The US Supreme Court has upheld a key portion of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, preserving health insurance for millions of Americans.

Article: The discussion is expected at the Scottish Police Federation's annual conference on Tuesday.
It follows the terror attack on Westminster last week when four people were killed, including PC Keith Palmer.
SPF general secretary Calum Steele said there would be a focus on improving readiness for terror attacks.
The topic of arming more police officers was not originally on the agenda of the event, according to The Sunday Post.
However it reports that it is now a "racing certainty" to be examined following the events in London on Wednesday.
Mr Steele told BBC Scotland that the conference had taken on much more significance, given its timing less than a week after the attack.
He added: "It is inconceivable that in light of the events that have taken place in London over the past number of days, that delegates attending for the Scottish Police Federation conference would not be minded to have significant debates and discussions round about the state of readiness for policing in Scotland and how that is likely to impact on them as individuals."
He said one of the main considerations of any discussion was likely to centre on the resources available to police officers.
"I have said repeatedly that the issue of firearms is a tactical response arguably towards the end of the scale and once something has taken place rather than trying to prevent and mitigate incidents in the first place," he added.
"Ultimately terrorism or the fight against terrorism does not start a few yards from the intended target, it starts with communities. And the importance of having police officers embedded in our communities, building trusting relationships, gathering intelligence and helping communities thrive is where the real fight against terrorism begins - and not by bolstering the numbers of tactical officers to deal with the event after it has taken place or as it is taking place.
"Surely it's much better to invest in the prevention than to invest in the response. Although in saying that, clearly it is vital that we have adequate...

Summary: Rank-and-file police officers in Scotland are expected to hold an emergency on debate whether more of their number should carry guns.
###
Article: The rate of unemployment remained at 5.1%, maintaining a decade-low rate.
Some 31.42 million are in work, 478,000 up on a year ago. The employment rate is 74.1%, the joint highest since current records began in 1971.
Average earnings went up by 2.1% in the year to January including bonuses, 0.2% higher than the previous month.
Excluding bonuses, the increase was 2.2%.
"With the Chancellor [George Osborne] setting the backdrop to this afternoon's Budget as one where the global 'storm clouds' are gathering, today's labour market figures offer a ray of sunshine," said Scott Bowman, UK economist at Capital Economics.
He added that the UK's jobs recovery remained "in full swing", but cautioned that wage growth was "still fairly subdued by past standards, especially considering how much the labour market has tightened recently".
The East of England saw the biggest fall in the number of unemployed people, down by 15,000, followed by the North East of England, down by 11,000. However, Scotland saw an increase of 16,000 in the number of jobless people.
The North East still has the highest rate of unemployment, at 7.8%, and the East of England has the lowest, at 3.6%.
In all, 22.94 million people were working full-time, 302,000 more than a year earlier, while 8.48 million were working part-time, an increase of 177,000 on a year earlier.
The number of people on the claimant count in February fell by 18,000 to 716,700, said the ONS.
The unemployment figures are based on a large survey, so they are estimates rather than precise figures.
For example, the figure of a 28,000 fall in unemployment has a margin of error of plus or minus 79,000, which means the ONS is 95% confident that the actual change in unemployment is between an increase of 51,000 and a fall of 107,000.
Earlier this month, the US Labor Department said the US economy added 242,000 jobs in February, far better than the 190,000 expected by economists.
The US unemployment rate remains at 4.9%, an eight-year low.
Eurostat, the EU's statistical agency, has said...

Summary: UK unemployment fell to 1.68 million between November and January, down 28,000 from the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics says.
###
Article: Senior figures within the bank have told me that the government body responsible for the public's 80% stake, UK Financial Investments, has been approached about exploring a series of small stake sales to kick start the process.
The bank believes that the government should sell an initial tranche of shares worth about Â£5bn to test the market.
Although the sale would be at a loss on the amount the government originally paid to bail out the bank, it would automatically boost the share price - RBS believes - as institutional investors would take the prospect of future sales more seriously.
Senior figures insist that the core bank, which is profitable, is attractive to the market.
They point out that the initial sale of the government's then 40% stake in Lloyds Banking Group in 2013 led to a spike in the share price.
Over the year, Lloyd's share price rose by 65%. The sale also had the not unwelcome effect of raising Â£3.2bn for the Treasury's coffers.
The government bailed out RBS in 2008 at around 500p a share. That price dropped to an average 407p over subsequent weeks - a price the Treasury could argue is "break even". RBS also paid billions of pounds in fees to the government for a continuing insurance facility.
Today, RBS shares are trading around 340p, a figure little changed from six months ago.
I asked one senior figure intimately involved in the discussions when RBS would like to see the stake sale commence and he answered, only half in jest: "Tomorrow."
The source said that UKFI was very sympathetic to a sale, as it understood that a bank outside direct political control was likely to perform more strongly.
"Shareholders dislike the present arrangement, clients dislike it and I'm sure ultimately the government dislikes it," the source said. "This arrangement was never supposed to last this long. As an enduring model, it is very tough to make it work.
"The question is, is it acceptable to sell initially at a loss? Well, that is the economic reality.
"You don't need to make your money back on all the...

Summary: After six years and a myriad of rows and mis-steps, RBS is to make a fresh push for a return of the bank to private ownership.
###
Article: In a 6-3 decision, the justices said that tax subsidies that make health insurance affordable for low-income individuals can continue.
The ruling preserves the law known as Obamacare, which Mr Obama considers a major part of his presidential legacy.
Republicans have vowed to continue fighting the law.
"We've got more work to do, but what we're not going to do is unravel what has now been woven into the fabric of America," Mr Obama said.
The case, known as King v Burwell, was the second major challenge the law has faced in the US's highest court.
Unlike in many other western countries, the US does not have a single-payer healthcare system. Private companies, rather than the US government, provide health insurance for US citizens.
The enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - one of Mr Obama's most significant and controversial domestic achievements - in 2010 mandated that every American had to purchase private insurance. It provided the subsidies to allow many to do so.
In 2012, the mandate portion of the law was challenged in the court. The justices ruled to preserve it.
In that decision, as in the decision on Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts surprised observers by siding with his liberal colleagues in support of the law.
"Congress passed the Affordable Care act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion.
Justice Anthony Kennedy dissented in 2012, but sided with the majority on Thursday.
Had the court made the opposite decision, an estimated 8.7 million people in the US would have been at risk of losing the aid that makes healthcare affordable.
The stakes could not have been higher.
People's health (crucially important) and Obama's legacy (less important, but for him and those around him fairly vital) were at stake.
Well a politically finely balanced Supreme Court has given an emphatic, overwhelming vote in favour of the president by 6-3.
I bet "No-drama Obama" is high-fiving anyone and everyone in the White House - that is how big it...

Summary:


Leeds Rhinos rugby league team face a £1m bill for flood damage that could keep them out of their training ground for a further six months.

Article: The Food and Drug Administration said it had given approval on the grounds that "food from the fish is safe to eat".
The biotech company behind the fish, AquaBounty, first submitted its application almost 20 years ago.
Opponents say consumers do not want to eat genetically engineered seafood.
They have also expressed concern that the salmon could pose risks to other fish if it were to escape into the environment.
Dr Bernadette Dunham of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine said: "The FDA has thoroughly analysed and evaluated the data and information submitted by AquaBounty Technologies regarding AquAdvantage Salmon and determined that they have met the regulatory requirements for approval, including that food from the fish is safe to eat."
The FDA ruled that the salmon must be raised in tanks on land at only two facilities in Canada and Panama. It will not be bred or raised in the US.
Safety measures include producing fish that are sterile to prevent cross breeding with wild fish "in the highly unlikely event of an escape".
The transgenic salmon is a type of Atlantic salmon injected with a gene from Pacific Chinook salmon to make it grow faster.
Dr Ron Stotish, chief executive of AquaBounty, said the salmon was "a game-changer that brings healthy and nutritious food to consumers in an environmentally responsible manner without damaging the ocean and other marine habitats".
He said the young reach adult size much quicker than conventional fish, making it feasible to raise salmon in tanks on land near urban areas.
However, it is unclear whether retailers will want to sell the salmon and whether the public will want to buy it.
Lisa Archer, food and technology programme director at Friends of the Earth, said despite the FDA's "flawed and irresponsible approval of the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption, it's clear that there is no place in the US market for genetically engineered salmon".
There are also uncertainties over how long it will take for the salmon to be produced in sufficient...

Summary: US regulators have given the go-ahead to genetically modified salmon, making it the first GM animal destined for human consumption.
###
Article: A bottlenose dolphin has been photographed playing with an unfortunate fish.
The flounder was thrown into the air from the mammal's mouth and bounced off its nose, before being devoured.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation field officer and photographer Charlie Phillips captured the action on camera on Friday from Chanonry Point on the Moray Firth.
The firth is home to a population of bottlenose dolphins.

Summary: All images are copyrighted.
###
Article: It aimed to spare succeeding generations from the scourge of armed conflict, and its Security Council - which met for the first time in 1946 - was specifically tasked with ensuring global peace and security.
Once widely criticised as a talking-shop, the council has had a more active role on the world stage in recent years, introducing sanctions regimes and authorising the use of force in conflicts.
Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. They reflect the post-war power structure that held sway when the council was formed.
Members of this privileged group work alongside 10 non-permanent member countries. Each member - permanent or otherwise - holds the presidency of the council for a one-month period, on a rotating basis.
The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by members of the UN General Assembly, the body that represents all UN members.
The aim is to achieve a regional balance, with five Asian or African members, two Latin American members, one east European, and two members from western Europe or other regions making up the mix of non-permanent members.
Nations compete keenly for council membership, maybe because of the prestige attached, or the chance to raise an issue that is in the national interest. Some countries announce their candidacy many years in advance and actively canvass votes.
Draft resolutions are drawn up by one or more members of the council and circulated privately to the others.
The drafts can be negotiated or changed in a process called "consultations". If agreed to by all members, the resolution is formally proposed to the council.
Each member has one vote. Decisions on what the council calls "substantive" issues need a majority of nine votes before they can be passed, including either votes or abstentions from all five permanent members.
Not surprisingly, the question of whether an issue is substantive or not is itself the subject of lively debate.
Thus, each of the permanent members has the right of veto; if one of them votes against a...

