Water quality at 17 Scottish beaches have been classed as "excellent" against new, much stricter European standards.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said 80% of Scottish beaches passed the standard as "excellent", "good" or "sufficient".
However, 17 beaches are now rated as "poor" under the new system.
Sepa measured the quality of water at 84 "officially designated bathing waters" across Scotland.
Many beaches likely to have good water quality - for instance in the Western Isles - are not officially designated and so the pollutants are not monitored there.
The new EU classification system includes four years' of monitoring data which Sepa said provided a "more consistent picture" of water quality.
Rated "excellent"
Rated "poor"
Thirty-eight beaches are also rated as "good" and 12 as "sufficient". Read the full profiles for each beach. Source: Sepa
The new classifications will be displayed at the beaches from May until mid-September.
This summer, Sepa said it would also be extending its network of electronic signs - which provide daily real-time water quality information - to six new beaches.
The agency is also preparing improvement plans to help poorly-rated beaches with the aim they would meet at least the "sufficient" standard by 2020.
Calum McPhail, Sepa's environmental quality manager, said: "We understand that some local communities will be disappointed, as we are, that 17 bathing waters have been rated as having a 'poor' EU classification, and many will be concerned when the new classifications are displayed on these beaches for the first time this month.
"It is important to remember that a 'poor' classification does not necessarily mean that water quality is continually poor, and in many cases this is due to historic episodes of reduced water quality following heavy rainfall. These are still fantastic beaches to visit."
Mr McPhail added that Scottish bathing waters had been increasing in number and quality since monitoring began in 1988.
VisitScotland said marine recreation and tourism expenditure was worth an estimated Â£3.7bn a year to Scotland.
A spokesman added: "We are pleased that the vast majority of bathing waters are classified as sufficient or above, while 65% have an excellent or good classification.
"It is very disappointing, however, to hear that the water quality at some beaches have not met Sepa bathing water standards and we will be discussing the potential impact this could have on tourism with the organisations involved."


Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish government to accept the "mounting crisis" in general practice, after research suggested a £1.1bn drop in GP investment in recent years.

Research by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) found the share of NHS funding spent on general practice in Scotland has been falling.
It said it had fallen year-on-year from 9.8% in 2005/06 to 7.8% in 2012/13.
The Scottish government said primary care funding had risen since 2006/7.
It added that the increase had been £81m, or 12%, over that period.
In its study, the RCGP argued that general practice was a cost-effective part of healthcare in which to invest, as it was more economical than other parts of the system and could prevent worsening of patient outcomes.
However, it warned it would not be able to deliver positive change in the short, medium and long-term without "significant investment to increase the size of the workforce".
Recent BBC Scotland research showed that difficulties with GP recruitment had led to more doctors' surgeries being taken over by health boards.
Earlier this month NHS boards revealed 42 practices were under their control - a measure used in special circumstances and emergencies.
A Scottish doctor also warned recently that GPs were facing the "biggest workforce crisis in a generation", with more doctors needed if the system were to survive.
Responding to the RCGP report, Scottish Labour public health spokesman and former GP Dr Richard Simpson said: "The SNP government in Edinburgh need to open their eyes and accept the mounting crisis in general practice which has happened under their watch, because of their spending decisions.
"Since they came to power the amount of money invested in family doctors has been slashed year on year.
"They have squeezed health spending in Scotland harder than the Tories in England and practices which serve our communities are feeling the effects.
"The next decade will see a huge number of our GPs retire and there simply are not enough doctors training in general practice or even staying in the country to replace them."
He added: "Around two million patients in Scotland are served by under-staffed and under-resourced practices.
"This problem is not going to go away, it is only going to get worse and its effects will be felt through the NHS as patients unable to get appointments with their GP turn up at hospitals."
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "This government has increased the amount of funding for primary care by £81m, or 12%, since 2006/7.
"Scotland continues to have the most GPs per head of population and spends the second highest per head in the UK on primary care.
"However we recognise that increasing attendances and recruitment challenges are putting additional pressure on GPs and that is why, last month, we announced an additional £60m to be invested in primary care over the next three years."
She said the additional funding was being used to "address immediate workload and recruitment issues" and put in place in place long-term change within primary care.
She added: "We're working closely with BMA Scotland and the Royal College of GPs to take forward this work and working with professionals across the health service, as well as patients and the public, to redesign our primary care services."
"We are also jointly working in Scotland with general practice to redesign the GP contract for implementation from 2017, which will take into account much of the learning from the next few years.
"In the interim period, we have agreed a period of contractual and financial stability for general practice until April 2017, the first time anywhere in the UK this has happened, while we review the contract more fundamentally, and to ensure that the pace of change is one which can be supported by general practitioners."


George Osborne has told MPs he was "sorry" Iain Duncan Smith resigned and was "proud" of their work together.

Defending his handling of the economy ahead of a vote to approve his Budget, the chancellor said Treasury talks with departments had often been "robust".
But where mistakes were made he was ready "to listen and learn", he added.
Labour said Mr Osborne would have to raid the welfare budget further or "ditch" his self-imposed cap on overall benefits spending.
Mr Osborne's Commons performance came after Mr Duncan Smith's post-Budget decision to quit, with a blast at "indefensible" changes to disability benefits.
Mr Osborne confirmed he had dropped planned cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) and said no further welfare savings were anticipated beyond the Â£12bn already approved by Parliament towards his target of balancing the books by 2020.
But he came under sustained pressure from Labour to explain how he will cover the Â£4.4bn gap in the Budget left by the rethink.
Former minister Yvette Cooper said Mr Osborne would either have to backtrack on ring fencing welfare or accept he would breach his self-imposed cap on welfare spending, the total limit on the amount of taxpayers' cash that goes on benefits.
"Either he has ripped up his own welfare cap and ditched another big plank of his Budget in just a few days," she said.
"Or he and the work and pensions secretary (Stephen Crabb) have used the most awful weasel words in Parliament and there are still more welfare cuts to come. Either this is chaos or it is a con."
The chancellor told MPs that the disability benefit cuts, likely to have affected up to 640,000 people, did not "command support".
Analysis by the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg
Away from the sound and fury in the Commons this afternoon, and there has been a lot of it, did George Osborne gave even more of a hint that the government is likely to ditch or at least relax the restrictions it has placed on welfare?
Labour backbenchers managed to press him into almost repeating Stephen Crabb's statement a day earlier that the government won't introduce new extra cuts to welfare.
It looks like it will be rather hard for the government to keep its promise to keep welfare spending within its set limits, and the (almost) promise they made this afternoon.
It's clear from the Budget that the government is committed to meet its cap on welfare spending, a total limit on the amount of taxpayers' cash that goes on benefits, by 2020.
It's also clear the government intends to spell out how it will do that this autumn. But when you look at the numbers in the Office for Budget Responsibility's book, it says welfare spending is expected to be more than Â£3bn over the cap, in 2020.
So if the government really intends to hit the cap they will either have to find more welfare cuts after all, or relax the cap this autumn, or quietly ditch it altogether.
The Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions are yet to answer this question. But it seems politically impossible to go back for more cuts, politically unlikely that Mr Osborne will ditch his beloved welfare cap, so now, more likely than not, that in the autumn the limit will have to be raised again.
But he said he was "proud" of the government's record, insisting that spending on disability benefits would still be higher in 2020 than it was now and 300,000 people with disabilities had found work in the past couple of years.
Praising Mr Duncan Smith, with whom he is reported to have had a history of disagreements, he said: "I'm sorry that my right honourable friend chose to leave the government and let me here in this House recognise his achievements in helping to make work pay, protecting the vulnerable and breaking the decades old cycle of welfare dependency."
But he rejected his former colleague's charge that the chancellor's fiscal targets risked dividing society and working-age benefit claimants were being unduly penalised by a "desperate search" for savings.
"There is not some inherent conflict between delivering social justice and the savings required to deliver sound public finances," he said. "There are one and same thing. Without some public finances there is no social justice."
It was clear that the chancellor was opting for spiritual healing rather than keyhole surgery.
His departed colleague Iain Duncan Smith was praised for having helped to create a fairer society.
The chancellor even dared to reclaim the mantra the former work and pensions secretary questioned in his resignation letter - "we are all in this together" he promised.
It would set the tone for the chancellor's statement, which was more often about the big picture on the economy rather than the fiscal detail.
Read more
In his resignation letter, Mr Duncan Smith said targeting disability benefits at the same time as cutting corporation and capital gains taxes flew in the face of the prime minister's and Mr Osborne's oft-repeated claim that "we are all in this together".
Conservative MPs noisily backed Mr Osborne during the debate although former chancellor Ken Clarke noted Mr Osborne had ruled out rises in income tax, VAT and national insurance and urged him to consider asking better-off pensioners to give up free bus passes and winter fuel allowances.
In response, Mr Osborne said people who had worked hard all their lives deserved a "decent, generous basic state pension and I am not going to take that away".
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell described his opposite number as a "political chancer" while Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said Mr Osborne's reputation was tarnished and he risked damaging the campaign to keep the UK in the EU.
As well as the welfare changes, Downing Street said ministers would also not seek to oppose amendments to scrap the so-called "tampon tax" and an increase in VAT on solar panels.


The BBC understands that the Belfast Telegraph is planning to move to Clarendon Dock.

It is currently negotiating with the landlord of an office block but has other options if those discussions are not successful.
The paper has sold its current premises on Royal Avenue to the developer McAleer and Rushe.
Its owner, INM, decided to move due to the closure of the printing operation within the Royal Avenue premises.
When it made the announcement in August, INM (Independent News & Media) said it would find new premises for the paper in the "very heart of the city".


