The 6ft-long (1.8m) Arctic wolf, worth ?¡ê32,000, is thought to have been poached in the early hours of 3 August. Three men, who are being hunted by police, were invited back to the Chelsea apartment and reportedly left at about 05:00 BST. All three suspects are white and believed to be in their early 20s. The wolf was bought six years ago from a taxidermy shop and has yellow glass eyes and white fur with black speckles on its back, shoulders and ears. Det Sgt Sean Lyons, from Kensington and Chelsea CID, said: "This is a unique item and I am appealing to anyone who may know the three suspects or have information about the stolen arctic wolf to contact police."

Question: A " snarling " stuffed wolf was stolen from a London flat after the owner and her friend @placeholder with a group of men they met on a night out in Soho.


The RT-branded box contains food packaged in laboratory bottles, such as Medonium honey - "med" being honey in Russian and Meldonium a performance-enhancing drugs taken by athletes. There is also raspberry jam tagged "anabolic" in reference to steroids also banned in sports. "Not everyone realised this was a humorous present from RT," the broadcaster said. It has consistently denied and ridiculed allegations of a state-sponsored doping programme in Russia. One of the gift boxes was sent to Yulia Efimova, who won two swimming silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. A photo posted on Russia's leading social networking website VKontakte shows a smiling Efimova with test tubes and vials apparently containing food, such as jam, honey and condiments. On its website, RT gave further details of its gift pack which it suggested had also been sent to other people. The website carried a video from the Twitter account of blogger Evgeny Kozlov showing one of the kits being unpacked. People from RT are "unbelievably creative", he said. The kits also include cards said to be based on drawings by children from an orphanage. "A New Year's card that you will never throw away," said Yulia Ostroukhova, apparently another recipient of the gift box. "Very nice. Many thanks for the delicious Medonium, too," she said on Facebook. It is not clear how many kits were produced or how many recipients there were. In July, an investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said Russia's sports ministry "directed, controlled and oversaw" manipulation of urine samples provided by its athletes. A number of Russian athletes were banned from competing at the Rio Olympics, but no blanket ban was imposed. Another report later in the year alleged more than 1,000 Russians benefited from a doping cover-up between 2011 and 2015. Russian officials have strongly denied there has been a state-sponsored doping programme. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

Question: The Kremlin - @placeholder international broadcaster RT , known as Russia Today , has produced New Year gift boxes branded " Russian doping " .


Ann Barnes dealt with an "ill-advised" TV documentary, a probe into her car insurance, and youth commissioners who both had to step away from their role. But she said she judged her time as PCC as a success. She said Kent Police was now target-free, provided quality service and put victims at the heart of its work. "Apart from one or two things I'd rather not have happened, I've really, really had a good time," she said. Referring to incidents that led to adverse headlines, she said: "You have to accept what life throws at you and deal with it." Mrs Barnes, who is not standing for re-election, said the Kent force was recognised nationally after latest HMIC reports. "[Kent Police] genuinely puts victims at the heart of what it does. There are no targets, people don't chase targets. They just look to do a quality service," she said. On her youth commissioner appointments, Mrs Barnes said: "You can't interview for the unexpected." Kent's first youth commissioner Paris Brown resigned over comments she had posted on Twitter, and Kerry Boyd had to stop public engagements while reports of a relationship were investigated. Mrs Barnes said Ms Brown handled things well after making mistakes when younger, and Ms Boyd did a good job and could have continued but turned down an extended contract. After Ms Boyd left, the youth commissioner was not replaced. Mrs Barnes said she was most proud of Kent Police's "open and transparent" culture. And she said a new victim centre was providing "a wraparound service" to victims and witnesses, and she believed it would become a blueprint for delivering victims' services. Voting for Kent's next PCC will take place on 5 May, with six candidates standing.

Question: Kent 's @placeholder high - profile police and crime commissioner ( PCC ) has said she is proud of her achievements four years after being elected .


Kieron Dyer led an Ipswich Town veterans side for the match against Newmarket Town, for Shaun Whiter and Joey Abbs. Mr Whiter, 27, had both legs amputated after he was struck by a car while helping friend Joey Abbs change a flat tyre in Newmarket, Suffolk. Newmarket player Mr Whiter and Soham Town Rangers player Mr Abbs attended. Mr Whiter was discharged from Addenbrooke's Hospital on Friday, while Mr Abbs, who also suffered a serious leg injury during the crash on 1 July, was released from the hospital after six days. "You don't think this is ever going to happen to you but unfortunately it has," Mr Abbs said. "It has been a horrible, horrible thing... but everyone's been brilliant and shown their support." Ex-England manager Terry Butcher also played for the Ipswich team in the game at Newmarket's ground, which is thought to have raised around ¡ê15,000. A fundraising page set up by Mr Whiter's fianc¨¦e, who he is due to marry next July, has already raised nearly ¡ê73,500 of its ¡ê120,000 target. Reg Winch, partner of Mr Whiter's mother, said: "It's been overwhelming and it's restored our faith in human kind. "His aftercare is incredibly expensive and is very long-term. The prosthetics - while being amazing now - are also amazingly expensive. "Plus, there are alterations to his living conditions and occupational health for work." Cambridge United has also revealed plans to host a fundraising day in aid of the footballers on 9 October. A 40-year-old man from Haverhill, Suffolk, has been charged with two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and is due at Cambridge Crown Court on 8 August.

Question: An ex-England footballer has @placeholder a charity team to raise money for two players seriously hurt in a car crash .


Time is "running out" for Theresa May, says the Scotland on Sunday. Inside, Euan McColm says she has "neither the competence nor the authority" needed to continue as prime minister. "Her days as the occupant of 10 Downing Street are numbered," he adds. Mrs May is "in office but not in power", says The Sunday Telegraph's headline. It reports that the resignation of her two chiefs of staff failed to halt a backlash from her MPs and she has been left increasingly "isolated and undermined". Boris Johnson is being urged by a number of fellow ministers to oust Mrs May, according to The Sunday Times Scotland. It reports that five members of the Cabinet contacted the foreign secretary on Friday and told him they would support him in any leadership bid. The Scottish Mail on Sunday carries a similar story, adding that Mr Johnson's supporters say he will not take any action while Mrs May remains in Downing Street - but it could be considered "destabilising" that his supporters are actively briefing about his virtues. Mr Johnson has denied the stories however. In a tweet, he described the story as "tripe" and insisted the prime minister had his backing. The Sunday Herald looks at the plans of the minority Conservative government to work with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). It says Theresa May is being accused of tying the government to a party "tainted with terrorism, in a desperate attempt to cling on to power". The Sunday Mail describes it as a "toxic pact" and a "coalition of chaos". After concerns were raised about the DUP's attitudes to LGBTI issues, David Mundell - the openly gay Scottish secretary - told the paper that "you have to do business with people even if you don't agree with them". He added: "There is absolutely no way they can influence social policy in the rest of the UK. That will not happen and it is not acceptable for that to happen." Tory plans to scrap the pension "triple lock" could be blocked by the DUP, report The Sunday Post. Its says a party source has told the paper they would not support such a move - and as all the opposition parties oppose the change, "the plan is finished". Meanwhile the Scottish Sun on Sunday leads with Gordon Strachan's reaction to the result of Scotland's World Cup qualifier against England. After a last minute Harry Kane goal cost Scotland a win, the teetotal manager joked: "I think this might be a good night to start drinking to be honest."

Question: Politics is again the focus of Scotland 's front pages , as newspaper editors @placeholder the fall - out from the general election result .


About 140 search warrants were issued by some 40 forces during the UK-wide raids, led by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Most warrants related to downloading and sharing indecent images. Some 80 children were removed from harm, including 20 found at raided properties. Operation Tharsley took place over 48 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, with support from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca). Those arrested include a pathologist, a firefighter, an activities instructor, government employees, and a referee. Known offenders who had breached the conditions of the sex offenders register were also held. Forty-two forces from around the UK made the following arrests: Officers seized laptop computers, USB storage devices, and digital cameras, according to Ceop's deputy chief executive, Andy Baker. Mr Baker said pictures would be scrutinised to see identify victims using clues in the background. "Every image is a crime scene," he added. Meanwhile,             Ceop published a report  on risks posed by people who download indecent images of children. It reported a correlation between the viewing of abusive images and sex attacks being committed against children. Principal analyst at Ceop, Kate Fisher, said abusive internet images were becoming "more extreme, sadistic and violent, and feature increasingly younger children". Ceop called for police to prioritise investigating suspects who had easy access to children. Christian Sjoberg of NetClean, which aims to prevent child sexual abuse content, said: "As police cuts hit home and case volumes increase, crime-fighting agents attempting to tackle the problem are finding their resources stretched." "Sophisticated internet use makes the job of child protection increasingly complex, but technology can also hold the key to finding and preventing those who create and distribute this kind of material." The raids come as the UK government announces a draft bill to allow details of internet use to be stored for a year, enabling intelligence services to track crime with modern technology. Home Secretary Theresa May said: "Communications data is vital for the police in their fight against crime, including serious offences such as child abuse, drug dealing and terrorism."

Question: A retired teacher , @placeholder of the armed forces and a scout leader are among 99 people arrested in raids targeting online paedophiles .


The Dulais Valley practice in Seven Sisters will lose two of four doctors. As a result the Coelbren branch clinic is closed to GP appointments this week, and faces further future restrictions. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said it was not possible to maintain the level of local service. Lindsay Davies, head of primary care and planning, said: "Like many other local practices, the partnership will shortly introduce a call management and telephone consultation system. "This will help them manage demand more appropriately, particularly if they are successful in recruiting alternative clinical staff."

Question: Talks to try and maintain high - quality GP services in Neath Port Talbot have been taking place , amid concerns the health board there will struggle to @placeholder departing doctors .


During the month, 61,760 mortgages were approved - just over a thousand more than in January. It was the third month in a row that approvals have risen, and the highest figure since August 2014. Even though the rise was small, economists said it indicated that the housing market had bottomed out, and was now facing a steady improvement. Nevertheless the number of approvals is still well below the recent peak of 75,453 in January 2014. "Housing market weakness has bottomed out, and activity is now gradually turning around," said Howard Archer, chief UK economist with IHS Global Insight. Last week the Nationwide reported that annual house price inflation had fallen from 5.7% in February to 5.1% in March.

Question: The number of mortgages being @placeholder across the UK hit a six - month high in February , Bank of England data shows .


The straight-talking leader won by a landslide on the back of promises to tackle crime and corruption, and remains popular domestically for his hardline policies. But he has increasingly earned criticism from the international community and rights groups that say his policies amount to human rights abuses. The hallmark of Mr Duterte's administration so far has been a relentless crackdown on drug dealers and users. He has urged citizens and the police to conduct extra-judicial killings of suspects. More than 3,000 people have died in a campaign which Mr Duterte controversially compared to the Holocaust in September. Noting that there are three million addicts in Philippines, he has said he would be "happy to slaughter them". Read more: The woman who kills drug dealers for a living The United Nation, the Roman Catholic church, the European Union and the United States have repeatedly condemned his policy as a violation of human rights. Domestic activist groups have also protested the killings. But Mr Duterte has said a hardline stance was necessary to wipe out the illegal drugs trade and remains undeterred, vowing to kill "every last one" of the traffickers. The police has said the campaign has worked in reducing overall crime, with hundreds of thousands of suspects turning themselves in - although homicides and murders have gone up. Faced with mounting criticism, Mr Duterte, known for making brash off-the-cuff remarks, has been bellicose. He has threatened to "separate" from the UN - which he later said was a joke - and called UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon "a fool". He also called the EU "hypocrites" during a September speech and showed the middle finger. He famously referred to US President Barack Obama as a "son of a whore", but later expressed regret when Mr Obama cancelled a meeting. Earlier he called the Pope "the son of a whore" in a largely devout Catholic country, and joked that when he was still the mayor of the southern city of Davao he should have been the first to rape an Australian missionary murdered in a prison riot. Read more: Duterte in quotes Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte was born in 1945 into a family closely tied to local politics. His father was once a provincial governor and the family had links with the powerful families in Cebu province, where his father was once mayor. Mr Duterte trained as a lawyer and rose to become state prosecutor, eventually becoming mayor of Davao in 1988, ruling the city for much of the past 30 years. He built his reputation fighting some of the biggest problems facing the Philippines - crime, militancy and corruption. All three dropped significantly during his time leading Davao, making the city one of the safest in the Philippines. He has vowed to replicate his efforts in Davao at a national level. Self-styled as both a socialist and a reformist, he has promised to change the country from a centralised system to a federal parliamentary form of government, to better share wealth. His foreign policy direction, vague during campaigning, has continued to flip-flop. Mr Duterte had previously hinted at taking a stronger stance against China, which the Philippines is engaged with in maritime disputes in the South China Sea. He famously said he would ride a jet ski to a disputed island claimed by both countries and stick a flag on it. But since becoming president he has emphasised a desire to move away from the US  - the Philippines' former colonial ruler turned military and economic partner - and pivot closer to China and Russia, sparking concerns from investors. His tough approach has earned him the nicknames "The Punisher" and "Duterte Harry". He said in a televised debate that he would kill his own children if they took drugs. All have burnished his strongman image among many in the Philippines as someone who will do what is necessary to get things done. A July poll saw him earning a historic 91% approval rating. But horrified opponents have continued to castigate him, comparing him to US presidential Republican nominee Donald Trump. Mr Duterte has rejected the comparisons, saying that "he is a bigot and I am not". Married twice, he has four children, one of whom - daughter Sara - took over as mayor for a term before he resumed office. He is now officially single, but has claimed to have several girlfriends.

Question: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has @placeholder intense controversy for a bloody drug war and undiplomatic remarks since he took office in June 2016 .


Media playback is not supported on this device Barker, 22, won the women's 25km points race having previously claimed two silver medals in Hong Kong. British Cycling have admitted it had not paid "sufficient care and attention" to riders' wellbeing. "It's about time they had good press about all the good work they do," Barker told BBC Radio Wales Sport. An investigation into the culture at British Cycling was launched last year after ex-riders complained about their treatment. In March, British Cycling apologised for any "failings" in its performance programme and promised to be more caring to riders following accusations of sexism and bullying. But Wales' Barker, who won silver medals in the madison and scratch races at the championships, said she could not have achieved her success in Hong Kong without the support of British Cycling. "I said I wanted to win the points race about six months ago," said Barker, who won women's team pursuit gold at Rio 2016. "I went into the British Cycling offices, had a meeting and said 'what do you think I could do to win this?' "They completely changed my training, changed all my focuses and the coaching and staff were absolutely fine with that. "I felt so incredibly supported, probably as supported as I did in the lead up to Rio. "I've been supported throughout my career." Great Britain won five medals in Hong Kong compared to the nine they won at the previous year's Championships in London. Barker does not consider the Championships to be a disappointment and said the team was undergoing a transitional stage. Olympic champions Joanna Rowsell Shand and Sir Bradley Wiggins have retired while fellow Rio 2016 gold medallists Jason Kenny and wife Laura did not compete in Hong Kong. "The big medal winners weren't there so we didn't expect to have a similar medal haul this year," Barker added. "We never went in with massive intentions. We took a very young team just to get the experience. "There were some really positive performances. "If you just look at the times or the attitudes and the way everybody presented themselves you wouldn't think it was a young team. "I think they're going to go a long way."

Question: Olympic champion Elinor Barker has @placeholder under fire British Cycling following her victory at the Track Cycling World Championships .


He never followed the beaten path, carving out his own niche as captain.  He remained calm on the field, both in moments of triumph and defeat. His style made him "the captain cool" for his fans. If legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar is the "god of cricket", then Dhoni is the "Buddha of cricket". His fans will miss his unorthodox decisions after his resignation as India's limited-overs captain on Wednesday. Dhoni resigns as India one-day captain Why MS Dhoni's place in cricket history is assured Dhoni decided to step down on Wednesday ahead of the ODI series against England, which begins on 15 January. Here are five of his decisions that shocked many, but won crucial matches for India. Dhoni led a young Indian side in the inaugural World Twenty20, and not many expected his team to do well in the newest format of the game. Yet he not only won the 2007 tournament, but also used it as a platform to showcase his unorthodox style of captaincy. The final was played between arch rivals Pakistan and India in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pakistan needed 13 runs in the last over with one wicket in hand, but an in-form Misbah-ul-Haq looked set to score the winning runs. Now any captain would go for the most experienced bowler in the team, but Dhoni did the opposite. He picked Joginder Sharma, who was playing his fourth Twenty20 match, for the job. The decision paid off and Sharma dismissed Misbah (43 runs) with his third ball. Pakistan lost by five runs, India won the tournament and Dhoni announced his arrival as a captain in the world of cricket with style. Before clashing in the final of the inaugural World Twenty20, India and Pakistan also played a group match. Games between the two sides are always tense but not many would have predicted the dramatic finish of this clash. The match went into a bowl-out after Pakistan matched India's score of 141, but couldn't cross it. Pakistan picked trusted bowlers Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi for the bowl-out, but they all failed to hit the stumps. Dhoni went for batsmen Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who all knocked off the bails. While Sehwag had some bowling experience, Uthappa had rarely bowled in international matches. Dhoni won the ODI World Cup in 2011 for India for the first time since 1983. The hosts looked comfortable chasing Sri Lanka's total of 274 in Mumbai, but when Tillakaratne Dilshan dismissed Virat Kohli, India's chances looked uncertain at 115-3. Dhoni, who had struggled throughout the tournament, unexpectedly promoted himself ahead of in-form Yuvraj Singh and played the innings (91 not out) of his life to finish the chase with a thundering six. Not many Indians will ever forget the six that ended the country's long wait for a World Cup victory. Hosts England looked set to win the Champions Trophy in 2013 against India with 28 needed off 18 balls, and set batsmen Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara at the crease in Birmingham. At this stage of the game, Dhoni turned to pacer Ishant Sharma, whose earlier overs were very expensive. Once again, his gamble worked. Sharma, who had leaked 32 runs in his first three overs, dismissed both batsmen and ended England's prolonged search for an international one-day title. India secured a thrilling one-run victory against Bangladesh last year to keep their campaign alive in the World Twenty20. Bangladesh needed one run to win off the last ball in Bangalore, and that's when Dhoni told Hardik Pandya to bowl a bouncer to tailender S Hom. Dhoni expected the batsman to miss the ball and go for a run, and that's exactly what happened. The batsman went for a single, but Dhoni, who had removed one glove in readiness for the final ball, ran out non-striker Mustafizur Rahman.

Question: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is loved by millions as a batsman but as a captain , he is simply @placeholder .


About 59 million people - nearly half the population - are eligible to vote for governors and regional parliaments. But the main opposition Democratic Coalition has only been allowed to stand in one region, Kostroma. The coalition includes the parties of murdered politician, Boris Nemtsov, and protest leader, Alexei Navalny. Navalny cannot run for office as he is serving a suspended prison sentence in an embezzlement case that he argues was fabricated. The Duma has been stripped of any real opposition under President Vladimir Putin, whose approval rating remains consistently high. The elections will reveal the mood of Russians after more than a year of financial hardship caused mostly by low oil prices and Western sanctions over Moscow's alleged military role in Ukraine. Opposition struggles with smears and isolation The Democratic Coalition's campaign has not been easy - with minimal coverage on the state media and accusations that they are working for the US, reports the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Russia. Coalition candidates were barred from participating in legislative contests in the Kaluga, Magadan, and Novosibirsk regions. The opposition say this was because of technicalities cited by officials in a politically motivated bid to prevent them from standing. On Saturday, Navalny posted on Facebook (in Russian) about a crackdown on opposition members in Kostroma, north-east of Moscow, saying he expected "major falsifications" in Sunday's polls. Russia's main opposition groups combined forces in April, nearly two months after the murder of Mr Nemtsov, who was shot dead while walking with his girlfriend near the Kremlin. The coalition, campaigning under Mr Nemtsov's party name Parnas, hopes the the regional elections will be a springboard for the 2016 national parliamentary vote.

Question: Voters across Russia are @placeholder to vote in regional elections on Sunday that are seen as a gauge of public opinion ahead of parliamentary polls next year .


Mohammed Akhlaq was beaten to a death in the district of Dadri in September over rumours he had consumed beef. Hindus consider cows to be sacred, and for many, eating beef is taboo. The slaughter of cows is also banned in many Indian states. A lab test cited widely in the aftermath of the killing said the meat allegedly found in his refrigerator was mutton and not beef. However a new lab report, revealed by the lawyers of 18 people on trial for his murder, said that the meat in question was in fact beef. Later, it was also revealed that the meat was never in his house, but found inside a bin near his home. Although police are adamant that the type of meat is irrelevant to the case, the defence team is using the new test results to demand the release of the 18 suspects, on the grounds that they were "provoked" into attacking Mr Akhlaq. The court will hear a petition on Monday demanding that charges of cow slaughter are brought against Mr Akhlaq's family. Why was there a discrepancy between the two lab tests, and why it has taken so long for a second report to come out? Soon after the incident many media reports had claimed that police had taken meat samples from Mr Akhlaq's fridge. But police told the BBC that they had never collected meat samples from his home. Now, eight months later, the investigating police officer, Anurag Singh, has clarified that the meat samples were collected from the place of the mob attack, about 100 metres (330ft) away from Mr Akhlaq's house. "The body of Akhlaq was lying near a transformer near his house and that is where we found some meat and took samples of it," he told the BBC. The first report, released soon after Mr Akhlaq's death, said the meat in question was mutton and was widely reported in India media. However, Mr HC Singh, in-charge of the Mathura forensic investigation laboratory which released the second report, told BBC News that the preliminary test was only based on a "physical examination" of the meat samples. The examination was carried out by a veterinary physician, but even he had recommended that it be sent to a lab for further conclusive testing, he added. "Ours is the only laboratory that is equipped to do such analysis," Mr Singh said. According to Mr Singh, his laboratory had known that the meat was beef as early as October. However the test results were only submitted to the police in December. Mr Singh attributed the delay to a "lack of postage stamps" at the laboratory and the fact that they did not have a chairman for three months - excuses that have not convinced many people. Correspondents say the delay has led many to speculate that the laboratory was pressured into not revealing the test results, given the tensions brought about as a result of the incident. The lab report was only revealed to the public in June after lawyers for the 18 people accused of Mr Akhlaq's murder asked the court for a copy. Tensions in Bashara village, where Mr Akhlaq lived with his family before he was murdered, are high. The latest lab report has spurred relatives of the arrested men to petition the court, demanding that a case of cow slaughter be filed against his family. The few hundred Muslims who still live in the village say they live in fear. Reports of cow vigilante groups attacking people ferrying cattle, Hindu extremists holding arms training sessions, and reports of private Hindu armed groups operating in the region have heightened their fears. Some talk of leaving the village for good. Prem Singh was Mr Akhlaq's neighbour and both families got along well, celebrating festivals together and attending one another's weddings. But now he is listed as an eyewitness to Mr Akhlaq "killing a cow" and two of his grandsons are among the 18 men arrested. His wife is angry at the arrests, and told me: "Would a Muslim tolerate it if we kill a pig and throw it outside their house?" The court and police have consistently insisted that the new lab results will have no bearing on the case. The police investigating the case told the BBC that "this has nothing to do with the investigation of the murder of Akhlaq by a mob." And Ram Sharan Yadav, one of the lawyers for the accused, said that the court had turned down their request for a copy of the second lab result. The lawyer for Mr Akhlaq's family said that "in any case there is no law in the country that says a man can be murdered because he slaughtered a prohibited animal". Uttar Pradesh is one of the 10 Indian states where the slaughter of cow, calf, bull and bullock is completely banned. However the slaughter of buffaloes and the sale and consumption of its beef is permitted. The defence lawyers are insisting that the mob was "provoked" and want all charges against them dismissed. It is unclear if this will work as a line of defence - police stand firm on the fact that the two things are unrelated, and the courts have also indicated that this is not a factor that they will take into consideration.

Question: Last year , a Muslim man in northern India was killed in a mob lynching over allegations that his family had been @placeholder and consuming beef at home . The case sparked widespread outrage and a furious debate about religious tolerance . Now , there 's a fresh twist in the case that has raised questions over the investigation - and highlighted tensions over beef in India .


Business leaders had wanted to raise ¡ê1m to buy Spy Booth, by 16:00 BST. The work, depicting men "snooping" on a telephone box, appeared on a Grade II* listed house in April. On Thursday it was confirmed it was being removed but the council has warned planning permission may be needed first. Angela DeSouza, from the town's Women's Business Club, said the owner had told her he would be willing to consider an "attractive offer". But, following a number of pledges of money from small businesses and individuals, Mrs DeSouza said the target had not been reached. "There has been a lot of support but we are really looking to gather the ¡ê1m from one person," she said. "It is definitely not something we are going to rest on. We are going to get it done." John Joyce, from scaffolding firm Q, confirmed on Thursday that the property's owner contacted street art collector Sky Grimes to sell the piece, a week before Banksy confirmed he had painted it. He said that part of the work would be removed "on Friday" and part of it "on Sunday or Monday", ahead of it going on show at a London gallery for a month on 4 July. But the council warned both the property owner and Q, that it may be an offence if work is carried out "to remove the fabric" of the listed building without consent. "The council is aware of plans to repair the render and make it safe, but not of anything more substantial," said Jane Griffiths, from Cheltenham Borough Council. "We hope that, by highlighting the planning act, the owner will halt any works that may be planned and instead submit a listed building consent application for our consideration." At the beginning of June, Banksy admitted painting it - three miles away from the government communications headquarters, GCHQ.

Question: A bid to raise ¡ê 1 m to keep a Banksy artwork in Cheltenham has failed to hit its target within a businesswoman 's self - imposed @placeholder .


Nottingham City Council makes ¡ê60 from each penalty charge notice (PCN) issued in Shakespeare Street in Nottingham - or ¡ê30 if the fee is paid early. The Institute of Highway Engineers said the signs could be confusing and the council was on "dodgy ground". But the council insisted its signs were up to standard. It said in a statement: "The Shakespeare Street bus gate was only introduced last year, is properly signed and we would expect to see the numbers drop as people get used to the changes." Although this part of the road is not used by any scheduled bus services, the council said it was used by buses taking students to Nottingham Trent University. The western end of Shakespeare Street is described as a "Pedestrian Zone" at both entrances but other signs warn there is "24 hr Bus Lane Enforcement". When asked what this was classed as, a council spokesperson said: "There's a bus gate on a section of Shakespeare Street which means only buses are allowed through. This therefore creates a pedestrian zone beyond." The council explained: ?A bus lane generally runs alongside other traffic on a road allowing buses to gain priority over other traffic ?A bus gate is an entry point across a road which means only buses are allowed to go any further ?A pedestrian zone is an area where most vehicles are not allowed Richard Hayes, chief executive of the Institute of Highway Engineers, said Nottingham's signs could be confusing. He said the "box brownie" camera symbol on the approach to bus lanes should also have the words "bus lane cameras", like those used in other cities. "I do think we owe a duty of responsibility to any motorist, whether they be from the local area or from outside, to make sure we sign and line in a standard format," said Mr Hayes. "If that's not being done, then I think they are on very dodgy ground in terms of trying to enforce those restrictions." Last year Dr Stephen Sutcliffe from Liverpool won an appeal against a fine for using the lane, on the grounds signs were not clear. He said: "Since we were there they have put a temporary sign at one end of the bus lane in addition to the fixed signage that was there at the time, which suggests a tacit admission to the assertion the signage is inadequate." Nottingham City Council said: "There is absolutely no doubt the signs warning motorists about camera enforcement in Nottingham are up to standard, comply fully with Department for Transport guidelines, and that areas enforced by cameras in the city remain fully enforceable. "Motorists have a duty to observe all road signs and must comply with the restrictions - the vast majority do and are not issued with fines." It added it had challenged the ruling in Dr Sutcliffe's case and the matter was subject to judicial review. You can see more on this story on BBC East Midlands at 18:30 GMT on BBC One on Wednesday 8 February or via iPlayer afterwards.

Question: More than 11,000 @placeholder have been fined in one year for going through a so - called bus gate that is not on any public bus routes .


Alice's family had asked for the scope of the inquest to include why Arnis Zalkalns was allowed to live unchecked in the UK. The chief suspect who was jailed for murdering his wife in Latvia, Zalkalns was found hanged in west London. Alice's parents said they welcomed the coroner's decision. The full inquest, to be held in front of a jury, will start in June. Alice, 14, went missing on 28 August last year having last been seen alive on the Grand Union Canal towpath near Hanwell. Her body was found on 30 September after Scotland Yard's biggest search operation since the July 7 bombings in 2005. Builder Zalkalns, 41, is believed to have killed Alice in a sexually motivated attack and then dumped her body. He had been imprisoned in Latvia for murdering his wife but was released and travelled to the UK in 2007. His body was found in woodland in Boston Manor Park. Police said he would have been charged with Alice's murder had he lived. Alice Gross investigation - timeline The Gross family lawyer asked at a pre-hearing in October that the inquest should cover whether there was any failure by the authorities to implement statutory safeguards to protect the public under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights - the right to life. Sitting at the High Court earlier, Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said she accepted the submissions, adding that witnesses would be called to determine "how he (Zalkalns) came to be in the country in the first place, given his convictions for murder and firearms offences". The inquest will also look at "the systems that were in place at the time, and whether appropriate checks were carried out". Katerina Laiblova, Zalkalns' girlfriend, could be called to give evidence to the inquest about his mental state prior to his death, Dr Wilcox added. In 2009 Zalkans was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage girl but no charges followed. At the time of that alleged offence it appeared he was still subject to a supervisory or probationary arrangement in Latvia, that hearing was told. A statement from Alice's parents, Ros Hodgkiss and Jose Gross, said they were pleased "at the range of information that the coroner is willing to put in front of the jury". They also said it was their hope that the coroner "will be able to make recommendations to prevent this kind of thing happening again". A further pre-inquest hearing is scheduled to taken place in April.

Question: The inquest into the death of Alice Gross will examine whether failures by the government and police @placeholder to her death , a coroner has ruled .


The 20-week pilot study is thought to have been the first of its kind in the UK, although similar experiments have been carried out elsewhere. It used five years worth of historic data, but the idea would be to analyse up-to-date details if it is deployed. Civil liberty campaigners have voiced concerns. But Accenture - the firm that developed the software - highlighted the potential benefit it offered. "You've got limited police resources and you need to target them efficiently," said Muz Janoowalla, head of public safety analytics at the company. "What this does is tell you who are the highest risk individuals that you should target your limited resources against." The software works by merging together data from existing systems already used by the Metropolitan Police and carrying out predictive calculations. Types of information ranged from previous crimes to social media activity. "It's previous offending and various different sources that are used for intelligence, in terms of who they are involved with and who they associate with," explained Sarah Samee, a spokeswoman for the Met's Trident Gang Crime Command. Mr Janoowalla added: "For example if an individual had posted inflammatory material on the internet and it was known about to the Met - one gang might say something [negative] about another gang member's partner or something like that - it would be recorded in the Met's intelligence system. "What we were able to do was mine both the intelligence and the known criminal history of individuals to come up with a risk assessment model." The study used data gathered about known gang members across London's 32 boroughs across a four year period to forecast their likelihood of committing further violent acts. This was then compared to known acts of aggression that took place in the fifth year to give an indication as to whether the software was accurate. Mr Janoowalla said the intention was to identify groups of gang members that were at the highest risk of reoffending rather than singling out specific individuals. He said that he was confident the experiment had been a success, but added that he was not allowed to disclose the exact criteria on which the software was being scored. Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has asked for more information to be made public. "The police need to be very careful about how they use this kind of technology," said research director Daniel Nesbitt. "Big data solutions such as this can run the risk of unfairly targeting certain groups of people and potentially making them feel stigmatised as a result. "The Metropolitan Police must ensure that they are fully transparent about how they intend implement this technology and what type of information will be used in the process." In response Mr Janoowalla noted that the Ministry of Justice already operated the Offender Assessment System and Offender Group Reconviction Scale (Oasys) - a computer-based system used to predict the likelihood of different types of released criminals reoffending. He said the key difference with Accenture's software was that it was specifically tailored to tackle gang violence. While Accenture and the Met believe this is the first test of its kind in the UK, the company has carried out other crime-prevention analysis elsewhere. In Spain it has tried to identify locations where crimes are most likely to happen, and in Singapore it has tested software that monitors video feeds of crowds, traffic and other events to alert the authorities to potential risks. Other companies are pitching rival tools. IBM has explored how factors including weather patterns, past crimes, and surveillance efforts can be combined to predict threats. And police in Kent, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Yorkshire have all trialled software from PredPol, a US start-up, to help tackle street crime. However, campaign groups have warned against the danger of police gathering too much personal data. "It is clear that harnessing and analysing vast data sets may simplify the work of the police," said European human rights group Statewatch earlier this year "However, this in itself is not a justification for their use. There are all sorts of powers that could be given to law enforcement agencies, but which are not, due to the need to protect individual rights and the rule of law - effectiveness should never be the only yardstick by which law enforcement powers are assessed. "The ends of crime detection, prevention and reduction cannot in themselves justify the means of indiscriminate data-gathering and processing."

Question: Police in London have tested software @placeholder to identify which gang members are most likely to commit violent crimes .


It said net profits for the financial year to the end of March were likely to come in at 17bn yen (?¡ê150m) rather than 35bn yen. Nintendo says that the surge in the value of the Japanese currency has shrunk the yen value of overseas earnings. The company makes about three-quarters of its total sales overseas. The yen has enjoyed a haven status among investors worried by the turmoil on international markets, and has gained some 15% against the dollar since last summer. Nintendo sales were already falling towards the end of 2015. It is now reducing its sales forecasts for the whole year, due to sluggish demand for its 3DS portable gaming system and its Wii U console. However, Nintendo says that its new games, Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, were "blockbusters that vitalised the Wii U platform". Next month it is launching Miitomo, its first iOS and Android app, and is expected to release its new NX gaming platform around the middle of the year.

Question: Video game giant Nintendo has halved its full - year profit forecast , @placeholder slow sales and the strong yen .


After 12 years at the musical helm of the company, he is moving on, but not before he leads the orchestra through four operas and 15 hours of some of what he calls the most "physical" music on offer. "One of the biggest things in Wagner is seeing the wood for the trees," he says. "Even just doing one component of The Ring, say Das Rheingold which is two and a half hours of continuous music without an interval, you have to create a huge arch from beginning to end musically. "One gets obsessed and concerned about the little detail, but you have to have this big macro view when you get to perform it. "When you're doing the whole Ring, you are talking about a huge symphony of four different movements, [which are] essentially remoulding the same thematic material from start to finish, so creating this big span that makes an overall satisfactory musical and dramatic effect, that's the biggest challenge." For first violinist David Greed, the leader of Opera North's orchestra, The Ring Cycle is a "tremendously fitting finale" for Farnes, who he says is an "extraordinary" conductor. "Normally, with a conductor, you find faults everywhere, but Richard is the complete package. "He's secure and clear, there are no needless gestures in his conducting, and his ear is extraordinary. "If you think of Wagner and The Ring Cycle, he has over a hundred musicians sitting in front of him and if there's a wrong note, he'll find it straight away, be it in the second clarinet or the third tuba. "As a leader, it makes me a bit redundant. With Richard on the box, I don't have to pick up the pieces, because he does it all with great ease and precision." The company's general director Richard Mantle says while Farnes is a superb conductor, what raises him to even higher praise is his studious interest in what goes on beyond the orchestra pit. "He does have this supreme knack of getting under the skin of the operatic canon in a way that not all conductors do. "He takes a huge amount of interest in what's happening theatrically and has led a drive to enhance our casting, and that's certainly paying dividends." Soprano Giselle Allen, who takes the roles of Freia and Gutrune in the production, says that interest in the dramatic side sets Farnes apart from others that take the podium. "He's one of the few conductors who really understands the singer. "He's always there for you, looking up at you - if something goes a bit wrong on stage, you know that Richard's there getting you back in again. "He also understands the need for singers to breathe and the drama that's going on, on stage. "You feel that all the little cogs in the watch all work together, that you're not fighting with somebody in the pit who wants to do things his own way. "Richard has no ego, he's very much a team player." Greed agrees that Farnes' interest in the whole production and lack of ego are unusual and welcome traits. "I think this is the reason why some great conductors actually don't succeed in the opera theatre. "It's a really complicated medium and Richard is incredible - yes, he stands in the orchestral pit, but his soul is also on the stage and taking care of the singers. His care is all round. "And he has no flounce or ego about him at all - and we see a lot of ego, sitting in front of conductors." Farnes says he would "find it odd to conduct an opera without being involved with the dramatic side". "You have to question why did the composer do this? Why did he write this chord, this gesture, what's the purpose of it? "Ultimately, what goes on in the pit is very much supporting dramatically what is going on, on stage. "The pieces I enjoy conducting most are usually those that have a very dramatic orchestral role - where it's not decorating or merely supporting the singers, it's leading them dramatically." For Mantle, The Ring is an "entirely fitting" work to mark Farnes' departure, "because what we have discovered through working on Wagner over the last five years, is that we, the UK - maybe Europe and maybe the world - has got a new very fine Wagnerian conductor". Farnes says he "wouldn't want to consider myself as a Wagner conductor" as his "experience of Wagner is still very limited", but admits he does love the German composer's work, so much so that the hours fly by. "I find I get lost in it and I love the storytelling aspect of The Ring. "Wagner tells a fantastic story and the music is so physical, as physical as anybody since Beethoven, who Wagner admired a lot. "That backs up the storytelling and I find my mind tracing the storyline in a performance. It doesn't feel nearly so long when you're doing it." And, as for his future, he says he has "freelancing and guesting around" planned - and a good rest. "I have a lot of Verdi ahead, who people think of as the antithesis of Wagner. "I think we will all need a good holiday after six Ring Cycles, which is far more than most companies would ever do. "I don't think any of us - singers, orchestra and conductor - could do it without adrenaline. "You begin to realise how important a quality adrenaline is when you do things like this." Opera North play Wagner's The Ring Cycle across four nights at Leeds Town Hall from 24 May, before moving to venues in Nottingham, Salford, London and Gateshead.

Question: There can be few more challenging tasks as a conductor than taking on the whole of Wagner 's The Ring Cycle - but that is the one that has been @placeholder to Richard Farnes for his final assignment at Opera North .


Armed Forces Day, now in its ninth year, aims to give people the chance to thank people serving for their work. First Minister Carwyn Jones and Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns attended the Caerphilly event which included a Spitfire flypast. Events also took place in Swansea, and a service and parade in Wrexham. Chief of defence staff Sir Stuart Peach said: "The day is a chance for people to say thank you to the extraordinary men and women, stationed across the globe, who dedicate their lives to defending their country and keeping British people safe." At present, armed forces are involved in more than 20 operations in more than 25 countries across the world. Armed Forces Day also recognises the work done by reservists and cadets. In Wrexham, a parade led by the Royal Welsh Band left Hightown Barracks for the town centre and a service was held at the parish church. The Armed Forces Day flag were flown on Ceredigion County Council buildings on Saturday. And an all-day event was held at Swansea's Castle Square. A parachute display in Caerphilly had to be cancelled due to cloudy weather. North Wales Armed Forces Day event was held in Caernarfon last weekend. The 10th Armed Forces Day national event in 2018 will take place in Llandudno, Conwy county, Defence Minister Earl Howe has announced. He said: "Llandudno represents a superb venue for next year's celebrations and I'm sure the town will bring together the whole nation in celebrating our Armed Forces. "Wales was the proud host of the national event in 2010 when thousands of people celebrated in Cardiff. "The support from the Welsh Government and local communities, coupled with the rich and vibrant history of Llandudno, means that the town is the ideal choice to make the event even more successful in 2018."

Question: Servicemen and women from all branches of the Armed Forces are being @placeholder across Wales .


The account was one of a number gleaned from survivors of the downed German Heinkel aircraft in Victoria Road, Clacton, on 30 April, 1940. Frederick and Dorothy Gill both died when the plane landed on their home. Sunday's service will take place at the refurbished memorial site nearby where a commemorative stone is to be placed. The memorial works have been funded by an air disaster fund originally set up in 1940 but forgotten about following the war. The original fund was established by the Rev HG Redgrave, then chairman of Clacton Urban District Council (CUDC), after the crashed German bomber caused "severe damage and considerable distress". The council added ¡ê10,000 to the existing ¡ê1,700 fund to improve the landscaping around the memorial bench and plaque. After 1946, the fund was deposited into a Post Office Savings Bank Account. The amount of ¡ê243, 13 shillings and six pence held in the account in 1950 is now worth around ¡ê1,700. Items preserved from the scene of the crash 77 years ago will be brought to the service by the Clacton VCH Group (Clacton at War) group. In March, the council asked for relatives or those who remembered the crash to come forward. Although they have not been named, the council said a number of people had come forward to share their memories of the crash. Michael Talbot, the council's cabinet member for environment, said: "We had a good response to an appeal for anyone connected - or with family connected - to the plane coming down in 1940 to contact us. "Through the appeal we have received eye-witness accounts and we are hoping that some of those who came forward will be able to turn up on Sunday for the ceremony."

Question: An eyewitness account of a plane crash that caused the first World War Two civilian deaths on the British @placeholder will be read out at a memorial service .


And, if the past two years have set a precedent, Vladimir Putin will turn up on Sunday and sit with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone proudly overseeing his creation. The aim? To make the host city the highest-profile and most glamorous resort in the region. The setting is attractive enough. Sea? Check. Mountains? Check. Theme park? Check. It's not, though, likely to go down in history as a great grand prix circuit. The track may wind around the Olympic stadiums, but it is largely featureless - flat, some long straights, some largely right-angled corners, a technical challenge to the drivers but not much more. One blessing of its ultra-low abrasion surface, though, was a race last year in which drivers could push their tyres hard throughout. That led to an incident-packed event more obviously on the edge than many others these days. And if that carries on into 2016, and what is intended to be the last year of Pirelli's heat-sensitive, high-degradation tyres, it cannot be a bad thing. Andrew Benson, chief F1 writer Russian Grand Prix coverage details Media playback is not supported on this device Never want to miss the latest formula 1 news? You can now add F1 and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home.

Question: The Russian president ensured a reputed $ 50 m a year is @placeholder to make it happen , building on the 2014 Winter Olympics as part of a branding exercise for the Black Sea resort of Sochi .


Golf spectators may get the same health benefits as the players, in terms of longevity, physical and mental health, according to Dr Andrew Murray, a sports medicine doctor at Edinburgh University. He is leading a five-year project to assess the health benefits of golf for players and spectators, and will be carrying out research during the Paul Lawrie Matchplay at Archerfield Links in East Lothian from 4-7 August. "With golf, people tend to wander the course following their favourite players and potentially doing useful physical activity," he said. "When I was at the Open this year, there was an army of spectators walking the five miles around the course with the likes of Henrik Stenson. "I noted my wife, who is 35 weeks pregnant, had racked up 12,000-odd steps, so we are looking to assess whether this is the exception, or perhaps the norm. "There are absolutely top class golf and sports events in Scotland each year, and I guess many people don't appreciate that by watching in person and getting these steps in, your health can benefit as well as getting to watch the big names." Golfing bodies are starting to promote the health benefits of being a spectator. During the Ryder Cup an Active Scotland initiative, Walk the Course, encouraged spectators to walk to all areas of the venue by offering prizes for those who checked in at points around the course. By the end of the event, Ryder Cup fans collectively walked more than four times round the world, according to organisers. At the Paul Lawrie Matchplay, spectators are being encouraged to compare their steps with the players - who are likely to take 10,000 to 12,000 steps. Paul Lawrie said: "We know that regular exercise is one of the best things that you can do for your health. "We think that golf may be unique, in that spectators can walk the course, see the action and get some exercise which we know helps people live longer and happier. "We're urging spectators to come to the Paul Lawrie Matchplay, watch some of the best in Europe, and potentially benefit their health." Mr Murray said the project, which is being supported by the World Golf Foundation, would also assess injuries and illnesses that afflict golfers and how to reduce their risk. Are you a sports spectator who has found a way to get health benefits from being a fan, or have you been to an event which encouraged spectators to be more active? Perhaps you throw yourself into the Mexican Waves and dance moves orchestrated by event comperes? Maybe you walk to get the benefit of two or three vantage points during long distance running, swimming or cycling events? Or do you leave you car at home and walk to the home games of your local team? Tell us about it by emailing getinspired@bbc.co.uk with 'Fit fan' in the subject heading. If you fancy trying golf, have a look at our activity page on the sport.

Question: Being a sports fan can be an unhealthy pastime - sitting for long @placeholder , eating junk food and raised blood - pressure . Unless , that is , your sport of choice is golf .


By anyone's estimations, the general election of 2015 was an immense piece of administration. Forty-five million ballot papers were printed to reflect 650 separate candidate lists for the election. Forty-three thousand polling stations were staffed for 15 hours by 120,000 people. And the total cost of it came to ?¡ê98,845,157. But all that was organised with five years' notice - the duration between the previous election and the date of the 2015 poll. The time frame for the 2017 ballot, which takes place on 8 June, is little more than seven weeks. One Conservative member of staff told the BBC she was completely taken aback. "I have friends who work for ministers and even they didn't see it coming until the Cabinet meeting took place." The clock is already ticking, and there is much work to be done. A Labour aide working for an MP described the past week as "very stressful". "In my own time after work I've been contributing to campaign materials and arranging to uproot myself from London so I can go back to the constituency." While general elections are about putting MPs in Parliament, it falls to councils to organise the nitty-gritty of voting and counting. Venues for polling stations and counting centres will need to be earmarked and reserved for 8 June. And that needs to happen before polling cards can be sent out. This work is carried out by local authorities' electoral services divisions and overseen by returning officers. John Turner, chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, predicts this election will be particularly onerous for two reasons - the compressed time scale, and the fact local elections are already taking place in many areas in less than two weeks. "Many polling stations aren't publicly owned," said Mr Turner. "They're church halls or community centres, and a lot rests on returning officers' ability to persuade the owners to move things around and make the space available." As for staffing, electoral services departments maintain databases of temporary workers. But "in this case some of them may already have made other plans or booked holidays". "Although returning officers are helped by permanent teams, this varies a lot. In some district councils it will only be two or three people and colleagues from other departments will have to pitch in. "It's going to be an intense time for many of us, working 12-hour days." Mr Turner is confident, however, that it will all come together in time, noting: "We're a bit like the duck paddling away beneath the water but serene on the surface." There's equally little hope of sleep for those in charge of political policy making. They will be working around the clock on putting together manifestoes. It's a particularly stressful time for the party in government, says Nick Pearce, head of the No 10 policy unit under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. As well as existing government duties, staff will be working "flat-out" to get the document finalised. "A minister, usually from the Cabinet Office, takes overall responsibility, working with political staff from different departments to draft sections and liaise with the prime minister and her chief of staff," he explained. Ministers, lobbyists and Treasury staff also get heavily involved, trying to place pet projects and ensure big-ticket items are properly costed. "There's huge pressure not to get anything wrong," said Mr Pearce. "But working quickly like this there is certainly potential for that to happen." And what of getting the message out? Seven weeks is "a very, very tight time frame" for organising a marketing and advertising strategy, said Rachel Hamburger, an advertising executive and former Lib Dem campaigner. "I'd be very surprised if we saw any nationwide broadcast campaigns comparable to famous ones of the past such as the Blair 'devil eyes'," she said. "With a long run-up, parties could be expected to run focus groups, market research and analysis of what is most important to their campaign before deploying adverts. This time, she believes. parties will "concentrate resources on individual seats and simple messages". Elsewhere in the media, broadcasters are preparing for election night. The BBC is reassigning hundreds of researchers, producers, camera crews and local reporters to put together its results programme. Parties, meanwhile, have to deal with the small matter of ensuring there are candidates in place in 650 constituencies for people to elect. Labour and the Conservatives have both altered their normal selection procedures to speed things up, while all 54 of the SNP's existing MPs are expected to stand again. The other parties are in varying states of readiness. The Lib Dems say they have about 100 candidates still to pick. UKIP and Plaid Cymru will adopt the bulk of their candidates next week, while Greens' selection is under way with local electoral alliances under consideration. None of Northern Ireland's parties are thought to have selected candidates, as talks continue about restoring devolved government. Most candidates will not have had a chance to allocate resources. It has already led some to take the unusual step of appealing for online donations. Regional party offices will provide MPs and activists with support, but the prevailing mood could be described as one of apprehensiveness. When asked to sum up how things were going, a fretful Conservative source said: "Everything is basically on fire." A Labour campaigner replied with a series of distressed crying and screaming emojis. However, on a purely technical point, it's worth noting the 50-day gap between announcement and polling day is actually the longest since 1983. What's different this time is the lack of preamble, and thus preparation. As the BBC's former head of political research David Cowling put it: "Everyone was lulled into a false sense of security by assurances... and we're now completely stunned." Sign-up to get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Question: When Theresa May announced on Tuesday she was seeking an early general election , scores of people saw their weekends and half - term holidays @placeholder in a giant puff of electioneering , manifesto - writing and the mammoth admin task of staging a nationwide ballot .


Underlying annual profits for 2015 fell 2% to ¡ê5.4bn. The bank said it would cut its dividend by more than half to 3p per share in 2016 and 2017. Barclays also announced a further ¡ê1.45bn provision for PPI mis-selling. It said it wanted to form two, main core divisions - Barclays UK and Barclays Corporate and International. The bank said it would slim down its 62.3% stake in its Africa business in the next two to three years. Barclays said it would split the company into Barclays UK and Barclays Corporate and International by 2019. The UK's big four banks are having to make these changes to comply with tougher new banking regulations designed to prevent ordinary customers suffering from decisions made by investment bankers in the event of another credit crisis. Barclays, like most of the world's major banks, has been tainted by - and fined for - rigging prices in both foreign exchange and Libor interest rates. It confirmed it was assisting both the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in their investigation about Barclays's hiring practices in Asia, which centre on allegations jobs were given to people with influence. In the UK, the bank said it had put aside a further ¡ê1.45bn this quarter to meet compensation claims for mis-selling payment protection insurance (PPI). That brings the total for this year to ¡ê2.77bn. Barclays has so far set aside ¡ê7.42bn for wrongly selling this insurance for loans. Mr Staley told the BBC his main aim was to restore the bank's reputation. "We are working at Barclays to change conduct," he said. "I am truly dedicated that Barclays rests itself on the foundations of integrity and engenders trust from our clients, so the conduct issues will be a thing of the past. "I do believe that trust is returning to our institution. "But we will never rest, we are never done. "We have to focus on building that trust every day." Mr Staley said the bank's decision on Africa, where it has had a presence for more than 100 years, had been "very difficult". "The reality is, in this new regulatory environment, we carry 100% of the liabilities, but we only own 62% of Barclays Africa," he said. "It truncated possible returns from investing in Africa." Barclays has more than 12 million customers across 12 nations in Africa. "You go to places like Uganda and Kenya and the brand of Barclays is as strong there as it is in the UK," Mr Staley said. "But we have to make some very difficult decisions if we are going to get Barclays into focused, clear, compelling business model that generates returns for our shareholders." Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the new boss was clearly taking a big broom to Barclays's operations in an attempt to dramatically simplify the group. "When the dust has cleared, the bank should have two high-quality financial services divisions, and the potential to offer investors a decent dividend, but it is going to take some elbow grease to get there," he said. Mr Khalaf said the move to reduce its interests in Africa made sense as it would "free up capital and get rid of an unwanted distraction as the bank continues its clean-up operations". The news that Barclays intends to retreat from Africa after 100 years of doing business there was one of the most eye-catching lines from the Barclays boss. In recent years, former chief executive Antony Jenkins and before him Bob Diamond had described Africa as an important growth market for the bank. Barclays Africa employs 45,000 people in Africa, so it is not an easy thing to sell, and the list of potential buyers is not a long one. At the top of that list of potential buyers might be ex-Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond. Read more from Simon Barclays also said its bonus pool for staff in 2015 had shrunk 10% to ¡ê1.67bn. Mr Staley, who took up his post in December, told the BBC the bank was competing on an international level. "In the last four years, Barclays bonus pool has been cut in half," he said. "This is a dramatic move - but we need to pay competitively. "Whether it is a bank manager in Manchester or a banker in New York, we need to pay our people competitively for Barclays to be competitive." The annual report shows former chief executive Antony Jenkins, who was sacked in July, was paid ¡ê3.4m last year, of which ¡ê500,000 was a bonus payment.

Question: Barclays shares closed down 7 % after reporting a drop in full - year profits , a dividend cut and a restructuring @placeholder reducing its stake in Africa .


Ashley Gamble, from Leicester, told the Sun that dozens of the creepy-crawlies emerged from a cocoon on the fruit. There is speculation they were Brazilian wandering spiders, a bite from which can cause an "extremely painful" erection and possible death. Asda said finds like this were "rare" and it was investigating further. Mr Gamble, who moved his family out of the home for a brief period, said it was like "something out of a horror movie". "All our bananas are washed and sprayed before they are transported to the UK and every single piece of fruit is manually checked for quality and stowaways," a spokeswoman for Asda said. "We sell one billion bananas every year and the chance of finding a spider is incredibly low, but very occasionally one hangs around to give us a fright." To rid the property of the spiders a pest control firm heated the house up to 60?¡ãC to neutralise them. Paul Gale, from the company, said Brazilian wandering spiders were "potentially lethal". "They are from a humid, moist climate.  The heat we're putting in is a dry heat and they are unable to live." Matthew Holden, from the Nottingham Reptile Centre, said their venom could cause an "extremely painful" erection. However, he added that the "spiders in fruit stories" could be "blown out of proportion" as they were probably more likely to be harmless and from the UK. There has been no independent confirmation of what species was found at the house.

Question: A family have had their home fumigated due to an infestation of " deadly spiders " they say @placeholder in a bunch of bananas from their local Asda .


Nicholson has remained hopeful of agreeing a new deal with the 31-year-old, who scored three goals in 18 league games last season. "Funds are very low at the moment," Nicholson told BBC Sport. "Shaun, as is his right, needs a certain amount to be able to carry on playing for us." Nicholson says a lot of work is being done to generate extra money for the National League club - which is still the subject of an ongoing takeover bid - to enable him to sign the former Northampton, Notts County and Bury forward. "We're trying to raise as many funds as we can through sponsorships and through the players' fund so that maybe I can go back to Shaun and offer him something that can get him to come back," Nicholson added. "But at the moment we're stuck in a little bit of a stalemate as I haven't got enough money to offer him, but I don't want him to leave. "So until I take the deal away or until he signs a with somebody else, I've still got hope on that one. "I get on really well with Shaun, so we both know exactly where we stand, but I'm having to put some work in to try and raise some money."

Question: Torquay United manger Kevin Nicholson says the club may @placeholder out on the chance to re-sign striker Shaun Harrad due to a lack of finances .


Colm Cavanagh has recovered from a knee injury that he sustained in a recent club match and remains at midfield with Conall McCann. David Mulgrew also starts after being a late inclusion for the Donegal game. Down make one change from their semi-final win over Monaghan with Joe Murphy replacing Peter Turley at wing-forward. Twelve different players got on the scoresheet in Tyrone's hugely impressive nine-point victory at the semi-final stage. Cathal McCarron wore the number six jersey against Donegal but lined out at corner-back and he is named in the full-back line with Padraig Hampsey selected at centre half-back. Media playback is not supported on this device Harte accepts it will be a challenge for his side to play any better, but insists there is still room for improvement. "We did a lot of things very well but we made mistakes as well," said Harte. "We were opened up for a number of goal chances in that game. "It was a very good performance but I wouldn't say that it was a complete performance because we can be better at some aspects of our play. "That is the six million dollar challenge for us now to get to that standard at least plus more the next day. "I would rather be dealing with that than wondering could we play well. You can't have it every way. "You can't do things and then worry about doing them. "I now know that we can play that well so if we can repeat that then we will be in a good place." Harte is attempting to win his sixth Ulster SFC title in charge of Tyrone, and a first back-to-back since 2009-2010. Down have not won the Anglo Celt Cup since 1994 and last appeared in the final in 2012, losing to Donegal. They have caused Tyrone plenty of trouble during Harte's 15-year reign, however, taking them to Ulster Championship replays in 2003, 2008 and 2014, winning once after extra-time in 2008. Those experiences have made Harte wary of a side still regarded as rank outsiders despite impressive victories over Armagh and Monaghan. Media playback is not supported on this device "It has always been a battle between us and them and because they are a people who have a strong tradition of playing quality football the evidence is there. "Form points to the fact, that in theory, we should win this game but form doesn't win games for you. "It is how you prepare number one and how you deliver on that preparation and that's our challenge. "If we can deliver on the best of our own preparation to the best of our ability then I'm confident that we can win this game." Tyrone: N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, P Hampsey, P Harte; C Cavanagh, C McCann; D Mulgrew, N Sludden, K McGeary; M Bradley, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly. Subs: M O'Neill, L Brennan, R Brennan, M Cassidy, R Donnelly, D McClure, D McCurry, Justin McMahon, C McShane, C Meyler, R O'Neill. Down: M Cunningham; N McParland, G McGovern, D O'Hagan; D O'Hanlon, C McGovern, C Mooney; K McKernan, N Donnelly; J Murphy, C Maginn, S Millar; J Johnston, C Harrison, R Johnston.

Question: Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has @placeholder the starting line - up which beat Donegal for Sunday 's Ulster SFC final with Down at Clones .


The former South Wales Police officers are suing the force after corruption allegations were made over the Lynette White murder investigation. In 2011, they were cleared of perverting the course of justice following the wrongful conviction of three men for her 1988 murder. The review's findings are due in 2016. On 14 February 1988, 20-year-old Lynette White was found stabbed more than 50 times in the Cardiff docklands flat where she worked as a prostitute. South Wales Police launched an investigation and Stephen Miller, Yusef Abdullahi and Anthony Paris, who became known as the "Cardiff Three", were jailed for life in 1990 after being convicted of her murder. But their convictions were quashed on appeal in 1992 after judges were told they had been "fitted up" for the crime. A new investigation was launched by the force but it was not until 2003, 11 years after the Cardiff Three were freed, that the real killer was identified. A breakthrough in DNA techniques led detectives to Jeffrey Gafoor's Bridgend home. He was arrested and later admitted her murder. In the years that followed, questions were raised over the initial investigation into her death ultimately leading to eight former police officers being charged in 2011 with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. But the trial later that year collapsed in dramatic fashion when prosecutors lost confidence in the disclosure process and the case was abandoned. All eight were cleared of any wrong-doing and have since launched civil action against South Wales Police. And on Thursday at a pre-case hearing at the High Court sitting at Cardiff, it was said that the findings of the review into the matter would be made public after the the civil action is concluded. Richard Horwell QC, who was appointed by the Home Secretary to head the inquiry, had initially been due to report his findings by the summer but due to the civil action under way is now not expecting to complete his inquiry until the spring of 2016. The civil action by the former officers is due to be heard in October.

Question: A review into why the UK 's biggest police corruption trial collapsed is to report its findings after civil action by eight officers involved @placeholder .


Ivan Rakitic deflected Guilherme Siqueira's cross-shot into his own net to give Valencia a shock lead. Santi Mina then finished a terrific move by slotting in a second goal in first-half stoppage time. Messi ended a club goal drought of 515 minutes, but Barcelona now only lead Atletico Madrid on goal difference. Luis Enrique's side began April with a nine-point lead over second-placed Atletico, but their season has crumbled since then, with defeat against Real Madrid in El Clasico marking the start of a dreadful run. It was Atletico who ended Barcelona's chances of retaining the Champions League in midweek, and who drew level at the top of La Liga with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Granada earlier on Sunday. Barca, playing the 53rd match of a draining season that included a trip to Japan in December to win the Club World Cup, looked weary and short of ideas as they attempted to fight back from a 2-0 half-time deficit. They could lose top spot if they fail to win at Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday, with Atletico visiting Athletic Bilbao on the same night, and Real Madrid - just a point behind in third place - also in action, at home to Villarreal. When Messi scored for Barcelona in a Champions League victory over Arsenal on 16 March, few expected he would have to wait more than a month to find the net for his club again. The forward did score his 499th career goal in the meantime - a penalty for Argentina in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia on 30 March. But his form for Barca has dipped at the same time as their fortunes, and he has suffered his longest run without scoring for Barcelona since 2008. Messi was denied three times in the first half as the home side created a host of chances without taking advantage. Eventually, he did score - turning in Jordi Alba's pull-back from the left - but with Barca two goals down by that stage, there was little reason for the reigning world footballer of the year to celebrate his landmark achievement. This was some transformation for a Valencia side humiliated 7-0 on their last visit to the Nou Camp, in the first leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final on 3 February. Pako Ayestaran, who replaced the sacked Gary Neville as manager on 30 March, put out a line-up with far more discipline and spirit than they showed on that miserable night. Shkodran Mustafi, once part of the youth set-up at Everton, was pivotal to their victory. The German centre-back was outstanding in frustrating Barcelona's much-vaunted forward line for much of the evening - as Ayestaran's side climbed to 12th place. Siqueira, on loan from Barcelona's title rivals Atletico Madrid, also had a significant role to play for Valencia. The Brazilian full-back broke forward on to Andre Gomes' pass and looked as if he would be credited with the opening goal as his delivery from the left was fumbled in at the near post by Claudio Bravo. Television replays, though, showed that Rakitic had got the decisive touch. Mina, who scored when the reverse fixture ended 1-1 in December, then took advantage to place Dani Parejo's through pass inside Bravo's far post as Sergi Roberto failed to track his run. Valencia's victory, and Barcelona's troubles, could be boiled down to a tale of two players called Alves - one who started, and one who did not. Diego Alves, the visitors' goalkeeper, rivalled team-mate Mustafi in terms of influence on the result, making a hat-trick of saves to keep out Messi, and showing sharp reflexes to deny Neymar and Rakitic too. In the Barcelona line-up, there was no place at right-back for Dani Alves, dropped to the bench after a bizarre post on Instagram that made light of his team's midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid. The defender put on a wig and impersonated his girlfriend, model Joana Sanz, to give a tongue-in-cheek reaction to Wednesday's 3-2 aggregate defeat. His replacement, Sergi Roberto, is primarily a central midfielder, and looked uncomfortable in the full-back position - which was a significant factor in Valencia's second goal. Barcelona coach Luis Enrique: "We have to remain strong. We need to win the last five games and I know we can do it. "We were better than Valencia in every aspect apart from our finishing. We created a lot of chances but we were unlucky. "We've dropped three points that we could have taken but football is like that."

Question: Lionel Messi 's 500th career goal could not prevent @placeholder leaders Barcelona suffering a third successive La Liga defeat for the first time since 2003 .


"With new cover of French paper, a new set of fears," says the New York Times on its front page, adding that there is a "dread that Charlie Hebdo may prompt further violence". In an op-ed piece in the paper, Turkish writer Mustafa Akyol calls on the Muslim world to ease its concept of blasphemy. "Rage is a sign of nothing but immaturity," he says. "The power of any faith comes not from its coercion of critics and dissenters. It comes from the moral integrity and the intellectual strength of its believers." Many Muslim Middle Eastern newspapers - even moderate ones - strongly criticise the magazine's front-page cartoon of Muhammad. "Charlie Hebdo continues its provocation," reads a headline on the front page of Jordan's establishment daily Al-Dustour. In the Algerian daily Echourouk, Habib Rashdin criticises the French government for helping to fund the new edition of Charlie Hebdo, saying this "violates all red lines, and is an open crusade against Muslims". "It has become every Muslim's right today to file a lawsuit against the country's ambassadors over charges of 'insult and contempt for religion'," he adds. The front page of another Algerian paper, the anti-Islamist Ennahar, features a large picture of a sign saying "Nous sommes tous¡Mohamed" ("We are all Muhammad"), in a reference to the ubiquitous declarations of "Je suis Charlie". Iran's official rolling news TV channel IRINN describes the cartoon as "an act of provocation". Showing part of the cartoon but without Muhammad, Iran's English-language international channel Press TV warns that the cartoon "will stir up more hatred". In Turkey, Yeni Akit - a paper that supports the Islamist governing party - launches a strongly-worded broadside against Charlie Hebdo and the West in general, under the headline "Ignominy continues". "Despite the perilous events, the arrogant magazine Charlie Hebdo and the Western media, under the thumb of Zionist powers, carry on their cowardly attacks against Muslims and the Islamic world," it thunders. But secular opposition Cumhuriyet reprinted four pages of the Charlie Hebdo edition as an act of solidarity, albeit without the front-page cartoon of Muhammad. The daily's plans prompted a police raid on its printing house on Tuesday evening, although the edition was allowed to go ahead once it was clear that no images of Muhammad would be published. Two columnists from the newspaper included a smaller version of the cover in their columns online. Several commentators urge France and other countries to outlaw the insulting of religions and religious figures, saying that failing to do so will only encourage Islamic extremism. "I look forward to a French law that protects people's sanctities and beliefs from attack and ridicule," Idris al-Driss writes in the Saudi daily Al-Watan. "Freedom of expression should end at and not cross the limits of offending others over their colour, race or religion," he adds. "Insulting religions should be legally treated as racism." In the Lebanese daily Al-Anwar, Raouf Shahouri accuses the West of double standards. He says some countries penalise expressions of anti-Semitism while "seeing no crime in attacking the prophet of Muslims and hurting the feelings of more than a billion Muslims around the world". "This pattern of half-blind western justice is the major source of terrorism," Mr Shahouri says. In France itself, the sales success of the new Charlie Hebdo edition is front-page news for many papers, which pay homage to the satirical magazine. Many of their websites include pictures of Charlie Hebdo's cover. The front page of the left-wing daily Liberation is covered with small copies of the front-page cartoon of Mohammed, with the superimposed headline "Je suis en kiosque" ("I am on sale at the newsagent's"). Le Point magazine looks back at the history of Charlie Hebdo, with numerous cartoons from "over 55 years of impertinent illustration". But liberal Le Monde strikes a more questioning note, referring on its website to the arrest of controversial comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala for allegedly voicing support for terrorism. "'Charlie', Dieudonne - what are the limits of freedom of expression?" it asks in a headline. In Germany, the front-page of the left-wing Berlin daily Tageszeitung features nothing but a huge image of Charlie Hebdo's front-page cartoon. At the top of the front-page of the liberal Sueddeutsche Zeitung, is an image of Charlie Hebdo editor Gerard Briard brandishing the new edition at the magazine's Tuesday news conference. The daily's website features a zoomable image showing a two-page spread from the new Charlie Hebdo edition. In China, state-controlled media voice alarm at Charlie Hebdo's decision to feature a cartoon of Muhammad on its front page, saying it unnecessarily provokes Muslims. An editorial in the tabloid Global Times describes the cartoon as "inappropriate". "If Charlie Hebdo remains defiant on issues regarding Islam, it will probably put the French government in a difficult position," it adds. A counter-terrorism analyst interviewed by the paper strongly criticises the West's approach to other cultures in general, saying its "pride and arrogance do not conform to the objective reality that we live in a multicultural society". In Russia, a commentary in business daily Vedomosti links the debate about Charlie Hebdo and free speech with the West's conflict with Russia. It says the attack on Charlie Hebdo has united western European public opinion in defiance and has proven that the Kremlin's hopes of turning Europeans away from "open society values" and towards its emphasis on "traditional values" are futile. "Russia has found itself in isolation in the company of marginal politicians and terrorists offended by cartoons," it says. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

Question: Newspapers across the globe @placeholder to the " survivors ' edition " of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo - featuring a cartoon of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad - with a mixture of anger , concern and solidarity .


Brewer Tennent Caledonian said it was part of its commitment to promote responsible drinking. Last year, the UK's chief medical officer recommended that adults should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. The revised guidelines will start to appear on 24 packs of 440ml, 500ml and 568ml Tennent's cans later this month. The new label comes almost a year after the brand started publishing calorie information on its packaging. Sales director at Tennent's, Alan Hay, said the labelling would help drinkers make "informed decisions". He said: "Including the latest weekly unit advice on our packaging was the logical next step following our decision to be the first alcohol business in the UK to display calorie content on our products in 2016. "Consumers are increasingly more interested in their food and drink intake. "We are a business committed to responsibility around our brands and believe it's important to communicate this information so our drinkers can make informed decisions about their alcohol consumption." The new labels will also include a warning to avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive and direct consumers to the Drink Aware website. C&C Group, which owns Tennent's, will also include the guidelines on other brands, such as Magners Cider over the next year. Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, called on all drinks manufacturers to follow suit. She added: "The UK chief medical officer guidelines give the public the latest and most up-to-date scientific information so that they can make informed decisions about their own drinking and understand the risks alcohol may pose to their health."

Question: Cans of Tennent 's lager are to carry @placeholder weekly alcohol consumption guidelines in an industry first .


Often dubbed as the "Monaco of the East", the red dot has beaten a path to steady economic progress and prosperity since the 1970s. Much of the city's success can be attributed to the vision of one man - Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister who died this week. He was in office from 1959 to 1990. The tenure made him the world's longest-serving prime minister in history. Singapore broke away from neighbouring Malaysia and gained independence in 1965. About half a century ago, Singapore was an island without any natural resources to call its own. Since then, it has pulled off a dramatic transformation - boasting two casino-integrated resorts and an airport that has frequently topped the "world's best" list. In addition, the central business district is crowded with skyscrapers that rival neighbouring Hong Kong and mid-town Manhattan in far-flung New York. Mr Lee was not one to shy away from his achievements for Singapore. The second volume of his published memoirs carries the title, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000. To help sum up his economic triumphs for the city state, several experts shared their views on Lee Kuan Yew's economic legacies for Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew's emphasis on growth, the thrust on making Singapore attractive as a destination for  investment as well as the focus on drawing world class manpower; building state of the art infrastructure and excellent air and sea linkages; a low and transparent tax regime; clean and efficient bureaucracy; a strong regulatory and legal framework; a neutral diplomatic policy which has ensured it is an ally of the US as well as China; and developing a clean and green city, have ensured Singapore's stupendous economic success. These factors have led to the emergence of Singapore as a powerful and wealthy financial centre. A trained lawyer, this visionary leader was Singapore's chief architect in harnessing social cohesion despite ethnic and religious diversity; and in engineering an economic miracle. His defining economic policy is arguably uncompromising standards for a universally accessible, top-flight public education system - astutely identifying human capital as Singapore's key competitive advantage - supplemented with rigorous application of meritocracy. This understated principle accelerated economic ascendancy by unleashing the forces of upward social mobility for all, with little tolerance for complacency or corruption. Complemented by a fair and transparent judiciary, businesses thrived. But above all, Mr Lee's principled approach to nation building forged his legacy as a luminary. Lee Kuan Yew performed a miracle transforming Singapore from one of the poorest countries in the world in the 1960s to being among the most advanced today. His main contribution, and the key to his success, was that he understood that in order to put Singapore on a sustainable growth trajectory one needs much more than sound economic policy. Any policy can be reversed, any incentives for growth can be dismantled. Mr Lee built a country whose institutional set-up is unparalleled. This includes the rule of law; efficient government structures; the continuous fight against corruption; and overall stability. Lee Kuan Yew's vision was to build an economically sound country that would be robust enough for future generations. But he knew Singapore had limitations. To achieve his dream, he had to change the mindset of its then population of around two million people. Singaporeans had to be more welcoming to immigrants if the country were to grow. The population needed to expand by continually attracting high-calibre people who would create employment, bring in much-needed capital and most importantly, pass on their key skills. It is thanks to Lee Kuan Yew's vision that Singapore is as welcoming to immigrants today as it was 50 years ago. But it is the integration of foreign and home-grown talent that has allowed the country to enjoy decades of economic growth. The economic value of every person in Singapore today is as high as that of the US. After the separation from Malaysia, Lee Kuan Yew developed a highly technocratic government which led to competitive, meritocratic and results-based economic policies. Some key decisions were the development of Changi Airport as a regional transport hub after Singapore outgrew the previous Paya Lebar airport, which was a state-of-the-art facility when it opened in the 1950s. The air hub and the aggressive defence of Singapore as a sea freight trans-shipment hub - as well as the technocratic foundations of transparency and good governance - led to Singapore's position as a natural hub for multinational businesses in Asia. Other key positive economic policies included the Central Provident Fund, Housing Development Board flat ownership and integrated education, which all helped Singapore transition from a village setting towards towns and the highly sophisticated cosmopolitan global city we see today. With such high praises, what does the future hold for Singapore? Can it sustain the pace of development amid the current economic turbulence in Europe and while America is still finding its footing for growth? While some see continued success, others are warning of a changing landscape. Singapore is one of the most competitive economies in the world today. In order to maintain rising wages and improving living standards, Singapore will continue to transform its economy towards higher-value-added industries with strong productivity growth. Key growth drivers for Singapore over the next decade will be Singapore's role as one of the world's leading financial centres; its competitiveness as a logistics, shipping and aviation hub; and its role as a regional HQ for global multinationals. The long-term outlook for Singapore remains very bright. There are downside risks to growth which stem from rising income inequality and restrictions on free speech. There is an attempt to widen the social security net, which could partially ease signs of unrest in a local population grappling with the high cost of living. The government will have to strike a fine balance between being fiscally prudent and expanding welfare schemes, in order to retain its high sovereign ratings. A population that is social media savvy is also more politically engaged and this will mean that a higher proportion of younger voters will demand the right to dissent. Gradually, the political system and the economic regime put in place by Lee Kuan Yew will unwind and become less and less effective. This is partly because of changing circumstances over which Singapore has no or little control, but also because Lee has left in place a broken system of elite regeneration. In short, his system only works with someone as smart and ruthless as Lee Kuan Yew at the top. My fear is that his successors might be able to bring themselves to be as ruthless as Lee, but not as smart. This would be the worst of all worlds. A better scenario would see a more flexible and open political system that is less ruthless and has much more public accountability.

Question: At one @placeholder north of the equator , tropical Singapore has become a hotspot known for its efficient infrastructure , rooftop bars , chilli crab , and host city to the only night race on the Formula 1 racing calendar .


Police said they were called to the "sudden death" of the Bournemouth University student, aged in her 30s, at a house in Gillet Road. Officers discovered "unknown chemical substances" at the property. Neighbours left their homes while the substances were removed on Thursday. The death is not being treated as suspicious and next of kin are aware. The university described the death in the student village on the edge of its Talbot Campus as "an isolated incident" and said it was "making support available for any student who has been affected". Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene.

Question: A student has died and homes have been @placeholder after chemicals were found at university accommodation in Poole .


The Nikkei closed up 1.3% at 20,376.59. Stock markets around the world had fallen on Monday in reaction to the "no" vote in Greece's referendum, but the declines were not as bad as feared. On Tuesday, Greece is expected to present new proposals at a eurozone emergency summit. The plan is said to include a demand for Greece's debt to be cut by up to 30%. The European Central Bank (ECB) is maintaining its pressure on Greek banks, refusing to increase emergency lending and ordering them to provide more security for existing emergency loans. On Monday, the main share indexes in the US all closed down about 0.3%. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 slipped 0.8%, France's Cac 40 dropped 2% and Germany's Dax index lost 1.5%. The euro had dipped at first against major currencies on Monday, but then recovered later in the day. Speaking on Monday, Neil Williams, chief economist at Hermes Investment Management, said: "Markets have yet to be convinced in full either that the [Greek] exit door will be open or that the extent of any contagion from this could be irreparably damaging to the system."

Question: Japan 's Nikkei index rebounded slightly on Tuesday , a day after stock markets had fallen in the wake of Greece 's decision to reject the @placeholder of an international bailout .