Summary: The United Nations rose from the ashes of World War II as an organisation of "peace-loving" states.
###
Article: The Rhinos have been training across the city of Leeds since the river Aire burst its banks at Christmas.
Chief executive Gary Hetherington told BBC Radio Leeds: "It is looking like £1m in total. It has caused massive disruption.
"But sport throws up all sorts of challenges and this is another one."
All seven training pitches and the main building at the Kirkstall site the Rhinos share with rugby union side Yorkshire Carnegie were contaminated by flood water at the end of December.
The Rhinos, who begin the defence of their Super League title against Warrington on 4 February, say that 80 members of staff based at the site, plus 120 players, have been kept out for the last month.
"We couldn't get anywhere near the site," said Hetherington.
"When we were able to access it, the reality hit everybody. The whole site was under water. The changing rooms, medical rooms and gymnasium, and all the equipment was completely destroyed.
"All the pitches are contaminated so they need to be dug up and reseeded. The 3G pitch needs to be replaced. The buildings need to be replastered, all the floors need to come up.
"It will be the best part of six months before we can use the grass pitches and gymnasium."

Summary:

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The Chilcot Inquiry was launched in 2009 by the British government, which has been accused of being a "terrorist organisation".
The inquiry was launched in 2009 by the British government, which has been accused of being a "terrorist organisation".
The inquiry was launched in 2009 by the British government, which has been accused

MPs will question the chairman of the Iraq War Inquiry later this month for the first time since it published its official report in July.

Article: Leaders and managers in public life rarely escape criticism when they make unpopular decisions either. "The power has gone to his head" is an oft-heard accusation.
So are leaders losing touch with reality when they act in a power-hungry way?
According to psychologist Guy Claxton, professor of learning sciences at the University of Winchester, their actions could be to do with "a disorder of intelligence".
At a Royal Society of Medicine conference this week, entitled The Intoxication Of Power, Prof Claxton says that human intelligence is made up of four different mental systems working in harmony.
When one of these systems is not used, the decision-making process can become unreliable and potentially dangerous.
Instead of analysing actions, checking through the consequences of those actions and chatting through the decisions made, leaders too often rely on impulsive decision-making - and this is when hubris can set in.
"None of these systems is infallible. You need a jazz quartet of them to achieve full human intelligence," Prof Claxton says.
When it comes to governments and prime ministers, this failure of intelligence creates the need for ways of stopping power getting out of hand like the House of Lords checking the power of the House of Commons.
When individuals are in positions of great power, there are other dangers, he says.
"Politics can become dangerous. Leaders have the power to create wars."
When the rest of the world makes it known that they do not like this type of leadership, they tend to resort to something which Prof Claxton calls 'messianic hubris'.
"They transpose their leadership into a sense of humility, as if they are listening to an inner god or higher power when making decisions."
This is when self-deception and an inflated sense of self-worth sets in.
To combat against this, a sense of humour is a useful tool, Prof Claxton says.
"Traditionally, powerful people had a joker following them around, making jokes and poking fun at them, reminding them that they are just human beings."
This...

Summary: World leaders are often accused of hubris, of wielding power in arrogant and self-serving ways.
###
Article: The Wilton Mill clock tower is situated on the town's Commercial Road.
It has been claimed it could cost in the region of Â£2m to make the building safe and useable which, a local developer believes, means saving it is out of the question.
An application to demolish the listed building has been lodged with Scottish Borders Council.
Agents for the developers said the building was now "derelict and unsafe" and said it was "stifling advancement of redevelopment" of the site.
A structural assessment earlier this year also recommended removal of the building "as soon as possible".
However, the plans have provoked objections to the loss of an "iconic feature of Hawick's industrial landscape".
Opponents believe that in a "better economic climate" a new use could be found for the building.
The local authority and Historic Scotland will have the final say on whether the clock tower stays or goes.

Summary: A landmark building in Hawick could be demolished amid claims it would cost too much to restore.
###
Article: Under the deal, Ping Petroleum Ltd and Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad will each acquire 50% of Shell and Esso's interests in the Anasuria cluster.
It will give them a 100% stake in the Teal, Teal South and Guillemot A fields and 38.65% in the Cook field.
The deal includes the Anasuria Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit.
The Anasuria cluster is located about 175km east of Aberdeen in the UK Central North Sea.
Hibiscus said the acquisition was subject to regulatory approval, and consent from third parties.
The agreement was signed by Shell UK Ltd and Shell EP Offshore Ventures Ltd as well as Esso Exploration and Production UK Ltd, which is part of Exxon Mobil.
In a statement, Ping and Hibiscus said the acquisition "reflected the support provided by the UK government to encourage smaller independents to invest and revive the North Sea basin".
Hibiscus managing director Ken Pereira said: "This acquisition will complete our company's strategy of acquiring a balanced portfolio of assets which includes exploration, development and producing assets within five years of listing our company.
"We will be able to cut our teeth as an operator in conjunction with Ping in one of the world's foremost oil and gas production basins.
"The Anasuria Cluster has development potential for a company of the size of Hibiscus and provides us with an excellent foundation upon which we can build a significant North Sea presence."
Ping is an upstream company focusing on shallow water offshore production and development in south east Asia.
Hibiscus owns exploration and development assets in the Middle East, Norway and Australia.
A Shell spokeswoman said: "Shell can confirm that it has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Ping Petroleum and Hibiscus Petroleum, for the sale of its interests in the Anasuria Cluster.
"The deal is subject to partner and regulatory approvals, with completion expected in quarter four of 2015.
"This deal fits with Shell's strategy to deliver strong shareholder value across our assets.
"The Anasuria...

Summary: Shell and Esso have agreed to sell off their stakes in a cluster of North Sea oil and gas fields to a pair of Malaysian firms for a total of $105m.
###
Article: Former civil servant Sir John Chilcot will appear before MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee on 18 October.
The report, which took seven years to complete, criticised Tony Blair and his government's case for going to war in 2003.
Mr Blair defended his actions, saying military action had been justified.
The Chilcot Inquiry, which began its work in 2009, after UK troops left Iraq, did not attempt to reach a verdict on the legality or otherwise of the military action.
Mr Blair has continued to insist the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was justified, although he has acknowledged that the intelligence on which it was based was flawed.
Appearing before a separate committee of MPs last month, Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heyward said he and other civil servants were in the "preliminary" phase of learning lessons from the report in terms of how government should operate in future.
He said he was frustrated at the length of time the inquiry had taken but believed that it could not have been expedited without changing the large terms of reference or restricting access to vital declassified documents and other material.
The liaison committee, made up of the chairs of individual parliamentary committees, is best known for questioning the prime minister of the day two or three times a year.

Summary:


The police have been working hard to find a way to identify the mother of the girl who was found in the area.

A plea has been made to trace the mother of a baby whose remains were found in a plastic bag at a nature reserve a year ago.

Article: "We know that after two weeks they're starting to have some immune response and there are no adverse reactions," says Dr Samba Sow, an infectious disease epidemiologist and vaccine expert and director of Centre for Vaccine Development (CVD) in Mali.
The first volunteer in Mali was paediatrician Dr Seydou Sissoko, who was vaccinated on 8 October at the CVD in the capital, Bamako.
"Since I received the vaccine, I feel well, there is no difference in the way a feel now and how I felt before," he said.
Ten other healthcare workers are due to receive more Ebola vaccines on Thursday in the trial.
The exercise is part of a bigger multi-country study which began in the UK in September.
It is a joint effort involving the World Health Organization (WHO), the US National Institutes of Health and UK pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.
It is also one of the most fast-tracked vaccines in history - with experts hoping to find a way to develop immunity to Ebola - which has killed nearly 5,000 people this year in West Africa - in a matter of months.
"What motivated me to join the study was the fact that I am a medical doctor and I'll be regularly in touch with patients of Ebola," says Dr Sissoko.
This week he has been asked to investigate two suspected cases of Ebola - one of them was a man who died after bleeding from the mouth.
"It is first to protect myself and secondly to help the scientific community find a good vaccine against the disease."
At first, his family were worried about his participation in the trial, which is being funded from the research charity the Wellcome Trust, the UK's Medical Research Council and Department for International Development.
"I explained to my wife and brother how it works and now they are fine with it.
"But I have not talked about it to my parents because I thought they may not understand," he adds.
In total 40 volunteers are taking part in the Mali study - all of them are health workers who could be called upon to deal with Ebola should more cases appear in the country.
The first and...

