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St Olave's Grammar School row head resigns - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Aydin Önaç, head of St Olave's Grammar School in Orpington, will leave at Christmas.
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Family & Education
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The head of a grammar school at the centre of a row about pupils being forced to leave before their A-levels has resigned.
Aydin Önaç, headmaster of St Olave's Grammar School in Orpington, south-east London, will leave his post at Christmas, a letter to parents said.
Mr Önaç was suspended by the school's governing body last month.
Parents began legal action over the A-level exclusions but the school later backed down and let the pupils return.
St Olave's is one of England's top-performing grammar schools, with pupils selected on academic ability.
In September, a group of sixth-formers who did not get high enough grades at AS-level were told they would not be allowed to return to do their A-levels.
In the letter to parents, sent late on Friday afternoon, acting head Andrew Rees said the headmaster was departing for "personal reasons".
"He leaves, with great sadness, a school which is now regarded as one of the nation's most outstanding schools and one in which parents and pupils can have great pride and confidence.
"Mr Önaç would like to thank all those governors, staff, parents and students who have supported him over the last seven years and extends his very best wishes to them for the future."
Parent Andrew Gebbett, who has two sons at the school, expressed relief at Mr Önaç's decision to leave.
"The school can now move on," he said.
St Olave's was at the centre of a controversy over pupils being removed from the school before A-levels
Debbie Hills, chair of the school's parents' association, who remained in post despite her son deciding to leave after being among those excluded, described the resignation as "a first step to it being put right".
The parents' association first sought Mr Önaç's resignation at a meeting in September.
Another parent in a similar position said: "There will be a lot of people who will be breaking open bottles of champagne tonight."
The parent, who asked not to be named, said it was appropriate that the school's motto was "'to right the wrong' - and that's what's been done".
Tony Wright-Jones, a parent and former governor of the school, said: "We want to know as parents and governors what exactly went on".
This year's A-level results at St Olave's saw 75% of all grades being awarded at A* or A and 96% were at A* to B grades, far above the national average.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42033702
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Air crash: Four die as plane and helicopter collide - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police say an investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash over Buckinghamshire.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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Four people have died after a plane and a helicopter crashed in mid-air over Buckinghamshire.
Two people were killed in each aircraft, Thames Valley Police said.
Police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said they have launched a joint investigation to establish the cause of the collision just after midday at Waddesdon Estate, near Aylesbury.
A Wycombe Air Park spokesman said both aircraft came from the airfield.
Supt Rebecca Mears, from Thames Valley Police, said she could not give any details of the identity or the genders of the victims at this stage and her "first priority" was the next of kin.
She said it was "too early to tell" what might have caused the crash.
The AAIB said the plane involved was a Cessna.
Emergency services were called to Upper Winchendon, close to Waddesdon Manor, at 12:06 GMT.
Mitch Missen, an off-duty firefighter, witnessed the crash from his garden.
He said: "I looked up and saw as both collided in mid-air, followed by a large bang and falling debris.
"I rushed in to get my car keys and en route called the emergency services, who I continued to give updates as to its whereabouts.
"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate the actual crash site but directed police, fire and ambulance as best I could. Once they were on the scene, I returned home."
Andy Parry, a teacher in Aylesbury, said he was with students at Waddesdon Manor at the time of the crash.
He said they heard a "massive bang" and saw debris in the sky.
Roads in the area were closed off for a number of hours
There were a number of road closures following the crash but they have since been lifted.
Seven fire vehicles from Aylesbury, Haddenham, Oxfordshire and Berkshire were sent to the scene.
A spokesman for Bucks Fire and Rescue Service said 30 members of staff in fire engines and urban search and rescue vehicles attended.
He added: "I understand it is in a wooded area near the manor."
The Thames Valley air ambulance, two ambulance crews, two ambulance officers and a rapid response vehicle were also sent to the scene.
The crash happened close to Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury
Hayley O'Keefe, from The Bucks Herald, said on Twitter a "plume of smoke" could be seen close to Waddesdon Hill after the crash.
The Rev Mary Cruddas from St Mary Magdalene Church, Upper Winchendon, said she had been to the site to see if she could be of any help.
She said: "The area where it happened is off road and difficult to get to."
When I got to the scene it was frantic, as media across all outlets, local and national, assembled.
You cannot see the crash site as the woodland is so dense but as the light dimmed, you could see light coming from where the AAIB and police were standing.
The police presence has been very visible throughout the day, with a large cordon in place and roads closed.
A spokesperson for the National Trust-owned Waddesdon Manor said the crash had not happened in its grounds, but staff helped direct the emergency services to the scene.
Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield, is about 20 miles (32km) away from the site of the crash and offers flight training.
The crash site is in dense woodland
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42024712
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Children in Need raises record on-the-night total of £50.1m - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Strictly and EastEnders featured in the fundraising show for disadvantaged children and young people.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Children in Need raised a record-breaking £50.1m during Friday's show, which featured a Blue Peter Strictly Come Dancing special.
The five-hour programme also included a Weakest Link celebrity special, a singing EastEnders cast, and a teaser of the Doctor Who Christmas edition.
Tess Daly, Graham Norton, Mel Giedroyc, and Ade Adepitan presented the show, which was broadcast on BBC One and Two.
Left-right: Mel Giedroyc, Rochelle and Marvin Humes, Graham Norton, Ade Adepitan and Tess Daly are the faces of Children in Need 2017
The show began on BBC One at 19:30 GMT with Daly and Adepitan hosting, and included some of the children and young people whose lives have been changed through support from Children in Need.
During the evening, Car Share co-stars Peter Kay and Sian Gibson announced that the comedy series would return in 2018 with two new episodes.
"It's been a very tough secret to keep," said Kay.
Hosts Norton and Giedroyc took over presenting duties later on, followed by Marvin and Rochelle Humes.
Viewers were given a first look at this year's Doctor Who special, which included Peter Capaldi, in his last appearance as the 12th doctor, alongside a return from first doctor David Bradley and Mark Gatiss as a First World War officer.
Anne Robinson presided over the Weakest Link special. with celebrities John Thomson, Love Island winner Kem Cetinay and actress Chizzy Akudolu - the eventual winner - facing her questions.
Six current and former Blue Peter presenters are competing for the Strictly glitterball
EastEnders stars sang their way around Albert Square
Former Blue Peter presenter Mark Curry lifted the Pudsey glitter ball trophy in the Children In Need Strictly Come Dancing special after impressing judges with his high kicks.
Five other current and former Blue Peter presenters also donned Strictly's sequins - Diane-Louise Jordan, Anthea Turner, Tim Vincent, Konnie Huq and Radzi Chinyanganya.
EastEnders fans saw their favourite characters sing popular numbers from classic West End musicals early in the show.
The cast of Countryfile also had a go at their own medley, opting for hit country tunes from John Denver, Dolly Parton and Nancy Sinatra.
There was also music from Rita Ora, The Vamps and Jason Derulo, while Joanna Lumley presented the Sir Terry Wogan Fundraiser of the Year award to people who "go above and beyond to raise money".
Children in Need is the BBC's UK corporate charity and raises money for disadvantaged children and young people around the country.
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-42023889
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Azzedine Alaïa: Popular Tunisian couturier dies aged 77 - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The fashion world mourns a designer whose clients included Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Michelle Obama.
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Europe
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Alaïa was fascinated by the human form and his designs were often close-fitting
The celebrated Tunisian fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa has died at the age of 77, French media report.
Alaïa, whose close-fitting designs earned him the nickname "king of cling", achieved fame in the 1980s.
Alaïa was known for his uncompromising attitude to exhibit his designs to his own schedule and was uninterested in the publicity of fashion weeks.
Barbadian singer Rihanna in a dress designed by Alaïa at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2013
Michelle Obama wore an Alaïa dress at the Nato summit in Germany in 2009
Lady Gaga in an Alaïa creation at the Academy Awards in Hollywood in 2015
Tributes were being paid to the couturier on social media on Saturday.
Lady Gaga said that Alaïa was a "genius in not only fashion but in his heart". In a statement posted on Twitter, the singer said the designer "should be celebrated as one of the greatest," adding: "I love you."
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Singer Mariah Carey also thanked Alaïa in a tweet, adding that he was an "incredibly kind man".
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Fellow fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier said that Alaïa was "brilliant" at combining traditional techniques and knowledge to create timeless items.
Alaïa, who was born in 1940, trained as a sculptor in his native Tunisia and remained fascinated by the human form throughout his career.
He moved to Paris in the late 1950s, working briefly for Christian Dior and Guy Laroche before becoming an independent couturier.
The Paris-based couturier's exhibitions were displayed throughout Europe
Fashions by Alaïa on display in Duesseldorf, western Germany, in 2013
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42038082
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Gaia Pope: Body found near Swanage in search for missing woman - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police are "confident" the remains are that of the 19-year-old woman, who has been missing for 11 days.
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England
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Gaia Pope was last seen in Swanage on 7 November
A body has been found in the hunt for missing teenager Gaia Pope.
Dorset Police said they were "confident" that the remains on land near Swanage were those of the 19-year-old, who has been missing for 11 days.
Officers made the discovery at 15:00 GMT on Saturday near a coastal path and field where items of her clothing were found on Thursday.
In a statement Gaia's sister, Clara Pope, described her as the "light of my life".
Ms Pope told ITV News that her sister was "so beautiful, so emotionally wise and intelligent and so passionate and artistic and creative and understanding".
Addressing those people who had searched for Gaia, she added: "I just want to tell everybody that every minute of your hard work has been absolutely worth it."
Gaia's cousin, Marienna Pope-Weidemann, said: "We are absolutely devastated and unable to put those feelings of loss into words.
"Our little bird has flown, but she will always be with us."
Ms Pope-Weidemann added: "We want to thank each and every one of you for everything you've done.
"If there is one ray of light in this nightmare it is the compassion, humanity and community spirit that you've shown over the last 10 days.
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"Your dedication and selflessness for a girl that many of you don't even know has been staggering and one of the few things that kept us going."
Three people have previously been arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation.
Detectives detained 71-year-old Rosemary Dinch; her 49-year-old son Paul Elsey; and her 19-year-old grandson Nathan Elsey - all of whom were known to Miss Pope.
Det Supt Paul Kessell, of Dorset Police, said: "Although the body has yet to be formally identified, we are confident that we have found Gaia.
"Her family has been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers. Our thoughts remain with all of her family and friends at this very traumatic time.
"They have requested privacy and that we make no further media releases at this point."
Land close to where the items of clothing were found was searched
Extensive searches took place to locate the teenager, who was last seen at about 16:00 GMT on 7 November in Manor Gardens, Swanage.
An hour earlier she had been captured on CCTV buying an ice cream inside St Michael's Garage, having been driven there by a relative.
Hundreds of missing person posters were distributed across the county and volunteers helped to scour the town.
Det Supt Kessell, of Dorset Police's major crime investigation team, said the Dorset coroner had been informed and a post-mortem examination would take place.
He said that forensic examinations would continue.
"This will guide the investigation in respect of the circumstances of the death which at this time remains unexplained," he said.
He added: "I can confirm that we have recovered all the clothing we believe Gaia was wearing when she disappeared and, with thanks, we no longer require the public to assist with searches."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42041390
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Budget 2017: Double Budget effect on your finances - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Here is what we already know about changes to your finances ahead of a second Budget of the year.
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Business
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Two Budgets in one year means the prospect of significant upheaval for your finances - adding to changes we already know about.
Chancellor Philip Hammond will probably want his sequel to be less dramatic in political terms than his March Budget.
Previous Budgets and government policy mean we need not wait until Wednesday to know of some key changes ahead.
They include promises to increase the amount of earnings free from income tax and alterations to student loans.
Some predict there will be further help for young people and there will be keen interest in any changes to public sector pay and benefits.
"We're expecting the over-45s to shoulder most of the pain in this year's Budget," said Clive Relf, partner at adviser Kreston Reeves.
There are predictions of a focus on financial assistance for the pressed younger generation in part owing to a political calculation of lost voters at the last general election.
This has already begun with a promise to change the threshold at which student loans are repaid. Students will pay back when they earn £25,000 per year, rather than £21,000, Prime Minister Theresa May has said.
At the Conservative party conference, Mrs May also announced that the government was cancelling an increase in tuition fees which would have taken them above £9,500.
High deposit demands from mortgage lenders to first-time buyers have prevented many people from buying a home.
Chancellor Philip Hammond told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that it was "not acceptable" that young people find it so hard to buy a home, and said the Budget would detail plans to build 300,000 new homes a year in England.
The chancellor said the government would focus on speeding up developments where planning permission has been granted and would use the "powers of state" to get "missing homes built".
The government also plans to pay to clean up polluted industrial sites for house building, get town hall bosses to allocate small pockets of land to small developers and guarantee loans by banks to small house builders.
Changes already earmarked for next April and subsequent financial years include:
One thing that was set to change, but will no longer happen in April is the abolition of class 2 National Insurance contributions.
This flat rate paid by self-employed workers making a profit of more than £6,025 a year was expected to be abolished in April 2018 but this has been deferred by the government for a year pending a further review.
Also in the world of work, from April of next year public sector employers will have to decide whether freelancers are really self-employed or should be staff - a move many believe could be extended to the private sector.
Reports suggest nurses are in line for a pay rise in the Budget
The cap on public sector pay rises in England and Wales has been in place in some form since 2010.
However, the government has already announced that ministers will now get "flexibility" to breach the 1% limit.
Police officers have already been offered a 1% rise plus a 1% bonus, with prison officers offered a 1.7% rise - both funded from existing budgets.
Public sector pay was frozen for two years in 2010, except for those earning less than £21,000 a year, and since 2013, rises have been capped at 1% - below the rate of inflation, which currently stands at 3%.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41999236
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Argentina missing navy submarine: Search stepped up - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A Nasa research plane joins the search for the vessel, now missing in the Atlantic for three days.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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The vessel is the newest of the three submarines in the Argentine navy's fleet
The Argentine navy is stepping up its search in the South Atlantic for a 44-crew submarine that has been out of radio contact for three days.
President Mauricio Macri said all national and international resources were being deployed to help find the San Juan as quickly as possible.
A Nasa research plane has joined the search for the vessel.
Britain and countries in the region have offered help after it disappeared 430km (267 miles) off the coast.
"We have not been able to find, or have visual or radar communication with the submarine," navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told a news conference.
Argentine navy protocol dictates that a submarine must come to the surface if communication is lost
The government says it will do everything necessary to ensure the safety of the crew and the recovery of the submarine
The diesel-electric submarine was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern-most tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, south of Buenos Aires.
Its last contact with the navy command was on Wednesday morning.
An Argentine destroyer and two corvettes are conducting a search around the area of the sub's last known position off the south-eastern Valdez peninsula.
But so far there are no clues about its whereabouts.
The rescue operation has been formally upgraded to a search-and-rescue procedure after no visual or radar contact was made with the submarine, Mr Balbi said.
"Detection has been difficult despite the quantity of boats and aircraft involved in the search", he said.
The task of the rescuers has been further complicated by heavy winds and high waves.
Mr Balbi said that the number of hours that had passed since there had been any communication with the vessel was of concern.
The San Juan has had numerous repairs and upgrades since coming into service
It is thought that the submarine may have had communication difficulties caused by a power cut.
Navy protocol dictates that a vessel should come to the surface if communication has been lost.
"We expect that it is on the surface," Mr Balbi said.
The German-built submarine was inaugurated in 1983, the newest of the three submarines in the Argentine navy's fleet.
President Macri said the government was in regular contact with the crew's families.
"We share their concern and that of all Argentines," he wrote on Twitter. "We are committed to using all national and international resources necessary to find the ARA San Juan submarine as soon as possible."
A US Nasa P-3 explorer aircraft - capable of long-duration flights - is preparing to take part in the search, Mr Balbi said, in addition to a Hercules C-130 from the Argentine Air Force.
Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and South Africa have all formally offered assistance in the search.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-42030560
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Hammond’s new Budget headache - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Office for Budget Responsibility is likely to downgrade growth – that will increase jitters at the Treasury.
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Business
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Budget Day for the Chancellor just became a little more tricky.
The announcement by the government's official economic watchdog that it expects to downgrade productivity growth over the next five years is likely to mean lower tax revenues for the government.
And lower tax revenues mean that reducing the deficit becomes harder.
Low levels of productivity are a demonstration of an economy that is not very good at creating wealth.
For seven of the last 10 years, people have suffered falling real incomes, where earnings growth lags behind price increases (inflation).
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This is not a comfortable position for any government to find itself and negatively affects consumer confidence and spending power - the key drivers of the UK economy.
If house price growth also continues to soften, or even turn negative in some areas like London, then consumer confidence is likely to decline further.
The analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility comes after some more positive news on increased tax revenues had given Philip Hammond about £26bn of headroom as he approached November 22, when he will lay out the government's financial plans.
But after today's announcement, the government's target to "balance the books" by the middle of the next decade looks increasingly difficult to hit.
A growth downgrade could mean that the government will either have to raise taxes or find further cuts if it is to hit that fiscal target.
Or Mr Hammond could simply extend the length of time the government gives itself to hit its own Holy Grail - eliminating the deficit.
Which some might say - after repeated misses - is now looking like "sometime never".
The difficulty for Mr Hammond is that an administration without a majority finds it harder to pass difficult legislation.
Remember the U-turn the Chancellor had to execute over plans to raise taxes for the self-employed he announced in March. That was when Theresa May had a working majority.
Mr Hammond might want to change his fiscal approach but it only needs a rebellion of a handful of Conservative MPs to threaten derailment.
What are the keys to increased productivity?
They are numerous and complex - education, skills, infrastructure investment and businesses investment.
Each has faced the headwinds of austerity (public service cuts), controversy (Heathrow's extra runway, the Hinkley Point nuclear plant) and uncertainty (the Brexit referendum).
Take one example, Matthew Taylor's report on how to improve the way we work. He has provided a detailed plan for Number 10 but what are the chances of any legislation being passed, for example, on reforming zero hours contracts?
Many believe minimal as Theresa May grapples with the complexities of leaving the European Union and challenges to her authority.
An economy that is poor at producing wealth is an economy that many will see as not working for them.
The fact that employment levels are high is an important economic good. That people have jobs is the first stage of economic well-being.
But Mr Hammond knows that moving on from "jobs" to "well paid, productive jobs" is the next, tough part, of the journey.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41568984
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Universal credit: Thousands to get less money over festive season - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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People who work and are paid weekly may miss out in December because of the way it is calculated.
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UK
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The Department of Work and Pensions has confirmed that around 25,000 universal credit claimants could see their entitlement reduced over Christmas.
Most will get some benefit but some will lose their entitlement altogether.
It's an issue which affects some universal credit claimants who are paid weekly.
Those that have five pay packets within their Christmas income assessment period, will see their benefit entitlement reduced.
Ministers say this is how universal credit is meant to work - with benefit levels reducing as earnings rise and increasing as earnings fall. In this way it is designed to "make work pay."
But debt charities say this variability makes budgeting difficult for families with little financial security.
The effect is caused because universal credit levels are based on monthly earnings. The so-called income assessment is calculated over 30 or 31 days - meaning that in four of those periods each year, claimants will have five pay-days. Exactly when will depend on when they first applied for the benefit.
The DWP has confirmed, up to 25,000 could be affected by this over Christmas.
Universal credit merges six benefits for working-age people into one new payment, which is reduced gradually as you earn more.
The Department for Work and Pensions warns on its website that people who are paid five times in a month may have an income that is too high to qualify for the benefit in that period.
It says people will be notified if this happens and told to reapply for the benefit the following month.
Other people who are paid fives times in a month but do not earn enough for universal credit to end will have their benefit reduced.
Kayley Hignell, from Citizens Advice, said the way universal credit was calculated brought some benefits but also "significant budget challenges".
She said: "The key thing here is about communication.
"People need to know that if they're getting extra income in one month... it may stop their universal credit payment, and that they then subsequently need to put in a new claim to make sure that they continue to get those payments.
"If you've got extra money in the month, don't necessarily bank on the fact that your universal credit is going to stay the same, because it could change it either in this month or the next."
The Department for Work and Pensions said not all those paid weekly would get a reduced payment in December because it would depend on the date on which a claimant's universal credit was paid.
It also said the payments balanced out, because claimants entitled to more would receive it in the following month.
It said those who reapplied for the benefits would not have to submit new forms and would have their current claims restarted.
The DWP said: "For the vast majority of people in work, they will continue to get paid universal credit in a five-week month.
"When someone's wages take them over the UC threshold, they can get universal credit the next month, and this process is working."
Universal credit is being rolled out across the UK in stages, but its implementation, particularly the six-week wait to receive the benefit, has caused controversy.
This week Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Prime Minister's Questions that hundreds of families have been issued with eviction notices by a landlord concerned about the impact of universal credit.
Correction and update 1 December 2017: This article has been amended to give the correct number of Universal Credit claimants who could see their entitlement reduced over Christmas and updated to add that this figure has been confirmed by the Department of Work and Pensions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42036462
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Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe makes first public appearance - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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The president makes his first public appearance since Zimbabwe's army took over the country.
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President Robert Mugabe has made his first public appearance since Zimbabwe's army took over the country on Wednesday.
He attended a graduation ceremony, wearing blue and yellow robes and a mortarboard hat.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42025796
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Gaia Pope case: Mass searches underway around Swanage - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Her sister says the family "chooses to believe" she is alive, despite the police murder inquiry.
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Dorset
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Gaia Pope was last seen in Swanage on 7 November
Mass searches for missing teenager Gaia Pope are under way on the 11th day of her disappearance.
Volunteers have scoured three locations around Swanage, where the 19-year-old went missing on 7 November.
It follows the release of a third murder suspect on Friday.
The teenager's sister Clara Pope-Sutherland said: "We are choosing to believe the murder investigation is just a formality and that she is alive."
Land close to where the items of clothing were found is being extensively searched
On Thursday, police discovered clothing belonging to Miss Pope on open land outside Swanage.
The case is being treated as a murder inquiry, but her sister said the missing person investigation had not been dropped either.
She described the discovery of the clothes as "positive" as police now had "some kind of lead".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Volunteers explain why they have joined the search for missing Gaia
Hundreds of volunteers have joined the searches, which departed from three car parks at about midday to comb rural areas for possible clues.
Miss Pope-Sutherland said the response from people in the town had been amazing and she was "beyond grateful".
Forensic officers have also been working in the area where items of clothing were found
So far three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder, including Paul Elsey, 49, who was released under investigation on Friday afternoon.
He lives with his mother Rosemary Dinch, 71, who was arrested on the same charge on Monday, along with her 19-year-old grandson, Nathan Elsey.
They have both been released while inquiries continue.
Detectives have been focusing forensic investigations on homes, cars and an area near the coast path where the clothing was found.
BBC reporter Laurence Herdman said the town was covered with missing posters.
Gaia Pope's sister, Clara Pope-Sutherland (centre), joined one of the community searches which set off from Swanage earlier
Miss Pope-Sutherland said community searches had visited "pretty much every house" in Swanage to hand out posters and ask people to search their properties.
Earlier this week, her mother urged people to look in vans, garages and houses in case she was being kept against her will.
7 November: Miss Pope is driven by a family member from Langton Matravers to Swanage. At 14:55, she is caught on CCTV at St Michael's Garage buying ice cream. The last confirmed sighting is at 16:00 at an address in Manor Gardens on Morrison Road
8 November: Her family makes a plea through police for her to make contact. Dorset Police says it is "becoming increasingly concerned"
9 November: Searches by police, the coastguard and force helicopter are carried out in the Swanage area. Miss Pope's relatives release a statement saying they are "frantic with worry"
10 November: CCTV footage shows Miss Pope on Morrison Road, Manor Gardens, at 15:39 on 7 November
13 November: Rosemary Dinch and Nathan Elsey are arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation
14 November: Searches continue with the coastguard and volunteers from Dorset Search and Rescue and Wessex 4x4
15 November: CCTV images of Miss Pope at St Michael's Garage are released. Searches continue to concentrate inland
16 November: Paul Elsey is arrested on suspicion of murder. Miss Pope's clothing is discovered in a field near Swanage and a police cordon is set up
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-42037042
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Dyfed-Powys Police confirm Caldey Island sex abuse reports - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Guardian newspaper reports Caldey Abbey paid compensation to six women who were abused as children.
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South West Wales
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Dyfed-Powys Police has told BBC Wales it received reports of historical sexual abuse perpetrated by a monk on Caldey Island in the 1970s and 1980s.
The force investigated in 2014 and 2016 but could not prosecute as the monk, Father Thaddeus Kotik, died in 1992.
The Guardian newspaper has reported that Caldey Abbey has paid compensation to six women who were abused as children.
BBC Wales has attempted to contact Caldey Abbey in Pembrokeshire.
Court papers seen by The Guardian said Kotik carried out the abuse between 1972 and 1987 and the women, who were on holiday at the time, believe there may be many more victims.
Kotik worked in the abbey's dairy and befriended families who regularly visited the island.
After gaining the trust of parents he would babysit the children and sexually abuse them, the papers suggest.
The women, who are not identified, said the abbey knew about the offences and failed to report Kotik to the police.
In civil proceedings against the abbey, they said it was liable for the alleged assaults which occurred on its property by Kotik who was charged with the safekeeping and care of the children.
The women said that Kotik "terrified them into silence" and said if they told anyone their parents would not want them and leave them on the island with him.
In 2014, one of the women e-mailed the current abbot of Caldey Abbey, Brother Daniel van Santvoort, and told him that the effect of the abuse had been catastrophic.
She said: "Father Thaddeus' perversion has left me with ongoing feelings and experience of severe anxiety, fear, guilt and sadness.
"I have lived my life feeling a deep and misunderstood level of self-hatred and an inability to trust and believe in another person truly loving me."
The Guardian reports Brother Daniel had heard allegations previously about Kotik and in response he wrote: "I have heard occasionally about this serious matter as regards Father Thaddeus."
He told her that the monastery knew about his offences and that he had been banned from contact with islanders and visitors in the 1980s but it had not been reported to the police.
"I am fully aware now of this terrible criminal offence and Father Thaddeus should have... been handed over to the police - something that never happened," he added.
Brother Daniel forwarded the e-mails to Dyfed-Powys Police who asked for a formal statement which she submitted.
In response, a Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that in 2014 and 2016 we received reports of non-recent sexual abuse that occurred at Caldey Island with the named offender being the deceased Thaddeus Kotik.
"These reports were recorded as crimes and victims contacted by police.
"During the investigation, information was obtained to confirm that the perpetrator was deceased and therefore a prosecution was not possible.
Appropriate professional support was offered and the matter was drawn to a close.
"Dyfed-Powys Police always encourages anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward and report it by calling 101."
Brother Daniel apologised to the woman but, according to the Guardian, during the legal proceedings the abbey claimed it had no knowledge of the abuse.
The Guardian reported it also argued there was an "evidential disadvantage" in that none of the monks at the abbey during the time of the allegations were still alive and claimed it was not liable as the priest was not employed by the abbey to provide care for children.
The defence therefore required the claimants to prove each offence.
According to the Guardian, it also argued that the victims were out of time to sue for damages and it was not possible for the abbey to have a fair trial.
It is also reported that the abbey asked the court not to allow the claim because the seriousness of the allegations was likely to attract attention that may threaten the continued existence of the abbey.
The women accepted what the Guardian describes as "meagre" compensation payments and received no apology.
The solicitor representing the women, Tracey Emmott, told The Guardian: "It took the issuing of court proceedings before the out of court settlements were offered and even then my client's request for a formal apology as part of the settlement package was never forthcoming."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-42039793
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Waddesdon air crash: Investigation resumes - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A helicopter and a plane crashed in Buckinghamshire, killing all four people in the two aircraft.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Air crash investigators and police are resuming efforts to establish the cause of a collision between a helicopter and aeroplane that left four people dead.
