Britain Today
The police officer who rushed to the aid of a Russian ex-spy targeted with a nerve agent is "very anxious" as he recovers in hospital, his chief constable said.
Wiltshire Police named the officer as Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is still in a serious condition following the attack in which a chemical weapon was used in an attempt on the lives of Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia.
Police thanked well-wishers for their support for the officer, while the force's temporary chief constable Kier Pritchard said: "I have just left the bedside of our officer and family in hospital. Conveyed all our thoughts and wishes, an amazingly courageous officer."
He told Sky News DS Bailey, who joined the force in 2002 and was commended in 2016 for his work on a rape investigation, was "well liked, well loved, a massively dedicated officer".
His praise was echoed by Prime Minister Theresa May, who said the events served as a "stark reminder" of the dangers faced by emergency staff.
It comes amid a flurry of activity in Salisbury, where police sealed off the gravestone of Mr Skripal's wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son, Alexander, who was cremated last year. They are located at separate sites in the London Road Cemetery with each guarded by a police officer.
Hundreds of investigators, led by counter-terror police, are working to find out who is responsible for what is feared to be a sophisticated plot amid heightened tensions between Britain and Russia.
Earlier on Thursday, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the use of a chemical weapon on UK soil was a "brazen and reckless act" and the Government stood ready to act as a clearer picture emerged.
And Mrs May, asked whether the action taken if Russia was found to be responsible could include the expulsion of its ambassador, told ITV News: "We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right, if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored.
"But let's give the police the time and space to actually conduct their investigation."
She added later: "I would like to pay tribute to all of the emergency services in Salisbury - those who reacted to the initial call on Sunday and those who continue to respond to this appalling and reckless attack."
"In particular, my thoughts are with Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey - one of the first responders - who remains in a serious condition in hospital."
"We are all thinking of him, his family, friends and colleagues - and the two other victims - at what is an incredibly difficult time."
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Two men have been arrested by police as part of inquiries into a video showing "vile" racist abuse being chanted outside the room of a black student.
Nottinghamshire Police said the suspects, both aged 18, had been held in connection with racially aggravated public order offences.
A police spokesman confirmed the arrests shortly after Nottingham Trent University student Rufaro Chisango told the BBC the chanting at her halls of residence left her feeling "shocked, isolated and uncomfortable". Nottingham Trent University said an unspecified number of "suspected perpetrators" have been suspended after the abuse was captured on video and reported to security staff by Ms Chisango.
Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the video, which captured at least two males chanting "we hate blacks" and making other racist comments.
Other chants captured by the video include "We are the blacks haters" and "Sign the Brexit papers". At one point during the minute-long video, a female interrupts the chants, saying: "Leave her alone."
Ms Chisango, who posted footage of the incident on Twitter, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme the abuse earlier this week had a "big impact" on her, leaving her feeling shocked and isolated.
The student said: "I just want the appropriate action to be taking place. Obviously it's racial abuse. It should not be tolerated at all." Asked if she intended to contact the police, she said she wanted to wait to see what action was taken by the university.
Mary Okpo, of Nottingham Trent's African Caribbean Society, told the BBC the incident was "unjustifiable and unacceptable".
"Whether they were inebriated or not, there's nothing that can justify what they said," she said of the students involved. This was a terrible, terrible incident. It's something that I didn't think I would see. For it to be so overt, open, in 2018. It's something that really, really shocked me."
Nottinghamshire Police said in a statement: "We are aware of a video posted at Nottingham Trent University and which has been shared on social media. It is wholly unacceptable and we're proactively investigating the incident and liaising with the university."
In a statement confirming "suspected perpetrators" had been suspended pending a full investigation, Nottingham Trent University said: "This kind of vile behaviour will not be tolerated."
"We have contacted the student who made the complaint and are providing support to her and others affected. And we will be liaising with the police about this incident."
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The NHS is showing "no sign of recovery" following a tough winter which has seen its main performance target in accident and emergency departments hit its lowest level since it was introduced, experts have said.
Just 85% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival in A&E in February, figures released by NHS England on Thursday show. The target of 95% has not been met since July 2015. NHS England said staff had been faced with working in a "perfect storm" of appalling weather, persistently high hospital admissions due to flu, and a renewed spike in norovirus.
Nigel Edwards, chief executive of healthcare charity, the Nuffield Trust, said the immense pressures seen this winter were fundamentally driven by a lack of money and staff.
"If these are not addressed, it is inevitable that as difficult as February has been for NHS staff and patients, there will be worse to come," he warned.
Quoting NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens as saying it is "likely February will turn out to have been the most pressurised month the NHS has seen in its nearly 70 year history", Mr Edwards added: "Today's figures, sadly, do little to disprove that."
"The proportion of people spending more than four hours in A&E appears to be the highest for 15 years. The main waiting times targets for cancer and planned treatment are being missed, and there is no sign of recovery," he added.
The figures prompted the Royal College of Emergency Medicine to call on patients to write to their local MP to demand action on addressing the challenges facing A&E departments.
It said the "unprecedented move" was in response to the statistics, which also showed the worst ever performance of 76.9% at England's major emergency departments.
Its president, Dr Taj Hassan, said: "Performance that once would have been regarded as utterly unacceptable has now become normal and things are seemingly only getting worse for patients."
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The recent blast of freezing weather will lead to a further spike in potholes on UK roads, motoring experts have warned.
Initial figures show pothole related breakdowns have already doubled following last week's widespread snow and ice, according to the RAC. Freezing water in road cracks when the Beast from the East struck has broken up surfaces already plagued by potholes, the firm said as it marked National Pothole Day.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams commented: "While the snow caused serious short-term travel disruption, motorists will sadly be suffering its consequences for months and possibly years to come."
"Our roads were already in a poor state of repair before the extreme cold weather hit. Siberian weather was the last thing they needed as the freezing conditions wreak havoc with any road surface in bad repair." "We fear this spring may see the emergence of almost as many potholes as daffodils."
The RAC received an average of 218 call outs for pothole related issues - such as damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels - between Sunday and Tuesday. This is compared with 104 from February 1 to March 3.
Separate figures published by the Department for Transport show 22 cyclists have been killed and 368 seriously injured where a poor or defective road surface was a factor since 2007.
Sam Jones, senior campaigns officer for charity Cycling UK, said: "Unfortunately for cyclists, if they hit a pothole it's not just a costly repair bill but also a strong possibility of personal injury, or in the worst cases death."
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KFC has returned to its former delivery contractor to supply chicken to 350 of its restaurants after hundreds were forced to close last month.
Bidvest Logistics lost its KFC contract to DHL, whose issues with its delivery hub sparked chicken shortages across the country and the vast majority of restaurants shut at one stage.
DHL announced in November that it had been appointed alongside QSL to manage the supply and distribution of food products and packaging for more than 850 KFC restaurants throughout the UK.
On Thursday, Bidvest said it was "delighted" to confirm it had signed a new long-term agreement with KFC UK & Ireland to supply 350 restaurants across northern England and Wales.
Its business unit director, Paul Whyte, said: "As the UK's leading food service logistics specialist, we understand the complexities of delivering fresh chicken."
"KFC are a valued customer and we will provide them with a seamless return to our network."
A KFC spokesman said: "Our focus remains on ensuring our customers can enjoy our chicken without further disruption."
"With that in mind, the decision has been taken in conjunction with QSL and DHL to revert the distribution contract for up to 350 of our restaurants in the north of the UK back to Bidvest Logistics."
"We've been working hard to resolve the present situation with QSL and DHL. This decision will ease pressure at DHL's Rugby depot, to help get our restaurants back to normal as quickly as possible."
"As it stands, over 97% of our 900 restaurants are now open for business, although there will be some limited menus before we are back to business as usual."
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DUP leader Arlene Foster has hit out at attempts to use the threat of the return of violence in Northern Ireland as a "bargaining chip" in the Brexit negotiations.
Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) annual conference in London, Mrs Foster said warnings the peace process could be under threat were an "insult" to the people of Northern Ireland.
Her comments are likely to be seen as a rebuke to former prime ministers Tony Blair and Sir John Major who have voiced concerns about the consequences of a return of border controls between the North and the Irish Republic.
The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has also repeatedly stressed the need to protect the Good Friday agreement in any Brexit deal.
Mrs Foster, whose party props up Theresa May's Government in the House of Commons, insisted she did not want to see the imposition of a "hard border" after Britain leaves the EU.
At the same time she reaffirmed her party's objection to the EU's "fallback" plan which would effectively keep Northern Ireland in the single market if the two sides were unable to resolve the border issue.
"I want to see an optimistic, sensible and pragmatic approach to Brexit," she said.
"I object in the strongest possible terms to people who have limited experience of the Troubles in Northern Ireland throwing threats of violence around as some kind of bargaining chip in this negotiating process." "To do so is an insult to the people of Northern Ireland who worked so hard to bring peace to our country."
Earlier, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox criticised those in the EU who sought to "punish" Britain for voting to leave, and called for "decorum and patience" in the negotiations.
"Punishing Britain to me is not the language of the club, it is the language of the gang," he told the conference."
"I do believe rationality and common sense will win the day if we conduct ourselves with decorum and patience. It is in all our interests to keep the temperature down."
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Two teenagers have died and two children are among seven injured after a three-car crash on the A61.
North Yorkshire Police said a black Ford Focus, a black Vauxhall Corsa and a green Volkswagen Bora were involved in the collision near Thirsk on Wednesday at around 9.25pm.
The boys, believed to be 17, died at the scene and five adults and two children were taken to hospital.
Officers said they believed the vehicles were travelling from Thirsk to Busby Stoop - and are appealing for anyone with information or dash-cam footage to get in touch.
A stretch of the road between Busby Stoop and Carlton Minniott was closed while the scene was examined, but North Yorkshire Police said it reopened at 4.45am.
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Some Tesco Bank customers have had their credit cards cancelled following concerns about accounts potentially being compromised.
Those affected have received texts and they will receive new cards around a week later.
Tesco Bank said only a tiny proportion of its three million credit card customers have been affected.
The bank said the step has been taken as a "precautionary measure" and it is the result of routine industry-wide efforts to protect people against fraud.
The precautionary action has been taken as a result of a suspected third party compromise.
A Tesco Bank spokesman said: "We take the security of our customers' accounts very seriously and take every measure possible to protect customers from fraudulent activity."
"As a result of routine industry-wide fraud protection measures, we have reissued a number of credit cards as a precautionary measure. We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused as a result."
In 2016, a cyber attack forced the lender to pay out £2.5 million to 9,000 customers who had money stolen from their accounts.
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Meghan Markle became the queen of hugs when she embraced young school girls as she celebrated International Women's Day with Prince Harry. Meghan hugged the youngsters - including one who has dreams of being an actress - as she began an away day to Birmingham with her fiance.
The couple were cheered by crowds when they stepped from their chauffeur driven four-by-four at the city's Millennium Point - with Meghan looking chic in a coat by J Crew, trousers by Alexander Wang and an All Saints jumper.
Before going inside the venue, to celebrate the efforts of girls at secondary school who are following a technology and science career path, the prince and the Suits star went on a walkabout meeting the crowds who had braved wet and cold conditions.
When they came to a group of school children, Harry began asking them about their hopes for the future and when 10-year-old Sophie Richards said she wanted to be an actress he took her over to meet Meghan.
The pupil from Oasis Academy in Worcester appeared excited to meet Meghan and she was hugged by Harry's bride-to-be.
The youngster said afterwards: "Meghan told me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve. And Meghan said she would like to see me on TV when I become an actress. It was a dream come true. I will never forget this day."
Ms Markle has been hugging well-wishers throughout her tour of the UK with Harry which has taken her to Edinburgh, Nottingham, Cardiff and Brixton in south London.
She also embraced Pippa Roberts, aged 10, from Mere Green Primary School in Sutton Coldfield after a request from the youngster who said: "I said, can I have a hug and she said yes - it was nice."
The couple were later were forced to do a double-take after meeting identical twins on a sporting apprentice scheme. Elliott and Luke Rainbird, 19, from Solihull in the West Midlands, had the couple stumped for a moment as they visited Coach Core apprentices.
Ms Markle joked it was only Luke's fluorescent green trainers that allowed her to tell the pair apart.
Looking down, she said: "I can tell the difference between you two - by your shoes."
Elliott, who has previously met Harry's brother the Duke of Cambridge, said: "He came over and said hello, but when he spoke, he said 'you're twins'. He stood back. He had to just take it in. He had met me from upstairs (earlier), and said 'which one are you?'
"I've met him and William now, I just need to meet his dad."
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A UK doctor who prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs and claimed to have given similar treatments to other elite sports athletes has been struck off after being found guilty of misconduct.
Dr Mark Bonar was secretly filmed in a sting operation by undercover journalists from The Sunday Times.
He prescribed steroids and other drugs to a young athlete employed by the newspaper who went to him wanting to improve his performance - and said he had provided similar treatment programmes to a number of elite sportsmen.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) determined Dr Bonar's fitness to practice was impaired, following a hearing in Manchester.
It said Dr Bonar was "solely concerned" with the young athlete's performance when he prescribed drugs, which was in breach of medical guidance.
The use of a growth hormone, Thyroxine, was additionally not advisable in the patient and had put him "at real and serious risk of harm", the report said.
Dr Bonar was also found to have advised patients on how to avoid detection and in doing so had "failed to act with honesty and integrity".
The MPTS concluded: "The tribunal determined that, both individually and cumulatively, Dr Bonar's conduct (which includes dishonesty during the course of a consultation, non-clinically indicated prescribing, contraindicated prescribing, prescribing with the aim of improving a patient's athletic performance, and advising an athlete on how to actively avoid detection) amount to misconduct that is serious."
It added: "Dr Bonar has made no admissions at this hearing, has shown no insight into his behaviour, has actively challenged the opinion of an expert endocrinologist (whilst providing no evidence to back up his claims that he was acting within normal accepted practice) and has informed the General Medical Council that he does not intend to engage in remediation."
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A series of flights are being operated with all-female crews to mark International Women's Day (IWD).
Airlines want to encourage more women and girls to consider a career in aviation, with only around 3% of the global pilot workforce being female.
British Airways claimed a record for the most women involved in a single flight on Monday.
Sixty-two females - including crew, baggage handlers, check-in staff and security workers - contributed to the operation of flight BA1484 from London Heathrow to Glasgow on Monday.
Six all-female crews operated 16 easyJet flights on Thursday - consisting of a captain, first officer and four cabin crew - between London, Bologna, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Agadir.
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The Duchess of Cornwall has marked International Women's Day by hosting a reception to celebrate the Women of the World Festival.
Camilla was joined by singer Annie Lennox, entrepreneur Liz Earle, author Kate Mosse, broadcaster Mary Portas and author Kathy Lette at Clarence House.
The global festival celebrates women and girls, and looks at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential.
The duchess began her short speech by welcoming "ladies, and a smattering of very brave gentlemen" to her London home.
She praised the Women of the World Festival as "an astonishing creation".
"This year, WOW will take place in 53 countries across the world," Camilla said.
"It truly is a global festival dedicated to presenting work by women and promoting equality for women and girls."
Portas stressed the need for public support from high profile women to tackle inequality.
"It's imperative that we have the support of women in the public eye like the Duchess of Cornwall," she said.
"It is sad, but today there is still great inequality. If we don't shout, changes won't happen... The duchess is powerful and she does all with this humanity and soul."
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Stories which highlight the breadth of women's roles in the First World War are being revealed to mark International Women's Day.
Documents, photographs and paintings showing female activity from working in munitions factories to driving ambulances in France are being shared by the Imperial War Museums (IWM) in the final year of the centenary of the conflict.
They include material gathered for the Women's Work Collection from 1917 as part of the creation of the IWM, as well as accounts that give an insight into what life was like for women in the First World War.
As men left to fight, women stepped in to do their jobs, a situation which helped them secure the vote in 1918, although they were forced out of the workplace by men returning after the war.
Details about women's role in the war was first gathered by the Women's Work Sub-Committee from 1917, including written accounts secured by writing to hundreds of organisations asking about wartime activities.
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Seven pioneering female 19th-century doctors have been remembered at a special event on International Women's Day.
The women - Sophia Jex-Blake, Isabel Thorne, Edith Pechey, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Mary Anderson and Emily Bovell - were admitted to study medicine at Edinburgh University in 1869, making them the first females to be accepted on to a degree programme at any British university.
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSED) unveiled a plaque commemorating the medics' achievements at a ceremony in the city on Thursday. Caroline Doig, a retired paediatric surgeon and the first woman to be elected to the RCSED council in 1984, unveiled the plaque.
She said: "Today, the college celebrates the role of women in all its committees and activities, and its growing female membership has reached over 5,000 surgical and dental professionals worldwide.
"I am delighted there are now so many women pursuing a career in surgery and is it an honour to unveil this commemorative plaque on International Women's Day, in memory of the first seven women to be admitted on to a degree programme at any British university."
At the time, the actions of the group known as the Edinburgh Seven were extraordinary enough to attract widespread criticism from across society, even inciting a riot on the streets of the Scottish capital.
Although they were admitted in 1869, they had to continue their campaign to be allowed to train and practice as doctors.
A defining moment in the campaign was The Surgeons' Hall Riot of November 18, 1870, which attracted widespread publicity and created a groundswell of support for their fight.
Information on the University of Edinburgh's website reveals the challenges faced by women at the time.
The article states: "The men made life as difficult as possible for the Edinburgh Seven, shutting doors in their faces, howling at them and behaving aggressively."
"Events came to a head at their anatomy exam when several hundred male students pelted the women with mud and other objects as they arrived."
"The women struggled through the crowd until a supporter unbolted a door to hurry them inside. During the exam, the rioters shoved a live sheep into the hall, causing further chaos."
The notice was erected as part of Historic Environment Scotland's commemorative plaque scheme.
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PARIS - Countries around the world mobilised Thursday for International Women's Day with Spaniards on an unprecedented strike, France threatening to "name and shame" firms that pay women less and Iraqi women running a shortened 'marathon'.
The #MeToo and #Timesup campaigns that went global with allegations of sexual misconduct in Hollywood galvanised this year's celebrations amid surging demand from women for respect and equality.
Hundreds of trains were cancelled in Spain over the work stoppage and countless protests in defence of women's rights held across the country.
Ten unions demanded gender equality as the 24-hour strike sought to emulate Iceland's 1975 work stoppage, when women took a day off to demonstrate their vital contribution to the economy and society.
Female television and radio presenters went off air, and Spain's state TVE channel ran repeat programmes to compensate. Police said 200,000 people rallied for womens' rights in Barcelona.
Spain's two main unions, however, refused to join the 24-hour strike and called on their members to stop work for just two hours.
Some 5.3 million people took part, they said.
In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to "name and shame" companies that pay women less than men for the same work.
French daily Liberation found a novel way to get a man's attention by hiking the paper's cost by 25 percent for all males. French women earn on average 25.7 percent less than men, according to a 2017 watchdog report.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel put out a video saying women should not rest on their laurels.
"The fight for equal rights continues," she said. Much remained to be done "so that women have the same rights as well as the same duties as men... we will get there."
In Iraq's second city Mosul, 300 women ran a symbolic marathon of 900 metres down the main street.
"With this marathon we want to give women their place back after being kept at a distance for a long time," said organiser Fatima Khalaf.
Some of the women carried placards saying "I have the right to speak freely".
Islamic State group fighters were bombed out of the city in July after a brutal occupation.
Thousands of women thronged central Istanbul chanted slogans including: "We are not silent, we are not scared, we are not obeying" and "Women are strong together".
Female activists have long accused the Islamic-rooted government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of not doing enough to stop violence against women.
In Cairo, the Egyptian museum put on display three artefacts to highlight the role of women in antiquity. They include a red stone head of Nefertiti, the queen who held a key political and religious role alongside her husband the Pharaoh Akhenaten 3,300 years ago.
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Thursday slapped deeply contentious trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, swatting aside warnings of a global trade war and protests from allies in Europe and at home.
The tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum will come into effect in 15 days, the White House said.
They will not apply to Canada and Mexico initially, an official said, adding that security and trade partners could negotiate to seek exemption.
The measures are likely to spark retaliatory sanctions from the European Union, China and other economic powers.
Moving to fulfil a protectionist campaign promise, Trump leaned on a little-used national security clause in US trade law.
"This is a promise made, a promise kept," a senior administration official said, "no one should be surprised."
The metals are used in everything from cars to construction, roads to railways. Economists estimate billions of dollars of trade will be affected.
Hours before the signing, Trump told his cabinet that these products were the "backbone of our nation, they are the bedrock of defense industrial base."
The mercurial 45th president compared his action to those of predecessors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley.
"Our greatest presidents" he said, "they protected our country from outside influence, from other countries coming in and stealing our wealth and stealing our jobs and stealing our companies."
More than 50 percent of steel and aluminum exports come from allies in the European Union, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. But countries from Brazil to South Africa are likely to be affected.
Trump said he would be flexible toward "real friends," touting an exemption for Canada and Mexico as they renegotiate a trade deal with Washington.
If an agreement on NAFTA is reached, he said, "it is most likely that we won't be charging those two countries the tariffs."
Trump added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, and indicated that other trade and military allies could be exempted.
"We have a very close relationship with Australia," he said. "We have a trade surplus with Australia, great country, long term partner, we'll be doing something with them."
But he singled out Germany for criticism, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share.
"We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said.
"If you look at NATO, where Germany pays one percent and we are paying 4.2 percent of a much bigger GDP - that's not fair."
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Copenhagen - Danish inventor Peter Madsen on Thursday denied murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his self-built submarine, saying she died when the air pressure suddenly dropped and toxic fumes filled the vessel.
But the prosecution painted a picture of a sexual sadist obsessed with beheadings who murdered her as part of a sexual fantasy.
Madsen, who has previously admitted dismembering Wall's body and throwing her remains overboard, told the Copenhagen district court on the first day of his trial that the air pressure suddenly dropped in the engine room, where the 30-year-old freelance reporter was located while he was up on deck.
Pleading not guilty to premeditated murder, he admitted he had lied to investigators and changed his account of what actually happened to Wall several times.
"I wanted to spare her family and the world the details ... about what actually happened when she died, because it is gruesome."
He said a vacuum effect meant he was unable to open the hatch to get in to Wall, who was screaming for help.
"I try to explain to Kim through the hatch how to stop the necessary engines, for 5 to 15 minutes I try to get in to her," Madsen said.
"When I finally manage to open the hatch, a warm cloud hits my face. I find her lifeless on the floor, and I squat next to her and try to wake her up, slapping her cheeks."
He said he sailed around for a few hours, contemplating suicide, and then slept next to Wall's body for two hours.
Cutting her up was not a big deal, as he already knew how to amputate limbs "to save lives".
"I don't see how that mattered at that time, as she was dead," Madsen said with a small grin.
"I tried first with an arm, and that went very fast... It went very fast, and I got her out of the submarine."
Wall's chopped up body parts, weighed down in plastic bags with metal objects, were later recovered from waters off Copenhagen.
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Addis Ababa - Washington's top diplomat Rex Tillerson said Thursday the United States was "a long way from negotiations" with North Korea, which this week made a shock offer to discuss denuclearisation.
Tillerson, who is in Ethiopia on his first-ever Africa tour, said the signals from Pyongyang may be positive but stressed negotiations with Kim Jong Un's regime were not going to happen soon.
"I think as President Trump has indicated, (there are) potentially positive signals coming from North Korea by way of their intra-Korean dialogue with South Korea," he told journalists.
But "in terms of direct talks... we're a long way from negotiations, we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it," he said.
He said a first step would be "talks about talks" to see if "conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations."
Details are still sketchy, but South Korea announced Tuesday that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed".
The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearisation and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, the South's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang with Kim.
President Donald Trump welcomed the offer as "very positive".
However his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he was "quite skeptical" and Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearisation."
China on Thursday urged the United States and North Korea to start negotiations as soon as possible, while Japan has warned it could be a ploy to play for time, and urged "concrete" steps from Pyongyang.
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Hammuriyeh (Syria) - Aid agencies postponed a convoy of vital food and health supplies to Eastern Ghouta on Thursday, as the Syrian regime pressed a relentless ground and air assault against the rebel enclave.
Dozens of people, including many children, were treated overnight for breathing problems and symptoms that medics said were consistent with chlorine attacks, which Western powers have repeatedly warned would not go unpunished.
New air strikes on the town of Zamalka killed at least seven civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, bringing the total number of dead in the offensive to more than 900.
The aid trucks were meant to bring relief to war-weary civilians living under government siege for five years and now facing a deadly Russian-backed assault.
The fighting has prompted international outrage, culminating in the UN Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire, aid deliveries and evacuations.
But with bombardment continuing, a joint convoy between the United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent planned for Thursday could not go through.
"The convoy for today is postponed, as the situation is evolving on the ground, which doesn't allow us to carry out the operation in such conditions," ICRC spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP.
It marks the second time this week that aid operations have been disrupted by military developments, with food deliveries cut short Monday due to bombardment.
Ghouta is home to around 400,000 people under siege and is the last opposition-controlled zone on the capital's outskirts.
The Syrian army and allied militias began a fierce bombing campaign on February 18 against Ghouta, followed by a ground offensive.
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Shanghai - China will create a bastion for giant pandas three times the size of Yellowstone National Park to link up and encourage breeding among existing wild populations of the notoriously slow-reproducing animal, state media reported Thursday.
At least 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) has been secured over the next five years for construction of the Giant Panda National Park in mountainous southwestern China for the nation's favourite creature, the China Daily reported.
Plans for the park - which would cover 27,134 square kilometres (10,476 square miles) - were first put forward early last year by the ruling Communist Party and the State Council, China's cabinet, the paper said. Yellowstone, established in 1872 as the first US national park, spans 8,983 square kilometres.
The Chinese park plans are aimed at enabling wild pandas that are currently isolated in several different areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces to mingle and hopefully breed.
Giant pandas have a notoriously low reproductive rate, a key factor - along with habitat loss - in their status as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.
More than 80 percent of the world's wild pandas live in Sichuan, with the rest in Shaanxi and Gansu.
The funding was secured via an agreement signed Tuesday by the Bank of China and the Sichuan provincial Department of Forestry, the paper said.
The bank is to secure the financing by 2023, to go toward poverty alleviation among people living in the remote area and necessary infrastructure and other construction for the park.
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Staff at the John Lewis Partnership will see their bonuses cut for the fifth year in a row after the retail giant revealed a slump in profits and warned earnings will remain under pressure in 2018.
The group said it will reduce the renowned bonus to 5% of annual salary, with 85,500 partners sharing out a pot worth £74 million, down from £89.4 million the previous year. It has cut the bonus for five years running now, down from 6% last year and as much as 17% in 2013.
It comes as the partnership - which owns the eponymous department store and upmarket supermarket Waitrose - posted a 77% plunge in bottom line pre- tax annual profits to £103.9 million after one-off charges. Underlying pre- tax profits were 21.9% down at £289.2 million for the year to January 27.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said it had been a "challenging year". He also cautioned that the group expects "further pressure on profits" over the year ahead amid volatile trading.
Sir Charlie added: "We said in January 2017 that we were preparing for tougher trading conditions, with weakness in sterling feeding through into cost prices. This was why we chose to reduce the proportion of profits paid as partnership bonus last year so as to absorb these impacts while continuing to invest in the future and in strengthening our balance sheet."
John Lewis Partnership, which is owned by the employees of the two retail chains, had already warned in January that annual profits would be hit amid attempts to remain competitive despite facing cost pressures from the weak pound.
It added that the new financial year had got off to a disappointing start for its John Lewis chain, with like-for-like sales for the first five weeks down 3.4% after disruption from last week's heavy snow. Waitrose has seen like-for-like sales rise 2.4% since the year-end.
"We expect trading to be volatile in 2018-19, with continuing economic uncertainty and no let-up in competitive intensity," Sir Charlie said. He admitted that changes made across the group had affected "many" of its employees, with 1,400 redundancies in the past year.
Redundancy and restructuring costs were part of the £111.3 million hit that contributed to the hefty fall in bottom-line profits.
Annual results showed that gross sales across the partnership rose 2% to £11.6 billion.
John Lewis saw like-for-like sales edged 0.4% higher, while operating profits lifted 4.5% to £254.2 million, but Waitrose saw profits collapse.
The supermarket posted a 32.1% decline in operating profit to £172 million.
Waitrose said the profit fall was down to a decision "not to pass on all cost price inflation" to customers and investments in "customer experience".
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Troubled estate agency Countrywide has seen shares slump to a new all- time low after swinging to an annual loss and warning over further pain to come in 2018.
The group - Britain's biggest listed estate agency and owner of brands including Hamptons and Bridgfords - said it was going "back to basics" after what it described as three years of under-performance in its main sales and lettings business.
It is axing around a third of its 450-strong central office team as part of cost-cutting efforts to help turn around its fortunes. More than 100 staff entered into redundancy consultation on Monday.
