BBC decision on Clarkson 'next week'
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson's future on the BBC is likely to be decided next week when the corporation's internal investigation into his behaviour is handed over to the director-general.
The host has been suspended since it emerged he was involved in what the BBC called "a fracas" with one of the show's producers.
A BBC spokesman said: "Following last week's suspension of Jeremy Clarkson, Ken MacQuarrie is now considering the evidence and will report to the director-general on his findings next week.
"Once this has been considered, we will set out any further steps.
"The BBC will not be offering further commentary until then."
Queen's University to end link with Belfast Festival
Queen's University has announced it is to end its links with The Belfast Festival for financial reasons.
A spokesperson said, because of cuts in state funding, it is no longer able to cover the costs involved.
Held annually since 1962 for a fortnight in autumn, the festival has regularly attracted major international performers, including Jimi Hendrix, Laurence Olivier, Rowan Atkinson and Billy Connolly.
Jet makes emergency landing at Shannon Airport
Pic: James Grandfield
A transatlantic jet made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport this afternoon after an alarm in the cockpit indicated possible smoke on board.
Condor flight DE-4156 was en route from Frankfurt, Germany to Cancun in Mexico with 238 passengers and crew.
The flight was almost three hours into its journey and over the Atlantic when the crew declared an emergency and decided to turn around.
Upon landing, fire personnel carried out visual inspections outside and inside the jet before it was cleared to taxi to the terminal. It is understood no evidence of a fire or smoke was found.
Number of Ebola patients in Guinea doubles since February
The number of suspected Ebola patients in Guinea has more than doubled from last month, its health ministry has said, highlighting a "fourth phase" of the epidemic after a dip in cases in early 2015.
The disease, which has killed more than 10,000 people in West Africa, appears to be on the wane, especially in Liberia where there are no current cases.
But there is still resistance to the anti-Ebola effort in Guinea, which is struggling to control the outbreak and has overtaken Sierra Leone as the main hub for transmission.
Dr Rafiou Diallo, a spokesman for Guinea's health ministry, said there were 91 suspected and confirmed Ebola patients in treatment centres compared with just 39 in February.
Cork author wins YA book prize in London
Cork author Louise O'Neill has won the inaugural YA book prize at a ceremony in London this evening.
Authors from the UK and Ireland were eligible for the prize, which was won by Ms O'Neill for her debut novel 'Only Ever Yours'.
She was named Best Newcomer at the BGE Irish Book Awards last year.
'Goose' thanks Prince Charles for foie gras opposition
An animal rights activist wearing a goose costume thanked Britain's Prince Charles in front of the White House for his opposition to foie gras.
"Charlie is my darling for banning foie gras from royal menus," read a placard held up by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist.
PETA labels as cruel the force-feeding of ducks and geese required to produce the liver delicacy.
In 2008, Prince Charles said he had ordered his personal chefs to stop buying foie gras.
Pope to address UN General Assembly
Pope Francis will address the UN General Assembly in New York during his autumn visit to the United States.
His planned address on 25 September will take place as the international body marks its 70th anniversary.
During his visit, the Pope is also due to meet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Assembly's President Sam Kutesa.
Mr Ban said he was confident the Pope's visit would inspire the international community to redouble its efforts for social justice, tolerance and understanding.
Two killed in bar shooting in Sweden
Two men were killed and more than ten were wounded after gunmen burst into a pub firing automatic weapons in a suspected gang-related attack in the Swedish city of Gothenburg late last night.
Customers in the bar were watching football on television when at least two gunmen, reportedly wearing skeleton masks, opened fire.
A police spokesman said it was presumed the incident was gang-related and was not a terrorist attack.
RAF aid plane lands in Vanuatu
An RAF plane arrived in Vanuatu today to help with relief efforts after much of the country was wiped out by a devastating tropical cyclone in the South Pacific last weekend.
The plane is carrying 1,640 shelter kits and more than 1,900 solar lanterns with phone chargers.
Vanuatu's president Baldwin Lonsdale estimated that Cyclone Pam had destroyed or damaged 90% of the buildings in the capital of Port Vila.
France gives spies more powers
French spy agencies will have more powers to bug and track would-be Islamist attackers and authorities will be able to force internet providers to monitor suspicious behaviour under a draft law unveiled today.
Just over two months after 17 people were killed in attacks by homegrown Islamist gunmen in Paris, Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced the bill to allow spy agencies to tap phones and emails without seeking permission from a judge.
Surveillance staff will also be able to bug suspects' flats with microphones and cameras and add "key loggers" to their computers to track every keystroke.
US drone kills Pakistani Taliban commander
The Pakistani Taliban has said a US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan had killed a senior commander who was a close associate of two of the group's former chiefs.
A Pakistani security official confirmed there was a drone strike in the area at the time.
Khawery Mehsud, who hailed from the South Waziristan tribal district, was among the founding members of the Pakistani Taliban when it was formed in 2007.
He was a close associate of its first and second leaders, Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud, who were both killed in separate US drone strikes, the Taliban said in a statement.
