title
stringlengths 13
112
| published_date
stringlengths 10
10
| authors
stringclasses 3
values | description
stringlengths 0
382
⌀ | section
stringlengths 2
31
⌀ | content
stringlengths 0
81.9k
| link
stringlengths 21
189
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irma weakens but still wreaks chaos - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Latest updates as the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade hits the US mainland.
|
US & Canada
|
About 400 survivors of Hurricane Irma have arrived in France and the Netherlands aboard military planes, AFP reports.
Some 278 survivors landed in Paris, while another 100 flew into Eindhoven which is in the south of the Netherlands, the news agency says.
Earlier, French officials said six out of 10 homes on St Martin, an island shared between France and the Netherlands, were now uninhabitable.
They said nine people had died and seven were missing in the French territories, while four are known to have died in Dutch Sint Maarten.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-latin-america-41177350
|
How much leverage does China have over North Korea? - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Beijing enjoys a close relationship to Pyongyang, formalised in a 1961 bilateral treaty.
|
Asia
|
The People's Republic of China, a country averse to binding, treaty-based commitments, has always enjoyed a particular relationship with its small, north-eastern neighbour.
North Korea is the only country with which China has a legally binding mutual aid and co-operation treaty, signed in July 1961. There are only seven articles in the document.
The second is the most important: "The contracting parties undertake jointly to adopt all measures to prevent aggression against either of the contracting parties by any state.
"In the event of one of the contracting parties being subjected to the armed attack by any state or several states jointly and thus being involved in a state of war, the other contracting party shall immediately render military and other assistance by all means at its disposal."
In essence, therefore, if there is a simple answer to the question of what China would need to do if North Korea is unilaterally attacked by another power - say the US or South Korea - this sentence supplies the answer.
It would, according to this treaty, be obliged to become involved - and on the North Koreans' side. This, more than anything else, shows the ways in which history continues to frame the relationship between the two.
We have a very powerful precedent here. Even before the treaty in 1950, China committed a million troops to the Korean War once United Nations forces were involved. In defence of the North as a client state and buffer zone, it is more than likely to commit its much more formidable military assets.
This agreement still stands, despite the immense changes to China since the period in which it was signed.
A million Chinese troops were involved on North Korea's side in the Korean War
After the death of Mao in 1976, the country shifted from its adherence to a utopian version of socialism, and undertook widespread reforms. These resulted in the hybrid, complex system the country has today. Its economy and geopolitical prominence have burgeoned.
For North Korea, things have been different. Tepid attempts at controlled reform over the past three decades have had little success.
In the early 2000s, the Chinese hosted its former leader, the late Kim Jong-Il, and showed him special economic zones in Shanghai and examples of how to create a manufacturing, export-orientated economy servicing the capitalist West but maintaining its Marxist-Leninist system.
The attempt at persuasion evidently fell on deaf ears. North Korea's unique Juche ideology - a pure form of nationalism - meant that it resisted any attempts to copy models from elsewhere.
To this day, the market, if it exists in North Korea in any shape or form, is highly circumscribed and geared towards supporting the country's military aims and regime survival.
China's great points of leverage these days are trade, aid and energy. As the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, North Korea's most important patron vanished almost overnight. Since that point, the reliance on China has increased to the extent that is now almost a monopoly.
Some 80% of the country's oil comes from its neighbour. Coal exports into China were immensely important - until sanctions stopped them in July last year after provocative behaviour. China has stuck to this agreement, with precipitous collapses in the North Korean economy in the ensuing year.
Late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il with former Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) in Beijing in January 2006
Almost all of North Korea's exports are either to China, or through China to elsewhere. Some 90% of its aid comes from China. China is the only country it has air links with, and a rail line into.
It was, until the mid-2000s, the only country, too, whose banks had relations with North Korean counterparts, through accounts in Macau in particular. Monies here were frozen in a previous spate of sanctions.
Even so, one of the new targets of UN-backed measures is Chinese banks, which continue, mostly indirectly, to deal with embargoed North Korean companies or intermediaries.
The main point of Chinese leverage over North Korea is widely believed to be its oil. Stopping this would lead to an immediate, dramatic economic impact.
A few years ago, for a matter of days, the oil pipes into North Korea were closed, around the time of a previous nuclear test. China has, therefore, been willing to flex its muscles here.
But wholesale stopping of the supply, rather than temporary glitches, is a different matter. Many believe this would trigger regime crisis, or even collapse. After all, the North Koreans are already living in a subsistence economy. Taking away this final lifeline could be fatal.
There are powerful counter-arguments, however, that say things would not be so straightforward. North Korea devotes 25% of its GDP (gross domestic product) to military activity. The oil stocks there would last a few months. And that would give it time to embark on the devastating assault southwards that everyone fears, into the highly populated regions of South Korea.
It would be a suicidal mission, but as the world knows from plenty of other examples, handling those with suicide on their minds is the greatest challenge.
Nor would North Korea be compliant in other areas as it collapsed. Refugees would swarm across the border into China. A vacuum would appear. China would be faced with its worst nightmare - a space which the US and its allies might try to occupy.
For all its seeming points of leverage and influence, therefore, the most remarkable thing about China and North Korea is the ways in which, at a time when the rest of the world is agonising over how to deal with a renascent, confident, powerful-looking China, this narrative is so brutally undermined by the ways in which its small, impoverished neighbour almost daily exposes its impotence.
This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation.
Kerry Brown is professor of Chinese studies and director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41152824
|
PMQs: New dangerous cycling laws considered, Theresa May says - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Theresa May was asked during PMQs about the conviction of a cyclist over a pedestrian's death.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dangerous driving offences should be extended to cyclists, says Labour's Heidi Alexander
The government says it will consider new laws to tackle dangerous cycling.
Theresa May made the commitment in PMQs when asked about the trial of a cyclist who knocked over and killed a woman.
Cyclist Charlie Alliston - whose fixed gear bike had no front brakes - was cleared of manslaughter last month but convicted under the 19th century offence of "wanton or furious driving".
Labour MP Heidi Alexander said this law was "hopelessly outdated and wholly inadequate".
The Lewisham East MP, whose constituent Kim Briggs was killed in the incident, also asked whether the offence of dangerous driving could be extended to cover cyclists.
Mrs May said the point was about ensuring legislation is kept up to date, and added: "I am sure this is an issue that the secretary of state for transport will look at."
Nurses protested about low pay outside Parliament during Prime Minister's Questions
It was the first Prime Minister's Questions since the summer recess, and Mrs May clashed with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on executive pay and zero-hours contracts.
Mr Corbyn urged her to support McDonald's workers, who went on strike this week, and accused her of going back on "tough talk" and a manifesto pledge to tackle boardroom pay rises.
The PM said the McDonald's strike was a matter for the fast-food chain and that her party had just published proposals on corporate governance.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May asks Jeremy Corbyn why Labour did nothing about zero hours contracts when it was in power for 13 years
She was also urged by the Labour leader to lift the cap on public sector pay rises - saying public servants did a good job in often "very difficult and harrowing circumstances".
The government would balance protecting public servants' jobs with "being fair to those who are paying for it" she added.
To coincide with PMQs, nurses held a protest outside Parliament calling for an end to the pay cap.
With Brexit likely to dominate Parliamentary proceedings in the coming weeks, Mrs May said she would "listen very carefully" to concerns about the legislation the government plans to enact to leave the EU.
Conservative MP Anna Soubry said there were "very serious concerns" on Tory benches that the government's EU Withdrawal Bill would become an "unprecedented and unnecessary power-grab".
The bill will incorporate EU law onto the UK statute book by the time Brexit happens in March 2019.
The "power-grab" concerns are because ministers plan to give themselves the power to update legislation during the Brexit process without needing Parliamentary approval.
Mrs May said this would ensure an "orderly exit from the EU" but said the government would listen to concerns and offered to meet Ms Soubry to discuss the issue.
John Bercow criticised MPs who appeared to laugh at new Lib Dem MP Layla Moran as she asked her question about free childcare.
The Speaker accused the members of an "unseemly response".
"The honourable lady is a new member, she's highly articulate and she will be heard," he said.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Philip Hammond's rather conspicuous yawn while the PM was speaking did not go unnoticed by the watching journalists.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Responding to a question from Tory MP Tim Loughton, Mrs May said politicians had to be free to speak out against child sexual abuse despite "political or cultural sensitivities".
In a veiled reference to Labour MP Sarah Champion, who quit the party's front bench after criticism of a newspaper article she wrote about grooming gangs, the PM said: "The freedom to speak out must apply to those in positions of responsibility, including ministers and shadow ministers on both sides of this House.
"Because if we turn a blind eye to this abuse, as has happened too much in the past, then more crimes will be committed and more children will be suffering in silence."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41172434
|
Jacob Rees-Mogg 'completely opposed' to abortion - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Conservative MP says abortion is "morally indefensible", including in rape and incest cases.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg says he is "completely opposed" to abortion, including in cases of rape or incest.
The backbencher told ITV's Good Morning Britain that abortion was "morally indefensible".
"Life is sacrosanct and begins at the point of conception," he said.
The North East Somerset MP has recently faced questions about his leadership ambitions, dismissing reports linking him with the job as "jolly August stuff".
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he again distanced himself from leadership talk, before being asked for his views on same-sex marriage, which he opposes.
"I am a Catholic and I take the teachings of the Catholic Church seriously," he said.
"Marriage is a sacrament and the decision of what is a sacrament lies with the Church not with Parliament."
The Church's teachings on faith and morals were "authoritative", he said, but he added it was not for him to judge others.
However, he said he was completely opposed to abortion.
"With same-sex marriage, that is something that people are doing for themselves," he said.
"With abortion, it is something that is done to the unborn child. That is different."
Asked whether his opposition applied in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, he replied: "I'm afraid so."
Mr Rees-Mogg said women's abortion rights under UK law were "not going to change".
He also said his party was more tolerant of religious views than the Liberal Democrats, whose former leader Tim Farron quit after facing repeated questions about his views on gay sex.
"It's all very well to say we live in a multicultural country... until you're a Christian, until you hold the traditional views of the Catholic Church, and that seems to me fundamentally wrong," Mr Rees-Mogg said.
"People are entitled to hold these views."
He added that the "democratic majority" were equally entitled to laws that did not follow the Catholic Church's teaching.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said Mr Rees-Mogg's "extreme" views were "wildly at odds" with public opinion.
Their head of policy research Katherine O'Brien said: "We are a pro-choice country, we have a pro-choice Parliament.
"Every politician is entitled to hold their own opinion on abortion. But what matters is whether they would let their own personal convictions stand in the way of women's ability to act on their own."
A spokesman for Theresa May said the PM did not agree with Mr Rees-Mogg but said that it was a "long-standing principle" that abortion was a "matter of conscience" for individual MPs to decide on.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41172426
|
Questions raised about prominent FGM campaigner - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A BBC investigation has revealed concerns about some aspects of the work of an FGM campaigner.
|
UK
|
A BBC Newsnight investigation has revealed a series of concerns about some aspects of the work of a celebrated FGM campaigner.
Comfort Momoh established one of the UK's first FGM clinics and has recently retired as a midwife from Guy's and St Thomas' Trust in London.
She has also received an MBE for her work in women's health.
But senior specialists have raised concerns about her credibility when it comes to examining children for FGM.
There are also suggestions Ms Momoh may be exaggerating her professional qualifications. She has repeatedly described herself as "Dr Momoh" - including on the website of Guys and St Thomas's hospital, but she is not a qualified medical doctor - instead, she has an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University.
A university spokesperson confirmed to Newsnight that this does not enable her to use the title "doctor".
Comfort Momoh has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.
When Newsnight approached the Nursing and Midwifery Council, who regulate midwives, for comment on their findings, they told the programme that a referral had been made about Comfort Momoh on 8 August which they are currently investigating.
The NMC said it would be "inappropriate" to comment on any specific details as the case is ongoing. It has not been confirmed whether the concerns within the referral are the same as those raised in Newsnight's reporting.
Female genital mutilation is a term given to all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitals or other injury to female genital organs where there are no medical reason.
It is usually carried out on girls under the age of 15, with most FGM done under the age of five, according to Unicef.
Newsnight understands that Comfort Momoh has examined children for FGM on at least five occasions, despite not having relevant qualifications.
Although Comfort Momoh is an expert in adult cases of FGM, serious questions have been raised about her competence to assess children - whose anatomy is different to that of adults.
In 2012, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health produced guidance with the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, for the examination of child abuse victims, saying this should only be performed by a doctor with specialist training in children - which Ms Momoh is not understood to have.
Comfort Momoh was awarded an MBE for her work in 2008
In a court case involving a child who was alleged to have had FGM in Leeds in 2014 in which Comfort Momoh did give evidence, the judge involved said she merited "harsh criticism" and had "difficulty in providing answers even about the even the simplest factual question".
She originally said - after examination - that the right labia appeared to be missing in one of the girls and said the child had been subjected to "some form of FGM".
But in oral evidence in court, Comfort Momoh changed her findings.
Sir James Munby, the President of the Family Division, described her report as "a remarkably shoddy piece of work" and "worse than useless". He said she was "not a reliable witness".
Judge Munby concluded, there was not enough evidence to suggest the child had had FGM, after the examination was reviewed by an expert.
Comfort Momoh was one of two key expert witnesses in another high-profile case in 2015 - the first of its kind - in which a doctor was taken to court in the UK for allegedly carrying out FGM.
She was dropped as a witness just before the trial. It is unclear why. A jury acquitted the accused after less than half an hour of deliberations.
Doctor Dhanuson Dharmasena was found not guilty of performing FGM
Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation - where Comfort Momoh has worked as a midwife for 20 years - said she had recently retired.
They said this had been planned for some time, and was "not linked to issues raised by Newsnight".
A government spokesperson said: "Female genital mutilation is a horrific act of abuse which this government is working to tackle."
They added: "We have also published comprehensive standards of what we expect in delivering FGM care in children under the age of 18.
"In this we make clear that those examining children are doctors, and that they need paediatric competencies and appropriate experience."
More on this story on BBC Newsnight on iPlayer
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41159096
|
Pilot killed in plane crash at Caernarfon Airport - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The pilot of a light aircraft is pronounced dead at the scene after the crash at Caernarfon Airport.
|
North West Wales
|
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has sent an investigation team to the airport
One person has died after a light aircraft crashed onto the runway at an airport in north Wales.
Police were called to Caernarfon Airport at 18:29 BST on Wednesday after the plane crashed and burst into flames on the runway.
The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene and an investigation has begun.
Ch Insp Sharon McCairn, of North Wales Police, said: "A cordon is in place around the site and we are urging the public to remain clear of the area."
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has sent a team to the airport.
Mark Hancock, a guest at the nearby Morfa Lodge holiday park, said he saw what looked like a twin-engine plane crash as it came into land.
"The first thing I noticed was that the plane had no landing gear on, its wheels weren't down," he said.
"It was coming in way too fast and then the bottom of it did a sort of belly flop on the runway. It caught fire and then it bounced back up into the air and when it hit the ground again it burst into flames.
"It was like a massive fireball and there was black smoke everywhere. We could feel the heat from where we were standing. There were bits of plane all over the runway."
Caernarfon Airport, near Dinas Dinlle, operates training flights and is also home to the Wales Air Ambulance and the HM Coastguard Helicopters operated by Bristow.
Wales Air Ambulance said the crash did not involve any of its aircraft.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-41180580
|
How many jobs does it take to fund uni? - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
We speak to students who paid for their studies by working several jobs.
|
Newsbeat
|
There's a new call for politicians to look at maintenance grants for the poorest students.
More than a hundred universities are calling for a rethink on costs. Universities UK says the main worry for undergraduates is "money in their pocket" while they are studying.
It's estimated those from low income families will also leave with debts of £57,000.
We speak to students who paid for their studies by working several jobs.
Arwen Hawley-Brandt (above) is in her final year at Falmouth University studying filmmaking.
"I've had to waitress, work in a fish and chip shop and sell loads of things on eBay in order to fund my way through my studies," she tells Newsbeat.
Although she says the course itself is a lot of fun, she's not sure if the costs she's incurred will be worth it.
"I've contemplated dropping out but the only reason I'm staying is I'm in so much debt as it is, I might as well get the degree."
The 23-year-old had no option but to take out a credit card. "Then because I couldn't pay it off, I had to leave university early to go back to my parents and work, because they kept getting letters."
"Worrying about money has caused me a lot of anxiety and feelings of depression. I've had to stay in student halls again because I couldn't afford the £3,000 for a deposit on a house share."
Stephen Rooney, 30, from Newcastle had four jobs when he was studying politics.
"I did pedi-cabbing, worked in a call centre doing sales and service at Direct Line motor insurance, worked with a Polish builder doing some manual labour and fundraised for the university development and alumni office," he rattles off.
He says the multiple workplaces helped give him "additional disposable income" and "independence from my parents".
"I had plenty of free time beyond my studies to earn some extra cash and I found balancing work and student life very easy."
"My favourite job was being a lifeguard and activity co-ordinator for Disney in America," says Gregor Hollerin, 32.
He also worked on a potato farm. "I loved the competitive element; we always tried to beat the record for most plants in a day," he tells Newsbeat.
During term time he worked in bars and restaurants. "It was very flexible and managed to easily fit it around my studies and sport," he says.
He was also a street fundraiser for a time but gave that one up. He's now a PR consultant.
"I took my student loan every year, but it didn't cover more than the basics so I needed to work," explains Nicki Smith, 22, who has just finished her degree in business management at the University of Strathclyde.
"I would work Friday night and Saturday and Sundays at a range of venues owned by Kained Holdings... it was essentially like working in nine different places but they were all good opportunities.
"Some weeks I found it challenging with deadlines but buying a diary was a saviour," she laughs.
But the 22-year-old has no regrets.
"It was definitely worth it, because I'm about to start my graduate job in hospitality in a few weeks."
Natalie Smythe, 25, worked three jobs and volunteered while studying biology at the University of Southampton. The 25-year old is from a single-parent household and says it was a struggle to get anything more than a "pitiful loan".
"I worked as a silver service waitress, so no tips, and as a tutor and proof reader to cover my rent and expenses," she explains.
She says her lowest point was in the third year, writing her dissertation and doing lab work, while keeping the jobs going. "I'm sure working unsociable shifts impacted my grades."
Andrew Mackin, 40, is a music teacher who is still paying off his student debt.
"I first moved away to study music at Manchester City College at the age of 23. In order to pay for my living costs and tuition I'd work as a chef and also give private guitar lessons," he tells Newsbeat.
"Working really put a squeeze on the time I had left.
"Three nights a week, I'd finish college and go straight to work finishing up at 11.30pm, then get on with course work until around 4am and do it all again the next day," he says.
Andrew still has £17,000 of debt to pay back.
Until a short time ago Ben Boreham, 21, worked as a chef in Plymouth. He was sacked because the business didn't need him anymore and has struggled to find work since.
"I think it's really hard to get about eight to 20 hours work a week. I get the impression people don't want to take on students," he says.
He says short-term work is tough to find. "They say they would take me on but they don't employ students. We are not sought after because we are too transient."
"I don't want to have to ask my parents as I've got twin brother and sister who have just started university. I want to show my family I can sort myself out."
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/41174349
|
Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes: Teen sentenced for 'pure evil' murder - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, 15, was stabbed to death outside his west London school by another boy.
|
London
|
A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced for stabbing to death another teenager outside his school gates in an act described as "pure evil".
Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, also 15, was chased and stabbed three times outside Capital City Academy in Willesden, west London, in January.
The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of murder after a trial at the Old Bailey.
He was detained for at least 14 years.
Following the trial, the boy admitted attacking Quamari.
In a statement, he said: "I don't know why I did it. I was scared and confused.
"I'm telling the truth for Quamari's mum and dad. I'm sorry.
"I didn't mean Quamari to get so hurt.
"I'm not a murderer. I didn't want him to die.
The motive behind the killing remains unknown
"I want to have a different life but I don't know how. I'm trying."
In a statement read out in court, Quamari's mother Lillian Serunkuma described the killer's actions as "pure evil".
"You never gave Quamari a second chance to defend himself.
"You took his life in a cold and malicious way."
She said her son had a "fun loving spirit" and his life was stolen for "no reason", adding what the teenager did was "indefensible".
Tributes were left at the school gates following his death
Judge John Bevan QC said it was "infinitely depressing" to sentence a young person for such a serious crime.
He said: "It is very unusual to admit a murder after conviction. It is a mature decision rather than taking your chances in the Court of Appeal."
But he added: "This is a bad case of its kind because Quamari can have done nothing to merit an attack of this severity.
"His death was a product of a total lack of self control combined with the cowardice of knifing an unarmed victim."
Prosecutor Sally O'Neill QC said: "It is not accepted that Quamari was anything to do with any sort of gang.
"Information from the school painted a picture of a happy, hardworking, well liked and sociable boy."
Outside court, Quamari's father Paul Barnes said he thought his son's killer was "grabbing at straws" by admitting the attack.
He said he was "trying to save his own skin. Last ditch dot com. Trying to save his own bacon".
Det Ch Insp Jamie Stevenson, from the homicide and major crime command, said: "This was a deliberate and planned attack on a defenceless schoolboy as he made his way home, laughing and joking with friends.
"Quamari was well liked amongst his peers and had his whole life ahead of him. He was a Year 11 pupil and was in the latter stages of preparing for his GCSEs.
"His friends have gone on to sit their exams, something Quamari was never able to do, and his family have been denied the opportunity to know what their son and brother would have gone on to achieve."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41179692
|
Bake Off: Why Channel 4 is happy with a smaller slice of the ratings pie - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Media editor Amol Rajan says Channel 4 would not have expected to beat previous BBC viewing figures.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Some of the personnel may have changed but the recipe is pretty much unchanged
The second episode of The Great British Bake Off was watched by an average of 5.4 million viewers on Channel 4, according to overnight figures - rising to six million including +1. That's lower than the show's ratings on the BBC - but Channel 4 won't be worried.
In his Poetics, Aristotle says that tragedy contains six elements, and the first two are the most important: plot and character.
His rules apply beyond tragedy of course, to drama more broadly. And the basic ingredients of story-telling haven't changed much in the past two millennia.
To a very great extent, top quality television is still a union of these two elements.
In poaching Bake Off from the BBC, Channel 4 had to ensure they retained excellent plots and characters.
The former they could largely leave to Love Productions, the independent company who achieved such success with the format on the BBC.
The pressure's on in the tent again...
The latter was a trickier mission. But the near universal acclaim - among critics at least - for the combination of Noel Fielding, Sandy Toksvig and Prue Leith with Paul Hollywood suggests that they've scored on this front as well.
The ratings for the first programme also gave the broadcaster hope that this expensive gamble was well-judged.
It is true that the 6.5 million viewers they achieved in the overnight ratings for the first episode was well down on the 13.4 million that was achieved when Nadiya Hussain won the 2015 final.
And it was the lowest figure for an opening episode of GBBO since 2013 - when the show attracted 5.6 million viewers to BBC Two.
But there are several reasons for this, and Channel 4 wouldn't have expected to get anywhere near those dizzy heights with their first episodes.
Channel 4 simply has a lower baseline audience than BBC One. To attract audiences of over 10 million, Channel 4 would need both an outstanding product (which they may well have) and a degree of marketing and media hype which could only build over a series.
Even though this was their first episode and they put a lot of resources into promoting it, their hope will be that if the characters and plot develop well, the audience will gradually build.
Channel 4 will also see their first year with Bake Off as something of a learning experience: years two and three need to be bigger still.
It is possible that some residual loyalty to the BBC, and distaste for ads, will have dissuaded previous Bake Off viewers from making the switch to Channel 4.
But if Channel 4 sticks to Aristotle's formula, and craft a narrative that is truly compelling, its audience will grow - and their investment will seem prudent.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41164006
|
Red Sox 'cheated using Apple Watch' - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Boston's baseball team allegedly used the device to tell the batter what ball he was about to receive.
|
Technology
|
The Boston Red Sox used an Apple Watch illicitly to gain the upper hand in a recent game, a Major League Baseball (MLB) investigation has reportedly found.
According to the New York Times, the Red Sox used the device to receive messages about what kind of pitch was about to be thrown.
That information was then relayed from the dug-out to the batter - giving him an advantage.
It is unclear what kind of punishment Boston’s beloved team might receive following the investigation. The team is currently top of the American League Eastern division.
MLB did not return the BBC’s request for comment on Tuesday.
Nor did the Red Sox or the New York Yankees - the team whose complaint provoked the probe. The Yankees provided video from a three-game series that took place in August.
In baseball, the catcher, crouched behind the batter, will signal to the pitcher what kind of ball should be thrown, such as a fast ball or slider.
Typically, the catcher will hold up a number of fingers to relay that message.
These signals - known as signs - would be very useful to the batter if he could see them, but he’s looking in the other direction, using only the pitcher’s posture and grip for guidance.
Stealing signs, as the practice is known, involves a team member seeing the opponent's signal and somehow relaying that information to the batter in the short window before the ball is thrown.
The MLB investigation found the Red Sox would have an off-field person watching a camera feed of the catcher. He would then contact the dug-out via the Apple Watch, and that signal would be passed on from the dug-out to the batter.
The New York Times report said MLB will now look to see if the Red Sox had used the technique in other games.
Stealing signs by analogue means - such as a team mate at second base seeing the catcher and revealing the signal to the batter opposite - is legal. But using a devices such as binoculars or electronics to aid the process is not.
Teams have long used ingenious ways to steal signs, including in 1951 when the New York Giants’ Bobby Thomson hit a series-winning home run, a hit later dubbed the “shot heard round the world”.
It was revealed some years later that the Giants had a team member in the club house opposite using a telescope to spot signs.
Joel Sherman, a baseball columnist for the New York Post, said on Twitter that MLB must clamp down on mischievous uses of technology in the sport.
"MLB must rethink how it polices tech use. Perhaps no electronics at all in dugout,” he wrote.
"Also, teams might have to rethink how signs are given on field by going to verbal signals or eliminating putting fingers down as the lone way to convey pitch selection.”
You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41169907
|
Could English wine conquer the world? - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The English wine making industry is growing, but could it ever threaten the dominant European producers?
|
Business
|
Lucy Fernandez from Toronto says she wouldn't buy Chapel Down's white wine
France, Italy and Spain are some of the world's best known wine producing countries but could a growing English wine making industry ever threaten their dominance?
At English winemaker Chapel Down the opinions of a group of tourists sampling the various wines it produces are mixed.
"A bit bitter," is Toronto tourist Lucy Fernandez's take on the vineyard's Flint Dry white wine.
She says Canadians are open to drinking wines from all over the world, but she wouldn't buy this variety.
However, Andrew from Adelaide has tried the Bacchus 2016 white and says it "compares quite well" to wines he's used to back in South Australia.
Beatrice Ness from Paris is impressed with Chapel Down's sparkling wine
Beatrice Ness, a teacher from Paris, has sampled a sparkling variety, arguably what the Kent-based vineyard is best known for, and is clearly impressed.
"This is as good as Moet champagne," she says of the Three Graces 2011, costing £29.99 a bottle.
"We buy a lot of foreign wines in Paris and I think people would go for this."
It's no secret that English wine-making has taken off over the last decade, with industry sales hitting a record £130m .
However, while around four to five million bottles are produced each year, less is said about UK exports, which stood at just 250,000 in 2015, the most recent year for which figures are available.
Chapel Down is best known for its sparkling wines
Despite the small scale of the export industry, its reach is growing.
English sparkling wines were shipped to 27 markets last year compared with 19 in 2015, official statistics show.
With more UK land being used for grape growing, and the industry targeting exports of 2.5 million bottles by 2020, could the country be on track to becoming a serious wine producer on the world stage?
He says the firm has seen "consistent growth" over the last seven years and is tapping a wider range of markets, from North America to South East Asia.
"You need a dose of realism," says Frazer Thompson, chief executive of Chapel Down
Like most English winemakers, the majority of his exports are of sparkling wines, which account for just over half of the firm's production.
But he points out that exports are only a "part of the story" and the firm is still largely focused on the UK, one of the world's biggest wine markets.
"In the rest of the world there is potential but you need a dose of realism," he says. "It took the French 350 years to export 50% of their champagne and the UK is their largest market."
Producers tend to see certain international markets as better bets than others, preferring places that like wine but don't have huge domestic industries of their own.
France, Italy and Spain are "hard work", says Bob Lindo, who founded the Cornish winery Camel Valley with his wife Annie in 1989.
But countries such as Japan, China and the US, which is his biggest market, buy much more.
"We are sold in 23 US states now," Mr Lindo says. "There are a lot of parts of America that don't grow wine and there's a very enthusiastic wine culture."
The Camel Valley winery in Cornwall has done well in international competitions
Helpfully, English wine has shed its once negative reputation and is doing well in major competitions such as the Euposia International Challenge (Bollicine del Mondo) in Italy, which attracts sparkling wines from around the world.
Organiser Carlo Rossi says English brands regularly make the top 10 in various categories, with wine producers Nyetimber, Hambledon and Camel Valley all having won golds in the recent past.
"About 10 years ago it seemed a joke that the English could make excellent sparkling wine, but there has been a surge in interest," he says.
Chapel Down grows a variety of grapes at its vineyards, including Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Bacchus
Chapel Down's Mr Thompson believes better marketing is the key to exposing the talent in the industry.
He notes how countries such as France play on the fact they are associated with producing fantastic food and drink, "so we buy French, even their lager which isn't actually that good".
"So England needs to sell itself as a quality producer of food and drink, which it still doesn't do well enough and wine can be a flag-bearer."
Not everyone is convinced about English wine, though.
Malcolm Gluck, a British wine critic who has penned numerous books, says there is a "marvellous conspiracy" among winemakers and writers to pretend English wine is great.
"There are English wines that are interesting that cost £12-15," he adds. "But they cost two to three times more than comparable wines from South America or France, Italy and Spain."
The UK has a shortage of land suited to wine growing
There are other barriers to building a world-beating wine industry, including a shortage of land suitable for grape growing and high set-up costs.
The English climate also limits production mainly to the south of England, although rather perversely, things could improve in that respect because of global warming.
A study last year by climatologists at UCL suggested rising temperatures and rainfall could let vineyards thrive as far north as Elgin near Inverness by 2100.
They also claimed the Thames estuary would become warm enough to grow Malbec grapes.
More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade:
Camel Valley's Mr Lindo believes exports will increase gradually as the reputation of English wine flourishes but he's not chasing them. He says he is busy enough catering to restaurants and supermarkets up and down the UK.
He also thinks we should not judge the industry's success by its scale.
"A lot of City money is going into English wine and there is a risk it will become too commercialised," he says.
"You have to be really committed to run a vineyard, but if the market gets flooded, producers who have been here from the start will suffer.
"There's also been a lot of cooperation between English producers and I don't want it to stop."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41087458
|
London's Nova Victoria crowned UK's ugliest building - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
London's Nova Victoria building described as "a hideous mess" takes 2017's Carbuncle Cup for worst building.
|
London
|
Nova Victoria has won the dubious honour of being the UK's worst new building of 2017
A London office block described as a "bright red hideous mess" has been named the UK's worst building.
Nova Victoria, London won the 2017 Carbuncle Cup with one judge describing it as "cringe-worthy".
It is the sixth consecutive time a London building has scooped the dubious honour run by Building Design Magazine (BD).
Architects PLP described the £380m office complex as a "distinct and architecturally daring" building.
But judges disagreed, describing the building as "crass, over-scaled and a hideous mess".
PLP described the £380m office complex as "distinct and architecturally daring"
Judge Catherine Croft said: "It makes me want to cringe physically. It's a crass assault on all your senses from the moment you leave the Tube station."
David Rudlin said the red cathedral like spire on Nova South was a particular cause for concern.
"It's got the same proportions as Salisbury Cathedral. For me the spire gives it carbuncular status - otherwise it's just a bad building", he said.
The development, which occupies a whole city block near London's Victoria station, consists of two office buildings designed by PLP Architecture and a residential building designed by Benson & Forsyth.
The title was awarded to PLP Architecture for the office buildings.
The other buildings on the 2017 Carbuncle Cup shortlist were as follows:
Circus West, Battersea Power Station was shortlisted for the 2017 award
Building Design started the award in 2006 as a "light-hearted way of drawing attention to a serious problem - bad architecture blighting the country's towns and cities".
Past winners have included Liverpool's ferry terminal, the renovation of the Cutty Sark and an apartment block incorporating a branch of Tesco in Woolwich, south-east London.
Readers put forward the nominations and a panel draws up the shortlist.
PLP said it did not want to comment on the announcement.
Lincoln Plaza in London's Docklands won the 2016 Carbuncle Cup with one judge describing it as a "horror show"
Woolwich Central was one of two buildings shortlisted that was developed by Tesco subsidiary Spenhill
464 Caledonian Road stands on the same street as HMP Pentonville
The restoration of the Cutty Sark won the award in 2012
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41163584
|
Newspaper headlines: Leaked memo highlights EU worker policy - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Most newspapers lead on the government's leaked document on low-skilled EU migrant workers.
|
The Papers
|
The draft plans leaked to the Guardian setting out tougher EU migration rules immediately after Brexit feature on most of the front pages.
Migration Watch tells the Sun and the Daily Mail the proposals could cut annual migrant numbers from the EU by 100,000.
But the Daily Telegraph warns that they may just increase tensions during, what it calls, "crucial" Brexit negotiations.
The Times suggests the document will "alarm business leaders" who are concerned about finding workers for the hospitality, farming and health sectors.
Meanwhile, a Home Office official told the Financial Times the draft has not been seen by ministers and does not reflect government policy. It suggests the document would change depending on other government departments, Downing Street and EU negotiations.
MP Alison McGovern, from the anti-Brexit group, Open Britain, told the paper it was "part of a mean and cynical approach which is already deterring people from coming here."
The NHS already faces a recruitment crisis, according to the Mirror. Under its headline "worst nurse shortage ever," the paper says there are 40,000 vacancies.
The head of the nursing union, Janet Davies, says experienced nurses are "leaving in droves... because they can't afford to stay."
There are also empty posts in the teaching profession, as the i reports a 9% increase in vacant positions on this time last year. It suggests 300,000 pupils are starting school this term without a permanent teacher.
The government said the vacancy rate last year was 0.3%.
The Mirror urges Prime Minister Theresa May to lift what it calls "the dangerous pay cap for all workers."
This all won't help dismiss what the Archbishop of Canterbury thinks, as he says the UK's economic model is "broken". In the Financial Times, Justin Welby calls for wage increases, improvements to the education system and tax rises for the wealthy, as well as investment in green technology and housing.
The i describes his words as an "extraordinary political intervention," which the paper says will "irritate the PM and chancellor."
The Daily Mail accuses the archbishop of "endorsing a ruinous left-wing agenda of swingeing tax increases, trade union power and state interventions."
The archbishop made the comments in a report on economic justice
The size of salaries within the BBC is continuing to make headlines. On its front page, the Daily Telegraph says the corporation has called in consultants to work on an "equal pay audit."
It suggests the review could lead to pay cuts for some staff and rises for others.
In other business news, the Financial Times has the latest in the Bell Pottinger row. The paper says the disgraced PR company is hiring accountants to advise on a potential sale.
It says the company's reputation is in tatters after damning reports found it stoked racial tensions in South Africa.
Finally, several papers warn dog owners in Canterbury, Kent face £80 fines if they fail to carry two plastic bags when they are walking their pet.
The Times says the city council came up with the rule because its officers found it difficult to catch people not clearing up after dogs and had issued only one fine since 2014.
But the Dogs Trust told the Daily Express it was deeply concerned by the decision, calling it a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
According to the Mail, the penalties could be higher. It says owners in Manchester face £100 on-the-spot fines which could rise to £1,000 if they refuse to pay.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41169350
|
Universities want rethink on costs for poorer students - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Universities UK wants ministers to look again at maintenance grants and interest rates in England.
|
Education & Family
|
More than a hundred universities are calling for a rethink on the costs for poorer students in England.
Universities UK says ministers should look again at grants for living costs and interest rates for some graduates.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable told the BBC the existing system was "politically difficult to sustain".
Ministers have defended current tuition fees of £9,250 a year as providing sustainable funding for universities and fairness for graduates.
Universities UK, which represents higher education bodies, says the government must show it is listening to students.
It says the main concern for young people is "money in their pocket" while they are studying.
Vice chancellors are meeting this week amid growing political concern that the system no longer feels fair to young people.
Prof Janet Beer, the new president of Universities UK, will call on ministers to look again at maintenance grants for students most in need of help with living costs.
In England, grants for living costs were scrapped last year and replaced with loans, leading to predictions that students from the poorest families would have the largest debts.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated this would add up to debts of £57,000 for students from low income families.
In an interview with the BBC, Prof Beer said: "We've done a poor job at explaining the good things in the system, but there are things that can be looked at again, the threshold for repayment, interest rates and maintenance grants."
The board of Universities UK met on Tuesday and agreed to press ministers to look again at some aspects of the overall cost of a university education.
The government has confirmed that from this autumn, a new higher interest rate of 6.1% will be levied on student tuition fee loans, calculated as RPI +3%.
Now universities are calling for a rethink from ministers on the interest charges for some graduates.
Universities UK has decided to call for different thresholds for interest rates for graduates that go on to become low or middle earners.
Sir Vince Cable says "we are already seeing the beginnings of a revolt"
Sir Vince oversaw the introduction of £9,000 tuition fees in government as business secretary.
He still defends the principle of graduates contributing through their higher earnings to the funding of universities.
But speaking exclusively to me this week he said: "The system is becoming politically difficult to sustain."
The significant vote by young people for Labour - whose policy is to replace tuition fees with direct government subsidy to universities - has shifted the political landscape.
Sir Vince said: "We are already seeing the beginnings of a revolt."
And he signalled that other ways of taxing graduate wealth might need to be considered to make the system fairer.
"Those of us involved in trying to create a fairer system in the past have got to be willing to reopen some of the basic questions about how the system operates. The interest fixing is bizarre, economically nonsensical."
He also wants to see more support for living costs for students and better help for those who go through further education.
Only the highest paid graduates are expected to pay off their tuition fee loans in full before the 30-year term expires.
The rest is written off by the government, but unlike funding universities from current spending, the final bill does not appear as part of government borrowing.
Jo Johnson, the minister for higher education, has argued that the fact many graduates do not repay their loans in full is not a sign of failure.
In a speech earlier in the summer, he said the sharing of costs between students and the state was "a conscious investment in the skills base of the country, not a symptom of a broken student finance system."
The government has to decide within weeks whether to confirm the inflation-linked increase in fees to about £9,500 expected by universities in England for 2018/19.
Universities now rely heavily on the income from tuition fees, as the almost tripling of fees to £9,000 in 2012 coincided with the withdrawal of direct government funding.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41166777
|
The Norwegian who's been to 445 English football grounds - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Anders Johansen spent his summer watching English football: he has now been to 445 grounds.
|
Home
|
Anders Johansen prefers watching lower-league football - such as at eighth-tier Spalding United in Lincolnshire
The match, between Darlington Railway Athletic and Tow Law Town, takes place in Northern League Division Two.
It is the 10th tier of English football, where games are sometimes still played on mud patches and the players smell of Deep Heat.
The crowd will be 100, at most. If it rains, it will be half that. But among them, come rain or shine, will be Anders Johansen.
Anders, 44, is from Norway. This match will be the 27th he has seen in Britain in 24 days.
While some people seek out the sun, Anders has spent his summer holiday watching teams such as Llandrindod Wells, Quorn, and Percy Main Amateurs.
"My friends think I'm mad," he admits.
In total, Anders has seen matches at 445 grounds in England, most in the past few years (two years ago, he saw 117 games in one season).
He's also been to 18 grounds in Scotland, three in Wales, and two in Northern Ireland.
In short, he is a groundhopper. While others collect stamps, Anders collects football grounds.
Anders grew up watching English football. In Norway, First Division matches were broadcast live on Saturday afternoons, and a whole generation was hooked.
In the early 1990s, an English friend introduced Anders to Reading FC. Anders became a fan, travelling from Norway a couple of times a season to watch matches.
But, by 2010, he was "falling out of love" with the club. Reading were in a golden era - spending two seasons in the Premier League from 2006 to 2008 - but Anders was disillusioned.
"I always wanted Reading to reach the Premier League," he says. "But when we got there I found it boring.
"I don't like the top level any more. It's not for me. It's been reduced to business. It's all about money - foreign owners, foreign managers, foreign players.
"And I don't like the new grounds. They all look the same. Plastic bowls."
During one visit to England, in between Reading games, Anders went to a non-league match (in England, non-league means anything below the top four divisions of the Premier League and Football League).
"I fell in love again," he says.
"At the top level, you're just a customer. A number. In non-league, you always get a welcome."
Anders has been welcomed in every corner of Britain: from Falmouth Town (Cornwall) to Forres Mechanics (near Inverness).
In Shildon, County Durham, where he visited on August Bank Holiday Monday, he got a full English - and a pint - in the clubhouse before the game.
At Sheringham, Norfolk, which he visited on 18 August, he got a club shirt and a lift back to the station.
"Things like that are typical," says Anders. "People are kind."
And the hospitality goes both ways.
At Horden Colliery Welfare, Anders won the raffle not once, but twice. Both times, the prizes - a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates - were given back to the club.
Horden Colliery Welfare in County Durham, where Anders won the raffle - twice
It is the community, as much as the football, that keeps Anders flying over the North Sea.
Although he does visit bigger clubs - he has been to Sunderland and Tranmere Rovers this summer - Anders enjoys the grassroots grounds the most.
"In Norway, below the top two or three divisions, most football grounds are very boring," he says.
"They are council-owned plastic pitch complexes. A number of teams groundshare. It is no-one's home.
"They are not allowed to sell alcohol, so people come a minute before kick-off and leave at the final whistle.
"But in Britain, most teams have a clubhouse. People get there early. The football clubs are like a little community hub."
After visiting more than 450 British grounds, Anders is well known in non-league football - "I often see a friendly face," he says - but he prefers to travel alone.
"That way I can go where I want."
He uses a rail pass to keep costs down and stays in budget hotels and B&Bs, or with friends.
Anders, who's from Drobak, a town 20 miles south of Oslo, used to work in warehousing but quit to follow his passion. He now earns money writing guides to English football.
"So far it's been okay," he says. "But I am considering finding another job."
One of Anders' favourite grounds: Salts FC in West Yorkshire
After tonight's match in Darlington, Anders will fly home on Friday.
He is due back in England on Boxing Day. How long he stays depends on how much money he saves before then.
But what about when the grounds run out? What will he do when there are no more worlds to conquer?
"There are always new grounds to visit," he says, laughing.
"And in the last year or two, I've taken a liking to Scottish grounds."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/41162733
|
Peers debate private members' bills - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The House of Lords debates bills on hereditary peers, the age of criminal responsibility and modern slavery.
|
Parliaments
|
Conservative Lord Naseby now poses his private notice question about support for the Caribbean following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.
Specifically he laments what he considers to be a slow response by the UK and wonders why facilities weren't on standby - "given that this is hurricane season."
He notes that France and Holland had prepared and "were able to act more speedily than the UK".
Government spokesperson Earl of Courtown replies that both France and Holland have military bases in the region.
He tells the House that three transport planes have set off today as part of an MoD taskforce to support the relief effort.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-parliaments-41160033
|
Woman trapped in window trying to retrieve poo after Tinder date - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
She tried to dispose of the unflushable waste out of a window and got stuck trying to get it back.
|
Bristol
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ever had a date that ended like this?
A woman who threw her poo out of her date's toilet window because it "would not flush" had to be rescued after she got stuck trying to retrieve it.
The amateur gymnast was on a first date with Bristol student Liam Smith when she "panicked" and threw the faeces out of the window.
It did not land in the garden, but became wedged between two non-opening windows.
After climbing in head first after it, she became wedged.
Mr Smith had to call the fire service for help.
The story appeared on a crowdfunding page, set up by the University of Bristol student.
If this story yanks your chain, you might also like these:
Mr Smith, who is raising funds to fix his broken window, wrote that he was on a Tinder date with the woman and they went back to the shared house he lives in.
"We'd had a really nice evening," he said. "We'd had a meal at a well-known chicken restaurant, had a few beers and then gone back to mine for a bottle of wine and a film."
After the fire service had "composed themselves," Mr Smith said they set to work freeing his date from the window
He said the woman went to the toilet and when she came back she had a "panicked look in her eye" and told him what she had done.
He said the toilet window opened into a narrow gap separated by another double glazed window.
"It was into this twilight zone that my date had thrown her poo," he said.
He went to find a hammer to smash the window, but she decided to "climb in head first" after the "offending package" and became jammed.
"I was starting to grow concerned, so I called the fire brigade and once they had composed themselves, they set to work removing her from the window."
The "offending package" was trapped between two "non-opening" double glazed windows
Although the woman was rescued unharmed, Mr Smith said his bathroom window was destroyed.
"I'm not complaining, they did what they had to do," he said.
"Problem is, I've been quoted north of £300 to replace the window and as a postgraduate student, that is a significant chunk of my monthly budget."
Mr Smith originally set a crowdfunding target of £200, but has already raised more than £1,200.
He said he and his date had decided to split the extra cash between two charities, one supporting firefighters and another that builds and maintains flushing toilets in developing countries.
Unsurprisingly, the woman does not want to be named but Mr Smith said he had seen her since and "who knows what the future holds".
"We had a lovely night on the second date but it's too early to say if she's the one. But we got on very very well and she's a lovely girl," he said.
"And we've already got the most difficult stuff out of the way first."
Avon Fire and Rescue service confirmed it had received a call and freed a woman trapped between external and double glazing.
It also confirmed that a "window was broken in the process".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41167296
|
Bid to rescue Ben Nevis weather data - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Help is sought to digitise a unique set of records gathered on top of the UK's highest mountain.
|
Science & Environment
|
The observatory was funded largely by the Scottish Meteorological Society
Scientists are seeking the public's assistance in rescuing a unique set of weather records gathered at the summit of the UK's highest mountain.
From 1883 to 1904, meteorologists were stationed atop Ben Nevis, logging temperature, precipitation, wind and other data around the clock.
Their measurements are held in five big volumes that now need to be digitised to be useful to modern researchers.
The public can help with the conversion at the www.weatherrescue.org website.
It will involve copying tables into a database. Experts say the Ben Nevis records contain some fascinating reports on major storms from the period.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Ed Hawkins: "Just a few minutes of someone's time can contribute to improving our knowledge"
It is not uncommon for the summit to be covered in a thick mist
There are also likely insights to be gained on the peculiarities of mountain weather. A fresh analysis could possibly lead to improvements in the performance of today's forecasting models.
"The data these men took is incredible, and it's arguably the most detailed mountain weather measurements we still have even today," said Reading University's Prof Ed Hawkins, who leads the Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis project.
"And because the data was acquired over a century ago, it's a very good baseline from which to try to assess any changes that we've seen since then to our weather."
The Royal Society of Edinburgh published the data volumes between 1890 and 1910
The Ben Nevis observatory was set up to collect upper-atmosphere information. Nowadays, this function is performed by satellites, radars, and radiosondes (balloons). But in Victorian times, placing thermometers, rain gauges and anemometers on a tall mountain was the only systematic way to obtain the necessary data.
And at an altitude of 1,345m (4,411ft), the imposing Munro fitted the requirements perfectly.
The Scottish Meteorological Society largely funded the exercise, paying to put in a pony track, a low-rise building and a telegraph wire.
It also had a second station set up in Fort William at the base of the mountain. This allowed comparisons to be made with the weather at sea-level.
High ambition: The meteorologists of the day wanted to acquire data from further up in the atmosphere
Three or four men would man the summit observatory at any one time. One of these staffers would be the cook. They also had a pet cat.
Working in shifts, the meteorologists tracked hourly changes in temperature, pressure, rainfall, sunshine, cloudiness, wind strength and wind direction. And those parameters could be pretty brutal on occasions, with hurricane force winds and very heavy precipitation.
"At the start, when the snow was very bad, they had to tunnel their way out to make measurements," said Marjory Roy, former Superintendent of Met Office Edinburgh and author of the definitive book on the observatory - The Weathermen of Ben Nevis.
"They had a plan, though, for a tower - that's what you see in the photographs. The tower allowed them to mount an anemometer and other instruments, but it also allowed them to get out in winter when the snow was at roof-level."
The observatory closed when the sources of private and public funding would no longer cover the £1,000-a-year running costs.
Calum MacColl is a meteorologist who hails from Fort William, and recognises the Ben's many moods. He says modern models still struggle on occasions with their forecasts for the conditions on the highest ground, and he is hopeful the Victorian information can bring new benefits.
"In the last 10-20 years, the models have come on leaps and bounds and have a real good go at trying to mark out the complex orography (mountain topography). But they don't always get the peaks right and that can translate into inaccuracies in terms of the temperature, where the cloud base is going to be, and, somewhat more vital from the mountaineer's perspective - the strength of wind speed.
"It can be out by 30, 40 or 50 knots. Taking the old information into the new models could make a difference."
Looking southeast with fog trapped below a temperature inversion (warm air above cold)
In addition to their weather tables, the old volumes also contain some wonderful sketches of the Northern Lights and some of the optical effects that can be created when sunlight interacts with the likes of ice crystals or dust in the atmosphere. These aspects, however, are to be investigated separately.
Recovering old weather information is a daunting task. There are literally millions of records from centuries past that would undoubtedly aid modern scientific study if only they could be converted into a useable form.
The Royal Navy, for example, has a colossal archive of hand-written logbooks that will need to be transferred to digital form at some point.
Prof Hawkins says optical character-recognition tools can play their part in getting this old information into modern databases, but he believes citizen scientists are a powerful force.
"In part this is about trust," he told BBC News. "Do we trust a computer to read some of these old logbooks perfectly, or do we trust three sets of human eyes instead? And I think for accuracy, the human eyes still do it better."
Close to the edge: Hurricane force winds can blow at the summit
A companion station was operated in Fort William to collect complementary sea-level data
The Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis project aims to have recovered two million data points from the mountain volumes by November.
The deadline coincides with the UK Natural Environment Research Council's free public event in Edinburgh in the middle of that month called UnEarthed. Staged at the Dynamic Earth venue next to the Scottish parliament, it will showcase wide-ranging endeavours of Britain's environmental scientists.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41166778
|
Endometriosis: My life full of pain - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
One in 10 women has it, but getting help for endometriosis is a long and difficult journey for most.
|
Health
|
Amelia hopes that talking about her condition will help others
Endometriosis isn't just painful periods, it's a chronic condition in a league of its own.
One in 10 women has it yet, in the UK, it takes on average seven years to get it correctly diagnosed by a doctor - something experts want to change.
With endometriosis, tissue that behaves like womb lining is found in other bits of the body, causing nasty symptoms.
Amelia Davies was 12 when she got her first period. She soon came to dread her "agonising Auntie Red".
"At times it was so bad I couldn't go to school. I missed loads of days. The pain was really intense, with lots of different types - stabbing, cramping and burning. I was so bad I couldn't walk or get out of bed."
New guidelines for the NHS aim to reduce delays in diagnosis and save women years of unnecessary distress and suffering.
Amelia first explained her symptoms to her GP and then a few different doctors, but they couldn't find anything wrong.
"Finally, they agreed to send me to hospital for an ultrasound scan.
"So, there I am sitting in the hospital waiting room in full school uniform with dad laughing and joking about to try and keep me calm. It felt like people in that waiting room were giving me dirty looks, and assuming I was there for a pregnancy scan or something. I felt judged."
The scan revealed she had a cyst on her ovary, plus endometriosis.
When a woman with endometriosis menstruates, the misplaced womb tissue bleeds too, causing crippling pain and some rather unusual symptoms.
Some women pee blood at their time of the month. Others even cough up some blood if the rogue tissue is in their lungs.
Over time, the bleeding can irritate the body and lead to scarring or adhesions - tough cords of fibrous tissue that can cause more pain and make organs stick to each other and cause complications.
Amelia's doctor advised her to take an oral contraceptive pill to help alleviate her symptoms.
She currently takes the mini pill and hasn't had a period in two years.
But Amelia, now 18 and living in south London, says her endometriosis still causes her daily pain. She's been writing a blog about her experiences.
"Sometimes it can be really bad still. I get flare-ups and that's really difficult.
"I get the phrase, 'At least you're not dying,' quite a lot.
"I know it's said most of the time by good friends who are trying to be nice and reassure me. But endometriosis for me is the prospect of a long life full of pain. I sometimes feel like people are measuring my level of struggle against others' and that doesn't feel fair. It's daunting."
Caroline Overton, a consultant gynaecologist who helped write the new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said: "There is no cure for endometriosis, so helping affected women manage their symptoms is imperative.
"As one of the most common gynaecological diseases in the UK, it is vital that endometriosis is more widely recognised."
Emma Cox, from Endometriosis UK, said: "The impact a delayed diagnosis has on a woman's life - her education, work, relationships and personal life - can be huge. On top of coping with the disease itself, women have to put up with being told, sometimes for years, that what they have is 'in their heads' or 'normal', when it isn't."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41159269
|
Doctor Foster: What did people think about her return? - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Suranne Jones returns as GP Gemma Foster and dominates Tuesday night's viewing figures.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Suranne Jones and Bertie Carvel come face-to-face in the first episode
Doctor Foster is back on our screens, two years since the first series - and fans and critics alike seem happy to have her back.
It was the most-watched television programme on Tuesday night, beating Channel 4's Great British Bake Off.
Suranne Jones reprises her role as Gemma Foster, which earned her a Bafta.
The new series sees the GP's cheating ex-husband Simon - played by Bertie Carvel - return to his former home town with his new wife.
The BBC One show drew an average audience of 6.3 million viewers - slightly higher than Bake Off's average of six million viewers. Channel 4's figures include those watching on +1.
Could Suranne Jones be up for more awards?
The Independent Sean O'Grady says Jones is in contention for another Bafta and praises Mike Bartlett's "skilfully rendered" script.
He says the set pieces, including a "wedding party debacle" and a "surprise Interflora package" with a rude message were "all done stylishly" and that the title sequence "drew us delicately into this middle class emotional hellhole".
O'Grady has problems with Gemma's nemesis, Kate however.
He writes: "I hate to say it, but Doctor Foster was also a bit compromised by the fact that the older (40 or so) woman is actually at least as attractive, smart and elegant as the younger (25 years old) usurper, Kate, played with well-calibrated naivety by Jodie Comer, who has only chronology on her side."
The Guardian's Lucy Mangan says she was gripped.
"An hour of the five in and I've already had so much fun I can barely type," she writes.
"Simon drives up to the front door in a shiny new car. He smirks more smirkingly than anyone has ever smirked before to find her there, before delivering the most perfect pass-agg speech ever penned (I mentally prostrated myself at the feet of writer Mike Bartlett then and never really rose thereafter)."
Viewers of the show were also quick to take to Twitter.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jess Seaman This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Many were questioning the loyalty of Gemma's co-worker Ros, who promised not to go to ex-husband Simon's wedding party but was later outed. One fan describes Gemma's colleague Ros as a "snake".
Simon was also at the wrath of social media users - with many describing him in terms too colourful to publish.
And one writes she now hates her ex-husband after watching the show, despite the fact she's never even been married.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Reesha Siniara This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41172645
|
Lewes school adopts new 'gender neutral' uniform policy - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All new students at the school in Lewes must wear trousers as a new uniform policy is brought in.
|
Sussex
|
Returning students have the option to wear either trousers or skirts
A secondary school is making its uniform "gender neutral" by prohibiting new joiners from wearing skirts.
Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, made the change after "concerns" raised over the length of skirts, and catering for a handful of transgender pupils.
Starting this autumn term, all new students must wear trousers, while returning students have the option to wear either trousers or skirts.
Head teacher Tony Smith said the move addresses "inequality and decency".
He added: "Respecting people's rights are very important. We believe in rights and responsibilities, we believe in equality and we believe in fairness. We want to treat everybody the same.
"We hope that it will provide a smart, comfortable and affordable alternative to the current uniform."
From now, all new pupils at the school will have identical shirt, tie, jumper and trousers, with an alternative summer uniform, following complaints about how unsuitable the previous uniform was during the hotter months.
Pupils will now be able to wear a polo shirt and trousers, and in extremely high temperatures, PE shorts or skorts - shorts made to look like skirts.
The new uniform "addresses the current issues of inequality and decency" said the head teacher
Frank Furedi, sociologist at the University of Kent said: "You start with uniform on Monday, by Tuesday you're going to say, 'maybe we shouldn't use the pronouns he and she'.
"By Wednesday, you're going to talk about having gender neutral bathrooms. In so doing, you're raising fundamental questions about people's identity."
Some parents have supported the move. One interviewed outside the school said: "[My daughter] will whinge about wearing trousers, but it's tough.
"There's certain work uniforms you have to wear and it's tough. It's not a fashion show, she's there to learn."
Other pupils and parents were critical on social media though - saying its "too draconian" - and unfair that older pupils would still be allowed to wear skirts.
Posting on BBC South East's Facebook page, Jeanetta Kelsey said: "What happened to a bit of choice? Skirts, shorts, trousers, as long as it's uniform."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-41178571
|
Mike Neville: 'Legendary' north-east broadcaster dies - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Former broadcaster Mike Neville presented regional news programmes for decades until retiring in 2006.
|
England
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Former regional broadcaster Mike Neville dies at the age of 80
Mike Neville, the face of television news for decades in north-east England, has died.
The 80-year-old was known to viewers in the region for more than 40 years as presenter of the BBC's Look North and then North East Tonight, Tyne Tees Television's news programme.
He retired in 2006 and died peacefully in hospital, his family said.
Born in Willington Quay in 1936, Mr Neville launched his career at the independent station Tyne Tees in 1962.
After moving to the BBC two years later, he presented Look North for decades as well as the Nationwide programme during the 1970s and 80s.
Returning to ITV in 1996, he fronted its main regional news show but was away from the screen for almost a year from July 2005, following emergency surgery to remove a blood clot.
If you lived in the north-east of England at any time from the 1960s to the turn of the new millennium and owned a television set, you'd have known Mike Neville.
In this part of the world he was simply the godfather of regional TV.
Mike became a local legend with his easy-going style and his terrific sense of humour. Millions of viewers gladly welcomed him into their homes from Monday to Friday nights.
An actor in his early days, he had the happy gift of being able to cope with any situation.
Even in retirement he remained a popular figure with a public that loved him for what he was - a TV star but always one of their own.
Mr Neville said he welcomed "being invited into people's homes" every evening
Tyne Tees managing director Graeme Thompson had described his stepping down as "the end of an era for television in the north-east".
Speaking to the BBC after he retired, Mr Neville explained he had no regrets about remaining in the North East.
"I actually hated working in London," he said. "Up here, it is like working with family."
As well as a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Television Society, he was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting.
In 1989, Mr Neville received a "Gotcha" award from Noel Edmonds as part of Noel's Saturday Roadshow after being pranked into thinking he was filling several minutes of live air time because a technical fault had delayed the broadcast of the Wogan chat show.
Mr Neville was tricked into believing he had seven minutes of air time to fill
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41011268
|
The hidden history of cyber-crime forums - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Why modern cyber-crime forums were inspired by a site started by Ukrainian credit card thieves.
|
Technology
|
The AlphaBay market is one of many shut down by police action
The notorious dark web marketplaces Alphabay and Hansa were shut down in July following "landmark" action by police forces in the US and Europe to unmask who was running them.
They join a long list of other forums, chat rooms and boards that appeared and were blazingly popular with the criminal underworld before they were compromised and closed.
But those sites, including Dark Market, Carders Market, Shadow Crew, Carder.su, Darkode, GhostMarket and the Silk Road, have more in common than just the trajectory of their genesis and demise.
They all follow the modus operandi of a landmark forum set up in 2001 called Carder Planet. Designed for criminals who specialised in monetising lists or "dumps" of credit card numbers, it has had an influence far beyond that select group.
"Carder Planet created the framework for the current criminal underground," said Andrei Barysevich, now a director at security firm Recorded Future but who, at the time the site operated, was helping to monitor cyber-crime in Eastern Europe.
The site was set up online shortly after a face-to-face meeting at a restaurant in Odessa attended by some of Ukraine and Russia's top credit card thieves, said Mr Barysevich.
"Odessa was, and still is, the ground zero for cyber-crime," he said. "It is a very criminalised city and a centre of white collar crime."
Before Carder Planet was set up, anyone who wanted to make money from stealing card numbers had to be a jack of all trades, said Liam O'Murchu, a researcher at Symantec who has spent years tracking online crime forums.
Not only did they have to find ways to steal the card numbers, often involving malware or hacking, they also had to work out how to turn those numbers into cash and not get caught.
"What they decided to do was pool everyone's resources, so they did not have to be perfectly skilled in everything in order to be able to do crime," he said.
"They set up the forum where people could come together and trade skills and nobody had to be an expert in the entire chain from beginning to end," said Mr O'Murchu.
The site proved an immediate success and soon had thousands of members all busily trading with each other.
"They got so blase and so sure of themselves that they organised the first real life meet-up of Carder Planet members," said Mr Barysevich. "Forum members were invited to a resort outside Odessa where they hung out together.
"They had good food, drink and girls and had a pretty good time," he said.
It was not only the attendees who enjoyed themselves. The police did too because news about the conference, as well as pictures of attendees, were leaked to the authorities. It was the first time that many of the cyber-thieves had been photographed and the images were widely studied, he said.
Despite the attention, Carder Planet kept going and enjoyed significant success, said Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of CrowdStrike and a veteran cyber-crime researcher, who has helped to track down and expose some of its key members.
"It was the right place at the right time," he said. "You had a lot of smart folks in Russia and Ukraine at the time and you had the proliferation of the internet in those days in the former Soviet Union and the economy was doing very, very poorly."
Given that, he said, it was not surprising that those with technical skills and nothing legitimate to do with them turned to crime.
Coupled with this was the rise of online shopping in the US, much of which was powered by people using credit cards. Unfortunately, many of the firms setting up online were better at selling than security, meaning the thieves were regularly able to steal large amounts of card numbers.
Mr Alperovitch said the board explicitly modelled itself on more traditional organised crime groups - specifically the Italian mafia.
The rise of online shopping helped cyber-thieves cash in
Occasional contributors were called "soldiers" and the more someone got involved the higher up the ranks they rose. At the top, he said, were the "dons" and "capos" who ran the biggest scams and collected financial tributes from the people they set working on them.
He said it was also a board on which reputation mattered a lot - a trait seen on many other criminal forums ever since.
Before any criminals worked together they looked for "vouches" - essentially personal recommendations from other thieves about whether someone was trustworthy or not. Without those endorsements a collaboration between say a spammer and a malware writer was unlikely to get started. Anyone with a persistently bad reputation would find that no-one would work with them.
Carder Planet was shut down voluntarily by its creators in 2004 - largely to avoid the fate of other boards, many of which were compromised by police and used to gather intelligence about members.
Many of its members did keep on stealing cards and some of them, notably Roman Vega (aka Boa) and Vladislav Horohorin (aka Badb), have been tracked down and arrested.
Those arrests were a consequence of the open atmosphere on Carder Planet, said Mr Alperovitch.
"They've realised they were quite naive about law enforcement engagement and they did not realise that law enforcement was paying very close attention," he said.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40671091
|
Brexit: Leaked document suggests UK plan to curb EU migration - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Leaked document suggests post-Brexit migration will be based on "economic and social needs".
|
UK Politics
|
An estimated 250,000 nationals of other EU countries came to the UK last year
Proposals aimed at cutting the numbers of low-skilled migrants from Europe following Brexit have been disclosed in a leaked Home Office paper.
The document, obtained by The Guardian, suggests free movement will end upon exit in March 2019 and the UK will adopt a "more selective approach" based on the UK's economic and social needs.
Access to labour in industries without shortages may be curbed, it suggests.
The BBC understands the document has not been signed off by ministers.
A spokesman for the government said it did not comment on "leaked draft" documents.
They said ministers would be setting out their "initial proposals" for a new immigration system "which takes back control of the UK's borders" later in the autumn.
Downing Street has long maintained that the current right of EU citizens to live and work in the UK will come to an end on the day that the UK leaves the 28-member bloc.
It is also likely that there will be an implementation period to minimise disruption to businesses and to the public services, many of which are heavily reliant on European labour.
However, details of the likely shape of the UK's post-Brexit immigration policy remain hazy with a proposed immigration bill, one of eight pieces of Brexit-related legislation, yet to be published.
The Home Office document obtained by the Guardian, entitled the Border, Immigration and Citizenship System After the UK Leaves the EU, is marked extremely sensitive and dated August 2017.
Among the ideas set out, the 82-page document suggests low-skilled migrants would be offered residency for a maximum of two years while those in "high-skilled occupations" would be granted permits to work for a longer period of three to five years.
Employers would be encouraged to focus recruitment on "resident labour" and EU nationals could be required to seek permission before taking up a job. While there would be no new border checks on entering the country, all EU citizens will be required to show a passport.
"The government will take a view on the economic and social needs of the country as regards EU migration, rather than leaving this decision entirely to those wishing to come here and employers," it states.
It also floats the idea of ending the right to settle in Britain for most European migrants and placing new restrictions on their rights to bring in family members.
The new measures, it indicates, would only come fully into force at the end of a transition period, which could last up to three years. It is understood that the document is a draft, unfinished version of an upcoming White Paper circulated among senior officials and that there have been at least five earlier versions.
A leading campaigner for tougher migration controls said the document's thinking was "excellent news".
"Uncontrolled migration from the EU simply cannot be allowed to continue," said Lord Green, chairman of Migration Watch. "These proposals rightly focus on low-skilled migration and by doing so could reduce net migration from the EU by 100,000 a year over time.
"This would be an important step to achieving the government's immigration target."
UKIP also welcomed the proposals, saying they should be implemented "without fudging" and prioritise the needs of communities up and down the country as well as those of workers and businesses.
However, Labour MP Yvette Cooper said the document appeared to fly in the face of Home Secretary Amber Rudd's commitment earlier this summer to consult on a post-Brexit immigration system.
"The process for developing its policy seems to be completely confused. What assessment has been done of the impact or the interrelationship between immigration proposals and any trade or single market deal?"
The TUC said the "back of the envelope plans" would "create an underground economy, encouraging bad bosses to exploit migrants and undercut decent employers offering good jobs".
The government has said it is sticking by its target of cutting levels of net migration from about 250,000 last year to less than 100,000 despite calls from the opposition and some Conservative MPs for it to be dropped.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41168091
|
Hurricane Irma: Residents prepare for 'potentially catastrophic' storm - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Those in the path of the "potentially catastrophic" storm secure homes and stockpile supplies.
|
Latin America & Caribbean
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alison Strand told the BBC about the "dangerous conditions" in Anguilla
Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, has hit the Caribbean, with officials warning of its "potentially catastrophic" effects.
The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, has sustained wind speeds reaching 300km/h (185mph).
It first hit Antigua and Barbuda, before moving on to Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin.
It is then expected to move on towards Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
In the US, Florida's Key West area has ordered a mandatory evacuation.
The French government, which runs Saint Barthélemy, more commonly known as St Barts, and Saint Martin, has said it is worried about thousands of people who have refused to seek shelter.
Major flooding has been caused in their low-lying areas, said the French weather office.
The eye of the storm first hit Barbuda, which has a population of around 2,000 people, at about 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).
Winds gusted at 250km/h, before the recording equipment broke and no further readings were received.
"Early indications seem to show that Antigua has not been too badly hit, but we cannot say the same for Barbuda as we don't yet know," reported Antigua's ABS radio.
The Antigua Observer said it had received initial reports of roofs being blown off on both islands.
There have also been concerns for St Kitts and Nevis. President Timothy Harris said on Twitter: "All of our national security agencies have been fully mobilised and are on the highest alert."
Thousands of people have been evacuated from at-risk areas across the Caribbean. Residents have flocked to shops for food, water, and emergency supplies.
Airports have closed on several islands, which are popular holiday destinations, and authorities have urged people to go to public shelters.
In Florida, people have rushed to buy supplies
The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Irma was moving at a speed of 24km/h (15mph), saying that the storm was "potentially catastrophic".
There are hurricane warnings for:
The islands' populations range from about 2,000 each on Barbuda, Saba and Culebra, to 3.5 million in Puerto Rico.
Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the south-eastern Bahamas are on hurricane watch.
"No rest for the weary!" tweeted US President Trump, in reference to emergency operations being undertaken again in the country, less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas.
Mr Trump has declared a state of emergency for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilising federal disaster relief efforts for those areas.
In Florida's Key West, visitors will be required to leave on Wednesday morning, with residents due to follow in the evening.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Donald J. Trump This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
"We're emphatically telling people you must evacuate. You cannot afford to stay on an island with a category five hurricane coming at you," said Martin Senterfitt, the emergency operations centre director in Monroe County in Florida.
In Puerto Rico, a 75-year-old man died during preparations for the storm.
Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello said the situation on the island was "something without precedent", as 460 emergency shelters were prepared, according to Reuters news agency.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
He ordered police and National Guard troops to help evacuate flood-prone areas in the territory's north and east.
The Bahamas is also launching the "largest evacuation in its history", according to Prime Minister Hubert Minnis. Plans have been made to fly residents from the south-east islands to the safer capital, Nassau, on Wednesday.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, people have been preparing their homes and businesses
Alison Strand, originally from Staffordshire in the UK, is on the island of Anguilla. She said her family had spent several hours fortifying her home on the coast.
"Our house is 5m (15ft) above sea level and we're expecting 8m swells, so we're just crossing our fingers," she said. "We are expecting to lose our wooden roof."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Weather's Ben Rich has the latest on dangerous Hurricane Irma
Carolyne Coleby, in Montserrat, said: "Irma is about to hit us full force."
"I am a goat farmer and have to consider my livestock. Last night I moved 20 goats to a backhouse at a hostel I manage which is on slightly higher ground," she said.
"I am hoping the galvanised roof of the backhouse doesn't fly off. I can't go to the shelter because I can't leave my animals.
Sir Richard Branson shared pictures of his preparation on his private Necker Island
Parts of Texas and Louisiana are dealing with the damage done by Hurricane Harvey in late August. But it is not yet clear what impact Hurricane Irma might have on the US mainland.
The mainland has not been hit by two category four hurricanes in one season since the storms were first recorded in 1851.
Texan officials told the Associated Press that 60 people are dead, or are feared dead, from Hurricane Harvey. Not all of these are confirmed.
A string of US stars, including Beyoncé, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, have reportedly signed up to take part in a fundraising telethon for victims. Hurricane Harvey Relief will air on 12 September.
Meanwhile, a third tropical storm, Jose, has formed further out in the Atlantic behind Irma, and is expected to become a hurricane by later on Wednesday, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-41168117
|
The refugee doctors learning to speak Glaswegian - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
For doctors who fled to the UK, training to work in the NHS means having to learn the local dialect.
|
Health
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Doctors who have travelled to Scotland as refugees are being given the chance to start working for the NHS through a training scheme. The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme has been to meet those involved.
"When people say, 'I had a couple of beers', they don't mean two," jokes instructor Dr Patrick Grant, a retired A&E doctor training refugees to work for NHS Scotland - including in how to overcome cultural barriers.
One of his students is Fatema, who previously worked as a surgeon in the Middle East until she was forced to flee.
Having treated anti-government protesters in her home country, she herself had become a government target.
"I wish one day this country will be proud of me," she says.
Fatema is one of 38 refugees and asylum seekers on the course - a £160,000 programme funded by the Scottish government.
Based in Glasgow, it provides the doctors with advanced English lessons, medical classes and placements with GPs or hospitals.
The aim is to give the refugee doctors - who commit to working for NHS Scotland - the skills to get their UK medical registration approved.
Fatema says coming to the UK and not being able to work as a surgeon had felt like being "handcuffed".
"I'm a qualified medical doctor. It's hard to start again from zero," she explains.
Maggie Lennon, founder of the Bridges Programmes which runs the scheme, says it is important for the UK to utilise its high-skilled refugees.
Maggie Lennon says the refugee doctors' clinical skills are very similar to those of doctors trained in the UK
"I always say to people, 'I imagine taking out an appendix in Peshawar is not that different to taking out an appendix in Paisley'.
"I don't think there's actually any difference in the clinical skills, I think where there is a huge difference is attitudes to patients and how medicine is performed," she explains.
The scheme is designed to overcome such hurdles, including the case of one surgeon who, Ms Lennon says, was unaware he would have to speak to patients, having previously only encountered them in his home country after they had been put to sleep.
