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Reality Check: Who gets social care and who pays for it? - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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With rising demand and shrinking budgets, who is receiving social care from the state?
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Health
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We know our population is ageing and, as we live longer, many of us will need support in old age. There has also been an increase in the numbers of people living with a disability who may rely on some level of social care.
Niall Dickson, the head of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS providers, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the system was trying to cope with "huge amounts of extra demand" as a result of there being "many many more" older people.
Between 2005 and 2015, the number of people aged 65 and over in the UK increased by 21%, while the number aged 85 and over increased by 31%.
More than a million more people were living with a disability in the UK in 2016 than 10 years earlier because people are living longer with disabilities than before. This is all good news.
But at the same time, directors of adult social services in England say they have had to cut £4.6bn from their budgets since 2010.
So who is getting care, what kind of care are they getting and who is paying for it?
Unlike the NHS, in England social care is not free at the point of delivery - a lot of people have to pay for at least some of their care, and a lot of that care is delivered by private providers.
That can be anything from someone coming to your house to help you get out of bed or washed, to full-time accommodation in a care home.
It's a little different in the rest of the UK - home care is capped at £60 a week in Wales and free for the over-75s in Northern Ireland, while Scotland provides free personal care, that is help with things such as washing and dressing, in both care homes and people's own homes.
The UK Homecare Association estimates that more than 70% of homecare services in the UK are bought by local authorities, with the rest bought by people paying for their care themselves.
In 2014-15, that equated to 646,000 people being cared for in their homes with the state paying.
This doesn't necessarily mean 70% of people who need care at home are paid for by the state.
In 2015, Age UK estimated that more than a million older people in England were living with unmet social care needs (such as not receiving assistance with bathing and dressing), a rise from 800,000 in 2010.
People not eligible for funding may just be doing without the care they really need or relying on informal care from friends and family.
When it comes to residential care, the latest figures from 2014 suggest local authorities across the UK paid for 37% of people, while the NHS funded 10% of care home places.
The rest was made up of people who either paid for all of their care (41%), or topped it up with a contribution from their local council (12%).
On 31 March 2016, in England, there were 199,305 people in nursing and residential home places and 452,990 people accessing long-term care in the community for whom the local council had some role in funding or providing care or assessing the needs of the person receiving it.
The most recent data doesn't tell us how many people were cared for overall in England, but we can say that there were 1.8 million requests for support in 2015-16.
Of those, 28% were from people aged 18-64 and the remaining 72% were aged 65 and over.
But of these requests, 57% resulted in no direct support from the council.
For the over-65 group, almost a quarter of requests for support were from people being discharged from hospital.
Think tank the King's Fund says the number of older people getting state-funded help in England alone fell by 26% between 2009 and 2014.
This is in the context of an ageing population.
The government has said English councils' social care departments are getting an extra £3.5bn by 2020.
Almost £2bn of this comes from council tax, which local authorities have been allowed to raise by 3% this year and next year provided they spend it on adult social care.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38907054
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World Grand Prix: Mark Selby loses to Martin Gould in Preston - BBC Sport
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2017-02-08
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World champion Mark Selby suffers a shock first-round defeat by world number 18 Martin Gould at the World Grand Prix in Preston.
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Last updated on .From the section Snooker
World champion Mark Selby suffered a shock first-round defeat by world number 18 Martin Gould at the World Grand Prix in Preston.
Gould, who beat Selby on his way to the semi-finals two years ago, came through a tense final frame to win 4-3.
The 35-year-old from Middlesex made a career-high break of 142 in the fourth frame and goes on to face Joe Perry.
Australian Neil Robertson beat Ricky Walden of England 3-2 to set up a last-16 clash with Ronnie O'Sullivan.
China's world number five Ding Junhui saw off Yu De Lu 4-2, while England's Anthony Hamilton, winner of last week's German Open, lost 4-0 to Mark Allen of Northern Ireland.
Gould looked on course for a straightforward victory when he led Selby 3-1, and then 3-2 with a 58-0 lead, but the world champion hit back with a brilliant 64 clearance to force a decider.
In a final frame that required a re-rack, following an early stalemate, Selby surprisingly missed two opportunities before Gould took charge with a 54 that proved decisive.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38907107
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Comedian says Simon Cowell 'furious' about BGT prank - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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Simon Brodkin, known for his comedy character Lee Nelson, posed as a fake act on Britain's Got Talent. He said he thought Simon Cowell would 'find the whole thing funny'.
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The comedian who pretended to be a "rapping rabbi" on Britain's Got Talent has told 5 live he thought Simon Cowell would be amused by his stunt.
Simon Brodkin told 5 live's Afternoon Edition: "I thought Simon Cowell would have a sense of humour about it and would find the whole thing funny", but he has been told he is "pretty furious" about the prank.
Brodkin, known for his comedy character Lee Nelson, has carried out similar stunts on President Trump, Sir Phillip Green and Sepp Blatter.
Brodkin reveals how he does his stunts in a Channel 4 documentary called Britain's Greatest Hoaxer.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38892452
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How to own a home by the age of 25 - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Budget meals and foregoing holidays are among four couples' tips for getting on the property ladder by 25.
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UK
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Mark Hepburn and his partner Laura bought a house with a 5% deposit
Owning a home by the age of 25 has become an unachievable dream for many over the last two decades.
Soaring property prices mean just one in five 25-year-olds own a property, compared to nearly half two decades ago, according to one recent study.
But as the government unveils its Housing White Paper, there are some young people who have managed to buck the trend - without help from the bank of mum and dad.
Here four young homeowners - all couples - who bought properties in 2016 - reveal just how they did it.
Lives with: Partner Laura Starkie, age 25. An accountant on £20,000 a year
Deposit: £6,250 (5%) with the Help to Buy mortgage scheme (which ended in December)
We were sick of living at home with each of our parents and wanted our own space. I'd rather live in a house than just a bedroom. We discussed moving out and renting, but we both agreed it was dead money.
There was a lot of budgeting. I literally know where every penny goes. I had to drill it into Laura a little bit, but she got used to it after a while. Like her make-up - she had to go for a cheaper brand. We were both working at McDonald's when we were saving and if there were extra shifts, we would take them.
Mark and Laura say they had to change their lifestyle in order to save money to buy their home
Did you make any sacrifices?
There was definitely a lifestyle change when we were saving. We would buy supermarket budget stuff instead of brands. We didn't go on holiday during the time we were saving up - and that was a massive thing for Laura.
How does it feel to be a home owner?
I feel ridiculously happy. I feel proud and our friends are too because they know we worked extremely hard for it. Once you get there, you don't need to worry as much.
What if you need to move?
I recently went for a job in Bolton, which is not that close to where we are now. The salary was £27,000 per year, but I wouldn't move house for that. It would have to be significantly higher to consider jobs away from where we are now.
Mark says you need to watch your money if you want to save up to buy a home
I can't count how many times our friends have asked us how we've done it. We just explain you need to save, watch your money and cut back. They're happy for us and we are just trying to get it into them not to leave it too long and to start saving.
Should more young people be able to buy a home?
I have got mixed opinions. When Laura and I were at McDonald's we were on a combined salary of £23,000 and we managed to save up £7,000 between us within a year. So I don't see how people can't do it. But then we don't have any kids. The Help to Buy mortgage scheme was a God-send. But if you're stopping something that's so good and helping young people, it's going to cause mayhem.
Name: Ruby Willard, age 22. A recruitment consultant on £19,000 a year plus commission
Deposit: £18,220 (10%) with the Help to Buy Isa
It was a case of living at home. I moved back into the box room of my mum's house and I hated it. Sam lived with his parents too so we thought if we can, let's do it - so we decided to save and go for it. We were looking at renting but to us it was like throwing away money.
Being quite tight is probably the answer. When we decided we were going to buy, I thought I'm not going to spend money elsewhere when I don't need to. We did still have a nice holiday to Greece. I get commission and Sam gets overtime so we probably earn £55,000 overall, which meant we were in a position we could borrow maybe more than people on minimum wage.
Did you make any sacrifices?
We may have not had such a big social life. We still did things, but we were conscious. What I did was save what I knew I needed to save, and lived on whatever I had left - which was usually about £200 a month. I wasn't buying lunch at work, which would save about £25 a week.
How does it feel to be a home owner?
It was weird at first. When we got the keys it was like "are we on holiday?" When things started to come together it felt like such an achievement. Everything we had chosen not to do, not going to the cinema one night, helped towards it.
What if you need to move?
We would be open to the idea, but we would probably look for work closer to where we bought a house, so it probably would affect future decisions. If we did decide we wanted to go somewhere else, we would probably look to sell the house and hopefully we will have made some money on it.
It's been quite positive. I have got friends that have bought houses, but a lot of them have had big lump sums of money given to them.
Should more young people be able to buy a home?
Neither of us completed three years at university, so we probably established a career path earlier than those that do go. I speak to a lot of people that have graduated, and they cannot find jobs that will allow them to borrow enough. It takes years to save a deposit, and then house prices go up and they can't borrow enough. I think this is how it is now.
The couple have been told they are "adulting hard" because they have bought a home
House price: £145,000 for a two-storey terraced house with two bedrooms
Deposit: £21,750 (15%) with the Help to Buy Isa
We decided we wanted to get on the property ladder as quickly as possible. If we get on it now, we would be able to buy what we want by the time we are older and looking to have a family.
We started saving at the beginning of 2015 and were probably saving between £400 and £500 a month each. We did go on a couple of holidays, so although we've been saving, we've still been living. We weren't scrimping, but we do only spend about £30 a week on food. We check receipts and look for the best deals, so that is more thrifty than most people.
Andrew and his partner saved around £400 a month each for their deposit
Did you make any sacrifices?
We spoke about going away for three weeks to somewhere like Australia, but we thought - it's going to cost £2,000 each and we can put that towards the house now rather than waiting a few extra months.
How does it feel to be a home owner?
It feels strange. It does feel like quite a lot of responsibility - I didn't realise how much. Things like taking out mortgage protection. Our friends call it "adulting hard". They're renting and not really thinking about owning a place and they're like "wow, you've bought a house".
Lots of people think it's really good, other people say they're nowhere near that stage. I don't know if they're thinking I'm growing up too fast. It's generally been positive. I don't know anyone who has done it without a partner, so I think it would be difficult to do it on your own.
Andrew and Kirsty bought their home with a 15% deposit
What if you need to move?
With a big move we might give it a trial, and rent out this house while we lived somewhere else.
Should more young people be able to buy a home?
I do think people complain they can't afford to buy a house but they go out every weekend, they smoke or they eat out all the time. But property prices have also shot up in the last 20 years with more people buying second homes. There are also people who don't want to have the responsibility. I think it's good that the government is helping with Help to Buy schemes and it needs to do more to help first-time buyers.
Rebecca bought a three-bedroom home with her boyfriend Adam in Irlam, Greater Manchester
Name: Rebecca Thompson, aged 23. An information analyst on £21,900 a year.
Deposit: £6,300 (5%) with the Help to Buy mortgage scheme and Isa
We lived in a rental flat together for 18 months and realised that the amount we were paying in rent was more or less the same as we would be paying with a mortgage. When we were renting there were a lot of things we couldn't do, like decorate or move anything around.
It was difficult. I was working part-time in my final year at university so I saved my entire wage and lived off my student loan, which wasn't much. We didn't go on holiday that year and saved as much as we could.
Did you make any sacrifices?
We came straight from university, where you're living on a bit of a shoe-string anyway, so we probably sacrificed but not realised, because we've not been enjoying the extra income we've had since graduating. We would have probably gone on some more holidays or gone out more and probably bought a few more clothes.
How does it feel to be a home owner?
It's brilliant. I feel it's a really secure base while I'm going on to develop my career. It's one less thing. A lot of people are aiming towards saving a deposit while I've got past it.
What if you need to move?
It would be really difficult, and it's definitely an attraction for staying where I am. In my career there are a lot of opportunities down south, but I wouldn't want to entertain it because of the house prices. It would take us five times longer to save up a deposit, and the amount of income you need to get for a mortgage is totally unobtainable for the average graduate.
Rebecca says there needs to be more affordable housing
Some live in a more expensive area and I think they were surprised. It's not something that's on a lot of people's radar, owning a home at this age. Particularly if you're not in a relationship, I don't think it is affordable.
Should more young people be able to buy a home?
I think cultures have changed a bit. When my parents were growing up, their parents drilled into them 'sort yourself a house, get married and that's when your life begins'. Now there's not as much of an emphasis. I think homes do need to be more affordable. It's silly that the town where we live in, a lot people can afford to buy - whereas only as far south as Birmingham no-one can afford to buy a house earning what we do.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38564137
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The gruelling life of a Kurdish smuggler - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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BBC Persian's Jiyar Gol reports on the arduous lives of Iranian Kurdish goods smugglers.
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It is a trade as old as time itself - but Iranian Kurdish smugglers say their lives are getting even tougher.
Kurdish human rights group say more than 100 such smugglers were shot dead by Iranian border guards in the past year, as they try to take goods to Iran to sell.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38902887
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Obituary: Alan Simpson - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Comedy scriptwriter who, together with Ray Galton, wrote for Tony Hancock and created Steptoe and Son.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Alan Simpson formed, with Ray Galton, one of the great television scriptwriting partnerships.
Their early work with Tony Hancock pioneered what became known as situation comedy.
They went on to create Steptoe and Son, which became the most watched comedy on TV over its 12-year run.
But, although they continued to write, they failed to replicate the success of their early work.
Alan Simpson was born in Brixton, London on 27 November 1929.
After leaving school, he obtained a job as a shipping clerk before contracting tuberculosis. He became so ill that he was not expected to live and was given the last rites.
However, he survived, and while a patient in a sanatorium in Surrey he found himself alongside another teenage TB sufferer named Ray Galton.
Galton never forgot his first sight of his future partner, 6ft 4in tall with a build to match. "He was the biggest bloke I'd ever seen."
They discovered a shared love of American humorists such as Damon Runyon and had both listened to the BBC radio comedy programmes Take It From Here and The Goon Shows.
Their first work together was for hospital radio. Have You Ever Wondered was based on their experiences in the sanatorium, which was played out in 1949.
When Simpson left hospital he was asked by a local church concert party to write a show and he roped in Ray Galton to help. They also began sending one-liners to the BBC, which secured them a job writing for a struggling radio show called Happy-Go-Lucky.
The pair also linked up with several other promising new comedy writers and performers of the time, notably Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd and Tony Hancock.
They were quickly tiring of the format of radio comedy shows of the time which included music, sketches and one-liners, and hankered after something with more depth.
They came up with the idea of comedy where all the humour came from the situations in which characters find themselves. Tony Hancock liked the idea and Hancock's Half Hour was born.
Steptoe and Son carried elements of black comedy and social realism
It is often credited as the first true radio sitcom, although two other shows of the time, A Life of Bliss and Life with the Lyons, were already using the format in 1954 when Hancock first aired.
Over the following five years the writers developed the format, often taking cues from a new generation of playwrights such as John Osborne and Harold Pinter.
The pace of each show became slow and more measured, in direct contrast to the speedy wise-cracking delivery of contemporary radio comedians such as Ted Ray.
Simpson himself appeared in early episodes as the unknown man who had to suffer Hancock's interminable monologues.
In 1956 the series transferred to TV and ran until 1961. The final series was just entitled Hancock and it was that run which featured the best-known shows including The Blood Donor ("It was either that or join the Young Conservatives") and The Radio Ham, in which Hancock proves completely incapable of responding to a distress signal from a sinking yachtsman.
Hancock, who was becoming increasingly self-critical and drinking heavily, sacked his writers in 1961. Unwilling to lose them, the BBC commissioned them to write scripts for Comedy Playhouse, a series of one-off sitcoms.
One play, entitled, The Offer, spawned Steptoe and Son, the tale of two rag-and-bone merchants, a father and son, living in Oil Drum Lane, Shepherd's Bush.
They remained close friends after their writing partnership ended
The script relied on the clash between the two characters; Albert, the grasping father with none too hygienic personal habits and Harold, his aspirational son who yearns for a better life but never achieves it. The show was unusual in that the two performers, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett, were actors rather than comedians.
The original four series ran between 1962 and 1965 and the show was revived between 1970 and 1974, during which time two feature film versions were also released.
It proved to be the high point for the duo. There was further work with Frankie Howerd and, in 1977, Yorkshire TV attempted to replicate the success of Comedy Playhouse with Galton & Simpson's Playhouse, although none of the episodes produced a series.
Simpson quit writing in 1978 to pursue his other business interests although he and Galton remained close friends. In 1996 they reunited to update some of their best-known scripts for the comedian Paul Merton.
Simpson blamed their later lack of popularity on the fact that shows were commissioned by armies of managers rather than producers.
"Fifty years ago," he said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, "if you had an idea, it could be going out in three weeks; the time it took to build the sets. Now it has to go through committees and the process takes years."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36249956
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Deal or no deal? - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ministers eased Surrey County Council's social care cash concerns - but can they do the same elsewhere?
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UK Politics
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Jeremy Corbyn unusually had the better of Theresa May in Prime Minister's Questions, brandishing leaked texts across the despatch box, claiming evidence that the Tories had given Surrey a special deal to avoid the chance of a damaging 15% council tax rise in a Conservative safe haven.
The council, and ministers, denied there had been any stitch-up.
But hours later, the government admitted they had agreed, in theory, that Surrey County Council could, like several others, try out keeping all of the business rates they raise from 2018, which could plug the gaps in funding in future.
That change is due to be in force across in England by 2020. Technically therefore, Surrey County Council has not been offered any additional funding. But the prospect of more flexibility over their own income in future could help fill the council's coffers, and seems to have eased some of their concerns.
But as a solution to easing the pressure in social care across the country now, the idea could fall far short.
Where there is high need for care for the elderly, there is likely to be a lower local tax base. Conversely, in more prosperous areas where councils can raise a lot of tax, there is likely to be less need for financial help.
One local government leader told me "all that would do is to lock in the existing iniquity to the system". And major changes to how councils pay their way could make a difference in the long term. Many argue, the social care crisis is now.
Medics, NHS leaders, local government leaders, MPs, former ministers, and of course many members of the public are day after day reporting concerns about the creaks in the social care system, arguing for big changes or big extra money.
There are though few signs of any extra cash on the way in the Budget next month. Privately ministers are hunting for solutions. The prime minister's allies say she is prepared to be "radical".
A Tory council might have been appeased by a promise to change their future funding - others may not be so easily satisfied.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38914439
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What will the BP board decide to pay Bob Dudley this year? - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The group chief executive's pay award will shed light on the executive pay debate.
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Business
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If BP group chief executive Bob Dudley was paid £14m for delivering a $6.5bn (£5.3bn)* loss last year, what on earth will he get paid for delivering a profit in 2017?
The answer to this will shed a lot of light on the politically current and intense debate around executive pay.
A year ago, Mr Dudley became the unwilling poster boy for angry shareholders when, at the BP annual general meeting, 59% of shareholders voted against his £14m pay award.
He got the money anyway because the vote was not binding, so the board did not have to do what the owners of the company wanted.
Under rules introduced by the coalition government and championed by then Business Secretary Vince Cable, shareholders can only reject a pay packet or the formula by which it is calculated every three years. That measure gave them more control than they had previously enjoyed but it clearly did not work or go far enough.
Remember, the formula by which Mr Dudley's pay was calculated in 2016 was approved by 95% of shareholders in 2014. Two years later they did not like the answer that formula spat out.
In defence of Mr Dudley, it was not his fault that BP's Deepwater Horizon platform exploded in 2010 killing 11 people and pumping millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (that was on the watch of his predecessor Tony Hayward).
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig led to an environmental disaster
It was not his fault that the price of oil in 2015 came crashing down from more than $100 (£81) a barrel to around $30 (£24) during that year. Given the hand he was dealt, goes the argument, he did a pretty good job.
Some of the arguments will be the same this year. It is not his fault that he had to put another $7bn (£5.7bn) in the Deepwater kitty, but it is also not to his credit that the oil price rebounded to its current price of $56 (£45).
The chairman of BP's pay committee, Dame Ann Dowling, came in for a lot of stick for not using more discretion in adjusting the final pay award down last year and I understand that she has met with dozens of shareholder groups to avoid the same howls of protest this time around.
This April's vote on 2016 pay will also be non-binding but there will be a binding vote on the formula used to calculate pay packets for the next three years. It would take a particularly tin ear for BP to settle on a formula that finds it at such odds with its shareholders in the future.
Many executives are rewarded with a formula that takes a large account of relative performance. Doing badly - but less badly than the competition - means you did well. Even though the company lost money - you can often take home a hefty bonus.
The merits of this approach will be hotly debated this year as around half the companies in the FTSE 100 have binding votes on executive pay formulas. That will add real edge to a debate that has already been politically sharpened by Theresa May's warnings to corporate Britain over the rocketing disparity between bosses and workers' pay.
We are expecting new proposals on changing the manner, and in whose interests, UK companies are run when the government publishes its green paper on corporate governance in March.
I have presented the economic arguments as to why high performance-related pay is actually bad for companies and the economy here before. In short, it can prioritise cost cutting over investment which damages productivity and ultimately living standards. They are arguments that are gaining currency in Whitehall and it is not only shareholders who are disgruntled.
It may be only February, but this year's shareholder spring promises to be a belter.
*the headline loss of $6.5bn includes the compensation paid for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The number reported in our news story excludes one-off items to give a better sense of the underlying economics of the company.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38895706
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Oscars class photo: Seven things we spotted - BBC News
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2017-02-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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There are several quirks and questionable outfits in this year's Oscars "class photo".
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Entertainment & Arts
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This year's Oscars "class photo" has been released - and as usual there are several quirks and questionable outfits.
The picture sees 163 of this year's nominees gathered together and smiling away, but zoom in and there is a whole lot more going on.
Here are just seven of the things we spotted in this year's photo.
1. Pharrell Williams didn't exactly dress for the occasion
All of this year's male nominees are dressed smartly in tuxes and suits. Well, almost all.
The "dress code" memo must have gone into Pharrell's junk email inbox, because he turned up wearing a green baseball cap and grey sweater.
To be fair - the sweater does have the Nasa logo on it, a reference to best picture nominee Hidden Figures.
Pharrell wrote several songs for the soundtrack to the film, which tells the story of three African-American women who worked behind the scenes at the space agency in the 1960s.
Casey Affleck's facial hair is fast becoming the eighth wonder of the world. It gets longer with every awards ceremony he appears at this season.
It's now on the verge of totally eclipsing poor Michelle Williams, Affleck's co-star in Manchester by the Sea, who has to peep out from behind his mane.
She must be getting used to Affleck stealing her limelight.
The actor appears in nearly every scene in the 137-minute movie, while Williams's screen time clocks in at 11 minutes.
3. The writer of Moonlight wants you to know how many nominations it has
Tarell Alvin McCraney brightens up the back row of the photograph with his winning smile.
He's the man behind the stage play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue - which went on to become Moonlight, one of this year's most hotly-tipped Oscars contenders.
McCraney is so pleased with the film's success he wants to let you know just how many Oscar nominations the film has received, and he is seen here holding up eight fingers.
Also - hats off to Shawn Levy (who's standing next to Tarell), who wins the award for the most delightfully bright smile of the whole photo. He is the producer of Arrival, which is nominated for best picture.
4. Justin Timberlake needs to sack his tailor
"Hmmm, I don't have enough material for that. Have a 28-inch pair of trousers instead."
5. The front row is so where we wanna be
Emma Stone, Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, Octavia Spencer are all sitting together in the front row.
Can someone please organise for us to join this BFF group, that'd be great, thanks.
Extra respect for Octavia Spencer for wearing a pair of white trousers while so many of the other female nominees are in a dress or skirt, and for Natalie Portman, who looks like she's wearing high heels even while pregnant with twins.
Also - Manchester by the Sea producer Kimberly Steward (far right) is that sweet kid in your class who was accidentally never looking at the camera in the school photo every single year.
6. Ryan Gosling needs to cheer up
You're the lead actor in the jointly most-nominated film of all time, pal. Uncross your arms for goodness sake.
Slightly happier to be there is the lovely Dev Patel, in the row in front, looking every inch the Hollywood star.
He's come a long way from how he looked at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009 when he was starring in Slumdog Millionaire.
He told the BBC: "I first came to Toronto in my school shoes and I had a blazer and I was with Frida [Pinto, his co-star] and they said 'You can't put this guy next to her because he looks so terrible'. I think I got a free penguin suit that didn't quite fit me and they gave me shoes."
This year, he's nominated for best supporting actor and is seen wearing a burgundy Valentino suit. Nice.
7. Is this gap for Meryl Streep?
Missing nominees from the photo include Michael Shannon (nominated for best supporting actor for Nocturnal Animals) and Andrew Garfield (best actor, Hacksaw Ridge).
But of course, the most notable absentee is Her Royal Acting Highness, Meryl Streep - who is up for best actress this year for her role in Florence Foster Jenkins.
Maybe this gap in the back row behind Denzel Washington was intended for her, and she got held up in traffic.
Alternatively, perhaps she's been to so many of these things she's just had enough. Either way, we're pretty sure she'll be at the ceremony.
This year's Oscars, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will take place in Hollywood, Los Angeles on 26 February.
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Cheick Tiote: Newcastle midfielder joins Chinese second division side - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote joins Chinese second-tier side Beijing Enterprises Group FC for an undisclosed fee.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote has joined Chinese second-tier side Beijing Enterprises Group FC for an undisclosed fee.
The Ivorian made 139 league appearances for Newcastle after joining them in August 2010 from Dutch side FC Twente.
The 30-year-old featured just three times for the Magpies this season.
Tiote was also part of the Ivory Coast squad that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38899464
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A song for Syria: Why soul star Jodie Abacus is singing about refugees - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Soul star Jodie Abacus was inspired to write his new single about the refugee crisis. He explains why.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Jodie Abacus: "We need to be a little bit more empathetic"
Up-and-coming soul star Jodie Abacus has just released a powerful song about the refugee crisis. He performed it live for the first time on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show on Wednesday night - but ahead of the session, he sat down with BBC News to talk about the story behind the song (and Elton John's helicopter).
Pop is getting a long overdue dose of politics.
Lady Gaga issued a subtle rebuke to Donald Trump at Sunday's Super Bowl, singing the protest anthem This Land Is Your Land and quoting from the pledge of allegiance.
Pop trio Muna were more explicit. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel's chat show this week, they added a new verse to their single I Know A Place. The final line? "He's not my leader even if he's my president."
In the UK, Stormzy prompted an overhaul of the Brits after pointing out the ceremony's lack of diversity in his song One Take Freestyle.
Called Keep Your Head Down, it tells the story of a family fleeing a war zone, only to be met with fear and suspicion in the country they had thought would provide safe harbour.
"I focused on Syria when I was writing," he says, "but there's a load of places in the world that are going through the same thing."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jodie Abacus performs Keep Your Head Down at the BBC's Maida Vale studios.
Why did you decide to write about the refugee crisis?
I was in LA for a session, and I saw something about refugees on the television in my hotel. That's what triggered it.
I wanted to give a perspective of what it would be like to go from one country to another. I can only imagine it's a terrifying feeling. We need to be a little bit more empathetic.
How did you write the lyrics?
The beat of the song triggered the emotion in me. The first lyric was the chorus: "We're moving on, but the road is long / Don't get your hopes up, you'd better keep your head down."
Don't get your hopes up is the father saying "we're running out of chances", and keep your head down was like, "pray that we get out of this".
I'd assumed it was about having to keep a low profile in a new country.
It's both. There's a lot of double meanings. It's also about keeping your head down to escape the bullets.
The thing is, you do all this to save your life - then you're not accepted by the country where you thought you'd be safe. People hate you or they think you're going to steal their jobs or take their benefits. But there's a lot of people running away just to save their own souls.
The singer has been championed by artists including Elton John, Usher and The Roots
Your musical references are very eclectic. I hear Stevie Wonder, ELO, Steely Dan, even Hall & Oates in there. How did you get into music?
I was born in south-east London in Lewisham Hospital. My dad used to be a DJ. He'd carry around these big speakers and play reggae, soul, funk. I was just surrounded by music.
What was the first time you performed in public?
I gave a foyer concert at college. What I'd done was reproduce the Jacksons' Show You the Way to Go on a little computer, and I'd written my own lyrics to it.
No one really knew I could sing - I wasn't one of the stand-out guys in college - but I thought, "OK, I'll give it a go".
And all of a sudden there were people watching from on top, people crowding round the sides. At the end they were all like, "Oh my gosh, he can sing!".
It sounds like a scene from a movie.
It was actually quite nuts.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jodie Abacus performs She's In Love with the Weekend on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2016
What inspired you to write your own music?
There was a lot of trauma. My mum and dad divorced and I missed out on a lot of things because I had to go to court. Being creative took my mind off what was going on.
So there was a custody battle?
They were fighting over me and my younger brother and it got nasty. It was harsh. Not a lot of people, not even your parents, understand how the kids suffer, mentally.
When you're that age you trust your parents and suddenly this black hole of chaos opens up. But that's what built my character, in terms of deciding I wanted to do music.
But you studied acting at college, is that right?
Yeah, I got my diploma in performing arts and I loved it.
Why did you decide to pursue music instead?
I literally decided on a notepad. I drew two big arrows in blue biro, one for music and one for acting. I wrote little notes about what I wanted to do... and I wanted to make great music. I didn't know any notes, I didn't know anything. I was just going with my feelings.
You're in your mid-30s now, so it certainly hasn't been an overnight success. What happened?
You leave college, you get a job, you get another job - but all that time you're taking the money you earn and you're investing it in the thing you want to do. There's always times where you think it's going to be your turn, but it just doesn't happen.
How close did you come to giving up?
You get tormented a lot. You get tormented to the point of thinking, "why do I keep going?" - but then you realign yourself.
There's nothing worse than hearing an old person say, "Oh, I wish I'd done this or that". When I'm in my rocking chair eating apple crumble and custard, I want to say I had no regrets.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jodie Abacus performs I'll Be That Friend live on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2016
Your big breakthrough was a song called I'll Be That Friend. How did that song arrive?
Three years ago, I came down with pneumonia and almost died. I was bedridden for about three months and, in the middle of all that, I finished with my ex. She moved on to another dude, like, really quickly. I saw pictures of them kissing and, even though I'd broken up with her, it was still a shock.
At the end of that year, I needed to be comforted. I needed someone to say, "it's going to be alright'. It didn't matter who it was. I just needed someone. I'd never felt that way before, but I needed a hug.
Those feelings all came out in the song. As I was writing it, I was crying and singing at the same time.
And yet that song, like a lot of your music, is very positive. Was that something you felt pop was lacking?
Yeah. I feel there's a fun element missing. Everyone's thinking about the formula of how to write a hit song. I don't. Music is such a spiritual thing, it has to move you.
You've been getting a lot of support from Elton John on his Beats 1 show. What did you make of that?
That's incredible. He's one of my heroes. He's given me a couple of proper big shout-outs.
And you've covered Bennie and the Jets in concert.
That was nuts. He was meant to show up - but he didn't because the cloud level was low and his helicopter couldn't land.
So is there an album on the way?
Yeah, it's called Take This and Grow Flowers - because I'm using every little traumatic memory as fertiliser, and then making it grow. All of these things, all of these problems I've had... every memory is like a seed.
What's the best thing about success?
I love travelling. I love the adventure. There's not a day where I'm not thankful. I'm happy that Radio 2 have supported me as much as they have done.
Have you become a connoisseur of hotel rooms?
I'm not that fussy. I get annoyed when there's no kettle. It's not just for tea - I use it to steam clothes, and it's useful for steaming your voice as well.
But do you know what? I always get paranoid that someone's done a wee in it. I always wash it out, just in case.
Jodie Abacus's single Keep Your Head Down is out now. His debut album follows later this year.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38908251
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Rosy signs for quality journalism market - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two weekly political magazines have upped their circulation, suggesting a growing appetite for analytical news.
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Entertainment & Arts
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So perhaps people will pay for quality journalism after all.
Subscriptions to leading British current affairs magazines, due to be published tomorrow, show a combination of Brexit, Trump and other cultural factors has led to an increase in the number of people handing over money to read smart stuff.
Advance sighting of circulation figures for two leading publications - The Spectator and New Statesman - shows a clear pattern.
For weekly or fortnightly publications that don't do general news, there is a growing willingness to pay for high-quality journalism - whether written, in the magazines, or video and audio online.
This time last year, The Spectator had combined print and digital sales of 62,718, passing a record set in 2006. Of that, 55,165 were print (though print subscribers get access to digital content) and 7,553 were digital only.
Now the combined print and digital figure is 67,120. Of this, 59,923 are print sales, and 7,197 are digital subscribers. In the second half of last year alone, print circulation rose by 3,270.
I pointed out earlier this week Donald Trump has been a boon to the finances of much of the mainstream media - particularly in America. In Britain, Brexit was a more significant factor.
Spectator editor Fraser Nelson told me: "Brexit seems to have been the catalyst. News events since then (Trump, etc) have led to a lot more interest in high-quality news and analysis."