Two people were killed in each aircraft in Friday's crash in Buckinghamshire. There were no survivors.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and police are to continue their work at the site of the crash at Waddesdon Estate, near Aylesbury.
The wreckage of the aircraft is scattered in a wooded area.
Investigations at the site are expected to continue for several days.
The helicopter and the Cessna plane both took off from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield, which offers flight training.
It is about 20 miles (30km) from the site of the crash.
No details of the crash victims have yet been released by police.
Thames Valley Police said the priority was giving information to the next of kin.
Emergency services were called to Upper Winchendon, close to Waddesdon Manor, at 12:06 GMT.
Mitch Missen, an off-duty firefighter, witnessed the crash from his garden.
He said: "I looked up and saw as both collided in mid-air, followed by a large bang and falling debris.
"I rushed in to get my car keys and en route called the emergency services, who I continued to give updates as to its whereabouts."
Andy Parry, a teacher in Aylesbury, said he was with students at Waddesdon Manor at the time of the crash.
He said they heard a "massive bang" and saw debris in the sky.
Roads in the area were closed off for a number of hours
The crash happened close to Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury
A spokesperson for the National Trust-owned Waddesdon Manor said the crash had not happened in its grounds, but staff helped direct the emergency services to the scene.
The crash site is in dense woodland
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42036669
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Mistakes in benefits claims could cost up to £500m - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Around 75,000 claimants were underpaid by mistakes made in assessing the main sickness benefit.
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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. ESA claimant Peter Cartwright: 'People need this money to live'
Mistakes in paying out benefits claims could cost up to £500m to put right, the BBC has learned.
The errors identified by the Department for Work and Pensions affect the main sickness benefit, the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
The BBC understands that assessors wrongly calculated the income of around 75,000 claimants.
Ministers say that they are aware of the problem and that repayments have begun to be made.
The department, which says it discovered the mistakes last December, is understood to have contacted about 1,000 people so far.
It says it is still trying to understand the scale of the problems with ESA, which is paid to about 2.5 million people, and will contact anyone affected.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Field said people had been 'wrongly impoverished' as a result of the errors
Frank Field, chairman of the Commons work and pensions select committee, said the problem was on a scale of "historic proportions".
He said: "I'm still gobsmacked at the size and the nature and the extent and the coverage of people that have been wrongly impoverished by the department getting it wrong."
The BBC understands that the errors affected people who applied for ESA between 2011/12 and 2014/15 - claimants after that date are understood to have had their benefit correctly assessed.
On top of money to be paid back, the Treasury will have to pay for the staffing and processing of repayments.
This extraordinary error is the latest problem to beset a troubled benefit.
When Labour introduced ESA in 2008, they claimed the change would move a million people off sickness benefit and save the Treasury £7bn.
The coalition embraced the benefit with open arms, again hoping to save money by moving people off incapacity benefit and onto ESA faster than planned.
Little has changed. Back in 2006/07, 2.7 million people were receiving the main sickness benefit at a cost of £12bn. In this financial year, ministers estimate 2.4 million people will get ESA - at a cost of £15bn.
For claimants, the changes have meant undergoing health assessments to prove their illnesses, which some say has created stress and anxiety.
Mistakes began in 2011 when the government started moving benefits recipients onto ESA - which is paid to those with long-term health conditions that are not going to improve.
ESA was introduced by the Labour government in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit.
At the time of that migration, an independent expert working for the Department for Work and Pensions, Professor Malcolm Harrington, urged ministers not to proceed until he was certain the system was robust.
The department said it only became aware of the problem in December 2016 after the Office for National Statistics published fraud and error figures for the social security system.
Peter Cartwright, who was one of those moved from incapacity benefit to ESA due to mental and physical health problems, said the errors were "disgusting".
"People need this money to live," said Mr Cartwright, who does not yet know if he was underpaid.
"It's not as if you can go and get loads of luxuries when you're on this benefit."
The 54-year-old from County Durham said people on benefits often had to make the choice between food and heating, adding: "If people are getting underpaid that means they're not getting through."
The DWP said it was "currently reviewing the historical benefit payments of claimants"
Many of those eligible for ESA may also need to apply for universal credit - a benefit for people with a health condition or disability which prevents them from working.
Universal credit is already experiencing its own problems - with reports of IT issues, overspending and administrative errors.
Successful applicants for ESA are paid the benefit either on the basis of having made enough National Insurance claims, or because they are on a low income.
In calculating how much income a claimant is entitled to, benefit assessors have to work through a variety of factors, such as what other benefits someone might be on, how much they earn from any work or whether there is any other income coming into the household.
In a statement, the Department for Work and Pensions, said it was aware of the issue and "currently reviewing the historical benefit payments of claimants".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42012116
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Hero dog Mali receives highest award for gallantry - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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Eight-year-old Mali has been given the Dickin Medal for serving in Afghanistan.
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Eight-year-old Mali has been given the PDSA Dickin Medal for serving in Afghanistan.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42032269
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Rare Tintin art fetches $500,000 at Paris auction - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The picture from the album King Ottokar's Sceptre was among items by Belgian artist Hergé
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Europe
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A rare India ink drawing of young reporter Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy has been sold for almost $500,000 (£380,000) at auction in Paris.
The picture from the 1939 comic album King Ottokar's Sceptre was among items by Hergé, the Belgian artist who created Tintin, to go under the hammer.
An original strip from the book The Shooting Star fetched $350,000.
But a copy of Tintin adventure Destination Moon, signed by US astronauts, failed to find a buyer.
Other items by Hergé on sale at the Paris auction included books, sketches and drawings.
Tintin is one of the most recognisable comic-book characters ever created.
Translated into 90 languages and selling in excess of 200m copies, the cartoons remain popular to this day.
Last year a comic strip from the Tintin book Explorers on the Moon sold for a record $1.64m in Paris.
The same year, a rare drawing of Tintin in Shanghai from the book The Blue Lotus sold for $1.2m at auction in Hong Kong.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42038801
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New portrait marks Queen and Prince Philip's 70th anniversary - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Queen and Prince Philip plan to spend the day with family and friends, Buckingham Palace says.
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UK
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A new portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip has been released to mark their 70th wedding anniversary.
The royal couple will mark Monday's platinum anniversary with a private dinner with family and friends at Windsor Castle.
The bells of Westminster Abbey, where they married in 1947, will ring to mark the occasion.
Royal Mail has issued a set of six commemorative stamps, featuring the couple's engagement and wedding.
Commemorative stamps from the Royal Mail feature the royal couple's engagement and wedding photos
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are the first royal couple to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.
When they married, the then Princess Elizabeth was 21-years-old while her groom, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, was 26.
The new image, by celebrity photographer Matt Holyoak, shows the pair flanked by Thomas Gainsborough's paintings of George III and Queen Charlotte from 1781.
In the photograph, the Queen is wearing a cream day dress designed by Angela Kelly, her personal assistant and dressmaker since 2002.
She also wears a "Scarab" brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, designed by Andrew Grima and given to the Queen as a gift in 1966.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42041461
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Zimbabwe crisis: 'People sense Robert Mugabe is gone' - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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Protests turn to celebrations on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital Harare.
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Jubilant scenes are unfolding on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital Harare, as protests demanding the resignation of President Robert Mugabe have turned to a celebration of the army's role in ending his grip on power.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42037461
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Hurricane damage 'heartbreaking' - Prince Charles - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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After meeting homeless families in Antigua, he described the devastation as "heartbreaking".
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UK
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The Prince of Wales has described the destruction caused by Caribbean hurricanes as "utterly heartbreaking".
After meeting homeless families in Antigua, he said it was "painful beyond words to see the devastation".
Prince Charles is on three-day tour to see the damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria in September.
His visit came as the government announced a further £15m support for overseas territories affected by the hurricane, bringing the total to £92m.
Prince Charles met residents of Barbuda whose homes had been destroyed and who were being temporarily housed in Antigua.
Later, the heir to the throne visited Barbuda itself, flying over houses where the roofs had been torn off and replaced by blue tarpaulin. His first stop was to a primary school that was visited last year by Prince Harry. It is now partly ruined and abandoned.
The Barbuda affairs minister Arthur Nibbs told the prince that the force of the hurricane was "unprecedented" in 200 years.
Prince Charles highlighted the belief of climate experts that global warming is already intensifying tropical storms. "This will get worse with continuous warming," he said.
Only about 100 of the island's 1,700 residents remain. The prince stopped at the home of one of them, Evans Thomas, 50, who had turned his house into a makeshift bar after the nearby pub was destroyed.
The final stop on the royal tour will be the British Virgin Islands, where the prince is due to meet Red Cross staff who are supporting families left homeless.
Prince Charles said: "It was painful beyond words to see the devastation that was so cruelly wrought across the Caribbean by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in those few, terrible weeks in September."
He said that across the Caribbean "the loss of life and property and the damage to the natural environment have been utterly heartbreaking".
New International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who is set to join the Prince of Wales on his Caribbean visit, announced additional financial support of £12m for Dominica and £3m for Antigua and Barbuda.
Added to £15m recently allocated to the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos, it brings the total UK support for reconstructing the region to £92m.
Prince Charles said his aim in making the visit was to show the Commonwealth's support for people who had suffered in the hurricanes and to thank the aid and rescue workers who were supporting them.
He said: "The recent events in the Caribbean have helped to underline the importance of the Commonwealth as a family, whose members care deeply for each other in times of need."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42037871
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Airlander 10: World's longest aircraft collapses at Cardington - BBC News
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2017-11-18
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The hybrid plane and airship comes down at its base a day after a successful test flight.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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The airlander collapsed at Cardington Airfield, where it is based
The world's longest aircraft has collapsed to the ground less than 24 hours after a successful test flight.
The Airlander 10 - a combination of a plane and an airship - was seen to "break in two" at an airfield in Bedfordshire, an eyewitness said.
Owner Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd said it appeared the Airlander broke free from its mooring mast, triggering a safety system which deflates the aircraft.
Two people on the ground suffered minor injuries.
It was not flying and was not due to fly, Hybrid Air Vehicles said.
No one was on board, but a female member of staff suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
A colleague also sustained minor injuries while dealing with the incident.
"The safety feature is to ensure our aircraft minimises any potential damage to its surroundings in these circumstances," Hybrid Air Vehicles added.
"The aircraft is now deflated and secure on the edge of the airfield. The fuel and helium inside the Airlander have been made safe.
"We are testing a brand new type of aircraft and incidents of this nature can occur during this phase of development.
"We will assess the cause of the incident and the extent of repairs needed to the aircraft in the next few weeks."
The company that owns the Airlander said it was not flying at the time
On Friday, the Airlander took off at 15:11 GMT and landed at 16:18 GMT at Cardington Airfield.
Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd had said it was now in the "next phase of extended test flights".
It will soon "fly higher, faster, further and longer", the company said.
The Airlander is the longest aircraft in the world at 302ft (92m)
In August 2016 the aircraft crash-landed after climbing to an excessive height because its mooring line became caught on power cables.
The 302ft (92m) long aircraft nosedived after the test flight at Cardington. No one was injured.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the line was hanging free after a first landing attempt had failed.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42037832
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Gerry Adams to stand down as Sinn Féin leader next year - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Gerry Adams tells delegates it will be his last ard fhéis (party conference) as Sinn Féin leader.
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Northern Ireland
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Adams said leadership means knowing when it's time for change
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has revealed he plans to stand down as leader of the party next year.
Mr Adams also said he will not stand for election to the Irish parliament (Dail) at the next election.
Speaking at the Sinn Féin ard fhéis (party conference) in Dublin, Mr Adams said it would be his last as leader.
"Leadership means knowing when it's time for change and that time is now," the 69-year-old, who has been party president since 1983, said.
So the build-up was justified - to paraphrase one of Gerry Adams' most famous phrases, he is going away you know.
The precise date will depend on the party's ard comhairle or ruling executive which is expected to meet within the next fortnight - they will in turn call an extraordinary ard fheis where a new leader will be elected.
Sinn Féin may hope that Mr Adams' decision not to stand in the next Irish election will make any talks about a future coalition in Dublin more straightforward.
But the Fianna Fáil Leader Micheal Martin has repeated his view that Sinn Fein remains unacceptable as a partner in government.
Whatever the future brings, though, there's no doubt Gerry Adams' move marks an historic change as a leader who oversaw the republican movement's journey between violence and peace gives way to another politician who will pursue Irish unity through more conventional parliamentary politics.
Mr Adams, the TD (member of the Irish parliament) for County Louth, said he would be asking the party leadership to agree a date in 2018 for a special party conference to elect a new leader.
"I have always seen myself as a team player, as a team builder," he said.
"I have complete confidence in the leaders we elected this weekend and in the next generation of leaders."
Mr Adams is surrounded by party colleagues after his announcement
Mr Adams said the move was formulated along with party colleague Martin McGuinness before his death earlier this year.
It has already seen Michelle O'Neill, 40, take the role of Sinn Fein's leader at Stormont.
Earlier, delegates at the conference voted in favour of a motion to hold a special ard fhéis three months after the departure of the party president.
The motion will allow for a leadership contest once the vacancy arises.
Delegates also voted to liberalise the party's policy on abortion.
Party members voted in favour of allowing abortions where a pregnancy poses a risk to a woman's health, including mental health.
The ard fhéis (party conference) has been taking place in Dublin
There will be a referendum on abortion law in the Republic of Ireland in May or June of next year.
Sinn Féin's previous position supported allowing terminations when a baby is expected to die in the womb or shortly after birth, and in cases of rape or incest.
Currently, the law in the Republic of Ireland only permits abortion when there is a real and substantial risk to a woman's life. In Northern Ireland, terminations are only legal when continuing with a pregnancy poses a serious or permanent risk to a woman's health.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's Stormont leader has called on the Irish government to appoint a minister with responsibility for advancing Irish unity.
Michelle O'Neill told the party conference that a parliamentary committee in the Republic of Ireland should also be formed to look at a united Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42039618
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Robert Mugabe fails to resign during live televised speech - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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The embattled president vows to stay on, despite widespread speculation that he would announce his resignation.
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Zimbabwe's embattled leader Robert Mugabe has vowed to stay in power for several weeks, despite intensifying pressure on him to stand down.
Mr Mugabe said he would preside over the ruling Zanu-PF party's congress in December.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42045101
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Gaia Pope's relatives pay tribute after body find - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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Gaia Pope's sister and cousin pay tribute to the teenager after police reveal a body has been found.
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A body has been found in the hunt for missing teenager Gaia Pope.
Her cousin and sister paid tribute to her, telling reporters: "Our little bird has flown."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42041905
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French policeman kills three and himself north of Paris - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 31-year-old used his service gun against his girlfriend, her family and passers-by near Paris.
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Europe
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The unnamed police officer was reportedly stationed in Paris
A French policeman shot three people dead on a street near Paris in an apparent domestic dispute, before killing himself, media reports say.
His girlfriend, as well as her mother and her sister, were wounded in the incident, which occurred late on Saturday in the town of Sarcelles.
Those killed are said to be the girlfriend's father and two passers-by.
The mayor of Sarcelles, north of Paris, said the woman had recently told the policeman she was breaking up with him.
The officer first killed two people with his service weapon on the street, Le Monde newspaper says.
"They were local residents - I knew them well because I lived on this street for 10 years," Sarcelles Mayor François Pupponi told AFP new agency, adding that they had no connection with the policeman.
The 31-year-old then shot his girlfriend in the face as she was sitting in a car, the reports say. He also fired on her mother, father and sister, before turning the gun on himself.
His body was found in the front garden of a nearby house.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42044592
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Argentina missing submarine: Satellite signals detected - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Argentine naval submarine went missing on Wednesday with 44 crew on board
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Latin America & Caribbean
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The vessel is the newest of the three submarines in the Argentine navy's fleet
Signals have been detected that are thought to have come from an Argentine submarine that went missing with 44 crew on board, officials say.
The defence ministry is now trying to trace the location of the seven failed satellite calls received on Saturday.
Argentina has stepped up the search in the South Atlantic for the ARA San Juan submarine, with a Nasa research plane joining in.
The diesel-electric vessel disappeared 430km (267 miles) off the coast.
Britain and countries in the region have offered assistance. The US Navy is flying deep water rescue modules to Argentina to be deployed if the submarine is found on the sea floor.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by U.S. Navy This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by U.S. Navy
The task of the rescuers has been complicated by heavy winds and high waves.
The ARA San Juan was returning from a routine mission to Ushuaia, near the southern-most tip of South America, to its base at Mar del Plata, south of Buenos Aires.
Its last contact with the navy command was on Wednesday morning.
An Argentine destroyer and two corvettes are conducting a search around the area of the sub's last known position off the south-eastern Valdez peninsula.
But so far there are no clues about its whereabouts.
It is thought that the submarine may have had communication difficulties caused by a power cut.
Navy protocol dictates that a vessel should come to the surface if communication has been lost.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-42041978
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Kezia Dugdale faces Labour suspension over I'm A Celebrity - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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New leader of Scottish Labour says Kezia Dugdale may be suspended over I'm A Celebrity.
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Scotland
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Scottish Labour's new leader Richard Leonard has said the party's MSPs will consider suspension for his predecessor Kezia Dugdale.
Ms Dugdale, still an MSP, has been revealed as a surprise contestant in ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! programme.
Mr Leonard said he was a "bit disappointed" by her participation.
Ms Dugdale is understood to be donating her parliamentary salary to charity while she is on the show.
Mr Leonard said of a possible suspension for the former leader: "I awoke as many other people did this morning to the news that Kezia is going into that programme.
"I think that is something the [parliamentary] group is going to have to consider over the next few days and I think we will consider."
However, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he does not believe Ms Dugdale should be suspended from the party over her appearance on the programme.
Mr Leonard was answering questions about his predecessor shortly after his election to the position of Scottish leader.
He secured 56.7% of votes in the contest to beat his rival Anas Sarwar.
Following his election, Mr Leonard said: "With this new movement for real change, energised with this new generation helping to lead it. But founded on our old and enduring idealism too.
"That is the unity we can rally around, not simply a call for unity but around a renewed unity of purpose."
He added: "So that our purpose today is not just elected a leader. My aim is to be the next Labour first minister of Scotland."
Ms Dugdale's decision to take part in the show has also been criticised by Scottish Labour MSP Jenny Marra, who tweeted: "Election to parliament is a privilege to serve and represent people. It's not a shortcut to celebrity."
Ms Marra, the MSP for North-East Scotland, also questioned whether the announcement was an "April Fool in November".
The ITV show launches this weekend, with other contestants including Boris Johnson's father Stanley and former footballer Dennis Wise.
All the other celebrities heading for the jungle were announced on Tuesday.
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Boxer Amir Khan, Coronation Street's Jennie McAlpine footballer Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah, The Saturdays singer Vanessa White and Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas will also be taking part.
The personalities will try to last three weeks with each other, and the local wildlife, in the camp.
Earlier, Scottish Labour said it was not officially commenting on Ms Dugdale's last minute inclusion in the line-up, but a party source said it would be a "fantastic opportunity" for the MSP to talk about policies and Labour values on a widely watched show.
"She puts other politicians to shame with her work ethic and I'm sure there will be huge support for her from Scottish viewers while she's in the jungle.
"She'll be back in time for the budget and will get straight down to work once again for the people of the Lothians," the source added.
The rest of the contestants were announced earlier in the week
About 10 million people tune in to the show every night.
Ms Dugdale stood down as Scottish Labour leader in August. Richard Leonard was appointed as her successor on Saturday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42037321
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After the Mugabes, which African dynasties remain? - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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With Robert Mugabe's hopes of handing power to his wife over, which political dynasties are still going strong elsewhere in Africa?
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Africa
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With Robert Mugabe's hopes of handing power to his wife in Zimbabwe over, which political dynasties are still going strong elsewhere in Africa?
Since the 1990s, multi-party elections and peaceful transfers of power have become far more common on the continent but quite a few current leaders have succeeded their fathers, or are planning to hand power to their sons. (Daughters seem to be less favoured.)
Some dynasties have established themselves through assassinations, coups, and rebellions, while in Zimbabwe's neighbour, South Africa, President Jacob Zuma is hoping to hand power to his ex-wife in the coming years.
Most Togolese have lived under only one family's rule
A former French colony, it has been ruled by the Eyadema family for the last 50 years, making it the dynasty that has been in power for the longest period.
And of all the governments currently in power in Africa, it is under the greatest threat of being overthrown in a mass uprising. Crowds of up to 800,000 have repeatedly taken to the streets since August, demanding an end to dynastic rule in the country of 6.6 million.
Protesters accuse the government of tinkering with the constitution so that President Faure Gnassingbé can remain in power until 2030. The government denies this, insisting that it will introduce a two-term presidential limit ahead of elections in 2020.
With the backing of the military, Mr Gnassingbé became president in 2005 after the unexpected death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadema, at the age of 69. Later, he won two elections, which were denounced by the opposition as a sham.
Faure has shared, or has tried to share, the spoils of power with his family. He appointed his half-brother, Kpatcha, to the all-important post of defence minster after taking office.
However, the two fell-out, and Kpatcha was sacked as defence minister in 2007.
Voters have returned President Faure Gnassingbé to power in two elections
Faure accused him of trying to dethrone him. Kpatcha, in turn, accused the president of plotting to assassinate him. Faure won the power-struggle, had his half-brother arrested, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
But his reputation for ruthlessness is nothing compared to that of his late father.
As a 28-year-old army sergeant, Eyadema was widely suspected to have fired the shots which killed Togo's first post-independence president. Then, on 13 January 1967, the third anniversary of the assassination, Eyadema himself seized power in a bloodless coup.
When he died, he held the title of Africa's longest-serving ruler. He had been on the political throne for 38 years.
Also a former French colony, it has Africa's second oldest political dynasty. A Christian convert to Islam, Omar Bongo took power 11 months after Eyadema, and ruled for nearly 42 years until his death in 2009.
He left his son Ali Bongo Ondimba, a fortune worth millions of dollars, and the country. He did win an election, although the opposition said it was rigged.
After France launched a corruption investigation against the family, the president of the oil-rich nation announced in 2015 that he would spend his entire inheritance on development projects, including starting a university and a youth foundation.
French police investigations identified that Bongo family assets included 39 properties in France, located in affluent areas of Paris and on the French Riviera, as well as nine luxury cars, including Ferraris and Mercedes.
Rights groups say the Bongos have turned Gabon into a "kleptocratic regime", which loots its natural resources, oil wealth and rainforests - an allegation the family strongly denies.
In 2015 Argentinean football star Lionel Messi came under heavy criticism for visiting the Central African state.
He laid the first stone at the construction site of a football stadium for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Bongo denied giving Messi money to visit Gabon, saying: "When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville," he said.
"It's a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word."
The president's son, Teodorin Obiang, has been convicted of embezzlement in France
A former Spanish colony, it currently has Africa's longest-serving ruler, Theodoro Obiang Nguema.
Said to be one of Africa's most brutal leaders, he seized power in 1979 after overthrowing independence leader President Francisco Macias Nguema, his uncle, and having him executed.
According to campaign group Human Rights Watch, the ''dictatorship under President Obiang has used an oil boom to entrench and enrich itself further at the expense of the country's people''.
The president's 48-year-old son, Teodorin Obiang, is his deputy, putting him in pole position to inherit power.
Known for his flamboyant lifestyle, Teodorin is a fugitive from justice. In October, a French court convicted him in absentia of embezzlement.
It ordered the seizure of his assets in France, including a $29m (£22m) mansion.
He also boasted 18 luxury cars in France, artworks, jewellery and expensive designer fashions,
The Paris judge found that the president's son had used his position as agriculture and forestry minister to siphon off payments from timber firms who were exporting from Equatorial Guinea.
In November, Swiss prosecutors seized 11 luxury cars belonging to Mr Obiang junior. They said he had plundered his country's oil wealth to buy luxuries, including a private jet and Michael Jackson memorabilia.
President Yoweri Museveni is accused of wanting to be life president
A former British colony, it is ruled by ex-rebel leader Yoweri Museveni. He seized power in 1986, won a fifth term in 2016, may run for a sixth term and could eventually hand power to his son.
In January, the speculation gained impetus when Mr Museveni promoted Maj Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, his eldest son, to become a special presidential adviser in a reshuffle of army commanders.
Having graduated from British Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2000, Maj Gen Kainerugaba rose rapidly within the military. Last year, he was promoted from brigadier to major general.
Others believe that Mrs Museveni's wife also harbours presidential ambitions. Having served in government since 2009, she is currently the minister of education and sports in her husband's cabinet.
For now though, there is a push to give Mr Museveni, 76, another term.
Uganda's ruling party wants parliament to scrap the presidential age limit of 75, a move that could allow Mr Museveni to stand for re-election in 2021. It has led to ruling and opposition MPs brawling in parliament, as emotions rise over the plan.
The move has not come as a surprise. In 2013, renegade army General David Sejusa accused Mr Museveni of "playing God" in Uganda.
"The central issue is a political monarchy - a life presidency and then transiting [to] a political monarchy," he said.
"It is a terribly common African story. There is nothing strange about it," the renegade general added at the time.
After just four years in power, Laurent Kabila handed power to his son
A former Belgian colony, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been ruled by the Kabila family since 1997, when Laurent Kabila stormed the capital, Kinshasa, with the backing of regional armies, ending the 32-year rule of Mobutu Sese Seko.
Kabila was assassinated in 2001 by his bodyguards, resulting in the military installing his son, Joseph, as president.
After serving two elected terms, Joseph was supposed to step down in 2016 as the constitution bars the president from running for a third term.
However, the electoral commission says it will be ready to hold an election only next year, leaving Mr Kabila in power until then, despite massive opposition protests and international condemnation.
His sister, Jaynet, and brother, Zoe, are MPs,
The family has built a huge business empire, with a stake in banks, farms, airline operators, a road builder, hotels, a pharmaceutical supplier, travel agencies, boutiques and nightclubs, according to Bloomberg news agency.
South African President Jacob Zuma (L) is backing his ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (C), over his deputy, Cyril Rampahosa (R)
A beacon of hope in Africa during anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela's rule, it could be the next African country to have a dynastic succession, of sorts.
Its polygamous President Jacob Zuma is campaigning for his ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to succeed him as leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC) at its conference next month, and as president in 2019.
Ms Dlamini-Zuma deeply resents being described as President Zuma's ex-wife, and has complained about such headlines.
She insists that she is a politician in her own right who took part in the anti-apartheid struggle, served in various ministerial posts since the advent of democracy in 1994, and became the chairwoman of the African Union (AU) commission before joining the presidential race.
Her critics say this may well be the case, but Mr Zuma has chosen her as his political heir because she is unlikely to put him - the father of their children - in jail.
Mr Zuma has been accused of widespread corruption, with the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that he should be tried on 18 counts of corruption, racketeering, money laundering and bribery - all of which he denies.
His critics say he also needs his ex-wife in power so that his favourite son from another wife, Duduzane Zuma, is safe from prosecution.
Critics allege that he is abusing his relationship with his father to win government contracts for himself, and his business partners, the wealthy Gupta family. They all deny the allegations, insisting that they are not corrupt.
Ms Dlamini-Zuma's main challenger is Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former business tycoon and trade unionist. His supporters are hoping that the Zimbabwean crisis will boost his chances of winning, as ANC members grasp the dangers of a dynastic rule.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42009211
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Waddesdon air crash: Helicopter instructor among victims - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Capt Mike Green was one of the victims in the mid-air crash, his employer confirms.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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Capt Mike Green was described as a 'respected' helicopter instructor
One of the victims of a mid-air crash between a helicopter and a plane was Capt Mike Green, his employer has confirmed.
Four men were killed in Friday's crash at Waddesdon Estate, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. There were no survivors.
Capt Mike Green was conducting a flight instructor course with a student when they both died, Helicopter Services said on Facebook.
The firm said it was "devastated".
It added: "We have received many messages of support and kind words about our friend who, as a senior instructor and examiner, helped and mentored so many pilots throughout the industry during his distinguished career.
"It was an honour to work with you. Captain Green, you will be greatly missed."
Capt Green's friend, Capt Phil Croucher, said he was a "respected helicopter instructor who will be remembered with affection".
"It's a sad loss. We have lost somebody with a vast amount of experience that could have been passed on to younger people, apart from him being a nice guy generally," he told the Press Association.
Three of the victims' families visited the site of the wreckage scattered across a wooded area, on Saturday, Thames Valley Police said.
Investigations at the site, conducted by police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are expected to continue for several days.
Supt Rebecca Mears said it was "too early to tell" what might have caused the crash.
"With the ongoing support of emergency services, work is continuing to recover the men's bodies. We anticipate that this will happen by the end of the day," she added.
Both aircraft involved in the crash were from Wycombe Air Park
The helicopter and the Cessna plane both took off from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield, which offers flight training.
It is about 20 miles (30km) from the site of the crash. Emergency services were called shortly after midday on Friday.
Police said the priority was giving information to the victims' next of kin.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42037839
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Waddesdon air crash: Bodies recovered from crash site - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Work continues to recover wreckage of the helicopter and plane from a wooded area in Aylesbury.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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Rescue teams are removing the wreckage from the site
The bodies of four men killed in a crash between a helicopter and plane have been recovered from the site.
The aircraft collided over Waddesdon Estate, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Friday. One of the victims was Capt Mike Green.
Thames Valley Police said it would not confirm the other men's identities but said one was a Vietnamese national.
Post-mortem examinations, due to begin later, are expected to last several days, a spokesman said.
He added the force was working with "military support" to remove the wreckage.
An investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
Capt Mike Green was described as a 'respected' helicopter instructor
The bodies of all four men have now been recovered
Supt Rebecca Mears said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of the men who have tragically lost their lives.
"Specially-trained officers are continuing to offer their support to the families of the victims affected, three of whom we understand to be British nationals, one of whom is a Vietnamese national.
"Work will today focus on removing the aircraft from the scene."
Investigations at the site are expected to last several days
Capt Green was conducting a flight instructor course with a student when they both died, his employer Helicopter Services said on Facebook.
The firm said it was "devastated" by his death.
The helicopter and the Cessna plane both took off from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield, which offers flight training.
It is about 20 miles (30km) from the site of the crash.
Three of the victims' families visited the site of the wreckage, which is scattered across a wooded area, on Saturday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42045632
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Hammond: Driverless cars will be on UK roads by 2021 - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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The chancellor says the country must embrace new technologies in order to succeed.
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Business
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Critics say the tech behind driverless cars still needs a lot of work
Driverless cars could be on UK roads within four years under government plans to invest in the sector.
Chancellor Philip Hammond told the BBC the objective was to have "fully driverless cars" without a safety attendant on board in use by 2021.
"Some would say that's a bold move, but we have to embrace these technologies if we want the UK to lead the next industrial revolution," he said.
However, the chancellor admitted he had yet to use a driverless car himself.
"I'm promised to go in one when we visit the West Midlands tomorrow," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
Mr Hammond is due to announce regulation changes in Wednesday's Budget which will allow developers to apply to test driverless vehicles on UK roads.
Asked about the potential loss of jobs for drivers, he said the country could not "hide from change" and the government had to equip people with the skills "to take up new careers".
The chancellor admitted he had yet to experience a driverless car himself
The chancellor is also expected to detail proposals to build 300,000 new homes in the UK a year, as well as extra money for NHS nurses' pay.
Mr Hammond's announcement comes after the UK's biggest car manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover, began testing driverless cars on public roads.
The trials, which rely on sensors that allow the cars to detect traffic, pedestrians and signals, took place in Coventry city centre over several weeks.
Jaguar said a human was on board to react to emergencies.
The government said the industry would be worth £28bn to the UK economy by 2035 and will support 27,000 jobs.
Labour quipped that under the Tories it would not only be the cars with no-one in the driving seat.
Critics have warned the technology necessary for driverless cars to succeed is a long way from being ready.
Former Top Gear host and now Grand Tour presenter Jeremy Clarkson said he was recently in a self-driving car which made two mistakes which could have killed him in just 50miles.
Writing in the Sunday Times magazine, Mr Clarkson said the incidents convinced him the technology was still "a very long way off", adding: "For now, we're miles away from it."
In the Budget, Mr Hammond is also expected to announce:
Funding for 5G technology will go towards the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure the security of the mobile network, as well as testing on roads to help provide the network needed for driverless cars.
A further £35m will be used to give rail passengers reliable mobile connections and "lightning-speed" internet during journeys. Trials are due to begin on the Trans-Pennine route, which connects Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.
Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the Budget needed to show a "genuine, decisive change of course" and not "empty promises".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42040856
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'No others involved' in Gaia Pope's death - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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Dorset Police say the teenager's death is being treated as "unexplained".
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Dorset
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Gaia Pope was last seen in Swanage on 7 November
There were no injuries to suggest "any other person was involved" in the death of missing teenager Gaia Pope, police have said.
The 19-year-old's body was found on Saturday in a field near Swanage, 11 days after she was last seen.
Dorset Police is treating her death as "unexplained" pending toxicology results.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of murder as part of the investigation and released under investigation.
Det Supt Paul Kessell said: "The post-mortem examination has not identified any injuries to suggest any other person was involved in her death.
"The cause of death is undetermined, pending toxicology. The coroner is involved in the oversight of these examinations but at this time this remains an investigation into an unexplained death."
Some items of clothing that Miss Pope was wearing on the day she went missing were found on Thursday
Miss Pope, who had severe epilepsy, had not been seen since 7 November.
Her disappearance prompted a massive campaign from family and friends who spent days scouring the town.
Items of clothing she was wearing on the day she went missing were found on Thursday, close to where her remains were found near a coastal path.
Police thanked volunteers for their help in searching for the teenager, but have asked people to stay away from the site due to safety concerns.
Det Supt Kessell added: "I reiterate this area is steep and slippery in an exposed area close to sea cliffs. The area is covered in dense undergrowth and gorse and can present a hazard.
"The area where the body was located is likely to remain cordoned off for some time while forensic examinations and searches are concluded."
Miss Pope went missing in Swanage on 7 November
Flowers have been left in Miss Pope's memory at a Swanage monument
Earlier, Miss Pope's twin sister, Maya, spoke of her heartbreak and vowed to "make her [sister] so proud".
On Facebook, she added: "Can't find any words right now. Gaia is my everything and I am heartbroken. I thank everyone who was involved in searching for my beautiful twin."
Her elder sister, Clara Pope-Sutherland, said the 19-year-old was the "light of my life" and "intelligent, beautiful and emotionally wise".
People in the town came together at the church to say prayers and light candles on Sunday night
A church service was held at St Mary's Church in Swanage with candles lit in memory of Miss Pope on Sunday night.
Team rector, the Very Reverend John Mann, said: "When you see the candles together it brings that sense of unity.
"There were police and people who had been out searching at the service - that added to the sense this was a community together, we were there together."
Floral tributes have begun to be left on the Alfred Monument, next to the sea front.
Family friend Sheri Carr, who organised the Find Gaia social media campaign thanked the public for its support.
"We are absolutely devastated, and unable to put into words our feeling of loss," she wrote on social media.
The public has been asked to stay away from the site due to safety concerns
On the day she went missing, Miss Pope was seen at about 15:00 GMT buying an ice cream at St Michael's Garage, having been driven there by a relative.
She was then spotted an hour later on CCTV in Manor Gardens, off Morrison Road.
Rosemary Dinch, 71; her 49-year-old son Paul Elsey; and 19-year-old grandson Nathan Elsey - all of whom were known to Miss Pope - were questioned by detectives and released under investigation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42046500
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Robert Mugabe addresses the nation - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe addresses the nation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42046831
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Mugabe: Social media reaction to Zimbabwe president's speech - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The president defies demands to resign, triggering an avalanche of comments on social media.
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Africa
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Robert Mugabe: "The congress is due... I will preside over its processes"
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has defied calls from the public, the army and his own party to resign, vowing to stay in power for several weeks.
His televised address on Sunday triggered an avalanche of comments across social media.
Responding to another user's comments, constitutional lawyer and human rights activist Tendai Biti argued that Mr Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980, would never quit.
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Tau Moyo was one of many users who expressed shock and anger over Mr Mugabe's decision to stay on.
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Talent Machingura put it bluntly, saying that people's hopes were "crushed".
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Ancillar Mangena thought it was Mr Mugabe's message to the world that "he is in charge".
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But many users were left simply confused about what may happen next.
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Others are already looking forward to Tuesday, when impeachment proceedings might be launched in parliament.
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And there were those who just poked fun at the latest developments.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42047528
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Tories struggle to agree a way ahead on housing - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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Chancellor Philip Hammond is being urged to go beyond marginal changes in next week's Budget as his party worries about electoral consequences of inaction.
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UK Politics
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It feels a very long time since George Osborne made that claim for the Conservative Party and the record of the government since then has not really borne that out.
But right now, in some parts of the Tories there is a definite sense that unless they come up with an effective offer - politicians' term, not mine - on housing, they are on course to lose the next election.
There is tangible pressure then, not just on the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, but more to the point, the chancellor.
Next week the political expectation is that Philip Hammond's Budget will provide at least part of the answer to that political quandary.
Later today, there will be a tentative step in that direction, with Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Javid donning hard hats to try to show they care, and announcing that housing associations' financial status will change.
But beyond what is announced this week there is, insiders suggest, a wider three-way fight going on over the best way to proceed.
The Department for Communities and Local Government, which Mr Javid heads, is said to be pushing not just for more money to build new houses, but also for more loosening up of the planning rules and more power to get building going on publicly-owned land.
The chancellor, sources suggest, is more focused on marginal changes to the market, as a traditional Conservative, to make the conditions more conducive for business to get building, rather than any bold intervention.
But inside No 10, it is not just the prime minister who is all too aware of the political pressure on housing, but her chief of staff Gavin Barwell- a former housing minister - who I'm told is "beating up on Hammond" to go further than he is willing so far to move.
Right now in the immediate run-up to the announcement no minister or government official would acknowledge on the record exactly what's going on.
But these pre-Budget announcements, while important, are far from the end of the story.
There is a live argument, that relates to the kind of government Theresa May really wants to run - intervene in markets significantly with all the opportunity and the risk that presents, or tweak round the edges and hope to influence the wider economy's instincts.
In housing, as in much of her decision making, it just isn't clear which direction Theresa May really wants to go.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42006379
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New portraits released for Queen's platinum anniversary - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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On Monday the bells at Westminster Abbey will ring to mark 70 years since the Queen's wedding.
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UK
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Winston Churchill described the royal couple's wedding in 1947 as 'a flash of colour on the hard road we travel'
Three more portraits of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been released to commemorate their platinum wedding anniversary.
On Monday it will be 70 years since their marriage at Westminster Abbey. The church's bells will ring for more than three hours to mark the occasion.
The couple will celebrate at a private dinner in Windsor Castle.
Queen Elizabeth is the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.
The images are part of a series by celebrity photographer Matt Holyoak, whose first portrait of them was revealed on Saturday.
The Queen wears a cream dress designed by Angela Kelly, her dressmaker for the last 15 years.
Her golden "Scarab" brooch was a gift from Prince Philip in 1966.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are the first royal couple to celebrate the milestone
When they married, the monarch was 21 and the Duke a 26-year-old sailor who had served in the Royal Navy.
Winston Churchill summed up the occasion in 1947 as "a flash of colour on the hard road we travel".
Prince Philip is the nation's longest serving consort and the Queen its most enduring monarch.
The pair will welcome their sixth great-grandchild in April.
Although the Queen continues with many of her duties as head of state, Prince Philip, 96, has retired from royal duties.
The Royal Mail has issued a set of six commemorative stamps for the occasion that feature the couple's engagement and wedding.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42044916
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Bristol sailor dies in Clipper Round the World Race - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Clipper Round the World Race team says Simon Speirs was swept overboard during gale force winds.
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Bristol
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Simon Speirs is believed to have drowned after he was swept overboard during rough seas.
A sailor has died after being swept overboard in a "tragic" accident during an international yacht race.
Simon Speirs, 60, from Bristol, was taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race leg from South Africa to Australia.
Organisers said the retired solicitor, who was wearing a life jacket, was washed over the side during gale force winds on Saturday.
Mr Speirs, described a sensible and popular chap, has been buried at sea.
Race co-founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston described him as an experienced sailor and said that "it is absolutely tragic to lose someone like this".
"I just feel for his family. Here he was fulfilling his dream and then it has turned into a nightmare for them," he added.
According to a statement from Clipper, Mr Speirs was sailing for Great Britain on board the CV30, which was in sixth place and had reached the Indian Ocean.
The sailor, who had more than 40 years' dinghy experience, was washed off the deck by the wind.
Mr Speirs then became separated from the boat which was in the Southern Ocean, in what were rough seas with 20 knots of wind and gusts at 40.
The rest of the crew is believed to be safe and heading for Fremantle in Australia. Clipper said an investigation would be carried out.
The 12 racing yachts set off from Liverpool in August. The death of Mr Speirs is the third in the 21-year history of the Clipper race.
During the last race in 2015, Andrew Ashman, 49, from Kent, died from a fatal neck injury. His death was the first in the race's history.
It was followed in April last year by the death of Sarah Young, 40, from London, who was un-tethered and washed off the deck.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-42044115
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Morocco food stampede kills 15 - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The incident occurred as a charity aid was distributing aid in the town of Sidi Boulaalam.
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Africa
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Most of the victims were women and elderly people
At least 15 people have been killed and five others wounded in a stampede in Morocco while food aid was distributed.
The incident occurred in the town of Sidi Boulaalam in Essaouira province. The aid was being handed out by a private local charity.
Some reports indicate that up to 40 people were injured in the crush. Local media reported that most of the victims were women and elderly people.
Pictures on social media showed bodies of women laid out on the ground.
Witnesses told local media that this year's annual food aid distribution at a local market in Sidi Boulaalam, an impoverished town with just over 8,000 inhabitants, attracted a larger crowd than usual.
"This year there were lots of people, several hundred people," a witness who asked to remain anonymous told AFP news agency.
"People shoved, they broke down the barriers," he said, adding that the injured had been evacuated to a hospital in Marrakesh.
Morocco's interior ministry said that King Muhammed VI had instructed the local authorities to help those affected, adding that he would personally cover all medical and funeral costs.
An unverified video shot by a bystander before the incident showed a large crowd gathered at the open-air market, waiting for the food distribution.
It is not clear what triggered the stampede, and an investigation is now under way.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42044887
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AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young dies at 64 - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Australian's powerful rhythm guitar riffs helped propel the heavy rock group to stardom.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Malcolm Young (right) and his brother Angus (left) were driving forces behind the international success of AC/DC
Australian guitarist and AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young has died aged 64 after a long battle with dementia.
He died peacefully on Saturday with his family nearby, a statement said.
Young will be remembered for his powerful rhythm guitar riffs that were instrumental in propelling the Sydney heavy rock group to stardom.
Three Young brothers have been part of AC/DC's history, including lead guitarist Angus. Producer George Young died in October.
"Renowned for his musical prowess, Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many," the statement read.
"From the outset, he knew what he wanted to achieve and, along with his younger brother, took to the world stage giving their all at every show. Nothing less would do for their fans."
AC/DC are one of the biggest heavy rock bands in the world
Fans and friends of Young have been posting their tributes to the popular musician on social media.
Tom Morello, of the US band Rage Against the Machine, tweeted his thanks to the "#1 greatest rhythm guitarist".
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English rock star David Coverdale, a member of the band Whitesnake and former lead singer of Deep Purple, also offered his "thoughts and prayers".
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After forming AC/DC in 1973, Angus and Malcolm Young were credited as co-writers on every song the band recorded between their 1975 debut High Voltage through to 2014's Rock or Bust.
Malcolm was born in 1953 in Glasgow before his family emigrated to Australia when he was 10.
His family confirmed he was suffering from dementia in 2014.
He wrote much of the material that enabled AC/DC to become one of the biggest heavy rock bands and singer Brian Johnson has described him as the band's "spiritual leader, our spitfire".
Their biggest hits include Back in Black, Highway to Hell, and You Shook Me All Night Long. The group is estimated to have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the US.
A statement by Angus Young on the AC/DC website praises Malcolm's "enormous dedication and commitment" which made him "the driving force behind the band" who "always stuck to his guns and did and said exactly what he wanted".
"As his brother it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special. He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever.
Malcolm Young was never the star attraction of AC/DC's live shows. That honour went to his younger brother, Angus, dressed like a schoolboy and duck-walking across the stage like Chuck Berry.
But Malcolm gave the band their backbone. He wrote brutally efficient riffs and played them with concentrated ferocity, proving you don't need to rifle through 127 notes to be effective. And, while AC/DC rarely strayed from the template they set on Highway To Hell and Back in Black, those guitar lines inspired generations, from Metallica's James Hetfield to Guns N' Roses' Izzy Stradlin.
One of the reasons for Malcolm's songwriting economy was that he didn't much enjoy the process of making records. "Being in the studio is like being in prison," he said in 1988.
Yet he took great care over AC/DC's sound, stripping out unnecessary flourishes and, unusually, playing with his amp turned down so the microphone could pick out the details.
Still, it was concerts that got his blood racing. "There's nothing like playing on stage," he said. "If it's a good night, it's just like the first night. Same buzz. Same excitement."
That made his final tour with AC/DC all the more tragic. As his dementia progressed, the guitarist found himself unable to remember the riffs to songs like Hell's Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long, having to relearn them for every show.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42037566
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Singer and presenter Aled Jones denies 'inappropriate' behaviour - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Songs of Praise presenter apologised for "occasionally juvenile" actions more than a decade ago.
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UK
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Singer Aled Jones has said he is "deeply sorry" for any upset caused after allegations about his behaviour, but denied any "inappropriate contact".
Responding to newspaper claims of inappropriate "messages", his spokesman said the Songs of Praise star accepted his behaviour more than a decade ago had been "occasionally juvenile".
The spokesman said he had "voluntarily agreed not to go on the BBC whilst the matter is investigated".
The BBC is not commenting on the story.
Mr Jones's spokesman added that the allegations from a single female complainant of inappropriate messages and contact, reported in the Sun, did not relate to any broadcast work, and related to a matter more than 10 years ago.
The 46-year-old father-of-two continues to present his Sunday morning show on Classic FM.
The statement said: "Whilst he accepts that his behaviour over a decade ago was occasionally juvenile, as was that of others, he never intended to harass or distress and he strongly denies any inappropriate contact.
"He is, however, deeply sorry for any upset caused and hopes this matter is resolved soon."
Aled Jones rose to fame with his re-recording of Walking In The Air
Mr Jones first found fame at the age of 12 when his re-recording of Walking In The Air, from animated Christmas film The Snowman, reached the top five of the UK charts in 1985.
The Welsh former choirboy received an MBE in 2013 for his services to music and broadcasting.
He was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and has also appeared on TV shows including Daybreak, Escape To The Country and Cash In The Attic.
• None Why Walking in the Air wasn't No.1
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42043422
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Friend's 'premonition' before Daniel Hegarty's fatal race - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Roger Edwards said he felt something "disastrous" would happen and could not sleep before the race.
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Nottingham
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Daniel Hegarty was flung into barriers during lap six and suffered fatal injuries
A friend of a motorcyclist killed in a crash at the Macau Grand Prix said he had a strong feeling something "disastrous" was going to happen.
Daniel Hegarty, 31, from Nottingham, suffered fatal injuries when he came off his bike on a sharp bend.
Roger Edwards, who helped the father-of-two with his motorbike charity, said he had troubling sleeping before the race in China and feared for the rider.
Mr Edwards said the sportsman was "magical" and a great friend.
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Mr Hegarty, who raced for Top Gun Racing Honda, was flung into barriers during lap six and suffered fatal injuries. He died on the way to hospital.
"Motorcycling is a dangerous sport," said Mr Edwards. "The risk is always there and premonition can foretell an awful lot and I didn't sleep last night or the night before.
"The premonition proved, sadly, correct. I knew something disastrous was going to happen and my thoughts were with Daniel being overseas.
"The following morning I was woken by a phone call from Daniel's mother with the bad news. I feel exceedingly sad, I couldn't be sadder [that those fears came true]."
Mr Hegarty ran Rev and Go, a charity which aimed to tackle anti-social behaviour by getting youngsters involved in motorcycling sport.
Mr Edwards said he was a "great role model" to the teenagers who came to the charity.
"[He was] a magical fella who influenced an awful lot of people for the good," he said.
Many tributes were paid to Mr Hegarty including from his girlfriend Lucy Draycott, who described him as the "love of my life".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-42043883
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Michelle O'Neill rules herself out as Sinn Féin leader - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Michelle O'Neill says she won't be replacing Gerry Adams as party leader as she has "enough to do".
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Northern Ireland
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Michelle O'Neill said it was an "emotional but exciting time" for republicanism
Sinn Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill has ruled herself out of replacing Gerry Adams as party leader.
Mrs O'Neill told BBC's Sunday Politics programme that she had "enough to do" in her current role.
Mr Adams announced at Sinn Féin's ard fhéis (party conference) on Saturday that he would stand down as the party's leader next year.
"Leadership means knowing when it's time for change and that time is now," said the 69-year-old.
Mr Adams has been party president since 1983, but told the conference it would be his last as leader.
Sinn Féin may hope that Mr Adams' decision not to stand in the next Irish election will make any talks about a future coalition in Dublin more straightforward.
But Fianna Fáil Leader Micheal Martin has repeated his view that Sinn Fein remains unacceptable as a partner in government.
Whatever the future brings, there's no doubt Gerry Adams' move marks an historic change as a leader who oversaw the republican movement's journey between violence and peace gives way to another politician who will pursue Irish unity through more conventional parliamentary politics.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald is the front-runner to replace him.
It is expected that a special party conference will be held next year to elect a new president.
Mrs O'Neill was appointed Sinn Féin's Stormont leader in January, after former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness retired.
She said she would not be entering the Sinn Féin leadership race and would be concentrating on dealing "with the problems in the north".
She added that it was an "emotional, but also an exciting, time for republican politics".
"We will see who puts their name forward and then I will obviously make my decision on who I'd support that time."
She added that the election of a new president will be a "very health process".
Meanwhile, Mrs O'Neill has called on both government to take a bigger role in breaking the ongoing political deadlock in Northern Ireland.
Gerry Adams at Sinn Féin's party conference, with Michelle O'Neill (right)
The power-sharing government at Stormont collapsed in January and several rounds of talks to restore the institutions between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have failed.
Mrs O'Neill said that she was sure the parties would return to a "talks process of some description but it has to be meaningful - we can't keep going around the hamster wheel".
She added that she will tell Prime Minister Theresa May when they meet on Tuesday that the Conservative Party have not sufficiently encouraged the DUP to strike a deal because of their Westminster pact.
On Saturday, she called on the Irish government to appoint a minister with responsibility for advancing Irish unity.
At Sinn Féin's party conference, she said that a parliamentary committee in the Republic of Ireland should also be formed to look at a united Ireland.
On Saturday, delegates at the ard fhéis voted to liberalise the party's policy on abortion.
Party members voted in favour of allowing abortions where a pregnancy poses a risk to a woman's health, including mental health.
There will be a referendum on abortion law in the Republic of Ireland next May or June.
Sinn Féin's previous position supported allowing terminations when a baby is expected to die in the womb or shortly after birth, and in cases of rape or incest.
Currently, the law in the Republic of Ireland only permits abortion when there is a real and substantial risk to a woman's life. In Northern Ireland, terminations are only legal when continuing with a pregnancy poses a serious or permanent risk to a woman's health.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42044737
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Muswell Hill murder probe after woman stabbed to death - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The victim, believed to be in her 50s, was found at a house in Muswell Hill, north London.
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London
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The woman was found dead in a house on Hill Road, Muswell Hill
A woman has been found stabbed to death in north London, sparking a murder investigation.
The woman, who is believed to be aged in her 50s, was discovered inside the property on Hill Road in Muswell Hill on Thursday evening.
Scotland Yard said they had visited the address after concerns were raised about her wellbeing.
A post-mortem examination found she died of stab wounds. No-one has been arrested and witnesses are sought.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42037501
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Independent streams fake 'live' space video on Facebook - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The "live" footage was posted on the paper's Facebook page, but was actually recorded in 2015.
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UK
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The Independent online newspaper has streamed a video it described as "live from space" on its Facebook page - but the footage was recorded in 2015.
More than 180,000 people viewed the video during the "live" broadcast, with at least 2,000 sharing the post.
The stream was ended shortly after the BBC contacted the paper and it has since been deleted.
A spokesman for the Independent said it regretted "the human error that led to the mistake".
The original footage was recorded by astronaut Terry Virts during a spacewalk in February 2015.
An hour-long recording of the spacewalk was posted to YouTube in April that year.
Above: The Independent, Below: YouTube footage
It is not the first time this specific recording from space has been shared on social media and wrongly said to be live.
In 2015, some 26m people watched the exact same footage on the Viral USA Facebook page.
While in 2016 the hugely popular Facebook page Unilad shared a similar "live" stream. This video appears to show Russian cosmonauts at the International Space Station.
Above: The Independent, Below: Youtube footage
The Independent asked viewers of the video to comment on it with where they were watching from.
It is not clear where the paper sourced it from, or why it chose to stream it on Sunday.
Its spokesman told the BBC: "The Independent removed a social media post this afternoon after it was brought to our attention that a video stream we believed to be - and which we described as - live was in fact footage from some time ago."
Nasa has previously advised people to check its official social media accounts to see if a "live" broadcast is taking place.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42046317
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Zimbabwe rejoices as Mugabe's long leadership nears its end - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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The BBC's Anne Soy meets jubilant Zimbabweans hoping for change after the army takeover.
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Africa
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A carnival mood has engulfed Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. Zimbabweans poured out to the streets carrying flags and placards to celebrate Wednesday's military takeover.
President Robert Mugabe is under intense pressure to resign. But nothing has been heard from the 93-year-old since he appeared at a university graduation on Friday.
"We want to tell President Mugabe, it is time to rest," Chipo tells us as she continues celebrating with her friends near Freedom Square. "This is a new Zimbabwe, and freedom has finally come," she adds.
Such a public display of defiance against the president would have been unthinkable before the military intervention.
Zimbabweans have been queuing to take pictures with the soldiers
Crowds erupt into celebration at the sight of military vehicles and soldiers.
"They have given us our second independence," shouts a man from a crowd surging towards an armoured personnel carrier.
The crowds sing songs praising the military and its chief, Gen Constantino Chiwenga. Some carry placards featuring the general's portrait and that of the former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired last week after a feud with First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Negotiations are going on behind the scenes to persuade President Mugabe to step down.
It is understood that he has insisted that he cannot do so and legitimise a coup.
The military maintains this is not a coup and there is international pressure to use constitutional means to resolve the political crisis. Negotiators are poring through Zimbabwe's laws to find a legal way out.
Mugabe's name and pictures have been taken down, stamped upon, torn
Saturday's call for civilians to take to the streets looks choreographed to lend some legitimacy to the transition process being discussed.
President Mugabe's support base has continued to crumble. Independence war veterans who fought alongside him against colonial rule have also been meeting in Harare. They, too, have called on their former leader to leave.
But the biggest blow yet to Mr Mugabe could be delivered by the central committee of the ruling Zanu-PF on Sunday.
State television, ZBC, reported that eight out of 10 provinces of the party have passed a vote of no confidence in the president. Sunday's meeting is expected to ratify their decision, a move that could see Robert Mugabe dismissed as party leader.
Back on the streets in the capital, car horns have been blaring all day as a few daring drivers attempt stunts amid cheers from spectators.
The feeling of freedom is palpable. There is a sense that Mr Mugabe's 37-year rule is coming to an end.
The majority of those in the streets are young people who have only ever known him as their leader, like 31-year-old Rachel, who took her children aged nine months and four years to Freedom Square. "I'm happy that she (pointing at the younger child strapped on her back) will grow up knowing a new president, not the one I've known all my life."