Watch Catrin Nye's full film on refugee doctors on the Victoria Derbyshire programme's website.
Laeth Al-Sadi, also on the course, used to be a doctor in the Iraqi army.
He came to Scotland to study but his life was threatened in Iraq and he was never able to go back.
One of the ways he has learned to work with patients in the UK is to use informal terms that might put them at ease - "How are the waterworks down there?" being one example.
Laeth Al-Sadi says being part of the scheme allows him to feel like he "belongs somewhere"
Language classes are an important part of the course, and placements with GPs and hospitals also allow the refugees to take note of local dialects.
Another doctor says he was confused by a patient who said they had a headache because of a "swally" - a term for an alcoholic drink.
Before refugees can even take their medical exams, they must pass tests to ensure they speak English at a high level.
They must pass a test called IELTS with a level of 7.5 - which even some doctors from the US and Australia have failed in the past.
All classes are taught in English. In one "situational judgement" lesson, the refugees are taught to assess what is wrong with a dummy patient based on its "symptoms".
Laeth says he feels lucky to be offered the possibility of a job in NHS Scotland.
"Lots of colleagues, or people who are doctors, are living here, and they are working other jobs.
"Some of them are even taxi drivers, which has [led to a loss of] hope for a lot of people."
Ms Lennon says this issue of under-employment among the refugee population "is as serious as unemployment".
"If someone's a qualified accountant and they're working pushing trolleys [in a supermarket], then there is an argument that they're taking a job from a poorly qualified person in this country," she adds.
Language classes are an important part of the scheme
Fatema says that despite having to leave the Middle East, she is glad she took the decision to treat anti-government protesters.
"My promise at medical graduation [was to] treat people equally, and try to do whatever is possible to help people. So I would do it again."
Dr Greg Jones, clinical lead at NHS Education Scotland, defended the use of government money on the scheme.
"As well as getting people back to their careers as doctors being the right thing to do from a humanitarian standpoint," he explains, "it's also the right thing to do financially.
"It would be a hugely wasted resource if people who'd already gone through medical training were not used as doctors."
Laeth says being part of the scheme allows him to feel like he "belongs somewhere".
"It means the world," he adds.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41160013
|
Can modern makeover save smallest Swiss village? - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The elderly villagers of Corippo want tourists to share their traditional lifestyle.
|
Europe
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Corippo has 16 inhabitants and only one of them works
Like many Alpine communities, Corippo, in the southern canton of Ticino, has experienced decades of depopulation as younger generations moved down to the towns and cities for schooling, work and, understandably, a social life.
Today, Corippo's struggle has become existential, as Mayor Claudio Scettrini explains.
"There are only 16 residents," he sighs. "And I'm the only one going to work, the rest of them are pensioners."
"I hope the rest of them live into their 90s," he continues, "otherwise there will be no-one left here at all. It's really quite tragic."
The village's spartan buildings are mostly deserted - the young have gone
There has been a community in Corippo for more than 600 years. In the 19th Century the village had 300 inhabitants, and there were many similar villages across the southern Swiss Alps.
Today's popular lakeside resorts of Locarno and Lugano, affectionately known as the "Swiss Riviera", were avoided back then because of the high risk of malaria.
But with malaria eradicated, and traditional mountain farming less and less economically viable, the village way of life has begun to die.
Corippo has no shop, no school and no children. It may be only 30 minutes' drive from bustling Locarno, but the narrow access road, with its hairpin bends, may not be many people's chosen commute.
What Corippo does have, however, are more than 60 traditional stone houses, with dry stone roofs, many of them still with their original fireplaces, and chestnut wood floors. And most of them are empty.
The crumbling interiors would test any do-it-yourself enthusiast
Ticino tourism director Elia Frapolli, optimistically perhaps, views this state of affairs as an opportunity.
"Life in Corippo and small villages like this is special," he insists. "It's like being in another century. Time slows down, everybody knows each other in the village, and you feel the authenticity of living in a village that has existed for centuries."
And so, with the support of a foundation devoted to preserving Corippo, a plan has been developed: to turn some of the empty houses into hotel rooms.
The concept, known as albergo diffuso or "scattered hotel", has already been tried in some Italian hill villages, but never in Switzerland.
An old lady makes her way up one of Corippo's narrow streets
The entire village of Corippo is now protected as a historic monument, which means architect Fabio Giacomazzi faces a monumental challenge: how to modernise some of the interiors without touching the exteriors.
A peek inside some of the houses reveals the scale of his task: many have been untouched since the 1950s, some residents emigrated to the US, others simply died, and no-one was left to clear out the property.
Old clothes, postcards and empty wine bottles litter the floors. The walls are damp and dusty. There is no sign of running water, let alone a flushing toilet.
"Of course we will paint, of course we will put in bathrooms," says Mr Giacomazzi. "But the original doors will stay, the original wood and stone must stay. The experience for guests should be very similar to what it was in the 19th Century in Corippo."
It will be relatively spartan, he admits.
Nevertheless Corippo's 16 residents, from Mayor Scettrini on down, are pinning their hopes on the idea. They are determined their village should not become a theme park. Guests will live side-by-side with villagers, the local bar will be an informal hotel reception, the village square an open-air lobby.
"It's good for the village, for the future, because most of us are old," says elderly resident Silvana. "With this project people will come here."
The few tourists wandering Corippo's empty lanes also seem supportive.
"I think more and more people appreciate this kind of accommodation," says one young man.
"If you want to switch off then I could see it being relaxing for a few days," adds another. "Maybe if you have a book to write or something."
Some houses are decorated with old frescoes much in need of restoration
For tourism director Elia Frapolli, a place to switch off completely, to escape from 21st-Century life, is precisely Corippo's attraction.
"This is the perfect place for what we call 'digital detox'," he says.
"It's a new trend. In the 21st Century the new luxury will be authenticity, having a place where you can really feel the history of the place, you can leave your mobile phone behind. This is real, it's not fake, there is hundreds of centuries of history here."
Corippo's plans will take time to achieve, nothing will be ready for at least another year.
But word seems to have got out, and requests for reservations are already coming in.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41114730
|
Kim Wall case: Sub hatch cover caused death - suspect - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
An inventor charged with killing a journalist on board his submarine says she died in an accident.
|
Europe
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kim Wall's death: What we know so far
Swedish journalist Kim Wall died by accident after being hit by a hatch cover on board a submarine, the Danish owner of the vessel has told a court.
Peter Madsen said he had been holding the heavy hatch - but then lost his foothold and the hatch shut.
Mr Madsen, 46, then said he had tried to bury Ms Wall, who was 30, at sea and intended to commit suicide.
He has been charged with killing Ms Wall, whose headless torso was found on 23 August in waters off Denmark.
She was last seen alive on 10 August as she departed with Mr Madsen on his home-made submarine to interview the inventor.
Prosecutors have accused Mr Madsen of murdering Ms Wall and mutilating her body. He denies this.
Testifying in Copenhagen's court on Tuesday, Mr Madsen said Ms Wall was bleeding intensely after being hit by the 70kg (154lb) hatch.
"There was a pool of blood where she had landed."
"In the shock I was in, it was the right thing to do," he said, answering why he threw the journalist overboard.
Danish police believe Mr Madsen deliberately sank the 40-tonne submarine hours after the search for Ms Wall began on 11 August.
Her partner had reported that she had not returned from the trip.
Mr Madsen was rescued from waters between Denmark and Sweden.
Local authorities are continuing their search for the rest of Ms Wall's remains, hoping that this will provide clues about the cause of her death.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41165806
|
Britons evacuated as Hurricane Irma hits - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
British Airways evacuates holidaymakers as the Foreign Office urges Britons to follow evacuation orders.
|
UK
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alison Strand has lost power and is facing "dangerous conditions" in Anguilla
Britons in the Caribbean and Florida have been urged to follow evacuation orders as the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade hits the region.
The Foreign Office warned that Hurricane Irma would bring hazardous conditions to the area.
Briton James Fairs, who lives on the island of St Kitts, said experiencing the storm was "pretty scary".
Airlines were forced to ground or divert flights, and British Airways evacuated 326 passengers from Antigua.
Some travellers have been left stranded after being unable to get a flight following the category five hurricane - the highest possible level.
The storm - which has sustained wind speeds reaching 295km/h (185mph) - has already caused major flooding and damage to buildings on several islands.
France's overseas affairs minister confirmed two people have been killed and another two seriously injured in the French Caribbean territories of St Martin and St Barts.
The eye of the storm hit the island of Barbuda, which has a population of about 2,000 people, shortly after 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT).
It has since hit Antigua, before moving on to St Martin and St Barts.
Mas Rezai, from London, is on holiday in the Dominican Republic with his family but has not been able to leave the island.
"We want to go home but British Airways say they do not have flights available," he said.
"When I complained and asked why British Airways wasn't providing a plane to get British citizens out they told me they simply had nothing available.
"Now we are hearing the airport is closed too. We just want to go home as soon as possible."
BA sent an aircraft to Antigua on Tuesday to collect 326 customers.
"We are making sure our customers are well looked after in their hotels and are constantly monitoring the situation and liaising with the airport authorities in the region," a spokesman said.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by alex woolfall This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by alex woolfall This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Pippa Holman, 24, is on holiday with her parents and sister in Antigua and said they had been "incredibly fortunate" to avoid the worst of the storm.
"The anticipation was the most frightening part," she said. "It was howling around us, but we were really fortunate the damage was relatively limited."
Holidaymaker Alex Woolfall, from London, tweeted from his hotel on the nearby island of Saint Martin, where he was taking cover in a stairwell after being evacuated from his room.
He wrote: "My God this noise! It's like standing behind a jet engine!! Constant booms & bangs. At least concrete stairwell not moving."
He added: "May be my last tweet as power out and noise now apocalyptic. This is like a movie I never want to see."
Mr Fairs, who lives at Frigate Bay in St Kitts, said the hurricane felt like being on a plane as it takes off.
"At one point we could see what we thought was lightning through the curtains but when we looked out we could see live electricity cables dancing around in the dark," he said.
Hurricane Irma hits the San Juan in the northern Caribbean on Wednesday
Sir Richard Branson said he had experienced a night of "howling wind and rain" as the hurricane "edges ever closer" to his private Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands.
Writing a blog on Wednesday, he said: "All of us slept together in two rooms. I haven't had a sleepover quite like it since I was a kid.
"The atmosphere is eerie but beautiful. Everyone is willing the eye of the storm to veer away from the British Virgin Islands in these last few hours.
"We are expecting to get the full force of the hurricane in around five hours' time, when we will retreat to a concrete wine cellar under the Great House."
Sir Richard Branson's "sleepover" as his team prepare for the hurricane to hit his Necker Island
The Royal Navy ship RFA Mounts Bay, which is currently in the Caribbean on operations to counter drugs smuggling, is on standby to help.
The Department for International Development (DfiD) has also sent three humanitarian experts from the UK to the Caribbean to provide assistance.
Priti Patel, DfiD secretary, said: "Our staff are on standby, both in the UK and at post, to support any British people affected.
"We urge British Nationals in the affected area to closely monitor and follow Foreign Office and local travel advice."
Virgin Atlantic warned that any customers booked on flights to or from Antigua, Havana and Miami between Wednesday and Monday may need to rebook. The airline said it had cancelled a flight to Antigua on Thursday.
San Juan airport, the busiest in Puerto Rico, has cancelled about 40% of its flights in response to the hurricane.
Thomas Cook has postponed two flights from Manchester for 24 hours - one going to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, and a flight travelling to Cuban airport Vardadero on Friday.
Are you in the region? If you are a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41172755
|
University heads asked to justify pay over £150,000 - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The universities minister is to set out a series of measures to curb the academics' salaries.
|
Education & Family
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jo Johnson: "I do not want to read about VC pay in the newspapers"
Spiralling rates of pay for university vice-chancellors are to be curbed by a series of new measures being set out by the universities minister.
Jo Johnson urged institutions to show restraint, when it emerged that dozens of university heads were earning £300,000, and some more than £400,000.
Now, he wants universities to justify pay rates topping £150,000 a year to a new regulator, the Office for Students.
Details of staff earning above £100,000 year would also have to be made public.
Universities have argued that their leaders are managing large institutions, have enormous responsibilities and huge budgets, and therefore command large salaries.
Mr Johnson called for "transparency and openness" in the way pay is set for university heads and "greater restraint" in vice-chancellor and senior-level salaries.
"We [need to] put an end to the spate of damaging headlines we've seen over recent weeks," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Mr Johnson is setting out the plans in a speech to university heads at the annual conference of the umbrella body Universities UK, in west London on Thursday.
The plans, which will be consulted on, could see the Office for Students using its powers to impose fines if institutions do not give good reasons for high pay.
The new regulator, which is to be headed by Nicola Dandridge, the former chief executive of Universities UK, will also issue new guidance on the role and independence of pay committees.
Ms Dandridge herself volunteered for an 18% pay cut from £200,000 a year to £165,000, a move Mr Johnson said was "out of the spirit of public service".
Mr Johnson also told Today that student fees would rise next year with inflation.
"It's important there's confidence fees are put to the uses we intend them to be - we want fees to deliver great teaching and world-class research," he said.
Mr Johnson said the debate over student finance had increased public scrutiny of how universities spent the money they received.
"When students and taxpayers invest so heavily in our higher education system, excessive vice-chancellor salaries send a powerful signal to the outside world."
He added: "Exceptional pay can only be justified by exceptional performance, which is why I will ask the new Office for Students to take action to ensure value for money and transparency for students and the taxpayer."
Prof Janet Beer, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said in her conference address that it was understandable that high pay was being questioned.
"It is right to expect that the process for determining pay for senior staff is rigorous and the decision-making process is transparent.
"It is also reasonable to expect that decisions are explained and justified."
She also addressed the issue of the student funding, calling on the government to consider providing targeted maintenance grants for those most in need of this support.
The government should also "consider reducing the interest rate payable, not for all, but specifically for low- and middle-income earners through changes in earning thresholds to which interest rates apply", she said.
The overall cost of salary and benefits for vice-chancellors rose 2.5% to an average remuneration of £257,904 in 2015-16 on the previous year.
When pension contributions are included, the rise was 2.2% to an average of £280,877.
And several high profile cases revealed pay levels substantially higher than this.
Imperial College London pays its vice-chancellor, Alice Gast, a £430,000 yearly wage and pension package. She was recruited from an American university some years ago where she was paid £679,754.
The University of Birmingham pays Sir David Eastwood £426,000 in salary and pensions.
Sir David was previously chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council since 2006 - the post responsible for overseeing the university finance system in England.
University of Exeter vice-chancellor, also a former chairman of Universities UK, Sir Steve Smith receives a £426,000 package, according to the Times Higher Education newspaper.
The Russell Group, an association which represents 24 leading UK universities, says its institutions "recognise the need to act responsibly".
Dr Tim Bradshaw, acting director of the group, said Russell Group universities have demonstrated strong and effective governance around senior remuneration and will continue to do so.
But, he stressed, universities operate in a competitive market, saying salaries help to maintain the UK's position as a "world leader in science and innovation".
General secretary of the University and College Union Sally Hunt said soaring vice-chancellor pay, which her union has highlighted over the years, had become a real embarrassment for the higher education sector.
She accused vice-chancellors of hiding behind "shadowy remuneration committees".
She said: "Over two-thirds of vice-chancellors sit on their own remuneration committees, and three-quarters of universities refuse to publish full minutes of the meetings where leadership pay is decided."
• None Three more MPs quit uni roles over pay
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41176337
|
Why immigration debate is far from over - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A leaked Home Office document, and other recent signals, point to a very live debate going on in government about what will happen after Brexit.
|
UK Politics
|
The prime minister has at least two big reasons for wanting to get this right.
For Theresa May, the referendum result was a clear instruction from the British people that they wanted to reduce the levels of immigration. Politically, therefore, she believes it's a demand she has to meet.
And as home secretary for six years, when the government continually flunked its own immigration target, the new system that will control immigration is finally, perhaps, a chance to meet her own long-missed goal.
So Wednesday's mega-leak from the Home Office of the potential design of the post Brexit system is significant.
Many of the proposals in it are not a surprise - the requirement for EU citizens who want to move to the UK long term after Brexit to register with the authorities, for example. You can read more of the extensive details here. One source involved in the negotiations says the "general principles" of the document are indeed an accurate reflection of the government position.
But it's far from the final version. And much of the uncertainty lies around what happens on "D+1", the day after we leave the European Union.
The implication from the document is that as soon as we leave, freedom of movement is over.
Although ministers have said as much on the record before, and Downing Street sources are adamant that will be the case, it pulls against indications in Whitehall a few months ago that the principle whereby EU citizens could come to live and work freely in the UK could carry on uninhibited during a transition period, the couple of years following Brexit itself.
One extremely senior source was, in fact, categorical that would be the case, and implied that had been agreed by ministers, as part of the acceptance that a transition period of some sort was inevitable. Not, it seems now, the case.
Couple those mixed signals with the leak of this document, and it points to a very live debate taking place right now in government.
I am told there was a series of meetings last week, involving the Home Office, the Treasury, Downing Street, and the Brexit department, about how to fulfil Theresa May's political imperative on immigration as quickly as possible, without creating howls of alarm from business or denting the economy.
In fact, since the draft was written, only last month, there have been six new versions of the proposals, none of which has yet been to cabinet, with the final version due in a White Paper later this autumn.
One source involved in the discussions said: "I'm not going to pretend it's an easy job," and in reality much of the detail is a long, long way off.
That's partly because the longer term plans will be informed by a big study looking at what the economy needs, which the government has only recently commissioned, and, inevitably, much of the policy that will cover the period immediately after Brexit will be subject to the negotiations between the UK and the EU.
It is also because even this big detailed document doesn't even really begin to fill in the blanks for phase three, the years that will follow the transition period, the eventual destination.
Who said anything about Brexit would be easy?
• None Reality Check: Who are the low-skilled EU workers?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41178443
|
North Korea nuclear crisis: Test 'caused landslides' - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Satellite images show "more numerous and widespread" disturbances at the test site than before.
|
Asia
|
The pictures released by 38 North appear to show several landslides near the peak of Mount Mantap
North Korea's recent nuclear test appears to have triggered several landslides, according to what are believed to be the first satellite images of the aftermath.
Sunday's test took place underground at the mountainous Punggye-ri site.
Analysis group 38 North published pictures which show "more numerous and widespread" disturbances than before.
The test unleashed a powerful 6.3-magnitude tremor which was felt across the border in China.
North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests so far, all at Punggye-ri, which consists of a system of tunnels dug beneath a mountainous region.
38 North said its latest pictures, which were taken a day after the latest test, showed landslides as well as numerous areas of gravel and scree fields which were "lofted" from the tremors.
Lofting occurs when shockwaves force material to be lifted up from the ground, and the material falls back down in the same place.
A close-up of the Punggye-ri test site as photographed days before the test...
...and the same area seen on Monday
The disturbances took place near Mount Mantap, the highest point in the test site.
They were "more numerous and widespread than what we have seen from any of the five tests North Korea previously conducted", the site's analysis said.
But it added that while the test triggered a powerful tremor, it did not appear to have caused the crater to collapse.
Some experts believe however that the nuclear test did cause an underground tunnel at Punggye-ri to collapse.
A wider shot of Punggye-ri before the test shows the mountainous region covered in green vegetation
A picture taken after the test show more brown patches along mountain ridges, seen as evidence of landslides
Sunday's bomb was thought to have had a power range from 50 to 120 kilotonnes. A 50kt device would be about three times the size of the US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
The repeated tests have prompted concerns about the test site's longevity, although experts are divided.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nuclear North Korea: What do we know?
Earlier this week Chinese scientists warned of the possibility of the mountain caving in and releasing radiation after future tests, reported the South China Morning Post.
A previous 38 North commentary debunked the possibility of the tests triggering a volcanic eruption.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41170940
|
Archbishop of Canterbury calls for radical economic reform - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Archbishop of Canterbury says the rich-poor divide in parts of the UK is destabilising.
|
Business
|
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says Britain's economic model is broken, as the gap between the richest and poorest parts of the UK widens.
Britain stands at a watershed and must make "fundamental choices" about the direction of the economy, he said.
The remarks come in a report by a commission set up by the centre-left Institute for Public Policy Research.
The UK Treasury said: "Employment is at a record high, the deficit is down and inequality is at a 30-year low."
The IPPR's interim Commission on Economic Justice report says the UK economy is the most unbalanced in Europe, and contains more workers overqualified for their jobs than the rest of the European Union.
Britain's economic model is simply unfit for the 2020s, the IPPR argues. The organisation proposes a "fundamental reform" of the economy, on a scale comparable with the Atlee reforms of the 1940s and the Thatcher revolution of the 1980s.
Committee members include the Archbishop, along with leading figures from business and civil society.
The archbishop said: "Our economic model is broken. Britain stands at a watershed moment where we need to make fundamental choices about the sort of economy we need.
"We are failing those who will grow up into a world where the gap between the richest and poorest parts of the country is significant and destabilising."
The report sets out new analysis which suggests that, although GDP per head has risen by 12% since 2010, average earnings per employee have fallen by 6%.
It says that since the 1970s, the share of national income that has gone to wages has gradually declined, from 80% to 73%, while the share going to profits has increased. The wage share is now the lowest it has been since the World War Two.
The report says that economic growth and earnings have "'decoupled" since the financial crisis.
It states: "The UK economy no longer translates economic growth into rising earnings. Gains from growth have gone largely into profits rather than wages, and the UK economy is now in the longest period of earnings stagnation for 150 years."
The Commission is calling for an urgent public debate on taxation, the role of the financial sector, the power of trade unions as well as looking at the impact of new company models including Google and Amazon.
Overall, the report's analysis finds that the economy is no longer raising living standards for a majority of the population.
It says this growth was a "promise" that has underpinned public life since 1945 and the economy's deep weaknesses make it "unfit" to face the challenges of the 2020s.
A Treasury spokesman said the government was proud of its record but there was more to be done: "That is why we are investing £23bn in infrastructure, R&D and housing, while also reforming technical education to prepare for the high paid, high skilled jobs of the future."
Among the main points of the IPPR's research:
The report calls for public debate on a range of reforms, including:
As well as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the IPPR commission's members include Sir Charlie Mayfield, the chairman of John Lewis, Juergen Maier, the chief executive of German electronics giant Siemens, and Frances O'Grady, the general secretary of the TUC.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41160748
|
Air freshener causes car to explode in B&Q car park in Southend - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A cigarette accidentally ignited a "build-up of air freshener gases" in the car, the fire crew says.
|
Essex
|
A cigarette ignited a build-up of air freshener gases inside the car, the fire service said
An air freshener has caused a car to explode in a B&Q car park injuring one person.
The roof and doors were blown off the Ford Focus in Fossetts Drive, Southend, earlier as the Southend Echo reported.
Staff at the DIY store in Essex helped the casualty, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
"The explosion happened after a build-up of gases from an air freshener was accidentally ignited by a cigarette," Essex Fire and Rescue Service said.
A man who was nearby, said he heard a "very loud bang" as the "doors, windscreen and roof... were blown out".
One person was injured in the explosion
"B&Q staff rushing to help," he wrote on Twitter.
The explosion happened at about 12:15 BST and all three emergency services attended.
"One patient... is believed to have minor injuries," an East of England Ambulance Service spokeswoman said.
The ambulance service was unable to confirm whether the injured person was male or female.
The car "suffered significant damage", the fire service said, however, the "cause of the explosion has been confirmed as accidental".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-41179132
|
Forest Gate shooting: Corey Junior Davis, 14, dies - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A murder investigation is launched following the death of Corey Junior Davis, from Forest Gate.
|
London
|
Police said there were "serious concerns" over retaliations and put extra officers on the streets
A 14-year-old boy has died after being gunned down in a double shooting in east London.
Corey Junior Davis, from Forest Gate, died in hospital on Tuesday night, the Metropolitan Police said.
Corey and a 17-year-old boy, who suffered "life-changing" injuries, were found in Moore Walk, in Forest Gate, after the shooting on Monday.
Corey's grandfather, Neville McLeod, said he could not believe "that someone could want to kill" the teenager.
A murder investigation has been launched, although no arrests have been made.
The Met said there were "serious concerns" of retaliation and has put extra officers on the streets.
Mr McLeod said he lived with Corey, who was known as CJ.
"He never gave me any trouble. I've nothing bad to say about CJ. Not one word," he said.
"He might have got into trouble once. But not anything major, that someone could want to kill him."
Police are appealing for information about a light coloured 4x4 vehicle that was seen leaving the scene immediately after the shooting
Det Ch Supt Dave Whellams described it as "a very tragic incident".
"A teenage boy's life has been taken in an extreme act of violence leaving his family utterly devastated," he said.
"We are pursuing all lines of inquiry to catch the person responsible for Corey's murder and are keen to hear from anyone who believes they might have information to come forward as it could prove vital to our investigation.
"Our thoughts are with Corey's family at this very difficult time."
Police are appealing for information about a large, light coloured 4x4 vehicle that was seen leaving the scene immediately after the shooting.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41169943
|
Salvador Dali: DNA test proves woman is not his daughter - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
María Pilar Abel Martínez says her mother had an affair with the artist before she was born.
|
Europe
|
Ms Martínez says she was born in 1956 as a result of an affair between Dalí and her mother
A Spanish woman who believed Salvador Dali was her father is not the surrealist artist's daughter, a DNA test has proved.
María Pilar Abel Martínez, a tarot card reader who was born in 1956, says her mother had an affair with Dalí during the year before her birth.
A judge in Madrid agreed his body could be exhumed for testing in June.
But now the Dali Foundation says the tests carried out have conclusively proved the two are not related.
"The DNA tests show that Pilar Abel is not Dali's daughter," the foundation, which manages his estate, said in a statement on Wednesday, six weeks after the artist's body was exhumed from a crypt in a museum dedicated to his life and work in Figueres, in north-eastern Spain.
Had they been related, Ms Martinez would have had a claim on part of Dali's estate, which he left to the Spanish state following his death in 1989 at the age of 85.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A number of Dali experts had raised their eyebrows at the claim before his body was exhumed, with biographer Ian Gibson noting the artist's own claim of "I'm impotent, you've got to be impotent to be a great painter".
It is not known how Ms Martinez, who had been told from an early age she was the painter's daughter, has responded to the news.
Dalí's wife, Gala, died in 1982 - after which he is said to have lost much of his zest for life
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41180146
|
UK shipyards: Five frigates at centre of new strategy - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The government will buy at least five frigates to be constructed at shipyards around the country.
|
UK
|
HMS Queen Elizabeth was built in blocks across six cities before being assembled in Rosyth
A new national shipbuilding strategy intended to benefit UK shipyards is being unveiled by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.
The government plans to buy at least five frigates, and share the work between shipyards around the UK.
The first batch of new Type 31e frigates will bolster a depleted Royal Navy fleet, but it is hoped future ships will be bought by foreign navies.
It comes as the Ministry of Defence aims to save billions of pounds.
The new frigates would be built across different shipyards, but assembled at a central site, and ready for service by 2023.
Their cost would be capped at £250m each.
The strategy has been called "ambitious" and with reason.
Will there be enough work to sustain several shipyards in the UK? Will there really be demand from abroad for British-designed warships?
And can you really build a frigate for just £250m? Defence doesn't have a great record of keeping costs under control.
And that highlights a larger problem. The MoD's budget is once again in crisis. It's equipment programme has become more expensive because of a fall in the pound.
It still has to find tens of billions of pounds in "efficiency savings". And all three services are struggling to recruit and retain key personnel.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon boasts of a growing defence budget. But the sums still don't add up.
To balance the books, the MoD will need to make another round of painful defence cuts.
Sir Michael told BBC Breakfast this was a "huge opportunity" for UK shipyards which could bid for these "big contracts" next year, with building expected to start the following year.
"It's a great day for the Royal Navy."
The navy currently uses Type 23 frigates, which would be slowly phased out, added Sir Michael.
They are to be replaced by eight Type 26 frigates, which are being built in Glasgow, and five of the smaller Type 31e frigates.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon tells Radio 4's Today the defence budget will "continue to increase"
He acknowledged previous warships had been over-budget and delivered late.
But he insisted that the new approach of fixing the price at the start, as recommended by industrialist Sir John Parker in his 2016 shipbuilding review, would allow them to take advantage of the "renaissance" in shipbuilding.
"We have to get back to making things," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He said the defence budget would increase from £36bn this year to £37bn next year.
"I'm determined our armed forces will have the new equipment they need," he added.
Scottish National Party defence spokesman Stewart McDonald said the plans had "nothing to do with ambition".
"It is all about squeezing costs to the bone and cutting corners, and still leaves real uncertainties for the future for workers at Scottish shipyards and the communities that depend on them."
GMB, the union for workers in the shipbuilding industry, said it would watch the government closely to see whether it "backs its warm words with deeds" to protect the UK's shipbuilding future.
"Without a clear commitment from government, it will be foreign competitors who will benefit from vital work that should be taking place in UK yards," GMB national officer Ross Murdoch warned.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41171515
|
North Korea's nuclear bomb: Can we work out its power? - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
How do we work out the size and nature of North Korea's nuclear test? A physicist explains.
|
Asia
|
The nuclear test that North Korea conducted on Sunday is thought to be the biggest ever conducted by Pyongyang. But what does this really mean and how will we find out more about the bomb? Physicist Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress explains.
A nuclear explosion is an extremely large explosion, so large that it shakes the ground just as an earthquake does and is detected by seismic sensors thousands of kilometres away.
The magnitude of the shaking is a measure of the immense energy released by the event. A parameter known as the body-wave magnitude (Mb) is used.
The US hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952 was the first test of a thermonuclear device
This is not a linear scale. A magnitude-6 event, for example, releases 30 times more energy than one of magnitude 5.
In all, 34 stations that are part of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation's (CTBTO) vast seismic monitoring network detected North Korea's explosion and it was so intense that it actually "saturated" the detectors. In other words for this monitoring network, which is sensitive to extremely small nuclear test explosions, this test was so high it essentially went off scale.
There have been widely differing calculations of the power of this blast, ranging from 50-150 kilotonnes. The force is measured in kilotonnes to indicate what would happen if one kilotonne of TNT was exploded.
The yields predicted so far vary because it depends on the precise formula used: which scaling relation of the yield as a function of body wave magnitude is used - and that depends on a variety of factors such as the depth and type of rock where the test was conducted, for example.
A recent scaling equation takes into account the depth at which an explosion took place. This was developed by Miao Zhang and Lianxing Wen from the University of Science and Technology of China and Stony Brook and is appropriate for North Korea.
It means that we can begin to start guessing how powerful the blast would have been at various depths and this is what it looks like in a graph.
Modelling of the test site has led analysts to guess that blasts take place at depths as deep as 600 to 900 metres (1968-2952ft). If that is true, the yield is likely to have been at least 370 kilotonnes, which is vastly more than most estimates.
What this graph shows is that small differences in depth can make vast differences in yield or power. Compare this with the destructive force of Hiroshima: that came in at 15 kilotonnes.
This new estimate is consistent with the yield of a "two-stage" thermonuclear device, which is the type of bomb that North Korea claims that they have developed.
But more work will need to be done to determine the depth at which this test was conducted to reach consensus on the yield - that is the power - of the bomb.
Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress is scientist in residence at the Middlebury Institute of International studies at Monterey.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41144326
|
Trump's Daca dilemma - and dodge - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Donald Trump ended Obama-era protections for undocumented immigrants. Now it's Congress's challenge.
|
US & Canada
|
The Trump administration has confirmed it's ending the Obama-era programme called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca). Now the president - and Congress - must grapple with the political fallout.
It won't be a hard break. Current enrolees will be allowed to maintain their normalised residency status until the expiration of their current two-year permits, and renewals for those whose status ends within the next six months will be processed until the end of September.
Nevertheless, the move is a significant change for the more than 840,000 long-time US residents who entered the nation without documentation when they were under the age of 16 and accepted Barack Obama's offer to emerge from the legal shadows.
It also represents a new challenge for the politicians in Washington.
For once, Mr Trump avoided the spotlight following a major presidential decision. Instead, the administration provided an off-the record briefing for reporters, followed by an on-camera statement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions - after which he took no questions.
The former Alabama senator said the administration was doing the "compassionate" move by ending the programme over the course of two years, rather than risk having a court rule Daca illegal and instantly end protections for formerly covered immigrants.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
He - and other administration officials - overstated the unanimity of the opinion in the legal world as to the validity of Mr Obama's order, but there was a very real possibility that a federal judge would have suspended the programme if a group of Republican-controlled states followed through with their threat to file a lawsuit.
The president perhaps took a back seat on Tuesday because Daca protections are generally popular with Americans, who have sympathy for young adults in the programme, many of whom have no recollection of their previous home countries. This is a presidential decision that will have a very human face and very real consequences.
The president would eventually issue a statement of his own, largely echoing Mr Sessions' legal arguments and putting the onus on Congress to work on "responsible immigration reform".
Would that include Daca-like protections? Mr Trump wasn't clear - but, as always, his Twitter feed might offer some suggestions.
"Congress get ready to do your job," he wrote. "Daca!"
By Tuesday evening he had cast the finality of his decision into question, writing: "Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!"
The journey from telling Congress to "do its job" and actually getting legislation on the president's desk is a long one, even with the president raising questions about whether he plans to follow through with his decision. Despite Republican control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, significant legislative achievements have been few and far between during the Trump presidency.
What's more, Congress has been grappling with this particular issue for more than 15 years to no avail. The closest they came was during the Democratic-controlled Congress in 2010, when the House passed a Daca-like bill, but it failed to get the 60 votes in the Senate necessary to break a Republican filibuster.
Conservatives were largely united in opposition, joined by a handful of Democrats. That prompted Mr Obama's unilateral executive action, which he framed as an exercise in presidential "prosecutorial discretion", buttressed by a process that granted legal status only to those who had come to the US as children, lived on America soil for at least 10 years, had a clean criminal record and had completed high school or served in the military.
Now Congress must act if it wants to preserve the programme. Legislators haven't always responded well to the threat of doomsday deadlines, however. Back in 2013 they faced severe across-the-board budget cuts unless they reached a compromise to trim the federal deficit. They didn't, and the so-called "sequestration" budget rules have hamstrung legislators ever since.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina announced on Tuesday they were introducing a bill to codify Daca similar to previous efforts, but a stand-alone measure isn't what the Trump administration has in mind.
According to the White House, any Daca reinstatement should be part of comprehensive immigration reform that includes strengthened border security, a change to merit-based immigration and cuts to overall legal immigration numbers. The legislative process for such a measure - even under favourable circumstances - could drag on for months.
The circumstances, however, are less than favourable. Democrats are likely not interested in anything other than straight-up Daca re-instatement. Funding for Mr Trump's Mexican border wall, for instance, would be a non-starter.
As for Republicans? Similar to other recent big-ticket items on the legislative agenda, there's far from unanimity on how to proceed.
In announcing the administration's decision to "wind down" Daca, Mr Sessions didn't just argue that the Obama-era policy was presidential overreach of questionable legality. While much of his statement was about upholding "the rule of law", he also made clear he thought Daca was bad policy.
"The effect of this unilateral executive amnesty, among other things, contributed to a surge of unaccompanied minors on the southern border that yielded terrible humanitarian consequences," the attorney general said. "It also denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same jobs to go to illegal aliens."
In his press statement, Mr Trump was equally explicit, drawing the line between Daca recipients - many of whom have lived in the US for most of their lives - and "Americans".
"We must remember that young Americans have dreams too," Mr Trump said. "Being in government means setting priorities. Our first and highest priority in advancing immigration reform must be to improve jobs, wages and security for American workers and their families."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'America is the only country I've known'
Many Republicans in Congress - even those who have in the past criticised Obama's executive action - have offered a more supportive tone in backing legislation that provides Daca recipients with legal status.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said he hopes Congress can ensure that "those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute as a valued part of this great country".
Senator John McCain was more blunt, calling Mr Trump's decision the "wrong approach".
"I believe that rescinding Daca at this time is an unacceptable reversal of the promises and opportunities that have been conferred on these individuals," he said in a press release.
Meanwhile, battle lines are forming on the other side of the debate, as well. Ann Coulter, a conservative columnist who was an early supporter of candidate Trump's tough immigration rhetoric, had a warning to congressional Republicans.
