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International Court of Justice: UK abandons bid for seat on UN bench - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An Indian candidate is selected as Britain accepts it will have no seat for the first time since 1947.
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UK
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ICJ judges sitting in the Hague in December 2015
The UK is to lose its seat on the International Court of Justice for the first time since the United Nations' principal legal body began in 1946.
Sir Christopher Greenwood was hoping to be elected for a second nine-year term on the bench of 15 judges in the Hague.
The government withdrew his candidacy after six rounds of votes with India's Dalveer Bhandari ended in a deadlock.
Sir Christopher was backed by the UN Security Council but his rival was chosen by the General Assembly.
A successful candidate needs to gain a majority of support in both bodies.
The UK's move means Mr Bhandari will be able take up a position on the ICJ, alongside four other judges already elected.
The UK government had considered invoking a little-known arbitration process but in the end chose to take Sir Christopher out of the race.
The British ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, said he was "naturally disappointed".
Mr Rycroft said: "The UK has concluded that it is wrong to continue to take up the valuable time of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly with further rounds of elections....
"If the UK could not win in this run-off, then we are pleased that it is a close friend like India that has done so instead. We will continue to cooperate closely with India, here in the UN and globally."
He said the UK would continue to support the work of the ICJ "in line with our commitment to the importance of the rule of law in the UN system and in the international community more generally".
Downing Street refused to confirm that UK Prime Minister Theresa May was involved in lobbying for Sir Christopher to get the job, saying only that representations were made at the highest levels of government.
However hard the government tries, this defeat at the UN will be seen as a significant diplomatic set back, a symbol of Britain's reduced status on the world stage.
Britain tried to win an election but the community of nations backed the other side, no longer fearing any retribution from the traditional powers, no longer listening to what Britain had to say.
Some will blame this on Brexit - that might be a little simplistic.
Few countries are as obsessed with Brexit as the UK.
But what is clear is that many countries at the UN were willing to defy Britain and that would have been less likely a few years ago.
The government likes to talk of what it calls "global Britain", a vision of a buccaneering UK, independent of the EU, promoting its interests and values and trade around the world.
The problem is that many believe that vision has not yet been backed up with any policy substance.
Instead, rightly or wrongly, many countries see the UK turning in on itself to sort out the complexity of Brexit.
They see it as a retreat from the international stage - whatever the Brexiteers argue to the contrary - and these countries are filling the vacuum accordingly.
France and Russia, which along with the UK, US and China make up the permanent members of the UN Security Council, have also lost positions recently on UN bodies.
The UN security council is made up of five permanent and 10 non-permanent members
Many members on the General Assembly, which contains representatives from all UN countries, are said to have come to resent the way the Security Council has so much power, particularly the five permanent members.
The so-called Group of 77 - which represent a coalition of mostly developing nations - has long been pushing for greater influence.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42061028
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Paperchase 'sorry' for Daily Mail offer - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The stationery company apologises after a social media backlash for its promotion in the newspaper.
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UK
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Stationery company Paperchase has apologised for a promotional giveaway in the Daily Mail after it was criticised for working with the paper.
The chain offered two free rolls of wrapping paper in Saturday's newspaper.
It said it was "truly sorry" after hundreds of people - encouraged by campaign group Stop Funding Hate - urged the chain to end the partnership.
A Daily Mail statement said it was "deeply worrying" Paperchase had let itself "be bullied into apologising".
Stop Funding Hate lobbies firms to stop advertising with certain newspapers which it claims promote divisive views.
The group has previously been involved in getting companies such as Lego to pull advertising.
It tweeted on Saturday: "After a torrid few weeks of divisive stories about trans people, is a Daily Mail promotion what customers want to see from @FromPaperchase?"
Paperchase responded a few hours later by asking for customers' views and received hundreds of replies on Twitter.
The company later said it had "listened" to the responses about the weekend's newspaper promotion.
"We now know we were wrong to do this - we're truly sorry and we won't ever do it again.
"Thanks for telling us what you really think and we apologise if we have let you down on this one. Lesson learnt."
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But some people have criticised the apology, saying they will now shop elsewhere.
Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer said: "I for one am happy to lead a boycott of Paperchase for making this absurd grovelling apology simply for advertising in a national newspaper."
TV presenter Piers Morgan, who also writes for the Mail Online, tweeted: "I hope Paperchase understand that British people don't like snivelling little cowards who let themselves get bullied... I'll buy my cards from Clintons in future."
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It said in a statement: "The Mail has only run one promotion with Paperchase - who are not an advertiser - and had no plans for any more, so it is disingenuous of them to say it won't be repeated.
"However it is deeply worrying that Paperchase should have allowed itself to be bullied into apologising - on the back of a derisory 250 Facebook comments and 150 direct tweets - to internet trolls orchestrated by a small group of hard left Corbynist individuals seeking to suppress legitimate debate and impose their views on the media.
"Has the company considered what message they are sending to the four million people who read the Daily Mail on Saturday, many of whom will be their customers?"
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42057493
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Budget 2017: Chancellor accused of 'con' over Holyrood funding pledge - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scotland's finance secretary dismisses the chancellor's pledge of £2bn of funding for Holyrood as a "con".
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Scotland politics
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The Scottish government has dismissed the chancellor's pledge of extra funding for Holyrood as a "con".
Philip Hammond said moves in his Autumn Budget would "mean £2bn more for the Scottish government".
But Scotland's finance secretary said Holyrood had been "short changed", and that funds for day to day spending would actually fall.
Ministers have also traded barbs over plans to allow Scotland's police and fire services to claim VAT refunds.
Mr Hammond took aim at "SNP obstinacy" over the issue, while the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused the UK government of "vindictiveness and nastiness" for not having made the change sooner.
The disputed funds come in the form of Barnett consequentials, which are Scotland's share of additional spending in England which falls in areas of devolved competence - like health, education and housing.
The £2bn cited by Mr Hammond is spread over the period from the current financial year through to 2020-21, and includes more than £1.1bn in financial transaction funding.
This is capital funding for loan or equity initiatives, like "help to buy" schemes, meaning the government is constrained in how it is spent.
Scotland's finance secretary, Derek Mackay - who will unveil his own draft budget in December - said it was "money with strings attached" which could not be spent "directly on frontline public services" and would eventually have to be repaid to the Treasury.
He said the overall deal was "disappointing", telling the BBC's Politics Scotland programme that "it's not a £2bn boost to Scotland, it's a con".
But Scottish Secretary David Mundell told the same programme there would be a "significant increase in Scottish government spending".
On the capital funds, he said the Scottish government could "use that money in innovative ways", saying: "The money is definitely available. It's for the Scottish government to come forward with the mechanisms that allow it to be used.
"Additional money is coming to Scotland and directly will benefit Scotland."
Derek Mackay said the claims of extra funding for Scotland were a "con"
Mr Mackay also claimed the block grant for day to day spending was being cut in real terms, something refuted by the UK government.
The Fraser of Allander Institute, an economic think tank based at the University of Strathclyde, said the extra funding for the resource budget amounted to "around £350m", saying it "remains on track to be squeezed in real terms over the next two years".
Director Graeme Roy said: "The challenge therefore remains for Derek Mackay as to how best to balance the resource budget with major commitments like additional support for the NHS, more money for childcare and public sector pay uplifts all to be paid for."
The other point of conflict between the governments is over VAT for the Scottish police and fire services, after Mr Hammond confirmed they would be eligible for refunds from April 2018.
This brings Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service into line with their counterparts elsewhere in the UK - but tax paid since the creation of the national forces will not be reimbursed.
The two services pay about £35m a year in VAT - bringing the total bill since they were set up four years ago to £140m.
Scottish ministers have repeatedly called on the UK government to end the "glaring disparity" in the way that VAT affects emergency services across the UK, pointing out that territorial police and fire services in England and Wales already get refunds on their VAT bills.
Scotland's police and fire services pay about £35m a year in VAT
The UK government says the Scottish government knew of the VAT implications before the police and fire service mergers were approved, but pressed on with them regardless.
In his budget speech, Mr Hammond said he had been persuaded by Scottish Conservative MPs to make the change.
He added: "The SNP knew the rules, they knew the consequences of introducing these bodies, and they ploughed ahead anyway.
"But my Scottish Conservative colleagues have persuaded me that the Scottish people should not lose out just because of the obstinacy of the SNP government."
On spending, Mr Hammond trumpeted a "boost" for Scotland in the shape of £2bn extra. He said he had "delivered for Scotland".
In response, Derek Mackay said it was a "con". The money was over four years (the Chancellor never disguised that) - and more than half of the dosh was in the form of financial transactions.
These have caused contention in the past. They are, in essence, loan funds available for private projects such as housing, business or agriculture. They fall, thus, to be repaid.
Scottish ministers readily concede that such funds have proved valuable in the past - although they tend, discreetly, to cite their own deftness in finding useful vehicles. But they say it is cash with strings and it leaves day-to-day spending on the NHS, education and the like facing a real-terms cut.
At which point, Mr Mundell says that the total package going to Scotland will be helpful. At which point…..you get the concept.
The chancellor also said progress was being made on city deals for Tay Cities and Stirling, and for a growth deal for Borderlands.
And he said the government would introduce transferable tax history for oil and gas fields in the North Sea - which he described as an "innovative tax policy that will encourage new entrants to bring fresh investment to a basin that still holds up to 20 billion barrels of oil".
Many of the measures announced by Mr Hammond - such as homebuyers no longer having to pay stamp duty for properties of up to £300,000 - will not apply in Scotland, where the tax is devolved and known as Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.
It will be up to the Scottish government in its own forthcoming budget to decide whether to follow the chancellor's lead.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the announcements on oil and gas, and on VAT.
But she said both were "overdue", and that it was "disappointing and unfair to emergency services" that VAT that had already been paid would not be refunded.
The chancellor said a freeze on spirit duty would benefit the Scotch whisky industry
Among the other budget measures which the Treasury said would impact on Scotland were:
The chancellor said the budget was proof that the Conservative government was "giving power back to the people of Britain and driving prosperity and greater fairness across our United Kingdom".
But he also said that the Office for Budget Responsibility had revised down forecasts for Britain's GDP to 1.5% in 2017, down from the 2% it had previously predicted.
Scottish Labour's new leader, Richard Leonard, said Mr Hammond had "delivered a failing budget, on a failing economy from a failing government".
He added: "They are rudderless and without a plan to grow our economy, help our industries and create the work of the future. This Tory government is a driverless vehicle. This budget is insufficient, inadequate and insincere."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42073261
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Discount railcard extended for people aged up to 30 - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The young persons' railcard is being extended to those aged up to 30 after a successful trial.
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Business
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If you're 26 and annoyed about paying the full fare for your train travel, the Budget may offer a reprieve.
The government has said people up to 30 years-old will now be able to buy a £30 railcard for discounted train travel.
The move - set to be announced in Wednesday's Budget - would be an extension of the current young person's railcard for those aged 16 to 25.
The so called millennials' card will be available from spring next year, and offer up to a third off non-peak fares.
This means the new railcard is unlikely to be much use for regular commuters, as railcard discounts are restricted at peak times, usually before 10am.
Reaction to the new card was mixed with some people saying it would have little impact on them and others welcoming the move.
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Regular train user Jimmy Connaughton, 29, from St Albans said he was "very excited" about the new card which he reckons will save him up to £400 a year.
"It's been a long time since I lost the use of my 16-25 year rail card. I'm probably a bit more excited than I should be, but it is just before my 30th birthday," he said.
The keen Chelsea fan mainly uses trains for travelling to and from football games.
"I go to a lot of matches and I have a multitude of railcards to try to replicate the Student Railcard. I have a Network Railcard [for trains across the south east], a Two Together, for when I travel with my Dad, and a Friends and Family [discounts for up to four adults and children] for other occasions."
He has no truck with those who think the railcard is a meagre gesture to the hard-pressed Millennial:
"True, you can't use it on peak trains but that ship sailed a while ago - anyone used to using student rail cards are used to not travelling on peak trains."
The card is part of a series of Budget measures aimed to attract younger voters after a resurgence in 18 to 29-year-olds voting in June's general election favoured the Labour party.
The national roll-out of the card comes after a successful test of the discounted card in East Anglia.
Railcards were introduced as a way for train companies to help fill seats during off-peak times. The card for 16 to 25-year-olds has existed in one form or another since 1974.
On average, I am told, people who have a rail card at the moment (16 to 25-year-olds) save £150 a year.
And anything that cuts costs for younger people has got to be a good thing.
But there is one critical issue with this new scheme, you won't be able to use the card at peak times. So commuting to your job will be just as expensive... and it's about to get even more pricey.
Season tickets go up by 3.6% in January. The highest rise since 2013.
The Treasury said the move would help keep the cost of living down for more young people.
However, Andy McDonald, Labour's shadow transport secretary, said: "Any move that reduces the cost of travel is welcome but the Tories are tinkering around the edges of a broken system.
"Our railway should be run by and for passengers, not private shareholders and foreign governments."
Also on Wednesday, the chancellor is expected to announce a review, led by an independent chair, into airline insolvency arrangements.
If follows the recent collapse of Monarch, which left 110,000 passengers without a return flight home. It cost UK taxpayers about £60m to bring people back to Britain.
• None The Budget: What we know already
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42052750
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Hampstead fire: Woman dies in fire at block of flats - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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About 20 people fled the building before crews arrived.
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London
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The fire damaged part of the first, second and third floors of the building
A woman has died in a fire at a block of flats in north London.
She was rescued from the four-storey building in Daleham Garden, Hampstead, in the early hours of Tuesday but died at the scene.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said about 20 people managed to escape from the building before crews arrived.
The cause of the fire, which took 60 firefighters about three hours to get under control, is being investigated. The woman who died has not been named.
The fire took about three hours to get under control
Crews in eight fire engines, along with an aerial appliance, attended the scene after the alarm was raised just before 02:00 GMT.
Retired teacher Aura Romero, 72, was one of the residents who had to flee her home, but with no time to take any of her possessions.
She said: "I was already asleep in bed when it happened.
"I heard all these people running and shouting, someone knocked on my door and said: 'Come out! Come out!'
"I was able to get dressed but there was no time for shoes, I was walking around in the street in my socks until a gentleman gave me a coat and some shoes.
"I'm OK physically, but I am obviously quite upset. I don't know where I'm going to live."
About 20 people fled the building before firefighters arrived
LFB said the fire had badly damaged the ground and first floors of the building, while the second and third floors and roof were all destroyed.
Rupert Barnes had been staying with his fiancée, who lived in the building.
He said: "The fire brigade arrived within five minutes, but it was pretty clear this was going to be a serious fire just by the way it had taken hold quite quickly.
"It was pretty clear that we [needed to] act pretty quickly to evacuate the building.
"There was one lady who was very good at shouting at everybody, saying 'there was a fire' and to 'get out.'"
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42062658
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Zimbabwe: Dancing breaks out as Mugabe resigns - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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There were scenes of celebration on the streets of the capital, Harare.
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There were scenes of celebration on the streets of the capital, Harare.
President Robert Mugabe has resigned after a 37-year rule as his party prepared to impeach him.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42072197
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Sacha Baron Cohen offers to pay 'Borat' mankini fines - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A group of Czech tourists were arrested and fined for wearing the revealing swimsuits in Kazakhstan.
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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. Borat arrives in London in 2006, for the premiere of his film
Sacha Baron Cohen has offered to pay fines for six Czech tourists who were arrested in Kazakhstan for wearing nothing but 'Borat'-inspired mankinis.
The group had posed for photos in the capital city of Astana.
On 14 November, local media reported the tourists had been fined 22,500 tenge ($67; £51) each for their "indecent" appearance.
The notorious one-piece was made famous by the English actor's character, Borat, a fictional Kazakh TV presenter.
"To my Czech mates who were arrested. Send me your details and proof that it was you, and I'll pay your fine," the comedian wrote on Facebook.
The Czech men were detained for "minor hooliganism" after posing in freezing temperatures
There has been a mixed response to the incident from Kazakh social media users.
"They [Czechs] should have been jailed for a year. Then others would have drawn lessons!!!" Facebook user Bulat Sapargaliyevich said.
"Where are the men of Astana? This man [Baron Cohen] should be detained, his hands and legs should be tied up and then he should be dragged on the streets!" Bek Zhanturin added.
Others were more sympathetic.
"Good job, Sacha Baron Cohen! He is alone doing more than our entire PR ragtag team does to promote the trademark of Kazakhstan," Kazakh blogger Askar Japarov said.
Baron Cohen's comedy film Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, follows the character of Borat Sagdiyev as he travels to the US to make a documentary.
The film earned the actor a Golden Globe award but also attracted controversy.
Kazakhstan banned the film and sales of the DVD and the authorities threatened to sue him.
But in 2012, the Kazakh foreign minister publicly thanked Baron Cohen for boosting tourism in the central Asian state.
Mankinis could get you in trouble closer to home too.
In 2012, mankinis and other "inappropriate clothing" were banned in Newquay in a bid to reduce crime and shed the Cornish seaside town's stag party reputation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42064224
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Gaia Pope struggled with health before her death, father says - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The father of teenager Gaia Pope says she "clearly couldn't cope" with epilepsy and other issues.
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Dorset
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Richard Sutherland said the family would 'treasure her always'
Teenager Gaia Pope had "struggled" with health issues before her death, her father has said.
Police are treating the 19-year-old's death as "unexplained" after her body was found in a field near Swanage on Saturday.
Her father Richard Sutherland, said his daughter had had "a lot of issues" and "clearly just couldn't cope with that."
Three people who were arrested on suspicion of her murder will face no further action, police said earlier.
Paul Elsey, 49, his mother Rosemary Dinch, 71, and her 19-year-old grandson, Nathan Elsey, were all questioned about Ms Pope's disappearance.
Gaia Pope's body was found 11 days after she went missing
Miss Pope's body was found close to where items of her clothing were discovered two days earlier
Her body was found 11 days after she was reported missing in Swanage, on 7 November.
A post-mortem examination did not identify any injuries to suggest the involvement of other people, Dorset Police said.
The force is awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
Paul's father, Greg Elsey, said Ms Pope was clearly "on the verge of a nervous breakdown" when she visited Mrs Dinch in an agitated state on the day she disappeared.
He said her health problems included a previous breakdown as well as epilepsy.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
In a statement, Ms Pope's mother Natasha described her daughter as "a light that will radiate for all eternity".
"A wise, magnificent soul that burns far too bright for this world," she said.
"Her spirit overflows with love and compassion for others. Gaia our free spirit, our wild pony."
Mr Sutherland thanked the emergency services and members of the public who joined searches for his daughter.
He said his daughter had "happy moments... right up into the end of her life", despite her health problems.
Her cousin Marienna Pope-Weidemann said Ms Pope had been "very, very vulnerable, but such an inspiration".
She said she was determined that "lessons will be learned" from Ms Pope's death.
Visibly upset, she said: "It should not have taken 11 days to find her so close and we need to know why."
Gaia Pope's father Richard Sutherland thanked members of the public before a community search on Saturday
Following her disappearance, searches by police, the coastguard and police helicopter - along with hundreds of volunteers - were carried out in the Swanage area.
On Thursday, police discovered clothing belonging to Ms Pope on open land outside the town.
Her body was found two days later in the same area.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-42059141
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How UK-Zimbabwe relations went sour - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The relationship between a former imperial power and its ex-colony is a complex one, says our diplomatic correspondent.
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UK
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Tony Blair pulled out of talks to fund Robert Mugabe's controversial land reforms in 1997
Britain's relationship with Zimbabwe has always been complex.
A former imperial power can feel torn between a responsibility towards its ex-colony and a reluctance to interfere in what is now an independent state. And a freshly minted nation can feel resentment towards its former ruler while also hoping to maintain longstanding trade and cultural links.
Thus it has been for London and Harare.
Take, for example, President Mugabe. For years, he has railed against Britain and its political leaders as they opposed his disastrous land reforms, his persecution of white farmers and his calamitous management of Zimbabwe's economy.
But Mr Mugabe is also an Anglophile who loves cricket, the Royal Family and Savile Row suits.
He developed a surprising friendship with Lord Soames, the last British governor of what was then Rhodesia, whose son, Nicholas, the Conservative MP, he saw only a few weeks ago.
And when Mr Mugabe's cabinet colleagues were celebrating the fall of Margaret Thatcher in 1990, he rebuked them, reportedly saying: "Who organised our independence? Let me tell you - if it hadn't been for Mrs Thatcher none of you would be here today. I'm sorry she's gone."
Zimbabwe began life as a colony of the British South African Company in the late 19th Century, run by the British empire-builder, Cecil Rhodes.
In the 1920s, Southern Rhodesia, as it was then known, was annexed by the United Kingdom but with an element of self-government. The white minority ruled for decades, but were increasingly challenged by nationalist campaigners.
Eventually, in 1965, the government led by Ian Smith unilaterally declared independence from Britain. UDI, as it was known, prompted international outrage and sanctions.
Years of guerrilla warfare in the bush led to pressure for a negotiated settlement in Rhodesia, and, in 1979, Britain hosted all-party talks at Lancaster House in London. And from this process emerged a peace agreement, a new constitution and a former guerrilla fighter and leader called Robert Mugabe - the first prime minister of a newly independent Zimbabwe.
Robert Mugabe has said he trusted Margaret Thatcher - in contrast to Tony Blair
Even then, Britain's relations with Mr Mugabe were ambiguous.
Politicians and diplomats at the time placed a huge amount of faith in him as exactly the kind of strong, pro-western leader that Zimbabwe would need to embed its new-found independence and democracy. But he nevertheless was still able to wind them up.
Lord Carrington, Britain's foreign secretary who chaired the Lancaster House talks, described him as "devious and clever, he was the archetypal cold fish". On a dull moment in the talks, Lord Carrington rejoiced with glee when he discovered that Mugabe reads backwards as "E ba gum".
Lord Hurd, another British foreign secretary, told The Africa Report that: "Mugabe was one of those people the British Empire created who specialised in knowing how to twist the British government's tail. He was well-trained in the art of annoying the British if he needed to. He knew our ways."
At first, Britain was hopeful about Zimbabwe's prospects. And normal relations were maintained.
The Princess of Wales visited Mr Mugabe in Harare in 1993. The England cricket team, led by Michael Atherton, played Zimbabwe in Harare in 1996.
But over the decades of Mr Mugabe's rule, as the country slipped into greater autocracy and economic decline, relations deteriorated.
In 1997, Tony Blair's government pulled out of talks to fund Mr Mugabe's controversial land reforms. The Zimbabwean president accused the British of meddling in his country's affairs by funding his political opponents.
Britain began to withdraw development aid and sanctions were imposed on the president and his inner circle.
Campaigners such as Peter Tatchell would protest regularly against Mr Mugabe's homophobia outside the hotel in St James' where the president stayed on his frequent visits to London.
Yet through all this, Mr Mugabe still hoped Britain might help revive his country's ailing economy. As he told a crowd a few years ago when he was celebrating his 90th birthday: "The British, we don't hate you, we only love our country better."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42003217
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Cycling brand criticised over ageist and sexist ads - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Bike manufacturer finds itself on the wrong side of the track over controversial Instagram posts.
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Europe
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A leading bicycle manufacturer is facing accusations of sexism and ageism in its adverts on social media.
Pinarello, who supply bicycles to Team Sky, recently launched its electronic road bike to much fanfare. The company said the e-bike was aimed at weekend riders and female riders who want to "follow easily the men's pace".
The Italian-based company posted a series of posts on its Instagram channel, promoting the new model.
The first advert featured a woman claiming she wanted to go cycling with her boyfriend but to keep up with him on the roads "seemed impossible."
In its second advert, a 55-year-old man said he doesn't have the "time to work out" but wouldn't miss a "Sunday ride with my friends."
Both adverts sparked criticism and complaints by cyclists on social media, including the hashtag #pinarellNO, a play on the company's name.
The company has withdrawn the adverts but criticism continues.
Christine Majerus, Luxembourg's road race national champion, said she's happy to compete against male professional cyclists who ride Pinarello bikes.
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Lucy Mannall, a keen cyclist and bicycle-fitting technician tweeted: "Just seen that Pinarello advert. This is 2017. How did they think that would be okay?"
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Twitter user and cyclist @westy2206 said: "I can't believe that anyone that designed that campaign thought it was a good idea!"
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Some people used parody to mock the company's attitude towards female cyclists.
Stef Wyman, a professional-cycling team manager, tweeted he might need the new e-bike in order to cycle with his wife, who happens to be the former British cyclo-cross champion.
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Speaking to the BBC, Sarah Connolly, a cycling writer, said the Instagram post was "one in a depressingly long series of adverts that treat cycling as a male sport.
"We've seen adverts aimed at male cyclists featuring nude women, women as sex objects, so in the grand scheme of things, it's not the most outrageous.