"We want change," says another young woman. "It doesn't matter what change, we just want it."
As celebrations continue into the night, it appears not much thought has been given to life after Robert Mugabe.
But there is growing consensus that the 93-year-old man has overstayed his welcome.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why is Zimbabwe in such a bad way?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42039009
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Autumn international: Scotland 17-22 New Zealand - BBC Sport
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2017-11-19
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Beauden Barrett denies Stuart Hogg with a brilliant tackle in the last minute as Scotland narrowly miss out on a first win over New Zealand.
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Scotland are still awaiting a first win over New Zealand after a dramatic 22-17 loss at Murrayfield.
Tries from Codie Taylor and Damian McKenzie early in the second half put the world champions in command.
Jonny Gray thundered over for Scotland, but Beauden Barrett scampered away to stretch the All Blacks' lead.
Huw Jones raced clear for a converted try and in the last minute Stuart Hogg was denied by a superb cover tackle from Barrett when heading for the line.
The outstanding Hogg was racing towards the left corner for a try that would have tied the scores with a conversion attempt to come, but Barrett caught the full-back, who lost the ball forward as he attempted an offload.
The five-point defeat is the closest Scotland have come to beating New Zealand since the sides drew 25-25 at Murrayfield in 1983.
This was always going to be a momentous occasion but the emotion was ratcheted up further when former Scotland lock Doddie Weir and his three sons brought out the match ball before kick-off, Murrayfield rising as one to greet the former Lion, who has motor neurone disease.
It was a searing moment and it lent Murrayfield a power that Scotland fed off. There was a ferocity about Gregor Townsend's team, an accuracy in possession and a tempo that denied New Zealand the kind of easy ball they've been used to when they come here.
The visitors conceded five penalties in the first 20 minutes and seven in the first 30. Scotland competed brilliantly at the breakdown, Hamish Watson and John Barclay frustrating the All Blacks and refusing to let them to settle into their murderous rhythm.
Finn Russell put Scotland ahead with the boot and that lead stayed intact through two dangerous bouts of New Zealand pressure, the first ending not with the breakthrough try that looked as if it was imminent but with a Barrett forward pass to Ryan Crotty, and the second when Scotland survived a New Zealand scrum five metres from their line.
By then, flanker Watson - who had been playing outstandingly - had become the first of the casualties and was replaced by Luke Hamilton on debut.
Just before the half-hour, Waisake Naholo took Hogg out in the air but the officials decided it merited no more than a penalty.
Just when it seemed Scotland might become for the first side to keep New Zealand scoreless in an opening half of a Test since England did it five years ago, Barrett levelled with a penalty. The injuries were now mounting for the hosts, Zander Fagerson joining Watson in the treatment room, and the replacement Hamilton following too.
The All Blacks had the lead at that point, Rieko Ioane and Taylor starting and then finishing a move that made it 8-3. Two minutes later, a Sonny Bill Williams grubber put McKenzie in for New Zealand's second score, converted by Barrett. That stretched the lead to 15-3.
George Turner, the hooker, had come on for Hamilton, with Stuart McInally reverting to his old position in the back row, as Townsend patched his team together in the hope of keeping the game alive. They were immense against the odds.
Sam Cane was sin-binned as Scotland piled on the pressure, Gray barging over from close range for a try that electrified Murrayfield. When Russell put over the conversion, it was a five-point game again.
Remarkably, with a makeshift front-row of Jamie Bhatti, George Turner and Simon Berghan, and a hooker playing open-side, Scotland were still alive.
The hope appeared to die when the All Blacks kicked for home, Williams delivering a magnificent offload to McKenzie, who cut a beautiful angle and put Barrett away to touch down.
The gap was 12 points with the conversion but still Scotland came again, New Zealand cynically killing ball in their own 22 and getting a second yellow for their trouble, Wyatt Crockett the culprit.
The thunder carried on to the death with New Zealand unable to shake off the Scots. Hogg, magnificent all day, put through a gorgeously weighted grubber up the right wing and Tommy Seymour got to it first to unload to centre Jones, who ran away to score.
There were three minutes left when Russell walloped over the conversion to put Scotland within a converted try of one of the greatest days in their rugby history.
Hogg then went on an arcing run into the New Zealand 22 and in that moment you believed, for a second, that the miracle was about to happen.
But Barrett had sensed the danger and had the pace to cover across. Hogg's attempted pass bobbled forward in was the final play of a brilliant but agonising day.
Replacements: 16-George Turner (for Hamilton, 50), 17-Jamie Bhatti (for Marfo, 59), 18-Simon Berghan (for Fagerson, 41), 19-Grant Gilchrist (for Toolis, 59), 20-Luke Hamilton (for Watson, 27), 21-Henry Pyrgos (for Price, 76), 22-Pete Horne (for Dunbar, 47), 23-Byron McGuigan (for L Jones, 69).
Replacements: 16-Nathan Harris (for Taylor, 75), 17-Wyatt Crockett (for Hames, 52), 18-Ofa Tu'ungafasi (for Laulala, 59), 19-Liam Squire (on for Romano, 47), 20-Matt Todd (for Cane, 75), 21-TJ Perenara (for Smith, 65), 22-Lima Sopoaga (for Naholo, 75), 23-Anton Lienert-Brown (for Williams, 69).
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/42002120
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Rugby League World Cup: England 36-6 Papua New Guinea - BBC Sport
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2017-11-19
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England beat Papua New Guinea despite another error-strewn performance to set-up a World Cup semi-final against Tonga.
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Last updated on .From the section Rugby League
England beat Papua New Guinea to set up a World Cup semi-final against Tonga despite an error-strewn performance.
England built a healthy half-time lead after a double from winger Jermaine McGillvary and Alex Walmsley's score.
Ben Currie crossed after the break as Garry Lo got PNG on the board, but two tries from Kallum Watkins and a late try from Ryan Hall sealed the victory.
But the winning margin masked a 56% completion rate and an error count of 20 from Wayne Bennett's side.
McGillvary was one of the bright points in Melbourne - the 29-year-old crossed for two almost identical scores as England found space down the right, taking his tally to six tries for the tournament.
Kato Ottio had PNG's best chance of the first half but was denied on the hooter for a push on England's Gareth Widdop.
The full-back, who was commanding at the back, then slipped through a delightful kick which was collected by Currie as England extended their lead in the second period.
When PNG scored through Castleford Tigers-bound Lo, a nervous wave rippled through the stadium, but McGillvary turned provider to set up centre Watkins before his diving effort and Hall's finish out wide brought up seven tries for England.
Despite the flattering scoreline, coach Bennett is still waiting for an 80-minute performance from his side.
England's inconsistency in attack has been a theme of the tournament, with wins against Lebanon and France in the group stage overshadowed by periods of sloppy play.
Against the French they made 13 handling errors, and managed 12 in the first half alone against PNG.
England half-back Luke Gale should have opened the scoring after two minutes when captain Sean O'Loughlin popped out a delicious offload in the tackle, but he failed to offload to the two men outside him.
A host of loose carries and spilled ball from forwards Sam Burgess and Chris Hill added to the error count, which increased further after the break.
James Graham carved open the PNG defence but a forward pass from interchange James Roby squandered another attacking set.
That was a rare mistake from Roby who otherwise put in a controlled performance from the bench and will be pushing for a starting berth ahead of Josh Hodgson against Tonga next weekend.
"I'm very pleased with the win," Widdop told BBC Sport. "But we need to fix up a lot of areas of ball control - at the moment that is not good enough."
And Bennett will also be keen to see how stand-off Kevin Brown is after he appeared to be briefly knocked out during the first half - an incident that led to his withdrawal at the break.
'The best winger in the world'
McGillvary has caused quite a storm in Australia. The 29-year-old former warehouse worker has had a remarkable rise in the sport after packing in his job when he was persuaded to join the Huddersfield academy by his cousin, club captain Leroy Cudjoe.
England's player of the tournament so far, his World Cup looked to be in doubt when he was alleged to have bitten Lebanon captain Robbie Farah during the group game in Sydney.
However, he was cleared and went on to score two tries in England's final pool match against France.
Another clinical performance followed against Papua New Guinea, and he has now scored 11 tries in his past 10 games. He has also made more metres than any other player in the tournament.
Former England international Jon Wilkin told BBC Sport: "He's the best winger, for me, in the world at the moment.
"I can tell you from personal experience, he's probably the most difficult player to handle. I think if he was missing it would genuinely affect how England play."
Widdop was another highlight for Bennett's side and despite having few chances to stretch his legs in attack, he was in control at the back, making several telling tackles.
The St George Illawarra Dragon covered all of PNG's testing grubbers, including anticipating a bounce off the posts and dominating the aerial battle.
With Jonny Lomax now fit after returning from injury, Bennett will have a few selection headaches for the semi-final.
The Kumuls have been one of the most entertaining sides of the tournament.
They were unbeaten in the group stages, scoring 24 tries in their opening three matches and conceding just two in reply.
But against England they were rocked by an early injury to influential captain David Mead who looked to have been knocked out while tackling Gale and was unable to return to the field.
• None PNG - the country where rugby league is a religion
Playing outside of PNG capital city Port Moresby for the first time in the tournament, they were unable to unleash their attacking potential against a well-drilled England defence.
They were denied a try at the death for crossing but for the country where rugby league is practically a religion, their impressive run to the quarters will have further fuelled their obsession.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/42042432
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Azzedine Alaïa: Popular Tunisian couturier dies aged 77 - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The fashion world mourns a designer whose clients included Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Michelle Obama.
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Europe
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Alaïa was fascinated by the human form and his designs were often close-fitting
The celebrated Tunisian fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa has died at the age of 77, French media report.
Alaïa, whose close-fitting designs earned him the nickname "king of cling", achieved fame in the 1980s.
Alaïa was known for his uncompromising attitude to exhibit his designs to his own schedule and was uninterested in the publicity of fashion weeks.
Barbadian singer Rihanna in a dress designed by Alaïa at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2013
Michelle Obama wore an Alaïa dress at the Nato summit in Germany in 2009
Lady Gaga in an Alaïa creation at the Academy Awards in Hollywood in 2015
Tributes were being paid to the couturier on social media on Saturday.
Lady Gaga said that Alaïa was a "genius in not only fashion but in his heart". In a statement posted on Twitter, the singer said the designer "should be celebrated as one of the greatest," adding: "I love you."
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Singer Mariah Carey also thanked Alaïa in a tweet, adding that he was an "incredibly kind man".
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Fellow fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier said that Alaïa was "brilliant" at combining traditional techniques and knowledge to create timeless items.
Alaïa, who was born in 1940, trained as a sculptor in his native Tunisia and remained fascinated by the human form throughout his career.
He moved to Paris in the late 1950s, working briefly for Christian Dior and Guy Laroche before becoming an independent couturier.
The Paris-based couturier's exhibitions were displayed throughout Europe
Fashions by Alaïa on display in Duesseldorf, western Germany, in 2013
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42038082
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Gaia Pope: Body found near Swanage in search for missing woman - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police are "confident" the remains are that of the 19-year-old woman, who has been missing for 11 days.
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England
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Gaia Pope was last seen in Swanage on 7 November
A body has been found in the hunt for missing teenager Gaia Pope.
Dorset Police said they were "confident" that the remains on land near Swanage were those of the 19-year-old, who has been missing for 11 days.
Officers made the discovery at 15:00 GMT on Saturday near a coastal path and field where items of her clothing were found on Thursday.
In a statement Gaia's sister, Clara Pope, described her as the "light of my life".
Ms Pope told ITV News that her sister was "so beautiful, so emotionally wise and intelligent and so passionate and artistic and creative and understanding".
Addressing those people who had searched for Gaia, she added: "I just want to tell everybody that every minute of your hard work has been absolutely worth it."
Gaia's cousin, Marienna Pope-Weidemann, said: "We are absolutely devastated and unable to put those feelings of loss into words.
"Our little bird has flown, but she will always be with us."
Ms Pope-Weidemann added: "We want to thank each and every one of you for everything you've done.
"If there is one ray of light in this nightmare it is the compassion, humanity and community spirit that you've shown over the last 10 days.
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"Your dedication and selflessness for a girl that many of you don't even know has been staggering and one of the few things that kept us going."
Three people have previously been arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation.
Detectives detained 71-year-old Rosemary Dinch; her 49-year-old son Paul Elsey; and her 19-year-old grandson Nathan Elsey - all of whom were known to Miss Pope.
Det Supt Paul Kessell, of Dorset Police, said: "Although the body has yet to be formally identified, we are confident that we have found Gaia.
"Her family has been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers. Our thoughts remain with all of her family and friends at this very traumatic time.
"They have requested privacy and that we make no further media releases at this point."
Land close to where the items of clothing were found was searched
Extensive searches took place to locate the teenager, who was last seen at about 16:00 GMT on 7 November in Manor Gardens, Swanage.
An hour earlier she had been captured on CCTV buying an ice cream inside St Michael's Garage, having been driven there by a relative.
Hundreds of missing person posters were distributed across the county and volunteers helped to scour the town.
Det Supt Kessell, of Dorset Police's major crime investigation team, said the Dorset coroner had been informed and a post-mortem examination would take place.
He said that forensic examinations would continue.
"This will guide the investigation in respect of the circumstances of the death which at this time remains unexplained," he said.
He added: "I can confirm that we have recovered all the clothing we believe Gaia was wearing when she disappeared and, with thanks, we no longer require the public to assist with searches."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42041390
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Anna Soubry blames death threats on 'mutineers' headline - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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Conservative Anna Soubry was labelled a "mutineer" for planning to rebel on a key Brexit vote.
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UK Politics
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Ex-Tory minister Anna Soubry says her office has received 13 death threats since a newspaper front page named her as one of 15 "Brexit mutineers".
The pro-EU Remain supporter said the police took the threats seriously and had passed two cases to prosecutors.
She said she had been "really quite frightened" and blamed the threats on Wednesday's Daily Telegraph front page.
The paper's editor defended what he called "the legitimate actions and language of a free press".
The story concerned Conservative MPs planning to rebel against the government's bid to enshrine the precise date of Brexit in law.
Speaking on Broadcasting House on BBC Radio 4, Ms Soubry said her office had told her of the 13 death threats.
"That's just astonishing, isn't it?" she said.
"The police take it seriously - it's not nice, it's not acceptable and it's not necessary."
Ms Soubry had previously described the headline as a "blatant piece of bullying".
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The threats had included "references to what happens to mutineers", she told the BBC, adding: "A number of tweets have said we should be hung."
She added: "If the Telegraph had not printed that headline those death threats would not have come through - that is a fact."
The government lost its majority at the general election and risks defeat when the Commons votes next month on the Brexit date issue.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Chancellor Philip Hammond said the government would not be withdrawing its plans to press ahead with the move, adding that Parliament was "quite rightly" debating the proposals as part of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
The BBC has contacted the Daily Telegraph for a formal response.
But in a tweet to Broadcasting House presenter Paddy O'Connell, editor Chris Evans said: "I'd urge you to distinguish between the legitimate actions and language of a free press and the illegitimate actions and language of those who make threats of violence."
He also referred to a leader article in Saturday's paper defending the headline, which it says was intended to be "arresting" and to show "that there are still forces at work seeking to stop Brexit happening".
It added: "The individuals may disagree with that observation, but we were entitled to make it and we will see during the course of the next year whether there is any merit in it.
"But the accusations of bullying are absurd and shrill."
The article also pointed out that Ms Soubry had described her inclusion in the front page as a "badge of honour".
The Telegraph's front page echoed that of the Daily Mail when it singled out three judges - labelling them "Enemies of the people" - after the High Court ruled that MPs must have a say on triggering Article 50.
The Daily Mail's piece attracted hundreds of complaints to watchdog the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42045175
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Gaia Pope: Sister says teenager was 'light of my life' - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Her family also praised the "compassion and humanity" of people who searched for the 19-year-old.
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Dorset
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Gaia Pope went missing in Swanage on 7 November
The sister of Gaia Pope, whose body was found on Saturday, has described her as the "absolute light of my life".
Clara Pope-Sutherland said the 19-year-old was "intelligent, beautiful and emotionally wise".
The teenager had not been seen for 11 days before her remains were found in a field near Swanage, close to where some of her clothing was found on Thursday.
Dorset Police said it was "confident" it was her and a post-mortem examination is due to take place.
Det Supt Paul Kessell said: "This will guide the investigation in respect of the circumstances of the death, which at this time remains unexplained."
The site where police searching for Gaia Pope found a body on Saturday afternoon
Flowers have been laid in Swanage following the discovery of Miss Pope's body
Miss Pope's cousin, Marienna Pope-Weidemann, said: "We are absolutely devastated and unable to put those feelings of loss into words.
"Our little bird has flown, but she will always be with us."
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The teenager's body was discovered by police at about 15:00 GMT, as local people took part in three mass searches of land around the town.
Addressing volunteers Miss Pope's sister said: "Every minute of your hard work has been absolutely worth it."
She added said the "dedication and selflessness" of local people was one of the few things which kept the family going during the search.
"If there is one ray of light in this nightmare it is the compassion, humanity and community spirit which you have shown."
Det Supt Kessell thanked the public for their help and said no further assistance was needed with the searches.
Land close to where the items of clothing were found was searched
During the investigation, three people were arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation.
They were 71-year-old Rosemary Dinch; her 49-year-old son Paul Elsey; and her 19-year-old grandson Nathan Elsey - all of whom were known to Miss Pope.
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Many members of the public have shared their condolences with Miss Pope's family on the Find Gaia Facebook group.
Amy Howes wrote "our village is mourning a terrible loss this morning, such sad news".
Sonia Card said: "Such sad news. Didn't know Gaia or her family. But spent time searching in the hope we would find her. So sorry we didn't."
A church service is being held at 18:30 GMT at St Mary's Church in Swanage.
Team rector, the Very Reverend John Mann, said: "It is good to have an opportunity for people to come together from right across the town.
"At times like this people don't know what to say, they don't know what to do, and they need a focus of attention."
In a post on Twitter, The Bishop of Sherborne, Karen Gorham, said prayers would be said across Dorset for Miss Pope's family and friends.
7 November: Miss Pope is driven by a family member from Langton Matravers to Swanage. At 14:55, she is seen on CCTV at St Michael's Garage buying ice cream. The last confirmed sighting is at 16:00 at an address in Manor Gardens on Morrison Road
8 November: Her family makes a plea through police for her to make contact. Dorset Police says it is "becoming increasingly concerned"
9 November: Searches by police, the coastguard and force helicopter are carried out in the Swanage area. Miss Pope's relatives release a statement saying they are "frantic with worry"
10 November: CCTV footage shows Miss Pope on Morrison Road, Manor Gardens, at 15:39 on 7 November
13 November: Rosemary Dinch and Nathan Elsey are arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation
14 November: Searches continue with the coastguard and volunteers from Dorset Search and Rescue and Wessex 4x4
15 November: CCTV images of Miss Pope at St Michael's Garage are released. Searches continue to concentrate inland
16 November: Paul Elsey is arrested on suspicion of murder. Miss Pope's clothing is discovered in a field near Swanage and a police cordon is set up
18 November: Police discover a body near the coast path and a field close to where her clothing was found
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-42042989
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Dyfed-Powys Police confirm Caldey Island sex abuse reports - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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The Guardian newspaper reports Caldey Abbey paid compensation to six women who were abused as children.
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South West Wales
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Dyfed-Powys Police has told BBC Wales it received reports of historical sexual abuse perpetrated by a monk on Caldey Island in the 1970s and 1980s.
The force investigated in 2014 and 2016 but could not prosecute as the monk, Father Thaddeus Kotik, died in 1992.
The Guardian newspaper has reported that Caldey Abbey has paid compensation to six women who were abused as children.
BBC Wales has attempted to contact Caldey Abbey in Pembrokeshire.
Court papers seen by The Guardian said Kotik carried out the abuse between 1972 and 1987 and the women, who were on holiday at the time, believe there may be many more victims.
Kotik worked in the abbey's dairy and befriended families who regularly visited the island.
After gaining the trust of parents he would babysit the children and sexually abuse them, the papers suggest.
The women, who are not identified, said the abbey knew about the offences and failed to report Kotik to the police.
In civil proceedings against the abbey, they said it was liable for the alleged assaults which occurred on its property by Kotik who was charged with the safekeeping and care of the children.
The women said that Kotik "terrified them into silence" and said if they told anyone their parents would not want them and leave them on the island with him.
In 2014, one of the women e-mailed the current abbot of Caldey Abbey, Brother Daniel van Santvoort, and told him that the effect of the abuse had been catastrophic.
She said: "Father Thaddeus' perversion has left me with ongoing feelings and experience of severe anxiety, fear, guilt and sadness.
"I have lived my life feeling a deep and misunderstood level of self-hatred and an inability to trust and believe in another person truly loving me."
The Guardian reports Brother Daniel had heard allegations previously about Kotik and in response he wrote: "I have heard occasionally about this serious matter as regards Father Thaddeus."
He told her that the monastery knew about his offences and that he had been banned from contact with islanders and visitors in the 1980s but it had not been reported to the police.
"I am fully aware now of this terrible criminal offence and Father Thaddeus should have... been handed over to the police - something that never happened," he added.
Brother Daniel forwarded the e-mails to Dyfed-Powys Police who asked for a formal statement which she submitted.
In response, a Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that in 2014 and 2016 we received reports of non-recent sexual abuse that occurred at Caldey Island with the named offender being the deceased Thaddeus Kotik.
"These reports were recorded as crimes and victims contacted by police.
"During the investigation, information was obtained to confirm that the perpetrator was deceased and therefore a prosecution was not possible.
Appropriate professional support was offered and the matter was drawn to a close.
"Dyfed-Powys Police always encourages anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward and report it by calling 101."
Brother Daniel apologised to the woman but, according to the Guardian, during the legal proceedings the abbey claimed it had no knowledge of the abuse.
The Guardian reported it also argued there was an "evidential disadvantage" in that none of the monks at the abbey during the time of the allegations were still alive and claimed it was not liable as the priest was not employed by the abbey to provide care for children.
The defence therefore required the claimants to prove each offence.
According to the Guardian, it also argued that the victims were out of time to sue for damages and it was not possible for the abbey to have a fair trial.
It is also reported that the abbey asked the court not to allow the claim because the seriousness of the allegations was likely to attract attention that may threaten the continued existence of the abbey.
The women accepted what the Guardian describes as "meagre" compensation payments and received no apology.
The solicitor representing the women, Tracey Emmott, told The Guardian: "It took the issuing of court proceedings before the out of court settlements were offered and even then my client's request for a formal apology as part of the settlement package was never forthcoming."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-42039793
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David Cassidy: Ex-Partridge Family star suffers organ failure - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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He is reported to require a liver transplant and has kidney problems.
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US & Canada
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David Cassidy was a teen idol in the 1970s
Former The Partridge Family star and singer David Cassidy, 67, is ill in hospital but is reported to be conscious, after suffering multiple organ failure earlier this week.
A spokeswoman said he was admitted to hospital in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday after suffering pain.
He is reportedly suffering kidney failure and needs a liver transplant.
Earlier this year the singer said he had dementia and would stop touring in order to "enjoy life".
A spokeswoman for Cassidy told the Press Association that he was conscious, following reports he had been put into a coma.
She said he was surrounded by family.
The singer's health has been deteriorating for more than two months, entertainment website TMZ reported.
The singer shot to fame in the 1970s
Cassidy shot to fame playing Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family - a 1970s sitcom about a mother and five children who formed a rock and roll band. The show spawned hit songs, such as I Think I Love You.
The former heartthrob went on to a hugely successful solo career as a singer and pop idol.
In recent years he has spoken about his struggles with alcohol.
In 2015 he filed for bankruptcy. Between 2010 and 2014, he was arrested three times for drunken driving, and was ordered to rehab as part of his sentence in 2014. He has divorced three times.
A video that emerged on social media of him performing earlier this year raised concerns about his health.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42042662
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US nuclear chief would resist 'illegal' presidential strike order - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Gen John Hyten says that instead he would work to agree a legal alternative with a president.
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US & Canada
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Gen John Hyten (left): "If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail."
The top nuclear commander in the US says he would resist any "illegal" presidential order to launch a strike.
Air Force Gen John Hyten, said as head of the US Strategic Command he provided advice to a president and expected that a legal alternative would be found.
His comments come just days after US senators discussed a president's authority to launch a nuclear attack.
Some of them expressed concern that President Donald Trump might irresponsibly order such a strike.
Others though said a president must have the authority to act without meddling from lawyers. It was the first such hearing in more than 40 years.
In August, Mr Trump vowed to unleash "fire and fury like the world has never seen" on North Korea if it threatened the US.
Last month, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Republican chairman, Senator Bob Corker, accused the president of setting the US "on a path to World War Three".
Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, Gen Hyten said: "We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"
As for the legality of a strike, the general said that he had studied US laws of armed conflict for many years which stipulates key criteria the president must consider before launching any attack:
The armed conflict report quotes an International Court of Justice ruling which states that while the threat or use of nuclear weapons is not prohibited by international law, "the use of such weapons seems scarcely reconcilable with respect for the requirements of the law applicable in armed conflict".
While Senators and expert witnesses agree the president has full authority to defend the nation, commentators have pointed out that because there is no all-encompassing definition of "imminent attack", the president is not given an entirely free hand.
"I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," Gen Hyten said.
"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say: 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works.
"It's not that complicated," Gen Hyten added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Would the US military disobey a nuclear order from President Trump?
He added: "If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life."
President Trump has not publicly commented on Gen Hyten's remarks.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42041975
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Dancing breaks out at Zanu-PF headquarters - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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People sing and celebrate as Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is sacked as ruling party leader.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42045092
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Emmerson Mnangagwa: The 'crocodile' who snapped back - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The man who took over from Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe's president wants to legitimise his rule.
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Africa
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Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the man known as "the crocodile" because of his political cunning, achieved a long-held ambition to succeed Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe's president in November last year.
He has now won a disputed presidential election to legitimise his rule, promising voters his efforts to woo foreign investors will bring back the economy from the brink of collapse.
Mr Mugabe resigned following a military takeover and mass demonstrations - all sparked by his sacking of Mr Mnangagwa as his vice-president.
"The crocodile", who lived up to his name and snapped back, may have unseated Zimbabwe's only ruler, but he is also associated with some of the worst atrocities committed under the ruling Zanu-PF party since independence in 1980.
One veteran of the liberation struggle, who worked with him for many years, once put it simply: "He's a very cruel man, very cruel."
But his children see him as a principled, if unemotional, man. His daughter, Farai Mlotshwa - a property developer and the eldest of his nine children by two wives - told BBC Radio 4 that he was a "softie".
As if to reinforce this softer image of the new leader, a cuddly crocodile soft toy was passed among the Zanu-PF supporters who welcomed him back to the country after Mr Mugabe's resignation.
Emmerson Mnangagwa is known as "Ngwena", the Shona word for crocodile
And what he lacks in charisma and oratory prowess, he makes up for in pragmatism, says close friend and Zanu-PF politician Josiah Hungwe.
"Mnangagwa is a practical person. He is a person who recognises that politics is politics but people must eat," he told the BBC, adding that reforming Zimbabwe's disastrous economy will be the focus of his leadership.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Emmerson Mnangagwa: Who is the man known as the ‘crocodile’?
The exact year of Mr Mnangagwa's birth is not known - but he is thought to be 75, which would make him nearly 20 years younger than his predecessor who left power aged 93.
Born in the central region of Zvishavane, he is a Karanga - the largest clan of Zimbabwe's majority Shona community.
Some Karangas felt it was their turn for power, following 37 years of domination by Mr Mugabe's Zezuru clan, though Mr Mnangagwa was accused of profiting while under Mr Mugabe.
According to a United Nations report in 2001, he was seen as "the architect of the commercial activities of Zanu-PF".
This largely related to the operations of the Zimbabwean army and businessmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zimbabwean troops intervened in the DR Congo conflict on the side of the government and, like those of other countries, were accused of using the conflict to loot some of its rich natural resources such as diamonds, gold and other minerals.
More recently military officials - many behind his rise to power - have been accused of benefiting from the rich Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe, with reports of killings and human rights abuses there.
Despite his money-raising role, Mr Mnangagwa, a lawyer who grew up in Zambia, was not always well-loved by the rank and file of his own party.
A Zanu-PF official posed an interesting question when asked about Mr Mnangagwa's prospects: "You think Mugabe is bad, but have you thought that whoever comes after him could be even worse?"
The opposition candidate who defeated Mr Mnangagwa in the 2000 parliamentary campaign in Kwekwe Central, Blessing Chebundo, might agree.
During a bitter campaign, Mr Chebundo escaped death by a whisker when the Zanu-PF youths who had abducted him and doused him with petrol were unable to light a match.
Those who fought in Zimbabwe's war of independence have long monopolised power
Mr Mnangagwa's fearsome reputation was made during the civil war which broke out in the 1980s between Mr Mugabe's Zanu party and the Zapu party of Joshua Nkomo.
As national security minister, he was in charge of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), which worked hand in glove with the army to suppress Zapu.
Thousands of civilians - mainly ethnic Ndebeles, seen as Zapu supporters - were killed in a campaign known as Gukurahundi, before the two parties merged to form Zanu-PF.
Among countless other atrocities carried out by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade of the army, villagers were forced at gunpoint to dance on the freshly dug graves of their relatives and chant pro-Mugabe slogans.
Mr Mnangagwa has denied any role in the massacres, but the wounds are still painful and many party officials, not to mention voters, in Matabeleland might find it hard to back Mr Mnangagwa.
He does enjoy the support of many of the war veterans who led the campaign of violence against the white farmers and the opposition from 2000.
They remember him as one of the men who, following his military training in China and Egypt, directed the fight for independence in the 1960s and 1970s.
He also attended the Beijing School of Ideology, run by the Chinese Communist Party.
Mr Mnangagwa's official profile says he was the victim of state violence after being arrested by the white-minority government in the former Rhodesia in 1965, when the "crocodile gang" he led helped blow up a train near Fort Victoria (now Masvingo).
"He was tortured, severely resulting in him losing his sense of hearing in one ear," the profile says.
"Part of the torture techniques involved being hanged with his feet on the ceiling and the head down. The severity of the torture made him unconscious for days."
As he said he was under 21 at the time, he was not executed but instead sentenced to 10 years in prison.
"He has scars from that period. He was young and brave," a close friend of Mr Mnangagwa once said, asking not to be named.
"Perhaps that explains why he is indifferent. Horrible things happened to him when he was young."
His ruthlessness, which it could be argued he learnt from his Rhodesian torturers, is said to have been seen again in 2008 when he reportedly masterminded Zanu-PF's response to Mr Mugabe losing the first round of the president election to long-time rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
The military and state security organisations unleashed a campaign of violence against opposition supporters, leaving hundreds dead and forcing thousands from their homes.
Mr Tsvangirai then pulled out of the second round and Mr Mugabe was re-elected.
Mr Mnangagwa has not commented on allegations he was involved in planning the violence, but an insider in the party's security department later confirmed that he was the political link between the army, intelligence and Zanu-PF.
He was seen as Mr Mugabe's right-hand man - that is until the former first lady Grace Mugabe became politically ambitious and tried to edge him out.
Their rivalry took a bizarre turn when he fell ill in August 2017 at a political rally led by former President Mugabe and had to be airlifted to South Africa.
Grace Mugabe (right) bit off more than she could chew by taking on Mr Mnangagwa
His supporters suggested that a rival group within Zanu-PF had poisoned him and appeared to blame ice cream from Mrs Mugabe's dairy firm.
In his first words to cheering supporters after Mr Mugabe's resignation, he spoke about this plot and another plan to "eliminate" him.
He has also blamed a group linked to the former first lady for an explosion in June at a Zanu-PF rally in Bulawayo in which two people died.
But in a BBC interview, he said the country was safe, told foreign investors not to worry and sought to dispel his ruthless reputation: "I am as soft as wool. I am a very soft person in life."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mnangagwa: Criminal will be hounded down, but Zimbabwe is safe
His youngest son, a Harare DJ known as St Emmo, blames his reticence for his fearsome reputation.
"He was a good father, very very strict. He doesn't say much and I think that's what frightens people - like: 'What is he thinking?'"
Nick Mangwana, Zanu-PF representative in the UK, accepts that the Zimbabwe's new leader is "not the most eloquent".
"He's not pally-pally but more of a do-er, more of a technocrat."
But in his six months in power he has fully embraced Twitter and Facebook - after the Bulawayo blast he posted a message reiterating the strength his Christian faith gives him.
This Facebook post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Facebook The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts. Skip facebook post by Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa This article contains content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Facebook cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts.
Fixing the economy is what is paramount now. Zimbabweans are on average 15% poorer now than they were in the 1980s.
British journalist Martin Fletcher, who interviewed Mr Mnangagwa in 2016, does not see him a reborn democrat.
"He understands the need to rebuild the economy if only so that he can pay his security forces - and his survival depends on their loyalty," he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41995876
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Women's Ashes: Katherine Brunt keeps England's hopes of drawing Australia series alive - BBC Sport
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2017-11-19
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Katherine Brunt stars with bat and ball as England - with the Women's Ashes gone - win their second Twenty20 international against Australia.
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Katherine Brunt starred with bat and ball as England kept their hopes of a drawn Women's Ashes series alive with a 40-run win over Australia in the second Twenty20 international in Canberra.
Brunt (32 not out) and Natalie Sciver (40) helped England post 152-6 from their 20 overs after they won the toss.
Jenny Gunn (4-13) and Brunt (2-10) then helped bowl the hosts out for 112.
The Aussies, who are already assured of retaining the trophy, now lead the points-based multi-format series 8-6.
England can level the series if they win the final T20 match, also at the Manuka Oval, on Tuesday.
A wholehearted character who has worn her heart on her sleeve since her England debut in 2004, Brunt would have felt Friday's defeat - which ended England's hopes of regaining the Ashes - as keenly as anyone, having been dismissed for a golden duck and then bowling three overs for 33 runs.
Having worked hard on her batting in the past couple of years, she is desperate to repay the faith shown in her by captain and coach which has seen her promoted up the order in T20 cricket.
This time, a platform had been set by the elevation of Danielle Wyatt (19 from 16 balls) to open, and when Brunt came to the crease in the 13th over after Sarah Taylor (30) ran herself out, she helped England post what proved to be a competitive total - and could have been even higher had Taylor and Sciver not got themselves out when well set.
Brunt's unbeaten 32 came off 24 balls, hitting back-up seamers Delissa Kimmince and Sarah Aley for two big sixes down the ground off successive overs.
With her regular new-ball partner Anya Shrubsole fit again, Brunt - for once - was not asked to bowl in the powerplay. She was instrumental in putting the squeeze on Australia in mid-innings, her four overs costing only 10 runs, aided by a slick Taylor stumping which removed Elyse Villani.
Gunn, another of the side's veterans, has sometimes been a bit-part player for England in this series - being left out of the Test XI - but proved her worth with ball in hand on her 250th international appearance.
The seamer broke a useful opening stand of 45 by having Alyssa Healy caught at mid-on, ran fellow opener Beth Mooney out with a direct hit, and returned to wrap up the tail with some accurate slower balls.
'Clinical from ball one and held their catches' - what they said
Ex-England seamer Isa Guha on BBC Test Match Special: "England have been clinical from ball one. Danni Wyatt got them off to a great start, other players continued that momentum, they've looked in control and held all their catches. They haven't become a bad team overnight - they generally don't start overseas tours well and were found wanting in that first T20."
Player of the match Katherine Brunt on TMS: "It's a shame we brought one of our best games today and not the other day, but hopefully we can still level the series. If it's equal points, that's a good finish and what we're striving for now.
"We've had one day to turn it around and that included a six-hour coach journey, so we've done really well to pick ourselves up. It was really bitter the other day, we're still feeling it and it still hurts. But we want to level the series and we'll give it our all."
Australia all-rounder Delissa Kimmince on TMS: "We lost too many wickets in clumps, Brunt bowled really well into the wicket and Gunn's slower balls were hard to get onto - they had their field set right and we kept hitting to fielders."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42042652
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Robert Mugabe: Is Zimbabwe's ex-president a hero or villain? - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A profile of Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe, accused of destroying a prosperous country for the sake of power, but still seen by some as a revolutionary hero.
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Africa
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Robert Mugabe, the man who became synonymous with Zimbabwe, has resigned as president after 37 years in power.
For some, he will always remain a hero who brought independence and an end to white-minority rule. Even those who forced him out blamed his wife and "criminals" around him.
But to his growing number of critics, this highly educated, wily politician became the caricature of an African dictator, who destroyed an entire country in order to keep his job.
In the end, it was the security forces, who had been instrumental in intimidating the opposition and keeping him in power, who made him go.
They were incensed when he sacked his long-time ally, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, paving the way for his much younger wife Grace to succeed him, fearing it meant the end for them as the powers behind the throne.
He had survived numerous previous crises and predictions of his demise but with his powers failing at the age of 93, his former comrades-in-arms turned on him, favouring Mr Mnangagwa.
Before the 2008 elections, Mr Mugabe said: "If you lose an election and are rejected by the people, it is time to leave politics."
But after coming second to Morgan Tsvangirai, Mr Mugabe displayed more characteristic defiance, swearing that "only God" could remove him from office.
And just to be sure, violence was unleashed to preserve his grip on power.
In order to save the lives of his supporters, Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the second round and although Mr Mugabe was forced to share power with his long-time rival for four years, he remained president.
He even won another election, in 2013, as Mr Tsvangirai had lost a lot of credibility during his years working with Mr Mugabe.
The key to understanding Mr Mugabe is the 1970s guerrilla war where he made his name.
President Mugabe (L) has given his support to his wife Grace (R) for the vice-presidency
Even after 37 years in power, Mr Mugabe still maintained the same worldview - the patriotic socialist forces of his Zanu-PF party were still fighting the twin evils of capitalism and colonialism.
Any critics were dismissed as "traitors and sell-outs" - a throwback to the guerrilla war, when such labels could be a death sentence.
Robert Mugabe (L), seen here in 1960, was greatly influenced by pan-Africanist ideals
He always blamed Zimbabwe's economic problems on a plot by Western countries, led by the UK, to oust him because of his seizure of white-owned farms.
His critics firmly blamed him, saying he had no understanding of how a modern economy worked.
He always concentrated on the question of how to share out the national cake, rather than how to make it grow.
Protesters in 2016 burn worthless currency in a show of defiance against the introduction of new bond notes
Mr Mugabe once famously said that a country could never go bankrupt - with the world's fastest-shrinking economy and annual inflation of 231 million per cent in July 2008, it seemed as though he was determined to test his theory to the limit.
Professor Tony Hawkins of the University of Zimbabwe once observed that with Zimbabwe's former leader: "Whenever economics gets in the way of politics, politics wins every time."
In 2000, faced with a strong opposition for the first time, he wrecked what was one of Africa's most diversified economies in a bid to retain political control.
He seized the white-owned farms which were the economy's backbone and scared off donors but in purely political terms, Mr Mugabe outsmarted his enemies - he remained in power for another 17 years.
And the tactics he and his supporters used were straight from the guerrilla war.
After he suffered the first electoral defeat of his career, in a 2000 referendum, Mr Mugabe unleashed his personal militia - the self-styled war veterans, backed by the security forces - who used violence and murder as an electoral strategy.
Mr Mugabe says he is fighting for the rights of black Zimbabweans
Eight years later, a similar pattern was followed after Mr Mugabe lost the first round of a presidential election to his long-time rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
When needed, all the levers of state - the security forces, civil service, state-owned media - which are mostly controlled by Zanu-PF, were used in the service of the ruling party.
The man who fought for one-man, one-vote introduced a requirement that potential voters prove their residence with utility bills, which the young, unemployed opposition core electorate were unlikely to have.
In fact, the signs of his attitude to opposition were there from the early 1980s, when members of the North-Korea trained Fifth Brigade of the army were sent to Matabeleland, home to his then rival, Joshua Nkomo.
Thousands of civilians were killed before Mr Nkomo agreed to share power with Mr Mugabe - a precursor of what happened with Mr Tsvangirai.
One of the undoubted achievements of the former teacher's 33 years in power was the expansion of education. Zimbabwe still has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa, at 89% of the population.
The now deceased political scientist Masipula Sithole once said that by expanding education, the president was "digging his own grave".
Mr Mugabe has not been afraid to use violence to stay in power
The young beneficiaries were able to analyse Zimbabwe's problems for themselves and most blamed government corruption and mismanagement for the lack of jobs and rising prices.
He often claimed to be fighting on behalf of the rural poor but much of the land he confiscated ended up in the hands of his cronies.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said that Zimbabwe's long-time president had become a cartoon figure of the archetypal African dictator.
During the 2002 presidential campaign, he started wearing brightly coloured shirts emblazoned with his face - a style copied from many of Africa's authoritarian rulers.
For the preceding 20 years, this conservative man was only seen in public with either a stiff suit and tie or safari suit.
He professes to be a staunch Catholic, and worshippers at Harare's Catholic Cathedral were occasionally swamped by security guards when he turned up for Sunday Mass.
However, Mr Mugabe's beliefs did not prevent him from having two children by Grace, then his secretary, while his popular Ghanaian first wife, Sally, was dying from cancer.
But it was his second wife Grace, 40 years his junior, who ultimately proved his downfall.
Although Mr Mugabe outlived many predictions of his demise, the increasing strain of recent years took its toll and his once-impeccable presentation has begun to look rather worn at times.
In 2011, a US diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks suggested that he was suffering from prostate cancer.
Wife Grace said Mr Mugabe woke at 05:00 for his exercise
But he certainly led a healthy lifestyle.
Grace once said that he woke up at 05:00 for his daily exercises, including yoga. He did not drink alcohol or coffee and was largely vegetarian.
Mr Mugabe was 73 when she gave birth to their third child, Chatunga.
If nothing else, Mr Mugabe has always been an extremely proud man.
He often said he would only step down when his "revolution" was complete.
He was referring to the redistribution of white-owned land but he also wanted to hand-pick his successor, who would of course have had to come from the ranks of Zanu-PF.
Didymus Mutasa, once one of Mr Mugabe's closest associates but who has since fallen out with him, once told the BBC that in Zimbabwean culture, kings were only replaced when they die "and Mugabe is our king".
But even his closest allies were not ready for Zimbabwe to be turned into a monarchy, with power retained by a single family.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23431534
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New portrait marks Queen and Prince Philip's 70th anniversary - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Queen and Prince Philip plan to spend the day with family and friends, Buckingham Palace says.
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UK
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A new portrait of the Queen and Prince Philip has been released to mark their 70th wedding anniversary.
The royal couple will mark Monday's platinum anniversary with a private dinner with family and friends at Windsor Castle.
The bells of Westminster Abbey, where they married in 1947, will ring to mark the occasion.
Royal Mail has issued a set of six commemorative stamps, featuring the couple's engagement and wedding.
Commemorative stamps from the Royal Mail feature the royal couple's engagement and wedding photos
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are the first royal couple to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.
When they married, the then Princess Elizabeth was 21-years-old while her groom, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, was 26.
The new image, by celebrity photographer Matt Holyoak, shows the pair flanked by Thomas Gainsborough's paintings of George III and Queen Charlotte from 1781.
In the photograph, the Queen is wearing a cream day dress designed by Angela Kelly, her personal assistant and dressmaker since 2002.
She also wears a "Scarab" brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, designed by Andrew Grima and given to the Queen as a gift in 1966.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42041461
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Drone footage captures extent of US oil leak - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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Five thousand barrels leaked from the Keystone pipeline.
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Drone footage has captured the scale of a 5,000 barrel oil leak in South Dakota.
The leak was discovered by Keystone pipeline operators TransCanada on Thursday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42040722
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Nicole Fegan, 12, dies in Newry beach buggy crash - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Nicole Fegan, 12, died after a beach buggy on which she was a passenger crashed with another vehicle in Newry.
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Northern Ireland
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Nicole was described as a "quiet, well-spoken, gentle child who brightened a room"
A 12-year-old girl who died after a crash between a beach buggy and a pick-up truck near Newry, County Down, has been described as "a special girl".
Nicole Fegan was a passenger on the beach buggy which crashed on the Flagstaff Road on Saturday afternoon.
A 14-year-old girl, who was driving the beach buggy, is in hospital with a broken leg.
A book of condolence has been opened in Mayobridge, outside Newry, for Nicole.
She was a Year 8 pupil at Our Lady's Grammar School in Newry.
Principal Fiona McAlinden said the entire school was "saddened and shocked" by Nicole's tragic death.
Tributes have been left on the Flagstaff Road where the crash happened
"Nicole was a very well-loved and valued pupil and she will be much missed by the staff and her many friends across the school community," she said.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to her parents, brothers, family and friends."
In a Facebook post, her former school, St Patrick's Primary and Nursery School in Mayobridge, said they were "heartbroken" to learn of her sudden death.
"Nicole was such a special girl," they said.
Police said Nicole was a passenger in the buggy when it collided with a truck
"We have memories of her kindness and her willingness to contribute to the life of the school through her musical ability, her sporting talents, her desire to do her best at all times and her beautiful smile.
"We offer our heartfelt condolences to her loving family."
The buggy collided with the truck at about 14:50 GMT on Saturday.
SDLP councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick told BBC News NI that Nicole was "a great wee community girl" who was well-known in the area.
A 14-year-old girl, who was driving the buggy, sustained a broken leg and remains in hospital
"She was a quiet, well-spoken, gentle child who brightened a room," she said.
"She was into music and sport, she was unassuming but had a lovely, kind heart."
The driver of the pick-up truck was not injured.
The Northern Ireland air ambulance attended the scene of the collision.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42044172
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Zimbabwe crisis: 'People sense Robert Mugabe is gone' - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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Protests turn to celebrations on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital Harare.
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Jubilant scenes are unfolding on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital Harare, as protests demanding the resignation of President Robert Mugabe have turned to a celebration of the army's role in ending his grip on power.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42037461
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Hurricane damage 'heartbreaking' - Prince Charles - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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After meeting homeless families in Antigua, he described the devastation as "heartbreaking".
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UK
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The Prince of Wales has described the destruction caused by Caribbean hurricanes as "utterly heartbreaking".
After meeting homeless families in Antigua, he said it was "painful beyond words to see the devastation".
Prince Charles is on three-day tour to see the damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria in September.
His visit came as the government announced a further £15m support for overseas territories affected by the hurricane, bringing the total to £92m.
Prince Charles met residents of Barbuda whose homes had been destroyed and who were being temporarily housed in Antigua.
Later, the heir to the throne visited Barbuda itself, flying over houses where the roofs had been torn off and replaced by blue tarpaulin. His first stop was to a primary school that was visited last year by Prince Harry. It is now partly ruined and abandoned.
The Barbuda affairs minister Arthur Nibbs told the prince that the force of the hurricane was "unprecedented" in 200 years.
Prince Charles highlighted the belief of climate experts that global warming is already intensifying tropical storms. "This will get worse with continuous warming," he said.
Only about 100 of the island's 1,700 residents remain. The prince stopped at the home of one of them, Evans Thomas, 50, who had turned his house into a makeshift bar after the nearby pub was destroyed.
The final stop on the royal tour will be the British Virgin Islands, where the prince is due to meet Red Cross staff who are supporting families left homeless.
Prince Charles said: "It was painful beyond words to see the devastation that was so cruelly wrought across the Caribbean by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in those few, terrible weeks in September."
He said that across the Caribbean "the loss of life and property and the damage to the natural environment have been utterly heartbreaking".
New International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who is set to join the Prince of Wales on his Caribbean visit, announced additional financial support of £12m for Dominica and £3m for Antigua and Barbuda.
Added to £15m recently allocated to the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos, it brings the total UK support for reconstructing the region to £92m.
Prince Charles said his aim in making the visit was to show the Commonwealth's support for people who had suffered in the hurricanes and to thank the aid and rescue workers who were supporting them.
He said: "The recent events in the Caribbean have helped to underline the importance of the Commonwealth as a family, whose members care deeply for each other in times of need."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42037871
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Mugabe snubs resignation deadline - as it happened - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe fails to resign and faces impeachment.
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Africa
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Despite a show of public defiance against President Mugabe people are still afraid Image caption: Despite a show of public defiance against President Mugabe people are still afraid
The BBC's Andrew Harding has been speaking to Zimbabweans on the streets of the capital Harare.
He reports that there is a feeling of growing frustration after President Robert Mugabe failed to resign last night as had been expected.
He says people feel confused and impatient.
A taxi driver told him that he had expected Mr Mugabe to leave office last night:
Quote Message: He was supposed to be looking after his family... [he should] stay in Singapore, Malaysia where he has assets." He was supposed to be looking after his family... [he should] stay in Singapore, Malaysia where he has assets."
Others said that despite Saturday's public show of defiance as people rallied to urge President Mugabe to go, they were still afraid.
Harare resident Lydia Gombe told our reporter that after years of repressive rule, many Zimbabweans still fear that they might get into trouble if they speak out against the government:
Quote Message: The level of fear that these people have instilled in us as a nation is unbelievable. And it is just simple things. WhatsApp texts can get you arrested. A conversation in the bus can get you arrested." The level of fear that these people have instilled in us as a nation is unbelievable. And it is just simple things. WhatsApp texts can get you arrested. A conversation in the bus can get you arrested."
She adds that it would take time for people to lose their fear of speaking out.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-42046022
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Ofsted inspectors to quiz schoolgirls in hijabs - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ofsted's head says making very young Muslim girls wear headscarves could be seen as sexualisation.
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Family & Education
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Inspectors will question girls who wear hijab in primary school to find out why they do so, head of Ofsted Amanda Spielman has said.
She said creating an environment where Muslim children are expected to wear the headscarf "could be interpreted as sexualisation of young girls".
The hijab is traditionally worn as a sign of modesty once a girl reaches puberty.
But the Muslim Council of Britain said Ofsted's policy was "deeply worrying".
The announcement comes after Ms Spielman met campaigners from the Social Action and Research Foundation think tank on Friday.
In September, the foundation's head, Amina Lone, co-ordinated a letter to the Sunday Times from campaigners arguing that the hijab has "no place in our primary schools", and demanding action as Muslim girls as young as five were "increasingly veiled".
"This is an affront to the historical fight for gender equality in our secular democracy and is creating a two-tiered form of non-equality for young Muslim girls," the letter said.
Explaining her decision to act, Ms Spielman said: "While respecting parents' choice to bring up their children according to their cultural norms, creating an environment where primary school children are expected to wear the hijab could be interpreted as sexualisation of young girls.
"In seeking to address these concerns, and in line with our current practice in terms of assessing whether the school promotes equality for their children, inspectors will talk to girls who wear such garments to ascertain why they do so in the school."
She urged parents concerned about fundamentalist groups influencing school policy or breaching equality law to complain to the school or to Ofsted.
But Muslim Council of Britain secretary general Harun Khan said: "It is deeply worrying that Ofsted has announced it will be specifically targeting and quizzing young Muslim girls who choose to wear the headscarf.
"It sends a clear message to all British women who adopt this that they are second-class citizens, that while they are free to wear the headscarf, the establishment would prefer that they do not."
He said many British Muslims who wear the headscarf have done "extremely well" in education.
"It is disappointing that this is becoming policy without even engaging with a diverse set of mainstream Muslim voices on the topic," he said.
Mr Khan urged Ms Spielman to reverse the decision and said it risked being "counter-productive" to Ofsted's promise to uphold British values.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42046371
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Zimbabwe's ruling party sacks Robert Mugabe as leader - BBC News
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2017-11-19
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF removes Robert Mugabe and gives him a day to resign as president.
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Africa
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. People sing and celebrate as Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is sacked
Zimbabwe's ruling party has sacked Robert Mugabe as its leader, as pressure intensifies for him to step down as president.
Zanu-PF has also given Mr Mugabe, 93, until 10:00 GMT on Monday to resign as president, or face impeachment.
He is currently addressing the nation, after meeting military leaders who have called on him to step down.
The military intervened last week, in an apparent attempt to block him from installing his wife as his successor.
The first lady, Grace Mugabe, and several other senior officials have been expelled from the party altogether.
Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans attended street protests on Saturday, demonstrating against the Mugabes.
No details of the talks between Mr Mugabe and the military leaders have been released. However, photos posted by the state-run Herald newspaper show the two sides - who also met several days ago - shaking hands.
Mr Mugabe was said to be seeking more time to negotiate his exit after nearly four decades in power.
A number of sources close to the talks said Mr Mugabe is poised to resign, but this has yet to be confirmed.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Herald Zimbabwe This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Herald Zimbabwe
Cheering erupted when the decision to dismiss Mr Mugabe as party leader was announced in Harare on Sunday.
One senior official later told the BBC's Andrew Harding: "It's the dawn of a new era. Mugabe can go farming."
Zanu-PF appointed ex-Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired by Mr Mugabe two weeks ago, in his place.
The party's central committee also warned that impeachment proceedings would begin if Mr Mugabe did not step down as president by noon local time on Monday.
Impeaching the president would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Zimbabwe's parliament, which is due to resume on Tuesday.
The opposition MDC-T party has tried unsuccessfully to impeach Mr Mugabe in the past, but this time the ruling party - which has an overwhelming majority in both houses - is likely to go against him.
President Mugabe's wife, Grace, had emerged as a leading candidate to succeed her husband
But Mr Mnangagwa has re-emerged as front runner after his dismissal two weeks ago
Mr Mnangagwa, who left Zimbabwe after he was sacked but has since reportedly returned, has also been nominated as the party's presidential candidate for the 2018 general elections.
Nicknamed "the crocodile" for his perceived shrewdness, Mr Mnangagwa is a former state security chief who is now widely expected to lead an interim post-Mugabe government.
His sacking prompted an extraordinary chain of events over the past week:
Speaking ahead of the party meeting, the head of the influential War Veterans Association, Chris Mutsvangwa, threatened to "bring back the crowds and they will do their business" if Mr Mugabe did not step down.
Mr Mugabe has been leader of Zimbabwe for 37 years, having led the country since it gained independence in 1980.
He has made just one public appearance since events unfolded, speaking at a university graduation ceremony on Friday.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Zimbabweans rallied to celebrate the army's takeover of the country
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42043370
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Fallon's 'painful' decision to resign - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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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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Bill on voting at 16 falters - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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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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Pedestrian 'seriously injured' after London taxi crash - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Brecon Beacons soldier training deaths: Two charged - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The soldiers were taking part in a 16-mile SAS selection march on the hottest day of 2013.
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Wales
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Two men have been charged with negligence over the deaths of three soldiers during an SAS selection march in the Brecon Beacons.
L/Cpl Edward Maher, L/Cpl Craig Roberts and Cpl James Dunsby were taking part in a 16-mile (25km) recruitment exercise on the hottest day of 2013.
The Service Prosecution Authority confirmed charges had been brought.
The case will be heard in a military court and the maximum sentence is two years detention.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Any decision to prosecute any personnel, veteran or serving, is made by the Service Prosecution Authority (SPA), an independent body."
L/Cpl Roberts, 24, from Penrhyn Bay, Conwy county, and L/Cpl Maher, 31 of Winchester, died on the exercise in July, while Cpl Dunsby, 31, from Wiltshire, was taken to hospital and died 17 days later.
All had suffered from hyperthermia, where the body no longer controls core temperature.
Initially, the SPA decided charges were not going to be directed against the pair, but relatives of the soldiers who died asked for the case to be reviewed.
The soldiers will appear in a military court, which provides jurisdiction for all members of the UK's armed forces, for both service and criminal matters.
The Military Court Service is independent and is headed by a civil servant.