Other cultural factors are at play too. This is what really interests me - and Nelson: "The market has changed. There's a lot more acceptance of the idea of paying for films, music and content in general.
"Netflix has helped pave the way for a change in culture. People who would not be seen dead paying for content five years ago are now in the habit of paying for Amazon Prime, music, the odd film and a subscription or two.
"We hear about Trump helping NY Times subscriptions, but I think it's more than that. The market has just turned, and is now welcoming to titles whose brand and quality is strong enough."
There is another factor: "Weirdly, the phenomenon of fake news has also helped emphasise the importance of paying for edited content. Where you get your news from has never mattered more."
Nor is this phenomenon restricted to just one part of the political spectrum. People are paying for high-quality stuff regardless of their leaning.
In his time as editor, Jason Cowley has made the New Statesman much less slavishly left-wing, picking fights with some figures on the left, such as Ed Miliband.
I would say that the Statesman is now a magazine of scepticism rather than leftism. Of course, some of the smartest scepticism originates on the left: Bertrand Russell's Sceptical Essays is among the most important collections published in the 20th Century.
Combined circulation is now 34,025 - of which 32,098 are print and 1,927 are digital - compared with a combined figure of 32,300 this time last year, and 24,000 in 2010. This is a 35-year high.
In 2016 newstatesman.com hit 4 million monthly unique visitors and 27 million monthly page views - close to a 400% increase on 2011.
Cowley told me: "In an era of fake news, people are realising that good journalism is worth spending money on. While much of the liberal media has been struggling to survive in a declining market dominated by powerful media groups, the New Statesman has not merely held its position but expanded dramatically - all achieved… with no marketing spend."
A bright picture - but several caveats are necessary here.
First, I don't yet have the age profile of new subscribers. It would be interesting to know a bit more about this.
Second, many magazines are succumbing to the temptation to bundle print and digital numbers together.
The attempt to conflate numbers is really a way of showing a bit of leg to advertisers. But it is a deliberate misrepresentation of the real picture.
We can hardly take magazines seriously when they call out deceitful public figures if they play fast and loose with their own numbers.
Third, there is a much broader story about web traffic, whether at general newspapers or specialist magazines.
Fourth, the fact people are paying for high-quality magazine content does not mean that this model will necessarily work for newspapers.
The Times, which has a paywall and is growing its subscriber base, has found a business model that works.
The New York Times operates a metered paywall, but it has an editorial budget of over £300m, has a much vaster domestic target market than, say, The Independent and competes with fewer national newspapers in America. It is a curiosity of Britain that we have so many more national titles for our smaller population.
The Financial Times, which also operates a metered paywall, is both a generalist and a specialist publication, because it does so much financial news. It also has the advantage that many of its readers are either rich or, because they work for companies dependent on that financial data, able to buy subscriptions on company expenses.
So it is important not to read across from the success of weekly magazines, which deal in high-quality commentary and analysis, and say the same will necessarily work for daily newspapers.
Their meat and drink is the much more generally available commodity of daily news, and in Britain they compete with the BBC website, whose reach is huge.
Finally, for many publications, the growth in subscriptions will not offset the precipitous decline in display advertising across the market, which is not far off 20% down year on year, as eyeballs migrate to the web.
The Spectator now gets two-thirds of its revenue from paying consumers rather than advertisers. The Economist magazine has argued publicly that it expects display advertising revenue to "pretty much vanish" by 2025.
The model for print media is being revolutionised. Those dependent solely or mainly on print advertising are in trouble, and will have to diversify their businesses.
Those flaunting a generally available commodity - daily news - will have to do it better, present it more boldly, and manage costs more smartly.
But now we know: those who specialise, and publish regularly but not daily, can ask people to pay, with confidence that they will.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38905558
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Do you have an underactive thyroid? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Hypothyroidism affects one in 70 women and one in 1,000 men, but it can be tricky to diagnose and treat
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Health
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Tiredness and 'brain fog' are common symptoms of the condition
Hypothyroidism - or an underactive thyroid - affects one in 70 women and one in 1,000 men according to the NHS. But it can be a tricky disease to diagnose and treat. Dr Michael Mosley, of Trust Me I'm a Doctor, asks if sufferers are slipping through the net.
Someone emailed me the other day to ask me if I had ever considered the possibility that I might have hypothyroidism; an underactive thyroid. The reason he contacted me is because he had seen me on television and noticed that I have quite faint eyebrows, which can be a sign of this disorder.
I have none of the other symptoms such as weight gain, tiredness and feeling the cold easily, so I've decided not to go and get myself tested.
But if you do - and you think you could you have it - what should you do about it?
To get some answers I've been talking to Dr Anthony Toft, who is a former president of the British Thyroid Association.
He tells me that the thyroid gland is a bit like the accelerator pedal on your car. It produces hormones which help control the energy balance in your body. If it's underactive, then your metabolic rate will be slower than it should be. This means that you are likely to put on weight. Other symptoms can include feeling too cold or too hot, lacking in energy, being constipated, low mood, poor attention or "brain fog".
Dr Mosley's 'faint eyebrows' led one doctor to contact him about hypothyroidism
The main hormones involved are thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), T4 and T3. TSH is released by the pituitary gland and tells your thyroid to get going.
In response your thyroid should release the hormones T4 and T3. T4 is converted in your body into T3, the active hormone that revs up your cells.
If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism then your GP will probably test your blood. The signs they're looking for are high levels of TSH, together with low levels of T4.
If your TSH is higher than normal this suggests that the gland that produces this hormone - the pituitary gland - is working hard to tell the thyroid gland to produce more hormone, but for some reason the thyroid gland is not listening.
The pituitary then ups its game and produces more and more TSH, but T4 levels stay low.
So if you have a high TSH coupled with a low T4, it's likely that the body is saying "I need more thyroid hormone!" but the thyroid gland isn't doing what it's being told. The result is hypothyroidism.
When this happens patients are often prescribed levothyroxine (T4). Symptoms diminish and patients are happy.
Scans can be carried out for more serious thyroid problems
So if it's so straightforward, why are there so many forums full of dissatisfied patients? Why do we at Trust Me get so many emails about this subject?
One of the issues with the blood tests is that there are no standard international reference ranges. In the UK, for example, we set the bar rather higher than many other countries. Certainly Dr Toft thinks that current UK guidelines are sometimes interpreted too rigidly.
"If the T4 is right down at the lower limit of normal," he says, "and the TSH is at the upper limit of normal, then that is suspicious. It doesn't often arouse suspicion in GPs, but it should."
He is also concerned that when a GP does diagnose an underactive thyroid, then patients are almost always prescribed a synthetic version of T4.
This works most of the time but in some cases the symptoms don't improve. This might be because with some patients the problem is not an underactive thyroid, but the fact that they can't convert enough T4 into the active hormone T3.
One way round this is to take T3 hormone in tablet form, but here price is a problem.
"The cost of T3 has escalated incredibly," says Dr Toft. "It's now about £300 for two months' supply of T3, whereas it costs pennies to make."
Trust Me, I'm A Doctor is on BBC Two at 20:00 GMT, Wednesday 8 February - catch up on BBC iPlayer
So if you have been put on T4 and it doesn't work, what about asking for a trial of T3? Because it is so expensive your GP may well say no.
So instead some patients are going online and buying T3 from foreign websites. But it's important that if you are taking T3 you are being properly monitored, because it can cause serious side effects, including heart problems.
A slightly less expensive hormone supplement taken from the glands of cows and pigs is available. It contains both the T3 and T4 hormones, and there is a growing call to prescribe it for patients who don't respond to T4 alone. So does Dr Toft think patients should be offered this combination?
"I suspect that in time that's what will happen," he says. "The trouble is the evidence base is not as strong as we would wish it to be, and I suspect it will be a long time before we have sufficient evidence."
Dealing with thyroid problems can be complicated. If you've had a blood test and the results have come back normal, then you can ask to look at the actual numbers. But you may also have to accept that medication is not for you and lifestyle changes may be more appropriate.
Join the conversation on our Facebook page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38895877
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How firms should best react to a crisis - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A number of companies and experts explore how businesses should best react to a disaster, be it a cyber-attack, financial scandal or other series issue.
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Business
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Ashley Madison was fined for not sufficiently protecting customers' data
When infidelity website Ashley Madison was the victim of a hacking attack in 2015, the affected 36 million global users were suddenly very worried indeed.
The business, a dating site for married people who wish to cheat on their spouse, had the data of its customers stolen and released on to the internet. All their names, passwords, phone numbers and addresses.
While it was a very bleak time for Ashley Madison's users, the company itself faced a major crisis, and it was found to be lacking.
As customer numbers and revenues plummeted, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - the US agency tasked with protecting consumers - ruled that the business had not done enough to protect people's information, both before and after the attack.
The FTC fined Ashley Madison $1.6m (£1.3m), and said that the financial penalty was only that low because it didn't think that the business could afford to pay any more, such was the impact of the hack on its earnings.
Where Ashley Madison failed was its insufficient crisis management - it hadn't prepared enough for something bad happening, and how it would react.
All companies need to prepare for how they would react to a hack of their IT systems
While the company tells the BBC it has subsequently overhauled all its systems, how should all firms best plan for and then respond to a crisis, be it a cyber-attack, financial scandal or other serious issue?
With the UK government confirming last year that two-thirds of large British companies had experienced a cyber-attack in the previous 12 months alone, businesses who have an online presence anywhere in the world simply have to prepare for how they would react to a hack that breaches their system.
A business can make its website as secure as possible, but being 100% protected is just not achievable, say IT experts.
Page Group was ready to deal with the breach of its IT system
Thankfully for UK employment agency Page Group it knew exactly how to react when it suffered a data breach of its cloud computing system in October last year.
"We have senior staff in place from across different parts of our organisation that form an issues management team who are well equipped to deal with a crisis, should it arise," says Eamon Collins, Page's group marketing manager.
"That is why when we were alerted to a data breach by our IT vendor Capgemini, this team was able to act fast, review the issue, and provide counsel on the best course of action.
"The most important part of the process is putting your customers' interests first."
He adds: "Once we had sufficient information around what had happened, and the impact, we could undertake a transparent and open dialogue with the customer."
At former US mining group National Coal, the crisis it faced was repeated protests in the early 2000s by environmentalists who objected to its opencast mining in east Tennessee.
Its then chief executive, Daniel Roling, said the company had plans in place for how it responded to everything it faced - from trespassers, to staff being threatened, entry roads being blockaded, and bomb threats.
"We held a number of run-throughs to test the effectiveness of both communications and operation responses," he says.
"The plan should, at a minimum, include an acceptable and effective means of communication, as well as an outline of who can and should provide direction."
Daniel Roling says National Coal had crisis management plans in place
Mr Roling, who left National Coal before it was sold to Ranger Energy Investments in 2010, adds: "We had everything planned right down to where we would hold a press conference, and how we would set it up.
"In crisis planning, you are looking to create an effective auto-response, so that everyone heads in the right direction, without too much deliberation."
At UK tourist attraction, the Jorvik Viking Centre, in York, its crisis was a major flood in December 2015 that caused significant damage.
Director of attractions Sarah Maltby says the team worked hard to remove precious artefacts before they were damaged.
"Every company needs solid staff to assist, offer advice, and manage elements of disaster recovery," she says.
Sarah Maltby says the Jorvik Viking Centre was saved by staff working together
The centre is now due to finally reopen in April this year.
Crisis management expert Jonathan Bernstein says it is vital that a company responds quickly to a crisis. "The crisis moves at its own pace, but you need to be faster."
He adds that firms should be honest about the crisis at hand, especially if it is something they are to blame for, such as a financial scandal.
"Be honest about how you screwed up, and illustrate how you are going to ensure this doesn't happen again," says Mr Bernstein.
"Provide clear information to customers on what happened exactly, and what new protocols will be in place."
Damon Coppola, founder of Shoreline Risk, a company that assists businesses with their risk management, says that when it comes to a firm preparing for a possible crisis "the public might not necessarily expect perfection".
But he adds: "[The public's] judgement will be hard if it is perceived that the company failed to act on an obligation to limit or prepare for a known risk, if they were dishonest in their communication, and perhaps in the worst case, if profits came before people."
These are views echoed by UK public relations expert Benjamin Webb, founder of media relations firm Deliberate PR, which specialises in Swedish start-ups.
He says: "At a time of fast-moving crisis, particularly when people's well-being is at stake, transparency to customers and their family members must exceed any responsibility to shareholders."
Rob Segal says that Ashley Madison has improved its systems since the hack
At Toronto-based Ruby Corporation, the owner of Ashley Madison, chief executive Rob Segal, says the company has worked hard to rebuild trust since the 2015 hack.
Mr Segal, who joined the firm after the attack, says: "We partnered with Deloitte's world-leading security team following the breach, and they've been helping the company with privacy and security enhancements and 24/7 monitoring.
"The go-forward lessons for chief executives is to always stay vigilant about cybersecurity, and to continually invest in privacy and security safeguards."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38894813
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World Cup 2026: Uefa will ask for 16 places for European teams - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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European football's governing body will ask for its teams to be given 16 places at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
European football's governing body will ask for its teams to be given 16 places at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup.
Uefa will also request that the European teams who do qualify are kept apart in the first stage.
The new-look tournament will begin with an initial round of 16 three-team groups, with 32 qualifiers going through to the knockout stage.
Thirteen European teams qualified for the last World Cup in Brazil in 2014, which was won by Germany.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said the requests are "realistic", and it is his desire for every European team to qualify from the first round.
Fifa is expected to confirm the quotas for each continental governing body in May.
Ceferin was speaking at a meeting of the Uefa Executive Committee in Nyon. All members of the committee agreed with the proposals.
• None Limiting Uefa's president and executive committee members to a maximum of three four-year terms.
• None Granting membership of the committee to two European Club Association representatives.
Fifa's members voted unanimously in favour of the World Cup expansion in January.
The number of tournament matches will rise to 80, from 64, but the eventual winners will still play only seven games.
The tournament will be completed within 32 days - a measure to appease powerful European clubs, who objected to reform because of a crowded international schedule.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the World Cup has to be "more inclusive", adding: "Football is more than just Europe and South America, football is global."
Speaking to the BBC at the time of the announcement, he said the decision on who would get the extra qualification slots would be "looked at speedily".
He added: "The only sure thing is that everyone will have a bit more representation than they have."
Speaking on Thursday, Ceferin said: "We can push and be outvoted, but we think it is realistic to ask for 16 slots at least, plus another condition that each European team is in different groups.
"Then if it is true that we are so good, that quality is on our side, I think all 16 can qualify."
Now we know for certain that Uefa wants at least 16 places in return for support for expanding the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026.
But that's not all. It wants one team per group in the first round, enhancing the chances of its member nations making it through to the knockout stages. It's football politics at the sharp end.
Uefa's new leader, Aleksander Ceferin, was wily enough to see how strong the support was from other confederations to expand the tournament and he's determined to give his members the best deal possible under the circumstances.
Fifa says the final decision on how the extra 16 slots for 2026 will be divided up will be made later this year. But it's an early test for its claim to be a more transparent organisation in light of its scandal-stained past.
How will the carve-up be decided? An open and fair process? Or in smoke-filled rooms, far away from public scrutiny?
Ceferin's apparent confidence in getting the deal he wants suggests Fifa still has some way to travel on its path to full reform.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38918984
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Trump presidency: Opponents boosted by 'rage donation' - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Civil rights campaigns, charities, parodies, and the media are all seeing a surge in support.
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US & Canada
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Since his first day in office, Mr Trump has faced angry opposition - and it's making his opponents money
Donald Trump's adversarial style during the election divided American voters like few campaigns in recent years.
The president himself has referred to "my many enemies" - but it seems they're getting a substantial boost from the new president.
Organisations that investigate, oppose, or lampoon the commander-in-chief are seeing a surge in support, in what's been dubbed "rage donation".
From civil rights to media types, the effect is widespread.
Planned Parenthood advocates for women's reproductive rights, including abortion - to which Mr Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence are both opposed.
Cecile Richards, who leads the family-planning group, told the BBC more than 400,000 people had donated since the election - "an unprecedented outpouring of support" - some of which has been given jokily in Mike Pence's name.
But, she said, no level of donations would be able to match the federal funding the group receives - something which may now be under threat.
"We will never back down, and we will never stop providing the care our patients need. These doors stay open, no matter what," she said.
Pro-life supporters in the March for Life received open messages of support from both the president and vice president
The Centre for Reproductive Rights, meanwhile, is trying to raise $1m in Mr Trump's first 100 days
"We've had thousands of new donors in the last three months, many of whom have signed on to be monthly sustainers - donors who will be with us for the long haul," a spokeswoman said.
One of American's biggest environmental protection groups, the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), was singled out by popular comedian John Oliver late last year when he called on his viewers to donate following the election.
Since then, "we have seen an incredible response from the public," a spokeswoman said.
The "huge spike" continued through November and December, she said, slowing slightly in early January - before picking right back up at the inauguration.
"It's definitely driven by concern over President Trump's anti-environmental rhetoric and actions," the NRDC said.
The Sierra Club, another major environmental group, reported 11,000 new monthly donors in the days following the election - nine times its previous record.
It's not just charities and fundraising that are seeing a positive bump from Trump. This week, it emerged that the long-running satire show Saturday Night Live was celebrating its highest ratings in decades.
Its numbers have grown by 22% overall - to 10 million viewers, the highest since 1995, according to Variety.
Alec Baldwin's parody of Trump has become a weekly fixture on the revived SNL
Alec Baldwin's portrayal of Mr Trump, which became wildly popular during the campaign, is now a weekly staple.
Strident Trump critic Stephen Colbert also beat his late-night rival, Jimmy Fallon, for the first time in years in recent ratings - though there's not yet enough evidence to link late-night show ratings to politics.
Perhaps the biggest success story comes from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
In a single weekend - as they fought a legal battle against the president's controversial immigration order - the group clocked up $24m (£19.1m) in donations, six times what it usually receives in an entire year. The huge amount prompted the rights group to turn to Silicon Valley for help managing the funds.
The ACLU was inundated with record donations after it blocked part of Mr Trump's executive order, days into his term
Groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the National Immigration Law Center have also benefited from social media campaigns.
Comedian Josh Gondelman, for example, felt uncomfortable with Mr Trump's close ties to the Patriots American football team. So he came up with the idea of donating $100 to the NAACP every time his team scored a touchdown during the Super Bowl.
Coupled with a social-friendly hashtag (#AGoodGame), the idea took off, and brought in thousands of dollars in donations for civil rights groups across the US.
President Trump likes to tweet about the ("dishonest, lying") media. Most news outlets would say they don't oppose the president - but by nature, question and hold authority to account.
But amid outcry over "alternative facts" and talk of non-existent massacres, many are reporting more readers and subscriptions.
Non-profit public interest news organisation ProPublica said it had seen "a dramatic increase in donations, beginning late on election night".
Donor numbers swelled from 3,400 in all of 2015 to more than 26,000 in 2016, the organisation's president Dick Tofel said.
And recurring monthly donations jumped from $4,500 in October, just before the election, to $104,000 in January.
ProPublica adopted a new slogan after White House strategist Stephen Bannon suggested the press "keep its mouth shut"
"It seems that the election has caused a large number of people to want to take various forms of civic action. We're very flattered that many of them think of ProPublica - and investigative journalism in the public interest generally - in that connection," Mr Tofel said.
He stressed it was not clear that this was tied to "particular steps" taken by Mr Trump, but noted that donations picked up in January from inauguration day.
But the same bump was seen in private newspapers too.
The ("failing, wrong, so false") New York Times, which the president said should fix its "dwindling" numbers, actually added 276,000 digital subscriptions in the last quarter - the biggest jump since it brought in a paywall.
And the ("angry, boring") Washington Post reported almost 100 million users on its website in both October and November last year, "greatly exceeding previous traffic records".
Meanwhile, subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal jumped 300% on the day after the election, and it reported 70% growth in new digital subscriptions year on year.
US voters chose Mr Trump - he won by a large margin in the electoral college system although he did not win the popular vote. Despite a slip in approval ratings, he appears to retain plenty of popular support.
It's still too early to know if his policies have had a positive impact, but his supporters remain steadfast.
Conservative news outlets such as Breitbart have surged in popularity, and Mr Trump's supporters have boycotted brands such as Kellogg's or Budweiser which are perceived to have taken a political stance against the president.
The president has directly criticised both people and companies through his Twitter account
Mr Trump's unique style of Twitter diplomacy, however, has had a direct negative impact on some companies.
Shortly after taking office, the new president tweeted that Boeing's costs for Air Force One were "out of control", dropping their stock value. A similar tongue-lashing on fighter jets dropped Lockheed Martin's stock by more than 4%.
Now, that effect already seems to be waning - as Fortune magazine pointed out, when the president struck out at retailer Nordstrom for dropping his daughter's fashion line, its stock actually rallied.
It may be that Mr Trump's rhetoric is no longer having the effect it once did, and is becoming a normal part of politics.
But with those opposed to the president's policies vowing they won't accept the new status quo, it remains to be seen if the "rage" effect will end up a steady revenue stream for the next four years.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38909322
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Six Nations - Wales v England: Jack Clifford and Jack Nowell start for England - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Flanker Jack Clifford will make his second start for England in Saturday's Six Nations match with Wales, while Jack Nowell also starts.
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Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Coverage: Live on BBC One, Radio 5 live, S4C, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary
Harlequins' Jack Clifford will make just his second start for England in one of two changes for Saturday's Six Nations match with Wales in Cardiff.
Clifford, 23, replaces Tom Wood on the open-side flank and Jack Nowell comes in for Jonny May on the wing - with May and Wood among the replacements.
Clifford has yet to start a Six Nations game but head coach Eddie Jones said he "deserves a starting role".
The match will be played with the roof of the Principality Stadium open.
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Clifford forms part of an inexperienced back row - the Harlequins man, Maro Itoje and Nathan Hughes have 20 caps between them, while Wales' likely flankers Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric have 70 and 47 caps respectively.
"He has got a good record against Wales, he had a superb game against them in May, he knows what he is going to expect and we're looking forward to him making an impact in our back-row play.
"Tom Wood will also play his part later in the game off the bench as a finisher."
May started on the wing as England secured a record 15th Test win in a row with a narrow victory at home to France on Saturday, with 23-year-old Nowell on the bench, but the Exeter man has been recalled to win his 20th cap.
"Jack has an excellent work-rate and he's a guy that carries through the line which will be important for us," Jones said.
Wales coach Rob Howley had expected the game to be played under a closed roof but England coach Jones asked for it to be open just minutes before a deadline on Thursday afternoon.
Jones has spoken at length this week about the atmosphere that awaits England at the Principality Stadium.
It is his first visit to Wales in charge of England, who were denied a Grand Slam in 2013 by a 30-3 thrashing.
"Playing Wales in Cardiff is one of the biggest games in world rugby and we're excited," Jones added. "These are the games you want to be part of as a player and coach.
"We don't need extra motivation this week; we play Test rugby because we want to be the best for England. Every game is important for us and our supporters, and Wales is our next game so it's the most important.
"There's always shadows in the corners. They're always there and can always come out but I think the team has moved on.
"Teams go through maturity cycles and to have one of those experiences is a life-changing experience and you never want to go back there."
Wales have named wing George North and fly-half Dan Biggar in their starting XV, with Jones adding that his side will be prepared for whatever is thrown at them.
"We're prepared to win and we're prepared for any shenanigans that might go on - and we're looking forward to it," Jones said.
"They're a cunning lot the Welsh, aren't they? They always have been. They've got goats, they've got daffodils, they've got everything. Who knows?"
In the absence of injured brothers Mako and Billy Vunipola, England's pack looked short of ball-carriers against the French, and Eddie Jones has addressed this by bringing in Clifford, in the hope his dynamism with the ball in hand will outweigh his inexperience.
England's replacements - or "finishers" as Jones calls them - made a big impact against France in the final quarter, and more of the same will be expected in Cardiff, with James Haskell amongst those being held back on the bench.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38918169
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Bradley Lowery: Sunderland players visit terminally ill boy in hospital - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Terminally ill Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery visited in hospital by the club's players on Thursday.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Terminally ill Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery was visited in hospital by the club's players on Thursday.
Bradley was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2013 and his mother says he has only months to live.
Last year £700,000 was raised for him and treatment has now begun in hospital in a bid to prolong his life.
Everton pledged £200,000 to the cause in September, when Bradley was mascot for Sunderland's home fixture with the Toffees at the Stadium of Light.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38926406
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Children dying of starvation in Yemen's conflict - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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The United Nations has launched an emergency appeal for Yemen, warning that its population is on the brink of famine after two years of war. The BBC's Our World filmed and first broadcast this report in September 2016. It shows some of the suffering endured by children in the country.
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This video contains distressing scenes from the start.
The United Nations has launched an emergency appeal for Yemen, warning that its population is on the brink of famine after two years of war.
This BBC's Our World filmed and first broadcast this report in September 2016, and shows some of the suffering endured by children in the country.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37423263
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Mark Simpson: How Karen Matthews made a fool out of me - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As Shannon Matthews 2008 disappearance is dramatised, Mark Simpson looks back on her mother's deception.
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UK
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Karen Matthews came out of her house to talk to Mark Simpson
Shannon Matthews's disappearance in a 2008 hoax-kidnapping is being recounted in a BBC drama. BBC News's Mark Simpson, who reported on the case, looks back at the deception.
Karen Matthews made a fool out of me.
I looked into her sunken eyes, saw that she was petrified and gave her the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe my judgement was coloured by the fact that she chose to give me her first interview.
Maybe it was clouded by seeing inside her small semi-detached house, and the grim conditions in which she and her seven children were living.
Maybe I was so cold at the time, my brain froze.
Karen's daughter Shannon, nine, disappeared on the coldest night of the year in February 2008.
Police divers who searched a lake near her home in Dewsbury Moor in West Yorkshire had to break through ice to get into the water. The air temperature had dipped to -4C.
The night Karen agreed to talk to me, I was shaking with cold after spending hour after hour talking live on the BBC News Channel (or BBC News 24 as it was then).
Karen spotted me out of her front window and came out to talk. She was shaking too, but out of fear.
She was scared - scared of being found out.
She gave me no eye contact. She looked down the barrel of the BBC camera and said; "Shannon if you're out there, please come home. We love you to bits, we miss you so much. Please, I'm begging you baby, come home."
Karen Matthews appeals for information on her daughter's disappearance
When the police saw her interview on the BBC Ten O'Clock News, they were annoyed.
They had advised her not to talk to the media. They were as surprised as me that she agreed to give me an interview.
So was this erratic behaviour the first sign that all was not what it seemed?
In hindsight, it may seem so, but at the time, it seemed simply a desperate act by a desperate mother.
Fresh in my mind were the Soham murders of schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. When children disappeared for more than 48 hours, the outcome was usually not good.
That is why there was such a huge community effort to try to find Shannon. People realised that time was short.
Yes, I did wonder if Karen Matthews was telling the truth. Everyone did.
However, I believed her. And I was not alone.
As well as searching hedges and parkland, the police drew up a map showing where convicted paedophiles lived in the Dewsbury area.
They checked, and double-checked. There was no sign of Shannon.
As days turned to weeks, the more convinced detectives became that Shannon would not be coming home.
However, Karen's friends and neighbours never gave up, and neither did the police.
About 10% of the force's officers were put on the case and more than £3m was spent in what was one of the largest search operations since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
Karen Matthews was jailed for eight years
Shannon was eventually found, 24 days after she disappeared. A BBC colleague got a tip-off and phoned me.
I was shopping in Ikea in Leeds at the time, and nearly dropped my phone on a multi-coloured Swedish rug when I heard the news.
As I drove down the A6110 to Dewsbury, I wondered if Karen would give me an interview again.
We could do it in the same spot where we had first spoken.
The only difference would be that this time she would be with Shannon beside her.
The tears would turn to cheers. For once, it would be a story with a happy ending.
It later emerged that Shannon had been kept drugged and hidden in the base of a divan bed by the very people appealing for her safe return.
That September Karen, and Michael Donovan, the uncle of Karen's partner, went on trial for kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. They were jailed for eight years after the court heard about their plot to hide the child and claim a £50,000 reward that subsequently had been offered by the Sun.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38906967
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What really happened when Swedes tried six-hour days? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Sweden has been experimenting with six-hour days but now the trials are over, has it really worked?
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Business
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Emilie Telander (right) says she is more tired now she is back on eight-hour days
Sweden has been experimenting with six-hour days, with workers getting the chance to work fewer hours on full pay, but now the most high-profile two-year trial has ended - has it all been too good to be true?
Assistant nurse Emilie Telander, 26, cheers as one of the day patients at Svartedalen's elderly care home in Gothenburg manages to roll a six in a game of Ludo.
But her smile fades as she describes her own luck running out at the end of the year, when after 23 months of six-hour shifts, she was told to go back to eight-hour days.
"I feel that I am more tired than I was before," she reflects, lamenting the fact that she now has less time at home to cook or read with her four-year-old daughter.
"During the trial all the staff had more energy. I could see that everybody was happy."
Gothenburg has been experimenting with shorter working days - but the policy isn't cheap
Ms Telander is one of about 70 assistant nurses who had their days shortened for the experiment, the most widely reported of a handful of trials in Sweden involving a range of employers, from start-ups to nursing homes.
Designed to measure well-being in a sector that's struggling to recruit enough staff to care for the country's ageing population, extra nurses were brought in to cover the lost hours.
The project's independent researchers were also paid to study employees at a similar care home who continued to work regular days.
Their final report is due out next month, but data released so far strongly backs Ms Telander's arguments.
Gothenburg's move has put a shorter working day "on the agenda both for Sweden and for Europe", says Daniel Bernmar
During the first 18 months of the trial the nurses working shorter hours logged less sick leave, reported better perceived health and boosted their productivity by organising 85% more activities for their patients, from nature walks to sing-a-longs.
However, the project also faced tough criticism from those concerned that the costs outweighed the benefits.
Centre-right opponents filed a motion calling on Gothenburg City Council to wrap it up prematurely last May, arguing it was unfair to continue investing taxpayers' money in a pilot that was not economically sustainable.
Saved from the axe at the eleventh hour, the trial managed to stay within budget, but still cost the city about 12 million kronor (£1.1m; $1.3m).
"Could we do this for the entire municipality? The answer is no, it will be too expensive," says Daniel Bernmar, the Left Party councillor responsible for running Gothenburg's elderly care.
But he argues the experiment still proved "successful from many points of view" by creating extra jobs for 17 nurses in the city, reducing sick pay costs and fuelling global debates about work culture.
Sweden's 40-hour working week is likely to remain
"It's put the shortening of the work day on the agenda both for Sweden and for Europe, which is fascinating," he says.
"In the past 10, 15 years there's been a lot of pressure on people working longer hours and this is sort of the contrary of that."
Yet while work-life balance is already championed across the political spectrum in Sweden, the chances of the Nordic country trimming back its standard 40-hour week remain slim.
On a national level, the Left Party is the only parliamentary party in favour of shortening basic working hours, backed by just 6% of voters in Sweden's last general election.
Nevertheless, a cluster of other Swedish municipalities are following in Gothenburg's footsteps, with locally funded trials targeting other groups of employees with high levels of illness and burnout, including social workers and hospital nurses.
Cleaners at Skelleftea Hospital will begin an 18-month project next month.
There's also been an increase in pilots in the private sector, with advertising, consulting, telecoms and technology firms among those testing the concept.
Yet while some have also reported that staff appear calmer or are less likely to phone in sick, others have swiftly abandoned the idea.
"I really don't think that the six-hour day fits with an entrepreneurial world, or the start-up world," argues Erik Gatenholm, chief executive of Gothenburg-based bio-ink company.
He is candid enough to admit he tested the method on his production staff after "reading about the trend on Facebook" and musing on whether it could be an innovative draw for future talent.
But the firm's experiment was ditched in less than a month, after bad feedback from employees.
"I thought it would be really fun, but it felt kind of stressful," says Gabriel Peres, as he slots a Petri dish inside one of the 3D printers he's built for the company.
"It's a process and it takes time and when you don't have all that [much] time it kind of feels like skipping homework at school, things are always building up."
More research is being done on Sweden's shifting work patterns
On the other side of the country, his concerns are shared by Dr Aram Seddigh, who recently completed his doctorate at Stockholm University's Stress Research Institute and is among a growing body of academics focusing on the nation's shifting work patterns.
"I think the six-hour work day would be most effective in organisations - such as hospitals - where you work for six hours and then you just leave [the workplace] and go home.
"It might be less effective for organisations where the borders between work and private life are not so clear," he suggests.
"This kind of solution might even increase stress levels given that employees might try to fit all the work that they have been doing in eight hours into six - or if they're office workers they might take the work home."
Back in Gothenburg, Bengt Lorentzon, the lead researcher for the Svartedalen care home project, argues that the concept of six-hour days also jars with the strong culture of flexible working promoted by many Swedish businesses.
Improving your working life is not just about how long your day is, says Bengt Lorentzon
"A lot of offices are already working almost like consultancies. There's no need for managers to have all their workers in the office at the same time, they just want to get the results and people have to deliver," he says.
