A turtle, thought to be from the Gulf of Mexico, that washed up on a Cumbrian beach has died.

Article: In 2015, UK residents took 65.7m foreign holidays or business trips.
That was despite a number of high profile terrorist attacks in Europe.
They included the deaths of 130 people in Paris in November, and the killing of 38 holiday-makers on a beach in Tunisia in June.
The travel industry said the figures showed the "resilience" of UK travellers.
"The 9.4% growth recorded in overseas holidays during the year is the largest annual rise in nearly twenty years, and spending on holidays exceeded pre-crisis levels for the first time since the recession," said a spokesperson for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
Spain was easily the most popular country for UK residents to visit, with 13m trips there during the year. That accounted for nearly a fifth of all foreign travel by Brits.
At the same time the number of trips by foreign visitors to the UK rose by 5.1%, to a record high of 36.1m.
But while foreigners spent £22.1bn on visits to the UK, Brits spent £39bn abroad.
That spending gap of £16.9bn is the highest since 2008, and accounted for a large slice of the UK's overall balance of payments deficit of £96.2bn in 2015.
The French were the biggest visitors to the UK, with 4m trips.
Behind them were the Germans and the Americans, with 3m visits each. However American visitors spend more, so are more important to the economy.
Outside London, the cities with the highest number of visitors were Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, each of which had more than a million foreign visits.

Summary: The number of trips by UK residents abroad increased by 9.4% last year, the largest rise since 1998, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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Article: Natural England is preparing to issue licenses that will allow farmers to shoot badgers at night in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset.
The government says action is needed to help combat cattle TB, which costs the UK more than Â£100m per year.
The Badger Trust, which claims the government is acting illegally, is taking its case to the Court of Appeal.
In July, it lost a legal bid at the High Court to block badger culling in England.
Gwendolen Morgan of the law firm Bindmans LLP, which represents the Badger Trust, told BBC News: "Culling as proposed is likely to do more harm than good and we hope that the Court of Appeal will find in our favour and prevent this recipe for disaster and prompt more productive means such as vaccination and cattle control measures."
The Badger Trust argues that the cull is illegal, as it will at best make a small impact on the disease and could make it worse.
However, the government argues that bovine TB is taking a terrible toll on farmers and rural communities, and action is needed now.
A Defra spokesperson said: "Nobody wants to cull badgers. But no country in the world where wildlife carries TB has eradicated the disease in cattle without tackling it in wildlife too."
If what Defra calls "controlled shooting" of badgers is to take place this year, the six-week cull must begin soon, before the badger breeding season begins.
Culling is not permitted when there is a risk that badgers feeding their young might be killed, leaving their cubs underground without food.
In England, two companies have been set up by farmers to manage the cull, using trained marksmen to shoot badgers at night on farm land in two pilot areas each the size of the Isle of Wight.
Natural England, the government agency in charge of issuing the licenses, says holders must liaise closely with the local police, including on dates, times and areas where badger control will take place.
A spokesperson from Natural England said there was no definitive time scale for issuing the licenses but "we would hope to...

Summary: Badgers could be shot across England within weeks, barring a last minute legal challenge.
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Article: The Kemp's ridley turtle was one of two found on beaches near Formby, Merseyside, and Cumbria's Walney Island on 22 December.
The reptile found in Merseyside died soon after, but the other was being looked after at the Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport.
Aquarium owner Mark Vollers said it had struggled to feed itself.
The turtles were believed to be from the Gulf of Mexico 5,000 miles (8,000 km) away and were among a small number which washed up on British and European shores last month.
Mr Vollers told BBC Cumbria: "We thought we had a 50/50 chance, which would've improved if it had started feeding.
"It was getting some sustenance in other ways but not really enough to recover.
"We were following a strict agreed protocol arrived at after consultation with vets here and in other countries - people who have experience of this species of turtle."
The turtle, possibly aged about 20, is now with a specialist vet who will determine the cause of death.
Source: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Summary:


The UK's Department for Education has published a plan for a budget to be imposed if the Stormont parties could not reach a deal.
The indicative figures included a 2.5% cut to education.
At the time, the group of more than 40 principals in schools in the Belfast area called the proposals "t

Belfast City Council has backed a group of principals who say they will refuse to make cuts to school budgets.

Article: Ms Suu Kyi's presence is seen as a sign of improving ties with the military since her release from house arrest.
Addressing the gathering, army chief General Min Aung Hlaing told troops the military would maintain a role in national politics.
The event comes ongoing communal violence in central Burma.
Armed Forces Day marks the 68th anniversary of Burma's uprising against Japanese rule.
Over 6,000 troops were in attendance, as military jeeps and tanks took part in the parade in Burma's capital, Nay Pyi Taw.
Aung San Suu Kyi's attendance is a striking symbol of the reconciliation between her and the institution that locked her and so many of her supporters up for many years, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head reports.
In the past she was a strident critic of the military's grip on Burma. Today she is making conspicuous efforts to build good relations with the armed forces, which still hold an automatic quarter of the seats in parliament, our correspondent adds.
Elections in November 2010 replaced decades of military rule with a military-backed civilian government, which has since initiated a series of reforms.
Ms Suu Kyi was freed from years of house arrest in late 2010. Her NLD party, which boycotted the polls, now has a small presence in parliament after rejoining the political fold and contesting subsequent by-elections, which resulted in a landslide win.
But the military-backed party has a much larger presence in Burma's new chamber.
"While the country is moving toward modern democracy, our military plays a leading role in national politics," General Min Aung Hlaing said at the parade.
"We will keep on marching to strengthen the democratic path wished by the people."
The army chief also addressed the anti-Muslim clashes in central Burma that have led to 40 reported deaths and made an estimated 12,000 Muslims homeless.
"Our independence came from all Burmese people, including every ethnic minority - therefore we have to protect it," he said.
"The conflict that is going on now, the army...

Summary: Burma has marked its Armed Forces Day with a military parade, with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in attendance for the first time.
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Article: Meg Hillier says just eight out of 151 local councils know where all their care leavers are living, despite a duty to stay in touch with them.
Two-thirds of care leavers' services have been rated inadequate or requiring improvement by Ofsted, she adds.
Town hall bosses say the care system is becoming an increasing challenge.
The Local Government Association says this is due to the growing number of youngsters entering the care system and increasingly stretched budgets.
The National Audit Office report: Care Leavers' Transition to Adulthood, scrutinised by the committee, says the number of young people leaving care has grown significantly, almost doubling from 6,900 in 2003-04 to 10,310 a decade later.
The report says young people in care have often had difficult lives but have to start living independently much earlier than their peers.
Some 62% of children in care are there because of abuse or neglect, which can have a lasting impact on their mental and emotional health.
The report says the government aims to ensure that care leavers receive the same level of care and support as a child does from a reasonable parent.
This would include help in finding a job or setting up home, and general support for them to move successfully into adulthood.
But high staff turnover and heavy workloads mean sometimes care leavers are not getting the support to which they are entitled, it says
Mrs Hillier said: "It seems local authorities are turning their back on young people leaving their care, when two-thirds of local authority services for care leavers have been rated 'inadequate' or 'requiring improvement' since November 2013.
"Care leavers are in dire need of effective care and support, but this report finds care leavers who are not involved in their care-leaving plans and who do not know what support they are entitled to."
The report also finds local authorities have no information on 17% of their 19- to 21-year-old care leavers, even though they are often vulnerable.
Care leavers often face difficulties in accessing...

Summary: England's local authorities are "turning their backs" on young people leaving their care, the chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee says.
###
Article: In April, Northern Ireland's secretary of state published a plan for a budget to be imposed if the Stormont parties could not reach a deal.
The indicative figures included a 2.5% cut to education.
At the time, the group of more than 40 principals in schools in the Belfast area called the proposals "totally unacceptable".
They sent a letter to parents, the Department of Education, the Education Authority and the secretary of state saying they could not impose the cuts "without seriously compromising their children's education".
On Tuesday, they went to a meeting of Belfast City Council to ask for support in fighting the cuts.
Lord Mayor Alderman Brian Kingston has now agreed to write to the secretary of state, MLAs and MPs.
Damian O'Neill, principal of the Good Shepherd Primary School in Dunmurry, told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme the principals did not know where else to turn.
"They (Belfast City Council) are the only elected body at the minute who we could reach out to.
"It's very, very important for us as principals that we see the best-possible outcomes for our children.
"But the circumstances at the minute would suggest to me that we won't be able to do that."

Summary:

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The Labour Party has announced it will be holding a general election in Wales on Tuesday.

A prolific burglar has been banned from all of Manchester's back alleyways.

Article: Mr Norman, who built his reputation as boss of Asda, will replace Robert Swannell, who joined M&S in 2010.
The announcement comes days after M&S hired the boss of Halfords, Jill McDonald, to take charge of its clothing, home and beauty business.
Mr Norman, former executive at retailer Kingfisher, stood down as ITV chairman last year.
He joins M&S as chief executive Steve Rowe continues the fight to improve flagging clothing sales, and revamp product ranges and prices, while attempting to create a leaner and more focused business.
Mr Rowe has already announced a big expansion of the M&S food operation.
Mr Norman said: "I am looking forward to taking on the role of the chairmanship of Marks & Spencer as the business under Steve Rowe's leadership faces into the considerable challenges ahead in a rapidly changing retail landscape."
Retail analyst Nick Bubb said: "Some people thought that Archie was too heavyweight for the role, which is non-executive, and it remains to be seen how much of 'a back-seat driver' he is to CEO Steve Rowe.
"When he took over at the struggling Asda in 1991 he famously played down expectations of the turnaround and we see he is up to his old tricks again in today's statement."
Mr Norman has held a number of high ranking positions, including:
He has also served as chairman of Lazard London and Hobbycraft.
In a statement, Mr Swannell said: "I am delighted that Archie, with his deep, relevant experience is to be M&S's next chairman.
"It has been a real privilege to have served as chairman and to have worked with so many exceptional people who are so passionate about this great business.
"With the appointment of Steve Rowe in 2016, I am confident that we have an excellent team, well-equipped to grow and strengthen the business. I wish them all the very best for the future."
Mr Norman has a reputation for turning around businesses. He is most famously credited with transforming Asda, which was ailing at the beginning of the 1990s but was sold for Â£6.5bn to Wal-Mart in 1999.
In interviews he...

Summary: Retail veteran and former Conservative MP Archie Norman has been named Marks and Spencer's new chairman.
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Article: Tata Steel, which employs more than 7,500 people in Wales, revealed plans to close the final salary pension scheme on Friday.
Trade unions accuse Tata Steel of being "hell bent" on closing the pension scheme and refusing to compromise.
Tata said it will consult employees on the closure of the pension scheme.
The firm has sites in Port Talbot, Llanwern in Newport, Shotton in Flintshire and Trostre, Carmarthenshire.
A company spokesman said: "We have been unable come to an agreement that would have enabled defined benefit provision to continue.
"We remain committed to providing employees with competitive future pension provision,"
It proposes to replace the current pension scheme with a defined contribution one.
Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community trade union, said Tata's decision to close the current scheme is "unnecessary and profoundly disappointing".
He said: "We have made every effort to compromise with the company, even discussing the possibility of meeting the deficit through changes to member benefits. Sadly, the company rejected this offer.
"We have lost all faith in the company and its leadership, which has brought us to the brink of a major national industrial dispute for the first time in over 30 years."
Tata Steel insists that it is cooperating with the unions.
"Those discussions have been held in a constructive and transparent atmosphere," said its spokesman.

Summary: Unions representing Tata Steel workers in Wales are set to ballot members over industrial action after a plan to close their pension scheme was announced.
###
Article: Michael Patterson was handed the order after being convicted of break-ins in the Levenshulme and Longsight areas of the city.
His "consistent method" was to carry out burglaries after entering rear alleyways, magistrates heard.
The 49-year-old, of Field Bank Grove, Gorton admitted three counts of burglary and possession of a Class B drug and was jailed for 16 months.
The ban, known as a criminal behaviour order, will run indefinitely after his release.
It will ban Patterson from entering rear alleyways with the exception of the one behind his own home.
The order also prohibits him from entering an area of Stockport Road, from Stanley Grove in Longsight up to Albert Road in Levenshulme, and the surrounding streets.
Premises targeted in the break-ins included a takeaway, a solicitors' office and a mobile phone shop.
Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council's executive member for neighbourhood services, said: "Michael Patterson has used the same technique repeatedly to commit a number of offences and this order will prevent him continuing the pattern."

Summary:


The UK government is considering a new tax on online purchases.

Facebook "tramples" on European privacy law by tracking people without consent, Belgium's privacy watchdog has said.

Article: Now imagine the same landlord throws in a bowl of chips for free - because you are a regular at the pub three nights a week.
Then the pub closes for a couple of weeks for refurbishment. So, you go to another pub - The Red Lion - a few hundred yards further down the road.
A little surprisingly, the landlord at that pub knows your favourite pint too, even though you have never been in before.
You find out that the Dog and Duck landlord has sold on information about your tastes to the landlord at The Red Lion.
How do you feel? A bit concerned, perhaps.
But worse is to come. You subsequently find out that - knowing what you are going to order - the landlord at The Red Lion has charged you 10p more than he has charged another customer.
You don't even get a free bowl of chips!
This might seem like a very far-fetched example. However, shift this whole buying process online - and it sums up a big issue for internet shoppers.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) wants to know more about personalised pricing. This occurs if a retailer offers different prices depending on information they have collected about that customer.
This is done primarily in two ways. Firstly, retailers can collect details of a customer's previous purchases made on the website. Secondly, they can buy information about the customer's purchases or internet searches from a third party.
The OFT wants to know if consumers are aware that all this data is being collected about their shopping and searching preferences, as well as if this puts consumers off buying on the internet.
The regulator says that there is no evidence, but a lot of concern, that this information allows retailers to charge a higher price to certain customers - just like the hypothetical landlord at The Red Lion.
"It is important we understand what control shoppers have over their profile and whether firms are using shoppers' profiles to charge different prices for goods or services," says Clive Maxwell, chief executive of the OFT.
Concerns have been raised about flights or hotel rates....

Summary: Imagine going into your local pub - the Dog and Duck - and being greeted by the landlord who already knows your favourite tipple and starts to pour it before you even reach the bar.
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Article: It said low inflation was adding to the benefits of higher employment and the positive effects of lower oil prices.
Item Club chief economic adviser Peter Spencer said the financial markets seem prepared for further Greek problems.
But potential headwinds were a weak government and EU referendum, he said.
The forecast growth is slightly down on the 2.9% expansion that the Item Club previously predicted, due to official fourth-quarter GDP figures coming in weaker than expected.
The Item Club forecasts growth in 2016 of 3%, up from 2.9% estimated previously.
Inflation has fallen to zero in recent months and, along with improvements in employment, is boosting consumer confidence, the Item Club's spring forecast said.
The report said an added bonus was coming from recovery in the eurozone, helped by the European Central Bank's â‚¬1.1 trillion (Â£790bn) asset purchase stimulus programme.
The euro bloc's recovery should offset a hit to overseas trade from the strength of the pound, the Item Club said.
Mr Spencer said: "The economy is taking the general election in its stride as 'noflation' trumps politics. The eurozone recovery is bedding in and completes the positive UK growth picture that we anticipate for 2015 and 2016.
"This is a mirror image of what we saw in 2010-12, when unemployment and inflation were high and Europe was in the doldrums.
"If the strength of the headwinds that held back the economy during the first years of the coalition is anything to go by, the tailwinds enjoyed by a new administration post 7 May should be strong enough to outweigh the effects of any political uncertainty."
The report expects the eurozone recovery to boost trade - with UK exports predicted to rise by 5.9% this year and 4.9% in 2016. But Mr Spencer added: "However, it's not all plain sailing and possible risks around a weak government and an EU referendum remain.
"In Europe, the Greek tragedy has yet to reach a denouement, although European banks and investors seem prepared for a disorderly outcome.
"But worries about...

Summary: Low inflation and stronger eurozone growth should help the UK economy expand 2.8% this year despite political uncertainty ahead of the election, according to an EY Item Club report.
###
Article: The country's Privacy Protection Commission accused Facebook of dodging questions from European regulators.
Internet users were also urged to install privacy software to stop Facebook tracking them, regardless of whether they had accounts with it.
The social network said it complied with data protection law and questioned the Belgian watchdog's authority.
The commission attacked Facebook after trying to find out more about its practices.
"Facebook tramples on European and Belgian privacy laws," it said after publishing a report analysing changes that the company made to its privacy policies in January.
In a statement, it said that Facebook has refused to recognise Belgian and other EU national jurisdictions, insisting it was subject only to the law in Ireland, the site of its European headquarters.
"Facebook has shown itself particularly miserly in giving precise answers," the watchdog said, adding that the results of its study were "disconcerting".
The body, which was working with its German, Dutch, French and Spanish counterparts, said that Facebook would not explain in detail how it used data it collected.
A Facebook spokeswoman questioned the Belgians' authority but said it would review the study's recommendations with the Irish data protection commissioner.
"We work hard to make sure people have control over what they share and with whom.
"Facebook is already regulated in Europe and complies with European data protection law, so the applicability of the [commission's] efforts is unclear," she said.
This is the second damning report this year on Facebook's use of data from the Belgian Privacy Commission. In February, it said it placed "too much burden" on users to navigate its complex settings.

Summary:


Sir Eric Pickles, the former Conservative Party chairman, has announced he is standing down as Brentwood and Ongar MP after 25 years.

Article: Donald Trump Jr said he met Natalia Veselnitskaya but that "no meaningful information" on Mrs Clinton was shared.
Also at the meeting was the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign head Paul J Manafort.
US officials are investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election.
The FBI and Congress are both looking at whether Trump campaign officials colluded with the alleged Kremlin plot. The inquiries have yet to show evidence of collusion.
The meeting with Ms Veselnitskaya took place on 9 June 2016 at New York's Trump Tower, just two weeks after Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination.
It is thought to be the first confirmed private meeting between a Russian national and a member of US President Donald Trump's inner circle.
The New York Times first reported the meeting on Saturday. At the time, both Mr Trump Jr and Ms Veselnitskaya confirmed the meeting but said the US presidential campaign was not discussed.
On Sunday, the New York Times said that Mr Trump Jr had agreed to the meeting after being offered information that would potentially prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton, who was Democratic presidential candidate at the time.
The New York Times cited three White House advisers briefed on the meeting, and two others with knowledge for it, as its sources.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr Trump Jr said an acquaintance had asked him to meet "an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign".
"I was not told her name prior to the meeting. I asked Jared [Kushner] and Paul [Manafort] to attend, but told them nothing of the substance."
"After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs Clinton."
"Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information," he added.
Mr Trump Jr said Ms Veselnitskaya then moved the...

Summary: US President Donald Trump's son agreed to meet a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer last year after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reports.
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Article: Dyfed Edwards, leader of the council's Plaid Cymru group, has said he will not stand for re-election to the council after 13 years.
Mr Edwards was elected to the council in 2004 and became leader in 2008 -  he will be the council's longest serving leader when he steps aside in 2017.
He said: "I had no intention of being a councillor for life."
He will also step down from his seat on the council as representative for the Penygroes ward.
Mr Edwards, who has been outspoken about council cuts in his role as deputy presiding officer for the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), said despite financial challenges, he believed local authorities could still make a difference.
"Success is achieved by reaching out and acting positively rather than retreating to an island of negativity," he said.
"I am optimistic about the future and am hopeful that Gwynedd will remain at the heart of building the new Wales."

Summary: The longest serving leader of Gwynedd Council has announced he will step down at the local elections in May.
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Article: The 65-year-old said he was going to "miss it dreadfully" but there always comes a point when things must end.
Sir Eric also served as secretary for communities and local government between 2010 and 2015.
He is one of several high-profile MPs who are standing down, including George Osborne and Alan Johnson.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday she intended to call a snap general election, a move that was backed by MPs the following day. The election will take place on 8 June.
Labour MP for Nottingham North Graham Allen also announced on Saturday that he is to step down as an MP, due to ill health.
Speaking to the BBC, Sir Eric said: "I think it's always better to leave when people are asking why you're going, rather than why you're staying.
"I'd always decided this was going to be my last Parliament having served 25 years and came to the view that it was time Brentwood and Ongar had a new MP."
He said he had told Mrs May of his decision, and wrote on Twitter that he would be continuing in his role as the prime minister's special envoy on post-Holocaust issues.
Which MPs are quitting - and who might stand?
In a letter sent to his local Conservative association, Sir Eric wrote: "It has been an enormous honour to represent the constituency for 25 years; Brentwood and Ongar is a wonderful place to live.
"Throughout that quarter of century, I have enjoyed success and some setbacks, but have always been sustained by the friendship back home in the patch."
He added that he was grateful for the invitation to serve a further five years but that after "much heart searching" he had concluded it was the "right time for Brentwood and Ongar to have a new representative in Westminster".
Sir Eric, who was born in Yorkshire into a Labour-supporting family, joined the Keighley Young Conservatives in 1968, going on to become chairman. He was knighted in 2015.
Formerly a Eurosceptic, in 2016 he joined the group of Conservative MPs supporting the campaign to remain in the European Union subject to David Cameron's...

Summary:


The UK's wildlife department has launched a new initiative to help protect wildlife from the effects of climate change.

Biologists are calling on the public to report sightings of rabbits and hares as part of a conservation effort.

Article: Europe's Lisa Pathfinder (LPF) probe is engaging in a series of experiments roughly 1.5 million km from Earth.
The project has heightened interest, of course, because of the first sampling of the "cosmic ripples" made by ground-based detectors last September
A successful demo for LPF would pave the way for a fully operational orbiting observatory in the 2030s.
This would likely be known simply as Lisa - the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.
"It's a wonderful time right now," said Paul McNamara, the European Space Agency's (Esa) project scientist on Lisa Pathfinder.
"I've spent my entire career in this endeavour, and for years we were told - even ridiculed in some cases - that gravitational waves don't exist, or that we'd never find them.
"Well, now we have found them, and we're about to take the next big, big step towards building a mission that could detect them in space," he told BBC News.
The Earth-bound laser interferometers sited at the Advanced Ligo facilities in the US are sensitive to the gravitational waves generated in "smaller" cosmic events.
Back in September, they observed the signal produced at the moment two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our Sun, whirled around one another and merged.
A space-based laser interferometer would chase much more massive targets - the monster black holes, millions of times the mass of our Sun, that coalesce when galaxies collide, for example.
It is possible, however, that an orbiting observatory might also see Ligo's lesser events - just at a different stage of their evolution.
One back-of-the-envelope calculation has suggested a fully operational Lisa mission could have witnessed Ligo's in-spiralling black holes four years ago - had the mission been flying back then. This is when the frequency of the gravitational wave signal emanating from the dancing holes would have crossed the sensitivity range of a space interferometer.
Laser science: Measuring the distance between gold blocks
Lisa Pathfinder contains just the one instrument, which is designed...

Summary: The formal test programme has begun on the technologies required to detect gravitational waves in space.
###
Article: The Editors Guild said it "condemns any attempt to muzzle the media".
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the offices of NDTV and the homes of its promoters on Monday in connection with an alleged case of financial misconduct.
NDTV denied any wrongdoing and accused the government of "a witch hunt".
The channel, which has often criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, said in a statement  that "the ruling party's politicians cannot stomach" its independence and fearlessness.
"The raid is merely another attempt at silencing the media," it said.
The CBI said it was investigating claims that the channel's promoters had "caused a loss of 480m rupees [Â£5.8m; $7.5m] to a bank".
The agency said NDTV founder Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika took a loan of about 3.5bn rupees from ICICI bank in 2008 after pledging their entire shareholding (about 61%) in the company as collateral.
The CBI said a private complainant had accused NDTV's promoters of violating banking laws, which do not permit more than 30% of the share capital to be pledged as collateral.
It further added that the bank also gave the Roys a waiver of about 10% in interest payment, leading to the loss of $7.5m.
"Consequent undue advantage was accrued [to the Roys].  It was also alleged that the bank did not insist on recovery of the entire loan amount when the promoters had adequate source of funding," the agency said.
In a later statement the CBI denied it had raided the newsroom of NDTV.
The channel said in a statement that the entire loan amount was paid in full seven years ago.
"Even though millions of rupees of dues have not been paid by several industrialists and no criminal case has yet been registered against any of them by the CBI," it said.
"NDTV and its promoters have never defaulted on any loan to ICICI or any other bank."
Several journalists have defended the network, saying the government was trying to silence the media through CBI raids.
This is not the first time the government and NDTV have been at loggerheads.
Last...

Summary: A group of influential Indian editors has expressed concern over a federal investigative agency's decision to raid the offices of a leading TV channel.
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Article: The animals are easier to spot in spring when vegetation is low and the breeding season is under way.
Hares may be declining in parts of the UK, while rabbits have been hit by myxomatosis and other viral diseases, says the Mammal Society.
People are being asked to send in photographs of rabbits and hares to help map the UK population.
Dr Fiona Mathews, senior lecturer in mammalian biology and chair of the Mammal Society, said: "We have very poor information on rabbits and hares - and it's important to know if numbers are going up or down.
"They are part of the ecosystem and lots of other animals depend on them, either through grazing of their habitat or as a food source for foxes or birds of prey."
She said some parts of the UK had very low populations of rabbits and hares, particularly where there had been disease outbreaks. However, in other regions they have become so abundant they have become agricultural pests.
The Mammal society wants people across the country to send in sightings of wild rabbits or hares across the countryside, including parks, fields and mountains.
The data will be used in a national atlas of mammals to support future conservation and research projects.
Derek Crawley, who is co-ordinating the atlas, said rabbits and hares can be distinguished by their gait and appearance.
"Hares are larger, have long limbs and lollop along whereas the rabbit has a bobbing gait," he said.
"The ears are also distinctive: those of hares are longer and have black tips."
Sightings of rabbits and hares, or their signs in the countryside, such as droppings and burrows, with any photographs taken, can be reported via the Mammal Tracker app, The Mammal Society website, or by posting information to The Mammal Society.

Summary:


A man has been arrested after he was found guilty of raping a woman in a pub in the city of Edinburgh.

Falkirk Council's pension fund has invested £30m in a scheme to build social housing in Scotland.

Article: A leaked report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there were 2,784 centrifuges at Fordo, and that Iran could soon double the number operating from 700 to 1,400.
The development is likely to fuel Western suspicions that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
The government in Tehran insists the nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
Talks this year about the uranium enrichment programme between Iran and the so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - have made little progress.
Iran's progress at Fordo was disclosed in a leaked report based on the findings of the IAEA's inspectors, who visit the facility regularly.
While the uranium enrichment plant is not yet fully operational - with only about 700 of the 3,000 centrifuges the facility is designed in use - experts say it could be within months.
The IAEA report said four new cascades of 174 centrifuges each "having been subjected to vacuum testing, were ready for feeding" with uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas.
Once the new cascades were in operation, monthly production of 20%-enriched (medium-enriched) uranium would be about 25kg (55lb) per month, compared with 15kg at present, one official said.
The facility at Fordo, which is buried deep under a mountain inside a military base near the holy city of Qom, is designed to contain 16 cascades producing medium-enriched uranium, which experts say could be enriched to about 90%, or weapons-grade, in a relatively short time.
The IAEA also revealed in its report that Iran had produced about 233kg (512lb) of higher-grade enriched uranium since 2010, an increase of 43kg since August.
Earlier this year, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) used 96kg of its supply of 20%-enriched uranium for conversion into fuel for its medical research reactor in Tehran. Experts say it would be difficult to turn the fuel into weapons-grade uranium.
Nuclear fuel had also been removed from the core of the nuclear reactor at Bushehr without a reason being given by Iran, the IAEA...

Summary: Iran is ready to double the output at its underground uranium enrichment facility, the UN nuclear watchdog says.
###
Article: Alex Makwana's labour of love has seen him create 11 designs on Jo's stomach, including Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear and a mocked-up ultrasound scan.
Mr Makwana, 29, of Salisbury, said his wife of 12 days sat and watched Call The Midwife and One Born Every Minute during the four-hour painting sessions.
The baby will be the family's seventh child.
Mr Makwana said the other children "love" the paintings.
It is the second time Mr Makwana has created art on his 35-year-old wife's stomach, having done the same for their sixth child, Ava.
"Loads of people loved it last time so we've embraced it this time," he said.
He was lent the face-painting kit by Sarah Cookson, Ava's godmother.
The 11 designs include images the pair kissing at sunset - a replica of a photograph of the married couple taken at a recent wedding.
Mrs Makwana, whose baby is due in three weeks, described the process as a "bonding experience".
"It's a really lovely way to have memories of being pregnant with this baby," she said.
"It will be lovely when they are older to be able to show them the pictures and tell them the excitement which was centred around their bumps."

Summary: A portrait artist has been working on an unusual canvas - his pregnant wife's bump.
###
Article: The local authority has awarded the sum to Hearthstone Investments, a London property fund which hopes to build 1,000 new homes across the country.
The Falkirk Local Government Pension Scheme Fund contribution could pay for up to 300 new homes, including 126 in Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.
Social Justice secretary Alex Neil said the fund was "a trailblazer".
Hearthstone aims to raise £150m for its Housing Fund For Scotland, including contributions from the country's 11 local government pension schemes.
It plans to provide funds to local housing associations to invest directly in social housing, as well as buying affordable homes to be let at a mid-market rent.
Edinburgh-based housing association Castle Rock Edinvar will manage the initial building programme for social rent houses.
Mr Neil said: "The £30m Falkirk Local Government Pension Scheme fund investment will, I believe, act as a trailblazer and encourage other Scottish local authority pension fund trustees to take the plunge and invest in housing.
"For an acceptable risk profile, investment will provide pension funds good, long-term returns for their members and a social investment to help build stronger communities."

Summary:


The Wedgwood Museum collection has been bought from administrators after £15.75m was raised to save it.

Article: Colin Pitchfork was given a life sentence in 1988 for the rape and murder of 15-year-old schoolgirls Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.
Both victims' families oppose his release.
The Parole Board's decision will be issued within 10 working days.
Live updates and more from Leicestershire
Barbara Ashworth, Dawn's mother, said: "I think life should mean life because obviously if they are in prison they aren't put in a situation where they can commit those sort of crimes again.
"If he was released I would feel that it was a matter of time until these feelings came over him again. Once he's out again in the community it would be quite easy for him to think 'Oh, I'll pick up where I left off'."
Rebecca Eastwood, Lynda Mann's sister, started a petition demanding Colin Pitchfork is never released and gave evidence to the panel considering his request.
He was originally given a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years.
However, in 2009 the Court of Appeal reduced the minimum term to 28 years to take into account the "exceptional progress" Pitchfork had made in custody.
The Parole Board said in a statement: "We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board this week considered the parole review for Mr Colin Pitchfork.
"At this time, we have not received the panel's decision; it is expected to be issued within the next 10 working days.
"We are unable to comment further on the details of this case."
Before sanctioning a prisoner's release, the Parole Board has to be sure he or she no longer poses a risk to the public.
Colin Pitchfork left his baby son sleeping in the back of his car and raped Lynda as she made her way to a friend's house in the Leicestershire village of Narborough in November 1983. He then strangled her with her own scarf, drove home and put his son to bed.
Three years later, less than a mile from the spot where Lynda died, he raped and murdered Dawn Ashworth. The pathologist who examined her body described it as a "brutal sexual assault".  She too was then strangled.
The police investigation initially...

Summary: The Parole Board has met to consider the case of a notorious child killer who became the first person in the world to be convicted using DNA evidence.
###
Article: The undercover operatives were recruited by the Army, MI5 and Special Branch and many were involved in criminality and murder.
Ex-Met Police commissioner Lord Stevens said the agents caused huge problems in Northern Ireland.
The government says collusion with paramilitaries should never happen.
Lord Stevens led three government investigations into the security forces in Northern Ireland and has revealed the scale of the counter-intelligence operation for the first time.
Lord Stevens also told BBC Panorama that thousands of agents and informants were recruited during the Troubles, and that just one of the agents - Brian Nelson - may be linked to "dozens and dozens" of murders.
Nelson, who was a paid army agent, provided assassination targets for the three main Loyalist paramilitary groups - the Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando.
During his investigations in Northern Ireland, Lord Stevens and his team arrested 210 paramilitary suspects. He says that 207 of them were agents or informants for the state.
Baroness Nuala O'Loan, who was Northern Ireland's first police ombudsman, also found evidence that state agents were involved in murder.
She tells Panorama that the security forces failed to control their undercover operatives.
"They were running informants and their argument was that they were saving lives, but hundreds and hundreds of people died because these people were not brought to justice," she said.
"There was impunity really for these people to go on committing their crimes. Many of them were killers, some were serial killers."
One Special Branch agent in north Belfast has been linked to 20 murders.
Mark Haddock, who ran one of the Ulster Volunteer Force's most notorious terror gangs, was paid at least Â£79,000 for his work as a police agent.
The police ombudsman of Northern Ireland is currently investigating 60 murder cases where the state has been accused of involvement.
These investigations were delayed because the police refused to hand over crucial...

Summary: British security forces had thousands of agents and informants working inside Northern Ireland paramilitary groups, the BBC's Panorama has learned.
###
Article: About 80,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts, letters and photographs faced being auctioned to help pay off the pottery firm's pension debt.
But a public fundraising campaign launched in September hit its target in just a month.
Adminstrators Begbies Traynor said the collection will remain on display at the museum in Barlaston, Staffordshire.
The Art Fund, which led the campaign, will gift the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum, before it is loaned to the Wedgwood Museum.
Administrator Bob Young said it had been "incredibly satisfying" to sign off on the sale on Monday.
"Today's fantastic outcome wouldn't have been possible without the spirit of goodwill and determination shown during the often complex negotiations," he said.
The Wedgwood Museum inherited Waterford Wedgwood plc's pension bill after the firm collapsed in 2009.
In 2010 the museum also went into administration, and in 2011 a high court judge ruled its collection could be sold to reimburse the Pension Protection Fund.
Alison Wedgwood, whose husband Tom is a direct descendant of company founder Josiah Wedgwood, said the collection was "important" for Staffordshire.
The collection risked being "sold and scattered around the globe" had the money not been raised, she added.
Tristram Hunt MP, who was involved in the campaign, said the sale was "fantastic news".
"The items contained within the Wedgwood collection chart a significant part of Britain's cultural development over centuries and play a crucial part in defining our national identity today," he said.

Summary:


The DUP has been criticised for its handling of the Stormont crisis.
The DUP has been criticised for its handling of the Stormont crisis.
The DUP has been criticised for its handling of the Stormont crisis.
The DUP has been criticised for its handling of the Stormont crisis.
The DUP has been

When the spike in applications for the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) took place the minister responsible was mostly away from his desk.

Article: How do I find out what sports are being covered?
Our must not miss sport on the BBC page gives details of sport on BBC TV over the next seven days. From that page you can also find more specific details for sports including football, cricket and rugby union - including details of all our local radio commentaries.
I missed something - how can i watch / listen to it?
To view all our TV and Red Button sports programming available on iPlayer, please visit this page.
To listen to all our radio sports programming available on iPlayer, please visit this page.
To access all our sports podcasts, please visit this page.
We also make short, edited clips of much of the best audio and video - these can be found on the relevant sport indexes.
Do I need a TV licence to watch video online?
If you use any device to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown (live) on TV, then you need to be covered by a TV Licence.
To buy a TV licence or obtain further information about licensing requirements visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk.
Why aren't you covering a certain sport/world championships?
We only have limited resources and have to spread those resources across a great number of sports, including many minority sports which other commercial channels do not cover.
Why don't you advertise which interactive channel will be showing the available content?
Unfortunately we are prevented from publicising which streams we are broadcasting our outputs for two reasons. Firstly, because the streams are not officially considered 'channels'. They are interactive video streams that are used to deliver interactive and enhanced content in line with the schedule.
Secondly, because of the complexities of delivering interactive services across all genres and the desire to achieve optimum efficiency from the streams, the scheduling of content can be quite unpredictable and change at short notice. They are not managed in the same way as a channel.
Can you send me a copy of a programme?
Unfortunately we are unable to make copies for...

Summary: If you have a question about BBC Sport across TV and Radio please read these Frequently Asked Questions
###
Article: A European court upheld a 2013 ruling that said the MacCoffee trademark of a Singaporean company, Future Enterprises, was invalid.
It said that MacCoffee unfairly benefited from the branding of the US burger giant.
The move could make it tricky for any other company to use the "Mac" or "Mc" prefix for food or beverages.
The court agreed with McDonald's that MacCoffee's branding would be wrongly linked to that of the US burger giant.
It said the use of the "Mac" by Future Enterprises in its products would "associate that trademark with the McDonald's "Mc" family of trade marks and mentally establish a link between the trade marks at issue".
"It is highly probable that MacCoffee rides on the coat-tails of McDonald's in order to benefit from its power of attraction, its reputation and its prestige, and exploits, without paying any financial compensation," the judgement said.
The judgement said that members of the public could establish a link between the trademarks of the two businesses "and could transfer the image of the McDonald's trademarks to the goods covered by MacCoffee".
The ruling was regarded as positive for McDonald's.
"The court's judgement is very favourable to McDonald's as it's saying that the Singapore company is gaining from its reflected glory," said Chris McLeod, director at the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys.
The MacCoffee trademark was registered in 2010 by the European Union Intellectual Property Office, but McDonald's applied to have the trademark named invalid on the basis of the similarity to its main EU trademark and 12 other trademarks that McDonald's uses in the jurisdiction.
MacCoffee still sells its products in some EU cities, and the judgement does not prevent it from doing so, but the US burger giant may take steps to prevent it doing so, McLeod said.
"They've [successfully] applied to knock it off the register and that opens the door for a claim or request to cease the use of the prefixes."

Summary: McDonald's has won a case that could stop another company using the "Mc" or "Mac" prefix on its food and drink.
###
Article: Jonathan Bell had been removed from office by the DUP as part of the rolling resignation scheme in response to a Stormont crisis.
The crisis was sparked in September 2015.
It centred around allegations that IRA members had murdered Kevin McGuigan.
The DUP responded by saying it could not be business as usual at Stormont.
Two days earlier a reduced tariff system for the Executive's RHI scheme was announced.
But the ten week period before it could be introduced saw a now infamous spike in applications - when DUP ministers were away from their desks for all but a few hours a week.
The rolling resignation plan designed by Peter Robinson ended on October 20.
By which time applications for the scheme had rocketed.
In September there were 99, in October 429 and in November 452.
Almost as many applications were received as during the previous 34 months since the scheme began.
The in/out ministers plan avoided an Assembly election having to be called.
But was it at least partly at the expense of the public purse?

Summary:


The UK is to cut the number of dogs and handlers to a combined total of 25.

Two police forces in Yorkshire are to merge their dog units to reduce costs.

Article: Video emerged on Saturday apparently showing rebels breaking into the sprawling Khan al-Assal compound.
Almost 200 fighters had been killed on both sides over eight days, UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
The group's reports could not be independently confirmed.
Their account said more than 34 government soldiers and police died on Sunday alone - an apparent setback for government forces a day after the army announced it had regained control of villages on a major route linking the central city of Hama to Aleppo, with security "restored" to the northern city's airport.
A police source in Aleppo later confirmed that much of the academy had fallen into rebel hands, the AFP news agency reports.
In other developments:
The rebels took control of much of the police academy site at dawn on Sunday, the activist group said.  They had been targeting the Khan al-Assal complex outside Aleppo for some time.
Almost 200 fighters and soldiers had been killed in the eight-day battle for the site, including 120 troops and police, Rami Abdel Rahman of SOHR told the AFP.
Footage had earlier shown dozens of fighters sheltering beside an outer wall as explosions could be seen apparently inside the academy's grounds.
The SOHR is one of the most prominent organisations documenting and reporting incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict. The group says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be verified.
It also reported on Sunday that rebels had seized a prison in northern Raqqa province.
In his Sunday Times interview, President Assad said the UK government was "naive, confused, unrealistic" in its approach to the conflict, accusing Prime Minister David Cameron's government of being determined to militarise the situation.
Although the UK says it supports the Syrian opposition without providing arms to the rebels, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Sunday that "I don't rule anything out in the future".
Dismissing the Syrian leader's interview as "delusional", Mr...

Summary: Rebels have captured large parts of a Syrian police academy near Aleppo, after a fierce battle resulting in heavy loss of life, activists say.
###
Article: That is the conclusion of a much-awaited Bank of England study.
It found the UK economy was more open and go-ahead because of its EU membership.
However, the Bank also found that that greater openness had made the UK more vulnerable to problems such as the recent euro crisis.
The Bank said it was "supportive" of further integration within the eurozone area.
But, it said that for those economies not in the single currency, there would be a need for "clear principles to safeguard the interests of non euro member states" when further integration went ahead.
Bank of England governor Mark Carney told an audience at St Peter's college, Oxford: "Broadly speaking, the evidence suggests the UK has successfully harnessed the benefits of openness afforded by its EU membership while avoiding some of the drawbacks of reduced flexibility from which some continental European economies suffer."
He added: "Put simply, economies with sustainable dynamism can grow more quickly before running into excessive price pressures. The UK's greater openness as a result of EU membership provides potential for both greater growth and greater shocks."
Although the Bank does not use these precise words, EU membership has made the UK richer and more successful.
That will be seized on by supporters of the UK staying in.
Even so, there is ammunition for eurosceptics - namely that our financial openness made the UK more vulnerable to the eurozone's crisis, and that not all EU regulation suits the size and complexity of the City of London.
The bank identified trade and foreign direct investment as key ways the UK has benefited since joining the EU.
The senior official who ran the study, Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe, said the UK's trade had increased by more than it would have "on standard models" and that trade costs had come down.
The Bank also pointed out that the UK had the biggest share of foreign investment in the EU.
But Mr Cunliffe declined to say whether a Brexit scenario, where the UK left the EU single market, would reverse some of...

Summary: Membership of the EU has made the UK economy more dynamic and able to grow without generating inflation or a financial crisis.
###
Article: South Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police and are to cut the number of dogs and handlers to a combined total of 25.
The South Yorkshire force will halve the size of its current dog unit, with 12 officers and dogs being lost as part of the restructuring.
The new operation will have two bases in Sheffield and one in Melton, East Yorkshire.
Humberside Police said it currently had 12 dogs and handlers.
South Yorkshire Police said that the move was "required to meet budgetary cuts imposed on the Force's Operational Support Services".
In August, the force said it needed to make savings of Â£59m by 2020, with the potential loss of 1,500 staff.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "Police dogs and their handlers provide a range of important roles in helping to keep the public safe.
"Whilst we are reducing the size of the unit in South Yorkshire, by merging with Humberside, it allows us to maintain the same number of officers and dogs and continue to perform a valuable role for the public, yet at the same time we can still meet the savings required due to the unprecedented cuts."
The merger of the dog units is one of a number of cost cutting measures introduced by police across Yorkshire in the last few years.
Two years ago , Humberside Police disbanded its mounted unit, with horses now hired in from other forces when needed.
All four Yorkshire forces now share an underwater search unit.

Summary:


A man is seen in a car with a guitar in the background.

Vulnerable children are being placed in care outside their home county of Kent due to the influx of child asylum seekers, according to council chiefs.

Article: The car was being driven in stop-start traffic on the A27 in West Sussex said Nichola Carr, who took the picture while sitting on a coach.
Ms Carr said she was certain the driver was playing the guitar: "I was very shocked and surprised. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
No formal complaint has been made, a spokesman for Sussex Police said.
"Unfortunately, there is no vehicle registration number, nor is it clear if the person with the guitar is actually the driver," Insp Stewart Goodwin said.
Ms Carr was on a coach, returning from a trip to Portsmouth with her daughter's school, when she took the photograph.
"The traffic was stop-start, and I was looking out of the window, and I noticed this car below and the man playing a guitar," she said.
"I told my daughter and all her friends had a look too.
"As the traffic kept moving backwards and forwards, every time the car came near us the kids would shout out 'Here comes the guitar man'."
Ms Carr said she did not report the incident to the police as she had not taken the car's registration number.
Insp Stewart Goodwin said: "Motorists should never do anything that distracts them from driving while on the move or in traffic."

Summary: A motorist has been photographed apparently playing the guitar while at the wheel of a car.
###
Article: "One of these drinks has 20 teaspoons of sugar hiding in the can," says Ms Kellett, who goes on to tell the group why sugar-laden soft drinks are particularly bad for the teeth.
Apparently, it is to do with the way we sip them, which means they stay "high in the palate" and have a greater chance of causing tooth decay.
They have already heard about the dangers of diabetes and obesity, all part of a pitch to harden their resolve to complete the 21-day Gulp (Give Up Loving Pop)Challenge.
But for some of the 12- and 13-year-olds, the days ahead threaten to be quite tough, because these are young people who really enjoy their fizzy drinks.
"I love fizzy pop," says one pupil. "I drink near enough one can per day."
"I have a bottle of pop with my tea," says her friend.
"I usually have one at lunch as well, so I usually have more than I'm supposed to."
That is certainly true, as for most people over the age of 11, the recommended daily amount of sugar is 30g (1oz).
Some of the most popular soft drinks contain at least that amount per can, if not more.
In Blackpool, there is a particular issue, because more than a third of 10- and 11-year-olds in the town are overweight or obese - some of the highest rates in England.
And young people are also the biggest consumers of fizzy drinks.
It's a worry for Blackpool's director of public health, Dr Arif Rajpura.
"There is simply too much sugar in our diet, and this is contributing significantly to our obesity epidemic," Dr Rajpura says.
"So what we are trying to do is reduce the amount of sugar in our diet.
"Sugar in fizzy drinks is empty calories, it just adds calories, unnecessary calories, to our diet and what we're trying to do is cut that out."
Research suggests it takes 21 days to kick a habit or wean yourself off an addiction, which is how many of the group see sugar and fizzy drinks.
"It's like I've drunk it since I was young," says Shae, who drinks two cans a day.
"I don't know if it's going to leave me alone when I'm doing this challenge.
"It's going to be hard, but...

Summary: At Blackpool's St George's School, 15 pupils from Year 8 are sitting in a semi-circle as dental nurse Helen Kellett shows them some popular brands of fizzy drink.
###
Article: Kent County Council said the continuing flow of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from across the English Channel had left it with no choice.
The authority currently has 924 such children in its care, compared with nearly 630 at the start of last August.
Councillor Peter Oakford said it was "not a position we want to be in".
The cabinet member for specialist children's services said Kent County Council had seen a 30% rise in looked-after children in the past seven months.
Other authorities elsewhere in the UK have accepted full responsibility for 56 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Mr Oakford told the children's social care and health cabinet committee: "This has affected our ability to place citizen children within Kent ourselves.
"We have had to place Kent children outside of Kent due to the influx of UASC, which is not a good position to be in and is not a position we want to be in.
"It's actually costing us more financially because we have had to place, I think, six children into residential care either short-term or longer term, which is far more expensive than normal foster care."
The council's services have been stretched since the start of the migrant crisis last summer as Kent is the closest British county to Calais and Dunkirk.
The number of child asylum seekers coming into its care has slowed to about 15 a week during the winter, but Mr Oakford said if that increased with the arrival of the warmer months the authority would be "in significant difficulties".

Summary:


The world's largest oil company has been accused of using its vast reserves of natural gas to fuel its own nuclear reactors.
The company, which has been accused of using its vast reserves of natural gas to fuel its own nuclear reactors, has been accused of using its vast reserves of natural gas to fuel its own nuclear reactors

The public is being asked to provide information on the locations of nine fugitives suspected of serious environmental crimes.

Article: Bridge operators Amey said the problem was found during a routine inspection.
A contraflow is in place on the northbound carriageway to allow a single lane of traffic to flow in each direction.
Engineers were due on site at first light on Wednesday morning to do a more detailed assessment of the damage.
Motorists were warned to expect "very long delays" and avoid using the bridge if possible.
Mark Arndt, operating company representative, said: "We've taken the decision to close the southbound carriageway as a safety precaution after one of our engineers spotted a new defect to a piece of steelwork.
"Unfortunately this defect is located in a particularly hard to access area so the full detailed inspection cannot safely be carried out in darkness or during high winds. Our inspectors will however be monitoring the situation overnight and we will be ready to move in as soon as conditions allow.
"We apologise for the short notice to these essential traffic restrictions and are aware that they will result in very long delays, so our advice is to avoid Forth Road Bridge and divert via Kincardine or the A9 and M9, use public transport or travel outwith peak times."
Amey said it would provide further updates when there was new information.
The company said it sympathised with drivers who would be affected by the closure, but that "safety must come first".
A new Â£1.4bn Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth is due to open in December next year.
It was ordered by ministers because of corrosion of the main suspension cable on the Forth Road Bridge.

Summary: The southbound carriageway of the Forth Road Bridge has been closed as a safety precaution after a defect was discovered in the steelwork.
###
Article: The glyptodonts roamed South America for millions of years until the last Ice Age, and some grew as big as cars.
Their physical attributes - notably an impenetrable shell - already placed them as likely cousins of armadillos.
Now, researchers say they are not even a sister group, but a subfamily.
"Glyptodonts should probably be considered a subfamily of gigantic armadillos," said Frederic Delsuc, from the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) and Montpellier University in France.
Dr Delsuc and his colleagues used computer predictions to reconstruct some likely DNA sequences of armadillo ancestors, based on the genes of living species.
They then made RNA "bait" based on these sequences and used it to fish for glyptodont DNA in a tiny, mashed-up sample of shell from a fossil in a Buenos Aires museum.
This technique allows scientists to confidently identify real DNA sequences from the ancient target species, without worrying about contaminating genetic material.
Sure enough, the team eventually managed to reconstruct the entire mitochondrial genome - because the computer simulations and bait sequences were mitochondrial DNA - of a glyptodont.
And it was not just any glyptodont; the sample came from Doedicurus, one of the most monstrous members of the family. It stretched up to 4m in length and weighed about 1.5 tonnes.
These fearsome but vegetarian beasts, the researchers say, got progressively bigger over time until their extinction at the end of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. That places them in good company, as Pleistocene-epoch South America was also home to elephant-sized ground sloths and giant, sabre-toothed cats.
Most importantly, Dr Delsuc and his colleagues are confident they have resolved the position of the glyptodonts in the tree of life - and they are nestled deep in the "cingulata" order, among myriad branches of armadillos.
"Glyptodonts in fact represent an extinct lineage that likely originated 35 million years ago within the armadillo radiation," said co-author Hendrik Poinar from...

Summary: An extinct group of giant, armoured animals with spiky, club-shaped tails belongs firmly within the family tree of modern armadillos, according to a study of 12,000-year-old DNA.
###
Article: The appeal, from Interpol, is part of an effort to track down individuals involved in illegal fishing, logging and wildlife trafficking.
The trade in wildlife crime is said to be worth around $213bn per annum, according to the UN.
This is the first time that individuals have been targeted.
Investigators from 21 countries gathered at Interpol's headquarters in France in October to share information on suspects involved in a range of crimes involving the environment.
Called Operation Infra Terra, the agency is now asking for assistance from the public in tracking down nine key suspects.
"Even the smallest detail, which you might think is insignificant, has the potential to break a case wide open when combined with other evidence the police already have," said Ioannis Kokkinis, from Interpol.
"Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes to bring new momentum to an investigation and provide the missing clue which will help locate these wanted individuals, some of whom have been evading justice for years," he added.
One of those named is Feisal Mohammed Ali, alleged to be the leader of an ivory smuggling ring in Kenya.
He is being sought in connection with the seizure of 314 ivory pieces, weighing well over two tonnes in Mombasa in June.
Others on the list include Ahmed Kamran who was charged with an attempt to smuggle over 100 live animals, including giraffes and impalas, to Qatar on a military plane.
Ariel Bustamante Sanchez is alleged to have been involved in illegal tuna fishing in protected waters off Costa Rica.
The move has been welcomed by Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). They are concerned not just with the impact of environmental crime on species but also with the effect on political stability.
"Countries are increasingly treating wildlife crime as a serious offence, and we will leave no stone unturned to locate and arrest these criminals to ensure that they are brought to justice," said Ben Janse van Rensburg from Cites.
"The public can play a crucial role in this...

Summary:


The body of Rebecca Johnson, 26, was found in the Finnish village of Kuttanen.
Ms Johnson was a member of the Santa Safari team which works with tour operator Transun Travel to organise Christmas-themed excursions to Lapland.
The couple lived in Scotland before moving to the Arctic for seasonal

A man has been remanded after appearing in court in Lapland accused of murdering his Scottish girlfriend.

Article: It revealed index-linked bonds may be launched in the near future "subject to market conditions".
The council has already become the first in Scotland to be given a credit rating, with Moody's Investors Service confirming an Aa2 issuer credit rating.
Aberdeen said the funding would support a £1bn capital programme.
Council leader Jennifer Laing said: "The prospect of a bond issue has the potential to be one of the most significant events in the history of our city.
"Following on from the assignment of the credit rating, it would be another first for a Scottish local authority and we are proud to be leading the way with innovation in public sector finance.
She added: "By being proactive in our approach to capital funding, we are clearly being mindful of our duty to protect the revenue budget which is the bedrock of our service delivery."
The plan has the backing of the Scottish government. It believes other local authorities could go down a similar route.
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "We welcome Aberdeen City Council's innovation in using the capital markets as a route to finance.
"Investment in infrastructure throughout the country is vital to Scotland's future and this bond issue has the potential to support a number of key projects in Aberdeen in the years ahead. It is a funding mechanism which has great potential for wider use in Scotland.
"These key projects planned for Aberdeen in the years ahead will be good for the city, for the North-East and for Scotland as a whole."

Summary: Aberdeen City Council has said it hopes to become the first local authority in Scotland to raise funds through the capital markets.
###
Article: Immunotherapy lets the body's own defences fight cancer and has been a source of huge excitement in the field.
And now scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have published a study suggesting aspirin may prevent tumours from hiding from the immune system.
Cancer Research UK said it could be a simple way of improving treatment.
The team showed that skin, breast and bowel cancer cells were producing high levels of a chemical, called prostaglandin E2, that could dampen down the immune response - effectively letting a tumour hide.
However, drugs like aspirin are able to change the chemical pathways inside the cancer cells that lead to prostaglandin E2 being produced.
Experiments in mice, published in the journal Cell, suggest such drugs can boost immunotherapy treatment.
But Prof Caetano Reis e Sousa, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: "We are very far off patients, all this is preclinical research in mouse models, what we would like to do now is set up a clinical trial to formally demonstrate this could happen in humans."
Immunotherapy is one of the most promising fields in cancer research, with some trials showing terminal cancers can be shrunk and even disappear completely in rare cases.
Prof Reis e Sousa added: "The findings are exciting in the context of renewed interest in immunotherapy, really everyone in oncology and immunology has become extremely excited.
"But what we're finding is not a revolution, it's an evolution [that could help us] try to achieve an even greater rate of remission."
There have been previous suggestions that aspirin can prevent cancers forming in the first place.
And Prof Reis e Sousa said it was possible that aspirin was also preventing cancers forming by acting on the immune system, but that was still untested.
Prof Peter Johnson, from Cancer Research UK, said: "This research was carried out in mice, so there is still some way to go.
"But it's an exciting finding that could offer a simple way to dramatically improve the response to treatment in a range of cancers."

Summary: Aspirin may be able to boost the effectiveness of cutting-edge cancer medicines that bolster the immune system, scientists say.
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Article: The 36-year-old Czech national was arrested on Saturday after the body of Rebecca Johnson, 26, was found in the Finnish village of Kuttanen.
Ms Johnson was a member of the Santa Safari team which works with tour operator Transun Travel to organise Christmas-themed excursions to Lapland.
The couple lived in Scotland before moving to the Arctic for seasonal work.
Ms Johnson was from Burntisland in Fife.
A Finnish police statement said: "Lapland District Court has today imprisoned the suspect of the homicide, according to the claim of the Lapland Police Department.
"A 36-year-old Czech citizen is suspected of killing his 26-year-old long-term partner. The victim is a female citizen of Scotland. The crime is investigated as a murder."
It is understood members of Ms Johnson's family have since travelled to Lapland.
The police statement said: "The suspect has been co-operative but hasn't been able to clarify a specific motive for his suspected act.
"Police will continue the investigations by hearing the witnesses and the suspect, and by conducting technical investigations."
The suspect was arrested on Saturday after fleeing into the Lapland wilderness on a dog sled.
The police operation involved a helicopter and officers on snow scooters in temperatures of -30C.
The man was said to have been suffering from hypothermia when he was found.

Summary:


Barratt Homes has confirmed it is pressing ahead with plans to build 400 new homes in the east of Scotland.

Article: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 8-1 to leave rates unchanged, but minutes of the meeting showed most members expect the Bank will take some action next month.
Sterling rose as high as $1.3480 following the decision before falling back to $1.3312.
Financial markets had priced in an 80% chance of the Bank cutting rates.
The Bank said: "Most members of the committee expect monetary policy to be loosened in August.
"The precise size and nature of any stimulatory measures will be determined during the August forecast and Inflation Report round."
The only member of the MPC to vote for a rate cut this month was Jan Vlieghe. He was a senior economist at Brevan Howard Asset Management before joining the committee last September.
Interest rates have remained on hold since the Bank cut its key rate to the record low of 0.5% in March 2009.
The MPC is dealing with two competing forces. First, a slowdown in economic growth following the referendum vote, which many economists believe could tip the economy into recession.
Second, a possible increase in inflation sparked by the fall in the value of sterling. At the moment, the data on the former is limited.
Read more from Kamal here.
The Bank said that some businesses were starting to delay investment projects and postpone recruitment decisions, while a "significant weakening" in activity in the housing market was expected.
Figures released earlier on Thursday showed interest among UK homebuyers fell to its lowest level since mid-2008.
"Taken together, these indicators suggest economic activity is likely to weaken in the near term," the Bank said.
It also said it expected "sizeable falls" in commercial real estate prices in the short term.
However, the MPC raised its expectation for economic growth in the three months to June to 0.5% from a previous forecast of 0.3%.
Aberdeen Asset Management economist Paul Diggle said the Bank had decided that patience was a virtue.
"The next meeting is only three weeks away, and by then Carney and his colleagues will have a few...

Summary: The Bank of England has held the UK's main interest rate at 0.5% despite speculation that it would cut rates.
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Article: The five-Test series will begin in Brisbane on 26 November, with the day-night match taking place in Adelaide from 2 December.
The third Test will be in Perth - either at the Waca or the new Perth Stadium.
Melbourne and Sydney will host the traditional Boxing Day and New Year Tests respectively.
A five-match one-day international series will follow, starting on 14 January 2018.
A Twenty20 tri-series featuring the two sides and New Zealand begins in February, with three matches in Australia and four in New Zealand, including the final.
"We know how much Adelaide fans love this style of Test cricket," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said of the day-night match.
"We're expecting a full house next year in what is sure to be a great contest."
A statement from Cricket Australia explained it is working with the Western Australian Cricket Association and the Western Australia Government "on the possibility of hosting matches at Perth Stadium in 2017-18".
The Perth Stadium is a new 60,000-seater venue which has been planned as a multi-sport arena, also hosting rugby union and league, football and Australian Rules football (AFL). Its official website states that it will be open "for the start of the 2018 AFL season", which is likely to be March 2018.
23-27 Nov 1st Test, Brisbane
2-6 Dec 2nd Test, Adelaide (d/n)
14-18 Dec 3rd Test, Perth (venue TBC)
26-30 Dec 4th Test, Melbourne
4-8 Jan 5th Test, Sydney

Summary: England and Australia will meet in a day-night Test for the first time during the 2017-18 Ashes series.
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Article: The builder said it would construct 139 homes at Duddingston Park South, Duddingston, and 165 at Newcraighall Village.
Barratt Homes will also build a total of 102 affordable homes between the two developments.
Newcraighall Village and Duddingston Park South are both set to launch later this year.
Anne Ross, sales director at Barratt Homes for the East of Scotland, said: "2014 has been buoyant year for new homes sales and we are pleased to be launching these two new developments in the Edinburgh area, to allow us to keep up with demand.
"With a wide selection of modern homes on offer and in sought-after locations, we hope these developments will be extremely popular."

Summary:


The SNP's attempt to be made the official opposition at Westminster has been rejected by the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Article: Keane Wallis-Bennett died in April 2014 when a modesty wall in the PE changing room at Liberton High School fell on top of her.
A police investigation found no-one would face criminal charges.
However, it was decided an inquiry would be held to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
In her opening remarks, Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen said the two-week inquiry would focus on why the wall collapsed, why it collapsed when it did and the property maintenance regime at the school.
She said the hearing came at a time of particular poignancy as many of Keane's classmates had recently been taking exams and were preparing to make their way in life.
Sheriff Principal Stephen added: "The whole community was totally shocked by Keane's death. A young woman who attended school on 1 April, 2014, and did not return to her family.
"School should be a safe place for people."
The inquiry heard that pupils had leaned on the wall while changing their shoes when it it collapsed on top of Keane.
In evidence read out to the court, one described fellow pupils' efforts to lift the wall but said it was too heavy.
Another witness, a Det Ch Insp Keith Hardie, was asked if on 1 April - the day of the incident - he could answer why the wall fell.
He replied: "No."
In a statement, one girl told how PE teacher Nicole Christie must have heard the bang as the wall fell and told them to leave.
The teacher then went over to Keane and told her: "It's alright. The ambulance is coming."
Other girls told of pupils pushing or shoving against the wall and one girl said the wall moved forwards or backwards before returning to its original position.
Another told of a "scraping or grinding noise" and how she looked down and saw "a bit of a gap" about a centimetre wide at the bottom.
Another pupil said a girl would put her back against the shower wall and her feet on the modesty wall and try to walk up it, while another tried to climb up the wall two or three times. But she stopped when she saw the wall move as she had "got a...

Summary: A fatal accident inquiry into the death of a 12-year-old girl who died when a school wall collapsed has begun in Edinburgh.
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Article: The inaugural worldwide day of celebration will be held on 11 July.
Culture, Tourism and Foreign Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop joined Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society chief executive Shona McCarthy to announced the plans.
The first Edinburgh fringe was in 1947 when groups arrived at the Edinburgh International Festival uninvited.
The performers were undeterred by not being on the official programme and staged their shows on the fringe of the main festival, leading to the movement's name.
Since then, the founding principle of open access has remained key and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has inspired the creation of fringe events worldwide.
Ms McCarthy said: "We are thrilled to reveal the plans for the first-ever World Fringe Day.
"We can't wait to join with our sister fringes across the world to celebrate the wonder and joy of fringe festivals in this auspicious year.
"This is an incredible opportunity for fringe organisers, venues, participants and audiences to take part in a truly international celebration of creativity that will transcend national boundaries, demonstrating the power of arts and culture to bring people together.
"We hope as many people as possible will join us for a very special day of worldwide fringe fun as we celebrate 70 years of fringe and pay homage to Scotland as the birthplace of the fringe movement."
The Scottish government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo70 fund will give Â£100,000 to support World Fringe Day through Creative Scotland.
Ms Hyslop said: "World Fringe Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the global connections that Scotland has made through the arts.
"Edinburgh's festivals are world-renowned and it is remarkable to think that the fringe movement, that began here in 1947 with the founding of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, has developed into a worldwide network with fringes now taking place on every continent except Antarctica.
"The Scottish government is proud to support World Fringe Day through our Edinburgh Festivals Expo70 fund, acknowledging Scotland as the...

Summary: More than 200 fringe events across the globe will mark the first-ever World Fringe Day to celebrate 70 years of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
###
Article: The Scottish National Party had argued that its Commons leader enjoyed the support of more MPs than Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
There are currently 54 SNP MPs but only 40 of Labour's 229 MPs expressed support for Mr Corbyn on Tuesday.
Speaker John Bercow said he had sought expert advice.
He said Labour "currently constitutes" the official opposition and its leader is recognised by the Speaker "for statutory and parliamentary purposes" as the leader of the opposition.
Mr Bercow was replying to a point of order raised by SNP MP Pete Wishart, who told the Speaker that Labour had lost two-thirds of its shadow cabinet and its leader no longer commanded the majority of his backbench MPs.
The SNP MP said: "It can now longer provide shadows for large departments of State. It is in clearly in no shape to assume power and meet these key responsibilities and obligations as outlined in Erskine May (the parliamentary rulebook)."
The SNP said it would be able to fill all of the relevant shadow posts to the government.
Mr Corbyn has still not appointed a shadow Scottish secretary.
The previous incumbent, Ian Murray, has not been replaced after becoming one of more than 20 members of Labour's shadow cabinet to quit earlier this week in an effort to force Mr Corbyn to resign.
Mr Corbyn subsequently lost a vote of no confidence by 172 votes to 40 but said the ballot had "no constitutional legitimacy" and that he would not "betray" the members who voted for him by resigning.
His allies have challenged Mr Corbyn's critics to trigger a formal leadership contest if they want to replace him.
Earlier, Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell - who has remained loyal to Mr Corbyn - said the SNP would "always play a few stunts and you can't blame them for that".
The SNP won 56 seats at last May's election, but Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry have since withdrawn from the party whip amid police investigations.

Summary:


Parliament might have to scrutinise up to 15 new bills to deliver Brexit, leaving little time for other legislation, the Institute for Government has warned.

Article: Smaller developers will be able to buy sites in England with planning permission in place - with 40% of the new-builds to be so-called "starter homes" aimed at first-time buyers.
PM David Cameron said it was a "huge shift in government policy".
But Labour said he was using "rhetoric to hide his failure on new homes".
Shadow housing minister John Healey said the announcement did not promise new investment or affordable homes beyond those already announced.
Direct commissioning allows the government to assume responsibility for developing land, instead of large building firms.
Communities Secretary Greg Clark told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government was "pulling out all the stops to get the country building".
"We know that consistently 90% of people aspire to own their own home, and for many years now home ownership has been in decline," he said.
He added that the eight biggest building firms accounted for 50% of the house-building market, and there was a need to involve smaller and medium-sized companies.
Downing Street said the move marked a "radical new policy shift", with up to 13,000 homes set to be built on five publicly-owned sites in 2016 - with up to 40% being affordable "starter" homes.
In December 2014 former Lib Dem chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander announced a pilot plan for the government to "directly commission, build and even sell homes" at a former RAF base in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire.
BBC home editor Mark Easton said the extent of government involvement marked something of an ideological shift for a Conservative administration, adding that starting 13,000 homes represented a "tiny proportion" of the million the government wants built by 2020.
The government wants to build 200,000 starter homes - to be offered to first-time buyers under 40 at a minimum 20% discount price - by 2020.
The discounts apply to properties worth up to £250,000 outside London, or £450,000 in the capital.
A pilot for the scheme will start on five sites:
Where can I afford to live?
Why 'starter...

Summary: The government is "pulling out all the stops" by directly commissioning the building of up to 13,000 homes on public land, ministers say.
###
Article: Mohamed Nasheed obtained 45% but needed more than 50% to avoid a run-off against his rival, Abdulla Yameen, who got 25% of the vote.
After decades of autocratic rule, the Maldives held its first free election in 2008, which was won by Mr Nasheed.
But he was ousted as president 18 months ago in an alleged coup.
Officials said the run-off was due to be held on 28 September.
Mr Nasheed's rival, Abdulla Yameen, is the half-brother of the Maldives' former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who led the country for 30 years.
Mr Nasheed resigned in February 2012 when army and police personnel joined opposition-led protests over the arrest of a senior judge.
The judge, Abdulla Mohamed, was detained in January 2012 after ordering the release of an opposition politician.
Mr Nasheed said he was stepping down to prevent "bloodshed", but later said he was forced to resign at gunpoint by police and army officers.
He was replaced by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, who had also been running in Saturday's election but polled only 5% of the vote.
Mr Waheed has consistently rejected claims of a coup by Nasheed supporters.
The leadership change sparked political unrest, leading to fears that the protests would have an impact on the islands' tourism industry.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said last week that he hoped the elections would be "credible and peaceful".
Key issues for voters included religion, nationalism, education and the economy.
Thoriq Hamid, a representative of poll monitoring group Transparency Maldives, said that the campaigning had been conducted "smoothly and peacefully".
However, there was still "some apprehension and confidence issues about the security forces", he said.

Summary: The presidential elections in the Maldives will go to a second round after frontrunner Mohamed Nasheed failed to win an outright majority.
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Article: The IFG says legislation will be needed to establish new policies on areas such as customs and immigration.
The extra measures will place "a huge burden" on Parliament and government departments, the think tank says.
The attitude of the SNP may also affect the passage of Brexit laws, it adds.
In its report, Legislating Brexit, the IFG says that with the average Queen's Speech announcing only 20 new bills, the introduction of 15 Brexit bills before the UK even exits the EU "will leave very little space for non-Brexit related legislation".
The report comes as Theresa May travels to Swansea with Brexit Secretary David Davis, where she will talk about the "precious union" of the UK.
The prime minister will meet First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, as well as local businesses, as she tries to show she is including all areas of Britain in negotiations with the EU.
Mrs May will say: "I want every part of the United Kingdom to be able to make the most of the opportunities ahead."
The IFG report anticipates the new bills will be in addition to the Great Repeal Bill, which will scrap the 1972 European Communities Act that paved the way for the UK to enter the then-EEC, ending the legal authority of EU law.
The IFG - an independent charity that aims to increase government effectiveness - says departments will need "ruthlessly to prioritise" other legislation and find non-legislative routes to get the laws through, particularly given the government's narrow Commons majority.
It warns that this will mean ministers having to achieve a fine balance between giving too little parliamentary scrutiny and too prolonged, in-depth examination of Brexit-related legislation.
The IFG also argued that "a lack of clarity" about the role the devolved legislatures will play in legislating for Brexit could pose a problem.
"The attitude that the Scottish National Party (SNP) takes to the passage of Brexit-related legislation in Westminster could affect the smoothness with which that legislation passes through Parliament if they join...

Summary:


Voters in Tunisia have been choosing their first freely elected president in a run-off election seen as a landmark in the country's move to democracy.

Article: Attention has fallen on Seddique Mateen, who runs a Facebook page where he describes himself as the "Provincial Government of Afghanistan", and refers to some sections of the Taliban as "our brothers".
Seddique Mateen has also appeared on his own online Afghan nationalist TV programme. Last year, he declared himself a candidate for the presidency of Afghanistan -  a year after the election took place.
His video posts are something of a laughing stock in Afghanistan, where he's viewed as somewhat odd and incoherent, BBC analysts say.
Mr Mateen's video message addressed to the people of Afghanistan mourns the death of his son, saying "I do not know what caused him [to carry out the attack] last night... I was not informed that he had a grudge. I am deeply saddened about what he has done".
"The issue of homosexuality and punishment for that is up to God alone, this is not in the hands of human beings," he adds.
Changing the subject somewhat, he finishes the message by saying he supports the Afghan armed forces in their recent border clash with Pakistani troops, saying "Death to Pakistan, which supports killing and terrorism".
The video was one of several posted on his Provincial Government of Afghanistan Facebook page, where it provoked a stream of abuse from other Facebook users.
BBC analysis of Mr Mateen's online presence shows him to be a proud Afghan nationalist, whose "Durand Jirga" TV programme calls for the Afghan people to rise up and unite.
Despite being of Pashtun descent, he always addresses the Afghan people in the Dari language rather than Pashto, presumably to reach a larger audience. However, his speeches can come across as incoherent and erratic.
In May 2015, a year after the Afghan presidential election, he took to YouTube to declare himself a presidential candidate. "Given the fact that the territorial integrity of Afghanistan is in danger... I declare myself as presidential candidate and founder of the National Salvation Movement of Afghanistan," he said.
However, his videos aren't taken...

Summary: The father of Orlando gunman Omar Mateen said his son had "a grudge in his heart" when he killed 49 people at the Pulse night club in Orlando.
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Article: The band kick off their 19-date European tour at Dublin's Slane Castle on 22 May, 2017; and visit the London Stadium on 16 June.
Other dates are scheduled in Paris, Stockholm and Madrid.
Eagle-eyed fans have spotted a gap in the band's schedule during the Glastonbury festival, suggesting they could be the Sunday night headliners.
Guitarist Slash previously played there as a solo artist in 2010.
The original members of Guns N' Roses reformed in January after years of acrimony.
Singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan launched their comeback in April with two well-received performances in Las Vegas; followed by a headline set at the Coachella festival, where Rose had to sing from a "throne" after breaking his foot.
The band spent the rest of 2016 touring North and South America; while Rose also played several shows with AC/DC, whose singer Brian Johnson had to quit touring due to hearing difficulties.
By playing Slane Castle next year, the band will be revisiting one of the most tense shows of their two-year Use Your Illusion Tour.
Twenty-five years ago, Rose skipped a sound check at the venue, and arrived by helicopter long after he was due on stage. While they waited, the rest of the band were sent a crate of Irish whiskey and a barrel of Guinness by U2.
"Axl Rose nearly induced a nervous breakdown," wrote the castle's owner Lord Henry Mountcharles, years later. "However, it was a magic show. It kicked off the 90s."
Despite starting the show more than an hour late, Guns N' Roses appeared to enjoy the show, too.
"Playing in sunshine - it's a new concept," remarked Axl, who played impromptu covers of Black Sabbath's It's Alright and U2's One alongside hits like November Rain, Paradise City and Welcome To The Jungle.
Speaking on Monday, Lord Mountcharles said he was "thrilled" to be welcoming the band into his back garden after 25 years.
Tickets for Guns N' Roses European tour go on sale this week. Full information is available on the band's website.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter...

Summary: The classic line-up of Guns N' Roses have announced their first concerts in the UK and Ireland since 1993.
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Article: Beji Caid Essebsi, who won the first round with 39% of the vote, is challenging interim leader Moncef Marzouki.
Mr Essebsi represents the secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.
Tunisia was the first country to depose its leader in the Arab Spring and inspired other uprisings in the region.
Polls closed at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT). Voter turnout had reached 36.8% after four and a half hours of voting, Tunisia's election authority said.
Shortly after polls closed, Mr Essebsi's office said that there were "indications" that he had won.
However, a spokesman for Mr Marzouki said the claims were "without foundation".
Mr Essebsi, who turned 88 this week, held office under both deposed President  Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali and Tunisia's first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.
He is popular in the wealthy, coastal regions, and based his appeal to voters on stability and experience.
His opponent, Moncef Marzouki, is a 67-year-old human rights activists forced into exile by the Ben Ali government.
He has been interim president since 2011 and is more popular in the conservative, poorer south.
After casting his ballot, Mr Marzouki said Tusinians "should be proud" of themselves "because the interim period has come to a peaceful end".
Mr Marzouki was thought likely to attract support from the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which has played a key role in Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring but did not field a candidate.
Whoever wins faces restricted powers under a constitution passed earlier this year.
The president will be commander-in-chief of the armed forces but can appoint or sack senior officers only in consultation with the prime minister.
The president will also set foreign policy in consultation with the prime minister, represent the state and ratify treaties.
Tunisia boosted security for the elections and closed border posts with Libya, which has been plagued by unrest.
A group of at least three attackers targeted a polling station near the city of Kairouan on Sunday morning. Security forces say they...

Summary: