare excluding airport charges and Air Passenger Duty."

Summary: Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney councils have backed a campaign on social media that criticises the cost of air fares to Scottish islands.
###
Article: The new material is thin as well as hard and is made using alumina, an oxide of aluminium.
If successfully commercialised, it could increase the durability of glass used in the windows of buildings, cars and in smartphone displays.
The team from the University of Tokyo and Japan's Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute have published their findings in Scientific Reports journal.
The material belongs to a category known as oxide glasses, which mainly consist of silicon dioxide - but with their strength boosted by alumina.
However, attempts to increase the amount of alumina have faltered in the past because it would cause the mixture to crystallise when it came into contact with the sides of its container, preventing a useful glass from being formed.
Atsunobu Masuno from the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo and colleagues used oxygen gas to push the ingredients into the air and then used lasers to melt them.
The resultant glass was colourless, transparent and extremely hard. A property called Young's modulus, which is an indicator of stiffness, was greater than that of some metals, and on its way to values associated with steel.
Another mechanical property, called Vickers hardness, was comparable with the highest values previously reported for oxide glasses.
"We will establish a way to mass-produce the new material shortly," Dr Masuno told the Asahi Shinbun newspaper. "We are looking to commercialise the technique within five years."

Summary: Scientists in Japan have developed a type of ultra-hard glass.
###
Article: The 26-year-old England tight-head prop, who was sent off, pleaded guilty at a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.
Brookes will miss Saints' Premiership game at Leicester on Saturday and their Champions Cup game with Leinster.
Newcastle lock Calum Green, 26, has also been banned for a week after admitting striking with his arm.
Green, who will miss Falcons' home game with Harlequins on Sunday, struck Brookes with his forearm during the same game and was cited by the citing commissioner after the incident was missed by referee Andrew Jackson.
Brookes was dismissed in the 38th minute of Saints' 22-16 defeat when he charged into the ruck and struck the head of Newcastle hooker Scott Lawson with his shoulder.

Summary:


Iceland's parliament is examining a bill that would require companies to prove they offer equal pay to employees.

Article: Stage three on 8 September will start in Cumbria but finish at Floors Castle in Kelso via Gretna.
The following day the race will resume in Edinburgh before heading south to Northumberland.
Paul Bush of EventScotland said the "stunning scenery" of the area would provide a "perfect stage" for the race.
"The Edinburgh start in particular will be of particular interest to Scottish cycling fans as we see the peloton ride through the capital for the very first time," he said.
"With excitement and passion for cycling at a record high following the hugely successful road race at the Commonwealth Games last year, we look forward to welcoming some of the world's top riders to Scotland once again."
The first stage to come into Scotland starts in Cockermouth but will cross the border at Gretna and head through Dumfries and Galloway before racing through Hawick, Selkirk and Melrose before finishing in Kelso.
The following day it will leave Edinburgh and pass through Musselburgh, East Lothian, Duns and Coldstream before crossing back into England.
"The return of such a prestigious event emphasises our ability to host high-profile events here in the Borders and is further recognition of the fact that the Scottish Borders is Scotland's leading cycling destination," said Stuart Bell of Scottish Borders Council.
Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh's new festivals and events champion, said it was an "exciting event" for the city.
"Elite cyclists from all over the world will descend on the capital and the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh's winding streets will make for a spectacular sight," he said.
"This is going to be a must-see event for both local people and visitors to the city."
Race director Mick Bennett said: "This year's route gives us the fantastic opportunity to have two days of racing in Scotland and to make first visits to the east of the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh," he said.
"I am sure many cycling fans will be excited, just like we are, at the prospect of seeing the world's top riders on the streets of the...

Summary: The Tour of Britain cycling race will see two separate days of action in Scotland this year through the Borders, East Lothian and Edinburgh.
###
Article: Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw said goodwill would "only go so far" and governors signing up to boost their CVs were not welcome.
He repeated his belief that chairs and vice-chairs of governors, at least in challenging areas, should be paid.
The National Governors' Association said it recognised the need to improve governance in struggling schools.
In an online note, Sir Michael said Ofsted came across too many schools where the  governing board was ineffectual.
He said: "In the last academic year alone, there were nearly 500 schools [of a total of 5,000 inspections] where inspectors were so concerned about the performance of the governing board that they called for outside experts to be drafted in to carry out an urgent external review of governance."
Schools were now complex institutions, he went on, subject to far greater external accountability than they had been in the past.
Changes including the rapid growth of academies and free schools in England had put more power into the hands of governing boards than ever before.
"In short, the role is so important that amateurish governance will no longer do. Goodwill and good intentions will only go so far," he said.
"Governing boards made up of people who are not properly trained and who do not understand the importance of their role are not fit for purpose in the modern and complex educational landscape."
He went on: "The role demands commitment. There can be no place for those who have signed up to become a governor because they think it will boost the credentials on their CV and are content to sit passively through meetings where important aspects of the school's performance are being put under scrutiny."
Sir Michael also said he was disappointed that his recommendation to the government that all governors and trustees should receive compulsory training had seen little progress.
He said the weakest governance was too often operating in the most challenging schools in the poorest areas of the country - the very schools that stood to gain most from strong...

Summary: "Amateurish" school governing boards in England's schools "will no longer do", the chief inspector of schools warns.
###
Article: Tobacco is the biggest culprit, causing 23% of cases in men and 15.6% in women, says the Cancer Research UK report.
Next comes a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in men's diets, while for women it is being overweight.
The report is published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Its authors claim it is the most comprehensive analysis to date on the subject.
Lead author Prof Max Parkin said: "Many people believe cancer is down to fate or 'in the genes' and that it is the luck of the draw whether they get it.
"Looking at all the evidence, it's clear that around 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change."
For men, the best advice appears to be: stop smoking, eat more fruit and veg and cut down on how much alcohol you drink.
For women, again, the reviews says the best advice is to stop smoking, but also watch your weight.
Prof Parkin said: "We didn't expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer. And among women we didn't expect being overweight to be more of a risk factor than alcohol."
In total, 14 lifestyle and environmental factors, such as where you live and the job you do, combine to cause 134,000 cancers in the UK each year.
About 100,000 (34%) of the cancers are linked to smoking, diet, alcohol and excess weight.
One in 25 of cancers is linked to a person's job, such as being exposed to chemicals or asbestos.
Some risk factors are well established, such as smoking's link with lung cancer.
But others are less recognised.
For example, for breast cancer, nearly a 10th of the risk comes from being overweight or obese, far outweighing the impact of whether or not the woman breastfeeds or drinks alcohol.
And for oesophageal or gullet cancer, half of the risk comes from eating too little fruit and veg, while only a fifth of the risk is from alcohol, the report shows.
For stomach cancer, a fifth of the risk comes from having too much salt in the diet, data suggests.
Some cancers, like mouth and throat cancer, are...

Summary: Nearly half of cancers diagnosed in the UK each year - over 130,000 in total - are caused by avoidable life choices including smoking, drinking and eating the wrong things, a review reveals.
###
Article: The law, which is set to become a world first, aims to close the wage gap between men and women.
Companies face auditing and possible fines if they do not comply.
Iceland was ranked first in the World Economic Forum's 2015 Global Gender Gap Index, followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden.
However, according to Iceland's statistics for the same year, the unadjusted gender pay gap remained at 17%.
The bill, which was presented on Tuesday, is supported by the centre-right coalition government and the opposition.
Applying to both the public and private sector, it would prohibit any discrimination not just on gender, but also on race, religion, disability, occupational disability, age and sexual orientation grounds.
"The bill entails that companies and institutions of a certain size, 25 or more employees, undertake a certification of their equal-pay programmes," Thorsteinn Viglundsson, the minister of social affairs and equality, told news agency AFP.
The bill will now be subject to a series of debates, and if it passes, it will take effect from January 2018.
In Iceland's parliament, nearly 50% of lawmakers are women, and a voluntary measure for equal pay across the country was introduced in 2012.
However, many still do not think enough is being done.
In October, thousands of women left work early and headed out on to the streets of the capital, Reykjavik, to protest against earning less than men.
It echoed the 1975 Icelandic women's strike, when women did not go to their paid jobs, or do any housework or child-rearing at home for one day.

