Diego Costa: Chelsea agree transfer with Atletico Madrid

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Diego Costa after reaching agreement with Atletico Madrid.

The Stamford Bridge club had wanted the 25-year-old Spain striker to complete a £32m move prior to the World Cup.
That deadline was not met but a deal has now finally been completed.
A statement read:  "Chelsea can confirm an agreement has been reached with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Diego Costa, with Chelsea meeting the buy-out clause."
The Premier League club had already agreed to meet that fee, and the player himself told Atletico of his desire to move, but agreement proved elusive throughout June.

During that time, Costa started in Spain's first two games at the Fifa World Cup, winning the penalty that allowed Xabi Alonso to opening the scoring in the 5-1 defeat against the Netherlands.

However, both he and Spain endured a disappointing tournament. The holders exited at the group stage as Costa was booed repeatedly by Brazil fans, who have not forgiven him for switching allegiance from the country of his birth.
Nevertheless, his tally of 27 goals in La Liga last season was bettered only by Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (31) and Barcelona's Lionel Messi (28).
In total, Costa scored 36 goals in 52 games for Atletico last term as they won their first La Liga title since 1996 and reached the Champions League final.
Mourinho had made the addition of a "killer" striker a key priority during the summer.
The London club scored 71 goals in the Premier League last season, 31 fewer than champions Manchester City, who finished four points ahead of them.
Strikers Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba contributed a total of 19 of those in the league, with 33-year-old Eto'o, who has been released, scoring nine of them

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Ebola death toll in West Africa rise to 467, WHO says

The number of people killed by the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa has risen to 467, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

Sixty-eight of the deaths had been recorded since 23 June, the WHO said.
The number of cases had risen from 635 on 23 June to 759, a 20% increase, the WHO added.
It is the largest outbreak - in terms of cases, deaths and geographical spread - to affect Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever, has no cure and is spread by contact with the fluids of infected people or animals, such as urine, sweat and blood.

Most of the deaths have been centred in the southern Guekedou region of Guinea, where the outbreak was first reported in February.
The rise in infections will increase pressure on the health ministers of 11 West African countries when they meet in Ghana on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the growing crisis, correspondents say.
The WHO has called for "drastic action" to tackle the outbreak.
"Containment of this outbreak requires a strong response in the countries and especially along their shared border areas," it said in a statemen

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan to run for Turkey presidency

Mr Erdogan remains popular with large sections of Turkish society

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will run for Turkish president in the first direct election in August, his governing AK Party has confirmed.

Mr Erdogan has been PM since 2003 but is barred from seeking a new term.
In the midst of corruption allegations, critics say he has become more authoritarian, but Mr Erdogan says political foes are trying to oust him.
Mr Erdogan wants to give new powers to the president, which has been a largely ceremonial role.
In the past, the incumbent has been chosen by parliament.
But, for the first time, Turks will vote directly for their president in a two-round election in August.
In April, incumbent President Abdullah Gul ruled out swapping roles with his ally, Mr Erdogan, when his presidential term ends.
The AKP has won six consecutive elections, at national and local level, maintaining a solid base of support among the working class.

PM Erdogan announced his candidacy before members of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party

Tuesday's announcement was greeted with loud applause by party members at a meeting in the capital, Ankara.
"The candidate for the 12th president is our prime minister, head of our party and Istanbul lawmaker Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Mehmet Ali Sahin, deputy AKP leader, announced.

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Isis leader calls on Muslims to 'build Islamic state'

Isis militants said they would now want to be known as "the Islamic State"

The leader of jihadist militant group Isis has called on Muslims to travel to Iraq and Syria to help build an Islamic state, in an audio message.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to immigrate to the "Islamic State", saying it was a duty.
He made a "special call" for judges, doctors, engineers and people with military and administrative expertise.
Isis says it is forming an Islamic state, or caliphate, on the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria.
In an earlier audio recording this week, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) proclaimed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as caliph and "leader for Muslims everywhere".
Ramadan The central government in Baghdad has lost control of vast swathes of territory to Sunni militants, led by Isis, over the past month.
The group says its Islamic state will extend from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala province in eastern Iraq.
Setting up a state governed under strict Islamic law has long been a goal of many jihadists.