"Compare that to the assistant nurses - they can't just leave work to go to the dentist or to the doctors or the hairdressers."
"So I don't think people should start with the question of whether or not to have reduced hours.
"First, it should be: what can we do to make the working environment better? And maybe different things can be better for different groups.
"It could be to do with working hours and working times, but it could be a lot of other things as well."
Listen to Maddy Savage's report on Sweden's experiment with six-hour days on The World Tonight.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38843341
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FA reform: MPs pass 'no confidence' motion after House of Commons debate - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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A motion of "no confidence" in the Football Association is passed by MPs debating the organisation's ability to reform itself.
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A motion of "no confidence" in the Football Association has been passed by MPs debating the organisation's ability to reform itself.
While the motion is largely symbolic, MPs have warned legislation will be brought in if changes are not made.
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has said the FA could lose £30m-£40m of public funding if it does not modernise.
Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee chairman Damian Collins said: "No change is no option."
• None Timeline: Calls for changes at the FA
He added: "The FA, to use a football analogy, are not only in extra time, they are at the end of extra time, in 'Fergie time'. They are 1-0 down and if they don't pick up fairly quickly, reform will be delivered to them."
I would have thought with the state of the NHS, the lack of building, not enough cash for defence, that [MPs] would put energy into that not the organisation of football
FA chairman Greg Clarke has said he will quit if the organisation cannot win government support for its reform plans.
"I watched the debate and respect the opinions of the MPs," he said.
"As previously stated, we remain committed to reforming governance at the FA to the agreed timescale of the minister."
Collins suggested ministers should intervene to overhaul English football's governing body because "turkeys won't vote for Christmas" and it will not reform itself.
Crouch warned the FA that if it played "Russian roulette" with public money it will lose.
The minister also said the government would be prepared to consider legislation if the FA fails to present plans for required reforms before April. However she felt the debate - which was sparsely attended by MPs - was premature given her desire to see the FA's proposals.
How have we got here?
The committee has published two reports since 2010 recommending greater representation at the FA for fans and the grassroots game, as well as more diversity in positions of authority. It also wants to dilute the perceived dominance of the Premier League.
Collins has said the FA was given six months to meet the government guidance on best practice for sports governance but had failed to do so. That guidance called for things such as a move towards gender equality on boards, more independent oversight, more accountability and term limits for office bearers.
He was joined by fellow Tories and Labour MPs - keen to ensure the "national game" is run correctly - in bemoaning the current state of the FA.
The cross-party motion stated that MPs have no confidence in the FA's ability to comply fully with its duties as its existing governance structures make it "impossible for the organisation to reform itself".
It was approved unopposed at the end of a backbench business debate, which was attended by fewer than 30 MPs.
The FA is effectively run by its own parliament, the FA Council, which has 122 members - just eight are women and only four from ethnic minorities. More than 90 of the 122 members are aged over 60.
Shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan said: "Not only is diversity not in the heart of the FA ,it isn't in its body, or even its soul."
Labour MP Keith Vaz, whose constituency of Leicester East is home to the Premier League champions Leicester City, added: "A quarter of all professional footballers are black, however only 17 of the 92 top clubs have an ethnic minority person in a senior coaching role."
However, Keith Compton - one of 25 FA life vice-presidents and a director of Derbyshire FA - questioned why the FA was being discussed in Parliament.
"It is pity that the MPs have got nothing better to do," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"I would have thought with the state of the NHS, the lack of building, too many people living in boxes, not enough cash for defence, that some people would put energy into that not the organisation of football.
"Football is reforming all of the time."
Asked whether there should be more female and ethnic minority involvement in FA decisions, he said: "That's not really the responsibility of the council. If those people were interested enough, and we had enough people, we would have enough women and other people on the FA.
"I have heard people say supporters aren't represented but that is not true. They have one representative. People want the council to be reduced and now I am hearing it should be increased."
• None FA Council member: 'Old, grey-haired men still have a lot to offer'
Responding to the interview, former FA chairman David Bernstein said: "I think if you want an argument for change, you've just heard it."
And Yunus Lunat, the first Muslim to get a seat on the FA Council before leaving three years ago, said new recruits were needed.
"No-one is disputing the contribution the previous generation has made but there comes a time when you have got to recognise that you are not the most suitable people for the role," he said.
The debate may have been attended by fewer MPs than is needed for a full football match, but the fact a motion of no confidence in the FA was passed still gives it an embarrassing bloody nose, ramping up the pressure on the governing body.
The few MPs who spoke seemed to mostly agree with each other, demanding greater diversity on the council, independent directors and fan representation on the board, and raising concerns over the clout and money of the professional clubs, especially the Premier League.
But the people who really matter here are the government.
The sports minister said the debate was "premature" and reiterated that she may consider the nuclear option of legislation to force through reforms - but only if a threat to cut funding does not work. That however, remains some way off and the FA is confident it can comply with a new code of governance. If it fails, chairman Greg Clarke has vowed to step down and then it really will be in the last-chance saloon.
What do fans think?
Football Supporters' Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke: "We're very pleased to see so many MPs back our proposals for a minimum of five fan representatives on the FA Council, representation on the FA board, and increased diversity.
"Supporters are integral to the health of our national sport yet are still shockingly under-represented in the FA hierarchy - the FA Council has only one supporter representative, yet the Armed Forces and Oxbridge have five.
"It is also important to acknowledge that the FA Council has stood up to rampant commercialism within the game and protected fans' interests - such as when the FA Council stopped the 'Hull Tigers' name change."
What the MPs said - key quotes
Sports minister Tracey Crouch: "The FA's current model does not, in my opinion, and clearly that of other colleagues, stand up to scrutiny. Reform is therefore required."
Judith Cummins (Labour, Bradford South): "At best they're dragging their feet, at worst they're wilfully failing to act."
Andrew Bingham, CMS Select Committee member: "The issues of Sam Allardyce, who manages the (England) team for 67 days, one game, walks away with allegedly around £1m, it is destroying people's faith in football."
Nigel Huddleston (Conservative, Mid Worcestershire): "I have a great deal of respect for Greg Clarke but I sense his hands are tied and a sense of institutional inertia pervades the governance of football in this country."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38920489
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Ghana presidential fleet 'missing 200 cars' - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ghana's new government counts its presidential fleet only to find more than 200 cars are unaccounted for.
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Africa
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More than 50 of the government's Toyota Prados could not be found
Ghana's new government is trying to track down more than 200 cars missing from the president's office, a government spokesman has said.
The ruling party counted the cars a month after taking power following victory in December's elections.
After previous transfers of power, state-owned cars have been seized from officials who did not return them.
A minister in the former government said the implied allegation of wrongdoing by his colleagues was false.
Former Communication Minister Omane Boamah told the BBC's Thomas Naadi that this was "a convenient way for the new government to justify the purchase of new vehicles".
Presidential spokesman Eugene Arhin told the press that officials could only find:
Ghanaian radio station Citi FM reported that the president has been "forced to use a 10-year-old BMW" as a result.
In making the statement Mr Arhin revealed the president's office was meant to have more than 300 cars but he did not divulge the purpose of these vehicles.
Nana Akufo-Addo from the the New Patriotic Party won the Ghanaian presidential election at the beginning of December, taking power from John Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38920928
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Will Brexit bill face trouble in the Lords? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Despite the sabre-rattling it's more likely to be skirmishes than apocalyptic battling over this historic legislation.
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UK Politics
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Sharpen your pencils. Now Theresa May has her prize from the Commons, getting the Article 50 bill (she never wanted) through with no major changes, it makes its way to the red and gold end of the Palace of Westminster, to the Lords.
The first debate is set for 20 February. More than 140 Peers have already put their names down to speak. But at that stage there probably won't be a vote. A week later the thornier more detailed committee stage begins. Then the last certain stage, the third reading and report is scheduled for 7 March.
If it all goes according to the government's plan, which sources say is "hugely unpredictable", it would allow Theresa May to stick to her timetable and push the button for exit talks to start the next week, once the Bill has been rubber-stamped by the other Palace. (It's daft in this business to make too many predictions, but I'd put a fiver on that happening on Wednesday 15 March.)
The government will have a bumpier ride in the Lords after a grumpy process in the Commons. The Lords is dramatically different because the government most certainly does not have a majority among peers. And, it is the Lords' express purpose to scrutinise and if needed, improve draft laws before sending them back along the corridor to the Commons.
Overnight a government source suggested that the Lords had better jolly well let the Brexit bill go through, or else. Despite the sabre-rattling though, the atmosphere in the Lords is less febrile than that language might suggest.
Downing Street this morning tried to dampen down the aggressive briefing. And one source in the Lords described the threat as "total BS" - I'll leave you to work that out.
The main opposition leader, Baroness Smith, has made it plain on several occasions that although the Lords may try to tweak the Bill, Labour, broadly, has no intention of trying to block it. Her modus operandi is to "hold to account, not hold to ransom".
The Liberal Democrats are more intent on making changes in the Lords, for it is there they can wield power, rather than in the Commons. But unless they have the support of Labour too, there is a limit to how much trouble they can cause.
The chatter suggests the Lords will push for concessions from the government over the rights of EU citizens to stay here, reporting the progress of negotiations regularly to Parliament and maybe on a final "meaningful vote" for both Houses on the deal.
It will be up to the government to decide whether to tweak the bill slightly as they did in the Commons or risk some defeats. Insiders predict it is likely the Lords may end up sending back the bill to the Commons once, as "ping pong" to force the government to make a change or two. But even senior Lib Dem sources don't expect hostile stand-offs for weeks on end.
The Lords will make their voices heard, there is no question about that and the Article 50 bill could run into trouble.
It would be wrong to suggest that ministers don't anticipate a tricky time. But today at least, whatever the sabre-rattling from some parts of government, this historic piece of legislation looks likely to be the subject of a few skirmishes in the Lords, rather than an apocalyptic battle.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38918526
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Reality Check: Did government go back on its word on child refugees? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The government says it has met the "intention and spirit" of the Dubs Amendment, but Lord Dubs disagrees.
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UK Politics
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The claim: The government had committed to taking 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children from Europe, but it will now close the programme after taking in just 350.
Reality Check verdict: The government previously referred to a goal to bring 3,000 unaccompanied children to the UK but eventually passed an amendment that did not commit to a specific figure. Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill says the 350 figure meets the "intention and spirit" of the Dubs Amendment, but Lord Dubs disagrees.
Speaking on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, Labour peer Lord Dubs spoke of his disappointment that the government had "gone back on their word" on how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children would be brought to the UK from Europe.
The 3,000 figure was originally put forward in a campaign run by charity Save the Children.
And in January 2016, the then Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, said the government would commit to resettling increasing numbers of refugees, most of whom would be children, mentioning the 3,000 figure as a goal but without giving any figure as a commitment.
Then, in March 2016, Lord Dubs, who came to the UK himself as a child refugee fleeing the Nazis, tabled an amendment to the Immigration Bill, which would require the UK to take in 3,000 children who had been separated from their families.
This had strong support from all opposition parties and a number of Conservative MPs.
And it passed in the House of Lords by a significant margin at the end of March.
But when it went to the Commons in April, the Conservative government's position was to vote against the amendment, and it was rejected by a narrow margin.
It then went back to the House of Lords, where Lord Dubs reworded the amendment to read that the UK should take a "specified number" of unaccompanied children from Europe and that this number would be agreed later in discussion with local authorities.
This again passed in the Lords with a significant majority.
It then went back to the Commons and was expected to go to a vote on 9 May.
But, on 4 May, ahead of the vote, Mr Cameron accepted the revised version of the amendment.
Nearly a year later, on Wednesday, 8 February 2017, Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill announced that the government would transfer 350 unaccompanied children - about a 10th of the original figure - from refugee camps in Europe, which, he said, would meet the "intention and spirit" of Lord Dubs's amendment.
Mr Goodwill said this would include about 200 children already brought to the UK under the terms of Lord Dubs's amendment and another 150 still to come.
He said that more than 900 children had been brought here from Calais in total in 2016.
The 700 brought to the UK but not under the terms of Lord Dubs's amendment were brought here under a different regulation, which allows unaccompanied minors to come to the UK if they already have immediate family here.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38919873
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Family rescued from dangling cliff-edge truck - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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A family has been rescued from their truck that was dangling over a cliff-edge in southern China.
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A family has been rescued from their truck that was dangling over a cliff-edge in southern China.
The father, who was driving, said the road was slippery.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38913506
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Australian man stuck in a pond for hours recounts ordeal - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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An Australian farmer tells how he survived for hours trapped in a pond with only his nose above water.
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An Australian man has survived spending hours struggling to keep his nose above water after his excavator rolled into a waterhole. Daniel Miller, 45, had been riding the machine at his remote property 300km (180 miles) north of Sydney.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-38916464
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Fed Cup: Heather Watson & Johanna Konta help Great Britain to win over Latvia - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Heather Watson and Johanna Konta lead Great Britain to a second successive 3-0 win at the Fed Cup in Estonia.
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Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Heather Watson and Johanna Konta led Great Britain to a second successive 3-0 win at the Fed Cup in Estonia.
Jocelyn Rae and Laura Robson then saw off Daniela Vismane and Marcinkevica 6-0 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 in the doubles.
Britain beat Portugal 3-0 on Wednesday, and top the group going in to their final match against Turkey on Friday.
Victory would guarantee their place in the promotion play-offs on Saturday, when they would face the winners of Pool B.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
"We knew that Latvia was going to be a strong team," said Konta. "It's never easy and a lot of players raise their level in Fed Cup. The scoreline doesn't suggest it was as difficult as it felt.
"I'm really enjoying it. I didn't get the chance to play it last year so from the very beginning of the season I was clear that I wanted it to be part of my schedule."
Unlike the men's team competition, the Davis Cup, which has a World Group of 16 nations, the Fed Cup divides its top teams into two groups of eight - World Group I and World Group II.
The 91 nations outside the top tiers are divided into three regional zones and Britain have one chance per year to escape - a format that hugely frustrated former captain Judy Murray.
The Europe/Africa Group I event, which this year takes place in Estonia, has 14 teams divided into groups, with Poland, Croatia, Britain and Serbia the seeded nations.
Four group winners will progress to promotion play-offs on Saturday, and two nations will then qualify for World Group II play-offs in April - which could see Britain given a home Fed Cup tie for the first time since 1993.
They fell at the same stage in 2012 and 2013 - away ties in Sweden and Argentina - under the captaincy of Judy Murray.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38916613
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The health service taking a holistic approach to patients - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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"It's about 3% of our population that use about 50% of the resources."
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Health
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Moor Park Health and Leisure Centre where you can swim and also see a doctor
"My colleagues think I'm mad," says Dr Andrew Weatherburn.
As a consultant in geriatric medicine, he is an unlikely addition to the Moor Park Health and Leisure Centre, where schoolchildren queue for swimming lessons and people grab coffees between Zumba lessons.
"Moving out of the hospital and into the community is the best thing I've done as a consultant."
Dr Weatherburn works on the Fylde Coast, an NHS Vanguard area. The local health service here is pioneering a new model of working, which could become a blueprint for the rest of the NHS.
Blackpool and Fylde suffer from many of the problems that plague the NHS nationally. With constantly increasing demand and a shortfall in supply, the local services have been under considerable strain for years.
Add to that a higher than average elderly population, which is set to double by 2030, and the local health service begins to look unsustainable.
"It's about 3% of our population that use about 50% of the resources," says Dr Tony Naughton, the head of the clinical commissioning group in Fylde.
As a part-time GP, he understands the need for an accurate diagnosis so their first innovation was to use patient data to work out who was actually using the services.
They were predominantly elderly and tended to suffer from more than one long-term condition. Rather than waiting for these patients to arrive at A&E, the Fylde Coast district set up the Extensive Care system, targeting resources on actively trying to keep them healthier.
Rather than providing temporary fixes every time a patient is in hospital, this model takes a more holistic approach.
The Extensive Care clinic allows patients to have all their health needs addressed together
"These patients were going off to see a kidney specialist and then a diabetic specialist and then a heart specialist. They had a career in attending hospital, whereas this service wraps all of those outpatients appointments together and looks at each person as an individual, rather than as a heart or as a kidney."
Dr Naughton explains that to make this more joined up system work, it was taken out of the rigid departmental structure of the hospital and placed firmly in the community.
Dr Weatherburn, at his clinic in the leisure centre, believes the benefits are obvious. "I definitely know my patients much better now."
While in hospital, he would have had about 10 minutes to assess a patient's most urgent needs. Now every patient who is referred to them receives a thorough two-hour assessment with a group of medics, who then hold a meeting to come up with a co-ordinated treatment plan for each one.
This system uses welfare workers as well as medics to manage each patients needs.
"Somebody may come in with a chest infection, but that maybe because they're not eating properly or they have a damp house. Now, I can't write a prescription for a dry house, but I can put them in touch with someone who can help with their housing problem," explains Dr Naughton.
The welfare workers spend more time with the patients, helping them with broader social issues and finding ways of managing their illnesses at home. Their job is really to empower patients to take control of their own health.
A thorough assessment means the team can come up with a co-ordinated treatment plan
Dr Weatherburn says it is working. "It's often the little things that made the big difference. It's not the big medical interventions and fancy tests, it's helping with loneliness, and helping the carers and families as well."
This may sound expensive, but the scheme should pay for itself. The new welfare workers are not medically trained so employment costs are lower, but their intervention can solve underlying problems which keep people coming back to A&E.
The results are certainly impressive. After a year-and-a-half of trialling the scheme, the Fylde Coast has already seen 13% fewer attendances at A&E, and 23-24% fewer outpatient attendances.
When Lily Greenwood's husband, Peter, left hospital after suffering from a stroke, they were referred to the Extensive Care service.
"The doctor sent us here. We didn't want to come, but it's been the best thing ever."
Although Lily wasn't the patient, the team's approach of looking at every aspect of the patient's well-being, meant that attention turned to 80-year-old Lily too, as Peter's sole carer. The team helped her to take control.
"It took its toll on me at the beginning, but now, I just feel that with coming here, we can cope with it."
The Extensive Care system helped look after Lily Greenwood's needs as well as those of her husband
The team filled in all the forms that Lily had been baffled by, they helped her to apply for the extra benefits she was entitled to and, most importantly, they helped her to manage her husband's condition.
They even introduced her to local support groups for carers so that she no longer feels alone or overwhelmed.
"The nurses to me are friends. They have time for you. We're a lot happier now. I feel I can cope with Peter now."
A week of coverage by BBC News examining the state of the NHS across the UK as it comes under intense pressure during its busiest time of the year.
Given their success in reducing pressure on A&E departments, Blackpool and Fylde applied a similarly local, holistic model of care to a broader section of the population.
Every neighbourhood received its own dedicated team of therapists, nurses and welfare workers who could treat patients at home in order to reduce the pressures on GP surgeries.
"It's a cultural change. We don't just do the therapy and rush to the next appointment, we think about a patient's overall well-being."
Lucy Leonard is part of a neighbourhood team in Blackpool. Having been an occupational therapist for 17 years, she knows the NHS is notoriously resistant to change. Yet, she insists, this system is being embraced by patients and practitioners alike.
"Sometimes people can feel a bit frightened and threatened by change, especially when they worry about their professional identity and being asked to do new roles, but really, it's just about putting the patient at the heart of what we do."
This system has been a success on the Fylde Coast, and the principles could be replicated across the country. By investing in a more holistic approach, not only has the pressure on hospitals and GP surgeries been eased but, vitally, people are healthier and better able to manage their health too.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38911008
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'Real' Mr Darcy was nothing like Colin Firth, academics say - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The first "historically accurate" portrait of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy is revealed by academics.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The 'historically accurate' portrait of Mr Darcy looks starkly different to Colin Firth who portrayed him in the BBC drama
Academics have revealed what they claim is the first "historically accurate" portrait of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy - and he's a world away from the romantic hero of films and TV.
Instead of the broad shoulders and square jaw of Colin Firth there is a modestly-sized chest and pointy chin.
There is little description of him in Pride and Prejudice, so the academics used historical fashions from the 1790s, when it was written.
"Our Mr Darcy portrayal reflects the male physique and common features at the time," says Amanda Vickery, professor of early modern history at Queen Mary University of London.
"Men sported powdered hair, had narrow jaws and muscular, defined legs were considered very attractive," she says.
Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice seems to have set the standard for the modern Mr Darcy
A frock coat can be seen on the artist's impression, Colin Firth and Matthew Rhys in the BBC's Death Comes to Pemberley
Colin Firth got the nation's collective hearts racing in 1995 with his depiction of the mysterious Mr Darcy in the BBC's adaptation.
Further adaptations since have followed in the style of Firth's portrayal including Matthew Macfadyen in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice.
Matthew Macfadyen played Mr Darcy in the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice alongside Keira Knightley
But the academics say their muscular chests and broad shoulders would have been the sign of a labourer and not a gentleman at the time the book was written.
The fans' favourite Mr Darcy moments - when Colin Firth walked out of a lake dripping wet and Matthew Macfadyen crossed a field in the mist, both showing off their chests - would not have looked the same with the historically accurate Mr Darcy and his sloping narrow shoulders.
Alan Badel - the BBC's Mr Darcy in 1958 - looks more like the academics' impression
Some fans have not been impressed by the portrait.
Professor John Sutherland, from University College London, who led the research says they only had "scraps" of physical description of the character Fitzwilliam Darcy.
As well as looking at the fashions of the day they also looked at Austen's relationships and the men who may have inspired her characters.
"He is our most mysterious and desirable leading man of all time, says Prof Sutherland.
And he appears frequently in modern culture.
The character of Mark Darcy, the romantic hero in the Bridget Jones books, was named after Jane Austen's character and played by Colin Firth in the films
Further depictions of Mr Darcy include Matthew Rhys who played the character in the TV adaptation of the Pride and Prejudice "sequel" Death Comes to Pemberley.
He also inspired the character of Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, also portrayed by Colin Firth in the film versions.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38918958
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Domestic abuse victim's hands severed by ex-partner - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Simonne Butler recounts her ex attacking her with a sword and having her hands reattached, in New Zealand in 2003.
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On January 21st 2003, Antoine Dixon attacked his ex-partner Simonne Butler with a samurai sword, severing both of her hands.
After dozens of operations, Simonne's hands were reattached. Her friend Renee Gunbie, who was with her at the time, lost one of her hands.
Dixon then stole a vehicle and drove to Auckland, where he shot dead a man called James Te Aute. Two years later, he was given a life sentence for murder, wounding, kidnapping and using a firearm against a police officer.
He killed himself in jail. Simonne told 5 live's Nihal Arthanayake what happened on that day in 2003.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-38925101
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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson - the ultimate It girl in pictures - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The classic "It girl", Tara Palmer-Tomkinson spent much of her life facing a camera lens.
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UK
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While her life as a London socialite in her early 20s was being documented in her own Sunday Times column, it was accompanied by a growing problem with cocaine use. It all came to a head with an appearance on the Frank Skinner Show in 1999, in which she slurred her words, struggled to remember her host's name and asked him "Are you married or are you single and what are you doing later?". The TV appearance was quickly followed by a spell in rehab.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38912628
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How do fake news sites make money? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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The issue of fake news on social media has been grabbing headlines, but how do these sites make money?
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The issue of fake news on social media has grabbed headlines since the 2016 US presidential election. But how do fake news sites make money?
Find out more on Talking Business on Friday, 10 February at 15:30 GMT on BBC World, and on Saturday, 11 February at 20:30 GMT on the BBC News Channel in the UK.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38919403
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Winter Olympics 2018: Team GB medal chances 'exciting' - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Great Britain should be excited about their medal chances at the 2018 Winter Olympics, says chef de mission Mike Hay.
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Great Britain should be excited about its medal chances at the 2018 Winter Olympics, according to chef de mission Mike Hay.
It would be a record-breaking Games for Team GB in Pyeongchang if they win more than the four medals they have taken home on two occasions, in 1924 and 2014.
UK Sport has doubled its investment in Olympic winter sports from £13.5m for the four-year cycle to the 2014 Sochi Games to £27.9m for the South Korea event.
And with a year go until the 2018 Games begin, UK Sport has agreed a total target of between four and eight medals across the various Winter Olympic disciplines at their respective World Championship events this year.
"The money that UK Sport have put in is a real confidence boost to our winter athletes," Hay told BBC Sport.
"We've got to go in with high hopes and there are some early indicators that our athletes are going to be competing for podium places."
Great Britain may have won 67 medals in one Games at the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio but Winter Olympic medals have been harder to come by because of a lack of natural facilities and smaller talent pools to select from.
In the 97-year history of the Winter Olympics, Great Britain have won only 26 medals but Hay believes the country is becoming more accepted on the world stage, especially in freestyle skiing and snowboarding, short track speed skating, curling and skeleton.
"It's very difficult to challenge the alpine nations but we're making progress into that second tier, if you like, and getting credibility," Hay said.
Meanwhile, to mark a year to the event, British Ski and Snowboard has announced it plans to become one of the world's top five skiing and snowboarding nations by 2030.
Great Britain will send about 60 athletes to the Games.
Ski and snowboard: It took 90 years for Britain to win a first Winter Olympic medal on snow, courtesy of Jenny Jones' snowboard bronze in 2014 but in Pyeongchang there could be podium ambitions for athletes in freestyle skiing, snowboarding and even alpine skiing.
Snowboarder Katie Ormerod has been a model of consistency on the World Cup stage, winning the Moscow big air and claiming two other podiums as well as an X Games bronze medal. Her cousin Jamie Nicholls, Billy Morgan and Aimee Fuller have also won World Cup medals and could threaten the podium in slopestyle and big air in 2018.
James Woods finished fifth in ski slopestyle in Sochi and will be a medal contender in South Korea. He won the season-opening World Cup slopestyle in New Zealand and just missed out on an X Games slopestyle medal, coming fourth. Woods did win the big air title in Aspen but only snowboard big air will make its debut in the Winter Olympics.
In the alpine world, slalom specialist David Ryding became the first Briton for 36 years to claim a World Cup medal when he finished second in Kitzbuhel, Austria, in January and has backed that up with three other top 10s this season.
British Ski and Snowboard has an ambitious target of being a top-five performing nation by 2030. It says it has a strategy to raise more funds and put a world-class coaching structure in place.
Short track speed skating: After the heartbreak of being penalised in all her races in Sochi, Elise Christie will be determined to leave Pyeongchang with a medal. She is leading the world 500m standings this season and has also won World Cup medals in 1000m and 1500m. Charlotte Gilmartin could also claim a medal.
Skeleton: Since skeleton was reintroduced into the Winter Olympics in 2002, Great Britain have won a medal at each of the four Games. Lizzy Yarnold won gold in Russia and is aiming to become the first Briton to retain a Winter Olympic title. She took the 2016 season off but is back and building up to South Korea. Laura Deas has had World Cup success and will also be in contention.
Curling: Great Britain won silver and bronze in Sochi and will again be challenging for the medal matches in 2018. The introduction of mixed doubles boosts GB's chances even more.
Snowboard big air: Snowboarders will head down a ramp and perform a trick off a large jump called a kicker. The new addition is great news for Britain's medal aspirations as there are podium potential athletes in the men's and women's competitions. Meanwhile, it is goodbye to snowboard parallel slalom, which has been dropped from the Games.
Curling mixed doubles: Each team is made up of a man and a woman and they play with six stones, rather than the usual eight and there are only eight ends, instead of the traditional 10. Great Britain finished fourth at the 2016 World Championships and compete in the 2017 competition at the end of April. Performances from the 2016 and 2017 World Championships will be taken into account with the top seven ranked nations, plus hosts South Korea, qualifying for the Games.
Speed skating mass start: This will take place on the long track and will be a 16-lap race where all skaters start simultaneously. There will be four sprints where points are awarded. The first three athletes to cross the finish line will be awarded the medals.
Alpine skiing team event. Teams will consist of two men and two women and they will compete against other nations in head-to-head slalom races.
What will Pyeongchang be like?
The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held between 9 and 25 February and it is the third time Asia has held a Winter Olympics after Japan hosted both the 1972 Games in Sapporo and Nagano in 1998.
Pyeongchang will be split between the coast and the mountains, similarly to Sochi. The coastal cluster will host curling, ice hockey, figure skating, short track and speed skating, while the mountain area will host skiing, snowboarding, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.
The winter Paralympics will run from 9 to 18 March.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/38868480
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Six Nations 2017: George North - I'll be fit to face Scotland - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Wales wing George North says he will be fit to face Scotland on 25 February in the Six Nations after being "gutted" to miss out on facing England.
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Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby
Coverage: Live on BBC One, Radio 5 live, S4C, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary
Wales wing George North says he will be fit to face Scotland in round three of the Six Nations after being "gutted" to miss out their defeat by England.
Alex Cuthbert's return for North was confirmed an hour before kick-off. North had a dead leg suffered in Wales' win against Italy six days earlier.
"A six-day turnaround with a pretty decent dead leg was always going to be tough," said North.
"Two weeks time, Scotland in mind. I'll be fit to go again."
North had been named on the team sheet handed out to the media before kick-off, but told the Welsh Rugby Union's television service he had been ruled out on the morning of the game.
However, Dan Biggar was passed fit to start the match after picking up a rib injury in Rome.
Props Rob Evans and Tomas Francis were the other two changes from the 33-7 win over Italy in Rome.
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Bath number eight Taulupe Faletau, who had not played since Christmas Eve, was on Wales' bench for Wales, taking the place of Ospreys forward James King.
It meant a vote of confidence for the starting back-row of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty.
The roof at the Principality Stadium was open for the match at the request of England coach Eddie Jones, who said he was ready for Welsh 'shenanigans' after he named his team to face Wales.
Howley wanted the roof closed on the other hand and said he thought that would be the case on Thursday lunchtime, before England confirmed it would remain open.
Both teams have to agree for the roof to be closed.
Wales in the 2017 Six Nations
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38919198
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Family meets air ambulance doctor who saved newborn baby - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Baby Daphne-Louise was given just nine minutes to live after complications during labour.
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Parents have met the emergency doctor who saved the life of their newborn baby.
When Daphne-Louise was born, complications meant she was not getting any oxygen and she was given just nine minutes to live.
An air ambulance crew flew to her home at Friday Bridge, near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, and was able to save her.
After baby and mother were stabilised, they were taken to hospital in King's Lynn.
Her parents were reunited with Anne Booth, of Magpas Air Ambulance.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-38920837
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Tiger Woods: Injuries and operations mean I'll never feel great - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods says he will always feel "a little sore" due to the injuries he has suffered.
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Last updated on .From the section Golf
Fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods says he will "never feel great" again because of the number of injuries suffered during his career.
Woods, 41, pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic before the second round this month because of a back spasm.
He only returned to action in December after two back operations.
"There were a lot of times I didn't think I was going to make it back. It was tough, it was more than brutal," Woods told Dubai magazine Vision.
Woods' first return to competitive action after a 15-month lay-off came in December at the Hero World Challenge - an 18-man tournament in the Bahamas - and he finished 15th at the PGA Tour event.
He hopes to compete in the Masters at Augusta from 6-9 April.
"There have been plenty of times when I thought I would never play the game again at the elite level," added Woods, who has won 79 titles on the PGA Tour.
"It was tough, it was more than brutal. There were times I needed help just to get out of bed.
"I feel good, not great. I don't think I will ever feel great because it's three back surgeries, four knee operations.
"I'm always going to be a little bit sore. As long as I can function, I'm fine with that."
Woods has not won a tournament anywhere since 2013, while his title drought in major championships dates back to 2008.
"There is a changing of the guard," he said. "My generation is getting older but if I'm teeing up then the goal is to win."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/38912329
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Newspaper headlines: NHS 'returns to 1950s' and tax bills to rise - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Friday's papers feature stories about pressures on the NHS and claims council tax bills are to increase for many.
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The Papers
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The costs of school meals could rise in some areas, according to a report
The Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph both lead on a survey by the think tank, the Local Government Information Unit, suggesting millions of households are facing above-inflation rises in council tax.
Almost all of England's town halls are said to be planning to increase bills by up to 5% to pay for social care.
Many are also planning higher charges for parking, school meals and even burials and cremations.
According to the Mail, critics say councils could avoid the rises if they stopped hoarding cash and dipped into their huge reserves.
Others say they could employ fewer chief executives earning more than the prime minister.
There is a continued focus on problems besetting the health service.
"With the NHS collapsing around her ears, brazen Theresa May yesterday insisted the Tories have lavished record sums of cash on the service," the paper says.
However, it quotes figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies which the paper says "shatter" that claim.
And it says the IFS has warned that "a shocking funding crisis gripping the NHS" means it'll be unable to cope with a growing and ageing population.
The Guardian quotes a government health adviser, Patrick Carter, warning that hospitals are under such extreme pressure that they're "in a state of war".
The Times quotes Sir Robert Francis QC, who led the public inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire scandal, warning that the NHS faces an "existential crisis".
It's manifestly failing, he says, and he dismisses plans for savings as "unrealistic".