Shares tumbled by as much as 24% at one stage before later settling around 13% lower after Countrywide reported pre-tax losses of £212.1 million against profits of £19.5 million the year before after a raft of writedowns.
Even with these stripped out, pre-tax profits more than halved to £25.2 million from £52.7 million in 2016.
Countrywide said trading had remained under pressure so far in 2018 after starting the year with a pipeline of work "significantly" below a year earlier.
This is expected to see underlying earnings fall around £10 million in the first half.
"At this time, it is unlikely that the shortfall in the first half will be recovered," it added.
The alert comes after a painful start to 2018, which saw its shares plummet to a record low after a shock profit warning in January, followed just days later by the departure of its chief executive, Alison Platt. Chairman Peter Long - who has stepped in to replace Ms Platt as executive chairman until a successor is appointed - said the group was working to resolve poor performance in its core sales and lettings business, but admitted it would "take time".
He said: "We believe these business units are fixable, know what we have to do to restore them and the steps to take that should result in a return to profitable growth."
"This will take time, but ultimately there will be much upside for our group and our shareholders, whose patience has been sorely tested recently."
He outlined plans to take the sales and lettings arm "back to basics" after losing key experienced staff through an ill-fated restructure in 2015 that saw 200 branches closed and some 1,000 employees lost outside London.
He is driving an overhaul that will cut costs, see it invest in IT and revamp its contact centre operation.
Countywide's results laid bare the woes in its sales and lettings arm, where earnings tumbled 47% to £14.9 million.
Across sales and lettings in London, earnings fell 44% to £11.5 million.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "Countrywide is pledging to go 'back to basics' after a dreadful year."
"A restructuring launched in 2015 has proved unsuccessful and its attempt to respond to the threat posed by industry disruptor Purplebricks has also fallen flat," he said.
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The FTSE 100 lagged behind its continental peers after a dovish statement by the European Central Bank weighed on the euro and bolstered eurozone stocks.
The blue chip index closed higher by 0.6% or 45.4 points at 7,203.24 points, while the French Cac 40 and German Dax ended the day up 1.3% and 0.9% respectively.
The pound was mixed, falling 0.5% against the US dollar to trade at 1.382 but rising 0.1% versus the euro to 1.121.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Mediclinic International up 28.6p to 607p, NMC Health up 88p at 3,362p, Diageo up 60.5p at 2,441p, and Unilever up 91.5p at 3,880p.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Persimmon down 95p at 2,548p, Evraz down 15.6p at 439.5p, Marks and Spencer Group down 9.4p at 278.6p, and Anglo American down 51.8p at 1,707.2p.
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Administrators to collapsed electronics retailer Maplin have made 63 staff at the firm's head offices redundant, as the fate of 2,500 more jobs hangs in the balance.
The group, owned by private equity firm Rutland Partners, called in PwC last week after attempts to rescue the chain failed.
Staff at Maplin's offices in London and Rotherham will be affected by the cull, with the accountancy firm also warning that a buyer has yet to be found for the chain.
Toby Underwood, joint administrator and PwC partner, said: "It is with real regret that we have made this decision.
"We are grateful for the support of the employees during this difficult period and we will make every effort to help the affected staff, working with the Maplin HR team over the coming days. The company is continuing to trade but due to a lack of interest we may be required to initiate a controlled closure programme."
A total of 2,500 jobs are at risk if a buyer cannot be found and Maplin's 217 stores are shut.
At the time of the chain's collapse, Maplin boss Graham Harris said the retailer has been struggling to mitigate the impact of the pound's devaluation after the Brexit vote, a weak consumer environment and the withdrawal of credit insurance.
High street chains across the board have been hit hard by falling consumer spending, soaring inflation and competition from online rivals. The sector has had a dismal start to 2018, with the collapse of Toys R Us and a host of firms undergoing painful restructurings, including New Look and eateries run by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, as well as Byron and Prezzo.
"We still believe there is strong value in the company and we remain focused on doing all we can to preserve the business while we continue trying to achieve a sale," Mr Underwood added.
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The Co-operative has been forced to apologise over its treatment of suppliers after the grocery regulator opened an investigation into its supermarket arm.
Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon said on Thursday that it has a "reasonable suspicion" that the Co-op broke supply code rules. The allegations relate to "de-listing and the introduction of benchmarking and depot quality control charges" for suppliers from early 2016 to at least summer 2017.
The GCA has now decided that an investigation is necessary to understand the full extent of the Co-op's breach, including if the firm followed correct procedure when ditching a supplier.
Ms Tacon said: "It is now important that suppliers provide me with information to help my investigation. I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say about whether they have experienced any of the issues now being investigated and if so, the impact on them of the Co-op's conduct."
For its part, the Co-op acknowledges that it has "fallen short" and has refunded 110 suppliers £500,000. It also said it has taken steps to ensure the fair treatment of suppliers.
These include retraining hundreds of commercial staff in the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, writing to its 1,500 suppliers to seek information on any inappropriate delisting decisions and reviewing every case where a supplier was charged for benchmarking and quality control.
Jo Whitfield, chief executive of Co-op Food, said: "We care deeply about our relationships with our suppliers and we are very sorry that in these two areas we have failed to live up to our usual high standards."
"We are already addressing the issues with the GCA and our suppliers and we hope the investigation will help bring to light any additional cases so that we can put these right as quickly as possible."
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Domino's Pizza served up soaring UK sales last year, with cash-strapped diners ordering food in rather than eating out to mitigate the impact of Brexit-fuelled inflation.
The takeout chain's group system sales rose 15% to £1.18 billion in 2017, helping underlying profit lift 10.2% to £96.2 million.
Revenue rose 29.3% to £474.6 million, although pre-tax profits nudged down from £82.5 million to £81.2 million after it was hit by exceptional costs.
Domino's boss David Wild told the Press Association the firm has benefited since the Brexit vote sent the pound plummeting and inflation rocketing.
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Leading seafood companies need to do more to stop lost fishing nets killing huge numbers of fish and marine animals each year, campaigners said.
A report from World Animal Protection said an estimated 5% to 30% of the decline in some fish stocks can be attributed to abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, which can take up to 600 years to decompose.
The "ghost gear" also kills marine species such as whales, dolphins, seals and turtles.
Around 70% by weight of larger sized plastic waste in the oceans is fishing related, World Animal Protection said.
In a ranking of the world's 15 biggest seafood companies on how they are dealing with the issue, none make the top grade for best practice, or the second grade for putting responsible management and handling of their fishing gear at the heart of their business.
Leading the way on the issue are Young's Seafood, John West owner Thai Union and tuna company Tri Marine, World Animal Protection said, but warned all companies needed to do more.
Steve McIvor, chief executive of World Animal Protection, said: "Fishing gear is designed to catch and kill, and when it is left in the ocean it is the most harmful form of marine debris for animals."
"It's heartbreaking to know that animals caught in this incredibly durable gear can suffer from debilitating wounds or suffocate or starve to death over a number of months."
"We hope to see the companies at the bottom of the ranking working hard to improve and rise in the ranking in future years."
"These companies must remember that consumers demonstrate they care about the welfare of animals when they are deciding what brands to put in the shopping baskets."
He called for companies to join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, an alliance founded by World Animal Protection in 2015, to help cut the amount of fishing gear being lost in the oceans.
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Cash-strapped councils are "raiding their rainy day funds" to cope with growing demand on social services, the public spending watchdog has said.
Government funding for local authorities has fallen by an estimated 50% since April 2011, heaping added pressure on strained finances and forcing councils in England to cut back on repairing roads, refuse collections and libraries, according to the National Audit Office (NAO) root-and-branch examination of town hall accounts.
It found authorities' financial positions have "worsened markedly", particularly for those councils which have social services departments, with several authorities struggling to balance their books and diving into their reserve funds - with 66.2% of local authorities with social care responsibilities dipping into their financial reserves in 2016-17.
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Firms will begin looking outside the UK for growth if the Government fails to secure a Brexit transition deal with the EU later this month, a senior business figure has warned.
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) president Francis Martin called on both sides in the Brexit negotiations to end the "political posturing" and start providing the certainty businesses need for the future.
Ministers are hoping to wrap up agreement on a transitional period of around two years after Britain leaves the EU in 2019 at the next summit of EU leaders starting on March 22.
Addressing the BCC annual conference in London, Mr Martin said: "Over the next fortnight, the Government must deliver a swift agreement on transition that gives business short-term certainty - and they must strain every sinew to deliver a pragmatic long-term settlement that keeps trade and commerce flowing.
"The time for political posturing on both sides is over.
"The time for getting stuck into the detail and answering those real world business questions has arrived, otherwise there's the very real possibility that we will see business hiring less, investing less, or, worst of all, looking elsewhere for future growth."
He urged both sides in the talks not to let "ideology be the enemy of our shared prosperity".
"To Westminster, we say stop the inward-facing squabbles and provide clarity and coherence for the very businesses you rely on to drive growth and prosperity," he said.
"To Brussels, and to our many friends and colleagues across Europe, we say be more flexible, be pragmatic, be open to new solutions that keep trade flowing across borders."
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox denied Britain was heading into an "economic black hole" but acknowledged that firms would need to look beyond the EU for future export growth.
"There are great prizes for our economy as we leave the EU in this era of globalisation if we have the courage to grasp them. We cannot let the patterns of the past constrain the opportunities of the future ," he told the conference.
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Hollywood actor Paul Newman once gave up a portion of his salary to top- up co-star Susan Sarandon's lower fee, the actress has revealed.
The pair worked together on 1998 neo-noir thriller Twilight, which also starred Gene Hackman and Reese Witherspoon.
After the negotiation term Favoured Nation - which ensures each actor in a film is paid the same as their co-stars - was only applied to the two men in the film, Newman volunteered some of his fee.
Sarandon told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Emma Stone once came forward and said she got equal pay because her male stars insisted upon it and gave up something of theirs. That happened to me with Paul Newman at one point, when I did a film with him ages ago."
She added Newman had "stepped forward and said 'Well, I'll give you part of mine'. So yeah - he was a gem".
The actress, 71, also said she believes there will "always be a casting couch" in Hollywood.
"I think what will go away is the unwanted exchange, but I think that giving yourself sexually, or being drawn to power and wanting to have sex with someone that's in power is also a choice."
"What we don't want to have is being exploited and to have the Harvey Weinsteins of the world holding it over your head and holding it over your project - that is the most despicable."
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Liam Gallagher has been announced as a headliner for BBC Music's The Biggest Weekend, where his estranged brother Noel will also be playing. It is the first time the former Oasis rockers have been on the same festival bill at the same time, although the event - which takes place across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland - will see Noel headline in Perth on May 26 with his High Flying Birds, while Liam will headline in Coventry on May 27.
Announcing the news on BBC Radio 2, Liam told host Chris Evans that he and his brother are "getting closer and closer to each other".
Evans said: "This is what's so intriguing about this you see - you're like two sperm whales eyeing each other up from miles apart..."
Liam said: "Yeah, that is it, mate. We're getting closer and closer, we're gonna collide, mate, one day and who knows what will happen?"
The Biggest Weekend, which will have concerts hosted by BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music, will take place in Belfast, Coventry, Perth and Swansea over the May bank holiday weekend, from May 25-28.
Other confirmed performers include Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Manic Street Preachers, Snow Patrol and Beck.
More than 175,000 tickets will be available to the public and it is being billed as the BBC's biggest ever celebration of music across TV, radio, online and mobile.
The festival will be aired on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four and will also be available to watch on iPlayer, on mobile and online.
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Jeremy Clarkson will trade cars for quizzing as the new host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? when the game show returns later this year. Millionaire, which was originally presented by Chris Tarrant, is returning for seven new episodes to air across one week in honour of its 20th anniversary.
Grand Tour presenter and former Top Gear host Clarkson said: "I have always loved the show and am thrilled to be involved with its rebirth. "I'm a big fan of quiz shows and I'm looking forward to hosting this iconic TV show and hopefully making a few millionaires!"
The popular ITV game show debuted in September 1998 and went on to become one of the most popular TV formats across the world, spawning versions in countries including America, India, Australia, Japan and Russia, and it also inspired Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.
The programme saw members of the public tasked with answering increasingly difficult questions in order to win as much money as possible, up to a million pounds.
Each hopeful millionaire would be given three lifelines to help them answer tricky questions - phone a friend, ask the audience and the 50-50 option.
One of the show's most memorable moments came in 2003, when Army major Charles Ingram was found guilty of cheating his way to the top prize by using a coughing accomplice in the audience.
Millionaire was a ratings success for ITV, with one episode in 1999 pulling in more than 19 million viewers.
After 15 years as the host, Tarrant made the decision to leave, and the final episode aired in February 2014.
He said in October 2013 that the show had been a huge part of his life and he had "loved every minute of it" but that it was time for him to move on.
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Arsenal eased to victory over AC Milan to move towards a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and end a run of four consecutive defeats in the process.
The Gunners were at a low ebb heading to Italy after poor performances and damaging losses had seen the pressure cranked up on manager Arsene Wenger.
This was supposed to be another tough challenge for a beleaguered Arsenal at San Siro but instead they outclassed an admittedly poor Milan side as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey struck in the first half to seal a comfortable 2-0 win in the first leg of this last-16 tie.
This was a massive night for both Wenger and his side and, for the first time in a considerable while, they answered some of the recent questions asked of their quality, commitment and togetherness.
It was not perfect and Milan had chances but the Rossoneri had not conceded in their last six games and had lost just one of their previous 20 European matches at the Giuseppe Meazza.
The visitors took the lead when the impressive Mkhitaryan cut inside from Mesut Ozil's pass before beating Gianluigi Donnarumma with a strike which deflected in off Milan skipper Leonardo Bonucci.
Arsenal added to their lead before half-time to make their dominance pay, Ramsey showing superb composure to control Ozil's slide-rule pass and round Gianluigi Donnarumma to tuck home.
After the game, Arsene Wenger compared Arsenal's recent bad form to a "half knocked-down" boxer and was pleased with his side's response to their run of four successive losses.
He said: "It has been a nightmare week but it was a good result but it is not qualification, so we have to finish the job at home. Overall, I am happy with our spirit and the response we gave. We defended with resilience and until the end. We did that well tonight."
"(In the second half) our pace dropped but I think it is down to the fact we've played four games in 10 days - four intense games."
"I think that when we play a cup final on Sunday and you lose it, it is hard psychologically to digest that in three or four days and we had games on the bounce straight away. Like a boxing match, when you are half knocked-down and another (punch) comes again, and that's what happened to us."
"But at some stage, you have to respond with your pride and your desire that you have to quality to win the game and that's what we did."
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Owen Farrell will lead England into Saturday's clash with France after Dylan Hartley was ruled out of the NatWest 6 Nations showdown in Paris by a tight calf.
Farrell, the team's inside centre and goalkicker, starts as captain for the first time after Hartley conceded defeat in his battle with the injury sustained in training at the start of the week.
In total there are five changes - two of them positional - to the side defeated 25-13 by Scotland at Murrayfield on February 24.
Mike Brown has been dropped at full-back following his disappointing display in the Calcutta Cup, resulting in Anthony Watson moving from the wing and Elliot Daly being immediately reinstated after his recovery from ankle and calf injuries. A further development of significance sees the power of Ben Te'o preferred to the quick feet of Jonathan Joseph at outside centre. Jamie George is given the number two jersey while Mako Vunipola has been named vice-captain.
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Phil Neville admitted England Women were 'beaten by the better team' in a 1-0 loss to the United States but challenged his players to learn from the experience.
Karen Bardsley's own goal condemned England to defeat in Orlando, in a match where a draw would have seen them win the SheBelieves Cup for the first time.
"There is no doubt we were beaten by the better team. I think the positive we can take is from that last 20 to 25 minutes," Neville said. "It seemed that once they scored we started to relax and play and show a little bit of character and belief but for 60 minutes it just felt as though we were waiting to be beat."
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Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min says the club must learn from their painful Champions League exit at the hands Juventus, which denied them a place in the quarter-finals.
Mauricio Pochettino's side were on course for the last eight after Son's first-half goal put them 1-0 up on the night on Wednesday and 3-2 ahead on aggregate. But the Italian champions stunned Wembley with two goals in three second-half minutes from Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala.
Son, who was in tears after the final whistle, said: "That hurt, but it's football. We played well but sometimes football is like this. We have to accept the result but still for me, it hurts a lot."
"What was the difference? Nothing. At the start we played well, we created lots of chances, got to 1-0 and made the perfect start I think. This game we can learn something from, but this is sad news. The dressing room was a bit quiet."
Tottenham's European campaign, including wins over Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, was a vast improvement on the previous season, when they failed to get past the group stage.
South Korea's Son said Spurs were "unlucky" to be out of the Champions League but had earned valuable experience.
"We remember last season, we went out in the group stage so now we did well, we learned something again and next season we will do better," he said.
"Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund doesn't matter anymore. I thought we were better than (Juventus) but it doesn't matter now-they scored two goals at Wembley Stadium," he added.
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Rory McIlroy's Masters preparations suffered another blow as he struggled to an opening 74 on his maiden appearance in the Valspar Championship.
McIlroy's only birdie came courtesy of holing a bunker shot on the seventh, his 16th hole of the day, while two bogeys and a clumsy double-bogey seven on the fifth left him three over par.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia had to settle for an opening 70 after dropping two shots in his last six holes, with Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose and Luke Donald also finishing one under par.
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Garry Ringrose with less than an hour's rugby to his credit in the last two months will line-up against Scotland with Ireland bidding to move to within one win of a Six Nations Grand Slam on Saturday.
The 23-year-old centre - who played every minute of last year's Six Nations but who has missed the first three games of this edition as he battled back from injury - will be Bundee Aki's third partner this term after Robbie Henshaw and Chris Farrell suffered injuries.
Ringrose, who will form with Aki the 25th different centre partnership since head coach Joe Schmidt's tenure began after the 2013 Six Nations, is one of two changes to the starting line-up that beat Wales in a 37-27 thriller a fortnight ago.
British and Irish Lions prop Tadgh Furlong returns after suffering a hamstring injury against Italy - Andrew Porter who deputised impressively for him against Wales drops to the bench.
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Mark Cavendish suffered a broken rib in the crash that ended his participation in Tirreno-Adriatico during the opening stage on Wednesday, his team have said.
The 32-year-old was taken to hospital after suffering a number of injuries in the team time trial which began the week-long stage race in Italy, having crossed the line battered and bloodied.
An update from Team Dimension Data doctor Jarrad van Zuydam on Thursday morning said: "He came down pretty hard at around 55km/h and he sustained multiple abrasions and soft tissue injuries to his knees, hips, hands and some swelling on his face as well; but he had a lot of rib pain which we went to x-ray, and found that he has a fracture of the seventh rib on the right side."
Cavendish missed the time cut as a result of the crash, automatically ending his participation in the race, and Van Zuydam said the plan had otherwise been to allow him to continue.
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Thousands of mourners holding banners and letting off smoke flares gathered in Florence on Thursday for the funeral of Fiorentina and Italy footballer Davide Astori.
The sudden death of the 31-year-old who captained his club has sparked an outpouring of grief in football-mad Italy.
One banner in the crowd read "Ciao captain", another "Our captain forever".
Children wearing Fiorentina's distinctive purple formed a guard of honour outside the Santa Croce basilica in the city as Astori's coffin was carried out after the service.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and his Juventus teammate Giorgio Chiellini were among the mourners having flow back from London where the Turin team dedicated their Champions League victory over Tottenham on Wednesday to Astori.
Chiellini after the match said: "We dedicate the win to him. He is on our minds on this day. I cried many times. He was a fantastic player." Fellow internationals Daniele De Rossi and Mario Balotelli were also among players present and the entire Fiorentina team, dressed in sober dark suits and ties, came to pay their respects.
Astori was found dead in a hotel room in Udine on Sunday ahead of Fiorentina's Serie A match against Udinese.
A post-mortem examination has found he most likely died from a cardiac arrest linked to the slowing of his heart rate.
Fiorentina and Astori's former club Cagliari have said they will retire his number 13 shirt in his honour.
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Emiliano Grillo beat the sunset to post a course-record equalling 65 and open up a two-shot lead on day one of the Hero Indian Open.
DLF Golf and Country Club is considered one of the most difficult courses on the European Tour and its severity meant that 24 players were unable to finish their opening rounds on Thursday.
The shadows were lengthening as Argentinian Grillo completed his round but he made an eighth birdie of the day on the last to get to seven under and lead the way from Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, Italian Matteo Manassero and American Paul Peterson.
The 25-year-old plays mainly in the United States, where he graduated from the Web.com Tour and won his first event as a PGA Tour member in 2015 at the Frys.com Open.
He is playing on an invite this week in New Delhi and admitted he had to be at his very best to equal the course record set by Malaysian Gavin Green last season.
"You have no idea how difficult the course is," he told europeantour.com. "I had to play almost perfect golf to shoot a seven under. I think anywhere else it would have been close to a 59 or something. It was definitely a magnificent round of golf."
"I'm very happy with the way I handled myself out there. It was very tough and I was able to make some good putts and hit the fairways when I needed to."
Grillo birdied the first and while he gave the shot back on the second, he never looked back after that, making further birdies on the fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 11th, 13th and last.
Larrazabal created one of the stories of the day as he was woken by a European Tour official just 38 minutes before his tee-time after his alarm did not go off, raced to the course and carded nine birdies to go with a double and two bogeys.
Frenchman Adrien Saddier and South Africa's Keith Horne were at five under with holes left to play, with Scot Marc Warren a shot further back and England's Matt Wallace at three under.
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Kallum Watkins and Tom Briscoe scored their first tries of the season to ensure a happy homecoming for Super League champions Leeds in a thrilling encounter with Hull.
Both sides had two tries disallowed as the Rhinos edged to a 20-16 victory on their first appearance at a partially-reconstructed Headingley since September.
Leeds led 20-6 after an hour but were forced to withstand a tremendous fightback before securing a 14th successive home win over Hull stretching back to September 2007.
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British number three Cameron Norrie has eased through the final qualifying round in Indian Wells with a straight sets victory over Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky.
The 22-year-old won 6-4 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Open, needing just one hour and 18 minutes on court to overcome the number 14 seed and set up a round of 128 game with Japan's Taro Daniel.
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Everton manager Sam Allardyce insists he wants to stay for the long term and is speaking to major shareholder Farhad Moshiri about the future. The 63-year-old's position has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after just two wins in 12 matches, while their last away win came at Newcastle three months ago.
Unhappy fans, for whom Allardyce was not a popular choice when he was appointed in November, have been calling for his 18-month contract to be ended in the summer.
But the manager is taking a wider view of things, and asked whether he wanted to stay at the club he said: "Of course. I am having talks with him (Moshiri) but those talks are confidential."
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Riyad Mahrez has refused to rule out a move away from Leicester in the summer but insists he is happy for now at the King Power Stadium.
The 27-year-old did not train for 10 days and missed two matches after his proposed transfer to Premier League leaders Manchester City collapsed in January.
Asked about what would happen when the transfer window opened again in the summer, Mahrez declined to commit his future to the Foxes.
He said: "I don't want to want to talk about this, because first it will bring more rumours and more talk, and second we are very far away from this transfer window. My mind, focus is on Leicester, that's all I'm focused on."
"In football players come, players leave. I'm not saying I'm going to leave, I'm going to go. Everything is very good. We will see in the summer if something comes, but at the moment I'm a Leicester City player and I'm good here."
Mahrez insisted he faced no hostility from his team-mates following his failed move to City and is now firmly back in the Leicester fold.
And the Algeria international says the saga has not caused any tension within the club, even if he declined to confirm he would not seek another move in the summer.
He added: "I was away from here because I needed some time to think. We've moved on now. Everyone to be honest has been very good and it's the past now."
"It was difficult but I spoke with the players, I spoke with the manager, I spoke with everyone. Everyone was OK, was good. Now it's the past, it's behind me."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
Kyle Coetzer hit an unbeaten 88 but Scotland again suffered a worrying batting collapse in their World Cup qualifying win over Nepal.
The Saltires maintained their 100 per cent record in the qualifiers with a four-wicket win, but they were made to sweat when chasing down a modest total.
Another disciplined performance with the ball left Scotland chasing just 150 to book a place in the Super Sixes, but after getting to 71 for one, they slipped to 122 for six before captain Coetzer got them over the line.
They could not have made a better start to the day in Bulawayo, with Stuart Whittingham and Safyaan Sharif reducing Nepal to 14 for four. They never really recovered from that despite Paras Khadka's 63, while Basant Regmi added 24 not out as they hung in grimly before being bowled out for 149 in the 48th over.
Whittingham finished with three for 35, while Sharif claimed two for 21 and Alasdair Evans finished things off with two for 24 in a fine effort from Coetzer's side.
The skipper was then forced to bide his time with the bat with wickets tumbling regularly at the other end, but he eventually got his side over the line in the 42nd over.
He finished unbeaten on 88, but Scotland were again left reflecting on a middle-order collapse just two days after losing six wickets in pursuit of 91 against Hong Kong.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
Seamus Coleman is back in the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time since suffering an horrific double leg fracture in March last year. The 29-year-old Everton full-back, who underwent surgery after breaking his leg during a 0-0 World Cup qualifier draw with Wales, has been included by manager Martin O'Neill in a 30-man group for the friendly clash with Turkey on March 23, a day short of a year since his injury.
There are places too for Preston duo Greg Cunningham and Sean Maguire and Brentford's Alan Judge after injury, while O'Neill will also run the rule over a number of young players during a three-day training camp in Antalya as he plans for the future after signing his new contract.
Manchester United goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara, West Ham defender Declan Rice, Blackburn duo Darragh Lenihan and Derrick Williams, and Sheffield United's Enda Stevens have all been handed senior call-ups, although O'Hara and Rice have previously trained with the squad.
The pair will head straight from senior duty to meet up with the Under-21s ahead of their European Championship qualifier against Azerbaijan on March 27.
However, it will be the sight of Coleman back on the training pitch which will be the most welcome after his enforced absence.
The Ireland skipper was hurt in a challenge by Neil Taylor 72 minutes into a tight encounter in Dublin and has undergone a lengthy rehabilitation process since.
He returned to action for the Toffees in a 2-1 Premier League win over Leicester on January 31 and has made three appearances to date this season.
Cyrus Christie, who replaced the former Sligo Rovers defender on the night, deputised ably for the remainder of the qualifying campaign, which ultimately saw O'Neill's men miss out on a place at this summer's finals in Russia after a play-off defeat by Denmark.
The Republic will use friendlies against Turkey, the United States, France, Poland and Northern Ireland to prepare for their forthcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Denmark and Wales.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
Fourteen-time Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey has withdrawn from the Great Britain team for the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio later this month.
The 40-year-old announced her decision on Thursday, following advice regarding yellow fever vaccination after an outbreak of the disease in Brazil.
Storey gave birth to son Charlie last year and the four-and-a- half-month-old is breastfed which mean neither mother nor baby can be vaccinated, she said.
"I am obviously disappointed to not be able to compete at the event and miss out on the opportunity to win another rainbow jersey but the health and well-being of my family is far more important," Storey said.
"I am not prepared to risk travelling unvaccinated as contracting the infection results in a high percentage of fatalities."
Storey won three Paralympic gold medals in Rio in September 2016 following the birth in 2013 of daughter Louisa.
The Para-cycling Track World Championships take place from March 22 to 25.
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
Captains Faf du Plessis and Steve Smith met on Thursday ahead of the second Test between South Africa and Australia in an effort to put the focus back on cricket following controversial incidents in the first Test in Durban.
They agreed that they and the umpires had a responsibility to avoid the conflict that led to three players being fined after the first Test in Durban.
"It was nice to have a chat and ensure that we're playing within the spirit of the game and that cricket is what is written about and talked about after this game," said Smith.
"It's been all about the indiscretions in the last fixture and that's not what we want for the game. Cricket has got to be the winner."
Speaking before the meeting, which happened between the pre-match press conferences by both captains, Du Plessis said the captains needed to "make sure that things don't get to the stage that they got to in the previous game".
Smith said the role of the umpires had been discussed. "If they hear something going on they (should) go to either Faf or myself and make sure we have our troops in line and playing within the guidelines."
But both camps continued to disagree on what sparked the conflict in Durban.
Australian vice-captain David Warner, who was fined 75 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points following a clash with South Africa's Quinton de Kock as the players went to the dressing rooms at the tea interval, told Australian journalists that De Kock had made "disgusting" comments about Warner's wife.
Du Plessis, though, said De Kock had been provoked by personal comments made by Warner.
"I don't think we did a great deal wrong," said Smith.
"In our meeting we talked about swearing. We don't want that happening on the field and being seen or heard by people watching the cricket. I don't think there was any real issue about what was happening on the field prior to the incident."
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
A KVH SatNews service. Source: PA, AFP, AP
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