The soldiers collapsed during the march while carrying 50lbs (22kg) of equipment
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-41842550
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On a knife edge: The rise of violence on London's streets - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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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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'Big void' identified in Khufu's Great Pyramid at Giza - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Scanning technology suggests there is a large, previously unknown cavity in the ancient monument.
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Science & Environment
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mark Lehner: "A space that the builders left to protect the grand gallery?"
The mysteries of the pyramids have deepened with the discovery of what appears to be a giant void within the Khufu, or Cheops, monument in Egypt.
It is not known why the cavity exists or indeed if it holds anything of value because it is not obviously accessible.
Japanese and French scientists made the announcement after two years of study at the famous pyramid complex.
They have been using a technique called muography, which can sense density changes inside large rock structures.
The Great Pyramid, or Khufu's Pyramid, is thought to have been constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu between 2509 and 2483 BC.
At 140m (460 feet) in height, it is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids located at Giza on the outskirts of Cairo.
Khufu famously contains three large interior chambers and a series of passageways, the most striking of which is the 47m-long, 8m-high Grand Gallery.
The newly identified feature is said to sit directly above this and have similar dimensions.
"We don't know whether this big void is horizontal or inclined; we don't know if this void is made by one structure or several successive structures," explained Mehdi Tayoubi from the HIP Institute, Paris.
"What we are sure about is that this big void is there; that it is impressive; and that it was not expected as far as I know by any sort of theory."
The newly found void is directly above the Grand Gallery
The ScanPyramids team is being very careful not to describe the cavity as a "chamber".
Khufu contains compartments that experts believe may have been incorporated by the builders to avoid collapse by relieving some of the stress of the overlying weight of stone.
The higher King's Chamber, for example, has five such spaces above it.
He says the muon science is sound but he is not yet convinced the discovery has significance.
"It could be a kind of space that the builders left to protect the very narrow roof of the Grand Gallery from the weight of the pyramid," he told the BBC's Science In Action programme.
"Right now it's just a big difference; it's an anomaly. But we need more of a focus on it especially in a day and age when we can no longer go blasting our way through the pyramid with gunpowder as [British] Egyptologist Howard Vyse did in the early 1800s."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mehdi Tayoubi: "It's a big void, similar to the Grand Gallery, but what is it?"
One of the team leaders, Hany Helal from Cairo University, believes the void is too big to have a pressure-relieving purpose, but concedes the experts will debate this.
"What we are doing is trying to understand the internal structure of the pyramids and how this pyramid has been built," he told reporters.
"Famous Egyptologists, archaeologists and architects - they have some hypotheses. And what we are doing is giving them data. It is they who have to tell us whether this is expected or not."
Much of the uncertainty comes down to the rather imprecise data gained from muography.
This non-invasive technique has been developed over the past 50 years to probe the interiors of phenomena as diverse as volcanoes and glaciers. It has even been used to investigate the failed nuclear reactors at Fukushima.
Muography makes use of the shower of high-energy particles that rain down on the Earth's surface from space.
When super-fast cosmic rays collide with air molecules, they produce a range of "daughter" particles, including muons.
These also move close to the speed of light and only weakly interact with matter. So when they reach the surface, they penetrate deeply into rock.
But some of the particles will be absorbed and deflected by the atoms in the rock's minerals, and if the muon detectors are placed under a region of interest then a picture of density anomalies can be obtained.
The muon detectors have to be placed under the region of interest
The ScanPyramids team used three different muography technologies and all three agreed on the position and scale of the void.
Sébastien Procureur, from CEA-IRFU, University of Paris-Saclay, emphasised that muography only sees large features, and that the team's scans were not just picking up a general porosity inside the pyramid.
"With muons you measure an integrated density," he explained. "So, if there are holes everywhere then the integrated density will be the same, more or less, in all directions, because everything will be averaged. But if you see some excess of muons, it means that you have a bigger void.
"You don't get that in a Swiss cheese."
The question now arises as to how the void should be investigated further.
Jean-Baptiste Mouret, from the French national institute for computer science and applied mathematics (Inria), said the team had an idea how to do it, but that the Egyptian authorities would first have to approve it.
"Our concept is to drill a very small hole to potentially explore monuments like this. We aim to have a robot that could fit in a 3cm hole. Basically, we're working on flying robots," he said.
The muography investigation at Khufu's Pyramid is reported in this week's edition of Nature magazine.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41845445
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George Papadopoulos mistaken for George Papadopoulos - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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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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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41831515
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UK interest rate decision looms - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Economists and investors expect the Bank of England to raise rates for the first time in a decade.
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Business
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The Bank of England will deliver one of the most closely watched interest rate decisions since the financial crisis later on Thursday.
Economists and investors are expecting the first increase in a decade.
In September, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) laid the groundwork for an increase "over the coming months" if economic growth remained stable.
If the Bank raises rates from the current 0.25%, it would represent the first increase since July 2007.
Commercial banks use the Bank of England's base rate as a reference point for their accounts and loans.
Higher rates are expected to hit the 3.7 million households with a standard variable rate (SVR) or tracker mortgage. However, they will also benefit a large share of the 45 million savers who are likely to enjoy higher returns from accounts that pay variable interest rates.
Charities and business groups have warned the Bank against raising rates, which they claim will put a strain on homeowners and companies struggling to make ends meet.
However, mortgage lender Nationwide has described the impact of a small rise in interest rates as "modest" for borrowers whose repayments are linked to the base rate.
Official data show more homeowners are fixing the interest rate charged on their mortgage than a decade ago.
The total share of new mortgages taken out on a fixed rate was just under 88% in the second quarter of 2017, according to the Bank of England. This compares with 46% at the start of 2008.
Financial markets believe there is more than a 90% chance that the Bank will increase rates to 0.5%, just over a year after reducing them to a new low of 0.25% in the wake of the Brexit vote.
Not all economists favour a rise though. Danny Blanchflower, a former member of the MPC and now economics professor at Dartmouth college in the US, said he saw "nothing" in the recent economic data to justify higher interest rates.
"We've seen an inflation jump due to a fall in the value of the pound. But that's a once-off jump that's going to drop off in the next few months. Real wages are falling. Retail sales are falling.
"Growth in the UK is anaemic at best," Prof Blanchflower said.
But Dame DeAnne Julius, also a former MPC member and chair of University College London, is "absolutely" in favour of a rate rise.
"Although I'm sure that the fall in sterling has been part of the story, it's certainly not the whole story," she said.
"The degree of slack in the economy... is down. Unemployment is at a 40-year low. Also the negative effects of having such low interest rates for such a long period of time are really showing up."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Where were you when interest rates last went up?
Official economic growth figures showed the UK economy expanded by 0.4% in the three months to the end of September compared with the previous quarter.
This is stronger than the 0.3% expansion expected by the Bank.
In September, the MPC said that a "majority" of members believed that some withdrawal of stimulus would be appropriate if the economy continues to grow at a steady pace.
A 0.4% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) may sound unspectacular. The average quarterly growth rate since 1993 has been about 0.6%.
But weaker investment and productivity means the economy and living standards may never grow at the same pace as seen before the financial crisis.
This means the Bank may have to raise rates to keep a lid on inflation, even if growth remains subdued.
As Bank of England governor Mark Carney put it: "The speed limit, if you will, of the economy has slowed."
In other words, this may be as good as it gets.
Prices have been rising faster than pay in recent months, and this has put pressure on UK households.
Inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), stood at a five-year high of 3% in September.
This is also above the Bank's estimate of 2.8%. Policymakers believe inflation will peak just above 3% in the coming months.
The UK's jobs-rich recovery has continued, with unemployment falling to a four-decade low of 4.3% in recent months.
Average total weekly earnings grew by 2.2% in the three months to August compared with the same period a year earlier, while the Bank of England's agents noted in September that pay deals had "clustered around 2% to 3%".
In the decade before the financial crisis, earnings growth averaged 4.25%.
However, there are tentative signs that pay could be picking up, particularly for the 82% of workers in the private sector.
Whatever the Bank of England decides on Thursday, one thing is clear. Any rate rises will be "limited and gradual".
The Bank's current forecasts are predicated on a smooth Brexit, and it is likely to stress that future changes to monetary policy are not on a pre-determined course and will be dependent on developments within the economy.
• None What the interest rate rise means for you
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41837536
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Recap: Gavin Williamson succeeds Sir Michael Fallon at defence - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Rolling updates as Gavin Williamson succeeds Sir Michael Fallon as defence secretary.
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UK Politics
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Edwina Currie has said that while there are cases of unwanted attention and harassment at Westminster "a lot of it is consenting adults falling in love".
The former Conservative minister said: "Do people think women are 'fainting violets', that 'we women are not capable of saying no?'"
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett, Ms Currie said that often it is a case of the "researcher falls in love with an MP" and "sometimes it's not reciprocated... it's a minefield".
She said that in parliament you were dealing with people who are passionate about what they do and that enthusiasm for the job spills over.
She also claimed that people shouldn't go to parties and get drunk and then "not be in a position to protect yourself".
"Sometimes you have to take responsibility for your own actions," she added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-41844415
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Interest rates: What the rise means for you - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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More than 3.5 million householders face increased payments, but 45 million savers could benefit.
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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. What exactly is the Bank of England interest rate?
The Bank of England has raised interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75% after much speculation.
Expectations of a strengthening economy, solid employment levels, more consumer spending and the potential for wages to rise have all played a part in the decision.
The Bank's main priority is to keep the rising cost of living - known as inflation - under control. It uses its key interest rate, known as the Bank rate or base rate, which is the reference point for how much banks and building societies pay savers and charge borrowers in interest.
Generally, a rise in the Bank rate is good for the UK's 45 million savers and bad for borrowers - but the reality is a bit more nuanced.
Across the UK, 9.1 million households have a mortgage.
Of these, more than 3.5 million are on a standard variable rate or a tracker rate.
These are the people who would be most affected, as their monthly payments would increase.
The relatively small rise will not be particularly painful for the vast majority of householders, although debt charities say that some squeezed families will find this extra burden a real challenge.
Those on such variable rates tend to be older, and with relatively small outstanding mortgage balances.
The average outstanding balance is £112,000. For somebody with 20 years left on this mortgage, the monthly bill rise by about £14 a month.
For those with a larger balance, then clearly the rise in the mortgage bill will be greater.
The vast majority of new mortgage loans - 96% - are on fixed interest rates, typically for two or five years.
Currently half of all outstanding loans are on fixed rates, equating to about 4.7 million households.
Some of these rates are expected to rise after the latest announcement.
Of course, none of these borrowers would see an immediate rise.
However, when such borrowers reach the end of their term, they may find they have to make higher monthly payments.
That said, they could - depending on when they took out their loan - end up on a cheaper deal. Lenders offering fixed rates tend to be especially competitive.
Some rates may rise on other types of borrowing such as personal loans and credit cards.
Should they rise, that would have relatively little impact on a credit card interest rate that is generally about 18%.
When base rates rise, so do savings rates, in theory.
But it depends on the extent to which banks and building societies want to increase their deposits.
So after November's rate increase, banks were slow to pass on any rise to savers, or they typically passed on a fraction of the full increase.
In fact, half of all savings accounts did not move at all after the last Bank rate rise in November. Commentators say savers could probably expect something similar this time.
According to the Bank of England, returns on longer-term cash Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) were little changed in December.
Yet they jumped significantly in January, with average returns on cash ISAs going up from 0.36% to 0.94%.
In February and March they held steady at 0.86%, before falling subsequently to 0.63% by the end of June.
For the average cash Isa saver with £11,200 locked away, the latest rise - if passed on - could mean £28 more a year in interest.
Any rate rise might also good for retirees buying an annuity - a financial product that provides an income for life.
Annuity rates follow the yields - or interest rates - on long-dated government bonds, otherwise known as gilts.
These yields could be expected to rise amid an environment of rising interest rates, giving retirees better value for money when they buy an annuity.
Back in November 2011, a 65-year-old buying a joint annuity for £100,000 would have got an annual income of £5,404. Last year, that had dropped by £1,318 to £4,086.
However, by now this has risen to about £4,670.
Depending on how the market views the likelihood of further base rate rises, annuity rates may continue to creep up.
According to Willliam Burrows, of Better Retirement, a 1% rise in gilt yields translates into an 8% rise in annuity rates - but this remains a long-term consideration.
"Annuity rates have been in the doldrums since the EU referendum in 2016, when gilt yields fell dramatically. Any increase in the bank rate should result in higher gilt yields, which will in turn lead to higher annuities," he said.
"However, don't hold your breath waiting for annuity rates to rise, because it is normally a slow process."
But we are still a long way from the heady days of the 1990s, when a £100,000 pension pot would have bought an annual income of about £15,000 a year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41831777
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Safety first by May? Not so much - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Here's why Theresa May's decision to make Gavin Williamson defence secretary is not such a cautious move.
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UK Politics
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The new defence secretary is welcomed to the MoD
Gavin Williamson is a smart operator, a talented politician, who has proved himself loyal to Theresa May by running her leadership campaign and then getting through the nightmare of holding the Tories together with no majority, so far.
This very fragile government has not lost a vote on its own business.
Theresa May's programme has been much curtailed by the political reality. But she has not, so far, been humiliated in Parliament in the way that, the morning after the election, it seemed quite feasible that she would be.
The restive right have been held back from making significant attacks. And ardent Remainers have been handled carefully enough not to blow up (so far). That is a kind of achievement, and it is in large part down to the capabilities of Gavin Williamson. So why not reward him?
Secondly, the prime minister also wants to promote the next generation in the Tory party, to give the impression they aren't simply a busted flush. Promoting one of their number is a move in that direction. And Williamson is not from the Tory Home Counties either.
And beyond keeping a tarantula as a pet - pictured here by his successor...
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...and suggesting that he is a fan of the "sharpened carrot", rather than the stick, there is not much that Gavin Williamson has said or done in his previous political career that is in the public domain that means any embarrassments or problems will be hung around his neck in his new job. (So far at least).
For all those reasons therefore, it is good logic to allocate the former chief whip, Yorkshireman and Staffordshire MP this hefty promotion. Sources within the MoD say it's a good appointment because he is regarded as a very good politician who has shown that "he can get things done".
Here's the other theory though - the decision isn't smart, it's hugely risky.
Problem one, Gavin Williamson has never worked in a government department, he's never been a minister before. Undoubtedly clever, but moving him into such a huge government job straight away is a gamble.
As the Tory MP Sarah Wollaston suggested in a gently cutting way, "there are times when offered a job that it would be better to advise that another would be more experienced and suited to the role".
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A former government insider who knows him well suggested the move shows Number 10's judgement is "whacko".
Second, when all the political parties are in the grip of allegations of sexual misdemeanours and trying to keep a lid on - shall we say - personnel issues, is it really a good time to be moving the man who is charge of party discipline?
And third, while promotions are always going to make some people unhappy, some Tory MPs are furious, believing that Mr Williamson manoeuvred himself into the job, playing on the prime minister's vulnerability.
One minister told me it was "appalling": "She is so weak she has let Gavin Williamson appoint himself".
Another MP said: "She is too weak and overwhelmed to spot his scheming".
A senior Tory said: "MPs are deeply unhappy he has used the position of chief whip to benefit himself and has deserted his post at such a crucial time".
There is no shortage of critics of the appointment, a former minister told me it was "outrageous - we are in the grip of a bunch of boys, when we need serious big beasts leading us. Defence needs someone who is able to fill at least one of Fallon's shoes".
And while Mr Williamson would deny or laugh off any suggestion that he has leadership ambition, others in the Tory party see this move (perhaps inevitably) as part of his attempt to build a bigger power base for a run at the leadership after Theresa May.
Gavin Underwood doesn't have quite the same ring as Frank, but jokes and conspiracy theories are already doing the rounds about his secret plans for world domination, tracing the fictional footsteps of the main character in the American version of House of Cards. (Take with at least a sprinkle, if not a large pinch of salt.)
Despite all the talk of Gavin Williamson's loyalty, this is not a safety first announcement.
The prime minister could have moved other ministers from the Ministry of Defence upwards. But for all the calculations today about whether it is a smart move or something she will come to regret, it is time to see what the new defence secretary is made of.
He has learnt as chief whip that being effective is not the same as being popular. That may well come in handy.
And here's the irony, the man who was meant to make sure that Tory MPs behaved themselves has found himself a rather good new job - because one of them did not.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41845781
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New York truck attack: Who is suspect Sayfullo Saipov? - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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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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Tesco fraud trial hears of boss's shock over misstated profits - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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The Tesco fraud trial hears of the chief executive's reaction on learning profits had been overstated.
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Business
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Former Tesco executives Carl Rogberg (left), Christopher Bush (centre) and John Scouler (right), are on trial at Southwark Crown Court
Tesco's chief executive has told a court of his "surprise and shock" on learning the company's profits had been misstated by £246m.
David Lewis was told about the issue just weeks after he took up the post in September 2014.
Mr Lewis has been giving evidence at the trial into alleged fraud at the supermarket giant.
Former Tesco executives Carl Rogberg, Christopher Bush and John Scouler are on trial. All deny the charges.
They are accused of fraud by abuse of position and false accounting between February and September 2014.
Mr Lewis told jurors at Southwark Crown Court that he took up his post at the beginning of September 2014.
He said he had had numerous meetings with Bush and one with Scouler, but he was not told of the accounting issue until 19 September.
He recalled he was called into a meeting with Adrian Morris, Tesco's chief counsel, at about lunchtime that day, and presented with a paper detailing the problem.
Asked for his reaction to this, he told the court: "One of surprise and one of shock, really.
"I think the thing that was unique to this paper was the indication that the numbers that had been declared had a potential misstatement within them.
"What was new was the proposition here that £246m of income had been included in the first half of the year that on that basis of this paper was deemed to be questionable."
Mr Lewis said: "I had never experienced anything like this before, but it was quite clear that having read the paper, and the manner in which it was served, I felt that it had to be taken very seriously."
He said he called Tesco's chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, and told him what the document said, and that a team of internal and external auditors was assembled to work through the weekend.
Mr Lewis went on to explain the company had spent a great deal of time between Tesco's public announcement on 22 September stating profits had been overestimated, and when the company was due to issue its interim results on 23 October.
He said: "It was a very intensive amount of investigation of these numbers. It required a huge amount of review of paperwork, documentation between pretty much all of the suppliers to Tesco and the different categories in order to validate the number.
"So that was quite an extensive exercise."
At an earlier hearing, the court heard that two members of its finance department resigned in 2014 over concerns they may be compromising their professional integrity.
The two were unhappy about what they were being asked to do by bosses.
Carl Rogberg, 50, Chris Bush, 51, and John Scouler, 49, are alleged to have failed to correct inaccurately recorded income figures.
The company's former UK finance head, UK managing director and UK food commercial boss deny charges of fraud by abuse of position and false accounting.
The court has heard the three men were accused of "cooking the books" by bringing forward income not yet earned to artificially inflate its figures.
Problems with Tesco's accounts came to light in a regulatory announcement in September 2014, when Tesco shocked the market in admitting it had overstated profits forecast by about £250m.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41848389
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Student charged after smearing bodily fluids on roommate's bag - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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US police are seeking a hate crime charge against a white student after an apparent campaign against her black roommate.
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US & Canada
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University officials said Brianna Brochu was no longer a student
A white US university student is facing a hate crime charge after admitting to smearing bodily fluids on her black roommate's possessions, in an apparent attempt to force her out of the room.
Brianna Brochu, 18, has already been charged with misdemeanour criminal mischief and breach of peace.
Police in West Hartford, Connecticut, said they had asked a judge to add a felony bigotry charge.
University president Greg Woodward said Ms Brochu was no longer a student.
Her campaign against roommate Chennel Rowe apparently came to light via Instagram posts in which she bragged about her actions.
Chennel Rowe suspects she was made ill by her roommate's actions
In one post, published by local media and described by Ms Rowe in a Facebook video, she reportedly wrote: "Finally did it yo girl got rid of her roommate!! After 1 ½ month of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions... putting her toothbrush places where the sun doesn't shine, and so much more I can finally say goodbye Jamaican Barbie."
In a statement addressed to students, Mr Woodward said Ms Brochu's actions were "reprehensible" and the incident "deeply disturbing".
"As of this morning, Brianna Brochu is no longer a student at the University of Hartford. She will not be returning to the institution," he said.
Ms Brochu appeared at Hartford Community Court on Wednesday morning but did not comment during the brief appearance.
In the Facebook video, Ms Rowe said she had felt "unwanted" and "disrespected" by Ms Brochu after moving into the room.
She described becoming sick and said she had suffered "extreme throat pain", which she alleged was connected to Ms Brochu's actions.
"I keep looking at this paragraph, right, because the paragraph said so much stuff she'd done, at the same time she said she's done so much more.
"But I don't know the so much more. I've been using my toothbrush for how long? She says she put my toothbrush places the sun doesn't shine."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41839501
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Business Live: Fed chair nominee reaction - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Reaction to US President Donald Trump nominating Fed insider Jerome Powell as chair.
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Business
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Shares in electric carmaker Tesla fell 6.8% to $299.26 in Thursday trading after it reported a third-quarter loss and a delay in production targets for its Model 3 vehicle on Wednesday evening.
Analysts at Cowen and Co, said: "Tesla needs to slow down and more narrowly focus its vision and come up for a breath of fresh air.
"[Chief executive] Elon Musk needs to stop over-promising and under-delivering."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-41770305
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Balfour Declaration: The divisive legacy of 67 words - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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How 67 words by a British minister are still being fought over in the Middle East 100 years on.
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Middle East
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The British peer Arthur Balfour barely makes an appearance in UK schoolbooks, but many Israeli and Palestinian students could tell you about him.
His Balfour Declaration, made on 2 November 1917, is taught in their respective history classes and forms a key chapter in their two very different, national narratives.
It can be seen as a starting point for the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The declaration by the then foreign secretary was included in a letter to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leading proponent of Zionism, a movement advocating self-determination for the Jewish people in their historical homeland - from the Mediterranean to the eastern flank of the River Jordan, an area which came to be known as Palestine.
It stated that the British government supported "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".
At the same time, it said that nothing should "prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities".
Palestinians see this as a great betrayal, particularly given a separate promise made to enlist the political and military support of the Arabs - then ruled by the Ottoman Turks - in World War One.
This suggested Britain would back their struggle for independence in most of the lands of the Ottoman Empire, which consisted of much of the Middle East. The Arabs understood this to include Palestine, though it had not been specifically mentioned.
"Do you think Britain committed a crime against the Palestinian people?" asks a teacher during a lesson in a Palestinian school in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Palestinians regard the declaration as an historical injustice
"Yes," a 15-year-old girl answers. "This declaration was illegitimate because Palestine was still part of the Ottoman Empire and Britain did not control it."
"Britain considered the Arabs as a minority while they formed over 90% of the population."
Israeli children, inevitably, tend to see British involvement more positively when they study the Balfour Declaration in a lesson towards the end of their high-school years.
In Balfouria, a village in northern Israel, nine-year-old Noga Yehezekeli is already proudly able to recite a Hebrew version of the text off by heart.
"In the moment it was given, the declaration gave huge hope and a huge push for the Zionist movement," says her father, Neve.
"People saw that if the British government gave such a declaration there was a chance that one day the Jewish nation would be established, which really happened later in '48" - the year the State of Israel was formed.
The declaration gave Zionists huge hope, says Neve Yehezekeli (right)
Residents of Balfouria - including Neve's grandfather - were part of a growing Jewish community in Palestine when Lord Balfour visited in 1925. They gave him a hero's welcome.
By that time, the area was under British administration. The Balfour Declaration had been formally enshrined in the British Mandate for Palestine, which had been endorsed by the League of Nations.
During the first half of the Mandate period, Britain allowed waves of Jewish immigration. But amid an Arab backlash and rising violence, Israelis remember how it later blocked many fleeing persecution, particularly during the Holocaust.
At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, inaugurated by Balfour, Professor Ruth Lapidoth has studied the 67-word document.
An expert on international law, Prof Lapidoth argues it was a legally binding declaration, but says Britain found it hard to deliver on its pledge.
Lord Balfour was given a hero's welcome by the Jewish community in Jerusalem in 1925
"The political situation was very bad when the Nazis came to power and then England needed the help, the friendship of the Arab countries," she says.
"Then they had to limit the implementation of the declaration, which is a pity."
Prof Lapidoth left Germany in 1938, a year before the start of World War Two, and so has a personal interest in the pronouncement.
"I'm still very grateful for it," she says. "It was really the source of our right to come back to Palestine, including my own."
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, describes the Balfour Declaration as "a central milestone" in the process of establishing his country.
The British government has invited him to London for events to mark the centenary on Thursday.
That decision, at a time of dimming hopes for Israeli-Palestinian peace, has infuriated Palestinians, who plan a day of protests.
Palestinians say Britain's declaration deprived them of a state
They want Britain to apologise for the Balfour Declaration.
"As the time passes, I think British people are forgetting about the lessons of history," says Palestinian Education Minister Sabri Saidam.
He points out that Palestinians still seek the creation of a state of their own - which alongside Israel would form the basis of the so-called two-state solution to the conflict, a formula supported by the international community.
"The time has come for Palestine to be independent and for that long-due promise to be fulfilled," he says.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41765892
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Family tied up in £100k jewellery raid in Bothwell - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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An armed gang tied up a couple and their young son after forcing their way into a house in South Lanarkshire.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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The raid took place in Blantyre Road
An armed gang tied up a family in their home in South Lanarkshire before stealing jewellery worth more than £100,000.
Four men forced their way into the house in Blantyre Road, Bothwell, at about 19:30 on Tuesday.
The father, 59, and mother, 56, were threatened with weapons including a knife before being tied up.
Their 11-year-old son was also bound before they raided the property.
Police said jewellery and watches worth a six-figure sum were taken from the home.
The family were uninjured but left "extremely" shaken.
The suspects all spoke in what is described as broken English.
Det Insp Susie Cairns said: "This was a very traumatic experience for this family and I would like to reassure the public that we are doing everything possible to track down the four men responsible.
"Officers are currently carrying out enquiries into this robbery and gathering CCTV footage to gather more information on the four men responsible.
"There are also additional police patrols in the area to provide public reassurance.
"We do, however, need the help of the local community and at this time we are urging anyone who may have seen these men in the area prior to the robbery taking place, or who may have seen them leaving afterwards, to contact police immediately."
All the suspects are said to be about 5ft 10in tall.
The first is said to be stocky with an olive complexion, wearing dark-coloured clothing including a jacket, scarf, hat, tracksuit trousers and black boots. He was carrying a black-and-white rucksack.
The second was of medium build with an olive complexion. He was also wearing dark-coloured clothing including a hooded jacket, tracksuit trousers, hat and woollen gloves. He wore black, beige and green camouflage print Adidas trainers.
The third was of medium build with fair complexion. He was wearing a dark-coloured hooded top with a scarf covering the lower part of his face. He also had gloves, navy tracksuit trousers and black Nike trainers.
The fourth was of medium build with a fair complexion, wearing a dark-coloured thin padded jacket with stitched squares. He was wearing dark brown trainers with no socks.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-41839373
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BBC director general Tony Hall warns of threat to British TV - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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The rise of services like Netflix and Amazon could mean British shows face an "uncertain future".
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Entertainment & Arts
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Strictly Come Dancing is one of the top UK shows of the year
Favourite British TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Broadchurch could be under threat due to a funding shortfall, the BBC is warning.
The rise of services like Netflix and Amazon could mean British content faces "an uncertain future", director general Tony Hall will say in a speech later.
There could be a funding shortfall of £500m over the next 10 years, according to new research.
Lord Hall is to call for a "new golden age for British production".
"The BBC has always shown a great ability to adapt to new challenges and make them opportunities," he will say.
Speaking in Liverpool, he will say if there is an immediate response to the issue, then the future of British content could be protected.
He calls the figures on funding, from consultants Mediatique and published by the BBC, "worrying".
"We have to face the reality that the British content we value and rely upon is under serious threat."
Lord Hall will add that global services like Netflix, Amazon and Apple are not likely to make up the funding shortfall.
Lord Hall is to say the BBC should remain a 'bastion of brilliant British content'
"The reality is that their investment decisions are likely to focus increasingly on a narrow range of very expensive, very high-end content - big bankers that they can rely on to have international appeal and attract large, global audiences.
"Even the most generous calculations suggest they are barely likely to make up half of the £500m British content gap over the decade ahead. And a more realistic forecast points to substantially less."
The top five shows in the UK this year so far have all been British - the One Love Manchester concert, Broadchurch, Britain's Got Talent, Sherlock and Strictly.
Lord Hall will say that the BBC "should remain a guardian of UK production", and a "bastion of brilliant British content".
"But to achieve this, we have to recognise that the environment around the BBC has changed dramatically, and we must change in response," he will say.
"In the UK we often think of the BBC as a big player, but today the media market is truly global.
"And in that vast solar system, we are tiny compared to the huge gas giants of the US. And every day they're getting bigger."
While about 83% of independent production companies in the UK were British or European-owned 10 years ago, today that figure is less than 40% - the rest are owned by US multinationals.
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-41843485
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New great ape species identified in Indonesia - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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The apes in question were only reported to exist after an expedition into Sumatra mountains in 1997.
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Science & Environment
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Scientists who have been puzzling for years over the genetic "peculiarity" of a tiny population of orangutans in Sumatra have finally concluded that they are a new species to science.
The apes in question were only reported to exist after an expedition into the remote mountain forests there in 1997.
Since then, a research project has unpicked their biological secret.
The species has been named the Tapanuli orangutan - a third species in addition to the Bornean and Sumatran.
Researchers have studied these great apes in detail for 20 years
It is the first new great ape to be described for almost a century.
Publishing their work in the journal Current Biology, the team - including researchers from the University of Zurich, Liverpool John Moores University and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme - pointed out that there are only 800 individuals remaining, making this one of the world's most threatened ape species.
Early on in their study, researchers took DNA from the orangutans, which showed them to be "peculiar" compared to other orangutans in Sumatra.
So the scientists embarked on a painstaking investigation - reconstructing the animals' evolutionary history through their genetic code.
One of the lead researchers, Prof Michael Krützen from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, explained to BBC News: "The genomic analysis really allows us to look in detail at the history.
"We can probe deep back in time and ask, 'when did these populations split off?'."
The analysis of a total 37 complete orangutan genomes - the code for the biological make-up of each animal - has now shown that these apes separated from their Bornean relatives less than 700,000 years ago - a snip in evolutionary time.
The Tapanuli orangutan has distinguishing anatomical features - revealed by a close examination of its skull
For his part in the study, Prof Serge Wich, from Liverpool John Moores University, focused on the orangutans' signature calls - loud sounds the male apes make to announce their presence.
"Those calls can carry a kilometre through the forest," Prof Wich explained.
"If you look at these calls, you can tease them apart, and we found some subtle differences between these and other populations."
The final piece of the puzzle, though, was very subtle but consistent differences in the shape of the Sumatran, Bornean and Tapanuli orangutan skulls.
Prof Wich told BBC News that the decades of collaborative genetic, anatomical and acoustic studies had achieved an "amazing breakthrough".
"There are only seven great ape species - not including us," he said. "So adding one to that very small list is spectacular.
"It's something I think many biologists dream of."
But this newly described great ape will be added to the list of Critically Endangered species, just as it is added to the zoological textbooks.
"It's very worrying," said Prof Wich, "to discover something new and then immediately also realise that we have to focus all of our efforts before we lose it."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41848816
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What is 2017's word of the year? - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Collins reveals its favourite phrase of the year and it is likely to make one president smile.
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UK
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A phrase consistently in the headlines - and one Twitter feed in particular - has been named the word of the year by dictionary publisher Collins.
"Fake news" became synonymous with statements from US President Donald Trump, as he railed against the media.
And it appears the rest of the world has followed suit, with its use rising by 365% in 2017.
As with previous words of the year picked by the publisher, "fake news" will feature in their next dictionary.
Politics had a big influence on the short list, with "Antifa" and "Echo-chamber" also taking their spots.
But even "Insta" - linked to the photo-sharing app Instagram - and "fidget spinner" could not beat the top phrase, defined by Collins as "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting".
It is the fifth year that Collins has highlighted a trending word or phrase, with previous winners including "Brexit" and "Geek".
President Trump has not been alone in using the term. Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have included it in speeches, and social media has been littered with accusations.
Helen Newstead, Collins' head of language content, said: "'Fake news', either as a statement of fact or as an accusation, has been inescapable this year, contributing to the undermining of society's trust in news reporting."
2016 - Brexit: Noun meaning "the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union".
2015 - Binge-watch: Verb meaning "to watch a large number of television programmes (especially all the shows from one series) in succession".
2014 - Photobomb: Verb meaning "spoiling a photograph by stepping in front of them as the photograph is taken, often doing something silly such as making a funny face".
2013 - Geek: Countable noun meaning "someone who is skilled with computers, and who seems more interested in them than in people".
The Labour leader will also be pleased to hear that "Corbynmania" enjoyed a resurgence thanks to general election coverage, after surfacing in 2015.
Other new words hitting the shortlist included "gig economy", "gender fluid" and "cuffing season" - when single people look for a partner just to keep them warm in the winter months.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41838386
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Reality Check: Britain's youngest terror suspects - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Are two 14 year-olds the youngest to be charged with terrorism offences?
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UK
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Two 14-year-old boys from Northallerton have appeared in court charged with conspiracy to murder following a counter-terrorism investigation in North Yorkshire.
Are they the youngest in the Britain to have been arrested and charged in such circumstances? Surprising though it may sound, they are not.
In 2015, a teenager from Blackburn was charged with inciting terrorism by encouraging another teenager in Australia to carry out an attack there.
"Boy S" was 14 years and eight months old at the time of his arrest in March of that year and a month older when he was charged. By the time he had pleaded guilty and received the juvenile version of a life sentence, he had turned 15.
The two boys who appeared in court in Leeds, known as A and B, are a little older than Boy S. Assuming their case progresses, they will have turned 15 by the time they face trial.
Very few of those arrested on suspicion of committing a terrorism-related offence are under 18 years old. In the year to June 2016 across England, Wales and Scotland, only 12 of the 222 arrested under counter-terrorism powers were younger than 18.
Since 11 September 2001, more than 3,650 people have been arrested in counter-terrorism investigations in the Great Britain. Of those:
The rise of the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq prompted a slight shift in the age range of those coming under suspicion in the UK.
The group wanted to attract young people from across Europe to its cause - it wanted fit men to fight and young women willing to start families.
That led to more younger people trying to travel to Syria - and that was reflected to some extent in the corresponding arrests statistics.
Not all of those who were arrested were investigated for links to jihadism. One significant investigation from 2016 was focused on the activities of a 17-year-old who had become a follower of the banned neo-Nazi group National Action.
Why is the media not naming the two boys who have appeared in court on Thursday? The law prohibits identifying anyone under the age of 18 who is charged or convicted of a criminal offence unless a judge gives permission.
It's very rare for such an anonymity restriction to be lifted, because judges tend to take the view that the very youngest offenders should be given the chance to be rehabilitated as they mature.
There are exceptions, including the decision to name in 1993 the 10-year-olds who murdered James Bulger.
More recently, a judge refused to lift a reporting restriction prohibiting the media from naming two teenage girls who tortured a vulnerable woman to death in Hartlepool.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41846436
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'We stayed in Paul Manafort's Airbnb' - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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The federal indictment against Paul Manafort alleges he was, among other things, an Airbnb host
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US & Canada
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The 31-page indictment against Paul Manafort contained one surprising detail - that he listed one of his New York City properties for rent on the website Airbnb. The BBC spoke to a family who unwittingly rented the former Trump campaign manager's flat for a long weekend.
Like any cautious Airbnb user, Suzanne was initially suspicious when she read the ad for an "amazing full floor loft in Soho".
"It took me a really long time to believe what I was seeing," says Suzanne, who asked her full name be withheld to protect her family's privacy. "It was too good to be true."
It was December 2014, her father had just recovered after a long stay in hospital, and she wanted to give her family a break. So she and her husband Jeff began planning a whirlwind tour of the Big Apple with their three children.
Four nights for a family of five in New York City can get very expensive, so Suzanne started combing through ads on Airbnb. Despite her fears the Soho listing might be a scam, Suzanne decided to take the risk.
Jeff, Suzanne and their three kids were floored by the "rock-star apartment"
When they arrived at 29 Howard Street in Manhattan, Suzanne says they met their Airbnb host James - or "Jimmy" as he introduced himself - who showed them how to take the keyed elevator up to the fourth floor, where the doors opened right into the flat. What they saw blew them away.
The sprawling two-bedroom, two-bathroom loft was replete with a working fireplace, a professional-grade kitchen and stunning fourth-floor views of one of Manhattan's trendiest neighbourhoods. A portrait of Kurt Cobain hung on one wall; everything seemed to be brand new.
"I think we called it 'the rock star apartment'," Suzanne recalls. "It was exactly as pictured. It was wonderful, perfect."
Even meeting Jimmy was a bit like a rock star experience - he told Suzanne and Jeff he was an actor with a starring role in the 1999 comedy Detroit Rock City under his belt. Suzanne says he explained that he split his time between New York and Los Angeles, and made his living in property.
Looking back now, Suzanne doesn't know why she didn't wonder how someone as young as Jimmy could afford the enormous, luxury flat. It was clear to the couple that no-one lived in apartment 4D - Jeff found the plastic packaging their sheets had come in. There were no clothes in the apartment, save for a couple of designer jackets hanging in a hallway closet.
For the next four days, the family hit the town. They saw a performance of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, wandered the Museum of Modern Art, and dined at Soho's trendiest restaurants. After the family checked out and flew home to Chicago, Suzanne penned a rave review on Airbnb.
Jeff reclines in the main living area of 4D
"The apartment made New York feel like ours," she wrote. "Can't wait to come back and stay here again."
Suzanne says she did try to reach out to Jimmy to find out about returning, but doesn't remember hearing back. Eventually, the listing disappeared.
Three years and a phone call from the BBC later, Suzanne and Jeff now know that their dream vacation apartment may in fact have belonged to Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign manager.
On Monday, Mr Manafort turned himself in to the FBI after being charged with 12 counts, including money laundering and conspiring against the US government. He denies all the charges.
According to the indictment, he paid $2.85m (£2.14m) for the fourth floor apartment at 29 Howard Street, allegedly using a shell company to make the purchase in 2012.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Manafort's indictment: Where did all the money go?
"All the money used to purchase the condominium came from MANAFORT entities in Cyprus," says the indictment. "MANAFORT used the property from at least January 2015 through 2016 as an income-generating rental property, charging thousands of dollars a week on Airbnb, among other places."
The indictment goes on to allege that Manafort then applied for and received a $3.18m mortgage on the condominium, after telling his daughter and son-in-law to tell a bank appraiser that 29 Howard Street was their second home.
Although the listing for the "amazing full floor loft in Soho" has disappeared, "James" - full name James DeBello - still has an active profile on Airbnb.
In a phone call, Mr DeBello confirmed that he once had a starring role in Detroit Rock City (according to his lengthy IMDB profile, he also had parts in American Pie and Cabin Fever) and that in the past, he has given Airbnb guests keys to 29 Howard Street.
James Debello (third from left) in his most known role as an actor - Detroit Rock City
However, he claims that a friend named Kevin set up Airbnb rentals using DeBello's account and he only let people into 29 Howard Street as a favour to Kevin.
DeBello says he has never met Manafort and no longer has contact information for Kevin, having not talked to him in three years.
"I think it's funny," he says of his bit part in the unfolding Manafort scandal.
Multiple real estate companies have published listings over the years of the fourth floor of 29 Howard Street, and multiple US outlets have reported that this is indeed Manafort's apartment. Both the layout and decor of the flat in the real estate photos match Suzanne and Jeff's holiday pictures.
"It absolutely is the same apartment," says Jeff.
Manafort pleaded not guilty in a federal courthouse on Monday, and was placed on house arrest, though it's unlikely he'll be doing so on Howard Street. A spokesman for Manafort says that he "looks forward to having these allegations tried before a judge and jury".
As for Suzanne and Jeff, they still thought about their magical Soho apartment even before they knew it was a tiny part of a major American political scandal.
"When I'm in Soho, I stand there longingly," says Suzanne. "This is good cocktail party fodder for sure."
Airbnb has not responded to BBC's request for comment.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41823545
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Ever fancied joining a private members' club? - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Trendy private members' clubs are taking off globally, but are they too exclusive for their own good?
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Business
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The Hospital Club is one of a new breed of trendy private members' clubs
A new breed of fashionable private members clubs are growing in popularity around the world, promising to be more inclusive and diverse than their stuffy older counterparts.
Yet while the newer venues certainly have a far more youthful membership, and you certainly don't need to have gone to a posh school or university, they still have high joining fees and strict vetting processes.
So how less elitist are they? And what are the benefits of getting your name on the list?
"I like how organically relationships happen at Soho House," says tech entrepreneur Tyler McIntyre. "You can't wear business suits, you can't hand out business cards, and you can't take phone calls."
The 26-year-old joined Soho Beach House in Miami two years ago, after visiting with friends who were members.
"It's a laidback place to network but it's also given me the opportunity to try things I typically wouldn't do by myself, like wine tastings or a jam-making class.
"And sometimes I'll go to the sunset DJ parties by the pool, which are loud and pretty crazy."
Welcome to the new breed of private members' club, which claim to be less restrictive and more diverse than the stuffy gentlemen's clubs of the past.
These modern venues - with their co-working spaces, screening rooms and rooftop pools - are fast becoming the places where many of today's young creative class choose to work and play.
Membership isn't cheap though, with some charging more than $2,000 (£1,500) per annum, along with joining fees of $300.
"In the past, members' clubs were seen as being elitist and populated by people who went to the same public schools and universities," says Richard Cope, a senior trends consultant at Mintel.
"But these places are more for entrepreneurs and self-made people. The only thing you have to be able to do is pay the fee, and it can be fairly expensive."
While trendy members' clubs have been around for years, they became much more common after the launch of Soho House in London in 1995.
The trend has also gained a foothold in the US and other countries.
"We've see a huge jump in the number of the new types of club coming online, as compared to the traditional model," says Zack Bates of Private Club Marketing, a firm that promotes members' clubs.
"In Los Angeles, you can't get into Soho House. So others are being built, the Hospital Club, Griffin Club and Norwood, to keep up with the appetite for these spaces."
Soho House itself now boasts 18 venues around the world, including in New York, Istanbul, Berlin, and soon Mumbai.
Group revenue rose 3% in 2016 to £293.4m, while global membership jumped from 56,000 to 70,000.
However, you have to do more than just fill out an application to join its venues.
Membership costs between £400 to £1,580 per annum, depending on the club, although there are discounts for under-27s.
More stories from the BBC's Business Brain series looking at interesting business topics from around the world:
The Hospital Club has a TV and music studio on site
And there's a tough background check to ensure potential members are part of the creative class - Soho House frowns on those who work in financial services, for instance.
Once accepted, members enjoy a host of perks. Soho House Barcelona, for example, one of the chain's newest venues, boasts a retro-themed gym, pool and free classes like yoga.
Members pay full price for food and drink but get discounts on the club's hotel rooms.
Mr Cope says: "These clubs offer people a discreet place to network and wind down, typically in cities where personal space is at a premium."
However, they are also about "showing off to a degree".
"In an age of social media, people like to let others know where they hang out or which restaurants they eat at. So there's an element of satisfying those peacock tendencies."
The Hospital Club says it provides its members with networking opportunities
The newer clubs do serve more practical functions, though, such as offering young entrepreneurs a place to work.
Take London's Hospital Club, based in Covent Garden, which offers its own meeting and conference rooms, and even an in-house TV and music recording studio. Standard membership costs £865 plus a £250 joining fee.
While some might find such fees high, it's still cheaper than forking out for your own office space, says Mr Bates.
"It suits today's digital nomads, who work remotely via their laptops. Paying for an office can be prohibitively expensive, especially in a major city."
Members' clubs also offer vital networking opportunities that help further your career, says Zikki Munyao, 40.
The remote IT worker joined Common House, a private member's club in Charlottesville, USA, largely for this purpose.
"There are areas to socialise and meeting spaces where I can have privacy," he says of the club, where membership costs $150 (£113) a month, plus a $600 joining fee.
"I even met my estate agent over a game of pool."
The new breed of members' clubs does face challenges, though.
Some warn that as clubs proliferate, their exclusivity is becoming diluted, and they struggle to attract the celebrities that once lent them cachet.
The social commentator Peter York tells the BBC: "Traditionally private members' clubs have played on their exclusivity and being able to attract the 'magic people'.
"But as more and more of them pop up, you get blase. The magical people also can't be corralled in one place anymore."
He adds that as clubs like Soho House keep on expanding, they seem to be "more about business", which further dilutes their brand.
"The danger is that a new challenger, which looks younger and groovier, arrives and steals your limelight."
But Mr Cope believes the market for these new clubs is going to expand.
"Having somewhere where you can unwind and host friends in the centre of cities is useful. So there are a lot of practicalities around this.
"It is also about expressing your individuality, so I think the emotional need for this is only going to grow."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41497600
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Manchester attack: Extradition bid for Salman Abedi's brother - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Prosecutors want to bring the brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi from Libya to the UK.
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Manchester
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Libya's interior ministry issued this photo of Hashem Abedi in May
The brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi faces arrest in the UK after prosecutors asked for him to be extradited from Libya.
Hashem Abedi was arrested in the country shortly after the suicide attack that killed 22 people.
The Libyan authorities are considering the UK's formal request, Greater Manchester Police said.
Police also revealed 512 people are now known to have been injured in the blast at an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May.
Salman Abedi was born in Manchester on New Year's Eve 1994
Both brothers travelled to Libya in April, before Salman returned alone, carrying out the attack.
Hashem Abedi is understood to be currently held by a militia group in Libya.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it had "applied for and been granted a warrant for the arrest of Hashem Abedi".
The arrest warrant relates to the "murder of 22 people, the attempted murder of others who were injured and conspiracy to cause an explosion," police said.
The then 20-year-old was arrested in Tripoli by members of the Rada Special Deterrence Force a day after the attack.
The North West Counter Terrorism Unit applied for the warrant at Westminster Magistrates' Court within the last two weeks, GMP said.
The force said it was "grateful" to the Libyan authorities for considering the extradition request.
Top (left to right): Lisa Lees, Alison Howe, Georgina Callender, Kelly Brewster, John Atkinson, Jane Tweddle, Marcin Klis - Middle (left to right): Angelika Klis, Courtney Boyle, Saffie Roussos, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Martyn Hett, Michelle Kiss, Philip Tron, Elaine McIver - Bottom (left to right): Eilidh MacLeod, Wendy Fawell, Chloe Rutherford, Liam Allen-Curry, Sorrell Leczkowski, Megan Hurley, Nell Jones
Those who were injured suffered both physical and psychological injuries, a GMP spokeswoman said.
A total of 112 people needed hospital treatment after the attack, with 64 suffering "very serious" injuries.
Physical injuries include paralysis, loss of limbs, internal injuries and very serious facial injuries. Many have had complicated plastic surgery.
Two people remain in hospital more than five months later.
The force also revealed that:
Officers are looking for the blue suitcase that was used by bomber Salman Abedi
The investigation into the UK's worst terrorist atrocity since the 7 July 2005 attacks on the London transport system is "still running a very fast pace" with 100 officers working on it full time, GMP said.
Previously, GMP said Salman Abedi built the device packed with nuts and bolts alone.
Detectives are still looking for a blue suitcase that he was seen using in the days before the attack.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said he was "encouraged" by the development but said "there may well be further challenges ahead".
Images released by police showed Salman Abedi on CCTV in Manchester
Security Minister Ben Wallace said: "We have been clear from the outset that we are determined to do everything in our power to ensure that those suspected of being responsible for the Manchester attack are brought to justice in the UK.
"That is why the Home Secretary agreed to request the extradition of Hashem Abedi, who has been named as a suspect by Greater Manchester Police, and we continue to work closely with the CPS, police and Libyan authorities to return him to the UK.
"This was a callous and evil act and the victims and their families deserve and demand justice. They must remain our priority and we will therefore not be commenting further so as not to jeopardise the investigation."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-41839277
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Actor Shakib Khan sued by Bangladesh rickshaw driver over phone error - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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The driver's phone number was read out in a Shakib Khan film, causing him to be bombarded by fans.
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Asia
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Shakib Khan is one of the best known actors of his generation in Bangladesh
A Bangladeshi auto-rickshaw driver is suing one of the country's best-known film stars, who used his phone number in a movie.
The blunder led to Ijajul Mia being deluged with calls from admiring female fans of film star Shakib Khan.
"The use of my number... made my life completely miserable," Mr Mia said.
He is seeking more than $60,000 (£45,000) for the distress caused by the calls, which he argues has nearly ruined his marriage.
Mr Mia is estimated to have received nearly 500 calls over a five-day period in July from women hoping to meet Mr Khan.
There has been no comment from the actor to the claims.
Cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws jostle for space and custom in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka - and Mr Mia says his mobile phone is vital for his business
Mr Khan is one of the famous and successful actors in Bangladesh, winning numerous awards.
The incident involving Mr Mia's mobile phone number took place in the film Rajniti - released in June and produced and directed by Mr Khan.
In the film, the movie star is seen and heard reciting Mr Mia's number to his onscreen girlfriend.
"Every day I got hundreds of calls, mostly from female fans of Shakib Khan," a frustrated Mr Mia told the AFP news agency.
"They would say 'Hello Shakib, I am your fan. Do you have two minutes to talk to me?'"
Mr Mia said the anxiety caused by the calls had left him questioning whether to sell his family home, and led to his new wife threatening to leave him.
He explained that he could not afford to get a different number because he would lose business from long-established clients if he did so.
"I am a newly-married man with one daughter," he said. "When these calls started coming, my wife thought that I was having an affair."
One fan was reported by AFP to have been so enamoured with the idea of meeting Mr Khan that she travelled 500km (300 miles) to see him.
Mr Mia's case was filed this week before a district judge, who initially was reported to have been reluctant to hear it.
But the judge is reported to have changed his mind after lawyers acting on his behalf submitted evidence showing the personal angst experienced by him because of the phone calls.
Another hearing in the case has been fixed for 18 December, local media reported.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41832986
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World's most expensive dram of Scotch was a fake - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Analysts in Scotland conclude that a £7,600 measure of whisky bought in a Swiss hotel was a fake.
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Scotland business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The dram was bought for £7,600
A dram of vintage Scotch bought by a Chinese millionaire in a Swiss hotel bar for £7,600 was a fake, laboratory tests have concluded.
Analysts from Scotland were called in by the Waldhaus Am See hotel in St Moritz after experts questioned the authenticity of the 2cl shot.
It had been poured from an unopened bottle labelled as an 1878 Macallan single malt.
It is believed to be the largest sum ever paid for a poured dram of Scotch.
But analysis found that it was almost certainly not distilled before 1970.
The hotel said it had accepted the findings and reimbursed the customer in full.
Zhang Wei, 36, from Beijing - one of China's highest-earning online writers - had paid just under 10,000 Swiss francs (£7,600, $10,050) for the single shot while visiting the hotel's Devil's Place whisky bar in July.
But suspicions about the spirit's provenance surfaced soon after the purchase, when whisky industry experts spotted discrepancies in the bottle's cork and label from newspaper articles.
Mr Zhang was photographed with hotel manager Sandro Bernasconi after buying the dram
That prompted the Waldhaus to send a sample to Dunfermline-based specialists Rare Whisky 101 (RW101) for analysis.
Carbon dating tests were then carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford, which suggested a 95% probability that the spirit was created between 1970 and 1972.
Further lab tests by Fife-based alcohol analysts Tatlock and Thomson indicated that it was probably a blended Scotch, comprising 60% malt and 40% grain - ruling it out as a single malt.
RW101 said the tests had shown that the bottle was "almost worthless as a collector's item".
Had the bottle been genuine, it would have carried a bar-value of about 300,000 Swiss francs (£227,000).
The dram was poured from an unopened bottle that purported to be an 1878 Macallan
Mr Zhang, who writes martial arts fantasy novels under the pen name Tang Jia San Shao, earned the equivalent of about $16.8m in 2015, according to China Daily.
He bought the dram while on holiday with his grandmother at the Swiss hotel, which stocks 2,500 different whiskies.
Waldhaus manager Sandro Bernasconi told BBC Scotland that the hotel had no idea the bottle was a fake.
He said: "My father bought the bottle of Macallan 25 years ago, when he was manager of this hotel, and it had not been opened.
"When Mr Zhang asked if he could try some, we told him it wasn't for sale. When he said he really wanted to try it, I called my father who told me we could wait another 20 years for a customer like that so we should sell it.
"Mr Zhang and I then opened the bottle together and drank some of it."
Mr Zhang wrote about his experience with the "1878" Macallan a few days after his visit to the Waldhaus hotel
A few days after tasting the whisky, Mr Zhang posted a message on the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo about his experience.
He wrote in Mandarin: "When I came across a fine spirit from over 100 years ago, there wasn't much struggle inside.
"My grandma who accompanied me on this trip was only 82, yet the alcohol was 139 years old - same age as my grandma's grandma.
"To answer you all, it had a good taste. It's not just the taste, but also history."
The dram was bought from the Devil's Place whisky bar in St Moritz
Mr Bernasconi broke the bad news to Mr Zhang when he flew out to China to reimburse him recently.
He added: "When I showed him the results, he was not angry - he thanked me very much for the hotel's honesty and said his experience in Switzerland had been good.
"When it comes to selling our customers some of the world's rarest and oldest whiskies, we felt it was our duty to ensure that our stock is 100% authentic and the real deal.
"That's why we called in RW101.
"The result has been a big shock to the system, and we are delighted to have repaid our customer in full as a gesture of goodwill."
RW101 co-founder David Robertson said: "The Waldhaus team did exactly the right thing by trying to authenticate this whisky.
"We would implore that others in the market do what they can to identify any rogue bottles.
"The more intelligence we can provide, the greater the chance we have to defeat the fakers and fraudsters who seek to dupe the unsuspecting rare whisky consumer."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-41695774
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UK interest rates rise for first time in 10 years - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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Savers set to gain from the rise in rates to 0.5%, but mortgage costs will increase for some borrowers.
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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. The Bank of England may lift rates twice more over three years
For the first time in more than 10 years, the Bank of England has raised interest rates.
The official bank rate has been lifted from 0.25% to 0.5%, the first increase since July 2007.
It is likely to rise twice more over the next three years, according to Bank of England governor Mark Carney.
The move reverses the cut in August of last year, which was made in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union.
Almost four million households face higher mortgage interest payments after the rise, but it should give savers a modest lift in their returns.
As well as many of the country's 45 million savers, anyone considering buying an annuity for their pension will also see better deals.
The main losers will be households with a variable rate mortgage.
Mr Carney expects banks to pass on the rate rise to savers, but said many mortgages, loans and credit cards would not see an immediate impact.
He said that British households have been "savvy" with their finances and have mostly taken out fixed-rate mortgages, which means it will take some time before the rise has an impact on them.
The Bank estimates that almost two million mortgage holders have not experienced an interest rate rise since taking out a mortgage.
Of the 8.1 million households with a mortgage, 3.7 million - or 46% - are on either a standard variable rate or a tracker rate - which generally move with the official bank rate.
The average outstanding balance is £89,000 which would see payments increase by about £12 a month, according to UK Finance.
The panel which sets interest rates, called the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), justified the rate increase by pointing to record-low unemployment, rising inflation and stronger global economic growth.
Seven out of the nine members voted in favour of higher rates.