Summary:


The European Commission has been investigating the allegations of abuse of its dominant market position.
The Commission has been investigating the allegations of abuse of its dominant market position.
The Commission has been investigating the allegations of abuse of its dominant market position.
The Commission has been investigating the allegations of abuse of its dominant market position.

McDonald's has been accused of abusing its market power by imposing unfair and restrictive contracts on people operating its franchise restaurants in Europe.

Article: Ransomware encrypts data on infected machines and then asks for money before restoring access to information.
The FBI is analysing a strain of ransomware called MSIL/Samas that tries to encrypt data across entire networks rather than single computers.
The plea comes as security firms warn about other novel strains of the fast-growing, data-scrambling cyber-threats.
The FBI sent out the request for help after discovering that the group behind MSIL/Samas had stepped up its efforts to find victims.
In the confidential advisory obtained by Reuters, the FBI said the group used a publicly available security program called Jexboss to scan networks looking for vulnerable versions of the widely used JBoss software.
When a vulnerable system is found, the malware launches an attack that seeks to scramble data on servers. It also finds and deletes the back-up files firms could use to restore data scrambled by ransomware.
Cisco said it had seen a "widespread campaign" using Samas targeting firms involved in healthcare. Early versions of the malware charged a ransom of one bitcoin (£300) for every machine hit but later versions upped this to 1.5 bitcoins.
"It is likely the malware author is trying to see how much people will pay for their files," wrote Cisco security analyst Nick Biasini in an advisory. "They even added an option for bulk decryption of 22 bitcoin (£6,600) to decrypt all infected systems."
The FBI's request for aid comes as security firms warn about recently created ransomware variants that use different methods to lock up systems and force victims to pay.
The Petya malware targets a key Windows system file called the Master Boot Record that helps a PC get started. By overwriting this file, people are prevented from getting at any data on their PC unless they pay up.
Trend Micro said it had seen Petya distributed in email messages crafted to look like they are from someone looking for work. The CV attached to the message is a booby-trapped program that launches Petya, said Trend security engineer Jasen...

Summary: The FBI is seeking help from US firms as it investigates a nasty strain of ransomware, Reuters reports.
###
Article: The Labour leadership challenger said his party should not give the Tories a "blank cheque" on negotiations.
But rival Jeremy Corbyn said Parliament had to "work with" the result of the referendum.
Ministers said they would deliver on the "decisive" referendum verdict.
The UK voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48% in a referendum on 23 June but the manner and timing of the country's departure remains uncertain.
The prime minister has said she will not begin the formal legal process of separation by activating Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty this year, insisting that a "sensible and orderly departure" from the EU will take time.
However, she has come under pressure from some senior Conservatives to begin the process in early 2017 amid press speculation about possible delays.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Smith said the British people were "lied to" by those campaigning to leave the EU and they deserve to have a say on the terms of the exit.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It would be irresponsible of Theresa May to simply trigger Article 50 and sleepwalk out... Labour still believes that we should be a part of the European Union."
Mr Smith says he will "fight tooth and nail" to keep the UK in the EU and said that under his leadership, Labour would oppose the triggering of Article 50 in a future Commons vote unless certain conditions were met.
He rejected accusations he was trying to override democracy, saying if Labour believed working people were worse off by the settlement he could "legitimately put it back to the British people".
"Theresa May says that 'Brexit means Brexit' - but nobody knows what Brexit looks like," Mr Smith said.
"It could involve trashing workers' rights and environmental protections, opening our NHS up to foreign competition, making it harder for us to trade with our neighbours and damaging our economy."
He added: "Under my leadership, Labour won't give the Tories a blank cheque.
"We will vote in Parliament to block any attempt to invoke Article 50 until Theresa May commits to a second referendum...