"It does make Pinarello look backward - this idea a women only wants to ride because her boyfriend does is laughable!
"However, it's depressing that in 2017 we're still having this conversation," said Connolly. The adverts "makes the brand look out of touch with the industry. The amount of professional women's cycling we can watch on TV and online has rocketed."
Cyclist Peter Sagan had to apologise in 2013 for pinching a hostess's bottom
It is not the first time that sexism in cycling has made headlines.
In 2013, Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan, the current road race world champion, said sorry for pinching the bottom of a hostess at the end of the Tour of Flanders race.
In June, Belgian rider Jan Bakelants had to apologise after telling a newspaper he travels with a "pack of condoms, because you never know where those podium chicks have been hanging out."
And national governing body British Cycling has been accused of sexism against elite female cyclists.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42069984
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'Outsourced' workers seek better deal in landmark case - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Staff hired out by a facilities company are going to tribunal for better pay, holidays and pensions.
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UK
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Outsourced workers are are often low paid staff, such as caterers and security guards
A group of 75 workers, including porters and receptionists, are going to tribunal to gain more rights at work.
As outsourced employees, they are supplied to the University of London by a facilities company, but do not receive the same benefits as those employed directly.
The university does not accept it should be a "joint employer", which would allow for better entitlements.
The case could affect around 3.3 million outsourced workers in the UK.
Many big organisations pay facilities companies to provide workers who are often low paid, such as cleaners or security guards.
This allows them them to control the way people work, determining their pay and conditions, whilst avoiding many of the legal responsibilities of being an employer.
Henry Chango Lopez is an outsourced worker at the heart of the campaign, which could become a game-changing legal challenge for millions of people around the country.
He works as a porter at the university, but is employed by the business services company Cordant, and has two jobs to make ends meet.
"I start my day at 4am," he said.
"I travel from Hertfordshire to Southwark in London to do two hours' cleaning work.
"Then I go straight to my main job as a porter at the University of London, where I work from 8am to 3pm."
Mr Lopez wants the University of London to accept "joint employer" status
Mr Lopez is part of the group, which also includes security guards and post-room staff, seeking a tribunal ruling that the university is recognised along with Cordant as their "joint employer".
The concept has existed in various forms for decades in the US.
It allows outsourced or franchise employees in some circumstances to legally compel client companies or franchisors to enter into collective bargaining agreements.
However, it has to be shown that these companies have sufficient "control" over the employees.
If established in the UK, unions could collectively bargain the pay, terms and conditions of outsourced workers with the "joint employer" - the employer that chooses to outsource.
That employer may find it difficult to then justify inferior terms and conditions for its outsourced workers.
The workers are being supported by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.
Its general secretary, Dr Jason Moyer-Lee, said: "For all intents and purposes, the outsourced workers at the University of London work for the university.
"It is the entity which essentially decides what their pay and terms and conditions are going to be.
"So, unless the workers can negotiate directly with the university, they can't really negotiate at all over their pay and terms and conditions."
UK law has never recognised the concept of "joint employers" for the purpose of negotiating workers' terms and conditions.
Specialist employment lawyer Daphne Romney QC said that if it did, "it would be enormous".
She added: "There would be about 3.3 million outsourced employees whose terms and conditions would improve, because they would be on the same terms and conditions as the people they work alongside everyday but who are directly employed.
"And for the employers, of course, there would also be an impact because it would be more expensive to improve those terms and conditions."
Meanwhile, an employment lawyer with law firm CMS says if the case were to prevail it would "almost make outsourcing pointless".
Sarah Ozanne said: "Employees supplied to a client by an outsourced service provider, and able to claim parity with that client's own employees' terms and conditions, would undermine one of the key principles of outsourcing, which is to protect the client from employee liabilities."
Mr Lopez said his life would "change massively" if the principle was recognised, stopping him having to work two jobs and seeing a big improvement to his pension.
But the university does not agree it is responsible.
In a statement, the University of London told the BBC: "The university does not employ any of these workers and does not accept that the relevant legislation recognises the concept of joint employment.
"We have therefore not agreed to the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain's request for recognition."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42056769
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Mugabe's long career in pictures - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A look at the career of Robert Mugabe, who has resigned as Zimbabwe's president after 37 years in power.
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In Pictures
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There he met Sally Hafron whom he married in 1961. She was actually more political than him before he was recruited by black nationalists. He was later imprisoned by the Rhodesian government, but was not allowed to attend the funeral of his son
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-42032549
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US moves to block AT&T's takeover of Time Warner - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to stop the media and telecoms tie-up.
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Business
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Time Warner owns HBO, the company behind Game of Thrones
The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to block telecoms giant AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, the owner of CNN and HBO.
The department said the merger would reduce competition and lead to higher consumer prices.
AT&T vowed to fight the move, calling it a radical departure from US competition practice.
US President Donald Trump objected to the deal during his campaign last year, fuelling the controversy.
AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson said he thought the acquisition had been on a good path "until recently".
He referred to concerns about possible political influence as the "elephant in the room". President Trump is a vocal critic of CNN which is owned by Time Warner.
Mr Stephenson said: "There's been a lot of reporting and speculation whether this is all about CNN. And frankly I don't know. Nobody should be surprised the question keeps coming up."
In its lawsuit, the Department of Justice claimed that the deal - valued at more than $85bn when it was announced last year - would harm American consumers.
Assistant attorney general Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice's antitrust division, said: "It would mean higher monthly television bills and fewer of the new, emerging innovative options that consumers are beginning to enjoy."
Of the 24 firms that were part of the nationwide landline telephone network Bell System, ten are a part of the current AT&T. The firm has also been on a buying spree in the past two decades.
AT&T offshoot SBC Communications bought Pacific Telesis Group in 1997 and Ameritech in 1999. In 2005, SBC then bought out its parent group AT&T Corporation, creating the new AT&T Inc.
In 2006 AT&T bought BellSouth, which gave it total ownership of previous joint venture Cingular Wireless.
In 2013, it bought prepaid-wireless provider Cricket. In 2015, it completed the purchase of two Mexican wireless companies, Lusacell and Nextel Mexico, and also bought pay-TV firm DIRECTV. AT&T also owns approximately a 2% stake in Canadian-based entertainment company Lionsgate.
Meanwhile, Time Warner comprises three divisions: pay television service Home Box Office behind the popular Game of Thrones series, multi-channel TV provider Turner Broadcasting System, and giant entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros.
Mr Delrahim said the combination would hurt the emergence of new online television options and give AT&T the power to force rival pay TV companies to pay "hundreds of millions of dollars more" for Time Warner content.
The department has also denied political interference.
The decision to take legal action sets up a high-profile fight over US anti-trust law, which has rarely been tested in cases involving companies that do not directly compete.
George Hay, a professor of law and economics at Cornell, said there was "no question" the merger's potential competitive impact merited serious review.
However, he said the lawsuit was noteworthy given the president's comments during the presidential campaign.
"There would be nothing unusual if you didn't have all of this political background," he said.
During his presidential campaign last October, Mr Trump said that the deal would not be approved "in my administration because it's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few".
But challenges of vertical mergers - when firms operating at different levels within an industry's supply chain combine - have been rare, since at least one of the parties involved must have a major market position to raise concerns, Professor Hay said.
In the past, competition officials have also been open to settlements in such cases, assuming the deals will create efficiencies that could benefit the consumer. In those cases, companies can merge but face restrictions on their behaviour.
That happened in 2011, when the department allowed a merger between Comcast and NBCUniversal.
Last year, Mr Delrahim said he did not see major issues with the merger.
But he has also criticised so-called behavioural remedies used in the past to keep anti-competitive activity in check, saying they are overly intrusive and hard to enforce.
AT&T called Monday's lawsuit "a radical and inexplicable departure from decades of antitrust precedent".
The company's general counsel, David McAtee, said: "Vertical mergers like this one are routinely approved because they benefit consumers without removing any competitor from the market. We see no legitimate reason for our merger to be treated differently."
AT&T also denied that the deal would lead to higher charges and said it had been willing to negotiate.
Previously, US media reported that the Department of Justice was pushing AT&T to sell some of its assets as a condition for approval. The options included Turner Broadcasting or its satellite network.
Mr Stephenson has said he is unwilling to sell CNN, which is part of Turner.
Professor Hay said it was not clear how the case would fare in court and it could still get resolved with a settlement.
He said it was surprising that the challenge was coming under a Republican administration, since Republicans and their appointees have historically been more business friendly.
But he was "sceptical" the decision to bring the case would turn out to be entirely political, given how much Department of Justice staff prize their independence. If it were, he said, it would harm the department's case.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42058846
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Australia backpacker exploitation 'endemic', study finds - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A study of temporary workers' conditions finds extensive evidence of pay theft and other violations.
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Australia
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Those undertaking fruit-picking jobs received the lowest pay, the study found
One in three backpackers and a quarter of foreign students working in Australia are being paid about half the minimum wage or less, a study has said.
The study, billed as the most comprehensive of its kind, found that wage theft of temporary migrants is endemic in Australia.
Overall, conditions are worst for those employed in food services and on farms, and for workers from Asian countries.
Authorities have urged foreign workers to report cases of exploitation.
More than 4,300 workers from 107 countries were surveyed in the "Wage Theft in Australia" report, conducted by law professors at University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and University of New South Wales (UNSW).
It found a third of backpackers were paid A$12 (£6.80, $9) per hour or less, well below the legal minimum rate of A$22.13 for casual staff.
On average, Asian workers received lower wages than people from English-speaking countries.
Survey respondents also reported other violations that could amount to criminal forced labour, the authors said.
Minister for Employment Michaelia Cash said the government had made "several important reforms" to address exploitation in the time since the survey began.
Taiwanese backpacker Amy Chang, 33, said she was not paid in her first month as a slicer at a meatworks in regional New South Wales.
She said she was then paid A$16.86 per hour - less than the minimum wage and what Australian workers at the factory received.
"And you couldn't take sick leave or say no to working overtime, you were just worked like a machine," she said.
Amy Chang said she found her job through a labour hire agency
Ms Chang said employees knew they were being mistreated, but they were reluctant to speak out.
"Everyone was so scared of losing the job or their visa. Some of the workers joined the unions in the factories, but if you wanted to report the issue, the manager would target you."
The study authors said underpayment remained rampant across all industries, but some fared particularly badly.
"For almost 40% of students and backpackers, their lowest paid job was in a cafe, restaurant or takeaway," said co-author Prof Bassina Farbenblum, from UNSW.
Those paid the worst were undertaking fruit-picking and farm jobs, where one in seven received as little as A$5 per hour, and almost a third earned A$10 per hour or less.
The authors said some conditions could constitute forced labour:
Half of overseas workers reported either never or rarely ever receiving a pay slip, while almost half said they were paid in cash.
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The report also found that a majority of workers knew they were being underpaid, but many did not expect to receive the legal minimum.
This contradicted a popular assumption that foreign workers were unaware of the minimum wage, the authors said.
The government urged workers with concerns to contact Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman.
"It is critical that all employers obey the law and pay the appropriate wage, regardless of the background or those employees," Ms Cash said in a statement.
Since December last year, the government had given the ombudsman greater resources and passed legislation designed to assist vulnerable workers, Ms Cash said.
The Fair Work Ombudsman urged temporary migrants, who make 11% of Australia's workforce, to look up their rights online.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42060599
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Canterbury grammar school to hold Mein Kampf debates - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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Simon Langton Grammar School said the optional course is "the antidote to political correctness".
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Kent
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The school said the forum would not be studying Mein Kampf but incorporating it within "wider debate"
A school has defended plans encouraging students to debate controversial ideologies and texts such as Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury said the optional course called The Unsafe Space would be "the antidote to political correctness".
The National Education Union (NEU) in Kent has urged caution and some students have expressed concern.
But the school said the negative reaction was "scandal-mongering".
In a letter to parents, the school said the seminars would be "a vehicle for freedom of speech".
It said they would challenge pupils to "think oppositely" and consider "manifestos to change the world".
Christine Dickinson, secretary of the Kent section of the NEU (formerly the National Union of Teachers), said: "There are many uncomfortable subjects that have to be discussed in school but the school must be very careful about the way that they approach it."
Dr James Soderholm, running the course, said: "To examine a text is not to peddle its propaganda or fall in league with its message... it is to lay bare that ideology for inspection."
He branded the suggestion that a teacher might use Mein Kampf as a "recipe book for anti-Semitism" as "scandal-mongering".
Dr Soderholm added that anyone who did not understand was "wilfully ignorant or doesn't understand the first thing about good teaching".
The school has previously been criticised for inviting right-wing controversialist, and former pupil, Milo Yiannopoulos to speak.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-42067548
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Emmerson Mnangagwa: The 'crocodile' who snapped back - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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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.
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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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Robert Mugabe: Is Zimbabwe's ex-president a hero or villain? - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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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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Brexit: How May got cabinet onside over extra billions - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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For the prime minister each agonising Brexit decision quickly gives way to the next set of demands.
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UK Politics
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Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Business Secretary Greg Clark leave Downing Street after the meeting
Just imagine if the PM had not managed to get the cabinet onside. If she had failed to get agreement that she can dangle many hypothetical extra billions to the rest of the EU, albeit with plenty of strings attached.
That would have been a very difficult political situation, the PM left in the lurch by her Brexiteer cabinet ministers, unwilling to let her carry on inching towards a deal.
Much though is not settled. Not the final numbers, nor the eventual role of the European courts, nor indeed the biggest question of all, what relationship does the cabinet want, from our longer term relationship with the rest of the continent.
But as Theresa May has found again and again, persuading her cabinet ministers to agree anything on Brexit is a painfully slow process. To get this far has already taken time and significant political energy.
She, and the firmness of the EU's position, has meant that Brexiteer ministers have moved over time, accepting the need for an implementation period, accepting that there will have to be a significant amount of cash to settle our accounts - tens of billions rather than a Brexit bonus of money coming quickly back.
She can however only put off the big conversation for so long. And it's not clear how she will answer the other questions the EU demanded responses to last week.
For the prime minister each agonising Brexit decision quickly gives way to the next set of demands.
P.S. Over the coming hours a fuller picture of what really happened in the meeting may emerge. So far ministers are being tight-lipped but watch this space.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42061020
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Georgia Dome stadium crumbles in controlled demolition - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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Around 5,000lb of explosives were used to bring down one of the biggest dome structures in the US.
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Around 5,000lb of explosives were used to bring down one of the biggest dome structures in the US. The newly erected Mercedes-Benz Stadium next door opened earlier this year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42058177
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Obituary: Rodney Bewes - BBC News
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2017-11-21
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The actor found fame in The Likely Lads but struggled to repeat that success.
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UK
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Rodney Bewes, who has died aged 79, found fame as the aspirational Bob in the BBC sitcom The Likely Lads.
Teaming Bewes with James Bolam, it regularly drew audiences of more than 20 million.
Despite the success of a sequel, the two fell out in spectacular style - effectively ending the chance of the series being continued.
It turned out to be the peak of Bewes's career and he later found himself reduced to playing a series of less distinguished roles.
Rodney Bewes was born in Bingley, Yorkshire, on 27 November 1937.
His family later moved to Luton in Bedfordshire where his schooling was often interrupted by ill-health.
He answered a newspaper letter from a BBC producer asking for children to appear in the corporation's Children's Hour.
He appeared alongside his friend Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar
By the age of 14 he had appeared in a number of BBC TV productions including a role as Joe in a 1952 adaptation of The Pickwick Papers. He also secured a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's preparatory school.
"All the kids were posh and they were the children of actors in the West End of London and I'm just this boy from Bingley, near Bradford, and broad Yorkshire," he later recalled.
After completing his National Service in the RAF he returned to Rada.
He financed his studies by washing up in hotels at night, something that caused him to fall asleep during the day which culminated in him being asked to leave the academy.
He managed to secure some small stage roles, as well as parts in TV productions including Dixon of Dock Green, Emergency Ward 10 and Z-Cars.
He made his film debut in 1962 in Prize of Arms, a yarn about a gang that attempts to rob an army payroll convoy. The film is notable for early performances by a number of later well-known actors including Tom Bell, Jack May and Fulton Mackay.
A year later he secured the role of Arthur Crabtree in Billy Liar, alongside his friend Tom Courtenay.
It was the age of British cinema's so-called new wave, when film-makers were turning their attention to gritty working-class dramas and desperate for actors with regional accents.
There was a brief spell as straight man for Basil Brush
Despite Bewes hailing from Yorkshire, rather than Tyneside, he was cast as Bob Ferris in The Likely Lads, a sitcom conceived by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.
His aspirational character was in direct contrast to that of his friend, Terry Collier, the workshy, cynical figure played by James Bolam. Much of the comedy revolved around Bob's attempts to become middle-class in the face of constant derision from Terry.
The final series ended in 1966 and Bewes played a number of TV parts and was also in films including Man in a Suitcase, Spring and Port Wine and a star-studded musical version of Alice in Wonderland in which he played the Knave of Hearts.
He spent a year as Mr Rodney, who was one of a series of stooges for the puppet Basil Brush, before creating and starring in the ITV sitcom Dear Mother... Love Albert. It showcased his skills as a scriptwriter and proved to be popular with audiences.
In 1973 he teamed up with James Bolam again for Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, a sequel to the original series.
The series saw Bolam's character Terry return from his time away in the Army to discover that Bewes's Bob has bought his own house, secured a managerial job and is engaged to the boss's daughter.
"We were great friends," said Bewes.
"When my babies were born, his was the first house I went to."
In 1975 there was a film spin-off which proved to be the last time the pair worked together. Bolam was famous for guarding his privacy and was furious when Bewes let slip to a newspaper that Bolam's wife, the actress Susan Jameson, was pregnant.
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads was even more successful than the original series
After a fraught phone call the two did not speak to each other again. Bolam was so incensed that he refused to appear on an edition of This Is Your Life, which featured his former acting partner.
"It's this actor's ego thing - he thinks he is important," Bewes once said.
"Actors aren't important. I'm not important; I have fun. I think Jimmy takes himself very seriously as an actor."
Bewes's acting career never again scaled the heights of Likely Lads. There were bit parts in the films Jabberwocky and The Wildcats of St Trinians and he was able to use his abilities as a serious actor in a 1980 TV adaptation of the Restoration play 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.
Earlier in his career he had appeared in productions of She Stoops to Conquer and there was a role in a 1984 production of George Gascoigne's play Big in Brazil at the Old Vic Theatre in London, with Prunella Scales and Timothy West.
In the same year he also appeared in a Doctor Who story entitled Resurrection of the Daleks. It was one of his last significant appearances on the small screen.
He had some stage success with his one-man shows, Three Men in a Boat and Diary of a Nobody, which he toured for more than a decade. He won a Stella Artois Prize for the former at the 1997 Edinburgh Festival.
His role in Resurrection of the Daleks was one of his last TV appearances
His wife, the designer Daphne Black, whom he married in 1973, acted as his helper, setting up the stage and the props for his various performances.
Bewes never gave up on the idea of a revival of The Likely Lads, feeling that the characters were still relevant 40 years on.
"Instead of being the Likely Lads, we'd have been the Unlikeliest Granddads," he said.
"We would have been sitting on a park bench in a pair of grubby grey anoraks, feeding the pigeons and grumping about youngsters."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33181740
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Orinoco accident: Divers search for 10 missing people - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 10 disappeared after the boats they were travelling on sank on the Colombia-Venezuela border.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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Colombian navy divers are searching for 10 people who disappeared on Tuesday after their boats capsized in the Orinoco river, which divides Colombia from Venezuela.
A total of 18 people were on board the boats, eight of whom were rescued.
Witnesses said one of the boats had a mechanical problem and was being towed by the other one when they hit a rock about 30m (100ft) from the shore.
A local government official, Diego Zárate, said of the eight people rescued two were Colombians and six Venezuelans.
Among the missing are thought to be a number of children.
Witnesses said the boat with mechanical problems was transporting watermelons while the one that came to its rescue was carrying passengers.
But a Colombian navy official said he did not know what the two vessels were doing navigating the fast-flowing river in the early hours of Tuesday when it was still dark.
A search of the riverbanks has so far yielded no result.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-42064150
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Kevin Spacey: Scotland Yard investigating new sexual assault allegation - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Metropolitan police say they are looking into a new allegation of sexual assault.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Scotland Yard is investigating a new allegation of sexual assault made against Kevin Spacey.
The claim was made on Friday and alleges an assault took place on a man in Lambeth in 2005.
It was made the same day the Old Vic released the results of an internal investigation - the theatre said it received 20 personal testimonies of alleged inappropriate behaviour.
The BBC has contacted Spacey's legal representatives for comment.
This new claim is in addition to a 2008 assault being investigated by the Met.
Scotland Yard confirmed officers from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating the complaint.
Kevin Spacey was artistic director between 2004 and 2015 at the Old Vic, which is based in Lambeth.
The theatre said it "truly apologises" for not creating a culture where people felt able to speak freely after those affected said they "felt unable to raise concerns", and he that "operated without sufficient accountability".
The Old Vic's announcement follows recent allegations of sexual harassment and predatory behaviour made against the double Oscar winner and former House of Cards actor while at the theatre and elsewhere in the entertainment industry.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42084518
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Iranian charged with Game of Thrones hack - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Behzad Mesri is accused of leaking details of unaired episodes and demanding a $6m ransom from HBO.
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Technology
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The leaks were released prior to the broadcast of Game of Thrones series seven
US prosecutors have charged an Iranian man with hacking into HBO, leaking Game of Thrones scripts and demanding a $6m (£4.5m) ransom.
Behzad Mesri is accused of computer fraud, wire fraud, extortion and identity theft.
Acting US attorney Joon Kim told a news conference in New York that Mr Mesri was in Iran.
He said that even though US authorities could not arrest him immediately, Mr Mesri would face consequences.
"He will never be able to travel outside of Iran without fear of being arrested and brought here," Mr Kim said.
Prosecutors allege Mr Mesri, who has been added to the FBI's most wanted list, had worked for Iran's military and been involved in a campaign to deface US websites.
Mr Kim said he was an "experienced and sophisticated hacker who has been wreaking havoc on computer systems around the world for some time".
Prosecutors say Mr Mesri began conducting online reconnaissance of HBO's computer networks and employees in May 2017.
"Over the next couple of months, he successfully compromised multiple user accounts in order to obtain access to the media giant's servers," court documents say.
"Through the course of the intrusions into HBO's systems, Mr Mesri was responsible for stealing confidential and proprietary data including... scripts and plot summaries for unaired programming, including but not limited to episodes of Game of Thrones."
A few weeks later, the documents allege, Mr Mesri claimed to have stolen about 1.5TB of data and began an extortion campaign that included an email to HBO employees that read: "Hi to All losers" Yes it's true! HBO is hacked!"
It is unclear whether any ransom money, demanded in Bitcoin according to the court documents, was ever paid.
Mr Mesri has not yet commented on the charges.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42065652
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Mugabe resignation sparks dancing in the street - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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People dance in the streets as the resignation of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe is announced.
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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. There were scenes of celebration on the streets of the capital, Harare
News that Robert Mugabe has resigned as the president of Zimbabwe has spread quickly across the streets of Zimbabwe. This is how people are celebrating.
The celebrations started with MPs in parliament reacting to the resignation letter from Mr Mugabe being read out:
Where people couldn't get up on tables. they got up on cars:
People waved down traffic with their flags:
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And drivers were beeping their horns at the news:
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This Zimbabwean reporter captures people partying between the traffic:
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Singing broke out on the streets of Harare:
Some dressed up in anticipation for the celebration:
On Whatsapp groups, people are sharing an old meme of Robert Mugabe falling at an event in 2015 photoshopped into him jumping Zimbabwe's border:
A Zimbabwean news anchor highlights just how long Mr Mugabe has been in power:
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On the same theme, another Zimbabwean posted on Instagram a photo of a young Mr Mugabe, adding: "You started early and finished late".
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One MP who was an ally of Mr Mugabe, described by some as his closest associate, paid tribute to him:
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Some tweeters suggest the tribute could go even further - perhaps with a biopic of Mr Mugabe starring Don Cheadle. This mock-up film poster suggests all the details have already been carefully thought through:
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Don Cheadle retweeted the picture with no comment aside from three crying-with-laughter emojis.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42071935
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Ratko Mladic verdict fails to ease pain in Bosnia - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Victims of Ratko Mladic say his life sentence will not change anything in divided Bosnia.
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Europe
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Ratko Mladic terrorised the people of Sarajevo for almost four years, deliberately targeting civilians with snipers and mortar attacks.
But no cheers could be heard on the streets of the Bosnian capital when news broke that the commander of Bosnian Serb forces in the 1990s had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the UN tribunal in The Hague.
