Austria will impose a daily quota on asylum claims and limit the flux of migrants travelling through the country.

Article: This remarkable rise attests to the military's predominant power and to the field marshal's ability to harness that power for his own and for his institution's purposes.
Key to his political skill has been his secrecy coupled with expert role-playing that duped his opponents into thinking he was an unambitious professional officer while simultaneously appealing to the Egyptian public as the man to lead them out of the post-Mubarak political morass.
Who then is this rather mysterious officer and how and for what purposes is he likely to rule Egypt?
First and foremost, Field Marshal Sisi is the product of the military high command under former President Hosni Mubarak, as his career trajectory and personal alliances suggest.
The "political track" in the Egyptian military is the army and within it, the infantry, the corps which produced both the late presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat.
Mr Mubarak was chosen by Sadat as his vice-president precisely because as an air force officer he did not command the loyalty of forces required for a coup.
After succeeding Sadat following his assassination in 1981, Mubarak ultimately settled on the lacklustre infantry general, Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, to preside over the officer corps - more or less as a CEO - rewarding loyalists with promotions and patronage generated in the military's sprawling economy.
Field Marshal Sisi was one of Field Marshal Tantawi's favourites, who doled out plum assignments to this rising infantry officer.
He was provided the necessary foreign training, contacts and polish by stints at the UK's Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), at the US Army War College, and as military attache in Riyadh.
His credentials as a commanding officer were burnished by appointments as battalion, brigade and division commander and chief-of-staff within the mechanised infantry and by his final operational command as chief-of-staff of the Northern Military Zone, headquartered in Alexandria.
Having established the professional basis for military...

Summary: Virtually unknown to the Egyptian public before the Spring of 2011, Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi looks set to become the next president of Egypt.
###
Article: The Humberside Police and Crime Panel had voted against Paul Robinson's appointment at a meeting last week.
It was concerned he would not have time to be able to fulfil both his roles of councillor and deputy commissioner.
Humberside PCC Matthew Grove said he had reflected on the panel's view but decided Mr Robinson was the right person for the Â£45,000-a-year post.
Mr Robinson is a Conservative councillor for the Howdenshire ward for East Riding of Yorkshire Council and worked closely with Mr Grove during his campaign for election as Humberside PCC.
Mr Grove, who was an East Riding of Yorkshire councillor until his election as PCC, said: "As commissioner I need someone who I have total trust and confidence in and who can fit this profile.
"My judgement is that Paul fits this role and can deliver everything I need to be delivered.
"This appointment represents a significant judgment call for me, and I recognise that the members of the panel had only a 12-page report and a 30-minute questioning session with Paul to base their recommendation on.
"I have seriously considered their views but my judgment is based upon significant knowledge of Paul, my personal experience and honest belief in him."
Police and crime panels, which include local councillors, have been set up to scrutinise the actions and decisions of each PCC and make sure information is available for the public, enabling them to hold the PCC to account.

Summary: A councillor has been appointed as the deputy Humberside police and crime commissioner.
###
Article: The Sunday Times published data from 5,000 athletes, which it says reveals an "extraordinary extent of cheating".
The IAAF, whose data was leaked, stressed the results referred to were not positive tests or proof of doping.
It also rejected the suggestion it had done nothing to act upon data showing "suspicious" results.
The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR obtained access to the results of 12,000 blood tests between 2001 and 2012.
An IAAF statement said: "Any reporting by the ARD and Sunday Times that the IAAF was negligent in addressing or following up the suspicious profiles is simply false, disappointing and misinformed journalism.
"In an attempt to catch and sanction the cheats in our sport, the IAAF has used every means available to it within the anti-doping framework it operates in."
In a detailed response, it also denied the data was "secret" and said it had published a detailed analysis of it more than four years ago.
It did, though, "condemn in the strongest possible terms the distribution, sharing, and publication of private and confidential medical data that was obtained from the IAAF without consent."
The allegations claimed more than 800 athletes - and a third of all medallists in endurance events at recent Olympics and World Championships - had suspicious blood test results which were not followed up by the IAAF.
The IAAF though "refuted outright" any allegation it did not appropriately follow up suspicious profiles.
It said: "What the IAAF cannot accept under any circumstances from the ARD/Sunday Times, or the scientists whom they have retained, is an accusation that it has breached its primary duty to act in the best interests of the sport of athletics.
"The experts have never worked for the IAAF and are therefore in no position to make any comment regarding what the IAAF has done or not done in the development and implementation of its blood and urine target testing program.
"To do so is simply guesswork on their part. The IAAF categorically refutes all allegations made by ARD and...

Summary: Allegations of widespread doping in athletics are "sensationalist and confusing", according to the sport's world governing body.
###
Article: Oxford University-educated David Jenkins died when his Edge 360 plane crashed at the Old Buckenham airfield on Wednesday.
Mr Jenkins, from Stanton, Suffolk, was in his 60s and first flew as a teenager in Welwyn Garden City.
It is understood Mr Jenkins' next of kin has been informed of his death.
Norfolk Police were called after witnesses reported the aircraft falling suddenly to the ground.
The investigation into what happened will be handed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and a file into the death of Mr Jenkins will be prepared for the coroner.
Mr Jenkins was a member of the Wildcat Aerobatic Team, based at Old Buckenham Airfield, near Attleborough, where the event was taking place.
He was named British Advanced Champion in 2012 and 2013 and had won more than 40 medals in aerobatic competitions.
Mr Jenkins was a member of the UK team at the 2012 aerobatic world championships.
Adrian Willis, a close friend of Mr Jenkins and a chief instructor with the British Aerobatic Academy, said: "We are all really, really sad. He (Mr Jenkins) was a really top bloke.
"He helped others and spent his time generously."
Alan Cassidy, chairman of the British Aerobatics Association, said Mr Jenkins was a "great mentor" adding: "Dave helped people whenever he could.
"He was a very experienced pilot and a genuine and thoroughly nice man. It is a tragic loss."
He said the cause of the crash was not yet known.
Even if Mr Jenkins had been wearing a parachute, said Mr Cassidy, he was flying too close to the ground at the time to have deployed it in time.
"If you fly these aeroplanes in this kind of way, some of the margins of safety you expect in everyday life will be reduced a little bit."

Summary: A pilot who died during an airshow launch had twice held the British advanced aerobatics title, it has emerged.
###
Article: One pamphlet, Dreaming Scotland, was authored by the novelist and poet William McIlvanney and sets out his reasons for voting "Yes".
The other, entitled Nevertheless, makes the case for a "No" vote and was written by Allan Massie.
They have both been published by the Saltire Society.
Massie has written almost 30 books, including 20 novels, and won the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year award for his 1989 novel A Question of Loyalties about Vichy France.
Arguing the case for Scotland to remain part of the UK, his pamphlet concludes: "It is, for me, a matter of self-confidence. If you feel the lack of that, you will vote for independence.
"If you feel confident of Scotland's ability to remain Scottish and prosper in the Union, you will agree that we are indeed Better Together and vote 'No'.
"The Unionist says, I am Scottish. Nevertheless, I am also British and value the Union with England, "our sister and ally", as [Sir Walter] Scott called her."
McIlvanney is also a past winner of the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year award for his 1996 novel The Kiln and has been previously described by Massie as "the finest Scottish novelist of our time".
Setting out his reasons for voting in favour of independence, McIlvanney wrote: "Politically, Scotland's like a living entity which has been cryogenically frozen and stored within the UK for over 300 years.
"Isn't it time to come out of history's deep-freeze and explore for ourselves who we really are? Whatever that reality turns out to be, let's confront it.
"It's time to grow up and take full responsibility for ourselves. A Yes vote would do that."
The two authors will discuss the referendum together at a special event hosted at the Central Hall in Edinburgh on 30 July.
Saltire Society executive director Jim Tough said much of the debate around the referendum has been focused on practical questions and the economic case for and against.
"We wanted to provide an opportunity for some more philosophical thought to be given to the question," he added.
"Hence,...

Summary: Two prominent Scottish authors have published pamphlets setting out their rival visions of Scotland's future ahead of the independence referendum.
###
Article: Officials say 80 asylum applications will be accepted each day, and a maximum of 3,200 people will be allowed to travel through Austria.
The measures will be introduced on Friday.
The country has become a major transit route for migrants seeking to claim asylum in Germany.
Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said Austria had no choice but to act, as there was no European solution yet in place for the current migrant crisis.
"It is a matter of common sense to secure our borders as long as there is no European solution. I see it as our responsibility, to maintain security, order and the quality of life in Austria for our citizens," she said.
"We cannot cope with the number of asylum applications that we had last year. That is why we impose limits on the stream of refugees. Another step is the introduction of daily quotas."
Schengen: EU free movement deal explained
Austria's Plan B to cap influx of refugees
Migrant crisis in depth
Austria took in about 90,000 asylum seekers in 2015, about 1% of its population, and officials expect to cut this number sharply this year, to about 37,500.
Observers say the influx has contributed to the rising popularity of the far right in Austria, sparking tensions in the governing coalition.
Neighbouring Slovenia and other countries in the Balkans - the main route for migrants bound for northern Europe - have also indicated that they will impose tougher measures against migrants.
Some EU states have already re-imposed border controls on a temporary basis.
The migrant flux is expected to intensify in coming months as weather conditions improve.
The crisis will be high on the EU's agenda at a Brussels summit on Thursday, and countries are expected to debate the future of the Schengen Agreement that creates a 26-nation passport-free zone.
Following the Austrian announcement, the Slovenian government said it had asked its parliament to approve the deployment of soldiers to its borders to help control the migrant flow.

Summary:


Hinkley Point is the world's most expensive nuclear project.

Article: With a few notable exceptions, all the candidates kept their balance and stayed on their talking points. It's as if the unconventional Trump's absence from the hall made everyone a bit more restrained and, well, political.
But this was still a debate, and every debate has winners and loser, so here they are.
Hello there, stranger, where have you been for the last 12 months? The former Florida governor is still not the most skilful debater, but without Trump around to constantly kick proverbial dirt in his eyes, he gave his best performance of the campaign. He practically admitted as much when he sarcastically noted that Trump was "a little teddy bear to me" and they "had such a loving relationship".
Best moment: When asked about a "culture of hatred" directed toward Muslims, he said: "We're never going to win elections unless we have a broader, unifying message". This was big-tent Bush, the kind of campaign he said he wanted to run but hasn't been able to.
Biggest stumble: It's perhaps telling that his worst moment was still pretty good. During the debate's biggest conflict, over immigration reform, he stood by his position on giving undocumented migrants a pathway to permanent residency. That probably won't help him with rank-and-file Republicans, but disavowing his previous stance wouldn't have either.
Since being temporarily relegated to the undercard debate, the New Jersey governor has managed to string together several strong debate performances. He's a winner because, like Bush, he was best able to shine in Trump's absence. His forcefulness, whether talking about Hillary Clinton or national security, comes across in much sharper contrast when the New York billionaire isn't there to steal his thunder.
Best moment: The immigration portion of the debate was pivotal for many of the candidates, and it was tailor-made for Christie to contrast his executive experience as governor. After Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz struggled to explain their sometimes contradictory records on the issue in the Senate, Christie...

Summary: So this is what a Republican debate would have looked like in an alternate universe, where Donald Trump was still a reality show celebrity and a failed steak salesman.
###
Article: UC, which combines six benefits into one monthly payment, was intended to be more generous than the current system but the IFS said cuts to the programme meant this would not be the case.
But it said UC would encourage people into work and save £2.7bn a year.
Ministers said the IFS had ignored other benefits such as extra childcare.
Universal Credit's single payment replaces six current benefits, including Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
The new payments system still only affects a minority of claimants, but it is gradually being rolled out across the country.
The government has always said that Universal Credit (UC) would encourage more people to find work.
The IFS said that was true for most people, but not all.
It said that single parents, for example, have less of an incentive to work under UC than under the old system.
Where couples are concerned, UC encourages just one of them to find employment, rather than both, the IFS claimed.
Single parents claiming UC will keep 8% less of their earnings than previously, its figures suggest.
According to the IFS research, an estimated 2.1m families will face an average loss of £1,600 a year, while 1.8m will gain an average of £1,500.
Its figures suggest 1.1m homes with no-one in paid work will lose out by about £2,300 a year, while 500,000 are expected to gain of £1,000. Working single parents are said to face an annual loss of £1,000.
Robert Joyce, the author of the IFS report, added: "The potential gains from simplifying the working-age benefit system remain mostly intact: Universal Credit should make the system easier to understand, ease transitions into and out of work, and largely get rid of the most extreme disincentives to work or to earn more created by the current system."
Although Chancellor George Osborne abandoned cuts to tax credits in the Autumn, cuts to UC announced last summer will still go ahead.
From this April the amount that anyone on UC can earn before their benefits are cut will be reduced.
This...

Summary: The introduction of Universal Credit (UC) will leave working families worse off on average, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.
###
Article: Many readers wrote to Gwen asking for advice about a friend or family member who is transitioning.
Here Gwen, from Pennsylvania, addresses some questions from BBC website readers.
"There are going to be a lot of people out there who might hate her for who she is, but tell her that she has plenty of people in her life who are going to love her much more than any amount of hate she could receive.
"My personal rule is: Just don't read the comments. If you're going to read any comments people make, don't bother responding. They usually have their minds made up and no amount of arguing is going to make them apologise."
"The best advice is to just listen to what they have to say and try not to make it a big deal.
"When I was starting to transition, all I wanted was for life to feel 'normal' again.
"I didn't really want to talk about transitioning too much, but it was nice to have friends who just listened to me on the days where it was especially hard and told me they loved me anyway."
"The best thing would be to address someone by what it looks like they're going for. If this customer comes in every day in a dress and make-up, I would assume they wanted to be greeted as 'Ms'.
"It's always best to go by what you see and then, if they correct you, just go by what they'd rather be called instead.
"Maybe this person isn't comfortable being called 'Ms' yet, but that's something only they could know."
"I don't tell people until they need to know. I've found that letting people get to know me as everything I am first, aside from my trans status, helps them see me as someone other than a token trans friend after I disclose, if I ever choose to.
"If I'm not going to be having a sexual relationship with someone, they really don't need to know because it's not relevant.
"For jobs, it has to come up when listing former names on applications. But I don't treat it like a big deal and they follow suit.
"A lot of my colleagues still don't know that I'm trans, although my manager does and was really supportive."
"My biggest advice...

Summary: A transgender woman who let people ask her questions about her life on an internet forum was inundated with even more when the BBC reported on her story.
###
Article: Not much bigger than a human fingertip, Mahony's Toadlet has a distinctive marbled underbelly.
The species was discovered by accident not far from the airport at Newcastle, 160km (100 miles) north of Sydney.
The tiny amphibian has been named after Professor Michael Mahony, a renowned frog expert and conservationist.
University of Newcastle researcher Simon Clulow made the discovery several years ago, but it is has just been made public in the scientific journal Zootaxa.
Dr Clulow said the frog's ability to camouflage itself is probably why it remained hidden for so long.
"Unfortunately, because the frog only seems to occur in these coastal sand-bed swamps in quite a restricted distribution it means that it's probably under threat from things like coastal developments," he said.
Not to be confused with a toad, the native Australian frog species has glands on its back similar to toads found in Europe and the America.
Its unique black-and-white belly and orange groin made it immediately recognisable as a new species.
"The idea is that as he leaps away his legs shoot out and there's this brilliant flash of colour and that supposedly startles the predator," Dr Clulow said.

Summary: A rare species of frog which startles predators by flashing its bright orange groin has been discovered in swampland on Australia's east coast.
###
Article: Weald of Kent school in Tonbridge will open a site in Sevenoaks, Kent - side-stepping a ban on new grammar schools.
But Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said this would not "open the floodgates" to more schools being allowed to select by ability.
Labour described the decision as a "hugely backward step".
The decision to allow the new grammar school site, with places for 450 girls, has raised expectations of similar bids in other parts of the country.
But Mrs Morgan said this was a "genuine expansion" of an existing school - describing it as "one school, two sites" - and it "does not reflect a change in this government's position on selective schools".
The education secretary said that the ban on new grammars would remain.
"I don't want to fight the battles of selective and non-selective... This is one particular application with one particular set of circumstances. Why would I deny a good school the right to expand?"
"I don't think this will open any kind of precedent or floodgates."
Any bids from other grammar schools would still face the "statutory prohibition" on new selective schools and would need to "meet the criteria for being a genuine expansion", said the education secretary.
The school in Sevenoaks is due to open in September 2017, after a long campaign by supporters.
Sean Coughlan, BBC education correspondent
This will be seen as a symbolic reversing of the tide, after many decades in which grammar schools were seen as a receding emblem of the educational past, rather than an expanding destination for the future.
While this decision will be warmly welcomed by traditionalists in the Conservatives' ranks, it will be a double-edged sword for the government. Their education reforms, promoting academies and free schools, have made a prime virtue of raising standards for all, rather than focusing on the academically most able. That policy sits uneasily beside a rejuvenated 11-plus exam.
When David Cameron had the shadow education brief for the Conservatives, one of his clearest steps was to distance...