Summary: Owen Smith says he will try to stop Theresa May formally triggering Brexit unless she promises a referendum on the final deal or calls a general election to approve it.
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Article: Russell Hobby closed the National Association of Head Teachers' conference by calling for a fundamental review of assessment of pupils.
Pupils should only be formally assessed at the start and end of primary school, he said.
A government spokesman said it was committed to measuring pupil progress.
Reception tests were due to be introduced last month but the plans were axed.
The government had approved three separate baseline tests, which were to be used to measure the progress of pupils from when they start primary school to when they leave at age 11.
Thousands of schools had adopted one of the three, only to be told they were not going to be used to measure progress as had been intended.
Ministers say they are committed to a new baseline test and are working on new plans for this.
Teachers have also been grappling with a new curriculum, new tests and assessments, and complained of a lack of information.
Heads expressed their anger with the situation on Saturday when they heckled and jeered Education Secretary Nicky Morgan.
Mr Hobby told delegates in Birmingham: "We cannot and will not endure another year of chaos.
"School leaders cannot do their duty to children under these circumstances."
He also called for a new approach to assessment of pupil's progress in primary schools.
Currently pupils are assessed formally through national tests at age seven and 11.
He said: "If you are going to measure progress you need a start measure and an end measure.
"And you should start at the beginning of school, not in the middle, missing out the most important years of a child's education."
But any Reception baseline test would have to be "one that works" and "not the mess that we've seen this year", he said.
He argued that statutory assessments for Year 2 pupils should be scrapped: "We cannot have two high-stake tests for young children."
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We are committed to measuring pupil's progress through primary school and are continuing to look at the best way of assessing children...

Summary: Head teachers cannot and will not endure another year of the "chaos" that has raged in England's primary schools, a union leader has said.
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Article: A formal complaint has been made to the European Commission by a group of Italian consumers' organisations.
They accuse McDonald's of forcing franchisees to pay excessive rents and high fees.
McDonald's said it shared risks and rewards with its licencees.
In a statement, McDonald's said: "We are proud of our franchisees and are committed to working closely together so that they have the support they need to operate their restaurants and their businesses.
"This approach, with the principle of sharing risk and reward, has been successful for many years and has helped create the best business opportunities for our franchisees and the best overall experience for our customers."
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and European unions, including the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union in the UK, are supporting the formal antitrust complaint.
"McDonald's abuse of its dominant market position hurts everyone: franchisees, consumers, and workers. We strongly urge the European Commission to investigate the charges and to use all of its powers to hold McDonald's accountable," said SEIU organising director, Scott Courtney.
The European Commission said it would now study the submission. It has the powers to launch an investigation if it believes the allegations are founded.
The consumer organisations claim franchisees are prevented from switching to competitors because McDonald's makes them sign longer-than-average contracts.
They also said licensees lease premises from the company at above market rates.
It is claimed this leads to poorer consumer choice and higher prices in franchise stores as opposed to those owned directly by the company.
Franchisees own and operate 73% of McDonald's restaurants in Europe.
McDonald's received $9.27bn (Â£6.40bn) in revenues from its franchised restaurants worldwide in 2014.

Summary:


An investigation into the disappearance of a woman who was allegedly murdered is to be probed by the police watchdog.

Article: The money will be used to fund school construction and substance abuse programmes.
Coloradans have voted on spending marijuana taxes before, but an excess of tax revenue made by the industry made another vote necessary.
Marijuana was legalised in Colorado in 2012. The state collected $73.5m (Â£47.7m) between January and July 2015.
The bill "Proposal BB" determined how to spend $66m of the taxes collected.
Voters approved spending $40m on construction of new schools and $12m on drug prevention and addiction programs. A further $14m will be for discretionary spending by lawmakers.
If voters had rejected the bill, the excess money would have been returned to taxpayers though a tax credit. Marijuana growers would also have received tax rebates.
In two previous bills, voters have also chosen to spend marijuana taxes on school developments.