Mr Carney told the BBC that the Bank expected the UK economy to grow at about 1.7% for the next few years, which he said would require "about two more interest rate increases over the next three years".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. We challenged some ten year olds to explain a system that baffles many adults…
The pound fell about 1% against the dollar and euro, as some investors had hoped to see hints of more rate rises. Sterling dropped more than a cent against the two currencies to $1.3130 and €1.1280 respectively.
The financial markets are indicating two more interest rate increases over the next three years, taking the official rate to 1%.
Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club consultancy, said: "The Bank of England seemingly sees the hike to 0.50% as more likely to be a case of 'one and a little more to come' rather than 'one and done'."
The MPC also said that the decision to leave the European Union is having a "noticeable impact" on the economic outlook.
Mr Carney said "Brexit-related constraints" on investment and workers appeared to be holding back the potential growth of the economy.
Looking ahead, he said: "The biggest determinate of our outlook is going to be those negotiations ongoing on Brexit - both a transition deal to a new arrangement and what is the longer form arrangement with the European Union."
The Bank of England is tasked with keeping consumer price inflation at around 2%.
However, inflation has been running higher than that since February, and in September it hit 3% - the highest rate since April 2012.
Mr Carney said inflation was unlikely to return to 2% without raising rates, because the economy was growing at levels "above its speed limit".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Where were you when interest rates last went up?
Business bodies said the rise was expected, but warned that companies could be hit if further increases came too soon.
The Federation of Small Businesses said some would struggle to "absorb more hikes in the short term", while the CBI said "what's important is the pace of any future rises".
Economists said the rise was unlikely to have a big effect on the economy, because rates are still at the lows seen since the financial crisis.
Lucy O'Carroll, chief economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: "The symbolism of this hike is more significant than its economic impact."
The Bank has been reluctant to raise interest rates until now, arguing that inflation had been boosted by the fall in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote in June of last year.
That weaker pound has driven up the costs of imported food, fuel and other goods. The Bank says this effect is probably at its peak at the moment.
The other issue holding back the Bank has been the weakness in wage growth. While inflation hit 3% in September, wage growth was only 2.1%.
However, the Bank sees wage growth "gradually" increasing over the 2018 and says there are signs of that happening already.
In its Quarterly Inflation Report, released with the announcement on rates, the Bank estimated inflation was likely to peak this month at 3.2%.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41846330
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What should happen to IS fighters in Syria and Iraq? - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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The Red Cross is urging countries to remember "our shared humanity" when dealing with captured IS fighters.
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Europe
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How should the international community treat the defeated fighters of so-called Islamic State?
Countries must remember "our shared humanity" when dealing with captured fighters from so-called Islamic State, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
At a briefing in Geneva, the ICRC's deputy director for the Middle East, Patrick Hamilton, insisted that international law on the treatment of combatants must be followed, and rejected calls for the "annihilation" of fighters.
He acknowledged that the campaign against IS had left "huge devastation in its wake", with "catastrophic humanitarian consequences".
But while Mr Hamilton's remarks did touch on the appalling suffering of civilians who have had to live through the brutal regime of IS in Mosul or Raqqa - and the bloody battles for those cities - his focus was the future treatment of IS fighters, including those who travelled to Syria and Iraq from other countries.
The ICRC is already visiting more than 1,300 women and children of several dozen nationalities detained near Mosul.
They are believed to be the families of foreign fighters. As the coalition against IS gains more ground, more and more IS fighters and their families are expected to be captured.
So what should happen to them?
The ICRC, said Patrick Hamilton, was concerned about a "public discourse… on the desirability of annihilating those enemies still standing", and he warned against treating the fighters as "if they were outside our shared humanity".
He did not identify specific names of those carrying on such a discourse.
But when Mr Hamilton warned about "dehumanising rhetoric", he was probably referring to comments made by a number of Western politicians - including Rory Stewart, minister of state at the UK's foreign office - who recently said that UK citizens fighting for IS were a "serious danger to us".
"Unfortunately," he said, "the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them."
At least 800 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organisations in Syria and Iraq
The French Defence Minister Florence Parly has also suggested that if IS fighters "perish in this fight, I would say that's for the best".
Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against IS, has said the coalition wants to ensure that foreign fighters "die here in Syria".
The comments from politicians may find a good deal of sympathy among voters.
Citizens and survivors of terror attacks in Paris, London or New York are understandably nervous about the prospect of individuals who joined IS returning home once the battle for the caliphate is lost.
An estimated 30,000 foreign fighters are believed to have joined IS.
The security services view even a few hundred returning to Europe as a huge challenge: putting them in jail risks further radicalisation but allowing them to go free will almost certainly involve the police in round-the-clock surveillance work.
Many may struggle to identify any "shared humanity" with people whose ideology appears to include enslaving women, decapitating prisoners or driving trucks into crowds of tourists.
But at the ICRC, the guardian of the Geneva Conventions, the mood is different. "Exceptional crimes do not justify exceptions to the law," said Patrick Hamilton.
In his view, any fighter "left standing" must be captured, detained, and, if crimes are suspected, brought to justice in the usual way.
Agnes Callamard, the UN's special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, shares the ICRC's concerns.
The UN's Agnes Callamard is also concerned about any desire to circumvent due process
She believes the current rhetoric focusing specifically on IS is "problematic". "In Syria and Iraq," she argues, "vast numbers of atrocities have been committed, by all sides - why single one out?"
People who are not actually fighting, she explains, are "hors de combat" - or "out of action" - and international law is very clear about how they should be treated.
She agrees with the ICRC that there should be no exceptions to this, and that there should be no arbitrary killing just because someone is believed to be a member of IS.
On a practical level, both Agnes Callamard and Reed Brody of Human Rights Watch fear that the apparent desire, as expressed by US President Donald Trump, to "annihilate Islamic State" could, if really carried out, destroy valuable evidence of war crimes.
"In terms of uncovering the truth and ensuring the victims or their relatives get justice," said Ms Callamard, "that can only be done through an open and transparent judicial process."
Raqqa has been devastated by three years of IS rule and the action to recapture the city
Mr Brody agrees that returning IS fighters present "challenges", but argues they also offer "opportunities".
He talks of the possibility of finding a way "to work with some of these former fighters to find out all we can about how Isis operates, and even to build criminal cases against high-ranking Isis officials who have been involved in war crimes and other atrocities".
"We have a right to know," adds Ms Callamard. "For history, how IS operated, who funded them. All of this is crucial information."
Despite their apparent contradiction, underlying both the comments made by Western politicians and the pleas for humanity from the ICRC and others is a common desire for peace, both in the Middle East and on our city streets.
Eradication of a group that has caused so much horror may be an attractive solution, but the ICRC views it as short-sighted, as well as illegal under international law.
Nazi leader Hermann Goering was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg trials in 1946
"How a conflict is fought and brought to an end [is] important to future peace," Patrick Hamilton points out. "Talk of annihilation or extermination risks perpetuating the conflict."
"Our justice system is predicated on the fact that even the worst perpetrators… should have their day in court, for all to see," says Agnes Callamard.
And, she points out, we have had the vision and the energy to bring the perpetrators of history's most horrific crimes to justice in the past.
"We did it after World War Two [with the Nuremberg trials]. We did not have a choice then, and we do not have a choice now."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41818290
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Sir Michael Fallon resignation: PM considers replacement - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The ex-defence secretary resigned saying his past behaviour is "not acceptable now".
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UK Politics
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Theresa May is expected to name a new defence secretary after the resignation of Sir Michael Fallon on Wednesday.
He stood down, saying his conduct had "fallen short" of the required standards after allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said a "radical reshuffle" was not expected, but instead a "sideways move or single shuffle up".
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said the "tone of politics had changed".
Sir Michael is the first politician to quit following recently revealed claims of sexual harassment in Parliament.
He told the BBC that what had been "acceptable 15, 10 years ago is clearly not acceptable now".
Ruth Davidson said it was time to "clean out the stables" in British politics.
She told the BBC: "It isn't actually about sex. It's about power. It's always about power. And we as elected representatives have to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
"We're in positions of power so we can make things better for who comes after, not so that we can exert that power in a nefarious way."
In his resignation letter, Sir Michael said a number of allegations that had surfaced about MPs, including himself, had been false, but added: "I accept that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the Armed Forces that I have the honour to represent."
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".
Sir Michael later told the BBC it "was right" for him to resign, adding: "Parliament now has to look at itself and the prime minister has made very clear that conduct needs to be improved and we need to protect the staff of Westminster against any particular allegations of harassment."
When asked if he thought he should apologise, Mr Fallon said: "I think we've all got to look back now at the past, there are always things you regret, you would have done differently."
Mrs May said she appreciated the "serious manner" in which Sir Michael had considered his Cabinet role and paid tribute to "a long and impressive ministerial career".
Laura Kuenssberg said that sources close to him do not believe he is "some kind of predator", but that he had not felt that he would be able to account for every encounter in his long ministerial career.
She said there was already a "fragile balance" in Cabinet and that the prime minister would be wary when naming Sir Michael's successor.
It was not just about appointing a figurehead for the military, she added, but with big issues like Brexit on the table, the appointment would be about "keeping the political peace."
On Tuesday, a spokesman for Sir Michael confirmed that he was once rebuked by a journalist, Julia Hartley-Brewer, for putting his hand on her knee during a dinner in 2002.
Ms Hartley-Brewer, a former political editor of the Sunday Express and regular political commentator, told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight: "If he has gone because he touched my knee 15 years ago, that is genuinely the most absurd reason for anyone to have lost their job in the history of the universe, so I hope it is not because of that."
The BBC understands fresh claims about his behaviour were raised on Wednesday, but Downing Street refused to comment.
Labour MP Jess Phillips said recent allegations made against MPs were a cross-party issue, but said Sir Michael's resignation made her feel that action was being taken.
She added: "I am not interested in scalps, I am interested in cultural change, in parliament and in our political parties, to make it safer and a better environment for women."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ruth Davidson says the notion of overwhelmingly male-dominated professions has got to stop
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".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41839811
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Dustin Hoffman among stars facing new harassment accusations - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The allegations were sparked by women speaking out against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
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US & Canada
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Actors Dustin Hoffman (L) and Kevin Spacey (R) have been accused of sexual misconduct
Two Oscar-winning actors, a Hollywood filmmaker and a senior US news editor are the latest high-profile figures to be accused of sexual harassment.
The actors Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman have been accused of sexual misconduct and have issued apologies.
Meanwhile, six women have accused Brett Ratner, director of the Rush Hour film series and X-Men: The Last Stand, of sexual harassment or misconduct.
Ratner's lawyer "categorically" denied all of the accusations on his behalf.
A representative for Spacey released a short statement to the US media, saying the actor "is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time".
A growing number of allegations have been made against public figures in recent weeks.
The allegations have been sparked by multiple women speaking out against the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and a subsequent campaign encouraging victims to share their stories of sexual harassment under the #metoo hashtag.
So who has been accused of misconduct?
New allegations have emerged from a number of men accusing Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct.
US filmmaker Tony Montana claims he was groped by the actor in a Los Angeles bar in 2003. He says he was left with PTSD for six months after Spacey "forcefully" grabbed his crotch.
Mr Montana told Radar Online that he was in his thirties when the incident took place at the Coronet Bar in LA.
It follows an allegation made by Anthony Rapp that the House of Cards actor tried to "seduce" him when he was 14 years old.
Kevin Spacey says he has no recollection of that encounter, and was "beyond horrified".
Incidents regarding Spacey are also alleged to have taken place in the UK while the two-time Oscar winner was the artistic director at the Old Vic in London between 2004 and 2015.
Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos, who acted in several plays at the theatre, claims Spacey "routinely preyed" on young male actors.
One man told the BBC about his experience of being invited to spend the weekend with Spacey in New York when he was a teenager in the 1980s.
Six women have accused Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct.
The women, including The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn, made the allegations in the Los Angeles Times.
Natasha Henstridge, who appeared in Species and The Whole Ten Yards, claimed she had been forced into a sex act with Ratner as a teenager.
The actress, now 43, was a 19-year-old model at the time she alleges Ratner stopped her from leaving a room at his New York apartment and then made her perform a sex act on him.
"He strong-armed me in a real way," she told the LA Times. "He physically forced himself onto me."
Ratner's lawyer "categorically" denied all of the accusations on his behalf in response to the article.
Separately, Ratner has filed a libel case in Hawaii against a woman who accused him on Facebook of rape more than 10 years ago.
Ratner says he has stepped away from dealings with movie studio Warner Bros since the allegations came to light.
Dustin Hoffman has been accused of sexually harassing an intern on the set of one of his films in 1985.
Anna Graham Hunter, a writer, says that when she was 17, the Oscar-winning actor groped her and made inappropriate comments about sex to her.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: "He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me."
Hoffman apologised, and said he was sorry if he "put her in an uncomfortable situation".
In a statement to the magazine, Hoffman said: "I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am."
The BBC has contacted representatives of Dustin Hoffman for his response to these allegations.
Michael Oreskes resigned following accusations he kissed female colleagues without their consent
Senior editor Michael Oreskes has resigned following accusations he kissed female colleagues without their consent during business meetings.
The 63-year-old was asked to step down by the National Public Radio (NPR) network in response to the allegations. He has previously worked for the Associated Press and the New York Times.
Two women spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity, and reported stories of abrupt and unexpected kisses during business meetings. They said they were worried about career development if their names were made public.
One of the women said that while she met Mr Oreskes in the hope of getting a job with the New York Times, he suggested that they eat room service lunch in a hotel, before he unexpectedly kissed her and "slipped his tongue into her mouth".
He has not commented publicly on the allegations, and journalists at NPR report that they have tried to contact him for comment, without success.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41836843
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Gavin Williamson replaces Michael Fallon as defence secretary - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The chief whip's promotion prompts criticism from some Conservative MPs.
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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. New Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson arrives at the MoD
Chief Whip Gavin Williamson has been appointed as the new defence secretary after Sir Michael Fallon's resignation.
Sir Michael quit on Wednesday saying his past behaviour may have "fallen short" of the standards expected by the UK military.
He became the first politician to quit following recently revealed claims of sexual harassment in Parliament.
South Staffordshire MP Mr Williamson, 41, said he was "both honoured and excited" by the promotion.
He has been replaced as chief whip by his former deputy, Julian Smith, who will now be in charge of enforcing party discipline in the Commons. Mr Smith's deputy will be Tatton MP - and former GMTV presenter - Esther McVey.
In a statement, Mr Williamson said he was "determined to ensure that the armed forces receive the recognition they deserve for the great work they do, including through the Armed Forces Covenant, and that they evolve both to meet the changing threats that we face and to ensure that they properly represent the modern society that they defend".
He told reporters it was an "immense privilege" to be able to work with Britain's armed forces. He said his priority would be to continue to focus on "countering" Daesh, or so-called Islamic State, and "making sure national security is at the forefront of everything we do".
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said that while Mr Williamson was seen as an effective operator some Conservatives were furious that an MP with no ministerial experience had been promoted to the cabinet.
One senior Conservative told her: "MPs are deeply unhappy he has used the position of chief whip to benefit himself and has deserted his post at such a crucial time".
Asked about claims he lacks ministerial experience, Mr Williamson said: "I've been a minister as chief whip, but it was a little bit quieter when you're chief whip, not so much publicity."
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One Tory MP, Sarah Wollaston, told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Penny Mordaunt and Tobias Ellwood had been possible alternatives adding: "These are decisions that are made through patronage. Part of the role of the chief whip is to advise the prime minister about the suitability of the candidate."
But Conservative MP Bob Stewart - a former Army colonel - described Mr Williamson as a "decent, calm man... he's also a very thoughtful man".
"He won't know much about defence but I believe the civil service in the Ministry of Defence, the generals and the Armed Forces themselves won't mind that too much because he's the sort of person that will listen carefully, take advice but then make his own decision."
Gavin Williamson has no military background and has never been a secretary of state. But he is youthful, a rising star and trusted by Number 10.
He arrives at the Ministry of Defence at a difficult time. His first challenge will be to try to stave off more defence cuts. The Cabinet Office is currently carrying out a defence and security review which is due to report by the end of the year.
All three services have been asked to put forward options for cuts. Although there has been a modest rise in the MoD's budget, it has still got to make more than £20bn of efficiency savings.
There's also pressure to fund an increase in pay for the armed forces. They've been struggling with both recruitment and retention. That also hasn't been helped by a political reluctance to put troops in harm's way - something they train for.
There is still unfinished business against so-called Islamic State and Gavin Williamson will be the man who now oversees the RAF airstrikes. Few inside the military or the MoD will know much about him - even fewer on the international stage.
The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Williamson was not involved in reshuffle discussions, and said he was "an excellent and hard-working chief whip and the prime minister thinks he will make an excellent defence secretary".
"The PM is confident in the operation of the whips' office during her premiership."
In his resignation letter, Sir Michael Fallon said a number of allegations that had surfaced about MPs, including himself, had been false, but added: "I accept that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the Armed Forces that I have the honour to represent."
Gavin Williamson keeps a tarantula - not this one - on his desk
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Sir Michael had a record to be proud of as defence secretary.
"I've known Michael for many years," he said.
"He has been a great colleague and a great defence secretary."
Asked by the BBC if his own behaviour had always been of a standard expected of cabinet ministers, Mr Johnson replied: "You bet."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41844320
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Workers share sexual harassment stories - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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People including a former RAF member, offered a flight to keep quiet, share their experiences.
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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.
People have been sharing their stories of sexual harassment at work against a backdrop of claims against high profile figures.
Allegations including rape, sexual assault and unwanted touching of minors have come to light.
Speaking to the Victoria Derbyshire programme Rebecca Crookshank, who used to be in the RAF, described her deployment to the Falkland Islands aged 20.
She said it had taken her 15 years to talk about her harassment.
As the only woman sent to a base in the mountains, Rebecca describes how she was "moonied" when her flight came in and the initiation ceremony to which she was subjected.
She describes how her complaint was met with an "offer of a flight" to secure her silence.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Told to touch myself at a casting"
Model Aaron Lesta Lopez has been harassed by a casting director several times - he said he is slapped on the bottom when he sees him.
He was called to a shoot - without being told it was being held at the director's home - and told he could "touch yourself" on camera.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "I didn't tell this man not to do that - I froze"
Michelle Russell has been a nurse for 30 years but unable to work for the last two after being subjected to a sexual assault.
She says it escalated from being asked for a phone number to physical touching.
She describes how she has lost her pay and been banned from talking to colleagues.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "He said this is the room where we have sex with employees"
At 18, Becka Hudson says she was subjected to a torrent of harassment from her manager.
Working a zero-hour contract as a waitress, she described how he slapped her bum and called her names.
It reached a tipping point when on one shift she was taken to a private room and told "this is the room where we have sex with employees".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41830244
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The US state that bans sparklers but not guns - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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American firework laws may seem strict - but have they got the right idea?
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US & Canada
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American firework laws may seem strict - but as the UK prepares for Bonfire Night, has the US got the right idea?
In Delaware, you don't need a licence to own a shotgun.
You don't need a permit to buy a shotgun or carry a shotgun.
If you're over 18, and you pass the background check, the state won't interfere with your shotgun.
Sparklers, however, are a different matter.
Unless you have a permit for a public display, it is illegal to sell or possess fireworks in Delaware.
That includes sparklers - which the law specifically mentions.
The maximum fine is $100. Last year, 17 people were arrested in Delaware for fireworks offences.
While the US constitution does uphold the right to bear arms, it doesn't uphold the right to bear roman candles.
The offices at Patriotic Fireworks in Maryland
In the US, firework laws vary from state to state, even town to town. Like Delaware, Massachusetts bans all consumer fireworks - including sparklers.
Illinois, Ohio, and Vermont ban everything but sparklers and novelty items. Other states ban anything that flies.
The laws mean firework stores are often found on state lines, so customers from one state can take advantage of laws in another.
Patriotic Fireworks is in Elkton, Maryland - six miles from the Delaware state line. It's a small, friendly store, found down a long, tree-lined track.
A pig-tailed dog called Princess Sofia says hello to customers. A sign on the door says: "Let freedom ring".
But they take the law seriously.
Firstly, they don't sell to people from Maryland. They could, but the state law is so complex, and so strict, it's not worth their time.
"I would have to dedicate a person to go round with each customer, to make sure they bought legal items," says owner April Frederici. "It's just easier not to."
They do sell to Delaware residents - "I can't be the world's policeman," says April - but every customer must sign a contract.
It states that fireworks will be used "in accordance with all state and local laws". It also says Patriotic will not be liable for any "accident or injury".
And when it comes to fireworks, accidents do happen. Just ask American football player Jason Pierre-Paul.
In 2015, Pierre-Paul celebrated Independence Day in his home town of Deerfield Beach, Florida. At the end of the night, he decided to set off one last firework.
He tried seven times to light the fuse. Then it exploded in his hand.
Pierre-Paul lost his index finger and the tip of his thumb. His middle finger was badly damaged.
He still plays football, returning with his hand wrapped in a club. In 2016, he became the face of a fireworks safety campaign.
"Jason Pierre-Paul is a great example of the dangers of fireworks," says Michael Chionchio, the assistant state fire marshal in Delaware.
Michael and the state fire marshal's office are based on the edge of the state capital, Dover.
In the car park, a sign keeps tally of the number of fire deaths in Delaware. Last year: nine. This year: seven (six without a smoke detector).
Michael is proud of his state's fireworks law. "I can sum it up in a few words," he says. "Fireworks are unsafe."
In 2004, Republicans in the state legislature tried to legalise sparklers, but failed. This year, they are trying again.
The fire marshal opposes the change. Not only are sparklers a "gateway" to other fireworks, says Michael, but they are unsafe.
"A sparkler can burn up to 1,800 degrees (980 celsius)," he says.
Michael leans across the wooden table and points to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2016 report on firework safety.
It says fireworks were involved in 11,100 injuries treated in US hospitals in 2016 (92% of victims were seen at the emergency department then released).
In the 30 days around 4 July, sparklers caused 900 injuries, with 400 of those in children aged 0-4.
"We can't consciously tell you that we accept fireworks and sparklers being legalised," says Michael.
"We just can't do that. We're fire marshals. We protect people from fires. We can't support something that will hurt somebody."
Although the constitution allows guns, the US has a safety-conscious streak. In the "land of the free", the following are banned:
Slowly, though, firework laws are being liberalised.
Since 2000, nine states have legalised sparklers - New Jersey was the most recent. Another seven states have relaxed laws on other fireworks.
Julie Heckman from the American Pyrotechnics Association says legalising fireworks makes them safer.
"Everyone celebrates their pride and patriotism on 4 July with backyard fireworks," she says.
"If fireworks are banned, people are just breaking the law. And where there was complete prohibition there was no safety message."
Like Michael Chionchio, she has statistics to make her case. The number of firework-related injuries is the same as in 1976 - 11,100.
But at the same time, the consumption of fireworks has increased massively. Pound for pound, says Julie, the injury rate has fallen "dramatically".
The association attributes the decline to better education and safer products. It also points out that other things are risky, too.
In 2016, it says baseball was linked to 10 times as many injuries as fireworks.
Peter Schwartzkopf is the Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives, and was a policeman in the state for 25 years.
"I don't want you to think we're a bunch of prudes," he says.
"We have fireworks on 4 July in my town, Rehoboth. It's permitted, it's a fantastic show.
"It's not like we don't do fireworks. But it's mostly commercialised, done by companies that are experts."
While he says fireworks are "very dangerous", he "doesn't see that much harm in a sparkler". But he points out that Delaware has a "very strong fire marshal and fire company lobby".
Is it not strange that a place that allows firearms should ban fireworks?
"It's two separate things, but I'd love to trade you on that one," he says.
"I believe in the right to carry a gun and the right to protect yourself. But I think somewhere along the line we've gone way too far.
"They make guns out there that have no legitimate reason, other than to kill people in war. I'm on the side of tightening it up."
So why hasn't it been tightened up?
"It's a difficult process," he says. "And we have an extremely strong gun lobby in DC."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41811499
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Free ATMs could be cut back in cash machine shake-up - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Plans to shake-up the UK's ATM network may lead to a "vast reduction" in our free access to cash.
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Business
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Plans to shake-up the UK's ATM network may lead to a "vast reduction" in the number of free-access cash machines.
Link, the UK's largest ATM network with 70,000 machines, is proposing to overhaul the operation.
Under the change, Link would reduce the amount it charges card issuers to allow customers to use the machines.
But the move will leave "ATM deserts" where communities have no access to cash, warned the ATM Industry Association.
On Wednesday, Link published a range of proposals, including a cut in the fees it charges card companies from around 25p to 20p per withdrawal.
It said the changes - which would come into effect next April - would help protect the network, which currently includes 55,000 free-to-use machines.
Link said it was committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use machines
But the ATM Industry Association criticised the plans.
The trade body warned that unprofitable machines would be shut down, leaving "ATM deserts" where communities have no access to cash and other financial services.
"A unwarranted shake-up of Link will hit the most hard-up the heaviest - particularly the millions of people who rely on cash for day-to-day budgeting," said Ron Delnevo, of the association.
But Link chief executive John Howells said: "Free access to cash is vital for UK consumers and Link intends to maintain this for many years to come."
He said Link's financial inclusion programme will help maintain "extensive free access to cash for all in the UK".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-your-money-41832537
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The robot lawyers are here - and they’re winning - BBC News
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2017-11-02
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A start-up's artificial intelligence software beats lawyers at predicting the outcome of cases.
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Technology
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Amid the dire - and somewhat overhyped - predictions of occupations that will be decimated by artificial intelligence and automation, there is one crumb of comfort. Yes, lorry drivers, translators and shop assistants are all under threat from the rise of the robots, but at least the lawyers are doomed too. (Some of my best friends are lawyers, honest.)
That at least may be your conclusion when you hear about a fascinating contest that took place last month. It pitched over 100 lawyers from many of London's ritziest firms against an artificial intelligence program called Case Cruncher Alpha.
Both the humans and the AI were given the basic facts of hundreds of PPI (payment protection insurance) mis-selling cases and asked to predict whether the Financial Ombudsman would allow a claim.
In all, they submitted 775 predictions and the computer won hands down, with Case Cruncher getting an accuracy rate of 86.6%, compared with 66.3% for the lawyers.
Quite a triumph then for a tiny start-up business. For Case Cruncher is not the product of a tech giant but the brainchild of four Cambridge law students. They started out with a simple chatbot that answered legal questions - a bit of a gimmick but it caught on.
Jozef Maruscak, Rebecca Agliolo and Ludwig Bull are three of the law students involved
Then they turned to something more sophisticated - a program that could predict the outcome of cases. I was surprised to hear that none of the team had a background in computer science, though it seems the chief executive Ludwig Bull has taught himself about AI during his legal studies.
Two judges oversaw the competition, Cambridge law lecturer Felix Steffek and Ian Dodd from a company called Premonition, which runs the world's biggest database of legal cases. He says the youthful Case Cruncher team chose the subject for the contest well.
"There's a lot of these cases and the information isn't too complicated," he explained.
"For certain things like this you can ask a machine and it will do it far more speedily and efficiently than a human."
So, should lawyers now fear for their jobs? Felix Steffek is cautious about reading too much into this competition.
"Both sides could have achieved better or worse results under different conditions," he said.
"The artificial intelligence might have benefited from more computing power. The lawyers' results might have improved if only experts in PPI claims as opposed to commercial lawyers generally participated."
He says the question at this early stage of AI development is whether it will "remain limited to descriptive analysis or whether it will be capable of evaluating rules and events", and then whether it will be a tool for junior lawyers to use or something which replaces them.
The results of the week-long competition were announced on Friday
Ian Dodd thinks AI may replace some of the grunt work done by junior lawyers and paralegals but no machine can talk to a client or argue in front of a High Court judge. He puts it simply: "The knowledge jobs will go, the wisdom jobs will stay."
And maybe the smartest, wisest lawyers will do what the Case Cruncher team have done - develop new uses for AI in the law.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41829534
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