Strong winds and heavy rain are on the way as Storm Doris sweeps across the UK.
Gusts of up to 80mph are predicted in parts of the country as the weather system moves in from the Atlantic on Thursday.
An amber wind warning has been issued for northern parts of Wales and the Midlands between 6am and 6pm.
Yellow warnings are in place for strong winds in parts of southern England and for snow in northern England and southern and much of Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, the yellow alert is for rain, with up to 30mm expected.
Sky News weather presenter Kirsty McCabe said: "Storm Doris will bring strong winds, heavy rain and some snow throughout Thursday.
"It will be a windy day across the UK and Ireland with northern England and Wales most at risk of damaging wind gusts of up to 80mph.
"Doris' strong winds could cause damage to structures, interrupt power supplies and cause widespread disruption to travel networks, with a danger of injury from flying debris. Heavy rainfall could lead to localised flooding.
"The heavy rain is likely to fall in central parts of Britain and Northern Ireland, with snow over the hills of northern England and Scotland.
"Some snow may fall to lower levels. Combined with the strong winds there is a risk of drifting snow and blizzard conditions over the hills."
Storms that are expected to cause disruption are named by the Met Office and Ireland's weather service Met Eireann.
The arrival of Doris follows a few days of unseasonably warm weather with west London's Kew Gardens seeing temperatures reaching 18.3C (64.9F) on Monday.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
UK warned Brexit bill will be 'very hefty' and EU trade deal will take years
Britain will be landed with a "very hefty bill" to get out of the EU exit door, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned.
Mr Juncker also said that a trade deal with the EU would take years - indicating it would be significantly longer than the two years Theresa May had promised.
He said the UK would not walk away from the EU without paying a penny and would need to pay its share of EU spending already agreed to during its time as membership.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Juncker said: "The British should know this, they know this already, that it will not be at a discount or at zero cost. The British must respect commitments they were involved in making.
"So the bill will be, to put it a bit crudely, very hefty."
:: Brexit bill could hit £51bn, MPs warned
The former UK ambassador to the EU Sir Ivan Rogers told MPs last month that the UK will end up having to pay the EU up to €60bn (£51bn) to leave.
He also said he thought it would be the "early to mid 2020s" before a trade deal with the EU was ratified.
Mr Juncker said: "We need to settle our affairs not with our hearts full of a feeling of hostility, but with the knowledge that the continent owes a lot to the UK.
"Without Churchill, we would not be here - we mustn't forget that, but we mustn't be naive."
The Prime Minister is expected to trigger Article 50, officially starting the EU divorce process, by the end of next month.
The move will begin the two-year negotiations on the UK's departure and the conditions the remaining 27 members are willing to give it. Mrs May has said that trade deal negotiations will take place in tandem.
Her view has been echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has previously said that Brexit negotiations and trade deal talks would need to be a "parallel process" - but has never put a time frame on the trade deal.
Mr Juncker said: "To agree on the future architecture of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, we will need years."
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier wants the Brexit bill to be discussed early in negotiations, which could be difficult for the Prime Minister.
The Leave campaign claim that the £350m a week paid to the EU by the UK would be returned on exit was key in bringing out the Brexit vote.
A large bill that could see the UK continue paying out to the EU would be unpopular with a public promised an imminent reversal of cash.
Mr Juncker also said that a trade deal with the EU would take years - indicating it would be significantly longer than the two years Theresa May had promised.
He said the UK would not walk away from the EU without paying a penny and would need to pay its share of EU spending already agreed to during its time as membership.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Juncker said: "The British should know this, they know this already, that it will not be at a discount or at zero cost. The British must respect commitments they were involved in making.
"So the bill will be, to put it a bit crudely, very hefty."
:: Brexit bill could hit £51bn, MPs warned
The former UK ambassador to the EU Sir Ivan Rogers told MPs last month that the UK will end up having to pay the EU up to €60bn (£51bn) to leave.
He also said he thought it would be the "early to mid 2020s" before a trade deal with the EU was ratified.
Mr Juncker said: "We need to settle our affairs not with our hearts full of a feeling of hostility, but with the knowledge that the continent owes a lot to the UK.
