Cumbernauld has the dubious distinction of winning the Plook on the Plinth title for having Scotland's "most dismal" town centre in 2001 and 2005.
Cumbernauld has been named the most miserable town in Scotland in the latest Plook on the Plinth competition.
The town was named as the

The Scottish town which 'won' two Carbuncle honours for its ugly shopping centre has scooped Best Town at the Scottish Design Awards.

Article: Cumbernauld has the dubious distinction of winning the Plook on the Plinth title for having Scotland's "most dismal" town centre in 2001 and 2005.
Judges have compared it to Kabul and described its shopping centre as a rabbit warren on stilts.
Now an online poll has seen it top a public vote for civic pride.
The Scottish Design Awards is organised by Urban Realm - which also organises the Carbuncle awards.
During the past few weeks of online voting, Cumbernauld residents helped the town move ahead of rivals such as Broughty Ferry, Dunkeld, East Kilbride, Eaglesham Linlithgow, Peebles and Pitlochry.
When the polls closed at midnight on Thursday, Cumbernauld had narrowly beaten Peebles.
The prize will be collected by a delegation from the town at a ceremony in Glasgow on Friday evening.
The Carbuncle Awards were created by Gordon Young, now editor of The Drum, one of the sponsors of the Scottish Design Awards.
He said: "The initial complaints against the town concerned the disastrous design of the town centre.
"There has been some investment in that area but the level of improvement is not great.
"However, Cumbernauld's real success story is how it has prospered despite these problems."
Mr Young said "the surrounding countryside, the high demand for housing, rich and diverse suburbs, transport links to Glasgow and Edinburgh and a vibrant community spirit" had all helped make Cumbernauld "a decent place to bring up a family".
He added: "Basically, economic success plus people power have made it a nice place to live."

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SeaWorld has been criticised for its treatment of orcas in captivity.
The company has been accused of mistreating the animals, and has been accused of using them as "puppets" for its shows.
The company has been criticised for its treatment of orcas in captivity.
The company has been accused

SeaWorld has been banned from bringing wild killer whales to its park in San Diego, America.

Article: It has also been told to stop breeding orcas in captivity in a ruling from the California Coastal Commission.
They gave the park permission to double the size of its orca enclosures on the condition that breeding and bringing in new whales stopped.
It comes after criticism of the way the whales are treated there, something SeaWorld has always rejected.
Animal rights activists have welcomed a ruling by the California Coastal Commission, an agency that makes big decisions on major building projects in that area of America.
SeaWorld had put in plans to spend $100m (Â£65m) to expand its orca facility, which the commission approved.
But their decision came with several conditions. SeaWorld cannot add any new whales from the wild to its San Diego tanks, and none of the 11 orcas currently at the park will be allowed to breed there.
SeaWorld said it was disappointed with the ruling. They issued a statement that said: "Breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal's life and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane."
Groups that have criticised the park said they were pleased with the decision.
The group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: "The commission's action ensures that no more orcas will be condemned to a nonlife of loneliness, deprivation and misery."
The breeding ban will not apply to the 13 other whales at SeaWorld attractions in San Antonio and Orlando.

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Being overweight in adolescence is linked to a greater risk of bowel cancer later in life, a study suggests.

Article: Researchers followed nearly 240,000 Swedish men for 35 years.
The analysis, published in the journal Gut, showed overweight teenagers went on to have twice the risk of bowel cancer. The figures were even higher in obese teens.
The World Cancer Research Fund said the link between obesity and cancer was "strong".
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, with nearly 1.4 million new cases each year.
Processed red meat and abdominal fat have been linked to the disease.
The participants in the study were aged between 16 and 20 at the start.
The overwhelming majority were a normal weight, but 6.5% were overweight and 1% were obese.
There were 855 cases of colorectal cancer in the study.
However, the results showed not all weights were affected equally.
Those who were obese were 2.38 times more likely to have developed a bowel tumour.
The study, led by Orebro University Hospital in Sweden and Harvard University, said: "Late adolescence marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and is a period of accelerated growth, especially among men, thus this period may represent a critical window."
"It is important that we understand the role of exposures in childhood and adolescence in the development of colorectal cancer.
"In fact, the strong association observed between adolescent obesity and early-to-mid-life colorectal cancer, coupled with the increasing prevalence of adolescent obesity, may shed light on the increase in colorectal cancer incidence among young adults," he added.
Rachel Thompson, from the World Cancer Research Fund, said the evidence suggested that obesity was a risk factor for bowel cancer.
"This finding is interesting because it gives an indication that bowel cancer risk might be affected by our lifestyle habits throughout the life course," she said.
"In some ways, research into the relationship between factors like obesity and cancer risk is still in its infancy.
"It will be interesting to see if further research emerges in the future to back up the apparent relationship between...

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The Lebanese authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of drugs to Saudi Arabia, officials say.

Article: Five Saudis, reportedly including a prince, were detained at Beirut's airport after two tonnes of pills branded as Captagon were found in cases due to be loaded onto a private jet.
It was the largest drug smuggling operation yet uncovered at the airport.
Captagon pills, which typically contain amphetamine and caffeine, are consumed widely in the Middle East.
The drug has helped fuel the conflict in Syria, generating millions of dollars in revenue for producers inside the country as well as being used by combatants to help them keep fighting.
NNA reported that 40 bags of Captagon pills were found by inspectors from the Gendarmerie in cases due to be put on board a jet bound for Hael, in northern Saudi Arabia.
It did not identify the Saudi citizens who were detained, but sources told the Associated Press and the AFP news agency that they included a Saudi prince.
In April 2014, Lebanese security forces foiled an attempt to smuggle 15 million Captagon pills hidden in shipping containers full of corn from Beirut's seaport, according to AFP.
Captagon, originally the trade name for the synthetic stimulant fenetylline, was first produced in the 1960s to treat hyperactivity, narcolepsy and depression.
However, it was banned in most countries by the 1980s because of it was too addictive.
In 2013, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said 64% of global seizures of amphetamine took place in the Middle East, and that most of the amphetamine was in the form of Captagon pills.

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The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the

A fake video report about Kenya's election that is made to appear as if it is from the BBC's Focus on Africa programme has been circulating on social media.

Article: The report contains a bogus poll indicating that President Uhuru Kenyatta will win August's election.
The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
A recent survey suggested that 90% of Kenyans had seen or heard false news in the run-up to the poll.
Many of the people surveyed felt that some news items had been deliberately misleading.
It also found that while traditional media remained the most trusted source of information, large numbers of people got their news from Facebook and WhatsApp.
The origin of the fake BBC news story is not clear but it began to be shared on WhatsApp on Friday morning.
A fake report made to look as if it came from CNN has also been circulating.
The presidential election on 8 August will see incumbent President Kenyatta run against seven candidates including his main challenger, opposition leader Raila Odinga.

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A sinkhole opened in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The hole measured about 20m (66ft) by 10m (33ft) and 9m (30ft) deep.
The BGS said Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas of the UK

A large hole that appeared behind a row of houses was in one of the UK's most susceptible areas for sinkholes, the British Geological Survey has said.

Article: Twelve homes were evacuated after the hole opened in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The hole measured about 20m (66ft) by 10m (33ft) and 9m (30ft) deep.
The BGS said Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas of the UK for sinkholes because of its "Permian gypsum deposits".
It said these can dissolve more quickly than surrounding limestone, leading to the enlargement of underground caves.
Experts are still examining data from the site behind the houses in Magdalen's Road but, releasing its initial findings, the BGS said sinkholes were often caused by surface water penetrating the ground, or fluctuations in groundwater levels.
In 2014, a 100-year-old detached house in an adjoining street was demolished after a 25ft-wide (8m) sinkhole opened.
According to the report, the wider area of Ripon periodically encounters sinkholes and in the 1980s and 1990s a hole was appearing every two to three years.
No-one was injured in the latest collapse with the back gardens of two properties the worst affected.
A sewerage system connected to several of the properties on the terrace fell in as the hole appeared.
One resident described seeing the ground moving and finding her steps leading into the garden had gone.
On Friday, further cracks appeared in the ground and on walls at the site.
Ben Cairns, North Yorkshire Fire Service station manager, said: "Our main concern at the moment is what impact the weather is going to have for the next few days."
The BGS is continuing to analyse data from the site.

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The B-17G was a twin-engine, single-seat, heavy bomber, designed and built by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) to carry a crew of four.
The B-17G was a twin-engine, single-seat, heavy bomber, designed and built by the United

It started as a mission to collect whiskey for a party towards the end of World War Two and ended in a blazing inferno in which 11 US personnel died.

Article: On 14 April 1945, just a month before the end of World War Two, 10 US servicemen and one woman died after their Flying Fortress bomber crashed in the Isle of Man.
Lt Robert Vielle, an experienced and decorated pilot, had been flying a B-17G from England to Northern Ireland when he hit bad weather over the Irish Sea.
The aircraft veered off-course by several miles before coming down and bursting into flames in a field above Port St May.
The exact cause of the crash has never been ascertained.
Those on board had been sent on a peaceful mission to Northern Ireland to collect supplies of whiskey for a party at the US Army Air Force station at Thurleigh in Essex.
Ivor Ramsden, a keen historian and aviation expert, said the flight was an example of the "sheer madness of war".

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More than 1,000 young spiders from a hybrid species have been released into the Suffolk broads.

Article: The Dolomedes plantarius spiderlings were released into suitable dykes at Castle Marshes between Lowestoft and Beccles on Wednesday.
About 4mm, they are hybrids between species found in Sussex and Suffolk.
The 1,600 spiderlings were hand-reared in the kitchen of project leader Dr Helen Smith, with the surplus reared at the John Innes Centre in Norwich.
Dr Smith said: "The hybrids bring the advantage of increased genetic variability to the new population.
"This... should give the new population at Castle Marshes the best potential to adapt to its surroundings and to cope with the impacts of climate change."
The project was organised by Natural England and Suffolk Wildlife Trust and was aided by a grant from the BBC Wildlife Fund.

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The European Professional Football Leagues group has agreed to allow all European Leagues to schedule their matches as they see fit.
The agreement ended on 15 March.

European leagues are free to schedule domestic games on the same nights as Champions League and Europa League ties after an agreement with Uefa ended.

Article: "This will give all European Leagues total freedom to schedule their matches as they see fit," said the European Professional Football Leagues group.
The agreement ended on 15 March.
It had been in place between the EPFL and Uefa to boost attendances and television viewing figures for European matches.
Arsenal's FA Cup replay against Hull City in March 2016 was given special dispensation to be played on the same night as the Champions League last 16.
Manchester City hosted Stoke City in a rearranged Premier League fixture last month on the same night as the Champions League last-16 ties between Barcelona and Paris St-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund and Benfica.
The Premier League said the scheduling of the match on Wednesday, 8 March was "unavoidable", it was reported.
It was also reported in April 2013 that the Football Association was fined £1.1m for allowing domestic matches to be played on the same night as European games.
The EPFL said it will hold a general assembly of its member leagues in Geneva on 6 June.

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A new study has found that people with a DNA variation in a gene called PDSS2 tend to drink fewer cups of coffee, a study carried out at the University of Edinburgh has found.

Researchers have identified a gene that appears to curb coffee consumption.

Article: People with a DNA variation in a gene called PDSS2 tend to drink fewer cups of coffee, a study carried out at the University of Edinburgh has found.
It suggests the gene reduces cell ability to break down caffeine.
This causes it to stay in the body for longer and means those with the gene get the same caffeine hit through less coffee.
One scientist working on the project said it suggests the "drive to drink coffee may be embedded in our genes".
The researchers studied the DNA of 370 people living in a small village in southern Italy and 843 people from six villages in north-east Italy.
The subjects were asked to complete a survey including a question about how many cups of coffee they drank each day.
The team found people with the PDSS2 DNA variation tended to consume fewer cups of coffee than people without the variation - equivalent to one fewer cup daily on average.
Researchers replicated the study in a group of 1,731 people from the Netherlands. The result was similar but the effect of the gene on the number of cups of coffee consumed was slightly lower.
The scientists said the change could be down to the different styles of coffee drunk in the two countries.
In Italy, people tend to drink smaller cups such as espresso whereas in the Netherlands the preference is towards larger cups which contain more caffeine overall.
Dr Nicola Pirastu, a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: "The results of our study add to existing research suggesting that our drive to drink coffee may be embedded in our genes.
"We need to do larger studies to confirm the discovery and also to clarify the biological link between PDSS2 and coffee consumption."
The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports and was conducted at the universities of Edinburgh and Trieste, the Burlo Garofolo Pediatric Institute in Italy, the Erasmus Medical Centre and PolyOmica, a data analysis company based in Groningen, the Netherlands.

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One of the biggest Scotch whisky distillers has seen faster growth in sales of its Irish whiskey brand, according to new figures.

Article: Pernod Ricard, which is based in France, is the second biggest distiller of Scotch after Diageo.
Its brands include Chivas, The Glenlivet and Ballentine's.
However, the distiller reported that Jameson's, the biggest-selling Irish whiskey, continued to be the star performer among its premium brands.
American sales of the Cork-distilled whiskey were up more than 10%.
In its update for investors, the drinks company reported total sales rose 3% in the first three months of 2017, and the detail gave some pointers to the market for whisky and other drinks around the world.
Pernod Ricard reported the Chinese market "remains challenging for Scotch", while there were more positive sales figures for Martell brandy.
Imported spirits have been held back in China by official disapproval of conspicuous business hospitality and gifts. Bar and restaurant sales were reported to remain in decline.
The company said Korean sales continue a "strong decline" across its brands.
It also reported on the disruptive effect in India of the government removing large amounts of the nation's paper money from circulation, and a new law that will forbid the sale of alcohol close to highways.
In Latin America, which has been a strong growth area for Scotch exports, Brazilian sales were weaker due to prolonged recession. But sales across the Pernod Ricard brands were strongly up in other countries, led by Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay and Cuba.
The UK market was described as resilient and "dynamic", because its products were being imported ahead of price increases in March, linked to the weakening of sterling. Among the stronger performers were Absolut vodka and Jameson's.
With its full year results for 2015-16, Pernod Ricard reported Jameson's global sales were up 12% by volume and 16% by value.
In Scotch whisky, Ballentine's rose 5% by volume over the year, while Chivas was down 5% and Glenlivet single malt by 2%.
Another French company with a stake in Scotch whisky, Remy-Martin, this week reported that its sales of "Progressive Hebridean"...

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The bill would make it illegal to own or control more than 20% of a media outlet, including state-run or controlled media.
The bill would also make it illegal to own or control more than 20% of a newspaper, including state-run or controlled media.
The bill would also make it illegal to

A bill to restrict foreign ownership in Russia's media will soon go before the parliament, which is dominated by MPs loyal to President Vladimir Putin.

Article: If made law, the measure will put a 20% ceiling on any foreign stakes in Russian media, including those held indirectly through Russian partners.
Russia's main media outlets are state-owned or controlled by loyal oligarchs.
But top Putin ally Sergei Zheleznyak said Russia was facing "an information war unleashed against the country".
Russian TV news has accused the Ukrainian government of provoking clashes in eastern Ukraine through acts of aggression, including indiscriminate shelling of civilians.
The Kiev government blames pro-Russian separatists for the violence, and says Russia has fomented it by supplying soldiers and heavy weapons to the rebels.
The media bill is to go before Duma (lower house) deputies on 23 September, Itar-Tass news agency reports.
The restrictions would apply to magazines and internet publications as well as newspapers and broadcast media.
The bill is highly likely to become law as it was proposed by MPs who usually support the pro-Kremlin group United Russia.
BBC Monitoring reports that foreigners directly own stakes in some Russian mainstream media:

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The amount of radon gas found in the Channel Islands is associated with the geology of the island and not construction materials, a survey finds.

Article: The three-month tests of 137 island homes, 73 in Guernsey and 64 in Jersey, measured the level of gas in the walls.
Radon occurs naturally in areas with a large amount of granite and 99 of the homes tested were below target levels.
Fourteen island homes were above the target level and owners have been told to ensure there is good ventilation.
The survey was carried by the islands' authorities with the UK Health Protection Agency. The 137 properties were selected to cover a range of geological conditions and population areas.
The aim was to find out more about radon and its distribution.
Val Cameron, the Channel Islands strategic lead for environmental health, said: "The recent survey updates and confirms the information from previous surveys; this is that radon is associated with the granite geology of the island, and not the construction material of an individual building."
International research has found exposure to radon gas can increase the chances of contracting lung cancer for people who smoke.
Dr Susan Turnbull, medical officer of health for Jersey, said: "To help put the main risk factors for the commonest form of lung cancer into perspective, for every 100 cases of lung cancer around 95 will have been caused by smoking alone, about four will be due to the combined effects of smoking and radon exposure.
"Only one will be due to radon exposure alone. So it is a real risk, albeit a low one. The most sensible thing anyone can do to reduce their risk of getting lung cancer is to stop smoking."
Mrs Cameron said: "Of the homes surveyed, some were identified as being above the action level. Advice has been given to those householders about measures to remedy the problem."
Previously radon surveys were carried out in Jersey in 1987, 1992 and 1997, and in Guernsey in 1985. In 2012, tests were also carried out in Herm, Alderney and Sark.
In 1984 the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the International Commission on Radiological Protection reported on the need for a reduction of radon exposures in homes.

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The government has announced a £30bn Crossrail 2 scheme for London.
The money will be given to the regions to help them bid for the project.
The government has also announced a £30bn Northern Powerhouse fund.
The money will be given to the regions to help them bid for the project.

A £15m cash fund to boost culture and creativity across the North of England has been announced by the government.

Article: Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said the money would be given "to develop inspirational projects that could have a transformative local effect".
She said it would be a legacy from next year's Great Exhibition Of The North, to be held in Newcastle and Gateshead.
It comes after the government scrapped projects in the north and then backed a £30bn Crossrail 2 scheme for London.
Jake Berry, minister for the so-called Northern Powerhouse, welcomed the cash injection.
He said: "The North is a cultural powerhouse, as well as an economic one, and this £15m fund will give a boost to the region's vibrant culture and tech sectors.
"We've already invested over £3.4bn for projects to boost local economies in the Northern Powerhouse and this latest funding will help make sure the Great Exhibition of the North creates a legacy for years to come."
Under the scheme, towns and cities across the north can apply for grants of up to £4m per project via the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund.
Projects such as opening a new tech start-up centre or renovating live music venues would be considered.
Ms Bradley said: "We want as many people as possible to benefit from the Great Exhibition Of The North, and this fund will boost the Northern Powerhouse and help build a lasting legacy across the whole region."
The first round of bids will be coordinated by Local Enterprise Partnerships in Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, East Riding, Greater Manchester, Humber, Lancashire, Leeds, Liverpool, North East, Sheffield, Tees, York and North Yorkshire.
Successful projects are expected to be announced in March 2018.

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Athletics stars Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford have shared their tips for young athletes with Newsround.

Article: Media playback is unsupported on your device
21 February 2015 Last updated at 13:18 GMT
Mo Farah was a big star of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
He started athletics aged 12 and went on to win two gold medals at London 2012.
Now he has his sights set on the next Olympic Games, Rio 2016.
He shared his tips for young athletes with Newsround.
Mo said: "Focus on yourself. You don't become a better athlete if you have one bad race."
"Keep working, listen to coach and believe in yourself," he added.

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A meat wholesaler has been fined £15,000 for having meat in its freezers which had passed its "use by" date, in some cases by several years.

Article: Cwmbran-based Douglas Willis Ltd could not prove when the meat was frozen and admitted 12 offences of mislabelling.
Caerphilly Magistrates' Court heard the firm broke labelling laws by creating a risk that "hazardous" food could enter the food chain.
The case went ahead following a ruling from the Supreme Court.
The company, which supplies meat products to catering outlets, was told it had no case to answer in 2011 because it was judged that frozen meat did not pose a risk to public health.
But a clarification from the Supreme Court last summer ordered Thursday's retrial, ruling the prosecution did not have to prove the meat was a hazard - only that it was not labelled correctly.
Douglas Willis Ltd failed to record when meat was first frozen, and some was found to be several years past the "use by" date given to it when fresh, the court heard.
District Judge Richard Williams said the company was "not alleged to have acted intentionally, but it did".
The firm was fined a total of £15,000 for 12 offences and must pay £12,000 in costs.
The company, which has been in the Willis family for three generations, employs 41 people in Cwmbran, and had a £7.1m turnover last year.
In any similar cases in future where frozen meat has a use by date, trading standards officers will be able to prosecute regardless of whether the meat poses a safety risk.

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The Welsh language was the language of the common people.
The Welsh language was the language of the common people.
The Welsh language was the language of the common people.
The Welsh language was the language of the common people.
The Welsh language was the language of the common people.
The Welsh language was

As the Welsh government publishes plans to reintroduce Welsh taxes for the first time since the 13th century, BBC News looks at what life was like in Wales last time there was direct Welsh taxation.

Article: Wales in the 13th Century was a mixture of regional powers. By the middle of the previous century, most of the lowland areas, particularly in south Wales, were under English control, in the form of Anglo-Norman barons from the Marches and across Glamorganshire to Pembroke.
Gwynedd and the north-west of Wales remained largely independent. Welsh princes acknowledged the ruler Llywelyn the Great and his successor Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as the overarching Prince of Wales. But as the century wore away, and Edward I of England came to power, the balance of power changed as Llywelyn refused to pay tribute to Edward.
In 1276 Edward I led an invasion into Gwynedd and forced Llywelyn into the very top corner of the country, and set about his castle-building programme. An uprising in 1282 led to renewed fighting, and saw the death of Llywelyn. By the following year it was over, and English domination over Wales was entrenched. Edward's son, the future Edward II, was created Prince of Wales.
At the start of the 1200s, Welsh was the language of the common people.
It was how people did business, conducted family life and worshipped. By the end of the century, daily business was increasingly done in English.
English settlers were encouraged to move to Wales by free land grants and the imposition of English law.
As the settlers moved into the more fruitful lowlands, Welsh speakers were increasingly pushed to the higher ground, although there was crossover between the two.
One of the main changes through the course of the 13th Century was the difference in the way people paid for things.
According to Dr Mark Redknap, head of collections and research in the history department at the Museum of Welsh Life, the old system of "render" was starting to change.
"It's fair to say that from about the end of the 13th Century the Welsh were more familiar with using money than they had been a century earlier," he said.
"You had an increasing use of coinage whereas there is very much a barter economy with the pre-Norman period, and payment...

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Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough has admitted that the club's promotion to the Championship is "a massive achievement" but is not expecting to be in the Premier League next season.
The Brewers, who finished second in League One last season, are currently in the Championship's play-off places, but are only two points

Boss Nigel Clough has admitted playing in England's second tier for the first time in Burton Albion's history is "daunting", but says they will embrace the challenge of being underdogs.

Article: The Brewers - a non-league club until the 2009-10 season - finished second in League One this term to clinch promotion to the Championship.
Clough told BBC Radio Derby: "It is frightening, but exciting as well.
"We will be underdogs in every game we play and favourites for relegation."
Clough, who returned for a second spell in charge in December, first managed Burton in the sixth tier of English football in 1998.
He said the size of the club, and town, meant surviving against teams like Newcastle, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest would be incredibly tough.
"We have to find people who will want to prove people wrong," the 50-year-old added.
"It will be daunting but we will have to use everything we have used in League One to play like the underdog and try to attract characters that will embrace the sort of season it will be here.
"To come from crowds of 500 or 600 around 17 years ago, and to grow that ten-fold is remarkable in itself. It's not the biggest town - maybe about 70,000.
"This is a much more local fanbase and that makes it nice as well. Fans will get to experience Championship football, something they never ever dreamed of."
You can hear a full interview with Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough by clicking this link.

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The Duke of Cambridge has completed his final shift as an RAF search and rescue pilot at Valley on Anglesey, according to BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt.

Article: Prince William's last shift was thought to have been on Tuesday.
It has been reported he could return to his regiment in London, the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, which would allow him to carry out more royal engagements in support of The Queen.
The duke has said the island has been a "special place" for him.
His final shift brought to an end a three-year posting on Anglesey.
In a speech at Anglesey Show in August, the duke thanked the island's people for being so welcoming to him and his wife.
"I know that I speak for Catherine when I say that I have never in my life known somewhere as beautiful and as welcoming as Anglesey," said the duke.
"I know that both of us will miss it terribly when my search and rescue tour of duty comes to an end next month and we have to move elsewhere.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making my wife and me so welcome when we arrived here, as you do thousands of visitors each year."
He said the island had been their first home together and would always be an "immensely special place for us both".
"Catherine and I look forward to returning again and again over the coming years with our family," he added.
The duke graduated as a search and rescue pilot in September 2010, having started his training at Valley the previous January.
He carried out his first rescue in October 2010 during his first full operational shift.
The BBC's royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted that Prince William's last shift at RAF Valley was on Tuesday.
He also tweeted that it was not yet in the public domain what the duke was going to do next.

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Former world number one Tiger Woods says he is getting "professional help" to manage medication for pain and sleep loss as he tries to return to fitness.

Article: Woods, 41, is recovering from a fourth back operation since April 2014.
The American 14-time major winner was breathalysed in Florida in May after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
He denied alcohol was involved and said it was down to "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medication".
In a statement released on social media, Woods said: "I'm currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder.
"I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding, especially the fans and players on tour."
Woods has not won a tournament anywhere since 2013, while his title drought in major championships dates back to 2008.
Last December, he came back after 15 months out injured but has not played since his back problems recurred in February.
A month ago, he wrote that his latest surgery had relieved pain and that he had not "felt this good in years".
Four days later he was arrested on the driving charge, which he is due to answer in court in Palm Beach County on 9 August.

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The seal population at Blakeney Point has increased by more than 100% in the last four years, with the number of pups being born at the site increasing by more than 25% in the same period.
The NT has warned that the increase in the number of pups being born at the site is "

More than 900 seal pups have been born on a north Norfolk nature reserve in the last three weeks giving experts hopes of another record breaking year.

Article: Seal wardens on the National Trust (NT) reserve at Blakeney Point have recorded 180 more grey seal pups compared to this time last year.
Coastal ranger Ajay Tegala said the location is a "fantastic" breeding site as "human disturbance is minimal."
Mr Tegala predicts up to 1,800 pups could be born by the end of February.
"The seals like Blakeney Point as it has beaches and dunes which are safe and easy places to have a pup with no predators," he said.
Last year, 1,566 pups were counted during the four month breeding season at Blakeney Point, a split of shingle and sand jutting out into the North Sea.
Seals have been breeding on the site since about 2001, when just 25 were recorded.
Pup numbers reached over 1,000 for the first time during the 2012-13 breeding season, with newborns now increasing by about 25% year-on-year.
Blakeney has become well known for its seals with thousands of tourist taking boat trips to see the colonies each year.
Mr Tegala said: "We do a pup count twice a week and comparing this year to last year we're almost 200 ahead so it looks like the number will continue to increase and another record-breaking year is on the cards."
Source: BBC Nature
Visitors have been flocking to the north Norfolk coast to see the seals, prompting the NT to warn people to keep their distance and keep all dogs on leads.

Summary:


A new portrait of Mozart imagines the composer as a "daring" and "edgy" musician in the mould of Johnny Rotten.

Article: The oil painting was commissioned by Royal Northern Sinfonia, which wants to challenge the Austrian's "chocolate box" portrayal, ahead its new season.
"Somehow we've come to think of his music as pretty," said the orchestra's music director Lars Vogt.
"But that music is often dramatic and dark. Those qualities must have been there in the man."
The portrait was painted by renowned American artist Tim O'Brien, and will be projected onto buildings around the orchestra's home towns of Newcastle and Gateshead over the coming months.
Regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, Mozart wrote more than 600 works, including some of the most celebrated and enduring pieces of classical music, before he died at the age of 35.
Only 14 images of the composer are known to have been created during his lifetime, but many are stylised or incomplete.
The best physical description came from baritone Luigi Bassi, for whom Mozart had written the role of Don Giovanni.
"Mr Mozart was an extremely eccentric and absent-minded young man, but not without a certain spirit of pride," he said. "He was very popular with the ladies, in spite of his small size; but he had a most unusual face, and he could cast a spell on any woman with his eyes."
Describing the existing portraits as "cosy and pretty", O'Brien explained the thinking behind his new painting.
"I know of few musicians of real depth where you can't see some of that complexity in the face.  So to find the Mozart who was obsessively driven, who pushed boundaries and who lived in a world where harsh poverty and crime were a very real facts, I looked at musicians from our own era to provide some inspiration.
"Photos of Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton suggested both obsession and some kind of danger. Johnny Rotten provided a certain precocious brilliance, and I related to those for Mozart."
O'Brien previously made headlines by creating a portrait of Beethoven for the cover of Gramophone magazine, which was inspired by U2 singer Bono.
The portrait accompanies the Northern...

Summary:


The Prison and Probation Service (PPS) has downgraded the Wiltshire prison's rating from '3' to '2', meaning its overall performance is of concern.
The Prison Officers' Association (POA) said management must "get a grip" and that the "major incident" was not a

A lack of experienced staff contributed to a serious disturbance at a prison last year and remains a "concern", a report has said.

Article: Meanwhile, use of the drug Spice remains a "blight" within HMP Erlestoke leading to "frequent life-threatening emergencies".
The report comes a day after the Prison and Probation Service downgraded the Wiltshire prison's rating.
The Ministry of Justice said the prison had "addressed a number of concerns".
The Prison Officers' Association (POA) said management must "get a grip".
A disturbance at the Category C prison near Devizes last year saw 130 inmates transferred to nearby jails after two wings were put "out of commission".
The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said the "major incident" was not a riot but a shortage of officers "contributed to the incident".
Of the 88 prison officers now working at Erlestoke, 34 are new and have served less than one year.
"Lack of experience and confidence is a concern," the IMB said.
Elsewhere in the report it said the use of the drug Spice "continues to cause concern" and it "may be only a matter of time before there is a Spice-related death".
It added tobacco was being smuggled into the prison and sold for about 10 times the price paid in shops and is "an additional cause of debt, bullying and assault".
A separate report from the Prison and Probation Service downgraded Erlestoke's rating from '3' to '2', meaning its overall performance is of concern.
Mark Fairhurst from the POA insisted last year's incident was a riot, with "cell doors not fit for purpose".
He demanded management "get on the [prison] wings and manage".
"We need experienced staff to guide the new staff. It is a concern that nearly 50% of staff are very new and inexperienced," he said.
Erlestoke's IMB chair Sheila Kimmins said the prison was "reaping the consequences" of government funding decisions.
The Ministry of Justice said "while there remains progress to be made, HMP Erlestoke have addressed a number of concerns".

Summary:


A health watchdog has praised the improvements at a hospital that was once placed in special measures.

Article: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated as "good" Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.
It was placed in special measures in 2013 and the CQC's 2015 report said this should be lifted although it "required improvement" in some areas.
The trust's chief executive said she was "proud" of the rating following the August 2016 inspection.
The hospital was placed in special measures after an investigation into high mortality rates at hospitals in the wake of the Stafford Hospital scandal.
The chief inspector of hospitals, Sir Mike Richards, said "it should be acknowledged how far they have come in three years".
Sir Mike added: "It is clear the trust has worked hard to address the issues we raised, and I am pleased to be able to change its rating from 'requires improvement' to 'good'."
Sir Mike said the inspectors found a "number of areas of outstanding practice" including:
â€¢ A programme for supporting pregnant women with alcohol problems
â€¢ The radiology department's virtual post-mortem examination service where a CT scan could determine the cause of death
â€¢ The trust's direct access to electronic information about patients needing end-of-life care.
But the report also said the trust must ensure there were enough nurses to meet patient needs, medication fridges must be kept at the required temperature and at least one nurse each shift on the children's ward should be trained in advanced paediatric life support.
Trust chief executive Karen James said she was "immensely proud" of her staff, adding: "Our journey will never be complete, we will continue to improve the quality of services at the organisation."
BBC analysis has found, however, that its bed occupancy is 98% - 13% higher than the NHS's recommended safe level.

Summary:


The Hastings Pier Charity is seeking to raise £300,000 to restore the 140-year-old structure.

Shares in a derelict seaside pier that was almost destroyed by fire three years ago will be offered to the community to aid its restoration.

Article: Hastings Pier is being rebuilt with £14m of money raised mainly through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
It is now hoped a further £300,000 can be raised by selling 3,000 shares for £100 each.
The charity behind the restoration said investors would have a say in the pier's future.
The 140-year-old structure was almost completely destroyed by fire in October 2010.
Simon Opie, CEO of the Hastings Pier Charity, said the shares were important to continue interest in the pier after its restoration.
He said: "[The shares] are not just about the money, but it is about creating shareholder members, people who are invested in the pier, people who care about the town, the heritage of the pier, and people who will be here for the long term.
"The money that we have raised will restore the pier but beyond that it needs to have an economically viable future and that's what we hope we will create."
The Panamanian company Ravenclaw, which owned the pier, was issued with a compulsory purchase order after it failed to carry out repair work.
The order was granted in 2012 and the council formally took ownership of the pier in August.
It is hoped the restoration will be completed by spring 2015.
Hastings Council leader, Jeremy Birch, said: "This is the people's pier so let them have a stake in it."
The shares will go on sale on Saturday through a community shares website.

Summary:


Lazio have been ordered to play their next two home European games behind closed doors following crowd trouble.

Article: Uefa has taken the disciplinary action following some of the Italian club's fans' continued racist behaviour.
Earlier this season, the Rome-based club were fined £120,000 by Uefa following racist chanting in a Europa League game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Lazio supporters have been found guilty of racist behaviour by Uefa four times during the current campaign.
The latest incident came during their Europa League last-32 match against Borussia Monchengladbach on 21 February.
The Serie A club won the second leg 2-0 to progress 5-3 on aggregate.
Uefa said the two-match supporters' ban will start with Lazio's Europa League game against VfB Stuttgart on 14 March.
"The remaining game behind closed doors applies to the next Uefa competition match for which the club would qualify. The Italian club have also been fined 40,000 euros (£34,475)," Uefa added.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito said the sanction was "incredible" and that his club would appeal against the decision.
"To suffer a punishment of one or two games behind closed doors, which will cause serious economic damage to the club and prevent fans from participating in an event like this, seems absurd to me," he added.
Meanwhile Uefa has also warned Turkish side Fenerbahce that they face suspension from European competition if problems with supporters continue.
The club's last European game, against BATE Borisov, was played behind closed doors but was still disrupted when fans threw fireworks from outside the stadium.

Summary:


Paddy Power Betfair is the biggest bookmaker in the UK, with a market share of around 40%.
The company is the biggest online bookmaker in the UK, with a market share of around 40%.
The company is the biggest online bookmaker in the UK, with a market share of around 40%.

Shares in Paddy Power Betfair fell more than 5% despite the bookmaker reporting rising revenues and underlying profits.

Article: Revenues rose 18% to £1.55bn last year, with underlying operating profit jumping 44% to £330m.
But after the costs of last year's merger between Paddy Power and Betfair were taken into account the company reported a loss of £5.7m.
Analysts at Liberum said the company's performance in the final quarter of 2016 had been "disappointing".
"It seems likely that operational challenges will continue around the performance of cross-sell to sports customers and the investment required to stimulate growth," Liberum said in a research note.
Overall, the FTSE 100 closed lower, having traded higher for much of the sessions, losing 10.75 points, or 0.15% at 7,339.37.
"Markets remain becalmed for yet another day, hampered by a lack of data and a general wariness ahead of the ECB [European Central Bank] on Thursday, NFPs [US employment figures] on Friday and a Fed meeting next week," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.
Shares in Direct Line fell 2.9% after the insurer reported a fall in full-year profits due to changes in the way that compensation payments are to be calculated.
Pre-tax profits fell 30% to £353m, with changes to the payment formula cutting profits by £217m.
In the FTSE 250, shares in Aggreko sank 11% after the temporary power provider said it expected profits to fall this year.
On the currency markets, the pound fell 0.29% against the US dollar to $1.2203 and was also 0.27% lower  against the euro at 1.1535 euros.

Summary:


The Bluefin-21 submersible robot had finished its search of the area and found nothing, they said. Efforts would now focus on reviewing search data, surveying the sea floor and bringing in specialist equipment.
Flight MH370 went missing on 8 March as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
The

The area where acoustic signals thought linked to the missing Malaysian plane were detected can now be ruled out as the final resting place of flight MH370, Australian officials say.

Article: The Bluefin-21 submersible robot had finished its search of the area and found nothing, they said.
Efforts would now focus on reviewing search data, surveying the sea floor and bringing in specialist equipment.
Flight MH370 went missing on 8 March as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Using satellite data, officials have concluded that the airliner, which had 239 people on board, ended its journey in the Indian Ocean, north-west of the Australian city of Perth.
No trace of the plane has been found and there is no explanation for its disappearance.
Four pings that officials believed could be from the missing plane's "black box" flight recorders were heard by search teams using a towed pinger locator device.
These pings were used to define the area for the sea-floor search, conducted by the Bluefin-21. It had scoured over 850 sq km of the ocean floor, JACC said.
"Yesterday afternoon, Bluefin-21 completed its last mission searching the remaining areas in the vicinity of the acoustic signals detected in early April by the towed pinger locator," a statement from the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) said.
"The data collected on yesterday's mission has been analysed. As a result, the JACC can advise that no signs of aircraft debris have been found by the autonomous underwater vehicle since it joined the search effort.
"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has advised that the search in the vicinity of the acoustic detections can now be considered complete and in its professional judgement, the area can now be discounted as the final resting place of MH370."
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the search had been based on "the best information available at the time".
The statement came hours after a US Navy official told CNN that the acoustic signals probably came from some other man-made source.
The failure of the autonomous sub Bluefin-21 to find any wreckage in the ping search zone is a hammer blow to the families. It's also a sharp reminder to everyone of just how difficult...

Summary:


An MP has apologised for his "very offensive" and "damaging" comments on diabetes.

Article: Conservative MP for St Ives, Derek Thomas, claimed diabetes is "completely avoidable through good diet and exercise" on his Facebook page.
Dozens of constituents in Cornwall complained that his comments were inaccurate and "insulting".
He said he was "sincerely sorry" and would raise the issue with government to prevent confusion in future.
Mr Thomas' post provoked more than one hundred comments, many of which pointed out that type 1 diabetes "is genetic", and type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to obesity, is "not preventable for all".
Orson Cornick commented: "Being an ignorant human being is avoidable, not type 1 diabetes!"
Marianna Baxter whose daughter has type 2 diabetes said she was "very angry and hurt" at the "very offensive" remarks.
Mr Thomas told the BBC he was told the information by "two medical professionals" and had simply been trying to raise awareness that many people can help themselves by improving their diet.
He said: "I certainly got it wrong and I apologise for that. I certainly wasn't going out to intentionally upset a number of people that can do nothing about their ill health, so I do apologise for the way that was worded."
He said he would raise the issue with the government ahead of its national diabetes strategy launch next year to make sure no discrimination took place.
Mr Thomas removed the post on Saturday and replaced it with another offering a "sincere apology".
Many commended him like Charlotte Clews who commented: "I stand up and applaud you. So does my type one son. It really is very heart warming to see that you have corrected a mistake and educated yourself and now others."
The charity Diabetes UK declined to comment but said information on any link with diet and lifestyle was available on its website.

Summary:


Australia's Steve Smith and David Warner will lead the side in the limited-overs matches that follow the final Ashes Test at the Oval, which starts on 20 August.

Steve Smith will become Australia's Test captain after the Ashes following Michael Clarke's decision to retire at the end of the series.

Article: Smith, 26, already leads the one-day side and will also captain the Twenty20 team in the absence of the injured Aaron Finch.
Fellow batsman David Warner, 28, has been named as Smith's vice-captain.
"At 26, Steve is a fine young man with extraordinary talent," said national selector Rod Marsh.
"He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud."
Clarke, 34, confirmed his decision to retire after his side surrendered the Ashes with a heavy defeat by England at Trent Bridge, which gave the hosts a 3-1 lead.
Smith had already captained the side in three Tests against India last summer, when Clarke was recovering from hamstring surgery and back issues.
The New South Welshman has played in 32 Tests for his country, scoring 2,952 runs at an average of 54.66.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straightforward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor," added Marsh.
"He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job."
Warner has earned the vice-captain's role despite a history of disciplinary problems, and Marsh said of the opener: "David has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. He has come a long way.
"We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership."
Smith and Warner will lead Australia in the limited-overs matches that follow the final Ashes Test at the Oval, which starts on 20 August.

Summary:


A man has been arrested after a man dressed as a clown was reported to have caused distress to a woman in a shopping centre.
Police were called to the shopping centre in Llandudno at around 2.30pm on Saturday after a woman was reported to have been frightened by a man dressed as a clown.

Sightings of "creepy clowns" have been reported across Wales, with police warning people they could be arrested for scaring others.

Article: Complaints have been made across the UK about the fad, which sees people dress up in order to frighten passers-by.
Dyfed-Powys Police received about 30 reports over the weekend and North Wales Police said it was aware of incidents.
Gwent Police had 18 reports, including clowns "peering through windows".
South Wales Police put out a warning at the weekend after receiving complaints about people dressed as clowns "frightening others intentionally".
Chf Insp Paul Staniforth of Gwent Police said: "Some of the reports have included, clowns running through gardens and peering through windows, lurking around shopping centres, parks and schools and jumping from trees.
"Fortunately, to date, we've had no reports of anyone being harmed during these reports."
He said people could be arrested for a public order offence - causing harassment, alarm or distress.
The culprits are said to be following a trend that started in the US.
Sgt Rhys Williams of Dyfed-Powys Police said while dressing up was not a criminal offence, "deliberately scaring someone, causing harassment, alarm or distress could lead to arrest".
Officers were looking into some of the reports, but no arrests have been made.
Sgt Williams added: "Please be mindful that what seems like a bit of fun to you, could not be seen the same way by those on the receiving end of this prank.
"There is also the possibility that you could attempt to scare the wrong person and they could retaliate.
"Anyone who commits a criminal offence should be aware that dressing as a clown does not make them exempt from being investigated and dealt with through the Criminal Justice System."
North Wales Police said officers were aware of incidents, but no offences had been reported.

Summary:


The government is failing to promote back-to-nature schemes which protect lowland homes by deliberately creating floods in the hills.
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) say upland schemes to slow river flow cost a fraction of conventional flood walls – and should be spread round the UK.

Water experts are calling on ministers to show greater leadership on flooding.

Article: They say the government is failing to promote back-to-nature schemes which protect lowland homes by deliberately creating floods in the hills.
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) say upland schemes to slow river flow cost a fraction of conventional flood walls – and should be spread round the UK.
Ministers back the principle but say the details need to be worked out.
The idea of creating floods upstream to prevent floods downstream was a key message from the Pitt Review into the 2007 floods.
A handful of pilot projects have pioneered cheap small-scale measures like felling trees into streams to slow down the flow, and building earth banks to catch run-off water and allow it to soak away.
One low-tech scheme in the hills above Belford in Northumberland cost about £300,000. It was put in place after a study suggested the cost of conventional flood defences would cost £4m.
But progress nationally has been slow, with funding a major problem.
Katherine Pygott, from CIWEM, told the BBC: “Flooding is getting worse with changing weather patterns, but these schemes are taking a very long time and a lot of energy.
“Projects working with nature to reduce flood risk are needed right across the country but it is complicated with many different organisations involved and it will need political leadership from the highest level to make it happen. So far we haven’t seen that leadership.”
The upland schemes are designed to reduce the regularity of flooding, not remove risk completely. Conventional flood defences will still be needed but CIWEM estimates that re-wilding rivers will save ten of millions by reducing the peak flow and lowering the specification for flood walls. The projects should also benefit wildlife.
Phil Welton, from the Environment Agency, says the UK should aspire to have "a pond in every field in the areas where flood prevention is needed.
"We have got to give incentives to farmers to persuade them to capture water on their land," he argues. "Farmers will lose a bit of...

Summary:


An MP facing deselection after being criticised over his role in a loan to a football club will not stand for re-election.

Article: David Mackintosh, Conservative MP for Northampton South, announced his decision ahead of a local party meeting where his candidacy was expected to be opposed.
The BBC reported millions of pounds of public money loaned to Northampton Town FC appeared to have vanished.
The MP has denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Mackintosh was criticised over the loan to Northampton Town Football Club from the borough council - when he was leader - to rebuild Sixfields stadium and develop nearby land.
About £10.25m of that money is now missing and the loan is subject to a police investigation into "alleged financial irregularities".
The football stand remains half built.
When contacted by the BBC last week, a majority of his party's local executive council said they would vote to deselect him.
Mr Mackintosh had previously said he intended to stand for re-election.
But in a statement, he said: "It has been a huge honour to be the member of Parliament since 2015, but I now feel it is the right time for my constituents to have a new representative."

Summary:


The government has announced a new scheme to help schools recruit and retain teachers.
The scheme will be funded by the government and will be available to all schools in England.
The scheme will be available to all schools in England.
The government has announced a new scheme to help schools recruit and retain teachers.
The

A head teacher has defended his decision to offer staff at a Lincolnshire school a "duvet day".

Article: Bill Lord sets aside Â£3,500 from his annual budget to pay for the extra holiday for everyone at Long Sutton Primary School in Spalding.
He said it was about both recruiting and keeping "fantastic teachers in front of children".
A 'duvet day' is an absence which can be approved by the employer with no reason given.
Read more about this story and others from across Lincolnshire
Mr Lord said all staff - including himself and the cleaner - were offered one additional day a year, but had to give notice and could not take the first or last day of term off.
He said the scheme cost less to implement than the Â£4,000 process of hiring new staff and it was difficult to hire staff in rural schools.
"Often young teachers coming out of university want to be near the bright lights so they will head to [big cities].
"Each year we get to July panicking as to whether we are going to be able to have the fantastic staff that our kids deserve."
The head teacher added it was essential to offer incentives to recruit and retain employees and one member of staff used her day to attend events at her children's school.
"She said the time was far more valuable to her than a pay enhancement."
Kevin Courtney, from the National Union of Teachers, said it was "no surprise" some head teachers were offering additional benefits.
"The teacher recruitment and retention crisis that is blighting schools is brought about by the unacceptable levels of workload expected of teachers - which are unusually high in our country."
The Education Select Committee warned the government in February about a shortage of teachers in England.
At the time the Department for Education said there were record numbers of teachers and it was investing Â£1.3bn in recruitment.

Summary:


The Co-operative Group has reported a pre-tax profit of Â£36m in the first half of 2015, compared with a loss of Â£9m a year earlier.

The Co-operative Group has said increased investment means profits this year will be lower than in 2014.

Article: This is despite the company reporting a pre-tax profit of Â£36m in the first half of 2015, compared with a loss of Â£9m a year earlier.
The group said the turnaround was due to "robust trading" in its food and funeral businesses.
These are the first results since radical changes to the business were brought in at the end of last year.
Following a review of the business by Lord Myners, the number of board members was cut drastically, while directors had to have qualifications suited to running the business. Members were also given one vote each.
The business recorded a deficit of Â£2.5bn in 2013 following massive losses at the Co-operative Bank. Following changes in the ownership structure of the bank, the Co-op Group now holds just a 20% stake in the bank.
"We've made a good start on the three year journey to rebuild the Co-operative Group," said chief executive Richard Pennycook of the half-year results.
"These early days are about fixing the basics - putting in place new leadership teams and providing the investment to deliver the strategies for our businesses. Our customers and members are beginning to see the difference.
The food business saw like-for-like sales at its main convenience stores increase by 3.3%, as well as 35 new store openings.
The funeral business saw volumes rise by almost 12%, "principally due to a high death rate".
Despite the improvement in the business seen in the first half of the year, the company warned that "we expect full-year profitability to reduce year on year, given the planned and increased levels of investment we are making in the second half of the year".
It also said that, again due to greater investment, it was unlikely to declare any dividends before 2018.

Summary:


The Scottish government has been accused of "cronyism" after it was revealed that former SNP aide Fiona Hyslop had set up a meeting between Ms Hyslop and the festival organisers.
The Scottish government has been accused of "cronyism" after it was revealed that former SNP aide

A public spending watchdog has cleared Scotland's culture secretary of any wrongdoing over a government grant to the organiser of T in the Park.

Article: Fiona Hyslop had been accused of "cronyism" after Â£150,000 of public funds were given to DF Concerts.
It emerged that former SNP aide had set up a meeting between Ms Hyslop and the festival organisers.
But Audit Scotland has now concluded there was a "clear rationale for the grant".
It said clear conditions had been attached to the money.
The grant was made to help DF Concerts with operational costs related to the change of venue for the annual music festival.
In a letter to an unnamed MSP, the watchdog said the Scottish government had the legal authority to make the grant.
And it said the decision to award the grant to DF Concerts had been a "legitimate policy decision" for Ms Hyslop, and was consistent with advice she received from Scottish government officials.
There was also budget provision for the grant within the Culture and European Affairs budget for major events and themed years, the letter stated.
It added: "There is evidence that the DF Concerts consultants' costs associated with gaining planning consent incurred in 2014 and 2015 for the 2015 event, together with the increase in venue costs, exceeded the grant Scottish government provided.
"There is also evidence that Scottish government has taken steps to confirm that the money was spent in line with the grant conditions through its review of the final report provided by DF Concerts and related invoices."
But Audit Scotland also said there was a need for "enhanced internal clarity and evidence to support decision-making" when similar decisions were made in the future.
It concluded: "We understand that Scottish government requires flexibility to react promptly to circumstances as they arise, but in our view this needs to be balanced with enhanced internal clarity and evidence to support decision-making.
"The Scottish government has work ongoing in this area."
Opposition politicians had questioned why money was given to the festival, which they said brought in huge profits for its organiser.
They also questioned the involvement of Jennifer...

Summary:


A man and a woman have been found dead in a lake in north Wales.
The bodies of the pair were found in the lake at Llanberis, near the town of Gwynedd, on Sunday.
Police said the pair were found in the water and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The

Tributes have been paid to a "gentle giant" who died while swimming near a waterfall in a north Wales village.

Article: Steffan Roberts Vernon, 33, from Caernarfon, died at the Llanberis beauty spot in Gwynedd, on Sunday alongside Alexander Hadley, 21, from nearby Dinorwig.
Two others, aged 27 and 25, were treated in hospital and later released.
Police believe the men got into difficulty while swimming in the "extremely cold" water.
Friends have been posting tributes on a Facebook page called 'Steffan Vernon and why we all love him'.
Debbie Ann Williams wrote: "So sad such a lovely smiley soul the gentle giant who always had a big hug 4 everyone rip steff xxxx"
Eve Maria posted: "Xxx always ready for an adventure full of smiles and a beautiful crazy laugh xxx"
Emma O'Neill said: "Some souls leave the world a far better place than when they arrived....just by being a part of it."
The coroner for north west Wales has launched an investigation into their deaths and an inquest will be opened at a later date.

Summary:


The German's ban is a blow for Hoffenheim, who have been in fine form in the Bundesliga this season.
Schmidt's ban is a blow for Hoffenheim, who have been in fine form in the Bundesliga this season.
Schmidt's ban is a blow for Hoffenheim, who have

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Roger Schmidt has been banned and fined for calling an opposing manager "a nutcase" during a Bundesliga game.

Article: Schmidt was sent off by the referee for insulting Hoffenheim's Julian Nagelsmann in Saturday's 3-0 home loss.
"That was nothing, what sort of a nutcase are you? Just shut your mouth," Schmidt shouted after going 2-0 down.
The 49-year-old has been banned for two games and handed a 15,000 euros (£13,373) fine.
The German was sanctioned after triggering a suspended sentence from February this year.
He had been banned for three games, with a further two in the event of a repeat offence before June 2017, for refusing a referee's order to leave the sidelines during a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Schmidt will be unable to have any contact with the team for half an hour before, during and after Tuesday's German Cup second-round match against Lotte and Saturday's league match against Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen's director of sport Rudi Voller has sought a meeting with the head of the disciplinary committee.

Summary:


A man has been charged with threatening to kill a fan of a football club.
A court heard Aidan Chaves, 26, reacted angrily to taunts from fans and was spat on during a home game for Sawbridgeworth Town FC on 25 March.
The court heard Chaves was charged with threatening to

A footballer accused of threatening fans with a corkscrew has admitted possession of an offensive weapon.

Article: A court heard Aidan Chaves, 26, reacted angrily to taunts from fans and was spat on during a home game for Sawbridgeworth Town FC on 25 March.
But he denied screaming threats at Clacton supporters on the touchline at the Hertfordshire club.
Stevenage Magistrates Court adjourned the case for a later hearing to decide if he had made threatening comments.
The three magistrates were told that Chaves faced derogatory remarks from the fans of the opposing team, including songs about his skill as a player, his tattoos and his mother.
One fan is said to have spat on him as he prepared for a throw in.
The court heard Chaves ran from to the changing room and emerged carrying a broken corkscrew.
Prosecutor Prosecutor Rufia Khatun said that, holding it aloft and running towards the Clapton fans, he allegedly screamed "Come here. I'm going to cut your throat."
Chaves - who gave his address as Mount Mellick Road, Portlaoise in the Irish Republic - pleaded guilty to a charge of having an offensive weapon in a public place.
The court was told he entered the plea on the basis that he had not uttered the threats that had been referred to by the prosecution.
In a statement he said he had grabbed the corkscrew to "ward the fans off".
Magistrates adjourned the case so that another hearing can take place on 10 August to decide if he had made the threats as claimed by the prosecution.
Chaves was granted unconditional bail.

Summary:


The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast has been named as the best hospital in Northern Ireland for breast cancer care.
The hospital was named in the top 10 in the UK for breast cancer care by the British Medical Association (BMA).
The BMA said the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast was the best hospital in Northern Ireland

New figures from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry show there has been a dramatic rise in the numbers of women being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Article: They show that there has been an overall increase of 53% in the number of women being treated for the disease in the last 20 years.
The rise was described as dramatic by Royal Victoria Hospital statisticians.
Dr Anna Gavin, who led the research, said the health system needs to prepare itself as the figures are set to climb.
"I think the services need to gear themselves up because we have done some work looking at past trends," Dr Gavin said.
"We see that, in total, the cancer number is expected to increase by two thirds again, about 65% in 20 years.
"The service needs to be aware of that. We need to be thinking of ways to cope because it is largely driven by the aging population."
Meanwhile, one woman who is living with the disease is calling for greater awareness of inflammatory breast cancer.
Lynette McHendry, from County Antrim, is due to have both breasts removed next week.
The 37-year-old patient said she believed some inflammatory breast cancer cases are being misdiagnosed.
The mother of two is appealing to clinicians to become more aware of the symptoms surrounding this aggressive disease, after her cancer went undetected for over a month.
"The symptoms I had were a pain in my left breast - it was hard, tender and heavy," Mrs McHendry said.
"It started to swell up and ended up twice the size. It also became red, inflamed and the skin became dimply. And there was no lump."
She is in the unusual position of having invasive or regular cancer in one breast and inflammatory cancer in the other.
The latter went undetected because, in cases of inflammatory breast cancer, a lump does not appear in the mammogram.
Mrs McHendry is one of the almost 2,800 women who were referred last year to the Belfast Cancer centre.
Ninety-three percent of those cases were not malignant - but hers was.
Mrs McHendry said that although women are better educated about breast cancer, there is little or no public information about inflammatory breast cancer.
"I had to join a support group online based in England," she said.
"By...

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The US has been accused of failing to act on the Memorandum of Security Assurances, which was signed in February 2013, and which was supposed to provide a framework for a dialogue between the two countries.
The US has been accused of failing to act on the Memorandum of Security Assurances, which was signed in

A senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of meddling in Ukraine, in breach of a 1994 agreement over non-intervention.

Article: Sergei Glazyev said the US was spending $20m (Â£12.3m; 14.8m euros) a week on Ukrainian opposition groups, supplying "rebels" with arms among other things.
Accusing the US of ignoring the Memorandum on Security Assurances, he suggested Moscow could also intervene.
The American embassy in Kiev declined to comment on his accusations.
21 November 2013: Ukraine announces it will not sign a deal aimed at strengthening ties with the EU, sparking protests
17 December: Russia agrees to buy $15bn of Ukrainian government bonds and slash the price of gas it sells to the country
16 January 2014: Parliament passes law restricting the right to protest
22 January: Two protesters die from bullet wounds during clashes with police in Kiev; protests spread across many cities
25 January: President Yanukovych offers senior jobs to the opposition, including that of prime minister, but these are rejected
28 January: Parliament votes to annul protest law and President Yanukovych accepts resignation of PM and cabinet
29 January: Parliament passes amnesty law for detained protesters, under the condition occupied buildings are vacated
Ukraine's protest leaders
Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is due to meet Mr Putin on Friday in Sochi, on the opening day of the Winter Olympic Games there.
He held talks in Kiev with US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland on Thursday, at which he said he favoured dialogue and compromise with the opposition.
Meanwhile, an audio recording has been posted online, which is purported to be a hacked phone conversation between Ms Nuland and US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, in which the female speaker dismisses EU efforts to resolve the crisis, using an expletive.
The two speakers also discuss frankly the merits of the three main Ukrainian opposition leaders in the conversation. The US embassy declined to comment on the tape.
Thousands of Ukrainian opposition activists, some carrying shields and baseball bats, marched from their camp on Independence Square in the capital Kiev...

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A new report has found that the number of people who have been admitted to hospital in Wales has fallen by more than a third in the last five years.
The report, published by the Welsh Government, found that the number of people admitted to hospital in Wales has fallen by more than a third in the last five years

The amount of traffic using Wales' biggest hospital as a "rat run" and causing gridlock has dropped by 7% after changes were made to the roads.

Article: Hospital bosses made changes last August in a bid to help ambulances reach the emergency unit more quickly at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff.
Barriers were installed and traffic is not allowed to drive past the unit.
The gridlock also led to people being late for appointments.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is now planning to introduce a direct weekday park and ride service for patients, visitors and staff in a further bid to keep traffic off site.
It will start on 2 May and operate from Cardiff East park and ride at Pentwyn from 06:30 to 19:15, running every 20 minutes, which should also free up car parking by 12%.
There are also plans to introduce bus and cycle hubs at UHW.
Geoff Walsh, director of capital, estates and facilities at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: "The traffic management system was implemented to allow clear access for emergency vehicles onto the site which has been successful.
"It has also improved the bus access with Cardiff Bus reinstating two services following the improvement of site accessibility."
He added: "We are still looking at ways to stop people using the site as a thoroughfare."

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Scientists from Dundee University have recreated the face of a young man who lived more than 4,000 years ago.

Article: The skeleton of "Thankerton Man" was found in a stone cist - a type of burial chamber - at Boatbridge Quarry, Thankerton, South Lanarkshire, in 1970.
It was radiocarbon-dated to between 2460BC and 2140BC and thought to have been that of a man aged 18 to 25.
The reconstructed image will go on show at the Biggar and Upper Clydesdale Museum, which opens on Tuesday.
The reconstruction was produced by specialists from Dundee University's Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) who worked from detailed analysis of the skull.
Caroline Erolin, lecturer in forensic and medical art at CAHID, said: "Given its age, the skeleton of Thankerton Man was in excellent condition, which allowed us to get a strong impression of how he may have looked.
"Once we built the basic shape of his face we then looked at historical data to get a better idea of how a man would have looked at that time. For instance, we know they had the ability to shave."
The estimated height of the man was around 1.8 metres (5ft 11ins), which is regarded as tall in Copper Age terms.
The cist contained a finely-decorated beaker which had held food or drink for the deceased's journey into the afterlife.
The pot and skeleton are curated by National Museums Scotland.
Dr Alison Sheridan, principal curator of early prehistory at National Museums Scotland, who provided archaeological advice, praised the reconstruction.
She said: "This is a magnificent piece of work that really brings the past to light. It has spurred us on to arrange the DNA analysis of this man's remains."

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A man has been jailed for life after he stabbed a woman to death in Norwich.
Alexander Kerry, 23, of Kinghorn Road, Norwich, was found at The Avenues on 22 February.
He denied a charge of sexual assault and the prosecution chose not to proceed on that count.
Kerry was found

A man who admitted the "vile murder" of an 82-year-old woman in her Norwich home has been jailed for life, with an order to serve 25 years and six months.

Article: Pauline King, described by police as a "reclusive hermit", was found at The Avenues on 22 February.
Alexander Kerry, 23, of Kinghorn Road, Norwich, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court after he entered a guilty plea.
He denied a charge of sexual assault and the prosecution chose not to proceed on that count.
Ms King died as a result of a sustained assault with a knife and hammer during a burglary at her home, the court was told.
She lived alone in what police described as a "dilapidated" detached house and neighbours said she was a pleasant but reclusive woman.
Kerry was found later the same day wandering nearby streets covered in blood.
Det Sup Paul Durham described it as a "vile murder" which "sent a shudder of fear" through the community.
Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said Kerry, desperate for money after drinking in a Norwich city centre pub, had broken into the home and beat Ms King to death.
He then tried to set fire to the house to destroy the evidence, he said.
The court heard he was left deeply damaged after his father murdered his mother as he and his brother slept at their home in 2002.
Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said he acted with "animal brutality" to murder Miss King and sexually abuse her dying body in an "act of desecration".
He said: "Nothing begins to explain what you did to Pauline King. She must have suffered terribly."
Kerry had a criminal record including violence and disorderly behaviour dating back to his teens, he said.
Jonathan Goodman, mitigating, said his client had "self-medicated" through alcohol and drugs following the almost "unimaginable" events of his childhood.

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The EIS has called on the Scottish Government to ensure that the Scottish Government's new pay offer is fair to all Scottish public sector workers.
The EIS has called on the Scottish Government to ensure that the Scottish Government's new pay offer is fair to all Scottish public sector workers.
The EIS has called on

Lecturers at colleges in Glasgow will not take part in two planned national strikes next week.

Article: It follows a decision by the city's three further education colleges to join a national pay bargaining system.
Members of the EIS union at other colleges across Scotland are due to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday in a separate dispute over pay.
The Glasgow lecturers may now be balloted to decide if they join future action in the wider pay dispute.
The Glasgow lecturers had joined a one-day strike on Thursday, prior to the local pay bargaining dispute being settled.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said a "U-turn" by the Glasgow colleges marked a "significant early victory in the campaign for fair pay in all Scottish colleges".
He said: "The Glasgow colleges had refused to sign up to the national bargaining process, in the mistaken belief that this would remove them from their obligations on a fair pay offer.
"The strike action by our members has forced a quick change of mind on the part of the Glasgow colleges, and the EIS welcomes this development today."
Mr Flanagan added, "While these Glasgow disputes are now settled the national action in pursuit of a fair national pay offer and pay equality in all colleges will continue.
"Two days of strike action in this campaign are planned for next week, and these will take place in all colleges where lecturers have been balloted as part of the national dispute.
"Lecturers in the three Glasgow colleges, who are not currently part of the national action, will now be re-balloted as soon as possible to allow them to join their colleagues across Scotland in future strike days as part of the national campaign for fair pay."

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Southern Railway luggage van No 2464 has spent four months being stripped and repainted at Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon.
Southern Railway luggage van No 2464 has spent four months being stripped and repainted at Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon. The carriage transported

The carriage which carried Sir Winston Churchill's coffin to his final resting place has been restored.

Article: Southern Railway luggage van No 2464 has spent four months being stripped and repainted at Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon.
The carriage transported Churchill's coffin from London to Oxfordshire in 1965.
Manager Gary Campbell, said the restoration was something a lot of people in the town were "proud of".
The newly restored carriage, which cost about Â£30,000, will now move to the National Railway Museum in York.
It will be joined by the locomotive which pulled it as part of an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the former Prime Minister's state funeral.
After the funeral in London, his coffin was loaded into the carriage which was then drawn by Battle of Britain locomotive Winston Churchill to Oxfordshire.
Thousands gathered along the route to pay their respects.
Churchill was laid to rest in the parish churchyard of Bladon, close to Blenheim Palace, where he was born 89 years earlier.
The carriage was built in 1931 and was used during World War Two on evacuation trains before being put into Pullman colours in the 1960s.
It was moved to Los Angeles in 1966 but returned to the UK in 2007 where it entered the Swanage Railway Collection.

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The fatwa, which is not legally binding but will be influential, was issued after a three-day congress of female clerics in the country.
Summary: The fatwa, which is not legally binding but will be influential, was issued after a three-day congress of female clerics in the country.
Summary:

Female Islamic clerics in Indonesia have issued an unprecedented fatwa against child marriage.

Article: The fatwa, which is not legally binding but will be influential, was issued after a three-day congress of female clerics in the country.
The clerics urged the government to raise the minimum legal age for women to marry to 18 from the current 16.
Indonesia is a majority Muslim country and has among the highest number of child brides in the world.
According to the UN's children office Unicef, one in four women in Indonesia marries before the age of 18.
Fatwas are issued regularly in Indonesia, but usually by the Indonesian Ulema Council - the highest Islamic authority in the country which is made up almost entirely of men.
Hundreds of women descended on Cirebon, on Java Island, for the Indonesian KUPI Women's Ulema Congress.
Most of the clerics - experts in Islamic sacred law and theology - were from Indonesia, but speakers travelled from as far away as Kenya, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to take part in the conference, said to be the first major gathering of female Muslim clerics.
Female clerics, or "ulema", have existed in Indonesia for hundreds of years, but their role has been played down previously. Nowadays, they help empower their communities and lead educational institutes, organisers say.
It is hoped the congress will highlight the vital role they play.
Steering committee chairman Badriyah Fayumi told the BBC: "Through this conference, we want to state that female clerics exist, and have been proven to contribute, and this is the time to acknowledge their existence, and to give an appreciation for the... contribution of the female clergy."
The committee will now present its recommendations to the relevant groups - including the government - which will then decide on whether or not to take them any further.
The fatwa called underage marriage "harmful" and said preventing it was mandatory.
"Female clerics know the issues and obstacles women face, we can take action and do not just wait for the government to protect these children," Ninik Rahayu, the conference organiser, told Reuters.
The female clerics...

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The Chemical Brothers, Ella Eyre and Lianne La Havas will appear alongside The Chemical Brothers and Underworld.
Other festivals have been criticised for the lack of women on their bills. Last week, music blog Crack in the Road posted images of edited posters removing all the names of male performers. The rather blank

Bestival has revealed an all-female line-up in its second wave of announcements for this year's Isle of Wight event.

Article: Charli XCX, Ella Eyre and Lianne La Havas will appear alongside The Chemical Brothers and Underworld.
Other festivals have been criticised for the lack of women on their bills.
Last week, music blog Crack in the Road posted images of edited posters removing all the names of male performers.
The rather blank-looking page was shared on social media, with the bills at Reading and Leeds, Download and T in the Park also a focus for criticism.
Neneh Cherry, Andreya Triana and Radio 1 DJ B.Traits are among other female acts to be announced by Bestival.
Organiser Rob da Bank said: "There are shed-loads of amazing people making some startlingly good music at the moment and look, lots of them are female."
This year's Bestival theme is Summer of Love.
It takes place at Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight between 10 and 13 September, with 25 stages on offer.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

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A man has been charged with the murder of a two-year-old boy in Wolverhampton.
Jeremiah Regis, aged two-and-a-half, was found injured at an address in Wolverhampton on November 20.
A post-mortem examination showed he died of abdominal peritonitis

Tributes have been paid to an "always smiling" toddler whose mother and stepfather have been accused of his murder.

Article: Jeremiah Regis, aged two-and-a-half, was found injured at an address in Wolverhampton on November 20.
Sindyann Regis and Chevaze Mcgregor appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday charged with murder.
The court heard Jeremiah was found with more than 100 injuries, including a bite to the chest.
A tribute released by his family said: "Jeremiah was a lovely, quiet, innocent little boy who was always smiling.
"He will be greatly missed by his Nanna and entire family."
At Friday's hearing, Ms Regis, 25, of High Street, Wednesfield, and Mr Mcgregor, 27, of New Road in Rainford, Essex, spoke only to confirm their names.
Judge James Burbidge adjourned the case until December and set a provisional trial date of 25 April.
Jeremiah was found with head and body injuries when police and paramedics were called to an address in High Street, Wednesfield, shortly before midnight on Sunday.
He was pronounced dead in hospital on 21 November.
A post-mortem examination showed he died of abdominal peritonitis caused by blunt force trauma.

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Warrenpoint Town FC have been fined £350 and given a three-match ban by the IFA after they were found guilty of breaching the IFA Disciplinary Code.
The club were fined £350 and given a three-match ban by the IFA after they were found guilty of breaching the IFA Disciplinary

Warrenpoint Town say they are "shocked" by an IFA ruling that confirmed their relegation from the Premiership and saw Carrick Rangers stay in the top flight.

Article: An IFA Disciplinary Committee opted not to impose any sanction after finding that Carrick did not properly implement manager Gary Haveron's touchline ban.
The committee said it would "exercise its discretion" in the matter.
A Warrenpoint Town statement argued that the decision "contradicted the IFA's obligation to apply objectivity".
"The board of Warrenpoint Town have read the IFA Disciplinary Committee determination regarding the breach of Article 23.1 of the IFA Disciplinary Code by the Carrick Rangers FC Manager," the statement began.
"We are shocked that the IFA having found Carrick guilty failed to implement the requisite admonishment as per established rules.
"The board will be meeting soon to discuss further this matter and the complaint we formally raised surrounding eligibility which is in abeyance."
Carrick faced a possible three-point deduction and relegation from the top flight, plus a possible fine of at least £350, if the outcome of the hearing did not go in their favour.
However in a statement released on Wednesday night, the committee indicated that "the interests of justice were best served by not imposing a sanction in all the circumstances".
As it stands, Ballinamallard United and Institute await a date for the second leg of their promotion-relegation play-off, the Mallards having won the first leg 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium on 6 May.
Haveron sat out a three-game ban handed out by the IFA, but was in the dugout for his club's match against Dungannon Swifts on 23 April when he should not have been.
"The club did not explain to the Committee's satisfaction the reasons why the start date for the suspension set out in the initial charge letter (18 April 2016)  was not complied with and therefore the challenge from Carrick Rangers was not upheld," read the IFA statement released on Wednesday night.
"The Committee took into account the points made on behalf of the club and decided to exercise its discretion under the overriding objective as outlined in Articles 1.6 and 1.7 of the Disciplinary...

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The motoring organisation also called for more funding for road repairs in the chancellor's Budget next week.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said there was a £12bn backlog in road repairs that would take councils "more than a decade" to clear.
The UK government said it was providing "unpre

The AA is calling on councils to "get to grips" with road maintenance after a survey found 39% of UK drivers reported pothole damage in the past two years.

Article: The motoring organisation also called for extra funding for road repairs in the chancellor's Budget next week.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said there was a £12bn backlog in road repairs that would take councils "more than a decade" to clear.
The UK government said it was providing "unprecedented levels of investment".
In an AA survey of 25,208 drivers, 39% said their tyres, bodywork or other parts of their vehicles had been affected after hitting a pothole in the past two years.
AA president Edmund King called on local authorities to "get to grips with fundamental road maintenance" such as poor drainage and crumbling surfaces.
He also said Chancellor George Osborne should allocate extra funding for road repairs to "reverse the toll on vehicles and their owners' pockets".
LGA transport spokesman Peter Box said current funding levels and the repairs backlog meant councils "can only keep pace with patching up our roads and filling potholes".
"Long-term and consistent investment in local road maintenance is desperately needed," he added.
Road maintenance is devolved to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said the government had allocated a "record £6bn to councils in England to improve local roads over the next five years".
"We topped this up with £250m last year specifically to tackle the blight of potholes," he said.
A Scottish Government spokesman said in the last financial year more than £220m was allocated for the maintenance of motorways and trunk roads, which it said was 20% more than five years ago.
The Welsh and Northern Irish authorities have been approached for comment.

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Hyundai Motor America has announced that it will extend auto loan and lease payments for current Hyundai owners who are put on unpaid leave.
Hyundai Motor America has announced that it will extend auto loan and lease payments for current Hyundai owners who are put on unpaid leave.
Hyundai Motor America has announced that it will extend auto

Hyundai Motor will defer payments due from US federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown.

Article: More than 700,000 employees face unpaid leave due to the shutdown which was triggered after the two houses of Congress did not agree on a new budget.
Hyundai said affected employees who currently own its vehicles will be given a payment relief "for as long as they are out of work".
Employees looking to buy a new car will be given a 90-day payment deferral.
"We recognize the impact on family budgets that the furlough will drive," John Krafcik, chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement.
Hyundai had offered a similar scheme, the Hyundai Assurance programme, during the peak of the global financial crisis four years ago to help consumers who had lost their jobs.
Many analysts have said that the move had helped the South Korean firm win customer loyalty and boosted its sales in recent years.
The company said that its latest offer to help the federal employees was an addition to that programme and aimed at "helping workers at a time when they most need it".
"Like we did almost four years ago when we launched Hyundai Assurance, this is our way of saying 'We've got your back' during this uncertain time," Mr Krafcik said.
Under the latest offer, Hyundai will extend all auto loan and lease payments during the shutdown for current Hyundai owners who are put on unpaid leave.
The programme is available to all customers who have financed their purchase or lease through Hyundai Finance America.

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A gang of four men targeted ATMs in Aberdeen and New Deer.
Sentence was deferred until next month.
They used oxygen and acetylene to get to the safes behind the ATMs.
At the High Court in Glasgow, McHale and Schruyers were convicted of blowing up the cash machine at

Thieves have been found guilty of using explosives to blow up cash machines in a series of raids which netted more than £130,000 across Aberdeenshire.

Article: Joseph McHale, 38, Kevin Schruyers, 42, and Robin Vaughan, 43, all from Liverpool, were part of a gang who targeted ATMs.
The gang struck in the early hours of the morning at machines in Stonehaven, Inverurie, Aberdeen, New Deer and Ellon between August and November 2013.
Sentence was deferred.
They used oxygen and acetylene to get to the safes behind the ATMs.
At the High Court in Glasgow, McHale and Schruyers were convicted of blowing up the cash machine at Scotmid in North Deeside Road, Bieldside, Aberdeen and stealing £112,000.
They were also found guilty of blowing up an ATM at the Royal Bank of Scotland in New Deer and stealing £21,020.
The pair were also convicted of blowing up four ATMs in Ellon, Stonehaven, Inverurie and Aberdeen and attempting to steal from them, and stealing a quantity of clothing, golf equipment and money from the golf professional shop at the Paul Lawrie Centre in Aberdeenshire.
The duo were also found guilty of attempting to break into a cash machine in Mintlaw by using a crowbar.
Vaughan admitted blowing up the ATM in New Deer and Bieldside. He also admitted trying to force open the ATM in Mintlaw using a crowbar.
The focus of the investigation led to Liverpool after a number of Scottish banknotes started to circulate in the Mersey area.
Many of these notes had edges cut off in a bid to remove the signs of dye which went on to them.
Others had some red dye on them even though the gang had tried to remove all traces of it.
The court heard they duped Francis Clark - brother of actress and model Sophie Kennedy Clark and grandson of singer Calum Kennedy - into providing them with a hideaway after a meeting at a party.
The court heard that Mr Clark was originally a suspect in the case, but appeared during the trial as a witness.
Lady Scott deferred sentence until next month at the High Court at Livingston.
Ch Insp Graeme Mackie, of Police Scotland, said afterwards: "This was a complex police enquiry.
"I would like to commend the effort and work undertaken by all the officers...

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