Summary: Preliminary indications in Mali from the first trial for an Ebola vaccine taking place in Africa seem promising.
###
Article: The six-mile march from central Belfast to Stormont marked the 100th anniversary of the Ulster Covenant, to oppose Home Rule for Ireland in 1912.
There was no trouble at a contentious feeder parade past a north Belfast Catholic church on Saturday morning.
It was the biggest policing operation in the city in 20 years.
A century ago, the signing of the document laid the foundations for the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland a decade later.
Northern Ireland's Parades Commission, which makes determinations on contentious marches, had placed restrictions on the part of the route past St Patrick's Church on Donegall Street.
By Mark SimpsonBBC Ireland Correspondent
The huge security operation surrounding the Ulster Covenant parade went better than anyone dared to hope.
Yes, there were some unsavoury incidents, but no-one was injured and the vast majority of the 30,000-strong marchers behaved impeccably.
The nationalist protesters had their say. The unionist marchers enjoyed their big day.
Much of the credit must go to the police. For the 10-year-old Police Service of Northern Ireland, this was their finest hour.
Parade bodes well for centenaries
Mark Simpson on Twitter
What was the Ulster Covenant?
A representative of a nationalist residents group which had contested the ruling said he was glad it had passed off without incident, but claimed the Parades Commission's determination had been breached.
"With one band in particular, the bass drummer danced outside St Patrick's and nobody can work out what type of hymn that was," said Frank Dempsey of the Carrick Hill Residents Association.
"The minute they passed the church, a number of bands reverted to playing (Orange Order song) the Sash and clearly broke the restriction."
The commission also placed the sacred music restriction on bands passing St Matthew's Catholic Church on the Newtownards Road, in the east of the city.
However, this was breached by some bands who played the Sash as they passed the church.
A Parades Commission spokesman said:...

Summary: Thousands of people have taken part in commemorations in Belfast to mark one of the most significant dates in unionist history.
###
Article: The permitted increase - which is taken from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation measure for July - will be the highest since January 2013.
Passenger groups said commuters would be worst-hit, and suggested that the RPI measure should be scrapped.
The most widely watched and used measure, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), was unchanged at 2.6%.
The fare rises will affect "anytime" and some off-peak fares as well as season tickets in England and Wales.
In Scotland, it is mainly commuters who will be affected, with off-peak fares rising by a smaller amount. The Scottish government currently limits rises in off-peak fares to RPI minus 1%.
There are no plans for increases in Northern Ireland.
Unregulated fares, which include super off-peak travel and advance tickets, will be set in December.
Transport Focus, which represents the interests of passengers, said rail users were already fed up with getting poor value for money.
David Sidebottom, director of Transport Focus, said: "Yet again, passengers, now majority funders of the railway, face fare rises next January. Commuters do not give value for money on their railways a high satisfaction score - just one third according to our latest survey.
Transport Focus also queried the use of the RPI measure to determine fare increases: "Why is the Government not using its preferred measure of inflation: the one that is used to determine wages and pension increases, and one which is often lower than RPI? Why not use the Consumer Prices Index for rail fares too?"
The CPI measure has gradually replaced the RPI over the past few years as the benchmark for changes to most government-controlled funding.
James Tucker from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it was not in favour of using RPI as a benchmark: "We know there will be a focus on the RPI this month, but the National Statistician has been clear it is not a good measure and we do not recommend its use."
The Department for Transport rejected the idea of using CPI, saying RPI was used across the rail industry -...

Summary: Millions of rail users in the UK will see the price of regulated rail fares rise by up to 3.6% in January.
###
Article: Police now have a DNA profile for the mother of the girl whose bones were discovered by a member of the public at Washlands nature reserve in Wakefield.
Forensic analysis of the remains suggest they had been left in the area some time before October 2015.
A post-mortem examination was inconclusive, police said.
Live updates on this story and others from around Yorkshire
The bones were found in a blue plastic bag wrapped in a pair of dark leggings or trousers, which had a drawstring at the waist and were from Matalan, police said.
They were discovered just off a towpath leading from Welbeck Lane on 3 May last year.
West Yorkshire Police said it was believed the baby was born at full term.
Det Ch Insp Nicola Bryar, from the homicide and major inquiry team, said the DNA profile of the mother meant several people had been ruled out of the inquiry.
She said: "Twelve months on we continue to appeal for the mother of this baby to come forward.
"While she may not require medical assistance, she will have suffered deep trauma and may very well be in need of some counselling and professional emotional support."

Summary:


The UK government has been trying to find a way to prevent the spread of the disease, but the government has not yet been able to find a way to prevent it.
The UK government has been trying to find a way to prevent the spread of the disease, but the government has not yet been able to find a

Hundreds of eggs belonging to a protected species of bird have been stolen from an important nesting site, with fears they could be sold to the restaurant industry.

Article: The government regulator has voiced concerns over how sites not yet connected to the grid choose where they get their power from.
The regulator said it had also found evidence that SSE may have breached competition law.
Ofgem will now examine whether SSE put its competitors at a disadvantage.
Customers who are not yet connected to the electricity grid, such as new housing developments, can choose who they get their electricity connection from, with the option to select an alternative, independent connection provider rather than the local distribution company.
Publishing the findings of a six month review into the electricity connections market, Ofgem said: "While we have seen more progress over the last five years to increase competition, the network company remains the sole provider for a number of key parts of the connections process."
Ofgem opened the review into the market for new connection in response to concerns about whether competition in the market was effective.
The watchdog invited responses from the public, carried out customer research and met a broad range of connection providers.
The review also identified differences in how connection services were provided across Britain.
Ofgem suggests network companies commit to an enforceable code of practice which would "level the playing field for competitors by reducing their reliance on the local electricity network companies".
The regulator said it was expecting electricity distribution network companies to confirm their commitment to the code by 18 February 2015.
Ofgem's senior partner for distribution, Maxine Frerk said: "We are requiring electricity network companies to work quickly to resolve the issues identified in the connections market, to reduce the hassle of getting connected to the grid and help lower costs for customers.
"We are determined to ensure this part of the energy market works in customers' interest and will use the full range of our powers to do so."
Ofgem, however, stressed that the fact it had launched an investigation did not...

Summary: Energy firm SSE is to be investigated by Ofgem over concerns that it restricted competition in the electricity connections market.
###
Article: The two-year long study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) included nearly 500 overweight volunteers who were asked to diet and take more exercise.
Half were given a fitness tracker to help them keep tabs.
This group had lost less weight than the other one by the end of the trial.
The study authors say this does not mean people should ditch the technology altogether, but neither should they put too much faith in them, at least as a slimming aid.
Manufacturers say that the  technology has moved on since the study, and that their own research suggests activity trackers can help with weight loss alongside diet and exercise regimes.
Despite the popularity of activity trackers, there have been very few studies to see what actual impact they have on weight and fitness levels.
The University of Pittsburgh research is one of the first randomised trials to gather such evidence.
The investigators found that over the course of the study, the volunteers who wore the fitness trackers had lost, on average, about 8lb (3.6kg).
In comparison, the control group that were not given these devices lost about 13lb (5.9kg).
The study authors say there are many possible explanations for this surprising finding but, as yet, no proof.
Lead researcher Dr John Jakicic said: "People have a tendency to use gadgets like these for a while and then lose interest with time as the novelty wears off.
"And we did see a drop off in the usage data as the study went on."
Perhaps people who use fitness trackers became fixated on exercise goals and forgot to follow the diet advice, Dr Jakicic suggested.
"You might think to yourself, 'I'm being so active I can eat a cupcake now,'" he said.
Dr Jakicic said he would like to explore if certain people were more likely than others to benefit from using the technology.
For example, a person who was very goal-driven might find tracking their exercise regime very motivating. - but others might just find it depressing.
"It might be very discouraging if you can see that you are not...

Summary: Wearing an activity device that counts how many steps you have taken does not appear to improve the chances of losing weight, research suggests.
###
Article: The CleanSpace app provides users with details of the local air quality, which Lord Drayson hopes will raise awareness of the problem.
The app also rewards it users with CleanMiles for low emission journeys.
Last year, a Commons select committee report described air pollution as a "public health crisis".
MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee called for new schools, care homes and hospitals to be built far away from major roads because of the dangers of air pollution.
It is estimated that it is responsible for 29,000 deaths in the UK each year.
Despite the government arguing that it was investing heavily to improve air quality, the UK Supreme Court ruled that ministers had to take immediate action to cut air pollution.
'CleanMiles'
Lord Drayson, a Labour government minister between 2005 and 2010, said the idea for the CleanSpace app came from people asking what they could do to tackle global problems like climate change and air pollution.
"After coming out of government and deciding to start a technology business it really struck us that we are living at a time where modern internet technology gives us the tools to answer that question for people by giving them information about the air that they are breathing and motivating them to see the central truth, which is that the little things do add up," he said.
"That is the core idea behind it. For us, it is not just telling people about the problem but motivating them to see that the solution is in all of our hands."
The app, developed by Lord Drayson's company, provides the user with a map and information about the air quality in the local area.
"The second aspect is that as you go about your day, the app automatically tracks you. We use the sensors within the phone to generate a signature of the way that you are moving so the phone can automatically work out how you are moving so it can work out whether you are walking, or cycling or in a vehicle," Lord Drayson told BBC News.
If you are moving in a way that is not contributing to air pollution - cycling or...

Summary: Former science minister Lord Drayson has launched an app that monitors air quality and encourages people to choose cleaner ways to travel.
###
Article: The Mediterranean gull and black-headed gull eggs were illegally harvested from from islands in Poole Harbour, Dorset.
The theft has been branded "sickening" by bird charity Birds of Poole Harbour.
The group said some eggs - sometimes eaten as a delicacy - were not cleared for human consumption.
Dorset Police and Natural England have launched an investigation.
Natural England is urging any restaurants or pubs to ask to see a valid licence before buying eggs to prepare in meals.
Birds of Poole Harbour had been surveying a group of islands in the harbour when the theft was discovered.
Mediterranean gulls are classified as a Schedule One species, meaning anyone disturbing their nests must have a special licence.
Paul Morton, who runs the charity, said Mediterranean gulls' eggs were not approved for human consumption, and could be a "health issue".
"I'm distraught, really. To see the taking of hundreds and hundreds of eggs from an important colony is quite sickening," he said.
Mr Moreton said there had been previous convictions for egg poaching in the last 10 or 15 years.
He said continued monitoring was needed to understand the effect on the gull population in the harbour, which he said had fallen by 70% since 2008.

Summary:


The European Commission has been considering a new list of "non-cooperative jurisdictions" to be included in the list.
The European Commission has been considering a new list of "non-cooperative jurisdictions" to be included in the list.
The European Commission has been considering a new list of "non-co

EU nations have agreed to draw up a blacklist of tax havens in the wake of the Panama Papers leaks.

Article: These ephemeral ecosystems support unique flora and fauna species that do not occur in permanent wetlands.
Yet these poorly understood habitats are being lost to future generations as a result of poor land-use practices, the authors observed.
The details have been published in the Global Change Biology journal.
Although these intermittent, shallow-water seasonal natural features are most closely associated with arid or semi-arid landscapes, they are more widespread than generally realised.
For example, more than half of the total river length in the US, Greece and South Africa is made up by sections that have temporary flow.
"They tend to occur during the rainy season which is when you will see shallow water but for most months of the year, it will appear to be dry,"  explained co-author Tatenda Dalu, from Rhodes University, South Africa.
The seasonal wetlands are dominated by aquatic biodiversity, he told BBC News.
"You have your plankton, you have your insects, which then brings in the birds to feed on these insects," Dr Dalu said.
"Some of these systems have unique communities of fish, such as the 'lung fish'."
However, these unique ecosystems were vulnerable for a number of reasons, explained Dr Dalu.
"The biggest threat we are seeing at the moment is either the digging up of the ecosystems or making them permanent.
"By making them permanent, people accidently introduce invasive species which then wipe out the unique invertebrate communities."
For example, people look to have a lake full of fish on their land. Very often, the introduced species of fish results in the unique habitat that had previously thrived in the intermittent water being squeezed to the point of becoming locally extinct.
The team also recognised that changes to the climate system were set to alter rainfall and temperature patterns.
The researchers observed in their paper: "In tropical regions of southern Africa, for example, drought is projected to be particularly problematic.
"In such areas, ephemeral wetlands are highly likely to be...

Summary: Seasonal wetlands - ecologically important habitats that become visible during rainy seasons - are facing an uncertain future, warn scientists.
###
Article: Asgardia "will become a place in orbit which is truly 'no man's land'," its website says.
The new "nation" aims to launch its first satellite late next year and hopes to one day be recognised by the UN.
But some experts have cast doubt on the viability of the plan, given international law prohibits national sovereignty claims in outer space.
"Citizens" of Asgardia, who will be scrutinised before admission, will eventually obtain passports, says Lena de Winne, a senior member of the project team who worked for the European Space Agency for 15 years.
"Clearly it's difficult to wrap your head around the concept [of] how can you be a citizen of something you cannot put your foot on," she told the BBC.
"But I'm a citizen of the Netherlands and I'm now in Parisâ€¦ There is nothing unusual about it if you are a citizen of a land where you don't live and where you don't go."
The project is being directed by the Vienna-based Aerospace International Research Center, a private company founded by Russian scientist and businessman Dr Igor Ashurbeiyli.
He joked to reporters in Paris at an event announcing the project that he would not be surprised if the media labelled him a "crazy Russian rocket scientist" talking "utter nonsense".
Its website says the new nation, the name of which derives from a city in the sky in Norse mythology, "will offer an independent platform free from the constraint of a land-based country's laws".
The group says it will open up new opportunities in space for commerce, science and "peoples of all countries on earth".
Competitions are being held to decide a national anthem and flag design.
Professor Sa'id Mosteshar, director of the London Institute of Space Policy and Law, cast doubt on the idea that Asgardia would be recognised under international law.
"The Outer Space Treatyâ€¦ accepted by everybody says very clearly that no part of outer space can be appropriated by any state," he said.
Given Asgardia will not be associated with a self-governing territory, with its 'citizens' remaining on...

Summary: A group of scientists is launching what they say will be a new pacifist nation-state in space.
###
Article: The spider, which has been named Big Boy, was caught in bushland in Newcastle, NSW, last week and handed over to the Australia Reptile Park.
The park encourages the public to catch and send in spiders so it can use them to produce anti-venom.
Programme supervisor Billy Collett said he had not heard of a bigger specimen.
"There might be one at a museum, but this is the biggest one we've had in our venom programme," Mr Collett said.
A "good Samaritan" had handed the spider in at a local hospital, which acts as a collection point for the Australian Reptile Park's venom milking programme, he added.
Desperately seeking deadly spiders
Find out more about spidersâ€™ impressive skills - from BBC iWonder
Big Boy is a male Sydney funnel-web spider, which is the deadliest spider in Australia and one of the most venomous in the world.
The average leg span of a funnel-web is between 6cm and 7cm.
Mr Collett said earlier reports that Big Boy's size was 7.5cm were based on an incorrect measurement taken when the spider's legs were not fully extended.
Big Boy will now become one of more than 500 funnel-webs that are milked for venom at the Australian Reptile Park.
"We get them into a defence position and with a glass pipette we vacuum the venom right off their fangs," Mr Collett said.
Sources: Australian Museum, US National Library of Medicine

Summary: A deadly funnel-web spider with a leg span of 10cm (4in) is the largest specimen ever handed in to Australia's only venom-milking programme.
###
Article: Finance ministers have endorsed the move, which is to be completed by the end of the summer.
The European Commission says nations on the tax blacklist should be sanctioned if appeals for change go unheeded.
The leak of millions of files from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca revealed how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth.
Full coverage: Panama Papers
Plans for a single EU list of "non-cooperative jurisdictions" have been blocked in the past by conflicting national interests.
Currently the 28 EU states have different national lists of tax havens and can decide individually whether to impose restrictive measures.
Negotiations on the new common list are expected to be complex and the number of jurisdictions to be included remains unclear.
Ministers have also agreed to exchange information on the beneficial owners of companies and the EU is planning a crackdown on banks and tax advisers who help clients hide money offshore.

Summary:


Federation has been trying to make a deal with Russia to help the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation has been trying to make a deal with Russia to help the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation has been trying to make a deal with Russia to help the Russian Federation.
The Russian Federation has been trying to

Russian MPs have proposed new laws that would make it easier for Russia to incorporate parts of Ukraine, and allow Russian citizenship to be fast-tracked.

Article: The Izumo is the largest vessel built by Japan since the end of World War Two - and she looks very much like an aircraft carrier.  She has already participated in Singapore's first ever fleet review, an international naval gathering with fleets from Asia and beyond to demonstrate their power.
There is growing support in Japan for a more strident response to Chinese military assertiveness around Japanese waters and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has been increasingly active in the region.
It is all part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's determination to loosen constitutional strictures over the role of Japan's self-defence forces.
The sea is where this is playing out right now.
Japanese navy officials are careful to describe the ship as a "helicopter destroyer" capable of carrying more than 20 helicopters from its expansive flight deck, and thus playing down any offensive capabilities forbidden under Japan's constitution.
Against the backdrop of China's narrative of suffering and humiliation at the hands of Japanese imperial forces during World War Two, the transit of the Izumo through the South China Sea is particularly sensitive for China, since Japan has been very vocal in its support of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration overwhelmingly against China's claims to a large expanse of the South China Sea and its features.
The widening of Japanese naval operations in the South China Sea and beyond is also a response to a more pressing concern for Japan: China's own relentless drive to dominate the waters around Japan.
Chinese critics of Japan's naval modernisation will point out that with a few minor adjustments, this ship could carry vertical take-off and landing fighter jets, including the F-35 stealth fighter.
For China, therefore, the Izumo and the latest additions to the JMSDF fleet are both a symbol of a new era of military expansionism under Prime Minister Abe's administration and a painful reminder of China's wartime suffering and the destruction wrought by Japan's powerful carrier...

Summary: The pride of Japan's naval defence, the JS Izumo, is making an unprecedented journey through Asian waters over the next three months.
###
Article: Asia's third-largest economy grew 7.5% in the three months ending in March, higher than the previous quarter and above expectations. Forecasts were for growth of about 7.3% for the period compared with a year earlier.
But the new growth figures have come at a time when Indian companies are at their weakest in two years. Earnings are flat and profits are down. Most major industries, including infrastructure and automobiles, are struggling. Historically, says Business Standard newspaper, when India's growth has hit 7.5% at constant prices, corporate revenues and profits have soared above 14% on average. So how does the economy grow so fast when corporate growth is so slow?
A month after the government declared a new way of calculating GDP, India baffled experts in February when it announced 7.5% growth between October and December compared with the same period a year earlier. The latest figures again raise questions about the new way.
Some critics say the government is raising GDP figures to meet fiscal deficit targets, and trying to present a rosier picture of the economy. Economists such as R Nagaraj say the new and higher figures "seem quite at odds with other economic indicators such as growth in bank credit, the index of industrial production and corporate performance". Even the government's Economic Survey earlier this year found the new growth figures "somewhat puzzling" when compared to the falling savings, investments and exports.
India's government has defended the new way of calculating GDP by saying it is using an improved database for the private sector, in place of the earlier, smaller sample of large firms with high paid-up capital. It also said it had taken into account half a million companies which had been used for the first time in the series.
India's economy is a complex beast. There's a thriving "underground" or black economy which evades taxes, while more than 90% of India's workers are employed by small businesses which employ less than 10 workers.
"The new methodologies are very...