Summary: Colorado has voted overwhelmingly in favour of spending taxes raised from the sale of marijuana.
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Article: The plan involves a new building to house the Concorde with a museum in two neighbouring World War I hangars.
Plans for a museum at nearby Cribbs Causeway stalled after a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund was turned down.
Filton Airfield, which is owned by BAE Systems, is due to close in 2012.
BBC Radio Bristol's political reporter Robin Markwell said the new centre would be on land just off a new link road between Filton and Cribbs Causeway - bordering the northern edge of the airfield - which opened in 2010.
He said the plan included a science and technology centre which would train engineers from local universities.
Plans for funding it have not yet been announced. It would also require planning permission from South Gloucestershire Council.
Concorde 216, or Alpha Foxtrot, was the last of the fleet to fly when Concorde was withdrawn from service by British Airways in 2003.
It is currently on the opposite side of the runway at the airfield, where it formed part of an open-air exhibit which closed in 2010.
Andrew Cheeseman, from BAE Systems, said new plans for Concorde would be announced "in the near future".

Summary: A permanent home for the last Concorde to fly could be set up on the northern edge of Filton Airfield near Bristol, the BBC has learned.
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Article: Those who drank six or more cups a day were found to be 20% less likely to develop any form of the disease - which is the most common cancer in men.
They were also 60% less likely to develop an aggressive form which can spread to other parts of the body.
But charities say the evidence, reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is still unclear.
They do not recommend that men take up coffee drinking in the hope of preventing prostate cancer.
The study looked at about 48,000 men in the US who work as health professionals.
Every four years between 1986 and 2006, they were asked to report their average daily intake of coffee.
During this 20-year period, 5,035 of the men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 642 fatal cases.
No difference was seen between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting caffeine itself was not the cause.
But even relatively small amounts of coffee - one to three cups per day - were found to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 30%.
The researchers think there may be unknown compounds in coffee that protect against the disease.
Lead researcher Dr Kathryn Wilson, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said: "At present we lack an understanding of risk factors that can be changed or controlled to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer.
"If our findings are validated, coffee could represent one modifiable factor that may lower the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer."
Commenting on the study, Dr Helen Rippon of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said other studies had not shown the link and the research evidence was still unclear.
She added: "Although this study is a welcome addition to our knowledge, it is far from definitive and we would not recommend men who are not already habitual coffee drinkers to become so in the hope of preventing prostate cancer.
"Heavy caffeine intake is associated with other health problems and men with benign prostate problems might well make urinary symptoms worse."
Yinka Ebo, senior health...

Summary: Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer in a study of nearly 50,000 US men.
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Article: The body of India Chipchase, 20, a bar worker, was found in Northampton on Sunday.
Book-keeper Edward Tenniswood, 51, from Stanley Road, faces a charge of murder and has appeared at crown court.
Northamptonshire Police referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission over its "responses before and during" the search.
Read this and other stories from Northamptonshire
A statement issued by the force said: "Northamptonshire Police has made a referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to ensure transparency in examining police action and responses before and during the search for India Chipchase.
"We await the decision of the IPCC and will not be commenting further as the criminal investigation is now in the court process."
On Thursday Mr Tenniswood appeared at Northampton Crown Court via video link from Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.
When asked if he could hear, Mr Tenniswood told the clerk of the court: "I can hear you, definitely."
After that he spoke only to confirm he could see the Judge Rupert Mayo, prosecutor Mary Loram and his lawyer Derek Johashen.
There was no application for bail and he was remanded in custody.
Ms Chipchase was last seen by friends on Bridge Street at about 01:15 GMT on Saturday.
Her disappearance was reported later that day after she failed to turn up to work at The Collingtree pub and restaurant.
Her body was found at the defendant's terraced house in Stanley Road. A post-mortem examination concluded she died as a result of pressure to the neck.
There will be a plea hearing on the 25 May, and a trial date was set for 18 July, to last for 10 days.