Media in Mexico say a post on the social networking site Facebook helped lead police to the main suspect in the shooting of the Paraguayan footballer Salvador Cabanas.

Police knew that the suspect, Jose Jorge Balderas Garza, was in a relationship with a Colombian model.
Reports say when a Facebook profile in her name listed a Mexico City area as her location, officers moved in.
Mr Balderas denies he carried out the shooting.
He blames one of his associates for the attack last January on Cabanas, who played for Paraguay and Mexico's Club America.
The football star was shot in the head in the bathroom of a bar in Mexico City on 25 January last year. He survived, but a bullet remains lodged in his head.
Police also accuse Mr Balderas of running a drug-trafficking ring.
Officers say that during their inquiries about Mr Balderas, they became aware of his romantic link to the Colombian model and participant in the Miss Antioquia 2008 competition, Juliana Sossa.
A profile page in Ms Sossa's name on Facebook gave her current location as Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City.
On Tuesday, police moved into the area and found Ms Sossa, 25, and Mr Balderas in the house they shared. They arrested the couple, along with five other suspects.


The fossilised snout of a giant flying reptile unearthed on the Isle of Wight is the first of its kind to be discovered on the island.

The Coloborhynchus remains were found by Will Thurbin, from Niton.
Experts at Dinosaur Isle Museum and the University of Portsmouth confirmed it was the pterosaur's first definite appearance on the Isle of Wight.
Scientists believe it to be about 125 million years old, which could make it the oldest example ever found.
A previous discovery, uncovered during the 19th Century near Cambridge, dates back 100 million years.
Mr Thurbin said: "It is great they have confirmed it as a new type of fossil for the island.
"When I picked it up it was triangular in shape and looked different to other fossils I have found in the past.
"I decided to take it home and have a good look and could see that it was a bone and that there were some teeth in it."
He has since donated the fossil to the museum in Sandown.
Shirley Smart, Isle of Wight Council's executive member for economy and tourism, said: "This find further affirms the importance of dinosaur enthusiasts and their ability to help our knowledge of science progress.
"Without the dedication of people such as Will, Dinosaur Isle Museum would not have many of the fossils in the collections that it does.
"It also helps experts gain a better understanding of what these huge creatures were like."


A man has been charged with dangerous driving and having no insurance after a police pursuit along the M25 and A3.

Jonathan Lewis, 44, of Long Walk, Epsom was arrested after police pursued a black Peugeot travelling at up to 90mph on Monday.
Guildford magistrates remanded him in custody to appear at Guildford Crown Court on 12 May.
The car was chased between junctions six and 10 in Surrey before being halted on the A3 at 10:15 BST.
Two southbound and one northbound carriageway were shut for 40 minutes.


Olympians Rebecca Adlington and Denise Lewis will join Paralympic star Tanni Grey-Thompson and former footballer Jason Roberts on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year panel for 2014.

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The panel, which will consist of 12 people in total, will decide the top 10 contenders for the main award, as well as the Team of the Year, Coach of the Year and Overseas Sports Personality.
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year event will be held in Glasgow on Sunday, 14 December at The SSE Hydro in front of an estimated 12,000 crowd.
The show will be broadcast live on BBC One, with the overall winner being voted for by the public on the night of the show.
The other representatives on the panel include newspaper sports editors Mike Dunn (Independent, the i and Evening Standard), Howard Wheatcroft (Express Newspapers head of sport) and Alex Butler (Sunday Times), pan-sports broadcaster/journalist: Alison Mitchell and the chair of SportScotland Louise Martin.
The director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater will also sit on the panel alongside Philip Bernie (Head of TV Sport) and Carl Doran (Executive Editor, BBC Sports Personality of the Year).
The panel will select a shortlist of 10 sportspeople on the basis that it reflects UK sporting achievements on the national and/or international stage, represents the breadth and depth of UK sports, and takes into account 'impact' over and beyond the sport or sporting achievement in question.
This year has been another busy one for sport with the Winter Olympics, Fifa World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, as well as annual events such as the Six Nations, Wimbledon and The Open Championship.
The panel for the Young Sports Personality of the Year award has also been announced. BBC Sport's John Inverdale chairs a panel which includes three representatives of Youth Sport Trust, former winner of the award Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, 2013 main award nominee Hannah Cockroft, Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell, a Blue Peter competition winner, Radio 1's Tina Daheley and the executive editor of BBC Sports Personality of the Year Carl Doran.
This Young Sports Personality of the Year award will be awarded to the outstanding young sportsperson aged 17 or under on 1 January 2014, selected from nominations made to the BBC and by sports governing bodies via the Youth Sport Trust. Nominations close on 3 November, 2014
The top three will be announced on Blue Peter and invited to the live event at The Hydro in Glasgow. The other top seven contenders will be notified out of courtesy that they have not made the final shortlist.
The winner will be announced live on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year programme and the BBC Sport website on Sunday, 14 December 2014.
Full terms and conditions are available
Tickets for the event will go on sale at the end of October.


A Belgian whose older brother was one of the suicide bombers in the terror attacks on Brussels has won gold at the European Taekwondo Championships.

Mourad Laachraoui, brother of Najim Laachraoui, won the -54kg final in Montreux, Switzerland, on Thursday.
He beat 18-year-old Spanish fighter Jesus Tortosa 6-3 to claim the title.
The 21-year-old, who will compete at Rio 2016, has said he was "scared and saddened" by his brother's role in the attack on the Belgian capital in March.
Speaking at a news conference he arranged in Brussels following the attacks, Mourad Laachraoui also said no-one in his family had heard from his brother since 2013.
Najim, 24, was one of two men who carried out devastating bomb attacks in the check-in area of Zaventem airport on 22 March. A third bomb was detonated at Maelbeek metro station shortly after, with a total of 32 people killed.
Prosecutors have also linked him to November's attacks in Paris in which 130 people died.


South Africa has found itself mired in some high-profile corruption scandals in recent years, causing the country to slip down the global transparency index.

28 March 2016 Last updated at 16:50 BST
Now, campaigners have started using satire to shine a light on corrupt practices in the country.
The BBC's Lerato Mbele reports from Johannesburg.


The new community swimming pool at the £48.5m Wick Joint Campus is not fully visible to its spectators area, it has emerged.

Highland Council has already said the campus is unlikely to open to school pupils and staff in October as planned because of delays to its completion.
The local authority has now also confirmed that it is aware of issues concerning the pool's seating area.
It is understood that two lanes of the pool are not visible from the seats.
The configuration and design of the pool is the responsibility of the council, rather than Hub North Scotland (Wick) Ltd, the organisation overseeing the construction of the campus.
The pool is part of the campus which, once open, will offer community facilities as well as a new Wick High School and new buildings for the town's Pulteneytown and South primaries.
Highland Council said: "We are aware of issues concerning seating and viewing of the new Wick High school swimming pool. This matter will be considered at the education, children and adults services committee on 25 August."
Following the announcement of delays in opening the campus, Highland Council's leader Margaret Davidson has asked the local authority's chief executive for an overview of the delivery of education capital projects.
She said this would look at where "further improvements can be made and any problems can be avoided".
Ms Davidson told BBC Radio Scotland that news of the pool viewing area was "disappointing", adding that she "believed there were other issues" to be addressed.
She said it was important that people in Wick were informed of the problems and that the issues were resolved before the campus was opened to the public.
On the delays to the completion of the campus, Angus Macfarlane, chief executive of Hub North Scotland, said: "Projects of this nature can be complex and, as such, challenges can arise during construction.
"As Highland Council's development partner, Hub North Scotland will continue to work closely with the main contractor to minimise the impact of this delay on the final completion and handover date for the building.
"Whilst any delay is regrettable, the key factor is ensuring that the project is delivered in line with the high standards set by hub North Scotland and our partner organisations.
"We are committed to delivering first-class facilities which will benefit generations to come."


Middlesbrough's England Under-20s midfielder Bryn Morris has left the Premier League club to join League One side Shrewsbury Town on a short-term deal for the rest of the season.

After previously making four loan moves away from Boro, Morris, 20, becomes Town manager Paul Hurst's fifth signing of the transfer window.
"We've managed to secure him on a permanent deal," said Hurst.
"It gives us competition in the middle of the park, which we've been lacking."
Morris follows the arrival of Hartlepool United defender Aristote Nsiala on a two-and-a-half-year deal, for an undisclosed fee, Notts County winger Alex Rodman on an 18-month deal and two loan strikers from Premier League clubs, Crystal Palace's Freddie Ladapo and West Bromwich Albion's Wales Under-19 striker Tyler Roberts.
Shrewsbury, who are expected to allow midfielder Ian Black out on loan, are 21st in the League One table.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has stressed the importance of taking their opening day Premier League defeat by Manchester United in "isolation".

Howe saw his Cherries side beaten 3-1 at home in Jose Mourinho's first league game as United manager.
"There were some very good aspects of play," Howe told BBC Radio Solent.
"I'm certainly not all doom and gloom as we're not going to be judged against the top four this season, it's going to be against other teams."
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Goals from Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic put United 3-0 up, with Adam Smith's effort after 69 minutes coming as a consolation goal for the hosts.
"We have to take these games in isolation, like you need to against all of the top four sides," Howe said.
"It's important that we don't go negative and everyone stays very strong in the belief that we will come back from this."
Howe also handed debuts to summer signings Jordon Ibe and Lewis Cook in midfield, with the pair encouraging Howe with their performances.
"It's difficult to come into this team quickly because of how we play," he said. "But, both players did very well and I think showed glimpses of what they will bring."