There are only two authenticated photos of Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

"Rush O Muslims to your state. Yes, it is your state. Rush, because Syria is not for the Syrians, and Iraq is not for the Iraqis," al-Baghdadi said in a new audio message on Tuesday.
"O Muslims everywhere, whoever is capable of performing hijrah (emigration) to the Islamic State, then let him do so, because hijrah to the land of Islam is obligatory," he added.
He also called on jihadist fighters to escalate fighting during the holy month of Ramadan, which began on Sunday.
"There is no deed in this virtuous month or in any other month better than jihad in the path of Allah, so take advantage of this opportunity and walk the path of you righteous predecessors," he said in the 19-minute audio message.
Little is known about the Isis chief, nicknamed "the invisible sheikh", who unlike al-Qaeda leaders such as Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, does not appear in video messages.
In the message, he offered a long list of countries where he said violations were being committed against Muslims - from the Central African Republic to Myanmar (also known as Burma).
"By Allah, we will take revenge! Even if it takes a while, we will take revenge," he said.
Military wares

Isis militants paraded through the streets of Raqqa, northern Syria, when the self-styled caliphate was announced

Isis said on Tuesday it had seized control of the Syrian city of Boukamal, on the border with Iraq. The group's leader also reportedly released more than 100 detainees it was holding in the northern Syrian town of Al-Bab.
Meanwhile, Isis militants have been seen in an online video parading across the northern city of Raqqa with weapons and military vehicles, including a Scud missile.
The Sunni insurgent advance across Iraqi towns and cities has plunged Iraq into its worst crisis since US troops left in 2011.
The United Nations has said at least 2,417 Iraqis, including 1,531 civilians, were killed in "acts of violence and terrorism" in June.
The figure does not include fatalities in the western province of Anbar, where the Iraqi authorities say 244 civilians died.

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French ex-President Sarkozy held over influence claims

French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained for questioning over alleged influence peddling.

Mr Sarkozy is being held at Nanterre, near Paris, in an unprecedented step against a former president.
Mr Sarkozy is being questioned about whether he sought inside information from a judge concerning an investigation into campaign funding.
The latest developments are seen as a blow to Mr Sarkozy's attempts to challenge for the presidency in 2017.
Investigators are trying to find out whether Mr Sarkozy, 59, who was president from 2007 to 2012, had promised a prestigious role in Monaco to a high-ranking judge, Gilbert Azibert, in exchange for information about an investigation into alleged illegal campaign funding.
They are looking into claims that Mr Sarkozy was warned his phone was being bugged as part of the funding probe.
Mr Azibert, one of the most senior judges at the court of appeal, was called in for questioning on Monday. Another judge, Patrick Sassoust, was also questioned, as was Mr Sarkozy's lawyer Thierry Herzog.

Analysis: The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris
The drip-drip of allegations about Mr Sarkozy, money-raising and misuse of influence, continue to disrupt his much-touted return to frontline politics. Over the past two years the French have become used to regular stories in the press raising awkward questions about their former president's ethics.
Worried by the prying of investigators into claims of illegal party fund-raising, it is alleged that Mr Sarkozy used a judge as point-man in the High Court of Appeal to tell him how proceedings against him were progressing. More serious is whether this judge tried to influence decisions in Mr Sarkozy's favour.
Mr Sarkozy's supporters accuse the investigators of themselves being politically influenced - by the ruling left. How come, they ask, that every time Mr Sarkozy makes a move back towards political life, the media are fed a new twist in the investigations? One side says it is dogged police work. The other says it is harassment.
Sarkozy and France's investigators

This is thought to be the first time a French former head of state has been held in police custody.
His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was given a suspended prison sentence in 2011 for embezzlement and breach of trust while he was mayor of Paris. But he was never questioned in custody.

The latest developments are seen as a blow to Mr Sarkozy's attempts to stand again for the presidency

Mr Sarkozy's car arrived at the anti-corruption office in Nanterre shortly before 08:00 (06:00 GMT)

The building quickly drew heavy media presence

High-ranking judge Gilbert Azibert was questioned on Monday

Investigators will be able to hold Mr Sarkozy for an initial period of 24 hours but can extend custody for another day.
Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll denied any political pressure had been placed on the judicial system to prosecute Mr Sarkozy.
"The justice system is investigating and will follow this through to the end. Nicolas Sarkozy can face justice just like anyone else," Mr Le Foll said.
Mr Sarkozy's allies rallied to support him.
Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, tweeted: "Never has any former president been the victim of such treatment, such an outburst of hatred."
Diaries An investigation was launched in February into whether Mr Sarkozy had sought inside information about the inquiry into his 2007 election campaign funding.

