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Australia airport security sacked over Julie Bishop check

An Australian security officer at Melbourne airport has been sacked after the country's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was reportedly singled out for a security screening.

The incident happened in September as Ms Bishop was travelling to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The officer who conducted the pat-down was suspended and later reinstated.

But a more senior officer who ordered the check has been sacked. The airport said the check had not been random.

The female airport worker who carried out the screening was found to have not adhered to "standard security screening procedures" but was reinstated after receiving training.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that at least three other airport workers have also been suspended.

The foreign ministry made clear it did not make an official complaint.

It later emerged that Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss had asked ask the airport to investigate, says the BBC's Jon Donnison in Australia.

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Incendiary device 'ignites' at Preston Fishergate Shopping Centre

A "small incendiary device" has "ignited" at a shopping centre, causing it to be evacuated, police have said.

The "deliberately planted" device was found in a bin at Preston's Fishergate Shopping Centre at about 09:10 GMT.

Lancashire Police said an evacuation was ordered "as a precaution" because the incendiary had "gone off, causing very minor damage and no injuries".

Ch Supt James Lee said the centre remained closed due to concerns there may be more devices.

He said the incendiary was found by a member of the public in the men's toilets.

"Something happened to it to cause a very small fire, but it was put out immediately," he said.

An Army bomb disposal unit has gone to the centre to aid investigations.

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Eagles of Death Metal confirm new tour dates following Paris attacks

Eagles of Death Metal have announced their rescheduled European tour dates following last month's Paris attacks.

The band were playing a gig at the Bataclan concert hall when gunmen stormed the building killing 90 people.

The band returned to Paris last week to play a song with U2 and will play the city's Olympia Theatre in February.

Singer Jesse Hughes said: "The people of Paris have always been incredible to us... not returning to finish our set was never an option."

Fans who were at the Bataclan show on 13 November will be entitled to a free ticket for the rescheduled date at the Olympia on 16 February.

The Bataclan will not be open again in time for the band's return.

In his statement, Hughes - who paid his respects outside the venue on his return to Paris earlier this month - said: "Our feeling of love towards this beautiful city and its people has been reinforced a million times over this past month.

"Hearing the stories of the survivors, the injured and those who have lost loved ones has been overwhelming. Not returning to finish our set was never an option.

"We look forward to coming back in February and continuing our mission to bring rock 'n' roll to the world."

Eagles Of Death Metal also announced they will return to the UK to play the Reading and Leeds festivals next year.

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Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej makes rare appearance

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej has made a rare public appearance, amid concerns for his ailing health.

In television footage released on Monday by the palace he is seen swearing in judges at a Bangkok hospital where he has been staying.

He has received treatment for a number of ailments including a lung infection.

The health of the 88-year-old monarch is of public concern as he is widely revered and seen as an arbiter in the country's divided political arena.

The king, who is the world's longest serving monarch, was last seen in September in a video released by the palace.

He missed his birthday celebrations for the second consecutive year on 5 December. The event was marked by a cycling event last week in Bangkok led by his son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Palace officials did not give any further details of the king's health on Monday.

King Bhumibol has been in and out of hospitals for the past few years and has had operations to remove his gallbladder and to treat hydrocephalus - an excessive build-up of fluid on the brain.

He was re-admitted to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok in June, shortly after he was discharged.

The king's popularity stems partly from his long reign, but he is also seen as a pillar of stability in Thailand which has been wracked by political strife in recent years and is currently governed by a military-led government.

Strict lese majeste laws ban any criticism of him or the royal family.

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Le Pen acquitted of inciting hatred

French National Front leader Marine le Pen has been acquitted of charges of inciting hatred on the December 2010 campaign trail in Lyon, France.

The charges relate to her comments comparing Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation of France in World War Two.

In October Ms Le Pen told a court in Lyon she did not commit any offence.

She was charged in July 2014 after her immunity as a member of the European Parliament was lifted following a vote.

In her 2010 speech to National Front supporters, broadcast by French media, she said that France had initially seen "more and more veils", then "more and more burkhas" and "after that came prayers in the streets".

She said: "I'm sorry, but some people are very fond of talking about World War Two and about the occupation, so let's talk about occupation, because that is what is happening here...

"There are no tanks, no soldiers, but it is still an occupation, and it weighs on people."

The case was originally dropped last year by the Lyon court of appeal but was revived by anti-racism groups who made a civil complaint.

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Quarter of Queensferry Crossing bridge deck in place

More than a quarter of the bridge deck is now in place on the Queensferry Crossing, with a year to go before opening.

Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown visited the bridge earlier.

Lifting the 750 tonne deck sections into place began in September and 36 are now installed out of 122.

The £1.4bn crossing was ordered by ministers because of corrosion of the main suspension cable on the Forth Road Bridge.

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Girl, 14, reported after woman tripped up at Edinburgh Waverley station

A 14-year-old girl has been reported to the Children's Panel after a woman was deliberately tripped as she ran in to Edinburgh Waverley station.

British Transport Police said the incident happened at about 22:30 on Friday.

CCTV shows the 45-year-old being tripped up at the top of the escalators as she entered the station at Waverley Steps.

She spent a night in hospital with "substantial" cuts to her head and lip.