Summary: England is to get its first "new" grammar school for five decades after ministers allowed a grammar school to build an "annexe" in another town.
###
Article: After intervention from the Chinese ambassador, it is also now the litmus test for Anglo-China relations under the new regime at Number 10.
After EDF's board narrowly agreed to press ahead with the project, the UK government surprised company officials by saying it needed several weeks to consider before signing.
The decision to delay is widely thought to have come from Theresa May herself, influenced by Joint Chief of Staff and outspoken critic of China's creeping influence, Nick Timothy.
Without China's involvement, this project would not have received EDF board approval.
It was seen as a risk sharing mechanism for the French, a prestige project for China and the ushering in of ever-closer Chinese relations.
Nevertheless, and perhaps understandably, the prime minister wanted time to think.
Well, today's warning from the Chinese ambassador that the relationship between the two countries is at risk has given her plenty to think about.
Writing in the Financial Times, Liu Xiaoming made clear that the stakes here are high by linking government approval for Hinkley Point to the future of the relationship which is he said a "crucial historical juncture".
No kidding. In a post Brexit world, Britain needs all the friends it can get and much was made of the importance of forging close trade links with non-EU nations.
There may be legitimate security concerns over having sensitive infrastructure assets under Chinese management but a decision to back out will clearly take the shine off the "golden era" of collaboration between the two countries, proclaimed during Xi Jinping's state visit last year.
Theresa May is not the only one who wants to take her time. The French Journal du Dimanche quoted an unnamed EDF manager pointing out the benefits of hitting the pause button.
If construction was delayed until 2019 when a similar reactor will be up and running (fingers crossed) at Flamanville in France, the cost of financing the project would fall dramatically.
With a working example, EDF could secure cheaper loans with...

Summary:

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The return of sea otters to an estuary on the central Californian coast has significantly improved the health of seagrass, new research has found.

Article: The restrictions mean that fundraisers, typically referred to as "chuggers", cannot follow a person for more than three steps.
The introduction of the scheme follows a year-long trial.
Chuggers have been criticised for hassling people to set up direct debits, but others say they are vital.
Street fundraisers: Your stories
The new regime, to be enforced across the UK by the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA),   also means street fundraisers must not:
•stand within 3m of a shop doorway, cash machines, pedestrian crossing or station entrance
•sign up anyone to a direct debit who, due to illness, disability, drugs or drink, is unable to give informed consent
•approach members of the public who are working, such as tour guides or newspaper vendors
Breaches of the rules carry penalty points of up to 100 points for the fundraising organisation.
Each charity has a threshold of 1,000 points before having to pay fines. Once this threshold is breached, charities must pay a monetary fine equal to £1 per point, with all further breaches all carrying a £1 per point fine.
At the end of the financial year, the charity's point balance is reset to zero.
All the money raised through the fines system will be used to improve compliance checks, in what the PFRA says creates a "virtuous circle".
"The more people that break the rules, the more money we have for providing compliance officers to check street fundraisers are complying with the new regime," said Ian MacQuillin, PFRA head of communications.
PFRA will monitor compliance with the new roles via spot checks, as well as so-called mystery shoppers who pretend to be a member of the public and then report back.
Members of the public who believe the rules have been breached should complain directly to the charity in the first instance, says the PFRA.
If they feel the charity's response is unsatisfactory, the PFRA says they should then escalate their complaint by reporting it to the independent regulatory body, the Fundraising Standards Board.
"For a form of...

Summary: Charities now face fines of at least £1,000 if their street fundraisers breach rules designed to protect members of the public.
###
Article: The display was widely anticipated this year as the shower coincided with a new moon for the first time since 2007, creating a darkened sky.
People in the Midlands and the north of England had the best view of the meteor shower.
Cloud cover spoilt visibility for some parts of southern England and Scotland.
The Perseids - which are pieces of Comet Swift-Tuttle - are active each year from around 17 July to 24 August, although for most of that period only a few meteors an hour are visible.
The peak came overnight on Wednesday, with more than 100 meteors an hour produced.
The peak of the display occurs when the shower's "radiant" - the point from which the meteors appear to originate - is highest in the sky.
Prof Mark Bailey, director of Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, said the Perseids were "one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year".
Robin Scagell, vice president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: "The thing about shooting stars is they're a wonderful free spectacle we can all enjoy, assuming clear skies.
"The Perseids are usually fairly bright. Also, they tend to leave a trail, or train, behind them. You can see the train hanging there glowing in the sky for a few seconds - sometimes for several minutes - after the meteor has gone."
Marek Kakula, public astronomer at the Royal Observatory described the comet dust as "travelling faster than the speed of a bullet".
"When they hit the atmosphere, they burn up in a little streak of light that lasts for just a few seconds," he added.
For most people, meteor showers are best viewed with the naked eye. Experts advise finding a dark location, away from artificial light, and an unobstructed view of the sky.

Summary: Stargazers captured the dazzling display of the annual Perseid meteor shower as it reached its peak on Wednesday night.
###
Article: The measure sees a child placed with extended family, friends or foster parents until they reach 18 instead of being adopted or fostered.
The number of babies involved rose from 160 in 2012 to 520 in 2014, while most of the children are aged four or under.
The number of children placed for adoption has been falling.
The Department for Education says it is reviewing the situation.
But a spokeswoman said the orders were effective in many circumstances.
Special guardianship is a long-term placement and can be an alternative to adoption or care for children whose parents neglect or abuse them.
The process can be "quite speedy" and "is not nearly as thorough" as adopting, said BBC Today programme reporter Sanchia Berg.
Groups working with families have welcomed the fact more children can live safely with relatives or friends - but there are concerns too.
Andy Elvin, chief executive of fostering and adoption charity TACT, said children living with extended family "is a good thing".
But he said there were concerns over whether assessments were detailed enough, saying some family members may not be close to the child before the process begins.
He also raised concerns the level of "post-placement" support was not as high as it was after adoption.
Cathy Ashley, chief executive of justice charity Family Rights Group, said there was evidence that being placed with extended family was beneficial.
But she said it "isn't right that there isn't parity of support".
Hugh Thornbery, chief executive of Adoption UK, said special guardianship had provided "permanence" for many children.
He said: "The research evidence points to their success when used in the right circumstance and where the right support is provided to the carers."
But he added:  "Adoption UK's concern is that the drop in adoptions could be partly as a result of over-reliance on special guardianship orders in cases where they may not be appropriate or provide the lifelong permanence that adoption provides."
The last official set of figures for adoptions in England...

Summary: The number of babies being made subject to special guardianship orders in England has tripled in two years, according to data obtained by the BBC.
###
Article: Media playback is not supported on this device
The Scot says she is just "starting out" despite a host of recent records.
She aims to win her first major medals at the European Indoor Championships from 3-5 March before switching her attention to her main target this year.
"A home World Championships is big. I saw what London 2012 did for a lot of the athletes," she told BBC Scotland.
"It made a lot of big names and this is 'round two' as it were.
"I was a bit young to be racing at London (2012 Olympic Games) so this is my first chance to do something on home soil. I would love to make my mark there."
The 23-year-old from Kinross-shire will begin the final year of her five-year veterinary studies a week after the Championships from 4-13 August, continuing to combine them with her running career.
She maintained her scintillating form on Saturday by taking a second off Dame Kelly Holmes' British indoor 1,000m mark, also setting a new European record with the second fastest run of all time.
That followed her European 3,000m indoor record and the British 5,000m indoor record, after beating Holmes' British outdoor 1500m mark last summer.
"If you had told me a few years ago that I would be running these times, I don't think I would have believed you," Muir said.
"So I am chuffed my running has come on so much. I just love the sport for what it is. It is just an added bonus that I am running these times and winning these races.
"I am very much at the starting stage - I am not Mo Farah yet. It is nice to hear people say nice things about you, it is really good support. "
Muir will head to Belgrade for the European Indoor Championships in two weeks, with strong medal chances in the 1500m and 3,000m.
"I've never won a senior international medal yet, so I would love to get a medal, hopefully in the two events, and preferably as close to gold in both," she added.  "It would be amazing if I could get on the podium.
"[My goal] is just to be the best athlete I can be. You can't control what other athletes do and how they...

Summary: Laura Muir is relishing the prospect of cementing her status as one of British athletics' new stars at this summer's World Championships in London.
###
Article: The government plans to ask retailers to cover up displays of cigarettes from next year to protect children.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said "glitzy designs on packets" attracted children to smoking and it made sense to look at "less attractive packaging".
Health campaigners praised the move but smokers' group Forest said there was no evidence plain packaging cut smoking.
The Department of Health is considering the idea of asking tobacco firms to put only basic information and health or picture warnings on their packets.
Making the cigarette packets a plain colour would protect children from taking up smoking in the first place, it suggests.
It would also help support people who are trying to give up smoking, the department said.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said it was time to try a new approach.
Send us your comments
"The evidence is clear that packaging helps to recruit smokers, so it makes sense to consider having less attractive packaging. It's wrong that children are being attracted to smoke by glitzy designs on packets.
"We would prefer it if people did not smoke and adults will still be able to buy cigarettes, but children should be protected from the start.
"The levels of poor health and deaths from smoking are still far too high, and the cost to the NHS and the economy is vast. That money could be used to educate our children and treat cancer," Mr Lansley said.
"We will shortly set out a radical new approach to public health in a White Paper."
Martin Dockrell, director of policy and research at Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said the industry calls packaging "the silent salesman".
"They use it to seduce our kids and mislead smokers into the false belief that a cigarette in a blue pack is somehow less deadly than a cigarette in a red one.
"By helping smokers who want to quit and protecting our children from the tobacco ad men this will be an enormous leap forward for public health, perhaps even bigger than the smoking ban," he said.
"The government accepts that packaging and tobacco...

Summary: Cigarette packets should have plain packaging to make smoking less attractive, ministers have suggested.
###
Article: Seagrass was deemed to be heading for extinction in this region before the otters returned.
But scientists found that the animals triggered a chain reaction of events that boosted the water-dwelling plants.
The research is published in the journal, PNAS.
The urbanisation of California has led to a huge increase in nutrient pollution in coastal waters, from increasing use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
This is said to be the reason for the dieback of seagrass, which has also been declining worldwide.
This research suggests that the hunting to near-extinction of sea otters in the late 19th and early 20th Century may have exacerbated the problem, and conversely that their reintroduction is helping revive ailing seagrass populations, even in the face of hugely nutrient-rich water.
The researchers assessed seagrass levels over the past 50 years in the Elkhorn Slough in Monterey Bay, and mapped their increases and declines.
They looked at a variety of changes that may have affected the grass, but the only factor that really matched the changes in seagrass was sea otter numbers.
They theorised that sea otters were eating the crabs which prey upon small invertebrates in the water.
These invertebrates eat a type of algae which blooms when there are more nutrients in the soil. It grows on the leaves of the seagrass, shading them from sunlight and causing them to die back.
This is quite a complex cascade of effects, so the researchers tested out their theory by comparing similar estuaries with and without sea otters, and by doing experiments in the lab, and in the field.
These experiments, which included putting cages that sea otters either could or couldn't access, down on the seagrass, confirmed their hypothesis.
Brent Hughes, lead author of the study, said: "This estuary is part of one of the most polluted systems in the entire world, but you can still get this healthy thriving habitat, and it's all because of the sea otters.
"So it's almost like these sea otters are fighting the effects of poor water quality."
Hughes...

Summary:


Spreading lung cancer cells are like tents which have collapsed and are adrift in the wind, scientists from the University of York have discovered.

Article: The announcement was broadcast live on Wednesday from Havana, Cuba, where peace talks have been held for almost four years.
The conflict has killed an estimated 260,000 people and displaced millions.
President Juan Manuel Santos called the deal "the beginning of the end to the suffering, pain and tragedy of war".
"The Colombian government and the Farc announce that we have reached a final, full and definitive accord," Colombian government and Farc negotiators said in a joint statement.
The head of the Colombian delegation, Humberto de la Calle, and the chief Farc negotiator, Ivan Marquez, signed the agreement at a ceremony in Cuba.
Both sides have agreed to work together to address social exclusion, to deliver justice to the victims of the conflict and build a stable and enduring peace.
The agreement comes after two years of secret talks and almost four years of formal negotiations.
"We have reached our goal," said Mr de la Calle.
"The war is over but also there is also new beginning. This agreement opens the door to a more inclusive society," he added.
In Bogota, hundreds of people, many dressed in white, gathered at different points of the city waving the Colombian flag and cheering.
"I can die in peace because finally I'll see my country without violence with a future for my children," 57-year-old Orlando Guevara told the Associated Press news agency.
Farc negotiator Ivan Marquez said the Farc and the government had "won the most beautiful of all battles: the peace of Colombia".
Most major dailies in Colombia backed the deal in their lead editorials.
Centre-right El Espectador praised the government's "bet on a structured, calm negotiation, with enough time for thought" while centre-left daily El Heraldo considered it "a historical step" that has the chance of "transforming the country".
Among those who commented were three former Colombian presidents.
Alvaro Uribe criticised the deal, saying it would promote "impunity" and expressed doubts as to whether the rebels - who financed themselves to a large...

Summary: Hundreds of Colombians have celebrated an historic peace accord between the government and left-wing Farc rebels, signed after 52 years of conflict.
###
Article: Bathgate received the accolade from the charity Toilet Twinning which encourages people to pay to provide a latrine for a family overseas.
People involved in the scheme met in Boghall Parish Church on Thursday - World Toilet Day.
It costs Â£60 to twin a household toilet.
Money raised goes to Tearfund's water and sanitation programme, which provides toilets, clean water and hygiene education in some of the world's poorest countries.
Gillian Reid, who has lived in Bathgate for 35 years, is involved in both the Bathgate and Whitburn Fair Trade groups whose coffee mornings funded some of the 20 local twins.
She said: "So many children die every day because they don't have clean water and sanitation. How much more basic can you get than needing a toilet to keep healthy?
"A toilet is something so fundamental. We're really proud to get this award - and I hope it will inspire others to twin too."
Lynne Paterson, director of Tearfund Scotland, said: "We tend to get a bit embarrassed talking about toilets in this country - but in the countries where we work, they are quite literally life-savers.
"Bathgate should be very proud of its achievement, its toilet twins will change many lives forever."

Summary: A West Lothian town has been named Scotland's first toilet-twinned town after locals raised money for sanitation projects in poor countries.
###
Article: There are many types of epilepsy and epileptic seizure, including both convulsive (involving shaking/body spasms of some kind) and non-convulsive (where people might show no signs of having had a seizure).  We spoke to Sophie Harries, who had her first convulsive seizure at the age of 15.
So, what is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition which leads to the person to have seizures. These occur in the brain and can be focal or generalised.
What kind of epilepsy do you have?
I have generalised idiopathic epilepsy with photosensitivity, which means that the cause is thought to be genetic and I have generalised seizures. I have tonic clonic or grand mal seizures, which is the stereotypical shaking and grunting.
Also, my epilepsy is triggered by flashing lights which is the photosensitivity part. Only 5% of people have photosensitive epilepsy and it is typically triggered by flashing lights such as strobes, camera flashes or bicycle lights - but sunlight flickering through trees is another trigger.
Can you describe what it's like to have a seizure - do you remember it?
I can never remember my seizures, I've lost up to four days before.  Afterwards I sleep for a very long time - I also ache, and have a really bad headache that lasts the whole day.
Do you get any warning signs that you're about to have a seizure?
Find out more from Epilepsy Society
Most of my seizures have occurred when I'm either asleep or going to sleep - however I have had one whilst awake and I didn't get any warning signs like some people get.
How does someone get epilepsy - were you born with it?
Epilepsy can be inherited (idiopathic) or caused through injury such as stroke or a tumour (symptomatic). Although my epilepsy is thought to be genetic I developed my epilepsy at 15; this may be due to my seizure threshold (the level of stimulation at which your brain will have a seizure) becoming less but no one can say for certain.
Do you remember your first experience of epilepsy?
My first experience of epilepsy was really scary. I was...