It has been alleged that Muammar Gaddafi helped fund Mr Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign

It has been claimed that late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi helped fund the campaign.
It is alleged that Mr Sarkozy was kept informed of proceedings against him while a decision was made over whether his work diaries - seized as part of the funding inquiry - should be kept in the hands of the justice system.
The Court of Cassation ruled in March 2014 that the diaries should not be returned.
Investigators believe the former president was tipped off that his phone was being bugged as part of the inquiry.
Mr Sarkozy insists the allegations against him are politically motivated.
But the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says it is clear they represent another obstacle in the way of his planned return to frontline French politics.
The former president is seeking to regain the leadership of the centre-right UMP party later this year.

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Israel holds murdered teenagers' funerals

Thousands gathered around Modein cemetery, as the BBC's Yolande Knell reports

The funerals of three teenagers who were abducted and murdered while hitch-hiking in the occupied West Bank have been held in Israel.

Addressing thousands of mourners, PM Benjamin Netanyahu described their killers as "heinous murderers".
Israel has blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the deaths. Hamas has denied any involvement.
The youths' bodies were found on Monday evening, more than two weeks after the trio went missing.
Mr Netanyahu has said Hamas will be made to pay a price for the killings.
Speaking at the joint funeral held for Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach in central Israel, Mr Netanyahu said "a broad moral gulf separates us from our enemy. They sanctify death, we sanctify life".
The funeral took place at Modein cemetery in central Israel. Modein, which is between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is close to the boys' family homes.

The abductions of Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach sparked a massive search operation

Analysis, by Kevin Connolly, BBC News, Jerusalem
The scenes at the funeral of the three murdered teenagers were extraordinary.
In burning afternoon sunshine, tens of thousands of mourners made their way through the steep, arid landscape outside the central Israeli town of Modein to this tiny hilltop cemetery.
The crowds were large enough to delay the start of proceedings.
When the funeral began, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the speakers - although there were reports that the families had asked him not to address the issue of any possible Israeli response to Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu saw a lesson in the tragedy that resonates for him with broader Jewish history.
"One nation stood together," he said, "and got a reminder of who we are and why we are here."
As day gave way to night here on both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli divide, the question of how Israel will respond to this bitter loss was being asked with greater urgency.

Overnight, Israel launched more than 30 air strikes on facilities linked to militant groups in the Gaza Strip after 18 rockets had been fired into Israel since Sunday night, the Israeli military reported.

The teenagers' bodies were found under a pile of rocks near the Palestinian town of Halhul. An Israeli official said it appeared the youths had been shot soon after their abduction.

Israeli troops flooded into Halhul after the discovery.

Thousands of mourners gathered to attend the funerals of the three teenagers

Naftali Frenkel's parents at their son's memorial service before his funeral in the village of Nof Ayalon

Israelis pray on the road where the teenagers were abducted near the Jewish settlement of Alon Shvut

People inspect the house of one of the Palestinian suspects destroyed by the Israeli army

Israel's Shin Bet security agency had named named two Hamas members from Hebron - Ayoub al-Kawasma and Abu Aisheh - as suspects. The Israeli military raided the homes of both men, setting off explosives.
Palestinian witnesses said Abu Aisheh's home was destroyed.
Israeli security forces have set up blockades and closed down whole areas around Halhul, a few kilometres from where the teenagers were last seen.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting of the Palestinian leadership and has expressed "regret" over the deaths.

The disappearance of the teenagers on 12 June sparked a huge search operation in Palestinian towns and cities across the West Bank.
More than 400 Palestinians were arrested, while five were killed in fighting with Israeli troops.
Mr Netanyahu has said the incident is a consequence of "the partnership" between Hamas, which rejects Israel's right to exist, and the Fatah movement of Mr Abbas.
The two signed a reconciliation deal in April after years of division and formed a unity government last month.

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Messi will claim the Golden Boot - Di Maria

Photo: Gett Images

Lionel Messi can do what nobody else in the world can do and will emerge as the top scorer at the World Cup, according to Argentina team-mate Angel Di Maria.

Messi started slowly in the Albiceleste's opener versus Bosnia and Herzegovina before bursting into life by scoring the eventual match-winner, and he did the same again when they defeated Iran 1-0 in their second game.

An impressive double in the final group game saw him rocket to the top of the Golden Boot tally - though he has since been overlapped by Colombia's James Rodriguez - but Di Maria is confident his captain will emerge on top.

"Messi is the best in the world," he told Marca. "What he does nobody else can do and luckily he's ours.

"He is going to be the World Cup's big goalscorer. He's at a tremendous moment and that's very good but we all catch it off him."

Argentina’s Lionel Messi shoots to score his second goal against Nigeria in the Group F football match at the Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Getty Images

Argentina managed narrow victories in each of their group games but, ahead of Tuesday's clash with Switzerland, Di Maria claimed that team spirit is high and he expects them to be in the final come July 13 should they up their game in the knockouts.

