Thousands In Yorkshire Warned Not To Drink Water

Thorne, South Yorkshire, where residents have been told not to drink their tap water.

Thousands of people in South Yorkshire have been warned not to drink their tap water or use it for cooking after high levels of bacteria were found.

Around 3,600 properties in parts of Thorne, near Doncaster, and the neighbouring village of Moorends have been affected by the Do Not Drink warning from Yorkshire Water.

The company said that "following consultation with local health experts" customers should not drink their tap water, cook or prepare food with it, clean their teeth with it or let their pets drink it.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose constituency covers Moorends, said he was "very concerned" by the situation.

Yorkshire Water said on its website: "Customers in 3,600 properties in the village of Thorne, near Doncaster, have been told not to use their tap water for drinking or cooking.

"High levels of bacteria have been detected in the local water supply, prompting us to issue the precautionary Do Not Drink advice which customers must follow until further notice."

The firm said it was distributing bottled water for residents to use at two locations in Thorne and Moorends.

It said: "Alternative supplies are being proactively delivered to customers on our register of vulnerable customers."

Mr Miliband, the MP for Doncaster North, said on Twitter: "Very concerned for residents who can't drink water because of contamination in parts of Moorends.

"In touch with @YorkshireWater about their provision of water while problem is fixed. Also speaking to council."

Six Billion Fewer Bags Used After 5p Fee

The introduction of a 5p charge will see six billion fewer single-use plastic bags taken home this year, new figures suggest.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said more than seven billion bags were handed out by major retailers in 2014.

This figure fell to just over half a billion in the first six months after the 5p charge was introduced last October.

Retailers have also donated more than £29m towards charities and community groups as a result of the charge.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey said: "Taking six billion plastic bags out of circulation is fantastic news for all of us.

"It will mean our precious marine life is safer, our communities are cleaner and future generations won't be saddled with mountains of plastic sat taking hundreds of years to break down in landfill sites.

"The 5p charge has clearly been a huge success - not only for our environment but for good causes across the country that have benefited from an impressive £29m raised.

"It shows small actions can make the biggest difference, but we must not be complacent as there is always more we can all do to reduce waste and recycle what we use."

England was the last part of the UK to introduce the charge under a Government scheme to reduce litter and protect wildlife.

Retailers with 250 or more full-time equivalent employees have to charge a minimum of 5p for the bags they provide for shopping in stores and for deliveries, but smaller shops and paper bags are not included.

Some are calling on the Government to go further by raising the price of bags.

The National Federation of Retail Newsagents also wants to see smaller retailers bring in charges too.

Ros Finney from the Marine Conservation Society told Sky News: "Every year around eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped in oceans around the world, which is a real problem for marine life.

"Animals get entangled in plastic and if we were to cut the amount we put in the sea overall that would have a huge benefit".

Dr Sue Kinsey of the Marine Conservation Society said: "We are delighted to see that the bag charge in England is showing positive results.

"This is a significant reduction that will benefit the environment as a whole, and our sea life in particular."

Erdogan Tells West: 'Mind Your Own Business'

Turkey's president has told the EU and US to "mind your own business" after the West expressed concern over the crackdown on alleged coup perpetrators.

There has been a purge of the civil service, military, judiciary and education sectors, and the closure of hundreds of schools and dozens of media outlets.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to take all steps "within the limits of the law" as Turkey seeks legal retribution for those suspected of involvement in the coup.

But he also said he was dropping hundreds of lawsuits against individuals accused of insulting him in what he said was a gesture of goodwill.

Earlier this year, authorities said over 2,000 people were being prosecuted on charges of insulting the president.

Speaking about the post-coup clampdown, Mr Erdogan said: "They say they are worried. Mind your own business! Look at your own deeds."

He complained no senior Western official had visited Turkey in the wake of the coup.

He said: "Not a single person has come to give condolences either from the European Union ... or from the West.

"And then they say that 'Erdogan has got so angry'!

"Those countries or leaders who are not worried about Turkey's democracy, the lives of our people, its future - while being so worried about the fate of the putschists - cannot be our friends."

The president slammed the US, claiming it was not standing firmly against the failed coup in which over 200 people died, as Turkey's ties with key allies become strained.

More than 18,000 people have been detained since the coup attempt and over 3,500 of them have since been released.

Also over 66,000 people in the wider civil service have been suspended from their jobs.

Turkey has demanded America extradites cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara suspects of being behind the 15 July plot to overthrow the leader.

Mr Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied any prior knowledge of the coup.

The US has asked Turkey for evidence of his involvement.

And Washington also said the extradition process must take its course.

All Royal Navy's Advanced Destroyers In Port

The entire fleet of the Royal Navy's most advanced warships are currently in port and not on operations, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

A photograph showing the vessels docked in Portsmouth was published by the website UK Defence Journal.

A source told Sky News that the ships had either "just got back from operations, are about to go on operations, or are having planned maintenance done".

But another senior figure said it was "almost unprecedented" that all the ships should be in port and "it either showed a gross lack of planning or was indicative of something more serious".

The Type 45 Destroyers are primarily designed for an air defence role. 

Their advanced radars are capable of scanning the skies to detect and engage enemy aircraft. But recently the fleet has experienced serious engineering issues.

This is the latest embarrassment to beset the fleet.

All six ships, worth £1bn each, need to be refitted with new engines after some of them broke down.

This work is due to being in 2019 and the MoD has guaranteed it will not affect operational capabilities.

It will put a further strain on the Royal Navy, which has been considerably cut in size in recent years, and it will put into doubt the safety of the new aircraft carriers which will rely on the Type 45s for security.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "This week the Royal Navy had over 8,500 personnel deployed on operations around the world and 34 ships at sea.

"All Type 45 Destroyers are currently in port as they have either just returned from operations, or are about to be deployed, are conducting training or carrying out maintenance or are home for crew to take summer leave."

Dover Travellers Urged To Take Food And Water

Holidaymakers passing through Dover this weekend are being urged to carry plenty of provisions after travellers faced severe hold-ups last weekend.

There were delays of up to 15 hours, while tailbacks stretched for 12 miles, caused by heightened French security checks following recent terror attacks and a large volume of holiday traffic at the start of the summer getaway.

While the Port of Dover said it was not expecting those delays to be repeated, it added: "This remains our busiest time of the year and we do expect increased traffic volumes as the holiday season continues to get under way." 

statement, Kent Police said: "Motorists planning to travel towards Dover this weekend are being advised to take plenty of food and water before setting off.

"Those planning to use the roads towards Dover are being urged to check the latest travel updates from Highways England and their travel operator and take adequate provisions and any medication in case there is disruption."

The force added that local people, who may find roads busier than usual, should "plan ahead".

Saturday is also a "Black Saturday" in France, when holidaymakers beginning their breaks and others heading home cross over.

A second Black Saturday is expected on 6 August.

Saturday is also a "Black Saturday" in France, when holidaymakers beginning their breaks and others heading home cross over.

A second Black Saturday is expected on 6 August.

Google's Wacky Moonshot Ideas Lose $859m

Google's moonshot factory lost the search giant almost $1bn in just 12 weeks - more than many tech firms rake in each year.

Parent company Alphabet invests heavily in so-called moonshot projects, which include long-term expensive bets on things like self-driving cars, superfast internet, life sciences and app-controlled home tech.

But, for now, it is costing Google way more than it makes back from sales.

Sales for the quarter ending in June stood at $185m - more than twice as much as the same quarter a year ago.

But overall, its losses stood at $859m, up from $660m a year earlier.

Google's most popular Moonshot products are its automated home kits

In an earning's call Google said most of its sales came from its Fiber internet connection service and its Nest automated home technology systems.

However the company refused to say when the firm's self-driving cars will start making money.

This marks the second consecutive quarter in which losses have deepened in the "other bets" category.

Google has repeatedly promised to rein in its moonshot spending, and has shut down projects in which it saw no future.

Momentum for Google Glass appears to have fizzled

It suspended production of prototypes of Google Glass - an optical head-mounted display - in January last year.

Yet Google can still afford to spend huge amounts on speculative projects because it remains the most successful advertising network in the world.

Alphabet reported on Thursday that it earned $4.9bn during the April to June quarter - up 24% from the same time last year.

Alphabet's stock gained more than 5% as a result, and is set to surpass its all-time high of $810.35 in Friday's regular trading session.

Nigeria Boko Haram crisis: UN aid convoy ambushed

Suspected Islamist Boko Haram militants have ambushed a UN humanitarian aid convoy in north-eastern Nigeria which had a military escort, officials say.

The military said three civilians, including UN staff, and two soldiers were wounded in the attack.

It has prompted the UN to temporarily suspend aid deliveries in Borno state, where more than two million people have been displaced by the insurgency.

The UN says thousands of children are severely malnourished in the region.

Earlier this month the UN's children agency warned that tens of thousands of children would die if treatment did not reach them soon.

• Africa Live: More on this and other stories
• 'Boko Haram took my children'
• 'I almost became suicide bomber'

Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has lost most of the territory it controlled 18 months ago, is fighting to overthrow the government.

Its seven-year insurgency has left 20,000 people dead, mainly in the country's north-east.

The wounded are in a stable condition and are being treated in hospital in the state capital Maiduguri, according to a statement from the military. 

"The convoy was travelling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State... returning from delivering desperately needed assistance" at the time of the ambush, Unicef said.

"This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing," it added. 

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How bad is the humanitarian crisis?

• Almost 250,000 children affected by severe malnutrition in Borno state
• UN says one in five of those at risk of dying if they do not receive help 
• More than two million people displaced by the insurgency
• Three million in need of urgent food assistance across north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe

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How strong are the militants? Analysis by BBC Monitoring's Africa security correspondent Tomi Oladipo

Boko Haram never really went away, contrary to the Nigerian government saying that the group had been defeated "technically" or even "decisively".

The group has definitely been weakened in the joint military offensive by Nigeria and its neighbours, losing swathes of territory in Nigeria's north-east.

But attacks against civilians and security forces have seen a resurgence in recent months. Since June, the attacks have even been promoted by media outlets of the so-called Islamic State, to which Boko Haram's leaders have sworn allegiance. 

It does not help that Nigeria is now fighting a separate conflict against oil militants in the southern Niger Delta region.

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Boko Haram at a glance:

• Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
• Launched military operations in 2009
• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls
• Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS's "West African province"
• Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
• Regional force has retaken most territory last year

Town divided by Boko Haram legacy

On patrol against Boko Haram

Who are Boko Haram?