"Without Churchill, we would not be here - we mustn't forget that, but we mustn't be naive."
The Prime Minister is expected to trigger Article 50, officially starting the EU divorce process, by the end of next month.
The move will begin the two-year negotiations on the UK's departure and the conditions the remaining 27 members are willing to give it. Mrs May has said that trade deal negotiations will take place in tandem.
Her view has been echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has previously said that Brexit negotiations and trade deal talks would need to be a "parallel process" - but has never put a time frame on the trade deal.
Mr Juncker said: "To agree on the future architecture of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, we will need years."
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier wants the Brexit bill to be discussed early in negotiations, which could be difficult for the Prime Minister.
The Leave campaign claim that the £350m a week paid to the EU by the UK would be returned on exit was key in bringing out the Brexit vote.
A large bill that could see the UK continue paying out to the EU would be unpopular with a public promised an imminent reversal of cash.
Barcelona police fire shots to stop speeding gas tank truck
A man has been arrested by Spanish police after driving a truck filled with gas canisters the wrong way on a major road.
The vehicle rammed several cars near Barcelona's harbour before police fired shots to stop it, according to local reports.
Mireia Ruiz, who witnessed the incident from her home, said the driver ignored people urging him to stop as he sped down the wrong side of the ring road.
"When people shouted at him, he would laugh and make offensive gestures with his hand," she told AFP.
TVE news reported that the butane truck had been stolen while the owner was carrying out a delivery.
"We detained a person who was of Swedish nationality," a police spokesman said.
The 32-year-old was not injured in the shooting, but a bullet hole could be seen in the windscreen.
The interior ministry said the driver had a history of psychiatric problems.
"The detained driver of the stolen butane gas truck has a psychiatric history. It was not a case of a terrorist act," the
interior ministry said in tweet.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt by the speeding vehicle.
Spain's security threat level has been one step below maximum since July 2015 after a number of attacks in Europe.
The vehicle rammed several cars near Barcelona's harbour before police fired shots to stop it, according to local reports.
Mireia Ruiz, who witnessed the incident from her home, said the driver ignored people urging him to stop as he sped down the wrong side of the ring road.
"When people shouted at him, he would laugh and make offensive gestures with his hand," she told AFP.
TVE news reported that the butane truck had been stolen while the owner was carrying out a delivery.
"We detained a person who was of Swedish nationality," a police spokesman said.
The 32-year-old was not injured in the shooting, but a bullet hole could be seen in the windscreen.
The interior ministry said the driver had a history of psychiatric problems.
"The detained driver of the stolen butane gas truck has a psychiatric history. It was not a case of a terrorist act," the
interior ministry said in tweet.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt by the speeding vehicle.
Spain's security threat level has been one step below maximum since July 2015 after a number of attacks in Europe.
Iran and Turkey trade barbs over Syria and Iraq
Diplomatic tensions have escalated between Turkey and Iran as the two countries traded accusations over their roles in the Syria conflict and the Middle East.
Iran summoned the Turkish ambassador in Tehran on Monday over comments made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and President Tayyip Erdogan, accusing the Islamic Republic of destabilising the region.
Turkey and Iran have been regional rivals for centuries, but have sought to forge a pragmatic relationship in recent years, with the Iran strongly supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after last year's failed coup.
Iran summoned the Turkish ambassador in Tehran on Monday over comments made by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and President Tayyip Erdogan, accusing the Islamic Republic of destabilising the region.
Turkey and Iran have been regional rivals for centuries, but have sought to forge a pragmatic relationship in recent years, with the Iran strongly supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after last year's failed coup.
Mark Carney says Brexit could be 'smooth' after all
Bank of England governor Mark Carney has acknowledged that the UK's divorce from the EU may yet proceed smoothly - and that it would mean a higher path for interest rates.
Mr Carney said there was also a "less optimistic" scenario for the economy, which would dampen the path for rates.
But his comments to the Commons Treasury Select Committee about a possible positive outcome to Brexit stand in stark contrast to the dire warnings he issued before the referendum that the UK could slip into recession.
Mr Carney said: "There are scenarios where this process proceeds relatively smoothly to an increasingly clear end point and that will be consistent with a higher path for interest rates."
He said such a picture could emerge if the Government achieves its aim of a "bold, ambitious trade deal".
This, alongside shared optimism from households and businesses, would see higher growth and inflation - and mean the Bank needing to lift interest rates "for the right reason".
But he added: "There are other scenarios which would be less optimistic or less positive, which could mean that policy is on a lower path than that."
Mr Carney was heavily criticised over the Bank's warnings about how the Brexit vote might weigh on the economy - which has responded more robustly than expected.
But he argues that this response has been helped at least in part by the actions of the Bank in the wake of the referendum - when it cut interest rates to 0.25% and eased lending rules.
MPs also pressed Andy Haldane, the Bank's chief economist, on his recent admission that the failure to predict the 2008 financial crisis was economists' Michael Fish moment - comparing financial forecasting to the incorrect outlook by the weather presenter ahead of 1987's big storm.
Mr Haldane acknowledged there were "some similarities" between economics and meteorology.
He said it was important to learn from when forecasts were wrong but warned that "errors will always be with us".
Mr Carney said there was also a "less optimistic" scenario for the economy, which would dampen the path for rates.
But his comments to the Commons Treasury Select Committee about a possible positive outcome to Brexit stand in stark contrast to the dire warnings he issued before the referendum that the UK could slip into recession.
Mr Carney said: "There are scenarios where this process proceeds relatively smoothly to an increasingly clear end point and that will be consistent with a higher path for interest rates."
He said such a picture could emerge if the Government achieves its aim of a "bold, ambitious trade deal".
This, alongside shared optimism from households and businesses, would see higher growth and inflation - and mean the Bank needing to lift interest rates "for the right reason".
But he added: "There are other scenarios which would be less optimistic or less positive, which could mean that policy is on a lower path than that."
Mr Carney was heavily criticised over the Bank's warnings about how the Brexit vote might weigh on the economy - which has responded more robustly than expected.
But he argues that this response has been helped at least in part by the actions of the Bank in the wake of the referendum - when it cut interest rates to 0.25% and eased lending rules.
MPs also pressed Andy Haldane, the Bank's chief economist, on his recent admission that the failure to predict the 2008 financial crisis was economists' Michael Fish moment - comparing financial forecasting to the incorrect outlook by the weather presenter ahead of 1987's big storm.
Mr Haldane acknowledged there were "some similarities" between economics and meteorology.
He said it was important to learn from when forecasts were wrong but warned that "errors will always be with us".
'Teacher supply crisis' hitting schools in England
England's schools are suffering from worsening teacher shortages, particularly in key subjects including physics and maths, MPs have warned.
In a highly critical report, the Commons Education Select Committee said the Government had missed recruitment targets five years in a row.
And it called for urgent action, including a stronger focus on retaining teachers and a cap on the number of hours they work.
The report suggests "recruiting new teachers has consistently been the Government's focus to address shortages".
It added: "While recruiting sufficient new teachers is, of course, necessary, the Government should place greater emphasis on improving teacher retention.
"Not only is this a more cost-effective way to tackle some of the issues, but more teachers staying in the profession for longer would strengthen the pool of leadership positions."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "This report should act as a wake-up call to ministers that falling back on sticking plaster solutions such as the failed National Teaching Service will do nothing to address the systemic causes of the teacher supply crisis."
In a highly critical report, the Commons Education Select Committee said the Government had missed recruitment targets five years in a row.
And it called for urgent action, including a stronger focus on retaining teachers and a cap on the number of hours they work.
The report suggests "recruiting new teachers has consistently been the Government's focus to address shortages".
It added: "While recruiting sufficient new teachers is, of course, necessary, the Government should place greater emphasis on improving teacher retention.
"Not only is this a more cost-effective way to tackle some of the issues, but more teachers staying in the profession for longer would strengthen the pool of leadership positions."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "This report should act as a wake-up call to ministers that falling back on sticking plaster solutions such as the failed National Teaching Service will do nothing to address the systemic causes of the teacher supply crisis."
Elor Azaria gets 18 months for killing Palestinian
An Israeli soldier who shot and killed a wounded Palestinian, who was incapaciated having already been gunned down, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for manslaughter.
Judge Maya Heller of the military court in Tel Aviv delivered the sentencing on Tuesday in a case that has stoked passions, debate and protest.
Analysts had expected Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter one month earlier, to be jailed for fewer than the maximum sentence of 20 years for killing Abed al-Fattah al-Sharif.
"This was at the lower end of what the prosecution had asked for when they requested that Azaria would serve between three and five years," said Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith, reporting from Tel Aviv.
In her statement, Heller claimed that there were mitigating factors to the killing, which she said took place in "hostile territory".
READ MORE: Elor Azaria case - 'No hope of equality before the law'
While she said that Azaria's family "suffered" as a result of the trial, she noted that Azaria has not expressed remorse.
The March 24 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was filmed by activists from the Israeli B'Tselem human rights group.
That video shows Sharif, 21, lying on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian.
Azaria, a 20-year-old combat medic, then delivers the fatal blow, shooting him again in the head without any provocation.
According to the army, Sharif had stabbed and wounded another soldier.
It was unclear whether Azaria's family would follow up on a promise to appeal a decision to imprison the soldier for more than 10 months.
Issa Amro, director of the Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements activist group, told Al Jazeera that a sentence of 18 months in jail "is not proportionate with what [Azaria] did".
"We are talking about a war criminal, according to international law," he said, adding that it was likely Azaria would receive a pardon from the government.
"I believe Azaria was following orders to execute Palestinians, and leave them bleeding until they pass away," he said. "This is what [Israeli soldiers] did in many cases in Hebron, in Jerusalem, in Ramallah. Israeli soldiers are not held to account. I've just seen soliders celebrating Azaria getting 18 months."
'Extrajudicial killings'
The case raised questions over how Israeli soldiers deal with perceived threats by Palestinians.
Shortly after the shooting, the Palestinian leadership demanded the United Nations investigate what rights groups have called Israel's "extrajudicial killings".
Sharif's father, Yusri, has previously said Azaria deserves a life sentence.
Judge Maya Heller of the military court in Tel Aviv delivered the sentencing on Tuesday in a case that has stoked passions, debate and protest.
Analysts had expected Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter one month earlier, to be jailed for fewer than the maximum sentence of 20 years for killing Abed al-Fattah al-Sharif.
"This was at the lower end of what the prosecution had asked for when they requested that Azaria would serve between three and five years," said Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith, reporting from Tel Aviv.
In her statement, Heller claimed that there were mitigating factors to the killing, which she said took place in "hostile territory".
READ MORE: Elor Azaria case - 'No hope of equality before the law'
While she said that Azaria's family "suffered" as a result of the trial, she noted that Azaria has not expressed remorse.
The March 24 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was filmed by activists from the Israeli B'Tselem human rights group.
That video shows Sharif, 21, lying on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian.
Azaria, a 20-year-old combat medic, then delivers the fatal blow, shooting him again in the head without any provocation.
According to the army, Sharif had stabbed and wounded another soldier.
It was unclear whether Azaria's family would follow up on a promise to appeal a decision to imprison the soldier for more than 10 months.
Issa Amro, director of the Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements activist group, told Al Jazeera that a sentence of 18 months in jail "is not proportionate with what [Azaria] did".
"We are talking about a war criminal, according to international law," he said, adding that it was likely Azaria would receive a pardon from the government.
"I believe Azaria was following orders to execute Palestinians, and leave them bleeding until they pass away," he said. "This is what [Israeli soldiers] did in many cases in Hebron, in Jerusalem, in Ramallah. Israeli soldiers are not held to account. I've just seen soliders celebrating Azaria getting 18 months."
'Extrajudicial killings'
The case raised questions over how Israeli soldiers deal with perceived threats by Palestinians.
Shortly after the shooting, the Palestinian leadership demanded the United Nations investigate what rights groups have called Israel's "extrajudicial killings".
Sharif's father, Yusri, has previously said Azaria deserves a life sentence.
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