"The verdict won't make any changes," said Resad Trbonja, a native of Sarajevo who became a teenage soldier to defend the city during the siege, that left more than 10,000 people dead.
Now he works for the UK-based campaign organisation Remember Srebrenica.
"What we need to fight now is the legacy of the war - we're still living it. The weapons are down but the war is still going on.
"The only people who gain from the situation we are stuck in are the local politicians - they keep the legacy of war alive to maintain their power."
July 1992: Bosniak soldiers were outgunned by Serb forces in Sarajevo
At least Hasan Nuhanovic could take comfort that Mladic was found guilty of ordering genocide in his hometown, Srebrenica.
Mr Nuhanovic lost his father, mother and younger brother in the massacre - and designed the memorial centre opposite the cemetery, where thousands of victims are buried.
More than 7,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys were murdered at sites around Srebrenica in 1995.
While he welcomed the verdict, Mr Nuhanovic doubted it would reduce the enduring ethnic divisions which have crippled Bosnia since the end of the war.
"The question is: when will this politically-hostile environment change? I hope Bosnian Serbs and Serbs in the region will understand better now what Ratko Mladic did to us - to what extent it has disrupted our lives."
Gen Mladic (C) arriving in Sarajevo in August 1993
The reaction of Bosnia's ethnic-Serb politicians shows why reconciliation remains a remote prospect.
The current mayor of Srebrenica, Mladen Grujicic, said the verdict "confirmed the tribunal was made to prosecute only Serbs," while Republika Srpska's president, Milorad Dodik, called Mladic "a hero".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42086437
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The moment Zimbabwean MPs hear Mugabe has resigned - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Zimbabwean MPs erupt with cheers as the speaker reads out Robert Mugabe's resignation letter.
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The Speaker of Parliament in Zimbabwe has read out a letter of resignation from President Robert Mugabe. Wild celebrations broke out among the members of parliament, at the news that his 37-year rule has come to an end.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42071865
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Law Society accreditation scheme advert 'misled' public - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Watchdog criticises professional body over website description of accreditation scheme for firms.
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UK
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The Law Society misled the public over the expertise of solicitors in a scheme set up to help property buyers and sellers in England and Wales, the advertising watchdog has ruled.
Its website had said firms covered by the Conveyancing Quality Scheme had taken rigorous examination and tests.
But the Advertising Standards Authority found they could be accepted before staff had been trained and assessed.
The professional body said there had been no intention to mislead.
The Law Society represents 170,000 solicitors in England and Wales.
The purpose of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), the society said, was "to provide a trusted community of solicitors within the residential conveyancing market that helped to deter fraud and improve 'best practice' standards".
Set up in 2011, it was said by the society to be a "recognised quality standard" for residential conveyancing practices.
A page on its website in November 2016 claimed all members of CQS had demonstrated they have a high level of knowledge, skills, experience and practice.
But a solicitor, who was familiar with the requirements of joining the scheme, challenged the description.
The complaint was initially rejected by the ASA in June but it has now reversed its decision.
The CQS scheme was designed to help the buyers and sellers of property
In its ruling, the ASA said the advert had been unsubstantiated and misleading.
The ASA said from the description, consumers would understand the Law Society had conducted an in-depth assessment of each firm that applied for the scheme and "would expect that all criteria would have been met prior to accreditation being granted".
However, the ASA said it had found all but two of the 293 firms who applied for the scheme were accepted - in some cases, before relevant staff had been properly trained.
It said: "While we acknowledged that firms were granted CQS accreditation on the basis of independently-verified information attesting that they met an adequate standard... the ad exaggerated the level of knowledge, skills and experience possessed... and the extent of the checks that a firm had to undergo to receive its accreditation."
The BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman said the ruling was "highly embarrassing" for the Law Society, which has complied with the order to remove the offending words.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42074154
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Ratko Mladic: His trial in numbers - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The trial of the "Butcher of Bosnia" has come to an end after five years.
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The trial of the "Butcher of Bosnia" has come to an end after five years.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42074846
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Multiyork collapse puts 550 jobs under threat - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The furniture retailer will trade until Christmas at least as administrators seek a buyer.
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Business
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British furniture retailer Multiyork has gone into administration
Multiyork, the furniture retailer, has gone into administration, putting 550 jobs under threat.
The retailer will trade until Christmas at the earliest while administrators Duff & Phelps seek a buyer.
Multiyork will honour all existing orders placed until 22 November and customers will be contacted by the retailer.
The chain employs 547 staff in 50 stores and a manufacturing site in Thetford, Norfolk.
Employees were told of the collapse on Wednesday afternoon and the management team will stay in place.
"Multiyork is still open for business, still trading - it's very early days for the administration," a spokesperson for Duff & Phelps told the BBC.
"We're really hopeful we can find a buyer."
The administrators said that the 39-year-old upholstered furniture retailer had been affected by difficult trading conditions.
"Trading conditions for UK retailers continue to be difficult due to a number of factors including economic uncertainty, rising commodity prices, increasing business rates and the fall in value of the pound which has increased the cost of importing raw materials and products," said Allan Graham, a joint administrator at Duff & Phelps.
"This appears to be leading to a sharp fall in consumer confidence and less money being spent on discretionary items."
Multiyork has gone into receivership once before and was bought out by the Wade Group in 1995.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42088699
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Grenfell Tower: Extra £28m to help fire recovery - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The funding will go towards mental health services and regeneration in the area, the Chancellor says.
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UK
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An extra £28m is to go towards helping victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, Chancellor Philip Hammond has said in his Budget speech.
The funding for Kensington and Chelsea Council in London will pay for mental health services and regeneration.
The fire in June left 71 people dead, as well as hundreds of people homeless and many needing counselling.
Labour welcomed the announcement but questioned whether the council should be responsible for spending the money.
Mr Hammond has called on local authorities across the UK to speed up efforts to ensure all high-rise towers were safe.
In his Budget speech, Mr Hammond said of the Grenfell fire: "This tragedy should never have happened, and we must ensure that nothing like it ever happens again."
Kensington and Chelsea Council confirmed that the money would support mental health services in the area, alongside existing NHS agencies, as well as paying for a new community space and refurbishment of the Lancaster West estate in west London - where Grenfell Tower is based.
Last month the Central and North West London NHS Trust said around 360 adults and children were undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder following the fire, while a number of survivors and witnesses were reported to have attempted suicide.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How do witnesses and survivors of Grenfell Tower cope?
Labour's Emma Dent Coad, the MP for Kensington, said the money was "very welcome" but added: "Who will be in charge of these funds and decide where they are best spent?"
She criticised the local council's spending priorities and suggested that the local community - "that took over essential council services on the morning of the fire, and since then" - be part of the decision-making.
Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said the money would help secure "a long-term future for the people of North Kensington".
Philip Hammond says financial constraints should not get in the way of safety work to tower blocks
Following the Grenfell disaster, fire safety flaws were discovered in hundreds of high-rise blocks around the country.
In his Budget speech, Mr Hammond said any local authority which does not have the funds to pay for fire safety work should contact central government.
He told the Commons: "All local authorities and housing associations must carry out any identified, necessary safety works as soon as possible.
He added: "I have said before, and I will say again today, we will not allow financial constraints to get in the way of any essential fire safety work."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said councils, including Nottingham and Westminster, had contacted the government but "nothing was offered to them".
London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the government to act quickly to help councils fund retrofitting of buildings with sprinklers.
BBC Radio London research found that about half of London's boroughs had asked for financial help, which the government had not yet agreed to.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42084695
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Ashington driver 'crashed to save passengers' in French Alps - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Maurice Wrightson crashed into boulders to avoid the coach going off the road when the brakes failed.
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Tyne & Wear
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The coach quickly became a "complete inferno", the inquest heard
A bus driver died when he deliberately crashed to save his passengers from plummeting off a road in the French Alps, an inquest has heard.
Maurice Wrightson drove into boulders on the narrow mountain road when he realised his brakes had failed.
Mr Wrightson, 63, from Ashington, died in the April 2013 crash and four of the 50 passengers were seriously injured.
French investigators said the driver "undoubtedly prevented" a more serious crash, Berwick Coroner's Court heard.
The coach, which was carrying British staff from the French ski resort Alpe d'Huez, was approaching the 21st hairpin bend on the D211 road.
Nathan Woodland, 39, the co-driver of the coach operated by County Durham-based Classic Coaches, told the inquest he felt the bus twitch and quickly became aware something was wrong.
He said: "Suddenly Maurice looked at me with a very shocked look on his face.
"He said 'it's not stopping us'."
He said Mr Wrightson gripped the wheel very tightly and braced himself against his seat to apply more pressure to the brake.
Mr Woodland said: "I stepped into the aisle and shouted, 'grab a hold, hold tight'."
He then described how the coach smashed into the boulders and he was thrown a number of rows back.
As he picked himself up he saw people desperately trying to escape and flames begin to engulf the coach, which quickly turned into a "complete inferno".
He said the clothing of one woman, who was sitting behind the driver, caught fire as she was pulled from the bus by another passenger.
Speaking at the time, French transport minister Frederic Cuvillier said Mr Wrightson "showed remarkable courage" and avoided a "much heavier loss of life".
The inquest jury heard the French report concluded the brake failed as the pad had been "completely destroyed by excessive heating" due to the "poor condition of the hydraulic retarder".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-42083779
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Children in 'save Desborough Library' protest - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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About 60 primary school children gathered in Desborough to show their support for the town's library.
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About 60 primary school children gathered to fight the possible closure of a library.
Desborough Library, in Northamptonshire, could be shut as part of council cuts of £10m.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-42074836
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Ikea US relaunches furniture recall after child dies - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Swedish furniture giant says its chests and dressers are safe if secured to a wall.
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Business
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Ikea has re-launched a recall of millions of chests and dressers in the US and Canada following the death of an eighth child.
It said items in its Malm range and other chests and dressers pose a "serious tip-over and entrapment hazard" if not secured to a wall,
Ikea first recalled the furniture in 2016 after four children had died.
It has no plans for a UK recall, stating that the chest of drawers "meet all mandatory stability requirements".
Josef Dudek, a 2-year-old boy in California, died when he became trapped beneath a three-drawer Malm chest after he had been put down for a nap by his father.
Since 2011, four other young children have been killed in connection with the Malm range.
A further three children have died as a result of other Ikea chests and dressers tipping over, with the earliest death occurring in 1989.
Jozef Dudek died after an Ikea Malm dresser toppled over onto him
Widespread criticism spurred the company to add China to the recall last year. However, it has not made announcements in other countries, including the UK.
Ikea said it meets "mandatory stability standards" in all markets and that the products remain safe if secured to a wall, as recommended.
It has a "Secure It!" campaign to raise awareness of the issue.
A spokeswoman for Ikea said it was not aware of any tip-over fatalities outside the US and has no plans to expand the recall.
She said: "Our priority is and has always been to ensure that our products are safe to use. That means securing the chest of drawers to the wall according to the assembly instructions, using the tip-over restraint provided with the product.
"We don't believe a global recall from IKEA would be the solution. Instead, we are convinced that we can make a difference by raising awareness among consumers of the tip-over risks and how to prevent them through the global Secure it! campaign."
The re-launched recall involves Ikea children's chests of drawers taller than 60 cm and adult chest of drawers taller than 75 cm, including those from the Malm line.
It follows reports of more than 300 tip-over incidents in the US and Canada since 1985, resulting in eight deaths and 144 injuries to children between the ages of 19 months and 10 years old.
Lawyer Alan Feldman, an attorney for the Dudek family whose son was killed in May, has said that the recall in 2016 was not effective.
Ikea said it had done "extensive" outreach to customers about the recall, including an email campaign.
A spokeswoman said: "The most recent incident has indicated to us that there is more work to be done in spreading the message. However, we had to wait to confirm that the product is IKEA, which took some time."
She said Ikea said it has provided refunds or wall-anchoring help for more than one million dressers or chests since 2015, when it started offering free anchoring kits.
Ikea has stopped selling the products in the US and Canada that do not meet voluntary US standards.
It also reached a $50m settlement with the families of three toddlers killed previously.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42070606
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Saad Hariri: Lebanon PM 'suspends' resignation - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Saad Hariri said President Michel Aoun had asked him to "put it on hold" to allow for talks.
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Middle East
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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has "suspended" his resignation, which sparked a crisis when he announced it while in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.
Mr Hariri said President Michel Aoun had asked him to "put it on hold ahead of further consultations".
The two men held talks a day after Mr Hariri flew back to Lebanon.
Mr Hariri has denied that Saudi Arabia forced him to resign and detained him in an attempt to curb the influence of Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is part of a national unity government formed by Mr Hariri last year.
"Today I presented my resignation to his excellency the president, and he asked me to temporarily suspend submitting it and to put it on hold ahead of further consultations on the reasons for it," Mr Hariri said after Wednesday's meeting at the Baabda presidential palace.
"I expressed my agreement to this request, in the hope that it will form a serious basis for a responsible dialogue."
Michel Aoun met Saad Hariri at the presidential palace a day after the prime minister's return
Mr Hariri said Lebanon required "exceptional effort from everyone" at this time in order to "protect it in confronting dangers and challenges".
He also reiterated the need to remain committed to Lebanon's state policy of "dissociation regarding wars, external struggles, regional disputes and everything that harms internal stability" - an apparent reference to the activities of Hezbollah.
The Shia Islamist movement acknowledges fighting alongside government forces in Syria and Iraq, and arming Palestinian militants. But it denies advising and sending weapons to rebel forces in Yemen's civil war and militants in Bahrain.
The fact that Saad Hariri's resignation has been delayed will be seen as a blow to Saudi Arabia. Many here believe Riyadh pressurised him to resign in order to bring about the Lebanese government's collapse.
Lebanon is now centre stage in the power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. There is likely to be days of backroom dealing in order resolve this crisis. But the solution will need to involve the regional powers and the international community.
Significantly, Mr Hariri has opened the possibility that he may stay in power if Hezbollah respects Lebanon's policy of staying out of regional conflicts.
On Monday, Hezbollah's leader denied sending arms to Yemen and a number of other Arab states, and said he could pull its fighters out of Iraq once so-called Islamic State was defeated there.
But that is unlikely to appease a wounded Saudi Arabia.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Hariri was embraced by Mr Aoun as the two men attended an independence day military parade in Beirut. The president, a Maronite Christian former army commander and ally of Hezbollah who publicly accused Saudi Arabia of detaining the prime minister, appeared to tell him: "Welcome back!"
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Mr Hariri left Riyadh for France at the weekend with his wife and one of his three children. He flew to Lebanon on Tuesday, stopping in Egypt and Cyprus en route.
On Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech that he still considered Mr Hariri prime minister and that the militant Shia Islamist movement was "open to any dialogue and any discussing that happens" in Lebanon.
Mr Hariri announced his resignation in a televised address on 4 November from Riyadh, in which he accused Iran of sowing "discord, devastation and destruction" in the region and said he sensed there was an assassination plot against him.
Mr Hariri's supporters celebrated his return to Lebanon on Tuesday night
His father Rafik - himself a former prime minister - was killed in a car bombing in Beirut in 2005. Several members of Hezbollah are being tried in absentia at a UN-backed tribunal in connection with the attack, though the group denies any involvement.
Mr Hariri, a Sunni Muslim who became prime minister for the second time in late 2016 in a political compromise deal that also saw Mr Aoun elected president, has close ties to Saudi Arabia.
He holds both Lebanese and Saudi citizenship and has extensive business interests there. Riyadh also backs his political party, the Future Movement.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42079999
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Emotional moment for Zimbabwe activist: 'I've no words' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Activist and political candidate Vimbaishe Musvaburi cries as she describes her emotions following Robert Mugabe's resignation.
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Activist and political candidate Vimbaishe Musvaburi cries as she describes her emotions in the wake of Robert Mugabe's resignation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42071868
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Budget quiz: test your knowledge - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The BBC's Budget quiz: See how much you know about the UK Budget's long and colourful history.
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Business
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Could you live alone on an island?
Simon traded normal life for the opportunity to become a warden on Flatholm Island, where he is the only human resident among thousand of gulls
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42069371
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Budget 2017: Laura Kuenssberg's instant view - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The BBC's Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg gives her instant verdict on what came up in the chancellor's big speech.
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The BBC's Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg gives her instant take on what came up in the chancellor's big speech.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42085838
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North Korea defection: Footage of moment soldier flees - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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He raced across the border on foot, closely pursued by North Korean troops who shot at him several times.
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Remarkable footage has been released showing the defection of a North Korea soldier across the border at the Panmunjom truce village on 13 November.
He is almost caught by North Korean troops, who shoot at him several times, before he is rescued by South Korean soldiers.
A spokesman for the UN command, said the North Korean soldiers who shot at the defector had violated the armistice agreement that halted the Korean war.
Read more: What we've learned from the dramatic footage
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42075986
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New York terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov defended by mother - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Sayfullo Saipov's mother says she can't believe her son deliberately killed eight people in New York.
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The mother of the man accused of killing eight people in a terror attack in New York has said she believes her son is innocent.
The BBC's Will Vernon tracked her down in Uzbekistan, the country that was home to terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov until 2010 when he moved to the US.
It's the first time the BBC has been allowed to report from the country in over a decade.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-42027317
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Paralympian Anne Wafula-Strike wins train toilet payout - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Anne Wafula-Strike ended up wetting herself on the train as the disabled toilet was not working.
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Essex
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Anne Wafula-Strike said it was "vital" it did not happen to other people
A Paralympian has been compensated after wetting herself on a train when the disabled toilet was not working.
Anne Wafula-Strike, 48, was on a three-hour CrossCountry train from Nuneaton to Stansted in December with an out-of-order accessible loo.
The wheelchair racer, from Harlow, said train staff knew she needed to use the toilet but when they reached a station it was too late.
A CrossCountry spokesman said since what happened on 8 December, a "thorough review" had been undertaken.
He added: "While we have apologised for the events that day, a lot of good has also resulted from this, with the whole rail industry looking at ways to make Britain's railways a more accessible environment, alongside the Department for Transport's ongoing consultation on an Accessibility Action Plan."
Wheelchair racer Mrs Wafula-Strike became a member of Paralympics GB in 2007
The deadline for the Accessibility Action Plan's consultation ends on Wednesday.
Kenya-born Mrs Wafula-Strike, who is a board member of UK Athletics and has an MBE for services to disability sport, has said disabled travellers need the "support of the Government to hold transport companies to account".
Mrs Wafula-Strike had been returning from a UK Athletics board meeting when she needed to use the toilet and asked the ticket master if they could let her off at the next stop after seeing the out-of-order sign.
However, Mrs Wafula-Strike said there was nobody to help her at that station and on the way to the following station she "ended up wetting" herself, which was "humiliating".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-42084435
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Budget: Heads say extra maths cash is 'drop in ocean' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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School leaders are "extremely disappointed" by the Budget, despite boost for maths A-level.
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Family & Education
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There will be extra funding to encourage more pupils to study maths A-level
Head teachers' leaders are "extremely disappointed" by what they say is the Budget's failure to address "urgent" school funding shortages in England.
Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL heads' union, said extra cash for maths was a "drop in the ocean" and schools would still face real-terms cuts.
Maths A-level will be encouraged, with £600 for schools for each pupil taking the subject above current numbers.
The Chancellor said maths skills were needed for "cutting edge" jobs.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn criticised the lack of movement on student debt and warned that schools in England would be "5% worse off by 2019".
In his Budget speech, Philip Hammond announced a £117m boost for maths, alongside plans to train 12,000 computer teachers and more support for adult re-training.
But school leaders were angered that there was no extra cash for core school spending.
It would now be "impossible for many schools to avoid making redundancies", said Paul Whiteman, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers.
West Sussex head teacher and funding campaigner, Jules White, said that representatives of 5,000 schools had visited Downing Street last week - calling for the return of £1.7bn which they say had been "taken from school budgets".
But Mr White said "our reasonable request fell on deaf ears".
The lack of movement on school funding would leave "parents and teachers deeply disappointed," said the National Education Union.
Jo Yurky, a parent campaigner over school funding, said the spending plans were "out of touch with the concerns of parents" and that the maths announcement was "tinkering around the edges with gimmicky ideas".
But supporting an increased uptake of maths was welcomed by Professor Frank Kelly, chair of the Royal Society's advisory committee on mathematics education.
"Mathematics is essential for understanding the modern world and provides the foundations for economic prosperity," said Prof Kelly.
The Chancellor's Budget statement announced financial incentives to boost maths after the age of 16, after concerns that too many drop the subject after GCSEs.
"Knowledge of maths is key to the hi-tech, cutting-edge jobs in our digital economy," said Mr Hammond.
The Chancellor said he wanted "highly talented young mathematicians" to be able to "release their potential wherever they live and whatever their background".
From 2019, schools will receive an extra £600 for every additional student taking maths or further maths A-level or core maths above current levels.
University lecturers said that student finance was a "glaring omission" from the Budget
But heads' leader, Geoff Barton, warned that the funding offer for maths could create a "perverse incentive to enter students on to maths courses which might not necessarily be the best option for them".
He also raised concerns that it would be "unfair" that schools that had already increased their number of maths A-levels students would miss out on extra funding.
Mr Hammond also invited proposals for new maths specialist schools.
There will be £42m over three years to provide extra training to "improve the quality of teaching" in a pilot project in some under-performing schools in England.
In the selected schools, each teacher will have access to £1,000 worth of training.
Schools have struggled to recruit computer science teachers - and there will £84m over four years to train 12,000 more staff qualified to teach the subject, with the support of a new National Centre for Computing.
This was welcomed by Cindy Rose, the UK chief executive of Microsoft, who said: "There is an urgent need for the UK to tackle its digital skills gap."
The Chancellor announced a national re-training scheme for adults, in partnership with the CBI and the TUC, with an initial £30m to teach digital skills.
Further education colleges were promised £20m to prepare for the so-called "T-level" qualifications, which will be for vocational subjects.
Angela Rayner, Labour's shadow education secretary, said: "The schemes announced today are a tiny fraction of the money he has cut from school budgets since 2015 and despite his spin, schools will be worse off by 2020."
Kevin Courtney, joint leader of the National Education Union, said: "The Budget, with no significant new money for education, shows that the Government has chosen to ignore the anger of parents and the clear evidence of the problems being created by real terms cuts to education."
The UCU lecturers' union said the "glaring omission" from the Chancellor's speech was any reference to the promised review of university funding or support for students.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42081388
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Scientist finds UK water companies use 'magic' to find leaks - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Engineers from the majority of the UK's water firms still use divining rods to locate pipes, it emerges.
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Oxford
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The process of using divining rod has been in use for hundreds of years
Water companies are using divining rods to find underground pipes despite there being no scientific evidence they work, an Oxford University scientist found.
Sally Le Page said her parents were surprised when a technician used two "bent tent pegs" to find a mains pipe.
She contacted all the UK's water companies, and a majority confirmed engineers still use the centuries-old technique.
However, a number said the equipment was not standard-issue equipment.
The process of using divining rods, also known as dowsing, has been in use for hundreds of years.
A dowser will typically hold the rods, usually shaped like the letter Y, while walking over land and being alert for any movement to find water.
Evolutionary biologist Ms Le Page, whose parents live in Stratford-upon-Avon, first contacted Severn Trent Water via Twitter.
It replied: "We've found that some of the older methods are just as effective than the new ones, but we do use drones as well, and now satellites."
Other companies which gave a similar response were:
Ms Le Page said: "I can't state this enough: there is no scientifically rigorous, doubly blind evidence that divining rods work.
"Isn't it a bit silly that big companies are still using magic to do their jobs?"
In a statement issued later, Severn Trent said: "We don't issue divining rods but we believe some of our engineers use them."
All the companies emphasised they do not encourage the use of divining rods nor issue them to engineers, and said modern methods such as drones and listening devices were preferred.
Northern Ireland Water, Northumbrian Water, South West Water and Wessex Water said their engineers do not use them.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-42070719
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Budget 2017: Hammond must be cautious, say nervous investors - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A former aide to George Osborne says the chancellor must not change his strategy in the Budget.
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Business
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The chancellor has been urged to deliver a "cautious" Budget or risk alienating investors.
Rupert Harrison, former chief of staff to George Osborne, said that Philip Hammond should not radically change strategy by increasing borrowing significantly.
Mr Hammond is under pressure to be "big and bold" in the Budget which he will deliver at 12.30pm.
He will say that he is "optimistic" about the future of the UK economy.
But with a major downgrade expected to productivity - the ability of the economy to create wealth - his room for spending giveaways will be limited.
Mr Harrison told the BBC that with Brexit uncertainty and nervousness about the direction the UK economy is heading, the markets would be keener on a "steady as she goes" message.
"You don't want to surprise the world by saying we're embarking on a new strategy, we're going to borrow lots of money, raise taxes," he said.