"We're going from a lower level to a higher one. We haven't reached our best level yet, but I still believe we can win the World Cup," the 26-year-old said.

"The emotional bond that we have here is fundamental. There is zero friction and during these days living together, we are more united than ever. We feel very strong.

"We knew that our rivals were going to fall back and that we would get the space to play our game."

Lionel Messi (L) and Angel di Maria of Argentina look on during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group F match between Argentina and Iran. Photo: Getty Images

Argentina, should they beat Switzerland, will face Belgium or USA in the last eight of the tournament.

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Carbohydrates boost trees' drought survival chances

Tropical forests are projected to face a growing risk from droughts in the future

Higher levels of compounds called non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) boost tropical trees' chances of surviving droughts, a study has suggested.

An international team of scientists found that species with elevated NSC levels survived up to 17 days longer.
The discovery could help restore forests devastated by logging and increase their resilience to future climate change, they added.
The findings have been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
"The diversity of tropical trees is staggering but explaining why this diversity arose and how it is maintained is a puzzle," explained co-author Andrew Hector from the University of Oxford's Department of Plant Sciences.
"We've shown that different species appear to have evolved different levels of drought-busting compounds, which probably play an important role in defining their different ecological niches and which means diverse mixtures of species may be an important insurance against the increasing droughts predicted by climate change models."
Unlocking secrets
Prof Hector told BBC News that previous studies on plant physiology had indicated that NSCs played a role in a tree's drought resilience abilities.

 

The researchers say the findings could help identify species that are vulnerable in drought conditions

"Why this is the case in not very well known. We set out to test that, but it was a tricky thing to do," he said.
The team planted 1,400 saplings, made up of 10 different tropical tree species, and divided the young plants into two groups.
The first group was raised initially in dark conditions before being exposed to sunlight. The pattern was reversed for the second group, with the saplings first being grown in sunlight before being placed in dark conditions.
As plants need sunlight to photosynthesise and produce chemicals that feed them, the second group had suppressed NSC levels, allowing the team to compare how this group fared with the first group (with normal NSC levels) when exposed to drought conditions.
The saplings with suppressed NSC levels died more quickly than those with normal levels.
"We now have a characteristic trait - levels of these previously unseen non-structural carbohydrates - that allow us to predict which species and individuals are more vulnerable to drought," observed co-author Michael O'Brien from the University of Zurich.
The study showed that saplings with suppressed NSC levels dried out (desiccation).
Another member of the team, Sebastian Leuzinger from the Auckland University of Technology, added: "These results also contribute to the hotly debated topic of what exactly kills plants in a drought: whether they actually die of thirst or whether they starve to death.
Prof Hector explained that the findings could have a number of practical uses: "It means we might be able to identify what species within a forest might be at risk in time of drought, but we might be also able to use it for forest restoration.
"If you plant a large area with a species of tree that has low levels of NSC then it suggests that the whole area is potentially vulnerable to droughts," he suggested.
"Diverse mixture of plants means you are spreading the risk. Although you might lose your vulnerable species, you still have resilient ones in there so the forest maintains its function."

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Bird brains: Public asked to look out for clever rooks

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking the public to take part in a national survey of bird intelligence.

From 1 July, the charity is asking people to submit video clips or descriptions of the behaviour or rooks - some of our cleverest garden birds.
Rooks have already demonstrated their intelligence in lab-based studies that have tested their ability to solve problems and use tools.
This survey will examine if and how wild rooks apply these skills.

Rooks are highly sociable birds and are often seen in large groups

The rook is a member of the corvid or crow family, which is famed for its intelligence.
As well solving laboratory-based puzzles, crows have been spotted exploiting urban environments by, for example, dropping walnuts onto busy roads and using the traffic to crack them open.
And although rooks are farmland birds, and tend to keep away from the middle of big towns and cities, they are increasingly being tempted into our gardens by bird feeders, so researchers hope this will provide the ideal setting to study their natural behaviour.
The study will look at six categories of behaviour: feeding, caching (hiding and storing food), tolerance, object play, socialising and vocalisation.
Dr Nathan Emery from Queen Mary University of London, an expert in corvid behaviour who is helping run the study, explained that many of the abilities the birds had demonstrated were previously thought to be uniquely human.
"We've done a lot of different studies on a number of corvids looking into their intelligence and behaviour, focusing on their amazing memories, their ability to imagine future scenarios and plan for them," he told BBC News.
"This survey will provide vital information that couldn't be attained any other way into how rooks use our gardens, eat and cache our food and, importantly, whether rooks can produce innovative solutions to novel problems they don't encounter in the wild."
As well a giving insights into the abilities of these clever crows, the charity wants to understand the behaviour of rooks in order to work out the reason for a decline in their numbers in recent years.

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Diabetes drugs 'may not be best'

The downsides of taking medication for type-2 diabetes may exceed the benefits for some patients, researchers have advised.

Their study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, argued elderly people had the least to gain.
The team at University College London (UCL) has called on doctors to discuss the risks more clearly with patients.
The charity Diabetes UK said doctors needed to strike a careful balance when prescribing treatment.
Type-2 diabetes is an inability to control blood sugar levels and is linked to lifestyle factors including diet and obesity.
In the long-term it is linked to heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage and even blindness.
Drugs such as metformin can be used to lower blood sugar levels to prevent the side effects.
Cost vs benefit The report, which was carried out by the University of Michigan as well as UCL, said an average 45-year-old who dropped their blood sugar levels by one percentage point would gain 10 months of healthy life, compared with three weeks for a 75-year-old starting treatment.
It added this needed to be balanced against the down-sides to a lifetime of medication including: Having to have multiple injections and blood sugar tests each day, drugs causing indigestion or sickness, or insulin treatments risking blood sugar levels dropping dangerously low (hypoglycaemia).

Diabetic foot disease can lead to the loss of toes and even amputation

One of the report's authors, Prof John Yudkin, told the BBC: "What it means is if you're someone with type-2, it's your right to know what the benefits of the treatment are in terms of gain in life expectancy or reduction in heart attacks or going blind.
"And then you are entitled to decide, but not many doctors have got those figures to hand."
He said GPs were too "target focussed" and were often looking only at the blood sugar level.
The findings do not apply to people with type-1 diabetes.
Balance needed Commenting on the report, Simon O'Neill, the director for health intelligence at Diabetes UK, said: "Sometimes there is a balance to be struck where certain medications might help give someone a longer life, but also cause side effects that might negatively impact on quality of life.
"This study highlights the importance of looking at the individual needs of the person with type-2 diabetes, rather than adopting a blanket approach."
Patients are advised not to make any decisions without consulting their GP.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which advises the NHS on medication, said: "The current NICE guidance on the management of type-2 diabetes recognises that glycaemic [sugar] control targets should not impair a person's quality of life as a result of the side effects of treatment.
"Where medication does not help achieve this target level, lifestyle therapies such as dietary advice should be offered."
Refreshed guidelines are due to be published next summer.

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Liberian president warns against hiding Ebola patients

Medical authorities are struggling to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has warned that anyone caught hiding suspected Ebola virus disease (EVD) patients will be prosecuted.

She told state radio that some patients had been kept in homes and churches instead of receiving medical attention.
Sierra Leone issued a similar warning last week, saying some patients had left hospital and gone into hiding.
The EVD outbreak is already the deadliest on record in West Africa, with 635 cases and 367 fatalities.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for "drastic action" to contain the outbreak.
"Let this warning go out - anyone found or reported to be holding suspected EVD cases in homes or prayer houses can be prosecuted under the law of Liberia," Ms Sirleaf said.
"It is, as I speak, taking the lives of our citizens. The disease is real and is in our country and can kill a lot of people."
Most deaths have been in the southern Guekedou region of Guinea, where cases were first reported in March.
According to the WHO, Guinea has reported 396 cases and 280 deaths; Sierra Leone has 176 cases and 46 deaths; and Liberia has reported 63 cases and 41 deaths.

Health workers fighting the outbreak say they have encountered resistance throughout the region and that some have even been attacked.
Liberia's health ministry has set up treatment centres and launched a public service campaign that includes training health professionals to use protective clothing and forbidding hospitals to turn away patients with Ebola symptoms.
EVD, formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, has no cure and is spread by contact with the fluids of infected people or animals, such as urine, sweat and blood.
The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has already warned that the outbreak is "out of control".
It says the epidemic will spread further unless there is a stronger international response.
The WHO has sent 150 experts to the region to try to contain the outbreak but has also warned of the potential for "further international spread".

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

• Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Fatality rate can reach 90%
• Incubation period is two to 21 days
• There is no vaccine or cure
• Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
• Fruit bats are considered to be the natural host of the virus

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Malaria parasite 'can manipulate body odour of mice'

Malaria parasites may manipulate the body odour of the host to ensure reproduction

Malaria parasites can manipulate the body odour of mice, research in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests.

Researchers believe parasites may change odours in order to help them with a key stage in their reproduction.
And scientists found the altered scent persists at a critical time when mice have no symptoms but remain infectious.
They are working on further trials to determine whether parasites can affect human smell too.
Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania State University in the US studied the odour of mice with and without malaria for 45 days.
They found the scent of infected mice was markedly different to non-infected ones.
'Complex life-cycle' The parasite did not completely alter the smell of the individual - instead it changed the level of compounds already present in mouse odour
And this was particularly noticeable in mice which were still infectious but no longer showed any symptoms of the disease - corresponding to a crucial time in the life cycle of the parasite.
Prof Consuelo De Moraes of Pennsylvania State University and one of the lead authors of the research said: "There appears to be an overall elevation of several compounds that are attractive to mosquitoes."
The study showed mosquitoes were most attracted to mice when the parasites in their bodies were at a key point in their development - a stage when they needed to be passed back to a mosquito in order to reproduce.
Malaria parasites have a complex life-cycle with several stages. They need to develop and mature in both humans and mosquitoes.
Scientists believe parasites may manipulate the host's smell in order to ensure continued survival.
'Attractive to mosquitoes' Researchers are now working on trials to see if this pattern of odour change can be traced in humans too.
Professor Mark Mescher of Pennsylvania State University who was also involved in the research told the BBC: "One of the major potential values of this research is if it can help us identify people who do not show symptoms of the disease.
"Without symptoms people carry the disease without treatment and still transmit it.
"But there is still a long way to go. In mice we have a very controlled environment. In humans there are so many different factors at play - from diverse environments to diverse genes."
Dr James Logan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who was not involved in the research said:
"This is one of the first convincing studies that demonstrates a significant change in odour compounds from malaria-infected mammals can affect mosquito behaviour.
"The strength of this paper is in the experimental approaches used, combining analytical chemistry, statistical analyses and mosquito behaviour.
"However, this demonstration is in an animal model which may or may not relate to human beings infected with malaria."

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West Midlands PCC Bob Jones dies aged 59

Bob Jones was elected to the

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones has died aged 59.

Mr Jones, from Wolverhampton, was elected to the role as a Labour candidate in November 2012.
He courted controversy when he called for PCCs to be scrapped, but also lent his support to several campaigns while occupying the role.
His deputy Yvonne Mosquito confirmed he had died this morning, describing his death as a "huge loss" to policing.
"Bob was a dear friend and a deeply committed public servant," she said.
"All our thoughts are with Bob's wife Sarah and his family at this sad time."
Mr Jones served as a Labour councillor in Wolverhampton for 33 years and was also a member of the West Midlands Police Authority.
In 2010 he was awarded a CBE for services to policing.
Labour MP for Erdington Jack Dromey tweeted: "Deeply saddened to hear the death of West Mids PCC, Bob Jones, a great champion of all that is best in British Policing & a very decent man."
He was also campaigning strategy director for the Campaign for Real Ale.

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Labour plan to give economic power to English cities

Labour leader Ed Miliband outlined the plan in a speech in Leeds

Labour leader Ed Miliband has set out plans to shift economic power in England from London to the regions.

Under a Labour government councils would be encouraged to join forces to create regional "economic powerhouses" to attract more jobs and boost growth, he said in a speech in Leeds.
They would be allowed to keep any extra business rates income generated by growth to invest locally.
But they would get their grant from government cut by the same amount.
This means the plan is "revenue neutral" - it would not cost taxpayers anything - but would hand more control over how money raised locally is spent in that area.
At the moment, business rates are collected locally but the money is handed to central government to be redistributed to councils in line with a Whitehall-set formula.
Former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis believes more than £30bn could be freed-up for local authorities to spend how they like on boosting growth in their areas.
Mr Miliband has accepted most of the recommendations of a report by Lord Adonis on how to stimulate business innovation and tackle "chronic regional imbalances" in growth.
Its main proposals include:

• Giving new combined authorities in cities and county regions control over how additional revenue from business rates is spent
• Giving businesses more say over how Local Enterprise Partnerships are run and their priorities
• Releasing up to £30bn in government funding for regional housing, transport and employment schemes
• Creating a new national funding framework for innovation policy
• Setting a target of 25% of all government contracts being awarded to small firms
• Establishing a new small business administration
• Creating a regional network of small business investment companies
• Expanding apprenticeships in science, technology and maths

Mr Miliband said job creation in the private sector has been too concentrated in London since 2010 and that he wants to see every part of Britain contribute to a new "era of shared prosperity".

A future Labour government would seek to achieve this by reforming the relationship between local and central government not by big Whitehall spending, he said.

Using tax as a "lever" for raising levels of regional growth, Mr Miliband cited the Greater Manchester Combined Authority as a model for how cities and counties can pool their resources and know-how to make a difference.
For the past three years, the 10 councils in Greater Manchester have been co-ordinating their economic development, regeneration and transport functions to try and map out a long-term plan for sustainable, balanced economic growth.
As an incentive to try to encourage similar collaborations, Mr Miliband said new combined authorities established under a Labour government would be free to spend however they choose any extra revenue they generate from business rates as a result of their own efforts.

Lord Adonis was a minister under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

Business rates are charged on most non-domestic premises, including warehouses, shops, offices, pubs and factories.
The settlement will be "revenue neutral" and any extra revenue raised will be offset by a cut in councils' block grants but Mr Miliband stressed the importance of money raised locally being spent locally.
"The next Labour government will ensure city and country regions, like this powerhouse economy in Leeds, get control of business rates revenues. So that any extra money raised here thanks to the efforts of you and everyone in this great city can be invested here.
"I know the next Labour government cannot solve every problem by pulling levers in Whitehall. We can only do it by working with, harnessing the ideas, energy and the dynamism of great businesses, cities and county regions so you can help build and share in a more successful and prosperous Britain."
Lord Adonis conceded that his proposals were similar to those set out in a recent speech by Chancellor George Osborne and a report last year on boosting growth by former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Lord Hesesltine, entitled No Stone Unturned.
The Labour peer said he had spoken to Lord Heseltine when putting together his report and broadly agreed with his call for "more powerful cities" but although there was now a political consensus on the need for greater regional devolution only Labour would deliver it.
"Increasingly, I think, the question is who is going to act, rather than just make speeches," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"And act means really serious devolution of resources and also preparedness to devolve tax resources.... to give really big incentives to the big cities and counties to attract business."
Skills shortages The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the economic test of the package was whether it would rebalance the British economy. But he said Labour also knew it needed to answer the charge that it knows how to spend the proceeds of growth but not how to generate it.
The CBI said the report "identifies the right priorities for growth and job creation, and recognises that the benefits of the recovery must be shared across all regions of the UK".
"His report addresses many of the major challenges facing our economy, from skills shortages to strains on infrastructure," said its deputy director general Katja Hall.
"Size matters for local government, and more combined authorities would help create regional economic powerhouses to invest in research and development, support exporters and expand apprenticeships."
Last year, ministers set out plans for councils in England to keep half of any increase in business rates they generate rather than paying them into Treasury coffers.
Business rates are paid into a central pool before being redistributed to all councils in the form of a grant. Councils currently generate less than half of their income but ministers believe this figure could ultimately rise to 80% or more.

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Rolf Harris guilty: 'Up to a dozen' new victims

As many as 12 new victims of Rolf Harris have come forward to make fresh allegations, lawyers say. The legal firm which also represents victims of Jimmy Savile said it was considering the claims against Harris.

The disgraced entertainer was found guilty on Monday of 12 counts of indecent assault in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including girls as young as seven or eight.
The Metropolitan Police said it was considering "new allegations".
Dozens more of 84-year-old Harris's alleged victims came forward during the trial, some from his native Australia.
Police in Western Australia said there were currently no new investigations into Harris but a Met spokesman said the UK force had "received a number of new allegations and these are now being considered."
'Jekyll and Hyde' Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was "gutted and dismayed" by the conviction.
Mr Abbot told Australia's ABC radio sexual abuse was "an utterly abhorrent crime" and added: "It's just sad and tragic that this person, who was widely admired, seems to have been a perpetrator."
Tributes to Perth-born Harris in Western Australia could now be removed, the city's mayor Lisa Scaffidi said.

Harris started a family in the UK after emigrating from Australia in 1952

During his trial prosecutors said Harris was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who took advantage of his fame.
The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said a custodial term would be "uppermost in the court's mind" when sentence was delivered on Friday, but he wanted to see a medical report before passing sentence.
The verdict was greeted on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald with a full-page mugshot beneath a one-word "Guilty" headline.

Harris's photograph was splashed on front pages in his native Australia

The central allegation concerned a friend of Harris's daughter who he had groomed and molested from the age of 13 until she was 19.
His other victims were touched or groped, sometimes at his public appearances.
Six other women also told the court about indecent assaults Harris had carried out against them. The entertainer was not prosecuted over those incidents but the evidence was introduced by the prosecution as an added illustration of his behaviour.
Broadmoor visit Harris, from Bray, Berkshire, was first questioned in November 2012 in Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree investigation set up in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against the late BBC Radio 1 DJ Jimmy Savile.
Although his arrest was unconnected to Savile's offending, the publicity surrounding that case had prompted the friend of Harris's daughter to come forward.
Lawyers for Harris wrote to media organisations including the BBC at the time warning them against naming their client and threatening libel action.
When he was arrested again in March 2013 the Met did not name Harris and he was not identified in the mainstream media until a few weeks later.
The other women who gave evidence in court contacted police after Harris's arrest was made public and he was charged in August of that year.

The musician and artist was a regular on children's television

Harris was named last week in a report into the actions of Savile, which revealed he had visited Broadmoor in 1973.
Politicians and officials have faced criticism for allowing the man whose prolific abuse sparked the Yewtree investigation unrestricted access to the psychiatric hospital where he abused patients.
A spokeswoman for West London Mental Heath NHS Trust, which runs services at Broadmoor, said Harris may have been accompanied by Savile during his visit but that he was also escorted by staff at all times and there was "no suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour".
'Beyond belief' One of Harris's victims, Tonya Lee, 43, said the abuse had led her to contemplate taking her own life.

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Tonya Lee said she had been abused by Harris while on a visit to the UK when she was 15

The mother-of-three said: "To this day I can't go to sleep without lying in a lounge and having the TV on. I cannot lie in a room and try and sit with my thoughts and go to sleep."
Letitia Fitzpatrick, who gave a character reference for the prosecution about an alleged assault, told the BBC: "It was such an unpleasant experience that I just wanted to forget about it and move on and not really think about it again."

Harris made no comment when he left court after the verdicts

Meanwhile it has emerged that Harris fronted a child protection awareness video in the 1980s in which he was filmed telling children how to say no to predatory adults.
John Cameron - head of child protection at the NSPCC - told BBC Breakfast: "The audacity of the man is beyond belief.
"Here he was, giving this pretence that he had children's welfare at heart, but of course behind the scenes, in front of many people, he was abusing children on a regular basis."
The charity says calls to its helpline were up by a third on Monday.
It says it has received 28 calls about Harris, including 13 people who said they had been abused by him.

He was accompanied during the trial by daughter Bindi (r), wife Alwen, and his niece Jenny (l)

Speaking after the entertainer was convicted, Det Ch Insp Mick Orchard, said: "I want to thank the women who came forward for their bravery, I hope today's guilty verdict will give them closure and help them to begin to move on with their lives.
"Today's case and verdict once again shows that we will always listen to, and investigate allegations regardless of the time frame or those involved."
Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said it was too early to say whether Harris could face further action.
"We'll work with the police and look at any cases that they send to us and see if there is enough evidence to bring more charges," she told the BBC.

Harris found fame as a singer and entertainer after starting out as an artist

He painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and took part in her Diamond Jubilee concert seven years later

There are calls to strip Harris of awards he has received in Australia and the UK

Harris was a mainstay of family entertainment in Britain and his native Australia for more than 50 years. He arrived in London in 1952, becoming a fixture on TV screens as a children's entertainer, songwriter, and entertainer, on the BBC and other networks.
'Absolute disgrace' He is to be stripped of his British Academy of Film and Television Arts fellowship - the TV industry's highest accolade - which was awarded just two years ago, a Bafta spokesman said.

There are also calls for him to lose the honours awarded to him by the Queen during a lifetime in the entertainment industry.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk said: "I think the guy is an absolute disgrace and he is bringing the whole honours system into disrepute."
A final decision on whether to revoke Harris's CBE and MBE rests with Buckingham Palace.
The Australian, who began his career as an artist, received his CBE in 2005, the year he painted a portrait of the Queen to mark her 80th birthday.

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China manufacturing growth hits six-month high in June

The manufacturing sector has been a key driver of China's economic growth

China's manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace for six months in June, suggesting that recent stimulus moves have started to have an impact.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 51, from 50.8 in May.
The PMI is a key indicator of the sector's health and a reading above 50 shows expansion.
China, the world's second-largest economy, has taken various steps in recent months - including cutting taxes for small firms - to help boost growth.
Last month, China's central bank said it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) - the amount of cash banks needs to keep in reserve - for banks engaged in lending to agriculture-related businesses and small companies.
China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, said it would also encourage banks to lend more to exporters to boost shipments.
In April, the government said it would cut taxes on small firms and speed up the construction of railway lines across the country.
The government has also announced plans to build railways, roads and airports along the Yangtze River - which connects China's less developed inland provinces to Shanghai.
China's economy expanded at an annual rate of 7.4% in the January to March period, from a year ago, down from 7.7% growth in the final quarter of last year.

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