Several papers report that doctors will not have to reveal their income from private work, after a U-turn by health chiefs.
A revolt by doctors is said to have forced NHS England to abandon plans to make them publish their outside earnings.
Instead, they'll be expected to publish on NHS websites how much time they spend on private work.
"What are they hiding?" asks the Daily Mail.
The Times castigates Wikipedia's volunteer editors in the UK for deciding that the Daily Mail can no longer be cited as a reliable source.
It suggests there's been an extension of the phrase "fake news" to cover publications that people merely dislike.
The paper also rejects Jeremy Corbyn's claim that reports suggesting he's close to stepping down as Labour leader are "fake news".
Mr Miller was pinned down by a bar on the excavator
It says he's a liability for his party - and that colleagues are appalled by what it calls his ineptitude.
A cartoon in the Telegraph likens the plight of Mr Corbyn to the misfortune of an Australian man who was trapped in a muddy ditch for six hours and survived by just about keeping his nose above the murky water.
The photograph is published in a number of the papers.
The Daily Express says migrants were caught trying to enter Britain illegally at the rate of 200 a day in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.
Figures apparently show that 24,800 people were stopped in the first six months of last year.
But as the historic vote on 23 June approached, the paper says, the rate of detection increased - with 5,900 being caught in June.
The Express says the scale of illegal immigration through northern France can be revealed for the first time after the paper won a long battle with the Home Office to publish the figures.
Several papers feature a former maths student from the University of Liverpool who is believed to be the first British woman to join the fight against so-called Islamic State in Syria.
Kimberley Taylor, who is 27, travelled to the war zone without telling her family in Merseyside after becoming shocked by the plight of refugees.
She is quoted saying: "I'm prepared to give my life for this."
The Mail says women fighters are greatly feared by the jihadis who believe it's a disgrace to be killed by a woman in battle, prohibiting them from entering paradise.
Finally, there is more bad news for healthy eaters already struggling to find iceberg lettuces and courgettes.
The Times warns that Britons will soon have to be a little less generous drizzling their olive oil.
Apparently erratic weather in the Mediterranean has sent wholesale prices soaring.
Italian olive groves have been particularly badly hit because fruit flies have been attracted by the humid weather, while a heatwave in Greece last spring is said to have cut the supply there by a quarter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-38926938
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FA reform: As MPs debate the issue, is real change a stretch too far? - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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As MPs get ready to debate whether the Football Association is fit for purpose, Richard Conway asks if it is capable of self-reform.
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Reform of the FA? Haven't I heard this one before?
Yes, we've been down this road many times. Does this sound familiar?
"We are making progress, albeit slowly. I intend to see that we continue to make progress by continuing to meet all the interested parties and bringing them together, if necessary, because all of us are concerned with the health of this great game which has given so much satisfaction, not only to us but to almost the whole nation over the years."
That quote comes from Denis Howell MP, Minister for Housing and Local Government, speaking in the House of Commons in 1968 about reform of the Football Association.
Howell was taking part in a debate on the Chester Report, commissioned in 1966 to "enquire into the state of association football at all levels, including the organisation, management, finance and administration, and the means by which the game may be developed for the public good; and to make recommendations".
Now, nearly half a century later, MPs are once more asking roughly the same questions - given the lack of any substantial change.
On Thursday, a Commons debate will ask whether the FA has the ability to reform itself, or whether legislation is needed to force it to change.
What do MPs want?
The crises in governance at some global sports bodies, including football's world governing body Fifa, prompted a rethink over how organisations which receive government funding should operate.
Last year, grassroots funding body Sport England set out required standards for transparency, accountability and financial integrity from those organisations which ask for government and National Lottery funding. The Code for Sports Governance will come into force in April.
It demands, for example, 30% gender diversity on boards, greater transparency and term limits.
The FA is due to meet the Government in the spring to show its plans for achieving the required standards.
But MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee have run out of patience and are exerting pressure on the FA to ensure it goes through with modernisation. Thursday's backbench debate is another method to do just that.
The committee has previously published two reports which set out how its MPs think:
• None The Premier League is dominant within English football and should have its influence diluted
• None There should be greater representation for fans and the grassroots game
What role has the Premier League played?
In a letter to the chairman of the CMS committee last December, five former FA chairmen and chief executives outlined how they believe the governing body is incapable of change without external assistance in the form of government-backed legislation.
The quintet - David Bernstein, David Davies, Greg Dyke, Alex Horne and Lord Triesman - also laid some of the blame for the failures within English football at the door of the Premier League.
"We can testify first-hand that the FA's decision-making structures are arcane and convoluted leading to a lack of clarity about the role and purpose of these structures," they wrote.
"The FA has neither the modernity of approach nor independence required to counter the [Premier League] juggernaut or to modernise its own governance."
In response, the Premier League said it had "always supported the FA's governance reforms" and had backed previous reform proposals.
A statement at the time read: "We have kept patience when past chairmen and chief executives at the FA have failed to deliver, but will continue to work with the current leadership team at the FA to progress their governance agenda."
The former executives also outlined how the FA board is effectively gridlocked, with members of the professional game and those of the national - or grassroots - game often representing their own interests rather than those of the wider sport.
So what needs to happen?
The board of directors, the FA Council and matters such as voting structures all need to change. If not, the FA's public funding - worth £30m over four years - is at risk.
Ultimately, the government could also refuse to act as a financial guarantor if the FA wanted to bid to host a future World Cup or European Championship.
Former FA chairman Dyke said he wanted the council, which is effectively English football's parliament, to be more representative and "better reflect the balance of the modern game".
Of its current 122 members, only eight are women and four are black or ethnic minority. There is also representation from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, something many people see as anachronistic given there is only one representative each from fans and players.
Oh, and 92 of them are aged over 60, while 12 are octogenarians.
Dyke failed in his efforts for reform with some board members opposed, given they believe their roles would be watered down - and his successor must find a way to convince them otherwise.
The FA board, meanwhile, has been amended in recent years with the addition of two independent directors. There are plans to add two female representatives this summer, bringing the total number of members to 14.
It currently consists of four representatives of the national game and four representatives of the professional game, plus two non-executives, the chairman and the chief executive.
Will those changes be enough? And what does the FA have to say?
The FA is privately annoyed at the timing of the debate, believing it should be allowed to set forward its plans in April to Sports Minister Tracey Crouch.
It is also keen to emphasise that it has invested record amounts in grassroots facilities, has led the way on promoting women's football and has developed St George's Park as a hub to improve the fortunes of the England national teams.
But the spectre of legislation - essentially, having change forced upon them - awaits if the FA's reform plans fail.
That would need government backing to bring forward, and there is no sign of that occurring just yet.
FA chairman Greg Clarke has threatened to resign if his plans are not supported. That can probably be viewed as a signal of his confidence of delivering reform to both the board and council, thus satisfying the immediate requirements of the Code for Sports Governance.
Will it make a difference? If so, what?
The glacial pace of the debate has left many involved frustrated, and believing the FA is unable to self-regulate.
The five former executives wrote that meaningful reform "may well move us to redressing the woeful lack of English players or managers and the embarrassing failures of our national team for the past 50 years".
And reform would also see those at the heart of the FA decision-making change to look more like those who actually play, watch and administer the game in 2017.
Thursday's debate, though, is just the latest staging post on what is a very long journey.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38907978
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The health workers that help patients stay at home - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Wakefield is seen as a pioneer in helping more patients stay at home and saving the NHS money.
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Health
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June Lord, 82, is one of those helped home from hospital under the Wakefield project
Every Monday morning, in a meeting room within earshot of the bells of Wakefield cathedral, a group of healthcare workers help to stage a mini-revolution.
Nothing that you read in the next few minutes may strike you as particularly surprising.
Yet the experimental manner in which they are working together in this corner of Yorkshire is being seen as a possible way to improve healthcare across the country, and save the NHS money.
At the table is a healthcare assistant, called Kay, Karen the physiotherapist, then Jane the occupational therapist.
On the other side sit two mental health nurses both called Rachel, and finally Sue Robson - another mental health nurse who's been with the NHS for 37 years.
"I've seen many, many changes, and this is one of the most exciting," smiles Sue.
Each Monday, they sit together and plan the care that will be offered to the mostly elderly people they are working with in a number of care homes in the Wakefield district.
Because each here brings a different specialism to the table, they can, as a group, build up a complete picture of how best to help each patient.
There is one woman they are especially worried about this week. She has fallen quite a few times, but as they talk it begins to look less like a purely physical problem.
"I carried out a physio session last week," says Karen.
She was "very anxious. It was difficult to engage with her," adds Kay.
"So today if things don't seem to be improving we may look at discussing with the psychiatrist whether she needs a review," concludes Sue.
"As professionals we are linking up," Sue continues. "We're discussing the case between ourselves. We have links to the GP. We have links to the mental health services and we are all working together rather than in isolation."
Mental health nurse Sue Robson says they have seen good results in Wakefield
Across the board this project in Wakefield - which at its most basic aims to get the different parts of the health service and the care system working together - is easing the pressures on the NHS and on care homes.
They have seen a sizable reduction in the number of patients who've had to go to hospital from the care homes they work in. A reduction in the use of ambulances. A reduction in the number of days patients who do go to hospital end up spending in a hospital bed.
It's both about keeping patients out of hospital in the first place, and getting them home as quickly as possible if they do need to go.
In the first nine months of 2016-17, phase one of the Wakefield Vanguard Care Homes scheme recorded:
The project has involved NHS workers training up care home staff beyond the basic first aid most already have. That gives care homes the skills they need to better diagnose what is wrong with a resident who falls ill. It is resulting in better care for patients and fewer 999 calls for an ambulance.
There are also efforts to improve people's health in the first place. A lot of work is going into making the men and women who live in care homes and "independent living" flats (they used to be known as sheltered accommodation) feel less isolated.
Sharon Carter runs one project that aims to stop the elderly feeling lonely. It's called Portrait of a Life. Essentially it's a photo and memory book that residents like 91-year-old Marjorie Smith receive.
Marjorie Smith is a resident at the Croftlands independent living scheme
It helps them reminisce, it helps other older people living in the same accommodation get to know their neighbours, and it helps care staff learn about what makes the people in their care tick.
"We're finding they have a better sense of well-being as opposed to ill-being," says Sharon.
Along with everything else the project is doing, she says it's led to fewer people going into hospital and residential care.
Many of course still do end up in hospital. And when they do Louise Lumley works at the "getting them home" end of the process.
She's part of Age UK's Wakefield District team, and outside Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield she's securing 82-year-old June Lord's wheelchair in the back of an adapted car. It will be a 20-minute journey home.
When they arrive, Louise goes through a list of questions. Does June have someone who can help her in the coming days? Does she have the medicine she needs? Is there anything at home that's particularly dangerous that might need to be made safe, to prevent future injuries?
The answers will go into a database that can help tailor June's care in the coming months.
A week of coverage by BBC News examining the state of the NHS across the UK as it comes under intense pressure during its busiest time of the year.
There is plenty of other work besides. A local not-for-profit Housing Association sits in meetings with health staff to work out how best to improve the lives of the elderly people who rent flats from them.
They're trying to join up all the parts of the system as much as they can.
Everyone here stresses it's about improving patient care. But there are savings to be made. They estimate that if they roll this project out across the whole district, by 2021 they will make a net saving of £5.3m a year.
You can download the podcast containing Matthew Price's full report for BBC Radio 4's Today programme here.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38897257
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Reality Check: Who gets social care and who pays for it? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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With rising demand and shrinking budgets, who is receiving social care from the state?
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Health
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We know our population is ageing and, as we live longer, many of us will need support in old age. There has also been an increase in the numbers of people living with a disability who may rely on some level of social care.
Niall Dickson, the head of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS providers, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the system was trying to cope with "huge amounts of extra demand" as a result of there being "many many more" older people.
Between 2005 and 2015, the number of people aged 65 and over in the UK increased by 21%, while the number aged 85 and over increased by 31%.
More than a million more people were living with a disability in the UK in 2016 than 10 years earlier because people are living longer with disabilities than before. This is all good news.
But at the same time, directors of adult social services in England say they have had to cut £4.6bn from their budgets since 2010.
So who is getting care, what kind of care are they getting and who is paying for it?
Unlike the NHS, in England social care is not free at the point of delivery - a lot of people have to pay for at least some of their care, and a lot of that care is delivered by private providers.
That can be anything from someone coming to your house to help you get out of bed or washed, to full-time accommodation in a care home.
It's a little different in the rest of the UK - home care is capped at £60 a week in Wales and free for the over-75s in Northern Ireland, while Scotland provides free personal care, that is help with things such as washing and dressing, in both care homes and people's own homes.
The UK Homecare Association estimates that more than 70% of homecare services in the UK are bought by local authorities, with the rest bought by people paying for their care themselves.
In 2014-15, that equated to 646,000 people being cared for in their homes with the state paying.
This doesn't necessarily mean 70% of people who need care at home are paid for by the state.
In 2015, Age UK estimated that more than a million older people in England were living with unmet social care needs (such as not receiving assistance with bathing and dressing), a rise from 800,000 in 2010.
People not eligible for funding may just be doing without the care they really need or relying on informal care from friends and family.
When it comes to residential care, the latest figures from 2014 suggest local authorities across the UK paid for 37% of people, while the NHS funded 10% of care home places.
The rest was made up of people who either paid for all of their care (41%), or topped it up with a contribution from their local council (12%).
On 31 March 2016, in England, there were 199,305 people in nursing and residential home places and 452,990 people accessing long-term care in the community for whom the local council had some role in funding or providing care or assessing the needs of the person receiving it.
The most recent data doesn't tell us how many people were cared for overall in England, but we can say that there were 1.8 million requests for support in 2015-16.
Of those, 28% were from people aged 18-64 and the remaining 72% were aged 65 and over.
But of these requests, 57% resulted in no direct support from the council.
For the over-65 group, almost a quarter of requests for support were from people being discharged from hospital.
Think tank the King's Fund says the number of older people getting state-funded help in England alone fell by 26% between 2009 and 2014.
This is in the context of an ageing population.
The government has said English councils' social care departments are getting an extra £3.5bn by 2020.
Almost £2bn of this comes from council tax, which local authorities have been allowed to raise by 3% this year and next year provided they spend it on adult social care.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38907054
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World Grand Prix: Mark Selby loses to Martin Gould in Preston - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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World champion Mark Selby suffers a shock first-round defeat by world number 18 Martin Gould at the World Grand Prix in Preston.
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Last updated on .From the section Snooker
World champion Mark Selby suffered a shock first-round defeat by world number 18 Martin Gould at the World Grand Prix in Preston.
Gould, who beat Selby on his way to the semi-finals two years ago, came through a tense final frame to win 4-3.
The 35-year-old from Middlesex made a career-high break of 142 in the fourth frame and goes on to face Joe Perry.
Australian Neil Robertson beat Ricky Walden of England 3-2 to set up a last-16 clash with Ronnie O'Sullivan.
China's world number five Ding Junhui saw off Yu De Lu 4-2, while England's Anthony Hamilton, winner of last week's German Open, lost 4-0 to Mark Allen of Northern Ireland.
Gould looked on course for a straightforward victory when he led Selby 3-1, and then 3-2 with a 58-0 lead, but the world champion hit back with a brilliant 64 clearance to force a decider.
In a final frame that required a re-rack, following an early stalemate, Selby surprisingly missed two opportunities before Gould took charge with a 54 that proved decisive.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38907107
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The Republican women learning to love Trump - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Not everyone was won round by Donald Trump when he became the Republican presidential nominee last year - even members of his own party had their doubts. Not any more.
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Not everyone was won round by Donald Trump when he became the Republican presidential nominee last year - even members of his own party had their doubts.
We spoke to a group of Republican women in New Hampshire who were among those initially sceptical of the current president, but who have since had a change of heart.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38926818
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Bob Howden: British Cycling chairman steps down but remains as president - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Bob Howden steps down from his position as chairman of British Cycling, but will remain as the organisation's president.
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Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Bob Howden has stepped down as chairman of British Cycling, but will remain the organisation's president.
Jonathan Browning, a former chairman of Vauxhall, has succeeded him.
UK Sport was expected to publish a report this month after an independent investigation into the culture and practices at British Cycling - but that has been delayed.
The governing body is also being investigated by UK Anti-Doping over allegations of wrongdoing.
Howden, who was re-elected in December, has denied that the move is related to the publication of the report.
A former managing director of Jaguar Cars, Browning was appointed to the British Cycling board as a non-executive director in March 2015.
"British Cycling has delivered tremendous success at every level over the past two decades, but there is clearly work to do to take the organisation to the next level," he said.
Ian Drake left his post as chief executive officer in January, saying it was the "natural moment" as preparations began for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
• None Should welfare come before winning?
What is the background?
Browning's appointment comes after a turbulent year for one of the country's most successful and well-funded sports governing bodies.
British Cycling is preparing for the results of the investigation into whether there was a culture of bullying at its world-class performance programme.
Publication of a report sources have described as "explosive" has been delayed until next month.
Former world champion Nicole Cooke has accused the organisation of sexism.
And Howden was criticised for his performance in front of a parliamentary select committee at the end of last year.
"The appointment of an independent chair brings British Cycling more closely in line with the new code for sports governance," Howden said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/38916633
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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson describes a privileged life - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, who has died at the age of 45, described living a privileged life, in an interview with Jane Garvey on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in 2010.
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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson described when she realised she was living a privileged life, in an interview with Jane Garvey on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
It followed the launch of her novel 'Inheritance'.
The former Sunday Times columnist, reality TV star, and goddaughter of Prince Charles was found dead on Wednesday aged 45.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38912978
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Coming to America: One translator's harrowing journey - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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One week. One family. One goal: To immigrate to Donald Trump's America.
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Magazine
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: How Munther Alaskry got his family to the US
An Iraqi translator who worked extensively with the US military spent almost seven years trying to get his family to America. But with days to go before their departure, President Trump signed a travel ban that put the family's future in question.
It took seven years for Munther Alaskry to secure visas for his family. Now, they were only four days away from a new life in Houston, Texas, where friends and an apartment were waiting.
But instead of spending his final days in Baghdad celebrating and saying good-bye to family, Munther was in a panic.
President Donald Trump was about to sign an executive order that would ban immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries for 120 days, including Iraq.
Munther - a 37 year old chemical engineer and former translator for the US military - decided they couldn't wait. He told his family they were leaving Baghdad for the US immediately.
His wife Hiba protested - she hadn't finished packing, and her grandfather was about to have emergency surgery for cancer. She wanted to see him before they left. It was only four days, she told him.
"I don't think we have even one day," Munther said.
After hastily selling off the last of their furniture and some jewellery, Munther was able to raise the $5,000 (£4,022.50) needed for the next-day flight to Houston, with a connection through Istanbul, Turkey. The couple crammed the last of their possessions into gigantic roller suitcases, and told their distraught family members there'd been a drastic change of plans.
As his family slept, Munther flipped anxiously between CNN, Fox News and the BBC. It was just past midnight in Iraq, but in the US, it was still Friday afternoon. Munther watched President Trump at the Pentagon signing an executive order titled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States".
"I am establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don't want them here," Trump said before placing his pen on the paper.
"We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people."
Munther believed that he firmly belonged in the latter category. He'd always been fascinated by America, learning English from watching action movies like Rambo and The Terminator, and listening to Metallica as a teenager.
Munther in 2008 after an Iraqi national football team win
He stunned a group of Marines with his knowledge of American heavy metal after he met them at a checkpoint near a relative's home in Baghdad, back in 2003. At the time, he was still a student at the University of Technology, Iraq.
"You speak good English," the Marines told him. "Why don't you join us?"
Munther saw it as an opportunity to rebuild his country in the then-hopeful, post-Saddam Hussein era Iraq.
"I wanted to help the American army and the Iraqi people to understand each other. I was trying to help both of them," he said. "It was the right thing to do."
After the Marines left, Munther got a succession of jobs translating for the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division. He was sent to the outskirts of Baghdad to help train the Iraqi National Guard. He manned the checkpoints. He had his own service weapon.
He developed a reputation for his punctuality and his sunny disposition. One former soldier described him to the BBC as a "critical asset", trustworthy with unflinching "integrity and morals".
The most dangerous assignment was with a unit clearing roadside bombs. His convoy was hit more than once.
Fellow translators were getting killed or losing limbs.
They were also getting murdered by members of al-Qaeda.
"They burned them alive. They cut their heads," Alaskry recalled. "In Arabic we say, 'You are putting your spirit on the palm of your hand.' Because you don't know what will happen next."
One day, Alaskry found a letter on his car telling him that he would burn in hell for working for the "infidels".
He fled for Jordan without telling anyone, but returned to Iraq a few years later to once again work for the Americans on a health care project for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
In 2008, Munther married Hiba, also a chemical engineer. When their daughter Dima was born the following year, Munther realized that his young family had no future in Iraq. He was a marked man, and life in Baghdad was too unstable.
The family had to move every year to keep their whereabouts a secret. When American troops began pulling out for good in 2011, Munther felt abandoned, like a trap was closing in on him - a feeling that followed him for years.
"Everyday they are bombing us. Almost everyday, we have like a car bomb," he said. "It's not safe over here, especially [after] working with the Americans."
In 2010, Munther applied for a Special Immigrant Visa, reserved for Iraqis and Afghans who served with the US military and could prove their lives were under threatened as a result.
The programme was choked with applicants desperate to get out of the country. Delays mounted, as did the costs for doctor's exams and certificates from the local police ensuring Munther had no criminal record. Several American law enforcement agencies had to complete independent background checks on the family.
Finally, in December 2016, they were cleared. Their tickets were booked.
"We said, 'There will be a light at the end of the tunnel. We will go to the states. We will secure a better life for our kids."
In the early morning darkness, Munther and Hiba loaded their enormous bags and two sleepy children into a relative's car and left for the Baghdad airport.
It was the middle of the night in the US. Trump's order, now eight hours old, had not been uploaded to the White House website. As the family checked in, no one questioned their visas or their Iraqi passports.
As they waited for their first flight from Baghdad to Istanbul, Munther dashed off texts to his sponsors and former colleagues from USAID. He sent an email to his contacts at No One Left Behind, a non-profit in Washington founded by American soldiers to help translators resettle in the US.
"I'm so scared ... I don't know what we will face and I don't know if the officer at Istanbul will let us board on the Airplane," he wrote in one message. "Right now the only feeling i have is fear.
The three-hour flight to Istanbul was unbearable. Munther quaked in his seat. It was, he said, "just like a horror movie - when you dream you're jumping from a high building".
In Istanbul, the family transferred to the plane to Houston without incident. After they took their seats, Munther put on cartoons for three year old Hassan. His daughter Dima, an exuberant, chatty seven year old, threw her arms around her father's neck, proclaiming this to be the best airplane she'd ever seen.
Munther started to relax. He reminded Dima of his promise to take her to Disney Land, a treat for which she'd been saving her pocket money.
About 15 minutes after they boarded, a Turkish police officer made her way down the aisle, followed by three uniformed airport security officers. They stopped at Hiba's seat.
"Madame, your passport please," the officer said.
At that moment, Munther says, "I knew our dream was lost".
The heap of luggage in the Alaskrys' apartment after the failed attempt to migrate to the US
After they were pulled from the Turkish flight - the children crying as they were ejected onto the tarmac in the snow - the Alaskrys spent 13 hours in the Turkish airport waiting for a flight back to Baghdad. Hiba and Munther took turns sleeping in order to keep watch over their bags.
By then, news of the executive order had reached airlines and customs officials abroad, and travellers from Syria, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Somalia were being pulled from their seats or barred at the gates at airports all over the world.
In New York City, flights that had been in the air when Trump signed his order had touched down, and US Customs and Border Patrol officers were beginning to hold anyone from the seven barred countries. Some people were sent back. Some signed documents presented to them that cancelled their visas. Even permanent residents - green card holders - were being told they could not return to their homes in the US.
One of the first Iraqis to be stopped at John F Kennedy International Airport was a man called Hameed Khalid Darweesh, who had come to the US on the same type of visa Munther was carrying: an SIV, which he earned after interpreting for the US military for 10 years.
People gather for a protest at Terminal 4 of the John F Kennedy airport in New York on 28 January
Over the course of the day more and more reports of detainees at airports around the country began to come in: at San Francisco International, Dulles International in Washington, and Philadelphia International Airport.
As the news spread, demonstrators began showing up to the terminals. Darweesh was eventually released, and a challenge filed in court on his behalf resulted in a US District Court judge ordering a stop to all deportations for visa-holders from the seven countries.
Green card-holders were allowed into the country, in some cases after long, intense interviews by customs officials. Lawyers in Virginia, then Massachusetts, then Washington state and Minnesota filed various motions to block Trump's executive order.
Munther watched the protests swelling at JFK on television from their nearly empty house in Baghdad, their carefully packed bags now strewn in a heap across the floor.
"It was amazing," he said. "Lawyers go voluntarily to help the refugees, to help the immigrants, to help the kids. I was feeling happy because other people could make it.
"American people are great people. Really. I work with them. I know them."
Before they left, Munther sold their car and almost all their furniture. He quit his job and had turned down other offers of employment. Because they missed their flight, the resettlement agency in Houston had to give their apartment away. There would be no refund for the aborted trip, nor for the return flight to Baghdad.
In an upstairs bedroom, Munther flipped through a stack of his old identification badges. His weapons authorisation card, his translator's badge, a pass to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's palace, refashioned as a US military base named FOB Prosperity.
Munther Alaskry said working with the US military was "the right thing to do"
He had a stack of photographs of himself standing with American soldiers - playing cards, riding on top of a tank, posing with an M-16 rifle. The younger Munther looks giddy in the photos.
"They were like my brothers, you know?" he said. "They're really nice guys. Really nice."
Munther pulled out another folder stuffed with letters of commendation, certificates of appreciation, and other documentation of his work history.
"Thank you for your hard work and exceptional performance," read one.
"We couldn't do it without you!" said another.
"Another one. Another one," Munther said, flipping faster and faster, then throwing the whole pile on a heap on his bathroom counter. "Even if I have thousands of those, it's now worth nothing, you know?"
Trump's executive order halted all immigration from Iraq for 120 days. The Alaskrys' visas were due to expire in just two months, at which point they'd be back where they started in 2010.
Munther didn't believe they would ever come to the US, at least not while Trump was president.
"Losing a job, losing money, it's OK. You can survive," he said, "But losing your dreams? This is the most terrible thing."
After three days of chaos, confusion, and a blizzard of legal challenges from all over the country, a press conference was called in Washington with the heads of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"This is not, I repeat, not a ban on Muslims," said Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly.
But Kevin McAleenan, acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, did have an important clarification to make.
"Lawful permanent residents and Special Immigrant Visa holders are allowed to board their flights," he said. The state department later confirmed that "it is in the national interest to allow Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders to continue to travel to the United States."
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Soon after, the founder of No One Left Behind posted a victory message on the group's Facebook page and sent messages to all of their clients abroad, including Munther: "GREAT NEWS! Afghan and Iraq SIVs WILL be allowed to enter America!! We did it!!!"
In his empty apartment, Munther watched McAleenan's comments. He checked the US Embassy's website and read the new guidance. Finally, after a representative from the embassy called and confirmed that he and his family would indeed be able to travel, Munther once again booked a flight to the US.
But almost as soon as the tickets were purchased - this time flying through Doha, Qatar, to New York City - dread set in.
"First I was happy, but now I'm scared," he said. "I don't want my wife and kids to face the same situation.
"Oh my god, I cannot handle it. I barely handled it last time."
As they packed their bags once again, it was clear that little Dima was still traumatised by her experience in Turkey. She asked her mother to bring blankets so that when they were kicked off the flight and forced to spend another night in the airport, she would have something to cover herself with.
"I don't want to go to the America because they don't want us to go," she told her father.
Munther tried to reassure her, but he wasn't feeling very sure himself.
"Hopefully everything will be just fine," he repeated over and over. "Fingers crossed."
Munther and family waiting for their fight to New York City in Doha
After a sleepless night, Munther lined up the suitcases once more at the front door of their home and called Qatar Airlines to make sure they would be able to board their flight.
He was told no. No-one at the airline had heard of the new guidance.
In a panic, Munther called the US Embassy in Baghdad, which referred him to an emergency hotline and emailed him the text of the new rule to show airport officials.
The airline employees were unimpressed. Munther continued sending frantic emails and texts to the US Embassy all the way to the airport. Finally, about an hour before the flight was set to take off, Munther got a call from Qatar Airlines.
"Do you want to hear some good news?" the man asked him.
The family was cleared, and allowed through security with just 30 minutes to make it to their gate. After a sprint through the airport, they arrived just in time for their flight to Doha.
It was at this point that Munther finally broke down.
"I don't know how to describe how I'm feeling right now," he said, tearing up. "Finally. It was a struggle. But finally."
The flight from Doha touched down at John F Kennedy International Airport at 8:30am, and a small group of lawyers, a local rabbi and a volunteer chauffer waited by customs for the Alaskrys.
Ayla Yavin volunteered through her synagogue to drive the Alaskrys to their hotel
An hour passed, then two.
All of the Doha flight passengers came and went with no sign of the family.
"This is worrying," said Emad Khalil, a lawyer from the newly formed group No Ban JFK. He started making phone calls to the American Civil Liberties Union, who in turn began calling the border patrol and airport officials.
After three hours, Khalil was certain that the family was being detained somewhere behind the big, white wall that separated customs from arrivals. If they did not appear soon, the lawyers said they would file a legal motion on behalf of the family.
Finally, after five anxious hours, they finally emerged, Dima and Hassan holding hands, Hiba and Munther smiling from behind a roller cart stacked high with luggage.
Despite the lengthy delay, Hiba said that the customs officials who interviewed them were friendly, and they never felt intimidated.
Hassan, Dima and Munther Alaskry emerged from customs five hours after their flight landed
One woman handed Dima and Hassan drawings from her own children that read, "Welcome to New York!" Dima chattered away about her plans to see Frozen's Elsa at Disney Land.
"I like it so much - it's so cute," she enthused about the bland, sterile airport terminal.
Like her father, she also learned English in part from watching movies.
"She would like to be famous," said Hiba, smiling. "She has a very strong personality."
At the hotel, the family was greeted by two women from No One Left Behind. They brought a basket filled with Legos, Play-Doh, blocks, a fashion drawing kit for Dima. The children unpacked and re-packed the basket over and over again, counting their new bounty.
Finally, the Alaskrys were left alone to ascend to their 15th floor room, overlooking the rooftop gardens of the Upper East Side.
The children ripped open packets of mini Chips Ahoy cookies, and Dima devoured her first Pop-Tart. They scurried from one end of the room to the other. No one seemed ready for a nap, though they'd been up for nearly two days.
Dima digs into a blueberry Pop-Tart, a treat left in the hotel room by members of No One Left Behind
The upshot of the cancelled flight to Houston was an unexpected three-day vacation in New York City, thanks to a relative who paid for their hotel as a gift. Sitting on the plush, crisp bedspread, Munther was in disbelief.
"I've been hearing songs about New York, I've been watching New York like from the American movies," he said. "You see like the yellow taxi of New York, the pizza of New York - it's amazing."
The Alaskrys' new, final destination was Rochester, New York, about five hours north of the city, where a host family and a group of about 40 volunteers waited to help them navigate their new lives in the US.
But before all of that, Munther said he was taking his children to the Statue of Liberty.
"Now they are in the best country in the world, in my opinion," he said. "This is my dream, to bring my kids here, now. After like, maybe ten years, 20 years, I'll be able to tell my kids, 'Listen, you were in Baghdad in that situation, I brought you all the way, I did all these sacrifices for you, and you are here now.'
"I'm sure - or I hope - they will appreciate it."
On Sunday, Munther and his family took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38885611
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Leicester's Premier League season 'can be kick-started' by FA Cup win - Andy King - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Premier League champions Leicester can use the FA Cup win over Derby to kick-start their season, says midfielder Andy King.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Premier League champions Leicester City can use their FA Cup win over Derby to kick-start their season, says midfielder Andy King.
The Foxes are one point above the relegation zone having won two of their past 15 league matches.
But a much-changed side secured a 3-1 win, clinched by two extra-time goals, in a fourth-round replay against their East Midlands rivals on Wednesday.
"We showed the fight we have got in the squad," said Wales midfielder King.
King headed the Foxes, who made 10 changes, ahead after Demarai Gray's clever cross was nodded back across goal by Marc Albrighton.
Abdoul Camara's free-kick forced extra time but substitute Wilfred Ndidi and Gray scored fine goals to put Leicester through.
Manager Claudio Ranieri led the Foxes to the Premier League title last season despite them being 5,000-1 shots, but recent reports suggested he had lost the support of his players.
Leicester, who are 16th and without a league win in 2017, released a statement on Tuesday giving their "unwavering support" to the 65-year-old Italian.
"It's been a tough few weeks and we've been getting a lot of criticism," added King, who played for the Foxes in League One and has now made more than 400 appearances for them.
"It was important to get a win tonight to try to kick-start some form to take into the league.
"We have 14 massive games left in the league but now we are through in a couple of rounds of the cup. Why can't we create another journey this season?"