Summary:


The candidates are all in the same boat.

Summary: The candidates are all in the same boat.

Summary: The candidates are all in the same boat.

Summary: The candidates are all in the same boat.

Summary: The candidates are all in the same boat.

Summary

Find out more about what the London mayoral candidates are promising in May's election.

Article: The notices have been given to residents for issues including overloading refuse bins, since waste collection changes started last July.
They included the roll-out of garden waste bins and smaller black refuse bins to boost recycling rates.
Cardiff council said residents had generally embraced the changes.
A total of 4,058 notices have been issued to households in the past six months warning residents about issues such as putting out the wrong type of bags or placing non-recyclable materials in a green waste bin.
Those who persisted to put out the wrong waste were given Â£100 fines, which could generate up to Â£10,900 for the council.
Most fines - 35 - have been handed out in the Adamsdown area of the city, followed by neighbouring Splott, where 28 fines were issued.
A Cardiff council spokesman said: "This city-wide process was always going to take time to implement due to the sheer scale of the operation. But it is essential that the council meets our statutory recycling target of 58% from all waste collected for this current financial year.
"Last October we announced that the "Stay out of the blackâ€¦ move into the green" campaign was working as tonnage of recycling material collected was up by 11% on the same time last year.
"Food waste had also increased by 15%. We'd like to thank residents for embracing the campaign and the need to increase city-wide recycling levels."
All councils in Wales must recycle 58% of their waste by March this year or face hefty fines.

Summary: More than 4,000 warnings and 109 fines have been issued to Cardiff residents who put the wrong waste out for collection since new rules came in.
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Article: The authors argue that where disasters like drought are prevalent, they can be the most important cause of poverty.
They say that up to 325 million people will be living in countries highly exposed to natural hazards by 2030.
If aid is not used to reduce these risks, the progress made in fighting poverty could disappear.
The report has been compiled by the Overseas Development Institute.
It examines the relationship between disasters and poverty over the next 20 years, using population projections, climate models and estimations of how governments can cope with extreme events.
The report suggests that up to a third of a billion people could be living in the 49 countries most exposed to the full range of natural hazards and climate extremes in 2030.
In sub-Saharan Africa 118 million people in poverty will face extreme events.
The big weather issues that will face most poor people are drought, extreme rainfall and flooding.
An analysis of the data from rural Ethiopia and Andhra Pradesh in India suggests that where there is a strong risk of drought, then drought is also the single most important factor in keeping people poor, outstripping ill health or dowry payments.
"We've often heard that ill health is the biggest cause for impoverishment," said Dr Tom Mitchell, the ODI's head of climate change.
"But in the data, in drought prone areas, the biggest cause is the drought - in areas exposed to these hazards, they are the key causes of impoverishment."
Developed countries haven't recognised the role that these extreme weather events have in keeping people poor, he says.
The big problem is that, at present, money tends to flow in response to disasters, not to prevent them.
Dr Mitchell says the recent Cyclone Phailin in India is a good example.
The ODI has compiled a list of the 11 countries most at risk of disaster-reduced poverty.
"The very fact that it killed so few people means that the chances of raising big finance for recovery efforts are going to be pretty slim. It has not got the big numbers attached to...