A teenage refugee who fled Syria and went on to swim at the Rio Olympics is to have her story turned into a film.

Yusra Mardini and her sister Sara were forced to swim for hours alongside their overloaded boat as it crossed from Turkey to Greece.
Yusra later competed for the first ever Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 games.
UK production company Working Title has agreed to buy the rights to her story for a film that Stephen Daldry is tipped to direct.
"It's rather important that we find someone who can act and swim," he told the Daily Mail.
Mardini, 18, the daughter of a swimming coach, left her hometown with her sister in 2015 after their house was destroyed in the Syrian conflict.
Her remarkable 25-day journey took her to Beirut in Lebanon, across the Aegean Sea and finally to Germany.
In the final part of the journey, Mardini, Sara and another young woman dragged the broken-down boat full of refugees - many of whom could not swim - towards the shore, clinging to a rope dangling from the side.
Mardini's first German home would temporarily be a refugee camp, and one of her first questions in this unfamiliar city concerned finding the nearest swimming pool.
An Egyptian translator put the sisters in touch with Wasserfreunde Spandau 04, one of Berlin's oldest swimming clubs.
"They saw our technique, saw it was good, they accepted us," she says.
After training there, she became one of two Syrians to be chosen by the International Olympic Committee for its first refugee team.
She won her qualifying heat in the 100 metres butterfly, though her time was not quick enough for her to progress.
"This is just a great story about a kid with an ambition, just like Billy Elliot," said Working Title's Eric Fellner.
Daldry received an Oscar nomination in 2001 for directing Billy Elliot and went on to direct the West End musical version.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Gardening in an allotment can improve mood and self-esteem, according to research by two universities.

The study, by Westminster and Essex universities, questioned 269 people - around half of whom did some gardening.
The results revealed that those who spent as little as 30 minutes a week in their allotments saw significant gains in mental well-being, according to the Journal of Public Health.
The research also showed the allotment gardeners had fewer weight problems.
The participants were questioned about their mood, self-esteem and general health.
Those who had worked in their allotments at least once a week had lower levels of fatigue, depression, tension and anger - and had higher self-esteem and better general health - than those who had done no gardening at all.
They also had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI), reflecting a healthier body weight than those who did not garden.
The length of time spent gardening did not alter the results, meaning that fitting 30 minutes into schedules was still beneficial.
With urban living on the rise, along with the risk of poor mental health, co-author Dr Carly Wood, from the University of Essex, said: "Allotment gardening might play an important role in promoting mental well-being in people residing in urban areas."
But many garden allotments have long waiting lists, the study mentions.
President of the UK Faculty of Public Health, Prof John Ashton, said: "We need a strategy that considers how we could make better use of neglected land that marks the transition from towns to cities."


Papers want China to have a bigger say in the international credit ratings system to end the "monopoly" of Western agencies.

Western rating agencies Standard & Poor's (S&P), Moody's, and Fitch Group are known as the Big Three.
The ratings are given to large-scale borrowers, whether companies or governments, and are an indication to buyers of this debt how likely they are to be paid back.
The scorecard can also affect the amount that companies or governments are charged to borrow money.
According to the China News Service, Dagong Global Credit Rating, China's largest ratings agency, has assigned a high A- investment rating to Russia's Gazprombank.
Last month, Dagong had given the bank's parent company, Gazprom, one of its best outlooks in the industry, contrasting with lower ratings given to the energy giant by Western agencies.
The recent assessment from the Chinese agency notes that Russia's third largest bank has built a strong system of risk management and has a "stable outlook",  the state-run news agency adds.
The report also highlights that the company welcomes the Chinese scorecard, describing it as an "objective and an important one".
Sanctions and the tumbling oil price have sent the Russian economy spiralling into recession, following the crisis in Ukraine.
Analysts have observed that Gazprombank intends to extend its ties to China and other countries in Asia.
A commentary in the Haiwai Net calls for "more Chinese voices" to end the "monopoly" of Western credit-rating agencies.
The article points out that Western agencies are often biased and "politicised" because they make their assessments based on "Western democratic values".
Noting that the Big Three, with two of them based in the US, have "monopolised" the market, the article quotes Zhao Xijun, a finance expert with Renmin University, as saying that the current situation "does not represent the global structure".
"The US economy represents only 20% of the global economy. Other countries, including China, have a much bigger share, yet these countries do not have any internationally influential credit-rating agencies," argues the pundit.
And finally, state media downplay the "China threat theory" as the country becomes the world's third-largest exporter of arms, after the US and Russia.
According to a report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China overtook Germany, France and the UK in exporting weapons between 2010 and 2014, and now accounts for about 5% of the world's exports of arms.
The Xinhua News Agency questions the method used by the research institute, while highlighting that the US has "taken a firm lead" as the top arms exporter.
"It (the method) has more or less exaggerated the figures of China and Russia while deflating that of the United States," the agency quotes experts as saying.
It adds that the institute is pushing up China's ranking to "serve the West's China threat theory".
The article dismisses the theory, arguing that China's arms exports' growth is "reasonable and natural" giving its economic strength and the advancement in technology.
"But the country follows its principles in arms exports, and will never cast threat to any other countries through arms sales," assures the state media.
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world.  You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


Premiership club Bath are planning disciplinary hearings after allegations that some of their players ran naked across the Recreation Ground pitch at a post-training social event last week.

A fire extinguisher was also allegedly let off in a hospitality suite.
This reportedly occurred in daylight, before a kicking clinic for youngsters.
"Bath Rugby is currently addressing the events at the Rec last week, which involved a small group of players from the club," a Bath statement said.
"The appropriate conduct of all players and staff is highly important to the club, and disciplinary hearings with those involved will take place in the coming days.
"The matter will be addressed appropriately as part of that process."
The Bath Chronicle reported on Tuesday that no children had arrived for the kicking clinic when the streaking was said to have taken place, but that players later heckled while the kicking class was being held.
Bath - who were narrowly beaten at Stade Francais in their European Challenge Cup semi-final on 23 April - eased past local rivals Gloucester in the Premiership on Sunday, 30 April.
Todd Blackadder's side are fifth in the Premiership with one match remaining, needing to win at Sale Sharks on the final day of the season to stand a chance of reaching the play-offs.


Former boxer Scott Harrison has lost a legal bid to avoid extradition to Spain over assault charges.

The former WBO Featherweight Champion was sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Malaga in 2012.
A European arrest warrant was issued by the Spanish authorities after claims he left before starting the sentence.
Earlier this year a Scottish sheriff ruled the 37-year-old, from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, could be extradited. Appeal judges have upheld the ruling.
Earlier this year, Harrison's legal team argued at Edinburgh Sheriff Court that the Spanish authorities had not followed extradition law when they issued a European Arrest Warrant for him.
Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC, however, ruled that the former boxer should be extradited.
Harrison's lawyers sought leave to appeal that decision but their application was rejected by Lord Carloway, sitting with Lady Smith and Lady Clark.
Lord Carloway also said bail would be refused, after which Harrison was handcuffed and led away from court by security officers.


A student union bar is introducing ID scanners and sniffer dog checks amid drug use concerns after a student died.

The conditions were among a number imposed on The Foundry, at the University of Sheffield's Students' Union, after a review of its licence.
The hearing took place after a student died after taking MDMA at the venue and a second was taken critically ill.
South Yorkshire Police has accused the venue of having an underlying drug issue. The university denies the claim.
More stories from across Yorkshire
The force applied for a review of the licence on 8 June, the day after 22-year-old Joana Burns died and a second girl was admitted to hospital after both took drugs, believed to be MDMA, on a night out at the venue.
In the application it said: "It is apparent there is an underlying issue of drugs supply and consumption at the premises.
"In view of the incidents in question and the concern around drug use and supply at the premises, a summary review of the licence is required."
The force said that when an officer visited The Foundry on 31 May to recover drugs confiscated at the venue it found more than 140 packets of tablets and powders.
However, during the hearing lawyer Leo Charalambides, on behalf of the university, said the venue had first asked police to take the seized items away on 3 March.
He described Miss Burns' death as a "tragic but isolated incident".
The university put forward a list of 12 steps it was willing to take in order to allay police concerns, a number of which were adopted.
The conditions imposed include:
Sheffield Safeguarding Children's Board called for a ban on under-18s events at the venue saying children were being "exposed to a drug-taking environment which puts them at risk of physical, psychological and moral harm", but the condition was not imposed.
Councillor David Barker, joint chairman of Sheffield City Council Licensing Committee, said with the existing procedures and new conditions imposed he believed young people would be "as safe there as they would be anywhere else in the city".
A spokeswoman for the University of Sheffield and its students' union said keeping students safe was its "first priority".
She said: "At today's hearing, the Sheffield Students' Union proposed a number of additional measures that further support safety and security at the Foundry and we are pleased that they have been agreed.
"We are committed to working closely with Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police to confirm these safety and security conditions, many of which are already in place."


A man who threw a bottle that struck a man celebrating being told he was in remission from leukaemia has been jailed.

The 25-year-old victim had to have blood transfusions after being struck on the head at a pub in Stirchley, Birmingham.
Luke Pinder, 21, of Millfield Close, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent, has been jailed for eight years.
He admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country
Pinder, who was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court, was in the Horseshoe Arms last September when security staff asked everyone to leave at closing time.
He threw a bottle at full force, hitting the other man as he stood up to leave, causing a deep gash on the back of his head, police said.
He was celebrating with his girlfriend after just being told he was in remission from acute myeloid leukaemia.
Pinder's image was circulated and he was identified.


Luke Walsh kicked 12 points as Catalans Dragons edged a bruising encounter with Hull FC to earn a second win in as many matches and go top of Super League.

A first half dominated by the forwards ended with the hosts taking an 8-4 lead thanks to Carlos Tuimavave's late try.
But, within a minute of the restart, the French side led when Richie Myler scored after a flowing move from deep.
Liam Watts pounced to touch down to put the Black and Whites ahead again, but Walsh kicked Catalans to victory.
With both sides triumphant in their opening matches of the season, the victors were guaranteed to be early pacesetters after two games.
However, neither team played like leaders in a dour first period.
Catalans edged ahead 4-2 through two Walsh penalties, but the hosts led by four points when Tuimavave touched down following a fine burst by the outstanding Sika Manu.
Within 60 seconds of the restart the lead changed again as Australian forward Greg Bird combined with Thomas Bosc to tee up Myler for his second try of the season.
Watts then pounced from close range to restore Hull's advantage as the match opened up.
But some astute tactical kicking, and the reliable boot of Walsh, steered Dragons to just their second away over Hull in their past 13 attempts.
Hull FC coach Lee Radford: "It was painful to watch. The stop-start type of game was frustrating. The skillset of the group wasn't where it needs to be.
"We didn't take any juice out of them at their end of the field. It was smart by them and it's not the first time they've done that. You can't keep giving the ball away.
"I thought physically we were as good as we've been for a long time but we've got to be better with the ball. We looked as bad as we've had with ball in hand."
Catalans Dragons coach Laurent Frayssinous: "I'm very pleased but at the same time it's only round two. Something we learned from last year is to stay humble because we were in the top four at one stage and you saw how we finished.
"There are areas where we need to improve. We created some opportunities and could have scored more tries. Our last plays in the first half weren't good enough.
"But this was definitely a game we could have lost last season. We were patient, showed good defence and came up with the two points which is pleasing.
"The players work hard on and off the field and without a good team culture, you don't come to Hull FC and win, so it's a very good sign."
Hull FC: Shaul: Fonua, Tuimavave, Griffin, Talanoa; Connor, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Ellis.
Replacements: Green, Bowden, Washbrook, Thompson.
Sin Bin: Watts (67).
Catalans Dragons: Bosc; Broughton, Inu, Wiliame, Thornley; Walsh, Myler; Bird, Garcia, Horo, Moa, Aiton, Casty.
Replacements: Anderson, Bousquet, Baitieri, Da Costa.
Sin Bin: Bird (21).
Att: 13,544.
Ref: Robert Hicks (RFL).


Scarlets' quest for a place in the Pro12 play-offs may be undermined by illness ahead of their crucial match against Glasgow on Saturday.

Up to 20 members of the playing squad are suffering with a stomach complaint.
Thursday's training session was cancelled, but Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac is hopeful the majority of the stricken will recover for kick-off.
"We're hoping a lot of those who come tomorrow (Friday) morning will be feeling a lot better," said Pivac.
"We've rearranged our day tomorrow to compensate for that and we'll have a bit of a walk-through in the afternoon, and then another walk-through on game day. It's not ideal."
The former Fiji coach says he has never experienced such a large number of players being ill at the same time.
"It's a first for me, but these things happen and nothing surprises you as a coach when you've been around a while," said the New Zealander.
"You've always got to have a Plan B and a Plan C, and that's why we have the larger squads."
Scarlets may have to draft in players from lower-tier feeder teams.
However, two Welsh Premiership clubs that Scarlets have close ties with are involved in Swalec Cup semi-finals on Saturday, with Carmarthen Quins hosting Cross Keys and Llandovery at Pontypridd.
Pivac's men have been in the top four all season, but face a stern challenge from defending champions Glasgow, who have won seven in a row and overtook the Scarlets in third place last weekend.


Queen of the South fought back from two goals down to draw with promotion-chasing Falkirk in the Championship.

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Blair Alston opened the scoring for the Bairns on the brink of half-time, heading an Aaron Muirhead cross into the bottom corner.
John Baird netted his 18th of the season shortly after the break.
But Derek Lyle pulled a goal back with a neat turn and finish and Iain Russell's strike levelled the scores in stoppage time.


South Africa's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been ruled "unconstitutional and invalid" by the High Court.

South Africa notified the UN of its intention to leave last October, saying the ICC pursued "regime change".
The court ruled in favour of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which argued that the government had to first seek parliamentary approval.
The court ordered the government to revoke its notice of withdrawal.
In his response, Justice Minister Michael Masutha said the government still intended to quit the ICC, Reuters news agency reports.
The government would consider its options, including a possible appeal, after studying the full judgement, he is quoted as saying.
The decision to pull out came after a dispute over Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's visit to the country in 2015.
South African authorities refused to arrest Mr Bashir despite him facing an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes.
Mr Bashir was attending an African Union summit in Johannesburg, when the government ignored an ICC request to arrest him.
The DA welcomed the judgement.
"South Africa does not want to be lumped together with pariah states who have no respect for human rights and who do not subscribe to accountability for those guilty of the most heinous human rights violations," the party said in a statement.
"Instead, we should recommit our country to the human rights-based foreign policy spearheaded by the late President Nelson Mandela," the statement added.
The High Court's decision marks a pause, rather than a full stop, for the South African government and its plan to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
The government may choose to appeal the judgment, or it may simply do as the judges ordered and take the proposal to parliament where the governing African National Congress (ANC) continues to enjoy a comfortable majority.
But today's emphatic judgment against the government is, nonetheless, another uncomfortable defeat for President Jacob Zuma's team, which has now lost three times in a row in legal challenges related to the ICC.
Some ANC officials have frequently criticized the judiciary for "interfering" in what they argue are political matters, and attacked opposition parties and NGOs for using the courts to thwart their popular mandate.
Although there are signs that many African governments are beginning to lose faith in an ICC that they believe is targeting their continent unfairly and disproportionately, there is no clear consensus on the issue - let alone any signs of significant public concern.
The court ruling in South Africa is a reminder that the slow, exhaustive process of signing up to the Rome Statute, which set up the ICC, cannot simply be reversed at the stroke of a pen.
South Africa, Burundi and Namibia are among African states that have said they will withdraw from the ICC.  They accuse the court of bias against Africans.
The Gambia, which had also announced its withdrawal, has now said that it will remain in the ICC.
This follows a change of government in the West African state.


Nick Gubbins top-scored for Middlesex before a middle-order collapse pegged them back on day one against Surrey.

Openers Gubbins and Sam Robson, dropped on nine by Kumar Sangakkara, made 126 together before Robson (53) fell after his fourth score over 50 this summer.
Gubbins (91) and Dawid Malan (58) set the visitors up before the latter was caught behind off James Burke [2-56], the first of five wickets for 51 runs.
All-rounder Tom Curran took 3-80 as Middlesex closed on 298-7.
But there is concern for Surrey, as their leading wicket-taker this summer Ravi Rampaul had to go off with an injury midway through an over.
Shortly after Malan's dismissal, Adam Voges fell just short of his half century on 47 before John Simpson, who has made three fifties this summer, went for 12.
Then Paul Stirling and Ollie Rayner both fell to Curran as Surrey will begin day two at The Oval looking to mop up the tail end of their opponents.
Surrey all-rounder James Burke told BBC Radio London:
"It was a difficult surface but the boys pulled together for the last session and for the first time probably this season we worked as a unit.
"Losing Ravi was obviously a big blow, he's been our main strike bowler. So it was up to us to hold our hands up and step up.
"It's a difficult wicket, the ball's quite up and down but I think if you apply yourselves there's definitely runs to be had and we're definitely happy with how we left the day."


Corals worldwide are at risk from a major episode of bleaching which turns reefs white, scientists have confirmed.

The bleaching has hit reefs in the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned it may affect over 38% of the world's reefs, and kill over 12,000 sq km of reefs.
The mass bleaching is caused by rising water temperatures resulting from two natural warm currents and exacerbated by man-made climate change.
Bleaching happens when corals under stress drive out the algae known as zooxanthellae that give them colour.
If normal conditions return, the corals can recover. But the process can take decades, and if the stress continues, the corals can die.
Reefs are under multiple threats including pollution, over-fishing, sedimentation and damage from boats and tourism.
The current worldwide bleaching episode is predicted to be the worst on record as the warming Pacific current, El Nino, increases in strength. Water temperatures are being driven further by a separate natural warm-water mass dubbed the Pacific Blob.
Man-made climate change also contributes, as the oceans are absorbing about 93% of the increase in the earth's heat.
Additionally, corals face ocean acidification as CO2 emissions are absorbed into the oceans, changing the pH of seawater.
Some scientists are warning that spectacular reefs as we know them - with branching corals and fan corals - are unlikely to survive changes in temperature and pH by the end of this century. That's if they are not killed first by other damaging local activities.
The current bleaching episode was predicted by NOAA and confirmed by researchers and citizen scientists in the Caribbean. The main groups involved are XL Catlin Seaview Survey, the University of Queensland, and Reef Check.
Although reefs represent less than 0,1% of the world's ocean floor, they help support about a quarter of all marine species. The NOAA says the livelihoods of 500 million people and income worth over $30bn (Â£19,6bn) are at stake.
Reefs are the breeding ground for tropical fisheries. They also provide shelter from the waves for tropical islands and bring invaluable tourist income.
"Just like in 1998 and 2010, we're observing bleaching on a global scale, which will cause massive loss of corals. With people relying on fisheries and reefs for sustenance, the repercussions could be potentially disastrous," said Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the University of Queensland.
Prof Rupert Ormond, Secretary of the International Society for Reef Studies, told BBC News: "Although corals may live for several days after they bleach, they then usually die. They may recover - but only if the sea temperature drops within a week or so.  Mostly it takes much longer, so the reef ends up covered with dead corals, especially on its upper parts.
"The reefs may slowly recover if new coral colonies come in from outside, but this may take years or decades.  I know coral reefs in Kenya that lost most of their corals in 1998 and they still only have a few percent of the corals once there."
Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin


Portadown boss Niall Currie hopes to build on last week's draw at Linfield in the top versus bottom game against leaders Crusaders at Shamrock Park.