"Millions of voters not only won't vote for Donald Trump again, but will never vote Republican again if they pass this Daca amnesty," she tweeted.
A bit of executive leadership on this issue would likely go a long way toward helping unite the Republican Party, but that doesn't seem to be forthcoming. The president himself, at times, has appeared as divided as his party.
While he campaigned on the immediate termination of all Mr Obama's "illegal" executive orders - including Daca - he's since been much more equivocal, saying that deciding what to do about these so-called DREAMers has been "very tough".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
This isn't the first time the president, who likes to fashion himself as a decisive executive, has played Hamlet on the national stage. There was similarly professed soul-searching prior to his announcement that he was increasing US forces in Afghanistan and withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord.
The Afghanistan move ran counter to candidate Trump's campaign pledge to reduce US exposure there and exposed a rift between his military aides and the more nativist leanings of some of his political advisers.
The other moments of doubt and reflection revealed tension between White House hard-liners and moderates in the White House, including daughter Ivanka Trump, who serves as a presidential close adviser and confidante.
And with both the climate agreement and Daca, Ivanka and other White House, moderates were on the losing side.
In a White House that has been wracked at times by palace intrigue, it's interesting to note where the president has seemed the most torn. On military matters, the generals tend to prevail. But when it comes to domestic issues, the president usually tilts towards the promises he made to his base, even if the establishment - and his daughter - advise otherwise.
Over the coming days and weeks Washington may be obsessed with the political implications of this decision. What does it mean for the president's popularity? What are the risks for moderate Republicans in Congress already facing tough re-elections next year? Which party can gain the upper hand in the coming battles?
Outside of the nation's capital, the president's decision will have very real consequences for Daca beneficiaries. In six months, individuals who had emerged from the legal shadows - who had provided their names and pertinent information to the US government in exchange for normalised immigration status - will start to be plunged back into darkness.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'We won't go back into the shadows', says this undocumented immigrant
Even though the Trump administration has said that they will not be prioritised for deportation, the sense of security and benefits these long-time US residents enjoyed will be gone.
For some Americans, this is a cold but hard truth for those who violated the law, even if they did so as children. For others, it is an avoidable tragedy - one of the president's making.
For Daca recipients, the countdown clock is now ticking.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41153609
|
Fourteen people rescued from 174ft Skyline Tower in Weymouth - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Thirteen visitors and a member of staff are winched to safety by helicopter.
|
Dorset
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Helicopters were used to lift people off the Jurassic Skyline Tower
Fourteen people have been winched to safety after becoming trapped up a 53m-high (174ft) viewing tower in Dorset.
Thirteen visitors, including an 11-week-old baby, and a member of staff were rescued from Weymouth's Jurassic Skyline tower by coastguard helicopter.
The rescue operation began after fire crews were called at about 16:15 BST and ascended the tower.
The helicopter arrived at around 19:30, when other rescue options were ruled out due to bad weather.
It refuelled in Bournemouth at 21:00, before returning to winch those who remained in the tower to safety.
The rescue was completed at about 22:10 and the helicopter was flown back to its base at Lee-on-the-Solent.
Dorset Fire and Rescue said: "Arrangements have been made to provide them with a safe place to rest and recover once returned to the ground."
The firefighters in the tower were getting themselves out of the building.
The operator of the tower, which gives 360-degree views of the coastline, Jurassic Skyline, said on Facebook the problem was down to "technical difficulties".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-41166593
|
Hurricane Irma damage considerable - Macron - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The French Caribbean territories St Martin and St Barts are badly damaged, France's president says.
|
Latin America & Caribbean
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Hurricane Irma has caused considerable damage on French island territories in the Caribbean, and casualties are expected, France's president says.
The impact of Irma on St Martin and St Barts would be "hard and cruel", Emmanuel Macron added.
His overseas affairs minister later confirmed at least two people dead and another two seriously injured.
The storm damaged more than 90% of buildings on Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister said.
The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, is now passing over the northern Virgin Islands.
The most powerful storm in a decade, with wind speeds of 295km/h (185mph), is also forecast by the US National Hurricane Center to pass near or just north of Puerto Rico, then near or just north of the coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
Hurricane Irma first hit Antigua and Barbuda, before moving on to St Martin and Saint Barthélemy - the French holiday destination popularly known as St Barts.
Significant damage is also being reported in the Dutch section of St Martin, known as Sint-Maarten.
French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the hurricane had caused major floods, and destroyed buildings, including four of the "most solid" on the island.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from at-risk areas across the Caribbean. Residents have flocked to shops for food, water, and emergency supplies, and airports have closed on several islands which are popular holiday destinations.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the government was in touch with British overseas territories caught up in Irma, and was doing "everything we can to help those afflicted".
In the US, Florida's Key West area has ordered a mandatory evacuation, with landfall expected at the weekend.
Irma as seen from space at 11:30 GMT on Wednesday
The French government said earlier it was worried about thousands of people who had refused to seek shelter on the islands.
Officials in the French territory of Guadeloupe confirmed the following damage:
In the Dutch territory, known as Sint-Maarten, the airport has been closed with photos showing debris strewn across the departures area and outside.
There has been a total power blackout, streets are littered with debris, cars are underwater and boats in the ports have been destroyed, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported (in Dutch).
France's interior minister said three emergency teams were being sent to the islands, two from France and one from Guadeloupe.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alison Strand told the BBC about the "dangerous conditions" in Anguilla
Confirming the two fatalities in St Martin and St Barts, French Overseas Affairs Minister Annick Girardin said: "Obviously the situation can change very quickly."
The hurricane had caused major flooding in low-lying areas, and authorities had yet to gain access to the worst-hit areas, she added.
Some 40,000 people live in the French part of St Martin, with around the same number estimated to live on the Dutch side. About 9,000 people live on St Barts.
Some islands in the region are almost at sea level and any significant storm surges would be potentially deadly, the BBC's Will Grant reports from Havana.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced the huge destruction on Barbuda, population 1,600, in a satellite phone call to local broadcaster ABS TV and radio.
However, Antigua, population 80,000, escaped major damage, with no loss of life, he said earlier.
US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilising federal disaster relief efforts.
In Florida's Key West, visitors will be required to leave on Wednesday morning, with residents due to follow in the evening.
"Watching Hurricane closely," Mr Trump tweeted on Wednesday. "My team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida. No rest for the weary!"
Parts of Texas and Louisiana are dealing with the damage done by Hurricane Harvey in late August. But it is not yet clear what impact Hurricane Irma might have on the US mainland.
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved roughly $8bn (£6.1bn) in initial emergency aid for states affected by Harvey. The measure will now go to the Senate.
A third storm further out in the Atlantic behind Irma swelled to category one hurricane strength on Wednesday, the US National Hurricane Center confirmed. Hurricane Jose has a maximum sustained wind speed of 75km/h.
Seeing multiple storms developing in the same area of the Atlantic in close succession is not uncommon.
Rarer though is the strength of the hurricanes, with Harvey making landfall in the US as a category four.
There have never been two category four storms making landfall on the US mainland during the same season, since records began.
Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-41172726
|
Brexit: Businesses warn over 'UK workers first' proposal - BBC News
|
2017-09-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Leaked Home Office proposals say firms must put UK workers first after Brexit or face penalties.
|
UK Politics
|
Firms that rely on EU workers have warned of the "catastrophic" impact of proposals to slash unskilled migration on the day Britain leaves the EU.
Under the draft plan, leaked to the Guardian, firms would have to recruit locally unless they could prove an "economic need" to employ EU citizens.
They could face a skills tax to boost training of UK workers if they still chose to employ unskilled EU staff.
But business groups say a "sudden" cut could cause "massive disruption".
The National Farmers' Union claimed the "entire food supply chain" could be threatened.
NFU deputy president Minette Batters said: "We are calling for an urgent and clear commitment from government to ensure that farmers and growers have access to sufficient numbers of permanent and seasonal workers post-Brexit.
"And we need clarity on the new rules for EU nationals living and working in the UK well before free movement ends in March 2019."
The leaked Home Office document has not been signed off by ministers, who will set out their post-Brexit migration plans later this year.
But Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "The public voted to leave the European Union. That means freedom of movement has to end."
He said "people with the right skills" would still be "welcome".
But he added: "Equally we have to make sure that British companies are also prepared to train up British workers.
The prime minister has at least two big reasons for wanting to get this right.
For Theresa May, the referendum result was a clear instruction from the British people that they wanted to reduce the levels of immigration. Politically, therefore, she believes it's a demand she has to meet.
And as home secretary for six years, when the government continually flunked its own immigration target, the new system that will control immigration is finally, perhaps, a chance to meet her own long-missed goal.
So Wednesday's mega-leak from the Home Office of the potential design of the post Brexit system is significant. Read more
"The public are very clear, they want to see immigration not stopped but brought properly under control."
His message was echoed by Theresa May at Prime Minister's Questions, who told MPs immigration had to be cut to ease the strain on public services, adding that it "often hits those at the lower end of the income scale hardest in depressing their wages".
The EU has not issued an official response to the leaked document. Unnamed sources have told The Times the EU would block access to the single market during the transition period the UK wants after Brexit if it presses ahead with the proposals.
Michael Fallon said the government would take the views of business into account when drawing up its migration policy.
But business groups have hit back at his suggestion that they are using cheap foreign labour rather than training up British workers.
The British Hospitality Association said: "If these proposals are implemented it could be catastrophic for the UK hospitality industry and for those who enjoy the hospitality it brings."
The BHA claims 75% of waiters, 25% of chefs and 37% of housekeepers in the UK are EU nationals and at least 60,000 new EU workers are needed every year to fill vacancies.
The organisation said it would take 10 years to train up enough British workers to plug the gap and some businesses would fail in the meantime, "taking UK jobs with them".
Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation, said: "If this does represent the government's thinking it shows a deep lack of understanding of the vital contribution that EU migrant workers make - at all skill levels - across the food chain."
A trade body representing Britain's manufacturers, the EEF described the leaked proposals as a "mixed bag".
"On the highly skilled side, the system described is one we can work with, after some changes," a spokesman said, but it had "grave concerns" about low-skilled workers, "with many UK manufacturers telling us that they simply don't get jobs applications from prospective UK workers".
The Home Office document obtained by the Guardian, entitled the Border, Immigration and Citizenship System After the UK Leaves the EU, is marked extremely sensitive and dated August 2017.
Among the ideas in it are:
"The government will take a view on the economic and social needs of the country as regards EU migration, rather than leaving this decision entirely to those wishing to come here and employers," the document states.
Low-skilled migrants would be offered residency for a maximum of two years while those in "high-skilled occupations" would be granted permits to work for a longer period of three to five years.
EU citizens coming as tourists, on short-term business trips or visits to friends and family would be able to enter the UK without needing permission, under the draft proposals.
Those staying longer would need to register for a residence permit by showing proof of employment, study or self-sufficiency. Applicants' fingerprints could also be taken.
The document says the new regime would only come fully into force at the end of a transition period, which could last up to three years.
The proposals would not affect EU nationals already living and working in the UK - the government says they should be given the right to apply for "settled status" after five years of being lawful residents, although agreement on this has yet to be reached in Brexit talks.
The leaked document says: "Put plainly, this means that, to be considered valuable to the country as a whole, immigration should benefit not just the migrants themselves but also make existing residents better off."
Sources have told the BBC that the proposals have been updated six times since the leaked document was written in August and although the broad principles in it are correct, it has yet to be discussed by the cabinet.
Lord Green, of the Migration Watch pressure group, said: "These proposals rightly focus on low-skilled migration and by doing so could reduce net migration from the EU by 100,000 a year over time."
UKIP also welcomed the proposals, saying they should be implemented "without fudging" - but Labour MP Yvette Cooper said they appeared to fly in the face of Home Secretary Amber Rudd's commitment earlier this summer to consult on a post-Brexit immigration system.
The TUC said the "back of the envelope plans" would "create an underground economy, encouraging bad bosses to exploit migrants and undercut decent employers offering good jobs".
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable claimed Theresa May had suppressed "up to nine reports" showing immigration did not hit the wages or jobs of existing UK workers when she was home secretary - claims denied by Downing Street.
Italy's minister for European Affairs, Sandro Gozi, has described the proposals as "very restrictive and unacceptable".
He told the BBC News Channel that it was "the wrong direction in our analysis" and "we won't be ready to negotiate along those lines".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41172505
|
George Michael's new single gave Nile Rodgers 'mixed feelings' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Producer Nile Rodgers admits to feeling "uncertain" about the single, which has just been released.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Producer Nile Rodgers has admitted to feeling "uncertainty" about working on George Michael's new single.
Fantasy, a remix of a 1980s outtake, premiered on Radio 2 on Thursday.
Rodgers' confession came in response to a fan who expressed "mixed feelings" over the song's release, eight months after Michael's death.
"You SHOULD have mixed feelings," he said on Twitter. "No one's heart was dragged through emotional ambiguity more than mine."
Rodgers said he approached the remix with "tears, uncertainty, happiness & #LOVE".
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Nile Rodgers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Nile Rodgers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Fantasy sounds vastly different to the version that was released as a b-side in 1990, and later as a bonus track on 2011's deluxe version of the Faith album.
The tinny 80s production of the original has been completely overhauled in favour of a slinky funk groove, featuring Rodgers' choppy guitar rhythms and championing Michael's soulful harmonies.
On first listen, it appears some of the vocals are alternate takes to the previously released version.
But while it is refreshing to hear Michael's voice on the radio again, the track still feels more like an offcut than an undiscovered gem.
The decision to create a new "hook" from speeded-up samples of the star's vocals also feels like a rare mis-step for Rodgers, whose production credits include Madonna, David Bowie and Duran Duran.
"Fantasy was originally meant to be on Listen Without Prejudice and was intended to be one of the singles from the album, but somehow it got lost in the ether," Michael's manager David Austin told Radio 2's Chris Evans in a letter, which the broadcaster read out on his breakfast show.
While working on a reissue of Listen Without Prejudice before his death, he revisited the song and decided it could become a single.
"George phoned up Nile Rodgers, his good pal, in early 2016 because the two of them have always spoken the same musical language, and Nile has reworked the record."
News of the single emerged on Wednesday as Michael's sisters Melanie and Yioda posted an update on his official website, saying they will carry on his musical legacy "exactly as Yog would have wanted".
Fans embraced the track, and many tweeted about "listening with tears" in their eyes.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Tracey Bellew This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by iana This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 5 by 🎀 Maria T 🎀 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 6 by Lisa This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
But some were less enthusiastic, saying the track sounded "unfinished".
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 7 by Debbie M This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 8 by Sideburns Kev This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Michael, who rose to fame in band Wham!, died last year from heart disease and a build-up of fat in his liver.
His body was found by his partner, hairdresser Fadi Fawaz, at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day.
During his career, Michael enjoyed seven number ones on the UK singles charts, including Careless Whisper, A Different Corner, Jesus To a Child and Fast Love.
The 53-year-old had 23 top 10 hits, including Faith, Father Figure, Outside and You Have Been Loved.
The Fantasy remix will feature on a deluxe version of Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 / MTV Unplugged, which is set for release on 20 October.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41179586
|
Great British Bake Off debut one of Channel 4's most-watched shows - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The show's debut on Channel 4 provided one of the biggest audiences in the station's history.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
The new series of The Great British Bake Off has been popular with viewers
The first episode of this year's Great British Bake Off provided one of the biggest audiences in Channel 4's 35-year history, new figures show.
Full ratings, which includes those who watched the show up to seven days later, ended up at 9.5 million viewers.
No programme has achieved ratings as high since Big Fat Gypsy Weddings had 9.7 million viewers in February 2011.
Channel 4's creative officer Jay Hunt said: "Bake Off has well and truly landed."
She added: "I'm thrilled viewers have warmed to Paul, Prue, Noel and Sandi and are enjoying the exceptional standard of baking."
This year's contestants hoping to win Bake Off
Bake Off's viewing figures mean it received a place in Channel 4's top 10 biggest audiences of all time.
The largest audience in Channel 4's history was for the final episode of the mini-series A Woman of Substance, which was watched by 13.9 million viewers in January 1985.
Among the 9.5 million who watched this year's opener were 2.7 million 16 to 34-year-olds, making Bake Off the biggest programme for young viewers on any channel so far in 2017.
The full ratings for last year's launch on BBC One were 13.6 million.
Some of the personnel may have changed but the recipe is pretty much unchanged
In poaching Bake Off from the BBC, Channel 4 had to ensure they retained excellent plots and characters.
The former they could largely leave to Love Productions, the independent company which achieved such success with the format on the BBC.
The latter was a trickier mission. But the near universal acclaim - among critics at least - for the combination of Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig and Prue Leith with Paul Hollywood suggests that they've scored on this front as well.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41180486
|
Irma weakens but still wreaks chaos - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Latest updates as the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade hits the US mainland.
|
US & Canada
|
About 400 survivors of Hurricane Irma have arrived in France and the Netherlands aboard military planes, AFP reports.
Some 278 survivors landed in Paris, while another 100 flew into Eindhoven which is in the south of the Netherlands, the news agency says.
Earlier, French officials said six out of 10 homes on St Martin, an island shared between France and the Netherlands, were now uninhabitable.
They said nine people had died and seven were missing in the French territories, while four are known to have died in Dutch Sint Maarten.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-latin-america-41177350
|
Australian politician reveals husband's child porn conviction - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Rachel Carling-Jenkins gives a harrowing speech in an Australian state parliament.
|
Australia
|
An Australian politician has delivered a harrowing speech revealing that her estranged husband was jailed for possessing child abuse images.
Rachel Carling-Jenkins, a member of Victoria's state parliament, said she discovered the extensive collection in their family home last year.
Her husband was convicted after Dr Carling-Jenkins and her son went to police.
She said the discovery had turned her life upside down.
"In this discovery, I personally viewed deeply distressing images which have caused me immediate and ongoing anguish," she said.
"My marriage ended instantly and I left home the day I made that discovery and I have not returned to the family home since, except to pick up belongings."
The conservative politician told a sitting of the Victorian upper house on Thursday that she had kept silent on the matter to prevent interfering with police and court proceedings.
She had never had suspicions that her husband was addicted to child abuse images.
"I have no regrets as a mother or a wife in reporting and exposing this dreadful crime which occurred within the privacy of my home," she said.
Dr Carling-Jenkins said her husband had since refused to sign divorce papers and also denied her a property settlement and access to assets.
She said she had been financially and mentally abused by her husband, who had been sentenced to prison.
She also spoke of the anguish she felt for the young victims.
"The faces of many are etched into my memory for eternity and I pray that the police were able to identify and rescue as many of the poor, helpless, vulnerable victims as possible," she said.
"These little girls would not be abused if people like my ex-husband did not provide a market."
Fellow MPs hugged Dr Carling-Jenkins in the chamber after her speech.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-41183102
|
Gay men 'afraid to hold hands in public', survey finds - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
LGBT people face daily discrimination, abuse and violence but most don't report it, a survey finds.
|
UK
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Leon and Steve have been both attacked in recent months for being gay
More than half of gay men in Britain do not feel comfortable holding hands with a partner in the street, a survey of 5,000 LGBT people has revealed.
One in five lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender respondents to Stonewall's poll said they had experienced a hate crime in the past year.
They ranged from abuse to assault, but 81% of victims did not go to police.
The Home Office said all hate crime was "completely unacceptable" and "should be met with the full force of the law".
Stonewall said the UK had much to do before all LGBT people "can feel safe, included and free to be themselves".
While hate crime was more effectively recorded than in the past, the charity said there had undoubtedly been "a genuine increase" in incidents since its last major survey in 2013.
The 2017 poll - timed to coincide with a major new campaign, Come Out for LGBT - also found:
The report also highlights the daily discrimination LGBT people face, for example in shops or when attempting to access public services.
One in 10 respondents said they had suffered problems trying to either rent or buy a property.
One in six said their sexuality had been an issue in cafes or restaurants, while 10% of those who have attended a live sporting event claim to have been discriminated against.
The report includes harrowing accounts, such as that of Ava, a 56-year-old from London, who said: "Someone described their intention to slit my throat and kill me.
"They went on to say no court would convict them for killing 'the queer bait'."
Elijah, a 19-year-old from south-east England, said: "I live in constant fear of being attacked again due to my gender identity."
Stonewall says its research highlights the "shocking levels of hate crime and discrimination that LGBT people still face in Britain today".
Chief executive Ruth Hunt said: "At Stonewall, we want everyone across Britain who feels impacted by reading this report to join our campaign and pledge to come out for LGBT people everywhere, as visible allies."
Minister for countering extremism Baroness Williams said all forms of hate crime were unacceptable and the Home Office was working to improve the response to such incidents, including ensuring victims had the confidence to come forward.
"We are clear there can be absolutely no excuse for targeting someone because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. We put victims at the heart of everything we do, which is why we work closely with partners to support victims of LGBT hate crime."
David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, reiterated the desire to see an end to what he called "a hierarchy of hate crime".
"All hate crime is abhorrent. LGBT people, like everyone else, have the right to live safely in the community," he said.
"That is why we want the government to conduct a full review of hate crime legislation and sentencing guidance."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41179976
|
Libyan migrant detention centre: 'It's like hell' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The EU wants Libya to do more on migrants but the unstable country is struggling to cope.
|
Africa
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The 18-year-old from South Sudan knew he might perish on the treacherous crossing from Libya to Europe. So far this year, the Mediterranean has claimed an estimated 2,400 migrants and refugees.
But before he ever reached the shore, Hennessy was kidnapped, beaten and almost shot.
The teenager says he left home in 2016 after family problems resulted in death threats.
He is behind bars in the Triq al-Sika detention centre in Tripoli, along with around 1,000 other men. Most we met were Africans in search of work, who were stopped at sea, or trying to get there.
Now they are jammed into a warehouse, bereft of light and struggling to breathe.
Hennessy Manjing spent three years in London, where he wants to return
In the sweltering heat they are melding together - a tapestry of jumbled limbs, and torment.
"When they find their journey ends here, they are completely broken," said one official at the centre.
Some try to fan themselves with scraps of cardboard. At night, when the doors are locked, they have to urinate in bottles.
"It's like hell," said Hennessy "even worse than jail."
The gaunt teenager spoke with a London accent - the legacy of three years spent living in the UK with his family.
Hopes of getting back there led him first to Egypt, and then across the border to eastern Libya. He says that's where an armed gang kidnapped him and about 40 others from their trafficker.
There is not enough money to look after all the detainees
"We saw people holding guns and sticks, and they forced us into trucks," he said.
"People starting jumping off. By the time we jumped, there was an old man, from Chad. He was shot. Blood went all over my T-shirt. I thought I had been shot as well so I just ran away."
He sought help from a local man, who returned him to one of the kidnappers.
"He slapped me and punched me in the stomach, and said: 'Why did you run away?'
"Thank God, on the third day my trafficker came and released us."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Hennessy was given a fake visa to fly to Tripoli, but on arrival he was arrested by a militia and taken to a detention centre near the airport.
"There were daily abuses," he said. "If people make noise, or rush for food, you get beaten."
The weapon of choice for the guards was a water pipe.
Some of his fellow detainees outlined other hazards on the migrant trail through Libya - being bought and sold by militias, used as slave labour, and forced to bribe guards to be released from detention centres.
I just want to leave this place and go to my country
Osman Abdel Salam, from Sudan, lifted the red towel around his neck to reveal a raised scar.
He said that was the handiwork of jailers in the Libyan town of Bani Walid. They forced prisoners to call home, while being brutalised, to extort money from their relatives.
"When we call, we are crying. They beat you on the head. There are some people who don't want to obey - they burn their body. My father is a farmer. He doesn't have money so he sold our house."
Osman's freedom - which was short-lived - cost his family $5,000 (£3,800).
When I asked if he still wanted to get to Europe, he covered his eyes with the towel and began to weep.
"I just want to leave this place and go to my country."
Emmanuel John, an 18-year-old who speaks perfect English, said he was beaten from the moment he crossed the border, and feared he would die.
"The smugglers that brought us to Libya handed us to others, from the same network," he said.
"There are stops along the way until you arrive in the city. At every stop you have to pay money. And if you don't, there will be beatings."
But it was not the physical abuse that pained him the most.
"Two girls were raped in the room beside us," he said.
"It was a horrible moment. We couldn't do anything. We didn't have anything to defend ourselves."
He told us the girls were aged about 15 and 19, and were travelling with their family.
The European Union wants Libya to do more to prevent migrants like Emmanuel reaching Europe.
But those intercepted by the Libyan coastguard are being returned to an unstable country, with a collapsing economy, that can barely feed them.
A recent United Nations report condemned the "inhuman conditions" in Libyan detention centres highlighting "consistent reports of torture, sexual violence and forced labour", and cases of severe malnutrition.
Breakfast time at Triq al-Sika was long on queues, and short on food.
Each man received a small bread roll, some butter, and a single cup of watery juice.
Three-month-old Sola has been in detention for most of his short life
The detainees wanted us to witness this, as did the officials in charge. They say they have run out of money to pay their suppliers and are now relying on donations.
Those behind bars here are effectively prisoners, who don't know their sentence. They can be held indefinitely - with no legal process. Their only hope of release is to be sent back to their home country.
Three-month-old Sola has been in detention for most of his short life.
We found him in the women's section, sleeping peacefully on a faded mattress.
His young mother, Wasila Alasanne, tried to take him across the seas to Italy when he was just four weeks old.
"Our boat broke and the police arrested us on the water," she said.
"Since then we have been in five prisons. We don't have enough food. We don't have the right to call our parents. They don't know if I am alive or dead. My baby and I are suffering."
Wasila's husband is being held in a different detention centre.
She has no idea when they will be reunited, or when they will free.
Her home country, Togo, has no ambassador in Libya.
Now she can only dream of deportation, as she used to dream of Europe.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41189247
|
'Electrical explosion' on Oxford Street injures one man - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Police say one man has been left with minor injuries after a small "power network explosion".
|
London
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage shows part of the pavement scorched after the explosion
Part of Oxford Street was closed after a suspected electrical explosion.
The Met Police said one man had been left with minor injuries after a small "power network explosion" at about 19:00 BST.
A police cordon was put in place blocking traffic and part of the pavement, but has since been lifted.
Eyewitnesses described "screaming, crying and shouting" after a loud explosion, followed by "heat and light" coming from a box of electrical wires.
Eyewitnesses described seeing "burnt ground" after the suspected electrical explosion
Bronte Aurell tweeted: "I saw the explosion on #oxfordstreet I was right there - if that's an electrical explosion I don't want to ever meet one again. Was massive!"
Adam Jogee tweeted: "Terrifying few moments in John Lewis on Oxford Street. Explosion and lots of screaming, crying and shouting. All told to hide or get out."
Twitter account @Londonstuff tweeted a video showing a large amount of smoke saying: "Something's happened on Oxford Street. People running away quickly and panicking."
A spokeswoman from the Met confirmed roads had now reopened and emergency teams had stood down.
She said the electricity company was at the scene.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41195669
|
BBC reporter in Rakhine: 'A Muslim village was burning' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Jonathan Head saw a Muslim village burn in Myanmar's Rakhine state, as the Rohingya exodus continues.
|
Asia
|
Jonathan Head tweeted this image of the fires in Gawdu Zara village in Rakhine
About 164,000 Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state since violence erupted two weeks ago. They say the military and Rakhine Buddhists are destroying their villages to drive them out after attacks by Rohingya militants on police posts.
The government rejects this, saying the militants and Muslim residents are burning their own villages. But the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head says he saw a Muslim village that had just been set on fire, apparently by a group of Rakhine Buddhists. Here he describes what he witnessed:
I am part of a group of journalists invited by the Myanmar government to see the situation on the ground in Maungdaw. The conditions for us joining this trip are that we stay in the group and do not go off independently, and we are taken to places the government chooses for us.
Requests to go to other areas of interest, even nearby, were rejected as being unsafe.
We were returning from a visit to the town of Al Le Than Kyaw, south of Maungdaw, which is still smoking, suggesting houses have been recently set alight.
The police said it was the Muslim inhabitants who burned their own homes, although most fled after militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked the police post in the town on 25 August. While there we saw at least three columns of smoke in the distance to the north, and heard sporadic automatic weapons fire.
On our way back we saw a large column of smoke rising from a cluster of trees in the rice fields - usually a sign of a village.
We got out and raced across the fields to reach it. We could see the first buildings in the village ablaze, but only just. Houses in these villages burn to ash in 20-30 minutes. It was obvious the fires had just been lit.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jonathan Head, speaking on Wednesday on a government-organised trip to Rakhine
As we walked in, a group of young, muscular men carrying machetes, swords and sling-shots were walking out. We tried to ask them questions but they refused to be filmed.
However, my Myanmar colleagues did speak to them away from the cameras and they said they were Rakhine Buddhists. One of them admitted he had lit the fires, and said he had help from the police.
As we walked further in, we saw the Madrasa (Islamic religious school) with its roof only just on fire. Flames licked up the sides of another house opposite; within three minutes it was an inferno.
There was was no-one else in the village. These men we saw were the perpetrators. Household goods were strewn across the path; children's toys, women's clothing. We saw one empty jug reeking of petrol and another with a little fuel left in it in the middle of the path.
By the time we walked out, all the burned houses were smouldering, blackened ruins.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41189564
|
How many jobs does it take to fund uni? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
We speak to students who paid for their studies by working several jobs.
|
Newsbeat
|
There's a new call for politicians to look at maintenance grants for the poorest students.
More than a hundred universities are calling for a rethink on costs. Universities UK says the main worry for undergraduates is "money in their pocket" while they are studying.
It's estimated those from low income families will also leave with debts of £57,000.
We speak to students who paid for their studies by working several jobs.
Arwen Hawley-Brandt (above) is in her final year at Falmouth University studying filmmaking.
"I've had to waitress, work in a fish and chip shop and sell loads of things on eBay in order to fund my way through my studies," she tells Newsbeat.
Although she says the course itself is a lot of fun, she's not sure if the costs she's incurred will be worth it.
"I've contemplated dropping out but the only reason I'm staying is I'm in so much debt as it is, I might as well get the degree."
The 23-year-old had no option but to take out a credit card. "Then because I couldn't pay it off, I had to leave university early to go back to my parents and work, because they kept getting letters."
"Worrying about money has caused me a lot of anxiety and feelings of depression. I've had to stay in student halls again because I couldn't afford the £3,000 for a deposit on a house share."
Stephen Rooney, 30, from Newcastle had four jobs when he was studying politics.
"I did pedi-cabbing, worked in a call centre doing sales and service at Direct Line motor insurance, worked with a Polish builder doing some manual labour and fundraised for the university development and alumni office," he rattles off.
He says the multiple workplaces helped give him "additional disposable income" and "independence from my parents".
"I had plenty of free time beyond my studies to earn some extra cash and I found balancing work and student life very easy."
"My favourite job was being a lifeguard and activity co-ordinator for Disney in America," says Gregor Hollerin, 32.
He also worked on a potato farm. "I loved the competitive element; we always tried to beat the record for most plants in a day," he tells Newsbeat.
During term time he worked in bars and restaurants. "It was very flexible and managed to easily fit it around my studies and sport," he says.
He was also a street fundraiser for a time but gave that one up. He's now a PR consultant.
"I took my student loan every year, but it didn't cover more than the basics so I needed to work," explains Nicki Smith, 22, who has just finished her degree in business management at the University of Strathclyde.
"I would work Friday night and Saturday and Sundays at a range of venues owned by Kained Holdings... it was essentially like working in nine different places but they were all good opportunities.
"Some weeks I found it challenging with deadlines but buying a diary was a saviour," she laughs.
But the 22-year-old has no regrets.
"It was definitely worth it, because I'm about to start my graduate job in hospitality in a few weeks."
Natalie Smythe, 25, worked three jobs and volunteered while studying biology at the University of Southampton. The 25-year old is from a single-parent household and says it was a struggle to get anything more than a "pitiful loan".
"I worked as a silver service waitress, so no tips, and as a tutor and proof reader to cover my rent and expenses," she explains.
She says her lowest point was in the third year, writing her dissertation and doing lab work, while keeping the jobs going. "I'm sure working unsociable shifts impacted my grades."
Andrew Mackin, 40, is a music teacher who is still paying off his student debt.
"I first moved away to study music at Manchester City College at the age of 23. In order to pay for my living costs and tuition I'd work as a chef and also give private guitar lessons," he tells Newsbeat.
"Working really put a squeeze on the time I had left.
"Three nights a week, I'd finish college and go straight to work finishing up at 11.30pm, then get on with course work until around 4am and do it all again the next day," he says.
Andrew still has £17,000 of debt to pay back.
Until a short time ago Ben Boreham, 21, worked as a chef in Plymouth. He was sacked because the business didn't need him anymore and has struggled to find work since.
"I think it's really hard to get about eight to 20 hours work a week. I get the impression people don't want to take on students," he says.
He says short-term work is tough to find. "They say they would take me on but they don't employ students. We are not sought after because we are too transient."
"I don't want to have to ask my parents as I've got twin brother and sister who have just started university. I want to show my family I can sort myself out."
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/41174349
|
Pilot killed in plane crash at Caernarfon Airport - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The pilot of a light aircraft is pronounced dead at the scene after the crash at Caernarfon Airport.
|
North West Wales
|
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has sent an investigation team to the airport
One person has died after a light aircraft crashed onto the runway at an airport in north Wales.
Police were called to Caernarfon Airport at 18:29 BST on Wednesday after the plane crashed and burst into flames on the runway.
The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene and an investigation has begun.
Ch Insp Sharon McCairn, of North Wales Police, said: "A cordon is in place around the site and we are urging the public to remain clear of the area."
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has sent a team to the airport.
Mark Hancock, a guest at the nearby Morfa Lodge holiday park, said he saw what looked like a twin-engine plane crash as it came into land.
"The first thing I noticed was that the plane had no landing gear on, its wheels weren't down," he said.
"It was coming in way too fast and then the bottom of it did a sort of belly flop on the runway. It caught fire and then it bounced back up into the air and when it hit the ground again it burst into flames.
"It was like a massive fireball and there was black smoke everywhere. We could feel the heat from where we were standing. There were bits of plane all over the runway."
Caernarfon Airport, near Dinas Dinlle, operates training flights and is also home to the Wales Air Ambulance and the HM Coastguard Helicopters operated by Bristow.
Wales Air Ambulance said the crash did not involve any of its aircraft.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-41180580
|
Two arrested at Birmingham airport on terror offences - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The UK nationals were arrested after getting off a flight from Istanbul.
|
England
|
The arrested men had flown into Birmingham from Turkey
Two men have been arrested at Birmingham Airport on suspicion of terror offences.
The pair, aged 40 and 29, and from the UK, were held on Thursday after getting off a flight from Istanbul, Turkey.
The older man is being held on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. He is currently in hospital in London.
The other was arrested on suspicion of belonging to a proscribed organisation.
He is being questioned at a London police station.
They are being detained by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41186753
|
Canada has quietly granted asylum to LGBT Chechens - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Clandestine programme has helped safely resettle over 30 men and women from the Russian republic.
|
US & Canada
|
Protests have been held around the world to condemn the persecution of gay and lesbian Chechens
Thirty-one gay and bisexual Chechen men and women have been granted asylum in Canada following a violent crackdown on LGBT people in the Russian republic. They are being brought to Canada as part of an under-the-radar collaboration between human rights groups and the federal government.
In April, reports of abductions, detentions, disappearances, torture and deaths targeting gay and bisexual men in Chechnya began making international headlines.
The Chechen government denied that security officials had launched an anti-gay purge, saying that gay men "simply don't exist in the republic".
It was a claim repeated in July by authoritarian Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who denied in an interview there were gay men in Chechnya.
He then told HBO reporter David Scott : "If there are any, take them to Canada".
Rainbow Road executive director Kimahli Powell says "I had to chuckle when I heard that".
By that time Rainbow Road, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that helps LGBT people escape persecution and violence around the world, was well into a clandestine effort to spirit gay and lesbian Chechens to Canada.
The programme was kept secret until last week in order to assure the security of those they were assisting.
Its full details remain vague and the Canadian government has only confirmed its role through unnamed sources.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Ruslan', a gay man who says he fled: "It's the extermination of gay men"
Powell confirmed that 31 people have been granted asylum in Canada since June and that 22 are now in the country. They are all young, between 20 and 25 years old. Most were brought to Canada as government-assisted refugees.
Rainbow Railroad, based in Toronto, has also helped move another four to other countries.
All told, about 70 gay and bisexual men and women have escaped Chechnya, though a number still remain in Russia.
In May, the Russian LGBT Network said it was working with five countries in Europe and elsewhere to offer asylum to dozens of gay men.
But the organisation only named one country - Lithuania - as a confirmed destination.
Powell says when the scope of the persecution in Chechnya became clear, it made sense to approach the federal government for help.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly supports LGBT rights and regularly attends pride parades across the country. He named Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault as special adviser on LGBT issues.
Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland had both publicly condemned the anti-gay purge and called the persecution "reprehensible".
Rainbow Railroad was also concerned that Europe, with its Chechen diaspora, might not be the safest place for the refugees.
Powell says "this was a time to see whether the government was really going to do something".
Rainbow Railroad worked closely with the Russian LGBT network - the key organisation in the region - to help get the men and women out of Chechnya.
"In February, they're young individuals who had never left home, closeted, and all of a sudden captured, rounded up, beaten, abused, outed and then forced to migrate, within a few months," Powell says.
"Even in Canada they don't believe they're safe."
Human Rights Watch was also instrumental in the effort.
Egale, a Canadian LGBT human rights organisation, is working with 16 of the Chechens who have safely settled in Toronto.
The individuals will get counselling and settlement services.
Executive director Helen Kennedy says they face the usual challenges common to refugees - integrating into a new country and culture with different customs and language - as well as the trauma related to their experience.
She says the LGBT groups supporting the newcomers will need resources to help them adapt.
Gay men and lesbians who have faced persecution in other countries often distrust groups that provide services that aren't focused on the LGBT community.
"They should not feel abandoned once they get here," she says.
It's possible Canada's involvement will increase tensions between Canada and Russia.
The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that Freeland played a key role in the operation. Freeland is also one of 13 Canadian officials sanctioned by Moscow in 2014 in retaliation for sanctions imposed over Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Russian officials told the Globe that there would be consequences if Canada violated Russian law by bringing in the Chechen refugees.
It's not the first time Canada has helped persecuted gay men and lesbians.
The previous Conservative government helped LGBT people fleeing persecution from Iran, though the number being granted asylum in Canada dropped as Liberal government shifted its priorities to bringing in Syrian refugees in 2015.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41075528
|
'Pen' identifies cancer in 10 seconds - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The technology could help surgeons ensure they remove all of a tumour.
|
Health
|
A handheld device can identify cancerous tissue in 10 seconds, according to scientists at the University of Texas.
They say it could make surgery to remove a tumour quicker, safer and more precise.
And they hope it would avoid the "heartbreak" of leaving any of the cancer behind.
Tests, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest the technology is accurate 96% of the time.
The MasSpec Pen takes advantage of the unique metabolism of cancer cells.
Their furious drive to grow and spread means their internal chemistry is very different to that of healthy tissue.
The pen is touched on to a suspected cancer and releases a tiny droplet of water.
Chemicals inside the living cells move into the droplet, which is then sucked back up the pen for analysis.
The pen is plugged into a mass spectrometer - a piece of kit that can measure the mass of thousands of chemicals every second.
It produces a chemical fingerprint that tells doctors whether they are looking at healthy tissue or cancer.
The challenge for surgeons is finding the border between the cancer and normal tissue.
In some tumours it is obvious, but in others the boundary between healthy and diseased tissue can be blurred.
The pen should help doctors ensure none of the cancer is left behind.
Remove too little tissue, and any remaining cancerous cells will grow into another tumour. But take too much, and you can cause damage, particularly in organs such as the brain.
Livia Eberlin, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin, told the BBC: "What's exciting about this technology is how clearly it meets a clinical need.
"The tool is elegant and simple and can be in the hands of surgeons in a short time."
The technology has been tested on 253 samples as part of the study. The plan is to continue testing to refine the device before trialling it during operations next year.
The pen currently analyses a patch of tissue 1.5mm (0.06in) across, but the researchers have already developed pens that are even more refined and should be able to look at a finer patch of tissue just 0.6mm across.
While the pen itself is cheap, the mass spectrometer is expensive and bulky.
Dr Eberlin said: "The roadblock is the mass spectrometer, for sure.
"We're visioning a mass spectrometer that's a little smaller, cheaper and tailored for this application that can be wheeled in and out of rooms."
Dr James Suliburk, one of the researchers and the head of endocrine surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, said: "Any time we can offer the patient a more precise surgery, a quicker surgery or a safer surgery, that's something we want to do.
"This technology does all three."
The MasSpec Pen is the latest attempt to improve the accuracy of surgery.
A team at Imperial College London have developed a knife that "smells" the tissue it cuts to determine whether it is removing cancer.
And a team at Harvard are using lasers to analyse how much of a brain cancer to remove.
Dr Aine McCarthy, from Cancer Research UK, said: "Exciting research like this has the potential to speed up how quickly doctors can determine if a tumour is cancerous or not and learn about its characteristics.
"Gathering this kind of information quickly during surgery could help doctors match the best treatment options for patients sooner."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41162994
|
Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes: Teen sentenced for 'pure evil' murder - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, 15, was stabbed to death outside his west London school by another boy.
|
London
|
A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced for stabbing to death another teenager outside his school gates in an act described as "pure evil".
Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, also 15, was chased and stabbed three times outside Capital City Academy in Willesden, west London, in January.
The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of murder after a trial at the Old Bailey.
He was detained for at least 14 years.
Following the trial, the boy admitted attacking Quamari.
In a statement, he said: "I don't know why I did it. I was scared and confused.
"I'm telling the truth for Quamari's mum and dad. I'm sorry.
"I didn't mean Quamari to get so hurt.
"I'm not a murderer. I didn't want him to die.
The motive behind the killing remains unknown
"I want to have a different life but I don't know how. I'm trying."
In a statement read out in court, Quamari's mother Lillian Serunkuma described the killer's actions as "pure evil".
"You never gave Quamari a second chance to defend himself.
"You took his life in a cold and malicious way."
She said her son had a "fun loving spirit" and his life was stolen for "no reason", adding what the teenager did was "indefensible".
Tributes were left at the school gates following his death
Judge John Bevan QC said it was "infinitely depressing" to sentence a young person for such a serious crime.
He said: "It is very unusual to admit a murder after conviction. It is a mature decision rather than taking your chances in the Court of Appeal."
But he added: "This is a bad case of its kind because Quamari can have done nothing to merit an attack of this severity.
"His death was a product of a total lack of self control combined with the cowardice of knifing an unarmed victim."
Prosecutor Sally O'Neill QC said: "It is not accepted that Quamari was anything to do with any sort of gang.
"Information from the school painted a picture of a happy, hardworking, well liked and sociable boy."
Outside court, Quamari's father Paul Barnes said he thought his son's killer was "grabbing at straws" by admitting the attack.
He said he was "trying to save his own skin. Last ditch dot com. Trying to save his own bacon".
Det Ch Insp Jamie Stevenson, from the homicide and major crime command, said: "This was a deliberate and planned attack on a defenceless schoolboy as he made his way home, laughing and joking with friends.
"Quamari was well liked amongst his peers and had his whole life ahead of him. He was a Year 11 pupil and was in the latter stages of preparing for his GCSEs.
"His friends have gone on to sit their exams, something Quamari was never able to do, and his family have been denied the opportunity to know what their son and brother would have gone on to achieve."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41179692
|
The designer who weaves clothes with her blood - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Designer Poppy Nash weaves her blood sugar results into the fabric she designs to help manage her diabetes
|
Disability
|
If you're diabetic, checking your blood sugar level is part of the fabric of life. But one designer with the condition went a step further and wove her blood results into the fabric she designs.
Poppy Nash was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes aged six which meant her body was no longer able to produce insulin.
"It was horrible and scary," she says, as she recalled the day her GP sent her straight to A&E. "I remember Mum crying in the hospital. That's when I realised there was something wrong."
Nash was diagnosed and discharged with a new life-changing routine which revolved around injections and measuring blood-sugar levels multiple times a day, a demanding cycle kept up by her mum for many years until she was old enough to take responsibility for her own health.
When she was hospitalised at 18, after she accidentally injected herself with double the amount of insulin she needed, the true gravitas of the condition hit her.
"That was my wake-up call," she says. "It was like a second diagnosis and I suddenly realised 'I'm in charge of this stuff that essentially can kill me'."
It gave Nash a new outlook when she left home for Glasgow School of Art to study Communication Design where she "pushed" her way into the textiles department to learn how to screen print.
Asked to create a body of work on a subject she cared about, Nash says she hit a wall as the "voice" of diabetes became "too loud" and drowned out her creativity.
"I got so stressed out and my diabetes control went badly," she says. "Diabetes was the thing that made me stop doing my project work so I turned the situation on its head, then it made sense."
Nash went back to her blood sugar monitor and the ream of data it automatically stores which reveals how her body reacts to life - the good and bad.
She took the numbers, sometimes elaborated on them or added colour, then printed them onto fabric, before she turned that fabric into wearable artwork and felt she was literally weaving her blood into clothes.
"When you do research for a project you have to really believe in what you're doing and this [diabetes] is the only subject that I really cared about," she says.
"It makes me weirdly happy because I feel I'm cheating something, but they're also real numbers and that's why it's so scary."
Although Nash loves to focus on her work, she says it can bring on negative thoughts if she dwells on the reality of the figures and the impact the condition can have on her life.
"I was looking at these articles of people dying in their sleep from diabetes and I thought 'actually I can't do this'.
When that happens Nash says she has to put her work to one side for the day. She says "it's scary" but believes the project is ultimately good for her because it makes her confront the reality of what can happen if she doesn't look after herself.
When she's being creative in the studio Nash tries to look at her blood sugar levels artistically rather than medically.
The repetitive nature of writing out the numbers can be a "good therapy", she says, but she has to be careful not to get overwhelmed and focus only on the "bad numbers".
According to Diabetes UK, healthy blood sugar levels vary between each person but tend to be between four and nine, depending on when they have eaten - some of Nash's readings, which she has printed on her fabric, reach as high as 18.
Nash's latest commission is to design the interior of a house for the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive but she has also started to experiment with text to make sense of the mass of information she is meant to know about the condition.
She has started to collect news articles which reveal the harsh realities of diabetes, and use them to create patchwork quilts.
"I'll write out a whole article and then cut it up. I'll use fragments on some patchwork - one is about diabetes burnout - because it's so impersonal. It's all about people not choosing a healthy lifestyle. "
Burnout can arise years after a diagnosis when, out of frustration, some people with diabetes get sick of the diet and testing regime and give up or lapse. They may disregard their blood sugar level management or switch back to unhealthy eating habits.
Alongside her own artwork Nash works as a pattern drafter and cutter and recently made costumes for a band.
Her current focus is on textiles - fabrics, clothing and one-off pieces for exhibitions - but she hopes one day there might be a clothing collection.
"I would love people to wear them," she says, "They'd be telling the story of diabetes and they wouldn't even know."
Nash has had to overcome a lack of confidence in the worth of her artwork and whether it's relevant to non-diabetics.
"I think about diabetes all the time," she says. "I worry that if I think I talk about it all the time I feel self-indulgent. But it's not only diabetics who like it and it opens up conversations."
Even with the best management, hypos - when blood sugar gets too low - can occur regularly and Nash estimates she has two a week.
"It's like tripping out," she says. "You have no idea what's going on. My boyfriend has been talking to me and I just didn't understand what he was saying. I could repeat the words, but I didn't understand them.
"If there was a rulebook on how hypos can be caused it would be longer than Harry Potter," she says.
Nash will continue to monitor her blood sugar levels indefinitely but it will also continue to provide her with a well of creative possibilities.
"This is a nice platform, because I can turn something so rubbish into something that I like, it makes it kind of amusing.
"Diabetes as a subject can go on and on, so long as people want to listen."
If you have been affected by anything in this article you can visit Diabetes UK for further information about the condition.
For more Disability News, follow BBC Ouch on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-39790838
|
Can war games help us avoid real-world conflict? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
In a time of genuine international tension, is war gaming really a serious analytical and training tool?
|
World
|
North Korea has just fired off an intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan. Japan is uncertain as to whether the US wants to start a war.
It's trying to find out why a massive American naval fleet has just arrived in the region. But it's not getting any answers. There's chaos in the White House as various factions try to influence the president.
Some of this might sound familiar. But this is not real life. It's the scenario in a war game called Dire Straits, set in 2020.
And it's being acted out, not on the world stage, but in a lecture theatre and seminar rooms at King's College, London.
More than 100 people are taking part - academics, students, serving military officers and civil servants, as well as a few who do this for a hobby.
To an outsider, the game looks like chaos, but there are rules and referees.
Participants are given a scenario, which develops throughout the exercise
Tables have been set out representing countries.
The participants wear badges with their national flag and their role. There's a Russian president and foreign minister, a UN secretary general, military commanders and even journalists.
It's a noisy mix of debating society and board games: Risk meets Top Trumps meets chess.
On one table, there's a map of the region with cards placed on top with pictures of military hardware such as a US aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine.
Then, there are the "live inserts". Tweets appear on giant television screens to signal another twist in the game. Some of them are the actual tweets of President Trump. It keeps everyone on their toes.
It's all been choreographed by Jim Wallman and Prof Rex Brynen, of McGill University, in Montreal, who has also done these kind of games with the US military.
Prof Brynen says in recent years there's been a "major resurgence of war gaming as a serious analytical and training tool in both the US and UK".
Prof Rex Brynen says there's growing interest in war gaming
In Dire Straits, he's overseeing events in the White House - a room down the corridor from the rest of the world in the lecture theatre. A dozen people are trying to influence President Trump, who's survived another election in this scenario.
Alex Jonas, who plays the role of a beleaguered White House chief of staff, is trying to decide which of the advisers gets access to the president. Alex's real job as a web developer sounds less frantic.
President Trump is not being played by a person.
Instead, there's a board with chance cards that reveal his state of mind. Some are based on his own tweets. Before lunch, one of the cards warns North Korea of "fire and fury", echoing a phrase the president used in August.
Prof Brynen says there are a lot of players trying to influence the president. "He's blowing hot and cold on China, and US ambassadors in the region feel he's not really listening." Some of this might reflect his own views of President Trump.
Over on the North Korea table, the man playing Kim Jong-un has demanded that his team applaud each decision he makes. The umpire for North Korea is a real-life British military officer, Maj Tom Mouat, who lectures at the Defence Academy, at Shrivenham. His presence suggest this is a serious business.
He says war gaming "allows you to better understand what options you have". "You avoid the group-think mindset," he says.
Each participant takes on a specific role in the unfolding scenario
He gives the example of the US academic Thomas Schelling, who was involved in war gaming during the Cold War and helped identify the need for a "hotline" for the US and Russian presidents to talk.
Philip Sabin, professor of strategic studies at King's College, says war gaming highlights the dangers in a "safe way".
He refers to a recent game involving Russia and its Baltic neighbours, in which nuclear weapons were fired.
"War games are designed to explore how things can go horribly wrong," he says. "That helps you to avoid getting into that situation in real life."
So what happens at the end of the Dire Straits war game?
An unpredictable US policy led North Korea's neighbours to seek regional solutions. None relied on US leadership in the game.
South Korea secretly prepared the way for its own nuclear weapons programme. Taiwan used the chaos to further its independence from China. The US accelerated the deployment of a new anti-ballistic missile system.
As for North Korea, it made significant advances in its nuclear weapons programme. But no-one was prepared to risk a broader war, and the collapse of a nuclear-armed North Korea was seen as even more dangerous.
In the end, the major powers helped to de-escalate the crisis. Even in war gaming - where the stakes are of course much lower than real life - jaw-jaw is often better than war-war.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41172485
|
Workers retiring earlier than in 1950 - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Life expectancy was shorter in 1950 but men and women worked for longer than now, figures show.
|
Business
|
Workers are retiring at a younger age now than in 1950, figures show, despite longer life expectancy.
Men left the labour market at an average age of 67 in 1950, compared with 65 now, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Women typically left at 63 both in 1950 and now, although the current retirees are generally a few months younger.
But experts say that we should expect to retire at an increasingly older age as the state pension age is rising.
The age of retirement has been going up in the last 20 years and this trend is expected to continue.
Tom Selby, senior analyst at pension provider AJ Bell, said: "The rise in average retirement ages is only going to accelerate in the decades to come as the state pension age increases further and the number of people retiring with generous defined benefit entitlements falls away.
"We will also see more people working longer, either full-time or part-time, in order to supplement their retirement income.
"For some this won't be a problem, but for those in more strenuous or physically demanding roles the thought of retiring later will be difficult to stomach. But the stark reality is that, if life expectancy keeps going up, many will be staring a retirement age of 70 or older square in the face."
The government recently announced that the state pension age will rise to 68 for men and women between 2037 and 2039, rather than from 2044 as was originally proposed.
The DWP figures simplify a more complex picture, said Nathan Long, senior pension analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
"Retirement is hugely personal and this data does not show the wide dispersion in ages of people leaving the workforce. There is some clustering to state pension age, but overall there are a wide range of factors that influence when someone stops working," he said.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41187863
|
Hurricane Irma damage considerable - Macron - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The French Caribbean territories St Martin and St Barts are badly damaged, France's president says.
|
Latin America & Caribbean
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Hurricane Irma has caused considerable damage on French island territories in the Caribbean, and casualties are expected, France's president says.
The impact of Irma on St Martin and St Barts would be "hard and cruel", Emmanuel Macron added.
His overseas affairs minister later confirmed at least two people dead and another two seriously injured.
The storm damaged more than 90% of buildings on Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister said.
The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, is now passing over the northern Virgin Islands.
The most powerful storm in a decade, with wind speeds of 295km/h (185mph), is also forecast by the US National Hurricane Center to pass near or just north of Puerto Rico, then near or just north of the coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday.
Hurricane Irma first hit Antigua and Barbuda, before moving on to St Martin and Saint Barthélemy - the French holiday destination popularly known as St Barts.
Significant damage is also being reported in the Dutch section of St Martin, known as Sint-Maarten.
French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the hurricane had caused major floods, and destroyed buildings, including four of the "most solid" on the island.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from at-risk areas across the Caribbean. Residents have flocked to shops for food, water, and emergency supplies, and airports have closed on several islands which are popular holiday destinations.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the government was in touch with British overseas territories caught up in Irma, and was doing "everything we can to help those afflicted".
In the US, Florida's Key West area has ordered a mandatory evacuation, with landfall expected at the weekend.
Irma as seen from space at 11:30 GMT on Wednesday
The French government said earlier it was worried about thousands of people who had refused to seek shelter on the islands.
Officials in the French territory of Guadeloupe confirmed the following damage:
In the Dutch territory, known as Sint-Maarten, the airport has been closed with photos showing debris strewn across the departures area and outside.
There has been a total power blackout, streets are littered with debris, cars are underwater and boats in the ports have been destroyed, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported (in Dutch).
France's interior minister said three emergency teams were being sent to the islands, two from France and one from Guadeloupe.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alison Strand told the BBC about the "dangerous conditions" in Anguilla
Confirming the two fatalities in St Martin and St Barts, French Overseas Affairs Minister Annick Girardin said: "Obviously the situation can change very quickly."
The hurricane had caused major flooding in low-lying areas, and authorities had yet to gain access to the worst-hit areas, she added.
Some 40,000 people live in the French part of St Martin, with around the same number estimated to live on the Dutch side. About 9,000 people live on St Barts.
Some islands in the region are almost at sea level and any significant storm surges would be potentially deadly, the BBC's Will Grant reports from Havana.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced the huge destruction on Barbuda, population 1,600, in a satellite phone call to local broadcaster ABS TV and radio.
However, Antigua, population 80,000, escaped major damage, with no loss of life, he said earlier.
US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilising federal disaster relief efforts.
In Florida's Key West, visitors will be required to leave on Wednesday morning, with residents due to follow in the evening.
"Watching Hurricane closely," Mr Trump tweeted on Wednesday. "My team, which has done, and is doing, such a good job in Texas, is already in Florida. No rest for the weary!"
Parts of Texas and Louisiana are dealing with the damage done by Hurricane Harvey in late August. But it is not yet clear what impact Hurricane Irma might have on the US mainland.
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved roughly $8bn (£6.1bn) in initial emergency aid for states affected by Harvey. The measure will now go to the Senate.
A third storm further out in the Atlantic behind Irma swelled to category one hurricane strength on Wednesday, the US National Hurricane Center confirmed. Hurricane Jose has a maximum sustained wind speed of 75km/h.
Seeing multiple storms developing in the same area of the Atlantic in close succession is not uncommon.
Rarer though is the strength of the hurricanes, with Harvey making landfall in the US as a category four.
There have never been two category four storms making landfall on the US mainland during the same season, since records began.
Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-41172726
|
Anyika Onuora: From malaria to Olympic medallist in 10 months - BBC Sport
|
2017-09-07
| null |
From losing the ability to walk to standing on the Olympic podium just 10 months later, Britain's Anyika Onuora opens up about battling malaria.
| null |
When British sprinter Anyika Onuora took some time off to visit family in Nigeria in October 2015, she expected it to be like every other holiday.
But the 32-year-old contracted malaria and unable to walk, her Rio Olympic dream was left hanging in the balance.
Just 10 months later the Liverpudlian stood on the Olympic podium, with a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay hanging round her neck.
Not even her team-mates knew about the life-threatening ordeal she had endured just to be there. Now 13 months on from the Games, she tells her story...
There was a pause and the consultant just gave me the look - the look of uncertainty. He didn't know whether I'd make a full recovery.
"You're lucky to be alive," he said.
But all I could think was 'can I leave? I've got an Olympics to train for'. I felt like my dream was being taken away from me and it was heart breaking.
It all started when I was in Nigeria - I contracted malaria but I didn't know I had it. I went to the Dominican Republic for another holiday and that was when my symptoms started to get really rough.
I emailed the doctor at British Athletics and I told him my urine was dark, really really dark.
"Are you sure it's not alcohol or you haven't been drinking and staying hydrated?" he asked. But I was hydrated and it was getting quite worrying.
Even with the symptoms, I got home from the Dominican Republic and I went back to training at Loughborough. I was in denial for a long time. But I knew I wasn't running properly and I felt weird. That's when I realised it was something much more serious. As soon as I stopped that session, the fever kicked in.
I went to get a urine and a blood test and within 12 hours the chief medical officer got back to me. "There's something wrong with your kidneys, you need to see a specialist," he said.
I had no way to get to London other than to drive myself, with a raging fever, to St John's Hospital.
I sometimes complain about doing a tough workout but the symptoms I had were beyond anything I could have imagined.
I had a fever, I had vomiting, stomach cramps and headaches. I was going from hot to cold, shivering, and waking up in a pool of sweat without knowing why it had happened or where it had come from.
By the time they diagnosed me and told me I had malaria my fever was reaching 40C and they said "we need to throw you in an ice tub", but I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. The nurse had to put bags of ice around the bed because I couldn't get to the tub - I was in so much pain.
I was then put in quarantine and I wasn't allowed to leave. I couldn't even go outside and I remember gazing out the window and thinking how amazing London looked. I didn't know if I was ever going to see fresh air again.
I also had to learn to walk again. When I was moved to the ward I tried to do laps and I was fighting with the nurses because they said I should be in bed resting. But I needed to walk, I needed some sort of movement, I needed to be active - this was my winter training, I should have been out on the track.
The day I got released from hospital, it was my birthday and as soon as I walked outside I took a deep breath of air. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to do that, because not many people are able to survive it.
I think if I was a regular person I wouldn't have known it was malaria. I would have just taken some tablets and thought it was a cold.
They told me if I'd have left it a day or two days later it could have been fatal. I'm thankful that I caught it as early as I did.
I went through the absolute worst in that hospital and I nearly had everything taken away.
But as soon as I could walk again, I started running. No matter how much the training sessions killed me, I was just so grateful to be there.
Originally the European Championships weren't in my plans before the 2016 Rio Olympics, but because of the circumstances that led to my performances at the national championships - the Olympic trials - I had to go to the Europeans in Amsterdam to get a medal.
So nine months after contracting malaria I won my first global individual medal - a bronze in the 400m before gold in the 4x400m relay.
That didn't get me an individual place at Rio 2016 but I was selected for the relay and I said "I'm not coming back to the UK without an Olympic medal".
And in August, I got everything I'd ever dreamed of.
Alongside my team-mates Christine Ohuruogu, Emily Diamond and Eilidh Doyle we won bronze in the 4x400m relay.
I remember shaking on the podium. I'd been at the Europeans and got a medal, been to the Commonwealths and the World Championships in Beijing, but an Olympic medal? It was amazing. You just want to stare at it and hold it, it's like a new born child that you've just created and you don't want to let go.
Only a handful of people knew what had happened to me in the months building up to the Olympics. I told 400m runner Martin Rooney because we were training partners and I also told long jumper Shara Proctor.
I didn't know how people would react so I decided to keep the fact I'd had malaria a secret, even from my 4x400m relay team-mates.
I am always accountable for everything I do and if I had a bad race in 2016 I didn't want anyone to use the malaria as an excuse. I just wanted to focus on the season and not think about it.
Even when I got the Olympic medal, I wasn't too sure about telling people - I felt exposed at the time but the response when I finally did was amazing and completely overwhelming.
Sometimes I still get nightmares about what happened in the hospital. I didn't want to have to remember it but speaking about it gives me a sense of relief and closure.
I am now an ambassador for Malaria No More UK - an amazing charity who are bringing the disease to the forefront. They're teaching people that this is a global disease and not just in Africa.
People are sometimes worried about going to Africa because of Malaria but Nigeria is like home for me and I love going back - it's where my parents were born and bred. After my dad passed away in 2012 I said I'd go back as often as possible and I might even retire there one day.
I know many people who have passed away from Malaria. I have a cousin who died from the disease so it makes me truly grateful that I survived and am able to tell my story.
In terms of my performances on the track, I'm not in exactly the same shape as before. Over the last two years my times have been up and down, but I don't think that's related to malaria. I'm just feeling my way with the 400m.
I'm definitely capable of running as quick as I have done in the past and malaria by no means is going to stop me. The biggest thing I took away from this experience is strength, strength I never knew I had.
We've got the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast and the European Championships in Germany next year so hopefully there are more medals to come.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/41171547
|
Hurricane Irma: UK increases relief fund to £32m - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The prime minister defends the government's response following criticism it was "sorely lacking".
|
UK
|
The UK territory of the British Virgin Islands is among the areas affected
The UK government has increased the relief fund for British overseas territories devastated by Hurricane Irma to £32m, Theresa May has said.
The announcement - increasing the fund from £12m - was made by the prime minister as she said the government had responded "swiftly" to the disaster.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the government was doing all it could to help people affected.
But Baroness Amos said it was felt the UK "did not respond" quickly enough.
The former UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs said those in the overseas territories would want an "urgent and immediate" response from the UK.
"It's always the people on the ground who respond first. They are looking to their national governments but they are also looking outside for as much help to come as quickly as possible.
"We are now a couple of days in and I think people are feeling Britain did not respond quickly enough given we know that it is hurricane season."
The low-lying British territory of Turks and Caicos is still in the storm's path and evacuations have started.
Hurricane Irma has caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean, reducing buildings to rubble and leaving at least 10 people dead.
Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said British overseas territory Anguilla received the hurricane's "full blast" while the British Virgin Islands would need "extensive humanitarian assistance".
At least one death has been reported on Anguilla, according to local officials.
A third British territory, Montserrat, was "swiped" but the damage was not as bad as first thought, Sir Alan said.
Briton Emily Killhoury has lived on Tortola, the main island in the British Virgin Islands, with her husband Michael and their two children, aged nine and 10, for five years.
She told the BBC her family bunkered down in a closet when the storm hit.
"Our downstairs doors suddenly blew out which was terrifying. We just stayed hiding," she said.
"We eventually emerged at about 7pm to see total devastation. Everybody is shocked but trying to be practical."
Simon Cross, 32, who also lives on Tortola, said it had gone from being a "lush green tropical island to almost like there's been a fire".
"There are boats upside down all twisted up. You can see corrugated sheeting littering all of the mountain.
"It's unclear as to how many people are trapped. I can't get hold of any of my friends.
"The island needs additional resources from the UK urgently."
Royal Navy ship, the RFA Mounts Bay, is in the region and a second British ship, HMS Ocean, is also being sent, but is not expected to arrive for another two weeks.
Speaking after a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee, Sir Michael said the UK's taskforce would help with relief efforts, such as restoring clean water, providing medical assistance and reconstruction work.
But Josephine Gumbs-Conner, a barrister from Anguilla, said the UK's preparations for, and response to, the storm had been "sorely lacking".
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK government should have "done what the French did in St Martin - who made sure that they had military on the ground so that the response given is timely".
International Development Secretary Priti Patel said "world-leading humanitarian experts" as well as 200 shelter kits had been sent to the region as part of the UK's response.
Significant damage has been reported in the Dutch section of St Martin, known as Sint-Maarten
The Queen said she and Prince Philip have been shocked and saddened by reports of the devastation.
In a message to the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda, she said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm."
Thousands of British tourists are believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean, the travel association Abta said.
The Foreign Office had warned Britons to evacuate the area, as the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade approached.
Fears are growing for pregnant Briton Afiya Frank, 27, and her sister Asha Frank, 29, who were preparing for the storm in Barbuda but have not been heard from since Tuesday night.
Their aunt, Ruth Bolton, told BBC Radio Suffolk the pair had "gone completely silent" since they last messaged on WhatsApp at about 21:00 GMT on Tuesday.
She said Afiya had been due to return to Suffolk to give birth.
Many expats and tourists have been left stranded as airlines were forced to ground or divert flights.
British Airways evacuated 326 passengers from Antigua on Tuesday and has managed to rebook many others across the Caribbean islands on to flights out with alternative airlines.
Virgin Atlantic said it had scheduled a relief flight "loaded with essential items" to help the recovery effort, including blankets and bottled water, to arrive in Antigua on Thursday.
St Barts suffered serious damage to buildings as well as flooding and power cuts
Many British tourists staying at resorts in the Dominican Republic, where a hurricane warning is still in place, are being evacuated from coastal areas and moved to temporary shelters.
Andrea Fowkes Smith, from Surrey, told the BBC that part of the roof had fallen off the hotel where she was sheltering in Punta Cana.
"We have not been evacuated from our hotel but have just been moved to the steak house as our room was on the third floor," she said.
"They say we should all stay on the ground," she added. "It's very strong winds and rain."
Officials in the US have started evacuations of tourists and residents from Florida Keys as the hurricane approaches.
Flights to and from several airports in Florida were being suspended, while Orlando's international airport said commercial flights would stop from 17:00 local time on Saturday.
A state of emergency has been declared for Florida, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41193717
|
Public 'tricked' into buying unhealthy food - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
"Upselling" is fuelling obesity by persuading people to buy larger portions, say health officials.
|
Health
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How often do you get offered a large coffee with cream?
The UK's obesity crisis is being fuelled by businesses pushing unhealthy food and larger portions on shoppers, according to health experts.
The Royal Society for Public Health warned consumers were being tricked by a marketing ploy known as upselling.
The tactic involves shops, cafes and restaurants encouraging customers to upgrade to larger meals and drinks or adding high-calorie toppings and sides.
A poll suggested eight in 10 people experienced it every week.
The most common upsells to be taken included larger coffees, bigger meals, sweets and chocolates and extra sides such as onion rings and chips.
Royal Society for Public Health chief executive Shirley Cramer said the industry was pressuring the public into buying extra calories, which then added up "without us noticing".
She said businesses needed to stop training staff to upsell high-calorie food and instead focus on healthy alternatives.
The findings were drawn from a poll of more than 2,000 UK adults by the RSPH and Slimming World.
Those who had experienced upsells had been targeted more than twice a week on average, with younger people the most susceptible.
The most common place for it to happen was restaurants, followed by fast-food outlets, supermarkets, coffee shops and pubs and bars.
The research showed many of the upsells were unhealthy options, with the average person who fell victim to the technique consuming an average of 17,000 extra calories a year, enough to gain an extra 5lbs (2.3kg) over 12 months.
What are your views? Join the debate on our Facebook page.
Liam Smith, 25, from West Yorkshire, is just one of the many people who have been persuaded by the marketing ploy.
But since recognising he was eating too much he has lost 6st (38kg) and now refuses upsells.
"Being able to 'go large' on a meal for 30p extra was always a no-brainer for me, as was a few pence more for a large cup of hot chocolate or paying £1 more to turn a single burger into a double.
"Afterwards, I'd wish I hadn't done it though - I can only describe it as a major feeling of guilt."
The practice occurs at the point-of-sale and is not at the customer's request.
Examples include a coffee shop barista asking if you would like a large rather than a regular-sized coffee or if you want whipped cream added.
Another popular one is a fast-food worker asking if you would like to make a meal large for only a minimal cost.
One worker told researchers: "I've been trained so that if a customer asks for a product, I always ask if they'd like to make that a meal."
Some bar workers are also trained to nudge people towards buying a double rather than a single measure.
But Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said there was "absolutely no evidence" of upselling in pubs.
"Telling people what to do is not what you do," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "You go to a pub and there's a certain amount of free choice."
She adds: "There are actually fewer calories in half a pint of beer than there are in a glass of orange juice."
And Andrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, also disputed that supermarkets upsold.
He said: "They promote and market products in store, but ensure there is a balance of products and it is offered as choice rather than upselling."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41129960
|
PR firm Bell Pottinger 'nearing collapse' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The embattled company, damaged by its work in South Africa, could go into administration next week.
|
Business
|
Bell Pottinger's Asian unit has said it will separate from its British parent, amid reports the public relations firm is nearing collapse.
Bell Pottinger's UK business is expected to go into administration as early as next week, the firm said.
The Asian business will begin trading under a new name "in the coming days".
The PR firm was expelled from the industry trade body after being accused of stirring up racial hatred in South Africa.
The company's Asian business is seeking to distance itself from the scandal.
"The Asia business is entirely ringfenced and solvent," Asia Chief Executive Ang Shih Huei said in a statement sent to clients on Friday seen by the BBC. "Our teams are intact, we continue to serve our clients and it is entirely business as usual."
Bell Pottinger Asia said it would soon re-launch with a new ownership structure and operate under the name Klareco Communications.
Late on Thursday an announcement was made to UK staff saying the firm could go into administration next week, according to the Financial Times and other media outlets.
The meeting was attended by a representative of accountants BDO, hired to advise on a potential sale, reports said.
However, BDO did not respond to a BBC request for a comment.
The company's founder, Lord Bell, who resigned last year, has admitted to the BBC that it is probably "near the end".
A string of big names have already cut ties with the firm since it was expelled from the Public Relations and Communications Association earlier this week.
The company's work on the campaign for Oakbay Capital, a South African company owned by the wealthy Gupta family, was accused of inciting racial hatred.
Bell Pottinger and its founder, Lord Bell, have a reputation in the PR industry for taking risks.
The firm represented the South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorious after he was charged with murder.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has used the firm's services, as well as Syria's first lady Asma al-Assad.
In the late 1990s the PR firm worked on a campaign to release the former Chilean dictator, General Pinochet, who had been arrested in London on a warrant from Spain requesting his extradition on murder charges.
Lord Bell, who founded Bell Pottinger in the 1990s, resigned last year, partly due to his unease with the company's deal with the Guptas.
When asked on BBC2's Newsnight this week if he thought the PR company would survive the scandal, he replied: "I think it is probably getting near the end."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41196427
|
Toronto Film Festival: 13 films we're looking out for - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Includes Downsizing, Molly's Game, Kings, The Current War and Super Size Me 2.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Annette Bening and Jamie Bell co-star in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
What plans do you have for March 2018?
If you're anything like us, you'll barely know what you're doing this weekend, let alone that far ahead in the calendar.
But in Hollywood, it's a different story.
Preparation for awards season has already started, with the Venice Film Festival in Italy and the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado taking the lead in identifying likely Oscar contenders.
Hollywood is about to descend on the Canadian city to premiere the major releases that will dominate cinemas this winter - and, they hope, the Oscars next March.
Among the possible awards contenders showing at TIFF are First They Killed My Father, directed by Angelina Jolie; Breathe, directed by Andy Serkis; Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool starring Annette Bening; and Roman J Israel, Esq starring Denzel Washington.