Summary: New research suggests that extreme weather events will keep people poor in many parts of the world.
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Article: It started last week with several students and teachers of the school in the city of Kota Bharu claiming that they had seen spirits or had supernatural experiences.
School authorities shut the school and called in Islamic traditional experts, scholars and even witch doctors in prayer sessions and "exorcisms".
By Sunday, the school had reopened and school officials said things had gone back to normal - but questions remain and the case continues to generate intense interest in Malaysia.
The school, SKM Pengkalan Chepa 2, is located in the highly traditional and religious state of Kelantan.
Last week, a small group of students began claiming they had seen a "black figure" lurking in the school. Soon, more students and even teachers claimed to have seen the same figure or experienced a supernatural presence.
One teacher told local news channel Astro Awani that she felt a "heavy" presence was hanging on to her, while another claimed that a "black figure" was attempting to enter her body.
A student meanwhile told newspaper Sinar Harian (in Malay) that he felt numbness in his hands while his mind "was all over the place".
About 100 people, mostly students, were affected, a senior school staff member confirmed to the BBC.
"Our students were possessed and disturbed [by these spirits]. We are not sure why it happened. We don't know what it is that affected us," she said.
"But the place is a bit old, and these children can be disobedient and sometimes throw their rubbish around the school grounds. Perhaps they hit some 'djinns' and offended the spirits," she added, using a local reference to ghosts.
The school shut on Thursday and invited Islamic preachers to recite the Koran and conduct prayers in the school. Local education authorities are also sending counsellors to the school this week.
The Kelantan state education department did not respond to queries from the BBC.
Based on the media reports, Robert Bartholomew, a sociologist who has researched mass hysteria in Malaysia, called it a textbook outbreak in an email...

Summary: A school in northern Malaysia has had to shut temporarily to handle what local media have called a case of "mass hysteria".
###
Article: All five of these candidates are opposed to a third runway at Heathrow.
Find out more about all the candidates in the London elections.

Summary:


The X Factor is to stay on ITV for at least the next three years, despite declining viewing figures and the arrival of The Voice to the channel.

Article: This is how many Ukrainians start and finish their summer holiday in Russian-annexed Crimea.
Queues of cars snake for several hours as people wait to visit relatives or get to the peninsula for a beach break.
Lorry-loads of watermelons are sold by the side of the road while people wait to be checked or waved through, in the southern region of Kherson, next to Crimea, where Kiev's vast Dnipro river enters the Black Sea.
Aside from the odd soldier dug in by the side of the road and the vigilance of Ukraine's border guards, there is little to suggest that the country is preparing for Russian military action from the south.
Most analysts think any such action would be highly unlikely.
But after Russia seized Crimea in March 2014 without firing a shot, Ukraine has learnt to expect the unexpected from its powerful neighbour.
Vigilance is the watchword of Ukraine's National Border Guard.
Spokesman Ivan Shevcov said his colleagues were "prepared for any type of action from the Russian side".
The war of words between Russia and Ukraine has intensified following Moscow's accusation that Kiev plotted a sabotage attack in Crimea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised a response.
Russia has moved more military hardware on to the peninsula. And pictures of the Russian navy carrying out military drills in Crimea to counter the threat of saboteurs were quickly beamed around the world.
This week Russia is carrying out more exercises in Crimea to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has put his military on high alert. He insists the Russian claim of a sabotage attack by Ukrainian special forces was cooked up by the Kremlin to justify future attacks.
However little, if anything, has changed at the checkpoints in and out of Crimea.
One man from the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa said he went there only to visit his elderly mother who lived there and wouldn't leave.
When she dies, he will not travel there any more.
For Igor, travelling to Crimea to visit relatives, the...