"I think in a moment when the world has got some question marks about the UK anyway, it's time for a bit of consistency and a bit of patience."
Rupert Harrison is now a senior figure at BlackRock, one of the largest investment firms in the world with over £4 trillion of funds under its control.
The government relies on international investors to fund its deficit, the difference between what it spends on services and receives in taxes.
And the cost of servicing that debt is rising as inflation (a lot of government debt is linked to the rise in prices) and interest rates rise.
Mr Harrison said that the chancellor did have some limited wriggle room.
"If we look at the big picture, back in 2010, we had a budget deficit of 10% of GDP [the country's Gross Domestic Product, or national income]," he said.
"That was very high and I think a risk to economic stability. It needed to be dealt with [and] that deficit is now just 3% of GDP."
He added: "That means that it's not an urgent immediate issue - the chancellor has a little bit of wriggle room to maybe spend a little bit more on infrastructure, a little bit on housing.
"But I don't think he should abandon the longer-term ambition to keep the public finances under control and start getting our debt down, because in the end the UK is still vulnerable."
It is expected that the Office for Budget Responsibility - the official economic watchdog - will downgrade its forecasts for growth and productivity when it publishes its economic outlook report alongside the Budget.
Lower productivity means the economy expands less quickly and the government receives less in tax revenues and may have to borrow more.
It also means that people are less likely to receive higher wage increases.
He believes his "fiscal rule" - a promise to balance the government's public finances by 2025 - is vital to investor confidence in the UK economy.
But, with borrowing slightly lower than expected, Mr Hammond is expected to announce a major package of support for new housing as well as more spending on infrastructure such as digital broadband and 5G mobile.
It is possible he will also announce more spending on health, although it is unlikely to be the £4bn demanded by the chief executive of the NHS, Simon Stevens.
There have been calls to reverse corporation tax cuts, which are due to fall to 17% by 2020.
But that would appear to be a direct contradiction of a pledge in the Conservative election manifesto to "stick to the plan" to cut the tax.
Mr Harrison said that halting further cuts to business taxes might be possible: "But I think you need to be careful about the signals you send if you put it up".
"I think there's much more nervousness about the UK than there was around the world," Mr Harrison said.
"We used to be seen as a very predictable, reliable, business friendly place to come to do business and to invest, I think people are now starting to question that [and are asking] what is it the UK really wants?"
He said that people do not really understand the whole Brexit process which he said has raised the level of uncertainty.
"So I think that puts a premium for the UK government on trying to signal as much certainty as it can, trying to reduce that uncertainty, set out a clear strategy," Mr Harrison said.
"The next time we have an economic downturn, with high levels of debt, a big banking system, it's a question of how much patience do we have to really put ourselves in the best possible position for the future."
He said: "I think financial markets wouldn't punish the UK in the short term if there was a little bit more spending on infrastructure, if there were good projects that could be shown to produce good economic returns.
"I think where there would be more concern is if there was a sense that the UK government was essentially abandoning its ambitions to deal with the public finances longer term."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42075091
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May welcomes Zimbabwe's 'brighter future' after Mugabe - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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UK politicians react to the resignation of President Robert Mugabe after his 37-year rule.
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UK
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The resignation of Robert Mugabe comes after Zimbabwe's military took over the country and put him under house arrest
Theresa May has welcomed the resignation of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, saying it offered an opportunity to "rebuild the country's economy".
The president stepped down after 37 years in power via a letter that was read out to the country's parliament.
It followed a takeover by the Zimbabwean military, who put Mr Mugabe under house arrest last week.
Boris Johnson called the end of Mr Mugabe's reign a "moment of hope."
The 93-year-old had resisted calls to step down, despite the intervention of the country's military and protests across the capital of Harare.
However, on Tuesday, parliament speaker Jacob Mudenda read a letter from the former leader of Zanu-PF, which said his decision was "voluntary" and "arising from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe."
Responding to the announcement, Mrs May said: "In recent days we have seen the desire of the Zimbabwean people for free and fair elections and the opportunity to rebuild the country's economy under a legitimate government.
"As Zimbabwe's oldest friend, we will do all we can to support this, working with our international and regional partners to help the country achieve the brighter future it so deserves."
The foreign secretary also welcomed the announcement, but warned it should not mark "the transition from one despotic rule to another".
Mr Johnson said: "I think it's very important at the moment that we don't focus too much on the personalities.
"Let's concentrate on the potential, the hope for Zimbabwe - an incredible country, a beautiful country, blessed with extraordinary physical and human potential."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says Robert Mugabe's resignation as president is a "moment of hope" for Zimbabwe
Asked about what he thought should happen to Mr Mugabe and his wife Grace - who the former leader had been priming as a successor - he added: "[Mr Mugabe] played an important part in the birth of the independent nation of Zimbabwe.
"And yet, tragically, he allowed that legacy to be squandered and his country went to rack and ruin and in some cases his people were driven to the brink of starvation.
"It's time now for a new future and how Robert Mugabe spends the rest of his years is very much a matter for his countrymen."
Labour MP and former Africa minister, Peter Hain, said the president's attempt to ensure Grace Mugabe would follow in his footsteps was his downfall.
He told BBC News: "It was his determination to create a family dynasty and protect himself that finally meant his party gave up on him and the ruling elite gave up on him as well.
"The Zanu-PF party, that Mugabe had controlled with an iron fist, reacted against it and would not accept his wife being ushered in as his presidential replacement.
"The military said we have had enough and we are not going to put up with this, although they had ruled with him and supported him at times in murderous extermination of the opposition.
Lord Peter Hain met with Mr Mugabe when he was the minister for Africa in 1999
Lord Hain added that the people of Zimbabwe had the chance for a "fresh start", and called on former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is expected to will be sworn in as president in the coming days, to take the country "in a different direction".
Salil Shetty, secretary general of London-based Amnesty International, said Mr Mugabe's leadership had allowed "grotesque crimes to thrive", but his resignation was a turning point.
She said: "After more than three decades of violent repression, the way forward for the country is to renounce the abuses of the past and transition into a new era where the rule of law is respected and those who are responsible for injustices are held to account."
• None The army chief who took power from Mugabe
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42071100
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Budget 2017: What does the diesel change mean? - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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New diesel cars face a tax rise, but "white van man" will not be affected, chancellor says
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Business
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The sale of new diesel cars that do not meet latest emissions standards will face a one-off tax increase in April.
It will be levied on all diesels that do not meet the Real Driving Emissions Step 2 standards on emissions for the first year of ownership.
According to experts, it means that most new diesels would be subject to the rise.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said the tax change would apply only to cars, and "white van man" was unaffected.
Different rates of Vehicle Excise Duty will be levied according to a car's CO2 emissions band.
A Ford Fiesta or Vauxhall Astra would see a one-off £20 rise and a Land Rover Discovery a £400 increase. Cars in the top band, such as a Porsche Cayenne, would be hit with a £500 tax.
The chancellor said: "Drivers buying a new car will be able to avoid this charge as soon as manufacturers bring forward the next-generation cleaner diesels that we all want to see.
The move was part of a series of Budget policies designed to improve air quality and promote electric vehicles.
The chancellor also unveiled a £220m Clean Air Fund, and £400m - split equally between the Treasury and motor industry - to improve the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
There will also be another £100m in subsidies to help persuade consumers to buy electric vehicles.
The key thing... if you've already got a diesel car, you won't pay more.
That's hardly a surprise, bearing in mind people were encouraged to buy diesels some years ago. The government wasn't about to slap a big tax on drivers who parted with lots of money in good faith.
From April though, if you are buying a new diesel, you will probably pay more tax in the first year. It depends on the emissions test that it had to pass, so I'd ask the dealer before you buy.
The new tax rise will apply until around 2021, by which time all new cars have to meet the tighter pollution rules. And this only applies to cars, not vans, trucks, etc.
So, it's more of a soft, brushing nudge rather than a big push to persuade people away from polluting diesels.
Of course, there is a danger that it convinces drivers to keep their old, dirtier diesels, rather than buy a new, cleaner one.
The UK's motor industry trade body, the SMMT, said the chancellor's diesel tax changes risked sending out mixed messages.
Chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Diesel buyers will not face any additional taxation for the next six months, but thereafter, will face additional charges which will undermine fleet renewal efforts, which are the best and quickest way to address air quality concerns.
"Manufacturers are investing heavily in the latest low emission technology. However, it's unrealistic to think that we can fast-track the introduction of the next generation of clean diesel technology which takes years to develop."
But Peter Williams, of the motoring group RAC, said: "The chancellor has chosen to be relatively light touch when it comes to taxing new diesel cars.
"Any new diesel car registered from 1st April 2018 will be hit with a higher first year tax rate unless they conform to the latest real world driving standards.
"So current beleaguered owners of diesel cars can breathe a sigh of relief that they will not be punished further by the Treasury - but they will need to keep their eyes on local authorities who may be introducing clean air zones in the near future."
However, he added that a side effect of the Budget announcement might be a risk that drivers will be encouraged to keep their older diesel vehicles.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42079297
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Zanu-PF purges itself to win back Zimbabweans' trust - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Zimbabwe's ruling party is intent on retaining power after the earthquake of Robert Mugabe's overthrow.
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Africa
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Zimbabweans want a "happy new Zimbabwe" - and the long-time ruling party Zanu-PF is anxious to assure them it can be the one to deliver it
It's been a dramatic, inspiring, earthquake of a week in Zimbabwe. But if you're looking for evidence to show that what really happened was a ruthless reshuffle within the governing party, Zanu-PF, rather than any grander transformation in politics or society, it is worth having a chat with the local MP for Harare East.
I met the Honourable Terence Mukupe in the garden of the Meikles Hotel in the city centre, as his new party boss, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was poised to return to the country, and a fellow Harare MP was busy being dragged off, in tears, by plain-clothed security agents in the hotel lobby.
"That's a signal to the public that we really mean business," said Mr Mukupe, drily, of his Zanu-PF colleague, Shadreck Mashayamombe - reportedly a former aide to Grace Mugabe.
"There are going to be over 500 high-profile people that are going to face the music, be taken to court, and that's what Zimbabweans want to see. No sacred cows," he continued.
Mr Mukupe, who says he worked for 10 years as an investment banker on Wall Street before winning his seat in parliament two years ago, is part of an ambitious younger generation of Zanu-PF MPs who have been at the heart of the internal power struggles that led to last week's military "intervention."
Although he briefly sided with the G40 group linked to Grace Mugabe, he quickly and - as it soon proved - presciently switched to endorse her bitter rival Mr Mnangagwa.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How news of Robert Mugabe's resignation was greeted across Zimbabwe
Now Mr Mukupe foresees a Zanu-PF revival, with technocrats - like himself perhaps - brought in to the cabinet to fix the economy, and next year's national elections already a foregone conclusion.
"There's so much chaos within the opposition. Everyone is clear that Zanu-PF is going to win the election. It will be a landslide. So let's have change within Zanu-PF," he said. He mentioned Rwanda as an example to follow. "People want to see technocrats. It should become a meritocracy."
"We have a cancer in this society," Mr Mukupe told the BBC
But what's most striking, to an outsider, about someone like Mr Mukupe is his skill in disassociating himself from the disastrous failings of Zanu-PF and President Mugabe, and the repression and misrule that damaged the lives of so many millions of Zimbabweans.
He readily admits there was "violence perpetrated against opposition members and corrupt activities", but insists that the blame lay squarely with President Mugabe. It's an argument that suits the party well these days, as it purges itself of "cliques" and "cabals".
"We have a cancer in this society. Our politics was about cults. Everyone was afraid of President Mugabe. Don't make it appear as if it's just the ordinary people, or people in opposition.
"Even people within Zanu-PF were afraid. He was the beginning and end of everything - he could hire you, fire you, imprison you, do all sorts of things to you. Not everyone could stand up and fight the beast," said Mr Mukupe.
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"We should never have given him the sort of powers we gave him," he conceded, but insisted that no-one, including the opposition, had "clean hands. "It's a collective responsibility. Everybody played some role in the demise of this country."
It's easy to see now how Zanu-PF will run with that message in the months ahead, as the country heads towards elections.
Some would argue that it is more spin than truth - a convenient re-writing of history by the winning team. But there is every chance that many Zimbabweans, still tied to Zanu-PF by history and familiarity, will choose to give it another opportunity to correct itself.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42088257
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Ashes: England pick Jake Ball as Australia call up Glenn Maxwell - BBC Sport
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2017-11-22
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England name Jake Ball in their side for the first Ashes Test, while Australia call up Glenn Maxwell as cover for David Warner.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and the BBC Sport website. Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.
England have named seamer Jake Ball ahead of Craig Overton in their side for the first Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane.
Ball, 26, has recovered from the sprained ankle he suffered on 10 November and which kept him out of England's final warm-up game last week.
Australia have called up all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as cover for David Warner, who has a stiff neck, and Shaun Marsh, who has a sore back.
The opening Test at the Gabba starts at 00:00 GMT on Thursday.
Nottinghamshire's Ball has bowled only 15.4 overs on the tour, having fallen in his delivery stride during England's four-day tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide.
Overton, who has not played a Test, featured in all three of England's tour games, taking eight wickets.
"It wasn't an easy decision," said captain Joe Root. "Craig has come into the squad and everything asked of him he's done really well.
"Jake has bowled well when he's had his opportunity on the tour and the way he goes about things on these surfaces could be really challenging for the Australians."
• None What England must do to win the Ashes - Agnew's verdict
• None How to follow the Ashes on the BBC
• None Don't want to miss the action? Get Ashes alerts sent to your phone
England will name their batting order on the morning of the game, with Moeen Ali thought to be line in to move above wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow to number six.
On Tuesday, all-rounder Moeen said he expected to bat at seven, but Root told reporters on Wednesday to "wait and see".
Warner, 31, has had limited time in the nets in the final two days before the Test, but Australia captain Steve Smith said he expects him to be "OK".
"Warner is still a little bit stiff but he's feeling better and very confident," said Smith.
"He's a pretty talented guy and he finds a way no matter what's going on."
Left-handed Warner, who averages 47.94 from 66 Tests, is due to open with the uncapped Cameron Bancroft.
Warner faced only two throw-downs in the nets on Tuesday but had a longer session on Wednesday, batting without a helmet.
"He was hitting them well in the nets," said Smith, who joked that Warner may be forced to copy the open-chested style of former West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
"He had to open his body up a little more, but he's confident he'll be fine."
Root said: "I don't think we need to change our plans. We'll be ready for him to play."
Smith confirmed that seamers Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers will miss out, meaning pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will feature in the same Test side for the first time.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42077638
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Wigan's Ryan Colclough subbed for son's birth after scoring twice - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Wigan's Ryan Colclough scored twice and made it to his son's birth - in full kit - with 30 minutes to go.
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Manchester
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ryan Colclough's told BBC Radio Manchester he was 'overwhelmed' by his unique hat-trick
A footballer who scored twice before being subbed to see the birth of his son says he got there "just in the nick of time".
Wigan Athletic's Ryan Colclough made a double strike against Doncaster before a nod from his father watching in the stands indicated his partner's waters had broken.
He said he raced down the tunnel and made it to the birth - in full kit - with 30 minutes to spare.
He said: "It was a great feeling."
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Both mother and his second son, Harley Thomas, whom he said weighed in at 8lbs 6ozs, are "doing very well".
The winger said he was "overwhelmed" with a great night "both on and off the pitch".
Colclough said he was not "too worried" going into the match as a scan earlier on Tuesday indicated it could be a "couple of days" before the arrival.
He said midwives had then told the couple the baby "was still very much tucked up".
However, just before he scored his first goal his father indicated she had gone into labour.
He said his "head was a little bit battered" and when he was subbed he was "straight down the tunnel... and got to hospital... as quickly as I could".
Ryan Colclough's goal celebration was captured by Bernard Platt in the Latics' 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night
After two hours sleep he said he was "doing errands" on Wednesday including "taking my kit back with the kitman" before visiting time.
Colclough, who is originally from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, said he hopes to be back in action for Athletic against Rotherham on Saturday.
Latics team mates Shaun MacDonald tweeted "massive congratulations" while Max Power tweeted: "Great end to the night @ry_coco congrats mate."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42078126
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North Korea: US imposes fresh sanctions over nuclear programme - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The new measures come a day after the US redesignated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.
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US & Canada
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North Korea continues to test ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons in breach of UN resolutions
The US has unveiled fresh sanctions against North Korea which it says are designed to stop its funding of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
The measures target North Korean shipping operations and Chinese companies that trade with Pyongyang.
It comes a day after US President Donald Trump redesignated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The North is already subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU.
The US has been imposing sanctions on Pyongyang since 2008, freezing the assets of individuals and companies linked to its nuclear programme and banning the exports of goods and services to the country.
"As North Korea continues to threaten international peace and security, we are steadfast in our determination to maximise economic pressure to isolate it from outside sources of trade and revenue while exposing its evasive tactics," said Treasury Secretary Steven T Mnuchin on Tuesday.
"These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea's trade and its deceptive manoeuvres."
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Three Chinese companies accused of trading with North Korea - Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading and Dandong Hongda Trade - are added to the US Treasury's sanctions list.
Also targeted is the Korea South-South Co-operation Corporation which is alleged to have created revenue for the North by sending workers to countries including Russia, Poland, Cambodia and China.
In September, the US proposed a range of United Nations sanctions against North Korea, including an oil ban and a freeze on leader Kim Jong-un's assets.
It followed the North's sixth nuclear test and repeated missile launches.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42074126
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Ratko Mladic, the 'Butcher of Bosnia' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Ratko Mladic, the former Serbian army general, orchestrated the worst atrocities in post-war Europe.
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Europe
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Ratko Mladic in Pale, Serbia, in May 1993
Ratko Mladic was the army general who became known as the "Butcher of Bosnia", who waged a brutal campaign during the Bosnian war and was jailed for life for directing his troops in the worst atrocities in post-war Europe.
More than 20 years after he was first indicted by an international war crimes tribunal, and a year after the closing arguments in his case, Mladic appeared in court at The Hague on Wednesday to hear the verdict against him.
In typical style, he railed against the judge and insulted the court and he was removed from the room. In his absence, he was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity.
Seemingly ever-present on the front lines and respected by his soldiers as a man of courage, Mladic oversaw an army of 180,000 men during the Bosnian war of the 1990s.
In 1992, Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) and Croats voted for independence in a referendum boycotted by Serbs. The country descended into war, Bosniaks and Croats on one side and Bosnian Serbs on the other.
Along with the Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic, Mladic came to symbolise a Serb campaign of ethnic cleansing that left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
The worst and most enduring crimes pinned on the former army chief and his men were an unrelenting three-year siege of Sarajevo that claimed more than 10,000 lives, and the massacre at Srebrenica, where more than 7,000 Bosniak men and boys were slaughtered and dumped in mass graves.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "The soil here is soaked with blood" - survivor Mevludin Oric
When the conflict came to an end in 1995, Mladic, facing an indictment for war crimes, went on the run.
With considerable help, he evaded capture for 16 years, until May 2011 when police descended on an unassuming yellow brick house in the village of Lazarevo, north of Belgrade.
Clad in black clothes and black masks, officers surrounded the house. Inside, Europe's most-wanted man - older in appearance than his 69 years and thinner than the bull-like general of his war days - was preparing to go for a walk in the garden.
Ratko Mladic was ferocious in pursuit of what he saw as the destiny of the Serb nation. He saw the war as an opportunity to avenge five centuries of occupation by Muslim Turks. He would refer to Bosniaks as "Turks" in order to insult them.
There may have also been an emotional root to his ruthlessness. In 1995, a year before the massacre at Srebrenica, his much-loved daughter Ana, a medical student, shot herself with his pistol - an act that, according to people close to him, hardened his character.
Some believe she chose to die after learning of atrocities committed by forces under her father's command.
Mladic was born in the south Bosnian village of Kalinovik. On his second birthday, in 1945, his father died fighting pro-Nazi Croatian Ustasha troops.
He grew up in Tito's Yugoslavia and became a regular officer in the Yugoslav People's Army. A career soldier, he was said to inspire passionate devotion among his soldiers.
When the country slid into war in 1991, Mladic was posted to lead the Yugoslav Army 9th Corps against Croatian forces at Knin. The following year he was appointed to lead a new Bosnian Serb army.
As his gunners pounded the city of Sarajevo in early 1992, mercilessly killing civilians, he would yell "Burn their brains!" to encourage them, and "Shell them until they're on the edge of madness!"
The siege laid waste to parts of central Sarajevo, hollowing out houses and charring cars. A long stretch of road leading into the city became known as "sniper's alley", after the Serb marksmen who would fire at anything that moved: car, man, woman or child.
The most horrific crime of which Mladic was convicted happened 80km (50 miles) north of Sarajevo, in a small salt-mining town whose name would become indelibly associated with the horror of that week.
Srebrenica was a Bosniak enclave under UN protection, when in July 1995 Mladic's forces overran it and rounded up thousands of men and boys aged between 12 and 77.
As the men were detained, Mladic was seen handing out sweets to Bosniak children in the main square. Hours later, in a field outside the town, his men began shooting.
Over the next five days, more than 7,000 men and boys were executed, reportedly machine-gunned in groups of 10 before being buried by bulldozer in mass graves. It was the worst mass execution since the crimes of the Nazis.
A Bosnian Muslim woman mourns at the coffin of a relative killed at Srebrenica
The war ended later that year. Hundreds of thousands of non-Serbs had been driven from their homes in an attempt to create an ethnically pure Serb state in Croatia and Bosnia.
In late 1995, a UN war crimes tribunal indicted Mladic on two counts of genocide, for the Sarajevo siege and the Srebrenica massacre. Many other combatants, including Croats and Bosniaks, were also accused of war crimes. Mladic went on the run, but he didn't go far.
As a fugitive Mladic still enjoyed the open support and protection of the then-Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic. He returned to Belgrade, where he went untroubled to busy restaurants, football matches and horse races, escorted by bodyguards.
But Milosevic's fall from power in 2000 and subsequent arrest put Mladic at risk. He spent the next decade moving through hideouts in Serbia, relying on a diminishing band of helpers.
Ratko Mladic after his arrest in May 2011
In October 2004, his former aides began surrendering to the war crimes tribunal, as Serbia came under intense international pressure to co-operate.
When Karadzic was detained in Belgrade in July 2008, speculation grew that Mladic's arrest would follow. But it was not until 26 May 2011 that police units descended on Lazarevo and surrounded Mladic's yellow brick house.
When the officers moved in, the man who had vowed to never be taken alive surrendered quietly, and the two loaded guns he kept for protection lay untouched. He was 69 and had already suffered a stroke, partly paralysing his right arm.
"I could have killed 10 of you if I wanted, but I didn't want to," he reportedly told the officers. "You're just young men, doing your job."
He finally went on trial in 2012, at The Hague, facing 11 charges including genocide. The court, anxious that he should not die before the end of the proceedings, scaled back the case against him.
He was in poor health, and had difficulty moving, apparently due to a series of strokes. "I'm very old. Every day I'm more infirm and weaker," he told the court.
Ratko Mladic was defiant at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague
Despite his frailty, Mladic was defiant in court. He sarcastically applauded the judges as they entered, and argued vociferously with them. Catching the eye of a Bosnian woman who had gestured rudely to him, he drew his finger across his throat.
His 12-member defence team argued that their client was an honest, professional career soldier who successfully defended Bosnian Serbs from the threat of genocide.
They said he was in Belgrade for meetings with international officials when most of the killings in Srebrenica took place, and that he had no means of communication with the men there. The prosecution did not disagree, but contended that he met senior deputies before leaving the town, and gave them the order to kill.
Fanatical and fearless, Mladic became a folk hero to many of those he led, and he remains a hero to many in his home village of Bozanovici, where a sign nailed to tree still reads "General Mladic Street".
Two decades on from the war, in a courtroom at the Hague, he was diminished physically but not in temper. Just as in his other court appearances, he shouted and disrupted the court. But it did not matter. He was removed, and his sentence handed down in his absence.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13559597
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Budget 2017: Reaction from Jack, Kuenssberg and Ahmed - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The BBC's business, political and economics editors on the announcements in Philip Hammond's Budget speech.
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The BBC's business, political and economics editors on the announcements in Philip Hammond's Budget speech.
Andrew Neil heard from Laura Kuenssberg, Kamal Ahmed and Simon Jack, straight after the chancellor and Labour leader spoke in the Commons.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42084988
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Budget 2017: Hammond loosens his belt - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The chancellor loosens the public finances envelope as the economy stutters.
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Business
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Much of the rest of the world is growing at a healthier clip.
For Britain it is a different story.
Today the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) downgraded growth forecasts for the next four years.
And it has been more aggressive with those downgrades than the Bank of England was in its Inflation Report earlier in the month.
The productivity problem is at the heart of that judgement.
The UK just hasn't been very good at producing wealth for every hour worked, and today the OBR lowered its expectations about how fast productivity will recover.
Which means that tax receipts will suffer, by up to £20bn a year by 2023.
Add to that the increase in inflation following the Brexit referendum and the squeeze in real incomes and the OBR is clear - the economy is not as strong as it thought it would be.
The chancellor's response has been two-fold.
First, he has tried to paint a positive vision of Britain's future
He has talked of the good record on employment.
And, in the short term, the news on borrowing is better as tax revenues have been higher and public spending lower.
Second, he has significantly loosened the fiscal tight belt he had thrown around the economy.
In March, Mr Hammond planned for two years of higher spending - giveaways - followed by three years of tax rises - takeaways.
Now he has said that borrowing will be higher for every year of the five-year forecast, and higher spending will last until 2023.
Many economists will welcome such a move, the government doing more to stimulate the economy.
When the Bank of England raises rates, it increases the cost of the government's bills
The chancellor has pledged more money for health, a stamp duty tax cut and £3bn to prepare for leaving the European Union.
But debt will continue to rise, and that means the cost of servicing the amount the government borrows will increase.
Much of the government's debt is index linked - so its cost rises if inflation goes up.
And every time the Bank of England increases interest rates, that also increases the cost of repaying the government's bills.
The worry in the Treasury is that they have used up a good deal of the public finances headroom Mr Hammond wanted to build up for the future in case Brexit uncertainty around the economy crystalizes into another growth downgrade.
The question now is what will happen if he needs to find more funding and still hit his target to balance the government's books by the middle of the next decade.
And of course very little in this Budget will affect the key economic headwind everyone is facing.
And that is the fall in real incomes.
• None What the Budget means for you
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42087215
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Randox forensics inquiry: Drug-drivers to challenge convictions - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two men jailed for road deaths want to launch appeals following forensic manipulation claims.
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Manchester
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Matthew Bravender, left, and Anderson Ward were both jailed for driving offences resulting in fatalities
Two road death drug-drivers are trying to get their convictions quashed amid concerns forensic evidence in their cases had been manipulated.
The pair, from Greater Manchester and Powys, Wales, want to launch Court of Appeal proceedings.
It follows an investigation at Randox Testing Services in Manchester, where two scientists were arrested on suspicion of tampering with data.
The inquiry prompted a review of more than 10,000 criminal investigations.
About 50 prosecutions have so far been dropped in what BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw described as "the biggest forensic science scandal in the UK for decades".
Matthew Bravender is appealing against his conviction after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the legal limit for a prescribed drug.
Most of the 10,000 cases that could be affected involved traffic offences
The 38-year-old, of Agecroft, Greater Manchester, was jailed for five years and four months at Manchester Crown Court after 52-year-old pedestrian Alan Strong was struck and killed in April 2016.
Also challenging his conviction is Anderson Ward, 39, who was jailed for causing the death of his girlfriend in a crash while he was high on drugs.
Marie Hardes, 56, was killed after Ward lost control of a car on the M3 in Winchester in November 2014.
He was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of causing death by driving without due care while unfit through drugs, causing death by driving a vehicle unlicensed and possession of Class B and Class C drugs.
More appeals could soon follow as thousands of toxicology tests are re-analysed.
Three-quarters of the cases were traffic offences such as drug-driving, with the rest including violent crime, sexual offences and unexplained deaths, dating back to 2013.
Two men have been arrested and five interviewed under caution by Greater Manchester Police over the alleged manipulation by individuals working at the Randox site.
Retests have so far found no impact on cases of sexual offences, violence or murder, the National Police Chiefs' Council said.
Potential data manipulation at a separate facility, Trimega Laboratories, is also being investigated.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42081900
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Tearful reunion after wronged man freed 23 years on - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Nevest Coleman left his prison cell near Chicago and was greeted by family members.
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Nevest Coleman left his prison cell near Chicago and was greeted by family members, two decades after being wrongfully imprisoned for murder.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42075467
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Budget 2017: Reaction and updates to Hammond's speech - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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First-time buyers get relief on home purchases while official predictions show the economy slowing.
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Business
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Disposable incomes are set to be £540 lower by 2023 than forecast in March and pay rates will not return to levels seen before the financial crash until the middle of the next decade, according to the Resolution Foundation.
The living standards think tank said annual pay was forecast to be £1,000 lower and consequently the UK faced a 17-year downturn before wages returned to 2008 levels.
The think tank warned that Philip Hammond has not taken sufficient action to ease the living standards squeeze, with welfare cuts over the coming years set to heap pressure on low-income families.
Resolution Foundation director Torsten Bell said: "The chancellor has been handed a massive downgrade to expectations for how fast Britain's economy can grow, knocking a full quarter off the growth we can expect over the next five years. While the result for the public finances is grim, the chancellor has chosen to take the extra borrowing on the chin and indeed to borrow more, including welcome new action on housing."
He added: "The chancellor has made the wrong call to press ahead with a damaging freeze on benefits. Welcome moves to reduce the waiting time for Universal Credit are also not matched by dealing with the much bigger challenge of planned cuts to the new benefit."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-42026814
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Ratko Mladic removed from war crime court after outburst - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The former Bosnian Serb commander has been found guilty of genocide in the 1990s Bosnian war.
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Former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic has been found guilty of genocide for some of the worst atrocities of the 1990s Bosnian war.
The 74-year-old shouted at the judges reading his verdict at the UN tribunal, before he was removed from the courtroom.
He was sentenced to life in prison.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42078286
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Budget 2017: What does the stamp duty change mean? - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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People buying a first home worth up to £300,000 will pay no stamp duty, the Chancellor announces.
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Business
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Stamp duty will be abolished immediately for first-time buyers buying a home of up to £300,000, Chancellor Philip Hammond has said.
For properties costing up to £500,000, no stamp duty will be paid on the first £300,000.
Mr Hammond said this meant 95% of first-time buyers would see stamp duty cut, while 80% would pay none at all.
The change will apply in England and Northern Ireland, and in Wales up until the end of March, but not in Scotland.
Scotland has an independent system of land tax. Stamp duty will be devolved to Wales from March 2018.
In the rest of the UK stamp duty is paid on all residential properties worth more than £125,000. The duty is levied at a staggered rate above that threshold, starting at 2% but increasing in line with the value of the property being bought.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said the main beneficiaries would be existing homeowners, rather than first-time buyers, because it expects all house prices to rise by 0.3% within a year as a result of the change.
It also estimates that it will result in only an additional 3,500 first-time buyer purchases.
However, the chancellor insisted that young people will benefit.
"This is our plan to deliver on the pledge we have made to the next generation that the dream of home ownership will become a reality in this country once again," Mr Hammond said.
The policy will cost the Treasury £3.2bn over the next five years.
Andrew Norfolk, who is saving to buy a property in Cambridge, said the Stamp Duty change was a start, but more could be done.
"As a 26-year-old, working in a well-paid professional job, I find it ridiculous how difficult it is to get on the ladder without help from mum and dad.
"If I'm struggling - and I consider my position more fortunate than most - how on earth do most people ever stand a chance at home ownership?"
Estate agent Savills estimates that the average stamp duty bill for first-time buyers is about £2,700.
But in many parts of the country, first-time buyers will see no - or very little - saving at all.
In the North of England, the average Stamp Duty charge is just £11.82, according to analysts at AJ Bell.
This is because average house prices in the region are only just above the English Stamp Duty threshold, at £125,000.
However, buyers who spend £500,000 could save up to £5,000.
"The stamp duty relief for first time buyers announced in today's budget will be a welcome boost to people purchasing their first home but the impact will be felt disproportionately in the South of England," said Tom Selby, senior analyst at AJ Bell.
For all first-time buyers, the deposit is a bigger up-front cost than Stamp Duty. The average deposit across the UK is £32,899, according to the Halifax, compared to the average Stamp Duty charge of £1,654.What does the stamp duty change mean?
Tom Kibasi, of the centre-left think tank the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), said: "Unaffordable house prices are the problem, not Stamp Duty. For most young people, the stamp duty cut will make little difference. But it will help the beneficiaries of the bank of mum and dad."
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) pointed out a "cliff edge" situation in high-priced areas.
A first-time buyer paying £500,001 for a home will pay £5,000 more in Stamp Duty than someone paying £500,000, it said.
Other commentators agreed with the OBR that prices will rise as a result.
"Pouring financial fuel on house prices will only result in even higher house prices, just as Help to Buy has done and as previous Stamp Duty holidays have," said property expert Henry Pryor.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42079174
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Charlie Rose: CBS sacks talk show host over harassment claims - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Eight women had accused the veteran US television interviewer of inappropriate behaviour.
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US & Canada
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Charlie Rose, 75, is one of America's most respected broadcasters
US TV host Charlie Rose has been fired by CBS News following sexual harassment allegations.
An email to staff said the presenter's employment had been "terminated... effective immediately".
It said the move followed the revelation of "extremely disturbing and intolerable behaviour" said to have taken place around his programme.
Eight women accused the veteran TV interviewer of inappropriate behaviour in a report by the Washington Post.
Following the allegations he was suspended by CBS, PBS and Bloomberg. Rose co-hosted the CBS This Morning show and was a correspondent for its Sunday night news magazine 60 Minutes. He appeared on PBS and Bloomberg with the Charlie Rose show.
Rose apologised following the Washington Post story, but said not all the claims were accurate.
The allegations span from the 1990s to 2011 and include groping, lewd telephone calls and unwanted advances.
The internal email to staff from CBS News president David Rhodes read: "Despite Charlie's important journalistic contribution to our news division, there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organisation, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace - a supportive environment where people feel they can do their best work. We need to be such a place.
"I've often heard that things used to be different. And no-one may be able to correct the past. But what may once have been accepted should not ever have been acceptable."
Rose, 75, is one of America's most respected broadcasters and his interviews have won him Emmy and Peabody awards. He was named by Time magazine as one of its 100 most influential people in 2014.
He is known for conducting in-depth interviews, including with such high-profile guests as former President Barack Obama, talk show host Oprah Winfrey and billionaire Warren Buffett, on his eponymous television programme which first aired in 1991.
Charlie Rose's interviews have won him several awards
In recent weeks, numerous high-profile figures, including Oscar-winning actors and a Hollywood filmmaker, have been accused of sexual harassment.
The accusations were 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.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42073417
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Learn how the BBC is working to strengthen trust and transparency in online news - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Identifying credible journalism on the internet can be a confusing experience - this is why we are making greater efforts to explain what type of information you are reading or watching on our site.
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BBC News Services
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The BBC is recognised by audiences in the UK and around the world as a provider of news that you can trust. Our website, like our TV and radio services, strives for journalism that is accurate, impartial, independent and fair.
Our editorial values say: "The trust that our audience has in all our content underpins everything that we do. We are independent, impartial and honest. We are committed to achieving the highest standards of accuracy and impartiality and strive to avoid knowingly or materially misleading our audiences.
"Our commitment to impartiality is at the heart of that relationship of trust. In all our output we will treat every subject with an impartiality that reflects the full range of views. We will consider all the relevant facts fairly and with an open mind."
Research shows that, compared to other broadcasters, newspapers and online sites, the BBC is seen as by far the most trusted and impartial news provider in the UK [PDF].
Even so, we know that identifying credible journalism on the internet can be a confusing experience. We also know that audiences want to understand more about how BBC journalism is produced.
For these reasons, BBC News is making even greater efforts to explain what type of information you are reading or watching on our website, who and where the information is coming from, and how a story was crafted the way it was. By doing so, we can help you judge for yourself why BBC News can be trusted.
We are also making these indicators of trustworthy journalism "machine-readable", meaning that they can be picked up by search engines and social media platforms, helping them to better identify reliable sources of information too.
These indicators comprise the following areas:
The BBC has long had its own Editorial Guidelines that apply to all of our content and set out the standards expected of our journalists. To make it easier to see how BBC guidelines are used in our newsroom, we have listed all the relevant sections on this page.
Mission Statement: The mission of the BBC is to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services that inform, educate and entertain. Full details are in the BBC Charter.
Ownership Structure, Funding and Grants: We are independent of outside interests and arrangements that could undermine our editorial integrity. Our audiences should be confident that our decisions are not influenced by outside interests, political or commercial pressures, or any personal interests. Learn more about how BBC News is funded, in the UK and internationally, in the BBC Charter on the independence of the BBC.
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Diversity Policy: Learn about BBC News' commitment to diversity in the BBC Charter.
Diversity Staffing Report: Find out about how BBC News is working to increase diversity in the BBC's Equality Information Report.
Corrections: The BBC is committed to achieving due accuracy. Policies relating to corrections can be found in the following sections of our Editorial Guidelines.
Our output must be well sourced, based on sound evidence, thoroughly tested and presented in clear, precise language. We should be honest and open about what we don't know and avoid unfounded speculation. Claims, allegations, material facts and other content that cannot be corroborated should normally be attributed.
We are open in acknowledging mistakes when they are made and encourage a culture of willingness to learn from them.
If an article has been edited since publication to correct a material inaccuracy, a note will be added at the end of the text to signal to the reader there has been an amendment or correction with the date of that change. If there is a small error in a story that does not alter its editorial meaning (eg name misspelling), the correction will be made without an additional note.
Unless content is specifically made available only for a limited time period, there is a presumption that material published online will become part of a permanently accessible archive and will not normally be removed. Exceptional circumstances may include legal reasons, personal safety risks, or a serious breach of editorial standards that cannot be rectified except by removal of the material.
Verification/Fact-checking Standards: The BBC's accuracy and verification policy is outlined in the Editorial Guidelines on Accuracy.
Unnamed Sources: The BBC's policy and guidance on the use of anonymous sources is detailed in the Editorial Guidelines.
Actionable Feedback: The BBC's complaints procedure is outlined in the BBC Complaints Framework.
Leadership: Meet the senior executive team that runs the news division: BBC News Board.
BBC News articles based on original reporting carry bylines (the name of the journalist), as often do those authored by journalists who have a subject specialism.
General news stories, which tend to combine information from a variety of sources, including news agencies, BBC Newsgathering and BBC broadcast output, or which may have been produced by several members of staff over the course of the day, do not as a rule carry bylines.
Article bylines for many correspondents and editors link to individual blog pages, where biographical information, expertise, and social media details can be found.
BBC News distinguishes between factual reporting and opinion. We use machine-readable labels in six categories:
Our output, as appropriate to its subject and nature, should be well sourced, based on sound evidence, thoroughly tested and presented in clear, precise language. We strive to be honest and open about what we don't know and avoid unfounded speculation.
Where BBC News relies on a single source for a key aspect of its coverage, we will strive to credit that source, where possible. We usually link to official reports, sets of statistics and other sources of information, to enable you to judge for yourself the underlying information that we are reporting on.
Whenever appropriate, we also offer links to relevant third-party websites that provide additional information, source material or informed comment.
For in-depth pieces of work, such as complex investigations or data journalism projects, we will help you understand how we went about our work by showing the underlying data and by disclosing any caveats, assumptions or other methodological frameworks used - for example, the study-design; the sample size; representativeness; margins of error; how the data was collected; geographical relevance and time periods.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-41670342
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Man urged to kill self by 'suicide advocate', court hears - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Matthew Birkinshaw was encouraged to end his own life by Natasha Gordon, a court hears.
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Cambridgeshire
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Natasha Gordon denies assisting in the death of Matthew Birkinshaw
A man took his own life after entering into a suicide pact with a woman who left him to die alone, a court heard.
Natasha Gordon, 44, denies encouraging or assisting in the death of Matthew Birkinshaw, who was found dead in his car at Rutland Water.
Leicester Crown Court heard they made contact on an internet forum where the 31-year-old spoke of ending his life.
Ms Gordon had attempted to encourage six others to commit suicide, the prosecutor said in court.
During chats over the course of several days, Ms Gordon, of Paston, Peterborough, told postman Mr Birkinshaw she was prepared to be his "suicide partner", prosecutors said.
In a message to Mr Birkinshaw, Gordon said: "I really can't wait to go tomorrow, I hope you do not change your mind."
Mr Birkinshaw travelled through the night from his home in Walsall, West Midlands, to the defendant's home on 17 December 2015.
During the journey, he was spotted on CCTV at services near Rothwell, Northamptonshire.
He was found dead later the same day in his car near Rutland Water, the UK's largest reservoir. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Natasha Gordon is on trial at Leicester Crown Court
The court was told Ms Gordon had left the car and walked to the nearby Best Western Hotel because she "couldn't go through with it".
Prosecutor Tim Cray said the defendant had been active on a number of suicide forums in the year before she met Mr Birkinshaw.
He said she had been seeking a "suicide partner" and was "uber interested, if there is such a thing, in suicide".
Mr Cray said she was "prepared to say to people she hardly knew" that taking their own life "was the right thing to do".
"The evidence will show that within hours of meeting Matthew online, she was telling him she was prepared to be his suicide partner," he said.
"This is a million miles from a mercy killing. All the evidence shows she thought and talked about suicide and was prepared to tell people she'd just met that it was the right thing to do."
The court was told Mr Birkinshaw was in good health, part of a loving family and had a stable girlfriend.
Matthew Birkinshaw was found dead at Rutland Water in December 2015
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-42084440
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Five ways to revive Zimbabwe’s economy - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The measures needed to get the country's finances off life-support and into recovery mode.
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Africa
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Serious work on restoring Zimbabwe's finances need to begin once the celebrations over Robert Mugabe's departure have ended
Current events in Zimbabwe show that while a week may be a long time in politics, it is really a very short blink of an eye in economics. Zimbabweans on the streets of Harare and Bulawayo may be hopeful for political change, but they are much more sanguine and realistic when it comes to improving the country's economy.
Presidents can be impeached in days or weeks. It takes years to wreck economies and usually even longer to repair them.
So, will Emmerson Mnangagwa be able to take Zimbabwe's economy off life support and at least start to put it on the road to recovery? Analysts are very sceptical that a quick solution is even feasible. The euphoria that has gripped the nation has certainly raised hopes that the future will be brighter, but if that improved sentiment is to deliver economic dividends, the government needs to make some drastic reforms.
The first tool President Mnangagwa would need to even get a recovery kick-started is hard currency. Zimbabwe hasn't had a currency of its own since 2009, after hyperinflation killed off the old Zimbabwean dollar.
Zimbabwe 100 trillion and 500 thousand dollar banknotes, produced after the country experienced a period of hyperinflation
Zimbabwe has lost its status as the breadbasket of Africa
Since then, the US dollar has been the main currency for transactions, as well as the South African rand. And in recent years a cash shortage has been slowly strangling the economy, which is half the size it was at the turn of the millennium.
But who would stump up the cash? Western donors will remain wary of a Zanu-PF government which simply sees Robert Mugabe replaced by Mr Mnangagwa.
The International Monetary Fund, which describes Zimbabwe's economy as one of the most fragile in the world, may be more willing - but only with many strings attached to any deal.
China is possibly the most likely cash benefactor in the initial stages of a Mnangagwa administration. In some circles, Mr Mnangagwa is seen as Zimbabwe's Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader who instigated a degree of market liberalisation.
Assuming the cash is forthcoming, what then? Mr Mnangagwa would have to dump economic policies that are unpalatable to foreign investors.
Zimbabwe's agricultural production started to plunge after the government-sanctioned programme of farm seizures came into effect
Zimbabwe has a potential labour force that is one of the most skilled in Africa
In 2009, Mr Mugabe signed the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act (IEEA) into law, which aimed to place 51% of companies into the hands of Black Zimbabweans.
Even some Chinese companies have been forced to close their operations in Zimbabwe in recent years, because the IEEA made it unprofitable to do business in the country.
Once considered the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe saw its agricultural production start to plunge at the turn of the century after the government-sanctioned programme of farm seizures.
Some sources claim that Mr Mnangagwa is keen to revitalise Zimbabwe's commercial farms, and may seek the help of white farmers to do it.
Corruption has been a major restraint on economic growth in Zimbabwe for years. Much of the farmland that was seized from white farmers ended up in the hands of army generals and the political elite, who knew next to nothing about agriculture.
The farms simply fell into disarray. Likewise, businesses that ended up with people with more political connections than entrepreneurial flair more often than not went to the wall.
Three million Zimbabweans are estimated to live outside the country, having fled the dire economic conditions that emerged over the past two decades
Not that corruption is confined to Zimbabwe in the African context, but it is one of those places that it seems to trickle down from the top. Just ask any South African who has driven their car across the border and been stopped at a police roadblock.
But Mr Mnangagwa has not escaped the corruption criticism. It is alleged that he was at the top of corruption tree when the army effectively took over the Marange diamond fields in the east of the country in 2008. At the time, he was the defence minister.
That whole affair raised the eyebrows even of Mr Mugabe, who said last year that he felt at least $13bn of revenue had gone missing from the diamond bonanza.
For nearly 20 years, Zimbabwe has been in default on $9bn worth of international debt. That debt needs restructuring, probably with the assistance of the IMF and the World Bank.
Perhaps a government that did not only include Zanu-PF could even get the debt (or some of it) wiped out. Mr Mnangagwa is thought to be open to a new deal with the IMF, but getting new financing and renegotiating old deals would probably be easier for a unity government which included opposition politicians, especially former Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
Formal jobs in Zimbabwe are rare. Unemployment runs at more than 90%. Creating the conditions for investment and seeing that money flows in should have a dramatic short-term effect on unemployment.
Western governments will be wary of a Zanu-PF government which simply sees Robert Mugabe replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa (above)
Other conditions already exist: the country has an abundance of natural resources in both agriculture and mining, and a potential labour force that's one of the most skilled in Africa.
All it needs is the political will and the right economic conditions for Zimbabwe's unemployment statistics to become rather less stratospheric.
Meanwhile, three million Zimbabweans are estimated to live outside the country, having fled the dire economic conditions that emerged over the past two decades. They too have skills which would be useful in the rebuilding of the economy.
But they will have to feel they would be landing on solid and stable ground - both financially and politically. Otherwise, why go back?
In addition, it could be argued that a Zanu-PF dominated government would not want them back this side of an election. The vast majority of the returning diaspora would be unlikely to vote for Mr Mnangagwa and his party.
In the longer term, Zimbabwe needs to have its own currency.
Using the US dollar was necessary after the old Zim dollar became worth less than the paper it was printed on and met its demise.
Banks in Zimbabwe have been feeling the strain in recent months
But there is so much more to creating a viable currency than switching on a printing press. Confidence is key.
Last year, the Reserve Bank introduced "bond notes" which were meant to alleviate the chronic shortage of US dollars in the system.
However, many thought this was an attempt to re-introduce the Zim dollar via the back door.
In fact, the notes have done nothing to address the cash shortage and some analysts say they might have actually made the situation worse, by pushing up the demand for US dollars even further.
Few people like using the bond notes, even though the amount in circulation is relatively low and the denominations are small.
Putting money into a bank was no longer considered the soundest of options, because the cash could only be withdrawn in small amounts and there was always the fear that the Reserve Bank would come for your hard-earned dollars.
So, the stock market soared, ironically becoming one of the best performing bourses in the world. Indeed, the rise in the stock market has only been curtailed by the army intervention and the resignation of Mr Mugabe.
President Mugabe was accused of preparing the presidency for his wife Grace
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42079584
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Wigan Athletic 3-0 Doncaster Rovers - BBC Sport
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2017-11-22
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Wigan winger Ryan Colclough scores twice and is then substituted so he can attend the birth of his second child.
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Last updated on .From the section League One
Wigan winger Ryan Colclough had a night to remember as he scored two goals before being substituted in time to see the birth of his second child.
Colclough had already scored to put Wigan 2-0 up at half-time against Doncaster, when he found out his partner had gone into labour.
He scored again to wrap up the 3-0 win and was brought off three minutes later - making it to hospital still in his full kit - where he was pictured with his new son.
"At half-time we got the message that his missus' waters had broken, his second child," assistant boss Leam Richardson said.
"As soon as he got his second goal he was off the pitch, because his head was somewhere else.
"We're all men, we're all individuals - some of the players wouldn't have gone, they'd be still in the dressing room now!
"Others want to get straight out to support their partner, and you respect every individual in what they want to do."
Michael Jacobs also scored as the Latics moved to within a point of League One leaders Shrewsbury.
• None Attempt saved. Gavin Massey (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
• None Attempt blocked. Cheyenne Dunkley (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt missed. William Grigg (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41978325
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President Trump warns NFL boss he must act on take the knee protest - BBC Sport
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2017-11-22
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President Donald Trump warns the NFL it must act on the take the knee protest as it is "killing" the league.
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Last updated on .From the section American football
The NFL must "get tough and smart" over the national anthem protest because it is "killing" the league, says US president Donald Trump.
Trump has criticised players who kneel for the anthem, a move started by Colin Kaepernick in 2016, to highlight racial injustice and police brutality.
Some NFL owners reportedly believe players could soon be kept in locker rooms during the anthem as a result.
"That's almost as bad as kneeling," Trump wrote on Twitter.
"When will the highly paid Commissioner finally get tough and smart? This issue is killing your league!"
• None Colin Kaepernick: From one man kneeling to a movement dividing a country
In October, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote to franchises stating the take the knee movement threatened "to erode the game's unifying power".
Kaepernick, 30, has been without a team since he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March and has filed a grievance against team owners.
He first protested by sitting during the anthem before opting to kneel.
President Trump was critical when players followed suit, prompting the move to spread further.
In separate tweets, Trump branded the father of US basketball player LiAngelo Ball an "ungrateful fool" after he refused to thank the President for his role in securing his son's release from prison in China.
UCLA basketball players Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were released from detention on shoplifting charges. The three thanked Trump during a news conference after their release but Ball's father - LaVar - played down the President's involvement.
On Wednesday Trump tweeted: "It wasn't the White House, it wasn't the State Department, it wasn't father LaVar's so-called people on the ground in China that got his son out of a long term prison sentence - IT WAS ME. Too bad! LaVar is just a poor man's version of Don King, but without the hair.
"Just think LaVar, you could have spent the next 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your son in China, but no NBA contract to support you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT a little thing. It's a really big deal, especially in China. Ungrateful fool!"
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/42079902
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Hinkley Point will 'hit the poorest hardest', say MPs - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A report claims that the cost of the nuclear power station will weigh on poorer households.
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Business
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A group of MPs has said that the £18bn cost of the UK's new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station will hit the country's poorest the hardest.
The Public Accounts Committee said that households had been "locked into an expensive deal lasting 35 years".
In a report, it said there were no plans for Hinkley Point to provide wider benefits such as jobs and skills.
But EDF, the French firm funding two thirds of the project, said it would bring "huge benefits" to Britain.
The government gave the green light to Hinkley Point near Bridgwater in Somerset last year, in a deal which guarantees EDF a fixed price of £92.50 per megawatt hour for the electricity it produces for 35 years.
If it falls below that level, consumers will pay the difference.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy estimates that top-up payments will cost consumers around £30bn.
In its report examining the deal, the Public Accounts Committee said: "Over the life of the contract, consumers are left footing the bill and the poorest consumers will be hit hardest. Yet in all the negotiations no part of government was really championing the consumer interest."
The committee's chair Meg Hillier said: "Bill-payers have been dealt a bad hand by the government in its approach to this project.
"Its blinkered determination to agree the Hinkley deal, regardless of changing circumstances, means that for years to come energy consumers will face costs running to many times the original estimate.
"It doesn't know what UK workers and business will gain from this project, and appears to have no coherent idea of what to do about it."
The committee has proposed that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
EDF Energy said: "The cost of Hinkley Point C for customers has not changed and they will pay nothing for its reliable, low carbon electricity until the station is completed.
"The agreed price is lower than 80% of other low carbon capacity contracted so far and the project has restarted UK nuclear construction after a quarter century. Construction is fully underway and is already delivering a huge benefit to British jobs, skills and industrial strategy.
The company said: "It is drawing on firms from across Britain and the South-West with 2,400 employees at the site and is on track to meet its next milestones."
The Committee's proposals follow a report in June by the National Audit Office which called Hinkley Point C "a risky and expensive project" and said the costs and risks for consumers had not been sufficiently considered.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42065837
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How will 'box office Phil' play the Budget? - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The economic uncertainty around Brexit and the slender government majority may constrain his options.
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UK Politics
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The chancellor is known by some around Westminster as "box office Phil", an ironic nickname for a politician who favours caution and prudence over showmanship and headline-grabbing pyrotechnics. So this should be Philip Hammond's sort of Budget.
The government is sticking with its aim of plugging the deficit and balancing the books. Although borrowing has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, the expected slowdown in productivity growth is likely to push future borrowing numbers back up, shrinking Mr Hammond's room to spend.
Add in the economic uncertainty around Brexit, and Mr Hammond might be tempted to play safe and avoid any drama.
There are political reasons for caution too. The Tories have a precarious working majority in the Commons with the help of the DUP, which means any remotely controversial votes on tax rises or spending cuts could easily be lost.
Mr Hammond has already been burned from fumbling a Budget measure, when he had to scrap plans to raise National Insurance contributions for the self-employed within a week of announcing the policy in March.
The chancellor does not revel in the political chess games enjoyed by his predecessor, George Osborne, who delighted in trying to outfox his opponents with a mischievous surprise. Not always successfully.
Philip Hammond definitely does not need his own "omnishambles" Budget this week, and nor does the government.
Badly wounded by the botched general election in June, hit by the departure of two cabinet ministers in a month, divided on Brexit, for the Tories this is a Budget that must not backfire.
Ironically, it was June's election that kept Philip Hammond in his job.
There has been evidence of real tensions between the prime minister and her chancellor
Hardly allowed out in public during the campaign, he was widely expected to be chopped after the expected victory - an impression Theresa May did nothing to dispel at a joint press conference with her chancellor in May.
Tensions between Number 10 and Number 11 were clear and the source of the agro was of course Brexit. A supporter of Remain during the referendum, Mr Hammond has found himself battling the Brexiteers in the cabinet.
He wants a two-year post-Brexit transition deal agreed with the EU as soon as possible to stop businesses moving out.
He is resisting calls to set aside billions of pounds now for a no-deal scenario. Mr Hammond wants to protect financial services as much as possible.
In October, the former Tory Chancellor Lord Lawson accused Mr Hammond of acting in a way that was "close to sabotage", because of his Brexit negativity, and urged Theresa May to sack him.
But the prime minister, an Oxford university contemporary of her chancellor, shows no sign of wanting to move him.
Former Chancellors can also be dangerous to a prime minister. Theresa May might recall the resignation speech of Geoffrey Howe in 1990 after he quit as Deputy Prime Minister, following a political career spent at the Treasury and the Foreign Office.
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If you haven't seen it, his quietly deadly resignation speech is worth a few minutes of your time.
So considering the constraints, what are Tory MPs hoping for from Wednesday's budget?
"Nobody is expecting much," one veteran of the Conservative back benches told me. While no fan of Philip Hammond, "we don't want a bloodbath", they said.
"We don't want him to screw it up," said another senior Tory, who is hoping for a sunnier message from the sometimes doleful Chancellor.
The Tory MP Nigel Evans also says he wants a bit of cheer from Mr Hammond.
"If he comes to the despatch box and starts hand-wringing, and saying, 'We've got no money,' but at the same time we know they are prepared to up the amount of money they don't necessarily have to give the EU, then we'll all think, 'What the heck's going on?'"
The consistent view among Leave-supporting Tories is that they want him to sound upbeat about the possibilities of Brexit.
But the chancellor has strong admirers on the Tory benches too, relieved he is in the Treasury's driving seat while the government argues about the final destination of Brexit.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has demanded "an emergency Budget for our public services", which he says are in crisis
The MP for Chelmsford, Vicky Ford, is a fan. "I want a chancellor who's as boring as anything, but really understands the numbers and the finances. I think Philip Hammond's been doing an incredibly good, detailed analysis and that's exactly what we need at this time."
Tory MPs agree it is a very difficult Budget for Philip Hammond to pitch. It needs to try to prove the government has a purpose other than Brexit, while having very little cash to splash. Maybe the chancellor will surprise us.
The former schoolboy disco entrepreneur turned wealthy businessman took career risks long before he entered politics. But Wednesday will be one of his toughest challenges yet.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42059272
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The Likely Lads actor Rodney Bewes dies - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The actor who played Bob Ferris in the popular BBC sitcom has died aged 79, his agent confirms.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Rodney Bewes has died aged 79, his agent has confirmed.
The actor had a career spanning six decades and is best known for playing Bob Ferris in sitcom The Likely Lads.
His agent issued a statement saying: "It is with great sadness that we confirm that our dear client, the much-loved actor Rodney Bewes, passed away this morning."
The statement paid tribute to the actor, calling him a "true one-off" and a "brilliant storyteller".
"He had a funny anecdote for every occasion. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time. We will miss him terribly."
Bewes was originally from Bingley in Yorkshire but moved to Luton as a child.
Despite childhood asthma keeping him house-bound until the age of 12, he achieved his first role at the age of 14 and went on to study drama at RADA.
Bewes starred alongside Peter Davison in the 21st series of Doctor Who
He gained fame in the 1960s and 1970s playing Bob Ferris in the BBC sitcom The Likely Lads, and in its sequel, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? - which drew audiences of up to 27m.
In 1984, he became a member of the Doctor Who cast during Peter Davison's run as the Time Lord, portraying a humanoid named Stien in Resurrection Of The Daleks.
He died six days before he would have celebrated his 80th birthday.
Bewes is survived by his four children - Billy, Joe, Tom and Daisy - and his two grandchildren, Oscar and Eliza.
On Wednesday, his children released a joint statement saying they "will always remember Dad as full of laughter and fun".
"He will be much missed by his many friends in London, Henley, Edinburgh and Cornwall. We are very touched by all the warm messages people have left."
Shane Allen, controller BBC Comedy, said Bewes was "beloved as one half of the great British sitcom partnerships of all time".
He added: "Audiences got to see him go from black and white to colour as the revival was a huge hit with audiences of all ages. It's one of the all-time great BBC sitcoms; timeless in its humour and will be enjoyed for decades to come."
Tributes have also been pouring in for the star on social media.
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Comedian Jack Dee said The Likely Lads was one of the "great" sitcoms.
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Radio presenter Danny Baker described The Likely Lads as "the gold standard" and "envy of the comedic world".
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Writer and actor Julian Dutton described Bewes as "a fine actor".
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Actor and comedian Tom Davis said Bewes starred in "landmark British sitcoms".
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And Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent paid tribute to the actor, who he said used to cheer on crews at Henley.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42067506
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Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa promises jobs in 'new democracy' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The incoming leader hails a new era and praises the army for removing Robert Mugabe peacefully.
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Africa
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Zimbabwe's incoming leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed a "new and unfolding democracy" after returning from exile to replace Robert Mugabe.
He also vowed to create jobs in a country where some estimates say 90% of people are unemployed.
"We want to grow our economy, we want peace, we want jobs, jobs, jobs," he told a cheering crowd in Harare.
Mr Mnangagwa, who fled to South Africa two weeks ago, is to be made the new president on Friday, state TV said.
His dismissal led the ruling party and the military to intervene and force an end to Mr Mugabe's 37-year long rule.
He told supporters at the headquarters of the ruling Zanu-PF party that he had been the subject of several assassination plots and thanked the army for running the "process" of removing Mr Mugabe peacefully.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How news of Robert Mugabe's resignation was greeted across Zimbabwe
The news that 93-year-old Mr Mugabe was stepping down sparked wild celebrations across the country late into Tuesday night.
It came in the form of a letter read out in parliament on Tuesday, abruptly halting impeachment proceedings against him.
In it, Mr Mugabe said he was resigning to allow a smooth and peaceful transfer of power, and that his decision was voluntary.
A spokesman for the ruling Zanu-PF party said Mr Mnangagwa, 71, would serve the remainder of Mr Mugabe's term until elections that are due to be held by September 2018.
Nicknamed the "crocodile" because of his political cunning, Mr Mnangagwa met South African President Jacob Zuma before leaving for Zimbabwe.
Thousands of party supporters waited for hours to welcome Mr Mnangagwa in his first public appearance since he emerged from hiding.
During his 20-minute speech, he corrected himself at least once for referring to Mr Mugabe as president rather than former president. His message was largely conciliatory.
But he also relished his stunning return to power and successful removal of Mr Mugabe. He brought up Grace Mugabe's speech a fortnight ago, in which - meaning him - she said we must "deal with the snake by crushing its head". A day later he was fired.
"I wonder which snake's head was crushed?" he said to loud cheers.
Mr Mnangagwa's firing by Mr Mugabe two weeks ago triggered an unprecedented political crisis in the country.
It had been seen by many as an attempt to clear the way for Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband as leader and riled the military leadership, which stepped in and put Mr Mugabe under house arrest.
Under the constitution, the role of successor would normally go to a serving vice-president, and one still remains in post - Phelekezela Mphoko.
However, Mr Mphoko - a key ally of Mrs Mugabe - has just been fired by Zanu-PF and is not believed to be in the country. In his absence, the party has nominated Mr Mnangagwa, the speaker of parliament confirmed.
Some have questioned whether the handover to Mr Mnangagwa will bring about real change in the country.
He was national security chief at a time when thousands of civilians died in post-independence conflict in the 1980s, though he denies having blood on his hands.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC correspondent Andrew Harding looks for Grace Mugabe in her heartland
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai told the BBC he hoped that Zimbabwe was on a "new trajectory" that would include free and fair elections.
He said Mr Mugabe should be allowed to "go and rest for his last days".
Prominent opposition politician David Coltart tweeted: "We have removed a tyrant but not yet a tyranny."
African Union president Alpha Condé said he was "truly delighted" by the news, but expressed regret at the way Mr Mugabe's rule had ended.
"It is a shame that he is leaving through the back door and that he is forsaken by the parliament," he said.
At 93, Mr Mugabe was - until his resignation - the world's oldest leader. He once proclaimed that "only God" could remove him.
Lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition roared with glee when his resignation letter was read aloud in parliament on Wednesday.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Activist and political candidate Vimbaishe Musvaburi breaks down in tears of joy
Activist and political candidate Vimbaishe Musvaburi broke down in tears of joy while speaking to the BBC.
"We are tired of this man, we are so glad he's gone. We don't want him anymore and yes, today, it's victory," she said.
President Mugabe was accused of preparing the presidency for his wife Grace
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42077233
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Le Pen decries 'fatwa' on National Front bank accounts - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The far-right leader says banks have closed her own personal account along with her party's.
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Europe
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Ms Le Pen has been fighting for her political survival since losing France's presidential election to Emmanuel Macron
Marine Le Pen has claimed her National Front party is the victim of a "banking fatwa" after banks closed its accounts as well as her own personal account.
The leader of the far-right party told a news conference she would be lodging complaints against Société Générale and HSBC.
Under French law, banks are allowed to close accounts unilaterally.
But Ms Le Pen accused "financial oligarchies" of trying to "suffocate" the political opposition and democracy.
"This is a political decision on the part of Société Générale and not a dispute between a customer and their bank," she was quoted as saying after insisting the party's finances were stable.
Ms Le Pen has been fighting for her political life since losing May's presidential election to Emmanuel Macron and performing poorly in subsequent legislative elections.
Her party has been riven by feuds, she has been put under formal investigation over a European Parliament funding scandal, and earlier this month she was stripped of immunity from prosecution over a series of grisly images she published on Twitter.
This is not the first instance of antagonism between the National Front (FN) and the banks.
In 2014, it accepted Russian loans of €11m (then worth £9m or $15m) when French banks declined to lend it any money. It was also refused loans to fund its campaign for the presidency, and has subsequently appealed directly to supporters for loans.
Ms Le Pen said the FN would be filing a complaint against Société Générale and its subsidiary Crédit du Nord. She also vowed to complain to HSBC after, she said, it closed her own personal account.
None of the banks confirmed that they had taken these steps, citing rules on confidentiality.
The FN's banking relationship with Société Générale is said to go back 30 years.
In France, banks are allowed to close accounts without notice or explanation. However, access to a bank account is a right in France and the Bank of France can designate a bank which is then required to open an account.
The FN's complaint against Crédit du Nord is that when it was required to open an account it then refused to process cheque and credit card payments, reports Reuters news agency.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42079916
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US Navy aircraft crash: Eight rescued off Japanese coast - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Rescuers raced to get to the plane which ditched in seas off the remote Japanese reef of Okinotori.
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Asia
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The aircraft was ferrying passengers to the USS Ronald Reagan in the Philippine Sea
Eight people have been rescued after a US Navy aircraft carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed off the coast of Japan, the defence ministry has said.
It says that preliminary US military reports indicated that engine failure may have caused the crash.
The Navy did not say what kind of aircraft was involved, but Japan's Self-Defense Forces have said it was a C-2 transport aircraft.
The aircraft was travelling to a US aircraft carrier in the Philippine Sea.
Japanese and American rescuers raced to get to the stricken plane, which ditched in seas off the remote Japanese reef of Okinotori.
An initial report suggests that the crashed plane may be a C-2 transport aircraft similar to the one photoed above
The crash follows a spate of US Navy accidents in East Asia in recent months, some fatal.
Ten personnel died in August, when the USS John McCain collided with a tanker near Singapore.
Two months earlier, in June, the USS Fitzgerald smashed into a cargo ship off the coast of Japan, killing seven.
In two other non-fatal incidents, the USS Antietam ran aground near its base in Japan in January, and in May USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing vessel.
Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said that his department had received an initial US report that engine trouble might have caused Wednesday's accident.
More than 60 different types of planes and helicopters operate from the USS Ronald Reagan, according to the carrier group's website, including fighters, early warning aircraft, electronic attack planes, transports planes and multi-purpose helicopters.
The US military is strongly deployed in the western Pacific, with tens of thousands of troops and billions of dollars' worth of hardware in the region.
The Ronald Reagan is one of three US aircraft carriers operating in the region alongside Japanese and South Korean warships, as tensions rise between the US and North Korea.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42078318
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Budget 2017: Job number one - avoid messing up - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Pundits and politicians like to set tests for Budgets - this time the one for Philip Hammond is simply to avoid messing up.
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UK Politics
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Pundits and politicians like to set tests for Budgets.
They like to say a chancellor "has" to do this or that, they must "prove" they have the ambition to do this, to "deliver" on a party's manifesto promises, the list goes on.
But what do you do if you're the chancellor and you have no majority to speak of, not much money to spend within the rules you have set for yourself, and you work for a prime minister who doesn't have very much authority?
Simple, your biggest job is to avoid screwing up.
That won't be written on the first page of the chancellor's red book, or in the speech he'll carry in his red box.
But that clear and not necessarily very exciting goal will be hanging in the air in the Commons today.
Of course Philip Hammond won't admit as much, he won't stand at the despatch box and tell the country "listen, I am just for the next 40 minutes or so going to try to keep myself out of trouble".
And there will of course be decisions announced today that will have an impact on people's lives. There will be more money for the NHS, although not as much as they have asked for, there will be new policies to try to encourage house-building, there will probably be changes to universal credit, there will be measures that will make a difference to firms around the country.
But for the Treasury today there's no big bazooka - boring is good.
It is possible of course that the Treasury has simply been managing expectations. By leading people to believe there's not much to see, anything that seems a modest success might feel like a decent win.
But the first political responsibility of Number 11 today is to try to avoid mistakes. Inspiring? Perhaps not. Vital to the prospects for the government and Philip Hammond's career? Most definitely so.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42079110
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Kezia Dugdale enters I'm a Celebrity jungle camp - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is introduced as a late-entry campmate on the reality TV show.
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Scotland
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Kezia Dugdale is one of two late entries to the jungle camp
Kezia Dugdale has made her first jungle appearance on TV programme I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
The former leader of Scottish Labour was introduced as one of two late-entry campmates on Wednesday's live edition of the reality show.
Presenters Ant and Dec ended the programme with a "teaser" that Ms Dugdale and comedian and broadcaster Iain Lee would be joining the line-up.
They are expected to be fully unveiled on Thursday's episode.
Ms Dugdale admitted some of her political colleagues will be "shocked and angry" at her stint in the Australian jungle.
She said: "They will be angry because they will say I should be doing my day job and I am going to be away. I understand that anger.
"I've seen them be angry over similar things other people have done but I can't help but think that it is an amazing opportunity to talk to millions of people about the Labour Party, its values and how it is different.
"I am not going to talk about politics all the time but it is who I am, what I do and I can't help it."
The Edinburgh and Lothians MSP admitted she didn't reveal her reality show plans when she asked Labour party bosses for three weeks' off from Holyrood business.
She said: "I quit as leader and so there was no obvious person to ask for permission.
"I went to the two people who were running for Scottish leader (eventual winner Richard Leonard and losing candidate Anas Sarwar) and told them I was going abroad for three weeks to work. They were both cool with that.
"I will be back for the budget in December."
Ant (left) and Dec are again fronting the show from Australia
The Lothians MSP is expected to be paid tens of thousands of pounds, part of which she will donate to charity, along with her MSP's salary for the three weeks she is away.
Ms Dugdale poked fun at her political colleagues and rivals when she revealed what scared her most about the prospect of going into the jungle.
She said: "I am used to dealing with rats and snakes but I've never had to deal with creepy crawlies before.
"I ran upstairs when I saw a spider the other day and I've got a big fear of birds that stems from when I saw a scary picture of a pigeon as a toddler. I was petrified and I've lived with that ever since.
"I know I am not totally useless but I will scream, shout and then get on with it."
This year's other contenders include boxer Amir Khan, ex-footballer Dennis Wise, Made in Chelsea's Georgia Toffolo and Stanley Johnson - father of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
They are joined by Coronation Street actress Jennie McAlpine and Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, along with comedian Shappi Khorsandi, footballer Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah, Saturdays singer Vanessa White.
An ITV spokesman said: "Due to circumstances outside camp, Jack has had to withdraw from the show."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42074547
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Budget 2017: Corbyn says government not fit for office - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jeremy Corbyn predicts the Budget will "unravel", continuing the "misery" for people across the UK.
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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. Jeremy Corbyn: "So much for tackling injustices"
Chancellor Philip Hammond's Budget will "unravel" within days, continuing the "misery" for people across the country, Jeremy Corbyn has predicted.
The Labour leader attacked the government's failure to reduce the deficit, a rise in rough sleeping and the fact 120,000 people will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation.
"It's a record of failure with a forecast of more to come," he said.
Mr Hammond ended stamp duty for first-time buyers on sales up to £300,000.
In his second Budget, the chancellor also announced measures to speed up the payment of universal credit benefits and a rise in the National Living Wage to £7.83 an hour.
But, responding in the Commons, the Labour leader said: "The reality test of this Budget has to be how it affects ordinary people's lives.
"I believe as the days go ahead and this Budget unravels, the reality will be a lot of people will be no better off - and the misery many are in will be continuing."
Mr Corbyn claimed a plan for three new pilot schemes to help rough sleepers "doesn't cut it", stressing: "It is a disaster for those people sleeping on our streets, forced to beg for the money for a night shelter.
"They're looking for action now from government to give them a roof over their heads."
He said one in six pensioners were living in poverty - "the worst rate anywhere in western Europe" - adding that the poorest tenth of households would lose 10% of their income by 2022, while the richest would lose just 1%.
And he responded angrily to an MP who heckled him as he was noting that more than a million elderly people were not receiving the care they need.
"I hope you understand what it's like to wait for social care, stuck in a hospital bed, while other people have to give up their work to care for them," he said, adding: "The uncaring, uncouth attitude of certain members opposite needs to be called out."
The Labour leader called for universal credit to be put "on hold" so it can be fixed to "keep one million of our children out of poverty". He also questioned why the chancellor thought it was "OK to under pay, over stress and under appreciate all those that work within our NHS".
"We were promised with lots of hype a revolutionary Budget - the reality is, nothing has changed," he said.
"People were looking for help from this Budget and they have been let down by a government that, like the economy they have presided over, is weak and unstable and in need of urgent change.
"They call this a Budget fit for the future - the reality is, this is a government no longer fit for office."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42084800
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Gaia Pope death: Arrested family want police apology - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A teenager arrested over Gaia's disappearance has been "on the verge of a breakdown", his mum says.
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Dorset
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Gaia Pope's body was found 11 days after she went missing
A 19-year-old wrongly suspected of Gaia Pope's murder has been "on the verge of a mental breakdown", his mother has said.
Nathan Elsey was detained alongside his grandmother Rosemary Dinch, 71, six days after Miss Pope, 19, disappeared.
Deborah Elsey said she had "no idea" why her son was a suspect and has called on Dorset Police to apologise.
The force, which has released the pair without charge, said officers would have had "multiple grounds for arrest".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gaia Pope's father Richard Sutherland said the family would "treasure her always"
Mrs Elsey, a family friend of Miss Pope's, said her son's arrest was a "horrendous shock".
Her brother Paul Elsey was also arrested on suspicion of murder and later released.
Mrs Elsey said she and the three arrested family members were staying with her father Greg.
"We're still not in our homes and still have none of our personal effects. At the very least I'd like an apology," she said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Family friend Rosemary Dinch was the last person to see Gaia Pope before she went missing
"We're going through every single emotion rolled into one - you don't know what you're feeling.
"One minute you want to cry for yourself, then you cry for Gaia and her family and then there's anger for police."
Miss Pope was reported missing from Swanage, Dorset, on 7 November.
Her body was found on Saturday 18 November in a field near the town.
A post-mortem examination conducted the next day did not identify any injuries to suggest the involvement of other people, Dorset Police said.
On Monday, the force announced Paul Elsey, Ms Dinch, and Nathan Elsey were to face no action.
It is treating the death as "unexplained" pending toxicology results.
In a statement the force said: "We appreciate our enquiries would have caused these individuals stress and anxiety, however we have an obligation in any missing person investigation to explore every possible line of enquiry."
The family say they have not been allowed back in their homes since the arrests
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-42064624
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Irish PM should know better over Brexit, says Arlene Foster - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Arlene Foster warns Leo Varadkar not to "play around" with Northern Ireland over Brexit.
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UK Politics
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Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar "should know better" than to "play around" with Northern Ireland over Brexit, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party says.
Arlene Foster accused Mr Varadkar of being "reckless" as Brexit talks enter a "critical phase".
She was speaking after meeting Theresa May at Downing Street.
The Irish government says any hard border with Northern Ireland should be off the table.
And an EU paper recently suggested Northern Ireland would have to continue to follow many EU rules after Brexit if a hard border was to be avoided. It hinted Northern Ireland may need to stay in the EU customs union if there were to be no checks at the border.
That is something which the UK Conservative government - which is supported in key votes by the DUP at Westminster - have said they cannot accept as it would effectively create a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
The Irish government has said it will veto the start of Brexit trade talks unless border issues are concerned
While there are genuine and sincerely held logistical and understandable concerns about what happens to the Irish border after Brexit, there is a sense building that perhaps the Irish government is playing those concerns rather harder than is justified.
DUP leader Arlene Foster, using rather strong language, told off the Irish leader Leo Varadkar for doing just that today.
But the next step in what many would say is a conspiracy theory, borne out of Brexiteer desperation, is to ponder whether the EU as a whole is over-egging their true level of worry about what happens to the border.
Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mrs Foster said: "Some people are taking their moment in the sun, to try and get the maximum in relation to the negotiations - and I understand that but you shouldn't play about with Northern Ireland particularly at a time when we're trying to bring about devolved government again."
She said that suggesting leaving the EU would jeopardise the peace process was "a very careless thing to say", particularly with no devolved administration in place, and accused Ireland's government of being "reckless".
Mrs Foster said she recognised Brexit was a "big shock" for the Republic of Ireland - "and they are trying to process all of that".
"But they certainly shouldn't be using Northern Ireland to get the maximum deal for their citizens."
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that will share a land border with an EU state post-Brexit, and what happens to the border is one of the key subjects being debated between the EU and the UK.
Key to this is how to avoid customs checks on the border when the UK leaves the EU's customs union - the arrangement that allows goods to flow freely between member states.
Negotiations have yet to make a breakthrough so the EU says talks on future matters like trade and customs cannot begin yet.
But Mrs Foster said it was crucial to move on to the second phase now because the trade arrangement is linked to the border situation.
The DUP pledged in June to support Theresa May's minority government over Brexit and other core issues as part of a parliamentary pact due to last at least two years.
But Nigel Dodds, the party's deputy leader, has warned that any prospect of the border moving to the Irish Sea after Brexit - an idea suggested by some within the Irish government - would be "gravely destabilising" to the UK government.
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"They (the Conservatives) know that," he told the BBC's Daily Politics.
Given Northern Ireland's trade links with the rest of the UK, he said such a move would be "madness economically, never mind the political consequences".
But Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said his government was right to seek more assurances about the border issue before agreeing to the next phase of Brexit talks.
"This is a much bigger issue than trade," he told the Evening Standard. "This is about division on the island of Ireland."
Arguing Dublin had the support of the other 26 EU members, he added. "I will not be an Irish foreign minister that presides over a negotiation which is not prioritising peace on the island of Ireland."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42064743
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Canada flight delay turns into mass singalong - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Instead of getting irate when their flight was delayed, these Canadian passengers had a singalong.
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Instead of getting irate when their flight was delayed, these Canadian passengers partied with a mass singalong.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42075660
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Budget 2017: UK growth forecast cut sharply - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Forecasts are slashed as the Office for Budget Responsibility downgrades its productivity outlook.
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Business
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Growth forecasts for the UK economy have been cut sharply following changes to estimates of productivity and business investment.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) now expects the economy to grow by 1.5% this year, down from the estimate of 2% it made in March.
Growth, it says, will drop to 1.3% by 2020 and then rise to 1.5% in 2021.
The lower growth means that by 2021-22 government tax receipts will be £20bn lower than the OBR's March forecast.
The OBR expects borrowing as a share of economic output will still fall, but not as fast as it predicted in March.
It forecasts that borrowing this year will be 2.4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rather than its previous prediction of 2.9%.
By 2021-22, it says that percentage will be down to 1.3%. However, in March, it had expected borrowing to have fallen to 0.7% of GDP by then.
The figures make it harder for the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, to hit his target of bringing borrowing down to less than 2% of GDP by 2020-21. In March, the OBR estimated borrowing would then be at 0.9% of GDP. Today's forecast is for it to be at 1.5%.
In his Budget speech, Mr Hammond said: "Regrettably our productivity performance continues to disappoint. Today the OBR revised down the outlook for productivity growth, business investment and GDP growth."
Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said: "The downgrade to UK GDP growth forecasts has totally overshadowed the generally good news on public finances so far this fiscal year, reducing the money available to the chancellor.
"However, the chancellor is sticking to his target of reducing public borrowing to less than 2% of national income by 2020-21, albeit with a reduced chest for any emergency spending in the event the economy requires an additional boost."
John Hawksworth, chief economist at PwC, said: "The headroom he used to have between his target and the forecast represented about £20-26bn. That's now been reduced to about £15bn because of less growth and more borrowing.
"He is trying to walk a tightrope of fiscal prudence and austerity."
The OBR says in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook report that the impact of lower productivity means that GDP will grow by 5.7% over the next five years rather than by the 7.5% as it estimated in March.
It added: "We expect real GDP growth to slow from 1.5% this year to 1.4% in 2018 and 1.3% in 2019, as public spending cuts intensify and Brexit-related uncertainty continues to bear down on activity."
However, it said that the revisions to productivity had nothing to do with Brexit, or with the latest economic figures, but simply because of what it called a "repeated tendency throughout the post-crisis period for productivity growth to disappoint".
Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said: "The OBR's view that weak productivity is here to stay, and is not just a lingering hangover from the financial crisis, means a longer haul to eliminate the deficit and slower wage growth."
The OBR has also cut its estimates for business investment. Its report said: "We now expect business investment to rise by around 12% between the first quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2022, significantly lower than the 19% expected in March.
"This downward revision reflects the weaker outlook for productivity growth lowering the expected return on capital."
On unemployment, the OBR said it believed the rate was now as low as it is going to go.
"We expect the rate to trough at 4.3% of the labour force - its current rate - in the second half of this year, and then to edge up as GDP growth slows a little further and the National Living Wage prices some workers out of employment."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42082119
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Budget 2020: Richer or poorer? Ask the calculator - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Use our Budget calculator to find out how your pocket may be affected by the latest tax measures.
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Business
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The calculator on this page was part of the BBC's coverage of the 2020 Budget and is no longer available.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17442946
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Hammond opens his 2017 Budget speech on UK economy - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The government will "express its resolve to look forwards not backwards", Philip Hammond says.
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The government will "express its resolve to look forwards not backwards", Philip Hammond said opening his Budget speech.
He spoke about the UK's future outside the EU, but said his speech was about "much more than Brexit",
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42083455
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John Lasseter: Pixar founder on leave over 'unwanted hugs' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Allegations of misconduct emerge about the man behind Toy Story and dozens of other classics.
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Entertainment & Arts
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John Lasseter, the head of animation at Pixar and Disney, is taking a leave of absence after allegations of misconduct emerged about him.
Current and former staff told The Hollywood Reporter that Mr Lasseter frequently gave unwanted hugs and invaded personal space.
Other sources alleged he was known for "grabbing, kissing, making comments".
In a statement Mr Lasseter apologised "to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug".
He apologised for his "missteps" and "any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form".
"Collectively, you mean the world to me, and I deeply apologise if I have let you down," he said.
"No matter how benign my intent, everyone has the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected."
The entertainment titan is credited on a vast array of animated features - including Inside Out
Mr Lasseter, a founding member of Pixar, said he would be taking a six-month leave of absence to "start taking better care of myself".
The chief creative officer at both Pixar and Walt Disney animation studios, he is one of the driving forces in the industry and has been behind some of the most successful children's films in the last two decades.
He was the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Cars; and has producer credits on dozens of major films including Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Up, and Frozen.
Disney, in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency, said it appreciated his "candor and sincere apology" and supported his decision to take a leave of absence.
Pixar's latest movie, Coco - on which Mr Lasseter is credited as an executive producer - releases on 22 November in the United States, hours after his leave of absence was announced.
The fantasy adventure film is scheduled for release in UK theatres in January.
Mr Lasseter is the creative lead at both Disney and Pixar animation studios
The claims against Lasseter come after Pixar screenwriter Rashida Jones left the production of Toy Story 4.
Jones told the New York Times her departure was due the studio's poor treatment of women and BAME staff.
She also rebuffed media stories that the real reason for her stepping away was due directly to Lasseter's behaviour towards her.
Her writing partner Will McCormack left along with her. In a joint statement to the NYT they said it was "untrue" they had left because of "unwanted advances".
"There is so much talent at Pixar, and we remain enormous fans of their films," they added.
"However, it is also a culture where women and people of colour do not have an equal creative voice."
• None Should we go loco over Coco trailer?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42070920
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Budget 2017: May hands cough sweets to Hammond - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The chancellor may be trying to shake-off his 'Spreadsheet Phil' moniker with a few gags in his Budget speech.
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The chancellor may be trying to shake-off his 'Spreadsheet Phil' moniker with a few gags in his Budget speech.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42083454
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Budget 2017: Chancellor accused of 'con' over Holyrood funding pledge - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scotland's finance secretary dismisses the chancellor's pledge of £2bn of funding for Holyrood as a "con".
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Scotland politics
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The Scottish government has dismissed the chancellor's pledge of extra funding for Holyrood as a "con".
Philip Hammond said moves in his Autumn Budget would "mean £2bn more for the Scottish government".
But Scotland's finance secretary said Holyrood had been "short changed", and that funds for day to day spending would actually fall.
Ministers have also traded barbs over plans to allow Scotland's police and fire services to claim VAT refunds.
Mr Hammond took aim at "SNP obstinacy" over the issue, while the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused the UK government of "vindictiveness and nastiness" for not having made the change sooner.
The disputed funds come in the form of Barnett consequentials, which are Scotland's share of additional spending in England which falls in areas of devolved competence - like health, education and housing.
The £2bn cited by Mr Hammond is spread over the period from the current financial year through to 2020-21, and includes more than £1.1bn in financial transaction funding.
This is capital funding for loan or equity initiatives, like "help to buy" schemes, meaning the government is constrained in how it is spent.
Scotland's finance secretary, Derek Mackay - who will unveil his own draft budget in December - said it was "money with strings attached" which could not be spent "directly on frontline public services" and would eventually have to be repaid to the Treasury.
He said the overall deal was "disappointing", telling the BBC's Politics Scotland programme that "it's not a £2bn boost to Scotland, it's a con".
But Scottish Secretary David Mundell told the same programme there would be a "significant increase in Scottish government spending".
On the capital funds, he said the Scottish government could "use that money in innovative ways", saying: "The money is definitely available. It's for the Scottish government to come forward with the mechanisms that allow it to be used.
"Additional money is coming to Scotland and directly will benefit Scotland."
Derek Mackay said the claims of extra funding for Scotland were a "con"
Mr Mackay also claimed the block grant for day to day spending was being cut in real terms, something refuted by the UK government.
The Fraser of Allander Institute, an economic think tank based at the University of Strathclyde, said the extra funding for the resource budget amounted to "around £350m", saying it "remains on track to be squeezed in real terms over the next two years".
Director Graeme Roy said: "The challenge therefore remains for Derek Mackay as to how best to balance the resource budget with major commitments like additional support for the NHS, more money for childcare and public sector pay uplifts all to be paid for."
The other point of conflict between the governments is over VAT for the Scottish police and fire services, after Mr Hammond confirmed they would be eligible for refunds from April 2018.
This brings Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service into line with their counterparts elsewhere in the UK - but tax paid since the creation of the national forces will not be reimbursed.
The two services pay about £35m a year in VAT - bringing the total bill since they were set up four years ago to £140m.
Scottish ministers have repeatedly called on the UK government to end the "glaring disparity" in the way that VAT affects emergency services across the UK, pointing out that territorial police and fire services in England and Wales already get refunds on their VAT bills.
Scotland's police and fire services pay about £35m a year in VAT
The UK government says the Scottish government knew of the VAT implications before the police and fire service mergers were approved, but pressed on with them regardless.
In his budget speech, Mr Hammond said he had been persuaded by Scottish Conservative MPs to make the change.
He added: "The SNP knew the rules, they knew the consequences of introducing these bodies, and they ploughed ahead anyway.
"But my Scottish Conservative colleagues have persuaded me that the Scottish people should not lose out just because of the obstinacy of the SNP government."
On spending, Mr Hammond trumpeted a "boost" for Scotland in the shape of £2bn extra. He said he had "delivered for Scotland".
In response, Derek Mackay said it was a "con". The money was over four years (the Chancellor never disguised that) - and more than half of the dosh was in the form of financial transactions.
These have caused contention in the past. They are, in essence, loan funds available for private projects such as housing, business or agriculture. They fall, thus, to be repaid.
Scottish ministers readily concede that such funds have proved valuable in the past - although they tend, discreetly, to cite their own deftness in finding useful vehicles. But they say it is cash with strings and it leaves day-to-day spending on the NHS, education and the like facing a real-terms cut.
At which point, Mr Mundell says that the total package going to Scotland will be helpful. At which point…..you get the concept.
The chancellor also said progress was being made on city deals for Tay Cities and Stirling, and for a growth deal for Borderlands.
And he said the government would introduce transferable tax history for oil and gas fields in the North Sea - which he described as an "innovative tax policy that will encourage new entrants to bring fresh investment to a basin that still holds up to 20 billion barrels of oil".
Many of the measures announced by Mr Hammond - such as homebuyers no longer having to pay stamp duty for properties of up to £300,000 - will not apply in Scotland, where the tax is devolved and known as Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.
It will be up to the Scottish government in its own forthcoming budget to decide whether to follow the chancellor's lead.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed the announcements on oil and gas, and on VAT.
But she said both were "overdue", and that it was "disappointing and unfair to emergency services" that VAT that had already been paid would not be refunded.
The chancellor said a freeze on spirit duty would benefit the Scotch whisky industry
Among the other budget measures which the Treasury said would impact on Scotland were:
The chancellor said the budget was proof that the Conservative government was "giving power back to the people of Britain and driving prosperity and greater fairness across our United Kingdom".
But he also said that the Office for Budget Responsibility had revised down forecasts for Britain's GDP to 1.5% in 2017, down from the 2% it had previously predicted.
Scottish Labour's new leader, Richard Leonard, said Mr Hammond had "delivered a failing budget, on a failing economy from a failing government".
He added: "They are rudderless and without a plan to grow our economy, help our industries and create the work of the future. This Tory government is a driverless vehicle. This budget is insufficient, inadequate and insincere."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42073261
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Mugabe has gone, but will Zimbabwe change? - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Zimbabweans are celebrating change, but is the old regime just getting a new face?
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Africa
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Up to the moment itself the extraordinary session of parliament had proceeded along expected lines. Speaker after speaker rose to denounce the excesses of the president and his wife.
A female MP was speaking of how her constituents were suffering when we saw the messengers approach the speaker. They handed him a letter.
A jolt of energy swept the hall. At first there were cheers of anticipation. The speaker rose.
The next 10 minutes will remain engraved in my memory.
We strained to hear the speaker through the muffled public address system. But the words "statement of resignation" were clear. And the wild cheering, the thumping of tables, the dancing and singing told all of us who were present that the age of Robert Mugabe was over.
From the corridors outside where Zanu-PF activists had gathered, the MPs could hear loud cheers and singing mingle with their own celebrations.
On the floor of parliament - a hotel ballroom specially converted for the session - I watched MPs and senators dance, arms around each other, as the solemn procession of mace bearers left the chamber.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. MPs cheered and celebrated as the resignation was announced
Among the more bizarre experiences was finding ruling-party legislators offering themselves for interview to the BBC. A week ago most foreign journalists were banned from the country.
One party stalwart, MP Keith Guzah, told me he believed real democracy would now take root in Zimbabwe. "He has gone and I am happy, happy, happy for my country."
Another MP told me her greatest joy was that Zimbabwe had managed the transition "without the shedding of blood." It was a comment that ignored the bloodshed and pain inflicted by her party during the decades of Robert Mugabe's rule.
Leaving parliament I moved up through the city towards Africa Unity Square, the heart of Harare, pausing several times as I was enveloped by ecstatic crowds.
A man fell to his knees and raised his arms to the sky. A young woman, wrapped in the national flag, shouted: "Do you see this you guys? Do you see this? It is history in the making."
On the square I ran into Ben Freeth, a farmer who lost his land and whose family were brutally tortured during the land invasions. Like so many others he was struggling to believe that the moment of Mr Mugabe's departure had arrived.
"He was going, going, going and now he's finally gone," he said. As we spoke a group of revellers approached. Suddenly we were surrounded by embracing arms. "And you can see," said Ben, "we are in this together!"
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How news of Robert Mugabe's resignation was greeted across Zimbabwe
Will this spirit of unity, this freedom from fear, endure under a new dispensation? I cannot be at all certain.
The presumptive new leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is mired in the excesses of the Mugabe era. He was the deposed president's loyal henchman for decades and only struck against him to prevent Grace Mugabe from succeeding to the presidency.
This was not a revolution to bring liberal democratic principles into government. It was about power.
That said, there are significant pressures on the new leader to embark on a programme of meaningful change. The corruption and tyranny of the past will not attract the international financial aid and investment that is needed to rescue the nation's shattered economy.
Mr Mnangagwa will face a strong challenge if he tries to mire Zimbabwe in the despotism of the past. His instincts are authoritarian but he will not have the same scope for repression as Robert Mugabe.
It would be a mistake to regard Zanu-PF as a monolith. A party that turned on one leader can easily turn on another.
Perhaps most important is the attitude of the people.
They have endured nearly 40 years of fear. For the first time they have been able to speak openly and demonstrate in the streets.
The opposition - for so long divided and beaten down - is rejuvenated.
These are the moments in which new leaders emerge and are tested. With elections set for next year, all parties are already in campaigning mode.
Traditionally the polls have been times of chaos and crackdowns. Let us see if Mr Mnangagwa lives up to the promise of a more tolerant Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe was accused of preparing the presidency for his wife Grace
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42079908
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Stalybridge Aldi car park find could be human bones - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police think the supermarket car park where the suspected remains were found was a burial ground.
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Manchester
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The bones were dug up on Tuesday afternoon in the car park at Aldi in Stalybridge
Suspected human remains have been dug up in a supermarket car park.
Workmen unearthed the bones outside a branch of German discount giant Aldi in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, on Tuesday afternoon.
Speculation has been rife among locals, but police believe the site may once have been a burial ground connected to a former chapel.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said tests were being carried out to confirm if the remains were human.
A photograph shared on Facebook showed workmen and onlookers peering down a large hole surrounded by fencing.
Police are awaiting the results of tests following the discovery
The discovery prompted reaction on social media, with many making reference to the 2013 discovery of the remains of English king Richard III in a car park in Leicester.
Twitter user Jane Browne posted: "Wow, which king is it this time?"
A Facebook user speculated the remains could be related to a burial site connected to a former Methodist church in the town.
Edyth O'Connor wrote: "I remember the old cemetery around that area. It was all boarded up whilst they removed the remains."
Norma Roberts said: "Canal street methodist [church] was where Aldi is now, and yes it was boarded up while all graves were removed to new locations. Or should have been."
GMP said a team of archaeologists and anthropologists were examining the findings.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42079047
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Emile Cilliers parachute trial: Jurors warned against 'bullying' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Mr Justice Sweeney tells jurors to stay "within the proper bounds of discussion" while deliberating.
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Wiltshire
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The judge in the trial of an Army sergeant accused of trying to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute has warned the jurors not to "bully" each other.
Nine women and three men have been deliberating since last Tuesday in the case of Emile Cilliers.
Two jurors fell ill and were discharged after Mr Justice Sweeney issued a majority direction.
Mr Cilliers denies two charges of attempting to murder his wife Victoria.
Mr Justice Sweeney gave the direction on Tuesday to jurors at Winchester Crown Court, saying that he would accept majority verdicts.
Ninety minutes after this, one of the jurors became ill.
On Wednesday, the forewoman also fell ill, with both jurors dismissed after the judge received medical certificates.
Emile Cilliers is accused of two counts of attempted murder of Victoria
He told the jurors, who have now been deliberating for 23-and-a-half hours: "Jury service is not easy; it never has been.
"By their very nature, some trials require jurors to address deeply sensitive human problems, and some discussions may be fierce or tempestuous, with powerful arguments and counter-arguments.
"In such cases, discussions by their nature will be exhausting.
"However, and obviously, all must remain within the proper bounds of discussion, and not amount to improper pressure or bullying."
Mr Cilliers, 37, is accused trying to kill Victoria, 40, who survived a 4,000ft fall on 5 April 2015.
It is alleged he tampered with her parachute before the jump, causing her to plummet to the ground.
Prosecutors also claim the defendant made another attempt to kill Mrs Cilliers by deliberately causing a gas leak in the family home days before the fall.
Mr Cilliers denies two counts of attempted murder and another criminal damage charge relating to the gas valve.
The jury will continue its deliberations on Thursday.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-42088018
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Zimbabwe: Dancing breaks out as Mugabe resigns - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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There were scenes of celebration on the streets of the capital, Harare.
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There were scenes of celebration on the streets of the capital, Harare.
President Robert Mugabe has resigned after a 37-year rule as his party prepared to impeach him.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42072197
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UK regulator has 'huge concerns' over Uber breach - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A data breach affecting 57 million customers and drivers should not have been concealed, the information commissioner says.
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Technology
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It is unclear whether UK citizens' data was breached as Uber has not said.
The UK's information commissioner has "huge concerns about Uber's data policies and ethics" following a breach that exposed the details of 57 million customers and drivers.
Uber did not tell anyone about the breach and paid a ransom to hackers to delete the data.
Deputy commissioner James Dipple-Johnson said these actions were unacceptable.
The ride-sharing company has a resource page for those who may be affected.
"It's always the company's responsibility to identify when UK citizens have been affected as part of a data breach and take steps to reduce any harm to consumers. Deliberately concealing breaches from regulators and citizens could attract higher fines for companies," Mr Dipple-Johnson said.
"If UK citizens were affected, then we should have been notified so that we could assess and verify the impact on people whose data was exposed."
He said the Information Commissioner's Officer (ICO) would work with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to determine the scale of the breach and how it affected people in the UK, as well considering the next steps that Uber needed to take to comply "with its data protection obligations".
Next year, EU countries will radically alter data protection laws to offer consumers greater control over the data they share with companies.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims to impose huge fines on companies that conceal data breaches.
Under the new rules, companies have to notify data regulators about a breach within 72 hours of becoming aware of a hack.
They face fines of 4% of their global annual turnover or 20 million euros (£18m), whichever is higher, if they are found to be in breach of the regulations.
Dean Armstrong, a cyber-law barrister at Setfords Solicitors, said: "As Uber hasn't released its figures, we can't speculate as to the potential final cost of the fine, but it is fair to say the regulator would come down hard and under the regulations it would likely be in the tens of millions.
"The greater cost to Uber however would and will be in terms of reputation, which although harder to quantify than a fine could far outstrip any penalty handed to them by a regulator."
David Kennerly, director of threat research at security company Webroot, criticised Uber for paying a ransom to the hackers.
"Given the current climate around data security and breaches, it is astonishing that Uber paid off the hackers and kept this breach under wraps for a year.
"The fact is there is absolutely no guarantee the hackers didn't create multiple copies of the stolen data for future extortion or to sell on further down the line."
Raj Samani, chief scientist at security company McAfee said, as a regular Uber user, the news made him "incredibly angry".
"Uber has treated its customers with a complete lack of respect," he said.
"Millions of people will now be worrying over what has happened to their personal data over the past 12 months, and Uber is directly responsible for this."
"In opting to not only cover up the breach, but actually pay the hackers, Uber has directly contributed to the growth of cybercrime and the company needs to be held accountable for this."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42079937
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Choice of tipple 'determines different moods' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Spirits may make you angry or tearful, while red wine or beer may make you relax, research says.
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Health
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Do you know how alcohol changes your mood?
Different types of alcoholic drink change and shape your mood in different ways, says a study into drinking and emotions.
Spirits may make you feel angry, sexy or tearful, while red wine or beer may make you feel relaxed, say researchers.
They questioned nearly 30,000 people aged 18-34 from 21 different countries for the study in the journal BMJ Open.
All the respondents drank beer, wine and spirits, and many said each type of alcohol had a different effect on them.
While having a few drinks can be enjoyable, researchers hope their findings will help highlight the dangers of dependent drinking.
People build up tolerance to alcohol over time and can end up drinking more to feel the same "positive" effects that they enjoy.
But they also risk getting negative ones too, says researcher Prof Mark Bellis from Public Health Wales NHS Trust.
The anonymous online survey, which recruited respondents via newspaper and magazine adverts and social media, found:
However, the findings show only an association and do not explain the reasons for changes.
Prof Bellis said the setting in which the alcohol was consumed was an important factor that the study tried to take into consideration by asking about drinking at home and outside of the home.
"Young people will often drink spirits on a night out, whereas wine might be drunk more at home, with a meal.
"There will be an element of expectation too. Someone who wants to relax might choose to have a beer or a glass of wine."
He said the way different drinks are marketed and promoted might encourage people to select certain drinks to suit different moods, but that this could backfire if it triggered negative emotions.
"People may rely on alcohol to help them feel a certain way. People might drink to feel more confident or relaxed but they also risk other negative emotional responses too."
Prof Bellis and his colleagues at King's College London said the findings suggested that dependent drinkers might rely on alcohol to generate the positive emotions they associated with drinking - they were five times more likely to feel energised than low-risk drinkers.
He also said the study revealed a difference between men and women's emotional relationship with different alcoholic drinks.
"We got stronger emotional relationships with women across pretty well every type of emotion, except for aggression." Aggression, he said, was more likely to be felt among men.
Dr John Larsen, from Drinkaware, said: "This study highlights the importance of understanding why people choose to drink certain alcoholic drinks and what effect they expect these drinks will have on them.
"The UK chief medical officers' guideline for both men and women states that in order to keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to be drinking more than 14 units a week on a regular basis."
That equates to 12 single measures of spirits, six pints of beer or six 175ml glasses of wine a week.
Experts say setting a minimum unit price of 50 pence per unit would help cut alcohol-related deaths.
A minimum price policy will come into force on 1 May 2018 in Scotland.
Legislation to establish a minimum price is currently under active consideration by the Welsh Government and by the Irish Senate. There are no plans yet to do the same in England, although the Home Office says the policy is under review.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42050438
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Mugabe's long career in pictures - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A look at the career of Robert Mugabe, who has resigned as Zimbabwe's president after 37 years in power.
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In Pictures
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There he met Sally Hafron whom he married in 1961. She was actually more political than him before he was recruited by black nationalists. He was later imprisoned by the Rhodesian government, but was not allowed to attend the funeral of his son
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-42032549
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Budget 2017: Tech giants targeted over tax payments - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Large technology companies will have to pay tax on royalties made on sales in the UK.
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Business
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The government will take steps to increase the tax it collects from firms doing business online, Mr Hammond has announced.
From April 2019, technology groups such as Google and Apple will pay a new withholding tax on the royalty payments they make to their subsidiaries in low-tax jurisdictions.
These moves are expected to bring in £200m a year on average.
HMRC will hold online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon responsible if sellers using their platforms fail to pay Value Added Tax on their sales.
All businesses operating on their sites will have to show a valid VAT number.
The increased tax income from multinationals should raise £285m in 2019-20, but that amount is expected to fall in each subsequent year to £130m in 2022-23.
The Budget statement said the payments would be due "even if the group has no taxable UK presence under current rules".
It added: "It will prevent multinationals from gaining an unfair advantage by locating an IP [intellectual property] in low or no tax jurisdictions and so will level the playing field."
The move is expected to have raised £800m by March 2023.
Alison Lobb, international tax partner at Deloitte, said: "It will be necessary to be able to clearly distinguish 'digital' companies subject to the digital turnover tax from other businesses.
"Even harder will be determining the appropriate rate - left open in the position paper - so that it represents a reasonable proxy for tax on profits, and so that it doesn't deter cross-border trade.
"Any moves made by the UK are likely to be mirrored by other countries, so UK digital businesses operating overseas will be equally affected."
Tech giants and the taxman are playing a digital game of cat and mouse.
As the Paradise Papers showed recently, big, international companies use various means to move money out of the Treasury's reach. Cash earned from an online sale made in the UK may not be taxed in the UK, or anywhere.
Digital firms' intellectual property is often owned by companies in tax havens, so large royalty payments are funnelled offshore.
The chancellor is trying to tax this flow of money, acknowledging "digitalisation poses challenges for the sustainability and fairness of our tax system".
The Treasury isn't clear how its new digital tax will be enforced - it admits some companies have "no taxable UK presence".
The forecast for falling income each year from the tax perhaps suggests the Treasury expects companies to find a way round the rule.
This isn't the complete answer, but it is a highly symbolic announcement - ministers have had enough of global companies sheltering profits from tax.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said: "Multinational digital businesses pay billions of pounds in royalties to jurisdictions where they are not taxed and some of those relate to UK sales.
"This does not solve the problem, but it does send a signal of our determination and we will continue work in the international arena to find a sustainable and fair long-term solution."
The plan to ensure people and businesses selling through online marketplaces pay the correct tax comes after warnings issued to Amazon and eBay last month about them profiting from sellers who were not charging VAT.
A report by MPs estimated that up to £1.5bn in tax had been lost from these third-party sellers.
Digital platforms will be asked to play a "wider role in ensuring that users are compliant with the tax rules".
The government is set to ask for more evidence next spring to explore the action that digital platforms can take.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42084815
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Emmerson Mnangagwa: The 'crocodile' who snapped back - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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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.
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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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Grangela: Labour's Angela Rayner is grandmother at 37 - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Labour's Angela Rayner becomes the youngest grandmother in the House of Commons.
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UK Politics
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Labour MP Angela Rayner has become a grandmother at the age of 37.
The shadow education secretary announced the birth of her first grandchild in an early-morning tweet in which she gave herself the new nickname, Grangela.
The Ashton-under-Lyne MP had her first son, Ryan, at the age of 16 and said being a teenage mother "saved me".
Ms Rayner, now the youngest grandmother in the House of Commons, said her grandchild was born just before 06:00.
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The mother-of-three thanked "all the wonderful staff at NHS Tameside", adding the hashtag #Grangela.
Earlier this year, Ms Rayner recalled her experience of being a teenage mother on a council estate, saying the birth of her son "actually saved me from where I could have been because I had a little person to look after".
"I wanted to prove that I could be a good mum and somebody was finally going to love me as much as I deserved to be loved, and that's what pregnancy was for me."
In her maiden speech, after becoming MP in 2015, she recalled being told when she was 16 and pregnant that she would never amount to anything. "If only they could see me now," she joked.
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Ms Rayner grew up on a Greater Manchester council estate with a brother and sister, and a mother who could not read or write.
In a profile on her official website, she says: "For the most part, I was raised by my grandma who worked at three jobs to put food on the table and didn't stop until the day she died - three days before her 65th birthday. "
Mrs Rayner, who left school without any qualifications has said that becoming a mother made her determined to prove that she was not the "scumbag" that people thought.
Now a mother of three boys, Mrs Rayner is critical of politicians who think of teenage mums as "just failures" with "nothing in their lives". She has also hit back at attacks on her because of her northern accent.
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After working as a council care worker and being elected as a Unison representative, Ms Rayner was selected as the Labour candidate for Ashton-under-Lyne in 2015, increasing the party's majority in the constituency
In her maiden speech in the Commons, the avid Star Wars fan said she would do things in her "own little northern way".
She was appointed shadow education secretary in 2016 - becoming the youngest-ever holder of that position - and according to the New Statesman has been "increasingly spoken of as a future Labour leader".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42078457
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Waddesdon air crash: Four men killed named by police - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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The victims of the crash between a helicopter and light aircraft are formally identified.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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Capt Mike Green was described as a "respected" helicopter instructor
Four men who were killed in a crash between a helicopter and a plane have been formally identified by police.
Nguyen Thanh Trung, 32, from Vietnam, was on a two-month training programme and was being instructed in the helicopter by Capt Mike Green.
Savaan Mundae, 18, and Jaspal Bahra, 27, also died in the crash near Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, on Friday.
Nguyen Thanh Trung was training to become a military flight instructor
Thames Valley Police said its "thoughts remain with the families of those involved in the accident".
The helicopter and Cessna 152 plane had both taken off from Wycombe Air Park, also known as Booker Airfield.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Defence said the crash was caused when the Cessna 152 suddenly dropped in height and hit the tail of the helicopter.
Both aircraft have been taken to the AAIB headquarters in Hampshire while it continues its investigation.
Emergency services were called at 12:06 GMT on Friday
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-42075018
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Robert Mugabe: Is Zimbabwe's ex-president a hero or villain? - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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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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Budget 2017: No political drama from 'Box Office Phil' - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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It wasn't a show stopper - but what Philip Hammond tried to do was to act on concerns expressed at the general election and by rebels on the Tory backbenches as well as the Labour opposition.
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UK Politics
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It wasn't a drama - it wasn't a Budget that would inspire queues at the Box Office.
No surprise. When "Box Office Phil" was given that nickname, it wasn't because he has a reputation for delivering political thrillers.
What he tried to do was to act on concerns expressed at the general election and by rebels on the Tory backbenches as well as the Labour opposition.
So there were changes to the universal credit benefit, some, but certainly not all the money the NHS says it needs - and an enormous sounding figure of £44bn for housing over the next five years (although vital to wait for the detail of how much will go to getting spades in the ground, and how much will guarantee loans for the housing industry).
But he made a bigger-than-expected move to "revive the home-owning dream" by scrapping stamp duty on the first £300,000 of any property bought by a first-time buyer.
The prime minister has set her own personal reputation on fixing the housing crisis, so there is a lot riding on the mixture of moves that has been promised by Philip Hammond today.
He also responded to pressure from Brexit-backing colleagues in cabinet, by putting aside an extra £3bn to plan for a "no deal" scenario.
What the chancellor also tried to do was to claim that somehow a corner has been turned in the long-term battle to sort out the country's books, with debt peaking and starting to fall as a share of national income.
But it will be tricky for the government to escape the overall picture: that the economy looks like it will be more sluggish, will grow more slowly and will be less productive than expected for some time to come.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42084795
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Mugabe resigns: Zimbabwe celebrates end of an era - BBC News
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2017-11-22
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Zimbabweans celebrate late into the night after Robert Mugabe resigns, ending 37-year rule.
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Africa
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Jubilant Zimbabweans have celebrated late into the night after Robert Mugabe resigned as president.
He held power for 37 years and once said "only God" could remove him.
His ally turned rival, former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is expected to return from neighbouring South Africa and could be appointed as the new president within hours.
Mr Mugabe's shock resignation came in the form of a letter read out by the speaker of parliament.
In it, Mr Mugabe - who had so far resisted pressure from the public, the army and his own party to step aside - said he was resigning to allow a smooth and peaceful transfer of power, and that his decision was voluntary.
The announcement abruptly halted an impeachment hearing that had begun against him on Tuesday.
Lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition roared with glee, and spontaneous scenes of joy erupted in the streets with people dancing, singing, honking car horns and waving flags.
"I'm so happy, wonderful, feeling so much excited, this is the greatest moment for our country," Julian Mtukudzi told the AFP news agency.
"We have been having sleepless nights hoping and waiting and we are so happy. It's over and it's done."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Activist and political candidate Vimbaishe Musvaburi breaks down in tears of joy
Activist and political candidate Vimbaishe Musvaburi broke down in tears of joy speaking to the BBC.
"We are tired of this man, we are so glad he's gone. We don't want him anymore and yes, today, it's victory," she said.
The ruling Zanu-PF party says former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa will succeed Mr Mugabe.
It had been seen by many as an attempt to clear the way for Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband as leader and riled the military leadership, who stepped in and put Mr Mugabe under house arrest.
Mr Mugabe, 93, was until his resignation the world's oldest leader.
According to the constitution his successor should be the current Vice-President, Phelekezela Mphoko, a supporter of Grace Mugabe.
But a ZANU-PF official Larry Mavhima told Reuters Mr Mnangagwa is to return home for 11:30 GMT, where he is later expected to be sworn-in.
Driving through Harare, the cheers and the blaring of car horns signalled the end of the Mugabe era.
The man who dominated Zimbabwe for so long has already begun to fade into history here. It is a city singing with the noise of joy.
Exactly a week after the military first moved against President Mugabe, I was standing in parliament as legislators debated the motion to impeach him.
An usher approached the speaker and handed him a letter. He stood to speak and we strained to hear his words. They were muffled but momentous. Robert Mugabe had resigned.
On the floor of the parliament I met jubilant MPs. Some danced. Celebrations spilled into the hallways and out into the street.
Despite welcoming the news, Zimbabwean opposition and civil society figures have warned that the political culture needs to change.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai told the BBC he hoped that Zimbabwe was on a "new trajectory" that would include free and fair elections.
He said Mr Mugabe should be allowed to "go and rest for his last days".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Morgan Tsvangirai told the BBC he hoped that Zimbabwe was on a "new trajectory"
Prominent Zimbabwean opposition politician David Coltart tweeted: "We have removed a tyrant but not yet a tyranny."
African Union president Alpha Conde said he was "truly delighted" by the news, but expressed regret at the way Mr Mugabe's rule has ended.
"It is a shame that he is leaving through the back door and that he is forsaken by the parliament," he said.
President Mugabe was accused of preparing the presidency for his wife Grace
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Budget 2017: The endless living squeeze - BBC News
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2017-11-23
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The Budget downgrades for economic growth and productivity mean we could see stagnant wages until 2025.
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Business
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What is the point of capitalism?
That might seem like a pretty big question, but one answer could be "to provide people the opportunity through work to become richer".
What, though, if the economy fails in that endeavour?
If the system leaves you - despite all your efforts - worse off in December than you were the previous January?
Or worse off now than you were a decade ago?
It was Lord Adair Turner, the former head of the Low Pay Commission, who put it succinctly.
"The UK over the last 10 years has created a lot of jobs, but today real wages are below where they were in 2007," he told me earlier this year.
"That is not the capitalist system delivering its promise that over a decade or so it will raise all boats, and it is a very fundamental issue."
Yesterday the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) announced an aggressive downgrade of both its growth and productivity forecasts.
Those big, macro-economic announcements have a significant effect on all of us as well as on the state of the public finances.
It means the economy is forecast to be weaker at producing wealth for every hour that we work.
Which makes the chances of a pay rise for everyone recede.
Today, two pieces of chunky analysis of the OBR's judgements reveal why those downgrades are so important.
The social justice think tank, the Resolution Foundation, said that "lower productivity feeds directly through to pay, which is now forecast to be £1,000 a year lower on average than the OBR thought back in March".
The Foundation says that the fall in real incomes people are experiencing could now become the longest since records began.
And that wages will not recover to their pre-financial crisis levels until 2025 - that's 17 years during which people have been experiencing an incomes squeeze.
The tax and economy think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, agrees.
"Real earnings are falling this year as inflation has risen to 3%," Paul Johnson, the Institute's director, said.
"The nascent recovery in earnings, which were growing through 2014 to the first half of 2016, has been choked off.
"That they even might still be below their 2008 level in 2022 as the OBR forecasts is truly astonishing. Let's hope this forecast turns out to be too pessimistic."
Government ministers will be similarly keeping their fingers crossed.
And hoping that with strong employment levels and plans to boost investment in the type of infrastructure that boosts productivity - transport, scientific and technology research - the real incomes squeeze can be alleviated.
Because if a system does not deliver increasing wealth - even if it is a modest increase - then people, quite naturally, begin to wonder what is the point.
• None What the Budget means for you
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42097238
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USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar pleads guilty to sex charges - BBC News
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2017-11-23
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The USA Olympics doctor was charged with molesting seven girls in his care.
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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. Judge to Nassar: 'Position of trust used to abuse children'
Former USA Olympic gymnastics sports doctor Larry Nassar has pleaded guilty to seven charges of sexual assault against women and girls in his care.
He was charged with molesting seven girls, many of whom are gymnasts, while working for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.
As part of the plea deal, Nassar, 54, could face at least 25 years in prison.
The hearing comes after a third former US Olympian, Gabby Douglas, accused him of sexual abuse.
In a statement to the court on Wednesday, Nassar said he was pleading guilty to "move the community forward and stop the hurting".
"I'm so sorry that this was like a match that turned into a forest fire, out of control," he said.
"I want them to heal. I want this community to heal. I have no animosity toward any one. I just want healing. It's time."
"You used that position of trust that you had in the most vile way - to abuse children," Ingham County Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said, noting that sex abuse is a nationwide "epidemic".
At least 140 women are suing former USA Olympic gymnastics sports doctor Larry Nassar
"You violated the oath that you took, which is to do no harm, and you harmed them. Selfishly."
Many of his accusers testified that they were abused while he was examining the young athletes, and sometimes while their parents were nearby.
He has been accused of abusing more than 130 women - including Olympic gold medalists Ms Douglas, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney - during his time as team doctor for the US women's gymnastics team.
Ms Douglas, who was one of the so-called Fierce Five that won gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012, revealed her accusation on Instagram.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gymnast Aly Raisman speaks up against former team doctor
"I didn't publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and some things were extremely painful," she wrote.
During the hearing Ms Raisman, a member of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams, tweeted that she was "disgusted" that Nassar, who lost his licence, was referred to as a doctor.
Nassar's case was part of a scandal which saw USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny resign last year. Mr Penny was accused by victims of failing to quickly notify authorities about abuse allegations.
In a statement after the plea deal was announced, USA Gymnastics - the organisation which determines the US Olympic team - said it is "very sorry that any athlete was harmed" by their former doctor.
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They added that it was "important" that he acknowledged "his appalling and devious conduct" in court and said the deal "permits punishment without further victimisation of survivors".
Nassar has already pleaded guilty to multiple charges of child pornography in federal court and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Before accepting the plea, Judge Aquilina asked him to confirm that he did not wear gloves when abusing his victims between 1998 and 2015, when he was fired.
The alleged examinations were "not for any medical purposes is that right? It was for your own purpose, is that right?", the judge asked. Nassar responded: "Yes."
He is due to be sentenced on 12 January.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42083977
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Brexit: May says positive vibe but EU warns of 'huge challenge' - BBC News
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2017-11-23
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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But the EU says it will still be a "huge challenge" to move onto the next phase of talks next month.
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UK Politics
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Theresa May met German's Angela Merkel and other EU leaders
Issues still need to be resolved but progress is being made in Brexit negotiations, Theresa May has insisted.
The prime minister said there had been a "very positive atmosphere" in talks with several EU leaders in Brussels.
The UK, she said, would honour its financial commitments and shared the same desire as Ireland to stop barriers to trade or movement across the border.
EU Council President Donald Tusk said talks could move to the next phase in December but it was a "huge challenge".
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At a security summit in Brussels, Mrs May had lunch with Angela Merkel and also met Mr Tusk, who told her last week that she has until the start of December to make an enhanced offer on money and provide guarantees on the Irish border after Brexit.
Ministers have given her their backing to increase the UK's "divorce bill" but only if the EU shows movement on trade.
The government has refused to comment on reports it had agreed to pay about £40bn to pave the way for EU leaders to approve the next phase of talks on future relations at a summit on 14 December.
Speaking in Brussels, Mrs May did not answer specific questions about money and said there were "still issues across the various matters that we're negotiating on to be resolved".
But she added: "There's been a very positive atmosphere in the talks and a genuine feeling that we want to move forward together."
Last week, Mr Tusk said the EU was "ready" to move on to the next phase of talks - focused on a trade and security partnership after the UK leaves in March 2019 - but the UK must first show more progress on outstanding "separation" issues.
The BBC's Europe reporter Adam Fleming said that after holding talks with Mrs May, Danish PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen had told journalists in the Belgian capital that there had been "movement" on the issue of money.
"It seems to me that there is progress and so I have decided to be optimistic about this," Mr Rasmussen - one of the UK's closest allies - said.
The PM also said the UK was in continuing discussions with the Irish government about the solutions for avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
No 10 earlier had to clarify its position after a spokesman appeared to suggest the possibility of Northern Ireland staying in the customs union may be up for negotiation.
Asked about the issue at a lobby briefing, the spokesman said the UK must "continue to negotiate to find an innovative way forward".
But Downing Street later insisted that the UK's stated policy - that the whole of the UK is leaving the single market and customs union - remained in force.
The UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, and served the EU with formal notice of Brexit in March 2017. This began a two-year countdown to the UK's departure day which will be in March 2019.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42104024
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Corbyn: I was never supposed to be called Jeremy - BBC News
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2017-11-23
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Labour leader says his father had a change of heart over his name.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Labour leader was introduced on stage by Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis
His name was chanted by crowds at Glastonbury and emblazoned on T-shirts - but Jeremy Corbyn says he was never meant to be called "Jeremy" at all.
The Labour leader said his parents had agreed a name for him shortly after his birth, in 1949 - only for his father to change his mind on the way to having it registered, without telling his mother.
"I was supposed to be called something else," he told comedian John Bishop.
Mr Corbyn said his parents had never revealed their first choice of name.
The MP made the disclosure during TV channel W's John Bishop: In Conversation with Jeremy Corbyn programme, which airs at 21:00 GMT.
Asked if his father, David, made the name-swap without consulting his wife, Mr Corbyn replied: "Yes. To her dying day, she would never tell me what it was.
"I said, 'Can't you tell me what it was going to be?' She said, 'I can't tell you.' So we can only speculate."
The chant "Oh, Jeremy Corbyn" - to the tune of the White Stripes' hit Seven Nation Army - became a bit of an anthem for his supporters over the past year and greeted the Labour leader's appearance at Glastonbury. His supporters have also chanted "Jez we can" during his leadership campaign rallies.
Describing his family life in the interview, Mr Corbyn said he felt he had "fallen by the wayside" by going into politics while his three older brothers - Edward, Andrew and Piers - all became engineers and scientists.
He spoke of his devastation at the death of his geologist brother, Andrew, from a brain haemorrhage while on an expedition to Papua New Guinea, saying that going there to collect his body was "one of the most horrifying and horrific things" he had ever done.
Mr Corbyn also revealed that a neighbour had placed a bet on him to win the Labour leadership at a time when the odds were 200-1.
"Every day I go out on that campaign, he said, 'Are you going to win?'" said Mr Corbyn. "I said, 'I don't know'.
"He said, 'Look, I've put a lot of money on this - you've got to win.' No pressure, like. I was like, 'I've got to win this for him, now.'"
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42094004
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Rita Ora's egg freezing in early 20s 'a positive move,' doctors say - BBC News
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2017-11-23
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The singer, now 26, said she had the procedure done as she "always wanted a big family".
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Health
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Rita Ora has revealed on an Australian television show that she had her eggs frozen in her early 20s.
The British singer, now 26, said her doctor recommended the procedure as she had "always wanted a big family".
"He said 'you are healthy now and it would be great, why not put them away and then you never have to worry about it again?'," she said.
Dr Helen O'Neill, of University College London, said: "The earlier you freeze your eggs the better."
But it's not an "absolute guarantee" for pregnancy and many young people can't afford the cost of £5,000 per cycle.
Dr O'Neill said: "The benefits (of egg freezing) are that you are taking your fertility into your own hands. If you're checked and you have a low fertility, it's best to act early."
She said there is a huge decline in the quality of eggs after a woman reaches the age of 30 - and that it continues to decline.
"Unfortunately the prime age people start to freeze their eggs is 35, which is a little bit too late," she explained.
In the UK, the number of women storing their eggs has increased substantially.
In 2014, 816 women froze some eggs for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) later, up 25% on 2013, according to the latest figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates the industry.
London Women's Clinic in Harley Street recently reported that the number of women attending its fertility clinics has tripled in the past three years.
The birth rate for using frozen eggs was about 14% in 2013, according to the HFEA. The rate was lower for women over 38.
Dr O'Neill said there are comparable success rates between fresh and frozen eggs.
"Our most recent freezing really is excellent," she said. "It should be promoted a lot more."
Prof Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society, told the BBC: "Young women are freezing eggs in order to preserve fertility for the future, but have to understand not all eggs will survive the freezing process and be able to be fertilised.
"So it's not an absolute guarantee for pregnancy in the future.
"But the younger you freeze eggs the more fertile they are."
Ms Ora said she was already aware the process may not mean she would have a baby in the future and said: "I know people might say, 'wow, that's so young'. I just wanted to really be safe."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42095254
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