The Foxes, who have never won the FA Cup, travel to League One side Millwall in the last 16 on Saturday, 18 February.
They are also through to the last 16 of the Champions League and travel to Sevilla for the first leg on Wednesday, 22 February.
Former Leicester manager Martin O'Neill on Match of the Day:
"It is a really big win for Leicester City - I'm delighted they've done it. I think there has been a lot of doom and gloom around the place and that will lift it."
Former Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane on BBC Radio 5 live:
"I think Leicester's win could spark their season.
"We were looking where the spark was going to come from. Demarai Gray provided it for the opener and then [Wilfred] Ndidi and Gray scored those great goals.
"Can Gray get more game time? Can he play more central?"
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38915022
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Deputy Speaker orders MPs to stop whistling during Brexit vote - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Scottish National Party MPs were told off by the deputy speaker for whistling the EU anthem "Ode to joy" as MPs voted on Brexit legislation.
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Scottish National Party MPs were told off by Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle for whistling and singing the EU anthem "Ode to joy" in the Commons chamber as MPs voted on Brexit legislation.
MPs agreed by 494 votes to 122 to let the government begin the UK's departure from the EU.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38914765
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Obituary: Alan Simpson - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Comedy scriptwriter who, together with Ray Galton, wrote for Tony Hancock and created Steptoe and Son.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Alan Simpson formed, with Ray Galton, one of the great television scriptwriting partnerships.
Their early work with Tony Hancock pioneered what became known as situation comedy.
They went on to create Steptoe and Son, which became the most watched comedy on TV over its 12-year run.
But, although they continued to write, they failed to replicate the success of their early work.
Alan Simpson was born in Brixton, London on 27 November 1929.
After leaving school, he obtained a job as a shipping clerk before contracting tuberculosis. He became so ill that he was not expected to live and was given the last rites.
However, he survived, and while a patient in a sanatorium in Surrey he found himself alongside another teenage TB sufferer named Ray Galton.
Galton never forgot his first sight of his future partner, 6ft 4in tall with a build to match. "He was the biggest bloke I'd ever seen."
They discovered a shared love of American humorists such as Damon Runyon and had both listened to the BBC radio comedy programmes Take It From Here and The Goon Shows.
Their first work together was for hospital radio. Have You Ever Wondered was based on their experiences in the sanatorium, which was played out in 1949.
When Simpson left hospital he was asked by a local church concert party to write a show and he roped in Ray Galton to help. They also began sending one-liners to the BBC, which secured them a job writing for a struggling radio show called Happy-Go-Lucky.
The pair also linked up with several other promising new comedy writers and performers of the time, notably Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers, Frankie Howerd and Tony Hancock.
They were quickly tiring of the format of radio comedy shows of the time which included music, sketches and one-liners, and hankered after something with more depth.
They came up with the idea of comedy where all the humour came from the situations in which characters find themselves. Tony Hancock liked the idea and Hancock's Half Hour was born.
Steptoe and Son carried elements of black comedy and social realism
It is often credited as the first true radio sitcom, although two other shows of the time, A Life of Bliss and Life with the Lyons, were already using the format in 1954 when Hancock first aired.
Over the following five years the writers developed the format, often taking cues from a new generation of playwrights such as John Osborne and Harold Pinter.
The pace of each show became slow and more measured, in direct contrast to the speedy wise-cracking delivery of contemporary radio comedians such as Ted Ray.
Simpson himself appeared in early episodes as the unknown man who had to suffer Hancock's interminable monologues.
In 1956 the series transferred to TV and ran until 1961. The final series was just entitled Hancock and it was that run which featured the best-known shows including The Blood Donor ("It was either that or join the Young Conservatives") and The Radio Ham, in which Hancock proves completely incapable of responding to a distress signal from a sinking yachtsman.
Hancock, who was becoming increasingly self-critical and drinking heavily, sacked his writers in 1961. Unwilling to lose them, the BBC commissioned them to write scripts for Comedy Playhouse, a series of one-off sitcoms.
One play, entitled, The Offer, spawned Steptoe and Son, the tale of two rag-and-bone merchants, a father and son, living in Oil Drum Lane, Shepherd's Bush.
They remained close friends after their writing partnership ended
The script relied on the clash between the two characters; Albert, the grasping father with none too hygienic personal habits and Harold, his aspirational son who yearns for a better life but never achieves it. The show was unusual in that the two performers, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett, were actors rather than comedians.
The original four series ran between 1962 and 1965 and the show was revived between 1970 and 1974, during which time two feature film versions were also released.
It proved to be the high point for the duo. There was further work with Frankie Howerd and, in 1977, Yorkshire TV attempted to replicate the success of Comedy Playhouse with Galton & Simpson's Playhouse, although none of the episodes produced a series.
Simpson quit writing in 1978 to pursue his other business interests although he and Galton remained close friends. In 1996 they reunited to update some of their best-known scripts for the comedian Paul Merton.
Simpson blamed their later lack of popularity on the fact that shows were commissioned by armies of managers rather than producers.
"Fifty years ago," he said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, "if you had an idea, it could be going out in three weeks; the time it took to build the sets. Now it has to go through committees and the process takes years."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36249956
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NHS Health Check: How Germany's healthcare system works - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Branwen Jeffreys asks if more spending on healthcare in Germany improves the system.
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Health
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The day after his hip replacement, Georg Thoma was cheerfully sitting up in bed.
Like most Germans, the businessman pays into compulsory health insurance.
He contributes 7% of his salary before tax and his employers match that amount.
In return, patients get access to care which is so rapid that national waiting data is not collected.
"The doctor said to me that I have to decide when I get the operation. Normally it takes three or four weeks."
Georg travels for work to the UK and tells me he was astonished to hear that patients can sometimes wait months for a similar routine operation.
Germany's spending on health care is relatively high, just over 11% of its wealth, compared to 9.8% in the UK and it has more doctors and hospital beds per patient than the UK.
Georg's operation was carried out in an 80-bed hospital in one of the Black Forest towns in the south-west region Baden Wurttemberg.
But even in Germany's well-funded system, the financial viability of a hospital this small is not guaranteed.
A group of doctors in this area is trying to manage costs in an experiment that has attracted interest from the UK.
Martin Wetzel, a GP for 25 years, explains they have done a deal with big insurance funds to make prevention a priority.
"I have more time - and it needs more time to explain to patients what I'm doing and why. So my consultations changed from an eye wink to an average of 15 minutes," he says.
During that time patients might be offered a range of interventions to improve their health provided locally, which frees up time for the GP.
These include subsidised gym sessions, access to different sports and nutrition advice as well as screening programmes to reduce loneliness as well as increasing healthiness.
It is being run by a company called Gesundes Kinzigtal in which the doctors are majority shareholders.
Already a couple of years into their 10-year project, they say healthcare is costing 6% less than you would expect for the population.
They are trying to improve data sharing and believe hospital treatment can be reduced further.
Much of the vision comes from its chief executive Helmut Hildebrandt, a pharmacist and public health expert.
He says the health insurance funds have tended to concentrate on short-term cost control measures, rather than improving the health of their patients.
"At the moment the economy in Germany runs so well they don't have a problem. But in the long run every politician or administrator knows in the next 10 or 20 years the system will run into a crisis."
He fears that could undermine the commitment to the health insurance covering most Germans, with a risk of richer people opting out of it.
What Gesundes Kinzigtal is trying to do is similar to some integrated care projects in the NHS.
There is more money in the German system, but arguably more waste too.
The Caesarean rate is higher, so is the use of MRI for diagnosis and the length of hospital stay.
Patients waiting to see a GP in Thuringia
And in many ways there has been little incentive for change in a system where doctors still have a high degree of influence and life expectancy in Germany is not higher than the UK.
Bernadette Klapper heads the health section of the Robert Bosch Foundation, which funds social policy innovation.
"I think we should get more for the money we spend inside healthcare. While we see other countries spending less, but having the same results as us, there's something wrong."
Germany is ageing very rapidly, only just behind Japan in forecast for its population profile.
But the health system is changing slowly and the Bosch foundation is trying to encourage more small health centres.
Many doctors in Germany set up in practice on their own, as GPs or out-of-hospital specialists, but as cities are more popular that leaves rural areas with a shortage.
Travel east to the wide open rolling countryside of Thuringia and you get a glimpse of the challenge.
Five years ago they were 200 GPs short of what was needed in this region.
It has taken grants, and offers of help with housing and arranging childcare, to reduce that to 60.
Annette Rommel is head of the doctors' association in the village of Mechterstadt and says: "A few years ago we arranged for specially-trained nurses to make home visits and for more teamwork with nurses and doctors together."
It is similar to the way many community nurses work in the UK, but in Germany this is a recent development.
Nurses have a much more restricted role.
On a visit I saw a nurse and a carer, who is paid for out of the long-term care insurance that Germany introduced 20 years ago, check up on an elderly couple.
It has reduced the amount families have to pay, although social care can still be a financial worry.
There is enough money in the German system to make trying new approaches to healthcare a little easier.
Most patients feel they can see a doctor easily, so for example the number of visits to the equivalent of A&E is very low compared to the UK.
While out of hours care has been reorganised, GPs and other out of hospital doctors are often still involved in helping provide cover on a rotation.
None of this removes the long-term worry about whether providing such rapid and easy access to care is affordable in the long term.
A debate that German politicians are unlikely to begin publicly in this election year or any time soon.
The lessons for the UK are that money on its own is not the only solution, although it does ease pressure in the system considerably.
Finding better co-ordinated ways of looking after patients, often elderly, with the highest health needs is a priority.
And in Germany, despite the long-term care insurance, families still have to contribute a significant amount to looking after older people.
However, there is a mechanism for sustainable funding for social care that is very different from the significant reductions in care budgets seen in the UK.
A week of coverage by BBC News examining the state of the NHS across the UK as it comes under intense pressure during its busiest time of the year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38899811
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Deal or no deal? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ministers eased Surrey County Council's social care cash concerns - but can they do the same elsewhere?
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UK Politics
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Jeremy Corbyn unusually had the better of Theresa May in Prime Minister's Questions, brandishing leaked texts across the despatch box, claiming evidence that the Tories had given Surrey a special deal to avoid the chance of a damaging 15% council tax rise in a Conservative safe haven.
The council, and ministers, denied there had been any stitch-up.
But hours later, the government admitted they had agreed, in theory, that Surrey County Council could, like several others, try out keeping all of the business rates they raise from 2018, which could plug the gaps in funding in future.
That change is due to be in force across in England by 2020. Technically therefore, Surrey County Council has not been offered any additional funding. But the prospect of more flexibility over their own income in future could help fill the council's coffers, and seems to have eased some of their concerns.
But as a solution to easing the pressure in social care across the country now, the idea could fall far short.
Where there is high need for care for the elderly, there is likely to be a lower local tax base. Conversely, in more prosperous areas where councils can raise a lot of tax, there is likely to be less need for financial help.
One local government leader told me "all that would do is to lock in the existing iniquity to the system". And major changes to how councils pay their way could make a difference in the long term. Many argue, the social care crisis is now.
Medics, NHS leaders, local government leaders, MPs, former ministers, and of course many members of the public are day after day reporting concerns about the creaks in the social care system, arguing for big changes or big extra money.
There are though few signs of any extra cash on the way in the Budget next month. Privately ministers are hunting for solutions. The prime minister's allies say she is prepared to be "radical".
A Tory council might have been appeased by a promise to change their future funding - others may not be so easily satisfied.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38914439
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A Feng Shui consultant's take on Trump - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Feng Shui consultant Joey Yap tells us how Trump's year may go.
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Feng Shui consultant Joey Yap has predicted a showdown between the East and the West in 2017, with China and the US taking centre stage.
We asked him to forecast how this could affect US President Donald Trump's relations with other world leaders in the Year of the Fire Rooster.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38885821
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A sarcastic response to Syria's militants - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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It takes a special kind of person to run a radio station in an area controlled by Islamist militants in northern Syria. Raed Fares, who has never lost his sense of humour despite being gunned down by IS.
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Magazine
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It takes a special kind of person to run a radio station in an area controlled by Islamist militants in northern Syria. Music is forbidden, so are women presenters. But Raed Fares - manager of Radio Fresh FM - has come up with a creative response to the militants' demands.
It is mid-day and almost time for the latest news from Radio Fresh FM in the rebel-held province of Idlib, in north west Syria.
Suddenly the airwaves are filled with assorted sounds of tweeting birds, clucking chickens and bleating goats. As the newsreader gets under way, the cacophony continues beneath his voice.
You might be forgiven for thinking that this is some sort of farming bulletin. It's not. It's simply that the station's manager, Raed Fares, has had enough of being told what to do by the powerful jihadist group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham or JFS - which until last July was linked to al-Qaeda and known as the al-Nusra Front.
"They tried to force us to stop playing music on air," says Fares. "So we started to play animals in the background as a kind of sarcastic gesture against them."
In what appear to be further acts of sarcastic sabotage aimed at JFS's ban on music, Radio Fresh FM has introduced long sequences of bongs from London's Big Ben clock, endless ticking sounds, ringing explosions and the whistle of shells flying through the air.
And instead of songs with melodies, the station now plays recordings of tuneless chanting football fans.
Fares has been getting involved in confrontations of one kind or another for years now.
He took part in hundreds of demonstrations against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime at the beginning of the uprising in 2011 and continues to see it as the biggest enemy. Many of his friends were killed or imprisoned, as the authorities responded with increasing violence.
Raed Fares was one of many demonstrators in the town of Kafranbel in the early days of the Syrian uprising
Then came the threats from fighters of the so called Islamic State. Like JFS, they said the station's music was haram, or offensive to Islam. Believing this to be totally wrong, Fares ignored the threats and carried on as before, but nearly paid with his life.
Just over three years ago, when the 44-year-old former estate agent arrived home in the early hours of the morning, after finishing work at the radio station, two IS gunmen with Kalashnikovs were waiting for him. They fired a barrage of shots, leaving more than a dozen holes in his car, even more in the wall behind, and two in the right side of his body. These shattered several bones in his shoulder and ribs, as well as puncturing his right lung.
Fares was left lying in a pool of blood and only narrowly survived after being rushed to hospital by his brother.
"I still have trouble breathing," he later said, "but my doctor says my lungs should be no problem because of the size of my nose."
It's not that surprising that IS doesn't like Fares. After all, he did once design a poster depicting Syria as an alien with a monster called ISIS exploding out of its chest. The group has since been pushed out of Idlib province.
President Assad, though, is his favourite target. He once got his friends to drape themselves in shrouds and then filmed them staggering out of graves calling for Assad to step down, as if even the dead want him gone. He posted it online and it was played on a number of Arabic television stations.
Humour, it seems, is never far from the surface with Raed Fares. Take his response to another of JFS's demands, to get rid of women news readers - who are also haram, they say.
Has he, I ask him, agreed to swap them for men?
"No, I have another solution for that issue. We simply put their voices through a computer software program which makes them sound like men."
Though having heard the resulting broadcasts, I would say the women now sound closer to Daleks or robots than men.
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The feisty 6ft 2in station manager has also refused JFS's demands to allow their members into the radio station to monitor the behaviour of his staff.
"We said 'No,'" he says. "You have to monitor the transmissions, not what people are doing inside the radio station."
JFS are not the only extremist rebels in the area. There are about a dozen others, and even though some of the biggest factions have recently been forming new alliances, this still makes the area chaotic to govern.
There is little more than two hours of mains electricity a day, water supplies are limited and food increasingly expensive in a region flooded with 700,000 refugees from elsewhere in the country.
The fact that Fares's dispute with JFS has continued for so long is evidence that the group is a little more tolerant than IS. But as a family man with three children is he not worried that sooner or later one of these jihadist groups will kill him?
"They've tried that five times already," he says. "If it happens, it happens. But they haven't succeeded yet. I try to survive, but if I can't, it's OK."
He tells me that the lowest point in his life came when one of his closest friends was killed and another severely injured by a bomb last summer. Fares admits that he nearly took his own life in the days that followed. But now, he says, he is more determined than ever to carry on.
"We started the revolution together and were all aware that we faced the same risks," he says. "That means that my life isn't more expensive than my friends who lost their lives."
Mike Thomson's report about radio Fresh FM ran on the Today programme on 9 February.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38912958
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Orphaned dik-dik raised by keepers - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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He's only 19cm (7.4 in) tall and has been named Thanos.
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He's only 19cm (7.4 in) tall and has been named Thanos.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38925011
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Leicester City 3-1 Derby County - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Leicester secure a first home win of 2017 as Demarai Gray's superb goal seals an extra-time victory over Derby in their FA Cup replay.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Leicester secured a first home win of 2017 as Demarai Gray's superb solo goal sealed an extra-time victory over Derby in their FA Cup fourth-round replay.
Andy King headed the hosts, who made 10 changes, ahead after Gray's clever cross was nodded back across goal by Marc Albrighton.
Abdoul Camara's free-kick forced extra time for Championship Derby only for substitute Wilfred Ndidi to restore the Foxes' lead with a fantastic strike.
Gray sealed a deserved win with an angled finish after a fine run.
Premier League Leicester will now face League One Millwall in the last 16 on 18 February (15:00 GMT).
Smiles for Ranieri - at last
Claudio Ranieri has not had too much to cheer about lately as last season's champions have been plunged into a fight for Premier League survival.
Yet the Italian was all smiles and applauded home fans as they chanted his name around the King Power Stadium soon after King's opener.
Leicester, 16th in the table and one point above the relegation zone, face a battle to climb away from trouble but their first win since 7 January will at least provide them with some momentum.
A spirited Derby display - and a poor performance from the officials - made sure it was anything but a straightforward win.
The hosts should have won a first-half penalty when Ben Chilwell was sent sprawling inside the area by Richard Keogh but referee Mike Jones was not interested.
There was more controversy in the 85th minute when Derby keeper Jonathan Mitchell clearly handled outside his area but Leicester's Ahmed Musa was booked for protesting after Jones dismissed the home team's appeals.
Although there was disappointment from Rams boss Steve McClaren, his team gave Leicester two tough games.
Derby led until four minutes from the end in the original game and forced Leicester into extra time on their own ground before running out of steam.
It might have been a different story had Ron-Robert Zieler not palmed away Jacob Butterfield's low drive on the stroke of half-time. By the time McClaren reached the dugout for the second half, his side were behind - King giving Leicester the lead in the opening minute of the second half.
The Rams responded well to falling behind. Camara had a free-kick beaten away before the Guinea international found the net with a 25-yard set-piece that deflected off Chilwell's thigh on its way into the net.
Derby's Max Lowe chested against his own post while attempting to guide the ball back to his keeper before two sublime finishes took the tie away from the visitors.
Ndidi fired home via the post from 25 yards then Gray, energetic and dynamic throughout, made it 3-1 after avoiding several challenges before his clinical finish allowed Leicester fans to celebrate a welcome victory.
All change - cup gets second billing
Both teams seemed to have their eyes on this weekend's games as they made 18 changes between them.
Musa was the only survivor from the Leicester side that started last weekend's match with Manchester United even though the Foxes are not in action again until Sunday.
Derby, despite bringing 5,000 travelling fans, made eight changes, as they also rested players to aid their play-off push.
"I didn't want to make eight changes. If the game was last night the team would have been totally different," said McClaren.
However, pundit and former Leicester midfielder Robbie Savage was critical of the number of changes made by both managers.
He said: "If Derby County were playing three Championship games in a week and chasing promotion would they put this team out? It's absolute nonsense. Play your best team."
'This fresh air is good for us'
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri: "Derby played good football and we won. This is what we needed and I wanted.
"We want to do well in all competitions. We want to go forward in the FA Cup. The Premier League is not so good but we have to stay in the Premier League. This fresh air is good for the players."
Derby County boss Steve McClaren: "There are some very tired players in the dressing room. It was always going to be hard work.
"We had a go and I can't fault the players. We ran out of steam in the end. We missed our opportunity in the first game."
Sunday's Premier League game at fellow strugglers Swansea City (16:00 GMT) is a huge match for Leicester. Derby will look to strengthen their Championship play-off bid with a home victory over Bristol City (15:00 GMT) on Saturday.
• None Attempt missed. David Nugent (Derby County) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cyrus Christie with a cross.
• None Goal! Leicester City 3, Derby County 1. Demarai Gray (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
• None Attempt saved. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross.
• None Attempt saved. Andy King (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
• None Attempt missed. Johnny Russell (Derby County) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cyrus Christie with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38822191
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Shirley Collins: Star who couldn't sing for 30 years is nominated for two awards - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Folk star Shirley Collins, who was unable to sing for 30 years, is nominated for two Radio 2 Folk Awards.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Shirley Collins is best known for the album Anthems in Eden, which she recorded in 1969 with her sister, Dorothy
Folk star Shirley Collins, who was robbed of her voice for 30 years by an emotional crisis, has been nominated for two Radio 2 Folk Awards.
The 81-year-old is up for singer of the year, while Lodestar, her first record since 1978, is up for best album.
Collins was an immensely important figure in Britain's folk-rock scene in the 1960s, thanks to her pared-down singing style and strong storytelling.
But her career was cut short by the end of her marriage in the late 1970s.
The star's second husband, Ashley Hutchings, left her for a young actress who took to showing up at Collins' performances.
One night, during a performance of Lark Rise at London's National Theatre, she froze on-stage and found herself unable to sing.
"It was humiliating," she told BBC Radio 4's Mastertapes last year. "Some nights when I opened my mouth nothing would come out, or just a few croaks would come out.
"It went on night after night after night, for far too long. I was trying to sing through tears. I was just in a state."
"I never lost the desire to sing," she added. "It was really heartbreaking for me not to be able to. [But] I couldn't even sing indoors. I couldn't sing to myself."
Collins developed a form of dysphonia, a condition often associated with psychological trauma.
In the years that followed, she wrote books while working in charity shops and a job centre "for five ghastly years" to support herself.
But her music was discovered by a younger generation of fans - including Blur's Graham Coxon and the Decemberists' Colin Meloy - and, eventually, she was coaxed back onto the stage, releasing her new album to wide acclaim last year.
Collins is nominated for singer of the year alongside Ireland's Daoiri Farrell, Scottish musician Kris Drever, and five-time Folk Award winner Jim Causley.
Farrell has the most nominations, three in all, while Songs of Separation - a project inspired by the Scottish referendum, featuring Eliza Carthy, Karine Polwart and Jenny Hill - has two.
Woody Guthrie is one of the most influential figures in folk and popular music
US folk icon Woody Guthrie will be inducted to the Folk Awards Hall of Fame on the 50th anniversary of his death.
The author of classics such as I Ain't Got No Home, Pretty Boy Floyd and This Train Is Bound For Glory, his songs were a major influence on popular music, and have been covered by the likes of Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.
Just this week, Lady Gaga sang a portion of his civil rights anthem This Land Is Your Land in a thinly-veiled attack on Donald Trump at the Super Bowl.
Billy Bragg, who made a Grammy award-winning album with Wilco based on unused Woody Guthrie lyrics, will pay tribute to the star with a headline performance at the awards.
Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart, best known for the hit single Year Of The Cat, will also perform, after being honoured with the lifetime achievement award.
Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis will present the awards at London's Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday, 5 April. The ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38910195
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Miriam Gonzalez Durantez: Don't call me Mrs Clegg - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Lawyer whose husband is ex-deputy PM notes the "irony" of women's day invite in her married name.
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UK Politics
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Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, whose husband is former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, has complained after being invited to an International Women's Day event in her married name.
Posting a picture of a letter addressed to "Mrs Clegg" on Instagram, she noted the "irony" of the situation.
The event, on 8 March, is designed to "celebrate women's success", she added.
Ms Gonzalez Durantez is a lawyer specialising in international and EU trade law.
Miriam Gonzalez Durantez says she does not want to be known by her husband's surname
She wrote: "The irony of being invited to speak at an International Women's Day event to celebrate women's success, addressed to me as 'Mrs Clegg'."
Ms Gonzalez Durantez set up the Inspiring Women group, which recruits women with successful careers to visit and speak to girls at state schools in England.
This is not the first time she has criticised the way she is perceived or described.
Last year she told Marie Claire magazine: "I find people say of me 'She wears the trousers' and as you can see, it is true, I have very nice trousers.
"Or if my husband and I share the school run, it's me who has forced him, dragged him away from his work.
"But when people, or in my case the media, are using that label on you, they are not saying you are strong, they are saying you should get back in your box. You should make the dinner and have his slippers ready with a gin and tonic."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38904863
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FA reform: 'Stupid old men may fight changes,' says Greg Dyke - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Ex-chairman Greg Dyke fears "stupid, old men" at the Football Association will fight reform proposals even though it may cost them £40m in grassroots funding.
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The "old men" accused of blocking change at the Football Association are "stupid enough" to fight reforms, says former chairman Greg Dyke.
MPs will debate the FA's failure to reform in Parliament on Thursday.
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has warned the FA could lose £30m-£40m of funding if it does not modernise.
"You shouldn't underestimate the old men of English football. They've seen off all sorts of people over the years," Dyke told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Government are now saying if you don't do these things you'll lose money and we won't support you in the future. Who knows, they are stupid enough to say 'we're going to fight it anyway'."
The government has repeatedly called for the FA to be more representative of modern society, and those who play the game. It also wants the organisation to change the way it makes decisions.
The FA is effectively run by its own parliament, the FA Council, which has 122 members - just eight are women and only four from ethnic minorities. More than 90 of the 122 members are aged over 60.
In a letter sent to those members, Barry Taylor - Barnsley's life president and one of 19 FA life vice-presidents - wrote: "Let them stop the money.
"I often wonder why the FA does not tell the government to concentrate on running the country and allowing the FA to run football.
"We have the money, we have the power, and they will be back in four years' time to initiate change again.
"Why does the FA continually have to battle with different governments, who do not have to retire, have no age limit, and have no term limits?"
Last year, five former FA executives - including Dyke - called on the government to pass legislation to force through FA reform, saying they had been blocked in their attempts to do so.
"There needs to be radical change," Dyke continued. "You've got to have younger people there, more women, supporters, ethnic minorities - it's got to change.
"The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has produced two papers over the years that have both pressed for change and both been completely ignored by this bunch of old guys."
He singled out 25 life presidents on the FA Council he said were "not representing anyone", adding: "It's an ongoing oligarchy that looks after itself.
"My understanding is that the professional game has also had enough of these old guys."
But in his letter, Taylor challenged the idea that the Council was unrepresentative.
"It is not exactly static or long-serving, considering that since 2014 a third have retired and therefore a third are new members," he wrote.
"To accuse them of blocking progress is simply not true as the numbers do not add up. They are easy targets."
Current chairman Greg Clarke has said he will quit if his latest plans for reform are not accepted when he presents them to the government in the spring.
And Dyke said: "I think Greg Clarke is a good guy who is trying to make a change, as I did.
"I suspect what Greg is doing is saying to the FA, more than government, that if you can't give me a deal that meets what government is after then I'm not staying around. In which case they'll have lost another chairman. I'm not sure that will worry them - they've lost so many chairmen over the years it doesn't really matter."
Greg Dyke's latest comments will no doubt anger many FA councillors.
While few deny the governing body's "parliament" lacks diversity and needs to be more representative of the modern game, many reject the narrative that they are always to blame for a lack of progress.
One of the reasons Dyke's attempts at reform failed when he was chairman was because the council feared it would hand even more power and influence to the professional clubs, and especially to the Premier League.
They insist they were right to stand up to Dyke at a time of mounting concern over inequality in the sport.
Some critics also point out it is the FA's board - not its council - where real power lies, and that until more independent directors are added to it, the power of the game's vested interests will continue to prevent decision-making for the whole sport."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38911980
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Newspaper headlines: May's Commons victory and 'tragic' Tara - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The death of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and the government's Brexit Commons victory dominate Thursday's front pages.
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The Papers
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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson might have been surprised by the amount of coverage, as well as the genuinely sad tone, afforded to her death, aged 45.
The Guardian calls hers "a life cut short", but added that "no-one could quite remember what she was famous for".
The Daily Telegraph sees her as having been "the earliest incarnation of the C-list celebrities that now dominate our TV schedules".
She was one of the "It girl" crowd who were considered, the paper says, "silly, inconsequential, sexy, effervescent, naughty - and incredible fun".
Referring to the socialite by her initials TPT, the Daily Mail says she "lit up the gossip columns of the 90s".
She simply "loved being in the spotlight and the spotlight loved her back", it says.
The photo on the front of the Daily Mirror, dressed in a bikini, white boots, a fur coat and a snorkeling mask, presents her in her party-loving heyday.
The obituary in the Times remembers her "untiring glamour and her outgoing personality that fizzed like the bottles of Bollinger she enjoyed devouring".
But "she never found contentment", says the Daily Express, recalling her spiral into addiction and ill health.
She "desperately craved happiness yet rarely found it", the paper adds.
The political fall-out from Brexit so far is dealt with in the Telegraph with a cartoon.
Besides a bottle of "Cameron's referendum elixir", dubbed a "cure for acute Euro-party splits", stands a glowing Mrs May.
She declares: "I can't believe it actually worked for us!"
On the other side, Mr Corbyn and some red rosette-wearing aides are doubled up in pain, saying: "It just made my lot worse."
The i newspaper highlights the resignation from the Labour front bench of Clive Lewis - someone it describes as a "key Corbyn ally."
The Sun talks of renewed speculation about the Labour leader's future. However, party officials tell the Daily Mail he will not stand down - and he will fight the next election.
The Sun reports that auditors have found a "spike" in thefts of public money intended to be spent on foreign aid.
The Times suggests that hundreds of millions of pounds are lost every year.
The Mail says the requirement to spend 0.7% of national income on aid has led ministers to "shovel bucket loads to corrupt regimes and lorry-loads more to any agency willing to spend it."
Far better, says the Express, to make sure "sick and elderly people in this country are properly looked after."".
There are few things the papers enjoy more than a survey that is almost certain to provoke a family row.
The Mail has got hold of an academic study that suggests "first born children are more likely to do better at school than their siblings".
The researchers think that's because "their parents give them more stimulation in their early years".
However, the i points out that history does not prove that first-borns are brighter.
While Albert Einstein and JK Rowling were, Charles Dickens was the second of eight, and Marie Curie the the youngest of five.
Forget Brexit - says the Express - the latest issue to divide the nation is ketchup.
Namely, should it be stored in the fridge, or not?
Supermarkets including Aldi and Asda have been trying to find out what the customers prefer - and microbiologists have chipped in too.
However, the Express ducks out of the debate, saying only that the Food Standards Agency advises people to follow the instructions on the label.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-38914622
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Peterborough puppy rescued from tumble dryer vent - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dennis the puppy got himself in a pickle trying to get outside to play in the garden.
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Cambridgeshire
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The puppy had been trying to get outside to the garden to play when he became stuck
A puppy had to be rescued after getting its head firmly wedged in a tumble dryer vent hole.
Dennis, a 12-week-old American bulldog-cross Staffordshire bull terrier may have been trying to get outside to play, his owner from Peterborough said.
He told firefighters the pup could see the garden through the hole in the kitchen wall and attempted to squeeze through - but his head got stuck.
Officers used a hammer and chisel to chip away at the wall to free Dennis.
Despite his ordeal the puppy was unharmed and is paw-fectly fine.
Firefighters had to chisel the wall away to rescue Dennis from his predicament
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-38917407
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FA Cup: Demarai Gray's moment of magic for Leicester - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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Demarai Gray produces a moment of magic as he slaloms past Derby defenders to score for Leicester in their FA Cup fourth-round replay.
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Demarai Gray produces a moment of magic as he slaloms past Derby defenders to score for Leicester in their FA Cup fourth-round replay.
Watch all the best action from this season's FA Cup here.
Available to UK users only.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38914589
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Trump used the term 'Easy D'. What did he mean? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The president tweeted about an 'EASY D', which immediately had people guessing what he meant.
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US & Canada
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President Donald Trump has again lambasted the judicial rulings keeping him from enforcing his travel ban - but this time his tweet had a curious turn of phrase.
"Big increase in traffic into our country from certain areas, while our people are far more vulnerable, as we wait for what should be EASY D!" he wrote at 12:41 Washington time.
It was just one of a string of tweets defending his executive order, which banned entry to the US from citizens from seven countries deemed a high risk for terrorism. It has been put on hold while judges across the country assess its legality.
But the use of "EASY D" left the Twitterati scratching their heads.
"I think the one thing uniting the country rn [right now] is that none of us, regardless of political affiliation, knows what "Easy D" is," wrote Teen Vogue's Lily Herman.
Some were certain they knew: "Spoiler alert: D means decision," wrote CNN's Jon Ostrower. (Others argued that it meant "defence", a commonly used abbreviation in sports.)
Most were less concerned about the meaning and more interested in the opportunity to make a quick joke.
"Don't make him switch out Easy D for Hard D," warned frequent Trump critic Arthur Chu.
The single-theme joke account @TrumpDraws got into the act with a new image playing on the Easy D reference.
"The media never wants to talk about the people Easy D slaughtered at Bowling Green," quipped Vox writer Matt Yglesias, referring to the non-existent massacre mistakenly mentioned by Trump strategist Kellyanne Conway.