Summary: Last week, India announced growth figures which would make the world envious.
###
Article: Lois Slemp, 62, from Virginia, Missouri said she developed the cancer after four decades of using talc products.
Prosecutors argued the company did not adequately warn about the cancer risks associated with the items.
Experts say links with ovarian cancer are unproven. J&J says it will appeal.
The verdict in a St Louis state court is the largest so far to arise out of about 2,400 lawsuits against J&J over its talc-based products, Reuters news agency reports.
Ms Slemp is currently undergoing chemotherapy after her ovarian cancer initially diagnosed in 2012 returned and spread to her liver.
She said the products she used included J&J's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder.
"Once again we've shown that these companies ignored the scientific evidence and continue to deny their responsibilities to the women of America," said Ted Meadows, a lawyer for Ms Slemp.
The verdict included $5.4m in compensatory damages and $105m in punitive damages against J&J.
The company said it planned to appeal. "We are preparing for additional trials this year and we continue to defend the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder," it said in a statement.
"We deeply sympathise with the women and families impacted by ovarian cancer."
J&J lost three jury verdicts last year in cases related to its talc-based products, but won its first trial in March, when a jury in Missouri sided with the company.
There have been concerns for years that using talcum powder, particularly on the genitals, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
But the evidence is not conclusive. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies talc used on the genitals as "possibly carcinogenic" because of the mixed evidence.
The mineral talc in its natural form does contain asbestos and does cause cancer, however, asbestos-free talc has been used in baby powder and other cosmetics since the 1970s. But the studies on asbestos-free talc give contradictory results.
It has been linked to a cancer risk in some studies, but there are concerns that the research may be...

Summary: Pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered by a US court to pay more than $110m (Â£85m) to a woman who says she developed ovarian cancer after using its talcum powder.
###
Article: Pro-Kremlin party A Just Russia put forward both bills, and linked them directly to the situation in Ukraine.
Separatist and pro-Russian feelings are strong in Ukraine's Crimea region, which is now the focus of the crisis.
Russian MPs say a referendum or a plea from a territory's leaders would be enough to trigger the new provisions.
There are already many Russian citizens in Crimea.
In Sevastopol, base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, a majority hold Russian passports.
Under Russia's existing law, a neighbouring state would have to sign a treaty with Russia to allow part of its territory to become a new "subject" of the Russian Federation.
But Mikhail Yemelyanov, deputy leader of A Just Russia, said the law had been drafted for peaceful times, and did not go far enough for situations where a state was falling apart.
"In conditions where a neighbouring state is disintegrating I don't think the Russian Federation should be restricted in its ability to accept a territory whose people have expressed a clear will and desire to be in Russia," he said.
Since Russia's war with Georgia in 2008, the breakaway Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have come under Moscow's control.
Russia poured troops into both regions to help pro-Russian separatists who did not recognise Georgia's authority.
The other bill to be considered by the Duma - Russia's lower house - would speed up the procedures for issuing Russian passports.
Passport applicants would not have to pay a state tax, and previous residence in Russia would no longer be required.
In addition, they would not have to have sufficient funds to support themselves and would not have to give up their Ukrainian citizenship.
The bill's preamble says it is aimed "at supporting the fraternal people of Ukraine, especially the Russian-speaking ones, who are defenceless in the face of the 'brown threat'," a reference to World War Two fascists who wore brown uniforms.
The bill would allow Ukrainians to apply for Russian passports at Russian diplomatic missions before...

Summary:


The government has been working hard to tackle the issue of the yuan's price.
The government has been working hard to tackle the issue of the yuan's price.
The government has been working hard to tackle the issue of the yuan's price.
The government has been working hard to tackle the issue of the yuan

The number of people waiting for mental health treatment has doubled in the past six years, figures have shown.

Article: It fell again today - a move some are interpreting as a second devaluation.
However, the system China has put in place means the yuan could, in theory, keep on devaluing.
As long as it decides it wants it to.
For the first time the central bank is allowing the market to play a part in setting the exchange rate.
The central bank, the People's Bank of China, said in a statement: "Since China's trade in goods continues to post relatively large surpluses, the yuan's real effective exchange rate is still relatively strong versus various global currencies, and is deviating from market expectations.
"Therefore, it is necessary to further improve the yuan's midpoint pricing to meet the needs of the market."
Before Monday the official rate for the yuan or renminbi was arbitrarily fixed each day by the bank.
Since then bank has said it will still fix the rate, but will base it on the level it reached in the market on the previous day.
So in theory the market will dictate the rate at which the yuan is traded at at the beginning of each day.
The devaluations of the last two days have therefore been in response to the downward pressure of the market on the currency, with Wednesday's opening rate reflecting Tuesday's close.
However, in reality the central bank will intervene in the market to keep some control over the exchange rate.
On Wednesday the yuan fell almost 2% during the day as investors aggressively sold it off.
But it was then yanked back by the central bank buying equally aggressively just before the close. So the new trading level on Thursday will be only 0.8% lower than the start of the previous day's trade.
Jonathan Fenby, managing director of the China team at Trusted Sources believes that the central bank really is moving towards liberalisation.
He said: "What you've done is gone to market fixing for the currency. It's still controlled. There's still a 2% band either side of the fixing. But this is a move towards market liberalisation."
He says that there is a genuine desire among the reformers in the...

Summary: China devalued its currency on Tuesday, a move that left it with its biggest one day fall in more than 20 years.
###
Article: HM Inspectorate of Prisons said the influx of drugs at HMP Lindholme near Doncaster was "destabilising" the establishment.
The Category C prison holds just over 1,000 adult male inmates.
The National Offender Management Service said "the governor was working hard with police" to tackle the issue.
Prison inspectors said they were told "horrific" stories concerning the possible effects of new psychoactive substances (NPS).
Following the Psychoactive Substances Act, brought into effect on 26 May, the production, distribution, sale and supply of drugs previously called "legal highs" is now an offence punishable by up to seven years in prison.
The Inspectorate's report, following an unannounced inspection in March, said links with crime agencies were "impressive" and a kilo of NPS, 67 mobile phones and 145 Sim cards  had been seized in a month.
What are so-called "legal highs"?
Nearly two-thirds of prisoners told inspectors it was easy to obtain illegal drugs.
The report added: "The stories we were told, concerning the possible effects that NPS was having on individuals, including one young man who had literally blinded himself, were nothing short of horrific."
The watchdog said serious concerns still need addressing at HMP Lindholme, but its deterioration had been halted and work, training and education had improved.
Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said the site had a "focus on rehabilitation", but efforts were "undermined by the illegal supply of new psychoactive substances".
"The governor is working hard with police colleagues to tackle this threat and to generally improve safety," he said.

Summary: A kilo of drugs previously known as "legal highs" and dozens of mobile phones have been seized at a  prison in a single month.
###
Article: In January, a painting showing Donald Trump and singer Madonna went viral. But who is artist Michael Forbes and why did he paint it?
The painting, called Not My President, was made in the days leading up to Mr Trump's inauguration as the 45th president of the USA.
It depicts the billionaire businessman as King Kong sitting on the head of Madonna. The superstar singer is portrayed as the Statue of Liberty, holding up a placard protesting against his election.
Madonna, a critic of Trump, posted an image of the painting to her Facebook and Instagram accounts. The posts soon gathered thousands of "likes".
The US singer is a fan of Forbes, who exhibits artwork at a gallery in Manhattan, New York City, and whose other celebrity supporters include Monty Python's Terry Gilliam and comedian Ricky Gervais.
Forbes describes himself as a Pop Surrealist.
His work has referenced women's rights campaigns, featured "mash ups" of glamorous Hollywood icons, also past US presidents such as Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln as well as bears wearing sunglasses.
But Forbes was born and brought up far from the glamour - and occasional controversy - of the subjects of his paintings.
The son of a mechanic, Forbes was born in Dingwall in Easter Ross and he grew up in the area surrounded by peers who joined the Armed Forces after leaving school.
But he was drawn in a different direction.
"I grew up in a world without 'art'," says Forbes. "There were no trips to museums or art galleries. I didn't know any artists and I remember at 15 having not even taken art in secondary school."
Later he was given a harsh lesson that carving a successful career in the Arts would not be easy.
Forbes says: "I was once stopped by someone taking a survey on Inverness High Street. I agreed to take her survey as she said no-one had stopped.
"I had some time to kill before catching my train. Her first question was 'what is your occupation? I said 'artist'. She went through her whole list of occupations but couldn't find 'artist'.
'It's not there," she said....

Summary: All images are copyrighted.
###
Article: There were 1,820 patients waiting to be seen in May, compared to 916 in 2011.
About half had waits of up to four weeks, the other half up to 26 weeks and a small number waited longer.
Charity Mind Cymru said it was "very concerned" by the figures but the Welsh Government said more money was being ploughed into services and more people were being referred.
Sara Moseley, director of Mind Cymru, said: "Our own research shows that far too many people are waiting for significant periods, sometimes as long as 12 months, to get the treatment they need to stay well.
"We also know that the services offered across Wales are patchy, with some health board areas providing a much better service than others."
She added the vast majority of Welsh speakers were not offered the choice of therapy in their first language.
Although the figures have risen steadily over the six years, this year's were slightly down on 2016 but still double of that in 2011.
Andrew Tamplin suffered a breakdown and paid to be seen privately.
"I couldn't wait six months to see someone," he said. "I don't like to think what would've happened. I paid thousands for 20 to 30 sessions.
"When you're suffering mental illness the last thing you need is more stress and anxiety [from waiting]."
Gwen Goddard also paid privately for treatment but now works for Training in Mind, which teaches first aiders about mental health.
She told Newyddion 9: "It was a crisis, I was so ill. When you talk about self harming and suicidal feelings it is a crisis.
"People have to have prompt treatment."
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We want to ensure that people experiencing mental health problems have access to appropriate and timely services as close to their home as practical.
"We continue to spend more on mental health services than on any other part of our NHS and have put in place more stringent waiting time targets to help us achieve that ambition.
"We recognise there is more to be done to improve waiting time performance, but this needs to be set in context of...

Summary:


The researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that the researchers found that

The deep, growling roar of the howler monkey may hide reproductive shortcomings, according to biologists.

Article: Russia was told to pay the money to former shareholders in the now defunct oil producer Yukos.
The Hague court said Russian officials had manipulated the legal system to bankrupt Yukos, and jail its boss.
The Russian finance ministry said the ruling was "flawed", "one-sided" and "politically biased".
The ministry added that the Permanent Court for Arbitration in The Hague "had no jurisdiction to consider the questions it was given".
The claim was filed by a subsidiary for the financial holding company GML, once the biggest shareholder in Yukos Oil Co.
GML Executive Director Tim Osborne said: "The majority shareholders of Yukos Oil were left without compensation for the loss of their investment when Russia illegally expropriated Yukos."
"It is a major step forward for the majority shareholders, who have been battling for over 10 years for this decision."
In an interview with the BBC's World Business Report, Mr Osborne added that his next step would be to use local courts worldwide to pursue Russian state property which could be seized as recompense.
Commenting on the tribunal's findings, he told the BBC: "In their view Rosneft, for instance, is an instrumentality of the state and was the vehicle that the Russian state chose to bankrupt and expropriate Yukos."
Pursuing Rosneft for the funds is a "distinct possibility", he said.
However, in a statement, the Russian ministry said: "Because of substantial shortcomings in the rulings of the arbitration court, the Russian Federation will challenge the rulings of the arbitration court in Dutch courts and expects to obtain a fair result there".
GML's lawyer Emmanuel Gaillard said: "This is an historic award. It is now judicially established that the Russian Federation's actions were not a legitimate exercise in tax collection but, rather, were aimed at destroying Yukos and illegally expropriating its assets for the benefit of State instrumentalities Rosneft and Gazprom."
Dr Florian Otto from risk advisory company Maplecroft said that Russia will be hoping to win time...

Summary: Russia will appeal against a international court ruling that it should  pay $50bn (£29.5bn) in damages, the biggest compensation package ever.
###
Article: Yahoo paid $1.1bn (Â£830m) for the company back in 2013 - but it has since slashed $712m (Â£541m) off its valuation.
CNN Money has suggested that the acquisition is now "effectively worthless".
Tumblr is a social network where members can post almost anything - photos, audio clips, videos, animations, feature-length text posts and more.
It was set up in 2007 and brings together a staggering breadth of content, including craft tutorials, clips of TV programmes, mental health support groups, political satire, naked selfies, funny cat pictures and hardcore pornography.
Members follow people who post the type of content they enjoy, and can repost items they like on to their own page, providing fertile ground for in-jokes and memes to go viral.
One recent obsession involved gate-crashing innocent-looking videos with the loud trumpeting intro to pop song Run Away With Me by Carly Rae Jepsen.
At the time of the acquisition - addressing concerns from Tumblr's fiercely loyal members - Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer promised not to "screw it up".
Those who keep a close eye on services such as Tumblr say the site has been slow to add new features.
Its latest big addition is live video support, following in the footsteps of Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter-owned Periscope.
"Tumblr has just added live video, and it's six months late," said Eleni Marouli, principal analyst at IHS Markit. "That's years in the technology world."
A bigger concern is that the site cannot find enough advertisers to fill its available space.
That could be, in part, due to the nature of the content on Tumblr - much of it adult-orientated, depending on whom you follow - although Ms Mayer blames the shortfall on a growing number of advertising formats.
"Supply, because it's growing so quickly, is outpacing demand, and it's causing this monetisation shortfall," she said.
Then there's the issue of mobile advertising. People are increasingly accessing content via mobiles, and Tumblr has been slow to react.
"Yahoo has been very slow at...

Summary: Three years have passed since Yahoo bought Tumblr, but the micro-blogging website has not proved to be the goldmine once hoped.
###
Article: Customers will be able to choose to use the free power either on Saturday or Sunday, between 9am and 5pm.
British Gas said consumers should see savings of about Â£60 a year.
But experts said it will not necessarily be the cheapest deal on the market, and advised people to shop around with other suppliers.
Most of British Gas's 11 million customers will not be eligible immediately, as only 2.4 million of these currently have smart meters.
For the first time, smart meters enable energy firms to work out the time of day when people are using power.
The move follows an announcement by British Gas in April that it had lost 224,000 customers in the first three months of 2016.
British Gas said the new FreeTime tariff will be the cheapest dual fuel deal on offer from the company.
But independent energy expert Ann Robinson said consumers can find lower tariffs elsewhere.
"Consumers need to think about the small print, shop around and see if there's a better deal out there," she said.
However, she welcomed the innovative use of smart meters, saying people might be prepared to change habits to save money.
"It's worth thinking about cooking your major roasts and stews, or doing two or three rounds of laundry on the same day," she said.
Experts expect other suppliers to follow suit.
Large energy suppliers have now installed 2.75 million residential smart meters across the UK, less than 6% of all meters, according to the latest government figures.
In total, 53 million smart meters are due to be installed by 2020.
British Gas said it would install a smart meter for anyone who wanted to go on the new tariff, as long as they were eligible.
Why are we using less energy than we used to?

Summary: British Gas is to offer free electricity for eight hours at weekends to two million customers who have smart meters installed.
###
Article: A study by an international team of scientists has revealed that the primates either develop big voices, or big testes - but not both.
Scientists made the discovery while trying to understand the "evolution of the animals' incredible roars".
The findings suggest such evolutionary trade-offs may be more common that previously thought.
They are published in the journal Current Biology.
Howler monkeys are named for their impressive howling roars - sounds they make to intimidate rivals and impress potential mates.
And their anatomical musical instrument is a bone in their throat called the hyoid bone, which acts as a resonator
So, while their vocal folds act like the strings of an instrument, the hyoid bone is the body - and its size relates directly to the depth of their howl.
"Females find a deeper howl more attractive," explained lead researcher Dr Jake Dunn from the University of Cambridge.
Looking at research into the different howler monkey species, the researchers found that there was "huge variation" in the size of the hyoid bone.
"The largest hyoid is 14 times the size of the smallest," explained Dr Dunn.
"We became really interested in understanding how and why such amazing variation exists in this trait."
With colleagues from the University of Utah, the team carried out laser scans to calculate the volumes of more than 200 howler monkey hyoid bones from museums in the US and Europe. And to confirm the scans were accurate, the team made MRI images of two adult male monkeys.
As well as measuring the variation, they found that it was connected to another striking physical difference between the species.
"There's also a dramatic difference in the size of the monkeys' testes", said Dr Dunn. "The largest are 6.5 times bigger than the smallest."
Comparing the animals, Dr Dunn and his team found that different species of howler monkeys seemed to face a trade-off between "investing in either a huge vocal tract - for making lower frequency, more impressive calls - or large testes - for producing lots of...

Summary:


The RSPCA is urging Wrexham council not to "demonise" responsible dog owners.

Article: The vote is a choice between MSPs Kezia Dugdale and Ken Macintosh, with the result expected on 15 August.
The election was prompted by the resignation of Jim Murphy after the party's MPs were almost wiped out in Scotland at the general election.
It will be a one member one vote ballot, while non-members can  register as supporters to take part.
Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson and MSPs Alex Rowley and Richard Baker are standing for deputy.
Ahead of the ballot, Ms Dugdale said: "I am honoured to have received the backing of the overwhelming majority of local parties, trade unions and elected representatives who have nominated a candidate.
"The task in the weeks ahead is to convert that support into votes."
She added: "We need to catch up with the people of Scotland or risk getting left behind for good.
"People in Scotland are ambitious - for themselves, their family and their community. The Labour Party must prove that we are as ambitious as the people of Scotland."
The two leadership contenders will go head-to-head in a live TV debate on the BBC later this month.
Mr Macintosh said: "From Monday, my team of volunteers will be hitting the phones to get the message of change across.
"I am offering something different. I want to take our party in a new direction, more collaborative, more positive and more forward looking."
He added: "I have been clear from day one about how I will reclaim our party to rebuild the trust we have lost. These have not just been words - I have laid out in some detail the practical changes I will make and the policies I will pursue.
"Under my leadership, Scottish Labour will be driven by our positive vision for Scotland's future and not by our opposition to the SNP."

Summary: The ballot is getting under way in the contest for the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party.
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Article: Organisers said there would be 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues over three weeks in August.
It remains the largest arts festival in the world despite a small fall in the number of shows - down 1.3% from 3,314 last year.
Its new chief executive Shona McCarthy promised "unparalleled" breadth and diversity of talent.
She said the Fringe is "still at its core an open access festival which welcomes anyone with a story to tell".
"The Fringe simply wouldn't happen without all the performers and artists who come and take the risk and put their work on show for the benefit for all of us," she added.
The festival will be made up of:
Some of the famous names in the comedy line-up include Rory Bremner, Omid Djalili, David O'Doherty and Shappi Khorsandi.
Actor Richard Wilson will revive one of the UK's best-loved TV characters, One Foot in the Grave's cantankerous protagonist Victor Meldrew, for a one-man show.
In the music category, Colin Hay, former lead singer of Men at Work, will bring a group of international musicians together for his show while Fringe favourite Camille O'Sullivan will debut a new show featuring the music of Radiohead, Nick Cave and David Bowie.
The Queen's Hall will host concerts from big names in folk and traditional music including Capercaillie, The Peatbog Faeries and King Creosote.
Various theatrical performances will celebrate William Shakespeare's legacy as they mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death.
Both the UK poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Scotland's former makar (national poet) Liz Lochhead are bringing separate shows to the Fringe in the spoken-word section.
There will also be 643 free events on offer across the programme.
The Scottish Government is supporting a "Made in Scotland" showcase, providing a platform for 18 of the country's best performers and companies.
Councillor Richard Lewis, who is in charge of the capital's festivals and events, stressed the importance of the Fringe to locals and businesses alike.
"In terms of finances, the Fringe festival...

Summary: The programme for this year's Edinburgh Fringe has been unveiled.
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Article: Civil Service World reported that seven out of ten Downing Street special advisers got pay rises of as much as £14,976 after last year's election.
It follows controversy over the size of severance packages to the ex-PM's aides after his resignation in July.
Labour said it was "uber-cronyism".
But the Cabinet Office said the pay increases reflected changes in responsibility and roles among Mr Cameron's staff after last year's Conservative election victory.
The ex-prime minister has already been criticised for giving 17 former advisers larger pay-offs than they were contractually entitled to upon his exit from Downing Street and giving many of them recognition in his resignation honours list.
The decision to give his advisers redundancy pay equivalent to six months salary each amounted to individual packages of £70,000 in certain cases.
The move was challenged at the time by the head of the civil service John Manzoni, who took the unusual step of asking Mr Cameron to give him a written ministerial direction to authorise the payments.
Civil Service World said its own research suggested most of the special advisers involved had already received inflation-busting pay increases less than a year before.
Those who received double-digit increases after the May 2015 victory, it said, included former director of strategy Ameet Gill, former head of operations Liz Sugg and Daniel Korski - deputy director of the Downing Street Policy Unit.
Although the total amount spent on special advisers last year has yet to be published, the magazine said it was estimated to be £8.4m - a substantial increase on the last year of the Labour government in 2009-2010 when it totalled £6.8m.
In opposition, Mr Cameron criticised the amount spent on special advisers - known around Westminster as spads - and said this should be reduced as part of a general drive to cut the cost of politics.
But Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said it was clear now that this was "empty rhetoric".
"This is a triple whammy - honours to cronies and a whacking great pay...

Summary: Theresa May is being urged to "claw back" money paid to some of David Cameron's former advisers after it was reported that they were given pay rises of up to 24% last year.
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Article: The council has been consulting on a new protection order which would ban dogs from play areas and sports pitches, and require them to be kept on leads on public roads and pavements.
The RSPCA said the order could create a "negative view of dog ownership".
Wrexham council said it recognised that dogs must have space to exercise and the recommendations allow this on informal open space and country parks.
The council currently has three dog control orders and wants to replace them with a new Public Spaces and Protection Order (PSPO).
The order recommends:
Responding to the consultation, the RSPCA said banning dogs from sport pitches was "restrictive," especially if there was no other spaces nearby.
It said dogs need to have exercise off the lead, allowing them to express "their normal behaviour".
The charity recognised that dog faeces can be "a nuisance" to people that use the pitches, but said it can be removed.
"Imposing the restriction would punish responsible dog owners," it said.
Councils were given powers to introduce PSPOs in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
RSPCA Cymru public affairs manager Paul Smith said: "We don't want these powers to accidentally create a negative view of dog ownership by implementing undue restrictions, or inadvertently demonise responsible dog owners."
Councillor David Bithell, Wrexham council's lead member for environment and transport, said they have had "an extensive consultation" and listened to all views about the proposed PSPO.
"Dogs have been excluded on marked sports pitches since 2009, and we recognise that dogs must have space to exercise," he said.
"The recommendations allow this on informal open space and country parks, although around the visitors areas and car parks, we are asking that they are put on a lead."

Summary:


The council has been criticised for its lack of transparency and lack of transparency.
The council has been criticised for its lack of transparency and lack of transparency.
The council has been criticised for its lack of transparency and lack of transparency.
The council has been criticised for its lack of transparency and lack of transparency.

Proposals to make workers clock off when they go for a cigarette break have been backed by a Norfolk council.

Article: German company DB Regio took over running the system from Nexus in 2010 but has consistently failed to hit punctuality targets.
The firm has been penalised by Â£4.4m over the seven years and its contract has not been renewed. It has been approached for comment.
However, Nexus managing director Tobyn Hughes said the service was improving.
"Although it has undoubtedly had one or two moments of difficulty, generally the contract has gone well," he said.
"Every day around 450 trains operate on the system, carrying around 130,000 people and day in, day out this system continues to perform."
The network has seen an increasing number of complaints about poor service and low levels of customer satisfaction.
Metro's Public Transport Users group welcomed the return of Nexus, but said the existing 40-year-old trains needed to be replaced with a new fleet.
Nexus is bidding for Â£550m from the government to improve the system.

Summary: The operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro has been returned to the public body Nexus.
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Article: It beat off stiff competition from Linwood, Gourock and Auchterarder to scoop the title at the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum awards ceremony in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Hazel Cross, from Fife Council, who helped make changes, accepted the award on behalf of the town.
Brian Schultz from Lochgelly Community Council said he was "overwhelmed".
Mr Schultz said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Lochgelly, and the hard work of all of the organisations and volunteers in Lochgelly, is finally getting the recognition it deserves as Lochgelly is a fantastic town that is always improving."
Ms Cross said: "Lochgelly has been on a journey of people and place and the collaborative working over a number of years has helped change the face of Lochgelly by improving the towns assets, creating new housing, leisure and business opportunities.
"The Lochgelly community is strong and determined and have delivered a range of community led projects throughout the town over the years and I know Lochgelly will continue to be successful."

Summary: The Fife town of Lochgelly has been named Scotland's Most Improved Town 2016.
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Article: HIE, along with other enterprise and skills agencies, has been the subject of a review.
The process sparked a political row with opposition parties concerned HIE's board could lose its independence or be wound up altogether.
HIE supports businesses in the islands, Highlands, Argyll and Moray.
It began as the Highlands and Islands Development Board 50 years ago, becoming HIE in 1990.
The first phase of the Enterprise and Skills Review was published in October last year and recommended that a new national board co-ordinate the activities of HIE, Scottish Enterprise and other bodies.
In January, MSPs voted to demand the Scottish government allow HIE to retain its own board.
In his response, Mr Brown said HIE would "continue to be locally based, managed and directed" under his plans.
A report was recently published on the scope, structures and functions for a new board.
Prof Lorne Crerar's publication recommended HIE and the others retain their independent boards.
A new national strategic board would oversee the organisations' activities, it was suggested.
Ahead of Mr Brown's statement in the Scottish Parliament, former Labour MSP Maureen Macmillan has present a petition to Holyrood's public petitions committee.
The petition asks for the Scottish government "to reverse its decision to move power from the region to a centralised body".
Ahead of the statement, Mr Brown said the proposals were part of a wide-ranging programme to improve services for businesses and individuals.
He said: "It is essential that we do not lose sight of our aim of enhancing our enterprise and skills services to boost Scotland's economy, which will help to deliver our ambition of ranking among the top quartile of OECD countries in terms of productivity, equality, wellbeing and sustainability.
"In order to achieve this, our agencies must align behind a common purpose and be driven by strong leadership.
"Far from diminishing the role of agencies, the review will strengthen their capability and grow their capacity to jointly step-up the...

Summary: Economy Secretary Keith Brown is expected to make a statement on the future of the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise later on Thursday.
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Article: Staff at Breckland Council will not be paid in future for the time they take to have a cigarette after the proposals were given the go-ahead.
Simon Clark, from Smokers' lobby group Forest, said earlier that everyone was entitled to a break during work.
The council said the move was aimed at making the issue of smoke breaks fairer for individuals who did not smoke.
William Nunn, leader of the Conservative-run council, said: "We are not trying to stop smoking... what we are saying is when people go for a cigarette they should do it in their own time."
Mr Clark said: "Are they going to introduce clocking in and off for people who go on the internet, on Facebook, or people who want to have a cup of coffee?
"I am sure there are some smokers who abuse the situation and go out too often but if that is happening that is a failure of management."
A meeting of the full council voted to approve the measure on Wednesday.

Summary:


The Bangladeshi government has reinstated a headmaster who was sacked after being publicly humiliated over allegations that he insulted Islam.

Article: A teaching union said it showed Wales is facing a problem with recruiting new teachers.
Only 553 students started initial secondary teacher training in September 2015 but the official target is 880.
The Welsh Government said the overall teacher vacancy rate "remains very low".
The Ucac teaching union said the figures were "dramatic" and blamed the "out of control" workload as one factor in making the profession less attractive.
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Conservative AM Angela Burns said: "With almost 40% of secondary school teacher training places not filled, these worrying figures further emphasise the deeply worrying recruitment problems faced in Wales.
"The new administration must place a greater emphasis on supporting teachers, with a renewed focus on continuous professional development, and giving the profession greater freedom and control."
Teacher training in Wales is currently provided by three centres involving five universities.
Each year, the centres are set recruitment targets for initial teacher training.
The all-Wales target for secondary teacher training courses starting in September 2015 was 880 but figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales show only 553 places were filled - 37% below the target.
Recruitment to primary teacher training courses showed a slight drop in relation to the target.
Major reforms of teacher training in Wales are due to be introduced by September 2018.
Rebecca Williams, policy officer at Ucac, said she believed it was not pay and conditions in Wales which was the issue, but workload, which was leading to stress.
"The figures are beginning to tell quite a strong story that we have a recruitment problem into the teaching profession in Wales," she said.
"In a way it's just the tip of the iceberg, it doesn't take into account the drop out of those who don't finish the course and those who drop out in the early years in the profession because they find it's not what they wanted or it doesn't suit them."
The Welsh Government said it wanted to...

Summary: A third of secondary school teacher training places were not filled at the start of this academic year, official figures show.
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Article: Nemesis, a heavily-modified Lotus Exige body, will be driven by estate agent Nick Ponting, 21, from Gloucester.
Dale Vince said he had built the car to "smash the stereotype of electric cars as something Noddy would drive - slow, boring, not cool".
The record attempt is due to be made at Elvington Airfield, near York, on 27 September.
Nemesis was designed and built in under two years by a team of British motorsport engineers in Norfolk.
It can travel from 100-150 miles between charges, depending on driving style, and can be charged from empty in about 30 minutes using a rapid-charger.
The team believes theoretically the motors are capable of about 200mph but "real world" constraints like aerodynamic lift have to be addressed before the attempt.
Mr Vince, who runs the electricity company Ecotricity, said he was quietly confident the team would break the record.
The current record of 137mph (220km/h) was set by Don Wales, from Addlestone, Surrey, in 2000.
A separate attempt to beat the record last August was thwarted after the vehicle's suspension was damaged by a pothole.
The Bluebird Electric was being driven along Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire by Mr Wales's son Joe, who suffered mild whiplash as a result.

Summary: A battery-powered car will attempt to beat the UK land-speed record for electric vehicles later this month.
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Article: The number of holidaymakers coming to the UK rose by 21.1% - although the number of business visitors declined.
Overall there were a record 8.3 million visits in the quarter, a rise of nearly 10% on the same period in 2016.
The visitors spent £4.4bn while in the country, also a record amount.
But at the same time the fall in the value of the pound did not discourage Britons from travelling overseas.
UK residents made 14.1 million trips abroad over the three months, a rise of 8.1% on 2016.
The decline in sterling makes it cheaper for foreign visitors to come to the UK, but more expensive for Britons going the other way.
The number of American visitors was particularly significant. Their numbers were up by 16%, while their spending grew 29% to £604m.
There were a record 54,000 visits from Chinese nationals, who spent a record £91m, and there was strong growth in the number of Australian and French visitors too.
Wales appears to have been one of the most popular destinations, with the number of overnight visits increasing by 28%.
But the "visitor balance of payments" remains tilted against the UK.
While visitors spent £4.4bn in Britain over the quarter, Britons spent nearly twice as much - £8.6bn - on trips abroad. a figure that has risen by 11.7% over the past year.

Summary: The weakness of sterling was behind a surge in the number of tourists visiting the UK in the first three months of 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
###
Article: Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, who is a Hindu, was made to hold his ears while performing squats, before being beaten.
Many Bangladeshis were angered by his treatment, posting photos of themselves holding their ears in solidarity.
The government said the sacking was illegal and dismissed the school board. Mr Bhakta denies insulting Islam.
"The head teacher was a victim of injustice. This was a heinous act," Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said.
But he made no mention of local MP AKM Selim Osman who was present at the teacher's ritual humiliation in Narayanganj District near Dhaka last Friday.
The MP has refused to apologise for what happened, the Daily Star reports.
In footage of Friday's incident, a crowd can be heard cheering as Mr Bhakta was made to squat repeatedly and folds his hands - an action associated with shame and apology and usually reserved for children.
Video and photographs showing Mr Bhakta's treatment soon went viral on social media.
Mr Bhakta has told the BBC his treatment was the result of personal grudges against him.
It comes in the wake of a series of attacks on secular writers and bloggers, professors and members of religious minorities in the country.

Summary:


More than 100 people have supported a breastfeeding protest in Swansea after a Staffordshire mother was labelled a "tramp" for feeding her baby in public.

Article: Routine inspections at Old Vienna in Eastwood Road, Leigh, revealed congealed dirt, broken glass, and cooked food left unrefrigerated.
The proprietor, Walter Haiser, 76, admitted food safety breaches at Southend Magistrates' Court.
Southend Borough Council said Mr Haiser had been "failing to comply" for some time.
Read this and more stories from Essex
The council said the business sold unfit food, failed to comply with improvement notices issued by environmental health officers and failed to provide essential information, despite repeated requests.
Officers said they gave advice on how to address the failings, but Mr Haiser, from Woodlands Park, Leigh, failed to take action.
The  Southend Echo also reported the restaurant's food safety rating sank to zero.
Executive councillor for housing, planning and public protection services, Mark Flewitt said: "We had to take this action to protect public health and make sure that the food hygiene regulations would be complied with in future.
"Friern Leasing Limited and Mr Haiser had been failing to do this for a long time."
The restaurant is yet to comment.

Summary: A restaurateur must pay nearly £60,000 in fines after admitting a string of food safety failings.
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Article: The trio suffered serious side effects after taking blue tablets, known as Blue Ghost, at the music festival on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border.
Staffordshire Police said officers have seized several of the tablets.
Government scientists are at the same event in Essex analysing samples of so-called legal highs after campaigns warning people not to take them.
A ban on legal highs at the twin festival sites was introduced seven years ago.
So far, more than 120 people have received medical treatment at Weston Park in Staffordshire, with two people needing to go to hospital, ambulance crews said.
Paramedics said it had been a "steady start" for staff and volunteers since the gates opened to campers on Friday.
Staffordshire Police said the three people taken ill from the tablets did not need to go to hospital and officers were investigating the incidents.
"Emergency teams have treated three people who took a blue tablet they believed to be ecstasy at V Festival in Weston Park," a spokesman said.
"All had serious side effects after taking the tablets and needed urgent medical treatment."

Summary: Three people have been given urgent medical treatment after taking a drug they thought was ecstasy at V Festival.
###
Article: The measurement was made by the New Horizons probe which is just about to flyby the dwarf world.
The result means it is confirmed as the largest object yet detected in the outer zone of the Solar System known as the Kuiper Belt.
Nasa's probe is set to return a treasure trove of images and data when it sweeps past Pluto.
It is likely that in that data will be information that can further refine the object's size.
The new measurement has a number of implications. The first is that it makes Pluto slightly less dense than we thought, meaning the fraction of ice in its interior is probably higher than we had recognised.
The measurement also changes some of the expected properties of the atmosphere, given that the sphere it envelops is now considered to be larger.  For modellers, it suggests the troposphere, the lowest layer, is a bit shallower.
But perhaps the main consequence from this result is what it does for Pluto fans, because it finally settles the debate over which is the bigger - Pluto or Eris?
The latter's discovery in 2005, with its comparable girth, was partly responsible for getting Pluto demoted from full planet status in 2006. However, this new result indicates that Pluto really does have the upper-hand, if only by about 30km in terms of diameter.
One of the reasons for past uncertainty has been the presence of that atmosphere at Pluto - something Eris does not share in such abundance.  So, while scientists could be much more sure of Eris, Pluto's diameter has jumped about, depending on the assumptions made.
But New Horizons' fast-approaching cameras have put the arguments to bed.
"Before New Horizons, we had a range from 1,150km in radius, up to a little bit north of 1,200km. And what we found is that Pluto is almost at the top of that range," said Prof Alan Stern, the probe's principal investigator.
The probe will pass just 12,500km above the dwarf planet on Tuesday at 11:50 GMT (12:50 BST; 07:50 EDT).
The spacecraft will be out of radio contact with Earth when that happens.
All mission...

Summary: Pluto has just been found to be ever so slightly bigger than we thought, having a diameter of 2,370km.
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Article: Emily Slough launched a campaign after finding a photograph on Facebook of her feeding her daughter in Rugeley.
In a show of support, Swansea mother Jade Richards organised a breastfeeding protest in Castle Square on Saturday at midday.
Ms Slough staged her own event in Rugeley.
Ms Slough, 27, said she had "discreetly" stopped to feed her eight-month-old daughter Matilda during a shopping trip on 7 March.
Her campaign has attracted thousands of "likes" on Facebook and more than 1,000 people are expected to attend her mass breastfeeding protest.
Swansea mother Ms Richards, who is originally from Staffordshire, said she was inspired to launch her own event after hearing about Ms Slough's story.
"We had about 120 people join us to support Emily," said Ms Richards.
"Mothers, fathers and families came along. It was a great turn out and great weather.
"We handed out flyers explaining that we were here today in support of Emily and the flyers also contained information about feeding babies and why public feeding is necessary.
"There were details about the Equality Act which says people can't discriminate against women breastfeeding.
"During the event, one lady came up to me and said it was the first time she had breastfed in public without covering her baby's head with a blanket to conceal what she was doing."
Ms Richards said it was hard to explain why Ms Slough had received such a harsh reaction while breastfeeding in public.
"People are not used to seeing mothers breastfeeding in public," she added.
"Mothers are normally discreet when they're feeding, I'm not saying they should be, but when a mother is spotted they sometimes receive odd reactions."
She said people were used to seeing breasts as sexual objects and were "freaked out" when they saw them being used for what they were designed for.
"I think the breastfeeding protest in Swansea will serve as a confidence boost for mothers and it'll give them a chance to meet like-minded people," Ms Richards said.
"Perhaps this could become an annual event and then...

Summary: