The 23-year-old will ride alongside fellow Welshmen Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe in Australia's Tour Down Under from 14-22 January. Doull left Team Wiggins to join Team Sky for the 2017 season. "My big aim for the year is that big week in April in the Tour of Flanders," Doull told BBC Radio Wales. The Olympic gold medallist says the race, which starts and finishes in Adelaide, will be "a big step up" for him. He continued: "I've raced on the road to a decent level before, but never anything world tour. "I'm looking forward to getting my first proper race with Sky under my belt and doing my job and trying to put a good performance in for the team." Team Sky's leading riders for the southern hemisphere race, including Colombian Sergio Henao and Dutchman Danny van Poppel, will look to thrive in the race as well as Thomas and Doull. "We'll be going into the race with multiple options with Sergio and G [Thomas] potentially for the overall title and Danny for the flat days, so there won't be any days off," Doull said. "We're working hard for the whole period, but I think that's one of the aims of doing the race anyway is to get a good workload in before the bigger races later in the year." Doull is aware of the impact the Tour Down Under can have on his career, much like how Thomas and Rowe have benefitted from their own experiences in the competition. "Speaking to people like Luke and Geraint, they say it's a really good way to start your year," he said. "You have to come out to Australia quite early, do a couple of weeks of training then obviously straight into the first world tour race of the year. "It's going to be good to get a good one under my belt quite early. It's a nice way of doing it as well, getting away from the cold and the winter of Cardiff and escaping to the sun and getting a consistent block of work done. "There's no distractions and no problems like ice on the road." Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.

Question: Welsh cyclist Owain Doull hopes his first major race for Team Sky can help him win @placeholder for the Tour of Flanders in April .


That scenario is, at best, decades away. But this week I’ve been pondering something much more immediate, and in my view, more likely. What will happen when humans decide to become robots? "We’re at a key transition in human history,” says Prof Hugh Herr, who heads the Biomechatronics Group at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He says the group’s aim is to establish the scientific and technological conditions that will eventually eliminate disability, whether through paralysis or amputation. But when that incredible goal has been achieved, then what? "We’re fusing the nervous system with the built world,” he says. "We’re transitioning from a relationship where we use technology that is separate from our nervous system, to a new epoch of integration, of human physiology." Simulating ankles Prof Herr is a double amputee. In 2012, I saw him move a room in London to tears when he revealed his incredibly sophisticated bionic legs that allowed him to move with natural poise and grace. In 2014, Prof Herr’s technology meant Adrianne Haslet-Davis returned to the dancefloor, less than a year after  losing a limb in the Boston marathon bombings. Her first performance after the incident brought a TED talk audience instantly to its feet. I visited Prof Herr’s lab last week to learn more about the work his team is doing, and where it may lead. Right now, much of the research is focused on doing things the human body can do instinctively, but which are extremely complex to engineer. Roman Stolyarov, a researcher at the lab, demonstrated how they are using sensors similar to those found on self-driving cars to give prosthetic legs an awareness of what is around them. This is important to make the leg behave differently when, for example, walking down stairs. The human brain, whether the person realises it or not, is able to instinctively prepare the leg to land on a step. Teaching a prosthesis to do the same is the difference between having a bionic leg and, to put it crassly, a peg leg. “The motor is able to work in such a way that simulates a real biological ankle joint,” Mr Stolyarov told me. “The [leg] uses on-board sensors to infer whether the leg is in the air or on the ground, and perform actions that to the person feel much more like real walking than they would get from a passive prosthesis.” The end result is that walking is considerably less tiring for amputees like Ryan Cannon, who lost his leg following complications after he broke it. “I can move in a more rhythmic, symmetrical way,” he told me. "Being able to move in that manner allows me to walk at a faster pace for a longer distance and to do more activities during the day.” But not all the work carried out here is about replacing limbs. It’s also looking at improving them. One exoskeleton project reduces the physical exertion when walking by 25%, explained researcher Tyler Clites. “What that means is, if you were to walk 100 miles, it would only feel like you walked 75. "We’re able to do that today. Those are devices I would expect to see rolling out commercially in the next several years.” Beyond MIT, others are working on similar initiatives. US retail chain Lowes is piloting exoskeltons for staff, developed at Virginia Tech, that assist them with lifting at work. “I definitely think that we are entering an age in which the line between biological systems and synthetic systems is going to be very much blurred,” Mr Clites said. He said this future brings a concern that the rich and fortunate of the world may become physically superior, too. “Then what you do is create a new baseline for physical ability, and perhaps mental ability, that’s only achievable by people who are already in a position of privilege.” That said, Prof Herr said he was confident that as the cost of prosthetics became lower, it wouldn’t leave poorer people behind. "The cost of robotics is going to plummet,” he said. "It’s hard to predict whether there’ll be large separations in society." Amputation reinvention Before that day, work will be mostly focused on improving the lives of amputees. But in that endeavour, one of the obstacles hindering Prof Herr’s work is one of compatibility. Much like an old computer peripheral that can't plug into a new laptop, nor can most amputees “plug in” to the latest technologies being developed in this lab. To solve this, the team is urgently trying to change the way limbs are amputated. "The method that is used today to amputate limbs has fundamentally not changed since the US Civil War,” Prof Herr said. "So while you’ve seen tremendous progress in mechatronics and robotics, you’ve not seen progress in how surgeries are performed to amputate limbs. That is now changing. "We’re redesigning how limbs are amputated to create the right mechanical and electrical interfacing environment.” He said this interfacing would join the brain directly to the limb, creating a sense among amputees that they are making their bodies whole again. "What we’re experiencing clinically is that when we attach these limbs to people and we listen to their testimonials, they use language such as 'I have my limb back, I’m healed, it’s part of me’.” Once that breakthrough is fully achieved - and there’s evidence of progress literally walking around Prof Herr’s lab - he said humans will surely begin to consider themselves eligible for an upgrade. "We’ll be more open to using all kinds of materials to make up our bodies,” he said. ___________ Follow Dave Lee on Twitter You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370

Question: We all like to joke about what might happen if robots , powered by artificial intelligence , decide they want to @placeholder humans .


Leanne Hall, 30, from Hull, developed a brain tumour as a teenager and has had three operations to remove the tumour. Scar tissue and the remains of the tumour have left her with epilepsy and daily seizures. Miss Hall is due to undergo specialist surgery using the ROSA robotic surgery assistant in Sheffield in March. The city's Royal Hallamshire Hospital says it is the only NHS hospital in the UK with ROSA. Charity Neurocare has launched a Â£250,000 appeal to secure its future. Miss Hall had two surgeries to remove her tumour in 1993 and had further surgery in 2004. She said the seizures she had been left with were extremely restrictive. "I am not allowed to go out of the house on my own as it is too dangerous. "All my life I have wanted to be normal; drive, get a job, get a house but I just have not been able to." She said the new treatment had given her a "light at the end of the tunnel". "I have never had the chance to say to someone 'I might be seizure-free this year' and I find it amazing that something might be able to do that," she said. ROSA facts Source: Neurocare ROSA uses an advanced computer system to create precise 3D maps of a patient's brain, helping neurosurgeons to plan the best route for surgery. The surgeon then guides the robot's arm and instruments to the exact location of a seizure or tumour. The accuracy of the robot cuts surgery time and improves recovery times. Sheffield consultant neurosurgeon Mr Dev Bhattacharyya said: "The first operation I undertook took two-and-a-half hours compared to six. "Through its pinpoint precision we are now able to reach areas of the brain we would previously not have been able to, which is fantastic news for patients."

Question: A woman who has had severe epilepsy since undergoing brain surgery @placeholder a new robotic technique could end her seizures .


Pte Gavin Williams, 22, of Hengoed, Caerphilly, was serving with the Second Battalion of the Royal Welsh Regiment at Lucknow Barracks in Wiltshire. He was punished for the incidents and disobedience in July 2006. Tests showed his body temperature was 41.7C, the normal temperature is 37C. Tests also showed he had ecstasy in his body when he died. Three non-commissioned officers who carried out the punishment - Sgt Russell Price, 45, Sgt Paul Blake, 37, and Cpl John Edwards, 42, were found not guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Winchester Crown Court in 2008. An inquest into Pte Williams's death, being held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court in Salisbury, heard he had been out drinking on the weekend before his death and is thought to have taken ecstasy in a nightclub, although none of his friends saw him take drugs. When he returned to his barracks there was an incident with a fire extinguisher in which guests of an officer were sprayed with water, the inquest heard. Later that morning Pte Matthews turned up unfit for guard duty and was incorrectly dressed and smelling of alcohol, so was sent away to sort himself out and told to report to his superiors on the Monday. The following day, he was subjected to the beasting. Pte Michael Matthews drove past Pte Williams and described him being "yakked" - a form of extreme physical exercise - by Cpl Edwards. He said in a statement: "You could see he was draining out. Gavin obviously did something wrong which is why he was being marched but it did seem to be going on a little bit too much in the heat." Earlier, the inquest heard from Pte Ledua Vasukiviwa, who saw Pte Williams after his night out said he was convinced he had taken drugs because of his behaviour. "He was sweating all over profusely. The only thing that came into my mind was that they were taking drugs," his statement said. "Gavin seemed very stressed and kept putting his fingertips to the side of his head and closing his eyes as if he was in deep thought." The hearing continues.

Question: A junior soldier who died of heatstroke after being subjected to an @placeholder Army punishment known as " beasting " was involved in a series of drunken incidents beforehand , an inquest heard .


The Crucible hosts snooker's annual world championships as well as being one of the UK's leading theatres. The worlds of snooker and theatre will meet with the world premiere of The Nap, written by Richard Bean, who is best known for One Man, Two Guvnors. O'Connell has made his name in films including Unbroken, '71 and Starred Up. Those performances helped him win the rising star prize at the Bafta film awards earlier this year. In The Nap, he will take the role of Sheffield-born snooker player Dylan Spokes who, according to The Crucible, has to contend with "his ex-con Dad, local gangster Waxy Chuff and the snooker corruption squad". The play is described as a "comedy thriller" and will be staged next March, just before the snooker world championships, which take place every April. The Nap will be directed by actor and The Crucible associate director Richard Wilson. Next week, Wilson will reprise his role as Victor Meldrew in TV sitcom One Foot in the Grave at a one-off fundraising event for the theatre. The venue's new season also includes new musical Flowers for Mrs Harris, based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Paul Gallico; revivals of A Raisin in the Sun and Waiting for Godot; and the regional premiere of Contractions by Mike Bartlett, who wrote BBC One's recent drama Doctor Foster. Sheffield Theatres artistic director Daniel Evans said: "This is, without doubt, our boldest season to date. We're announcing seven original productions: three new plays, a new British musical, a regional premiere and two major revivals of 20th Century classics."

Question: Actor Jack O'Connell is to play a troubled snooker professional in a new play staged in the sport 's @placeholder home , Sheffield 's Crucible Theatre .


At a winding-up hearing at the High Court, Orient owner Francesco Becchetti has been given until 12 June to pay off debts or sell the club. The League Two side were the subject of a winding-up petition brought by HM Revenue & Customs over unpaid taxes. Those debts have now been paid, but money is owed to four other creditors. Chief executive Alessandro Angelieri gave the court a statement saying Becchetti would invest £1m to pay off remaining debts in eight to 10 weeks. Adam Michaelson, legal adviser to the Leyton Orient Fans' Trust, told BBC Radio London: "It leaves the club in a state of significant uncertainty and frankly mortal danger. "In respect of a potential sale, we would call upon Mr Becchetti now to look to sell the club at the earliest possible opportunity and make good on the promise that he's made." In January, Becchetti said he would be willing to consider selling the struggling League Two side, which he bought in 2014. The club's latest set of accounts, from the year ending 30 June 2015, showed the club had debts of £5,512,449 - more than the value of the club's assets of £5.5m. Analysis - Phil Parry, BBC Radio London So, with a sword of Damocles still swinging over their heads, Orient will have to battle on. Mathematically they still have a chance to avoid relegation, although form would suggest that is unlikely. They have eight games left, are seven points from safety and have picked up just three points from the last 24 available. Off the pitch, with outstanding bills yet to be paid, operations at Brisbane Road may be difficult. For example, a company which provides matchday stewards is on the list of creditors, and perhaps the remaining matchday programmes may not return to full size. As we wait to see if the extra £1m investment promised in court materialises, fans will continue to make preparations for all eventualities. The Fans' Trust has already raised more than £100,000 and are planning to keep Leyton Orient alive in some guise, including a possible 'phoenix club'. Meanwhile, all eyes will be peeled to see if talk of a buy-out comes to fruition.

Question: Leyton Orient have survived an @placeholder winding - up order but the club remain in " mortal danger " , according to the legal adviser to their fans ' trust .


The scare followed Monday's bomb attack at Manchester Arena in which 22 people died and 116 were injured. Several roads were closed during the incident. Cordons have now been lifted. Meanwhile the threat level "will remain at critical and the public should remain vigilant", Prime Minister Theresa May has said. She was speaking after a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a homemade device at Manchester Arena on Monday.

Question: A possible @placeholder package has been declared safe after army bomb disposal experts were called to a street in Hulme , near Manchester city centre .


24 December 2016 Last updated at 09:14 GMT It is broadcast on BBC radio, but unless you work at King's the only way to be there in person is to queue. For more than 40 years, Ian de Massini has camped outside for three nights to ensure his place in the chapel. He has been captivated since the first time he did it at the age of 16. Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday when he first joined the queue, he said: "I had never experienced such ecstasy of being in a building of such beauty and simplicity. Coming home to this thing once a year reminds you of why we're here." The Festival is separate to that of Carols from King's, which is broadcast on BBC TV on Christmas Eve but is recorded earlier in December. The footage of carol singers used in this clip was shot during the TV rehearsal on 16 December.

Question: The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the world - famous Christmas Eve @placeholder held at King 's College , Cambridge .


The plans involve Westmoreland House office block being knocked down and the adjoining Carriageworks renovated to create 118 home in Stokes Croft. Protests were held as councillors from Bristol City Council met at City Hall on Wednesday evening. Eight councillors voted to defer a decision with one abstaining. Although Banksy's artwork is not on either building, his famed mural The Mild Mild West is also in Stokes Croft, which is known for its street art and independent businesses. Lori Streich from the Carriageworks Action Group said: "In the circumstances, having listened to the entire debate, we feel it's a win-win situation for the community and the developer as we all now have the opportunity to look at it all again. "It will bring the community vision into reality, or closer anyway. I'm still optimistic." She said councillors had raised concerns about a number of issues such as the delivery of the community vision and the lack of consultation with the local community. Developer Fifth Capital has said between Â£15m and Â£20m would be needed for the revamp.

Question: A controversial plan to revamp two buildings in an area of Bristol regarded as the " @placeholder home " of the street artist Banksy has been deferred .


The 40-year-old former Shrimps defender has been in charge since 2011 when he was initially player-manager. Uncertainty over the ownership and wages being paid late three times are among the problems he has dealt with. "The end product for me is getting to the end of the season and making sure we're a Football League club," he said. Morecambe are 20th in League Two, 10 points above the relegation places, and Bentley will make no decisions about his future until they have completed their final six games. He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Then I'm going to assess everything myself because I can't have another year like I've had this year with the way that is has gone. "Things need sorting and we've all got to move forward. It hasn't been right for the players and the staff, we've all got to pull together."

Question: Morecambe manager Jim Bentley has said he will assess his future at the financially @placeholder League Two side at the end of the season .


None of the academics themselves thought that the mere act of heading a normal football a number of times, at a normal speed, as if in a normal situation, would give rise to an immediate reduction in brain function, and the onset memory loss, in the brains of two thirds of the participants tested. Disturbingly the symptoms took 24 hours to clear. The question that popped into my head was: what if someone does this every day? Do they live a life in a permanently sub concussive state? How does this affect them in older life? What about youngsters whose brains are more prone to damage? Oh we know about concussions, but we thought the days of heading an old, sodden, leather football were gone. We know about elbows and head knocks, and we know about footballers and rugby players with early onset dementia. But we didn't know that just heading a ball caused so much damage to the brain. As I looked on slightly alarmed, a student footballer sat strapped to a chair in the shiny white laboratory of the Cottrell building on the leafy Stirling university campus. Outside the trees tried to discard their summer green for the stunning autumn gold, but the subject's face clung on to the olive tones of someone more than slightly nervous. Wires led from his body to a machine measuring his brain's ability to react to a stimulus and transfer it to his leg muscles. To my left was a wavy line on a screen that couldn't lie. The test was a mock-up for our filming, but the source signals going through his brain and to the machine were real and each one came with a crack, a two-eyed blink, a violent contraction of his quadricep, and a tell-tale jump in the trace signal on that all knowing screen. Putting students through this before and after headers demonstrated the immediate effects I mentioned earlier. I played rugby, I have a son who plays rugby, and a daughter who plays international football. I hope beyond hope that this test doesn't mean I have been a fool to encourage both of them into sport. But this, of all the research I have seen, is the piece of work that alarms me the most. More and more research is pointing to the fact that the bit of my body I was least worried about hurting by taking up sport - my brain - might just have been the most vulnerable after all. And after this, many footballers young and old will be thinking the same. More research is needed to assess whether this is temporary, and the effects on youngsters.

Question: It 's the @placeholder nature of the test results that make them so devastating for football .


The protesters, mainly women, object to the alleged sexism, racism and homophobia of the newly-inaugurated US leader. Police supervising the protest have closed Regent Road to traffic. Similar events have been scheduled to take place in cities around the world. Hundreds of thousands gathered for a "Women's March on Washington", expected to be the largest of the demonstrations. One of the organisers of the Scottish event, Leah Higgins from Lanarkshire, said it was important to show people in America who were worried by the Trump presidency they were not alone. She said: "I organised this to solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the US. "There's many of these (events) going on all over the World and I felt like Scotland should have one here as well. "It's been absolutely overwhelming. We've had so much support even just before on the facebook groups and the action network site. "I'm just really happy that people have turned up."

Question: At least 2,000 people have gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh to show their @placeholder to President Trump .


Alex Edwards is following the British Lions team's tour of New Zealand in a camper van. One night, a woman at a local Auckland rugby club suggested he stay with them instead of camping in the car park. Later the woman's two sons walked in - rugby icons Rieko and Akira Ioane. "I didn't actually recognize them at first - I was sitting with a cup of tea with the dad when the lads came in and their mum introduced the boys," Mr Edwards told the BBC. Sipping on his tea, he joked that they looked like they would make decent rugby players, to which the father replied that he would see them "run out the next night". Mr Edwards assumed they would be playing for a local club, but was quickly corrected. "They're playing for the Blues, mate," he was told - the Auckland team the British-Irish team was to face the next day. The Ioane brothers also star for the New Zealand national team. "I thought they'd looked familiar, but it didn't click until the dad told me," Mr Edwards said. "People here worship the ground these guys walk on - and I didn't have a clue. "They were great, really great. Everyone talks about Kiwi hospitality and that's really true in this case." Despite their stardom, the brothers, who are in their early 20s, still share a room at their parents' place. Their hospitality did not, however, extend to the visiting Lions team, who were beaten 22-16 the following day. The Lions' misery has continued with a 30-15 defeat against the All Blacks last Saturday - with Rieko Ioane scoring two tries. Mr Edwards - who is taking a year off after working in IT in London for the past decade - and his camper van are currently at Lake Taupo between Auckland and Wellington, where a crowd of fellow Lions fans are also staying. There are two more Test matches to come. "Of course, I want the Lions to win both games. But after last Saturday, we have to be a bit careful with our expectations," he added.

Question: When a British rugby fan supporting his side in New Zealand was offered a place to stay over with some @placeholder locals , he had no clue he would end up in the home of two All Blacks stars .


As Flybe prepares to go head to head with Loganair from the beginning of September, some flights from Stornoway to Glasgow are on sale for just £50. The airlines have jointly operated routes across the Highlands and islands under a franchise agreement since 2008. But last year Flybe announced that it was terminating its contract with the Scottish airline from 31 August. It has formed an alliance with Eastern Airways to operate busy routes between the Northern and Western Isles and the mainland. Loganair has said it will operate in "its own right" in direct competition with its former partner. Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, economist Tony Mackay predicted that one of the airlines would be a casualty of the price war. "I think that one of them will stop because they'll be losing money," he said. "I don't see there being enough people to justify competition on these routes for more than a few months." Passengers will be the real winners of the price war, according to the travel editor of The Independent, Simon Calder. "I think it's going to be very good in the short term but I think, by Christmas, given the sparse community on the islands and the fact that people generally don't like being tourists in that part of Scotland in the winter, it could get quite nasty," he said. "But it really is too early to call at this stage." Loganair said it was up for the fight. Its managing director Jonathan Hinkles said the airline had operated in Shetland for 45 years and it had a "long future" ahead of it. He claimed Flybe's chief executive had said they were committed to the area "for a year". "Well I have got news for her," he said. "We are committed to this for the next 45 years as well." But it was Flybe who was responsible for driving down prices on the island routes, according to its chief revenue officer Vincent Hodder. "Instead of roughly £300 round trips, we are now talking about £50 one-way fares," he said. "The massive reduction of the price is a direct result of Flybe entering the market. I do believe that there is room for two operators on the route." He added: "We firmly believe that by offering lower fares, we can stimulate business links, we can stimulate leisure links."

Question: A price war has broken out on some air @placeholder to the Northern and the Western Isles .


SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby said in a statement on Thursday that his company would no longer use such practices. The revelation came out after a worker from the San Diego park was discovered posing as an activist last year. The company has faced intense criticism by animal rights activists who say it is enslaving marine animals at its 11 parks across the US. "The board has directed that the company's management team end a practice in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists," Mr Manby announced on Thursday. He said the decision to send people undercover was "to maintain the safety and security of company employees, customers, and animals in the face of credible threats that the company had received". SeaWorld employee Paul McComb was briefly suspended in July after the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) accused him of trying to incite violence among peaceful protesters whilst posting as an activist. But SeaWorld announced on Thursday that he has since returned to work in a different department. PETA says the company's refusal to dismiss Mr McComb shows that it condones corporate spying. SeaWorld has been struggling with falling visitor numbers across its parks in the US since a critical documentary film, Blackfish, was released three years ago. In December it announced plans to phase out controversial public displays by killer whales, which have been the centrepiece at three parks operated in California, Florida and Texas. Animal rights activists argue keeping the mammals - also known as orcas - in captivity is cruel and unnecessary.

Question: US marine @placeholder park SeaWorld has admitted some of its employees posed as animal activists to spy on its critics .


A tumultuous year in senior management, continuing into the start of this year, required revisions to the accounts. Several directors left and the chief executive, who is scheduled to leave, is no longer receiving a bonus. The accounts do not give detail of what went wrong, though the boardroom rows were well publicised in the media. However, the report to Companies House indicates the company has lost out from the drop in energy prices, buying its fuel in advance of the sharp drop in oil market. In a statement with the accounts, the directors stated: "The group has faced significant operating and cost pressures. "We anticipate that these cost pressures will remain in 2015 and we will remain proactive in seeking to mitigate the impact of these cost pressures". Lothian Buses revenue in 2014 was up by 2.3% to Â£135m. Pre-tax profits fell from Â£11.7m to Â£10.1m. The company is owned mainly by City of Edinburgh Council, with small stakes held by neighbouring Lothian councils. It owns more than 650 buses, and carries more than two million passengers each week. The numbers transported were up in 2014 by 2.6% to a total of 118 million.

Question: Lothian Buses , which @placeholder Edinburgh public transport , including trams and tourist tours , has reported a drop in profits during last year .


It comes after Denbighshire council was granted permission to compulsorily purchase the former North Wales Hospital in Denbigh. Owner Freemont (Denbigh) Ltd had opposed the compulsory purchase. There has been a long-running dispute between both sides concerned about the future of the historical building. The Rightmove website advert said the council "does not intend to develop the site but to work with a third party/developer that will". The council had agreed to pass ownership of the building to the North Wales Building Preservation Trust, a non profit-making organisation which will receive support from the Princes Regeneration Trust. The property is set for auction later this month. A Denbighshire council spokesperson said the owners had the right to try to sell it as the hospital site has still not been transferred into the ownership of the council. He said the authority would still continue with the compulsory purchase process. "The High Court's ruling in March means that we are one step closer to handing over the site to the trust. "However, there are many issues to be resolved before the council can take ownership and for the council to pass the ownership on to the trust. "If the site is sold in the meantime, the council would need to negotiate with the new owner."

Question: The owners of a former Victorian asylum in north Wales have put it on the market for potential @placeholder with a £ 2.25 m price tag .


Officers said the consequences could have been "catastrophic" when an Edinburgh train ploughed through it at Livingston North station. The Scotrail driver spotted the ladder and applied the brakes, but was unable to stop in time. The youths were witnessed tethering the ladder to the tracks. They remained at the scene to watch as it was hit by the train. British Transport Police tweeted an image of the crushed ladder in a bid to trace those behind the incident which happened earlier this month. PC Craig Wilson said: "The ladder could have easily been propelled onto the platform and struck a member of the public. Not to mention the fact that this train could have been derailed. "It might have seemed like fun but the consequences could have been catastrophic."

Question: Four " @placeholder " youths who tied a metal ladder to railway tracks in West Lothian are being hunted by police .


He is allowed a 1.5kg (3lb) luggage allowance. Items he's packing include a sick bag, a book belonging to Yuri Gagarin, a flashlight and photos of his family. What would you take with you to the ISS? Here are some of your suggestions. Photos were a popular choice. Jennie Rigg said she would take photos of her dogs, Roxy and Spike. Jennie went on to suggest that teddy bears may struggle with the g-force, although from your reaction we think a few bears might attempt the journey. Suzie Robbo's bear, called Ted, goes everywhere with her. Janet Baldwin thought her bear would enjoy space, while the BBC's political correspondent Chris Mason favoured taking his soft toy Andrex puppy. Sarah Hall was torn between the practical and the comforting: Michelle Jones tweeted to say: "It's got to be tea for me." She wasn't the only one who wanted to take a favourite brew: A few alternative suggestions came from Emily Morris, Simon Lowden and Miles Geilinger: And finally another practical suggestion from a Russian tweeter who suggests food would be a good option. We hope there will be enough of that on the ISS already! Thank you for all of your suggestions. Tim Peake in space: Want to know more? Tim Peake live: Launch day live video and updates Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video Video: How the view from space affects your mind Explainer:  The journey into space Social media: Twitter looks ahead to lift-off

Question: As UK astronaut Tim Peake heads to the International Space Station ( ISS ) , he 'll have packed a few @placeholder items to take with him .


Lorraine Ridout, who was 57 when reported missing, of Gabalfa, was last seen on Aberporth Road on 31 January 2016. There have been no confirmed sightings since and police are still trying to establish what happened. Her daughter Christine urged anyone with information to come forward. The police investigation, which has included searches of the River Taff and two family properties, has been described as "the largest urban search police in Cardiff have ever undertaken". But it has failed to find any clue to Ms Ridout's whereabouts. She was last seen between 19:00 and 20:00 GMT that day after heading to a friend's house but did not arrive. Her daughter assumed she had stayed at an auntie's house but when she did not come home the following evening she "realised that something was wrong". Christine Ridout said: "My mum's handbag was there, her phone, her tobacco. Anyone who knows my mum knows she goes everywhere with tobacco. "This is unusual for my mum, she doesn't like to go to areas she's unaware of. "We're a year down the line, where searches have been carried out, we have done as much as we can as a family to look for my mum but at this stage you just don't know where to look any more." Christine Ridout said her mother's disappearance "hit home" when the family had to spend her birthday on 20 December and their first Christmas without her. "If you haven't got any closure... if you don't know where your mum is or you don't know what's happened to her, it wasn't the same," she said. She described her mother as funny, who loved music and singing and was a Marvin Gaye fan. "She was just lovely, if she could help you then she would," she added. Son Peter said: "Obviously it's difficult, no more closure at this stage and her not being found. It's been really tough as a family." The pair appealed for people who may know anything to come forward, "no matter how small" the information. Anniversary leaflets were handed out to people in and around Fairwater on Tuesday afternoon. "My mum was lovely and she deserves to be found, whether it's good or bad we can't do the right thing by my mum without any answers," Christine Ridout added. Det Insp Mark O'Shea, of South Wales Police, said: "Something occurred that stopped her returning home to her much-loved family."

Question: The daughter of a woman from Cardiff who has been missing for exactly one year said the family were " @placeholder " for answers .


Charles Bloch, 22, was with his girlfriend and dog Carlo on Friday when he was told by a taxi driver he could not take the dog for religious reasons. It is the second time this year Mr Bloch has been refused a taxi because of his dog but this time his girlfriend shared a video of it on social media. ADT Taxis admitted its driver broke the law and he has since been sacked. Commenting on the case, Leicester City Council said religion was "not a sensible excuse" and drivers are told about the law on their licence and during exams. "It's extremely frustrating," said Mr Bloch, a student at De Montfort University in Leicester. "But, it's a very common thing and happens a lot." Mr Bloch has deteriorating eyesight due to glaucoma and in April was refused a ride by an Uber driver who also cited religious reasons. "I have no hatred towards the driver and his religion, and I would respect that if the law wasn't there, but the law is there to help people be more integrated into the community," he said. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, it is illegal for a private hire vehicle to refuse to take a disabled person because they have an assistance dog, nor can they charge more. Anyone found guilty of an offence under the act is liable to a fine. Assistance dogs are defined as dogs trained to guide someone who is blind, deaf, epileptic or suffers a condition which affects mobility. Drivers can apply to a licensing authority for exemption from carrying assistance dogs, but only on medical grounds. Source: UK Government ADT Taxis posted a statement on its Facebook page, saying it was "deeply ashamed" by the driver's conduct. A city council spokesman said: "Drivers are legally required to accept bookings from passengers with assistance dogs unless the driver has a medical exemption certificate. "We're not aware of any taxi drivers in Leicester to which this applies." He said they were considering whether to revoke the driver's licence and had contacted Mr Bloch with regards to legal action being taken.

Question: A blind man was barred from using a taxi by a driver who took religious @placeholder to his guide dog .


12 August 2016 Last updated at 08:56 BST The giant helium balloon measures seven metres wide and was put together using satellite images of the moon. Luke Jerram, the artist behind the balloon, said: "It's taken about six months to make and I'm hoping people will be inspired when they look at it and see all the craters and the details." But shortly after Luke's comments, something went a little bit wrong... watch the video to find out what happened.

Question: A @placeholder balloon designed as an exact replica of the moon was due to make its debut at the International Bristol Balloon Festival .


The study suggested only 12% feel their work-life balance is "just right". Less than a quarter (22%) think they have "the right balance of time and money for their family to thrive". The poll was carried out by Family Friendly Working Scotland group, which works with the Scottish government. The organisation said inflexible work arrangements were often to blame, with many parents saying they missed out on special family moments. These included attending school plays or putting their children to bed. The poll suggested: Family Friendly Working Scotland said its findings showed 27% of working parents in Scotland worked more than two extra unpaid hours each week - the equivalent of an extra 2.5 weeks a year. Of those, 15% worked more than four extra unpaid hours a week, equating to 25 extra days a year. The findings were published as Family Friendly Working Scotland launched Nation Work Life week. Nikki Slowey, the organisation's programme director, said it was "disheartening that so few Scottish parents have the right work-life balance". She said: "Families need both time and money to thrive, yet less than a quarter of parents we surveyed said they have this. "As parents we want to support our children through the many milestones in their lives, whether that's starting school, starring in their school play or preparing for important exams. "But balancing this support alongside the demands of work can be very challenging, especially if your employer gives you little or no flexibility, or shows no understanding." Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Ms Slowey added: "I don't think there are enough employers recognising the link between good family-friendly policies or good flexible working and how this is good for business. "Not enough organisations are making the link that actually when they have a family-friendly workplace their employees are more productive, more engaged, more motivated and that the absenteeism rates reduce, and that they are much more successful at recruiting and retaining staff." The Scottish government's Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Mark McDonald, said: "This poll shows how difficult it can be for parents in Scotland to achieve the right balance between the time they spend at work and with their family. "The Scottish government is determined to do all we can to ensure Scotland's workplaces offer flexible working arrangements so parents can achieve a balance that suits their family life, and employers can benefit from improved rates of loyalty and productivity."

Question: Most working parents in Scotland are unhappy with the balance between their home and work life , according to a poll by a group of @placeholder organisations .


The A1(M) was shut southbound after the truck carrying beer, wine and spirits crashed at Norman Cross, but the carriageway has since reopened. A car went into a river following a collision at Christchurch. A tree also fell on to a lorry in Wilburton. Police advised motorists to take care due to the strong winds caused by remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo. No one was seriously hurt as the car went into the river after colliding with a lorry on the B1098 at Sixteen Foot Bank, Christchurch. The road was shut while the car was recovered. Another lorry also caused disruption to rush hour commuters after it went in a ditch on the A14 near Fenstanton on Monday night. In Godmanchester, a three-vehicle crash on the A1198 shut the road, while a fallen tree hit a lorry on Wilburton High Street. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the UK due to high winds, telling people to beware of disruption throughout the day.

Question: A lorry was turned on its side and a car plunged into a river as high winds spread @placeholder on Cambridgeshire roads .


Davies is the most common surname among the new Tory politicians with Byron, Chris and James winning seats for Gower, Brecon and Vale of Clwyd. Stephen Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil, has become an MP after Labour held on to Aberavon. And Plaid's first female MP Liz Saville Roberts held Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Here's a list of the new MPs by constituency: Stephen Kinnock and wife, Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, arrived at the Aberavon count in Neath under the glare of media on Thursday night as Danish journalists were among those interested in the result. The Conservatives' Chris Davies gained the Brecon and Radnorshire seat from the Liberal Democrats. He took 16,453 votes against Roger Williams from the Liberal Democrats who received 11,351. Jo Stevens gained Cardiff Central for Labour from the Liberal Democrats' Jenny Willott. The Tories held Cardiff North but the party has a new MP in Craig Williams as Jonathan Evans stepped down. Liz Saville Roberts has become Plaid Cymru's first female MP to take over from Elfyn Llwyd at Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the party's outgoing parliamentary leader in March. The Conservatives have won the constituency of Gower - a seat Labour has held for more than 100 years. Following two recounts, AM Byron Davies gained the seat with 15,862 votes - a majority of just 27. Labour held the ward with Gerald Jones who has taken over from Dai Havard who was elected in 2001. Announcing his plan to retire last September, he said given the debate over further devolution and any constitutional change, it would be "best" for a new representative to become directly involved from the start. Christina Rees takes over the Labour held seat of Neath from stalwart Peter Hain. During his lengthy career, Mr Hain served in the cabinet under the former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, with stints as Northern Ireland Secretary, Welsh Secretary, Work and Pensions Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons. Labour held on to Swansea East with Carolyn Harris who takes over from Sian James - first elected in 2005 - who wanted to "pursue other opportunities and other campaign interests". Nick Thomas-Symonds takes over at Labour-held Torfaen from Paul Murphy after 28 years in parliament. With just 237 votes in it, the Conservatives' Dr James Davies took the Vale of Clwyd constituency from Labour's Chris Ruane, who had represented it for 18 years.

Question: Eleven new MPs are representing Wales , with three seats won by the Tories and others taking up the @placeholder from Labour and Plaid Cymru colleagues .


The former wrestler joins the WRU from Toulon in the summer after his stint as head of strength and conditioning on the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. Stridgeon has been a consultant with Wales since the 2015 Rugby World Cup. "I have enjoyed my time with Wales since linking up in 2015 and I'm excited at the opportunity," he said. Stridgeon previously worked with Wales coach Warren Gatland at Wasps, before moving on to England and Toulon. Gatland is currently on a sabbatical from his Wales role as he coaches the Lions, but he welcomed Stridgeon's appointment. "Paul's appointment is fantastic for Welsh rugby and I'm delighted that we have been able to secure his services," the New Zealander said. "I have worked alongside him in a number of roles and his impact with Wales since 2015 has been noticeable."

Question: Paul Stridgeon has been appointed @placeholder physical performance manager by the Welsh Rugby Union ( WRU ) .


The naughty swan, who's been nicknamed 'Asboy', has been caught on camera causing terror on the River Cam. Witnesses report Asboy pecking at people, attacking canoeists and even flying into families. Ricky was brave enough to go to Cambridge to try and track down Asboy...

Question: Swans are usually known for being majestic and @placeholder creatures ... except for one bird that 's been causing havoc in Cambridge .


Piracy news site TorrentFreak says brands including Omega, Fossil and Cartier are sending cease-and-desist notices to websites offering their watch-face designs for download. Many smartwatches offer users the chance to customise the design. One watch-face website said it acted swiftly to remove copyrighted designs. Smartwatches are available from a range of firms including Samsung, Sony and LG. Next year Apple will launch a version. According to TorrentFreak, Richemont - the company behind brands such as Cartier IWC and Panerai - has lodged notices against watch-face sites citing breaches of its trademark rights. In some cases, TorrentFreak reports, it is giving sites 24 hours to remove infringing content. "We prefer to never comment on trademark protection issues," Richemont told the BBC. Swatch-owned Omega, also highlighted by TorrentFreak as requesting take-downs, did not respond to requests for comment either. Sites such as Facerepo offer users the chance to download a traditional face on to their smartwatches. It describes itself as "a repository of watch-faces for Android Wear devices" but goes on to say that "all faces hosted on the site are the property of the original content creator". It told TorrentFreak that it acts quickly to remove watch-faces that are infringing copyright. "Although some of the replica faces we've received take-downs for are very cool-looking and represent significant artistic talent on the part of the designer, we believe that owners of copyrights or trademarks have the right to defend their brand," it told the news site. Last week, Apple released its WatchKit developer tools, allowing developers to begin creating apps for the Apple Watch. Currently those tools do not support the creation of custom watch-face designs.

Question: Luxury - watchmakers are cracking down on the growing trend of copying traditional watch - faces on to @placeholder devices , according to reports .


In a statement in the official Granma newspaper, the government described the project as "a serious error". "The symbols of the Revolution are and will always be sacred," it read. The colognes - Ernesto and Hugo - were unveiled on Thursday by a state laboratory in the capital, Havana. Labiofam said Ernesto, the cologne named after the Argentine-born revolutionary who helped Fidel Castro take over in Cuba in 1959, would be a woodsy and refreshing citric scent with notes of talcum powder. Hugo, named after the late Venezuelan president, would offer a softer, fruitier fragrance with hints of mango and papaya. "They will be very attractive colognes, but the names also mean a lot to us," said Isabel Gonzalez, vice-president for research and development for Labiofam during the launch. But the project was mocked in the social networks and criticised by supporters of the Cuban Revolution, who considered it disrespectful. Labiofam had been in the process of developing stylised bottles and labels for the products before putting them on sale in Cuba and overseas. "We didn't want to create propaganda, but rather pay homage to them and help their names endure," said Cuban biochemist Mario Valdes, who led the scent design team, on Thursday. The company said it had obtained the agreement of the families of Che Guevara and Hugo Chavez to use their names in the colognes. But that has now been denied by the Cuban government. "The details of this irresponsible action were discussed in detail on Friday with the company's director and the employees who presented the products, which were still being developed," read the statement of the Executive Committee of the Ministers' Council, headed by Cuban President Raul Castro. "The appropriate measures will be taken to deal with this serious error. "Such initiatives will never be accepted either by our people or by the Revolutionary Government."

Question: The Cuban government has said it will take @placeholder action against a state pharmaceutical company that created perfumes named Ernesto Che Guevara and Hugo Chavez .


A University of Copenhagen study suggests excessive use of social media can create feelings of envy. It particularly warns about the negative impact of "lurking" on social media without connecting with anyone. The study suggests taking a break from using social media. The study of more than 1,000 participants, mostly women, says that "regular use of social networking such as Facebook can negatively affect your emotional well-being and satisfaction with life". Researchers warn of envy and a "deterioration of mood" from spending too long looking at other people's social media stories, induced by "unrealistic social comparisons". If this suggests a picture of long irritable hours over a screen, depressed by the boasts and posts of others, then the researchers say that it does not need to be this way. Actively engaging in conversation and connecting with people on social media seems to be a much more positive experience, suggests the study, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking. This seems to be much less gloomy than "passive" users who spend too long "lurking" on social networking websites without getting involved. Another approach to improve well-being, says the study, is to stop using social media altogether for a week. That's if you can resist the temptation to look at all those unbearably smug pictures of skiing holidays...

Question: Too much Facebook browsing at Christmas - and seeing all those " @placeholder " families and holiday photos - is more likely to make you miserable than festive , research suggests .


A 3-0 home defeat by Crewe on Tuesday means the Reds have won only two of their last 12 matches. "I would like our fans to be patient with the family. We are fighting relentlessly to be better," Eren said in a statement on the club website. "Our football has improved this season. The infrastructure and recruitment has given the club a solid platform." Eren completed his takeover of Crawley 12 months ago, with plans to take the club into the Championship within 10 years. The Turkish businessman appointed former Chelsea academy coach Dermot Drummy as manager in the summer and Crawley were in the top six in mid-October. However, they have since slipped to 16th - the position they were in when Eren bought the club. He said: "While we have played some exciting football in a few games we have also had disappointing results. "This is normal for a squad with 22 new faces. It is still a period of growing stability and togetherness. "The performance against Crewe was not positive. I'm certain the players will answer and display their true ability in the remaining matches. "I believe we will finish the season positively and set up a foundation for an exciting season ahead." Meanwhile, Crawley midfielder Aryan Tajbakhsh has extended his loan with National League South side Wealdstone for a further month.

Question: Crawley Town owner Ziya Eren has told fans that @placeholder will take time after a poor run of form in League Two .


BBC Sport has learned the Crystal Palace midfielder has a hamstring injury, and could be a doubt for the home game against Israel in Sunday. Wales are already without Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen, West Brom defender James Chester and Nottingham Forest's David Vaughan. Wolverhampton Wanderers' Dave Edwards is likely to take Ledley's place in the starting line-up. A win in Nicosia tonight would put Wales on the brink of qualifying for the final stages of a tournament for the first time since 1958. "There's been no official confirmation yet but I understand Joe Ledley is out of tonight's game," said BBC Wales football correspondent Rob Phillips. "His absence will be a huge blow for Wales because he can play that holding midfield role. Chris Coleman is already missing Liverpool's Joe Allen who is out of this game with suspension and out of Sunday's match injured. "The hole created by Ledley's absence is expected to be filled by the Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards, whose last game for his country was in Novi Sad - that 6-1 defeat inflicted by Serbia - but he's always been a reliable performer for Wales. "Jazz Richards, who's left Swansea for Fulham, is expected to be at right wing back, a return on the cards too in that defence for Ben Davies so the Welsh team should be: Wayne Hennessy, winning his 50th cap, Richards, Gunter, Ashley Williams, Davies, Neil Taylor as five across the back. The three in midfield will be Edwards, Andy King and Aaron Ramsey and up front Gareth Bale and Hal Robson Kanu."

Question: Joe Ledley will miss Wales ' @placeholder Euro 2016 qualifying match with Cyprus .


She is in Chad to meet French soldiers based there as part of the Barkhane anti-terrorism force. Chadian opposition parties say she should have been banned from visiting describing her as a champion of "fascist" policies. It is the first time Ms Le Pen is in Africa in an official capacity. The plane carrying Ms Le Pen to Chad departed only a few hours after she took part in a live presidential debate on French TV where she reasserted that fighting Islamist fundamentalist networks would be her priority as president. The Barkhane force is made up of about 3,000 French soldiers along with troops from Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad. It has been set up in an effort to stifle jihadist groups in the Sahel region in West and North Africa. Ms Le Pen's planned meeting with the French soldiers is seen as a move to mark her commitment to stopping Islamist fundamentalism at the root before it is exported to France. France has been hit in recent years by deadly attacks, including the Charlie Hebdo killings and the Bataclan night club attack, all claimed by radical Islamist groups. The FN leader proposes to curb immigration and increase military spending as a way of safeguarding France against future attacks. She wants to hike defence spending to a minimum of 2% of France's GDP. Her visit to Chad has created a controversy with opposition parties in the country. "[Marine Le Pen], who is xenophobic and even fascist, is undertaking the visit under the pretext of meeting [soldiers] of Operation Barhkane, but the real reasons are elsewhere," the Patriotic Rally of Renewal (PRR) opposition said in a statement. "Marine Le Pen is coming to Chad, just like the other French political elites, to seek funds for her campaign from the Chadian authorities, who are known for their generosity towards the latter," PRR added. "Chad is no longer a French colony and the Chadian people must break ties with the neo-colonialist policy of France and take its destiny in its hand," PRR said in its statement. Ms Le Pen has not commented on this criticism levelled against her.

Question: French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen , the leader of the far - right Front National ( FN ) party , is making a @placeholder visit to Africa , a party official said .


Media playback is not supported on this device The Baku result comes a month after Northern Ireland suffered a 3-2 loss at the hands of minnows Luxembourg. "The players have made it difficult for themselves," added O'Neill. "I'm not going to say we've been progressing at a rate of knots. We're progressing in small steps and taking a few setbacks. This was another one." He added: "Some of our performances have been good but we just have to live with the results and they've been poor, there's no getting away from that." Media playback is not supported on this device Friday night's defeat, courtesy of goals from Rufat Dadasov and Mahir Shukurov, means Northern Ireland have taken just two points from a possible 12 against the two lowest ranked teams in their World Cup qualifying group. They now have just one match - on Tuesday against Israel - to avoid an embarrassing bottom-placed. The result was compounded by Jonny Evans's injury-time red card for a crude foul that led directly to Azerbaijan's second. Evans will now be suspended for the game in Israel, alongside Gareth McAuley, who was booked for talking back to the referee, and Oliver Norwood. O'Neill declined to hold his tongue on those incidents, although insists his side have been harshly treated by officials over the course of the qualification group. "Jonny has admitted it was frustration so that was stupid for a player of his level and the level he plays at with Manchester United. He should know better," O'Neill added. "You could see frustration creeping in to the players as the game went on, not only towards the opposition but also to the referee. "We have to learn to control that. And as for Gareth, anything for dissent is inexcusable, simple as that. "But for a team like us, who who have committed virtually the fewest fouls in Europe, to have the disciplinary record we have is a bit of a joke."

Question: Northern Ireland manager Michael O' Neill says the 2 - 0 World Cup qualifier defeat by Azerbaijan is another " @placeholder lesson " for his team .


The firm's billionaire founder Michael Dell now looks set to win shareholder backing for his drawn-out $24.8bn (Â£15.7bn) buyout of the PC company. In a letter to shareholders, Mr Icahn said "it would be almost impossible to win" a vote on the takeover. Mr Icahn had argued the bid by Mr Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake undervalued the company. In the letter he blamed delays in the vote, which had been postponed twice, and was highly critical of the board. "The Dell board, like so many boards in this country, reminds me of Clark Gable's last words in "Gone with the Wind," they simply "don't give a damn", Mr Icahn wrote. The PC maker has been under pressure as consumers shift away from traditional computers. Mr Dell has pledged to shift the business away from PCs into mobile devices and business software. His bid to take his company private includes an offer of $13.75 per share plus a 13-cent dividend. Under Mr Dell's plan shareholders will be bought out and the company removed from the stock exchange. He argues that it will be easier to reinvigorate Dell without the pressure of shareholder scrutiny.

Question: Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has abandoned his @placeholder to stop computer maker Dell being taken private .


Here, Anjali and her uncle - her father has migrated to Pune to look for work, and her mother is a vegetable vendor - will stand under the blazing sun for up to three hours to fill 150 litres of drinking water in 15 containers, a smorgasbord of shiny kitchen utensils and brightly coloured plastic tanks. At home, the taps dried up three months ago. Every eighth day a municipal water tanker comes to her street, providing 200 litres of water to every family. It's never enough for her family, so Anjali, frail and enervated, is spending her summer holidays collecting water in the soaring heat. Aren't you afraid that she might suffer from a heatstroke? I ask her uncle. Last week a 12-year-old girl died of heatstroke after spending four hours gathering water from a hand pump in the neighbouring Beed district. Anjali had already spent more than two hours when I met her. The uncle shrugs off my question. "Compulsion, compulsion," he mutters under his breath. "We don't have a choice." The scarcity of water leaves people with few - and mostly awkward - choices. So it is with Latur's residents, who are among the 330 million people in 256 districts in India affected by drought, brought on by three years of poor rainfall. Not surprisingly, the lives of half a million people in the district's main city now revolve around water. They worry about getting supplies, and mull their choices. Will I wait for the tanker or head to the queue? Or should I check the hand pump down the street? At home, the choices are no less onerous. Should I take a second bath in the sweltering heat? Should I cook something that consumes less water? Should I invite friends for dinner? Should I postpone an operation to save money for water? The oft-prophesised war of the 21st Century over water is already being fought in the minds of many here. The city is rife with rumour and suspicion. Is a municipal councillor diverting more tankers to his constituency? Is my neighbour bribing the tanker driver and siphoning supplies? In the fierce battles over water, two people - a volunteer managing a water queue, and a woman, exhausted by long hours in the queue - have reportedly died of heart attacks. People have come to blows in queues. To avert water riots, authorities imposed orders prohibiting large gatherings at water collection sites last month. There have been protests outside storage tanks, prompting authorities to put spiky gates on the concrete spiral stairways to prevent people from scampering up. A main police station in the city is coping with up to 20 complaints from people squabbling over water. "People are pretty worked up over water," says Sudhakar Boakar, a policeman who is in charge of the station. The rich buy bottled water for drinking and private tanker supplies for cleaning and washing. The poor and not-so-well-off, spend most of their time waiting for municipality tanker supplies or queuing up outside storage tanks. "This has been the new normal for six to eight months now," says councillor Shailesh Swami. "Things worsened after the taps ran dry four months ago." On a still, hot night, a long queue builds outside a storage tank in the heart of the city. The roads are deserted, but the wet pavement is humming with activity. A steady stream of weary water hunters trickles in under flickering street lights. The containers - buckets, drums, bowls, pots, pitchers - squat in a queue of their own. Around midnight, Rabindra Mirkale, a factory worker, riding a moped, arrives with his nephew and 12 containers. It is a minor miracle - the number of vessels Mr Mirkale yokes to his decrepit two-wheeler; hunting water, clearly, inspires jugaad, an Indian word that means ingenious improvisation in the face of scarce resources. It's going to be a long night ahead. Mr Mirkale reckons he will get his 200 litres of water around daybreak, some six hours later. "I work all day and collect water all night. I have no life," he grins. Now Sheikh Mainuddin arrives, dragging a bicycle carrying a staggering 20 containers. He's walked a kilometre in the sweltering heat. There are a dozen people in his house, he says, waiting for water. "The once-a-week tanker water is not enough." There is tension as more people join the queue. An anxious mother awaits her turn, putting her child to sleep on top of a reservoir nearby. Rubbish burns on a landfill next to the tank, making the air hotter. Then suddenly, the transformer blows out, plunging the queue into darkness, completing a picture of urban dystopia. Authorities claim 125 tankers are ferrying drinking water to residents every day. Latur's senior-most official Pandurang Pole tells me at the peak of the water famine in February, the city was getting a quarter of its daily requirement of 25 million litres. Two years of paltry rainfall has reduced the main Manjara river, which supplied most of Latur's water, to a gritty mass of silt and rock. Now, Mr Pole says, the city is managing to narrow the gap by securing nearly 20 million litres a day by scrounging from every available source: two dams, a barrage, 150 bore wells, reviving a defunct water supply scheme, and most importantly, the much-talked about water train. "It is a difficult situation," he says. "We now have stocks until July and are hoping for rains this year." Outside the city, things are gloomier. Tankers are supplying water to 150 of the 800 villages. Groundwater levels have fallen below 500ft (152m). Desperate villagers are clambering down wells looking for dregs of water. Growing water-guzzling cash crops like sugarcane and cotton for years meant that the groundwater wasn't destined to last long in a drought-prone district of 4.5 million people. More than 30 debt-stricken farmers have taken their lives this year. But there are also stories of hope in a cruelly arid landscape. People, by and large, have been extraordinarily patient and resilient even as politicians score brownie points by sticking party posters on water tankers and taking credit for the water train. Far away from the din, local people, goaded by the Art of Living Foundation, have already contributed 30m rupees ($450,113; Â£311,487) to dredge an 18km (11-mile)-stretch of the bone-dry Manjara, the district's lifeline. Twenty dredgers are working round the clock to finish the job. "The drying up of the river is Latur's shame," says Mahadev Gomare of the group. "Nature has given us water. We should protect the sources." A young farmer, who bought a bore well to irrigate his dry 10-acre farm and grow corn, has instead decided to supply water free to villagers for two hours every evening. "Crops can wait," says Vikas Manikrao Sul, 31, who's also a lawyer. "Providing water to affected families is more important. In times of scarcity, you should not think of profit." In the long term, Latur has to conserve and harvest its water better, and change cropping patterns to avert a similar disaster. But, before that, it has to rain a lot. "I always feel thirsty. Is that what happens to you when it doesn't rain for years?" says Shailesh Swami, looking up at the cloudless sky.

Question: It is 42 C in the shade , but that does n't @placeholder 10 - year - old Anjali Patole from queuing up every day near a water tank on a baking pavement in the city of Latur in the western state of Maharashtra .


Janice Bannister's dog Sylvia went missing during a beach walk on Saturday afternoon. Ms Bannister from Telford said she has been scouring the island since the Japanese Shiba Inu disappeared. She hired the helicopter from Caernarfon Airport after a sighting of the dog in the dunes at Newborough beach. "It is a huge area of dunes... you could not walk it or cycle it," she said. She only visited the area for a day trip to meet a friend. But a local resident has been giving Ms Bannister lodging since Saturday so she can continue the search. Although she is due to return home, another person has offered her the free use of a caravan for her return on Saturday. Posters have been put up around the area and a Facebook page has also been created to help coordinate the search. "I do love that dog," she said, which is one of nine that she owns.

Question: A @placeholder dog owner hired a helicopter for £ 750 to help search for her missing pet on Anglesey .


The Crystal Place striker had not played for his country since June and rejected a call-up for Friday's match away to Tunisia, which Togo lost 1-0. He returned for Tuesday's match in Lome but his side were held 0-0 by their Group A rivals. Tunisia and Togo have seven points, Liberia have six and a game in hand. Only the 13 group winners are guaranteed passage to the finals in Gabon next year, with the two best runners-up joining them.

Question: Emmanuel Adebayor ended his self - imposed international @placeholder but failed to fire Togo past Tunisia in their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier .


Loughries Primary School, just outside Newtownards in County Down, has 75 pupils. It became an integrated school on 1 September following approval from former education minister John O'Dowd in 2015. It is the 65th such school in Northern Ireland. Originally opened in 1842, it is the oldest surviving school in the Newtownards area. The decision to transform was taken following a ballot in favour of integration by the parents of its pupils. Children from Protestant, Catholic and a variety of other backgrounds are taught together in integrated schools. About 22,000 pupils - 7% of the school population - are educated in them. The first integrated school, Lagan College in Belfast, opened in 1981 and there are now 45 primary schools and 20 post-primary schools across Northern Ireland. They educate around 22,000 pupils, approximately 7% of the school population. Any new integrated school must attract 30% of its pupils from the minority community in the area where the school is situated. However, the growth of the sector has stalled in recent years. A review of integrated education, also commissioned by Mr O'Dowd earlier this year, is due for completion imminently.

Question: A ceremony is to be held on Friday to mark the @placeholder of the newest integrated school in Northern Ireland .


Briton Davies won F42 shot put gold with a Games record at Rio 2016, but was unable to defend his 2012 discus title as it did not feature in Brazil. "I don't normally say what I'm going for," said the Welshman, 25. "But this time I'm definitely going for the two golds in both disciplines and nothing will be better than being in front of a home crowd." Davies is set to resume training after taking a post-Rio break. "As much as I love time off I love what I do and focus has already shifted to London," he said. "Rio was only a stepping stone towards that and London is going to be a huge event, back in the Olympic Stadium." Davies won F42 discus and shot put golds at the past two IPC World Athletics Championships - in Lyon in 2013 and in Doha two years later.

Question: Paralympic champion Aled Sion Davies @placeholder two gold medals at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London .


Officials in the Canadian city say that the project is necessary in order to replace old infrastructure in the sewage treatment system. The operation has drawn the ire of people in Canada and in the US who have concerns that the river will be polluted with condoms and nappies. The dump was delayed during the recent Canadian election. Officials began releasing the raw sewage into the river just after midnight local time (05:00 GMT) on Wednesday, and say it could last about a week. Citizens are being asked not to flush medication, condoms or tampons down the toilet while the operation goes on. The diversion of the raw waste is needed so that workers can replace a snow chute - a large opening that funnels water from melting snow to a facility used to treat the sewage. Officials at the city of Montreal have said the dump will have little effect on the fish population and will not affect the quality of drinking water for citizens. The plan was approved by Canada's new environment minister on the condition that a host of conditions including extensive monitoring were abided by. However, the plan has drawn ire on both sides of the US-Canada border. Mathieu Traversy, a provincial legislator of Parti Quebecois, said cities were concerned that riverbanks would be marred by "diapers, condoms and syringes". Across the border, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York has asked the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to intervene. For its part, the EPA has said it has no regulatory authority over the river, which lies entirely in sovereign Canadian territory.

Question: Montreal has begun a @placeholder dump of 8 bn litres ( 1.75 bn gallons ) of raw sewage into the St Lawrence River .


The second rower, 29, was placed on the transfer list by the Giants last month after an internal investigation. He helped England to a Test series win over New Zealand in November. "The Rhinos are a fantastic organisation and I am looking forward to being part of the squad next season," said Ferres. "The last year has seen plenty of ups and downs for me, however this move gives me an opportunity to finally look forward to the future with confidence and be part of something special at the Rhinos."

Question: Leeds Rhinos will sign Huddersfield 's Brett Ferres for an undisclosed fee , subject to the forward passing a medical and agreeing @placeholder terms .


The award is given annually to the book considered to best capture the comic spirit of PG Wodehouse. This year marks the first time in the prize's history that it has been split between two winners. Rothschild and Murray beat off competition from former winner Marina Lewycka, formerly shortlisted John O'Farrell, and US author Paul Beatty. It is first literary award for Rothschild, whose book The Improbability of Love was her debut novel. She said: "To use a word that my hero PG Wodehouse invented, I am terribly 'gruntled' by winning this prize, sharing it with the great Paul Murray." The Improbability of Love is about the skulduggery of the London art world. The judges described it as "a wonderful satire on the art trade, preposterous billionaires, Russian oligarchs and much else, a brilliant conceit faultlessly carried off". Paul Murray's third novel tells the story of two Dubliners: Claude, a banker who decides to rob his own bank and struggling novelist and crook, Paul, who helps him do it. The author said he was "delighted and honoured" to win the award. "I first read PG Wodehouse as a boy and have kept returning to him ever since, longer than any other writer - which makes this award very special," he added. The judges said: "Murray's setup is funny, the elegant zip of his sentences make you smile, his novel is an achingly topical, clever, delightful tale of folly and delusion. We loved it." As with previous winners, Murray and Rothschild will be presented with a locally-bred Gloucestershire Old Spot pig - named after winning novels - at the Hay Festival on 4 June. The prize was judged by a panel including Hay Festival director Peter Florence, Everyman's Library publisher David Campbell, writer and comedian Sara Pascoe, and BBC books editor James Naughtie. Naughtie said: "It was impossible to separate these two books, because they made us laugh so much. "Between them they produce a surfeit wild satire and piercing humour about the subject that can always make us laugh and cry. Money." The winners were announced ahead of the Hay Festival which begins on Thursday. Previous winners include Alexander McCall Smith, Howard Jacobson and Sir Terry Pratchett.

Question: Authors Paul Murray and Hannah Rothschild have @placeholder won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize .


Shadow chancellor Ed Balls was among political rivals to seize on the slip-up, as the hashtag "villagate" started trending on Twitter. The PM blamed "brain fade", adding "these things sometimes happen when you are on the stump". The Conservatives said the reference was not in the PM's prepared speech. Mr Cameron's apparently off-the-cuff remark came during a speech about his plan to increase opportunities for ethnic minority Britons - in which he said Britain was "a shining example of a country where multiple identities work". "Where you can be Welsh and Hindu and British, Northern Irish and Jewish and British, where you can wear a kilt and a turban, where you can wear a hijab covered in poppies. "Where you can support Man Utd, the Windies and Team GB all at the same time. Of course, I'd rather you supported West Ham." Questioned about the slip-up by the BBC's Jonny Dymond after the speech, Mr Cameron referred to Green Party leader Natalie Bennett's explanation for her own slip-up when trying to explain her party's policies in a radio interview. "I had what Natalie Bennett described as a brain fade. I'm a Villa fan... I must have been overcome by something... this morning. But there we are, these things sometimes happen when you are on the stump." Labour's former communications chief Alastair Campbell was unforgiving on Twitter, writing that the mistake "says a lot about his character which impacts upon policy. Out of touch. Phoney. Believes nothing." Shadow chancellor Ed Balls, a Norwich City fan, tweeted: "Hey David Cameron... I'm off to see that football team I support this afternoon. Name escapes me... they play in yellow... Watford?" But former Conservative press officer Jonathan Collett rushed to defend Mr Cameron, adding: "PM is a passionate Villa fan. Takes son to matches ... Suspect speechwriter error." Quizzed further about his football allegiances, in an interview with Sky News' Murnaghan to be broadcast on Sunday, Mr Cameron said: "I've been an Aston Villa fan all my life, I literally opened my mouth and I was going off-piste about the fact that in Britain you can be a supporter of the West Indies, a supporter of Manchester United, and a supporter of Team GB. "I was then busking about other things you can support and was... I don't know what happened to me, it was just one of those things." He said he had gone "off script" with the remark adding: "By the time you have made as many speeches as I have on this campaign all sorts of funny things start popping out of your mouth." Mr Cameron said he became a Villa fan after watching the team beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup final as a child. "But I don't go very often, in fact I haven't been for years and years, but I try and keep up, and I'm hoping we are going to escape the relegation zone, which we're out of now, and obviously the FA Cup final is very exciting." Reminded of his comment in 2001 in the House of Commons that he wasn't actually a football fan, Mr Cameron said: "I mean, I'm not a regular attender, I used to play football as a kid, my son plays football, and I try and sort of keep up with what's happening in the Premier League and see how Villa are doing. "But when they get snug in the middle of the table I tend to sort of, I tend to back off a bit. When we get close to the bottom I get nervous, but I don't know what happened this morning." Mr Cameron's late uncle Sir William Dugdale was Aston Villa's chairman from 1975 to 1982.

Question: David Cameron has been @placeholder the wrath of Twitter after saying in a speech that he supported West Ham when he is an Aston Villa fan .


According to its website, it has 11 branches in Northern Ireland though some are located within HMV shops. Those shops are thought to employ around 60 people. The company operates a further 71 stores in the Republic of Ireland. Oxtermont, the Dublin-based holding company of the chain, was placed into liquidation on Wednesday morning. The company said the move was a "direct result of the market decline of shop counter rental". "This has resulted in a 30% drop year on year in over the counter DVD rental," the firm said in a statement. In 2001, video shops in the UK made 198m rentals. By 2014 that number was down to 36m and most of those were done through the post. In that environment, it's surprising that Xtravision managed to stagger on as long as it did. The liquidators Grant Thornton said their first priority would be to meet and brief employees at all 83 locations and process their entitlements for redundancy. They added that over the coming days they will be in contact with all creditors of the company. Any Xtra-vision gift vouchers will be honoured by HMV which is not affected by the liquidation. Xtra-vision was bought by Hilco Capital Ireland in June 2013 for an undisclosed sum. Hilco specialises in buying distressed retail businesses. The company had previously been owned by Blockbuster and then an Irish investor.

Question: The Xtra-vision DVD rental chain has been placed into liquidation and will @placeholder trading on Wednesday .


Liberty House is looking to purchase the steelworks in Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Hartlepool, which employ about 2,500 people. Liberty has already bought Scotland's last major steelworks from Tata, which it reopened on Wednesday. However, Tata said talks were still under way with a number of possible bidders for the English sites. A spokesman for the Indian steel giant said: "Talks are continuing over the potential sale of our specialist steel business in South Yorkshire and our pipe-making business in Hartlepool." It is in discussions with "a number of parties in each case", he said. Liberty House founder Sanjeev Gupta told the BBC: "We are bound by some process but it's public knowledge that we are working hard to complete on those." The company declined to comment on details of the bid or when a deal might be agreed. Reuters reported the Liberty bid could be worth Â£100m for the three steelworks. One source told the BBC that Liberty was "very close" to agreeing a deal. Liberty was one of the first bidders for Tata's UK steel business, including Port Talbot - the UK's biggest steelworks - when it was put up for sale earlier this year. In July, Tata entered negotiations with German rival Thyssenkrupp about a European merger, but has continued to talk to other potential buyers of the Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Hartlepool sites.

Question: A bidder for three Tata UK steelworks @placeholder to reach a deal " within weeks " , industry sources have told the BBC .


The warning came as it unveiled a 27bn yen ($346m; Â£216m) loss for its second quarter, compared with a profit of 31bn yen for the same period last year. The company said the strong yen, floods in Thailand, and weak demand in the US and Europe were to blame. Sony is now projecting an annual net loss of 90bn yen, compared with its previous forecast of 60bn yen profit. The Tokyo-based conglomerate is restructuring its TV operations. The maker of Bravia TVs have seen its TV business lose money for the past seven years. Sony project this part of their company should turn a profit in 2013. Analysts say Sony's TV operations have been hit by price falls, an oversupply of panels, and intense competition and innovation in the electronics market.

Question: Japanese electronics giant Sony has warned that it is on target to make its fourth annual loss in @placeholder .


Stars went down in overtime to Edinburgh Capitals on Saturday before thrashing the Caps on Sunday as they came out of a five-game winless run. And LeFebvre couldn't have been happier at how his team bounced back with such a comprehensive victory in the second of the double-header. "The whole team have worked so hard in these last two weeks and we've been three imports down," he said. "We've put in a good effort and I'm delighted for the guys in the end. "We ran out of steam on Saturday and Edinburgh are a team that can surprise. "But It's important for us to keep the momentum going.  It's a good feeling to get three points from the weekend and we'll start to get some bodies back." On Saturday, Brett Switzer and Justin Faryna fired the Stars two up with Jared Staal scoring in reply for the Caps before Vinny Scarsella added Dundee's third. However, like last week against Fife Flyers, Edinburgh stormed back as Karel Hromas and Taylor MacDougall levelled, taking the game to overtime, where Yevgeni Fyodorov struck for the 4-3 win. On Sunday in Dundee there was quite a turnaround as five goals from Kevin Bruijsten helped the Stars to a thumping 10-3 win over Michal Dobron's side. Kevin Hart, Cam McGiffin and Bruijsten had Dundee three up in the first five minutes before Jacob Johnston pulled one back for Edinburgh. Justin Faryna and another from Bruijsten put the Stars 5-1 by the end of the first period, with the Caps mounting a comeback through Jared Staal and Karel Hromas in the middle session. But Dundee found their mojo again in the third as one from Lidhammar, Bruijsten, one from Ben Edmonds and a further two from the Dutchman completed the rout. Fife Flyers ended another weekend without a point, starting on Saturday at Manchester Storm, going down 4-3 after penalty shots. Taylor Dickin and Paul Phillips were on target for Storm before Brendan Brooks and two from Chase Schaber had Fife in front with three minutes to go. But Mario Valery-Trabucco tied the game in the final minute and after overtime couldn't produce a winner, Mark Heatley and Darian Dzuirzynski came up trumps in the shootout for Manchester. Fife welcomed Braehead Clan to Kirkcaldy on Sunday and lost for the fourth consecutive game against their Glasgow rivals, going down 4-1. Mike Hammond opened the scoring before the Flyers levelled the game through Carlo Finucci during the second period. Jay Rosehill restored Braehead's lead at the end of the second before Zach Sullivan struck with a rare goal to open a two-goal advantage when he was assisted by Alex Leavitt. Leavitt then turned scorer from provider to add a fourth that sealed the game and as Ryan Finnerty's men headed into a busy Christmas schedule with an important victory. Clan started their weekend with a 7-4 loss to Coventry Blaze, whose upturn in form saw them pick up their fourth win in their last five. TJ Syner and Robin Bergman put the Blaze in front, but Clan hit back through Matt Beca on the powerplay before Josh Godfrey restored Coventry's two-goal lead. Scott Pitt got Braehead back to one then Liam Stewart struck with a shorthanded goal.  Although Kyle Wharton got another on the board for the home team, Blaze kicked on in the third. Another one shorthanded from Stewart and Syner's second sealed the points. Corey Cowick pulled one back, but Barry Almeida rounded off a good night's work for the visitors. Wednesday: Challenge Cup Quarter Final 2nd Leg Nottingham Panthers 3-1 Braehead Clan (Panthers win 6-4 on aggregate) Elite League Sheffield Steelers 4-2 Dundee Stars Saturday: Elite League Braehead Clan 4-7 Coventry Blaze Edinburgh Capitals 4-3 Dundee Stars (OT) Manchester Storm 4-3 Fife Flyers (PS) Sunday: Elite League Dundee Stars 10-3 Edinburgh Capitals Fife Flyers 1-4 Braehead Clan

Question: Dundee Stars head coach Marc LeFebvre was pleased to pick up three points out of four over the weekend and @placeholder to build further momentum .


Mrs Trump, the third wife of Republican candidate Donald Trump, faced accusations that parts of her speech had plagiarised Michelle Obama. Lines in the speech matched almost word for word those delivered by Mrs Obama at the Democrats' convention in 2008. Ms McIver said her offer to resign was rejected by the Trumps. "This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused," she said in a statement. Why the Melania plagiarism row matters Republicans react to Melania 'distraction' Teachers are thanking Melania Trump The Trump staffer said Mrs Trump had read out passages from Mrs Obama's convention speech in a phone conversation as they discussed people who inspired her. "A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama," she wrote. Ms McIver later included the phrases in a draft of the speech without checking Mrs Obama's speeches, she added. "I am honoured to work for such a great family," she said. Mr Trump was formally adopted as the Republican candidate for November's presidential election on Tuesday. In the aftermath of the controversy over his wife's speech, he tweeted that the publicity was good news as the speech "got more publicity than any in the history of politics". Mr Trump's campaign manager had emphatically denied plagiarism. Republican strategist Sean Spicer even invoked My Little Pony in an interview with CNN - citing similarities between the words of Twilight Sparkle (a purple unicorn from the children's franchise) and Mrs Trump's speech to show that the lines were "common phrases". Thirty-six hours later, the Trump campaign issued the press release it could have - should have - sent out in the hours after allegations of plagiarism in Melania Trump's speech first surfaced. Instead the story festered for more than a day, sucking up precious political oxygen during a week that Republicans hoped would be a showcase for the party. This will do nothing to assuage the concerns of some conservatives who wonder about the professionalism and competency of the Trump political operation. The about-face also leaves those who were ardently defending Mrs Trump over the past day and a half - such as campaign chair Paul Manafort - playing the fools. Meanwhile, Meredith McIver appears to have avoided the axe, despite her offer to resign. It seems that Mr Trump, famous for dramatically firing people for professional incompetence - he had a reality television show built around the concept, after all - will forgive what is usually viewed as a cardinal sin among speechwriters. Read more from Anthony 1. What's the point? Each party formally nominates its candidates for president and vice president, and the party unveils its party platform, or manifesto. 2. Who is going? There are 2,472 delegates attending, selected at state and congressional district conventions, and representing each US state and territory. Plus 15,000 journalists and thousands of other party grandees, lawmakers and guests. 3. Who isn't going? Some senior figures who don't like Donald Trump have stayed away, including two ex-presidents named Bush, former nominee Mitt Romney and Ohio Governor John Kasich. 4. What's the schedule?

Question: An employee of the Trump Organisation , Meredith McIver , has @placeholder her role in writing Melania Trump 's speech at the Republican National Convention .


An investigation into events at the post-primary school was ordered by the former minister John O'Dowd in April. There had been ongoing industrial problems at the west Belfast school for a number of months. The minister has not, however, indicated when the report will be made public. The investigation was carried out by a three-person panel consisting of leading educationalist Sir Robert Salisbury, trade unionist John Corey and Belfast Metropolitan College's principal Marie-ThÃ©rÃ¨se McGivern. Their remit included looking at staff relationships, the role of senior leadership, governance of the school and the impact of the ongoing disputes on pupils. "I appreciate the wide interest in the report's findings and I am committed to sharing the recommendations as widely as possible," Mr Weir said. "However, given the extent of the report, I will now take time to consider the findings and decide how best to take forward the recommendations. "My main priority will be ensuring that all the necessary steps are taken so that the pupils of De La Salle College receive a high standard of education and the opportunity to develop to their full potential," the minister added.

Question: The Education Minister Peter Weir has received the @placeholder report into De La Salle College in Belfast .


The price of US crude oil - West Texas Intermediate - fell below $37 a barrel on Tuesday, before recovering to $38.24. A hit to commodity firms, along with a stronger yen led Japan's Nikkei 225 index to end down 1% at 19,301.07. Shares failed to be boosted by better-than-expected factory data. Machinery order data - a leading indicator of investment in the country - showed orders in October had  increased by the most since March last year. Orders rose 10.7% from the previous month, well ahead of forecasts for a fall of more than 1%. In China, investors shrugged off government data that indicated consumer inflation had picked up slightly in November, because it still remained well below the government's target of 3%. The consumer price index rose 1.5% from a year ago, compared with a rate of 1.3% in October. The Shanghai Composite index reversed earlier losses to close up 0.1% at 3,472.44, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.5% to finish at 21,803.76. In Australia, Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.5% at 5,080.50. Korea's benchmark Kospi index ended the day 0.8% lower at 1,948.24. The index has now fallen for six consecutive sessions, its longest losing streak since mid-August.

Question: Asian stocks headed lower on Wednesday as falling oil prices continued to hurt energy - related shares and cut into investors ' @placeholder .


A study of 200,000 people showed that those with a variation in their genetic make-up were less likely to deposit fat under the skin in the lower body. This can lead the body to become resistant to the hormone insulin. The scientists said their findings explain why even slim people who eat too much and are inactive are at risk. And they added that a healthy diet and physical exercise is important, regardless of body weight. Insulin is a hormone that controls levels of blood sugar. When the body becomes resistant to it, levels of blood sugars and lipids rise, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease - but no-one is sure why insulin resistance happens and why some people become resistant when overweight, and others do not. International figures show that 43% of people who develop type 2 diabetes are obese, 43% are overweight and 14% have a healthy weight. The Cambridge study, published in Nature Genetics, found that a large proportion of the population has inherited some of 53 separate genetic variants that inhibit the storage of fat safely under the skin, particularly in the lower half of the body. Their fat is more likely to end up in the bloodstream or stored in and around the body's central organs. The study said people who have more of this genetic material are at much greater risk of type 2 diabetes - no matter what their BMI (body mass index) is. In the 20% of the population with the highest number of these genetic variants, their risk of diabetes rose by 39% compared to the 20% of the population with the lowest genetic risk. People with fat storage problems can end up with fat accumulating in and around the liver, pancreas and muscles - where it causes insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Dr Luca Lotta, from the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge, said that fat stored in the arms, legs and under the skin played an important role. "Our results highlight the important biological role of peripheral fat tissue as a deposit of the surplus of energy due to overeating and lack of physical exercise."

Question: Being @placeholder to store excess fat safely in the body increases the risk of type 2 diabetes , heart attacks and strokes , Cambridge University research suggests .


Figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show how one 38-year-old Liverpool man took 39 goes to pass the driving test. Heckmondwike, in Yorkshire, accounted for a fifth of the top 20 practical test repeaters. The Driving Instructors Association questioned whether people should be able to sit tests so many times. DVSA's chief examiner Lesley Young said: "The result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day. "It's essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and attitude to drive safely." The figures also include the top 20 repeat theory test candidates. Between them, the top 20 have attempted to take the test 1,309 times. Only eight have yet managed to pass. Topping the list was a 30-year-old woman who has sat the theory test 113 times at the Ilford centre. The second spot was taken by a 40-year-old man who has tried 107 times at the Ilford centre followed by a 30-year-old man who has failed 86 times in Peterborough. Olivia Baldock-Ward, training manager at the Driving Instructors Association, said: "There is the issue of whether people who are failing the theory test 100 times should be allowed to try again and again. There is an issue of road safety here. "On average, people might need two or three goes at passing the tests. If it is much more than that, then there may be other issues involved. "Driving is a serious matter - people do die on the roads."

Question: England 's 20 @placeholder learner drivers have attempted the practical test more than 700 times between them , it has emerged .