Holding the title-challenging Blues left the Ports 11 points adrift at the Premiership basement.
"We have set out own bar with that performance against Linfield and we need that to be a springboard," said Currie.
"We've have highs and lows and but now need that consistency."
He added: "When we are right, when we are pulling in the same direction we can be competitive.
"If we can get that honesty regularly throughout the rest of the season then we can be a match for any team."
The result at Windsor Park may have been a boost for the Ports but it was a hammer blow to Linfield's hopes of catching Crusaders, who are now nine points clear.
Linfield face traditional foes Glentoran at the Oval on Saturday with the Blues winning two of this season's meetings while the other game was drawn.
Gary Haveron's first game in charge of the Glens was a 2-1 defeat by Linfield back in October.
Inform Coleraine are just four points behind third-place Cliftonville as they prepare for a Solitude showdown.
Ballymena are back in action after their League Cup triumph last weekend and the Sky Blues visit Ballinamallard.
Glenavon have signed former Northern Ireland U21 midfielder Chris Turner after the 30-year-old left Scottish club Cowdenbeath by mutual consent last month.
The Lurgan Blues travel to relegation threatened Carrick Rangers, who lost out to Ballymena in the Seaview decider.
Dungannon Swifts are still in contention for a top-six spot in the league split as they welcome Ards to Stangmore Park.


The adopted son of Jerry Sandusky, the US college football coach convicted of child abuse, has been accused of sexually abusing two teenage sisters.

Jeffrey Sandusky, 41, allegedly sent explicit text messages to children, asking for nude photographs.
The arrest comes nearly five years after his father, who worked for Pennsylvania State University, was found guilty on similar charges.
The elder Sandusky is serving a lengthy prison sentence for molesting 10 boys.
The son - who attended many of his father's court proceedings - faces 14 counts, including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of a minor and photographing or depicting sexual acts.
He was formally charged at a court in the Pennsylvanian town of Bellefonte on Monday afternoon.
His adopted mother, Dorothy Sandusky, was also present at the hearing, according to local media.
The investigation began in November 2016, police say, when a child claimed to have received a text message from the younger Sandusky.
The child shared the photo with her father, who alerted police.
Mr Sandusky's bail has been set at $200,000 (Â£160,000), which he was unable to post, court records show.
He is being held in jail pending trial and is prohibited from having any contact with minors.
His employer, the Rockview State Prison, has suspended him as a prison officer, pending trial.
Mr Sandusky's brother, Matt, told NBC News his thoughts are "with the victims".
He also had some harsh words for his sibling.
"He should not see the outside of a prison cell for the rest of his life if these allegations are true," said Matt Sandusky.
The revelation that coach Jerry Sandusky has abused children, some whom were beneficiaries of his own charity, shocked Pennsylvanians and fans of US college football.
The school president, as well as the team's head coach, were both fired after being accused of seeking to cover up allegations against Sandusky, the school's longtime defensive co-ordinator.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eventually punished the team by stripping it of all victories from 1998-2011 and imposing a fine of $60m (Â£48m).


Dylai prifysgolion yng Nghymru dalu cyflog byw i'w gweithwyr, yn ôl yr Ysgrifennydd Addysg Kirsty Williams.

Prifysgol Caerdydd yw'r unig un o'r wyth prifysgol yn y wlad sy'n gyflogwr cyflog byw.
Mae busnesau a sefydliadau yn medru cael y statws hwnnw drwy dalu isafswm cyflog o £8.45 yr awr - sy'n fwy na'r isafswm statudol.
Dywedodd y corff sy'n cynrychioli addysg uwch, Prifysgolion Cymru, bod nifer o sefydliadau "yn talu cyflogau sydd gyfystyr â'r Cyflog Byw gwirfoddol".
Mae Ms Williams hefyd yn galw am bwyll wrth bennu cyflogau uwch swyddogion y prifysgolion.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae is-ganghellor pob prifysgol yng Nghymru yn ennill dros £200,000 y flwyddyn.
"Dwi'n gobeithio bod prifysgolion yn ystyried rhoi cyflogau da i'w holl staff fel rhan o'u cenhadaeth ddinesig", meddai Ms Williams wrth raglen Sunday Politics BBC Cymru.
"'Dyn ni angen i'r prifysgolion hynny gydnabod cymaint o dda y maen nhw'n gallu ei wneud i'n cenedl ni, Cymru.
"Ie, addysgu pobl, ond hefyd defnyddio eu grym, adnoddau a chyfleusterau i gyfrannu tuag at y genedl gyfan, ac mae talu cyflog byw yn ffordd bwysig o wneud hynny."
Yn ei llythyr blynyddol at Gyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru (CCAUC), mae Ms Williams yn galw am "welliant buan" ar gyflogau byw a mwy o bwyll o ran maint cyflogau'r rheiny sy'n ennill fwyaf.
Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Prifysgolion Cymru: "Mae gan nifer o brifysgolion Cymru raddau cyflog sydd gyfystyr â'r Cyflog Byw gwirfoddol."
"Bydd cyrff llywodraethu yn teimlo ei bod hi'n bwysig iddyn nhw gadw'r hawl i wneud penderfyniadau am gynyddu costau cyflogau, ynghyd â'r buddion a'r amodau arbennig maen nhw'n eu darparu, sy'n golygu yn aml mai nhw yw'r cyflogwyr mwyaf deniadol yn eu hardal", meddai'r llefarydd.
Dangosodd adroddiad gan CCAUC y llynedd fod cyflogau uchaf prifysgolion Cymru yn "lled debyg" i weddill y DU.
Mewn datganiad, dywedodd y corff: "Rydyn ni wedi cadarnhau gyda [Ms Williams] y byddan ni'n gweithio gyda'r prifysgolion i geisio sicrhau'r gwelliant buan y mae hi eisiau ei weld yn y maes hwn."
Sunday Politics, BBC One Cymru, 2 Ebrill am 11:00.


A 47-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering an 18-year-old student found dead at a beauty spot.

Ellen Higginbottom's body was found at Orrell Water Park in Wigan early on Saturday.
Post-mortem tests found she had been killed by "multiple wounds to the neck".
Ellen was reported missing on Friday after she had failed to return home from Winstanley College, where she studied.
Greater Manchester Police earlier said some of Ellen's friends had told them she had been last seen at the nature reserve.
The force said the arrested man, from the Billinge area of Wigan, was being held on suspicion of murder and was currently in custody for questioning.
Police previously said Ellen's disappearance was "extremely out of character".
Det Supt Howard Millington said: "First of all my thoughts continue to be with Ellen's family at this devastating time."
He urged members of the public to report "anyone acting suspiciously in the area either on Friday or in the days prior".
He said investigators would remain at the scene of the water park for the next few days and said officers would be continuing "to patrol the streets in the area".


Russian athletes accused of doping should have disciplinary proceedings brought against them, according to the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC has requested the IAAF take action after a damning report into widespread doping was released.
The report by the World Anti-Doping Agency independent commission urged Russia be banned from competition for a "state-supported" doping programme.
It added that five Russian athletes and five coaches should be given life bans.
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Named in the report was Mariya Savinova, who won gold in the 800m at London 2012, along with Ekaterina Poistogova, who won bronze in the same race.
Anastasiya Bazdyreva, Tatjana Myazina and Kristina Ugarova were also among the athletes named, although these allegations are unproven and the five individuals are yet to respond to the report's findings.
Wada says London 2012 was "sabotaged" by "widespread inaction" against athletes with suspicious doping profiles, while the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was also implicated.
The Kremlin has dismissed the accusations, describing them as "groundless".
IAAF president Lord Coe told the BBC that the Russian athletics federation, Araf, had been asked to respond to the allegations by the end of the week.
The 59-year-old said that after reviewing the feedback the IAAF "would look at a range of options, including sanctions", which could result in suspension from the sport.
In a statement, the IOC said: "With its zero-tolerance policy against doping, following the conclusion of this procedure, the IOC will take all the necessary measures and sanctions with regard to the withdrawal and reallocation of medals. And as the case may be exclusion of coaches and officials from future Olympic Games."
In an interview on New Zealand television on Tuesday, IOC president Thomas Bach said he expected Russia to "co-operate to make progress" towards being compliant with Wada to ensure participation at Rio 2016.
He added he was "convinced" Coe would "do whatever is necessary" to clean up the sport.


Russia has ordered five Moldovan diplomats to leave the country, a statement says, two days after Moldova expelled five Russian diplomats.

The Russian foreign minister criticised the "counter-productive" nature of Moldova's "unfriendly actions".
The diplomats, who were not named, were given three days to leave Russia.
Moldova's pro-EU government has not explained the expulsions. But the prime minister said there were "good reasons" for it.
"It was a matter of the country's national interests and the state security of Moldova," Pavel Filip said on Wednesday in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency.
"We are in favour of good relations with Russia, but this relationship should be built of mutual respect."
The country's President Igor Dodon, who sees close ties with Moscow as a priority, had earlier called the move against the Russian delegation "outrageous".
Moldova is one of Europe's poorest countries and gets funding from the EU.
In March a former Moldovan MP, Yuri Bolbochan, was arrested and accused of treason for allegedly having passed secrets to an aide to the Russian military attachÃ©.
The aide - named by Russian media as Alexander Grudin - is reported to be among the five diplomats ordered to leave Moldova.
Moldova signed a far-reaching association agreement with the EU in 2014, and Russia promptly imposed import restrictions on the country's agricultural produce.
Russian troops are stationed in the breakaway Trans-Dniester region, which is economically dependent on Russia and defies the Moldovan government in Chisinau.
In 2015 Moldova was rocked by a huge fraud case, when more than â‚¬1bn (Â£867m; $1.1bn) disappeared from three banks.
The conflict in neighbouring Ukraine has raised tensions in Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic that Russia sees as part of its sphere of influence.


A disc jockey who subjected a man and woman with Down's syndrome to sex attacks in Moray has been jailed for five years.

Scott Sinclair, 41, who lived in Elgin at the time, was convicted by a jury.
A judge rejected a defence plea to spare Sinclair a prison sentence and told him that custody was "inevitable".
Lord Glennie said: "I cannot regard this as a case where you could have reasonably believed they were consenting to the sexual acts."
Sinclair, who ran a DJ and karaoke business, had taken part in events organised for people with learning difficulties.
He earlier denied three sex charges during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Sinclair was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.


Goalkeeper Joe Hart says England must be "ruthless" to succeed at Euro 2016, where he hopes to give a new generation of fans their own Euro '96 moment.

Roy Hodgson's side, who won every game in qualifying, start their campaign on Saturday against Russia in Marseille.
"If we can be on the right end of key moments, we will go far," said Hart.
The Manchester City keeper also said he "fully believes" in England's defensive options, despite criticism over a perceived lack of strength in depth.
"It's very balanced and very comfortable," said Hart.
"We're going to attack as a team and defend as a team. We'll work hard, we are well regimented and we are ready."
Hodgson's 23-man party - the youngest England squad for 58 years - features three central defenders in Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling and John Stones, with defensive midfielder Eric Dier as a back-up option.
Hart, who has 59 caps, was England's first-choice keeper as they exited the 2014 World Cup at the group stage for the first time in 58 years.
But he is adamant England's past displays are irrelevant: "Playing to a decent standard isn't enough, we have to be ruthless at both ends of the pitch."
England are joined by Russia, Wales and Slovakia in Group B.
With three teams potentially reaching the last 16, hopes are high of replicating the run to the semi-finals in 1996, which Hart watched as a nine-year-old.
"That was a fantastic tournament, one I enjoyed watching and I'd love for other nine-year-olds to have memories of 2016," he added.


Huddersfield Giants have signed Bradford Bulls stand-off Lee Gaskell on a four-year deal.

Gaskell, 26, started his career with St Helens before joining the Bulls in 2013.
"To be back in Super League is a great feeling and to be given this chance by the Giants is pleasing," he told the club website.
"I've had a short time here and it's good to get that training under my belt."


Kilmarnock have signed striker Michael Ngoo on a two-year contract.

The 21-year-old, who had a spell on loan at Hearts last year, was released by Liverpool at the end of last season.
Ngoo goes straight into the Killie squad for Saturday's match against Ross County and said: "It is good to be back in Scottish football.
"I am looking to bring goals and compete for the league. I don't see any reason why this bunch of players can't compete for the league."
And he added: "If we beat every other team, then it's down to Celtic, if that makes sense.
"I watched them [Kilmarnock] play against Aberdeen [who won 2-0] and there wasn't much in the game so I believe that if everyone gets their head down and works hard, I don't see any reason why we can't.
"You can't go into something thinking we will settle for less.
"We have to aim for the best and if the best doesn't come then second isn't a bad position. That's how I feel.
"I am looking forward to tomorrow and if I get some minutes I will show everyone what I can do."
Manager Allan Johnston is delighted to have signed Ngoo, who scored five goals during his previous spell in Scottish football.
"He is a big presence, he did well with Hearts and we are expecting him to play a big part in our team this year," explained Johnston
"So it is up to him to put in good performances on the pitch.
"He is desperate to start playing again.
"The boys have made him welcome and he feels he is part of the squad so he should be a good signing.
"We still have Lee Miller to come back [from a calf injury] so we have options up front."


Politicians in south Northamptonshire have voted to spend £100,000 to fight plans for a rail freight terminal.

The proposals, drawn up by Rail Central, would see a depot built on up to 700 acres of farm land between Milton Malsor and Blisworth.
Ashfield Land, the developer behind the scheme, says it would boost the economy with 8,000 jobs.
Many villagers say it would cause traffic problems, ruin the countryside and end the rural community.
The plans include offices, a service depot, facilities for heavy goods vehicles and a hotel. Some homes would also face compulsory purchase orders.
The scheme was first revealed in January but the planning application has not yet been submitted.
It is set to be submitted directly to the planning inspectorate, bypassing the council's planning committee, because it is deemed to be a nationally important scheme.
Councillor Ann Addison, who represents Milton Malsor on South Northamptonshire Council, said: "We know what's happening on the ground we know what local people's feelings are, I don't know if an inspector who comes up from wherever (will)."
In a statement Ashfield Land said the plans would create a "world-class logistics hub" in the county that would contribute to the regional and national economy.
The statement added the firm was in the early stages of developing the proposals and there would be a consultation on the process in the coming weeks.


La Salle earned their ninth Belfast Senior Schools' Cup triumph as they clinched a 3-1 win over St Malachy's in Thursday's final.

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Donal Rocks put La Salle ahead in the 10th minute with Declan Dunne doubling their lead four minutes later.
Nathan Fox extended the advantage three minutes into the second half before Paddy Burns pulled a goal back for St Malachy's at New Grosvenor.
Man of the match Fox was sent off late on after getting a second booking.


A maritime attraction is set to benefit from a £500,000 upgrade.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy, which took over the former Hartlepool Maritime Experience a year ago, said it wanted to transform it into a "real tourism gem".
Work will include conservation work to its centrepiece, HMS Trincomalee, which celebrates its bicentenary this year.
There will also be a new activity zone offering families hands-on adventure themes on the story of the ship.
Professor Dominic Tweddle, director general of The National Museum of the Royal Navy, said: "Following a year-long consultation with visitors it is clear that they want more things to do for the family so they can make a full day of it.
"So investing in the family offer is essential, it means more people will visit, particularly locals, and this will have an overwhelmingly positive influence on the town.
"We continue to work very well with our partners at Hartlepool Borough Council with the shared aim of making the site sustainable and a real tourism gem for the region."


The Oldham West and Royton by-election will be held on Thursday, 3 December, it has been announced.

The by-election has been triggered by the death of long-serving Labour MP Michael Meacher.
Labour chief whip Rosie Winterton moved the writ in the House of Commons to formally begin the process.
Mr Meacher, a former environment minister, held the seat for Labour in May with a 14,738 majority from UKIP in second place.


Recent protests in Israel highlight the differences between the country's religious and secular Jewish communities.

Hundreds of right-wing Jews have taken part in demonstrations outside Israel's Supreme Court over the brief detention of two prominent rabbis in the last few weeks.
There were clashes with police on horseback on the nearby Jerusalem streets and several arrests were made.
Rabbis Dov Lior and Yacob Yousef had endorsed a highly controversial book, the King's Torah - written by two lesser-known settler rabbis. It attempts to justify killing non-Jews, including those not involved in violence, under certain circumstances.
The fifth chapter, entitled "Murder of non-Jews in a time of war" has been widely quoted in the Israeli media.  The summary states that "you can kill those who are not supporting or encouraging murder in order to save the lives of Jews".
At one point it suggests that babies can justifiably be killed if it is clear they will grow up to pose a threat.
Israeli police investigating allegations of incitement had asked the rabbis to be voluntarily questioned, but took them into custody when they refused.
Both men have strong support among ideological Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, but the wider religious community also took up their cause.
The heated reaction to their arrests has highlighted tensions between religious and civil authority in Israel and sparked a debate over freedom of expression.
Some students who joined a rally on 4 July are now back in the quiet of the library of the Raanana Yeshiva, a seminary of higher Jewish studies, north of Tel Aviv.
Eliyahu Gross, 21, travelled with friends to Jerusalem but tells me he had not read the King's Torah.
"I was just demonstrating against the idea of the restriction of the Torah," he says, stressing the need for uninhibited discussions of Judaism's founding legal and ethical religious texts.
"In my point of view, anything that's against the freedom of the Torah is basically against my freedom as a Jew."
Rabbi Yehuda Amar, who helped organise the gathering, strongly rejects the way the text has been presented.
"Jewish law is very, very careful about anything that poses a threat to life," he says.  He maintains that the book invites only theoretical analysis of scripture.
"We need freedom to study the Torah on both a spiritual level and on a democratic level," Rabbi Amar adds. "We try to show there is a contrast: Spiritual ideas are pulled away from practical life."
As the discussion goes on, the religious community's sense of marginalisation comes to the fore.
The head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Haim Rehig, sees the King's Torah as "a problematic book" and has written against it.
He believes the recent protests were mainly about religious Jews' demand for "equality before the law".
"Every time they investigate the 'right-side of the map', if you can call it that, you see there are culture clashes between us and the secular part of the country," he says.
He suggests some left-wing academics have incited hatred of settlers and religious Jews "and nobody arrested them because we are some kind of a minority here".
An unscientific sample of public opinion in the Mahane Yehuda Market on Jaffa Road in West Jerusalem, illustrates the gap between Israel's religious Jewish minority and its secular majority.
Here, there is a lot of support for the police action against the rabbis who backed the controversial text.  Many see it as proof that laws apply to all.
"A rabbi is a very, very important role, but he is not above the law," says Avi Ben Yousef.
"As citizens we all follow the same laws and regulations. We live in a democracy and this is how it should be."
"If someone supports racism, it's not allowed in the law, so he should be arrested," says local business-owner, Eli.
"I think more than that, the people who wrote the book should be on trial.
"I'm worried not just because of this book, but because of religious people," he continues.
"A lot of people are worried but they don't talk.  This is a problem because the people whose voices are heard all the time are the extremists who support this book."
There have been several moments in recent Israeli history that have amplified tensions between religious and secular Jews.
In 2005, Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip led to its security forces forcibly evicting Jewish settlers - who were mostly religious - following bitter protests.
Many in the religious community saw this as a betrayal by the state - and its institutions, particularly the Supreme Court, which ruled that the government's disengagement plan was constitutional.
Ten years earlier the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jew Yigal Amir also caused a deep rift.  Amir opposed Mr Rabin's signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords with the Palestinians.
A research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, Yair Sheleg, has long studied religious trends in the country and warns that misunderstanding between different groups is dangerous. He stresses that secular Jews should not view all religious Jews in the same way.
"I found an inner struggle between the liberals and extremists within the religious Zionist sector," he says.  "The extremists gain power if they feel that [Israel's] secular majority describes the whole sector as extremists."
"When young people feel they are hated, it makes them more extreme. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy."
More ultra-Orthodox Jews are joining the workforce in greater numbers, instead of devoting their lives solely to study of the Torah.  Some also do national service in the military.
Those in the orthodox community increasingly serve in army combat units.
Although the armed forces publish relatively little information about the background of enlistees, last August Israel Defense Forces magazine Maarachot reported that in recent years about 30% of graduates from an infantry officers' course defined themselves as "Zionist religious", up from 2.5% in 1980.
This may help change perceptions.
However, the King's Torah episode is a reminder of the potential for antagonism and clashes of ideology.
As a large number of religious Jews live in settlements in the West Bank or have relatives there, many analysts see it as the potential location for future flare-ups.
While international law deems the settlements illegal, Israel disputes this.  The Palestinians want the land for a future state.
Israeli military chiefs responsible for the West Bank are reported to be worried about possible clashes with settlers when they move to clear a settlement outpost in the coming months in accordance with a Supreme Court decision.
Already an increase in violence involving right-wing Jewish extremists and local Palestinians has been recorded.
An article in Israel's Maariv newspaper quotes the country's regional army commander as saying that action by Jewish extremists "is building up into a critical massâ€¦ for this group, a book like the King's Torah is not a theoretical discussion."


A controversial study that found there has been no slowdown in global warming has been supported by new research.

Many researchers had accepted that the rate of global warming had slowed in the first 15 years of this century.
But new analysis, in journal Science Advances, replicates findings that scientists have underestimated ocean temperatures over the past two decades.
With the revised data the apparent pause in temperature rises between 1998 and 2014, disappears.
The idea of a pause had gained support in recent years with even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting in 2013 that the global surface temperature "has shown a much smaller increasing linear trend over the past 15 years than over the past 30 to 60 years".
But that consensus was brought into question by a number of studies, of which a report by the the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) published in Science last year was the most significant.
Researchers from Noaa suggested that the temperatures of the oceans were being consistently underestimated by the main global climate models.
The authors showed that the ocean buoys used to measure sea temperatures tend to report slightly cooler temperatures than the older ship-based systems.
Back in the 1990s, ship measurements made up the vast majority of the data, whereas now the more accurate and consistent buoys account for 85% of measurements.
When the researchers corrected the data to take this "cold bias" into account, they concluded that the oceans had warmed 0.12C per decade since 2000, nearly twice as fast as previous estimates of 0.07 degrees.
As a result, the authors said that the warming experienced in the first 15 years of the 21st Century was "virtually indistinguishable" from the rate of warming between 1950-99, a time generally acknowledged to have seen significant rates of warming from human emissions of CO2.
The study did not go down well with climate sceptics. Members of the US House of Representatives subpoenaed the author's emails which Noaa refused to hand over.
However, this new analysis supports the findings of the Noaa report. The scientists involved believe the problems in the original temperature estimates for the oceans came from attempting to mesh together data from ships and buoys.
"Only a small fraction of the ocean measurement data is being used by climate monitoring groups, and they are trying to smush together data from different instruments, which leads to a lot of judgement calls about how you weight one versus the other, and how you adjust for the transition from one to another," said Zeke Hausfather, the new paper's lead author.
Hausfather and colleagues decided to put together three independent data sets from satellites, buoys and robotic floats to find the true scale of ocean warming, so there was no mixing or matching of data.
"Our approach was to create three separate ocean temperature records from the three different instruments, and it turns out that all three agree really well with the new Noaa record," he said.
"The conclusion is that Noaa got it right, the scientists at Noaa were not cooking the books or manipulating the data in any way and that three independent sets of data back up their results."
The controversy that surrounded the original paper proved a strong motivation for attempting to replicate the findings says another author, Dr Kevin Cowtan from the University of York.
"We were initially sceptical of the Noaa result, because it showed faster warming than a previous updated record from the UK Met Office. So we set out to test it for ourselves, using different methods and different data. We now think Noaa got it right, and a new dataset from the Japan Meteorological Agency also agrees."
The new study is unlikely to quieten sceptics but the authors say their new work shows that the rate of warming in the last two decades is no different from the rate of warming since 1970 or from 1950.
As for attempts by politicians to subpoena emails in an attempt to suggest that scientists are committing fraud, the idea gets short shrift from the new paper's authors.
"If people disagree with things they should ask other scientists to look into it rather than demanding access to scientists' emails," said Zeke Hausfather.
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An inquiry into child sex abuse in Australia has cleared the way for victims to be present when Australia's most senior Catholic gives testimony.

Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican's finance chief, will speak to the inquiry from Rome next week.
He has been excused from returning to Australia because of ill health, which has angered child abuse survivors.
The commissioner, Justice Peter McClellan, said it was "reasonable" for victims to watch Cardinal Pell speak.
The logistics of having Cardinal Pell testify in front of victims were previously in question, but Justice McClellan said a suitable hotel room had been found in central Rome.
A group of around 15 abuse survivors are reportedly expected to fly to Rome this weekend. The group launched a successful crowdfunding campaign that has raised more than A$200,000 ($143,000; Â£100,000) for the trip.
Survivor Andrew Collins told Fairfax it would be an "arduous journey", but said Cardinal Pell "should have to see people and look into their eyes".
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has focused much of its efforts on widespread child abuse by Catholic church clergy in Australia.
It is currently hearing testimony regarding child abuse that occurred in the city of Ballarat, including by notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale.
Cardinal Pell was a priest in Ballarat and lived together with Ridsdale in the early 1970s.
He is not facing criminal charges, but detractors say child abuse that happened under his watch has made his Vatican position untenable.
Cardinal Pell has testified at the inquiry twice before in relation to other matters, once in person and once via video link.


People in Paris, France, are trying to get back to normal life.

17 November 2015 Last updated at 07:38 GMT
It's after the attacks which happened on Friday where more than 120 people lost their lives.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the French capital laying lowers, leaving messages and lighting candles to remember what happened.
On Monday a minute's silence was held across Europe as a show of support for people in the city.
The historic landmark and tourist attraction the Eiffel Tower also re-opened. Lit up in the colours of the French flag.
Jenny's in Paris and has been finding out how people are feeling.


Emergency planners are discussing when residents can return home after a large sinkhole opened in North Yorkshire.

Twelve homes were evacuated on Wednesday after the hole opened in back gardens of Magdalen's Road in Ripon.
Ian Spiers, emergency planning manager for Harrogate Borough Council, said Yorkshire Water was deciding how to reopen sewers so residents could return home.
The sinkhole measures about 20m (66ft) by 10m (33ft). It is 9m (30ft) deep.
One resident described the ground moving and finding her garden steps had gone.
No-one was injured but the properties were evacuated as a precaution and the sewerage system connected to several properties fell in to the ground.
Harrogate Borough Council officers met representatives from the fire service, North Yorkshire County Council highways department, Yorkshire Water and Northern Powergrid.
Teams from the utility services remain on site evaluating options for "temporary solutions" that might allow some residents to return home.
Mr Spiers said: "The little private road at the back of the properties isn't suitable for heavy vehicles, so Yorkshire Water is looking at alternative ways of getting to reopen the sewer so some of the residents can get back home."
Sinkholes are often caused by surface water penetrating the ground, or fluctuations in groundwater levels.
An assessment by the British Geological Survey (BGS) on Friday determined the sinkhole remains a risk and there is the potential for further slippage around the hole.
The BGS said Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas of the UK for sinkholes because of "Permian gypsum deposits".
These can dissolve more quickly than surrounding limestone, leading to the enlargement of underground caves.
According to the BGS, the wider area of Ripon periodically encounters sinkholes and in the 1980s and 1990s a hole was appearing every two to three years.
Further cracks appeared on Friday and officers have visited a couple of times each day to watch for changes.
Mr Spiers said there were "signs of a couple more smaller tension fractures" and earth from the gardens had dropped into the hole over the weekend, but there had been "no major visual disturbance".
He added: "Water and gypsum don't mix well, but thankfully the heavy rain at the weekend didn't have any dramatic effect.
"At this stage, I don't think we can do anything to stabilise the site.
"BGS guidance is to monitor the hole while [we] decide the best way to stabilise the site."
A council spokesperson said: "Our main responsibility is to continue to protect the public from any danger. The area affected by the sinkhole has been cordoned off and a safety perimeter established to deter anyone from entering the area."
In 2014, a 100-year-old detached house in an adjoining street was demolished after a 25ft-wide (8m) sinkhole appeared.


Richie Barker has been sacked as Portsmouth manager after only 20 games in charge of the League Two strugglers.

Pompey won four of their matches under Barker, 38, and have dropped to only two points above the relegation zone.
Academy boss Andy Awford has been placed in temporary charge of the first team for Saturday's game against Newport County at Rodney Parade.
"We would like to thank Richie for all his work and wish him well for the future," said a club statement.
Barker met with Portsmouth chairman Iain McInnes and chief executive Mark Catlin on Wednesday night at Fratton Park and was told of his fate on Thursday.
The Pompey Supporters' Trust, which owns around 51% of the club, added the prospect of relegation from the Football League was "unacceptable".
"In the position we are in, we believe this is the right decision for the club," said PST chairman Ashley Brown.
"Ultimately football is a results business and we haven't seen the progress we'd hoped for under Richie. We also considered the view of our fans and decided, as a group, that this is the right decision."
Former Crawley manager Barker, who lost his job at the League One club in November, took over from Guy Whittingham at Fratton Park on 9 December and lost eight of his 20 games.
Awford, who was also caretaker for three games when Whittingham was sacked, has seven games to keep the club in the division and prevent a third successive relegation.
Northampton, managed by former Oxford boss Chris Wilder, are two points below Pompey in the League Two table.
Wilder, who was interviewed for the Portsmouth job before Barker was appointed, has helped the Cobblers close the gap from seven points since being appointed at the end of January.


A 44-year-old man has died in custody at Maghaberry Prison, County Antrim.

It is understood the man was Gerard Mulligan, from Lisburn, County Antrim, and that he took his own life at the high security jail on Saturday evening.
Mr Mulligan had been on remand charged with murdering his father, Gerald Mulligan, at his home in Limehurst Way, Lisburn, in September.
The PSNI, coroner and Prisoner Ombudsman have launched investigations into the prisoner's death.
The Northern Ireland Prison Service has not confirmed the inmate's identity or released any details about how he died, but said the man's next of kin have been informed.
Acting Prison Service director general Phil Wragg said: "I would like to extend my sympathy and that of the Northern Ireland Prison Service to the family of the prisoner who has died in Maghaberry.
"My thoughts are with them at this difficult time."
The prisoner's father was found dead in the boot of a car near his home on 26 September and he was arrested shortly afterwards.


British rider Bradley Smith is aiming for a top-six Championship finish after securing his first ever podium finish in MotoGP on Sunday.

Oxford-born Smith, 23, finished third in Australia after fellow Briton Cal Crutchlow crashed from second place on the final lap, as Valentino Rossi won.
"I didn't see that crash, so I didn't know which position I was," said Smith.
"I came across the line, saw 'third' or 'Smith' and I thought something was wrong with the screen."
Smith continued: "Then I started making some weird noises inside my helmet. It's a special, special moment for me."
"It was a strange race. I tried to push at the beginning but was far too aggressive.
"I had lots of big moments and nearly crashed three or four times in the opening two laps, so I had to take it down a peg or two."
Smith now lies eighth overall in the world standings, with two rounds to go - in Malaysia and Valencia - and has his sights set on improving that position.
"We've closed in on the top six in the Championship - that can be our target for the remaining two races," he said.


Donald Trump is not an elected official, he's not even the Republican nominee for the presidential race, so his proposal to ban Muslims from entering America doesn't actually mean a thing in practice.

It is not US policy. It has never been US policy. And I'd bet my life's savings that it will never be US policy.
It's tempting to dismiss it as pure showmanship, a bid by Mr Trump to simply up the campaign outrage stakes and win himself both a lot of attention and a few extra points in the polls.
You can almost imagine someone on the campaign wondering, "now, what can we say to shock them this time!"
This is, after all, just the latest in a string of hardline comments that have slammed immigrants and Muslims.
But this statement is more extreme, and it has set off howls of outrage, including from fellow Republicans, and it is worth examining, for several reasons.
Firstly, Mr Trump's statement - loudly cheered by his supporters at a rally - says something about the state of the American electorate.
Trump is the Republican party's frontrunner, by a long way, and he's got there in part by saying things like this.
Yes, his supporters like his celebrity, but it's also his tough positions that have endeared him to sufficient numbers of Republican primary voters to get him to the top of the polls.
And remember, this is not a uniquely American sentiment - you have to wonder what Marine Le Pen makes of Mr Trump's latest plan.
Secondly, the response of his fellow Republican candidates is very telling. Governor Chris Christie was the first hopeful to come out and criticise Mr Trump's would-be ban.
In a radio interview shortly after the statement was released, Mr Christie called it ridiculous.
Marco Rubio called the plan outlandish.
Jeb Bush said Mr Trump must be "unhinged" for making such a remark.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called on all the candidates to condemn Mr Trump and even Ted Cruz, Texas senator and the man nipping at Mr Trump's heels in recent Iowa polls, said this wasn't his policy.
After previous divisive remarks, the Republican candidates have often been reluctant to criticise the frontrunner. Not this time.
You have to wonder, come the general election, whether the nominee will be judged in part on how he responded to Mr Trump's statement today.
That is, if the nominee is not the man who wants to ban all Muslims from entering America.
Finally, watch the fallout closely.
So far, every time political commentators have predicted that an "outrageous" comment by Mr Trump meant he had finally gone too far, the voters seemed to think otherwise and his much vaunted poll numbers just went higher.
It will be interesting to see what happens this time.
I, for one, have learned the folly of making predictions when it comes to Mr Trump's political future.


Rolls-Royce is to cut an extra 400 posts from its marine division, after announcing 600 job cuts in May.

The aero-engine maker, which depends on oil and gas-related customers for about 60% of its business, blamed the sharp fall in crude prices for the cuts.
The marine unit has been under pressure over the past 18 months since the price of Brent crude collapsed to six-year lows, and ship orders were cancelled.
The marine business employs about 5,800 people in 34 countries.
Rolls Royce shares jumped more than 3% following the announcement.
Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce Marine president, said: "After many years of strong performance through to 2013, led by good growth in the oil and gas sector, our order book and profitability have been adversely impacted by the sharp and subsequently prolonged drop in the price of oil."
The cuts will mainly be in management and back office roles, a spokesman said.
"We will be consulting with our employees and their representatives over the coming weeks and months, and expect the reduction to be completed by the end of 2016," he added.
The firm expects the cuts will generate full year savings of £40m. Investment into research and development will be stepped up.
Last November, the company said it would cut its headcount by 2,600 jobs, mainly in its aerospace division.
In July, Rolls-Royce issued its fourth profit warning in 18 months on the back of the drop in oil prices.
It said its 2015 underlying profit in the marine business would be between break even and £40m, rather than between £90m and £120m.
Rolls-Royce's new chief executive Warren East, who took up the role at the beginning of July, is in the process of carrying out an operational review of the business.


Middlesbrough fans have paid tribute to BBC Tees presenter Ali Brownlee, who died from cancer a week ago.

Supporters held a minute's applause before the kick-off of the club's game against Cardiff at 19:45 GMT.
Further applause was due to ring around the Riverside Stadium in the 56th minute, marking the age at which Mr Brownlee died.
He became known as the "Voice of the Boro" after more than 30 years commentating on the club.
Fans have left scarves and shirts at the club's ground alongside scores of emotional messages.
Former Middlesbrough striker Bernie Slaven, who commentated alongside Mr Brownlee, said: "Ali wouldn't believe it. He would be embarrassed to a degree because he was a modest man.
"He was passionate, very knowledgeable about the game of football. He lived and breathed it."
Mr Slaven said highlights of working together included the club's victory in the 2004 Carling Cup at the Millennium Stadium.
Mr Brownlee had worked in a bank before taking up a commentary role with the BBC in 1982.
He had also presented BBC Tees' breakfast show since 2011.
He died at his home in Middlesbrough on Valentine's Day, surrounded by family, and will be laid to rest at a private funeral on Thursday.
Supporters will have another opportunity to pay their respects on Thursday.
Mr Brownlee will be laid to rest at a private funeral, but fans will be able to pay their respects along the route of the cortege which will travel along Linthorpe Road, Borough Road, the Riverside Stadium and Ayresome Street from shortly after 13:00 GMT.
Fans are invited to gather in the West Stand of the Riverside from 12:00 GMT and highlights of some of Mr Brownlee's best moments will be shown on a big screen prior to the arrival of the cortege.