Summary: Barbed wire, armed soldiers and several hefty concrete checkpoints.
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Article: His party, AKP, is meeting to try to form a government after losing its majority in a general election for the first time in 13 years.
It secured 41%, a sharp drop from 2011, and must form a coalition or face entering a minority government.
Mr Erdogan has called on all parties to "preserve the atmosphere of stability" in Turkey.
"I believe the results, which do not give the opportunity to any party to form a single-party government, will be assessed healthily and realistically by every party," Mr Erdogan said.
The AKP is now likely to try to form a coalition, but no party has yet indicated it is willing to join forces with it.
Opposition parties may yet try to form a coalition against the AKP.
But Numan Kurtulmus, one of Turkey's four deputy prime ministers, said there would be no government without representation by the AKP.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is meeting AKP cabinet members and officials to assess the election results in Ankara.
After the official final result is declared, he will have 45 days to form a government.
Mr Kurtulmus said another election was possible.
This is potentially a new political era in Turkey.
The AKP still won this election, with over 40% of the vote - a share of the vote that parties in any democracy would crave.
It still has a substantial power base, mainly of the more religious, conservative Turks, who feel liberated by the party and the president.
But the AKP's dominance, the one-man political show that has played out in Turkey for 13 years and polarised this nation, has just taken a very big kick.
Turkey: Bloody nose for Erdogan
Profile: Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The result is a blow to Mr Erdogan's plans to boost his office's powers.
He had been seeking a two-thirds majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.
The pro-Kurdish HDP crossed the 10% threshold, securing seats in parliament for the first time.
"The discussion of executive presidency and dictatorship have come to an end in Turkey with these elections," said HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas.
Kurds, women,...

Summary: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the inconclusive election result means no party can govern alone.
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Article: On Wednesday, the council agreed to a two-month delay to the decision after Cuadrilla submitted additional information.
In June, when the company put in the original application for the two sites between Blackpool and Preston, oil was above $110 a barrel and it has been falling ever since.
It's important to stress that Cuadrilla is looking for shale gas, not oil, but the wholesale price of natural gas tends to follow the same trends as oil.
John Hall from Alfa Energy Group says: "The shale gas market took off in the US on the back of rising oil prices" as the price rose from around $60 a barrel in 2007 and started heading towards $140.
"My guess is that with the Brent price below $50 it will be difficult to justify short-term investment in shale, certainly in the UK," he says.
The likes of Chevron, Shell and Exxon have been delaying expansion plans or shelving projects worldwide that no longer look profitable.
So what is the break-even price for onshore shale gas in the UK? As with so many figures relating to the oil and gas industry, it is very hard to tell.
Cuadrilla wants to conduct exploratory drilling because it does not know how much shale gas there is in the area or how easy it would be to extract.
Greenpeace assembled some research and concluded that: "gas prices need to be higher than they are, or what the market says they will be, for the UK shale gas sector to even break even".
But Cuadrilla is playing a longer game than that. First of all, even if it gets regulatory clearance in two months, it is unlikely to be commercially extracting any gas from the ground until the end of the decade, by which time prices could have changed considerably.
Also, it is not just the suitability of the rocks for fracking that is being tested at the moment - it is the whole planning process.
Prof Stuart Haszeldine from the University of Edinburgh says it is unlikely that the first projects in the UK would be profitable anyway, "because of the intense legislative burden, and because they are one-offs with large...

Summary: Has the decision by Lancashire County Council on whether to allow Cuadrilla Resources to conduct exploratory fracking been overtaken by events, given that oil has fallen below $50 a barrel?
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Article: The X Factor's 13th series began in August with 8.5 million viewers - four million fewer than 2010's launch show.
The Voice will move from the BBC to ITV next year, also on a three-year deal.
But the broadcaster has agreed a deal with Simon Cowell for both The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent to continue on ITV until at least 2019.
Cowell said: "I want to thank ITV for continuing to be fantastic partners. I'm delighted for the shows and, in particular, for all the talented people who work on them with us."
Cowell may not appear as a judge on both programmes, though - under the new deal he is only committed to judging one of the two series per year.
ITV is currently negotiating with Ant and Dec to remain as hosts of Britain's Got Talent for the next three years. Dermot O'Leary's current contract means he will keep presenting The X Factor until at least 2019.
ITV's director of television Kevin Lygo said Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor were both "big, brilliant, wonderful shows" that would form "an important part of our schedule" for the next three years.
"They are defining shows for us, ones that we are very proud to have as part of our entertainment slate, and they continue year after year, for months at a time, to be amongst the most popular and hugely entertaining formats on television," he said.

Summary: