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Mr Kearney's Kilmona group wants to build a four-block scheme on a site next to Central Station and extend an existing building on Chichester Street.
Residents in the adjacent Markets area have objected to the Central Station scheme and elements of the original plan have been changed as a result.
Councillors on the planning committee are to make final decisions next week.
The Central Station scheme consists of a 14-storey block, a 10-storey block and two three-storey blocks which will have total floor space of about 323,000 sq ft (30,000 sq m).
The Chichester Street scheme will involve extending and upgrading Centre House.
The plan includes the demolition of an existing three-storey office building on Gloucester Street and the addition of a 'glass box' extension to the upper levels of Centre House.
Belfast has seen little development of Grade A office space since the property crash. | Two major Belfast office projects from the developer Paddy Kearney have been recommended for planning approval. | 37401429 |
The Premiership leaders head to Ibrox for the first time this season having won 5-1 at Celtic Park in September and 1-0 at Hampden Park in the League Cup.
"I think we have progressed since that game, I think we have been even better.
"So if you take that into account, it might be that the gap is bigger," said the Dane ahead of Saturday's clash.
"You always talk about gaps but you also know that one game can change that perception of it.
"So I think the most important thing is to be respectful and say that we are doing our job and Rangers are doing their job.
"If we at the moment are number one that means something, so we will be doing our best to keep that."
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Rangers have taken 24 points from a possible 33 since their League Cup semi-final defeat to move into second place in the Premiership, having won four and drawn one of their last five games.
"They have improved, for sure," Sviatchenko acknowledged. "It is always difficult to come back up into the league but they have performed well and you can see that in the table.
"But I think we are still doing really well and we need to focus on ourselves."
Celtic, chasing a sixth successive league title, are unbeaten in 23 domestic matches this season and have won their last 14 matches in the Premiership.
They are within three matches of equalling the club's 'Lisbon Lions' class of 1966-67 that went 26 domestic matches unbeaten at the start of the season - before losing 3-2 at Dundee United on 31 December. | Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko believes the gap between the champions and Rangers may have grown since their last meeting two months ago. | 38464845 |
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After a 2-2 draw at Anfield, Liverpool prevailed 14-13 in a shootout in which six players scored twice, to reach the fourth round.
"Our players showed great resilience to keep going," said Rodgers.
"And at the end, when it was needed, they showed wonderful composure with some of our young players stepping up."
Liverpool took the lead after just 10 minutes through debutant midfielder Jordan Rossiter, 17, but Boro equalised when Adam Reach headed in after the break.
Suso drilled home for the Reds in extra time but Patrick Bamford's last-minute spot-kick, after Raheem Sterling gave the ball away and Kolo Toure brought down Bamford, took the tie to penalties.
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The shootout featured 20 successful penalties in a row and equalled the record scoreline in English professional football, set in the Football League Trophy in August 2011, when Dagenham & Redbridge beat Leyton Orient.
"It's a relief to get through," added Rodgers. "We are disappointed with the goals we conceded. We are making too many mistakes at the moment. But what this team has is character and we needed that.
"We were practising penalties last night. We are humble enough as a group to think we would maybe go to penalties because Middlesbrough are a good side and are doing very well, so everyone practised."
The match was a triumph for Liverpool's young players, with Rossiter scoring the opening goal on his debut and 18-year-old Jordan Williams finding the net in the shootout on his first appearance.
Suso, a 20-year-old Spanish forward, scored his first Liverpool goal and netted two penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah pushed his effort wide to finally bring the cup tie to an end.
"It was a good night for our young players," added Rodgers. "Young Jordan Rossiter at 17 years of age - he could walk to Anfield - he lives just around the corner, and I was delighted for him.
"He got the opportunity and showed wonderful composure to get that finish.
"I was also impressed with young Jordan Williams - he came on and showed real good stature and composure in the game. He is a wonderful footballer and a young player who is developing well.
"And young Suso hasn't had a lot of game time at all, but he has kept working and I thought he was really bright for us when he came on, and took his goal really well." | Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers praised his young players' composure as the Reds beat Middlesbrough in the longest League Cup penalty shootout. | 29338842 |
The Resolution Foundation said 9,000 more jobs were needed before Scotland's employment rate returned to the level it was at before the economic crisis.
England closed this "jobs gap" more than a year ago, it said.
Its employment rate now stands at a record 74.3%.
Compared with that, Scotland's rate stood at 74.6% immediately before the recession and reached 74.3% between August and October last year. However, it needs to reach the 74.6% figure to close the jobs gap.
The London-based think tank's report was published ahead of the latest official employment figures, which are due to be released on Wednesday.
It found that while Scotland had experienced a "comparatively disappointing performance" on employment since the financial crash, it had undergone a less severe squeeze on pay.
Typical pay in Scotland is currently 5.7% below its 2009 peak, compared with a drop of 9.1% across England.
Analysis released by the foundation earlier this week suggested that typical pay in Scotland was now marginally higher than in England.
The foundation warned that stronger employment gains would be needed if Scotland were to maintain its new pay advantage.
Its report said: "Scotland's incomplete recovery on jobs may lead to slower pay growth in the future relative to other nations and regions of the UK."
Conor D'Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: "Scotland enjoyed a significantly higher employment rate than England in the years running up to the financial crisis. But its relatively poor track record in recent years means that it has fallen back in line with England.
"This puts Scotland's new-found pay advantage over England at risk and it's vital that its job gap is closed sooner rather than later.
"Attention must then turn to why Scotland is lagging behind some other areas of the UK, and what can be done to speed up its sluggish employment growth.
"In order to move towards full employment, it is important for employers to offer 'pull factors' to encourage people who may not actively be looking for work to enter the labour market, such as flexible working and paying at least the voluntary Living Wage."
He added: "The next Scottish government should play a central role in fostering such change.
"With new powers over disability benefits and back-to-work programmes, whoever wins in May's election must make it their focus to re-establish Scotland's reputation as a labour market leader." | Pay growth in Scotland could be slower than the rest of the UK because of the job market's "incomplete recovery" from the recession, according to a think tank. | 35354234 |
Events are taking place in Dublin to mark the centenary of the 1916 rebellion against British rule, a seminal moment in Ireland's past.
Some unionists have been reluctant to take part in or support the events.
Michael D Higgins also said the commemorations are an example to the UK of how to reflect on its own history.
The Easter Rising, a brief and militarily unsuccessful republican revolt, is seen by many historians as a significant stepping-stone in the eventual creation of the Republic of Ireland and the partition of the island.
A greater depth of knowledge, President Higgins said, meant the Easter Rising was now being put "in context of what was happening in Europe" 100 years ago.
"I do think that without 1916, and the events that surrounded it, we would not have achieved our independence," he said in a wide-ranging interview for the BBC.
"It is one of the founding events, without a doubt, and it is of immense significance in terms of where it occurs historically but also symbolically."
President Higgins said Ireland's approach to the rising's centenary was one of "ethical sensitivity".
And he added that "it is responsible not to be seeing fears where there are none".
"My great hope, as head of state, is that we will put ourselves into each other's history," he said.
"We must be able to take your version, my version, move into the shoes of the other, and we must be open to changing our versions as new facts, information and analysis become available to us.
"I would hope that people in Northern Ireland will approach these commemorations, and as we commemorate the [Battle of the] Somme, that we'd be able to do so generously."
President Higgins said people must not "become a prisoner of the past" and "mustn't allow any distortions of history".
He said everyone's take on history must be open to critique, and that Britain, like Ireland, had to closely examine its past.
"When we decide to address the issue of violence, let us speak of the violence of empire, the violence of state, the violence of insurrection," he said.
"Let's do it all - this is the challenge that people are not rising to.
"Having spent decades revising nationalism, where is the evidence that there is as much energy put into addressing the issue of empire?
"As empires came to establishing their stamp on neighbouring countries, what was the consequences of that?"
He described the Northern Ireland peace process as "fragile" and an "ongoing project", but added it would be "pessimistic and wrong" to say significant reconciliation had not been achieved.
"There is real reconciliation going on," he said.
"You don't keep picking at the sources of division to undermine what progress you're making in the present in terms of reconciliation."
Earlier this week, the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, presented President Higgins with a green harp flag that had been taken by a soldier from Dublin's Liberty Hall during the rising. | The Irish president has said he hopes people in Northern Ireland will approach the Easter Rising commemorations "generously". | 35899900 |
The latest Bank of Scotland purchasing managers index (PMI) found activity in the private sector dipped in November.
There had been modest growth in the previous month.
The bank's headline index, which measures changes in output in both manufacturing and services, fell to 49.8 from 50.9 in October.
Any figure below 50 suggests economic contraction.
The report found that the decline stemmed from the manufacturing sector, where the rate of contraction was the sharpest in just over three years.
However, service providers reported a slight rise in business activity.
The survey also indicated a fall in incoming new orders linked to a slowdown in the oil and gas industry.
Despite this, the number of people employed in Scotland's private sector grew, although the rate of job creation was said to be "weak".
Alasdair Gardner, Bank of Scotland regional managing director for Scotland, said: "The headline index fell below the crucial 50 mark in November as a slowdown in the oil and gas industry veered the Scottish economy into contraction.
"The drop in activity stemmed from declining new orders, which was affected by unfavourable exchange rates.
"However, this did not discourage firms from further adding to staffing numbers." | The Scottish economy contracted slightly last month as a result of a downturn in the oil and gas industry, according to a report. | 35087307 |
Harmer finished with match figures of 14-172, as the county champions lost their last five wickets for 10 runs.
Nick Compton's 120 off 303 balls had helped Middlesex recover from 51-3, putting on 153 with Paul Stirling (55).
But they slumped from 252-5 to 262 all out as Division One leaders Essex won by an innings and 34 runs.
South Africa international Harmer, who returned career-best figures of 14-128 in last week's win over Warwickshire, has now taken 47 wickets in eight matches this season.
Middlesex began the day on 27-0, still needing another 273 runs to avoid an innings defeat, and got off to the worst possible start when Nick Gubbins (16) was caught by Alastair Cook.
Harmer next saw off Stevie Eskinazi (12) who was caught by Varun Chopra at leg slip, diving forward with one hand after Cook had parried the ball at slip, while Dawid Malan soon followed for one.
Compton steadied the ship and completed his first century of the season from 232 balls, but was trapped leg before to become Harmer's 11th wicket of the game and Middlesex subsided.
They lost their last four wickets in 27 balls, sending Essex 29 points clear at the top of the Division One table. | Spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best 9-95 as Essex beat Middlesex with just moments of a dramatic final evening at Chelmsford remaining. | 40438885 |
Rochdale's Joe Bunney broke the deadlock, netting from six yards before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing doubled the lead against his old club from close range.
Michael Smith then halved Posh's deficit from 25 yards 10 minutes before half time.
Rochdale's Bunney and Posh's Chris Forrester both saw second-half efforts well saved as the Dale held on.
The result ends Peterborough's play-off hopes, with Posh sitting 14 points outside the top six, while Rochdale keep their slim play-off hopes alive, with seven points separating them and the top six.
Rochdale Manager Keith Hill told BBC Radio Manchester:
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"We're still chasing the dream, it's a massive dream but the players have stood up to the challenge.
"The recent form is absolutely superb and I'm really pleased with today's performance.
"Our attitude, our grit, our determination in the second half to keep the second half clean sheet was magnificent." | Peterborough were narrowly beaten by Rochdale as all three goals came in the first half at the ABAX Stadium. | 35948867 |
Burberry reported pre-tax profits of £166m for the year to March. A year ago it made a loss of £16.1m, hit by charges at its Spanish operations.
In the past year it has opened 21 new stores and closed nine. It plans to open 20-30 stores this year worldwide.
The group has also focused on promoting the Burberry brand online.
Sales rose 7% to £1.28bn, with the company recording double-digit sales growth in Europe and Asia Pacific.
Adjusted profit rose 23% to £215m, taking into account one-off items and a favourable exchange rate.
Stores in London in particular benefited from favourable currency movements and increased tourism.
"Looking forward, while mindful of the economic environment, Burberry plans to build on its strong financial position by accelerating investment in growth initiatives in retail, digital and new markets, while continuing to enhance the brand," said chief executive Angela Ahrendts.
Burberry shares were up 7.6% at 659 pence in afternoon trading. | Luxury fashion designer Burberry has returned to profit after opening new stores and spending more on online marketing | 10162122 |
Holyrood Park Distillery is looking to raise £5.5m from investors for a new distillery and visitor centre.
The funds will be used to renovate a former engine shed in St Leonard's Lane and buy and install equipment.
The cash will also be used to help cover early start-up and production costs.
Fundraising will be led by accountants and business advisers Johnston Carmichael.
Plans for the distillery were approved last year by the City of Edinburgh Council.
It is a joint development by David Robertson, former master distiller for The Macallan, and Rob and Kelly Carpenter, founders of the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Mr Carpenter said: "We are confident that by placing a working distillery in the heart of Edinburgh's capital, with the visitor numbers and cash flow that is expected to provide, we are creating something that is quite different from the typical distillery start-up."
The Holyrood Distillery will be Edinburgh's first single malt whisky distillery since Glen Sciennes closed in the 1920s.
There are also plans to produce gins, liqueurs and other spirits.
Distilling of Holyrood whisky is due to begin in late 2018, with bottles hitting the shelves as early as 2021, according to the company. | The company behind plans to bring single malt whisky distilling back to Edinburgh after a 90-year absence have launched a major fundraising drive. | 40220550 |
The report, based on data from 5,000 patients in England and Wales, said awareness of the early symptoms of the condition must improve.
However, most patients said they were happy with the care they received.
In the UK, one million people suffer from inflammatory arthritis and 700,000 of those have rheumatoid arthritis.
The condition affects the joints, causing pain, stiffness and swelling. The hands and feet are often the first joints to be affected.
Those with a severe form of the condition may not be able to dress or bathe themselves, and some will have to stop working.
This is the second audit of rheumatology services across England and Wales by the British Society for Rheumatology.
It assessed experiences of patient care against the standards set down by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.
It found that as well as delays in early referrals, fewer than half of the patients analysed were seen by a specialist with three weeks, another target set by NICE.
But the report acknowledged there could be a number of reasons for the delays, including staffing levels, the number of specialist consultants in the area, the level of detail contained in referral letters from GPs and whether or not a patient rescheduled their appointment.
For example, in London, the average waiting time for patients to be seen by a specialist was 23 days, compared with 34 days in Wales.
But patients in Wales only had to wait an average of five days to be referred. Across England and Wales, the average wait was 20 days.
The report said a number of providers had made changes in the way care was provided based on the findings in the first audit, but concluded it was too early to see the impact of many of these recent changes.
There were signs of improvement in arthritis care too.
Around 95% of patients who responded to questions about their experience of care said it was good, the report found, an increase on the last audit.
And 86% received steroid therapy to alleviate their early symptoms and more than two-thirds of patients had started taking anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis within six weeks.
Dr Liam O'Toole, chief executive officer at the charity Arthritis Research UK, said results of the audit were disappointing.
"We urge that immediate action is taken to improve access to these services, so that people with inflammatory arthritis get the treatment they need and the quality of life they deserve." | Only 20% of patients who see a GP with suspected inflammatory arthritis are referred to a specialist within the target three days, an audit suggests. | 36867441 |
Police were called to the two-vehicle accident on the A698 near Denholm at about 16:15 on Thursday.
The female driver of a Vauxhall Zafira died at the scene. Three boys aged 12, nine and 18 months, who were in the car with her, were taken to hospital.
Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The driver of a Peugeot 207 was also taken to hospital.
Police said the 26-year-old man's injuries were also not life-threatening.
Anyone who witnessed the accident has been asked to contact police. | A 34-year-old woman has been killed in a crash in the Borders in which three young boys and a man were also injured. | 35558739 |
The country's federal cartel office suspects the social network's privacy terms violate data protection laws.
It is looking into whether Facebook's "dominance" means those terms also constituted an abuse of market power. The formal probe is the first of its kind the social network has faced.
Facebook said it was confident it complied with the law.
"Dominant companies are subject to special obligations," said Andreas Mundt, the president of the cartel office.
"These include the use of adequate terms of service as far as these are relevant to the market
"For advertising-financed internet services such as Facebook, user data are hugely important.
"For this reason, it is essential to also examine under the aspect of abuse of market power whether the consumers are sufficiently informed about the type and extent of data collected."
His investigation would focus on Facebook's US operation, as well as its German and Irish subsidiaries, the cartel office said in a statement released on Wednesday.
It said Facebook was dominant in the social media market and relied on advertising revenues generated on the basis of a "large amount of personal user data".
And users had to agree to this collection of data as a condition of their being able to use the network.
"It is difficult for users to understand and assess the scope of the agreement accepted by them," it said.
"There is considerable doubt as to the admissibility of this procedure, in particular under applicable national data protection law.
"If there is a connection between such an infringement and market dominance, this could also constitute an abusive practice under competition law."
A Facebook representative said: "We are confident that we comply with the law, and we look forward to working with the Federal Cartel Office to answer their questions."
The German authorities are working in "close contact" with the European Commission, the competition authorities of the other EU member states and data and consumer protection officers.
European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said the EU executive shared the view of the German cartel office that the mere infringement of data protection rules by a dominant company did not automatically amount to a competition violation.
"However, it cannot be excluded that a behaviour that violates data protection rules could also be relevant when investigating a possible violation of EU competition rules," he added, while declining specific comment on the new case.
Speaking in Germany in January, the European commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager said her agency was taking a harder look at whether the collection of vast amounts of consumer data by big internet companies violated competition rules. | German authorities are investigating Facebook for suspected abuse of its dominant market position. | 35706993 |
Documents show Mr Stobart, who built Cumbria's Eddie Stobart haulage firm into a household name, petitioned for bankruptcy in July 2010.
Mr Stobart, who sold the company in 2004, had personal debts of £220,000 when he died on 31 March, aged 56, as a a result of heart problems.
The businessman, who lived in Warwickshire, took over a lorry trailer firm which failed in 2009.
Edward Stobart had petitioned for bankruptcy at Warwick County Court and his name is listed on the national Insolvency Register.
His occupation is listed as a company director and promoter and his status as bankrupt. This status was due for automatic discharge on 5 July, 2011.
RSM Tenon, the insolvency firm which original dealt with the case, said: "Known creditors have claims amounting to around £220,000. No material assets have yet been recovered."
Mr Stobart took over his father's Cumbrian firm in 1976 and built it into one of the most well-known haulage companies in the world.
The firm had eight trucks and 12 employees when he took over. By 2001, that had risen to 1,000 lorries and 2,000 staff, operating from 27 sites.
The company even had a "fan club", which attracted 25,000 members at at its height.
Mr Stobart was managing director for more than 30 years but sold the business to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler, in 2004.
The Stobart Group said Mr Stobart's financial affairs were "a private matter".
The firm previously described him as a "a true legend of the haulage industry".
Richard Butcher, chief executive of Stobart Group, said: "I worked with him for a number of years and he was an absolute gentleman. A very generous, a very kind man. A very shy man in some respects.
"He demanded the best from everyone who worked with him, but he was loyal to those who worked with him throughout his time at the business."
The funeral of Mr Stobart took place at Carlisle Cathedral last month. The proceedings were relayed to about 200 people watching large television screens outside. | Haulage magnate Edward Stobart died bankrupt, it has emerged. | 13560566 |
At a meeting in Australia, it was agreed that around 1.5 million sq km of a part of the Southern Ocean would be protected from companies wanting to fish there for the next 35 years.
The Ross Sea actually only makes up about 2% of this ocean, but it is home to a huge amount of wildlife.
Environmental campaigners have welcomed the decision saying it will help to protect Earth's cleanest area of ocean.
They hope it will be the first of many such zones across the world.
You will find around two in every five of the world's Adelie penguins here, around one in three Antarctic petrels and around one in 16 of the world's minke whales. Killer whales live there too.
It is also a rich source of krill, which is food for seals and whales, so it's very important that it is looked after.
Here are 10 things you probably didn't know about Antarctica...
Antarctica isn't a country - it's a whole continent!
It is sits at the Earth's south pole and is almost completely covered by an massive ice sheet that is thousands of metres thick.
Antarctica is absolutely enormous. It is almost 14 million sq km, which makes it the fifth-largest continent behind Asia, North America, South America and Africa.
This is about 58 times the size of the UK and twice the size of Australia!
It is also the world's highest continent, with an average land height of 2,300 m.
The temperature on Antarctica has been known to go as low as around −90°C.
Because it is so cold, the air cannot hold as much moisture so it does not rain very much at all there.
This actually means Antarctica is considered to be a desert, but the other deserts that you know are much warmer...!
The winds can always blow as strongly as up to 351 km per hour.
As it is such an important place for scientific research, at any one time there may be many hundreds scientists spread across the various research stations all over the continent.
You will also find tourists there. According to Discovering Antarctica, in the early 1990s, about 5,000 tourists went every year. By 2009-2010, the continent welcomed around 37,000 visitors.
But nobody lives there permanently!
In the winter, the sea around Antarctica freezes over creating what is called sea ice. This makes the continent almost twice as big in winter.
The end of the summer in Antarctica is in March and the end of the winter is in September - opposite to in the UK!
This is because Antarctica is in the Southern Hemisphere, which faces the Sun during our winter time.
In 1959, several countries signed an agreement called the Antarctic Treaty, saying that Antarctica would be a peaceful place that they would work together to look after.
Without an international agreement like this, people would be free to do what they wanted there. However, this meant countries now work together to protect it. | Officials from 24 countries and the European Union have agreed that the Ross Sea, in Antarctica, will become the world's largest marine protected area. | 37798355 |
The Division One leaders started day four on 48-3, chasing 235 for victory.
Steve Eskinazi (30) nicked Jake Ball (4-54) behind and Nick Compton was run out for 63 to leave the visitors 146-5.
But 58 not out from John Simpson and captain James Franklin's unbeaten 54 saw them to a victory which left them one point clear of Yorkshire.
Defeat for bottom side Notts, who have won only once in the championship this season, means they will be playing Division Two cricket in 2017 for the first time in a decade.
Victory for Middlesex maintained their unbeaten record in four-day cricket in 2016, although second-placed Yorkshire's 23-point win over Durham reduced Middlesex's lead at the top by three points.
Somerset, winners inside three days over Warwickshire this week, are 22 points behind Middlesex in third.
Middlesex play Lancashire at Old Trafford next week, while Yorkshire entertain Somerset at Headingley.
Middlesex meet Yorkshire at Lord's in a potential title decider starting on Tuesday, 20 September.
Despite Middlesex's modest target in Nottingham, Ball's breakthrough and Compton's run-out after a mix-up on the stroke of lunch left the game in the balance.
But the composed Simpson, who brought up his sixth half-century of the summer, and 35-year-old Franklin sealed victory with an unbroken stand of 89.
Compton, who took a two-month break from cricket this summer, told BBC Radio London: "I was proud of the way I managed to hold things together.
"As someone who prides myself on tough situations, I wanted to make sure I was on it.
"The intent was to make sure we found a way to do it, because this is the time.
"You don't get too many opportunities to be a county player playing for the title as this stage of the season. It is a fantastic place to be."
Notts director of cricket Mick Newell, who will hand first-team coaching duties to former England coach Peter Moores at the end of the season, said: "It's about the embarrassment of getting relegated.
"Financially it doesn't make a huge difference. It is more about the impact it has on the ego of the players and the impact on the supporters who are used to seeing Division One cricket.
"We are proud club; we have been in Division One for a long time and it's 10 years since I stood here and had to explain away a relegation." | Middlesex maintained their bid for a first County Championship title since 1993 and relegated Nottinghamshire with a five-wicket win at Trent Bridge. | 37313447 |
The 34-year-old, who came third in Athens in 2004, has concentrated on the 400m hurdles since November 2010.
She failed to qualify for the World Championships and has since lost her lottery funding, but began training for multi-eventing again four weeks ago.
"I am motivated more and I'm enjoying the fact I could be at the Olympics in the heptathlon," she told Sky Sports.
"It has rejuvenated my feelings for the sport."
Sotherton later said on her Twitter account: "I've had to keep my gob shut for over 2 months about this! So it's a relief it's out! #heptathlon"
Since ending her hepathlon career, Sotherton has been supplanted as British number one by Jessica Ennis and she has previously said that, at her best, she could have run the 2009 world champion from Sheffield close.
Sotherton admits that she does not expect to challenge Ennis on her comeback.
"I don't think I'm going to be rivalling her as I possibly could have been a few years ago. I know where my limits lie, I'm not striving for a gold medal," she added.
The Olympic 'A' qualifying standard is 6,150 points, comfortably below Sotherton's 2005 personal best of 6,547.
She scored 6,517 in her last heptathlon in 2008 before heel and back injuries forced her withdrawal from the multi-discipline event. | Former Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton is to return to heptathlon and hopes to compete at London 2012. | 15438392 |
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The fourth-round replay was seconds away from a penalty shootout when Angelo Ogbonna's header made it 2-1.
"It will go into the history of West Ham's greatest games," said Bilic. "Against Liverpool, the last season at Upton Park, night kick-off, a goal in the last minute.
"They left their heart on the pitch."
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The Hammers had never beaten the Reds in the FA Cup and have not won the trophy for 36 years. They will face Championship side Blackburn in the fifth round on Sunday, 21 February.
Bilic, 47, said earlier this year he would rather win the cup than finish in the top four of the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League, saying "the proof is silverware".
After Italy defender Ogbonna's added-time winner, the Croatian boss said: "I'm a down-to-earth guy, but tonight was a big, big match and I was a bit emotional at the end of the game, I'll admit it.
"The players made the fans proud of them and we want to progress even further. If we produce a performance like this then we are capable of beating any team in England."
Bilic also said midfielder Dimitri Payet is committed to the club after reports linked the France international with a big-money move to China.
Payet, 28, is in talks over a new contract and Bilic said: "We are a club moving forward and the most important moves are on the pitch.
"We must do everything we can to keep our best players - and he is our best player. He's happy here and very soon we will sort out his situation."
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp felt his much-changed side should have won the game after Philippe Coutinho's low free-kick had cancelled out Michail Antonio's opener.
The Reds' £32.5m striker Christian Benteke again missed several good chances as the visitors had 20 attempts on goal - one more than West Ham.
"It's hard. We were the better team, created chances and played good football, but we didn't use them," said Klopp.
"There were lots of decisions that on a better day I'd say were funny decisions.
"It's not easy because we were only here to win. You don't have to show your best, you just have to go to the next round.
"The door was wide open for us because we did well, but it was not enough. We have to carry on and fight to the next game." | West Ham's extra-time victory over Liverpool was "a classic FA Cup tie" and one of the club's best, according to manager Slaven Bilic. | 35538204 |
The company is to make Inchinnan, near Glasgow Airport, a Centre of Competence for making aerofoils and engine shafts.
The specialist unit will provide parts for aero-engines which have gone out of volume production, meaning it requires flexible skills in making bespoke items.
It is expected that 130 roles will be created.
The company said this would partly offset the loss of almost 190 jobs announced in March.
While Rolls-Royce has faced big challenges in adjusting to market changes, with repeated profit warnings, it is consolidating its operations.
It currently has 54,000 employees in more than 50 countries, making and servicing aero-engines for airlines, ships and military use. Last year, it had turnover of more than £14bn.
Mike Mosley, chief operating officer for the supply chain division at the Derby-based firm, said: "Our investment in Inchinnan demonstrates our commitment to innovative technology and world-class facilities which will improve performance and drive profitable growth for our business.
"We recognise the dedication and flexibility of the Inchinnan workforce who continue to play a key role in the success of Rolls-Royce."
Rolls-Royce initially invested £85m in the Inchinnan plant.
In a statement, the company said the investment would "potentially" offset the impact of job reductions announced earlier this year as part of the restructuring of its aerospace division.
Renfrewshire Council said the investment was a "vote of confidence" in the Inchinnan plant.
Council leader Mark Macmillan added: "For a world-leading manufacturer to choose Renfrewshire as a focus for further investment is also a tremendous boost for the Renfrewshire economy.
"Renfrewshire has a proud engineering and manufacturing heritage and Rolls-Royce has been at the forefront of that."
In March, Rolls-Royce announced that it was going to shed 187 of the 700 jobs at Inchinnan.
More jobs were to go at its East Kilbride plant, where it services and repairs small and medium-scale engines.
That older plant is to close by the end of the year, as 630 staff are moved, in phases, to the Inchinnan site. | Rolls-Royce, the engine and turbine maker, is to invest up to £60m in its Renfrewshire manufacturing plant. | 33696650 |
Lance Corporal Mapp, of the Household Cavalry, finished 0.18 seconds ahead of American Jason Storm in Igls, Austria.
"What a feeling," said Mapp. "Delighted to win the first Para bobsleigh gold."
Mapp lost both legs when his military vehicle ran over an explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010. He is in the GB sitting volleyball team and took part in the Invictus Games.
He said: "Being part of the world's first ever Para bobsleigh race today was incredible. To win was something really special.
"I hope that I have done people proud - I've had so much support from many different people.
"Help for Heroes have been instrumental in supporting me to this point - it's been great to have their backing.
"I love bobsleigh. I only tried it for the first time in Calgary last season so to be here in Austria, at the first ever race and win is just amazing.
"I feel so excited about where the sport is going and for our next race in St. Moritz next week.
"The field of athletes has been strong and there's been some tough competition. It was an amazingly close race - only three-tenths of a second between the top four finishers.
"To think I nearly quit bobsleigh last summer to focus on my other sports. It's been a fantastic experience to be here, with such a great group of competitors. "
Para bobsleigh and Para skeleton are being included at World Cup events for the first time this season but the International Paralympic Committee have said that the sports will not be included in a Winter Paralympics until 2022 at the earliest. | Great Britain's Corie Mapp won gold in the inaugural World Cup Para bobsleigh race. | 30960109 |
The activity of hundreds of genes was altered when people's sleep was cut to less than six hours a day for a week.
Writing in the journal PNAS, the researchers said the results helped explain how poor sleep damaged health.
Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and poor brain function have all been linked to substandard sleep.
What missing hours in bed actually does to alter health, however, is unknown.
So researchers at the University of Surrey analysed the blood of 26 people after they had had plenty of sleep, up to 10 hours each night for a week, and compared the results with samples after a week of fewer than six hours a night.
More than 700 genes were altered by the shift. Each contains the instructions for building a protein, so those that became more active produced more proteins - changing the chemistry of the body.
Sources: Mental Health Foundation and BBC Science
Discover what disturbs your sleep the most
Meanwhile the natural body clock was disturbed - some genes naturally wax and wane in activity through the day, but this effect was dulled by sleep deprivation.
Prof Colin Smith, from the University of Surrey, told the BBC: "There was quite a dramatic change in activity in many different kinds of genes."
Areas such as the immune system and how the body responds to damage and stress were affected.
Prof Smith added: "Clearly sleep is critical to rebuilding the body and maintaining a functional state, all kinds of damage appear to occur - hinting at what may lead to ill health.
"If we can't actually replenish and replace new cells, then that's going to lead to degenerative diseases."
He said many people may be even more sleep deprived in their daily lives than those in the study - suggesting these changes may be common.
Dr Akhilesh Reddy, a specialist in the body clock at the University of Cambridge, said the study was "interesting".
He said the key findings were the effects on inflammation and the immune system as it was possible to see a link between those effects and health problems such as diabetes.
The findings also tie into research attempting to do away with sleep, such as by finding a drug that could eliminate the effects of sleep deprivation.
Dr Reddy said: "We don't know what the switch is that causes all these changes, but theoretically if you could switch it on or off, you might be able to get away without sleep.
"But my feeling is that sleep is fundamentally important to regenerating all cells." | A run of poor sleep can have a potentially profound effect on the internal workings of the human body, say UK researchers. | 21572686 |
A blockchain-based smart plug that can adjust power consumption minute-by-minute has been created by technologists at Accenture.
The blockchain is the automated ledger that underpins Bitcoin and tracks where the coins are spent and swapped.
The plug shops for different power suppliers and will sign up for a cheaper tariff if it finds one.
Accenture said the smart plug could help people on low incomes who pay directly for power.
The smart plug modifies the basic Bitcoin blockchain technology to make it more active, said Emmanuel Viale, head of the Accenture team at the firm's French research lab that worked on the plug.
Instead of just resolving and confirming transaction records, the Accenture work has changed the blockchain to let it negotiate deals on behalf of its owner.
"It's about how we put more business behaviour or logic into the blockchain," said Mr Viale, adding that this essentially embeds a "smart contract" into the digital ledger.
The smart plug prototype works with other gadgets in the house that monitor power use. When demand is high or low it searches for energy prices and then uses the modified blockchain to switch suppliers if it finds a cheaper source.
So far, said Mr Viale, the Accenture system was just a proof of concept, but it could help many people on lower incomes who pay for their power via a meter.
Being able to quickly shift suppliers could save this group more than £660m in the UK annually, suggests Accenture research.
A blockchain-based system that can act on behalf of its owner might also prove useful as the Internet of Things becomes more ubiquitous, said Mr Viale.
Managing many different gadgets might be tricky without a more centralised system, he said,
Martin Garner, a mobile services expert at analyst firm CCS Insight, said blockchains were starting to crop up in many different areas including share trading, fishing rights databases and land registry claims.
They had two chief attractions for the Internet of Things, he said.
"They avoid dependence on any one supplier or ecosystem - some users have concerns about the potential dominance of key internet players creating, for example, the Google-of-Things or the Amazon-of-Things," he said.
"The second attraction is as a way of enabling autonomous trading between things, such as the appliances in your house being set up to re-order supplies from a pre-approved list of suppliers," he added. | The technology behind the Bitcoin virtual currency could help cut electricity bills, suggests research. | 35604674 |
Mr Khan won on second preference votes after failing to gain more than 50% in the first round.
He said: "I'm so proud that Londoners have today chosen hope over fear and unity over division."
The Greens' Sian Berry took third and the Lib Dems' Caroline Pidgeon was fourth. Peter Whittle's fifth place was UKIP's best ever result in London.
The Sadiq Khan story
How Sadiq Khan won
Who would join Sadiq Khan in City Hall?
Mr Khan's success comes after a patchy election night for Labour, who were overtaken by the Conservatives as the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament, fell short of a majority in the Welsh Assembly, but retained control of 57 councils.
Mr Khan gained 44.3% of first preference votes, to Zac Goldsmith's 38.6%. After second preferences came into play, Mr Khan gained a total of 1,310,143 votes, or 56.8%, to the Conservative candidate's 43.2% - making it a more clear-cut contest than in 2012.
It sees Mr Khan become the first Muslim mayor of any capital city in the EU.
Outgoing mayor Boris Johnson said: "Many congratulations to Sadiq on securing a huge mandate to do the best job in British politics. I wish him every possible success."
In a short speech Mr Goldsmith said: "I wish him well as he sets out to build on the success seen under Boris Johnson."
He admitted he was "disappointed, of course, by the result that I won't be able to deliver a manifesto that I'm really proud of".
Mr Khan was congratulated by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said he would work with the new mayor "to create a London which is fair for all".
Praise also came in from New York mayor Bill de Blasio and Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who tweeted: "From one son of a Pakistani bus driver to another, congratulations".
Labour also saw a boost in their vote across London in the Assembly elections, while several prominent Conservatives criticising their own mayoral candidate's campaign.
Former minister Baroness Warsi called it an "appalling dog whistle campaign" and Ken Clarke said it had been "a mistake" which "probably had a counter-productive effect".
Zac Goldsmith's own sister, Jemima, tweeted: "Zac's campaign did not reflect who I know him to be - an eco-friendly, independent-minded politician with integrity."
Steve Hilton, David Cameron's former director of strategy, told BBC Newsnight that the Conservatives' approach to the mayoral race had "brought back the 'nasty party' label to the Conservative Party".
He added none of Mr Goldsmith's best qualities were "conveyed in his campaign, which to be honest I found really weird".
But Conservative Assembly Member Gareth Bacon told BBC Radio London that the claims of a negative strategy were "a media-generated fixation".
The election saw the highest-ever turnout at 45.6% - narrowly improving on 2008, when it was 45.3%.
Read more about the London Assembly results. | Sadiq Khan has won the London mayoral election, beating Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith. | 36230608 |
Kevin Barry's Beatlebone is described as a novel "that takes its reader to the edge - of the Western world, of sanity, of fame, of words".
"Intricately weaving and blurring fiction and life, Beatlebone embodies beautifully this prize's spirit of creative risk," said judge Josh Cohen.
Barry, who beat five other contenders, was awarded a £10,000 prize.
His novel is set in Dorinish, an uninhabited island off the Irish coast, which Lennon bought in 1967 for £1,700.
Set in 1978, it follows the former Beatle as he visits the island to attend a course of primal scream therapy.
The author described it as "a play for voices".
"I had no idea what I was working on for a long time with the novel Beatlebone," Barry said, ahead of the award ceremony on Wednesday.
"I thought it might be a radio documentary, I thought it might be an essay, I thought it might be a play... it's ended up as being kind of all of these things."
Barry's previous works include City Of Bohane and two short stories, Dark Lies The Island and There Are Little Kingdoms.
The Goldsmiths Prize was founded in 2013 "to reward fiction that breaks the mould or opens up new possibilities for the novel form".
Author Eimear McBride, one of the judges of the 2015 prize, won the inaugural prize for her work A Girl Is A Half-formed Thing, while last year saw Ali Smith triumph with her novel How to be Both.
Smith has described the Goldsmiths Prize as "a miracle".
"The change it's made is that publishers, who never take risks in anything, are taking risks on works which are much more experimental than they would've two years ago," said Smith. "That to me, is like a miracle."
The panel of four judges for this year's prize included McBride, Professor Cohen (chair), author Jon McGregor and journalist Leo Robson. | A fictional book about John Lennon has won the Goldsmiths Prize, celebrating the novel at its most innovative. | 34797452 |
The new pay rates for thousands of its staff will take effect from the start of the New Year, the company said.
Sports Direct - which is controlled by wealthy businessman Mike Ashley - said it would cost £10m a year.
But the Unite trade union accused the company of a "PR stunt" and of "gulag" working conditions at its headquarters.
The retailer came under pressure earlier this year for effectively not paying its staff the full minimum wage.
It insisted on searching employees at the end of their shifts, which they were not paid for.
That extra time meant the average hourly rate was as low as £6.50 an hour, instead of the national minimum wage of £6.70.
"We have a responsibility to set a high moral standard," said Mike Ashley in an interview in the Daily Mirror.
"I want to see Sports Direct become the best High Street retail employer after John Lewis," he said.
However, the Unite trade union, which represents warehouse staff at Sports Direct, accused him of a PR stunt.
"This pitiful promise by Sports Direct to pay just over the minimum wage should not distract from the 'Victorian' work practices at the retailer's massive Shirebrook depot," said Unite regional officer Luke Primarolo.
"Nor should it deter HMRC from investigating the possible non-payment of the minimum wage to the thousands of agency staff who eke out a living on the site."
In his interview, Mike Ashley said that workers over 21 will now earn "around" £6.85 an hour.
When the new National Living Wage of £7.20 comes into effect in April 2016, staff over 21 will earn £7.35.
Shareholders, including Royal London Asset Management, were among those who criticised the company, alongside the TUC and politicians.
The former shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, called the retailer "a bad advert for British business".
Shares in the company fell by more than 10% on 10 December, in the wake of the criticism.
News of the pay re-think sent Sports Direct shares up by more than 1% in morning trading on Thursday.
Earlier in the year staff members told the BBC Inside Out programme that they were too frightened to take sick days, for fear of losing their jobs.
But the company denied the accusation, saying staff who failed to reach performance targets were offered support and training. | The retailer Sports Direct has announced that it will pay its staff more than the minimum wage, following criticism of its employment practices. | 35204412 |
After previously calling off the final four dates of their US leg, their two Canadian dates scheduled for Friday and Saturday will also not go ahead.
The band said doctors had told Rhodes he needed to continue to rest for at least another 72 hours.
They added that they were "devastated" their two-year tour had ended this way.
Doctors had previously told Rhodes the illness could be the result of a viral infection.
A statement on the band's website said: "Nick held out all week, hoping that he would be well enough to perform again for these final few shows, but unfortunately the medical advice he has been given today requires him to continue to rest.
"The band are devastated that what has been a triumphant tour for them, with many highlights, has ended this way - and know that the fans will be as disappointed as they are."
Earlier in the week, Rhodes said he felt "completely helpless over the situation and all I can do is apologise to our fans".
"We would never let them down unless it was totally unavoidable," he said.
The band had hoped to reschedule the dates, but it has not been possible because of the availability of the venues affected.
They said ticket holders for the cancelled gigs should apply for refunds at the point of purchase.
Duran Duran's All You Need Is Now tour has been under way since spring 2011.
They were forced to postpone a string of dates on the UK leg last summer after singer Simon Le Bon was treated for ongoing throat problems. | Duran Duran have been forced to cancel the remaining two dates of their world tour because keyboard player Nick Rhodes is still too ill to perform. | 19408214 |
About 15 students, from the 'Fossil Free QUB' group, have been occupying part of the university's administration building since Friday.
A QUB spokesperson said a review of its investment policy is taking place.
The review will be completed next spring.
The spokesperson added that the university is happy to hold discussions with Fossil Free QUB, but there would be no immediate decision taken on its investment policy outside of the review.
The Green Party Northern Ireland, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Alliance Party, Sinn Féin and People Before Profit have all expressed support for the fossil free campaign.
Belfast city Green Party NI councillor Ross Brown was at the demonstration at Queen's, and called for the university to disinvest in fossil fuels.
"There are investment indexes that exist now that exclude fossil fuels, so there's no stopping Queen's choosing those indexes and taking their money out of fossil fuels."
The Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard also said the university should take action now, rather than waiting for the results of a review.
"Other universities around the world, including Sheffield, have recently done this, so it's time for Queen's to do that too," he said.
Meanwhile, freedom of information requests carried out by the Fossil Free QUB organisation - and seen by the BBC - show that some of Queen's money is subsequently invested in;
However, these types of investments are not unusual, according to a wealth management expert.
Ewan Boyle, director of Johnston Campbell financial advisors, told the BBC that many organisations had diverse portfolios.
"If we look at the top 100 companies in the UK, around 25% of those have a bias towards mining or oil, so avoiding those companies if you are a large investor is virtually impossible" he said.
"Queen's are passing their money to fund managers, who are responsible for investing that money, and their primary objective is to get the best returns they possibly can."
"It's what many pension funds, and many large organisations are doing," Mr Boyle added.
"Mining and oil have been huge growth areas in recent years, so that's where the fund managers are investing to get those returns."
A Queen's spokesperson said that university business was continuing as normal, although a small number of staff in the finance office had been relocated. | A number of politicians have attended the protest calling for Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) to sell shares it holds in fossil fuel firms. | 35096677 |
The story started trending on Twitter, so we asked big-boned felines on the social network to not only show off their claw-some body shapes but also to give their views on the pay disparity.
This is, of course, just a tongue-in-cheek look at the serious issue of pay discrepancy - but if you feel you have any pictures that would help us encapsulate stories making the news, then do get in touch and tweet @BBC_HaveYourSay. | It is "Fat Cat Tuesday", the day of the year by which, according to campaign group the High Pay Centre, the average FTSE 100 chief executive will have earned more than the average annual salary. | 35233517 |
Umpires Steve O'Shaughnessy and Martin Saggers twice inspected the sodden outfield with the hope of some action.
But, despite a dry afternoon, the pitch could not dry quickly enough and it was called off for the day at 16:00 BST.
Hampshire had earlier been rocked by the news that fast bowler Reece Topley had broken his hand batting.
The England World T20 fast bowler, who is making his debut in this match following his winter move from Essex, was struck on his right hand by Boyd Rankin early on making a career-best 15.
He is to see a specialist to check whether the injury is just a single or double fracture just below the knuckle.
On his 34th birthday, new Bears skipper Ian Bell is still hopeful of forcing a result given that Tuesday's weather forecast promises more dry spells.
Hampshire director of cricket Giles White told BBC Radio Solent:
"A little bit of time out the game isn't bad for us but we would like to be out there playing cricket as much as we can at this time of year.
"For us tomorrow we need to carry on batting and get what we can in terms of bonus points and bowl well. The game will take shape from there.
"It was a shame to lose a day today but the weather looks better tomorrow and we'll go again." | Warwickshire's hopes of building on their first-day domination were stymied by the Southampton weather as no play was possible on a rain-ruined day two. | 36016631 |
The four crew members of the Be Good Too were rescued by the US Coastguard 300 miles (482.8km) off the coast of Virginia on 14 January 2014.
The boat came ashore on the west side of South Uist on Monday.
The crew of Be Good Too encountered stormy weather three days after leaving a marina in Jersey City.
The catamaran was sailing for Caribbean.
They were airlifted to safety by a coastguard helicopter.
South Uist-based photographer JF Martin found the wreck on the beach.
Former crew member, sailor Charles Doane, has blogged that he "couldn't believe it at first" when he was told the boat had been found.
He said the owner of Be Good Too had died in past three years. | The barnacle-covered wreck of a catamaran abandoned during a rescue off the US east coast three years ago has been found on a Hebridean beach. | 38662220 |
Marc Jones claimed the force spends hundreds of thousands of pounds maintaining the building that should be spent on front-line police services.
He said staff based at West Parade will be relocated to the £16m joint ambulance, fire and police station, due to be built at South Park.
The City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team will move to City Hall, he said.
More stories from across Lincolnshire
"We will definitely dispose of West Parade," Mr Jones told BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
"We are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds just keeping the rain out of the leaky roof at the moment and that's money that should be spent on front-line police services.
"Hopefully around March 2019 everybody will move from West Parade to the new station at South Park."
The construction of the new joint ambulance, police and fire station is part of the county's Blue Light Collaboration programme.
On Wednesday, Lincolnshire's Fire and Police services moved into a shared headquarters in Nettleham, in the first phase of the scheme. | Lincoln's West Parade police station will close by 2019, the Police and Crime Commissioner has said. | 39377452 |
The Holigost - or Holy Ghost - was one of four "great ships" commissioned by the king in his war against France.
It was spotted in an aerial photograph by historian Dr Ian Friel, in an area of Hampshire's River Hamble described as a medieval breaker's yard.
Historic England said it was a "tangible link" to Henry V.
The Holigost fought in sea battles during the Hundred Years War which broke the French naval power.
Dr Friel identified the wreck when he was revisiting documentary evidence for a book on Henry's navy.
Future scientific research on the ship, which could include sonar and aerial imaging using drones, could reveal much about 15th Century shipbuilding and improve understanding of life aboard ship, naval warfare of the time, dock building and docking practices.
Historic England said it was taking steps to protect and investigate the shipwreck in part of the river next to where Henry's flagship, the Grace Dieu, was identified in the 1930s.
Duncan Wilson, Historic England's chief executive, said the investigation in the 600th anniversary year of the Battle of Agincourt, was "immensely exciting."
"It holds the possibility of fascinating revelations in the months and years to come," he added.
Dr Friel said: "In my opinion, further research leading to the rediscovery of the Holigost would be even more important than the identification of the Grace Dieu in the 1930s.
"The Holigost fought in two of the most significant naval battles of the Hundred Years War, battles that opened the way for the English conquest of northern France." | The wreck of a 600-year-old warship which helped Henry V wage war on France is believed to have been found buried in a river. | 34503044 |
The protest, organised by the GMB union, took place outside a meeting of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CPCCG).
The union said outsourcing the multi-million pound contract was a move towards breaking up the NHS.
But the CPCCG said the bidders were a mix of named NHS and private providers.
Steve Sweeney, GMB regional organiser, said the protest near the Masonic Hall in Cambridge was part of its "fight to defend NHS services".
He said: "The NHS should be publicly run, publicly owned and publicly accountable."
Five bidders are in the running:
Clinical lead for the CPCCG's older people's programme Dr Arnold Fertig said: "There is a mix of named NHS and private providers bidding in the procurement process.
"This process is about getting the best possible health services for older people and providing them in joined-up and innovative ways.
"The intention is that older people will experience a much better service than what is currently being offered. We are following a legally agreed procurement process." | A demonstration against outsourcing Cambridgeshire healthcare services for older people has been held as bidders for the contract were announced. | 25644237 |
Alien: Covenant, which is out in the UK on Friday, is the sequel to Scott's 2012 Prometheus and stars Michael Fassbender and Katherine Winterston.
The Guardian said the "parasitic space alien has returned for this watchable if unoriginal sci-fi thriller".
But The Telegraph said the film was "grandiose" and "exhilarating".
"To want more Alien after this... would be to want to see something very odd indeed," Robbie Collin continued. "But Covenant leaves the mythos feeling riper and more vitalised than ever."
In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw went on to say: "The vu has never been so deja: It's a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films' freaky moments.
"The paradox is that though you are intended to recognise these touches, you won't really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time."
The Independent described it as a "mightily impressive piece of cinematic engineering".
"Every second here is tinged with dark foreboding, with the relentless tension that marked the 1979 original," the paper's Clarisse Loughrey said.
The Mirror was equally effusive, saying: "Scott's final theatrical flourish sends the franchise spinning out in a new direction. This is screamingly great cinema."
In the US, where the movie comes out on 19 May, Variety magazine was firmly on the fence, saying the film was "more of the same, which is both a relief to fans and a letdown to those hoping it might pave new ground".
Its reviewer Peter Debruge concluded: "As acts of creation go, Scott has made an Alien movie for that segment of the audience that has always rooted for the monster."
In the Hollywood Reporter, the verdict was considerably more enthusiastic, saying the film was "gripping through its full two hours and spiked with some real surprises".
"This beautifully made sci-fi thriller will immeasurably boost fan interest in the run of prequels which Scott has recently said will consist of at least two more films until the action catches up to the 1979 original," it said.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Ridley Scott's return to directing a film in the Alien franchise has received mixed reviews ahead of its UK and US release. | 39843875 |
A new report said the gap between the hourly earnings of the two sexes widens after women become mothers.
Their hourly pay rate falls 33% behind men's over a 12-year period, it added.
But in Northern Ireland, there is an established trend of women earning more than men.
In 2010, typical (median) female full-time hourly earnings, excluding overtime, in Northern Ireland moved slightly ahead of male earnings for the first time.
That has continued over the last five years, except for 2012 when typical female and male full-time hourly earnings were the same.
In 2015, typical female full-time hourly earnings, excluding overtime, were 101% of male earnings compared to a ratio of 91% for the UK as a whole.
The pattern of women earning slightly more than men is not uniform across the income distribution.
Men have higher earnings in the 90th percentile (among the top 10% of earners), and at the 40th percentile and below.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has suggested that the gap in favour of full-time female workers overall is partly to do with a higher proportion of public sector jobs in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK.
There are more women employed in this sector than men and these jobs tend to be higher paid, in general, than in the private sector.
At a wider, all-employee level, there is still a gap in favour of men because there are more full-time male employees.
All of the above data is from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. | Full-time female workers in Northern Ireland are defying the gender pay gap to earn more than their male counterparts, official figures have shown. | 37166043 |
One council has told BBC Wales it intends using £20m of its cash before any reorganisation.
Carmarthenshire's head of resources said he wanted to see the council's money spent in the authority area.
The Welsh government said councils had to maintain reserves and it would act to halt "irresponsible spending".
But Carmarthenshire executive board member, councillor David Jenkins, said money should be spent on boosting the area's economy before any mergers.
"This is common sense. The question we're asking is what will happen to Carmarthenshire's money if we have to merge with Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion," he told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme.
Although plans have yet to be finalised, he said the intention was to spend about £20m of £72m earmarked reserves on an "anti-austerity package".
He said there was money within the reserves "where the initial purpose has come to an end" which is the cash which would be used to improve the area's economy.
However, not every local authority agreed with Carmarthenshire's approach.
Ceredigion's leader, Ellen ap Gwynn, said it was not an example they will follow.
"You can only spend money once. Who knows what will come with these storms, floods and snow," she said.
"Personally, I don't see mergers - so there's no need to prepare for that eventuality. I don't think the Labour Party will get a majority in the next election so the proposed plans will not go ahead."
A deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru means the merger process has been put on pause until after the May's assembly election.
Leighton Andrews, the minister overseeing the plans, expressed concern over Carmarthenshire's proposal.
He said he would "act to stop any irresponsible spending" in relation to council's reserves.
A Welsh government spokesman added: "The Welsh ministers already have powers to set minimum level of reserves required to be held as part of the authority's budget setting process.
"Additionally, the provisions of the Local Government Act (Wales) prevent improper use of assets before mergers." | Moves to cut the number of councils in Wales to single figures have sparked fears that some local authorities may spend reserves ahead of mergers. | 35201832 |
The bridge over the M20 near Maidstone in Kent was hit by a lorry carrying a digger on Saturday.
A motorcyclist suffered broken ribs and a lorry driver was treated for shock.
The M20 will be closed between junctions 1 and 4 coast-bound and junctions 4 and 2 London-bound from 20:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 Monday.
The collapsed section of the pedestrian bridge, near the village of Addington, was removed from the scene last weekend, and the road was reopened a day later.
Highways England said the remaining structure was being constantly monitored and was structurally sound and safe for traffic to pass underneath with a temporary 50mph speed limit in place.
Chief highway engineer Catherine Brookes said: "We naturally need to remove it under safe controlled conditions this weekend.
"We will use the closures to carry out as much work as possible, including barrier repairs, resurfacing and litter picking.
"We will start planning the replacement in due course."
The coast-bound M26 will also be closed from the M25 junction 5.
Diversions will be in place via the A229 and M2/A2 to join the M25 at junction 2.
Local traffic will be able to use the A20.
Access to the A21 from the anti-clockwise M25 will also be closed with a diversion via junction 4.
The M20 is the main route to the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover. | A footbridge over a motorway which partially collapsed when it was struck by a lorry will be removed at the weekend. | 37249668 |
Poppy Scotland tins were reported stolen with the first alleged incident in Portobello on 1 November and a further two a week later.
Two other reported incidents took place in Musselburgh on 5 and 6 November.
The men, aged 27 and 35, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date. | Two men have been charged in connection with the alleged theft of charity collection boxes from separate locations in the east of Scotland. | 20349183 |
Officers found 70 snakes, including Russell's vipers and cobras, as well as 30ml of snake venom, in a flat where one of the accused lived in Pune.
The snakes were found in wooden boxes and gunny bags and have now been handed to wildlife officials.
Selling snake venom is profitable in parts of India, where keeping protected wildlife in captivity is illegal.
Reports say that some pharmaceutical firms buy snake venom from the black market to develop antidotes.
Police inspector Santosh Giri Gosavi told the Hindustan Times that they raided the flat after receiving credible information.
He said the suspects bought snakes from snake catchers.
"They were used to extract venom, which the duo would sell," he said. | Indian police have arrested two suspected snake venom smugglers in the western state of Maharashtra. | 38448893 |
RSPB Scotland is planning improvements for people and wildlife at the site on the south-eastern edge of Alloa.
The wetland and grassland is a popular site for birds including snipe, short-eared owls, teals and black-headed gulls.
New paths, viewing areas and signage are to be installed over the coming months with a series of events planned.
The wetlands near the banks of the Forth and the Black Devon river were created when soil was dug out to cap a nearby landfill area.
Managed lagoons were formed by Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust, and later expanded in the mid 2000s by the council's landfill project.
RSPB Scotland's regional director for south and west Scotland, Anne McCall, said: "We're delighted to be taking on the management of the Black Devon Wetlands and we hope to transform it into a reserve that will not only help wildlife, but also provide local people with a great nature experience right on their doorstep.
"The Inner Forth is internationally recognised as an important place for birds, and the establishment of this reserve adds to a wider mosaic of habitats that are beneficial for a whole range of different species, as part of the RSPB's landscape-scale project, the Inner Forth Futurescape." | Scotland's newest nature reserve is to be set up at the Black Devon Wetlands in Clackmannanshire. | 33200958 |
The 29-year-old ex-Tranmere Rovers and Leicester City left-back has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament just 37 minutes into his debut on loan at Yeovil in January 2014.
"We're providing a base to get himself going," said Crewe boss Steve Davis.
"We certainly know he's good enough," Davis told BBC Radio Stoke.
"I remember him bombing down the wing at Tranmere causing us heaps of problems. He got player of the season there before going to Leicester."
The French-born former Ivory Coast Under-23 international was released in the summer by Leicester, for whom he managed just two League Cup appearances after leaving Tranmere to join the Foxes in July 2013.
But Bakayogo, who still has a home on Merseyside, has been making the short daily journey to Crewe's Reaseheath training ground in a bid to get his career going again.
"We haven't made any decisions either way," said Davis. "He came to us pre-season with a view to us having a look at him, when we were looking for a left-back, before we signed Stephen Kingsley.
"His knee was in poor condition. He'd had a couple of cruciates and had been out for two years. There were doubts about those injuries and we wanted to take a look at him, but he's answering those questions at the moment. He wants to get back playing professional football."
Davis's Crewe still sit bottom of League One, having won just three times in 16 games this season, ahead of Saturday's FA Cup first round date at home to non-league high fliers Eastleigh. | Crewe Alexandra are considering whether to offer a deal to on-trial defender Zoumana Bakayogo after almost two injury-hit years out of the game. | 34710938 |
He replaces Barrie Hubbard, who has chosen to step down after 29 years on the club's board.
Allen, who had previously held the position of chief executive, told the club website: "I intend to give 100% in my efforts to achieve what the fans want, which is Championship football."
Meanwhile, midfielders Danny Whitaker, 31, and Mark Randall, 18, have agreed new one-year deals.
Whitaker, who joined the Spireites from Oldham in 2010, made 35 appearances in 2011/12.
Randall played 18 games in his first season with the club, having joined them from Arsenal last summer. | Chesterfield have appointed Dave Allen as their new chairman. | 18366131 |
Williams, 25, can play full-back or wing and has 38 caps for Wales, as well as 100 Scarlets appearances.
The move could limit his international appearances, under the senior selection policy which only allows three non-Wales based players to be selected.
"Liam is arguably one of the most talented backs in Europe," director of rugby Mark McCall said.
In a statement released by the Scarlets, Williams said: "I will continue to give my all in the Scarlets jersey and will hopefully have an opportunity to play for silverware at the end of this season with a what is a great group of boys."
European and Premiership champions Saracens have already confirmed France hooker Christopher Tolofua will move to Allianz Park next season.
Williams' arrival adds new competition for Alex Goode and Sean Maitland at full-back, an area in which Sarries have had to add cover in fellow Welshman Andrew Fenby this season.
As for Scarlets, Williams' exit would put them in a position to bring Toulon and Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny to the region.
The Welsh Rugby Union said it had made "the best offer it can" to take him back to Welsh rugby.
Chris Jones, BBC Radio 5 live rugby union reporter
It has been an open secret for some time.
With 38 Wales caps, he has developed into one of the finest attacking running backs in Europe and he is sure to thrive at Saracens, a club which has an outstanding reputation for developing and looking after its players.
But it is a blow for the domestic game in Wales. Scarlets say they fought hard to keep him and my understanding is that he was offered a dual-contract with the Welsh Rugby Union.
He will now have to rely on a wildcard selection next season to play for the Wales national side. | Wales back Liam Williams will join Saracens from Scarlets on a three-year deal from the start of 2017-18. | 38555124 |
Billed as a business breakfast, Mr Brokenshire was listed as guest speaker alongside DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster.
However, Mr Brokenshire withdrew in the face of unwelcome publicity.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he needs to show he is not favouring one Northern Ireland party over any other.
The story was first reported in the Irish News on Wednesday.
"It's quite clear, given the Tory party conference, champagne receptions and James Brokenshire agreeing to attend a fundraiser, that they seem to be working very closely together," Mr Eastwood told the BBC.
"That's fine on one level, but the British secretary of state and the British Government should not be in the pocket of any one party.
"He needs to now go overboard in demonstrating that he isn't captured by the DUP, that he is his own man and he's prepared to stand up for what's right in Northern Ireland - not for what Arlene Foster tells him."
People attending the event at a café in Lisburn, County Antrim, are being charging £30 a plate or £300 for a table of 10.
The invitation described it as "an excellent opportunity to network with business and elected representatives".
An NIO spokesman said that it does not "discuss [Mr Brokenshire's] diary and he is not attending the event."
The DUP refused to comment.
Last week, the DUP held a champagne reception at the Conservative conference amid claims the two parties have done a deal in the wake of the Brexit vote.
On Wednesday, the secretary of state met DUP MPs in what was described as a constructive and useful engagement.
The NIO said it was part of a series of meetings, with the MPs of all the Northern Ireland parties represented at Westminster. | The Northern Ireland Secretary has pulled out of an event run by the DUP after it was revealed to be a party fundraiser. | 37633921 |
Wilson, 37, and from Sheffield, was struck by flying debris and suffered head injuries during the Pocono IndyCar 500 race in Pennsylvania on 23 August.
About 500 people attended the seven-time IndyCar race winner's funeral at Paulerspury in Northamptonshire.
The family, friends and colleagues joined Wilson's widow Julia at Silverstone afterwards.
Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber and retired IndyCar racer Dario Franchitti were among the pallbearers.
Webber said: "It was an honour for me to do that for the family because we are a family in many ways when it comes to motorsport.
"We know the dangers are always there. Motorsport has had good and bad patches when it comes to these tragic events and when it is really close to home then it hits you even harder.
"You think of the family and everyone who is going to be affected by this. Motorsport is a tight-knit family and when we need to get together in really tough times we do our best."
Jonathan Palmer, the former F1 driver who took Wilson on as a protégé, and former F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart also attended.
Palmer, who read an 11-minute eulogy in his honour, said: "Justin was the innocent victim in a cruel twist of fate when he was hit by flying debris from an incident ahead. It still feels like a bad dream but tragically it is only too real."
The father of two died a day after Sage Karam's car spun and crashed in front of him on lap 179 of 200.
Wilson's major motorsport breakthrough came in F1.
He won the Formula 3000 series in 2001, and two years later raised £1.2m to finance his F1 entry after setting up a company in his own name.
Wilson scored his only point from 16 races with Minardi and Jaguar during 2003 at the United States Grand Prix.
He moved to the US in 2004 and enjoyed greater success in Champ Car, finishing as series runner-up in 2006 and 2007 before switching to IndyCar racing in 2008, after Champ Car merged with the Indy Racing League.
He finished second in the previous IndyCar race in Mid-Ohio on 2 August, his first podium finish since 2013, while his final victory came at the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2012.
Mark Miles, chief executive of IndyCar parent company Hulman & Co, paid tribute to Wilson's "elite ability" and his "unwavering kindness, character and humility". | The funeral has taken place of British IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, who died during a race last month in America. | 34208743 |
Jennings replaced injured opener Haseeb Hameed in the squad in the build-up to the fourth Test in Mumbai, which starts on Thursday at 04:00 GMT.
The 24-year-old is the son of former South Africa coach Ray Jennings, and captained South Africa Under-19s.
"The more time you spend in a country, the more you feel welcome," he said.
"Especially in the North East, the people are very welcoming - and that made me feel part of the furniture essentially.
"At the moment I'm feeling very comfortable and very English, despite my accent."
Jennings, whose mother was born in Sunderland, has served a four-year qualification period to be eligible for England.
The Durham batsman made 101 not out as he captained the England Lions against the United Arab Emirates last week.
He said the moment Lions head coach Andy Flower told him he had been called into the senior squad was "surreal".
"I texted my dad and it ended up with my dad being speechless and my mum in tears," he told BBC Sport.
Jennings said all-rounder Ben Stokes, his Durham team-mate, was helping him settle in to the national set-up.
"It makes it easier when you have Stokes taking the mickey out of you," he added.
England trail India 2-0 in the five-match series.
India's cricket board is considering whether to switch the final Test from Chennai following the death of a local politician.
The fifth Test is due to be held in the city from 16-20 December. | Keaton Jennings, the South Africa-born batsman who is set to make his England debut in India this week, has said he feels "very English". | 38224135 |
The two parchment books dating from 1727 record the setting up of Burwash Charity School with a legacy of £100 from the Rev George Barnsley.
Other subscribers were Thomas and Henry Pelham and local landowners and businessmen.
The books, which have been in the hands of a local historian, are now being held at The Keep in Brighton.
They cover 150 years up to 1877, recording some of the pupils' names, the teachers and the school accounts.
Two of the first three teachers employed in 1727 were unable to write, and when asked to sign receipts for their wages, could only sign with a line or cross.
"They probably weren't trained at all," said senior archivist Christopher Whittick.
"This was a charity school for poor children."
He said the books would be of interest to many different people.
"If you are interested in education that's the most obvious but if you are interested in Burwash, or the families of Burwash, or if your ancestor was one of the children there is something there for you."
The Keep at Falmer, which opened in 2013, holds the historical records of East Sussex Record Office, Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums and the University of Sussex. | Documents thought to be the earliest school records in Sussex have been deposited in county archives. | 34015822 |
Under council proposals, the 75 schools could have funding taken away for one hour of lunch staff per day, amounting to £2,200 a year each, according to figures obtained by Plaid Cymru.
Plaid said costs could be passed on to parents - which is denied by the council.
Caerphilly said it was one proposal as part of a drive to save £9m in 2016/17.
A spokeswoman said "extensive consultation" had taken place with head teachers, adding: "There is certainly no intention that any financial impact would be passed onto parents, or that the service would cease to be provided by schools."
The Labour-run authority said it was committed to spending an extra £1.9m on county borough schools in 2016.17.
A cabinet report set to be discussed next week says the 75 schools may decide to use their lunch-time supervisor to undertake the cleaning task.
However, if this happened, 75 posts (working on average one hour per day) would be withdrawn in "a worst case scenario".
This would amount to 375 hours of cleaning lost across all schools per week and the work would be shared among the remaining staff.
Plaid Cymru said the proposal would save the council £175,000 a year, which equated to around £2,200 being passed onto each school.
It added that it would be based on how many pupils eat sandwiches.
The party's candidate for Caerphilly in the assembly elections Lindsay Whittle said many parents give their children sandwiches as they cannot afford meals.
"It seems likely that this charge will be passed on to parents by many schools or pupils even banned from bringing lunches in," he added.
But the council's cabinet member for education Rhianon Passmore said the suggestion was "disingenuous and misleading", saying Plaid was "scaremongering".
"Sadly, such claims will undoubtedly cause extra worry and stress for hard pressed parents and their children. This is wrong," she added. | Primary schools in Caerphilly county could lose money for cleaning up after children who bring sandwiches in. | 35562962 |
The 66-year-old Brisbane Broncos boss will speak to RFL officials before deciding whether to accept a position.
Steve McNamara's contract as England coach expired after the 2-1 series win over New Zealand last autumn.
Bennett told the Brisbane Courier-Mail: "We haven't finalised the role but I've been offered some opportunities. I have to find out how they see me involved."
Bennett is one of the game's most experienced coaches and was in charge of Brisbane for 20 years from their formation in 1988. He won six Grand Finals before moving to St George-Illawarra Dragons, where he won another NRL title in 2010.
In addition, he has had three spells with the Queensland State of Origin team and two spells in charge of the national team.
A passionate supporter of international rugby league, he was part of the New Zealand coaching team that won the World Cup in 2008, but was overlooked in favour of Mal Meninga when he applied for the Australia job again in December 2015.
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"Everything is on the table," said Bennett. "I wanted to coach Australia, but it's not available now. I wanted to make a contribution to international rugby league.
"About five years ago, the RFL first arrived at my doorstep. It is always about finding the right timing."
The RFL has refused to comment on any discussions with Bennett. It is carrying out a review of the England set-up, which will be concluded in February.
Bennett is due in England next month for Brisbane's World Club Series game at Wigan on 20 February.
England will play Australia, New Zealand and Scotland in the Four Nations tournament in November.
BBC Sport's Simon Stone
Wayne Bennett is one of the most respected coaches in rugby league and his appointment - even on a part-time basis - would be a huge coup for the RFL. But if, as anticipated, Bennett combined the job with his present role with Brisbane Broncos, it would raise an issue over how well he knew the Super League players he would be working with.
Many of England's top players, including Canterbury's James Graham and Sam Burgess, who recently returned to the sport after an ill-fated spell in rugby union, are based in Australia. But the majority remain in England and while Bennett will be able to watch virtually every Super League game on TV, he will be relying largely on the opinions of others when it comes to their personalities. | Former Australia coach Wayne Bennett has been offered a role with England by the Rugby Football League. | 35454063 |
11 April 2016 Last updated at 18:11 BST
Alex Zosel told the BBC that his device was safer than a traditional helicopter because its systems had more redundancy built-in.
The Volocopter can continue to fly if some of its batteries or rotors fail, and can land itself when battery power is low.
However, the multicopter can currently fly for only 25 minutes and is expected to cost £200,000 when it goes on sale. | An 18-rotor multicopter has been taken on its first manned flight in Germany. | 35987842 |
Phyllida Lloyd will direct revivals of Julius Caesar and Henry IV and a new production of The Tempest, which are all set in a women's prison.
Harriet Walter will play Brutus in Julius Caesar, King Henry in Henry IV, and Prospero in The Tempest.
The new in-the-round venue will be open for 13 weeks from 23 September.
Julius Caesar and Henry IV were both staged by the company at the Donmar's Covent Garden base in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
The theatre hopes to make 25% of all tickets will be free to 25s and under with a new scheme called Young and Free, funded mainly through sponsorship and philanthropy.
Artistic Director Josie Rourke said: "I remember very clearly the furore created by the idea of an all-female Shakespeare, when Phyllida Lloyd first staged Julius Caesar with Harriet Walter in 2012.
"Phyllida Lloyd's work with this diverse, all-female company has been genuinely ground-breaking and in the intervening four years, theatre has got into the fast lane of debate and change.
"It's time, with these Young and Free tickets, to join together our question about who gets to play these roles with a renewed mission for who gets to experience them."
After its month-long run at the new London venue, The Tempest will transfer to Broadway in October as part of the Donmar's New York season, which runs from July until February 2017.
The James Graham play Privacy, starring Daniel Radcliffe, and Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, will also be staged in New York. | London's Donmar Warehouse is to open a temporary theatre in King's Cross to host the company's all-female Shakespeare trilogy. | 36376969 |
The deal will create the second largest cable broadband provider in the US.
Charter had to agree to not stop its content providers from separately selling shows online, as part of the approval.
The deal also still needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before it can go ahead.
But the head of the FCC Tom Wheeler said he was seeking approval for the deal, noting the merger conditions "will directly benefit consumers by bringing and protecting competition to the video marketplace and increasing broadband deployment."
The DoJ said it would work with other regulators to ensure the merger did not "choke off" access to online videos.
"The settlement forbids the merged company, referred to as "New Charter," from entering into or enforcing agreements that could make it more difficult for online video distributors (OVDs) to obtain video content from programmers," the DOJ added.
US cable companies are facing stiff competition from online service providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, as customers increasingly choose to stream films and television shows over the internet often for a lower price.
Charter will pay $78bn (£54bn) for Time Warner and $10.8bn for Bright House.
The combined three firms will serve cable television and broadband to 23.9 million customers in 41 states.
The deal was announced last year after Comcast abandoned its $45bn plan to buy Time Warner Cable fearing pressure from regulators. | The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has approved Charter Communications purchase of cable operators Time Warner Cable and Bright House networks. | 36133259 |
Third seed Murray beat Czech eighth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4 to reach the final for a fourth time.
The 27-year-old Scot, who reached 500 career wins this week, won the title in 2009 and 2013.
Defending champion Djokovic overcame USA's John Isner 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 to set up a meeting with Murray, whom he beat in Indian Wells last week.
Murray's convincing victory, in which he broke Berdych's serve four times, took his career record against him to 6-6.
"I did most things well; there's not a lot I could complain about," said Murray.
"My second serve was much better in the second set. I served well on the big points and got a lot of free points behind my serve.
"I've played well this week, much better than I did at Indian Wells."
The match was a repeat of the Australian Open clash in January, which Murray won in four tense sets as he went up against Berdych and former coach Dani Vallverdu.
There was another familiar face in the Berdych box in Miami after fitness coach Jez Green recently began working with the Czech, having left Murray's team along with Vallverdu last November.
In contrast to Melbourne, Murray made the sharper start on Saturday, breaking the Berdych serve either side of dropping his own.
Berdych looked unsettled, complaining about the balls and a line call as Murray saw out the set by making an impressive 77% of first serves.
A confident Murray broke to love early in the second set, but two double faults gave the advantage straight back.
Both men were stepping in and attacking returns at every opportunity, and Murray's strength in that area proved the difference when he broke Berdych for a fourth time.
He almost clinched victory with a fifth break and had to recover from 0-30 to serve it out.
Although the first set against Isner went to a tie-break, Djokovic never faced a break point as he won in an hour and a half.
"I played a terrific match," said Djokovic, who has won the Miami title four times.
"The opening set was pretty close. His resistance wilted a bit in the second set.
"Andy has been playing so well this year. He lives here and spends a lot of time practising on these courts, so he's familiar with the conditions." | Britain's Andy Murray will face world number one Novak Djokovic in the final of the Miami Open on Sunday. | 32178027 |
So far, more than 3,500 have been assessed and as a result more homes removed from the list and others added.
Historian John McCormack said planners must be "flexible" with owners with regards what warranted listing.
Last year he labelled the planning backlog for protected or listed buildings as "outrageous".
Mr McCormack said: "I'm whole heartedly behind the listing idea but that doesn't mean everything inside is worthy of listing.
"You've got to do it with humanity, courtesy and flexibility and you have to say to people why you want their home to be listed and get their interest going.
"They will be the best preservers of what is inside, they after all live there and it's their homes, and they want them to be the best as possible."
In 2012 Guernsey's Environment Department held a questionnaire asking how important it was to protect Guernsey's historic buildings.
The results showed a majority felt it was important but views were divided on the buildings that should qualify. | The States of Guernsey planning department has said it is making "steady progress" on visiting and classifying listed buildings. | 30562818 |