We couldn't possibly do justice to the 250+ feature films showing at the festival, which opens on Thursday and runs until 17 September.
Here, though, is everything you need to know about 13 of the highest-profile titles in this year's programme.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41095364
|
Woman trapped in window trying to retrieve poo after Tinder date - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
She tried to dispose of the unflushable waste out of a window and got stuck trying to get it back.
|
Bristol
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ever had a date that ended like this?
A woman who threw her poo out of her date's toilet window because it "would not flush" had to be rescued after she got stuck trying to retrieve it.
The amateur gymnast was on a first date with Bristol student Liam Smith when she "panicked" and threw the faeces out of the window.
It did not land in the garden, but became wedged between two non-opening windows.
After climbing in head first after it, she became wedged.
Mr Smith had to call the fire service for help.
The story appeared on a crowdfunding page, set up by the University of Bristol student.
If this story yanks your chain, you might also like these:
Mr Smith, who is raising funds to fix his broken window, wrote that he was on a Tinder date with the woman and they went back to the shared house he lives in.
"We'd had a really nice evening," he said. "We'd had a meal at a well-known chicken restaurant, had a few beers and then gone back to mine for a bottle of wine and a film."
After the fire service had "composed themselves," Mr Smith said they set to work freeing his date from the window
He said the woman went to the toilet and when she came back she had a "panicked look in her eye" and told him what she had done.
He said the toilet window opened into a narrow gap separated by another double glazed window.
"It was into this twilight zone that my date had thrown her poo," he said.
He went to find a hammer to smash the window, but she decided to "climb in head first" after the "offending package" and became jammed.
"I was starting to grow concerned, so I called the fire brigade and once they had composed themselves, they set to work removing her from the window."
The "offending package" was trapped between two "non-opening" double glazed windows
Although the woman was rescued unharmed, Mr Smith said his bathroom window was destroyed.
"I'm not complaining, they did what they had to do," he said.
"Problem is, I've been quoted north of £300 to replace the window and as a postgraduate student, that is a significant chunk of my monthly budget."
Mr Smith originally set a crowdfunding target of £200, but has already raised more than £1,200.
He said he and his date had decided to split the extra cash between two charities, one supporting firefighters and another that builds and maintains flushing toilets in developing countries.
Unsurprisingly, the woman does not want to be named but Mr Smith said he had seen her since and "who knows what the future holds".
"We had a lovely night on the second date but it's too early to say if she's the one. But we got on very very well and she's a lovely girl," he said.
"And we've already got the most difficult stuff out of the way first."
Avon Fire and Rescue service confirmed it had received a call and freed a woman trapped between external and double glazing.
It also confirmed that a "window was broken in the process".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41167296
|
London no longer most expensive place to buy beer - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
For the first time, London is no longer the most expensive place to buy a beer.
|
England
|
The price difference for a pint of beer is now more than £1 across the country
London is no longer the most expensive place to buy a pint, a new study says.
For the first time, Surrey has overtaken the capital as the most expensive area to buy a drink, with the average pint costing £4.40.
According to the Good Pub Guide, Herefordshire and Yorkshire have the cheapest pints at £3.31.
The difference in price for a pint of beer is now more than £1 across the country, with the average tipple costing £3.60 - up by 13p on 2016.
Beer in pubs brewing their own brands was typically £3.09 a pint
Other cheaper counties where drinkers have a reason to raise a glass include Shropshire at £3.33 a pint, Derbyshire at £3.36 and Cumbria and Worcestershire, both at £3.38.
It was bad news for pint-drinkers in Sussex, who pay an average of £3.82, while Hertfordshire comes in at £3.81 and the Scottish Islands, £3.80.
However, drinkers in Surrey might not be crying into their beer if they are earning the median full time weekly wage of £669.70, as they can more easily absorb the £4.40 price of their pint.
Beer drinkers in Herefordshire might be paying three quarters as much for their pint at £3.31, but their median weekly wage is £460 - only two thirds of what people in Surrey can expect to make.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The price of beer has changed more than the nation's love of it
Blue Dowd, who is the owner of the Basketmakers Arms in Brighton, said the most expensive beer his Sussex pub stocks costs £6 per pint.
"It's what's known as a craft beer, and a lot more goes into the making of them," he said.
"The people who buy premium beers know they're going to be charged a premium price. They buy it because it's a very fine beer."
Blue Dowd said customers expect to pay higher prices for premium beers
Beer in pubs brewing their own brands was typically cheaper at £3.09 a pint.
The guide also said that increasing numbers of pubs are offering accommodation, food and outside catering services, taking business away from restaurants.
Some pubs are also offering delis, book clubs, live music and conferences, it said.
Editor Fiona Stapley said: "You name it and pubs have thought of it.
"It's this entrepreneurial spirit that will keep pubs alive and kicking for years to come, despite all the doom and gloom around."
• None The Good Pub Guide - Reviews of the UK's best pubs The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41183028
|
Doctor Foster: What did people think about her return? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Suranne Jones returns as GP Gemma Foster and dominates Tuesday night's viewing figures.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Suranne Jones and Bertie Carvel come face-to-face in the first episode
Doctor Foster is back on our screens, two years since the first series - and fans and critics alike seem happy to have her back.
It was the most-watched television programme on Tuesday night, beating Channel 4's Great British Bake Off.
Suranne Jones reprises her role as Gemma Foster, which earned her a Bafta.
The new series sees the GP's cheating ex-husband Simon - played by Bertie Carvel - return to his former home town with his new wife.
The BBC One show drew an average audience of 6.3 million viewers - slightly higher than Bake Off's average of six million viewers. Channel 4's figures include those watching on +1.
Could Suranne Jones be up for more awards?
The Independent Sean O'Grady says Jones is in contention for another Bafta and praises Mike Bartlett's "skilfully rendered" script.
He says the set pieces, including a "wedding party debacle" and a "surprise Interflora package" with a rude message were "all done stylishly" and that the title sequence "drew us delicately into this middle class emotional hellhole".
O'Grady has problems with Gemma's nemesis, Kate however.
He writes: "I hate to say it, but Doctor Foster was also a bit compromised by the fact that the older (40 or so) woman is actually at least as attractive, smart and elegant as the younger (25 years old) usurper, Kate, played with well-calibrated naivety by Jodie Comer, who has only chronology on her side."
The Guardian's Lucy Mangan says she was gripped.
"An hour of the five in and I've already had so much fun I can barely type," she writes.
"Simon drives up to the front door in a shiny new car. He smirks more smirkingly than anyone has ever smirked before to find her there, before delivering the most perfect pass-agg speech ever penned (I mentally prostrated myself at the feet of writer Mike Bartlett then and never really rose thereafter)."
Viewers of the show were also quick to take to Twitter.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jess Seaman This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Many were questioning the loyalty of Gemma's co-worker Ros, who promised not to go to ex-husband Simon's wedding party but was later outed. One fan describes Gemma's colleague Ros as a "snake".
Simon was also at the wrath of social media users - with many describing him in terms too colourful to publish.
And one writes she now hates her ex-husband after watching the show, despite the fact she's never even been married.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Reesha Siniara This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41172645
|
Lewes school adopts new 'gender neutral' uniform policy - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All new students at the school in Lewes must wear trousers as a new uniform policy is brought in.
|
Sussex
|
Returning students have the option to wear either trousers or skirts
A secondary school is making its uniform "gender neutral" by prohibiting new joiners from wearing skirts.
Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, made the change after "concerns" raised over the length of skirts, and catering for a handful of transgender pupils.
Starting this autumn term, all new students must wear trousers, while returning students have the option to wear either trousers or skirts.
Head teacher Tony Smith said the move addresses "inequality and decency".
He added: "Respecting people's rights are very important. We believe in rights and responsibilities, we believe in equality and we believe in fairness. We want to treat everybody the same.
"We hope that it will provide a smart, comfortable and affordable alternative to the current uniform."
From now, all new pupils at the school will have identical shirt, tie, jumper and trousers, with an alternative summer uniform, following complaints about how unsuitable the previous uniform was during the hotter months.
Pupils will now be able to wear a polo shirt and trousers, and in extremely high temperatures, PE shorts or skorts - shorts made to look like skirts.
The new uniform "addresses the current issues of inequality and decency" said the head teacher
Frank Furedi, sociologist at the University of Kent said: "You start with uniform on Monday, by Tuesday you're going to say, 'maybe we shouldn't use the pronouns he and she'.
"By Wednesday, you're going to talk about having gender neutral bathrooms. In so doing, you're raising fundamental questions about people's identity."
Some parents have supported the move. One interviewed outside the school said: "[My daughter] will whinge about wearing trousers, but it's tough.
"There's certain work uniforms you have to wear and it's tough. It's not a fashion show, she's there to learn."
Other pupils and parents were critical on social media though - saying its "too draconian" - and unfair that older pupils would still be allowed to wear skirts.
Posting on BBC South East's Facebook page, Jeanetta Kelsey said: "What happened to a bit of choice? Skirts, shorts, trousers, as long as it's uniform."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-41178571
|
Mike Neville: 'Legendary' north-east broadcaster dies - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Former broadcaster Mike Neville presented regional news programmes for decades until retiring in 2006.
|
England
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Former regional broadcaster Mike Neville dies at the age of 80
Mike Neville, the face of television news for decades in north-east England, has died.
The 80-year-old was known to viewers in the region for more than 40 years as presenter of the BBC's Look North and then North East Tonight, Tyne Tees Television's news programme.
He retired in 2006 and died peacefully in hospital, his family said.
Born in Willington Quay in 1936, Mr Neville launched his career at the independent station Tyne Tees in 1962.
After moving to the BBC two years later, he presented Look North for decades as well as the Nationwide programme during the 1970s and 80s.
Returning to ITV in 1996, he fronted its main regional news show but was away from the screen for almost a year from July 2005, following emergency surgery to remove a blood clot.
If you lived in the north-east of England at any time from the 1960s to the turn of the new millennium and owned a television set, you'd have known Mike Neville.
In this part of the world he was simply the godfather of regional TV.
Mike became a local legend with his easy-going style and his terrific sense of humour. Millions of viewers gladly welcomed him into their homes from Monday to Friday nights.
An actor in his early days, he had the happy gift of being able to cope with any situation.
Even in retirement he remained a popular figure with a public that loved him for what he was - a TV star but always one of their own.
Mr Neville said he welcomed "being invited into people's homes" every evening
Tyne Tees managing director Graeme Thompson had described his stepping down as "the end of an era for television in the north-east".
Speaking to the BBC after he retired, Mr Neville explained he had no regrets about remaining in the North East.
"I actually hated working in London," he said. "Up here, it is like working with family."
As well as a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Television Society, he was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting.
In 1989, Mr Neville received a "Gotcha" award from Noel Edmonds as part of Noel's Saturday Roadshow after being pranked into thinking he was filling several minutes of live air time because a technical fault had delayed the broadcast of the Wogan chat show.
Mr Neville was tricked into believing he had seven minutes of air time to fill
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41011268
|
EU 'worried' by UK's Irish border proposals - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Michel Barnier says Northern Ireland cannot be a "test case" for future customs arrangements.
|
UK Politics
|
The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a key issue for Brexit talks
The EU's negotiator says he is worried by the UK's post-Brexit proposals for the Northern Ireland border.
Michel Barnier said the UK was asking for EU laws, its customs union and single market to be suspended at a "new external border".
He said the UK wanted Northern Ireland to be a "test case" for future customs arrangements with the EU.
The UK said both sides were "closely aligned" in what they wanted to achieve.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that will share a land border with an EU state after Brexit.
The impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is one of the key issues being discussed in the early stages of UK-EU negotiations.
Fears have been raised that a return to border checks could undermine the Good Friday peace agreement and damage the economy.
The UK - which plans to leave the EU's customs union - has said it wants an "unprecedented solution", avoiding physical checks at the border.
Instead, the government is arguing for a wide-ranging exemption under which small and medium-sized businesses would not have to comply with any new customs tariffs.
EU negotiator Michel Barnier, seen with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney, says the border issue must be settled early in the Brexit talks
Unveiling the EU's position, Mr Barnier said: "What I see in the UK's paper on Ireland and Northern Ireland worries me."
He added: "Creativity and flexibility can't be at the expense of the integrity of the single market and customs union.
"This would be not fair for Ireland and it would not be fair for the European Union."
Mr Barnier said the peace process should be preserved, the common travel area between Ireland and the UK protected and that there should be no return to a "hard border", all of which the UK has also said it is seeking.
"Irish citizens in Northern Ireland must continue to enjoy their rights as EU citizens," Mr Barnier continued, calling for the UK to come up with a "unique" solution.
As the UK had chosen to leave the EU, it was its responsibility to come up with solutions, he said.
The UK government, which released its own position paper on Northern Ireland last month, said there was now a "good basis on which to continue to make swift progress" on the subject.
It welcomed the EU's view there should be no "physical infrastructure" at the border, but added that "unilateral UK flexibility will not be sufficient to meet our shared objectives".
Brussels has refused to discuss the UK's future relationship with the EU - notably how they will trade with each other - until the initial discussion issues, including Northern Ireland, have been settled.
The EU's paper suggests specific provisions being written into the final departure deal to protect cross-border co-operation in areas like health, education, transport and fishing.
The Liberal Democrats said the EU's document "demolishes another of the Leave campaign's fantastical claims - that Brexit would have no impact on the Irish border".
MP Tom Brake said the only solution to the border question was for the UK to stay in the single market and customs union.
Unveiling the Northern Ireland plans at a press conference, Mr Barnier also attacked the UK over one of the sticking points in the Brexit negotiations - the size of any "divorce" bill required as it leaves the EU.
The UK has said it will honour its financial commitments but also that it has a "duty to our taxpayers" to "rigorously" examine the EU's demands.
Mr Barnier said Brussels expected Britain to deliver on commitments made in the multi-year EU budget signed up to by David Cameron and approved by the Westminster Parliament.
"I have been very disappointed by the UK position as expressed last week, because it seems to be backtracking on the original commitment of the UK to honour its international commitments, including the commitments post-Brexit," he said.
"Every euro spent has a specific legal base," he added.
"There is a moral dilemma here. You can't have 27 paying for what was decided by 28. What was decided by the 28 member states has to be borne out by 28 member states, right up to the end. It's as simple as that."
David Davis is leading the Brexit negotiations for the UK
Mr Barnier was also asked about comments which have emerged by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker about Brexit Secretary David Davis.
In newly-published minutes of a 12 July meeting between Mr Juncker and Mr Barnier, Mr Juncker was recorded as questioning the "stability and accountability" of Mr Davis.
Mr Juncker also said Mr Davis's "apparent lack of involvement... risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations".
In the meeting, which came after the first round of negotiations, Mr Barnier was recorded as saying the UK negotiating strategy involved "using past debts as a means of buying future access to parts of the single market, something which the Union could not accept".
Mr Barnier brushed off the comments at a Brussels press conference, insisting he had "cordial" relations with the Brexit secretary and praising his "professionalism".
And the Department for Exiting the European Union responded: "These are clearly out-of-date comments and it is abundantly clear that the secretary of state has been fully engaged and involved throughout the discussions, in the same way as Mr Barnier."
In another position paper from the EU, it called for the UK to continue to honour the protected legal status given to delicacies like Parma ham or Champagne after Brexit.
The European Commission first acted in 1992 to establish a list of products which could only be described by their place of origin if they really were produced in that place.
It also includes UK products like Cornish clotted cream, Dorset Blue cheese, and Jersey Royal potatoes.
Under the EU's intellectual property proposals, the UK would implement the "necessary domestic legislation providing for their continued protection".
The impact of Brexit on food was also considered in the House of Commons, where Labour's Jenny Chapman warned against imposing tariffs on European food imports, and asked whether the government was planning a "return to consuming Spam and tinned peaches".
Brexit Minister Steve Baker assured her this was not the case and described her comments as a "fantastical proposal".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41183041
|
Pensioners' view blocked by broadband boxes - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
They are in dispute with Virgin Media after three 5ft-tall cabinets were installed directly outside their homes.
|
Glasgow & West Scotland
|
Donald and Rosemary Ferguson have been in a nine-month dispute with Virgin media
A group of pensioners are in dispute with Virgin Media after the firm installed broadband boxes in front of their homes in East Renfrewshire.
Donald, 88, and Rosemary Ferguson, 82, and their neighbour Betty McGrath, 83, claim the 5ft-tall boxes stop light from coming through their windows.
The cabinets were put in the street beside the Barrhead flats in January.
A Virgin Media spokeswoman said correct procedures were followed prior to installation.
Mrs Ferguson, who has lived at the address for seven years, said they were never informed the boxes would be placed directly outside their home.
She said: "This has really affected our homes.
"It completely blocks out any light from coming into the house, and we now have no outlook at all.
'We were never advised they were going to be put here, but apparently, that's because they don't need planning permission to put them up.
"We have been fighting this since January and have just hit a brick wall the whole way."
The couple say the boxes block the sunlight
The pensioners contacted local councillor Danny Devlin, who is demanding the boxes be relocated.
"Virgin Media are a law unto themselves," he said.
"They don't need planning permission but they would usually speak to the council about the installation of these boxes. However, in this case, they didn't.
However, Virgin Media said the council was notified prior to the cabinets being installed.
A spokeswoman said: "Virgin Media is currently expanding its network in the area to bring ultrafast broadband speeds to more homes and businesses.
"As we do so, we endeavour to minimise disruption and we apologise for any inconvenience to residents."
The flats prior to the installation of the boxes
A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said communication companies, including Virgin Media, do not require planning permission to install the boxes.
He said: "Planning permission is not required for these boxes, although we would expect them to be placed in suitable locations which have minimal impact on residents."
Mr Devlin said the firm should be made to go through the planning process with the council.
"As a gesture of common sense, I would expect Virgin to take the boxes down and give these pensioners back the view they had before," he said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-41185707
|
Does the UK need a human 'body farm'? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Would British forensic science benefit from having its own outdoor laboratory to study human decomposition?
|
Science & Environment
|
Investigations of murder cases would benefit from the data gathered at a body farm
It's the start of a fascinating and eventful - if gory and smelly - journey, at least for your body as it decomposes.
Understanding decomposition can hold the key to solving murders, finding missing people and crucially recognising them, and that is why "body farms" exist.
Body farms are essentially outdoor laboratories where experiments using donated human cadavers investigate taphonomy - the science of decomposition.
Worldwide there are several such facilities: one in Australia, the others are in the US. But now UK scientists, including Dr Anna Williams from the University of Huddersfield, are lobbying for one in the UK.
This page contains some images a number of readers might find disturbing.
At the British Science Association's annual Science Festival this week in Brighton, Dr Williams presented on the importance of body farms to science and why she believes a UK facility is needed.
"Much of what we know about human decomposition was discovered in US body farms," she said.
Insect clues: The rate at which blowfly pupae grow is dependent on temperature
"We know that the sequence of events in decomposition proceeds along the same path regardless of where the body is, but the timing is very different depending on many factors - moisture, temperature and insects are probably the most important."
But more nuanced factors may also influence decomposition - "such as bacteria already on, and in, the body; whether the person was obese, had been on antibiotics, was diabetic, or even whether they were a vegetarian or not."
So decomposition is anything but simple. And add in to the mix the fact that the bodies of murder victims can be found on a woodland floor, sealed in a suitcase, buried in a shallow grave, encased in concrete, burnt, dismembered, naked, clothed, wrapped in plastic, and so on.
Traumatic injury is also variable: gunshot wound, stabbing, hanging… the list goes on.
Body farm advocates point out the benefits of such facilities, including training dogs to sniff out dead bodies, recognising facial features and ancestry after decay, and even helping to work out how fingerprints change and whether DNA can be recovered after varying intervals of decomposition.
But what about the classic detective question on finding a dead body: "Time of death"?
This is much more difficult to pin down than TV dramas would have you believe, especially a few weeks and more after death.
Medical examiners often use insect colonisation on the body, but this is notoriously unreliable to apply from place to place as it depends on fickle local weather conditions.
Pigs are used in UK experiments, but is their decomposition very different from humans?
Exciting new data published last year in the journal Plos One suggests that the succession of bacteria that come and go, feeding on the decaying body, may help scientists to more accurately pinpoint post-mortem interval.
This discovery was made by analysing bacteria scraped from the nose and ear canals of decomposing cadavers at the world's first body farm in Tennessee.
In the UK, all decomposition experiments use animals - usually pigs.
This does have some advantages. Most obviously, rotting animals in our countryside is not as objectionable to people as rotting humans. Indeed, it might be a challenge getting a local community to accept a body farm in its area.
The other advantage is that when pigs are used, multiple experiments can be set up where the conditions prior to decomposition can be varied to show different outcomes. This has not been the case with human experiments.
As Dr Patrick Randolph-Quinney from the University of Central Lancashire explained, the number of human bodies used in experiments has rarely exceeded three or four individuals, and this limited number will not catch all of the possible outcomes of decomposition.
"It's little more than anecdotal observation without any real understanding or prediction of underlying processes - you might call it 'anecdata'," he told BBC News.
But, on the flipside, there are big disadvantages to using pigs. Firstly, we really don't know whether pigs decompose similarly to humans, and whether they are a good substitute to use. This is being actively investigated in the newly opened Australian body farm.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Australian body farm: More than 500 people have donated their bodies
The results are eagerly awaited. But as Dr Williams said in her presentation at the science festival: "There can be no better substitute for humans in understanding human decomposition".
Dr Williams firmly believes that a UK body farm facility will allow forensic science to flourish in Britain, producing new data on decomposition bespoke to our climate and situation.
But she cautioned: "We need academics to collaborate and share data across the UK, and across the world - that way experiments have the best chance of being rigorous with larger sample sizes."
Dr Randolph-Quinney has a further ambition: "If we imagine a game of 'fantasy taphonomy', where we had enough money and resources to investigate human decomposition properly, we wouldn't necessarily use outdoor facilities."
"We might build a grave in the lab, where we could adequately control experimental variables such as temperature, humidity, and recover all the products such as body fluids, DNA, organic gases that a body gives off after death.
"This would allow us to model and predict the underlying processes in a scientific way. We can't do that at present."
Either way human body donations are required. This may not be a big problem: at both US and Australian facilities there is a waiting list of living donors ready, upon death, to give their body to forensic science.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41161423
|
Newspaper headlines: Hurricane Irma dominates front pages - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean dominates Friday's front-page headlines.
|
The Papers
|
The i illustrates the destruction in the Caribbean, with pictures of wrecked buildings and trees bent and torn from their roots.
It says the storm appears increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated southern Florida this weekend.
The Daily Mirror focuses on relief efforts - its headline talks of the "navy's dash to save 185mph storm Brits".
Royal Navy ships, it says, were last night dashing to the Caribbean to help rescue Brits stranded by the killer storm.
A picture on the front of the Daily Express shows cars in St Martin, smashed about like toys.
According to the Financial Times, the prime minister's Brexit strategy has suffered a double blow.
It cites reported comments of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, questioning the "stability" and "accountability" of Brexit Secretary David Davis, and a letter signed by 35 Eurosceptic Tory MPs pushing for a hard Brexit.
The lead in the Times says pro-Remain Tory MPs want Theresa May to sack minister Steve Baker and Treasury aide Suella Fernandes, who they claim supported the letter.
The Daily Mail hits back at Mr Juncker and chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier for their attacks on Mr Davis.
"Don't treat us with contempt," warns the main headline.
Their "arrogance", the paper says, will only "harden the resolve of the majority who voted for Brexit".
The Guardian leads on the report by Labour MP David Lammy, commissioned by Downing Street, in which he concludes that black and minority ethnic (BAME) people continue to face bias and overt discrimination in the criminal justice system.
It highlights his call for prosecutions against some BAME suspects to be deferred or dropped.
The Daily Telegraph believes "the Lammy review has good intentions" but the paper foresees complications.
It advises the government to proceed with caution - and on the principle that our police and courts exist primarily to uphold law and order.
The Daily Mail sums up the report's findings with the headline: "Criminals could side-step courts... by agreeing to therapy instead".
Trips made by Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley come under scrutiny in the Telegraph.
The paper alleges that he accepted holidays worth £100,000 from the government of Sri Lanka - and that he is now helping the country to secure a post-Brexit trade deal.
The paper says he failed to record them as gifts in the MPs' register of interests.
It says he declined this week to answer any questions about the accusations.
The Guardian has an excoriating editorial on Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Her long silence, it says, on the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar has been shameful.
With tens of thousands now fleeing atrocities in Rakhine state, the Nobel prize winner's moral sanctity lies in tatters.
"Seldom has a reputation fallen so fast," says the Times.
Nearly all the front pages have a picture of a certain four-year-old dressed smartly for his first day at school - or "his royal shyness" as the Mirror and the Mail label Prince George.
He is certainly looking a bit diffident in their pictures.
"Mum, I'm glum," says the Sun, pointing out that the Duchess of Cambridge was unable to go with him because of morning sickness.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41196340
|
Can modern makeover save smallest Swiss village? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The elderly villagers of Corippo want tourists to share their traditional lifestyle.
|
Europe
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Corippo has 16 inhabitants and only one of them works
Like many Alpine communities, Corippo, in the southern canton of Ticino, has experienced decades of depopulation as younger generations moved down to the towns and cities for schooling, work and, understandably, a social life.
Today, Corippo's struggle has become existential, as Mayor Claudio Scettrini explains.
"There are only 16 residents," he sighs. "And I'm the only one going to work, the rest of them are pensioners."
"I hope the rest of them live into their 90s," he continues, "otherwise there will be no-one left here at all. It's really quite tragic."
The village's spartan buildings are mostly deserted - the young have gone
There has been a community in Corippo for more than 600 years. In the 19th Century the village had 300 inhabitants, and there were many similar villages across the southern Swiss Alps.
Today's popular lakeside resorts of Locarno and Lugano, affectionately known as the "Swiss Riviera", were avoided back then because of the high risk of malaria.
But with malaria eradicated, and traditional mountain farming less and less economically viable, the village way of life has begun to die.
Corippo has no shop, no school and no children. It may be only 30 minutes' drive from bustling Locarno, but the narrow access road, with its hairpin bends, may not be many people's chosen commute.
What Corippo does have, however, are more than 60 traditional stone houses, with dry stone roofs, many of them still with their original fireplaces, and chestnut wood floors. And most of them are empty.
The crumbling interiors would test any do-it-yourself enthusiast
Ticino tourism director Elia Frapolli, optimistically perhaps, views this state of affairs as an opportunity.
"Life in Corippo and small villages like this is special," he insists. "It's like being in another century. Time slows down, everybody knows each other in the village, and you feel the authenticity of living in a village that has existed for centuries."
And so, with the support of a foundation devoted to preserving Corippo, a plan has been developed: to turn some of the empty houses into hotel rooms.
The concept, known as albergo diffuso or "scattered hotel", has already been tried in some Italian hill villages, but never in Switzerland.
An old lady makes her way up one of Corippo's narrow streets
The entire village of Corippo is now protected as a historic monument, which means architect Fabio Giacomazzi faces a monumental challenge: how to modernise some of the interiors without touching the exteriors.
A peek inside some of the houses reveals the scale of his task: many have been untouched since the 1950s, some residents emigrated to the US, others simply died, and no-one was left to clear out the property.
Old clothes, postcards and empty wine bottles litter the floors. The walls are damp and dusty. There is no sign of running water, let alone a flushing toilet.
"Of course we will paint, of course we will put in bathrooms," says Mr Giacomazzi. "But the original doors will stay, the original wood and stone must stay. The experience for guests should be very similar to what it was in the 19th Century in Corippo."
It will be relatively spartan, he admits.
Nevertheless Corippo's 16 residents, from Mayor Scettrini on down, are pinning their hopes on the idea. They are determined their village should not become a theme park. Guests will live side-by-side with villagers, the local bar will be an informal hotel reception, the village square an open-air lobby.
"It's good for the village, for the future, because most of us are old," says elderly resident Silvana. "With this project people will come here."
The few tourists wandering Corippo's empty lanes also seem supportive.
"I think more and more people appreciate this kind of accommodation," says one young man.
"If you want to switch off then I could see it being relaxing for a few days," adds another. "Maybe if you have a book to write or something."
Some houses are decorated with old frescoes much in need of restoration
For tourism director Elia Frapolli, a place to switch off completely, to escape from 21st-Century life, is precisely Corippo's attraction.
"This is the perfect place for what we call 'digital detox'," he says.
"It's a new trend. In the 21st Century the new luxury will be authenticity, having a place where you can really feel the history of the place, you can leave your mobile phone behind. This is real, it's not fake, there is hundreds of centuries of history here."
Corippo's plans will take time to achieve, nothing will be ready for at least another year.
But word seems to have got out, and requests for reservations are already coming in.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41114730
|
The refugee doctors learning to speak Glaswegian - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
For doctors who fled to the UK, training to work in the NHS means having to learn the local dialect.
|
Health
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Doctors who have travelled to Scotland as refugees are being given the chance to start working for the NHS through a training scheme. The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme has been to meet those involved.
"When people say, 'I had a couple of beers', they don't mean two," jokes instructor Dr Patrick Grant, a retired A&E doctor training refugees to work for NHS Scotland - including in how to overcome cultural barriers.
One of his students is Fatema, who previously worked as a surgeon in the Middle East until she was forced to flee.
Having treated anti-government protesters in her home country, she herself had become a government target.
"I wish one day this country will be proud of me," she says.
Fatema is one of 38 refugees and asylum seekers on the course - a £160,000 programme funded by the Scottish government.
Based in Glasgow, it provides the doctors with advanced English lessons, medical classes and placements with GPs or hospitals.
The aim is to give the refugee doctors - who commit to working for NHS Scotland - the skills to get their UK medical registration approved.
Fatema says coming to the UK and not being able to work as a surgeon had felt like being "handcuffed".
"I'm a qualified medical doctor. It's hard to start again from zero," she explains.
Maggie Lennon, founder of the Bridges Programmes which runs the scheme, says it is important for the UK to utilise its high-skilled refugees.
Maggie Lennon says the refugee doctors' clinical skills are very similar to those of doctors trained in the UK
"I always say to people, 'I imagine taking out an appendix in Peshawar is not that different to taking out an appendix in Paisley'.
"I don't think there's actually any difference in the clinical skills, I think where there is a huge difference is attitudes to patients and how medicine is performed," she explains.
The scheme is designed to overcome such hurdles, including the case of one surgeon who, Ms Lennon says, was unaware he would have to speak to patients, having previously only encountered them in his home country after they had been put to sleep.
Watch Catrin Nye's full film on refugee doctors on the Victoria Derbyshire programme's website.
Laeth Al-Sadi, also on the course, used to be a doctor in the Iraqi army.
He came to Scotland to study but his life was threatened in Iraq and he was never able to go back.
One of the ways he has learned to work with patients in the UK is to use informal terms that might put them at ease - "How are the waterworks down there?" being one example.
Laeth Al-Sadi says being part of the scheme allows him to feel like he "belongs somewhere"
Language classes are an important part of the course, and placements with GPs and hospitals also allow the refugees to take note of local dialects.
Another doctor says he was confused by a patient who said they had a headache because of a "swally" - a term for an alcoholic drink.
Before refugees can even take their medical exams, they must pass tests to ensure they speak English at a high level.
They must pass a test called IELTS with a level of 7.5 - which even some doctors from the US and Australia have failed in the past.
All classes are taught in English. In one "situational judgement" lesson, the refugees are taught to assess what is wrong with a dummy patient based on its "symptoms".
Laeth says he feels lucky to be offered the possibility of a job in NHS Scotland.
"Lots of colleagues, or people who are doctors, are living here, and they are working other jobs.
"Some of them are even taxi drivers, which has [led to a loss of] hope for a lot of people."
Ms Lennon says this issue of under-employment among the refugee population "is as serious as unemployment".
"If someone's a qualified accountant and they're working pushing trolleys [in a supermarket], then there is an argument that they're taking a job from a poorly qualified person in this country," she adds.
Language classes are an important part of the scheme
Fatema says that despite having to leave the Middle East, she is glad she took the decision to treat anti-government protesters.
"My promise at medical graduation [was to] treat people equally, and try to do whatever is possible to help people. So I would do it again."
Dr Greg Jones, clinical lead at NHS Education Scotland, defended the use of government money on the scheme.
"As well as getting people back to their careers as doctors being the right thing to do from a humanitarian standpoint," he explains, "it's also the right thing to do financially.
"It would be a hugely wasted resource if people who'd already gone through medical training were not used as doctors."
Laeth says being part of the scheme allows him to feel like he "belongs somewhere".
"It means the world," he adds.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41160013
|
Rees-Mogg ignites fresh row over abortion - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has stirred up controversy over his view on abortion.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg is the first British politician in decades to publicly oppose abortion in all cases, even when a woman has been raped.
It was not, he stressed, government policy, but his own personal view based on Catholic teachings.
He got credit from his supporters for his candour - not for Mr Rees-Mogg the evasions and caveats of other politicians who have found their personal religious convictions out of step with party policy and the prevailing orthodoxy.
But others found his views "extreme" and wildly at odds with majority opinion in the UK.
It would certainly be a strange way to launch a party-leadership bid, although Mr Rees-Mogg insists he has no ambitions in that direction, whatever social media says about "Moggmentum".
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said Mr Rees-Mogg's appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain programme could well be a "tipping point" if the North-East Somerset MP ever changed his mind about that.
Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, a Catholic who has previously spoken out against abortion, told BBC Radio 5 live's Emma Barnett Mr Rees-Mogg's views were "nothing like as rare as you may think" and they would have no long-term effect on his career.
"Now, can a politician say what he thinks?" she said. "Or are we simply going to end up in a situation where every time you say what you think, you end up with an adverse effect, so in the end you simply dodge it?"
So why is abortion such an apparently taboo subject in British politics?
In the US, being against abortion is a standard position for Republican politicians and a reliable dividing line with the Democrats, although the issue of exemptions for rape and incest is a highly sensitive one.
It still causes controversy when someone running for office voices their opposition to such exemptions, as Republican hopeful Marco Rubio did last year.
But American politicians are expected to be upfront about their religious beliefs and take a position on moral issues that in the UK tend to be seen as personal matters.
Piers Morgan, who prodded Mr Rees-Mogg into revealing his views on the Good Morning Britain sofa, tried a similar line of questioning, on his CNN show in 2012, during the Republican primaries.
The former Mirror editor asked White House hopeful Rick Santorum, a devout Catholic, if he would let his daughter get an abortion after rape.
Mr Santorum said did not say yes outright, adding that he would explain to her that a baby, even when "horribly created", was still a "gift, in a very broken way".
Donald Trump, who before running for president was pro-choice and is now firmly against abortion, draws the line at cases of rape, incest, and when the mother's health is endangered.
The issue of abortion in Britain is seen by many people as a settled matter - it rarely comes up at general elections.
"We are a pro-choice country, we have a pro-choice Parliament," said Katherine O'Brien, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.
"Every politician is entitled to hold their own opinion on abortion. But what matters is whether they would let their own personal convictions stand in the way of women's ability to act on their own."
In fact, there have been several serious attempts to restrict abortions since Liberal leader David Steel succeeded in liberalising the law in 1967, resulting in some impassioned debates in the House of Commons.
In 2008, MPs voted on cutting the 24-week limit, for the first time since 1990, in a series of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
There were calls for a reduction to 12, 16, 20 or 22 weeks, but MPs rejected the proposals in a series of votes.
Going further back, Liberal MP David Alton resigned as his party's chief whip in 1987 to launch what turned out to be an unsuccessful bid to ban late abortions.
The first version of Mr Alton's bill did not include an exemption for women who had been raped - he argued that they represented a tiny minority of cases.
The exemption was added at a later date, but supporters of the bill made it clear that they viewed it as a stepping stone to a complete ban.
Conservative MP Terry Dicks told MPs: "I understand and am concerned about incest and rape and the implication of a child being born as a result. I do not know the answer, but I do know that life is important from the minute that conception takes place.
"Of course ladies have rights and we must consider them, but they also have obligations and responsibilities that they have to face up to."
Theresa May and Arlene Foster hold differing views on abortion
Few MPs have been as outspoken in their opposition to abortion since, although senior figures in all parties have expressed their personal support for reducing the time limit.
And there have been cases where politicians have had to wrestle with their conscience on the issue.
Labour's Ruth Kelly, a member of Catholic organisation Opus Dei, refused to take a ministerial role at the Department of Health to avoid conflicts with her beliefs.
The issue has crept back on to the political agenda in recent months with the deal between Theresa May and the DUP to keep the Conservatives in power.
Unlike in the rest of the UK, abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland unless a woman's life is in danger or there is a serious risk to her mental or physical health.
And the DUP has consistently opposed abortion, with its leader, Arlene Foster, saying: "I would not want abortion to be as freely available here as it is in England."
Tory MP Terry Dicks backed a ban on abortions in the 1980s
But, in an unexpected turn of events, Northern Irish women have now been granted access to terminations on the NHS in mainland Britain.
In June, the government had to draw up emergency plans to head off a revolt by Conservative MPs who joined forces with Labour in opposing the DUP's stance, to the evident delight of some Tory ministers.
As the law was changed, Education Secretary and Equalities Minister Justine Greening said: "Let us send a message to women everywhere that in this Parliament their voices will be heard and their rights upheld."
Prime Minister Theresa May is also opposed to changing the abortion laws and was careful to distance herself from Jacob Rees-Mogg's opinions, while stressing that it was a "long-standing principle" that abortion was a "matter of conscience" for individual MPs to decide on.
Mr Rees-Mogg knows his views are not mainstream in Conservative circles at Westminster. In his Good Morning Britain interview, he said women's abortion rights under UK law were "not going to change".
But he argued that his party was more tolerant of religious views than the Liberal Democrats, whose former leader Tim Farron quit after facing repeated questions about his views on gay sex.
"It's all very well to say we live in a multicultural country... until you're a Christian, until you hold the traditional views of the Catholic Church, and that seems to me fundamentally wrong," he said.
"People are entitled to hold these views."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41176953
|
Hurricane Irma: Fears grow for Britons in Caribbean - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Two territories are severely damaged in the storm, with no word heard from many on the islands.
|
UK
|
The UK territory of the British Virgin Islands is among the areas affected
Two British territories in the Caribbean have suffered "severe" damage from Hurricane Irma, the UK's Foreign Office has said.
Sir Alan Duncan said Anguilla received the hurricane's "full blast" while the British Virgin Islands would need "extensive humanitarian assistance".
At least one death has been reported on Anguilla, according to local officials.
The low-lying British territory of Turks and Caicos is still in the storm's path and preparing to be hit.
Evacuations have begun, with tropical-force rains expected to begin at around 14:00 local time, or 19:00 BST.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK was sending a task group to the region to help with relief efforts.
The RFA Mounts Bay and its crew has arrived in the Caribbean and a second ship, HMS Ocean, is also being sent to the region, Sir Michael said following a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee.
Two more helicopters will be sent to the region.
Sir Michael said the UK's taskforce would help with relief efforts, such as restoring clean water, providing medical assistance and reconstruction work.
The government has pledged £12m of disaster relief money.
It comes amid some criticism of an "inadequate" response by the UK government to the disaster.
A third British territory, Montserrat, was "swiped" but the damage is not as bad as first thought, Sir Alan said.
There is widespread destruction across the Caribbean, with buildings reduced to rubble and at least 10 people dead.
The small Commonwealth Realm of Barbuda is said to be "barely habitable", while officials warn that the French territory of St Martin is almost destroyed.
The Queen said she and Prince Philip have been shocked and saddened by reports of the devastation.
In a message to the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, she said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm.
"Please convey my gratitude and good wishes to members of the emergency services and to those who are working on the rescue effort at this very difficult time for you all."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "It was like a horror movie" - Residents of Barbuda describe the destruction wrought by Hurricane Irma
On Wednesday Sir Richard Branson, who refused to leave his private retreat of Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), said he was "retreating to a concrete wine cellar" with his staff as the hurricane approached.
His son Sam has since said his father is "OK" but there has been "lots of damage" to the island.
Posting an update on Instagram, Mr Branson also said buildings and moorings on the BVI's main islands of Tortola and Jost Van Dyke had been destroyed.
On Virgin Gorda - the third largest of the 40 islands and islets - there was no cell, power or wifi coverage, he said.
The BVI's largest private island, Peter Island, "is wrecked", he added, though people on the island were thought to be safe.
Britain's 14 overseas territories are under UK sovereignty and jurisdiction - most are self-governing but they rely on the UK for defence, security and safety - including protection from natural disasters.
Josephine Gumbs-Conner, a barrister from Anguilla, claimed the UK's preparations for and response to the storm have been "sorely lacking".
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK government should have "done what the French did in St Martin - who made sure that they had military on the ground so that the response given is timely".
She said the island's essential services including hospitals and police stations, were now in a "limping position", after the hurricane caused "nuclear bomb devastation".
Significant damage has been reported in the Dutch section of St Martin, known as Sint-Maarten
Officials have confirmed several deaths and considerable damage in the French and Dutch territories of Saint-Martin and Saint Barthélemy, popularly known as St Barts.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he had spoken to the chief minister of Anguilla, while foreign office officials worked through the night to assess and respond to the disaster.
Sir Alan said there are four UK aid experts standing ready to co-ordinate relief efforts in the region.
He said Prime Minister Theresa May has spoken to her French counterpart and has agreed to co-ordinate closely with the French and Dutch on relief efforts.
Thousands of British tourists are believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean, the travel association ABTA said.
The UK Foreign Office warned Britons to evacuate the area as the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade approached, but many expats and tourists were left stranded as airlines were forced to ground or divert flights.
Fears are growing for pregnant Briton Afiya Frank, 27, and her sister Asha Frank, 29, who were preparing for the storm in Barbuda but have not been heard from since Tuesday night.
Their aunt, Ruth Bolton, told BBC Radio Suffolk the pair had "gone completely silent" since they last messaged on WhatsApp at about 21:00 GMT on Tuesday.
She said Afiya had been due to return to Suffolk to give birth.
Many British tourists staying at resorts in the Dominican Republic, where a hurricane warning is still in place, are being evacuated from coastal areas and moved to temporary shelters.
Andrea Fowkes Smith, from Surrey, told the BBC that part of the roof had fallen off the hotel where she is sheltering in Punta Cana.
"We have not been evacuated from our hotel but have just been moved to the steak house as our room was on the third floor," she said.
"They say we should all stay on the ground," she added. "It's very strong winds and rain."
St Barts suffered serious damage to buildings as well as flooding and power cuts
While the French and the Dutch have permanent military bases in the Caribbean, the British forces are kept at sea ready to respond to UK territories spread out across the region.
Meanwhile, British Airways evacuated 326 passengers from Antigua on Tuesday and has managed to rebook many others across the Caribbean islands onto flights out with alternative airlines.
Virgin Atlantic said it has scheduled a relief flight "loaded with essential items" to help the recovery effort, including blankets and bottled water, to arrive in Antigua on Thursday.
Officials in the US have started evacuations of tourists and residents from Florida Keys as the hurricane approaches.
Flights to and from several airports in Florida were being suspended, while Orlando's international airport said commercial flights would stop from 17:00 local time on Saturday.
A state of emergency had been declared for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilising federal disaster relief efforts.
Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41185042
|
Reality Check: Has vice-chancellor pay been spiralling? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Universities Minister Jo Johnson is encouraging vice-chancellors to show restraint in their pay.
|
Education & Family
|
The claim: Pay for university vice-chancellors has been spiralling.
Reality Check verdict: In the past seven years, average pay for vice-chancellors has risen by about the same amount as average earnings, but there have been some individual examples of pay rising by considerably more than that.
Universities Minister Jo Johnson is encouraging vice-chancellors to show restraint in their pay.
A government press release said that he would "unveil a series of new measures designed to curb spiralling vice-chancellor pay".
Speaking on Radio 4's Today Programme, Mr Johnson said: "There has been significant inflation in some institutions," and referred to "very very high salaries".
The accountants Grant Thornton have been carrying out a survey of vice-chancellor pay since 2009.
Among the 156 higher education institutions it surveyed, the average salary for a vice-chancellor in 2015-16 was £246,000. Pension contributions, benefits and bonuses take that to £281,000.
That compares with an average annual salary for all jobs in the UK of £28,296.
Since the survey started in 2009-10, average vice-chancellor salaries have risen by 13%.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says that between April 2009 and April 2016, average weekly earnings rose by about the same amount, so over that period it is certainly not accurate to say that vice-chancellor pay in general has been spiralling.
Source: Times Higher Education Supplement - excludes institutions that changed vice-chancellor during the year
However, there are certainly examples, as the minister says, of institutions in which the pay of the vice-chancellor has increased significantly.
Oxford University's vice-chancellor, Louise Richardson, is paid £350,000, which is about 70% more than her predecessor was being paid 10 years ago.
She defended her salary on BBC Radio 4, saying that the university had annual costs of £1.4bn. That figure has approximately doubled during the past 10 years.
The vice-chancellor of Bath University, Prof Dame Glynis Breakwell, is the highest paid, receiving £451,000 in salary, benefits and allowances, up 77% during the past decade.
Last week, she announced a review of the university's remuneration committee, which decides her pay.
The vice-chancellor of Birmingham University is paid £378,000 a year plus another £45,000 bonus and £3,000 in taxable benefits, which is a 60% increase on 10 years ago.
Imperial College London pays its president a salary of £353,000, but that has gone up a more modest 15% in the past decade (pension contributions and other benefits take this up to £430,000).
Prof Dame Glynis Breakwell is the highest paid vice-chancellor in the country
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41187447
|
Brexiteers' letter adds to pressure on May - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Laura Kuenssberg looks at a letter from Tory MPs warning against keeping the UK in the EU "by stealth".
|
UK Politics
|
Summer's over and the pushback over Brexit has begun
After a summer where Tory supporters of a more gradual Brexit were heartened by statements from ministers, now comes the, probably inevitable, pushback.
A letter leaked to the BBC, signed by dozens of Tory MPs, was scheduled for the pages of a Sunday newspaper, demanding that Theresa May stand firm, and stick to her original plan for Brexit.
The letter will be seen as a warning to ministers too, particularly Chancellor Philip Hammond who Eurosceptics see as trying to water down Mrs May's original Brexit plan to leave the single market and customs union.
The letter demands that the government resists any move to keep the UK in the EU "by stealth" and is also designed to put pressure on Labour's new position on Brexit, which advocates a more gradual departure.
Organisers of the letter say it's designed to be supportive of the prime minister, to bolster her Brexit convictions.
But with pressure from Remain sympathisers on one side, this new push from Brexiteers will remind Number 10 in no uncertain terms that the government is under pressure from all sides.
You can judge how supportive of the government the letter really is, by reading it yourself:
The letter will be seen as a warning to ministers to stick to Mrs May's original Brexit plan
Continued membership of the single market, even as part of a transitional arrangement, would quite simply mean EU membership by another name - and we cannot allow our country to be kept in the EU by stealth.
The government must respect the will of the British people, and that means leaving the single market at the same time as we leave the EU. Here's why:
Continued membership of the 'single market' (the 'Norway option') - the stated goal of the Labour Party - would be an historic mistake.
The truth is that the 'single market' is a political project, and requires its members to constantly introduce new European Union (EU) laws. Therefore, the longer one remains a member, the harder it is to leave.
Contrary to claims that it is a 'sensible' stepping stone to independence, it is in fact a conveyer belt to ever more European integration.
What's more, for as long as we remain in the single market, we will have to make payments into the EU budget, and will be unable to take advantage of the freedoms available as a result of leaving the EU - such as the ability to deport foreign criminals.
In order to ensure that no-one seeks to use a transition period as means of keeping the UK in the EU by stealth, the government must add the following clauses to any transitional deal:
With these clauses in place, the will of the British people will have been respected, and the country set on a course to make a great success of Brexit."
• None Reality Check: Who are the low-skilled EU workers?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41190237
|
University heads asked to justify pay over £150,000 - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The universities minister is to set out a series of measures to curb the academics' salaries.
|
Education & Family
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jo Johnson: "I do not want to read about VC pay in the newspapers"
Spiralling rates of pay for university vice-chancellors are to be curbed by a series of new measures being set out by the universities minister.
Jo Johnson urged institutions to show restraint, when it emerged that dozens of university heads were earning £300,000, and some more than £400,000.
Now, he wants universities to justify pay rates topping £150,000 a year to a new regulator, the Office for Students.
Details of staff earning above £100,000 year would also have to be made public.
Universities have argued that their leaders are managing large institutions, have enormous responsibilities and huge budgets, and therefore command large salaries.
Mr Johnson called for "transparency and openness" in the way pay is set for university heads and "greater restraint" in vice-chancellor and senior-level salaries.
"We [need to] put an end to the spate of damaging headlines we've seen over recent weeks," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Mr Johnson is setting out the plans in a speech to university heads at the annual conference of the umbrella body Universities UK, in west London on Thursday.
The plans, which will be consulted on, could see the Office for Students using its powers to impose fines if institutions do not give good reasons for high pay.
The new regulator, which is to be headed by Nicola Dandridge, the former chief executive of Universities UK, will also issue new guidance on the role and independence of pay committees.
Ms Dandridge herself volunteered for an 18% pay cut from £200,000 a year to £165,000, a move Mr Johnson said was "out of the spirit of public service".
Mr Johnson also told Today that student fees would rise next year with inflation.
"It's important there's confidence fees are put to the uses we intend them to be - we want fees to deliver great teaching and world-class research," he said.
Mr Johnson said the debate over student finance had increased public scrutiny of how universities spent the money they received.
"When students and taxpayers invest so heavily in our higher education system, excessive vice-chancellor salaries send a powerful signal to the outside world."
He added: "Exceptional pay can only be justified by exceptional performance, which is why I will ask the new Office for Students to take action to ensure value for money and transparency for students and the taxpayer."
Prof Janet Beer, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said in her conference address that it was understandable that high pay was being questioned.
"It is right to expect that the process for determining pay for senior staff is rigorous and the decision-making process is transparent.
"It is also reasonable to expect that decisions are explained and justified."
She also addressed the issue of the student funding, calling on the government to consider providing targeted maintenance grants for those most in need of this support.
The government should also "consider reducing the interest rate payable, not for all, but specifically for low- and middle-income earners through changes in earning thresholds to which interest rates apply", she said.
The overall cost of salary and benefits for vice-chancellors rose 2.5% to an average remuneration of £257,904 in 2015-16 on the previous year.
When pension contributions are included, the rise was 2.2% to an average of £280,877.
And several high profile cases revealed pay levels substantially higher than this.
Imperial College London pays its vice-chancellor, Alice Gast, a £430,000 yearly wage and pension package. She was recruited from an American university some years ago where she was paid £679,754.
The University of Birmingham pays Sir David Eastwood £426,000 in salary and pensions.
Sir David was previously chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council since 2006 - the post responsible for overseeing the university finance system in England.
University of Exeter vice-chancellor, also a former chairman of Universities UK, Sir Steve Smith receives a £426,000 package, according to the Times Higher Education newspaper.
The Russell Group, an association which represents 24 leading UK universities, says its institutions "recognise the need to act responsibly".
Dr Tim Bradshaw, acting director of the group, said Russell Group universities have demonstrated strong and effective governance around senior remuneration and will continue to do so.
But, he stressed, universities operate in a competitive market, saying salaries help to maintain the UK's position as a "world leader in science and innovation".
General secretary of the University and College Union Sally Hunt said soaring vice-chancellor pay, which her union has highlighted over the years, had become a real embarrassment for the higher education sector.
She accused vice-chancellors of hiding behind "shadowy remuneration committees".
She said: "Over two-thirds of vice-chancellors sit on their own remuneration committees, and three-quarters of universities refuse to publish full minutes of the meetings where leadership pay is decided."
• None Three more MPs quit uni roles over pay
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41176337
|
Why immigration debate is far from over - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A leaked Home Office document, and other recent signals, point to a very live debate going on in government about what will happen after Brexit.
|
UK Politics
|
The prime minister has at least two big reasons for wanting to get this right.
For Theresa May, the referendum result was a clear instruction from the British people that they wanted to reduce the levels of immigration. Politically, therefore, she believes it's a demand she has to meet.
And as home secretary for six years, when the government continually flunked its own immigration target, the new system that will control immigration is finally, perhaps, a chance to meet her own long-missed goal.
So Wednesday's mega-leak from the Home Office of the potential design of the post Brexit system is significant.
Many of the proposals in it are not a surprise - the requirement for EU citizens who want to move to the UK long term after Brexit to register with the authorities, for example. You can read more of the extensive details here. One source involved in the negotiations says the "general principles" of the document are indeed an accurate reflection of the government position.
But it's far from the final version. And much of the uncertainty lies around what happens on "D+1", the day after we leave the European Union.
The implication from the document is that as soon as we leave, freedom of movement is over.
Although ministers have said as much on the record before, and Downing Street sources are adamant that will be the case, it pulls against indications in Whitehall a few months ago that the principle whereby EU citizens could come to live and work freely in the UK could carry on uninhibited during a transition period, the couple of years following Brexit itself.
One extremely senior source was, in fact, categorical that would be the case, and implied that had been agreed by ministers, as part of the acceptance that a transition period of some sort was inevitable. Not, it seems now, the case.
Couple those mixed signals with the leak of this document, and it points to a very live debate taking place right now in government.
I am told there was a series of meetings last week, involving the Home Office, the Treasury, Downing Street, and the Brexit department, about how to fulfil Theresa May's political imperative on immigration as quickly as possible, without creating howls of alarm from business or denting the economy.
In fact, since the draft was written, only last month, there have been six new versions of the proposals, none of which has yet been to cabinet, with the final version due in a White Paper later this autumn.
One source involved in the discussions said: "I'm not going to pretend it's an easy job," and in reality much of the detail is a long, long way off.
That's partly because the longer term plans will be informed by a big study looking at what the economy needs, which the government has only recently commissioned, and, inevitably, much of the policy that will cover the period immediately after Brexit will be subject to the negotiations between the UK and the EU.
It is also because even this big detailed document doesn't even really begin to fill in the blanks for phase three, the years that will follow the transition period, the eventual destination.
Who said anything about Brexit would be easy?
• None Reality Check: Who are the low-skilled EU workers?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41178443
|
Rohingya Muslims: Tales of horror from Myanmar - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
People fleeing violence in Myanmar tell the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder of killings, rape and massacres.
|
Asia
|
Tens of thousands of people have fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Many speak of killings, rape and even massacres.
Off the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh, a row of crescent-shaped, wooden fishing boats approach the shore, listing dangerously in the strong winds.
As they get closer, you can see they are packed. Women on the floor, many holding on to children, men pressed against the sides of the boats.
This is the latest boatload of Rohingya Muslims, fleeing from Myanmar's Rakhine state.
Refugees like Dil Bahar are traumatised and exhausted - and have horrific stories
Local Bangladeshis gathered on the beach wave frantically. "This way, this way," they say as they guide the boats into shallower waters.
As the first one hits the shoreline near Shamlapur, several men jump off. The women and children are helped out, a couple almost collapsing as their legs buckle under them.
The direct route across the Naf river is no longer accessible. The Bangladeshi authorities have stopped them from coming from that direction after several Rohingyas drowned attempting the crossing.
So they circumnavigate, heading out to sea before turning back. A journey which would have taken under an hour now takes about six to eight.
As the Rohingyas hit the beach, they collapse in a heap. Many look dazed and disoriented after the voyage. Others are visibly dehydrated, some are retching.
A few, including men, start sobbing uncontrollably, their bodies heaving. They cannot, it appears, believe they are alive. Others are handed mobile phones by locals so they can tell their loves ones they made it.
One middle-aged woman, dressed in black, is scanning the horizon anxiously, shading her eyes.
Rohima Khatun is waiting for her brother. Their village in Myanmar's Maungdaw district had been attacked more than 10 days ago. In the rush to flee, they were separated. She made it across to Bangladesh and has been coming to the beach every day, hoping her brother Nabi Hasan would be among the hundreds arriving by sea.
As the fourth boat reaches the shore she screams and starts running.
A young man limps across the beach and the two of them clutch each other sobbing.
Nabi Hasan and his sister Rohima Khatun did not know if they would see each other alive
"He Allah, he Allah [dear God]," she mutters constantly, rocking back and forth.
"I didn't think I would see you," Nabi Hasan says, wiping his sister's tears.
"Our village was attacked by the military," they say, "along with Mogs", referring to the ethnic Buddhist community living in Rakhine.
"We are the only two in our family of 10 to have survived," they say.
As I move around the group others have similar testimony.
Dil Bahar, a woman in her sixties, is sobbing uncontrollably. Her husband, Zakir Mamun, a frail man with a wispy beard, is standing behind her.
A teenage boy is with them, his arm encased in a crude, homemade splint, trussed together with string.
Some arrivals bear the scars of what they say are bullet shots
His face is contorted in pain.
"He's my grandson, Mahbub," Dil Bahar says. "He was shot in the arm."
"It's a massacre," whispers Zakir Mamun, looking at us.
Their village is in Buthidaung, a little over 50km (30 miles) from the Bangladesh border.
The attack apparently took place without any warning.
"They came for us," Zakir tells me. "People were ordered indoors over loudspeakers, by the military. Then the military and the mobs threw bombs at our homes, setting them on fire."
They say that when the villagers tried to leave, the attackers opened fire.
"People were falling all over, as they were hit," Zakir says. "We ran for the mountain and hid."
But his son, Mahbub's father, was killed.
"All night we could hear the firing, the 'rockets' going off," Zakir says.
The next morning, they saw their village in ruins. Smoke was rising from the smouldering homes.
"Everything was gone," he says.
The family gathered a few utensils which were undamaged, collected some uncooked rice and left.
They trekked for 12 days, across two mountains and then through jungles.
"Our rice ran out on the eighth day," Zakir says. "We had nothing to eat, we survived on plants and rainwater."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Jonathan Head went on a government-organised trip in Rakhine state last week
There is no way of independently verifying any of these accounts. Access to Rakhine state is severely restricted.
Myanmar's military denies wrongdoing and says it is only targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.
The group have now been moved to a sprawling refugee camp in Balukhali. Mahbub has been taken to a clinic run by International Organisation of Migration, his splint replaced and his wound treated.
This is their temporary home for the unforeseeable future. Their tent is a simple plastic sheet stretched over bamboo poles. The camp water supply, a pit in the ground collecting rain.
But the relief at being alive and relatively safe, overpowers any other emotion.
"I am happy to be in Bangladesh," Zakir says. "It's a Muslim country, we are safe here."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder treks through difficult terrain with people fleeing Myanmar
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41189748
|
RBS: Calls grow for publication of watchdog's report - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
MPs and the chair of the Treasury Committee call for a report into business practices at RBS to be published.
|
Business
|
Nicky Morgan wants the matter resolved as quickly as possible
A group of MPs have joined a call by Nicky Morgan, the Treasury Committee chair, for full publication of a leaked report on the treatment of customers in RBS's global restructuring group (GRG).
The report, produced for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), suggested that GRG mistreated many of its clients.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking called RBS's treatment of business customers an "ugly stain" on the industry.
Earlier, Mrs Morgan asked FCA head Andrew Bailey to secure RBS's permission to publish the report "without delay".
She says the report is in the hands of an "unknown number of third parties".
RBS's global restructuring group operated from 2005 to 2013 and at its peak handled 16,000 companies.
It was introduced as an expert service that would turn around a business and stepped in when companies missed a loan repayment or had a drop in sales or profits.
But the report, seen by the BBC, found that struggling companies who were placed in the recovery group had a slim chance of emerging from it.
The letter from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking expresses a number of concerns.
Among these is that the investigation may not have included all customers involved with the GRG, since RBS was left to decide which businesses were to be looked at.
It says in its letter that while details of the "focus and execution" of the investigation remain hidden from public view, there cannot be confidence that the probe has identified the scale and damage of the poor behaviour at RBS, nor whether there has been an adequate response from either the bank of the FCA.
The head of the group, Lord Cromwell, is meeting Mr Bailey next week.
Mrs Morgan said: "The FCA told the committee in November 2016 that a 'full account' of the findings from the skilled persons' report would be published.
"Nearly a year later, and nearly four years since the report was commissioned, we are still waiting for answers."
"I have asked Mr Bailey to update the committee on any information that the FCA uncovers as part of its inquiry into the leak," she said.
"This would not be the first instance of leaking from the FCA, but lessons must be learned to ensure it is the last."
The FCA said it would respond "in due course" to the request from Mrs Morgan.
"We have already initiated a leak inquiry into the disclosure of the s166 report on RBS GRG to the BBC, and we have asked the other parties who had access to the report, namely RBS and Promontory, to do the same.
"If the Treasury Select Committee or the BBC have evidence that the document was leaked by the FCA, we encourage them to share that with us."
Bill Esterson, Labour's shadow business minister, said Mrs Morgan should not be asking RBS for permission to release the report, "she should be demanding it... What happens if they say no".
He said: "Livelihoods were ruined... Of course the report should be released and a full enquiry held."
In November 2013, Lawrence Tomlinson, then 'Enterprise Czar' for Business Secretary Vince Cable, made several allegations against RBS in a report into the GRG.
On the same day, RBS chairman Sir Andrew Large published an RBS-commissioned report into its own lending performance, which said that the bank needed "to address the concerns that have been raised by some customers and external shareholders".
Two months later the FCA announced its own review into the group's conduct.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41177612
|
Brexit: Davis and Starmer clash over key legislation - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Labour says the bill is a "power grab" - but David Davis accuses them of "cynical" blocking tactics.
|
UK Politics
|
David Davis has accused Labour of a "cynical and unprincipled" bid to block a key piece of Brexit legislation.
The Brexit secretary claimed Britons "will not forgive" Labour if they try to "delay or destroy" the process of leaving the EU.
On Thursday MPs began debating the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which will end the supremacy of EU law in the UK.
Labour backs Brexit but says the bill is a "huge power grab" by ministers and it will vote against it, as it stands.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said the bill would "reduce MPs to spectators".
The EU (Withdrawal) Bill overturns the 1972 European Communities Act which took the UK into the then European Economic Community but will also convert all existing EU laws into domestic ones, to ensure there are no gaps in legislation.
Mr Davis described it as the next step in the "historic process" of honouring the EU referendum decision and argued that it was largely technical in nature and would ensure that "on the day we leave, businesses know where they stand".
Sir Keir Starmer says it should be called 'the great power grab bill'
He urged all parties to work with the government "in the spirit of collaboration", rejecting opposition claims that he was attempting to get the power to change laws without proper Parliamentary scrutiny.
"It is only what is necessary for a smooth exit and to provide stability," he said.
He attacked Labour's position, calling it a "fundamental misrepresentation of Parliament and our democratic process" and "reckless in the extreme".
But Sir Keir said: "He (Mr Davis) is keen to portray this bill as a technical exercise converting EU law into our law without raising any serious constitutional issues about the role of Parliament.
"Nothing could be further than the truth."
He added: "It's an unprecedented power grab. Rule by decree is not a mis-description. It's an affront Parliament and accountability."
The European Communities Act passed under Edward Heath will be repealed
He said Labour voted for Article 50 Act, triggering the process of Brexit, because it accepted the referendum result. But he claimed the EU (Withdrawal) Bill would hand "all power and responsibility" over how Britain left the EU to ministers.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said just six rebels could mean defeat for the bill and ministers privately concede they will have to give some ground.
But she said with so much to sort out, the government argues that there is not the time for MPs to pick over every detail, and the bill will allow ministers to make tweaks.
Labour argues that it will give the government powers similar to those used by medieval monarchs. It has tabled a series of amendments to the bill and will order its MPs vote against the legislation at second reading on Monday, unless they are accepted.
Sir Keir has called for the Withdrawal Bill to spell out that the UK can stay in the EU single market and customs union during the post-Brexit transition period.
The main aim of this legislation is to incorporate, rather than repeal, 40 years of relevant EU law onto the UK statute book. It is intended to ensure there is no legal chaos on the day Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.
At the start of its second reading in the Commons, Brexit Secretary David Davis said this "essential" bill maximises certainty for businesses and consumers.
But unusually, the government is facing a parliamentary battle to clear this early hurdle, with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish and Welsh Nationalists lined up to oppose the Bill.
Their main objection is at what they see as a power grab by ministers who will be able to change some laws without the usual parliamentary scrutiny.
Tory MPs sceptical about the government's Brexit will not vote with opposition parties next week. But ministers are braced for an arduous fight as this bill goes through Parliament
He has also called for workers' rights and environmental laws to be protected - and has criticised the government for failing to incorporate the EU charter of fundamental rights into domestic law.
But some of Jeremy Corbyn's MPs are expected to defy the party's orders to vote against the bill. Pro-Brexit Labour MP Graham Stringer said opposing the Bill would be "an absolute breach of trust" with voters.
Conservative opponents of a "hard Brexit" have indicated they will hold back on any challenge to the Bill until later in its passage through Parliament, although veteran Europhile Ken Clarke hinted he might be prepared to rebel unless he received "some assurances".
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve described it as an "astonishing monstrosity" of a bill and said he would vote against it later on, if it were not improved.
The SNP and Lib Dems also plan to vote against the bill after tabling amendments setting out their reasons for opposing it but the government has the support of the Democratic Unionists, with whom they have a Commons pact.
Negotiations between the UK and the EU on the terms of exit are on-going, with the European Union publishing its latest set of position papers, including one on the crucial issue of the future of the Irish border, on Thursday.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41182561
|
School sends 'wrong trousers' pupils home - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Pupils at Kepier School were lined up while trousers were checked to see if they were the right shade.
|
England
|
Head teacher of the Wearside school Nicky Cooper says she is "very, very particular" about uniform
Pupils were lined up at the gates of a secondary school while their trousers were checked to see if they were the right shade of grey - with some failing the inspection and being sent home.
Kepier School in Houghton-le-Spring has defended the move, which it said was because it valued "consistency".
Parents have been told that only clothes of a particular colour and bought from one supplier are allowed.
Several pupils were sent home, with others barred from classes.
Parent Kim Lister saw pupils being checked at the school gates
Parent Kim Lister said she witnessed the checks after being alerted by her son.
She said: "I got a phone call within two minutes saying: 'Mam, they're not letting us through the school gates.'
"When I got down there were a load of children actually lined up having their uniform checked.
"I love the uniform but it would be nice if parents could have a choice where to go for the uniform."
About a dozen pupils were sent home from Kepier School
Head teacher of the Wearside school Nicky Cooper said: "We are very, very particular about the uniform because we need consistency right across the board.
"In doing so some learners were sent home.
"If you have different types of trousers it leads on to different types of shoes, different types of shirts, etc."
Luke Bramhall, from the Children North East charity, said: "Instead of focusing on discipline and punishing students for having the right uniform, what is important is for schools to understand what each individual child and their family is going through and how they can help in difficult circumstances."
The Department of Education said schools had a duty to provide and recommend uniforms that were the best value for money.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41181269
|
Salvador Dali: DNA test proves woman is not his daughter - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
María Pilar Abel Martínez says her mother had an affair with the artist before she was born.
|
Europe
|
Ms Martínez says she was born in 1956 as a result of an affair between Dalí and her mother
A Spanish woman who believed Salvador Dali was her father is not the surrealist artist's daughter, a DNA test has proved.
María Pilar Abel Martínez, a tarot card reader who was born in 1956, says her mother had an affair with Dalí during the year before her birth.
A judge in Madrid agreed his body could be exhumed for testing in June.
But now the Dali Foundation says the tests carried out have conclusively proved the two are not related.
"The DNA tests show that Pilar Abel is not Dali's daughter," the foundation, which manages his estate, said in a statement on Wednesday, six weeks after the artist's body was exhumed from a crypt in a museum dedicated to his life and work in Figueres, in north-eastern Spain.
Had they been related, Ms Martinez would have had a claim on part of Dali's estate, which he left to the Spanish state following his death in 1989 at the age of 85.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A number of Dali experts had raised their eyebrows at the claim before his body was exhumed, with biographer Ian Gibson noting the artist's own claim of "I'm impotent, you've got to be impotent to be a great painter".
It is not known how Ms Martinez, who had been told from an early age she was the painter's daughter, has responded to the news.
Dalí's wife, Gala, died in 1982 - after which he is said to have lost much of his zest for life
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41180146
|
Ministers reject fines for parties missing women MP targets - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The government is accused of "lacking ambition" after rejecting recommendations to boost women MPs.
|
UK Politics
|
Six out of 23 full cabinet ministers are women - two more attend cabinet
The government has rejected calls for political parties to face fines if they fail to meet targets for female candidates at general elections.
It has rejected six recommendations, including new laws to ensure at least 45% of election candidates are women.
The Commons Women and Equalities Committee accused ministers of a "lack of action and ambition" on the subject.
Ministers say "significant progress" has been made but it is up to political parties to select their candidates.
In this year's general election, 208 women were elected, at 32% the highest ever proportion, up from 191 in 2015. Six out of 23 full cabinet members are women, including the prime minister.
But they made up only 29% of the total 3,304 general election candidates in 2017.
Data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union suggests that, as of the 2015 election, the UK ranked 46th out of 193 countries for the percentage of women in its lower house.
All six recommendations made by the committee in the previous Parliament have been rejected by the government.
In 1997, Labour MPs made up 101 out of 120 women elected - but women still made up only 18% of MPs
Among them were calls for the government to set a target that 45% of MPs should be women and the same percentage elected in local government by 2030, a 45% minimum threshold for female parliamentary candidates in general elections for each party and for those that fail to hit the target to face sanctions.
But in its response, the government said while it agreed that a "gender-balanced Parliament is long overdue" it must be political parties themselves - not the government - that were responsible for candidate selection and that it did not believe that "overall domestic targets are the solution to increasing representation".
It said progress was being made and parties were using various methods, including mentoring, training, all-women shortlists and fielding more women candidates in winnable seats, to get more women elected.
In its response, the government said: "The main political parties have had some success in increasing women's representation in the House of Commons, but more needs to be done.
"The government does not believe that the best way to achieve this is through legislation and placing an additional regulatory burden on political parties. Instead, we look to the parties to lead the way through further and more vigorous voluntary action."
But Maria Miller, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, said more work was needed before the next general election to improve the figures.
She said: "The UK is failing to be a world leader on women's representation. There are still more than twice as many men as women in the House of Commons: after the 2017 election, women still only make up 32% of MPs.
"This demands a vigorous response across the board, but the government has shown it is content to sit on its hands with an approach which has yielded depressingly slow progress so far."
She said government could make a "real difference" and should require parties to publish "diversity data" about their candidate selection to "give people the data to hold parties to account for their progress".
"The government's failure to commit to this - or to accept any of the previous committee's other recommendations - shows a complete lack of action and ambition to bring about real change," she said.
Before 1987, women had never made up more than 5% of MPs.
Your browser does not support this content, please upgrade! Number of female MPs, before and after election
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41191907
|
Why is Bulgaria's population falling off a cliff? - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
What is life like in the country projected to have the world's fastest-shrinking population?
|
Europe
|
Bulgaria's current population of about seven million is predicted to be nearer five million by 2050
Bulgaria is projected to have the fastest-shrinking population in the world. It's already lost a fifth of its population since the 1990s. But what does this mean for those who remain?
Deep in the Bulgarian countryside, in the western province of Pernik, I make a rare discovery.
It's not Stoyan Evtimov's traditional embroidered woollen tunic that makes him unusual.
It's the fact he's a thirty-something living in a village. "All my friends that I grew up with here left long ago," he says.
Like many young Bulgarians, they moved to towns and cities in search of work.
Stoyan considers himself lucky to have employment in the mountain village of Peshtera, leading its folk-singing group and organising an annual music festival in an attempt to revive traditional marriage music, and the village.
Even so, he is finding village life unsustainable.
Stoyan Evtimov, in his 30s, is resigned to the fact he will have to leave his village
"It's impossible to find someone to marry here in the village, or the villages around, simply because there are no young people. The only chance for me to find someone is in the town," he says.
"It would be very sad and hard for me to leave the village, but I will have to do it at some point."
Bulgarian villages have been losing people for decades.
When the Communists took power after World War Two, they brought in collective farming and many agricultural workers found work in new factories.
After Communism fell, in 1989, and collective farms were broken up, that trend of leaving the countryside for the towns sharpened.
And many people don't stop there: they continue their search for work abroad.
In 1989, almost nine million people lived in Bulgaria. Now, it is a little over seven million. By 2050, that number is projected to be less than 5.5 million. By the end of the century, it could be close to half what it is now.
Stefka fears she will have to close her shop
This exodus contributes to another factor in Bulgaria's dwindling population numbers - in part because a lot of young adults have left the country, the birth rate is low.
The last time a baby was born in the village, recalls shopkeeper Stefka - whose own two sons have moved away to the city - was a decade ago. The little girl and her mother now live in Cyprus, she adds.
The vast majority of the people Stefka serves are over the age of 60. The shelves are sparsely stocked, she says, because there aren't many customers, and she worries the shop will have to close.
Higher up the mountain, the village shops have already shut, along with schools and bus services.
"This village used to be made up of about 600 people," says Boyan, a 70-year-old living in Kalotinsi. "Now we are 13. Some are in the cemetery, the rest are in towns."
Granny Stanka is now the only person living in her street
In the village of Smirov Dol, Stanka Petrova - Granny Stanka to those who know her - sits under a tree at a bend in the mountain road, patiently waiting for the mobile shop, which serves the area.
"I was born in this village, and I remember the village when it was really full of people. It was such a fun and nice life. Young people, old people," she says, explaining that this is the spot where people would come together and enjoy traditional dancing.
"There is no-one in the village, so of course nothing like that can happen now," she says.
"In this street, for example, that I came from, in the past there were a lot of people in the houses. Now only I live there."
Abandoned and derelict buildings are a common sight in parts of rural Bulgaria
Does she get lonely? "Of course I'm lonely. It's very hard," she says, tearfully.
The people in Kalotinsi and surrounding villages buy their groceries from a mobile shop that visits three times a week.
The service is run by middle-aged husband-and-wife team Atanas and Lili Borisov.
Their unmarked van is well-stocked with everything from bread and yoghurt to cigarettes and beer, and even medicines. In 10 years, they've never missed a delivery, even though in winter the mountain roads are covered in snow.
"Because there are few people, we are friends with all of them, so we're trying to help them with all that we can," Lili says.
Atanas and Lili's mobile shop visits villages in western Bulgaria three times a week
It's obvious they're popular with the people they're serving, but Lili says customer numbers, and profits, are dwindling. In business and personal terms, the mobile shop is at the sharp end of the depopulation of Bulgaria's countryside.
"We start worrying when someone doesn't appear at the normal place we meet them," Lili says, "especially during the winter."
"We had a case, actually, where we found someone dead."
The government is introducing a number of measures to try to tackle depopulation by increasing the birth rate: offering help with the costs of fertility treatment, giving childcare, and mortgage support.
It is also encouraging ethnic Bulgarians who live abroad to return to the country, but no-one else.
Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister, Valeri Simeonov, rejects the idea of refugees repopulating the country
"Bulgaria doesn't need uneducated refugees," says Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov, a leader of the United Patriots, an anti-immigrant grouping forming part of the coalition government.
Nor would Bulgarian society accept educated and skilled migrants, Mr Simeonov says.
"They have a different culture, different religion, even different daily habits," he says. "And thank God Bulgaria so far is one of the most-well defended countries from Europe's immigrant influx."
Mr Simeonov is referring to a razor-wire fence that Bulgaria has been building across its 260km (160 mile) border with Turkey to discourage immigrants from trying to enter the country.
The new razor-wire border fence is a major obstacle for migrants trying to cross from Turkey
According to figures from the European Commission, Bulgaria had taken in only about 50 of the migrants who arrived in Europe from North Africa and the Middle East between 2015 and July 2017.
It is clear that the Bulgarian government does not see immigration as a possible solution to the country's dwindling population.
Although the government is full of ideas to boost the number of Bulgarian babies being born, in the countryside the feeling is that politicians talk, but don't act.
Before I left the mountains, I bumped into Boyan again, the man living in Kalotinsi, which has shrunk from being a village of 600 people to one of 13.
Boyan, 70, believes that people have been abandoned by politicians
"We are abandoned," he says. "Abandoned from everyone - from rulers and from God.
"Politicians will not do anything for us. They're just interested in their own interests. They don't care about the people - especially the old people in the villages. They don't even care about the young people because the young people are abroad.
"So the politicians don't care at all and the Bulgarian state is disappearing."
Ruth Alexander's report from Bulgaria is on Crossing Continents, on BBC Radio 4 at 11:00 on Thursday 7 September. You can listen online or download the programme podcast.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41109572
|
'Israeli jets hit Syria's Masyaf chemical site' - reports - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Syria's army says rockets struck a base, amid reports that a suspected chemical site was targeted.
|
Middle East
|
The Syrian army says Israeli jets have attacked a site in the west of the country where Western powers suspect chemical weapons are being produced.
An army statement says rockets fired from Lebanese airspace hit a military post near Masyaf, killing two soldiers.
A monitoring group says they struck a scientific research centre and base storing surface-to-surface missiles.
Israel, which has carried out clandestine attacks on weapons sites in Syria before, has not commented.
An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to discuss the reports, saying it did not comment on operational matters.
The attack comes a day after UN human rights investigators said they had concluded a Syrian Air Force jet had dropped a bomb containing the nerve agent Sarin on a rebel-held town in April, killing at least 83 people.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Abo Rabeea says he is still suffering from the suspected chemical weapons strike in Khan Sheikhoun
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the incident in Khan Sheikhoun - which prompted the US to launch a missile strike on an airbase - was a "fabrication".
He has also insisted his forces destroyed their entire chemical arsenal under a deal brokered by the US and Russia after a Sarin attack outside Damascus in 2013.
The Syrian army said rockets had struck the base near Masyaf, about 35km (22 miles) west of the city of Hama, at 02:42 on Thursday (23:42 GMT on Wednesday), causing "material damage" and the deaths of two personnel.
It accused Israel of attacking "in a desperate attempt to raise the collapsed morale" of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) and warned Israel about "the dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region".
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the rockets had hit a Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) facility and a military camp nearby used to store short-range surface-to-surface missiles.
A Western intelligence agency told the BBC in May that three branches of the SSRC - at Masyaf, and at Dummar and Barzeh, both just outside Damascus - were being used to produce chemical munitions in violation of the 2013 deal.
The SSRC is promoted by the Syrian government as a civilian research institute but the US accuses the agency of focusing on the development of non-conventional weapons and the means to deliver them.
Israel has been watching events in Syria with alarm: the rising power of Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah - two of the main props of the Syrian regime - together with the reported periodic use of chemical weapons against civilians.
So this latest alleged attack sends a clear warning, not just to Hezbollah and Damascus but also to Russia - the other crucial supporter of the Syrian government.
Israel has been waging a long-running air campaign to prevent sophisticated weaponry being transferred to Hezbollah.
It is now talking about this campaign more openly; the former Israeli Air Force chief recently noting that it had carried out almost 100 air strikes over the past five years.
And with Israeli claims that Iran is building missile production facilities in Lebanon and Syria for Hezbollah, the message could not be clearer.
A former head of Israeli military intelligence, Amos Yadlin, tweeted that Thursday's strike on Masyaf was "not routine" and had targeted a "Syrian military-scientific centre for the development and manufacture of, among other things, precision missiles".
"The factory that was targeted in Masyaf produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians," he added.
Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of strikes inside Syria in recent years
In 2016, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had carried out dozens of strikes in Syria meant to prevent transfers of advanced weapons to Hezbollah.
The militant Lebanese Shia Islamist movement, which last fought a war with Israel in 2006 and is backed by Israel's arch-enemy Iran, has sent thousands of fighters to support Syria's army in the country's six-year civil war.
Last month, Mr Netanyahu said Iran was building facilities in Syria and Lebanon to produce precision-guided missiles "as part of its declared goal to eradicate Israel". He gave no details but warned "this is something Israel cannot accept".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41184867
|
Crime calculator: Find your personal risk of being a victim - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Try the BBC's crime calculator tool to find out more about your personal risk of being a victim.
|
UK
|
Are you scared of being a victim of crime?
Today, for the first time, BBC News, working with the Office for National Statistics, is providing you with a way of understanding your risk of being a victim of crime in England and Wales. If you are interested in Scotland, you can find out more about the Scottish Crime Survey on its official website.
The tool below uses national crime statistics, your address and your personal characteristics to tell you what's happened to people similar to you in the last year - and therefore something approaching a personal estimate of how likely you are to be a victim.
It only takes a moment to fill in, and the BBC does not keep the data, so punch in your details and have a look at the results:
Sorry, your browser cannot display this content
Week in, week out, journalists like myself report on the big crime trends across the nation. And you will almost certainly notice the tool tells a different story - a personal one.
Now, it's worth pointing out that it has some limitations. The Crime Survey of England and Wales, which provides most of the data in the calculator, captures a wide range of real experiences of crime, but some things are very difficult to measure, such as risky lifestyles and behaviour.
Be that as it may, the tool does tell us a lot. And if you try changing your age - and even your gender - you learn a lot more about how crime affects us depending on who we are and our stage in life.
So, for instance, the tool shows that people like me, living in an area like mine, have a very low risk of being a victim of violence. If I were aged between 16 and 29 (sadly those days are gone) and living in the same area, my risk of being assaulted is five times greater.
If I were a woman in my 60s, I'd be even less likely to be a victim.
Put most simply, young men in areas of higher deprivation are the most likely victims of crime. Old ladies living in the same areas - among those who are most likely to fear crime - have a lower risk. There is a dividend for living in a posher area - but age and gender remain key factors too.
Now, there are a lot of nuances in here - and you can drill into the ONS's data tables for the full facts - or read this highly digestible analysis from Victim Support.
But many of these differences come down to how we live our lives.
Younger people spend more time out at night. They're more likely to come into contact with people who become violent after they have had one too many drinks.
How many parents have had to console a teenager who's had their bike or mobile phone stolen?
When kids move out of home, start work or become a student, they're likely to be living in cheaper, less-secure, rented accommodation.
But as they get older, the security of stable employment leads to security at home and family life. And you're less likely to be burgled if you've sunk into the sofa watching a box set, rather than if you've gone to the pub.
Every time a home is renovated, it's harder to break in to than before. Each new car we buy tends to be more secure than its predecessors.
That's not actually how we perceive crime and our personal risk. In fact, what we think is happening can be at complete odds with what is actually going on.
According to the most recent data from the ONS, people generally have a pretty good idea about how much crime is close to them. Their perceptions seem to match the reality. But 60% also thought that crime is rising across the country as a whole - even though the long-term trend is down.
The people with the highest risk of being a victim - the young - were less likely to be worried than older generations, even though the older you become, the safer things generally become.
Dr Jane Wood, a forensic psychologist at the University of Kent, says a range of factors influence this perception gap. Women for instance fear crime because they know they cannot fight off a younger man. But our perceptions are also influenced by what we see around us - and how we hear about.
When the ONS asked interviewees to choose from a list of what most influenced their perceptions of national crime levels, people talked about television, radio, newspapers (tabloid and broadsheet), the internet and word of mouth. And, Dr Wood says, the more we read or watch about crime, the more we think about it.
All of which may be an argument for not listening to a word that journalists like me tell you.
But while I wait for the hue and cry to drag me from the newsroom, please share a link to the crime risk calculator.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41178903
|
West Midlands Police 'failing to record crime reports' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
West Midlands and Leicestershire Police are rated as 'inadequate' for effectiveness at recording reported crime.
|
England
|
Thousands of reported crimes are not being recorded by West Midlands Police, a watchdog has said.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said five out of six reported offences were recorded but 38,800 each year were not.
The force said it would improve its recording but challenged key parts of the assessment.
"Vast improvement" was also needed at Leicestershire Police with about 1 in 4 crimes currently going unrecorded.
Unrecorded crimes included sexual offences, domestic abuse and rape, the report on the West Midlands force said.
It also highlighted the recording of violent crime as a particular cause of concern. Its recording rate is 77.9%.
An unrecorded crime is classed as one that is reported to the police but not recorded as an offence.
HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said it meant victims could potentially be at more risk of harm, without the required support.
The watchdog said the force's processes had improved since its last inspection in 2014, but rated it as inadequate for effectiveness at recording reported crime.
Seven out of 43 forces in England and Wales have had inspection reports published for their "crime data integrity" since June 2017.
Of those, four were branded inadequate overall and two were told they required improvement.
Just one, Wiltshire, received an overall rating of good from HMICFRS.
West Midlands Police Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said the force broadly accepted the data underpinning the report but disputed the 38,000 figure.
"A significant number of these incidents were recorded on our systems but just not classified correctly," she said.
"This report focuses on our technical compliance with the National Crime Recording System and, as such, is about administration and the interaction between different computer systems used to record crime."
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said he had asked for rapid improvements to be made.
Leicestershire Police was also rated as inadequate with an estimated 21,200 crimes not being recorded each year, including reports from "victims of crimes of a sexual nature, and of violence".
The force said it noted the report and the inspectorate's conclusions "which are consistent with half of the forces it has inspected to date".
It added: "We acknowledge there are areas that we need to improve upon and are taking steps to address these administrative shortfalls."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41178872
|
Malala calls for defence of Rohingya - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai says the 'global community' must protect Myanmar's Muslim minority.
|
Family & Education
|
Malala says she is nervous about starting as a student at Oxford
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai says the "global community" needs to intervene to protect Myanmar's Muslim minority.
She urged Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi to speak up for the Rohingya.
"We can't be silent right now. The number of people who have been displaced is hundreds of thousands," Malala told the BBC.
The human rights activist is about to become a student at Oxford and admitted to "nerves" about her new life.
Speaking in Oxford, she called for an international response to the violence in Myanmar.
"I think we can't even imagine for a second what it's like when your citizenship, your right to live in a country, is completely denied," said Malala.
"This should be a human rights issue. Governments should react to it. People are being displaced, they're facing violence.
Rohingya refugees have been trying to reach Bangladesh
"Children are being deprived of education, they cannot receive basic rights - and living in a terrorism situation, when there's so much violence around you, is extremely difficult.
"We need to wake up and respond to it - and I hope that Aung Sang Suu Kyi responds to it as well," she said.
Malala, now 20, is about to become an undergraduate at the University of Oxford.
While the university might have produced many people who went on to win Nobel prizes, she is unusual in having one before she has arrived.
"I am trying to be just a normal student."
"I want to make friends just as the girl Malala and not the Nobel laureate."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Who are the Rohingya?
"I'm a bit nervous as well, because in the beginning you don't know anyone, and you don't know how to make friends and it will be challenging… but fingers crossed it will be OK."
She also says she is pleased to be following in the footsteps of another "strong female leader" from Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, who studied at Oxford.
Malala has been campaigning over the rights of girls to have an education - and she is setting up a network of "champions" for education in countries such as Afghanistan and Nigeria and for Syrian refugees.
This is called the Gulmakai Network - the name taken from her pseudonym when she wrote a blog about the loss of girls' rights under the Taliban in Pakistan, which had lead to the attempt on her life in 2012.
Students in Mexico hold up copies of her book when she visited this year
She says she wants education to be recognised as a global priority - and for more urgency in addressing the lack of access to school for 130 million girls, often in the world's poorest countries or in conflict zones.
"I know there are other issues that are taken more seriously - such as poverty, terrorism, or climate change, but education is the only solution for all of these problems."
She says there are many problems to overcome, "whether it's early marriage, poverty, lack of awareness or lack of funding".
"But the benefits are many, we need to educate people about the importance of education," she said.
Malala, the advocate of girls' right to education, came to the world's attention after the Taliban in her native Pakistan attempted to murder her in a gun attack.
This week there have been reports that one of those involved in the attack had been killed by security forces in Pakistan.
Malala's life is being depicted in a Bollywood movie
She says she has already forgiven the people who were trying to murder her.
"But they were able to carry out other killings in Pakistan. I hope that the army and the country helps them in a deradicalisation process and they learn about the true message of Islam and the meaning of human rights and learn about the importance of education.
"But personally I have forgiven them.
"I think what's the point now to say that they should be punished. It has no benefit to anyone, you're just creating more harm. I would want to reduce harm and help each other."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41193357
|
Newspaper headlines: Irma 'hell' and Brexit plans in 'disarray' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Most newspapers lead on the hurricane in the Caribbean and tensions over Brexit memo leaks.
|
The Papers
|
The fallout from the leaked memo about EU migrant workers post-Brexit continues to dominate some of the papers.
Theresa May's plans are in chaos, says the Daily Telegraph. Two of the PM's top ministers, Amber Rudd and Damian Green, have distanced themselves from the immigration policies - the paper adds. It also says Europe has described the policies as "toxic".
According to the Financial Times, the leaked policy paper exposes the biggest unresolved question at the heart of Brexit: To what extent is the UK prepared to sacrifice its economic interests in the cause of restricting free movement?
They leave much to be desired, says the Times, warning an extreme clampdown would damage the economy.
Despite the Daily Mail saying the proposals are too long and too complicated, it argues the principles underpinning them are thoroughly sound.
The liberal left hate the idea of prioritising our own workers, the Sun says, even though all major countries outside of the EU do this.
Meanwhile, the second round of leaked documents feature in the Guardian. It reports the papers reveal fissures between Britain and the EU. They lay bare the complexity of Brexit delving into the technical minefields not covered during the referendum campaign, the paper says.
Dramatic pictures of Hurricane Irma and its destruction, which has so far killed at least seven people, appear on several front pages.
The Daily Telegraph describes how the worst Atlantic storm in history has unleashed havoc and destruction.
"Irmageddon" is the headline in the Sun as it talks of a storm the size of France hitting the Caribbean while the Daily Mail declares "paradise is pulverised".
The i says that islanders are praying while tourists are hiding. It repeats a tweet by a man from London who describes the sound of Irma's arrival as "apocalyptic".
Alex Woolfall, who's on holiday on St Martin, talks of "constant booms and bangs. This is like a movie I never want to see".
Overseas, the Washington Post describes how the storm swelled into "a monster force". It adds that Irma has already hit President Trump's lavish waterfront estate on the Caribbean island of St Martin and is now heading towards his properties in Florida.
"I am a Catholic and I take the teachings of the Catholic Church seriously," says the Tory MP
Much attention is paid to comments made by the Conservative backbencher, Jacob Rees-Mogg, that abortion is "morally indefensible" in all circumstances, including rape and incest.
The Times says his views are out of kilter with modern Britain. It recalls that Mr Rees-Mogg has said that he would rather be Pope than prime minister.
With his recent comments in mind, says the paper, he would be better suited to the former, than the latter.
He's a Tory fossil who's demonstrated that he is incapable of leading Britain to a better future, according to the Daily Mirror.
But the Daily Mail says while millions will profoundly disagree with him, others will feel grudging admiration for an MP who sticks to his principles - no matter how unfashionable or unpopular they may be.
The school making its pupils wear trousers and banning girls from wearing skirts is in many papers, saying parents are "furious".
Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex is making all Year 7 pupils wear trousers, reports the Mirror, the Mail and the Sun.
Teachers say it will help the increasing number of pupils who are confused about their gender. But one mother tells the Mirror, "My daughter has got a gender and it's female. She is proud to be a girl. Girls should be allowed to wear skirts".
And finally, the Daily Telegraph reveals that Surrey is now the UK's most expensive place to order a pint of beer. The latest Good Pub Guide puts the average price at £4.40.
It is the first time London has been overtaken as the place with the priciest pints. But, the Guardian says people living in Yorkshire and Herefordshire can enjoy the cheapest pint at £3.31.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41182449
|
Dublin auction of Nazi items branded 'tasteless' - BBC News
|
2017-09-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Relative of holocaust survivor criticises auction that includes Nazi sash and German army daggers.
|
Europe
|
A number of Nazi items are in the auction on Saturday
The son of a Holocaust survivor has described as "tasteless" a decision by a Dublin auction house to sell Nazi "memorabilia".
Nine items from the Third Reich period are being offered as part of Whyte's The Eclectic Collector auction this weekend, that features more than 500 lots.
Gallery owner Oliver Sears said he thought it was "quite appalling".
Ian Whyte has defended his auction house's decision to sell the items.
They include a Nazi sash, an Anschluss campaign leaflet, a child's helmet and various German army daggers.
Mr Sears has a gallery on the same street as Whyte's on Molesworth Street.
His mother, Monika, survived the Warsaw ghetto. As a child, she was placed on a train to Treblinka, but escaped. A number of other family members died in Auschwitz.
In 1942, before the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the Nazi SS deported about 300,000 Jews from the ghetto to the Treblinka camp, where they were killed in gas chambers.
Mr Sears said he thought the fascination with Nazi collectables was "strange" and that they should be "donated to a museum".
"For me particularly, they are an appalling part of history," he added.
A child's helmet is among the items
"What distinguishes this kind of symbolism from any other militaria is that these symbols are used by hundreds of far right groups."
Mr Sears said he had approached Ian Whyte in September of last year with regard to an auction that featured items from the Third Reich period.
"I said you can take the moral high ground by not proceeding with the sale, you can donate money to a relevant charity, or you can post a message on your website distancing yourself from the policies of the Third Reich," he added.
"He said he would put something on the website, but he did not do that.
"It is legal (selling Nazi memorabilia), but it is a question of taste."
Mr Whyte said his auction house sold a wide range of material and its main business was "fine art".
He said he believed it was "a form of censorship to say collectors cannot collect what they like provided it is legal".
He said Whyte's would only make a "tiny amount" from the items Mr Sears objected to.
Mr Whyte added that he did not see any connection between "collectors and neo-Nazis".'
He said he did not know any collectors who were doing it for "sinister reasons".
"To me it is a matter of principle, I do not agree with banning collectibles on the basis of political things," he said.
"I understand what he (Mr Sears) says about the Nazis, they were a dreadful regime.
"They are probably the worst villains, but there were other villains around like the Soviet Union and we could argue about the famine here in Ireland, we could argue about what the Romans and Greeks did even if you want to go back in time."
Mr Whyte said that he had told Mr Sears that he would think about his proposal last year to post a message on the auction house's website distancing it from the Third Reich, but decided against it.
"We don't do that, we don't pass comment on what we sell, we describe it, we make sure it is genuine and that it is legal to sell," he said.
He added that he saw "no reason" for donating any money gained from the items to a charity and that if he wanted to it was "a private matter".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41192107
|
Reality Check: Does debt interest cost more than NHS pay? - BBC News
|
2017-09-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A look at the sums behind Theresa May's claim in Parliament.
|
Health
|
The claim: We pay more on debt interest than on NHS pay.
Reality Check verdict: If you use the Office for Budget Responsibility's headline figure for debt interest then we actually spend more on NHS pay.
With nurses demonstrating in Parliament Square against the pay cap this week, Prime Minister Theresa May was asked by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn about whether public sector workers could be paid more.
She replied by blaming the last Labour government for the amount of debt the country has, saying: "As a result of the decisions the Labour Party took in government we now have to pay more on debt interest than on NHS pay."
Reality Check asked Downing Street for the figures to back this up and were told that in 2016-17 debt interest costs were expected to have been £49.1bn while NHS staff costs the same year were £48.1bn.
Let's look at those figures in turn.
The debt interest costs figure comes from the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) economic and fiscal outlook from the time of the Budget in March.
The tricky thing with this figure is that the OBR comes up with two numbers depending on whether or not you count what's known as the Asset Purchase Facility (APF).
As part of its attempts to stimulate the economy, the Bank of England has bought a large amount of UK government bonds.
The government has to pay interest on those bonds, so it makes interest payments to the Bank of England.
But once a quarter, the Bank of England returns those interest payments to the government.
The OBR's headline figure doesn't count the money which has been returned as part of government spending. In 2016-17 it was £36.0bn.
The one used by Theresa May ignores the fact the money was returned to government coffers, so totals £49.1bn.
The figure for NHS pay is a surprisingly difficult one to give a definitive answer to.
The number Downing Street gave comes from the Department of Health annual report and accounts.
The figure of £48.1bn is for all permanently employed staff of the departmental group, which means it includes people working full-time for the NHS in England as well as those working for the Department of Health and arm's length bodies such as Public Health England. It includes employer national insurance contributions and pension contributions.
It does not include anyone working for the NHS in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland because staff there are paid by the devolved administrations.
It also does not include anyone employed via an agency, on a temporary contract, or most staff working in GP surgeries.
We asked NHS Digital to come up with a figure for only the salaries of NHS England staff and they gave us the remarkably precise figure of £39,450,395,739.60, i.e. about £39.5bn.
NHS Digital warns that the figure is lower than it should be because it excludes data for two hospital trusts and also does not include maternity pay or sick pay. As with the Department of Health figures, it also does not include figures for the NHS outside England or for GP practices.
But even this figure is higher than the amount spent on debt interest when the APF is taken into account.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41201141
|
Australian politician reveals husband's child porn conviction - BBC News
|
2017-09-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Rachel Carling-Jenkins gives a harrowing speech in an Australian state parliament.
|
Australia
|
An Australian politician has delivered a harrowing speech revealing that her estranged husband was jailed for possessing child abuse images.
Rachel Carling-Jenkins, a member of Victoria's state parliament, said she discovered the extensive collection in their family home last year.
Her husband was convicted after Dr Carling-Jenkins and her son went to police.
She said the discovery had turned her life upside down.
"In this discovery, I personally viewed deeply distressing images which have caused me immediate and ongoing anguish," she said.
"My marriage ended instantly and I left home the day I made that discovery and I have not returned to the family home since, except to pick up belongings."
The conservative politician told a sitting of the Victorian upper house on Thursday that she had kept silent on the matter to prevent interfering with police and court proceedings.
She had never had suspicions that her husband was addicted to child abuse images.
"I have no regrets as a mother or a wife in reporting and exposing this dreadful crime which occurred within the privacy of my home," she said.
Dr Carling-Jenkins said her husband had since refused to sign divorce papers and also denied her a property settlement and access to assets.
She said she had been financially and mentally abused by her husband, who had been sentenced to prison.
She also spoke of the anguish she felt for the young victims.
"The faces of many are etched into my memory for eternity and I pray that the police were able to identify and rescue as many of the poor, helpless, vulnerable victims as possible," she said.
"These little girls would not be abused if people like my ex-husband did not provide a market."
Fellow MPs hugged Dr Carling-Jenkins in the chamber after her speech.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-41183102
|
Libyan migrant detention centre: 'It's like hell' - BBC News
|
2017-09-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The EU wants Libya to do more on migrants but the unstable country is struggling to cope.
|
Africa
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The 18-year-old from South Sudan knew he might perish on the treacherous crossing from Libya to Europe. So far this year, the Mediterranean has claimed an estimated 2,400 migrants and refugees.
But before he ever reached the shore, Hennessy was kidnapped, beaten and almost shot.
The teenager says he left home in 2016 after family problems resulted in death threats.
He is behind bars in the Triq al-Sika detention centre in Tripoli, along with around 1,000 other men. Most we met were Africans in search of work, who were stopped at sea, or trying to get there.
Now they are jammed into a warehouse, bereft of light and struggling to breathe.
Hennessy Manjing spent three years in London, where he wants to return
In the sweltering heat they are melding together - a tapestry of jumbled limbs, and torment.
"When they find their journey ends here, they are completely broken," said one official at the centre.
Some try to fan themselves with scraps of cardboard. At night, when the doors are locked, they have to urinate in bottles.
"It's like hell," said Hennessy "even worse than jail."
The gaunt teenager spoke with a London accent - the legacy of three years spent living in the UK with his family.
Hopes of getting back there led him first to Egypt, and then across the border to eastern Libya. He says that's where an armed gang kidnapped him and about 40 others from their trafficker.
There is not enough money to look after all the detainees
"We saw people holding guns and sticks, and they forced us into trucks," he said.
"People starting jumping off. By the time we jumped, there was an old man, from Chad. He was shot. Blood went all over my T-shirt. I thought I had been shot as well so I just ran away."
He sought help from a local man, who returned him to one of the kidnappers.
"He slapped me and punched me in the stomach, and said: 'Why did you run away?'
"Thank God, on the third day my trafficker came and released us."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Hennessy was given a fake visa to fly to Tripoli, but on arrival he was arrested by a militia and taken to a detention centre near the airport.
"There were daily abuses," he said. "If people make noise, or rush for food, you get beaten."
The weapon of choice for the guards was a water pipe.
Some of his fellow detainees outlined other hazards on the migrant trail through Libya - being bought and sold by militias, used as slave labour, and forced to bribe guards to be released from detention centres.
I just want to leave this place and go to my country
Osman Abdel Salam, from Sudan, lifted the red towel around his neck to reveal a raised scar.
He said that was the handiwork of jailers in the Libyan town of Bani Walid. They forced prisoners to call home, while being brutalised, to extort money from their relatives.
"When we call, we are crying. They beat you on the head. There are some people who don't want to obey - they burn their body. My father is a farmer. He doesn't have money so he sold our house."
Osman's freedom - which was short-lived - cost his family $5,000 (£3,800).
When I asked if he still wanted to get to Europe, he covered his eyes with the towel and began to weep.
"I just want to leave this place and go to my country."
Emmanuel John, an 18-year-old who speaks perfect English, said he was beaten from the moment he crossed the border, and feared he would die.
"The smugglers that brought us to Libya handed us to others, from the same network," he said.
"There are stops along the way until you arrive in the city. At every stop you have to pay money. And if you don't, there will be beatings."
But it was not the physical abuse that pained him the most.
"Two girls were raped in the room beside us," he said.
"It was a horrible moment. We couldn't do anything. We didn't have anything to defend ourselves."
He told us the girls were aged about 15 and 19, and were travelling with their family.
The European Union wants Libya to do more to prevent migrants like Emmanuel reaching Europe.
But those intercepted by the Libyan coastguard are being returned to an unstable country, with a collapsing economy, that can barely feed them.
A recent United Nations report condemned the "inhuman conditions" in Libyan detention centres highlighting "consistent reports of torture, sexual violence and forced labour", and cases of severe malnutrition.
Breakfast time at Triq al-Sika was long on queues, and short on food.
Each man received a small bread roll, some butter, and a single cup of watery juice.
Three-month-old Sola has been in detention for most of his short life
The detainees wanted us to witness this, as did the officials in charge. They say they have run out of money to pay their suppliers and are now relying on donations.
Those behind bars here are effectively prisoners, who don't know their sentence. They can be held indefinitely - with no legal process. Their only hope of release is to be sent back to their home country.
Three-month-old Sola has been in detention for most of his short life.
We found him in the women's section, sleeping peacefully on a faded mattress.
His young mother, Wasila Alasanne, tried to take him across the seas to Italy when he was just four weeks old.
"Our boat broke and the police arrested us on the water," she said.
"Since then we have been in five prisons. We don't have enough food. We don't have the right to call our parents. They don't know if I am alive or dead. My baby and I are suffering."
Wasila's husband is being held in a different detention centre.
She has no idea when they will be reunited, or when they will free.
Her home country, Togo, has no ambassador in Libya.
Now she can only dream of deportation, as she used to dream of Europe.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41189247
|
Cold Feet cast reveal Manchester bombing led to sombre return to filming - BBC News
|
2017-09-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The ITV drama, which returns on Friday night, was filming the day after the Manchester Arena bombing.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Cold Feet returned with the original cast last year after a 13-year hiatus
The Cold Feet cast have revealed how their return to filming had a sombre start after the Manchester Arena bombing, where 22 people were killed after Ariana Grande's concert.
"It was horrible. Just horrible," said John Thomson, who plays Pete.
"I couldn't wait to get home to my girls that night, as we nearly went.
"We couldn't get into town because town was shut down. We re-jigged the schedule and went to the studio. "
He paid tribute to the Cold Feet team, saying: "Credit to everyone that day, crew especially and cast."
The new series starts nine months after the end of the last one
They were meant to be filming on 23 May in St Ann's Square, where flowers were laid in tribute to the victims of the bombing the day before.
Fay Ripley, who plays Jenny, said: "The first thing you think is - we're in Manchester, working with people who are friends. The first call you make is 'is everyone okay?'
"Then you look to Manchester. You try to behave in a way that's responsible. My kids came up about a week after. We all went to St Anne's Square, something I know they will always remember."
Hermione Norris spoke of the impact of the bombing on Manchester
Hermione Norris, who plays Karen, added: "It's a small community and it was felt incredibly strongly."
Last year's series was a huge success for ITV and was very warmly received after its 13-year gap.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Cold Feet is back for a new series but what happened to the characters?
"It was an enormous relief that people welcomed us back with open arms," admitted Ripley.
"We didn't have an example - it was the first experiment of bringing something back after (more than) 10 years. But it's the same characters so why wouldn't you be interested?"
John Thomson said he felt the pressure of filming this series
But after that success, Thomson said it wasn't easier this time round.
"The pressure was huge, it's harder in a way - like the difficult second album.
"To be honest when I had my storyline pitched to me I was a bit underwhelmed.
"Because we went in guns blazing the first time round, we had to bait the audience because it'd been 13 years so we had to go in strong.
"You can't go in on popularity stakes alone, that's so arrogant, so we had to have decent, meaty storylines and it worked."
Fay Ripley said there's some "fun to be had" in this series
"What I had to appreciate is once we'd now established ourselves you can build slowly to a bigger thing."
Ripley said the audience could look forward to a few surprises along the way.
"There may be some cameos, famous cameos coming up. I'm not allowed to say who or when, but there might be fun to be had. Some people you might recognise."
Between the last series and this one, Nesbitt made headlines after he made an impassioned speech about equality for actresses at the Bafta TV Awards. Something his co-star Ripley approved of.
"I think it's great to have someone stand up and defend women in the workplace. I've paid for a taxi for James to go and renegotiate my salary.
Nesbitt, pictured with onscreen son Cel Spellman, said the characters' children growing up "means a whole new dynamic"
"Obviously I am joking - in Cold Feet we don't have a gender issue. If there is any (disparity) it's not because of that."
Nesbitt has a slightly different memory of it, joking that she was a "nightmare" with teasing him over his speech. But he's glad he did it.
"I didn't want to become the spokesperson for it, but I'm very, very happy to be part of the campaign for the equal representation of actresses.
"Society is absorbing on a daily basis - particularly the young - that even though there is a 50/50 split for genders, for every female part there's three male parts.
Tina and Adam got together at the end of the last series
"That is absorbed by my children and anyone's children on a daily basis - subconsciously or consciously - it is bound to have an impact on actual equality and who has power and who has influence."
He added: "You know what was funny was my eldest daughter sent me a text having seen it saying 'You go girl', which I thought was very good."
As for the success of this series John Thomson said another series is not definite.
"Everyone goes 'oh it's in the bag' and you go 'not in this day and age, absolutely not'.
"You cannot rest on your laurels. It's best to go in with low expectations."
Robert Bathurst is happy to do occasional series with gaps in between
And Robert Bathurst, who plays David Marsden said it would be fine if this was the end for the time being.
"If we do no more that's that, and in a sense it might allow us to get older, and creatively it could become open ended until we die - we might just do a couple here and a couple there until we're 105."
This is an idea Thomson is fully on board with.
"We'll do it now in our 50s, sit on it a bit and come back in our 70s. I'm glad that's the idea because I'm a comedy actor and my pension was going to be Last of the Summer Wine - they all rocked up in that - that was our pension but it's gone now."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41199308
|
'Electrical explosion' on Oxford Street injures one man - BBC News
|
2017-09-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Police say one man has been left with minor injuries after a small "power network explosion".
|
London
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage shows part of the pavement scorched after the explosion
Part of Oxford Street was closed after a suspected electrical explosion.
The Met Police said one man had been left with minor injuries after a small "power network explosion" at about 19:00 BST.
A police cordon was put in place blocking traffic and part of the pavement, but has since been lifted.
Eyewitnesses described "screaming, crying and shouting" after a loud explosion, followed by "heat and light" coming from a box of electrical wires.
Eyewitnesses described seeing "burnt ground" after the suspected electrical explosion
Bronte Aurell tweeted: "I saw the explosion on #oxfordstreet I was right there - if that's an electrical explosion I don't want to ever meet one again. Was massive!"
Adam Jogee tweeted: "Terrifying few moments in John Lewis on Oxford Street. Explosion and lots of screaming, crying and shouting. All told to hide or get out."
Twitter account @Londonstuff tweeted a video showing a large amount of smoke saying: "Something's happened on Oxford Street. People running away quickly and panicking."
A spokeswoman from the Met confirmed roads had now reopened and emergency teams had stood down.
She said the electricity company was at the scene.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41195669
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.