If the latest ceasefire in eastern Ukraine breaks down, then there will be increased pressure on President Barack Obama by hawks in Washington - Democrat as well as Republican - to provide arms to Ukraine, and on European leaders to acquiesce in this. In the view of a range of analysts and former officials on both sides of the Atlantic, this seems a singularly ill-thought out strategy. More importantly, the advocates of arming Ukraine do not appear either to have sufficiently analysed the actual balance of forces on the ground, or to have studied a key lesson from recent history: namely, what happened to Georgia when its government launched an offensive against separatist rebels and their Russian backers in South Ossetia in August 2008. After brief initial gains, the Georgian army was crushed by new Russian forces. This apparently lunatic Georgian move is only comprehensible if President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that the USA would intervene militarily to prevent Georgia's defeat. Of course it did not, nor had any such promise ever been made by the Bush administration. But the Georgians could have been forgiven for not realising that, given that they had received weapons, extravagant political support, and a promise of future Nato membership from Washington. What happened in Georgia? Against the background of this history, it cannot be emphasised too strongly that, for the foreseeable future, however many weapons the Ukrainian army receives from the USA, if it gets into an open fight with the Russian army, it is likely to lose, and lose catastrophically. So far, very limited numbers of lightly disguised Russian troops have been enough to bring to a standstill the entire fighting strength of the Ukrainian army - last autumn, the Nato estimate was that a mere 3,000 Russian soldiers were present in the Donbas. With massive US arms supplies, the Ukrainian army might well be able to launch an initially successful offensive against these forces and their local separatist allies. But what then? All the evidence suggests that the Russian government simply cannot afford the humiliation of a Ukrainian military victory. In other words, as in August 2008 in Georgia, Moscow would respond with greatly increased military force. In the highly unlikely event that the USA then sent its own troops to help Ukraine - which has already been repeatedly ruled out - we would be in a European war between nuclear powers. If it did not, the Ukrainian army would risk the high probability of defeat, and if so, the USA and Nato would be severely humiliated. In August 2008, after smashing the Georgian army, Russia briefly occupied parts of Georgia proper - beyond the borders of the separatist territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia - and then withdrew. Since neither Russia nor the separatists had any historical or ethnic claim on these strategically worthless Georgian territories, there was no reason for them to stay. Russian attitudes to eastern and southern Ukraine are very different. If the Russian army ever marches into Kharkov and Dnipropetrovsk, they are very likely to stay. Ukraine can survive without Donetsk, Lugansk and the Crimea. Indeed, it could be seen as a stronger and more homogenous state without them, as the election of President Petro Poroshenko demonstrated. The loss of a third of the country would be a very different matter. The partition of Ukraine would indeed mark a return to the Cold War, implying vastly increased European military spending, and colossally increased aid to Ukraine intended to prepare the country for early membership of the European Union - something for which the EU is utterly unprepared. The duty of Western leaders therefore is to try to make sure that the present ceasefire works. Despite the battle for Debaltseve, there is some chance that it may work - or at least, a better chance than that of previous attempts. This is above all because it includes a critical element missing from those attempts: a political solution tied to a specific timetable, and one which allows all the main parties to the conflict to achieve their most important goal (with the possible exception of the separatist leadership in the Donbas). Concurrently with the withdrawal of heavy weapons, dialogue is to begin on holding local elections in the rebel territories, in accordance with the Ukrainian law on provisional autonomy for the region. The Ukrainian parliament has to pass a resolution on this within 30 days of the ceasefire. By the end of 2015, Ukraine is to regain full control of its borders in the east; but also by the end of 2015, a new Ukrainian federal constitution has to be adopted incorporating special autonomous status for the Donbas. In the meantime, the government in Kiev will reopen economic ties with the Donbas and resume paying official salaries in the region - thereby helping in the process of reintegrating it into Ukraine. For Kiev and Western governments, this agreement secures their most important goal of preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, minus Crimea, with a central government which preserves the ability to conduct desperately needed reforms. This is a goal which could otherwise only be achieved through victorious war - and whatever hawks in the USA may think, any full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia will almost certainly result not in Ukrainian victory, but in a crushing Ukrainian defeat and the further dismemberment of the country. Moreover, trying to turn Ukraine into a country capable of planning such a war would require a degree of authoritarian nationalism which would move Ukraine not closer to the European Union, but even further away from it. For Russia, this deal preserves the Donbas as a distinct autonomous area within Ukraine. A federal constitution would also help guarantee the position of Russian-speaking areas of the country against any move to forced ukrainianisation from Kiev. From Moscow's point of view, this would also make it much more difficult to move Ukraine into the West's military camp without a strong consensus behind this in Ukrainian society - a consensus which was present in central European countries during their move to join Nato, but which has never existed in Ukraine. This is the main sticking point as far as hardliners in both Ukraine and the US are concerned: that the present deal will make Ukraine's membership in Nato and the EU impossible. In actual fact, however, these are non-issues. By repeatedly stating that under no circumstances will Nato troops be sent to defend Ukraine, Nato seems to have rendered the idea of Ukrainian membership an unlikely prospect. As for EU membership, it's unlikely any West European leader has ever considered this as more than the remotest of prospects, decades in the future and dependent on a whole series of extremely long and painful changes. This is a decision therefore which would in all circumstances have to be left to a future generation. Moreover, given the economic reality of Ukrainian economic dependence on Russia, salvaging Ukraine's collapsing economy can only be done in co-operation with Russia, not against her. Unless, that is, the EU is prepared to demand from West European populations enormous sacrifices for the sake of helping Ukraine. Anyone who believes that is likely should have a brief conversation with a Greek. For the ceasefire to hold and a political solution to be reached, the governments of France and Germany will have to show an unwonted degree of resolve and toughness over the next year. On the one hand, they will have to make clear to Moscow that the relaxations of sanctions against Russia will only come as a result of clear and consistent pressure on the Donbas rebels to abide by the terms of the ceasefire and to pursue autonomy within Ukraine, and not independence. On the other hand, they will need to make clear to the Ukrainian government and to hardliners in Washington that significant EU aid to Ukraine, and an eventual path to possible EU membership, both depend on Kiev honouring the promise of real autonomy for the Donbas. The present ceasefire and the associated political process are not perfect, but they present the best chance so far of ending this conflict, preserving by far the greater part of Ukraine as a unitary state, and avoiding an escalation of the war that would most probably be very bad for Russia and the West, and absolutely disastrous for Ukraine. Anatol Lieven is a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar and author among other books of Ukraine and Russia: A Fraternal Rivalry.

Question: It would be folly for the West to arm Ukraine , argues Prof Anatol Lieven in this personal viewpoint @placeholder , but it must take a tough diplomatic line .


Kenya was given "clear and reliable intelligence" about the threat, General Abas Ibrahim Gurey told the BBC. The Islamist militants say they killed more than 100 Kenyan troops in the attack, which would make it the deadliest attack on Kenya's army. The Kenyan military has not given a death toll or responded to Gen Gurey. In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta told a memorial service for the fallen soldiers that Kenyan troops would stay in Somalia despite the attack. "We are at war with extremists, terrorists and it is a war we must win. We remain unbowed," Mr Kenyatta told the audience, which included families of the victims and some of the soldiers injured in the attack. Gen Gurey, who commands Somali troops in Gedo region, where the Kenyan army base is located in the town of el-Ade, told the BBC Somali service that the attack was foreshadowed by a build-up of militants in the area: "We were told that al-Shabab was bringing fighters from all over the regions in south Somalia - from Gedo region, Middle and Lower Shabelle and Juba. They were very strong." Kenya has said that the bombs used by insurgents at the base were three times more powerful than that used in the 1998 US embassy attack in Nairobi, which killed 224 people.

Question: Kenyan forces in Somalia were warned of an impending al - Shabab attack 45 days before the @placeholder overran one of their bases , a Somali general says .


Here are some other high profile works which made their way into the public domain ahead of time. A week before the final Harry Potter novel was due to be published in 2007, all 759 pages were leaked online. Images of all the pages along with a transcript appeared on a number of websites, while bloggers angered fans by writing lists of all the characters who died in the book. US publisher Scholastic also sued two companies for dispatching copies of the book four days early, some of which ended up on eBay. The film version of the book also suffered a leak when a 36-minute clip of the movie was illegally posted on file-sharing websites days before its cinema release. Last year, the Doctor found himself at the centre of two leaks. In July, five scripts for the eighth series were posted online - seven weeks before the episodes were due to be broadcast. A week later footage featuring the new Doctor - Peter Capaldi - appeared on the internet, although it was in black and white and missing special effects. BBC Worldwide said the leak originated from an office in the US and disciplinary action was taken. An almost finished copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was uploaded to several file sharing websites a month before its cinema release in 2009. Although it was a high quality copy, some special effects were incomplete and green screens and wires attached to actors were still visible. Its star Hugh Jackman said he was "heartbroken" over the leak, which the FBI was called in to investigate. A New York man was sentenced to a year in federal prison in 2011 for uploading the film on two websites. An early version of the script for the upcoming Bond film was stolen by hackers as part of the cyber attack on Sony Pictures last November. As well as the script, copious notes from executives were included about improving the film's ending, which MGM's Jonathan Glickman said was "a let down on climax". The film is still in production and is due in cinemas in November. The first episode of the third series of hit US anti-terror show was leaked almost a month before it was due to be broadcast in 2013. More than 100,000 BitTorrent users pirated the episode within hours of it being uploaded. Although preview copies were distributed to press, the leaked episode was unfinished and missing visual effects and the opening credits. The most recent high profile leak occurred in April when the first four episodes of Game of Thrones' fifth season were put online a day before its official broadcast - nearly half of the 10 total episodes. The programmes, which were downloaded millions of times, were believed to have been copied from preview DVDs given to members of the press. Last month HBO said it would be switching to a secure streaming media site and would no longer send critics hard copies of the shows to prevent further piracy.

Question: The new Fifty Shades of Grey novel has reportedly been stolen - and its publishers fear the @placeholder will be leaked ahead of its release next week .


Great Britain's women will face Canada, Brazil and Japan, also in Pool C, in the group stage of the competition. In the men's tournament, reigning World Series champions Fiji will play Argentina, USA and Brazil in Pool A. Women's world series champions Australia face the United States, Fiji and Colombia in their pool. The 15-player version of rugby was last played at the Olympics in 1924 and sevens will appear for the first time at this summer's Games in Brazil. The matches will take place between 6 and 11 August, with the schedule to be announced nearer the Olympics. The two GB teams will be composed of players from England, Scotland and Wales, who normally compete as separate teams on the international circuit. Pool A: Fiji, Argentina, USA, Brazil. Pool B: South Africa, Australia, France, Spain. Pool C: New Zealand, Great Britain, Kenya, Japan. Pool A: Australia, USA, Fiji, Colombia. Pool B: New Zealand, France, Spain, Kenya. Pool C: Canada, Great Britain, Brazil, Japan.

Question: Great Britain 's men have been @placeholder with World Cup holders New Zealand , Kenya and Japan in Pool C as rugby sevens makes its Olympic debut in Rio .


Gareth Clubb called for Neil McEvoy's Adjudication Panel for Wales hearing on 2 and 3 March to be delayed. Plaid's spring conference is being held in Newport on 3 and 4 March. The Adjudication Panel for Wales has been asked to comment. Mr Clubb said the clash "could lead to an erosion in public trust" in the work of the panel. Mr McEvoy, a Plaid AM for South Wales Central and the party's group leader on Cardiff council, is facing a tribunal over allegations he brought the authority into disrepute in his role as a local councillor. BBC Wales reported in January that the case, referred to the tribunal by the Ombudsman, apparently relates to whether a comment was made to a council officer in a threatening way. In a letter to the panel, Mr Clubb said the Fairwater councillor "will be speaking at the conference and we would not wish his speech to be disturbed either by his appearance at a panel or by his having to prepare for an imminent hearing". He said the case "could have been heard at almost any point in November through February on a date that would not have conflicted with a critical date in the political calendar". Mr Clubb, who has served as Plaid's chief executive since last September, said timetabling the hearing for the day of the conference gave the "appearance of political interference, even if the date clash is entirely coincidental. "I fear that scheduling Mr McEvoy's case to coincide with our spring conference fails this test and could lead to an erosion in public trust in the work of the panel." In the letter Mr Clubb suggests it could be seen "that the panel is trying to unfairly prevent [Mr McEvoy's] appearance at conference". He said an "impartial decision" would rightly determine that the "proposed date is manifestly unfair to Mr McEvoy". Mr Clubb, who said the dates of the conference had been public knowledge since November, called for the hearing date to be changed so it avoided the conference and the "formal local election period". Council elections take place on 4 May.

Question: The scheduling of a tribunal into the @placeholder of a Plaid Cymru AM at the same time as his party 's conference gives the appearance of political interference , the party 's chief executive has said .


The NASUWT survey claims some parents are asked for £400 or more per year. Schools in England have been warning of cash shortages and the union says schools are now depending on parents. But the Department for Education says "no parent is required to make a contribution". Teachers' unions are holding their conferences over the Easter bank holiday weekend, with funding one of the biggest issues. The National Union of Teachers, meeting in Cardiff, will hear warnings on Saturday about the impact of cash shortages. The survey from the NASUWT survey, holding its annual conference in Manchester, claims that schools are increasingly relying on money from parents. Based on almost 4,000 responses, the survey says 18% of parents have been asked to sign up for direct debits or standing orders for their children's school, typically of about £50 per year. But more than one in 20 parents with children in state schools were paying £400 or above. A further 13% of parents had been asked to make donations in cash or cheques. Your comments on schools asking parents to top up their budgets: "She's only been there a term, but there seems to be a letter home at least once a week asking for money," a parent told the NASUWT survey. "The school asks for a 'voluntary contribution' but if you forget to pay you are sent texts telling you that you haven't paid," said another parent. There were other financial costs for parents, such as a laptop for homework and music lessons. "We have not allowed them to do music at school as they need to provide their own instruments," said a parent, quoted in the survey. Over a quarter of parents said their child had been unable to take part in a trip or excursion because of the cost. "Ski trip was £600. French trip £450. These are for less than a week. They are beyond my funds," a parent told the survey. The union's leader Chris Keates said that "access to education must not be based on parents' ability to pay". This week the Sutton Trust education charity warned of schools cutting staff because of financial pressure. The Public Accounts Committee has said that standards are threatened by school budget cuts of £3bn. A lobby of Parliament over funding, by teachers' unions and parents' campaign groups, has been announced for early June. Kevin Courtney, NUT general secretary, reminded the government of a manifesto commitment to parents that "the money that follows their children into schools will be protected". "In half of the schools in the country the money following your child into schools has been dramatically cut in cash terms, and in the other half it's been cut in real terms," he said. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "No parent is required to make a contribution to their child's education, the rules are clear on this and no policies have been introduced by this government to allow schools to charge parents." The spokeswoman said school funding was at record levels, but "we recognise schools are facing cost pressures."

Question: Almost one in five parents in the UK is being asked to @placeholder up payments to their children 's schools , as head teachers warn of budget shortages , says a survey from a teachers ' union .


Or maybe it's part and parcel of a deliberately creative ambiguity fostered by both London and Dublin in which the spectator is invited to read whatever he or she wants into a President and a Queen standing, heads bowed, before the undeniably impressive Children of Lir statue at Dublin's Garden of Remembrance. At a briefing given by the Foreign Secretary William Hague and the Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, Channel Four's Gary Gibbon invited the politicians to share the interpretation that the joint appearance at the Garden was "a moment of contrition". However the ministers weren't going there - it was "a hugely significant event", full of "huge symbolism" and an "important statement about our history and our future". But "contrition"? Well that would be in the eye of the beholder. I asked the Foreign Secretary if it would be appropriate for the Queen to apologise for past British misdeeds in Ireland when she addresses guests at tomorrow night's state banquet. Mr Hague responded that Britain and Ireland weren't "glossing over the past". This visit was about recognising the events of the past and showing how both states were moving together into the future. "That's the way to treat it rather than talking about apologies", Mr Hague concluded. So - if that's anything to go by - expect a carefully crafted speech but something which stops short of a direct apology. Mr Hague also avoided any promises on issues like revealing official records on the Dublin Monaghan bombings. It's something he says he's prepared to discuss, but he cited legal difficulties and constraints under the European Convention on Human Rights. Both governments are much keener to talk about the future - the potential for further trade between partners who already do business worth one billion Euros a week. Eamon Gilmore went so far as to suggest that the visit will put not just the history of the troubles in the past, but show Ireland was moving on from its  "recent economic history" and rebuilding its reputation. Nice thought, although it's maybe a bit optimistic to talk about the crash as history just yet. Both governments will be pleased that the Gardai were able to contain the inevitable protests - and that the visit has made the requisite visual impact. In the sweep of British and Irish history, it is "hugely symbolic", it does underline the progress that has been made in Northern Ireland and the shared hopes for a brighter future. Read more into it at your peril.

Question: " Hugely symbolic " . Probably the two most over used words to describe the Queen 's visit to the Irish Republic . I confess I myself have used the " s " word , and am struggling to find an alternative . Perhaps my struggle is @placeholder I lack the purple prose gene .


On Thursday, we were summoned to Stormont Castle and presented with a list of initiatives. So how ambitious were they? A target date of 2023 for bringing down the peace walls and other barriers is certainly eye catching - although it would have come as more of a shock if the BBC had not obtained a draft of the 10-year plan back in January. I joked with one official that we should really headline Thursday night's story: "Stormont delays removal of walls by a year." Despite that, it is refreshing to hear local ministers committing themselves to such an ambitious goal. In the past they have left it to visiting VIPs like the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to tell them that a city divided by physical barriers sends out all the wrong messages to the world. Drawing up a target is easier than achieving it, and many of those who live in the shadow of the peace walls will - especially after the tensions over the union flag dispute - fear the potential consequences of any premature removal. But the direction of travel is hard to argue with. Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness's peace plan is definitely a decimal document. Ten years to bring down the walls, ten new shared educational campuses, ten new shared neighbourhoods, 100 summer camps and 10,000 placements for young people not in work, training or education. You can see why they didn't opt for 13 as the common denominator. Whether they achieve all the round numbers will be interesting to assess - one Alliance politician I bumped into claimed it was proving impossible to fill the training places for young people already on offer. But again, the aspiration appears laudable. Not so long ago a visiting foreign diplomat asked me why Stormont did not introduce a form of national service to promote citizenship amongst disaffected young people. I explained why differences over national identity and/or military service would make such an idea a non-starter. That said, the "United Youth Programme", with its emphasis on citizenship, sharing, work experience and volunteering sounds as close as Stormont could get. Along with an emphasis on cross community sports, few could reject the idea outright, although some might wonder how new such schemes are. Predictably other Stormont parties have given the DUP-Sinn Fein announcement a dusty response - the SDLP called it a rehash of the items previously under discussion as part of the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI) strategy. Alliance described it as a collection of "one-off, back of the envelope initiatives". But in a previous era, London and Dublin often came in for criticism when they sought to break deadlocks by putting their heads together then pushing forward with their best guess at a compromise everyone could live with. In the devolved era, the DUP and Sinn Fein find themselves playing a a slightly similar role, although the fact that they are dealing with their electoral opponents adds an extra edge to the cross-party discord. Will an independent chair be able to broker deals on flags, parades and the past when the previous Stormont working group has failed to reach a consensus? That will depend not only on the personality and experience of the individual, but also whether they are seen to have sufficient authority. Although the first and deputy first ministers argue there is no real connection, it is undeniable that Thursday's step forward followed pressure from the secretary of state and the prime minister, linking fresh economic support to the need for more progress on a shared future. The US government was quick to welcome the Stormont announcement. It may be that Washington, London and Dublin still have a role to play, either by putting their diplomatic weight behind whoever chairs the cross-party talks on flags, parades and the past or perhaps by contributing some much needed fresh ideas for how to go about cracking these hardest of hard nuts.

Question: Northern Ireland 's first and deputy first ministers have been promising us ambitious plans on a shared future in recent weeks , but @placeholder nothing in the way of detail .


Eleven companies, including brokerage giant Guotai Junan Securities, started taking investor subscriptions and another nine will follow on Friday, tying up more liquidity. The Shanghai Composite dropped 3.7% to close at 4,785.36. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index closed down 0.2% at 26,694.6 The rest of Asian stocks were mostly lower after the Federal Reserve said there would be "only gradual increases" in interest rates by the end of the year if the US economy seemed strong enough. The US central bank has kept its benchmark borrowing costs near record lows since 2008. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.1% to close at 19,990.82 and the broader Topix shed 1% to 1,616.66. Stocks in Japan were also hit as the yen strengthened. The dollar slipped to 122.96 yen from 123.43 yen in New York trading. In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed 1.3% lower at 5,524.90. However, South Korea's Kospi index bucked the trend, rising 0.3% to close at 2,041.88. In the currency markets, the New Zealand dollar fell by 1% after the country reported its slowest pace of quarterly growth in two years. New Zealand expanded by a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in the first three months of the year after a drought hit its farming sector. The numbers were below market estimates and increased speculation that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will cut interest rates again next month. Meanwhile, shares of AirAsia rose by more than 9% after the Malaysian budget carrier defended its financial and accounting practices after they were questioned by a research firm. AirAsia's shares have fallen by about 30% after GMT Research issued a report on the company on 10 June.

Question: Mainland Chinese shares saw sharp falls as a huge wave of initial public @placeholder on Thursday put pressure on the market .


Nigel Worthington was Michael O'Neill's predecessor as Northern Ireland manager and knows the pain of missing out on qualification for a European Championship finals. But as a player, he was present when the national side last qualified for a major tournament in Mexico in 1986. He is well placed to offer an assessment on the scale of the current team's achievement and the pressures involved. "I think it is a fantastic achievement by the players and manager and for the supporters who have been there through thick and thin," he said. "The finals in France are something for them to look forward to and enjoy. They should take huge pride in what they have achieved. "There was a period when Michael was manager when he went a number of games without a win, but he stuck with it and never gave up. The Irish Football Association also stuck with him and they should take credit for that. "It is never easy to qualify, Northern Ireland got off to a great start with wins over Hungary, the Faroe Islands and Greece, they started the ball rolling and then it just gained momentum. "I was at the game last night and it was fantastic, the team played really well and the atmosphere was incredible." Worthington was part of the Northern Ireland team that drew with England 0-0 at Wembley in November 1985 to secure qualification for the World Cup finals in Mexico. He said there was little time for celebration after the game, but recalled with fondness the post-match television interview of central defender, the late Alan McDonald. "The celebration was short-lived, it was a Wednesday night, you went over to the fans, but then you were back in training with your club on the Thursday," he added. "I remember Big Mac saying in the interview 'if anyone thinks that was a fix they can come and see me'. "That was typical of Big Mac, he played with passion and pride and never let his head drop. "He spoke from the heart." The former Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United full-back said it took time to digest that success and he thinks it will be the same for O'Neill's players. "At Wembley in 1985 it took a while to sink in and the current Northern Ireland players will experience this, it drip feeds into your system over the weeks until the end of the season and the start of the finals," he said. "Then you look back on what you have achieved. "I remember the pre-tournament training in Guadalajara in Mexico when we reached the finals, it was tough trying to acclimatise. "The whole spectacle around the World Cup, the different teams being there and the supporters, was really fantastic." Worthington also had a simple message for the players who now have the opportunity to sample Northern Ireland's first ever appearance at a European Championship finals. "You are already the pride of Northern Ireland after this huge achievement, go and play with a smile on your face," he added.

Question: Amidst the celebrations at Windsor Park in Belfast following Northern Ireland 's victory over Greece on Thursday night , one man in the stadium could have been @placeholder if he wanted a quiet moment of contemplation .


Hundreds of firefighters are battling major blazes that were reportedly sparked by lightning over the weekend. The worst of the blazes are north of the coastal town of Esperance, 720km south-east of Perth. Strong winds with gusts up to 90km/h (56mph) have hampered efforts to bring the fires under control. They are the first serious bushfires of the Australian summer. Authorities said they did not believe the fires were deliberately lit. "During last night, four people were located deceased in the fire area of Grass Patch, Salmon Gums and surrounding areas in the Shire of Esperance," police said via Facebook.

Question: Four people have been killed and there are fears for two others @placeholder in bushfires in Western Australia .


Javier Duarte has been charged with corruption, money laundering and involvement in organised crime. Mr Duarte resigned his post in October 2016. He has rejected the allegations and vowed to clear his name. But he went missing a few weeks afterwards and was only arrested six months later in a hotel in Guatemala. Mr Duarte was detained in the city of Solola in a joint operation between Interpol and Guatemalan police. He is suspected of having siphoned off at least 645 million Mexican pesos ($35m; Â£28m) of public money that was put into a series of shell companies. During a search of his luxury ranch in Mexico, police also found 17 paintings believed to be by famous artists such as Joan MirÃ³, Fernando Botero and Leonora Carrington. There was an explosion in violence and corruption in the state during his six years in office, in particular a spike in the number of murders and disappearances. Under Mr Duarte, Veracruz also became the most dangerous region of the country for journalists, with 17 killed during his term. Mexico's Attorney General's Office heralded his extradition as evidence of the federal government's "commitment to take concrete steps to reduce impunity and strengthen the rule of law". But there is little doubt that the former politician embarrasses the government of President Enrique PeÃ±a Nieto, says the BBC's Will Grant in Mexico City. Mr Duarte, 43, is one of three governors to have fled Mexico and been arrested abroad over allegations of links to organised crime, with all three politicians coming from the governing PRI party. His political opponents from the National Action Party won the election to fill his position in December.

Question: The former governor of the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz has arrived back on @placeholder soil , after being extradited from Guatemala .


A 9-0 hammering on Saturday relegated New Mills from the eighth-tier Northern Premier League Division One North. The Derbyshire club, who have a goal difference of -115, have not won a match all season and only managed two draws. Their league record reads; Played 35, lost 33, drawn two, scored 21 and conceded 136. Bottom of the league on two points, they are 26 points from safety with seven games left. And Aston Villa fans thought they had it bad... Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add score alerts for the Six Nations, your football team and more.

Question: For a team @placeholder " the worst in England " , it was a fitting way to go out .


Throughout the countryside there are thorn bushes growing all alone in the middle of fields Some people believe that the bushes are the homes of the fairies, and, if anyone tries to cut them down or damage them, it is likely they will die young, or become seriously ill. Earlier we published our archive report from 1964 about the local people in Downpatrick talking about the fate that will befall those who have disrespected fairy traditions by cutting down Fairy Thorns. So where does an incredibly sceptic journalist go to be convinced about fairies? Well my granny Evelyn of course - as I remember her telling about fairies at Matties Rock in Bushmills when we were growing up. She told me everyone in Bushmills knew about the fairies on the rock and that her brothers and sisters were actually a bit scared of them. Our archive report promoted a lots of readers to get in touch with their stories. One listener got in touch with BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme to let us know about a fairy thorn that was growing at Ormeau Golf Club. Denis McKnight, who is the secretary of the club, said it has been there longer than anyone can remember. "The club was opened in 1893 so it's at least 122 years old and goes right back," he said. "None of our green keepers will touch it or cut it down. They won't even trim it Mr McKnight said that balls had been lost in the tree and never seen again. "If you hit the tree and don't apologise you're guaranteed to have a bad game," he said. "When people visit the club we have to warn them about the fairy thorn. We tell them to nod to it as they go past and they have to apologise if they hit it." Although Denis is not aware of any members seeing any actual fairies, even after coming out of the clubhouse after a late night. He said the club used the thorn on their logo for a while and that they will never cut it down. "It's far too important to us now to try and cut it down," he said. Anne got in touch to say that her grandmother-in-law had planted a red thorn tree on their land and then planners would not let her take it down when they were building their new house. "Obviously it's not just superstitious farmers who are scared of fairies," she said. Anne now lives beside the fairy thorn and would not dream of cutting it down. One of the slip roads off the motorway from Ballymena to Antrim at Saucers Hill was built around a fairy thorn as locals didn't want to see it cut down. Maria McCann got in touch to say there is a fairy thorn on Gilford Road and Lurgan and that she makes a wish every time she goes past. One reader even suggested that the ill-fated DeLorean factory may have had an encounter with some bitter fairies and their tree. "Contractors building the DeLorean car plant at Dunmurry are said to have cut one down," they said. So the lesson on Friday 13th is - if you find a fairy thorn. Leave it be.

Question: It 's not a normal task to be @placeholder when arriving in the newsroom . Go and find out what you can about fairies and Fairy Thorns - of course it 's Friday 13th .


The man was filmed by CCTV in Coopers Jewellery in Barnstaple in Devon on Thursday. Owner David Bruce said he "chased" the suspect from his shop with a baseball bat following the attempted raid. Devon and Cornwall Police said they believed the would-be robber's "weapon was some kind of blank firing firearm". Det Insp Praveen Naidoo said: "The offender may well have received injuries as a result of this incident and it is likely that someone in the community knows who is responsible. "Whilst the coat appears darker in the images, witnesses describe it as a light sandy colour." Anyone who has found the mask, which Mr Bruce described as a "full latex" one, is asked to contact police.

Question: Footage of a masked man wearing sunglasses and @placeholder a gun has been released by police after an attempted armed robbery at a jewellers .


Their nationalities are not known. The incident occurred early on Wednesday in Helmand province. Soldiers returned fire killing the attackers, a coalition spokesperson said. There have been dozens of "green-on-blue" attacks in which Afghan security personnel have targeted their Western allies since 2007. No group has said it carried out the latest attack. Insider attacks - on international and Afghan forces - have became one of the gravest security threats of the later phase of the conflict in Afghanistan, although the rate of such incidents has dropped in recent years. More than 100 foreign soldiers have been killed. Nato has adopted special security measures to offset the threat. The alliance ended its combat mission in Afghanistan in December, withdrawing most of its troops apart from a 13,000-strong residual force used for training and counter-terrorism operations. One of the worst insider attacks took place last August when a US general was killed in an attack by an Afghan soldier at a British-run military academy near Kabul. US Major General Harold Greene was the most senior American military officer to die in action overseas since the Vietnam War. Many insider attacks are blamed on Taliban infiltration or arguments between foreign and local soldiers getting out of hand. In some cases such attacks are carried out by an individual - or individuals - acting on their own initiative rather than organised insurgency violence. The Taliban have stepped up their summer offensive despite an acrimonious leadership dispute following the death of their long-time leader Mullah Omar.

Question: Two people in Afghan military uniforms opened fire on a @placeholder killing two Nato soldiers at a military base in the south , alliance officials say .


Crouching between a high rise estate and a busy dual carriageway, the slow-flowing river looks nondescript until it comes to a large caged concrete tunnel, thrusting under the city's ring road. This is the where the River Sherbourne, once vital for early settlers, disappears from view and becomes a hidden river: contained, covered and contaminated. Historians believe the river was much larger in Anglo-Saxon times and would have supplied fish and drinking water to small hamlets in the Forest of Arden, the forerunners to Coventry itself. Despite its current condition, classified by the Environment Agency as "poor" (or two out of five for quality), some believe the Sherbourne could be liquid gold for tourism in the regenerating city. The river, which disappeared into a culvert under city centre development in the 1960s, could be worth £1.5bn in flood action savings and increased property prices and business investment, according to a Defra-funded report by Aecom. The River Sherbourne makes a brief reappearance in the city centre, among the bins and back doors of shops behind Cross Cheaping, where its rotten smell, like damp decomposing cabbages, unmistakably rises from its murky flow. Aecom, whose research was commissioned by the government's technology strategy board, estimated it would cost about £3.3m to open up a central section of the river, making it visible to tourists and residents. "By allowing green infrastructure to do a proper job in a city, you make it a nice place... and the buildings around rivers enjoy higher property values," said Michael Henderson, its associate director. The report identifies four places to uncover the river, saying it would attract people and business to the city centre, "create excellent public realm and walking routes" and improve the water quality of the light and oxygen-starved hidden water. Early maps show the river, which starts north west of the city near Corley, was steadily controlled and covered throughout the 20th Century, before the city's post-war rebuilding hid it almost completely. Colin Walker, from the Coventry Society, said: "Coventry almost certainly owes its founding and development largely to the river. While we now dismiss it as not much more than a sewer, in medieval times it was a very useful tool. "The six monasteries... all ran sheep and processing the wool made Coventry a very rich city." One of the society's other members, Paul Maddocks, champions the idea of opening up the city centre river and, in 1995, drew up a plan to present to the council. His idea was to use the river as a centrepiece in a pedestrian square and industrial heritage quarter, but he failed to win backing from councillors. Recently urban explorers have defied its danger signs and trespassed to explore the culverts, anonymously posting videos and blogging about "cool stalagmites, pipes and waterfalls". Artists have imagined the role of the river if uncovered again, as Julian Beever created a pavement chalk drawing illusion and Kathryn Hawkins drilled the river route in the concrete floor of a city shop. Miss Hawkins said: "Coventry wouldn't be here if the river wasn't here. The ring road is a dominant image now, 45 years ago the river was still a dominant feature of the city centre. "The ring road came into being and the river... ceased to be visible." Once free of the city, the Sherbourne joins the River Sowe near Baginton and eventually flows into the River Avon, which is well used for tourism in Warwickshire. Unlike its well-known cousin, the Sherbourne is too small to be navigable, but could still have a use in the regeneration of Coventry, depending on the future of the government funded research. Coventry City Council would not comment on the likelihood of the report schemes being realised, but the Coventry Society's Mr Maddocks said he remains hopeful. He said: "The Sherbourne is the reason why Coventry started here around 700AD, then grew to be one of the most important Medieval cities in the country. "Most towns and cities celebrate their river, hopefully we will too."

Question: BBC News @placeholder the hidden River Sherbourne , covered by city centre development , that a report claims could be worth £ 1.5 bn for Coventry .


Seamus Mallon from the SDLP accused Sinn Féin and the DUP of creating a total mess with their failure to reach agreement to restore devolution. "Damage has been done to the very essence of the agreement in terms of reconciling the communities," he said. He was speaking at the John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh. Northern Ireland has been without devolved government since January, when a power-sharing coalition led by the DUP and Sinn Féin collapsed over a green energy scandal. A series of negotiations aimed at resolving a number of outstanding disputes between the parties, including disagreement over Irish language legislation, have so far ended in failure. Mr Mallon said neither party had brought forward any proper proposals to heal division between Northern Ireland's communities. "You have a very sick society when the definition of culture on one side is the burning of bonfires and, on the other side, using the Irish language for what is a patently political reason," he said. "When you start to make a cultural element a red line in terms of political negotiation, it is impossible to pursue that without turning that into a political cudgel." He accused both Sinn Féin and the DUP of trying to put their own stamp on the Good Friday Agreement and wishing to change it fundamentally. Asked about the SDLP's loss of its three Westminster seats in the last election, he said he had faith in his party and in the middle ground in Northern Ireland. "We'll keep at it, we'll do what we did in the past. "We'll keep the political process going while everybody else is beating drums and we'll get back. I have no doubts.," he said. "The DUP and Sinn Féin are both dancing around each other. Some of the issues are not real issues."

Question: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement has not failed but it has been failed by those who are not @placeholder it properly , a former deputy first minister has said .


At the tender age of 18 years and 227 days, the Red Bull driver produced a masterful display of skill and aggression to claim top spot at the Circuit de Catalunya. Admittedly, it only really happened because the dominant Mercedes managed to crash into each other. Fast forward a year, and it's a Mercedes v Ferrari two-way contest, with Sebastian Vettel qualifying less than a tenth of a second behind Lewis Hamilton on the grid. Make your selection for your top-10 race result... And bear in mind that it could rain on race day in Barcelona. Who will finish in the top 10 at the Spanish Grand Prix?

Question: The 2016 Spanish Grand Prix gave us one of the races of the season , as a young buck @placeholder Max Verstappen wrote his name into the F1 history books .


Most were unaware that it was exactly one year since the Glasgow bin lorry tragedy, but there were many who had remembered. They gathered around the fair in George Square, in darkness as a mark of respect, and the floral tributes outside the Gallery of Modern Art. They stood in silence to remember those who had been affected by the tragedy. A woman stood beside the road on Queen Street sobbing heavily, comforted by a companion. Another quietly sobbed as she looked at the floral tributes outside the Gallery of Modern Art. Many more stopped for a minute as they walked past the flowers to read the messages left with them. Some of the flowers had been left by friends and relatives who were affected by the tragedy but most were placed anonymously by members of the public. They served as a reminder for many of the shoppers and and city-centre workers who may otherwise have forgotten the tragedy's first anniversary. Several times today, passers-by questioned their companions about why the flowers had been laid. Some did not know, but when the bin lorry crash was referenced usually it was followed by a respectful silence. It was an overcast day in George Square, but the scene was brightened by a big bunch of yellow flowers. They were laid by two young colleagues of Erin McQuade, who was 18 when she died in the tragedy. The pair worked with her at Cameron House. As they laid the bunch of yellow flowers outside of the Gallery of Modern Art, one said: "We picked these flowers because they were so bright and we thought it was a nice way to remember her on what is obviously a sad day. "It has really affected all of her colleagues. Although we went to her funeral, we also had a night out to our local pub as a way of remembering her. "She was genuinely the nicest person I have ever met - she was so funny." Another mourner, Jane McIntyre, said she did not know any of the victims, but she felt it was important to remember them and their families, especially because of the time of year. As she laid a bunch of roses, she said: "I came last year with my daughter to lay flowers on Boxing Day, because all I could think about on Christmas Day when I was standing cutting my sprouts was that poor woman who lost her daughter and both of her parents. "I've brought my daughter back today because I'll never, ever forget this day. It's just so sad. If that was me I don't think I'd ever be able to celebrate Christmas again." She laid her flowers next to those left by Glasgow's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty. Ms Docherty's message said: "Always in our thoughts and prayers. The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Sadie Docherty."

Question: For many in George Square at 14:29 on Tuesday , the atmosphere was one of Christmas @placeholder .


The actress may not be a familiar name to British audiences, but she is better known in the US for her role as Rachel Zane in TV drama Suits. Markle was born on 4 August 1981 and grew up in Los Angeles but now lives in Toronto. She studied at a girls' Roman Catholic college before graduating from Northwestern University School of Communication in 2003, just as her acting career was beginning. Between auditions, she has told of making money by doing calligraphy for wedding invitations, using skills developed in handwriting classes at school. Her father was a TV lighting director and her first television appearance in the US was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002, before moving on to roles in CSI, Without A Trace and Castle. Markle then began appearing in major Hollywood films, including Get Him To The Greek, Remember Me and Horrible Bosses. She has also appeared in the sci-fi series Fringe, playing FBI special agent Amy Jessup, and is perhaps most famous for her role in Suits, which is shown on the Dave channel and Netflix in the UK. In September 2011, she married film producer Trevor Engelson after dating for seven years, but the pair divorced two years later. Markle is also the editor-in-chief of her lifestyle website and brand The Tig, which covers food, beauty, fashion and travel. She said setting up the website was an attempt to "reframe the beauty content to include think pieces about self-empowerment" and feature dynamic, inspirational women. In a post on The Tig, she explained: "I've never wanted to be a lady who lunches - I've always wanted to be a woman who works." She has also grown a large social network following, with 1.1 million people following her posts on Instagram and over 330,000 Twitter followers. Earlier this year, Markle became the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, which campaigns for better education, food and healthcare for children around the world. As part of her role, the actress travelled to Rwanda for the charity's Clean Water Campaign. As well as her humanitarian work, she is known for campaigning for gender equality. Aged 11, she forced a soap manufacturer to alter an advert after she wrote a letter to then First Lady Hillary Clinton and other high-profile figures complaining that it implied women belonged in the kitchen. Markle's commitment to gender equality has seen her work with the United Nations, and she received a standing ovation from an audience including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for a speech she made on International Women's Day 2015. Commenting on how she combines acting with her humanitarian commitments, she said: "While my life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, co-exist. And for me, they must." Markle, whose father is white and mother is African American, wrote an article for Elle magazine last year about her racial heritage. She wrote: "While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that. "To say who I am, to share where I'm from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman." Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Question: Prince Harry has confirmed actress Meghan Markle is his girlfriend in a @placeholder from Kensington Palace . It also attacks the media for subjecting her to a " wave of abuse and harassment " .


The annual inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose to 0.6% in July from 0.5% in June, the Office for National Statistics said. More expensive alcoholic drinks and hotel rooms also helped to increase the CPI rate, the ONS said. The Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation rose to 1.9% in July from 1.6% in June. July's RPI inflation rate sets the cap for how much regulated rail fares in England, Scotland and Wales can rise by next year. Separate figures from the ONS suggested that the fall in the value of the pound since the UK's referendum vote to leave the EU had increased the cost of imports for manufacturers. Input prices faced by manufacturers rose 4.3% in the year to July, compared with a fall of 0.5% in the year to June. The most dramatic rises came in the cost of imported food materials, which rose 10.2%, and the price of imported metals, which rose 12.4%. In addition, the prices of finished goods leaving the factory gate were 0.3% higher than a year earlier, the first annual increase since June 2014. "There is no obvious impact on today's consumer prices figures following the EU referendum result, though the Producer Prices Index (PPI) suggests the fall in the exchange rate is beginning to push up import price faced by manufacturers," said Mike Prestwood, head of prices at the ONS. However, Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the fall in sterling was "entirely responsible" for the rise in CPI inflation to the highest rate since November 2014. Against the dollar, the pound is some 13% below its level in the run-up to the referendum and 10% lower against the euro. "Sterling's depreciation ensured that pump prices rose by 0.7% month-to-month even though dollar oil prices declined," he said. "As a result, we continue to think that CPI inflation will hit 3% in the second half of 2017." As prices for companies rise, the pressure to keep down costs may be bad for wages, according to Howard Archer, chief UK and european economist at IHS Global Insight. He said: "Companies may well look to clamp down on workers' pay as they strive to save costs in a more difficult environment and as imported input prices are lifted by the weakened pound. "Meanwhile, a likely softening labour market and reduced consumer confidence will dilute workers' ability and willingness to push for higher pay awards." And even if inflation looks set to rise above the government's target of 2%, he believes the Bank of England is still likely to lower interest rates further to stimulate growth. Mr Archer said he expected the Bank to take interest rates down to 0.10% in November from it current level of 0.25% and said: "It is notable that the MPC considered taking interest rates down to just above zero at their August meeting and that a majority of members thought there was a case to do so."

Question: Rising @placeholder prices helped to push the UK 's inflation rate higher last month , according to official figures .


A Kurdish defence official told Reuters news agency that the drone exploded when the Peshmerga tried to pick it up after it had crashed to the ground. The incident happened on 2 October, north of the IS-held city of Mosul. IS militants are said to have tried to use drones to launch attacks at least two other times in the past month. In response, US-led coalition and Iraqi pro-government forces have been warned to treat any type of small flying aircraft as a potential bomb, according to the New York Times. But few units have been provided with devices that US troops have to disarm them. The French newspaper Le Monde reported on Tuesday that the drone involved in the attack 10 days ago had been intercepted in flight and had exploded near the Peshmerga and French soldiers when it crashed to the ground. A US official told the New York Times the Peshmerga had been examining the drone when a small explosive device disguised as a battery blew up. It was not clear whether the bomb was detonated remotely or contained a timer. On Wednesday, the secretary general of the Kurdistan Region's defence ministry, Jabbar al-Yawar, confirmed the death toll and said the French soldiers had been training the Peshmerga at the time of the attack. The wounded French troops were immediately evacuated to France for medical treatment, Le Monde said, adding that one was "between life and death". The French government initially declined to comment on the incident, but a spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that French special forces had been injured. France has sent about 500 troops to Iraq as part of the coalition against IS. They have been assisting and training troops currently massing around Mosul in preparation for the start of a major offensive to retake the city, which fell to IS in 2014 and is the group's last remaining urban stronghold in Iraq.

Question: A booby - trapped drone has killed two Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and badly wounded two French soldiers @placeholder so - called Islamic State in Iraq .


Busted guitarist James Bourne has co-written What I Go To School For about the group's rise to fame. The first performances will be staged by around 40 members of Youth Music Theatre (YMT) in Brighton this weekend. Bourne, who recently reformed the band, said: "Our aim is to try and create a show that can last forever." The musical will feature songs like Air Hostess, Crashed the Wedding and Year 3000, which were among the eight singles Busted released between 2002-04, all reaching the top three in the UK. Bourne has written the show with collaborator Elliot Davis. The pair's first musical was Loserville, which was staged by YMT in 2009 before going on to the West End and being nominated for an Olivier Award. The story of What I Go To School For is "very truthful" at heart, according to Bourne. "The show quite accurately tells story of the band from 2001 to 2005, though some characters are real and some characters are made-up versions of real people. "Eventually it would be nice to open in the West End after we've had more time to develop." As well as working on the musical, Bourne has been back in the recording studio with the band after a break of 10 years. A new Busted album is due for release later this year. "Matt and Charlie have been asking me lots about the show and they are very interested in what's going on," the guitarist and songwriter said. Bourne himself will be played by 15-year-old Joe Riley from Walsall - who was not born when Busted formed. "During the auditions, period he spent a lot of time with the people that were auditioning for James and correcting anything that was wrong," Riley said. "That's been really good for me because speaking to James about how he was when he was younger has given me a better understanding of him. He's been a massive inspiration of mine for years and years. "Busted and McFly were the sorts of bands who inspired me to perform, because I always liked their music and I found it really cool to listen to. So I'm glad I'm here." Bourne said: "Joe Riley stood out as the right person to play my part. He has the same innocence as I had when I was that age. "The dynamic between all the actors playing the band members  reminds me straight away of Busted." What I Go To School For is at Brighton Theatre Royal from Thursday to Saturday.

Question: Pop band Busted have @placeholder teenagers at a theatre summer school to premiere their new jukebox musical , before it reaches the West End .


Details emerged on The Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster. The show said it had a list of all the successful applicants to the RHI scheme. The Renewable Heat Association NI had threatened to seek an injunction against the programme if they published names of all recipients. There is a court injunction in place preventing the  Department for the Economy from revealing the names of Renewable Heat Association (RHANI) of Northern Ireland members. Last month it was announced that retired appeal court judge Sir Patrick Coghlin will chair a public inquiry into the RHI scheme. The Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was an attempt by the Northern Ireland Executive to help to increase consumption of heat from renewable sources. However, businesses were receiving more in subsidies than they were paying for renewable fuel and the scheme became majorly oversubscribed. The fallout from the scandal, which is approximately Â£490m over budget resulted in the collapse of Stormont's institutions and the calling of snap elections on 2 March.

Question: A small number of companies , @placeholder as dormant , have been claiming tens of thousands of pounds from the Renewable Heat Incentive ( RHI ) scheme .


Gloucester-born Wayne Russell, 34, has run the equivalent of about 200 marathons since he began the charity challenge on 6 September last year. He finished the journey in Greenwich at about 15:45 BST. The run has raised about Â£28,600 for the Superhero Foundation, which helps families in need of medical treatments. On completing the challenge, Mr Russell was greeted by a large crowd of friends, family and well-wishers. He said: "I'm absolutely overwhelmed, to be honest. "Having spent the best part of the last year alone, running into such an incredible reception was mind-blowing." Mr Russell said the trip was inspired by the death of his sister, who died aged 35, and who "dedicated her life to charity". "I want to thank every single person that donated, shared and supported me and my run," he added. "We've raised more than Â£25,000 for an incredible cause, and I just can't imagine a more perfect end. "I just hope I've made my family proud. I wish my sister could have seen this."

Question: A man has completed a 5,000 - mile ( 8,000 km ) solo run around the British coastline , during which he has @placeholder rough and spent less than Â £ 3 a day .


Anna Kendrick is exhausted. The star of Pitch Perfect 2 is on the promotional trail for the third time this year, making a flying visit to London before going back to work on one of the seven films she has lined up for the next 18 months. "I can't tell if I'm really jetlagged," she laughs, "but I woke up at three in the morning and, just five minutes ago, I told someone 'goodnight' instead of 'goodbye', so we'll see how this goes." Despite this, she's as irreverent and zesty in person as she is on Twitter - devilishly suggesting we use our interview slot to catch some shut eye. "Five minutes of us sleeping would make compelling TV," she argues. Her disregard for the conventions of press junkets is part of the 29-year-old's appeal. She brings a down-to-earth, acerbic edge to all of her films and public appearances, while managing to be warm and likeable. To adapt a well-worn cliche, girls want to be her, and guys want to be her, too. She's that cool. Kendrick first came to attention in her Oscar-nominated role as a no-nonsense management consultant in George Clooney's Up In The Air, but it's in musicals that she's made her name. She got her professional start on Broadway, and was nominated for a Tony Award for playing Dinah in High Society when she was just 12. The original Pitch Perfect - a comedy musical about the quirky world of competitive a capella - was her first lead role and a surprise sleeper hit. Produced for a meagre $17 million, it made $113 million at the box office and another $103 million in home video sales.  It even gave Kendrick a top 10 single in the US. The success made a second movie all-but inevitable. But comedy sequels are notoriously difficult. And musical sequels are even worse. "Wait, have there been many musical sequels?" asks Kendrick, astonished. "I never even thought of this!" A quick brainstorm brings up Love Never Dies, the ill-fated follow-up to Phantom of the Opera, as well as film flops Blues Brothers 2000 and Grease 2. "But Grease 2 is kind of fabulous in its own way," Kendrick argues, breaking into Michelle Pfeiffer's Cool Rider... A song which brings to mind the full horror of the film. "No, it's a terrible movie," she corrects herself. "I agree with that." Historically speaking, then, the prospects for Pitch Perfect 2 were suitably dim. "People keep saying that," laughs director Elizabeth Banks. "It's almost as if they're rooting for us to fail." Kendrick is more sanguine. "To me, it felt like the pressure was off because I knew people wanted to see Pitch Perfect 2," she says. "When you do almost every other film, you have no idea if anybody's going to be interested in sitting down and watching your stupid movie." Pitch Perfect was based on the true story of an all-female a capella troupe who fought their way to the national finals of a college singing competition. It was adapted from a non-fiction book by Mickey Rapkin, but it was the catty, shrewdly-observed characters - invented by 30 Rock writer Kay Cannon - that gave the movie its real heart. Kendrick played Beca, a spunky freshman dragged reluctantly into the Barden Bellas; but the stand-out was Rebel Wilson's Fat Amy (self-professed so "twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back"), who shamelessly stole scenes from the rest of the cast. "I've got a trophy cabinet now, thanks to Pitch Perfect!" says the Australian actress. "The MTV Movie Awards are pretty cool, 'cause they look like popcorn. And sometimes in the middle of the night, you're like 'that's not real popcorn, that's gold!'" The sequel broadens the scope - as the Barden Bellas square off against German aca-champions Das Sound Machine (an arrogant bunch of "Deutschbags") in an international singing contest. But not before Fat Amy destroys the girls' reputation with a mid-air wardrobe malfunction. "Yeah - there's a 'muffgate', when I expose myself to the President of America," Wilson deadpans. "I did have to train very hard to do that 40-second stunt," she says of her acrobatic exposure. "I only did three takes of the actual routine at 27 feet because it's very dangerous to hang upside down for a long period of time. "But luckily I smashed it and got to go home early. And then we did a couple of cut-away takes of me hanging upside down by the butt." The sequence, filmed at the Lincoln Center, is indicative of the increased ambition (and budget) of the sequel, all of which presented a challenge for first-time director Elizabeth Banks - who also plays commentator Gail Abernathy-McKadden. "I think I was very naive," she laughs. "I was very confident going in. But it is, of course, a challenge, to give people more of what they loved about the first film but also expand the world. "What helped is that we had a sweet, small, university-set story the first time around and we had a great opportunity to blow it up this time. "The musical numbers were all bigger and crazier and more comedic. We just leaned into what people already liked." Despite the pressure, Banks, an accomplished comedic actress, allowed her cast to improvise extensively on set. The jokes occasionally got out of hand (expect an 18-rated gag reel), but the best lines undoubtedly go to John Michael Higgins, who plays a staggeringly sexist commentator, calling the Bellas "an inspiration to girls all over the country who are too ugly to be cheerleaders". "He's one of the great improv artists of all time, and he's not afraid of anything," says Banks. "I think comedy has to be very fearless or it just gets bland." Kendrick adds: "There'd be times when we would be doing improv and I'd think 'this is never going in the movie,' but it is! "I think we definitely pushed it a little further in this one, and somehow managed to sneak it in." And if the film matches the success of the first one, is a three-quel on the cards? Banks, who spent so much time editing Pitch Perfect 2 that "all I see now are the mistakes", says she won't make a decision in haste. "If people embrace it in the way we hope that they do, we will absolutely talk seriously about what the next part of this journey could be," she says. But she has reservations about where the story of the Bellas could go. "I think we have to do a big right turn and do something completely different, otherwise we'll be facing off against aliens," she laughs. "We'll be the Avengers of a capella." Pitch Perfect 2 reaches cinemas on 15 May, 2015.

Question: Pitch Perfect 2 is the follow - up to a surprise hit about a university a capella @placeholder - but can it live up to the beloved original ?


6 December 2016 Last updated at 16:50 GMT During his time on the ISS he carried out different experiments and even became the first British astronaut to completed a space walk. Now the ship that carried Tim into space and back again is on another journey, to London! The Science Museum has bought the capsule and will put it on display to the public, Major Peake hopes it will inspire a new generation to follow in his footsteps. Check out the video to find out more!

Question: Back in 2015 Tim Peake @placeholder to the International Space .


Media playback is not supported on this device Peter Willett called US supporters a "baying mob of imbeciles". Danny Willett, the Masters champion, had a poor Ryder Cup debut, failing to win a point as Europe lost 17-11. "Tried my best but played poorly," he said on social media. "Unfortunately some American fans showed that @P_J_Willett was in fact correct." The 29-year-old Englishman added: "Still shows that sometimes fans don't know when to call it a day... Shame really." Earlier, he had used a four-letter expletive at a news conference following Europe's loss - their first since 2008. Asked to describe his first Ryder Cup experience, he said, "S***. Being honest. Sorry. Would you like me to elaborate? Really s***." In his article in National Club Golfer magazine Peter Willett, a teacher in Solihull, West Midlands, wrote that Europe needed to "silence the pudgy, basement-dwelling irritants" and "smash the obnoxious dads, with their shiny teeth, Lego man hair, medicated ex-wives and resentful children". He went on to describe Americans as "fat, stupid, greedy and classless". Danny Willett apologised for the article before the event, describing it as "a bad article written at a bad time", but he was still the subject of abuse from sections of the crowd at Hazeltine, Minnesota. Media playback is not supported on this device Rory McIlroy was also heckled, prompting him to ask for one man who verbally abused him to be ejected on Saturday. "At times, it went a little bit too far, but, you know, that's to be expected," said the Northern Irishman. "When you are teeing off in the morning and you're seeing people on the first tee with a beer in their hand and matches aren't finishing until late in the afternoon.... I know I would be done at that point. "A couple of people out there crossed the line, but we'll take it on the chin. We'll move on and we'll definitely not encourage anything like that to happen in France next time around." Europe will attempt to regain the Ryder Cup when the two teams line up again in 2018 at Le Golf National in Paris. "First and foremost, we wouldn't encourage any sort of retaliation," added McIlroy. "That's just not who we are. That's not what we do. "It's just a very small minority. Ninety-five per cent of the people out there are absolutely fantastic, they really are." BBC Radio 5 live golf pundit Andrew Murray on Danny Willett "It's two o'clock in the morning and he's had one or two beers probably. I don't think it's a particularly wise thing to say, but we're no angels over here either. "We gave the Americans some serious stick in previous Ryder Cups. They did overstep the mark, there's no question about that, and some of it was alcohol fuelled."

Question: European team member Danny Willett has said that his brother was right when he @placeholder American golf fans prior to the Ryder Cup .


As adept at crafting concert films and documentaries as he was with thrillers, comedies and emotional family dramas, his list of credits shows him to be versatile as well as prolific. Everyone will have their favourites. Personally I have a soft spot for Something Wild, a darkly comic romance from 1986 in which Jeff Daniels realises a date with Melanie Griffith comes with a psychotic ex attached. But if you had to choose the five films that best illustrate his formidable range, you could do a lot worse than picking the following: A footnote in the life of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes formed the basis for this early success. It riffs on the much-disputed relationship between Hughes and Melvin Dummar, a service station owner from Utah who claimed to be one of Hughes's beneficiaries after his 1976 death. It's a quirky story that enabled Demme to muse on the pitfalls of instant celebrity and the way a sudden windfall makes everyone your friend. Mary Steenburgen won an Oscar for playing Melvin's first wife, while Bo Goldman was also rewarded by the Academy for his screenplay. Few directors have captured the electricity and excitement of live performance better than Jonathan Demme. For proof, one need look no further than this film of Talking Heads in concert, shot over three nights in 1983. Featuring such hits as Psycho Killer, Burning Down the House and Once in a Lifetime, it's a perfect marriage of music, cinema and humour. The latter is provided by David Byrne's suit, which gets progressively larger, and absurder, as the film goes on. Another live performance we can enjoy again and again thanks to Demme comes in this vivid record of one of Spalding Gray's acclaimed stage monologues. Focusing on the sometime actor's involvement in 1984 film The Killing Fields, it's a piece that addresses, both comically and poetically, America's own involvement in south-east Asian affairs. Laurie Anderson's score combines with Gray's hypnotising skills as a storyteller to make a riveting hybrid. Demme wasn't the first film-maker to bring Hannibal Lecter to the screen. That honour belonged to Michael Mann and his 1986 thriller Manhunter. Lambs, though, was the one the Academy recognised, awarding it all of the "big five" Oscars - best picture, actor, actress, director and screenplay. The film - and Sir Anthony Hopkins' Lecter - still have the power to chill the blood with its grisly autopsy scenes and Grand Guignol atmosphere. What lingers most, though, is the psychological richness and complexity of a film that, uncommonly at the time, put a female heroine - Jodie Foster's dogged Clarice Starling - at the forefront of the action. Two years on from Lambs' Oscar sweep, Tom Hanks won the first of his two back-to-back Oscars for his role as a lawyer with HIV fighting workplace discrimination. The film did much to remove the stigma associated with Aids at the time, not least by earning more than $200m (Â£156m) at the worldwide box office. "We wanted to reach people who don't know people with Aids, who look down on people with Aids," Demme told Rolling Stone in 1994. "We were calculated about it. We set out to make a movie dealing with Aids discrimination, and there it is." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Question: The film career of Jonathan Demme , who has died at the age of 73 , spanned five decades and at least as many @placeholder .


Patrick Downes and Adrianne Haslet ran the race using prosthetic limbs, three years after explosions killed three and wounded hundreds. The two are part of a group of bombing survivors and their families, One Fund Community, participating in the race. Rebekah Gregory, who also lost her leg in the bombings, ran the race in 2015. Mr Downes, a Boston College graduate, had been a runner for many years before the bombings. Choose which celebrity you'd like help from in the new Couch to 5K programme, designed for people who have done little or no running. Ms Haslet was a professional ballroom dancer who was watching the race when the bombs went off in 2013. They both participated in the mobility-impaired division of the well-known US marathon. She decided to come back as a runner for the 2016 race, having received a prosthetic leg to dance. "A lot of people think about the finish line," she told the Associated Press news agency. "I think about the start line." Ms Haslet trained with the prosthetic blade, enduring a hip flexor injury. "It was about finding another challenge, and finding a new day," she said. Her race is raising funds for Limbs for Life, which provides prostheses to low-income amputees. Mr Downes participated in the race on hand cycles the past two years, according to the New York Daily News. He was watching the marathon in 2013 near the finish line when the bombs went off. Both he and his wife lost limbs. This year, his race is raising money for the Boston College Strong Scholarship, founded by the couple's classmates. "I have very little recollection from when the bombs went off, but as Jess has told me, it was just unspeakable sights and fear," he told the New York Daily News. "All these everyday people became heroes. I'll never know how to say thank you to them." If you're keen on running and want to find out more, then click here.

Question: Two amputee survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings have @placeholder to cross the finish line this year .


However, it emerged earlier that all is not entirely oojah-cum-spiff in the First Ministerial domestic household on the topic of Festive forestry. Ms Sturgeon disclosed that she and her estimable husband, Peter Murrell, always fall out while decorating the tree - but get there in the end. Mr Murrell, it should be said, is customarily one of the calmest individuals in existence. Forgive this havering on the subject of trees. It was prompted by a question from the Conservative backbencher Edward Mountain. The word from the Mountain, once translated, was that forestry was for life, not just for Christmas. He pleaded with the FM to back Caledonian topiary - before resuming his seat, gesturing magnanimously with his sizeable hand to signal that it was Ms Sturgeon's shottie. The Presiding Officer who, unaccountably, reckoned it was up to him to call upon speakers nevertheless acquiesced and matched the Mountainous command. The First Minister was called. And did she wish Yuletide greetings upon one and all, with a beneficent grin? Friends, she did not. Rather, she noted that - when it came to land use - the Tories tended to favour the few, rather than the many. The Mountain looked notably gloomy, as if surrounded by cloud. Mind you, Ms Sturgeon was only giving as good as she got on the Festive front. Opposition leaders each opened with a brief, cheery Festive benison. But they swiftly turned to the Yuletide game of the day: giving the Scottish Government a prolonged kicking. Ruth Davidson got there first for the Conservatives. (Not hard in that she is called first.) Ms Davidson raised the subject of the Auditor General's report anent police funding. The AG, as you will read elsewhere on this site, was less than complimentary. In essence, her complaint is that the books of the Scottish Police Authority are not in a good way - and that longer-term funding for the police may fall short of proclaimed requirements. Ms Davidson addressed the topic like a station sergeant taking a statement from a miscreant in that she appeared notably disinclined to give Ms Sturgeon the benefit of any doubt. We learned one more thing about Nicola Sturgeon this week. She has a phobia towards dogs. She quails at the prospect of a canine encounter. Mind you, she managed to overcome this sufficiently to cuddle a puppy for the cameras, lightly and very briefly. It would seem however that her fear does not extend to her political opponents. Certainly, she opted to attack over the police books - arguing that reforms were in place and that the bobbies' budget would be somewhat better if the UK government would relent and stop charging the Scottish force VAT. Sgt Davidson was undeterred. Her retort, subbed down, was: "Heard it!" She was last seen leaving the chamber in search of an Alsatian or poodle, according to availability, with which to confront the FM. Up stepped Labour's Kezia Dugdale. As billed earlier, she tried a quick "Merry Christmas" before repeating the police budget charge sheet. Indeed, she accused the FM of trying to sneak it out a few hours before recess. Ms Sturgeon looked and sounded indignant. The timing, she said, had given her opponents an example to question her at length on the topic. She did not say - but probably thought - that, if she had wanted to escape questions, she would have published it tomorrow. Willie Rennie pursued a topic which he has made his own: that of provision for mental health. On this occasion, the Liberal Democrat leader questioned the FM over such care in prison. Ms Sturgeon was notably emollient. One, this is a deeply sensitive topic. Two, she openly conceded that mental health care has been neglected "for generations". Three, she might need the Lib Dems to back the SG budget - and mental health provision could be a key issue. Any more? Yes, we had John Mason, the SNP backbencher, challenging the UK government over plans to make holders of public office swear an oath to uphold British values. Mr Mason said he, for one, did not feel particularly British. Ms Sturgeon too seemed unimpressed. She felt such a move was a premature response to the wider Casey report into social cohesion. She doubted whether enforced oaths would assist the integration of diverse communities. Have an utterly splendid Yule. And thereafter a Guid New Year.

Question: Nicola Sturgeon , you will be astonished to learn , has opted for home - @placeholder when it comes to Yuletide greenery . She has installed two Christmas trees in Bute House - well , it 's a big place - and both of them are Scottish .


Cheryl Cope, 51, from Haringey had suffered flu-like symptoms for 10 days before she was admitted to the Whittington Hospital. Her inquest heard she should have been diagnosed as having sepsis when she was admitted at 07.40 GMT on 27 February. She died 24 hours after being admitted to hospital. Blood poisoning or sepsis is a potentially life threatening condition that can be easily treated with antibiotics quickly but is often missed. Coroner Jacqueline Devonish said that while the cause of death was natural, Mrs Cope was not given the "best chance" of survival. She added it was "not possible to say whether Mrs Cope would have survived if treated promptly". The inquest at Poplar Coroner's Court heard the hospital was overcrowded that day. It had space for 280 patients, but there were 320 patients in the hospital at the time. Mrs Cope, an interior designer, was seen by a nurse who tried to carry out observation tests but could not complete them because of a malfunctioning blood pressure monitor. She took Mrs Cope to the urgent care centre where she asked a colleague to repeat the tests but this took longer than she had hoped because staff there also struggled to get a blood pressure reading. The hospital admitted Mrs Cope should have been treated earlier than she was. Ms Devonish said she would not be making recommendations to the hospital because it had already drafted a new policy to diagnose sepsis following Mrs Cope's death.

Question: A woman from north London died in hospital because staff failed to identify she had blood poisoning quickly enough , an inquest has @placeholder .


Glasgow City Council took the decision following health and safety fears over the stability of the roof and the glazing in the gardens. The Winter Gardens are expected to be closed for a number of weeks following an initial assessment. No-one was injured in the incident and a full investigation will take place. Plans have been put in place to re-open the People's Palace museum independently of the Winter Gardens as soon as possible. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "It is unfortunate that we have had to close the Winter Gardens so unexpectedly but the safety of our staff and the public must be our priority. "Until we have a more accurate picture of the condition of the structure I'm afraid the Winter Gardens will remain closed. We understand that this is a disappointing situation especially for those who have bookings with the venue and we will make every effort to help find these clients an alternative venue."

Question: The People 's Palace museum and Winter Gardens in Glasgow have been closed to the public until further notice after a @placeholder roof panel fell .


In an open letter to Apple, Swift said she was withholding the record as she was unhappy with the three-month free trial offered to subscribers. "I'm not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months," she wrote. She said the plan was "unfair", arguing Apple had the money to cover the cost. "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company," the 25-year-old said, describing Apple as one of her "best partners in selling music". "These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much," she continued. "We know how astronomically successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period - even if it is free for the fans trying it out. "Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing." She ended her letter by calling on Apple to change its policy, suggesting she would reinstate her album on the service if the company changed its mind. "We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation." Apple has yet to comment on the issue. The rest of Swift's back catalogue will remain available on Apple Music when it launches on 30 June. It will cost $9.99 (Â£6.30) per month in the US for one person or $14.99 for families. The music industry has generally supported the company bringing its vast music library to paid streaming, and the company said it will pay 70% of the music subscription revenue to music owners. It is not the first time Swift has spoken out against streaming music - she pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify last November and had refused to offer 1989 on streaming services, saying the business had "shrunk the numbers of paid album sales drastically". 1989 went on to become one of the biggest-selling albums of 2014 and has sold more than 4.9 million copies in the US alone. Last week, UK-based independent record label Beggars echoed Swift's comments, saying it struggled "to see why rights owners and artists should bear this aspect of Apple's customer acquisition costs". It said it did not have an agreement with Apple that would allow it to participate in the new service but hoped the "obstacles to agreement can be removed" in the coming days.

Question: Taylor Swift has pulled her hit album 1989 from Apple 's new streaming music service and @placeholder the company .


Det Con Peter Surgay was a family liaison officer following the murder of Clifford Collinge in 2011. The panel was told Mr Surgay had been in a "volatile" on-off relationship with Deborah Bell since 2009. The hearing was adjourned until 10 August. The pair's relationship had been kept secret as Mr Surgay's wife also served with Nottinghamshire Police, the misconduct panel heard. Ms Bell went on to act as a solicitor for Stephen Shreeves - one of three accused of the murder of Mr Collinge. Shreeves is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty of murder. Widow Charlotte Collinge was acquitted following a retrial. Mr Surgay, 42, who has served with the force for nearly 19 years, is accused of failing to report the nature of the relationship which, it has been argued, could have potentially compromised a major investigation. Mr Surgay said the relationship was largely platonic, save for a "drunken fumble" early on. Force solicitor David Ring said this was inconsistent with the account of Ms Bell, who said the pair were intimate over a period spanning years. Mr Ring said Mr Surgay made no mention of trips he took with Ms Bell to California, Dublin and Germany when questioned by the force's professional standards department. He said: "You deliberately downplay the nature of your relationship in interview." Mr Surgay replied: "I dispute that." Mr Surgay added: "It was not something I wanted to shout from the rooftops. There's enough rumour and rapture in the police force as it is." The officer added he was not aware his relationship with Ms Bell should have been brought to the attention of senior officers and the couple only spoke of the Collinge case in the "broadest of terms". Mr Ring said the officer would have been removed from his role in the case had the nature of the relationship come to light, adding it was "common sense" he should have disclosed it. Mr Surgay is also facing a further allegation of misusing police systems over "an extended period of time" in searching for crimes in and around his home area of Kimberley. The incidents included one where a car registered in his name was reported for making off from a petrol station without paying - knowing as "bilking". The officer said the searches were made for policing purposes and that he was "aghast" when he saw the alleged bilking incident. The hearing continues.

Question: A police officer who @placeholder the family of a murder victim " deliberately downplayed " an affair with a solicitor of one of the accused , a panel has heard .


Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) said systems were infected with a virus on Sunday, with it treated as a "major incident". The trust, which runs hospitals in Goole, Grimsby and Scunthorpe, said the measures would remain into Tuesday. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) also had to cancel operations. Dr Karen Dunderdale, NLAG deputy chief executive, said: "A virus infected our electronic systems yesterday, and we have taken the decision, following expert advice, to shut down the majority of our systems so we can isolate and destroy it. "Our main priority is patient safety. All adult patients should presume their appointment/procedure has been cancelled unless they are contacted. Those who turn up will be turned away." The trust added that inpatients would be cared for and discharged as soon as they were medically fit, with major trauma cases and high risk women in labour being diverted to neighbouring hospitals. It said: "We are reviewing the situation on an hourly basis. Our clinicians will continue to see, treat and operate on those patients who would be at significant clinical risk should their treatment be delayed." Further updates will be posted on the trust website. ULHT shares four of its clinical IT systems and said it had to cancel operations "unless there is a clinical reason not to". Mark Brassington, chief operating officer at ULHT, said: "We have a plan in place to minimise risks to patients which includes reverting to manual systems. "The biggest impact on the trust is in processing of blood tests, access to historical test results and availability of blood for blood transfusions. "Our number one priority is keeping patients safe so we are cancelling all planned operations tomorrow unless there is a clinical reason not to."

Question: Hundreds of planned operations and outpatient appointments have been cancelled across Lincolnshire after an NHS computer network was @placeholder .


Industrial behemoths, whimsical follies and surreal structures are among the properties that have gone up for sale in recent years. Perched on a craggy outcrop above Towan Beach in Newquay, this property was sold by Lord and Lady Long for £1m in 2012. The island, which is known as both Towan Island and Jago Island, is reached by a private suspension footbridge. The titled couple, in their 80s, said they sold up because they wanted somewhere with a more accessible front door. According to Visit Newquay, the house's occupants have included a reclusive Irish-Canadian eccentric who played the organ at night, and Alexander Lodge, who invented sparkplugs. The current owners of the house, who do not want to be identified, lease the property out for holiday rentals - it costs £4,500 for a week in the summer. With imposing views and an equally imposing address, No 1, The Thames sold last year for a mere £500,000 - which may seem like a bargain for a seven-bedroom mansion within commuting distance of central London. Situated a kilometre (0.6 miles) off the Isle of Grain, roughly where the rivers Thames and Medway meet, Grain Tower Battery is a bomb-proof fort built in about 1855. The drawback? The 160 year-old estuary gun emplacement can only be reached by boat or when the tide is out. The Lime Works in Faversham, Kent, is currently on the market for £1.5m, a mere snip compared to its original sale price of £3.75m. Described by estate agents Savills as an "impressive and highly individual conversion of two water towers into a spacious and contemporary home", the 1930s building was a functioning water-softening plant until 1942. The new owner will be able to enjoy a heated rooftop swimming pool, cinema, motion sensor lighting and "hand-crafted concrete beds and baths". Work on the house is only 90% finished, "which will allow the buyer to design and specify the final 10%". Maybe some taps for the concrete bath would be on the list. This house, named Tracks End, started life as a third-class Midland Railway carriage. Decommissioned from the Tewkesbury Line in 1926, it was transported to Castlemorton, Worcestershire and turned into a two-bedroom house which went on the market in 2014 for £290,000. A bungalow in Helston, Cornwall, was actually built around a railway carriage. Outwardly an ordinary home, Waverley's bathroom and two bedrooms are within the car, while the kitchen, hall and living room are in the surrounding structure. Martello towers are small defensive forts - usually coastal - built during the 19th Century. They played a key role in defending the UK against the threat of Napoleonic invasion Tower number 55, in Norman's Bay near Pevensey in East Sussex, sold for £285,000 in 2004. Planning permission was granted by the local council for the tower to be converted into a two-bedroom house. The water tower in Burton Green near Kenilworth, Warwickshire, is a German-designed Art Deco building with protruding buttresses. The Corporation of Coventry owned the tower before Severn Trent became responsible for water supply in the region. It sold for £250,000 in 2013, with planning permission to convert it into a four-bedroom home. This cricket pavilion in Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, sold for £215,000 in 2012. The modest single-storey building was the pavilion in a neighbouring village and was moved to its current location in about 1930. Take a tour of the cottage with a cave (in case you missed it).

Question: As a cottage with its own underground cave goes on the market , BBC News takes a tour of some of the other unusual homes that have challenged the descriptive @placeholder of estate agents .