Summary: According to research by Epilepsy Society, over half a million people in the UK have epilepsy.
###
Article: Lord O'Donnell pointed out that areas which voted for Brexit were those with the biggest inequalities in well-being.
He added if ministers did not take account of constituents' satisfaction levels, people would just "vote against what they feel is the status quo".
He was speaking at a conference in London on improving well-being.
The former cabinet secretary told academics gathered at the London School of Economics that most philosophers and politicians shared a view that they should be striving to improve the quality of people's lives.
This meant trying to enhance their "long-running, sustainable well-being", he told Monday's conference, organised jointly with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Well-being was a very subjective concept, Lord O'Donnell said, describing it as "a democratic measure based on people's feelings, not something handed down on stone from the statistical office".
He praised David Cameron for initiating a process for measuring well-being, but suggested the former prime minister might have conducted a better Brexit campaign if he had used some of the resulting statistics.
"Take the recent referendum on leaving the EU, the Remain case was mainly that leaving would damage economic prospects," he added.
"The leavers said it would give us back control of our country.
"Hillary Clinton argued that her greater experience would lead to better government, growth and reduced inequality: [Donald] Trump said he would make America great again.
"In both cases, and more recently in Italy, people are arguing that the results reflect the rise of populism," he said.
"Yet one common feature is a feeling that the gains from globalisation and technology are not evenly spread.
"The answer is not less globalisation or technical progress - indeed we need more to raise productivity - but better ways of spreading the gains .
"The gainers are not compensating the losers. In the UK, the greater the inequality in well-being, the more likely an area was to vote leave."
He said the...

Summary: Politicians need to pay more attention to voters' sense of well-being if they want to win elections, says the former head of the British civil service.
###
Article: A crisis has developed at Stormont after the murder of an ex-IRA man and the Ulster Unionist Party's subsequent withdrawal from the executive.
Negotiations between the five main parties are due to begin this week in an attempt to find a resolution.
Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said "every party is up for talks".
The discussions, led by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers, will cover two issues - welfare reform and paramilitary activity.
The murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr last month caused a political row after Northern Ireland's police chief said members of the Provisional IRA had a role in the killing, and that the organisation still existed.
That was rejected by Sinn FÃ©in - it said the IRA had "gone away".
But the Ulster Unionists said Sinn FÃ©in's denial that the IRA existed caused a breakdown in trust and it left its government role.
On welfare reform, the British government has said it will legislate on the proposed changes in Northern Ireland if the Stormont parties cannot reach agreement.
The parties had agreed on a welfare reform deal in December, but there has been deadlock on the issue since Sinn FÃ©in withdrew its support in March.
Mr Flanagan said each of the main parties had told him of their "hurt and frustration" over those matters.
"But underneath that, I have discerned a deep and steely resolve to save the power-sharing institutions," he added.
"Every party is up for talks because, whether they are articulating it or not, every party knows what is at stake - the survival of the power-sharing institutions themselves."
Mr Flanagan said failure in the discussions would be a "serious setback for the people of our island".
He added that each party had to enter the talks "knowing compromises and courage will be required".
The SDLP claimed that Ms Villiers' announcement that the government would take welfare reform powers away from Stormont was designed to help the DUP.
"The DUP have been looking for cover to go into talks, so as is their nature they have been...

Summary: There is a "steely resolve" among Northern Ireland's political parties to save the power-sharing institutions, an Irish government minister has said.
###
Article: Communication between two proteins is what triggers the cell tent to lose its shape and become unanchored, their research found.
This allows the cells to travel to other areas of the body.
The researchers said their findings could help prevent the spread of lung cancer.
Writing in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from York and the University of Texas describe how the communications centre of a cell - known as the Golgi apparatus - receives a signal from proteins which prompts the movement of membrane sacks inside it.
This movement alters the shape and surface of the cancer cell, allowing it to break free from its moorings and move around freely.
Dr Daniel Ungar, from the University of York's biology department, said it was apt to think of the cancer cell resembling a tent structure.
"It has fixed sides to hold its shape and is firmly anchored to the ground in order to secure its contents.
"In order to move the tent, we have to rearrange its contents and collapse its sides in order to lift it out of its anchored position and carry it away," he said.
He added that a similar process happens with cancer when it spreads - its outer edges are altered leaving it unanchored.
The study found that a protein called Zeb1 was critical to this process and the research team now want to look at how to target the protein without damaging healthy cells, in which the protein also exists.
The researchers only looked at lung cancer cells and do not know if the same process occurs in other cancers.

Summary:


Celtic have been fined £13,000 after poor behaviour by their supporters and player indiscipline in their Europa League match against Fenerbahce.

Article: It comes amid divisions over female priests and same-sex relationships.
Talks could lead to a looser communion in which cultural differences are respected, BBC religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt said.
The Most Rev Justin Welby's spokesman said the gathering would allow primates to look at fresh ways of working.
In recent years, splits between liberals and conservatives in the communion have become more pronounced.
If talks fail, it could lead to a permanent schism in the third largest Christian body in the world, our correspondent added.
The worldwide Anglican communion has become an increasingly fractious and divided body over the past decade, with many of the heads of the national Anglican churches no longer on speaking terms.
Some churches in Africa support legislation against homosexuality, while bishops in the US have voted to allow clergy to solemnise same-sex marriages.
So the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is now deploying a high-risk strategy.
A source at Lambeth Palace described this meeting of the "Anglican family" not as discussions over divorce, but more a possible move into separate bedrooms.
A spokesman for the archbishop said the meeting would be an opportunity for the 38 leaders of national churches to talk face to face and decide together their approach to the next Lambeth Conference - a once-a-decade gathering of the worldwide Anglican bishops in Canterbury.
The archbishop himself added: "I have suggested to all primates that we need to consider recent developments but also look afresh at our ways of working as a communion and especially as primates, paying proper attention to developments in the past.
"The difference between our societies and cultures, as well as the speed of cultural change in much of the global north, tempts us to divide as Christians: when the command of scripture, the prayer of Jesus, the tradition of the church and our theological understanding urges unity."
The meeting's agenda is likely to include the issues of religiously-motivated violence, the...

Summary: The Archbishop of Canterbury has invited the leaders of the world Anglican communion to a meeting in January to discuss its future.
###
Article: British Chambers of Commerce chief John Longworth has called for a vote in 2016, a year earlier than Mr Cameron has promised, to end uncertainty.
Labour's Ed Balls has warned a referendum would be "hugely destabilising" to business.
But Mr Cameron said the BCC boss's call showed firms were getting behind him.
"They are saying it is quite right to have a strategy that gives Britain the best chance of staying in a reformed European Union that works in our interest and that is what my approach is," Mr Cameron told the BCC's annual conference.
"Let's get stuck in there, let's hold a negotiation, let's deal with those things that are holding Britain back, and then let's have this put to the British public in an in/out referendum."
He said the danger of not following his plan was that "Britain would just steadily drift towards the exit of the EU because the British public would not be taken along for this very important decision".
A Conservative source said if it was possible to hold a referendum earlier than 2017 "that would be fine".
But Mr Cameron is sticking to the 2017 date for now as he attempts to get the backing of other EU leaders for Britain to take back powers in areas such as welfare and immigration - if he wins May's general election.
Mr Longworth - who wants Britain to stay in the EU - questioned Mr Cameron's negotiating strategy, telling the BCC conference: "The next government must set out what it will do to protect the United Kingdom against the prospect of being in a club where all the decisions are made by, and for, the eurozone.
"More than any repatriation of powers, businesses want to know that the UK has safeguards against being drawn closer to the eurozone - especially as history tells us that currency unions inevitably fall apart unless there is real political, economic and social integration."
And he said any EU referendum should be held in the first year of the new government after May's general election, adding: "It is crucially important that we don't have too long a period of...

Summary: David Cameron says business leaders are increasingly backing his plans for an EU referendum after a renegotiation of the UK's role within the EU.
###
Article: In a speech in Australia, he said there was a "pernicious and false" belief that the law did not apply online.
This undermined the rule of law and could lead to journalists cutting corners in order to "steal a march" on their online competitors.
Creative thinking was needed to ensure the law was applied equally, he said.
Lord Justice Leveson, whose report into the press was published last month, is taking part in a lecture tour, although he has ruled out commenting on the report itself.
During a speech at the University of Melbourne, he insisted there was an important difference between mainstream journalists with "a powerful reputation for accuracy" and bloggers and tweeters who were "no more than electronic versions of pub gossip".
But, he said, there was a danger that a perception online competitors were operating without legal restraints could damage wider journalistic standards and "lead to journalists adopting an approach which was less than scrupulous in the pursuit of stories".
He said: "In order to steal a march on bloggers and tweeters, they might be tempted to cut corners, to break or at least bend the law to obtain information for stories or to infringe privacy improperly to the same end.
"It may encourage unethical, and potentially, unlawful practices to get a story.
"In a culture which sees some act with impunity in the face of the civil law, and the criminal law, a general decline in standards may arise."
It could also lead to some newspapers deciding to publish entirely online and moving abroad to avoid UK law, although this was unlikely in the near future, he added.
He called for creative thinking on making sure the law was applied equally and more international co-operation to enforce standards.
"It might be said that if we facilitate or condone breaches of the law, and thereby weaken the rule of law by failing to act and to recognise judgements and court orders which emanate from other countries, we encourage the weakening of the rule of law at home too," he said.
"If we are to ensure that...

Summary: The law should be enforced against tweeters and bloggers to avoid a drop in mainstream journalistic standards, Lord Justice Leveson has said.
###
Article: Dr Keith McNeil has led Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge since November 2012 and stood down on Monday saying it faced "serious challenges".
The hospital was running a deficit of Â£1.2m a week and chief finance officer Paul James also resigned.
About 200 doctors met on Tuesday to discuss the resignations believed to be linked to a report due out next week.
A Care Quality Commission report following an inspection is due to be published on 22 September.
In a statement, Dr McNeil said he was convinced the Cambridge hospital provided some of the best patient-care in Europe despite its financial challenges.
Many of the consultants now want to lobby for the reinstatement of Dr McNeil.
In an official statement, neither Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust nor Dr McNeil gave a reason for his resignation.
The trust's finances were being investigated by Monitor after the hospital introduced a Â£200m computerised patient record system last year and one of its doctors, Myles Bradbury, was convicted for sexually abusing child patients.
Jane Ramsey, chairwoman of the trust, thanked Dr McNeil "for his efforts",
David Wherrett is now acting chief executive officer at the hospital.

Summary: Doctors at a major NHS hospital are to lobby for the reinstatement of a chief executive who has resigned.
###
Article: Mike Penning said it did not "make sense" to have different premises.
It comes as new plans are published to get the services working more closely.
There are also proposals for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to oversee fire brigades, which could include choosing an officer in charge of hiring and firing fire and police staff.
This top officer post would be open to senior officers from both the police and fire service. They would hold the rank of chief constable - and to allow this the government would remove the current rule that holders of the rank must have served as a constable.
PCCs would get responsibility for fire services "where a local case is made", the Home Office said.
In most parts of England, police, fire and ambulance services have separate control centres and when someone rings 999, they have to tell an operator which service they need.
Emergency services in some areas - including Northamptonshire and Hampshire - are already working on joint schemes, but the Home Office wants more and is introducing a "statutory duty" on the three services to collaborate.
In Northamptonshire, police, fire and ambulance services are sharing "training, premises and a joint operations", the Home Office said. In Hampshire, senior police officers now operate out of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue HQ.
Mr Penning, minister for policing and fire, said: "It simply doesn't make sense for emergency services to have different premises, different back offices and different IT systems when their work is so closely related and they often share the same boundaries."
He said he would also like PCCs to take responsibility for their local ambulance service, but at this stage the Home Office is only planning to extend PCC powers to fire brigades.
The plan for PCCs to oversee fire services was called "dangerous" by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) when it was suggested last year.
It said the move would be a "costly experiment with no guarantee for success".
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales,...

Summary: Police, fire and ambulance services in England should share control rooms to improve their response to 999 calls, a Home Office minister has said.
###
Article: The Scottish champions had been charged after fans set off fireworks during the 1-1 draw in Group A at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on 10 December.
Uefa's disciplinary body also charged the club with improper conduct after five players were booked.
Celtic finished bottom of the group and without a win in their six matches.
It is the third match in a calendar year - and the eighth in five years - that has resulted in the Glasgow club being fined by European football's governing body.
Last season, they were disciplined for crowd disturbances against Dinamo Zagreb and then for supporters setting off flares, as well as player indiscipline, against Inter Milan.
Celtic issued indefinite bans to two supporters following the incidents in Turkey and revealed in December that they were considering legal action against individual fans.
Five fans were arrested this month in connection with complaints of sectarian singing during Celtic's Scottish Cup win away to Stranraer.
The Scottish FA has written to both clubs and continues to investigate.

Summary:


A social media feed of rail works at Reading is due to the "embarrassing fallout" of engineering delays at Christmas, it has been claimed.

Article: More than 5,000 trains were delayed by 30 minutes to two hours between July and September, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) data showed.
Govia Thameslink Railway had on average nine severely delayed trains per day while Great Western Railway had seven.
Operators said a busier network meant incidents had a greater knock-on effect on other services.
But the Campaign for Better Transport said the companies should make more effort to ensure passengers received compensation for significantly delayed trains.
According to analysis by the Press Association, the Caledonian Sleeper - which runs overnight trains between London and Scotland - was the operator with the highest percentage of its services suffering severe disruption with 3.7% or one in 27 trains.
Passengers using Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) - which is responsible for Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express services - suffered from the largest year-on-year rise in the number of significantly late trains up 73% to 816 over the three-month period.
*The figures do not include trains that were at least two hours late.
Rail delays: How to get your money back
James MacColl of the Campaign for Better Transport said: "Late-running trains can be very frustrating, but far too few passengers understand when they're due compensation or how they should go about claiming it."
Since July, passengers have also been able to claim compensation in cash, rather than receiving vouchers against future travel.
But campaign groups wants customers to be told - for example, by a public announcement on the train - that they are entitled to get some money back and compensation forms to be handed out.
Just over half the country's train operators offer compensation after a 30-minute delay, under what is known as the Delay Repay scheme.
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, described timetables as a "promise to passengers" and insisted "we never want people to suffer delays or disruption".
He added: "Train operators and Network...

Summary: About 57 trains are significantly late every day on the British railway network, according to industry figures.
###
Article: Steve Hastings joined the city's UKIP group in 2013, ahead of European elections, and became its deputy leader.
In 2011, he stood as a Tory candidate in the Chichester district council elections.
He said: "The best hope for a European referendum now lies with the [Tories]."
Mr Hastings said a referendum was a "locked-in" promise from Prime Minister David Cameron.
"He knows it has to happen and the sooner he puts a date to that the better," he said.
"I don't want to be governed and controlled by Brussels.
"If the public vote yes, then I can go with it and support it, but until we've had the referendum I can't run with that, I cant accept it."
Mr Hastings said his defection was "by no means a reflection" on his UKIP colleagues or group, and was not as a result of a "falling out".
In a letter to Portsmouth City Council, on his resignation from the UKIP group, Mr Hastings added: "I feel strongly about protecting Britain's borders and ensuring we have tighter border controls and lower managed levels of immigration."
Colin Galloway, Portsmouth's UKIP group leader, described Mr Hastings defection as "a surprise and a disappointment".
Last May, UKIP saw six councillors elected in Portsmouth. However, Paul Godier quit the group in January to become an independent, and following Mr Hasting's departure there are four remaining.
Asked whether he expected any further defections, Mr Galloway said: "That'll be up to councillors and their conscience."
Portsmouth City Council remains under no overall control following Thursday's elections. The Conservatives are five seats short of a majority.

Summary: A Portsmouth UKIP councillor has defected to the Conservatives, having previously been a Tory member for more than 30 years.
###
Article: How and when water got trapped in volcanic lunar rocks is a huge and open question for planetary scientists.
This international team has compared the chemistry of Apollo mission samples with various types of space rock.
They say that icy, early asteroids were the likely source of most of the water.
After such impacts the Moon's developing crust could have trapped the water in the cooling magma.
Much later, volcanic activity spewed some of that magma back onto the surface and, much later again, a precious few of those volcanic rocks were bagged by Apollo astronauts.
Tightly bound up in the rocks is a trace of water: somewhere between 10 and 300 parts per million (0.001-0.03%).
"It's not pools of water, it's not lakes of water, it's not frozen ice. When we're talking about interior - or magmatic - water, we're talking about water that is locked up in minerals," said Dr Jessica Barnes from the Open University in the UK, first author of the new paper in Nature Communications.
The source of that water is a topic of ongoing debate.
Previous research revealed that some of these watery deposits have a similar molecular signature to water-rich "carbonaceous chondrite" meteorites that occasionally reach the Earth from the asteroid belt.
So was water brought to the Moon by chunks of asteroid? Perhaps via the very early Earth, which was similarly bombarded before the brutal collision that created our satellite?
Or, as other researchers have suggested, did lunar water arrive in comets - the Solar System's more distant, icy travellers?
Working with colleagues in the US and France, Dr Barnes modelled various scenarios to explore what could have produced the chemistry of the Moon's water as we know it. To run these tests, they surveyed all the published results about the make-up of lunar rock samples and various possible contributors - from Earth rock to comets.
"We've taken an approach that's the most quantitative so far, in terms of deciphering which types of objects would have been impacting the Moon," she told BBC...