Screenwriter Randi Mayem Singer joked about Trump's earlier tweet, jeering the retailer Nordstrom for dropping his daughter Ivanka's fashion line. "I just got measured at Nordstrom. Was wearing an Easy D, but I should be an Easy DDD."
Still, while the anti-Trump crowd had fun laughing it up on Twitter, they have had less success stopping Trump's cabinet appointments.
So far all of his picks remain on track to confirmation, and even the most hotly-contested nomination, Betsy DeVos, was approved by the Senate.
Meanwhile, Trump supporters say their man is doing exactly what they elected him to do - keep the country safe and disrupt government business as usual.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38847792
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Nabila Ramdani: 'Marine Le Pen won't do a Donald' - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Viewsnight is BBC Newsnight's new place for ideas and opinion. Here, French-Algerian journalist Nabila Ramdani argues Marine Le Pen will not win in France.
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Viewsnight is BBC Newsnight's new place for ideas and opinion.
Here, French-Algerian journalist Nabila Ramdani argues Marine Le Pen will not win in France - as Donald Trump did in the US - because of the legacy of her father.
For more Viewsnight, head over to BBC Newsnight on Facebook and on YouTube
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38919484
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Daily Politics coverage of PMQs - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Prime Minister's Questions on the BBC's Daily Politics.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27901933
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BBC iPlayer - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10318089
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Bank warns 'lax financial rules' are a route to failure - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The BoE's deputy governor warns against abandoning bank rules amid claims the UK could become an offshore tax haven.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Jon Cunliffe: "The UK, in order to be a successful financial centre, needs robust regulation"
The man responsible for financial stability at the Bank of England has warned against relaxing banking regulation, saying that such a move could damage the global economy.
Sir Jon Cunliffe told the BBC that "lax controls" risked undoing progress that had been made since the financial crisis.
"We've made very substantial progress since the financial crisis, increasing the resilience of the financial sector and increasing its ability to support the economy in times of stress both nationally and in Europe and globally, including the US," Sir Jon told me.
"Those changes were necessary.
"None of us want to see again the sorts of events we saw between 2007 and 2009 and the costs of those events are still very clear.
"In order to have a resilient financial sector and consistent regulation internationally we need international standards, we need the reforms we have had and it is important we preserve them."
Sir Jon's comments come after suggestions that if Britain did not secure a good trade deal with the European Union following Brexit, the UK could become an offshore tax haven - encouraging businesses and banks to move to the country to avoid tougher regulations elsewhere.
Donald Trump, via an executive order, has also announced there will be a review of the Dodd-Frank legislation in America.
It was passed during the Obama presidency to control the use of complicated financial instruments by institutions, increase the amount of money banks are required to have available to avoid tax-payer funded bailouts and stop banks using their own money to invest in intricate equity and debt products for profit, what is called proprietary trading.
Although it had many supporters for making banks more secure, it has also been attacked for making banks less able to lend and more risk averse, particularly smaller, regional banks which support local economies.
Sir Jon, who is the deputy governor of the Bank responsible for financial stability, said that it was too early to say what the outcome of the reform proposals would be.
He pointed out the executive order spoke about proportionate regulation and maintained the need to prevent bail outs which didn't seem "out of line" with global approaches to regulation.
Sir Jon said it was necessary, as the Bank had done, to investigate problems of "regulatory conflict" and change the rules where there had been unintended consequences.
But he warned that as the UK had a very large financial services sector - providing about 8% of the country's economic output - it was important that the highest standards were maintained.
"It is important we have proportionate, highest quality regulation - robust and in line with best international standards," he said.
"The UK - in order to be a successful financial centre, you need good regulation, you need robust regulation and you need regulators that have credibility and experience.
"One doesn't become successful as an international centre by having lax standards and by being open to crises and regulatory arbitrage [the use of regulatory loopholes to avoid banking costs]."
Sir Jon, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee which sets interest rates, said that the next move on interest rates, whether up or down, was "balanced".
Yesterday another MPC member, Kristin Forbes, suggested that she was moving towards supporting a rate rise because growth was more robust than originally thought and inflation was rising.
"There are risks on the downside as well," Sir Jon said.
"That [the economy] will slow faster and that uncertainty effects will come in and have an impact. For me the risks are evenly balanced."
Sir Jon was speaking at the launch of new Bank research which showed that a third of companies surveyed admitted that they had not invested enough over the last five years.
He said that investment was important to support economic growth and better productivity.
Reasons for not investing included economic uncertainty, risk aversion following the financial crisis and a perception that there were still constraints on bank lending. The man responsible for financial stability at the Bank of England has warned against relaxing banking regulation, saying that such a move could damage the global economy.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38913306
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Super League: St Helens 6-4 Leeds Rhinos - BBC Sport
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2017-02-09
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St Helens earn a narrow win in a low-scoring but enthralling Super League season opener against Leeds Rhinos.
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Last updated on .From the section Rugby League
St Helens earned a narrow win in a low-scoring but enthralling Super League season opener against Leeds Rhinos.
Joel Moon scored the first try of the new season in the corner as Rhinos went into the break 4-0 ahead.
Theo Fages crashed over early in the second before Mark Percival's conversion gave the lead to Saints, who had two tries ruled out by the video referee in the match.
Leeds pressed for another, but Saints stood firm in an energy-sapping game.
As the game came to a close, both sides needed last-ditch defending to save them, including from Rhinos' Ashton Golding, a stand-out performer to deny Saints getting more scores on the board throughout.
The Rhinos, who had to secure their Super League place through The Qualifiers last campaign, looked a totally different side to the one that found itself bottom of the table during last season.
Rob Burrow, playing his 500th Leeds Rhinos match, and Carl Ablett put Moon in for the first try, and Golding held up Tommy Makinson to ensure the visitors kept their advantage going into the second half.
Saints were without the injured Matty Smith, but Danny Richardson was impressive throughout, and his half-back partner Fages broke through the defence to help put Saints ahead.
Makinson then superbly saved a certain try himself, taking Liam Sutcliffle out of play when the Leeds man looked to be heading for the line.
Leeds had the majority of play towards the end of the match, but Saints' long-kicking game made it difficult for Rhinos to gain ground and the hosts held out for victory.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/38896656
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The Body Shop: What went wrong? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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With French owner L'Oreal wanting to put The Body Shop up for sale, BBC News asks what's gone wrong at the UK cosmetics chain?
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
"A confused shop with a mish-mash of products with no emphasis on the fact that this is supposed to be a shop specialising in cruelty-free, fair trade toiletries and make-up," is Suzy Bourke's damning verdict on The Body Shop.
The 42-year-old stage manager used to be a regular shopper at the High Street chain, but now she tends to go to Boots instead.
And she's not alone. Its owner, cosmetics giant L'Oreal, wants to offload the High Street chain, which has been suffering slowing sales.
The Body Shop, founded by Dame Anita Roddick in 1976, was a pioneer using natural ingredients for its beauty products when it started out. It initially thrived, expanding rapidly, and by the 1980s was one of the most well-known brands on the High Street.
I remember the chain fondly from my youth, when it seemed to be an exciting shop full of affordable, fun and exciting products. Coloured animal soaps, banana shampoo, white musk perfume and strawberry shower gel were the height of 1980s beauty chic as far as I was concerned.
But by the early 2000s, rivals had caught up, with firms such as Boots, for example, developing similar natural beauty ranges. New challengers such as Lush also emerged, encroaching on The Body Shop's market share.
"You never see a Body Shop busy any more, they always used to be packed," says Suzy Bourke
The chain is still a sizeable High Street presence with more than 3,000 stores in 66 countries and employs 22,000 people, according to its website.
The Body Shop's results for 2016 show total sales were 920.8m euros (£783.8m), down from 967.2m euros in 2015, which L'Oreal blamed on market slowdowns in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.
The sales were a tiny proportion of L'Oreal's overall 25.8bn euros of sales for the same period.
And arguably the chain - which L'Oreal bought for £652m ($1.14bn) in 2006 - remains a lower-end and insignificant part of its huge portfolio of brands, which include skincare specialists Kiehl's, Lancome and Garnier, as well as fragrance brands Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani.
Veteran retail analyst Richard Hyman argues that L'Oreal overpaid for the chain and has failed to add any value to it.
"Frankly it's a bit of mystery them buying it in the first place.
"What they bought is a retailer and what they're good at is brands," he says.
The Body Shop's use of natural ingredients made it a pioneer when it started out in 1976
He thinks The Body Shop's struggles are down to the same issues facing the retail sector as a whole:
"Retailing in shops is becoming an increasingly challenging business. You've got to have a very compelling retail proposition as opposed to a brand or product proposition.
"Everyone that shops in The Body Shop spends most of their personal care budget somewhere else. They're constantly chasing their tail, having to work hard to attract people into a store," he says.
When the 2006 deal was struck, founder Dame Anita - who died just a year later - was forced to reject claims that The Body Shop, known for its ethically sourced goods, was joining with "the enemy".
There were concerns that some of the ingredients L'Oreal then used in its products had been tested on animals, while The Body Shop was publicly opposed to animal testing.
The French firm insisted the brand would complement its existing offering, giving it increased presence in the "masstige" sector - mass market combined with prestige.
But Charlotte Pearce, an analyst at consultancy GlobalData Retail, believes the firm has "slightly lost its way" under L'Oreal's ownership.
"While The Body Shop's heritage is strong, it needs to work on its brand perception. It's not known as a brand which is innovative and new, and it's failed to keep up with market trends - contour sticks, kits and palettes were a strong trend in 2016, and these are nowhere to be seen in The Body Shop's range," she says.
Analysts say The Body Shop has lost its cachet as a fashionable brand
These days the firm is not seen as "a trendy brand", but mostly as a shop for gifting and low-value items, such as its body butters and body lotions, she says.
"With premium retailers such as Jo Malone and Liz Earle offering in-store treatments, there is more that The Body Shop could be doing to raise its profile and improve the customer experience," she adds.
Nonetheless, Prof John Colley from Warwick Business School believes there will still be plenty of interest from private equity funds.
He expects the firm to be sold with its current separate management team, who he says are likely to have their own ideas for how to improve it.
"When a major corporate has decided it doesn't want a business, it will sell it, probably, whatever the price.
"They [L'Oreal] are trying to get rid of it because it's underperforming. But anyone bidding will see a clear turnaround. Independent ownership would probably serve the firm well. A refreshed image would almost certainly work," he says.
Mr Hyman, too, believes a new owner could improve The Body Shop, particularly by selling the chain's products outside its own shops. But he says trying to offload the large store estate with long committed leases will be a hindrance to any buyer.
"That's not to say it isn't a business with potential, but it could perform much more strongly," he says.
Dame Anita Roddick, who founded the firm in 1976 at the age of 34, said her original motivation for the firm was simply to make a living for herself and her two daughters while her husband was away travelling.
But as someone who had travelled widely, she set out to do things differently, relying on natural ingredients and her customers' interest in the environment.
"Why waste a container when you can refill it? And why buy more of something than you can use? We behaved as she [my mother] did in the Second World War, we reused everything, we refilled everything and we recycled all we could.
"The foundation of The Body Shop's environmental activism was born out of ideas like these," she wrote.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38905530
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Reality check: Is Donald Trump's cabinet facing historic obstruction? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Donald Trump says it is taking longer to get his appointments confirmed than any other president.
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US & Canada
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The claim: It has taken longer for Donald Trump to have his "full cabinet" confirmed than any president in US history.
Reality Check Verdict: Democrats have slow-walked many of Mr Trump's presidential nominations. It has taken longer so far for him to get the majority of his choices confirmed, although part of that is due to the lateness of a few nominations and delays in submitting background-check paperwork. Mr Trump still has months to go, however, before he sets a record for how long it has taken to have all his cabinet positions filled.
On 7 February Donald Trump tweeted that it was a "disgrace" that he did not have his full cabinet of top-level presidential appointments confirmed by the US Senate. He called it the "longest such delay in the history of our country" and blamed it on Democratic obstruction.
His message echoed comments made by other prominent Republicans in Congress and his own administration.
Press secretary Sean Spicer said the length of time it has taken to get Mr Trump's presidential nominations confirmed was "ridiculous".
"The Senate Democrats have done everything in their power to slow the work of the Senate, while the president continues to take decisive action, just like he promised," he said.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said "Democrat obstruction has reached new extreme levels", which he called a "historic break with tradition".
"It's time to finally accept the results of the election and move on," he added.
Do as I say, not as I do?
At its most basic level, Mr Trump's tweet about the historic nature of the delays in assembling his "full cabinet" is demonstrably false.
As of 8 February, Mr Trump has had six of his 15 cabinet selections confirmed by the Senate, with several more awaiting final Senate approval. While he still has a way to go before his entire team is in place, it's hardly historic at this point.
Bill Clinton didn't have his final spot filled until 11 March. Republican George HW Bush took until 17 March. Barack Obama holds the modern record, as his last pick - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius - didn't get her Senate vote until 28 April.
Only George W Bush, who like Mr Trump won the presidency without securing a plurality of the popular vote, had his full team in place within weeks of his inauguration, following John Ashcroft's confirmation as attorney general on 30 January.
While Mr Trump's assertion is without basis in fact, he - and his fellow Republicans - are on firmer ground with a more general complaint about delayed confirmations.
Of the past five presidencies, Mr Trump has by far the fewest confirmed cabinet selections at this point. Only two of his nominees - Secretary of Defence James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly - were approved on inauguration day. Mr Clinton had three, Mr Obama had six, and George W Bush had seven. By mid-February, Mr Obama had all but three of his picks seated. Mr Clinton had all but one. George HW Bush was missing four.
Part of the reason it took so long to fit those last pieces into their cabinets is because those past presidents had to withdraw initial selections due to scandal or insurmountable political opposition. George HW Bush's defence pick, John Tower, was voted down by the Senate. Mr Clinton swung and missed twice on attorney general before settling on Janet Reno. Mr Obama withdrew commerce nominees twice and health and human services once.
So far, Mr Trump has stuck with his original picks - although labour secretary nominee Andrew Puzder has yet to complete his ethics review and has had his confirmation hearing delayed four times.
Puzder isn't the only one of Mr Trump's wealthy nominees who has had difficulty completing the Office of Government Ethics' vetting paperwork, which has contributed to confirmation delays. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross were among those who were tardy in complying with background-check requirements.
Mr Trump was also remarkably slow to come up with several cabinet picks. He didn't announce Veterans Affairs nominee David Shulkin until 11 January. Agriculture pick Sonny Perdue was unveiled just two days before inauguration on 20 January - an astounding fact, considering of Mr Trump's four predecessors, only four original nominations came after New Year's Day (George HW Bush's energy pick James Watkins was the latest, on 12 January).
Empty Democrat seats during a committee vote on two cabinet nominee
This isn't to discount the obvious efforts Democrats have made to drag out the confirmation process for some Trump picks.
They staged walk-outs at committee hearings for health and human services nominee Tom Price and treasury's Steven Mnuchin, delaying approval votes by a day. They gave long speeches that held up votes for Mr Sessions in committee vote and Ms DeVos on the Senate floor.
They've used bits of arcane Senate procedure and parliamentary manoeuvres to gum up the works where they can - although, due to their minority status, they can only delay, not derail.
Although the efforts have been futile, Democratic senators are voting "no" on Mr Trump's nominees at an increasingly higher rate. More Democrats cast votes against Ms Devos than all previous education secretaries combined, dating back to the position's creation in 1980.
There have been a total of 111 no votes in the five nominees who have come up for a full Senate vote so far - compared with only 18 in the entirety of Mr Clinton's presidency. Mr Obama's choices had 406 no votes, but that was over the course of eight years and 31 nominations.
Democrats have also pumped up the anti-Trump rhetoric, throwing red meat to a Democratic base that is furious at any signs of compromise or accommodation.
"If not total unanimity, we're going to have near Democratic unity in opposing the remaining nominees for President Trump's cabinet," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said on Monday. "This unity makes clear just how bad this cabinet would be for America's middle class and those struggling to get there."
While Republicans cite statements like Schumer's as examples of unprecedented Democratic intransigence, Democrats are quick to note that in the latter days of the Obama administration, conservatives were equally vigorous in their opposition to the president's selections.
Merrick Garland, whose Supreme Court nomination languished for 10 months before expiring without a hearing, is foremost in their minds, but even Mr Obama's second-term cabinet picks faced record-breaking delays.
His choice for labour secretary, Thomas Perez, took 121 days to be confirmed. John Bryson, his commerce pick, waited 126 days. Attorney General Loretta Lynch holds the modern record, as 161 days passed before getting Senate approval.
If a Trump nominee had that sort of delay, he or she wouldn't assume office until well into June.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38913709
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Has Tom Hiddleston damaged his brand? - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two media commentators discuss whether recent headlines about the British actor have dented his image.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Hiddleston was nominated for the Bafta Rising Star award in 2011
The last few months haven't been too easy for Tom Hiddleston.
In September, he and girlfriend Taylor Swift broke up after three months together amid accusations their relationship was a publicity stunt.
Then, in January, he apologised for an "inelegantly expressed" winner's speech at the Golden Globes in which he referred to aid workers in South Sudan "binge-watching" The Night Manager.
This time last year, the actor was riding the crest of a wave.
After starring in hugely successful BBC drama The Night Manager as well as the big-screen adaption of JG Ballard's High-Rise, he was a hot favourite to be the next James Bond.
But have his off-screen actions since done damage to his brand?
"Some of the recent headlines have been unhelpful," admits Mark Borkowski, a strategic PR consultant.
"There are events that happen and they're not thought through properly, and the nature of being caught up with Taylor Swift's gang and not thinking it through strategically has undone him.
Swift and Hiddleston dated for three months last year
"Sometimes people don't recognise the power of their brand, and often you can't conduct yourself in the way you think you can."
But Steven Gaydos, vice-president and executive editor of Variety, thinks Hiddleston is still a hot property, despite his recent PR mishaps.
"I don't think anything he's done to date has put any serious dent into his career," he told the BBC.
"He's a fantastic actor doing fantastic work. He has a fanbase and he's delivering the goods.
"These are just missteps - somebody doing something that causes chatter. In this case Tom Hiddleston made a speech and people thought it was silly, or he dated a woman and people thought it was a little bogus.
"He's not going to be hauled in front of the courts for any of this."
Hiddleston starred in BBC One's adaption of The Night Manager
Nonetheless, it's fair to say HiddleSwift brought Tom a great deal of negative attention.
Some fans thought the couple were being suspiciously open about their relationship, leading to accusations that all was not what it seemed.
Hiddleston has now defended his relationship with Swift in an interview with GQ, saying: "Of course it was real."
He also said the 'I ♥ T.S. [Taylor Swift]' tank top he was photographed wearing was "a joke", explaining he was lent it by a friend to protect a graze from the sun.
The actor said the pictures of him wearing the shirt were taken "without consent or permission", and that fans and the media had "no context".
"I was just surprised that it got so much attention," he said. "The tank top became an emblem of this thing."
The series was directed by Susanne Bier (right) and adapted from a John le Carre novel
So is this latest interview simply damage limitation? "Absolutely," says Mark Borkowski.
"I don't think Tom Hiddleston knew at the time just how big a brand he was. Now he does know that and has to think carefully.
"This GQ interview is an example of putting the record straight and trying to get a narrative together to try and recover from some poorly judged moments."
Borkowski adds: "There's a beautiful naivety about Tom Hiddleston that is projected through this interview where he's trying to talk directly to his fans. This is material you put there for them."
Hiddleston's acceptance speech at last month's Golden Globes was criticised
Hiddleston himself admits in the interview: "A relationship in the limelight takes work. And it's not just the limelight. It's everything else.
"And I'm still trying to work out a way of having a personal life and protecting it, but also without hiding."
Gaydos has a lot of sympathy for the 36-year-old on the Taylor Swift front.
"Imagine you just met someone and you're having a relationship and the whole world is watching. It's like snakes all around you," he says.
"I'd hate to to live in a fish bowl and have every move analysed, with people saying you're a fraud, your relationship is a fraud, everything you're doing is insincere and fake."
Hiddleston said his relationship with Taylor Swift wasn't a publicity stunt
Hiddleston has two films coming out later this year - Thor: Ragnarok and Kong: Skull Island. Gaydos says the film studios won't be particularly worried about Hiddleston's off-screen actions.
"They're worrying about the tracking. If the trailer goes out for Kong and the response isn't strong or the awareness of the movie isn't high, that's what they're really concerned about," he says.
"Tom has not ventured anywhere near the space where we've seen stars screw up their careers and really damage their star wattage."
Hiddleston will be seen in the new Kong and Thor films later this year
Borkowski adds: "Anything is recoverable in this day and age.
"Last week we were hearing about the death of the David Beckham brand, but we'd forgotten about it by Thursday.
"Things move so quickly now, so it is always about recovery."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38917456
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Snow church for Russia village - BBC News
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2017-02-09
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Villager Alexander Batyokhtin has built a church out of snow in Sosnovka in Siberia.
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Villager Alexander Batyokhtin has built a church out of snow in Sosnovka in Siberia.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38909867
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Tower Hamlets rejects concerns over Muslim foster family - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An investigation by a senior social worker said it did not accept allegations made in the media.
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UK
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The council responsible for the care of a five-year-old girl who was placed with Muslim foster family has rejected concerns about her treatment.
The Times alleged the Christian girl's foster carers stopped her from eating bacon, told her to learn Arabic and removed a crucifix necklace from her.
Tower Hamlets Council has rejected the allegations following an investigation.
A spokesperson for The Times said it reported concerns raised by the child's mother and a social care worker.
The child, who was put into care due to concerns about her biological mother's welfare, now lives with a grandmother.
She was placed into the Muslim foster family's care in March by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
In August, the Times newspaper published a story claiming she had been "forced to live with a niqab-wearing foster carer".
The paper reported the girl had "sobbed and begged" not to return to the family because "they don't speak English".
She also allegedly told her biological mother that "Christmas and Easter are stupid" and "European women are stupid and alcoholic".
However, Tower Hamlets Council - which investigated the claims - said the allegations were unsubstantiated and the girl did not know what Europe was.
A spokesperson for The Times said: "The Times reported concerns about the suitability of this foster placement raised by the child's mother and a social care worker who supervised regular meetings between the girl and her birth family
"Tower Hamlets was ordered to investigate the allegations and invited by the judge to publish an 'alternative narrative' in respect of them.
"Its report today rejects the allegations but records that the mother disputes the findings."
A report by a senior social worker said the child had "expressed no negative views about Christmas, Easter or any religious festival" when questioned.
The five-year-old is currently living with her maternal grandmother, who the council said was "distressed and angered" by the "false" allegations against the foster carers.
"She has a good relationship with the carers and is grateful for the excellent care she says that they have provided to the child," the report added.
Lawyers for the child's mother agreed the social worker's findings were "an accurate representation of the outcome of the council's investigation," a Tower Hamlets spokesman added.
According to the report, the girl's grandmother wants to take the child to her country of origin, which cannot be named for legal reasons.
East London family court previously heard the girl had a "warm and appropriate" relationship with her foster carers, and missed them after she went to live with her grandmother.
Judge Khatun Sapnara said: "The local authority has satisfied itself that the foster carer has not behaved in any way which is inconsistent with their provision of warm and appropriate care for the child."
The judge will decide after a further hearing next month whether the child stays with her maternal grandmother.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41833590
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Bill on voting at 16 falters - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A private member's bill to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote has little chance of becoming law after running out of debating time in the Commons.
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Parliaments
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A private member's bill to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote now has little chance of becoming law after running out of debating time in the House of Commons, before it could be put to a vote.
The Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement) Bill, proposed by the Labour MP Jim McMahon, was debated for a little less than an hour and a half.
And the Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing ruled that was not long enough for her to allow it to be put to a vote.
In theory the debate will resume on a Friday in December, but in practice the bill will be so low on the agenda, it's unlikely to get any debating time.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-parliaments-41804082
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Fallon's 'painful' decision to resign - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Sir Michael Fallon has been known as a reliable minister, but also a sociable and approachable politician.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Michael Fallon: "Not right for me to go on as defence secretary".
"What might have been acceptable 15, 10 years ago is clearly not acceptable now," Sir Michael Fallon told me tonight as he quit the government.
Clear to him now, and his departure will make clear to any other politicians in Westminster that behaviour they might have laughed off or treated as part and parcel of the rumbustious life is not acceptable and is not, it seems, acceptable to Number 10.
It has plainly for him been a very painful discovery to make.
Sources close to him don't believe that he is some kind of predator.
He has been known as a reliable minister, but also a sociable and approachable politician.
While sources close to him want to underline that they had not been told of any more allegations to come, or anything more serious, they were clearly aware that there could be more to come.
He did not feel that he could necessarily account for every event, every encounter in a long ministerial career without being able to guarantee that no more would emerge.
But it's also been suggested to the BBC that Number 10 was approached directly by several women with concerns about Sir Michael just this afternoon.
And within hours he had therefore taken the decision to go.
Number 10 won't deny or confirm what led to the resignation - they won't engage at all in any discussion of the whys and wherefores of the decision making process.
And as above, Sir Michael's team say they know of nothing else that was about to break.
But some Tory MPs are looking to what happened as potential evidence that when the prime minister said that she would take this harassment scandal seriously, she really meant it.
P.S. It also leaves Mrs May with a huge headache about reshaping her Cabinet at a time of political weakness. More of that tomorrow.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41840007
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Beware potential signs of pancreatic cancer - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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One in three adults might dismiss potential symptoms of this all-too-often deadly disease, say experts.
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Health
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Nikki is having chemotherapy to help prevent the cancer from returning
One in three adults might ignore potential symptoms of pancreatic cancer, according to a charity.
Stomach ache, indigestion, unexplained weight loss and faeces that float rather than sink in the lavatory can be warning signs of the potentially deadly disease, says Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Early detection and treatment are vital to save lives.
Nikki Davies was diagnosed in March, aged 51. Her tumour was caught early, meaning a surgeon could remove it.
"I have been incredibly lucky that mine could be operated on and hadn't spread, as far as we can tell.
"My message to others would be that no-one knows your body like you do.
"Know what the symptoms are and talk to your GP if you notice anything that's unusual for you.
"Deep down, I think you know something is wrong.
"For me, it was the pain. It felt like an animal was eating me from the inside. It was in my back too, between my shoulder blades. And I'd lost a lot of weight very quickly.
"I didn't know anything about pancreatic cancer before my diagnosis, and I certainly wouldn't have known what the symptoms were."
Currently, about one in 10 people diagnosed with the condition survives beyond five years.
This is in large part due to most patients being diagnosed at a late stage, when treatment options are very limited, says Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Its survey of 4,000 UK adults suggests awareness of the symptoms is still too low.
Alex Ford, chief executive at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: "We do not want people to panic if they have some or all of these symptoms, because most people who have them will not have pancreatic cancer.
"But it is vital that people know more about this disease, and talk to their GP if they have any concerns.
"The earlier people are diagnosed, the more likely they are to be able to have surgery, which is the one treatment which can save lives."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41817061
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Pedestrian 'seriously injured' after London taxi crash - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Police say the incident, which left one man seriously injured, is not terror-related.
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London
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Police were called after a taxi mounted a pavement in Covent Garden, London
Four people have been injured, including one seriously, after a taxi mounted a pavement in London.
The incident, in Southampton Street, Covent Garden, is not believed to be terror-related, police have said.
A man has been transferred to a major trauma centre with a serious leg injury. Two others were taken to hospital with minor injuries and a fourth was treated by paramedics.
The driver of the taxi was detained at the scene.
Police believe two vehicles were involved in the collision, which took place just after 17:00 GMT.
An eyewitness described seeing a person trapped under the taxi and "hearing screams" as pedestrians were struck.
Police say two cars are thought to have been involved
Another onlooker said he initially thought the incident was terror-related.
"Everyone was running, panicking and screaming", he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41838569
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Australia to ban climbing on Uluru from 2019 - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Visitors will not be allowed to scale the iconic monolith because of indigenous sensitivities.
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Australia
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Climbing on Australia's iconic Uluru landmark will be banned from October 2019, local authorities have confirmed.
The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park voted unanimously to end the climb because of indigenous sensitivities.
The giant red monolith in the Northern Territory is a sacred site for Aboriginal Australians.
Local people have long asked visitors not to climb the outcrop, which was known for many years as Ayers Rock.
Signs at the start of the climb ask people to abstain from going up in respect to the traditional law of the Anangu Aboriginal people, the custodians of the land.
"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland," board chairman and Anangu man Sammy Wilson said on Wednesday.
"If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, an area of restricted access, I don't enter or climb it, I respect it. "
He said the Anangu people had felt intimidation over the years to keep the climb open because it was a top tourist attraction.
However the group had consistently wanted to close the site, a sacred men's area, because of its cultural significance.
"Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about but a cause for celebration. Let's come together; let's close it together," he said.
The board was made up of eight traditional owners as well as four government officials.
Only 16% of visitors made the climb between 2011 to 2015, according to the board's data.
The Unesco World Heritage-listed monolith was handed back to its traditional owners in 1985. The ban will commence on 26 October, 2019 - the 34th anniversary of the handover.
Tourism Central Australia said it supported the decision, pointing out that the public could still access much of the site respectfully.
However, not all have supported the idea of a ban.
Last year, Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles sparked debate when he described the suggestion as "ludicrous.
"We should explore the idea of creating a climb with stringent safety conditions and rules enforcing spiritual respect," said Mr Giles, who is Aboriginal.
However weather and safety concerns have also led to the climb being frequently closed over the past 12 months. Since the 1950s, at least 35 people have died on the trek.
This recent push for the climb's ban was outlined in the park's 2010-2020 management plan, where it was proposed the climb be closed if attendance numbers dropped under 20% and other visitor activities were successfully established.
More than 250,000 people visit Uluru each year, according to the national park's website.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-41827203
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Is this what real beauty looks like? - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Mihaela Noroc has been around the world photographing women from all different walks of life.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Mihaela took these photographs in Kathmandu in Nepal (left) and Reykjavik, Iceland
"Go to Google Images right now," says photographer Mihaela Noroc, "and search 'beautiful women'."
I do as she tells me. Millions of results come back.
"What do you see?" she asks. "Very sexualised images, right?"
Yes. Many of the women in the top pictures are wearing high heels and revealing clothes, and most fit into the same physical mould - young, slim, blonde, perfect skin.
"So beauty all the time is like that," Mihaela says. "Objectifying women, treating them in a very sexualised way, which is unfortunate.
L-R: Portraits taken in Germany, Italy and France
"Women are not like that. We have our stories, our struggles, our power, but we just need to be represented, because young women, they see only images like this every day, so they need to have more confidence that they can look the way they look and be considered beautiful.
"But," she adds, "Google is us, because we are all influencing these images."
Mihaela has just released her first photography book, Atlas of Beauty, which features 500 of her own portraits of women.
Pushkar, India: "I was happy to see women have joined public forces all over the world"
Mihaela took these photographs in Colombia (left) and Milan, Italy
The Romanian photographer's definition of beauty, however, appears to be that there is no definition. The women are a variety of ages, professions and backgrounds.
"People are interested in my pictures because they portray people around us, everyday people around the street," Mihaela explains.
"Usually when we talk about beauty and women, we have this very high, unachievable way of portraying them.
"So my pictures are very natural and simple. And this is, weirdly, a surprise. Because usually we are not seen like that."
Each of the book's 500 portraits has a caption with information about where it was taken, and, in many cases, the subject.
The locations are varied, to put it mildly. They include Nepal, Tibet, Ethiopia, Italy, North Korea, Germany, Mexico, India, Afghanistan, the UK, the US, and the Amazon rainforest.
Sisters Abby and Angela were photographed in New York
Captain Berenice Torres is a helicopter pilot for the Mexican Federal Police
Some locations, however, proved more problematic than others.
"I approach women I want to photograph on the street. I explain what my project is about. Sometimes I get yes as an answer, sometimes I get no, that really depends on the country I'm in," she explains.
"When you go to a more conservative society, a woman is going to have a lot of pressure from society to be a certain way, and her day-to-day life is carefully watched by somebody else.
"So she's not going to accept being photographed very easily, maybe she's going to need permission from the male part of her family.
"In other parts of the world they are extremely careful because there might be issues concerning their safety, like in Colombia. Because they had Pablo Escobar and the mafia for so many years.
"So they say 'OK, so you're going to take my picture but I'm probably going to be kidnapped after that because you're part of the mafia and you're not who you're saying you are'."
She adds: "If somebody were to start this project just with men, it would be much easier, because they don't have to ask permission from their wives, sisters or mothers."
Left: Pokhara, Nepal. Right: "This is what shopping looks like for many people around the world," Mihaela says of her portrait taken in Nampan, Myanmar
Mihaela says she occasionally puts pictures through Photoshop, but not for the reasons you might think.
"When you take a picture, it's usually raw, and that means it's very blank, like a painting, you don't have the colours you had in the reality.
"So I try to make it as vibrant and colourful as it was in the original place. But I'm not making anyone skinnier or anything like that, never, because that's very painful.
"Because I also suffered as a woman growing up from all kinds of difficulties, I wanted to be skinnier, look a certain way, and that was also related to the fake images I saw in day-to-day life."
Idomeni Refugee Camp, Greece: This woman and her daughters fled the war in Syria
It's safe to say Mihaela's photography book is quite different tonally to, say, Kim Kardashian's 2015 book of selfies.
"These days, the bloggers, the famous people of our planet have set this unachievable and fake beauty standard, and it's very difficult for us as women to relate to that," she says.
"Kim Kardashian has 100 million followers on her Instagram page and I have 200,000, so imagine the difference - it's astonishing. But slowly, slowly, I think the message of natural and simple beauty will be spread around the world."
L-R: Portraits taken at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, Omo Valley in Ethiopia and Delphi, Greece
So what's the best piece of advice Mihaela could give to anyone keen to get into photography? Buy a good quality camera? Learn about lenses and angles?
"Buy good shoes," she laughs, "because you're going to walk and explore a lot."
Lisa was backpacking through Berlin when Mihaela met her
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41736574
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On a knife edge: The rise of violence on London's streets - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Knife and gun crimes are on the rise across England and Wales, with more offences being committed in London.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Special correspondent Ed Thomas has witnessed the reality of knife crime
Delivery rider Abla's life changed in an instant in July on his way through Tottenham, north London.
After stopping at traffic lights, his moped was surrounded by five other motorbikes, two riding on the road, three on the pavement.
With the lights on red, he was pushed off his scooter while being threatened with a knife. In a matter of seconds the bike was gone.
"My money has gone, my bike has gone, my job, everything," he said.
"I don't know what I'm going to do."
With only third party insurance, he estimates he's had £2,500 stolen from him.
He is far from being alone.
Across England and Wales an incident involving a blade or sharp object takes place, on average, every 14 minutes. Of the 37,000 incidents in the past 12 months, more than 13,000 offences were committed in London.
We filmed Abla's bike being stolen. What is striking looking back at the footage is how small the robbers look on their mopeds.
But the police say this is not a surprise, with the average age of moped criminals at just 15.
Just weeks later we encounter the aftermath of another attack - this time a woman in a wheelchair assaulted in her local park after a man tried to steal her bag.
Her head and arms covered in blood, she is confused and distressed.
"I couldn't see anything", she said. "He just said 'give me your bag'... I just don't know why people have to do these things."
The violent robbery was witnessed by a group of teenagers. One of them told us he saw violence every day and now felt hopeless.
"It's scaring people because things are happening so often, to the point where people are fearing for their lives every single day."
The capital has seen a staggering 34% rise in knife crime over the last year.
Paul McKenzie has spent all his life in Tottenham.
When he was 15 years old he was stabbed in the hand with a machete.
Shortly afterwards he decided to start carrying a knife to protect himself.
But just months later police caught him with the weapon, and he was sent to a young offender's institute.
Paul McKenzie is committed to getting knives off the streets, after police caught him with a weapon
Since then he has spent 20 years working with young people to educate them about the dangers of drugs, gangs, knives and guns.
He said most of the young people he speaks to in his workshops carry knives for protection.
"What you're finding is - and this has come out of the mouth of a few young people I've spoken to - that teenagers actually know people who can stitch [their wounds] up."
"A lot of the knife crimes are not reported because nobody wants to be involved with the police."
Mr McKenzie said that as well as the fear of 'snitching' there is a lack of faith that an investigation will lead to a prosecution.
The BBC has learnt that police forces across England and Wales are charging fewer people for knife crimes at the same time as offences are rising.
Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from 30 out of 43 police forces showed that the number of knife crime offences that led to offenders being charged or summoned to court had fallen by eight per cent between 2015 and 2016.
But in Northern Ireland, knife crime is down for the second successive year.
Police in Scotland only began collating comprehensive knife crime figures in April. Prior to this, statistics were kept for possession of a knife - this has remained stable for the last few years.
Mr McKenzie regularly gets tip-offs about the public places where knives are hidden by people to use when they might need them at short notice.
As he walks around a park in Enfield, north London, it takes him just minutes to find what he is looking for.
"That could be the difference between someone living and dying right there, because now I know that's not going to go into somebody's chest."
The Metropolitan Police say people carry knives for many reasons - for some it's because they mistakenly believe it offers them protection.
One man the BBC spoke to, who carries a Rambo-style knife and does not want to be identified, said he felt safer when carrying a blade.
He admitted to seeing multiple friends injured from knife crime - some of them have died.
He added: "It makes you know that you have to keep a knife with you, because it's a part of life now."
Perhaps the most striking feature of the increase in extreme violence is the number of young people involved.
Statistics show a third of all those accused of offences where a gun was fired (237 out of 668) in London since 2012 were aged 19 or under.
Forty-five of the offences were committed by people aged under 14.
The increase in violent crime does not only involve knives.
Gun crime offences still remain below historic highs of March 2007 - when they were 31% higher than today - but the increase over the last three years is marked.
Gun crime across England and Wales has increased by 27% over the last year and in London is 42% higher.
One-in-six of the victims of gun crime in London in the first eight months of this year was aged 17 or under.
The Metropolitan Police is trying to tackle the issue using stop-and-search. In a statement the Met said it regards it as an "invaluable tool" that takes several thousand weapons off the streets each year, and has been backed by Commissioner Cressida Dick.
The force says it has changed the way they use stop-and-search and complaints have fallen by over 60%.
But the tactic can cause tension.
Friends of Jordan Malutshi, a 17-year-old stabbed to death in 2012, were stopped and searched at a memorial barbecue at Patmore Estate in Wandsworth, south London.
An officer told us there had been three murders locally within a matter of weeks as a result of knife crime.
But one of Jordan's friends, calling himself Abs, claimed the search amounted to racial profiling.
A stop-and-search was used on a Wandsworth estate for the first time in three years as people began arriving to Jordan Malutshi's memorial
He said he thought the group was stopped because the police saw "four black youths in a car, in a nice car".
The BBC has learned that 65% of all people who face criminal proceedings for knife crime in London are from ethnic minorities, and 42% are black.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, said tackling violent crime is her priority.
In a statement to the BBC, she expressed her "anger" at "the apparent perception amongst some criminals that they could operate with near impunity".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41822965
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Amsterdam bans beer bikes amid complaints - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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The bikes, popular with tourist parties, are no longer allowed in the centre of the Dutch city.
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Europe
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Amsterdam has banned beer bikes amid complaints about rowdy tourists being drunk and disorderly.
A court ruling on Tuesday allowed officials to prohibit their use in the centre of the Dutch city, calling the contraptions a "public order problem".
The bicycles are a popular way for tourists celebrating group events, such as stag parties, to travel around Amsterdam.
Critics say they have become an example of the problems caused by mass tourism.
The beer bikes are small carts that have been modified with bicycle seats arranged around a bar table.
Patrons power the bike as they pedal beside the city's famous canals, while drinking beer.
The ban came into force on Wednesday. A spokesman for the City Hall said operators were no longer allowed to rent out the bikes.
It comes after the Amsterdam District Court said "the beer bicycle may be banned from the city centre to stop it from being a nuisance".
Last year, about 6,000 locals signed a petition calling on the council to ban the bikes, calling them a "terrible phenomenon".
At the time, one resident told NOS news: "Our city has become a giant attraction park."
You normally hear them before you see them.
For some tourists these cumbersome contraptions offer the perfect way to see the city. Combining two of its attractions - alcohol and cycling.
They're especially popular with stag dos. Drunken men spilling beer while trying to navigate the narrow streets on wheels have become a familiar sight in the historic heart of the city.
For many residents they've become a symbol of the trouble associated with 'the wrong type of tourism'. The council recently announced plans to increase hotel taxes to try to reduce the number of budget travellers.
The Dutch are famous for their cycling culture but few will miss the inebriated foreigners who commandeer these novelty vehicles, sometimes at the expense of those who use bikes as a practical and sensible way to get on with life.
Amsterdam's late mayor, Eberhard van der Laan - who died last month - agreed with the residents and instituted a ban on the bikes.
This was challenged in court last year by four beer bike operators, who said that the city was "imposing on people's freedom".
Judges struck down the mayor's ban at the time, saying that it was not properly motivated.
In a ruling on Tuesday, however, the judges at the Amsterdam District Court agreed with the ban.
"The combination of traffic disruptions, anti-social behaviour and the busy city centre justifies a ban," they said.
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Have you taken a ride on a beer bike? Or do you live in Amsterdam? E-mail us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.ukwith your experiences.
You can also contact us in the following ways:
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George Papadopoulos mistaken for George Papadopoulos - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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What happened when people tweet the wrong man who made headlines for the wrong reasons.
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US & Canada
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When George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI many people tweeted him, and many of them were angry. But many people tweeted the wrong man.
George Papadopoulos, an American financial planner and accountant and nothing to do with alleged meetings between the Trump campaign and Russia, has had an interesting social media experience since news broke regarding his namesake on Monday.
He has, however, greeted the attention with good humour.
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Other people mistaken for celebrities have tweeted him to express their support. Michael Bolton, who happens to share the same name as the balladeer, commiserated.
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However, James Taylor, not the former England cricketer but sometimes confused with the singer-songwriter, chipped in with the idea of forming a bootleg band.
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"So... when do we go on tour?" asked Mr Papadopoulos, the accountant.
"Let's go," replied Mr Taylor, not the singer-songwriter.
Similarly, other Twitter accounts which happen to share a name with the well-known have had their share of attention, positive and negative.
While John Lewis, not the retail store, ended up with a series of personalised gifts, Joe Hart the comedian took a lot of criticism aimed at the England goalkeeper after his performances at Euro 2016.
Edward Snowden's Twitter experience changed when his namesake, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, leaked secret data to Wikileaks and the media.
The Edward Snowden who made headlines in 2013
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Snowden recounted: "Some people had their conspiracy theories about me being him, some people were probably naive on how to use Twitter and tagged me unnecessarily and others probably wanted the banter or engagement.
"It was a whirlwind as I had no idea who he was and there was a lot of interaction from people. There were a lot of people who thought he was a hero and a lot thought he was a traitor.
"The communication was contrasting and varied. Twitter remains a good source of information and humour and I would say it's enhanced my enjoyment."
Mr Snowden said the NSA whistle-blower has not been in touch with him. He said it is a "shame" and would have been "interesting" to talk with him.
Does he have any advice for George Papadopoulos and victims of mistaken identities?
"Enjoy it," says Mr Snowden. "Engage with people in a light hearted way and there is good humorous conversation to be had. Don't worry about threatening comments - they're not aimed at you directly or so, you hope!"
However, the final word should go to George.
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. George Papadopoulos: The Trump adviser who lied to the FBI
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As it happened: New York attack - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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At least eight people have been killed in New York after the driver of a truck mowed down people on a cycle path.
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US & Canada
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First death in a terrorist attack in New York since 9/11
This is the first death in a terrorist attack in New York since 9/11, Karen J Greenberg of Fordham University School of Law’s Center on National Security told the BBC's Tara McKelvey. This is also the first truck attack by a terrorist in New York. “This is not a trend,” she added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-41825922
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Theresa May: Take sex abuse claims to police - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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The PM invites party leaders to discuss the recent allegations of sexual harassment at Westminster.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The prime minister said all staff at Westminster should be "treated with respect".
Theresa May said any allegations about serious sexual abuse in Parliament should go to the police, as she promised a new "independent" process to handle complaints.
The PM said she was "deeply concerned" by recent reports about alleged harassment and abuse at Westminster.
She invited Labour's Jeremy Corbyn and other party leaders to a meeting to agree a new grievance procedure.
Mr Corbyn said trade unions should be involved to support staff.
Two ministers, meanwhile, have denied claims on a list, thought to have been drawn up by Westminster staff and researchers, detailing a range of mostly unproven allegations about 40 Conservative MPs.
Following a range of recent allegations, including claims of a lack of support for those making complaints, Mrs May has written to party leaders calling for the "serious, swift, cross-party response this issue demands".
The PM said a "common, transparent independent grievance procedure" for all those who work in Parliament was needed and that it "cannot be right" for policies to vary between parties.
A dedicated support team should be available to all staff, she said, and it should recommend all criminal allegations be reported to the police.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Corbyn said he was happy to meet the PM to discuss it, with a meeting scheduled for Monday evening.
The SNP's Ian Blackford said his party would also work with the government "to ensure that we have a system we can be proud of".
During PMQs, Labour's Lisa Nandy said that three years ago she had raised concerns with Mrs May that party whips' offices - whose job is to keep the party's MPs in line and voting a certain way - had used sexual abuse allegations to demand loyalty from MPs.
She later tweeted the exchange in question, which related to events in the 1970s and was raised at the time the inquiry into historical child abuse was being launched.
Responding at the time in 2014 Mrs May, who was home secretary, said political parties would be included in the inquiry and that "every area where it is possible that people have been guilty of abuse" would be looked at.
Responding to Ms Nandy in PMQs, she said she would look back at the questions raised, adding: "I will say to her that I am very clear, that the whips' office - I hope this goes for all whips' offices across this House - should make clear to people that where there are any sexual abuse allegations that could be of a criminal nature that people should go to the police.
"It is not appropriate for those to be dealt with by whips' offices; those should go to the police - that continues to be the case."
Ahead of PMQs, Mrs May's deputy, Damian Green, said allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female activist were "completely false" and he said he had instructed libel lawyers.
Tory activist Kate Maltby had written in the Times that he "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message.
Former Conservative minister Anna Soubry said Mr Green should stand down while the allegations are investigated, but Small Business Minister Margot James told BBC 5 live: "I've read the article in the Times today, and I certainly don't think that it warrants anyone's resignation, temporary or otherwise, in my opinion."
Two other ministers, Dominic Raab and Rory Stewart, hit out at the list of unproven allegations about Tory MPs.
Justice minister Mr Raab said he had sought legal advice over the "false allegations", which he described as a "form of harassment".
In an article on his website, he added: "I appreciate the Westminster list will encourage a further media feeding frenzy against MPs. I also recognise that there are undoubtedly some very disturbing allegations out there, which need to be taken seriously.
"At the same time, for anonymous individuals to compile and publish, or allow to be published, a list of vague, unsubstantiated and - in my case - false allegations is wrong.
"It is also a form of harassment and intimidation, although of course I am not suggesting it is the same or equivalent. Still, accountability should mean properly investigating any reports of abuse, without irresponsibly smearing those who have done nothing wrong."
Mr Stewart said claims about his behaviour towards a female member of staff were "completely untrue".
The researcher publicly backed this up, saying the aid minister was "never anything other than completely professional and an excellent employer".
Labour, meanwhile, has launched an independent investigation into an activist's claim that she was discouraged by a party official from reporting an alleged rape at a party event in 2011.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41831268
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New York truck attack: Who is suspect Sayfullo Saipov? - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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What we know about the man accused of killing eight people in a New York truck attack.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. New York truck attack: Who is Sayfullo Saipov?
Sayfullo Saipov, the main suspect in Tuesday's New York truck attack that killed eight people and injured 12, arrived in the US from Uzbekistan in 2010 and is married with three children.
He became a legal permanent resident of the US through a lottery programme that grants green cards annually to foreign nationals, in an effort to diversify the country's immigrant population.
A day after the attack, Mr Saipov admitted to investigators that he had been inspired by propaganda from so-called Islamic State (IS).
Speaking to the BBC, US-based Uzbek religious activist and blogger Mirrakhmat Muminov, who met Mr Saipov in Ohio soon after he arrived in the US, said the suspect was radicalised online and had become increasingly aggressive.
"He was not well educated and had no knowledge of the Koran before arriving in the US," he said.
"At the beginning of his time here he was a normal sort of person."
But Mr Muminov said that Mr Saipov had become depressed, separated from his community and more resentful and angry after failing to find work as a driver.
"Because of his radical views he frequently used to argue with other Uzbeks and moved to Florida," Mr Muminov said. "From then onwards I lost contact with him."
He had never been the subject of an NYPD or FBI intelligence investigation, according to John Miller, deputy commissioner for the New York Police Department.
However, the New York Times, citing three officials, said the suspect had previously come to the attention of federal authorities via an unrelated probe.
The back patio of the apartment building in Florida where Sayfullo Saipov was a resident
Born in Uzbekistan in February 1988, Mr Saipov emigrated to the US in 2010 after winning a green card via the lottery and is believed to have lived in Ohio, Florida, and New Jersey since.
Mr Muminov said there were about 70,000 people from Uzbekistan now living in the US, with the overwhelming majority in New York City but also smaller populations in Florida - mostly in Orlando - and in Chicago and Ohio.
According to the New York Times, Mr Saipov arrived in the country with a poor command of English and sought work as a truck and Uber taxi driver.
"He was a very good person when I knew him," Uzbek immigrant Kobiljon Matkarov - who met Mr Saipov in Florida several years ago - told the newspaper.
"He liked the US. He seemed very lucky and all the time he was happy and talking like everything is OK. He did not seem like a terrorist, but I did not know him from the inside."
Mr Saipov was shot and injured by a police officer and appeared in court in a wheelchair a day after the attack.
He told investigators he had been planning the attack for a year, and intentionally chose Halloween because he believed there would be more people in the streets.
Authorities found 90 graphic and violent propaganda videos on his phone - one that showed IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi talking about Muslims avenging deaths in Iraq.
Officials say a note was found in the truck that referred to IS, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said it was likely the suspect had acted alone and there was no evidence to suggest a wider plot.
Witnesses said they heard the attacker shout "Allahu Akbar" - Arabic for "God is greatest" - when he emerged from his vehicle after the killings.
Federal prosecutors charged Mr Saipov on two counts: providing material support and resources to IS and violence and destruction of motor vehicles.
President Donald Trump has denounced him as "very sick" and a "deranged person".
He is reported to have been living most recently in Paterson, New Jersey, about 40km (25 miles) north-west of the scene of the attack. The truck involved was rented from nearby Passaic, a former industrial hub just south of Paterson.
About 25,000 to 30,000 Muslims live in the city, the New York Times reported, giving it one of the highest concentrations of Muslims in the New York City area.
Uzbekistan has over the last 20 years taken a hard line against Islamic extremism.
Mr Saipov is not be the first person from the Central Asian country to be accused of plotting terror attacks in the US. Last month a Brooklyn man of Uzbek origin was sentenced to 15 years in prison for plotting terrorist attacks, including threats to kill Barack Obama.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41828714
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Burglar jailed for murdering former Royal Navy officer - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Former Royal Navy officer Mike Samwell died when Ryan Gibbons twice drove over him in his own car.
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Manchester
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Ryan Gibbons (left) was earlier convicted of murder and Raymond Davies was found guilty of manslaughter
A burglar who killed a former Royal Navy officer by running him over with his own car has been ordered to serve a minimum of 27 years in prison.
Ryan Gibbons, 29, was found guilty of murdering Mike Samwell, 35, after breaking into his home in Chorlton, Manchester and stealing his car.
Gibbons admitted the theft but denied deliberately driving over Mr Samwell.
Mr Samwell's wife said the image of her husband injured and in pain will stay with her forever.
Mike Samwell, who was a nuclear engineer, was woken by the sound of a burglary
Raymond Davies, 21, of Castlefield Walk, Manchester, who collected Gibbons, of Steven Court, after he crashed and dumped the Audi S3 sports car was sentenced to eight years after being found guilty of manslaughter.
In a victim statement read in court, Mr Samwell's wife Jessica said: "He was a loving and caring husband. Patient and kind."
The image of her husband lying injured and groaning with pain will be with her for the rest of her life, she said.
The couple's house was meant to be their "forever home" but she said should could not bear to go back there.
"I feel overwhelming grief for the future we will never have," she added.
The stolen car was later found dumped
The court had earlier heard Mr Samwell, a nuclear engineer, and his wife woke to the sound of burglars breaking into their home on Cranbourne Road, on 23 April, taking the keys to the car from the kitchen table.
Mr Samwell ran downstairs in his boxer shorts to confront Gibbons as he was driving off, shouting "Get out of the car" but was run over.
His wife followed him out of the house and found her husband on his back with tyre marks on his chest and "blood coming out of his head".
She held his hand and told him she loved him as he lay dying from "catastrophic" chest and heart injuries.
Mr Samwell's wife Jessica said he was a "caring husband"
Passing sentence at Manchester Crown Court Mr Justice William Davis said: "You knew you were running over Mr Samwell, you did it deliberately.
"You are a dangerous young man, you are a regular burglar and on this occasion, to get what you wanted, you quite ruthlessly killed a man."
Gibbons gave no reaction to his sentence but there were gasps from his family in the public gallery and one said "You're joking", before his father shouted "Love you, son".
Det Ch Insp Lewis Hughes said: "How many of us would have done the same thing in Mike's position, protecting our home and our loved ones from people like Gibbons and Davies?"
He said the thieves "actively chose to evade police".
"The word tragedy is used too often these days, but no other word seems right to describe the utter devastation this pair left behind in their determination to steal from the Samwells," he added.
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'I woke up with Kevin Spacey lying on me' - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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A man tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme the Hollywood star groomed him in the mid-1980s.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The man, who did not want to be identified, says he woke up with Spacey's head on his stomach
A man has said he was left traumatised after waking up to find Hollywood star Kevin Spacey lying on him when he was a teenager in the 1980s.
The man told Victoria Derbyshire Spacey invited him to spend the weekend in New York but it became clear he was interested in "a way I wasn't".
He said Spacey asked him to share his bed, but he slept on the sofa and woke up with the actor's arms around him.
The BBC has contacted Spacey for a comment.
John, not his real name, added he didn't believe anything sexual took place, but said: "I was uncomfortable at best, traumatised at worst."
Kevin Spacey is a double Oscar winner and was artistic director at London's Old Vic for 11 years
The latest allegation follows Spacey's apology after US actor Anthony Rapp accused him of making a sexual advance towards him when he was 14.
Rapp told how Spacey laid down on top of him in a bedroom during a party at the older man's flat in 1986.
The Double Oscar-winner said he was "beyond horrified" to hear the story and did not remember the encounter.
Other men have now come forward, accusing Spacey of sexual harassment.
US filmmaker Tony Montana told Radar Online he suffered from PTSD for six months after Spacey allegedly grabbed his crotch in a Los Angeles bar in 2003.
And Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos, who acted in several plays at the Old Vic, claimed in a Facebook post Spacey "routinely preyed" on young male actors.
Speaking to the programme, John said he first met the Broadway actor in 1984 at a summer theatre when he was 16.
The pair exchanged letters and, a year later, when John was 17, Spacey invited him to spend a weekend at his home in New York City.
John told how a "charming and brotherly" Spacey showed him around the city, took him out for dinner and introduced him to famous friends on their weekend together.
On the first evening, Spacey talked a lot about his work and became affectionate "in a way I certainly wasn't interested in", he said.
He put his hand on John's thigh, an arm around his shoulder and rubbed his arm.
At bedtime, John said Spacey asked him to share his bed, but John insisted on sleeping on the sofa.
"It was an icy 'goodnight' with the lights off. I thought I was going to be kicked out in the morning," he said.
"As we went to sleep, he was sobbing from his bed," said John.
He said he felt it was attention-seeking behaviour in an attempt to get him to respond.
The following morning, John said he woke up with Spacey's head on his stomach and his arms wrapped around him.
"He was in his underwear, I was fully clothed. I supposed it was some sort of New York theatre actor 'good morning,'" he said.
After a second day enjoying New York, John said once back at the flat, Spacey became affectionate again and told him he felt "misunderstood".
"I burst into tears because I couldn't articulate any more what was happening to me. I was scared," said John.
"To his credit, he backed off and we went to sleep."
John said he is telling his story now after reading about Rapp's similar experience and he wants young people to know they should be vigilant and speak out.
"It seems he was grooming me," John said.
"For me, I never let on that that's what I was interested in. I never discussed it, nor did I want it.
"I was uncomfortable at best, traumatised at worst.
"He was either very stupid or predatory - or maybe a little of both."
John points out that neither of them drank any alcohol that weekend.
He said he didn't tell his parents or the authorities at the time because he thought Spacey's behaviour might have been "permissible" and worried he might have "given off a vibe" that he was interested in Spacey.
The BBC is seeking a response from Spacey.
In light of Rapp's allegations, Netflix has suspended production of political drama, House of Cards, in which Spacey stars.
Meanwhile, the Old Vic, a London theatre where Spacey worked for 11 years, has set up a confidential complaints process for people involved with the theatre.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41828874
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PM's deputy Damian Green denies inappropriate behaviour claim - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Senior minister Damian Green denies claims by a Tory activist that he acted inappropriately.
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UK Politics
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Prime Minister Theresa May's deputy, Damian Green, has said allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female activist are "completely false".
Mr Green has instructed libel lawyers over the claims, the BBC understands.
Tory activist Kate Maltby wrote in the Times that he "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message.
The cabinet secretary is to investigate whether Mr Green broke the ministerial code.
Ms Maltby, 31, a writer and academic, said Mr Green, 61, said he had sent her the text message after she posed in a corset for the Times.
According to her article in the paper, it read: "Long time no see. But having admired you in a corset in my favourite tabloid I felt impelled to ask if you are free for a drink anytime?"
The encounters left her feeling "awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised", she wrote.
Mr Green, now first secretary of state, and Theresa May's effective deputy, said he had known Ms Maltby since 2014 and the pair "had a drink as friends twice-yearly".
"The text I sent after she appeared in a newspaper article was sent in that spirit - as two friends agreeing to meet for a regular catch up - and nothing more," he said.
"This untrue allegation has come as a complete shock and is deeply hurtful, especially from someone I considered a personal friend."
He also denied the claim he put his hand on Ms Maltby's knee.
Asked about the claims in the Times as he left his home on Wednesday morning, Mr Green told reporters: "All these allegations are completely false."
The ministerial code requires ministers to "behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety".
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, Small Business Minister Margot James said there was no need for Mr Green to resign during the cabinet secretary's investigation.
"I've read the article in the Times today, and I certainly don't think that it warrants anyone's resignation, temporary or otherwise, in my opinion," she said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. William Hague tells Today he hopes Westminster is entering an era of greater accountability
It comes as allegations and rumours relating to sexual harassment and abuse by MPs swirl around Westminster.
On Tuesday, Labour confirmed it had launched an independent inquiry into claims that activist Bex Bailey, 25, was discouraged by a party official from reporting an alleged rape at a Labour event in 2011.
She told the BBC she had waived her anonymity to urge changes to the way such cases are handled.
In a separate case, an anonymous woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an MP on a foreign work trip last year told the Guardian her allegations were not taken seriously.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon confirmed he was once rebuked by a journalist for putting his hand on her knee during dinner.
Meanwhile, the BBC has seen a list, thought to have been compiled by staff and researchers at Westminster, detailing a range of mostly unproven allegations about 40 Conservative MPs and ministers.
Among the claims are a number of serious allegations of inappropriate behaviour with junior members of staff, the use of prostitutes and affairs between MPs.
The government has promised urgent action to improve the handling of complaints about the way MPs' staff are treated.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41827264
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Play it again: The firm saving vinyl - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How a small company in the Czech Republic became the world's biggest maker of vinyl records.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How a small company in the Czech Republic became the world's largest maker of vinyl records
Whether gathering dust in your loft or currently spinning on your turntable, it's a fair bet that at least some of your vinyl records came from a small factory in the Czech Republic.
The facility in question is the headquarters of GZ Media, based in the small town of Lodenice, 25km (16 miles) west of the Czech capital, Prague.
GZ is today the world's largest producer of vinyl records, of which it expects to press 30 million this year, for everyone from the Rolling Stones and U2, to Lady Gaga and Madonna.
The success of the company is a far cry from the early 1990s, when vinyl records appeared to be on the way out, with music fans having switched en masse to compact discs.
Back in the early 1970s more than three-quarters of album sales were on vinyl, but by the 1990s that had plunged to just 1.5%.
"In 1993 our output was at its lowest, vinyl was almost dead," says GZ's chief executive Michal Sterba.
"If we'd have stayed as a vinyl-only producer in the 90s, GZ would be no more."
The operation had only become a private company two years earlier after the fall of communism.
Prior to that it had been a state-run enterprise called Gramofonove Zavody (Gramophone Record Factory) which had started in 1951, and had pressed records for the world's largest music companies.
With demand for vinyl having dwindled, GZ realised that it had to diversify to survive, so it branched out into printing and making packaging for consumer goods.
Michal Sterba is now expanding GZ, with new sister factories in the US and Canada
Crucially though, it kept pressing vinyl to satisfy what little demand there was. At the lowest point in 1993 it made just 350,000 discs.
"We wanted to be the last company standing in the field of vinyl record production," says Mr Sterba.
So when the resurgence of vinyl began around 2010, GZ was in a position to take advantage of it.
Unlike most rivals, GZ still had the vinyl-making equipment and the expertise. Its successful diversification also gave it the cash to invest.
The company has also seen a rising demand for picture discs
Mr Sterba says: "Our competitors could buy machinery and materials, but the know-how is very hard to acquire."
The firm's printing and packing capabilities give it another advantage over its rivals, he adds: "As well as producing the actual vinyl discs, GZ also makes the packaging, prints the artwork and any extras such as posters or booklet."
One particularly tough job, he recalls, was producing a real metal zip on the cover of the reissued Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers album.
To keep up with demand, GZ Media's Czech factory now runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and employs 1,600 permanent workers.
It's a fast-paced operation at every stage of the production process; from the initial stamping to the high-speed ballet of forklifts loading trucks for delivery.
The company has invested $20m in equipment, building 12 new presses, but the old still runs alongside the new.
GZ's Czech factory has a permanent workforce of 1,600 plus 400 seasonal workers
Bright white, computer-controlled stations sit next to their huge, pale-green iron counterparts, still dripping oil into trays and buckets.
GZ's revenues this year are expected to total $110m (£83m), and are growing by 9-10% per year. Meanwhile, its vinyl output has tripled since 2010.
With most of its customers in North America, GZ recently bought a vinyl plant in Memphis, Tennessee, to supplement its Czech production. It has also opened a production facility in Ontario, Canada.
Staff at the factory listen to the records to test them
GZ still makes albums for small indie bands - the punk and metal bands that kept the company going in the 1990s, but now it also works with massive global stars.
"We'll still press 100 records for a small metal band," says Mr Sterba, "but we're also pressing 100,000 for U2."
"As for the future," he says, "we're concentrating on making a success of our plants in North America. But in the longer term, we think manufacturing in Asia and preferably Japan [as well], is the right thing to do."
Yet, while vinyl sales are growing, some who buy the records don't actually play them. Last year a BBC/ICM poll found 48% of those questioned said they'd never played the vinyl they'd bought and 7% said they didn't even own a turntable.
These fans buy a vinyl album for the "feel" of owning a physical object and for the artwork that often comes with it - but they never actually play it.
Staff at GZ had to add a real metal zip to the cover of the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers
While vinyl sales are growing, they remain tiny compared with their 1980s heyday, says Paul Lee, a music industry expert at accountancy group Deloitte.
"Vinyl's first and biggest peak was back in the 80s when a billion records, just albums were sold per year. This year we're expecting about 40 million, so it's about one 25th... so it is nothing like that we had back in the 80s."
The company can make vinyl records in any colour
Mr Lee adds: "The reality is vinyl is a lovely product, it's also very difficult to consume compared to just tapping in the name of a song on a smart phone... so we would expect the market to be approaching a peak."
Yet with music giant Sony announcing earlier this year that it was to re-open its vinyl manufacturing plant in Japan for the first time since 1989, it doesn't look like the vinyl revival is coming to an end any time soon.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41747615
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Newspaper headlines: Westminster sex claims and Bake Off 'gaffe' - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Further claims of sexual misconduct in Wesminster and Prue Leith Bake Off "gaffe" are among the stories to lead the papers.
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The Papers
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Tuesday night's events in New York feature widely in the newspapers.
Both the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail report that the fake guns wielded by the attacker led many at the scene to think they were watching a Halloween prank.
The Daily Express describes it as "Horror in Manhattan".
The New York Times reports that five of the eight people killed were Argentine tourists who had travelled to the city for a high school reunion; another victim was from Belgium.
The Times here notes that while New York has been the target of multiple bomb plots, until Tuesday night it had not suffered a fatal terrorist attack since jets struck the twin towers of the World Trade Center 16 years ago.
The claims by the Labour activist Bex Bailey that party officials "hushed up" her rape at a Labour event six years ago provide the lead for several papers.
The Guardian quotes the party's leader in 2011, Ed Miliband, as saying he was "shocked by the horrific allegations".
Labour MP Stella Creasy tells the Huffington Post UK website that allegations involving party members or staff should be investigated by an independent body. "You should not be getting a careers advice session if you come forward to report a sexual assault," she says.
Ms Creasy also calls for political parties to train their staff in safeguarding.
The i speaks of ministers' "panic" after an unredacted list of unverified claims against Conservative MPs - including consensual relationships alongside claims of sexual harassment - was leaked online.
According to the paper, the list includes seven Cabinet ministers, eight former ministers and 25 other MPs.
However, the Times reports that some Conservatives MPs say they have been wrongly named on the spreadsheet - and are considering legal action against its authors, if they can identify them.
The Telegraph reports that a former adviser to Donald Trump, who has admitted giving misleading statements about his Russian contacts, may have recently worn a wire to discuss Russia with campaign colleagues, as part of a deal to reduce his sentence.
With the special counsel, Robert Mueller, investigating claims of collusion between the Trump election team and Moscow - strongly denied by the president - court documents are said to describe George Papadopoulos as a "pro-active co-operator".
The paper suggests that he may have been "flipped" - a well-known technique in which a junior figure in a scandal is charged and then agrees to pass on information about more senior figures, to reduce his or her punishment.
The Daily Mirror says a judge has sparked fury by insisting that the killer of the soldier, Lee Rigby, should be given legal aid to sue the Ministry of Justice after losing two front teeth while being restrained in Belmarsh prison four years ago.
The paper notes that Mr Justice Brian Langstaff also warned that Michael Adebolajo had developed a network of terrorist sympathisers by preaching Islamic extremism behind bars.
Finally, the story of a boss who snapped.
The Mail tells how the managing director of the Nippy Bus company in Yeovil shut it down, sacking his entire staff of 27 drivers.
A frank email from 57-year-old Sydney Hardy told them: "I've had enough. I cannot work with you a moment longer. I am quitting to pursue my dream of not having to work here."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41826232
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Calls for change in Westminster culture - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Young men and women often fear the consequences of making a complaint.
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UK Politics
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In the last few days there has been a frenzy in Westminster about a dodgy dossier, a list, all manner of claims about ministers' and MPs' bad behaviour.
(For what it's worth, the list which we have seen contains both a mixture of unsavoury allegations, reports of well-known relationships, and some claims that are furiously denied. There is just no way of knowing frankly, how much of it is true).
But until now, there hasn't been anyone willing to come forward to speak candidly about their own experiences to illustrate the culture in some corners of politics that is the root of the problem.
That might just have changed. Bex Bailey, a well-known and well-respected Labour activist, has had the courage to tell her story, to waive her anonymity as an alleged rape victim. What stands out from her claims is sadly not the suggestion that a teenage political activist was the target of an older senior party member.
But that when she tried to seek help and advice, she says she was told that it would be better for her to keep quiet, and not risk the damage of making such an allegation.
She told the BBC, "It took me a while to summon up the courage to tell anyone in the party. But when I did, I told a senior member of staff who told me - or it was suggested to me that I not report it. I was told that if I did it might damage me and that might be their genuine view… in which case that shows that we have a serious problem in politics with this issue."
We have no way of independently verifying her story. But it identifies precisely the problem heard time and time again at Westminster. Young men and women, who care about their political parties and quite understandably also their own careers, often fear the consequences of making a complaint, or being seen as a troublemaker.
Loyalty is a precious commodity in Westminster, but it has also for many been a trap, or a tool that's used against them. It is one of the powerful elements of culture here that has allowed some cases of harassment, bullying or sexual abuse to go unreported. That's also why it has been so hard to ascertain accurately how widespread the problem truly is.
For Ms Bailey, who has pressed the Labour Party for years to improve its processes, to make it possible for people to report abuse independently, it is however now time to speak up.
Acknowledging how hard it may have been for others she says: "You're just as brave if you don't speak out. And I know that there are a lot of women who will be struggling with all of this that's going on at the moment. But for me it was the right thing to do."
The question that will be asked across Westminster tonight is whether others are brave enough to follow.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41824400
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Catalan independence: Spain high court summons dismissed leader - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Carles Puigdemont and 13 former colleagues are summoned to appear in a Madrid court this week.
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Europe
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Spain's high court has summoned sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and 13 other members of his dismissed government to appear later this week.
It also gave them three days to pay a deposit of €6.2m ($7.2m) to cover potential liabilities.
The summons comes after Spain's chief prosecutor on Monday said he would press charges including rebellion.
Mr Puigdemont is in Belgium with several former ministers. He earlier said he was not there to seek asylum.
Carles Puigdemont triggered a crisis in Spain by holding an independence referendum in early October in the semi-autonomous region despite Madrid's opposition and the Constitutional Court declaring the vote illegal.
Spain's central government has now taken direct control of Catalonia.
Mr Puigdemont turned up in Brussels on Monday as Spanish Attorney-General José Manuel Maza called for Catalan leaders to face charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.
The Audiencia National has now summoned the sacked Catalan officials - who are yet to be formally charged - to testify on Thursday and Friday. If they do not appear, prosecutors could order their arrest.
Meanwhile, the speaker of Catalan's dissolved parliament Carme Forcadell and other former lawmakers have been summoned to the Supreme Court because they still have parliamentary immunity.
Mr Puigdemont earlier said he would return to Spain if guaranteed a fair hearing.
Several of Mr Puigdemont's former colleagues who remain inside the country may decide to accept the summons and appear in court, reports the BBC's James Reynolds from Barcelona.
Prosecutors' arguments against the group were "serious, rational and logical", Judge Carmen Lamela said in a ruling, according to the AFP news agency.
Speaking at a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Mr Puigdemont said he was not trying to escape justice by travelling to Belgium but wanted to be able to speak freely.
His comments came as Spain's constitutional court suspended the declaration of independence made by the Catalan parliament on Friday.
Mr Puigdemont also said he would accept the result of snap elections in Catalonia on 21 December, which were called by Spain's central government after it invoked Article 155 of the constitution, temporarily suspending the region's autonomy.
"I want a clear commitment from the state. Will the state respect the results that could give separatist forces a majority?" Mr Puigdemont asked reporters.
Protesters from both sides turned up outside the Press Club in Brussels were Mr Puigdemont spoke
The Spanish government has previously said he is welcome to take part in the fresh polls.
In a separate development on Tuesday, Spain's Guardia Civil - a paramilitary force charged with police duties - raided the offices of the Catalan police force.
According to media reports, they searched eight offices for communications relating to the referendum on 1 October.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41825030
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Do NHS operating theatres really have 'wasted time'? - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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Hugh Pym on the lively response to his report suggesting operating-theatre time is often unused.
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Health
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The BBC story about wasted time in operating theatres has generated a lively debate.
We reported that analysis by the regulator NHS Improvement showed there could have been 280,000 more non-emergency operations, at 100 English hospital trusts, last year.
There were said to be 140 minutes of unused time per operating list.
So, is it simply a case of improving efficiency, or are there wider problems that need to be addressed across the NHS?
Are the solutions to be found in the way operating theatres are managed or are theatre staff having to stand idle because of logjams elsewhere in the system?
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It is a highly topical debate because demands for more money for the NHS are growing ahead of the Budget.
The Treasury, for its part, will want to be assured that the service is continuing to improve efficiency and make the best use of existing resources.
The most obvious factor highlighted in response to our story was the acute shortage of beds in most hospitals.
Medically fit patients are often unable to leave because of delays in arranging social care in the community.
All this can leave frustrated surgeons and their colleagues unable to operate.
Prof Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, put it thus: "There's this constant backlog all the way through - so the new patient cannot get into hospital because the last patient is still in the intensive care unit and as yet cannot get back to the ward because the ward patient cannot go home."
NHS Improvement's analysis allowed for 5% of time on an operating list to be lost because of last-minute cancellations.
It also excluded any periods of unused time of less than 60 minutes as no procedure could be carried out in that time.
So, in effect, it tried to take account of the likelihood that lists may be disrupted each day because of issues such as bed shortages.
Some hospitals will argue these assumptions underestimate the problem.
A consultant anaesthetist, Mark Alexander Price, made the point that operations, and the process before patients were taken to theatres, took longer than they used to - so it was harder to embark on them with finite time slots.
Patients are older and and, thanks to medical advances, are being considered suitable for surgery that would not have happened 20 years ago.
Obese patients need longer for the anaesthetic process and are more vulnerable to complications during surgery.
On the other hand, one observer recalled the observations of the business leader Sir Gerry Robinson in his BBC TV series on the NHS a decade ago.
Sir Gerry told the Telegraph in January 2007: "The biggest single surprise for me was seeing how under-utilised the operating theatres were.
"I thought they'd be packed - and that this was the reason there was a problem with waiting lists. But it really wasn't like that.
"The theatres simply weren't being managed in any way that I would recognise as being appropriate for an important and expensive resource."
The NHS in England has embarked on two major national efficiency programmes since then.
As reported, Croydon University Hospital has reduced last-minute cancellations of operations by better handling of pre-surgery assessments.
Lists are carefully managed to try to iron out late starts and early finishes.
The number of cases dealt with each year has increased by 1,200.
The new thinking was driven by surgeons and other clinical staff, including a matron.
PA Consulting has worked with Hillingdon Hospital to increase theatre utilisation from 75% to 82%, which is an additional 20 hours per week operating capacity. The aim is to get to 90%.
Some have accused the BBC of running down the NHS by implying it could be more efficient and that resources could be better deployed.
Highlighting Croydon's achievements, however, suggests that dedicated NHS staff are driving improvements with the aim of improving the levels of care they can offer.
Unused operating theatre time does nothing to help doctors and nurses achieve their goal of helping more patients.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41778929
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New York attack: Eight killed by man driving truck - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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The vehicle was driven along a cycle path in Manhattan in what is being treated as a terror attack.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. New York terror attack: How the events unfolded
At least eight people have been killed and 11 seriously hurt in New York after the driver of a truck mowed down people on a cycle path in Lower Manhattan.
A 29-year-old man who emerged from the white pick-up truck was shot by a police officer and arrested. Officials later said it was a terror attack.
Media named him as Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant who came to the US in 2010.
A note was found in the truck that referred to so-called Islamic State, a law enforcement source told CBS News.
US media identified the suspect as Sayfullo Saipov seen in this 2016 photo
The suspect - who had apparently settled in Florida - was taken to hospital.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was a "cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians".
He added: "We know that this action was intended to break our spirit. But we also know that New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence and an act meant to intimidate us."
President Donald Trump tweeted: "My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!"
New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O'Neill said the injured had "serious but non-life threatening injuries".
He described what had occurred, based on the latest information he had received:
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'We will be undeterred' by the attack says NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
"The dead and injured were just going about their days, heading home from work or from school or enjoying the afternoon sun on their bicycles," the commissioner said.
"This is a tragedy of the greatest magnitude for many people, for many families here in New York and beyond today."
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Mangled bicycles littered the scene of the attack, which occurred as much of the city was celebrating Halloween.
One witness, identified as Eugene, told ABC Channel 7 that he saw the white pick-up truck driving fast down the cycle path alongside the West Side Highway, near Stuyvesant High School, at full speed and hitting a number of people.
He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots.
Another witness, who gave his name as Frank, told local TV network NY1 that he had seen a man running around an intersection and heard five to six gunshots.
"I saw he had something in his hand, but I couldn't tell what it was. But they said that it was a gun...
"When the cops shot him, everybody started running away and it got a little bit crazy right there. So when I tried to look again, the guy was already down."
President Donald Trump had been briefed on the incident, the White House said.
In separate tweets, he said:
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At the moment the New York authorities are saying that it was a lone wolf, that the attack wasn't part of a wider conspiracy or plot.
But this is an active crime scene at the moment and they are still trying to piece together precisely what happened.
The attack happened on Halloween, one of the most festive days in the New York calendar.
The pavements were crowded with kids in costumes and there are still children trick-or-treating just yards away - it's a bizarre scene.
But it shows how New York absorbs this kind of thing.
We are just yards from Ground Zero, a site which reminds all New Yorkers of that awful day back in 2001. It didn't take police long to confirm that the city had once again been the target of terror.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41825577
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Reality Check: Was Hillary Clinton photographed with Osama Bin Laden? - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says Osama Bin Laden was hosted at the White House.
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World
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The claim: Photographs show Osama Bin Laden was hosted in the White House.
Reality Check verdict: An image that has been shared on social media in Russia is fake. There are no known photographs of Osama Bin Laden at the White House and no evidence such an extraordinary event ever occurred.
Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, was on a chat show on Russian state television on Monday, talking about the US government and its lobbying activities.
"Recall these fantastic, mind-boggling photographs of how Bin Laden was hosted in the White House," she said.
This photo was doing the rounds on Russian Twitter accounts. last year.
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It is definitely a fake - Bin Laden has been superimposed on a photo of Mrs Clinton meeting musician Shubhashish Mukherjee at an event in 2004.
At the time, President George W Bush was in the White House and Hillary Clinton was a New York senator.
This is the original photo.
Analysis by the US fact-checking site Snopes found that the image had been produced as part of a Photoshop contest from a website called FreakingNews.com.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41821923
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This is my country, too - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As a new report finds Muslim women are most vulnerable to Islamophobic attacks, Muna Ahmed describes the daily pressure they face.
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Magazine
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This year has seen a spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes, and a new survey shows women are suffering the most - so what's it like to be a black British Muslim woman at the moment? Not great, says Muna Ahmed.
A man mimed shooting Linda with a rifle as he crossed the road. A man spent an entire train journey staring aggressively at Sonya, his face inches from hers.
These are the kind of incidents Muslim women face every day.
One young woman told me she has stopped listening to music so she can hear if someone is following her. Another has considered taking off her headscarf because she doesn't feel safe.
Many women worry about being attacked or singled out because of their faith. Most have experienced verbal abuse. They worry about being out after dark, and drive with their windows closed.
"The thought of being attacked crosses my mind now more than ever," says Natasha, a Muslim convert from Sheffield.
"I've always felt safe here in England, but post-Brexit, post the [terror] attacks, it's getting worse and worse."
The charity Tell MAMA will publish its latest report this week
It wasn't always like this. Growing up in Sheffield, I was just like every other kid I played with - I may have been a tad cheekier, but nobody treated me differently because of my race or faith.
At the weekends I would see people pouring out of the church and the mosque at either end of our street. I don't remember any hostility and I certainly didn't see any conflict between the faiths. It was just normal.
Everybody on my road knew each other. My friends Gemma and Tracy lived at the top of my street and we would walk to school together every day. When we got home we would eat fish-fingers and go straight out to play. Weekends were the best because we would get up early to watch cartoons and mum would make us pancakes.
I enjoyed all the religious holidays because there were always treats involved.
At Easter we would get chocolate eggs. During Ramadan we tried to fast so we could take part in the evening feast, but Mum knew that we would be starving by 4pm so she would leave a plate of food out, which my friends and I would sneak into the house and eat.
I loved the Christmas holidays because I would go and visit my grandmother and she would spoil me rotten. And on Eid I would get whatever I wanted.
Thinking about it now, I had the best of both worlds. But 9/11 changed everything.
I went from being a carefree teenager who had never been asked about my religion to having people constantly ask me questions about Islam - questions that I didn't have the answers to.
I asked my parents about al-Qaeda, and where Islam stood on terrorism. Every day I would come home with a different question, because the Islam that had become "the enemy" was not the religion I knew.
Ever since then, my country has not been a positive place to be a Muslim woman - and it seems to be getting worse.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen: Muna Ahmed on what she feels it's like to a Muslim woman in Britain today
The other day I saw a big crowd of people listening to a man with a megaphone shouting: "We need to get these Muslims out of our country, we need to stand united against Islam."
A lot of people seemed to be agreeing with him.
A few days after that I posted a video on Facebook about how the tabloids portray Muslims and the first person to comment was one of my childhood friends, a girl I used to play with all the time. She reeled off a list of radical preachers - as if they represent Islam. The conversation went on for a while, while I tried to educate her about Islam. But she was having none of it.
At one point she said: "You're welcome in this country but your religion isn't."
It got worse - the final thing she said to me was: "Muna, you have blood on your hands too."
I felt physically sick when I saw those words on my screen.
But Muslim women often experience abuse on social media these days.
Sonya is a 23-year-old British Asian Muslim. We sat and talked about our experiences, laughing at the silly assumptions people have about Islam - for example, that she'll have to have an arranged marriage. But it was less funny when she told me about the death threats she had received on social media.
"I was quite popular on Twitter, I used to put up information about Islam and things like that. But all of a sudden dozens of people started commenting and saying all sorts of horrible things, like: 'Go back to your country,' 'We're going to come and kill you,' 'We will hunt you down,' 'You are disgusting to look at.'"
I don't have any children but whenever I'm back home in Sheffield I always take my two nieces, 10-year-old Aaliyah and seven-year-old Amanie, out for ice cream.
As we approached the restaurant last time we heard police sirens - they had been called to the scene because a white man was yelling obscene Islamophobic language at two Muslim waitresses. I grabbed my two nieces and told them we'd come back later. As we walked off, Amanie looked at me and said: "Why is that man saying bad things about Muslims?"
How do you tell a seven-year-old that some people in this country will treat you unfairly because of your race and religion?
The first time I wore a headscarf to work, a woman who works in our building said I like looked like a North African kidnapper, in front of my entire team. I laughed it off, but I felt isolated and different from everyone in the room at that moment.
It's like people don't know how to react to us any more - why are people so anxious around Muslim women? We're not creatures from outer space, we're just women, and some of us choose to cover our hair. Why is it such a big deal?
Saadiya is a young British Asian woman who works in the City. Like me, the only time she wears a headscarf is when she is going to the mosque - but on those occasions she gets weird looks - looks I know all too well.
"When our family moved to this country they faced a lot of that, and it was a real struggle for them," Saadiya tells me. That was 30, 40, 50 years ago - we've come a long way since then, and yet it feels as if we are now going 10 steps back.
Even though I have a thick Yorkshire accent, I'm often made to feel like I don't belong. One minute I'm fighting off racists and then a second later I'm back in the ring defending my faith. It feels like I'm constantly justifying my own existence.
We are at risk of terror attacks like everybody else, but we also have to deal with the backlash. After major attacks we have to endure intimidating comments and fear personal attacks, all because of the actions of a terrorist. Being held accountable for the actions of extremists is a massive burden.
Some days I want to scream at the top of my voice that I have nothing to do with terrorism but it doesn't matter how loud I scream, I will always be tarred with the same brush.
All we want is to feel safe in our own country and to be accepted for who we are - because we are British and this is our home.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41763388
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Rate rise impact 'modest' for homeowners, says Nationwide - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Raising rates will have less impact because more people are on fixed mortgages, says Nationwide.
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Business
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The impact of a small rise in interest rates is likely to be modest for most UK households, according to mortgage lender Nationwide.
The Bank of England has been widely tipped to increase rates for the first time in a decade on Thursday.
If rates do go up from 0.25% to 0.5%, the effect will be smaller than in the past because more homeowners are on fixed mortgages, Nationwide said.
It comes as house prices rose by 0.2% in October, according to Nationwide.
The average price of a house in the UK rose by £284 to £211,085. Annual house price growth edged up to 2.5% from 2.3% in September.
Nationwide chief economist Robert Gardner said the share of mortgages on variable rates - and so likely to see higher payments if the Bank Rate is increased - has fallen to a record low of about 40%, down from a peak of 70% in 2001.
"Moreover, a 0.25% increase in rates is likely to have a modest impact on most borrowers who are on variable rates," Mr Gardner said.
He estimated such a rate rise would increase monthly payments by £15 to £665 for the average mortgage, or an extra £180 a year.
Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club consultancy, said a rate rise could weigh on the housing market.
"Housing market activity remains under pressure from squeezed consumer purchasing power, fragile confidence and appreciable caution over engaging in major transactions," he said.
In its latest update on the housing market, the Nationwide also said the UK's departure from the European Union could affect demand.
"With the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit and the rights of EU citizens once the UK leaves the EU, we may see a slowing in housing demand (and particularly rental demand) in the years ahead," Mr Gardner said.
Population growth has fuelled housing demand in recent years, the building society said, with international migration accounting for almost two-thirds of the 11% increase in England's population rise between 2001 and 2015.
That has affected the number of residents privately renting properties. "Recent migrants are more likely to privately rent than live in social housing or their own home," said Mr Gardner.
The biggest impact has been in London. "There is a regional dynamic, with migrants accounting for a much higher proportion of the private renting population in London than elsewhere in England," he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41829034
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Labour activist 'warned' about pursuing rape claim - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Labour supporter Bex Bailey says she was told that reporting the 2011 incident could "damage" her.
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UK Politics
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A Labour activist has said she was raped at a party event and that a senior Labour official discouraged her from reporting the attack.
Bex Bailey said she was told reporting the 2011 incident could "damage" her and that she was given no advice on what she should do next.
She told the BBC she had waived her anonymity to urge changes to the way such cases are handled.
Labour said it had launched an independent investigation.
This will look at "claims that a party employee acted improperly over these 2011 allegations", the party said.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Ms Bailey had shown "incredible bravery" in speaking out and said she had his "full support and solidarity".
The issue of sexual abuse within politics and the parties' response has come under the microscope after recent allegations about sexual harassment in Parliament.
Labour has said "robust procedures" both "inside as well as outside Parliament" are needed and Jeremy Corbyn has written to members urging anyone with a complaint to come forward using "confidential party procedures".
Ms Bailey, who is calling for an independent body free from political "bias", said there was now a recognition that "it's a problem in every party at every level".
The 25-year-old is a former member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee.
In an interview with PM on BBC Radio 4, she said she had been 19 when she was raped by someone senior to her within the Labour Party who was not an MP.
She said she had "tried to pretend it hadn't happened" and did not report the attack to the police at the time.
"I was scared, I felt ashamed, I know that the Labour Party, like any family, loves a good gossip - and I didn't want people to know and I also was worried that I wouldn't be believed if I did," she said.
Two years later, she did confide in a party official.
"It took me a while to summon up the courage to tell anyone in the party," she said.
"But when I did, I told a senior member of staff, who told me... or it was suggested to me that I not report it, I was told that if I did it might damage me - and that might be their genuine view, it might be that that was the case in which case that shows that we have a serious problem in politics with this issue anyway."
Ms Bailey said she was not given good advice and was "not signposted to anyone else that could", and there seemed to be no procedure to report the incident.
"I don't think I was even given a cup of tea at the time," she said.
"It was quite a horrible experience and this is why I've been fighting so hard for changes to the way that we do this."
She is calling for an independent agency, like a charity, so allegations are dealt with free from "political bias" and complainants do not feel they will be "penalised".
This body should provide advice on taking the matter to the police or, anonymously, to the party, she said.
Labour's process relies on people reporting an attack to someone within the party - who is "inclined to be loyal to the Labour Party", she said.
"It's important that we need to make sure that this results in actual change in our parties as well as in Parliament, rather than letting it all blow over," she said.
Ms Bailey said she had seen "a lot of brave women" speak out in recent days and weeks, and had chosen to do so to secure the changes she has campaigned for.
"I just really hope that all the horrible things that we're seeing will at least result in some sort of change in our parties as well as in Parliament."
A Labour Party spokesman said: "The Labour Party takes these allegations extremely seriously. It takes great courage for victims of rape to come forward - and all support must and will be made available to them.
"We would strongly recommend that the police investigate the allegations of criminal actions that Bex Bailey has made.
"Labour will also launch an independent investigation into claims that a party employee acted improperly over these 2011 allegations."
Mr Corbyn added: "There will be no tolerance in the Labour Party for sexism, harassment or abuse.
"Whatever it takes, we are absolutely committed to rooting it out."
Ed Miliband, who was Labour leader in 2011, said he was "shocked" by Ms Bailey's "horrific allegations".
He added: "She is showing great bravery and courage in speaking out. Victims must be supported when they come forward. These allegations must be properly investigated by the police and the Labour Party."
Meanwhile, the BBC has seen a list, thought to have been compiled by staff and researchers at Westminster, detailing a range of mostly unproven allegations about 40 Conservative MPs and ministers.
Among the claims are a number of serious allegations of inappropriate behaviour with junior members of staff, the use of prostitutes and affairs between MPs.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg described the list as "both a mixture of unsavoury allegations, reports of well-known relationships, and some claims that are furiously denied".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41821671
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The Great British Bake Off: Channel 4's gamble has paid off - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Many fans feared that The Great British Bake Off would spoil - so success must taste sweet.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The new line-up has wide appeal and good chemistry
Many fans feared that The Great British Bake Off might spoil when it went to Channel 4. So the success of this series must taste particularly sweet.
There were some funny moments at Jay Hunt and David Abraham's leaving party at Channel 4 a few weeks ago.
The chief creative officer and chief executive had gathered journalists, colleagues, friends and programme makers for a boozy farewell.
Three members of boy band Blue turned up and sang. A video of tributes and thank yous featuring famous people associated with Channel 4 was played, to ringing applause. Then the stars of Bake Off turned up.
Paul Hollywood wasn't there, but Prue Leith, Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding were. Leith said she'd never been paid so much to eat cake. Everything Toksvig said was funny.
Then Fielding produced the most memorable line of the evening, when he addressed the crowd and said (I paraphrase slightly): "Be honest, you thought we were gonna flop! Didn't you?!"
Everyone laughed, because everyone knew he was right.
Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding have formed an unlikely double act
The decision by Channel 4 to bid for Bake Off was widely interpreted in the industry as reckless, naive, hubristic - or some combination of all three.
Dozens of industry people I spoke to used the same line - without the "talent" (Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc and Mary Berry all declined to move across), Channel 4 had basically just paid for a tent. This was the conventional thinking.
Conventional thinking has a habit of being wrong. It also has a seductive appeal. It is absolutely true that Channel 4 was taking a huge punt in buying the show without three quarters of its stars. That is why the reward they are now getting must taste particularly good.
The numbers are, to those in Horseferry Road, where Channel 4 is still headquartered, the stuff of dreams.
TV viewing figures now come in at least two groups - mainly the overnights and consolidated. In overnights, the show is getting around six million viewers. In terms of consolidated reach - the number of people who see a particular episode over a seven-day period - this rises to 8.9 million.
Stacey was eliminated in the semi-final
True, this is down from the 13 million the show reached on BBC One. But bearing in mind that BBC One generally gets the biggest audiences in the land, Channel 4 will be chuffed.
And especially because in the prized 16-34 demographic (those who apparently are running away from conventional TV), they are scoring 2.5 million viewers - or a whopping 54% of market share.
Fielding, Toksvig, Leith and Hollywood are earning their meringues - and Channel 4 appears to agree as all four are back for next year's series.
As digital giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook and Netflix move into television, conventional broadcasters like Channel 4 are having to fight much, much harder for eyeballs and advertising revenue.
That means they rely ever more heavily on superstar shows such as Bake Off, which bring in the revenues to fund other expensive programming that - in Channel 4 and the BBC's case - meets a public service remit.
The irony, of course, is that Jay Hunt and David Abraham are off to new ventures just as Bake Off brings in the cash. The latter is probably going to set up his own company, but remains tight-lipped.
For Hunt, a former BBC and Channel 5 executive who missed out on the top job at Channel 4, and is now moving to Apple, this is in effect a parting gift to her colleagues.
Though Abraham was her superior, it was Hunt who was most closely associated with the Bake Off transfer, and who made the ultimate decision on the new line-up.
That line-up was carefully selected to combine an appeal to various demographics - Fielding brings a following from his Never Mind the Buzzcocks days; Toksvig is a Radio 4 giant; Leith has real pedigree in the world of food - with on-screen chemistry, which is undoubtedly there.
Their current success may not last, but it is worth bearing in mind that most shows take time to build an audience in a new place, as critics of former Fox anchor Megyn Kelly's new show on NBC should remember.
And it is in the nature of Bake Off, which is a competition, that as it builds towards a thrilling finale, its ratings could rise. So the best may be yet to come.
I suspect that when she met Apple, Hunt will have pointed to the success of Bake Off as an indication of her eye for talent and preparedness to take creative risks that are later vindicated.
The show was never going to achieve the same audience it did on BBC One. For now, it looks a canny investment. But when the show is put out to tender again in a couple of years, might Channel 4 find itself bidding against Apple?
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41804223
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The mysterious 'braid choppers' terrorising Kashmir - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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At least 40 women have reported being attacked and having their hair chopped off.
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India
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Tasleema Rouf, 35, was on the top storey of her house in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, when she says she saw a man's shadow.
Before she could react, she says, she was attacked. When she tried to scream for help, he tried to strangle her. She fell unconscious.
That's how her husband found her - lying on the floor, with some of her hair chopped off.
At least 40 instances of hair chopping have been reported in the state of Jammu and Kashmir since 6 September, sparking off hysteria and protests. The situation is so volatile that even schools and colleges were shut briefly.
This isn't the first time that "braid chopping" attacks have made headlines in India. More than 50 women in the northern states of Haryana and Rajasthan had reported in August that their braids were chopped off while they were unconscious.
But given Kashmir's volatile relationship with India's federal government, the attacks here have led to violence, vigilantism and allegations against both Indian security forces and separatists.
Tasleema Rouf is seen crying after she was attacked and her hair chopped off
Little is known about who is behind the attacks. Most of the women said they were knocked unconscious and woke up to find that their hair had been cut. Some said their attackers wore masks. None of the women saw the culprits.
This woman, who didn't want to be identified, agreed to be photographed for this article lying next to her cut hair.
She says she was attacked outside her home early in the morning. Her gold chain was snatched, but the attacker did not take the braid that had been cut - as in every other incident, it was left behind.
The so-called "braid chopping" has set off panic in the state, sparking several protests. India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which shares power with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir, has alleged that the "braid chopping" attacks are being used as a "new tool by separatists and anti-nationals to vitiate peace". It has demanded a judicial inquiry.
Activist Ahsan Antoo protested against the attacks, which are being seen as a "humiliation" of Kashmiri women. The opposition National Conference party accused the state government of failing to protect the "dignity" of their "mothers, daughters and sisters." Even militant group Hizbul Mujahideen has weighed in, alleging that this is a "ploy" by the Indian government to "counter militant attacks" as paranoid locals are now more likely to report militants passing through their village.
Protests have often ended in clashes between security forces and civilians. Amid the increasing pressure, Kashmir police have created a "special investigative team" to catch the attackers. They also announced a 600,000 rupee ($9,228; £7,000) award. But separatists accuse Indian security forces of planning these attacks to "intimidate" Kashmiris who are demanding independence from India.
Young men across the state have also formed vigilante groups, with sometimes tragic results. Vigilantes killed a 70-year-old man who they mistook for a "braid chopper". Six foreign tourists, including a British national, were also threatened by a mob in Srinagar.
Waseem Ahmad was brutally beaten by a vigilante mob in north Kashmir because they suspected him of being a "braid chopper". He says they tried to burn him alive but he was rescued by the police.
This elderly man, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, installed a CCTV camera in his home after he says his daughter-in-law's hair was chopped off on two different occasions over three days.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-41773176
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Russia, Facebook, the US election and when 126 million isn't 126 million - BBC News
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2017-11-01
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Facebook posts from Russian-sponsored accounts may have reached millions of Americans - but that doesn't mean they read them.
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US & Canada
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It sounds like a lot of people.
That's nearly half of the 270 million Americans who are old enough to be allowed a Facebook profile.
The figure comes from the social network itself, which along with Google and Twitter, is preparing for a Senate hearing where it will explain Russia's impact on the popular sites.
But how many people have actually seen those posts?
That very big number, 126 million, is the "reach" of some 80,000 posts published between June 2015 and August 2017.
Facebook defines a post's "reach" as those people who may have come across the content (text story/video/image/ad) in their News Feed.
A post counts as reaching someone when it's shown in their News Feed.
So this figure takes no account of the number of people who may or may not have stopped to actually read the post.
Figures are for the first 365 days after a post was created and include people viewing the post on desktop and mobile.
The reach may be organic or paid. Organic reach is the total number of unique people who were shown your post through unpaid distribution.
Paid reach is the total number of unique people who were shown your post as a result of ads.
126 million users were "reached" by the posts - but how many actually saw them?
Crucially, therefore, when Facebook says that about 80,000 posts "reached" 126 million people in the US over two years, we don't know how many of those people actually stopped to read the content.
As a result, we don't know how many of these thousands of posts had any impact at all on swaying US voters ahead of the 2016 election.
Clearly, a mass targeting of posts can have a subliminal impact on people but it's hard to evaluate with any certainty based on the data we've seen so far.
Facebook goes on to explain that the number of Americans who saw those posts directly is 29 million - a much smaller number.
It is unclear what Facebook means by "seen directly".
The first thing to say is that we don't know what relationship those 29 million users had to these Russian-sponsored posts.
Does it mean the content was shared with them by a friend or relative? Does it mean they engaged with it, that is, reacted to it, commented on it, shared it?
Secondly - we don't actually know whether each of those 29 million users represents an individual American.
Some might be fake profiles. Some individuals set up multiple profiles (one for work, one for play).
And of course, some may belong to children under the voting age - another way in which they would fail to influence an election.
Some Facebook users were fooled by this fake story which wrongly claimed Denzel Washington backed Donald Trump for president
Third - it's worth putting this in context.
Facebook says those 80,000 posts were "seen directly" by 29 million people over a two-year period.
In January 2017, there were estimated to be more than 214 million active monthly Facebook users in the US alone. An active monthly user is someone who has logged in over the last 30 days.
Given how much stuff those 214 million active Facebook users post and see, those 80,000 posts are likely to be a drop in the ocean.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41819819
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