Summary: A smattering of water is buried deep inside the Moon and it arrived during the satellite's very early history, a new study concludes, when asteroids plunged into churning oceans of magma.
###
Article: Daventry District Council already uses three dog control orders (DCOs) targeting dog foul, dogs in play areas and dogs on leads.
The "new power" proposed by the council would force dog owners to show how they would clear up after their animals.
The council admits the idea, to be decided on Thursday, could be "controversial".
Owners caught without a bag or other means of collecting dog mess could be issued with a £100 penalty notice, with the potential of a £1,000 court fine if left unpaid.
A spokesman for the council said: "The proposed new power to enable our officers to require dog owners to produce the means by which they will pick up after their dogs has the potential to be controversial.
"The consultation process will give the public an opportunity to lobby against the use of this power or alternatively provide essential support to its introduction."

Summary: Dog owners caught without the means of clearing up after their pets could be fined up to £1,000.
###
Article: It is defined as an adjective relating to circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than emotional appeals.
Its selection follows June's Brexit vote and the US presidential election.
Oxford Dictionaries' Casper Grathwohl said post-truth could become "one of the defining words of our time".
Post-truth, which has become associated with the phrase "post-truth politics", was chosen ahead of other political terms, including "Brexiteer" and "alt-right" from a shortlist selected to reflect the social, cultural, political, economic and technological trends and events of the year.
Oxford Dictionaries says post-truth is thought to have been first used in 1992.
However, it says the frequency of its usage increased by 2,000% in 2016 compared with last year.
Mr Grathwohl said: "Fuelled by the rise of social media as a news source and a growing distrust of facts offered up by the establishment, post-truth as a concept has been finding its linguistic footing for some time," he said.
"We first saw the frequency really spike this year in June with buzz over the Brexit vote and again in July when Donald Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination.
"Given that usage of the term hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, I wouldn't be surprised if post-truth becomes one of the defining words of our time."
Dr Claire Hardaker, lecturer in forensic linguistics at Lancaster University, said "freak moments" that get people talking were key to the creation of new words.
"When you look back at the dictionary, you get some words that are a spasm of history and they very quickly fall out of use," she said. "They are fashionable, they are trendy and they die.
"Others live on and become part of our language. But it is very unpredictable."
Science fiction author JD Atkin questioned the merit of some recent dictionary additions.
He said: "I'm all for progress, therefore the addition of words such as 'lol' into the dictionary as a reflection of our continually evolving language shouldn't...

Summary: Oxford Dictionaries has declared "post-truth" as its 2016 international word of the year, reflecting what it called a "highly-charged" political 12 months.
###
Article: Network Rail said it would provide Twitter updates of engineers installing new freight lines over Easter weekend.
But Railway Magazine said the firm's PR team had gone into overdrive after work overran during the festive period leading to heavy criticism.
The rail firm said they would "definitely have a story to tell".
Major work, including extensive signalling improvements, is being carried out on the route from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
Patrick Hallgate, from Network Rail, said: "We are acutely aware that some of our work could inconvenience those who want to travel over the Easter period.
"Which is why we want to be open and provide the public with live information about how we are using this time to make improvements to this part of the network."
Railway Magazine assistant editor Nick Brodrick said this live feed is a result of "the embarrassing fallout caused by the delayed engineering works on the East Coast Main Line after Christmas".
He said: "It is therefore not surprising to see its PR team go into overdrive to reassure passengers that it can deliver on its promises."
He added that following the minutiae of rail engineering works would not be a popular pastime this Easter.
"Most people won't be particularly interested in the nuts and bolts of the work involved; what they expect is a better train service as a result."
The improvement work can be followed on Twitter from Friday morning via @networkrailgwrm and the hashtag #greaterwest.

Summary:


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

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

Summary: UK new car sales rose in September, helped by strong purchases from fleet buyers and the new 66 number plate.
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Article: His Twitter handle is @POTUS (President Of The United States) and within few hours he had attracted over a million followers.
"Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account" is his first tweet.
The president's official feed, run by Organizing for Action staff, has 59.3m followers.
The account @BarackObama was launched in 2007, and the president initials tweets he writes himself with the letters BO.
"The @POTUS Twitter account will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him," reads an entry on the White House website blog.
"President Obama is committed to making his Administration the most open and participatory in history, and @POTUS will give Americans a new venue to engage on the issues that matter most to them."
President Obama is currently following 65 people, including Bill Clinton, George Bush and @FLOTUS, the First Lady's account - but not Hillary Clinton or UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Former Pope Benedict XVI attracted nearly 280,000 followers to his English Twitter account on its first day when he launched it in December 2012.
The account is now run by Pope Francis and has 6.1m followers. It follows eight other accounts, which all belong to the Pope and tweet in different languages.

Summary: US President Barack Obama has just launched his own Twitter feed, the White House has confirmed.
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Article: From the climax of the European football season and a summer of top-class cricket and tennis events to the Rolling Stones and Who concerts, there never seem to be enough tickets to go round for die-hard followers.
At one time that might have meant hanging around outside a venue hoping to buy off a tout, or someone else with "a spare" to sell.
However, over the past decade a new phenomenon has arrived on the UK's shores - the "secondary ticketing" exchanges that allow individuals, sports clubs, and other organisations to legally sell spare tickets - often, but not necessarily, at more than face value.
Among the biggest names on the internet are Viagogo, Get Me In, Seatwave, and Stubhub, all of whom are keen to highlight that dealing with them is financially secure.
But on the other hand, one sports fan group say we are seeing "legalised touting", and that these firms are able to act in a way that the ordinary fan cannot.
Navin Kekane, is business operations director of Stubhub,  a major American ticket exchange, and part of the Ebay group of firms. It employs more than 1,000 people in the US, and provides services for buyers and sellers of tickets for sports, concerts, theatre and other live entertainment events.
It launched in the UK in March 2012, and employs about 35 people in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with a physical office in central London and a customer service team based in Dublin.
Stubhub provides a service connecting those with spare tickets to those who want to buy them.  Ticket adverts state that "prices are set by sellers and may be higher than face value", with the face value price clearly displayed.
For Everton's game against West Ham at the weekend, there were tickets for sale at both above and below face value.
"What we do is all about supply and demand, and you can find tickets at below face value," says Mr Kekane, adding that "ticket prices often start to fall as an event approaches".
Sellers are charged a 12% fee including VAT and with PayPal fees waived,  For buyers booking fees,...

Summary: It is an exciting time of year to be a UK sports or music fan, with big cup finals and major name concerts coming thick and fast.
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Article: Edwin Poots has been given leave by the Court of Appeal to appeal its ruling that any ban on gay and lesbian couples adopting is unlawful.
The Attorney General had his request for clarification on the issue refused.
The case is now expected to go before the Supreme Court in London.
The department of health's legal team can now petition the higher court directly to hear its case.
In October last year, the ban based on relationship status was held to discriminate against those in civil partnerships and to breach their human rights.
Previously, a single gay or lesbian person could adopt children in NI, but a couple in a civil partnership could not.
After the Court of Appeal ruling, adoption agencies were told they were able to accept applications from same-sex and unmarried couples and those in civil partnerships.
At the time, the Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) said the ruling would bring NI into line with the rest of the UK.
Representatives of the Rainbow Project, Northern Ireland's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organisation, expressed dismay that the department is now seeking to go to the Supreme Court over the issue.
Rainbow Project director, John O'Doherty said they were disappointed with the minister's decision.
"Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have noted the practice of banning same-sex and unmarried couples from adopting is discriminatory," he said.
"Enough public money has been spent on this fool's errand. The minister should focus his time on ensuring the best available homes for children in care in Northern Ireland."

Summary: The health minister is set to take his fight against the extension of adoption rights to Northern Ireland's gay and unmarried couples to the UK's highest court.
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Article: Royal Marine Sgt Alexander Blackman was given a life sentence by a court martial for the 2011 incident. He must spend at least eight years in prison.
Supporters say his conviction could be reduced to one of manslaughter.
Blackman's wife, Claire, called for a retrial so evidence "missed" during the 2013 trial could be considered.
The killing, on 15 September 2011, took place after a patrol base in Helmand province came under fire from two insurgents.
One of the insurgents was seriously injured by gunfire from an Apache helicopter sent to provide air support.
Footage from another marine's helmet-mounted camera showed Blackman then shot the Afghan prisoner in the chest with a 9mm pistol.
Blackman, of Taunton, Somerset, maintained that he believed the insurgent was already dead when he shot him.
The 41-year-old unsuccessfully challenged the sentence in the Court Martial Appeal Court, but successfully had his sentence reduced from a minimum of 10 year to a minimum of eight years.
Supporters, including Royal Marines wearing green berets, joined Blackman's wife and MPs outside Parliament to call for an immediate retrial.
Mrs Blackman told the BBC: "The opportunity to go back to the courts and run this case thoroughly and include evidence that was missed before is an opportunity we have to take.
"We are hopeful that this review will happen. It's been a difficult time as you would expect.
"I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have this sort of support."
Richard Drax, Conservative MP for South Dorset, said Blackman was not a "cold blooded killer" but a man who "was pushed to the limit, who made a mistake".
He said he hoped the case would be considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission "before Christmas", adding that Blackman believes the prospect of a lesser manslaughter charge was "not explored at the first trial".
"It is not a matter of saying he didn't do it and shouldn't be punished, that's not what we are saying.  We are just saying we want a retrial so that we get, hopefully, a better conclusion," the MP...

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

Summary:


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

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

Summary: Jorge Santamaria sits at his easel outside Mexico City's cathedral, palette in hand.
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Article: The comments came after the attorney general of Massachusetts proposed new rules which would ban people under the age of 21 from playing paid fantasy sports games.
The regulations would also require protection of players' deposits and "robust" data and security measures.
They also seek to ensure "more truthful advertising" and more transparency.
FanDuel said the approach towards regulating fantasy sports made "a tremendous amount of sense".
Officials in several states have been taking a strict approach to the industry, arguing that paid daily games amount to gambling.
Last week, the fast-growing Scottish-American tech firm was served with a cease and desist notice by regulators in New York, effectively telling it to stop taking money in the state.
The top prosecutor argued that fantasy sports firms were running illegal gambling operations.
FanDuel - a leading player in the US fantasy sports business - suspended entry to paid contests for people located in New York pending the outcome of a court hearing next week.
It also launched a petition urging opposition to "any measure that would ban online fantasy sports".
In the latest development, the attorney general's office in Massachusetts said a review it had conducted had "uncovered a number of concerns" about the sector's business practices and "the ability of consumers to have a fair shot while playing these games".
Attorney General Maura Healey said: "These regulations are a first of their kind for the daily fantasy sports industry, and they focus on protecting minors, ensuring truthful advertising, bringing more transparency to the industry, and levelling the playing field for all consumers."
"This is a first step, but an important step, as we continue to evaluate this new industry and make sure our laws keep up with these evolving technologies."
Responding to the announcement, FanDuel said: "Attorney General Healey's approach towards regulating fantasy sports makes a tremendous amount of sense - it provides strong protections for consumers and allows sports...

Summary: Fantasy sports gaming firm FanDuel has said it welcomes moves by US officials to tighten industry regulations.
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Article: Campaigners want the statue torn down, arguing that Rhodes, a 19th Century businessman and politician in southern Africa, represented white supremacy.
They have described Oriel College's decision as "outrageous, dishonest and cynical" and have vowed to fight it.
The college began a consultation last month and said the "overwhelming" response was that Rhodes should stay.
It said the statue was a reminder of the complexity of history and of the legacies of colonialism.
In a statement, campaign group Rhodes Must Fall said: "This recent move is outrageous, dishonest, and cynical.
"This is not over. We will be redoubling our efforts and meeting over the weekend to discuss our next actions."
The decision by the college comes after the Oxford Union debating society voted by 245 to 212 earlier this month for the statue to be removed.
The Rhodes Must Fall campaign began in South Africa, where a Rhodes statue was removed, and was adopted in Oxford by campaigners who argued his views were incompatible with an "inclusive culture" at the university.
In a statement, Oriel College said it had received an "enormous amount of input" from students, academics and other individuals and groups during its consultation.
The college said after "careful consideration" it had decided the statue should remain but it would add "a clear historical context to explain why it is there".
The statement continued: "The college believes the recent debate has underlined that the continuing presence of these historical artefacts is an important reminder of the complexity of history and of the legacies of colonialism still felt today.
"By adding context, we can help draw attention to this history, do justice to the complexity of the debate, and be true to our educational mission."
Why is Cecil Rhodes such a controversial figure?
The Daily Telegraph reported the decision to keep the statue had been made after donors threatened to withdraw gifts and bequests worth more than Â£100m if it was taken down.
The paper said it had seen a leaked copy of a...

Summary: A college at Oxford University says it has decided not to remove a statue of the British imperialist Cecil Rhodes.
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Article: Doosan Babcock, Clyde Union Pumps and the Weir Group are among the companies poised to win deals worth more than Â£1.3bn to build Hinkley Point C.
The power station will provide 25,000 jobs during the construction phase.
A final decision is expected in the coming months, after which the contracts will be signed.
France's EDF Energy is leading the consortium to build Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which was given the go-ahead in October 2013.  It was one of eight places initially identified in England and Wales as potential sites for new nuclear power stations.
The two reactors at Hinkley will provide power for about 60 years. It is hoped the plant will meet about 7% of the UK's demand.
EDF said the companies had won preferred bidder status after an "open and fair competition".
The company has estimated that more than 60% of the construction cost will be placed with UK firms, against an initial estimate of 57%.
Out of the 25,000 jobs provided during construction, about 1,000 will be apprenticeships.
EDF Energy chief executive officer Vincent de Rivaz, said: "Hinkley Point C will be at the forefront of the revitalisation of the UK's industrial and skills base, and we have worked hard to build a robust supply chain to support new nuclear in the UK.
"The project will boost industrial stamina in the UK and kick-start the new nuclear programme. Experience gained at Hinkley Point will help firms be successful in nuclear projects around the world."

Summary: Three Scottish companies have been announced as preferred bidders for the contract to build the first UK nuclear power station in more than 20 years.
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Article: Australian al-Jazeera English reporter Peter Greste was allowed to leave Egypt for Australia on 1 February, after more than 400 days in prison.
Two of his colleagues - Egyptian-Canadian bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed - were released almost two weeks later on 13 February and are awaiting a retrial.
All three were earlier convicted of spreading false news and collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.
According to defence lawyers, prosecutors have acknowledged that there are major problems with the verdicts.
Mr Mohamed had received an additional three-year prison sentence on a separate charge involving possession of weapons.
The defendants deny the charges, describing their trial as a sham.
Australian journalist Peter Greste, 48, worked for a number of news organisations including Reuters and the BBC before joining al-Jazeera's English news channel.
An experienced correspondent, Mr Greste started out reporting on Bosnia and South Africa, then moved on to cover Afghanistan, Mexico, and the Middle East.
He was the BBC's Kabul correspondent in 1995, where he watched the Taliban emerge, and he returned after the US-led invasion in 2001.
Since 2009 he has been based in Nairobi, Kenya, from where he has covered the Horn of Africa with a particular focus on Somalia. His documentary, Somalia: Land of Anarchy, won a Peabody Award in 2011.
Prior to his conviction, Mr Greste wrote open letters from Cairo's Tora Prison expressing his frustration at being locked up on charges of falsifying news and damaging Egypt's reputation.
"After more than 20 years as a foreign correspondent, I know what is safe ground. And we didn't stray anywhere near that edge," he stressed.
He said the "new normal" in Egypt had shifted so far that routine journalism suddenly appeared threatening.
"How do you accurately and fairly report on Egypt's ongoing political struggle without talking to everyone involved?" he asked.
In his first interview since his...

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

Summary: