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Oxford Circus panic: Pair released after police questioning - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The two men were questioned over an altercation at London's Oxford Circus which caused panic on Friday.
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UK
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Armed police responded to the incident as if it was terror-related
Two men questioned over an altercation that sparked panic in London's Oxford Street on Friday have been released without charge, police have said.
The pair - aged 21 and 40 - were quizzed on Saturday after attending a police station voluntarily.
A number of people were injured, with nine hospitalised, after people fled the station amid reports of shooting.
Armed police were sent to the scene and initially treated the incident as potentially terror-related.
However, officers said they had found no evidence that any gunshots were fired.
Police later said the incident - which resulted in the temporary closure of two Tube stations - may have been caused by an altercation between two men on a Central Line platform.
They released CCTV images of two men they wanted to speak to in connection with the incident.
Confirming that two men had now been released, a spokeswoman for British Transport Police said: "There are no criminal proceedings against them.
"They have not been arrested or charged."
Officers are still going through CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses, the force said.
No further suspects are being sought.
Oxford Circus - where Oxford Street and Regent Street meet - was cordoned off
Oxford Circus - where Oxford Street and Regent Street meet - was cordoned off during the incident, while shops and businesses were placed in lockdown.
Shoppers were barricaded inside stores in Oxford Street, as armed police were deployed.
However, within 90 minutes the officers had been stood down.
Paramedics said people were injured in the rush to flee the station, described by eyewitnesses as a "stampede".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42130611
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Arlene Foster 'sorry' for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding tweet - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Arlene Foster tweeted her congratulations to Prince William after news of his brother's engagement.
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N. Ireland Politics
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will marry next year and will live in London
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster has apologised for congratulating the wrong prince after Prince Harry announced his engagement.
The prince said on Monday that he would marry his US actress fiancee Meghan Markle next spring.
But in a post on Mrs Foster's Twitter account, she mistakenly sent her best wishes to his already-married brother.
"Congratulations to HRH Prince William on his engagement to Megan (sic) Markle," she posted.
The tweet was quickly deleted, with Mrs Foster correcting her error.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Arlene Foster This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
She later tweeted her apologies to the princes, joking that the mistake had ended her "chance of an invite".
She said the tweet had been sent by a member of her staff, who had been "guilty of tweeting too fast".
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Arlene Foster This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-42139148
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The last time Mount Agung erupted - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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Survivors of the 1963 Bali volcano eruption find themselves waiting for it to erupt again.
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Indonesia has warned that the active volcano on the tourist island of Bali is entering a "critical phase", amid fears of an imminent eruption.
More than 75,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.
Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, and people had just minutes to flee.
The BBC found survivors of that eruption at a shelter, reliving their past experience.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41433507
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Pharma deals are 'vote of confidence', says government - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Plans to build new biotech research centres come as the government announces its industrial strategy.
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Business
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A scientist at the Francis Crick Institute one of the UK's leading research centres
The government has said two deals to invest in the UK's biotech industry illustrate confidence in its industrial strategy, which it published on Monday.
MSD, known as Merck in North America, will support a new research centre in London creating around 950 new posts.
Germany's Qiagen will expand its investment in a genomics and diagnostics campus in Manchester.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said it represented "a huge vote of confidence" in the government's approach.
"People don't make the investments of this scale that are for the long term if they don't have the confidence that we are building in this country a very attractive base," he said.
The industrial strategy white paper outlines the government's plans to support more research and development, encourage firms to embrace new technology and boost the economy.
The industrial strategy comes just days after official forecasting body the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) announced an aggressive downgrade of its UK growth forecast.
The OBR concluded that a slowdown in the growth of productivity - or the value that each worker produces - since the financial crisis will persist for several more years.
MSD's managing director in the UK and Ireland, Louise Houson, linked the company's investment to the government's approach to the economy: "This investment presents a major opportunity for us to work in collaboration with the UK government to build on the forward thinking and ambitious industrial strategy white paper being published."
Qiagen expects to sign a deal early next year to expand its presence in Manchester where it works on DNA-based diagnostics for personalised healthcare. The firm said it would add to its current staff of 270.
The government said the investment had the potential to create 800 skilled job overall in the Manchester life sciences hub at Qiagen and other firms.
The chief executive of Qiagen, Peer Schatz, said the involvement of the University of Manchester, the NHS Trust and the UK government were "essential" to the partnership they are investing in.
Mr Clark said the UK's decision to leave the EU meant the strategy was "even more important" and he said political commitments to limit immigration would not hamper the development of research related industries. He said the government would "make it easier for more scientists to come and work in the UK".
Here's the idiot's guide to how it's supposed to work.
Pick an industry that the UK is already good at and needs investment.
Chuck in a bit of government money, cluster the right institutions around it, commit to provide the skills base and give them somewhere to try their new stuff.
That could mean faster trials for drugs in the NHS or using public roads to test driverless cars.
Some will see this as another example of government's dodgy track record in "picking winners" - the government insists it is backing excellence.
Of course, all of these new initiatives are being born under the star sign of Brexit which makes them children of uncertainty.
Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, welcomed the industrial strategy, saying it showed the government "has its eye firmly on the horizon, not just the next few yards".
But she added: "Today's announcement must be the beginning of a strategic race, not a tactical sprint. And it needs to last. This is a time for consistency and determination, not perpetual change with the political winds."
She commended the creation of an independent council to monitor progress.
However Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour's shadow secretary for business, said the white paper contained "re-announced policies and old spending commitments", and failed to provide certainty.
"What detail there is concentrates on a few elite industries in which Britain already has an advantage, and will do nothing to help the millions of people who work in low productivity and low wage sectors such as retail, hospitality and social care, or those based outside the "Golden Triangle" made up by London, Oxford and Cambridge."
The government has already pledged to invest an additional £80bn in R&D over the next decade.
The white paper lists some of the government's previously announced pledges to improve productivity including technical education and training, investment in electric vehicle infrastructure and faster broadband.
It also outlined four global trends which it believes the UK needs to take advantage of.
The government describes these as "grand challenges" and is inviting business, academia and civil society to work with the government to tackle them.
"More decisions about our economic future will be in our own hands and it is vital that we take them," Mr Clark said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42131742
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Jonny Bairstow 'headbutt' something he does with his rugby mates, says Andrew Strauss - BBC Sport
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2017-11-27
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England's Jonny Bairstow "bumped heads" with Cameron Bancroft because it is "something he does with his rugby mates", says Andrew Strauss.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
England's Jonny Bairstow "bumped heads" with Australia's Cameron Bancroft in a bar because it is "something he does with his rugby mates", according to director of cricket Andrew Strauss.
The squad are effectively grounded after the incident in Perth in October - and Strauss said they are not "using their intelligence in the right way".
Ben Stokes was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm in September.
"Quite frankly, we need to sharpen up our act," Strauss told BBC Sport.
All-rounder Stokes, 26, is not part of England's Ashes tour as he awaits the result of a police investigation.
After England's 10-wicket defeat by Australia in the first Test on Monday, Bairstow said the incident with Bancroft - which took place on the first night of the tour - was "blown out of all proportion".
Bancroft, 25, laughed off the incident, while he and Bairstow said there was "no malice" intended.
• None It has been completely blown out of proportion - Bairstow
Why would Bairstow 'bump heads' with someone?
Strauss said he had "no idea" why Bairstow, 28, would make such a gesture.
"It's something he does with his rugby mates," said former England captain Strauss.
"It was a jest, a joke. It's just a little bump of heads. It's not a headbutt. I don't think it's been reported accurately.
"When people mention a headbutt, there's a connotation around aggression, malicious behaviour, intent to hurt. It was anything but this.
"He was completely baffled, surprised and shocked that this was a massive issue."
Strauss said Bairstow, who made nine and 42 at the Gabba, was "embarrassed and shocked".
"He's pretty contrite right now. He understands that it wasn't the most sensible thing for him to," Strauss said.
"As we've seen from the way Cameron Bancroft has reacted, there was no offence taken.
"It's a minor issue but it highlights the fact that minor issues can become major issues."
The Stokes incident took place outside a Bristol nightclub, while the Bairstow episode took place in a bar in Perth as Bancroft and his Western Australia team-mates celebrated victory over Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, Australia's domestic competition.
Strauss denied that there is a drinking culture within the England team, but said players must be "smarter" with the situations they place themselves in.
"What might have been acceptable in the old days is no longer acceptable," he said.
"They are adults - intelligent adults - and sometimes they are not using that intelligence in the right way.
"The last thing any of us want is to be in the news for the wrong reasons and I will be reminding the players of their obligations."
'These guys are not thugs'
Michael Vaughan, an Ashes-winning captain like Strauss, said the public perception of the England team has been damaged.
"They train as hard as any other England team I've seen," Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 live. "They are professional at the right times.
"What surprised me is that, after what happened with Stokes, they arrived in Australia and were allowed to go straight out to a bar."
Strauss said: "These guys are not thugs. These are good, honest, hard-working cricketers who sacrifice a lot to play for England.
"The perception of the players and the reality of who I know them to be is different at the moment.
"Their job now is to ensure that people look at them for what they really are rather than what they are perceived to be."
The second Test of the five-match series - a day-night encounter at the Adelaide Oval - starts on Saturday at 04:00 GMT.
• None Listen to the Tuffers & Vaughan Cricket Show on 5 live - 21:30 GMT, 27 November
28 Oct - Joe Root tells a pre-Ashes news conference that England do not have a drinking culture.
29 Oct - England land in Perth, Australia. Players go to a local pub in the evening.
29 Oct - Bancroft and team-mates celebrate a win for Western Australia against Tasmania in a domestic game, and end up in the same pub as England players. Bairstow greets Bancroft with a 'headbutt'.
1 Nov - Bayliss (unaware of the incident) tells BBC's Test Match Special that England players have come up with their own "sensible" rules around drinking, but there will not be a curfew in place on tour.
21 Nov - Australia spinner Nathan Lyon says his side will "headbutt the line, but we won't go over it" when asked about sledging on the eve of the first Test.
26 Nov - Bairstow is sledged during the fourth day of the first Test. ECB says it will investigate reports of a headbutt.
27 Nov - Bairstow, Bancroft and England coach Trevor Bayliss address the media, all playing down the incident.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42136826
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US gun background checks hit new record on Black Friday - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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In one day, more than 200,000 Americans requested a background check in order to legally buy a gun.
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US & Canada
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The FBI received over 200,000 requests for background checks to own a gun on Black Friday, overtaking last year's single-day record by nearly 10%.
Black Friday, the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday, had previously set records for the most instant FBI background checks in 2015 and 2016.
The database is meant to prevent criminals and other Americans barred from owning guns from purchasing them.
Last week the US Justice Department ordered a full review of the database.
The FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) database system said they fielded 203,086 background checks on Black Friday, a day when US retailers mark down prices on their products to kick off the annual holiday gift-shopping period.
The previous record of 185,713 background checks was set on Black Friday a year earlier, according to figures provided by the FBI.
The FBI cautions that "a one-to-one correlation cannot be made" between checks and actual sales, since one background check may yield several gun sales.
They did not indicate what may have caused the uptick in sales.
Gun sales have generally risen during periods when lawmakers have indicated that they may take action to restrict gun ownership.
Sales rose after former President Barack Obama's election - due to fears he would restrict them - and have fallen since Donald Trump became US president.
Mr Obama had previously told BBC News that his biggest regret as president was not passing "meaningful" gun reform during his time in office.
Last week the Department of Justice ordered a review of the background check system to determine whether law enforcement agencies are properly reporting crimes to the FBI.
The review was ordered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions following revelations that a gun rampage at a Texas church which left 26 people dead was committed by a former US airman who had been legally stripped of his right to own weapons.
Devin P Kelley was convicted of assault and discharged from the military. The US Air Force later admitted that they had failed to notify the FBI's NICS of the gunman's conviction, allowing him to purchase several weapons from legal distributers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42144660
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Engagement interview in full - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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The newly engaged couple spoke to the BBC's Mishal Husain on Monday afternoon.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42139382
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Randox forensics inquiry: Police suspend drug-test contracts - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The firm is retesting forensic samples after a probe sparked a review of more than 10,000 cases.
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Manchester
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Most of the 10,000 cases that could be affected involved traffic offences
Police have suspended all contracts with a drug-testing company amid allegations of data manipulation.
Randox Testing Services (RTS) in Manchester was investigated after two scientists were arrested on suspicion of tampering with data.
Police minister Nick Hurd understands the RTS is no longer working for the National Police Chiefs' Council.
He said the firm was "co-operating" in retesting samples after the probe led to a review of more than 10,000 cases.
The council said forensic tests across 42 police forces, including rapes and murders, were being considered possibly unreliable and needed re-examining.
Mr Hurd told MPs: "The police have suspended all contracts as I understand it with Randox.
"Randox are co-operating with us fully on the priority, which is to identify the priority cases [and] get the retesting done as quickly as possible."
A data anomaly in a drug-driving case was reported to RTS earlier this year
He also said the cases of alleged wrongdoing could go back to 2010.
Five people have also been interviewed under caution by Greater Manchester Police over the alleged manipulation by individuals working at an RTS site.
The alleged misconduct emerged earlier this year when a data anomaly in a drug-driving case was reported to RTS.
Potential data manipulation at a separate facility, Trimega Laboratories, is also being investigated.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott claimed the "scandal" "flowed directly" from the decision to privatise the industry.
Mr Hurd accused Ms Abbott of "trying to squeeze" the issue into a Labour narrative of "public good, private bad".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42144231
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House of Cards 'hopes to resume soon' - without Kevin Spacey - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Production on the Netflix show was halted following the recent allegations against star Kevin Spacey.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Spacey is having treatment following the allegations
House of Cards could be soon returning to production following the sexual harassment and assault allegations made against its star, Kevin Spacey.
The hit Netflix show was forced to take a break following the claims and Spacey has now been dropped from the show.
Pauline Micelli, senior vice president at the show's studio, Media Rights Capital, recently wrote to staff to say its hiatus was being extended.
"We continue to work with Netflix with the hope of resuming production soon."
Crew on the show will be paid until 8 December "as we continue these discussions," her letter went on.
Netflix previously announced it "will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey".
Ms Micelli's letter addressed how stressful a period it had been for everyone working on the show.
"These last two months have tested and tried all of us in ways none of us could have foreseen," she wrote.
"The one thing we have learned throughout this process is that this production is bigger than just one person and we could not be more proud to be associated with one of the most loyal and talented production cast and crews in this business."
Spacey was at the Old Vic between 2004 and 2015
In the letter, published in the Hollywood Reporter, she added: "Our hope is that the entire crew will be able to reconvene when production resumes.
"But we want you to know that we will certainly understand if crew members need to find other work in the interim, which will prevent them from re-joining us. We sincerely appreciate all you have done".
She said that the writers would be continuing their work during the hiatus - presumably working on how to write Spacey out.
Spacey, who was artistic director at London's Old Vic theatre, is currently being investigated by Scotland Yard over two allegations of sexual assault.
He also faces claims of "on-set sexual misconduct" by members of the House of Cards production crew.
Initial allegations about Spacey were made by actor Anthony Rapp in October.
Rapp said he was 14 when Spacey allegedly harassed him following a party in 1986.
Spacey claimed to have no memory of the alleged incident while offering an apology to Rapp "for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour".
The Old Vic has said that an internal investigation found 20 people claimed they had been the victims of inappropriate behaviour by Spacey, who was at the theatre between 2004 and 2015.
A spokesperson for Spacey said the Oscar-winning actor has been "taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment" since the allegations surfaced.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42135872
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Brexit: Irish border won't be resolved until EU-UK trade deal struck - Fox - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Irish government says it won't accept a hard border and that it could veto UK trade talks with the EU.
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UK Politics
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There can be no final decisions on the future of the Irish border until the UK and the EU have reached a trade agreement, Liam Fox has said.
The UK's international trade secretary also blamed the EU for Brexit delays.
The comments came after the Irish Republic's EU commissioner said Dublin could veto Brexit trade talks.
The EU has said "sufficient progress" has to be made on the Irish border before negotiations on a future relationship can begin.
Downing Street has said the whole of the UK will leave both the customs union and the single market when it leaves the EU in 2019.
"We don't want there to be a hard border but the UK is going to be leaving the customs union and the single market," Mr Fox told Sky News.
He added: "We can't come to a final answer to the Irish question until we get an idea of the end state. And until we get into discussions with the EU on the end state that will be very difficult - so the quicker we can do that the better, and we are still in a position where the EU doesn't want to do that."
Mr Fox accused the European Commission of having an "obsession" with ever-closer union between EU member states, which was delaying progress in Brexit talks.
Phil Hogan, the EU's agriculture commissioner, told the Observer that staying in the customs union would negate the need for a hard border - with customs posts and possible passport checks - on the island.
He said Dublin would "play tough to the end" over its threat to veto trade talks until it had guarantees over the border.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was "worried" by Mr Fox's comments, adding that Labour would not take continued membership of the single market and the customs union off the table.
"I think the one thing that we don't want to do is jeopardise any movement quickly, because we need movement to enable us to get into the proper trade negotiations," Mr McDonnell told ITV's Peston on Sunday.
"So I'm hoping that isn't a Downing Street-sanctioned statement that's he's made."
It's 310 miles (499km) long - a squiggle on the map that meanders from Carlingford Lough in the east to Lough Foyle in the west.
The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is the soon-to-be frontier between the UK and the European Union.
And right now it is the most troublesome frontier between Brexit negotiations stalling or progressing.
London and Dublin each say they are committed to maintaining an open border. But Ireland wonders how that will be possible.
Oh and one other thing to throw into the mix - after all the talk of how wobbly Theresa May's government is, so is Ireland's.
There could be a general election there before Christmas.
The EU has given Prime Minister Theresa May until 4 December to come up with further proposals on issues including the border, the Brexit divorce bill and citizens' rights, if European leaders are to agree to moving on to trade talks.
But Mr Hogan accused some in the British government of having what he called "blind faith" about securing a comprehensive free-trade deal after Brexit.
He said it was a "very simple fact" that "if the UK or Northern Ireland remained in the EU customs union, or better still the single market, there would be no border issue".
In these circumstances regulations on either side of the border would remain the same, and so a near-invisible border would be possible.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. UK and Irish politicians clashed over Brexit and the Irish border on BBC One's the Sunday Politics
The Irish government has always insisted there must not be a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar saying he must have written assurance from the UK before Brexit talks can move on.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has said the UK's desire for no hard border on the island of Ireland was "aspirational".
It comes as Ireland's deputy prime minister faces a motion of no confidence over her handling of a case involving a whistle-blower alleging corruption within the police.
The issue could see Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar's coalition government fall and an election held before Christmas.
In her speech in Florence, this September, Mrs May restated that both the UK and EU would not accept any physical infrastructure at the border.
The Democratic Unionist Party said Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK must not be different.
Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP, which is in a confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Conservative government, said she would not support "any suggestion that Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, will have to mirror European regulations".
Suggestions for alternate arrangements have included a new partnership that would "align" customs approaches between the UK and the EU, resulting in "no customs border at all between the UK and Ireland".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42129759
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Council tax debts: Thousands threatened with prison - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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'More than 4,800 people' were threatened with jail last year for not paying a council tax debt.
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UK
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More than 4,800 people were taken to court and threatened with prison for not paying a council tax debt in 2016-17, data seen by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme suggests.
The figure has risen 11% in four years, despite 2013 government guidance saying court action should be a "last resort", the Institute of Money Advisers said.
At least 62 people were locked up in England and Wales in 2016-17.
The Local Government Association said it was "essential" to collect funds.
"It is not fair for the overwhelming majority of citizens that pay their council tax to let those who don't pay their fair share continue to do so," it said.
Council tax is spent on services such as care for vulnerable adults, looking after children, and road repairs.
The majority of people formally threatened with prison cleared their debt, managed to negotiate a payment plan with their local authority or received a suspended sentence.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, people cannot be imprisoned for non-payment of council tax.
The IMA's findings - seen by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme - are based on the replies of 279 of 348 local "billing" authorities in England and Wales to a Freedom of Information request.
The report's author, Alistair Chisholm from the debt advice firm PayPlan, said the approach to council tax debts was "completely out of step with the way other debts can be recovered".
"You can't go to prison for failing to pay an electricity bill or your rent," he added.
"It's time the law was changed in England and Wales so that council tax debt collection focuses on the circumstances, income and assets of a person and is not used to threaten their liberty."
The average council tax debt in the cases cited in the report was £2,213.
A magistrate can impose up to three months in jail for non-payment of council tax.
Before imprisonment can be considered, the council should try to recover the debt using bailiffs and must "enquire" into the defendant's means to pay.
But the IMA claims courts do not always interpret the law correctly and there is strong evidence that miscarriages of justice have occurred.
In January 2017, London's High Court found that Melanie Woolcock from Bridgend in South Wales had been unlawfully imprisoned for failing to pay £10-a-week towards her council tax debt.
After she failed to keep up with her payments, bailiffs were called, and although she had paid £100 towards the debt she was told it was "too late" and arrested.
She spent 40 days of an 81-day sentence in prison, eventually being released on bail after lawyers launched emergency proceedings.
Government guidance urges councils to explore other enforcement actions, like direct deductions from benefits or earnings.
The Local Government Association said "councils face a £5.8bn funding shortfall by 2020, which is why it's essential councils collect these funds.
"Councils offer a variety of support to people on low incomes, or who are struggling with financial difficulties."
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
• None Concerns over councils’ use of bailiffs
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42098645
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Leeds fatal crash: Five victims 'all in car' - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Five people were killed when a stolen Renault Clio crashed into a tree in Leeds on Saturday.
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Leeds & West Yorkshire
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Clockwise from top left: Ellis and Elliott Thornton, Darnell Harte, Anthoney Armour and Robbie Meerun
All five people killed in a fatal car crash in Leeds were in the vehicle, police have said.
Brothers Ellis, 12, and Elliott Thornton, 14, died along with Darnell Harte, 15, father-of-two Anthoney Armour and Robbie Meerun, both 24.
Two 15-year-old boys were arrested in connection with Saturday's crash. One has since been released under investigation.
Police previously mistakenly said all seven people were in the vehicle.
But they have since confirmed that the five victims and one of the arrested boys were in the stolen black Renault Clio when it crashed into a tree in Stonegate Road, Meanwood, at 21:54 GMT.
People hug as they look at flowers and messages left near the scene of the crash
Det Ch Insp Jim Griffiths said the car was stolen in the Headingley area at about 18:30 on Saturday and "is believed to have been driven around the Leeds area during that time".
He added: "We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has seen the Clio and the manner of its driving in the time leading up to the collision.
"We would be interested in anyone who has dashcam footage relating to the vehicle's movements."
Police have also appealed to the local community to support the investigation
Supt Matt Davison said: "Clearly the families have suffered a devastating loss and we appreciate that emotions will be running high in the community.
"We would ask that people focus on supporting each other and on supporting the police investigation which will ensure that the circumstances of this incident are fully explored and that the criminal justice process is satisfied."
Dozens of people took part in a vigil near to the crash scene on Sunday night and floral tributes have been left nearby.
One message read: "Elliot and Ellis. Two beautiful boys taken too soon. We will never forget you both and love you both forever and always sleep tight boys."
Julie, a former neighbour of the brothers, told BBC Radio Leeds: "It's devastating, they were funny, cheeky lads, always a smile on their faces."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-42142644
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Denis Law receives the Freedom of Aberdeen - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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Former Scotland international footballer Denis Law has received the Freedom of Aberdeen.
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Former Scotland international footballer Denis Law has received the Freedom of Aberdeen.
The 77-year-old, who was born and raised in the Granite City, has described the honour as "one of the highlights of my life".
He was made a freeman during a special ceremony on Saturday evening. Then, on Sunday evening, he took part in a parade along Union Street.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42131023
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Mount Agung: Bali volcano preparations and prayers - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Authorities warn there could be a major eruption within 24 hours at Bali's Mount Agung.
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Asia
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Dark gas has been seen rising up to 3,400m (11,150ft) above Mount Agung on the Indonesian island of Bali, with explosions being heard as far as 12km (7 miles) away.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42133412
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Bali volcano: What is it like waiting for an eruption? - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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More than 100,000 people have fled their homes as they wait for Bali's Mount Agung to erupt.
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Asia
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Experts think Bali's Mount Agung could erupt for the first time since 1963
The lifespan of a volcano can be measured in millennia, and so waiting a few days for it to erupt may not sound too stressful.
But for the tens of thousands of Balinese people forced from their homes, the "imminent" danger that they have been living with for more than a week feels very real.
Ketut Seri says she has already lost track of time since arriving at one of the emergency shelters.
Sat surrounded by thin plastic bags stuffed with her children's clothes, she says she can't help but worry about what she's left behind.
"I wish I had brought my cooking utensils," she tells me, a sign that she expects to be here for the long haul.
More than 140,000 people like Ketut Seri and her family are in temporary shelters
"I'm tired, I'm sad because I cannot work," she explains, "I cannot find any solution."
Her children chase a football around the concrete hall they have been living in alongside another 100 evacuees.
But Ketut's husband is absent after venturing back to their empty village to check on the animals. He is not the only one taking that risk.
The fate of the cattle and chickens many had to leave behind in the hills weighs heavily on people's minds, and so some are crossing back and forth into the danger area every day to check on their well-being.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Surivivors of the 1963 eruption on the last time Mount Agung erupted
According to the volcanologists monitoring Mount Agung, this situation could continue for weeks, maybe even months.
An eruption may not even happen, they simply don't know.
At the government observation base, senior seismologist Devy Kamil remains patient - despite the long queue of journalists who have been knocking on his door all week, hoping for some news.
"There are some examples where you have swarms of activity for as long as six years," he explains, "and it is not always ended by an eruption."
Hundreds of tremors have been detected since August
When lava last flowed from Mount Agung in 1963, the measuring instruments they use today were not in place, and so it is impossible to know the signature behaviour of that shows an eruption is coming.
But while some here scrutinise every little piece of scientific data, others are waiting for spiritual signs.
At the Goa Lawah Hindu temple, daily prayers continue at the site of a cave that many Balinese believe is connected to the volcano's energy.
When I ask Iputi Juliad, one of the temple officials, what people are praying for, he says most just want good luck.
He sees the wait for news from Mount Agung as part of a much longer process. "There is a circle of life, a circle of sacrifice" he explains.
The majority of Balinese people practise a distinct type of Hinduism associated with the island
When I ask if the seismic activity is seen as a sign that the gods are angry, he is very careful in his reply.
"It is not a punishment, not a punishment," Mr Juliad repeats, anxious to move on from a sensitive subject.
Instead his focus is on the need to accept fate.
"Maybe an eruption, maybe not, nobody knows."
The uncertainty is having an impact on everyone on Bali, even if they haven't been evacuated.
The village of Rendang sits just outside the exclusion zone, and normally the market place would be bustling with the traders selling fruit, flowers and rice.
Business at Rendang market has plummeted since the volcano warnings were issued
But according to stallholder Ketut Astiningsih, most people have stopped coming and her income has taken a massive hit.
"No one is shopping. Before I could get 400,000 Rupiah ($30 USD) a day, now I can only earn 50,000 Rupiah ($3.7USD)" she explains.
So far the economic consequences for Bali's tourism industry have not been so grave.
At the hotels, the busloads of holidaymakers keep on coming, reassured it seems by the government's message that they will be kept well out of harm's way.
Tourism at most resorts has not been affected
Of course every tourist has heard or read about the volcano, and many have been contacted by worried relatives back home.
But for most the only concern is whether an eruption would mean they could be marooned here.
As he sipped a beer on the beach at Sanur, Mathew Hunter from Cairns in Australia seemed pretty relaxed by that prospect.
"I could definitely do with a few more weeks here," he chuckles, before adding that he is far more concerned about the fate of the tens of thousands of evacuees in emergency shelters.
Like most people on Bali, he says he would like to see this waiting game with Mount Agung come to a swift but peaceful conclusion.
"I just hope it has a few little belly rumbles and then life goes on."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41452111
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Philippines: Actress Maria Isabel Lopez fined for using VIP traffic lane - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The movie star has lost her licence after saying she needed to use the lane for a "bladder break".
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Asia
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Ms Lopez has been accused by the authorities of bragging out her act on social media
Actress Maria Isabel Lopez has had her driving licence revoked in the Philippines after she used a driving lane reserved for dignitaries attending a key summit in Manila, officials say.
The Filipina movie star has been fined and barred from reacquiring a driver's licence for the next two years.
Ms Lopez is reported to have said she had to use the lane reserved for summit officials to have a "bladder break".
The former beauty pageant winner has starred in several hit films.
The award-winning actress, 55, said on Facebook that she needed "a bladder break" because she had been travelling by road for hours.
But the country's transport department accused her of dangerously removing orange cones that cordoned off a lane in the road for officials attending the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) meeting earlier this month.
Ms Lopez posted a video online, in which she could be heard shouting "Yeeeeeo! Asean, here I come!", as her vehicle entered the VIP lane.
Ms Lopez described her actions on Facebook
Transport officials accused her of endangering her own life, and the lives of dignitaries and commuters.
Ms Lopez has been fined 8,000 pesos (£120; $160) for ignoring traffic signs, reckless driving and violating the Anti-Distracted Driving Act.
Manila is renowned for having some of the worst traffic jams in the world
The Transportation Office said that she had "expressly admitted her failure to meet the conditions concomitant with the grant of her licence", and that the defence she proffered was "considered lame and self-serving".
It added: "Worse, she showed no remorse and even publicised with gusto her improper and illegal acts on social media, which betrays her utter lack of responsibility as a licensed driver, thus making her an improper person to operate a motor vehicle."
Ms Lopez wrote on Facebook that she had deceived traffic enforcers into believing she was an official Asean delegate.
"If you can't beat them, you join them," she wrote, alongside her video. "I removed the divider cones!! Then all the other motorists behind me followed!"
She later apologised to those who were "hurt and affected" by her actions and has urged the authorities to treat her leniently.
Manila is known for having some of the worst traffic jams in the world.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42134434
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Electronic tag misuse inquiry leads to 29 people charged - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police investigated claims electronic tags used to monitor offenders had been fitted too loosely.
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London
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Two former staff at the Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) are among 29 people charged after an inquiry into the misuse of tags fitted on offenders.
It is alleged the employees took money to fit tags loosely so they could be removed. The tags help ensure curfews and court orders are obeyed.
The police investigation began when an offender was arrested when they should have been under curfew.
The two men are accused of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The investigation, called Operation Glen Falls, was centred on the east London borough of Newham and began in February this year.
The former employees are Martin Crean, of Romford, east London, and Jason Gundry, of Barking, east London, both 46.
The other 27, who are from either east London or Essex, are believed to be offenders who allegedly took advantage of the scam.
All of them will appear at Thames Magistrates' Court next month.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42135107
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'Croydon cat killer' inquiry: Northampton death linked by police - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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It is the third time in the town in three months a cat has been killed and dumped near its owner's home.
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Northampton
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The animal was found on a car in Mendip Road, Northampton
A cat was "deliberately mutilated" and its body placed on top of a car near the pet owner's home, police have said.
The animal was found in Mendip Road, Northampton, on Sunday 19 November. The killing happened between 20:00 GMT on 18 November and 08:00 the next day.
It is the third time in three months that a cat has been killed in the town and dumped near its owner's home.
Northamptonshire Police said the attacks were all being linked to the "Croydon cat killer" investigation.
In one case in August, a 14-year-old girl found the mutilated body of her pet dumped on her doorstep.
The head, limbs and ears of the ginger cat had been cut off and put into a bag before it was left outside the property in Betjeman Court, Northampton.
The family's other cat was deliberately set on fire a few days earlier but survived.
Rusty, a one-year-old cat, was mutilated and left on the doorstep of its owner's home in August
The Met Police began investigating a series of pet killings, which started in the Croydon area in 2015, after an animal charity raised concerns.
Tony Jenkins, head of the South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty, said about 250 cats had been killed in similar circumstances since October 2015 and 50 foxes were found with "identical injuries to the cats".
He is also investigating the deaths of five rabbits and two decapitated swans to see whether they might be linked.
In September experts at a forensic lab in Surrey began re-examining some of the corpses for new evidence.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-42142139
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Everton man in court after Merseyside Police officer hit by van - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Martin Stowell is accused of seriously injuring a Merseyside Police sergeant by dangerous driving.
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Liverpool
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Officers tried to stop a white van on Hasfield Road in Norris Green
A man has appeared in court charged with seriously injuring a police officer who was knocked down by a van.
Martin Stowell, 34, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to resist arrest.
Mr Stowell, of Queens Road, Everton was also charged with causing serious injury to Sgt James Morgan by dangerous driving at about 19:20 GMT on Saturday.
The police officer suffered injuries to his ribs and leg in the incident.
He was hit by a white Transit van in Hasfield Road, Norris Green.
Merseyside Police said the incident happened after officers attempted to stop the van.
After mounting the pavement, it collided with a police vehicle, other parked vehicles, and the officer.
Stowell, who wore a grey tracksuit, was also charged with aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and possession of cannabis.
George White, defending, said no bail application would be made on behalf of Stowell, who was remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 2 January.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-42133102
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Give child 'super-spreaders' flu vaccine, say experts - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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NHS bosses say children should be vaccinated, as they could put relatives at risk of getting the flu.
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UK
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Children should have the flu vaccine before Christmas to prevent them putting relatives at risk of infection, NHS bosses in England have warned.
Doctors say the virus can spread more easily in schools and nurseries, which puts grandparents and others at risk of getting ill over the festive season.
Those with heart or lung conditions and pregnant family members can be especially vulnerable, officials said.
Dr Paul Cosford said the vaccine was "quick, easy and painless".
The children's flu vaccine is offered as a yearly nasal spray to young children to help protect them against flu.
In England, children aged two and three are able to get the vaccine free on the NHS, via GP practices.
An expansion of the scheme means children in reception class and primary school years one, two, three and four are also all eligible for the vaccine.
In Scotland, the flu vaccine is offered to all primary school children, as well as children aged two to five years of age who are not yet in primary school.
However, children of all ages with a health condition will still be offered the flu vaccine from six months.
In Wales, the vaccine is recommended for children from six months of age.
All children aged two to eight on 31 August 2017 will be offered the nasal spray flu vaccine routinely this year.
And in Northern Ireland, children are offered the flu vaccine if they were born between 2 July 2013 and 1 September 2015. Children at primary school are also offered the immunisation if they were born between 2 July 2006 and 1 July 2013.
According to the latest NHS England figures, just 18% of school-age children have had the nasal spray immunisation.
Dr Cosford, Public Health England's medical director, said flu causes 8,000 deaths a year in England and Wales.
"The vaccine is the best protection there is against flu," he added.
Dr Cosford said the nasal spray vaccine last year substantially reduced children's risk of flu, "meaning they were less likely to spread it to relatives and others they come into close contact with".
He called for parents to give consent for eligible school-aged children to receive the vaccine in school.
Prof Keith Willett, NHS England's medical director for acute care, said children were "super-spreaders" and the flu season "traditionally reaches its peak" at Christmas.
Update 6 December 2017: This story now includes details of the situations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42132484
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The Brexit 'impact assessment' row isn't going away - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Labour says Parliament is being kept "in the dark", because the impact assessments have been edited.
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UK Politics
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The government has handed over its analysis of the impact of Brexit on parts of the economy - but the reports are not complete.
There has been a long-running row over the studies of 58 sectors. MPs voted on 1 November for them to be released.
Labour and some Conservative MPs have demanded their publication, saying they were being kept in the dark about the impact Brexit might have.
Documents have now been sent to the Brexit Committee of MPs.
But BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says she now expects a "big row" because Brexit Secretary David Davis has admitted the reports are incomplete.
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In his letter to Brexit Committee chairman Hilary Benn, Mr Davis said the papers had been redacted because there was no guarantee the committee would keep them secret.
He said: "Given that we have received no assurances from the committee regarding how any information passed will be used, we have sought not to include commercially, market and negotiation sensitive information.
"Delivering a successful outcome to our EU exit negotiations for the whole country requires keeping some information confidential for the purposes of the negotiations."
Understanding the possible economic impact of Britain's decision to leave the European Union is a difficult business.
It is likely to become easier when the Department for Exiting the European Union makes available its "sector analyses" on relations with our biggest trading partner.
I am told in no uncertain terms that the reports - which will run to hundreds of pages - are not "impact assessments".
That is, they will not put a figure on the possible costs if there is a sharp dislocation between the free trading arrangements we have with the EU now and what might follow after we leave.
Rather, I understand the reports will show the size of each of the sectors and their worth to the UK economy and then detail how the sectors work at present within the EU single market and customs union.
Read more of Kamal's blog here.
The government said it had satisfied the Commons motion passed by MPs - in which Conservatives abstained - with the release of the documents to the committee.
"We have always been clear that our analysis does not exist in the form Parliament requested," a spokesman said.
But Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said "serious questions" would be raised if the full reports were not handed to the Brexit Select Committee.
He told BBC News: "It was a decision of the House of Commons that was binding.
"It was clear that these reports, unredacted [and] in full should be handed over.
"The government didn't vote against that decision and they have accepted that decision, so if they are changing their position now, they are going to have to explain that.
"We in the Labour party will raise this in parliament when we know the full picture, but ultimately, it could be a question of contempt of Parliament."
Keir Starmer said "serious questions" will be raised if the reports are not handed over in full
Labour committee member Seema Malhotra said it appeared the government had "already decided what should and should not be seen" by editing the studies.
She added: "The select committee must be given the full analyses which were completed, and nothing less.
"We cannot and should not be short-changed. This will not be in the national interest. The public and Parliament must no longer be kept in the dark."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42142882
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Archers 'fraud' storyline praised - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scriptwriters worked with Radio 4's consumer programme You and Yours on fraud plot.
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Business
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Anti-fraud campaigners have praised a partnership between two BBC Radio 4 programmes for drawing attention to one of the UK's fastest growing crimes.
For months a number of The Archers' characters have been caught up in an elaborate investment fraud.
Archers editor Huw Kennair-Jones has now revealed that the station's consumer programme You and Yours worked closely with scriptwriters on the plot.
Action Fraud said the storyline had raised vital awareness of the issue.
"We would like to thank The Archers and You and Yours for bringing attention to this important subject," said a spokesperson.
The last Archers' storyline to draw praise from campaigners was the domestic abuse of Helen Archer by former husband Rob Titchener.
This year the soap has tackled another rapidly rising crime.
The fraud revolves around the relationship between conman, Matt Crawford (played by Kim Durham) and Lilian Bellamy (Sunny Ormonde)
According to the annual Crime Survey for England and Wales there were an estimated 3.6 million cases of fraud last year, making it the most commonly experienced offence.
Police say investment scams are a costly and often under reported form of fraud.
Earlier this year several of the soap's unsuspecting residents were given a presentation by fraudsters, Melling Equestrian Investments.
The scam involved a love-triangle between husband and wife-to-be Justin Elliott and Lilian Bellamy, and old flame and conman Matt Crawford.
Among the scam's victims were widowed pensioner Christine Barford, who was revealed on Friday to have invested more than £300,000.
She had been persuaded to invest by the promise of 12% returns on a fictitious racecourse development in Costa Rica.
In an interview with You and Yours, Huw Kennair-Jones, explained how the partnership with the consumer programme evolved.
The fictional scam unravels when the location of the promised Costa Rican racecourse is discovered to be in a National Park
"We needed to hear Matt Crawford again because he's such a good character," he said.
"We were thinking about what he would be doing and then producer, Jenny Thompson, had the idea of getting in touch with You and Yours."
Fortunately, the consumer programme's award-winning fraud reporter, Shari Vahl, was a life-long Archers fan, and scriptwriters worked closely with her for months.
"Half of all reported crime is fraud so I knew this was important," she said.
Sworn to secrecy, she told no one about her assignment.
She explained how she helped create the plot: "The producers wanted to make this fraud as real as possible," she said.
"I've just taken the experience of You and Yours listeners and what's happened to thousands of people, many of whom have contacted us.
There were an estimated 3.6 million cases of fraud last year, making it the most commonly experienced offence
"They have been convinced enough to invest their pensions, large amounts of money, into what seem like really brilliant schemes," she added.
Huw Kennair-Jones agrees: "This is not an uncommon thing.
"It's about people who are not stupid at all who are taken in by the promise of this incredible return that just doesn't exist," he said.
Shari Vahl says modern investment fraud can be highly believable.
"Victims are given really fantastic brochures with wonderful pictures and graphs pointing skywards, all run by extremely charming and very credible people.
Shari explained the lengths she and Archers scriptwriters went to to create a convincing plot.
"At one point we decided it would be a good thing to actually call up the Costa Rican horse racing authorities to get a list of their courses - so that's what we did," she said.
The scheme unravels when Lilian Bellamy begins to investigate the details and finds they don't add up.
Action Fraud, which works closely with City of London Police, told the BBC that people need to be on their guard.
"Never take up offers of investments on the spot from cold calls," a spokesperson told You and Yours.
"To make safe investments you should first look at the Financial Conduct Authority's ScamSmart warning list.
"If you have been affected by fraud or would like to know more about how to report or prevent fraud, go to our website," they added.
You and Yours is on BBC Radio 4 weekdays 12:15-13:00
The Archers is broadcast 19:00-19:15 Sunday-Friday, repeated at 13:00
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42110539
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Royal engagement gets EastEnders mention - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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News of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reached Albert Square.
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News of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reached Albert Square in EastEnders.
Shaki Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi) broke the news to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) in the café.
You can watch the full episode here.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42146814
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BBC Panorama: The fraud costing the UK £1bn a year - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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VAT fraud costs the UK more than £1bn a year and is making it hard for firms which pay the tax to compete.
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Business
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Panorama presenter Richard Bilton set up Bilton's Bargains to show how VAT fraud works
A BBC Panorama team has smuggled goods into Britain and then sold them on eBay and Amazon to highlight a fraud costing the country a billion pounds a year.
The undercover team imported goods from China and didn't pay VAT at the border.
Amazon and eBay told the BBC that they take VAT fraud seriously and they work closely with HMRC to stop it happening.
The fraud costs the UK more than £1bn a year and puts UK firms out of business because they cannot compete with sellers who have evaded VAT.
British traders Roni and Neven Juretic sell phone and tablet covers online, but their sales fell by 60 per cent because they were undercut by fraudulent sellers.
Roni Juretic said: "If they're selling it 20% cheaper because they're not charging VAT, then it's impossible for us to reach those prices. That's why a lot of the other UK competitors have dropped away."
Importers should pay VAT when they bring goods into the UK, and charge it when they sell them to customers. But evidence suggests thousands of traders don't do either.
Panorama set up a British company to show how the fraud works and imported bluetooth speakers and mobile phone cases from China.
The company evaded more than £500 of import VAT and was not challenged by the tax authorities. And Amazon and Ebay profited by charging fees for the sales of the illegal goods.
Meg Hillier, the chair of the parliamentary spending watchdog, told Panorama: "It's pretty shocking that you can do it so easily and so openly, so blatantly. We need to make sure that there are systems in place to stop that happening."
HMRC says it has new powers and is tackling the problem.
Tax Commissioner Jim Harra told Panorama: "It's something that you should not have done. But do I believe it is completely impossible to smuggle goods into the UK without paying duties if you're determined to do so? Of course, it's not."
The BBC has now repaid the evaded tax to HMRC.
Panorama's company, Bilton's Bargains, evaded VAT on two separate orders. The first was a consignment of Bluetooth speakers from Shenzhen in China.
A local shipping agent told an undercover reporter the company could avoid VAT by sending the goods to the UK through Holland, with the speakers hidden inside a bigger order.
The agent said it was: "The special way, you don't need to have VAT." The speakers were shipped to the UK and VAT of £312 was evaded.
The illegally imported goods were then sent to an Amazon warehouse, before Panorama bought them back. Amazon stored, sold and delivered the fraudulent goods.
Amazon says it now has VAT numbers that cover 95% of sales from foreign sellers who use an Amazon warehouse
Amazon says that no VAT fraud took place on its marketplace: "We have multiple methods for checking the legitimacy of seller accounts and Bilton's Bargains has been suspended."
Amazon says Bilton's Bargains was not asked for a VAT number because it is a British company and might be exempt.
But Amazon doesn't always ask foreign companies to provide a VAT number either. Research carried out for Panorama in September suggested 60% of the top Chinese sellers in Europe listed on Amazon did not display a valid VAT number.
Amazon says it now has VAT numbers that cover 95% of sales from foreign sellers who use an Amazon warehouse.
Both eBay and Amazon say fraud is bad for business
For the second crime, Bilton's Bargains was registered as a Chinese seller on eBay. Panorama imported 270 mobile phone covers without paying VAT and listed them for sale.
The programme was able to buy one of the phone covers back, before eBay limited the account because Bilton's Bargains was a new seller.
EBay says the seller limit is one of a range of anti-fraud measures and that it was largely effective in this case: "By inserting a velocity limit on new accounts, eBay is able to reduce the risk of all fraud."
Both eBay and Amazon say fraud is bad for business and that they want fair play for all sellers on their sites.
In last week's budget, the government announced the laws surrounding online VAT fraud would be tightened.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42143849
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Citizens Advice warns about subscription contracts - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Consumers still struggle to end unwanted subscriptions such as gym memberships, says Citizens Advice.
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Business
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Many consumers still struggle to get out of unwanted subscriptions such as gym memberships and online streaming services, according to Citizens Advice.
Analysis of almost 600 problems reported to the service found that in just three months consumers paid an average of £160 on unwanted services.
Sometimes, consumers misunderstood terms and conditions, while some companies made cancellation difficult.
The head of the consumer group, Gillian Guy, said firms must "act responsibly".
"Subscriptions are very easy to sign up to but can be difficult for consumers to get out of. We know people are wasting time and energy trying to cancel subscriptions while paying out of pocket," she said.
Companies refused cancellations by asking for more notice - stretching to six months in some cases - or told people they needed to cancel through a specific route, such as phone or email.
CA said one person who contacted the service said they tried to cancel a subscription after they were made redundant, and were asked for proof from their employer - including a P45.
Most payments are thought to be through a Continuous Payment Authority, where companies can change the date or amount of a payment without giving advance notice.
Frequently, consumers said they felt it was unclear they were being signed up to a recurring payment or that the contract may continue on an auto renewal basis.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, businesses can't enforce terms on consumers that are unfair.
Consumer Minister Margot James said the UK's consumer protection regime was one of the strongest in the world, but there was always more to do.
She said: "With 40 million people in the UK now subscribing to at least one product or service, this campaign from Citizens Advice will help ensure consumers can shop with confidence and know what their rights are should things go wrong."
Leon Livermore, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute said consumers should remember that if an offer "sounds too good to be true, it generally is".
He added: "We're also eagerly awaiting the government's upcoming green paper that sets out their vision for consumer protection in a post-Brexit landscape.
"We will continue to work actively with our partners... to build a safer future for UK consumers."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42129427
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Horse dies after Cefn Fforest arson attack on stable - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A horse dies and its mother is badly burned at the stables of Welsh Grand National-winning breeders.
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South East Wales
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Rodney (here as a foal) was almost three years old and his mother Juwireya is nine
Arsonists killed one horse and injured another in an attack on the stable of Welsh Grand National-winning breeders.
Janet and Brian Vokes were told about the fire in Cefn Fforest, Caerphilly county, at about 06:30 GMT on Sunday.
Two-year-old gelding Rodney died and his mother, Juwireya, nine, was injured. The stable was destroyed.
Mrs Vokes said: "We're absolutely devastated. They're scum - you can't imagine why anyone would do such a thing."
Mr and Mrs Vokes owned the Welsh Grand National-winning Dream Alliance, whose unlikely victory was turned into a film.
Vets are treating Juwireya but it is not yet known how badly injured she was after suffering burns to her face, back and legs.
The cost of the damage to the stable is about £3,000.
Janet and Brian Vokes said they have been left "devastated"
Dream Alliance was funded by a syndicate of friends and drinkers from the local working men's club who paid £10 a week for the horse to be trained.
Rodney, known affectionately as Rodders, was due to follow in Dream Alliance's footsteps and race under the name Impossible Dream.
Rodney had only been back in the stables for about three weeks after staying in a field in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, over the summer.
Mrs Vokes, 64, said: "We've got no enemies, we keep ourselves to ourselves - we've only got our horses here.
"There's no clues up there, it was dark, no lights. We haven't got a clue - we hope someone locally will have the heart to inform the police if they know anything."
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service sent five crews to tackle the blaze after getting the call just after 06:40.
Head of control at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Jennie Griffiths, tweeted that the blaze was deliberate.
Both the fire service and Gwent Police are carrying out an investigation.
A vet is assessing the extent of Juwireya's injuries
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-42130867
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Mt Agung: Is large Bali volcano eruption inevitable? - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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A volcano expert answers questions about what is happening at Mount Agung on Indonesia's Bali island.
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Dr Mark Tingay, a volcano expert with the University of Adelaide, answers key questions about what is happening at Mount Agung on the Indonesian island of Bali.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42133563
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BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017: Shortlist of 12 revealed for award - BBC Sport
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2017-11-27
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Twelve contenders are shortlisted for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017 award, to be presented on 17 December.
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Last updated on .From the section Sports Personality
A shortlist of 12 contenders has been announced for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017 award.
They will go forward to a public vote on the night of the live show in Liverpool on Sunday, 17 December. The nominees are:
How do you vote?
The public will vote for their favourite by phone and online during the live show.
Voting details, including phone numbers for each nominee, are announced during the programme and online. There is no voting via email, Red Button or by text.
This year's event will take place in front of an audience of nearly 11,000 people at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
• None How to cast your vote online
What are the other awards?
In addition to the main prize, there will also be seven other awards:
• None Overseas Sports Personality of the Year (Vote for your Overseas winner
• None Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity
The shortlist was compiled by a 12-member panel:
• None Representatives from BBC Sport: Barbara Slater (director, BBC Sport), Philip Bernie (head of TV sport) and Carl Doran (executive editor, BBC Sports Personality of the Year)
Andy Murray was voted 2016 Sports Personality for a record third time after winning his second Wimbledon title.
The Scot finished ahead of triathlete Alistair Brownlee in second, with showjumper Nick Skelton third.
Leicester City won team of the year after their Premier League triumph, with Claudio Ranieri picking up the coach award.
American gymnast Simone Biles was overseas personality, while swimmers Michael Phelps (lifetime achievement) and Ellie Robinson (young personality) were also honoured.
Charity runner Ben Smith received the Helen Rollason Award and the unsung hero trophy went to boxing club founder Marcellus Baz.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/42078693
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Harry and Meghan face the cameras - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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The newly engaged couple took part in a photo call at Kensington Palace on Monday afternoon.
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The newly-engaged couple took part in a photo call at Kensington Palace on Monday afternoon.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42139381
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Is the productivity puzzle the chancellor's biggest problem? - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Why the indicator is so important in Philip Hammond's calculations.
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Business
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At this Wednesday's Budget, the man whose pronouncements will be most carefully watched may not, for once, be the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond.
Instead it will be the former journalist, economist and now director of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Robert Chote.
Why? Because it's down to him to arrive at a new, much more realistic view of a long, drawn-out economic calamity whose impact the government is only now accepting in full: a decade of flat productivity.
Until 10 years ago, productivity was the motor that drove economic growth. Its definition is nothing more complicated than the value we produce per worker (or per hour).
If you're a coffee shop worker, it's the value added in the sales of coffees, tea and food. On a pie-making production line, it's the pies you turn out. If you're a lorry driver, it's how much you deliver.
Now think of that lorry driver stuck in a traffic jam. With too little investment in new roads and too many cars and lorries using them, his trips are slower. However hard he works, he can't keep delivering more than before. His productivity stalls.
That flat productivity has knock-on effects. The driver's employer used to get a little more output from each worker each year - so they each made the company a bit more revenue. That made it possible to afford pay rises above inflation each year.
In turn that meant the driver could afford to buy more, boosting spending, and therefore growth, in the rest of the economy. And the chancellor of exchequer also benefited when the driver was paid, collecting higher income tax and national insurance, and when the driver spent money, because more VAT came in.
Until very recently the OBR was assuming that happy state of affairs would return. The 2008 crash had done its damage. But all being well the economy would recover - and with it the tax revenues that would enable the chancellor to close the gap between his income and his spending (also known as the Budget deficit).
Now have a look at the chart. The OBR's been assuming at each Budget for years that output per worker would get back to its pre-crisis rate of growth - where we each produce about 2.1% more each year.
Instead, the typical rate of growth in the past five years has been 0.2%. As Robert Chote said last month: "Our assumption that productivity growth would return to a more normal rate within a few years reflected a judgement that whatever factors were depressing it in the wake of the financial crisis would fade as it receded further into the past.
"But as the period of weak performance gets longer, the explanations that people pointed to immediately after the crisis look less convincing and others seem more plausible."
Hope of a recovery has been replaced by acceptance of weaker productivity growth - itself a large part of the reason why wages too are no higher in real terms than they were 11 years ago.
On Wednesday Mr Chote will publish his revised, more realistic assumption, accepting that something profound has changed. Accepting weaker productivity growth in the years to come means accepting lower tax revenue for the chancellor, which in turn means less scope for spending more, cutting taxes or reducing the deficit.
But hold on: it's not as if we've been in recession all that time. Haven't we had economic growth?
The answer is - yes. But not the sort we used to have. From one angle, an economy is simply people and their economic activity. If you add hundreds of thousands of people to the workforce each year, through people working into retirement and through immigration, then the economy will grow larger.
But GDP per capita - the amount we produce per person - has grown far more slowly.
It's not just the UK that has suffered from weak productivity growth, it's across all advanced countries. But in the UK, the weakness is worse. A period of weak productivity and weak wages this long hasn't happened since the 1860s.
The words of the OBR's Robert Chote may be significant on Budget day
One reason is weak business investment. A company trying to meet an expanding order book can try one of two methods: hire a few more people, or make its existing workforce more productive by investing in new, more efficient technology. As long as its cheaper and less risky to hire cheap labour, the business may hold off investment.
But weaker private investment - and private investment has in any case been growing recently - can't account for the whole effect.
Another attempted explanation is weak training and poor infrastructure, another is weak spending on research and development - all of which play a role but none of which can explain in full the breakdown of what is normally the engine of economic growth.
The government hopes to address some of those weaknesses in a new industrial strategy, originally due to be published before the Budget but now postponed until next week.
Michael Jacobs, former Downing Street economic adviser and now director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, says the real problem isn't the obvious industries, such as engineering or pharmaceuticals, where growth relies on big investment and high skills.
"The UK's productivity problem lies in the vast majority of ordinary firms, in sectors such as retail, light manufacturing, tourism, hospitality and social care," he says.
"Unless the White Paper includes a plan to raise productivity in these sectors, it will still not be addressing the real issue."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42012388
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Pope in Myanmar: Francis starts trip with army talks - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The army chief says there is no religious discrimination in the treatment of Rohingya Muslims.
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Asia
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Pope Francis has met Myanmar's military chief, as he begins the first papal visit to a country widely accused of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.
Gen Min Aung Hlaing denied any "religious discrimination" in a military campaign in Rakhine state.
Officials in the Buddhist-majority country are watching closely to see how the Pope responds to the crisis.
He has been urged by governments and rights groups to pressure them over their treatment of the Rohingyas.
More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar (also called Burma) for neighbouring Bangladesh since August when deadly attacks on police posts by Rohingya militants prompted a military crackdown in Rakhine state.
Thousands gathered in Yangon for the first papal trip to the Buddhist-majority country
As part of his visit to the region, the Pope is also due to meet de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
After Myanmar, he will move on to Bangladesh to meet a small group of Rohingya refugees in a symbolic gesture. The 80-year-old pontiff has become known for his moderate views and willingness to denounce global injustice.
The Pope met military chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing within hours of arriving in Myanmar.
Gen Hlaing said he had told the pontiff that "there's no religious discrimination in Myanmar and there's the freedom of religion", according to his latest Facebook post. It is not known how the Pope responded.
He has previously used the term "our Rohingya brothers and sisters" while denouncing the violence, but Myanmar's sole Catholic cardinal has asked him to avoid using it on the trip, to avoid inflaming local feelings.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told reporters on Monday that Pope Francis was taking advice he had been given about using the term "Rohingya" seriously, adding: "We will find out together during the trip... it is not a forbidden word."
His motorcade was welcomed by hundreds as it swept through central Yangon
Myanmar officials do not use the term, instead labelling Rohingya as "Bengalis", and say they migrated illegally from Bangladesh so should not be listed as one of the country's ethnic groups. Bangladesh denies they are its citizens.
Myanmar says the crackdown in Rakhine is to root out violent insurgents there, but the UN has described the violence as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" - a sentiment echoed by international critics.
Last week Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal to return hundreds of thousands who have fled across the border, but aid agencies have raised concerns about any forcible return.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Who are the Rohingya?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42132594
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Scientists warn Lake Victoria is dying - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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They blame over-fishing and pollution for severely damaged fish stocks in Africa's largest freshwater lake.
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Scientists are warning that Lake Victoria, Africa's largest freshwater lake, is under threat of dying.
They blame overfishing and pollution for severely damaged fish stocks.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42128779
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: How North America reacted - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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It's a "hip hip hooray" from the US to the news that Prince Harry is to marry American Meghan Markle.
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US & Canada
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There had been intense speculation about the pair since they were pictured at the Invictus Games in September
The American love affair with the British Royal Family is an enduring, long-distance relationship, spiced up every now and then by a birth or a marriage.
The latest development has a distinctly American twist: Prince Harry has announced his engagement to the US actress Meghan Markle.
US networks are breathlessly covering the news. CBS gave it a "hip hip and a hooray".
Many on the other side of the pond have focused not just on Ms Markle's nationality but the fact that she is mixed race.
"Prince Harry's future mother-in-law is a black woman with dreadlocks. There are no words for this kind of joy," tweeted journalist Samara Linton.
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One Ontario man thought the engagement was good news for another minority: the ginger haired.
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After news that Prince Harry had sought permission from Ms Markle's father, it was then the turn of Wendell Pierce, who plays her on-screen father in the TV drama Suits, to add his blessing.
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Patrick Adams, who plays her love interest in the drama, and the show's creator Aaron Korsh also chipped in.
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Ms Markle will now find herself rubbing shoulders with the great and good of British high society.
It is an experience familiar to the American nutritionist and author, and now Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, Julie Montagu.
Ms Montagu, from Sugar Grove, Illinois, married John Montagu, the 11th Earl of Sandwich.
"It's about being respectful of the history, the history Megan is marrying into is older than America itself," she told the BBC.
"At the same time, you don't want to lose who you are as a person and as an American."
Ms Markle has been dating Prince Harry since summer 2016
She said Ms Markle might face a steep learning curve when it came to pronunciation ("My first lesson was that 'viscount' doesn't rhyme with 'discount'") and setting a table ("All those forks and knives and spoons... I had to have my husband show me how to set a table").
It would however be "such a breath of fresh air to have an American", she said.
UK social media site Joe.co.uk won some fans for taking a slightly different perspective to most, by making the successful bride-to-be the focus of the news.
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Twitchy.com editor Greg Pollowitz also speculated that it might be part of an elaborate ploy to take back America.
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On another note, Twitter-shy US president Donald Trump has yet to offer his congratulations to the couple. His predecessor has...
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As has his counterpart to the north...
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Natasha Bird, digital editor at Elle Magazine, which has published two essays by Ms Markle, speculated that the American actress might help Her Majesty's subjects "lose a bit of our British cynicism and adopt more of the we-can-do-anything attitude they have in America".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42143193
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Bali volcano: Warning over dangerous mud flows - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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Volcanic mud flows called lahars - also known as cold lava - have been seen near Bali's Mount Agung.
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Volcanic mud flows called lahars - also known as cold lava - have been seen near Bali's Mount Agung.
Fears of an imminent major eruption have increased and an evacuation zone around the volcano has been widened.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42133505
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Horrendous meltdowns: Why I home-educate my daughter - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Lorna Lynch is one of a growing number of parents educating a child with special needs at home.
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Family & Education
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lorna Lynch has decided to home-educate her daughter Emily who has a form of autism
Lorna Lynch is one of a growing number of parents home-educating a child with special needs.
In the last five years, their numbers have grown by 57% across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Almost a thousand children with recognised needs are waiting for a school place.
Ministers in England say they're investing to improve the system.
For the past year, 11-year-old Emily has been educated at home, with extra educational activities arranged by her mother Lorna.
Emily has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and is now on medication to manage anxiety.
Home-schooling was a decision Lorna Lynch reached reluctantly after her daughter struggled to understand both lessons and other children's behaviour.
"I couldn't cope with her going to school and then coming back with her so stressed out, so angry at me."
"I want to learn things that I'm interested in - but it's like I can't learn anything because I don't know how and they don't tell me how."
She would become angry and lash out at other children.
"The meltdowns were horrendous," says Lorna, who tried three different schools before deciding to home-educate.
While she now feels it is the right decision, she also thinks if more support had been available, it is a step she would not have had to take.
Lorna is currently appealing against a decision to refuse Emily an Education and Health Care Plan which is the official recognition of special needs.
An investigation by BBC Breakfast suggests her case is part of a growing trend.
Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 106 councils were able to provide information stretching back five years.
It revealed a 57% increase in children with a statement, or equivalent, being educated at home.
There has also been a rise in the number of children with recognised needs, but without a school place.
Almost 1,000 children with this highest level of special needs are waiting for a place.
Dr Adam Boddison, the chief executive of the special needs charity Nasen, said schools are finding it hard to remain inclusive because of performance measures and pressure on their budgets.
"If word gets round that a school is meeting needs, it becomes a magnet.
"The school is overwhelmed, they can't meet the needs.
"All schools are judged on the same criteria.
"So some are very inclusive, others are not."
The data revealed by the BBC investigation is part of a trend that he has noticed with one important change.
"Now too many families don't think they have another option, and have to resort to home education, and that can't be right."
In England, where the increase in home education is highest, at 64% over the last five years, the government said it is creating more places at special schools, and is spending £222m over four years on reforms of special educational needs and disability support.
Children and Families Minister Robert Goodwill said: "We recognise the importance of ensuring that schools have the necessary resources to meet a wide range of special educational needs."
Mr Goodwill pointed out that all schools have a duty to admit children with special educational needs and are eligible for local authority top-up funding to provide additional support.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42103248
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Budget 2017: UK growth forecast cut sharply - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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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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The rapper born without a jaw - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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How Isaiah Acosta found his voice and became a rapper.
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Isaiah Acosta was born with situs inversus, which meant all his major organs were in the wrong place, and he hadn't developed a jaw bone. His mother Tarah Acosta was told his life expectancy would be limited and he'd be "bed-bound".
Despite doctors' predictions, Isaiah survived and is able to walk. He uses medical machinery to get food and oxygen and is unable to speak but he's gone on to fulfil his dream of becoming a rapper, with the help of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and musician Trap House.
Find more amazing video from Outlook on BBC World Service.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-42143752
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Computer science GCSE in disarray after tasks leaked online - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Exams regulator Ofqual plans to pull this chunk of the qualification from the overall marks.
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Family & Education
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The new computer science GCSE has been thrown into disarray after programming tasks worth a fifth of the total marks were leaked repeatedly online.
Exams regulator Ofqual plans to pull this chunk of the qualification from the overall marks as it has been seen by thousands of people.
Ofqual said the non-exam assessment may have been leaked by teachers as well as students who had completed the task.
The breach affects two year groups. The first will sit the exam in summer 2018.
Last year 70,000 students were entered for computer science GCSE.
A quick internet search reveals numerous posts about the the non-exam assessment, with questions and potential answers.
There are even posts from one of the exam boards reminding students that they are monitoring certain websites.
A statement from the regulator said: "Non-exam assessment in computer science is intended to test students' programming skills and is worth 20% of the overall nine to one grade.
"However, there is evidence that some of this year's tasks have been posted to online forums and collaborative programming sites, contrary to exam board rules.
"Detailed solutions have been provided in many cases, and some of these posts have been viewed thousands of times."
This is against the rules and changes would be needed so grades could be awarded fairly next summer, Ofqual added.
The regulator is running a short consultation on how to proceed.
Its preferred option would keep the non-exam assessment task, but to change it so it no longer contributes to the overall mark.
Julie Swan, executive director for general qualifications, said: "It is with great reluctance that we are proposing to change a qualification for which students are already studying.
"However, we must take immediate action to address these issues and the potential impact on public confidence in relation to this qualification.
"Subject to the consultation responses, we believe our preferred solution will deliver fairer and more reliable results than would otherwise be the case.
"It will also allow us to be confident that standards will be set appropriately."
Geoff Barton, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the integrity of the assessment had been compromised by the "widespread availability of solutions online".
He added that of all the subjects, computer science was the one where students were most likely to be aware of "online opportunities".
"It is an enormously frustrating situation for all concerned but we recognise that Ofqual has no option other than to consult on alternative arrangements," he said.
He added that other options would be needed in the longer term as "the ubiquity of online information" made this form of assessment extremely vulnerable.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42138037
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Prince Harry and Meghan: No wedding bank holiday planned - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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The nation had a day off for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but may not for Prince Harry.
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UK
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Street parties were held across the UK to mark the Cambridges' wedding in 2011
There are "no plans" for a bank holiday to mark the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Downing Street has said.
The possibility of an extra day off had dominated social media reaction to news of their engagement.
But the decision lies with the government, which said there "isn't a precedent in this area".
A bank holiday was declared throughout the UK in 2011 for the wedding of Harry's elder brother Prince William to Kate Middleton.
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The day saw huge celebrations, with people lining the streets of London to see the royal couple on their way to Westminster Abbey.
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Across the country, people held street parties and crowded into parks to watch the occasion on big screens.
A bank holiday was also held for the wedding of Prince William's father Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Razia Iqbal reports on the street parties held across the UK
This attracted an estimated global TV audience of 750 million.
After the ceremony, thousands of people cheered the couple as they waved from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
William is second in line to the throne after his father, while Prince Harry is not directly in line to the throne.
Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman pointed out there had been no bank holiday to mark the weddings of Charles's younger brothers Prince Andrew in 1986 or Prince Edward in 1999.
However, a bank holiday was declared for the wedding of Princess Anne in 1973.
An estimated 500 million people around the world watched the wedding of the Queen's eldest daughter to Captain Mark Phillips.
Prince Andrew's wedding in 1986 was not a bank holiday
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42138938
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Tenerife nightclub dancefloor collapses, injuring 40 - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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Those hurt at the club include nationals of the UK, France, Belgium and Romania as well as Spain.
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Firefighters in Tenerife have released footage of the aftermath of the collapse
The dancefloor of a nightclub in Tenerife has collapsed, injuring 40 people.
Clubbers fell through the floor to the basement of the Butterfly Disco Pub at about 02:30 local time (02:30 GMT) on Sunday morning.
The club is in a shopping centre in Playa de las Americas, a clubbing hotspot in the south of the Spanish island popular with tourists.
Those injured are said to be from a number of different countries, including Spain, France, the UK, Belgium and Romania.
The number of casualties rose from 22 to 40 as it emerged that 18 had made their own way to hospitals.
The extent of the damage can be seen when viewed from the basement
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Two of those injured were seriously hurt, suffering fractures to the femur, or thigh bone, reported the local government. The remainder are believed to have suffered moderate to light injuries.
The club is in a shopping centre in Playa de las Americas
Emergency services scrambled to the scene after a large section of the dancefloor gave way, and spent the next few hours evacuating the wounded.
"After the floor collapsed, the people who were inside fell to the basement from the height of approximately one floor," said the regional government in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42128323
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Durham students miners' strike-themed event 'disgraceful' - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The rugby club party invite asked for "flat caps, filth" and a few "working-class-beating-bobbies".
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Tyne & Wear
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The organisers said to expect "a confrontation bigger than the Battle of Orgreave"
A miners' strike-themed student rugby club event has been criticised as "disgraceful" and swiftly cancelled.
Guests had been asked to come dressed as miners or members of Margaret Thatcher's government.
The Facebook invitation said: "We want flat caps, filth... a few working-class-beating-bobbies wouldn't go amiss."
Durham University said the event was "wholly unacceptable". The organisers have been approached for comment.
Pro-vice chancellor Owen Adams said: "Durham University and Trevelyan College utterly deplore this event."
It had been cancelled by the students concerned, he said.
"We are speaking to those students and we are considering what further action to take in due course," he added.
Organisers of the event, who appeared to be associated with the rugby team at Trevelyan College, asked those playing different positions in the game to take the opposing sides in the 1984 dispute.
Forwards were asked to come as miners and to "think pickaxes... think headlamps... think 12% unemployment in 1984".
Backs were asked to elect one member to be "the Iron Lady herself" with others coming as her government, police officers or Falklands War heroes.
Guests were told to "expect a confrontation bigger than the Battle of Orgreave".
Trevelyan College authorities said they deplored the proposed event
County Durham has a rich mining history with, at its height, tens of thousands of miners working in pits across the area.
The strike saw arrests and clashes between miners and police in villages such as Easington Colliery.
The Durham Miners' Association said it was "appalled" to hear about the event and pleased the university and college had taken "swift and appropriate action".
They said the organisers had a "complete lack of respect for local history" and "ought to be ashamed".
Mr Adams said: "Regrettably, there are occasions where student behaviour falls short of the standards we expect.
"The university reserves the right to take appropriate action against those who fall short of these standards."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-42128595
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Ethical hackers to boost NHS cyber-defences - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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The hackers will work in an operations centre that will look for threats before they hit hospitals.
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Technology
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About one-third of UK health trusts were caught out by the WannaCry ransomware worm
The NHS is spending £20m to set up a security operations centre that will oversee the health service's digital defences.
It will employ "ethical hackers" to look for weaknesses in health computer networks, not just react to breaches.
Such hackers use the same tactics seen in cyber-attacks to help organisations spot weak points.
In May, one-third of UK health trusts were hit by the WannaCry worm, which demanded cash to unlock infected PCs.
In a statement, Dan Taylor, head of the data security centre at NHS Digital, said the centre would create and run a "near-real-time monitoring and alerting service that covers the whole health and care system".
The centre would also help the NHS improve its "ability to anticipate future vulnerabilities while supporting health and care in remediating current known threats", he said.
And operations centre guidance would complement the existing teams the NHS used to defend itself against cyber-threats.
NHS Digital, the IT arm of the health service, has issued an invitation to tender to find a partner to help run the project and advise it about the mix of expertise it required.
Kevin Beaumont, a security vulnerability manager, welcomed the plan to set up the centre.
"This is a really positive move," he told the BBC.
Many private sector organisations already have similar central teams that use threat intelligence and analysis to keep networks secure.
"Having a function like this is essential in modern-day organisations," Mr Beaumont said.
"In an event like WannaCry, the centre could help hospitals know where they are getting infected from in real time, which was a big issue at the time, organisations were unsure how they were being infected".
In October, the UK's National Audit Office said NHS trusts had been caught out by the WannaCry worm because they had failed to follow recommended cyber-security policies.
The NAO report said NHS trusts had not acted on critical alerts from NHS Digital or on warnings from 2014 that had urged users to patch or migrate away from vulnerable older software.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42137409
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Harvey Weinstein: First UK civil claim made against film producer - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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A woman who worked in the film industry is alleging a series of sexual assaults by the film producer.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The first UK civil claim against Harvey Weinstein has been issued in the High Court.
A woman, who worked in the film industry and wishes to remain anonymous, is alleging a series of sexual assaults by the film producer.
The claim, which was lodged by personal injury lawyer Jill Greenfield on the woman's behalf, is expected to exceed £300,000.
The claim form, which has been seen by the BBC, states the woman is seeking damages for personal injury, expenses, and consequential loss.
It also includes a claim against the Weinstein Company UK Ltd and the Weinstein Company LLC in the US, who are liable as employers of Weinstein.
It's understood the woman has not yet submitted an official complaint to Scotland Yard, but Ms Greenfield confirmed to the BBC she expects a criminal case to run at the same time as the civil claim.
UK police investigating the movie mogul confirmed last month they are now looking at sexual assault allegations from seven women.
Meanwhile, an actress named Kadian Noble has accused Weinstein of luring her into a hotel room in the south of France and assaulting her in 2014.
In a civil action filed in New York on Monday, she claims a violation of US federal sex trafficking laws by Weinstein, his brother Bob and The Weinstein Company.
As well as denying allegations of non-consensual sex, Weinstein has said - in a statement issued on his behalf - that "there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances".
Bob Weinstein has yet to respond to the suit, but has denied any knowledge in his brother Harvey's alleged misconduct.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
• None How the Harvey Weinstein scandal has unfolded
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42137046
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Katie Hopkins leaves MailOnline 'by mutual consent' - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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The controversial columnist parts company with the popular web publication "by mutual consent".
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Entertainment & Arts
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Katie Hopkins appeared on The Apprentice in 2007
Broadcaster Katie Hopkins has left MailOnline after two years as a columnist for the website.
The presenter, who first rose to prominence as a contestant on The Apprentice in 2007, joined MailOnline in November 2015.
Hopkins is known for her controversial opinions and regularly attracts criticism for her views.
A MailOnline spokesperson said: "Katie's contract was not renewed by mutual consent."
No reason has been given for Hopkins leaving the website. The BBC has contacted Hopkins' management for comment.
Katie Hopkins finished second in Celebrity Big Brother in 2015
It also appears that Hopkins' tweets are currently being deleted from her Twitter account.
She tweeted on Monday that she had registered to a website that deletes tweets - although that message then disappeared.
The writer and broadcaster also parted company with radio station LBC in May, where she had a regular show.
She caused anger just before she left the station when she tweeted that there must be a "final solution" in dealing with terrorists following the Manchester terror attack.
Some followers questioned her use of the phrase "final solution" - a term used by the Nazis to refer to the Holocaust - but later Hopkins altered it to "true solution", describing the earlier version as a "mis-type".
Hopkins is now deleting her tweets
Earlier this year, food writer Jack Monroe won £24,000 in damages, plus £107,000 in legal costs, in a libel action against Hopkins after a row over two tweets, which Monroe said caused "serious harm" to her reputation.
Hopkins was later told by the High Court she could not appeal against the ruling, but she has applied to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to have that decision reconsidered.
Last December, she apologised to a Muslim family she accused of being extremists after they were refused entry to the US for a Disneyland trip.
MailOnline, which published her claim, also paid £150,000 in libel damages to the Mahmood family.
Hopkins has gradually built up her reputation as a controversial figure since 2013, when she appeared on This Morning during a discussion about children's names.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42141325
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Ashes: Australia beat England by 10 wickets in first Test - BBC Sport
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2017-11-27
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Australia complete a 10-wicket victory over England in the first Ashes Test on the fifth morning in Brisbane.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
First Ashes Test, Gabba, Brisbane (day five of five)
Australia completed a 10-wicket victory over England in the first Ashes Test on the fifth morning in Brisbane.
Chasing a target of 170, the hosts got the 56 runs they required in little more than an hour, with David Warner 87 not out and debutant Cameron Bancroft unbeaten on 82.
On just two previous occasions have England lost the first Test in Australia and gone on to win the Ashes, but Joe Root's men need only draw the series to retain the urn.
The next Test, a day-nighter in Adelaide, begins on Saturday, so the tourists must re-group quickly both on and off the field.
News of an investigation into an alleged headbutt by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow on Australia's Bancroft in a Perth bar four weeks ago emerged on Sunday.
Both men were on the field throughout Monday's play and shook hands at the conclusion of the match.
It was Bancroft who offered the only semblance of a chance, edging Jake Ball past lone slip Alastair Cook when on 60.
He hit the winning runs off Chris Woakes as Australia preserved their 29-year unbeaten record at the Gabba on the third anniversary of the death of Phillip Hughes.
• None A silly act that has left the ECB furious - Agnew
• None Listen to the Tuffers & Vaughan Cricket Show on 5 live - 21:30 GMT, 27 November
This was England's sixth successive Test defeat in Australia following a 5-0 whitewash in 2013-14.
Despite the margin of victory, this match was even for the majority of the contest and offers some suggestion the series could be keenly fought.
Ultimately, it was decided by some key moments going the way of the home side, partly through Australian excellence and partly through England mistakes.
On the first day, with England 127-1, James Vince was run out for 83 by a brilliant direct hit from Nathan Lyon.
Vince was one of seven England batsmen to reach 38, but his was the tourists' highest score of the match.
In contrast, Australia captain Steve Smith ground out an unbeaten 141 to rescue his side from 76-4 and 209-7, the latter when England were strangely reluctant to employ all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson.
Australia's final three wickets ultimately added 119 runs, whereas in the first innings England's last five managed 56 and in their second the last four just 10.
And although the home side coasted the chase, by the time Warner and Bancroft negotiated the new ball, the contest was as good as over.
In a Test that was in the balance for so long, England's defeat further highlighted the effect of Ben Stokes' absence.
The all-rounder was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm in September following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub.
He remains in the UK awaiting the outcome of a police investigation.
Without Stokes batting at number six, Moeen Ali and Woakes moved up the batting order and an elongated tail was twice blown away by the aggressive Australia pace attack.
Stokes' replacement in the side, pace bowler Ball, returned match figures of 1-115.
Did the scoreline flatter Australia? - what they said
England captain Joe Root, speaking to TMS: "It doesn't really feel like a 10-wicket defeat. We came here fully confident we could get the win.
"For three days we were excellent but missed a couple of chances with bat and ball in the first two innings.
"Mark and Vincey played outstandingly well. To show that composure, character and skill in their first Ashes Test was exceptional.
"The wicket got better as the match went on. Steve Smith's knock was incredible - take it out and we would've bowled them out for 150."
Australia captain Steve Smith: "It's great we've been able to keep our Gabba record. We played some really good cricket after losing the toss on what was a really good wicket.
"Nathan Lyon is bowling as well as I've seen him bowl. He went wicketless in the first innings then got the reward in the second. Davey [Warner] and Cameron were magnificent.
"I think England have a few newish players that haven't experienced an Ashes series before. The first Test is important and it's nice to get it out of the way but we've got a big ask on our hands at Adelaide."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42132855
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Leeds car crash: Five victims named locally - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two young brothers are among the five who died after a stolen car crashed into a tree in Leeds.
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Leeds & West Yorkshire
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The crash happened on Stonegate Road in the Meanwood area of Leeds
The five victims of a crash that saw a stolen car smash into a tree in a Leeds suburb have been named locally.
Brothers Ellis and Elliott Thornton, aged 12 and 15, died along with 15-year-old Darnell Harte and 24-year-old Robbie Meerun.
Father-of-two Anthoney Armour, 28, whose partner is pregnant with a third child, also died.
Police were called to Stonegate Road in the Meanwood area of the city at 21:54 GMT on Saturday.
Two 15-year-old boys are being held in custody on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Clockwise from top left: Ellis and Elliott Thornton, Darnell Harte, Anthoney Armour and Robbie Meerun
A vigil was held opposite the crash scene late on Sunday night and floral tributes are being left.
One message read: "Elliot and Ellis. Two beautiful boys taken too soon. We will never forget you both and love you both forever and always sleep tight boys."
Julie, a former neighbour of the brothers, told BBC Radio Leeds: "It's devastating, they were funny, cheeky lads, always a smile on their faces."
Some of those involved in the crash are understood to have gone to the nearby Carr Manor Community School.
In a message posted on its website, the school said: "We are aware of the tragic road accident in our local community and send our condolences and sympathies to the families and all those affected by this shocking and upsetting incident.
"Until the police confirm relevant details we are unable to comment further and we will continue to offer support and help to all our pupils who may be affected by this distressing event."
People hug as they look at flowers and messages left near the scene of the crash
A police spokesman said officers were confronted by a scene of "complete carnage" when they arrived.
Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene and three died a short time later at hospital, West Yorkshire Police added.
Their families have been informed.
About 60 people held a vigil on Stonegate Road on Sunday evening
Louise Thornton, 34, described as Ellis and Elliot's "godmother/aunty Lou", told the Yorkshire Evening Post the family was "devastated".
She said: "We were so proud of the boys. They will be hugely missed by the family. It will leave a huge devastating void.
"They were very well-loved. We just can't describe how much these little boys have left a big void in our family."
Officers continued to gather evidence at the scene on Monday
Det Ch Insp Jim Griffiths said: "This is clearly a tragic incident in which five young people have lost their lives."
Earlier, police said they were working on the assumption all seven were in the same vehicle - a Renault Clio.
However, the force has since said: "Whether they were all in the car or whether some of [the victims] were pedestrians we can't say at this point in time."
West Yorkshire Police described the crash as a "tragic incident"
Stonegate Road is about three miles north of Leeds city centre and has semi-detached houses and wide grass verges between the houses and the road.
Investigators were back at the scene on Monday morning, with anyone with information asked to contact West Yorkshire Police.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "This is a truly terrible tragedy, and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and friends of those that have lost loved ones."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-42133108
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry: A royal shake-up - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The actress can now help modernise the monarchy alongside Prince Harry.
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UK
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This is no ordinary royal engagement.
Meghan Markle brings something different to the British Royal Family.
She is American, divorced, an actress and mixed race.
She is also a campaigner with a variety of humanitarian interests and won't want her marriage to limit her ability to speak out and support various causes - particularly those of gender equality.
As an advocate for UN Women, Ms Markle has worked on helping young girls reach their leadership potential. When she was first approached about working with the United Nations the Suits star insisted on undertaking a period of "work experience" first.
In her own time she shadowed Elizabeth Nyamayaro, a senior advisor at UN Women. Elizabeth was impressed by the intelligence, commitment and curiosity of the actress.
The pair have since worked together closely on a number of UN missions and Elizabeth has no doubt that her friend and colleague will thrive in her new royal role.
"Her ability to listen, her passion for other people, wanting to create social change with that level of platform can only be a positive thing. She'll be fine, she'll be great in fact."
Ms Markle addressed gender issues at the One Young World forum in Canada
But the media coverage of the relationship in its early days unsettled sections of the British press and its readers.
Prince Harry even took the unprecedented step of issuing a public statement asking for privacy and describing some of the coverage as having "racial undertones".
Much was made of his fiancée's upbringing in Los Angeles, with the area described as gang-infested and a place riddled with racial tension.
However, Ms Markle actually grew up in a very middle class neighbourhood of Los Angeles and attended a private Catholic school.
But in many ways she is an outsider.
Prince Harry isn't following a traditional path - he's not marrying the daughter of a grand aristocratic family.
His wife-to-be now has to negotiate her way through the British aristocracy, in a similar vein to her future sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge.
It is an experience American nutritionist and author Julie Montagu knows well, as the future Countess of Sandwich.
Born and brought up in Illinois, she married the son of the Earl of Sandwich and is now Viscountess Hinchingbrooke.
She splits her time between London and the family estate, Mapperton, in Dorset.
"Even now I still get things wrong," she told me. "The British upper classes have their own way of doing things. But as an American I bring my optimism, positivity and work ethic into the mix which I believe is hugely important."
Ms Markle is joining a family and entering a world unlike anything she has previously experienced. Yes it brings with it great privilege. But it also means a lack of privacy and the acceptance of a public life. As an actress she may find herself well equipped to deal with the scrutiny ahead.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42112647
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle give first interview - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Prince Harry, fifth in line to the throne, is to marry American actress Meghan Markle.
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UK
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We're going to close our live coverage here, with a final recap for you.
Prince Harry, the fifth in line to the throne, is to marry to the American actress Meghan Markle.
The couple got engaged earlier this month, when Harry proposed during a night in at his Kensington Palace cottage.
They will tie the knot in Spring 2018.
Read our full story here: Stars were aligned when I met Meghan, says Harry
And watch some of the BBC's interview with the couple below. We'll have a full version up on the site as soon as possible.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-42116319
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Vaginal mesh operations should be banned, says NICE - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Implants can cut into the vagina - and some women have been left in permanent pain, unable to walk.
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Health
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The mesh is made of polypropylene - the same material used to make certain drinks bottles
The health watchdog NICE is to recommend that vaginal mesh operations should be banned from treating organ prolapse in England, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show has learned.
Draft guidelines from NICE say the implants should only be used for research - and not routine operations.
Some implants can cut into the vagina and women have been left in permanent pain, unable to walk, work or have sex.
One expert said it is highly likely the NHS will take up the recommendation.
However, the organisation is not compelled to act on findings it receives from NICE.
Both NHS England and NICE declined to comment.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Stephanie and Peter Williams say it's made it "impossible" for them to be intimate
In the documents - to be published after consultation in December - NICE said there were "serious but well-recognised safety concerns" and that "evidence of long-term efficacy [for implants treating organ prolapse] is inadequate in quality and quantity".
It added that "when complications occur, these can be serious and have life-changing consequences", but said "most commentaries received from patients reported satisfaction with the procedure".
One woman, Margie Maguire, 41 - told the Victoria Derbyshire programme she cannot have any more children or walk unaided because of the damage caused by the mesh.
"I have chronic pelvic pain on a daily basis and I'm on nine different medications when I have a pain attack.
"These can last from two to six hours at a time and is like having a heart attack," she said.
Kate Langley told the programme in April she had been admitted to hospital 53 times to try to end the pain, but - like many women - the mesh was so near the nerve it could not be fully removed.
She has been left with nerve damage and in permanent pain by the implants, giving up her business as a childminder because the pain was so intense.
The surgeon who first examined her, she explained, "could see the [mesh] tape had come through my vagina - protruding through".
Kate Langley has been left in permanent pain by her vaginal mesh implant
The plastic meshes are made of polypropylene - the same material used to make certain drinks bottles - and manufactured by many different companies.
They are used to support organs such as the vagina, uterus, bowel, bladder or urethra which have prolapsed after childbirth.
The University of Oxford's Prof Carl Heneghan, an expert in the subject, said the draft guidelines were an admission that health services had "got this wrong" - calling the use of mesh a "catastrophe".
He described the draft guidelines as a "backdoor ban" on implants that would effectively end their use.
But he said it had come too late.
Prof Heneghan says the use of the implants has been "absolutely farcical"
"Seven years I have been watching this emerge - it is absolutely farcical how bad it is. Either they're burying their heads in the sand or they don't know what they're doing."
He called for a registry to be created for everyone who had been treated with the implants so that their effects could be fully understood.
In April, the BBC learned more than 800 UK women are taking legal action against the NHS and the makers of vaginal mesh implants.
The NICE documents suggest "randomised controlled trial data showed no added benefit of using mesh compared with native tissue repair".
Mesh implants are used to treat organ prolapse and urinary incontinence
Between April 2007 and March 2015, more than 92,000 women had vaginal mesh implants in England, according to NHS data from the Hospital Episodes Statistics.
About one in 11 women has experienced problems, the data suggests.
The use of vaginal mesh to treat urinary incontinence is not mentioned in the draft NICE guidelines.
In Scotland, former Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil requested a suspension of mesh implants by the NHS in 2014, but figures obtained by the BBC in December 2016 showed hundreds of operations have been performed since.
A number of Scottish health boards have stopped using mesh implants altogether.
The mesh is also used routinely in hernia repair despite concerns it is leaving many patients in chronic pain.
The Department of Health declined to comment.
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42110076
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Manchester Arena attack: PM vows to cover costs - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May says the city will get the "financial support it needs" following the Arena bombing.
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Manchester
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Twenty-two people died in the attack at Manchester Arena on 22 May
The government will fully fund the costs of dealing with the Manchester Arena attack, Prime Minister Theresa May has said.
It comes after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said an initial offer was "not good enough".
But the PM told the Manchester Evening News: "Be in no doubt, Manchester will get the financial support it needs."
She added in a statement that a Cabinet Office task force had been set up to oversee meeting the costs.
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device that killed 22 people and injured 512 in the foyer of the venue at an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May.
Andy Burnham said an initial government offer was "not good enough"
The government had previously said Manchester would receive £12m to help cover the "exceptional costs" of the attack, with £3m being made available immediately.
But Mr Burnham said more than £17.5m had already been spent and suggested at least £10.4m more could be needed, including for the inquests into the 22 deaths and an inquiry.
The £12m figure would have meant local authorities being forced to cut services to make up the £5m shortfall on what had already been spent, he warned.
On Friday, Mr Burnham outlined £10.5m projected costs to add to the £17.5m already spent.
Mrs May said the government would meet the "unexpected and exceptional costs"
Mrs May told the Manchester Evening News: "Be in no doubt, Manchester will get the financial support it needs - and if that costs £28m, as Andy Burnham has estimated, then that is what we will make available."
She added in a statement that the attack was "one of the darkest moments in the city's history".
"I promised in the wake of that appalling atrocity this government would do all it could to help victims recover and the city to heal. I repeat that commitment today," she said.
"Where your public services have had to bear, or will bear, unexpected and exceptional costs in coping with this terrible attack, these will be met by the government.
"The process of making those payments is ongoing and I understand the frustration felt at the pace of delivery.
"So I have taken steps to speed up our response. Over the weekend a taskforce has been established within the Cabinet Office to oversee progress and expedite payments when necessary."
Mrs May added that not all the funding would be needed immediately.
"For example the inquests, opened and adjourned this month, will not begin until next June," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42132684
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Newspaper headlines: Royal wedding announcement hailed - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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News of the forthcoming wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dominates the newspapers.
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The Papers
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The front pages are dominated by pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their royal engagement, many taking up their full length. The Sun has a picture of the couple gazing at each other during their appearance outside Kensington Palace, and the headline: "She's the one."
A similar picture in the Express has the headline: "The look of love." Other headlines use quotes from the couple's television interview. The Telegraph has: "The corgis took to her straightaway."
The Times says the interview displayed the emotional openness of the Royal Family's younger generation.
In Toronto - where Ms Markle has been living and working as an actress for the past seven years - the Toronto Star says the fact the couple's love story has a distinct touch of Toronto makes the occasion all the happier locally.
The royal bride-to-be went to Northwestern University in Illinios, and the Chicago Tribune runs the headline: "2003 graduate accepts government post in London."
It describes her as a television actress who's moving to London to pursue an exciting career that combines diplomacy and charity work. The position comes with the title Her Royal Highness, it adds.
The Times reports that Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing supporters have been accused of carrying out an "aggressive purge" of centrist councillors to put up their own candidates in local elections next year.
It says councillors across the country have been deselected in a vote of local members or have faced pressure not to contest their seats, in favour of candidates more closely aligned to the cause of the Labour leader and the Momentum campaign that supports him.
The release of six former British soldiers detained in India on weapons charges since 2013 is widely reported, but there's criticism of the Indian justice system.
In the Sun's view, it was outrageous and a mark of the "chaotic" Indian legal system that the men were locked up at all, let alone for so long.
The Mirror thinks the legal and diplomatic systems clearly failed the "Chennai Six". After initial charges were quashed, then re-instated by a lower court, followed by convictions in January last year, before Monday's acquittal, something went badly wrong.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-42146644
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'Relay crime' theft caught on camera - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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This footage from West Midlands Police shows two men pulling up outside a victim's house and stealing a car without needing to see the owner's keys.
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This footage from West Midlands Police shows two men pulling up outside a victim's house in the Elmdon area of Solihull.
The pair steal the car without needing to see the owner's keys.
Mark Silvester, from the West Midlands Police crime reduction team, said: "To protect against this type of theft, owners can use an additional tested and Thatcham-approved steering lock to cover the entire steering wheel".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42132804
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Prince Harry: Stars were aligned when I met Meghan - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Prince Harry says “this beautiful woman” fell into his life and he proposed over roast chicken.
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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. Meghan Markle has revealed that Prince Harry proposed on a Sunday night at home
Prince Harry says he and US actress girlfriend Meghan Markle fell in love "so incredibly quickly" and it seemed proof that the "stars were aligned".
The fifth in line to the throne was speaking after the couple announced their engagement and plans to marry in spring 2018.
The couple told the BBC's Mishal Husain they met on a blind date and neither had known much about each other.
Prince Harry said "beautiful" Ms Markle "just tripped and fell into my life".
He believed Ms Markle and his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, would have been "thick as thieves... best friends".
Prince Harry revealed he proposed earlier this month during a "standard, typical night for us" at his home in Kensington Palace as the couple were making roast chicken.
"It was just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet, and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee," Ms Markle said.
Prince Harry said: "She didn't even let me finish. She said 'Can I say yes'.
"Then there were hugs and I had the ring in my finger.
"I said 'Can I give you the ring?'. She said: 'Oh, yes, the ring'. It was a really nice moment. Just the two of us."
Turning to Ms Markle, Prince Harry said: "And I think I managed to catch you by surprise as well."
The 36-year-old star of US legal drama Suits confirmed she would be giving up acting and with her new role focus even more energy on the causes that are important to her.
She is already involved with humanitarian work and is a women's advocate with the UN.
Ms Markle said: "I don't see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It's a new chapter."
Turning to Prince Harry, she said: "Now it's time to work as a team with you."
The prince, 33, added: "I know that she will be unbelievably good at the job part of it as well."
The couple described how they were set up on their blind date by a mutual friend, and then met once more before going camping together in Botswana.
"I think about three, maybe four weeks later I managed to persuade her to come and join me...
"And we camped out with each other under the stars... she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic."
Prince Harry said "both of us have passions for wanting to make change for good".
Ms Markle said "one of the first things we started taking about when we met was just the different things we wanted to do in the world and how passionate we were about seeing change".
She said it was "disheartening" there had been a focus on the fact her father is white and her mother is African-American.
"At the end of the day I am proud of who I am and where I come from... we've just focused on who we are as a couple."
The couple declined to reveal the name of the mutual female friend who introduced them in July 2016.
But Ms Markle said she "didn't know much" about Prince Harry before meeting him.
"The only thing I had asked her when she said she wanted to set us up, was 'was he nice?' If he wasn't kind, it didn't seem like it would make sense".
The prince said he had not been aware of Ms Markle before their first meeting in London as he had never watched her TV show.
Earlier, the couple posed for photographs outside Kensington Palace in London, where they will live.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle posed for the cameras in the garden at Kensington Palace
Prince Harry said he was "thrilled", while Ms Markle said she was "so very happy".
Ms Markle, wearing a white belted coat, held Harry's hand as they appeared briefly for the press at the palace's Sunken Garden, and showed off her diamond engagement ring.
Asked by a reporter when he knew Suits star Ms Markle "was the one", Prince Harry said: "The very first time we met".
The announcement of their engagement was issued by Clarence House on Twitter, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's official residence, and said details about the wedding day would be unveiled "in due course".
Downing Street said there are "no plans" for a bank holiday on the day.
Ms Markle's engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry and features two diamonds which belonged to his mother.
The band is made from yellow gold and at the centre is a diamond from Botswana.
Ms Markle said it was a sign of "Harry's thoughtfulness".
She had obviously not been able to meet his mother, she said, but it was "so important to me... to know that she's a part of this with us".
Ms Markle said she had met the Queen a couple of times and described her as an "incredible woman".
The Queen's corgis are said to have taken to her "straight away".
Asked about having children, Prince Harry said: "One step at a time and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future."
Ms Markle grew up in Los Angeles and attended a private primary school before studying at a girls' Roman Catholic college. She graduated from Northwestern University School of Communication in Illinois, as her acting career was beginning.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said he was "absolutely delighted" at the engagement announcement and indicated the couple would have a church wedding.
She was previously married, but the Church of England agreed in 2002 that divorced people could be allowed to remarry in church.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42144300
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Mugabe 'wasn't offered anything' to resign - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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A resignation mediator says he can't confirm reports that Zimbabwe's ex-leader was given $10m (£7.5m).
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Father Fidelis Mukonori said he could not confirm reports that Zimbabwe's ex-leader was granted $10m (£7.5m) to ease him out of office.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42132027
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Ben Stokes: England all-rounder 'not flying out to join Ashes squad' - BBC Sport
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2017-11-27
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The England and Wales Cricket Board says all-rounder Ben Stokes is not on his way to join up with Ashes squad.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
England all-rounder Ben Stokes is not flying out to join up with the squad in Australia despite widespread speculation on social media, says the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Stokes, 26, was arrested in September on suspicion of actual bodily harm after an incident outside a nightclub.
A picture was posted on Twitter on Monday which it was claimed showed him at Heathrow Airport.
The ECB said Stokes was flying to New Zealand to spend time with his family.
It added it had not taken care of his travel arrangements.
Stokes was released without charge after the incident outside Bristol's Mbargo nightclub in the early hours of on 26 September, but remains under investigation.
Two men subsequently claimed Stokes was defending them from homophobic abuse.
The Durham player was initially named in England's squad for the Ashes but did not travel out with the rest of squad.
It is understood there no legal restrictions preventing him from leaving the country, but he is still part of an ongoing enquiry by Avon and Somerset Police.
England lost the first Ashes Test in Brisbane by 10 wickets. The next Test in the five-match series, a day-nighter in Adelaide, begins on Saturday.
• None More from the Ashes: 'England wheels in danger of coming off'
'We are waiting for the police to make a charging decision'
Speaking on Sunday, England director of cricket Andrew Strauss said there had been no change with regard to Stokes' availability.
"We're waiting for the police to make a charging decision and, until that happens, nothing has changed," he said.
"We're in the same situation as we have been for quite a long time now.
"There are certain procedural things that have taken place but there is a process that can only kick in once we've heard a charging decision from the police."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42146537
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Chennai Six: Britons jailed in India win appeal - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The six former British soldiers were jailed on weapons charges in 2013.
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England
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Six British former soldiers who have been held on weapons charges in India since 2013 are to be released.
They were arrested while working as guards on a ship to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean.
The so-called Chennai Six always denied the charges, which were initially quashed but later reinstated. They were sentenced to five years in 2016.
The former soldiers appealed, and a judge has just ruled that they be acquitted.
Get more updates on this story on BBC Local Live.
The men, who were working on the anti-piracy ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio, are:
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Family of Nick Dunn react to news of release
They were arrested on board a ship owned by an American company which offered armed protection services to vessels sailing through an area known as "pirates' alley" between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
Customs officials and police found 35 guns, including semi-automatic weapons, and almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition on board the ship.
Indian authorities said the weapons and ammunition had not been properly declared
Initially charges were quashed when the men argued that the weapons were lawfully held for anti-piracy purposes and the paperwork, issued by the UK government, was in order.
But a lower court reinstated the prosecution and they were convicted in January last year.
Since then there has been a series of appeals.
The families have long campaigned for the men's release, and took a petition to Downing Street
The latest news has been welcomed by the men's families.
Yvonne MacHugh, the partner of Billy Irving, said he had missed the birth of their son, William.
She said: "I just feel sheer relief - finally we're getting our family back together.
"Finally all the men are going to be home with their families. They've been acquitted of all charges, so they have done no wrongdoing and finally we've proven that."
Lisa Dunn, the sister of Nick Dunn, described it as "the best news ever".
She said: "The longer it went on, as much as you still have an element of hope, it does dwindle after having so many delays and setbacks.
"It will make all of our Christmases - all of our dreams have come true today."
Indian authorities said weapons and ammunition found on board MV Seaman Guard Ohio had not been properly declared
The judge ruled that all charges against the men - and 29 others arrested with them - be dropped with immediate effect, and the fines they were ordered to pay be refunded.
However, it is not yet known when they will be able to return home, as the authorities could appeal against the decision.
John Armstrong's sister, Joanne Tomlinson, said: "They still need to get police clearance before they can come home, so there are steps being taken to try to ensure that everything's in place.
"That they can come back as quickly as possible, but we don't have a time-frame for that yet."
Theresa May's official spokesman said: "We are now working with the Indian authorities to discuss the next steps.
"We will continue to offer the men and their families consular assistance for as long as it is needed."
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the verdict as "fantastic news" and said the case "has been a top priority for everybody" at the Foreign Office (FCO).
"The FCO has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reunite these men with their families," he added.
"I share their delight and I hope they can return home as soon as possible."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42135559
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Royal wedding 2018: Meghan Markle's film and TV career in pictures - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As Prince Harry and Ms Markle get married, look back at her career on screen.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Prince Harry and Ms Markle announced their engagement in November
Meghan Markle was no stranger to the spotlight before getting engaged to Prince Harry - she was a familiar face on screens and red carpets thanks to her acting roles, appearances at fashion shows and charity work.
Before joining the Royal Family, she was best known for her role in legal drama Suits, and had small roles in films including Get Him to the Greek and Horrible Bosses.
The LA-born star is also a Global Ambassador for World Vision and has campaigned for the UN.
Her character was seen getting married to Mike Ross (played by Patrick J Adams) in her final appearance on the show in April
Ms Markle had a small role as an FBI Special Agent in Fox's sci-fi series Fringe alongside Jasika Nicole, Joshua Jackson and John Noble
She's seen here alongside Christopher Jacot in the Hallmark Channel's 2014 romance film When Sparks Fly
Ms Markle volunteered as a fundraiser at Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC's Annual Charity Day in 2013
The actress walked the red carpet at the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto
Her interest in politics and humanitarian issues led her to speak at the One Young World conference in 2014, which gathers young leaders to develop solutions to world problems
She joined Nina Agdal, Shay Mitchell and Chrissy Teigen to take part in the DirecTV Beach Bowl, an all-star flag football game, in New York
She also tried her hand at mixing cocktails at the event
Ms Markle set up a website called The Tig, which covered food, travel, fashion and beauty, but closed her "passion project" last year with a message telling readers: "Don't ever forget your worth"
Ms Markle spoke at the Reebok #HonorYourDays event in Massachusetts in 2016
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42141187
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Yemen war: First food aid arrives at port after blockade eased - BBC News
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2017-11-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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It is the first food aid shipment to get into Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition eased its blockade.
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Middle East
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Millions are on the brink of famine in Yemen, the UN says
A UN aid ship carrying food supplies has been allowed to dock at a rebel-held port in Yemen, after the Saudi-led coalition eased a blockade that has lasted for nearly three weeks.
The blockade worsened the plight of millions at risk of starvation.
Planes carrying medical supplies were allowed to land in the capital, Sanaa, on Saturday but this is the first shipment of food aid to be let in.
The blockade was imposed on 6 November after a missile attack on Saudi Arabia.
The coalition blocked off land, sea and air routes two days after the Houthi rebels they are fighting in Yemen fired the missile at the Saudi capital, Riyadh. It was intercepted over the international airport.
The UN ship, loaded with thousands of tonnes of desperately-needed wheat, has arrived at the port of Saleef.
It is carrying enough food to feed 1.8m people in northern Yemen for a month, World Food Programme country director Stephen Anderson told the BBC.
He said the ship had been forced to "hover off the coast" for two weeks waiting for permission to enter.
A commercial ship carrying 5,500 tonnes of wheat flour earlier docked at the key port of Hudaydah, south of Saleef and also controlled by the Houthi rebels.
"This is also a positive development because humanitarian aid alone will not address the full needs of the people who are in northern Yemen, particularly those who we are not able to assist, those who are slightly better off and who depend on markets," Mr Anderson said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Clive Myrie reports from one hospital on the brink of running out of fuel
Earlier this week, the Saudi-led coalition announced it would reopen access to the Hudaydah port for urgent humanitarian aid and Sanaa's airport to UN aid and relief flights.
But on Friday, the UN's humanitarian affairs office said access to Hudaydah remained blocked.
The easing of the Saudi-led blockade followed a review by the coalition to ensure weapons do not reach the rebels. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supplying arms to the Houthis, which Tehran denies.
Planes that arrived in Sanaa on Saturday carried 1.9m doses of vaccines, but the UN's agency for children, Unicef, says that is just a small fraction of what is needed.
"I reiterate my plea to everyone with a heart for children, indeed not to prevent us from delivering what is urgently needed and massively needed," Unicef Middle East Director Geert Cappelaere told Reuters news agency. "Yesterday was just a very small step."
More than 20 million people in Yemen are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Eleven million of those are children and 400,000 are affected by severe acute malnutrition.
The coalition intervened in the war between forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthis in 2015. Since then ground fighting and air strikes have killed more than 8,670 people, according to UN figures.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42131361
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Twitter employee 'deactivated' Trump account on last day - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The social media giant says a staffer on their last day took the account offline for 11 minutes.
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US & Canada
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For a short time visitors could only see a message that read: "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"
US President Donald Trump's Twitter account briefly vanished on Thursday but has since been restored, the social media company said.
A customer service employee deactivated the @realdonaldtrump account, it said, clarifying that it had been their last day in the job.
The account was down for 11 minutes and Twitter is now investigating.
The president brushed off the outage in a new tweet on Friday, suggesting it showed the impact he was having.
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Tweets from Mr Trump, who has 41.7 million followers, have frequently caused controversy.
The latest incident has sparked debate about the security of the president's account, given the potential consequences of posts falsely attributed to Mr Trump being published.
However, @POTUS, the official account of the US president, was unaffected.
On Thursday evening, visitors to Mr Trump's page for a short time could only see a message that read "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"
Donald Trump has been actively using Twitter to promote his policies and attack his opponents
After the account was restored, Mr Trump's first tweet was about the Republican Party's tax cuts plan.
Twitter said it was investigating the problem and taking steps to avoid it happening again.
On Thursday evening, the @TwitterGov account wrote: "Through our investigation we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee's last day. We are conducting a full internal review."
Then on Friday, the San Francisco-based company posted: "We have implemented safeguards to prevent this from happening again.
"We won't be able to share all details about our internal investigation or updates to our security measures, but we take this seriously and our teams are on it."
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Mr Trump joined Twitter in March 2009 and he has tweeted more than 36,000 times.
He has been actively using the social media platform to promote his policies and also attack his political opponents both during the presidential campaign in 2016 and since taking office in January.
In one interview he said that when someone said something about him, he was able to go "bing, bing, bing on Twitter" - and take care of it.
After he appeared to directly threaten North Korea with destruction in a tweet in September, Twitter was forced to justify allowing the post to stand.
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It said that Mr Trump's tweet was "newsworthy".
In one of his other most controversial tweets, he taunted FBI chief James Comey days before sacking him in May.
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Tweeting the following month, he admitted he had no such tapes of Mr Comey.
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Mr Trump's allies have also got into hot water over their use of Twitter.
Roger Stone, who advised him during his election campaign, was suspended from the network after he used abusive and homophobic language to target journalists, including a gay CNN presenter, Don Lemon.
He said he had been told by Twitter that he had violated its rules.
Mr Stone said he would sue Twitter for blocking his account.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41854482
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'Victory declared' over 130 tonne Whitechapel fatberg - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Thames Water says the 130-tonne "beast" beneath Whitechapel has "finally been defeated".
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London
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Workers have taken nine weeks to remove the blockage
A 250-metre long fatberg weighing 130 tonnes which was blocking an east London sewer has been cleared after a nine-week "battle".
The solid mass of congealed fat, wet wipes, nappies, oil and condoms was found in the Victorian-era tunnel in Whitechapel in September.
Thames Water said it had taken longer to clear than expected because of the damage it caused to the sewer.
Waste network manager Alex Saunders said the "beast is finally defeated".
The fatberg was made up of congealed fat, wet wipes, nappies, oil and condoms
A team of eight worked to clear the sewer with the final stretch having to be removed manually using shovels.
"It was some of the most gut-wrenching work many would have seen," Mr Saunders said.
Thames Water says fatbergs form when people put things they should not down sinks and toilets.
The company spends about £1m every month clearing blockages from the capital's sewers.
The final section of the sewer had to be cleared using shovels
It took nine weeks to clear the sewer
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41860764
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Kevin Spacey: UK police investigate sexual assault claim - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A man made a complaint about an alleged incident that took place in 2008.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Kevin Spacey is being investigated by UK police over an alleged sexual assault.
The Sun newspaper said a man, aged 23 at the time, made a complaint on Tuesday about the alleged incident in the London borough of Lambeth.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are investigating an alleged assault on a man from 2008.
They would not confirm the allegation was made against House of Cards actor and double Oscar winner Spacey.
Spacey said on Thursday that he is seeking treatment after facing allegations of sexual misconduct from a string of men.
The Sun reported that a British actor claimed he woke up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him in 2008.
The man is said to have run from the property after Spacey allegedly said: "Don't tell anyone about this."
A spokesman for the Met said it had no record of any arrests having been made in connection with the investigation and police declined to comment on The Sun's report, which says the complainant had been interviewed by police.
It has been claimed Kevin Spacey "routinely preyed" on young male actors while he was artistic director at the Old Vic
It comes after a number of allegations, including CNN reporting that Spacey made the set of Netflix's House of Cards into a "toxic" work environment through a pattern of sexual harassment.
It said allegations were made by eight people who currently work on the show, or worked on it in the past, with one former employee alleging the actor sexually assaulted him.
Netflix suspended production on House of Cards on 31 October following allegations by Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, who claimed Spacey tried to "seduce" him when he was 14.
Spacey said he was "beyond horrified" to hear of the incident, which he does not remember.
US filmmaker Tony Montana also claimed he was groped by the actor in a Los Angeles bar in 2003.
Montana said he was left with PTSD for six months after he claims Spacey "forcefully" grabbed his crotch.
Incidents regarding Spacey are also alleged to have taken place in the UK while he was the artistic director at the Old Vic in London between 2004 and 2015.
Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos, who acted in several plays at the theatre, claimed the star "routinely preyed" on young male actors.
Earlier this week, the Old Vic set up a confidential complaints process for anyone connected to the theatre to come forward.
It said in a statement: "We aim to foster a safe and supportive environment without prejudice, harassment or bullying of any sort, at any level."
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'Big void' identified in Khufu's Great Pyramid at Giza - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Scanning technology suggests there is a large, previously unknown cavity in the ancient monument.
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Science & Environment
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mark Lehner: "A space that the builders left to protect the grand gallery?"
The mysteries of the pyramids have deepened with the discovery of what appears to be a giant void within the Khufu, or Cheops, monument in Egypt.
It is not known why the cavity exists or indeed if it holds anything of value because it is not obviously accessible.
Japanese and French scientists made the announcement after two years of study at the famous pyramid complex.
They have been using a technique called muography, which can sense density changes inside large rock structures.
The Great Pyramid, or Khufu's Pyramid, is thought to have been constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu between 2509 and 2483 BC.
At 140m (460 feet) in height, it is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids located at Giza on the outskirts of Cairo.
Khufu famously contains three large interior chambers and a series of passageways, the most striking of which is the 47m-long, 8m-high Grand Gallery.
The newly identified feature is said to sit directly above this and have similar dimensions.
"We don't know whether this big void is horizontal or inclined; we don't know if this void is made by one structure or several successive structures," explained Mehdi Tayoubi from the HIP Institute, Paris.
"What we are sure about is that this big void is there; that it is impressive; and that it was not expected as far as I know by any sort of theory."
The newly found void is directly above the Grand Gallery
The ScanPyramids team is being very careful not to describe the cavity as a "chamber".
Khufu contains compartments that experts believe may have been incorporated by the builders to avoid collapse by relieving some of the stress of the overlying weight of stone.
The higher King's Chamber, for example, has five such spaces above it.
He says the muon science is sound but he is not yet convinced the discovery has significance.
"It could be a kind of space that the builders left to protect the very narrow roof of the Grand Gallery from the weight of the pyramid," he told the BBC's Science In Action programme.
"Right now it's just a big difference; it's an anomaly. But we need more of a focus on it especially in a day and age when we can no longer go blasting our way through the pyramid with gunpowder as [British] Egyptologist Howard Vyse did in the early 1800s."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mehdi Tayoubi: "It's a big void, similar to the Grand Gallery, but what is it?"
One of the team leaders, Hany Helal from Cairo University, believes the void is too big to have a pressure-relieving purpose, but concedes the experts will debate this.
"What we are doing is trying to understand the internal structure of the pyramids and how this pyramid has been built," he told reporters.
"Famous Egyptologists, archaeologists and architects - they have some hypotheses. And what we are doing is giving them data. It is they who have to tell us whether this is expected or not."
Much of the uncertainty comes down to the rather imprecise data gained from muography.
This non-invasive technique has been developed over the past 50 years to probe the interiors of phenomena as diverse as volcanoes and glaciers. It has even been used to investigate the failed nuclear reactors at Fukushima.
Muography makes use of the shower of high-energy particles that rain down on the Earth's surface from space.
When super-fast cosmic rays collide with air molecules, they produce a range of "daughter" particles, including muons.
These also move close to the speed of light and only weakly interact with matter. So when they reach the surface, they penetrate deeply into rock.
But some of the particles will be absorbed and deflected by the atoms in the rock's minerals, and if the muon detectors are placed under a region of interest then a picture of density anomalies can be obtained.
The muon detectors have to be placed under the region of interest
The ScanPyramids team used three different muography technologies and all three agreed on the position and scale of the void.
Sébastien Procureur, from CEA-IRFU, University of Paris-Saclay, emphasised that muography only sees large features, and that the team's scans were not just picking up a general porosity inside the pyramid.
"With muons you measure an integrated density," he explained. "So, if there are holes everywhere then the integrated density will be the same, more or less, in all directions, because everything will be averaged. But if you see some excess of muons, it means that you have a bigger void.
"You don't get that in a Swiss cheese."
The question now arises as to how the void should be investigated further.
Jean-Baptiste Mouret, from the French national institute for computer science and applied mathematics (Inria), said the team had an idea how to do it, but that the Egyptian authorities would first have to approve it.
"Our concept is to drill a very small hole to potentially explore monuments like this. We aim to have a robot that could fit in a 3cm hole. Basically, we're working on flying robots," he said.
The muography investigation at Khufu's Pyramid is reported in this week's edition of Nature magazine.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41845445
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Mum leaves daughter life advice in emotional farewell letter - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Tens of thousands of people share a dying mum's last words of wisdom to her daughter.
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US & Canada
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A teenager has shared a heartbreaking letter her mum wrote to her before she died, and the words are resonating with thousands of people across social media.
Peggy Summers wrote letters for her 18-year-old daughter Hannah and each of her siblings before she passed away of stage 4 kidney cancer in Indiana.
Hannah's letter, which contains advice on school and relationships, has been shared on Twitter more than 90,000 times as the words reverberate with strangers across the globe.
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The emotional letter begins: "Hannah, if you are reading this then the surgery did not go well. I'm sorry, I tried my best to beat this terrible disease but I guess God had other things for me to do."
The letter has advice for Hannah about school, boys, and her relationship with her dad: "Be patient with dad, this is going to be hard on him and he will need time."
"You will both need to lean on each other and talk a lot which is not one of our strong points but try and don't give up."
At the end of the letter Peggy tells her daughter: "Tell everyone you love them as often as you can.
"Enjoy life and live each day as if it is your last because none of us know if today will be the last. And most of all remember that I love you more than you will ever know."
Hannah told the BBC: "Reading the letter was so hard. We all read them on the night that Mom passed, so it was a very emotional experience.
"Even though it was so hard, it also brought me a lot of comfort. Her words helped me realise that no matter how hard this whole situation is going to be, she will always be with me."
Thousands of people have reacted to Peggy's heartbreaking words of wisdom for her daughter.
One Facebook one user posted: "I lost my dad around a year ago, he didn't leave behind any last words or letter but I'd like to imagine he would have written something like this."
On Twitter one user wrote: "My mom passed also and she wrote me a letter exactly a year before just 'in case.' I treasure it daily. So sorry for your loss, stay strong."
While another posted: " I lost my mom 2004. This is the truth! Hug them love them while they are here."
Hannah posted a picture with her mum on Snapchat while she was undergoing treatment
Hannah says she has been overwhelmed by the response it has received: "I didn't want to post it on social media at first, but the more I read the letter the more I felt the need to post it.
"There is so much good advice in the letter and it's very eye-opening for many people.
"I'm so happy Mom's words have been able to touch so many people.
"Life is precious and we should never take it or our loved ones for granted."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41865716
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Toyah Willcox: 'I'd rather have been a 70s punk than be young today' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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The singer and actress says young people today have a harder life than punks in the 1970s.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Toyah Willcox is known for her chart hits and acting roles
After playing a member of the anarchic and murderous girl gang in the 1978 punk film Jubilee, actress and singer Toyah Willcox is revisiting the story in its first stage version. Is she still punk, 40 years on?
"I can't live in a world of dullards," Toyah says. "So I think on that level, I'm definitely punk."
Toyah, who forged an acting career while also making her name as a pop star, is still rebelling against the expectations of society - in her own way.
"For me, it's non-conformist," she says. "I'm just not interested in the norm. The only example I can give you is I can't go to a hairdresser and talk about holidays. I just don't live in that world. It's not me."
Being punk means something different in 2017 compared with 1977. But the world's a different place now, and Toyah is almost 60.
As a 19-year-old, she played the orange-haired pyromaniac Mad in the original Jubilee. She's not returning to that role on stage - this time, she's playing Queen Elizabeth I, who travels forward 400 years to find her country falling apart.
Toyah in rehearsals for Jubilee at the Royal Exchange theatre
In the film, the semi-fictional Britain the queen visited was terrorised by punks who had overthrown the establishment and who revelled in murder and mayhem.
It has been brought up to date for the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester, with the mob now made up of gloriously outrageous modern youths who are at various points on the gender spectrum.
While the world may be a different place, as another generation simmers with anger and resentment at the hand they've been dealt by the establishment, some things have stayed the same.
In the 70s, Toyah was pushing against being "gender specific, which I certainly wasn't back then," she recalls.
"I had no interest in people telling me to be feminine, to be ladylike, to wear dresses - it just made me rebel completely.
"But in comparison to today, it was quite an innocent rebellion. Punk 40 years ago was rebelling against conservatism - well, wham, bam, here we are again."
Toyah on Top of the Pops in 1981
During rehearsals, Toyah says she's been given a steep lesson by her fellow cast members in what it's like to be young today. She's decided things are more difficult and complicated in many ways.
"If I was given the choice to be 20 now, I would say, no, I'm happy with where I am. And having experienced that incredible revolution, it felt like a really successful participating revolution," she says.
"People today are fighting for their space on social media all the time. I just find social media such a robotic experience, whereas punk was right in your face."
Society is more fractured, too, meaning it's harder for cultural movements like punk to take hold. Whatever else it was responsible for, punk gave artists like Toyah a living through music and acting.
"There were people who wanted to come and see us perform in their 10s of thousands," she says. "We didn't starve.
"Whereas I'm seeing for the first time in this generation the potential for well-educated people to starve, and my eyes are wide open about this and I'm finding it very frightening."
Director Derek Jarman gave up his fee so Toyah could be in the film
Toyah got the role in the original Jubilee after being introduced to director Derek Jarman by Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson, with whom she had acted at the National Theatre.
Going to Jarman's flat in Earls Court for the first time was an eye-opening experience. "A naked man called Yves, his French boyfriend, answered the door," she recalls.
"Yves was the most extraordinarily languid, relaxed human being, who would drape himself over furniture completely naked. Two more naked men were in the kitchen cooking.
"Derek ushered us into a lounge and we sat on the sofa and we had tea and cake."
Soon after offering her the role of Mad, Jarman faced funding problems and cut her character to save money. But he later reinstated her, instead deciding not to pay himself.
"So he gave up his fee," Toyah explains. "He said, 'I could just tell I'd removed the earth from under your feet.' That was it. We were in love."
The film caused controversy when it came out in 1978 - mainly among punks themselves.
Toyah also narrated the opening and closing lines of Teletubbies
It prompted Vivienne Westwood to write an open letter to Jarman on a T-shirt, describing it as "the most boring and therefore disgusting film I had ever seen".
When Jubilee came to be shown on Channel 4 eight years later, there was outrage that it was being beamed into millions of homes.
The outraged included Winston Churchill's grandson, also called Winston and also an MP, who wrote to The Times to complain about this "corrosively vicious trash".
Now, the stage version has its own controversy. Lines describing Moors Murderer Myra Hindley as "a true artist" and a "hero" - which were in the film - have been cut from the theatre script for fear of offending the audience in Manchester, where Hindley and Ian Brady preyed on children.
Rose Wardlaw plays Crabs in the new version of Jubilee
The original film set out to shock and offend, as did many punks themselves. But Toyah says they came to realise they had taken some things too far.
"This is what punk was about at this time - it was about shocking," she says. "And I think as punk grew, it intellectually grew as well, and it examined its roots.
"You can find pictures anywhere of punks in swastikas. We very quickly as a unified group policed that, because we knew the history was wrong."
With much of the film's sex and violence intact, the play is still hoping to shock - and to prove that punk lives on in 2017.
Jubilee runs at the Royal Exchange until 18 November and then at the Lyric, Hammersmith, from 15 February to 10 March 2018.
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Interest rates: What the rise means for you - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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More than 3.5 million householders face increased payments, but 45 million savers could benefit.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What exactly is the Bank of England interest rate?
The Bank of England has raised interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75% after much speculation.
Expectations of a strengthening economy, solid employment levels, more consumer spending and the potential for wages to rise have all played a part in the decision.
The Bank's main priority is to keep the rising cost of living - known as inflation - under control. It uses its key interest rate, known as the Bank rate or base rate, which is the reference point for how much banks and building societies pay savers and charge borrowers in interest.
Generally, a rise in the Bank rate is good for the UK's 45 million savers and bad for borrowers - but the reality is a bit more nuanced.
Across the UK, 9.1 million households have a mortgage.
Of these, more than 3.5 million are on a standard variable rate or a tracker rate.
These are the people who would be most affected, as their monthly payments would increase.
The relatively small rise will not be particularly painful for the vast majority of householders, although debt charities say that some squeezed families will find this extra burden a real challenge.
Those on such variable rates tend to be older, and with relatively small outstanding mortgage balances.
The average outstanding balance is £112,000. For somebody with 20 years left on this mortgage, the monthly bill rise by about £14 a month.
For those with a larger balance, then clearly the rise in the mortgage bill will be greater.
The vast majority of new mortgage loans - 96% - are on fixed interest rates, typically for two or five years.
Currently half of all outstanding loans are on fixed rates, equating to about 4.7 million households.
Some of these rates are expected to rise after the latest announcement.
Of course, none of these borrowers would see an immediate rise.
However, when such borrowers reach the end of their term, they may find they have to make higher monthly payments.
That said, they could - depending on when they took out their loan - end up on a cheaper deal. Lenders offering fixed rates tend to be especially competitive.
Some rates may rise on other types of borrowing such as personal loans and credit cards.
Should they rise, that would have relatively little impact on a credit card interest rate that is generally about 18%.
When base rates rise, so do savings rates, in theory.
But it depends on the extent to which banks and building societies want to increase their deposits.
So after November's rate increase, banks were slow to pass on any rise to savers, or they typically passed on a fraction of the full increase.
In fact, half of all savings accounts did not move at all after the last Bank rate rise in November. Commentators say savers could probably expect something similar this time.
According to the Bank of England, returns on longer-term cash Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) were little changed in December.
Yet they jumped significantly in January, with average returns on cash ISAs going up from 0.36% to 0.94%.
In February and March they held steady at 0.86%, before falling subsequently to 0.63% by the end of June.
For the average cash Isa saver with £11,200 locked away, the latest rise - if passed on - could mean £28 more a year in interest.
Any rate rise might also good for retirees buying an annuity - a financial product that provides an income for life.
Annuity rates follow the yields - or interest rates - on long-dated government bonds, otherwise known as gilts.
These yields could be expected to rise amid an environment of rising interest rates, giving retirees better value for money when they buy an annuity.
Back in November 2011, a 65-year-old buying a joint annuity for £100,000 would have got an annual income of £5,404. Last year, that had dropped by £1,318 to £4,086.
However, by now this has risen to about £4,670.
Depending on how the market views the likelihood of further base rate rises, annuity rates may continue to creep up.
According to Willliam Burrows, of Better Retirement, a 1% rise in gilt yields translates into an 8% rise in annuity rates - but this remains a long-term consideration.
"Annuity rates have been in the doldrums since the EU referendum in 2016, when gilt yields fell dramatically. Any increase in the bank rate should result in higher gilt yields, which will in turn lead to higher annuities," he said.
"However, don't hold your breath waiting for annuity rates to rise, because it is normally a slow process."
But we are still a long way from the heady days of the 1990s, when a £100,000 pension pot would have bought an annual income of about £15,000 a year.
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Jose Mourinho denies Spain tax fraud allegation - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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A judge is to decide on a possible trial but the Manchester United manager says he owes nothing.
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Europe
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Manchester United manager José Mourinho has denied owing money to the Spanish state in a tax fraud case relating to his time in charge of Real Madrid.
He had been accused of owing nearly €3.3m (£2.9m, $3.8m) in undeclared image rights revenue.
After a brief hearing Mr Mourinho said he had paid everything he had been asked for and the case was now closed.
However a court official said the Portuguese manager remained under official investigation.
A judge will decide whether the case goes to trial.
"I left Spain in 2013 with the information and the conviction that my tax situation was perfectly legal," Mr Mourinho said after Friday's hearing.
"A couple of years later I was informed that an investigation had been opened and I was told that in order to regularise my situation I had to pay X amount of money.
"I did not answer, I did not argue. I paid and signed with the state that I am in compliance and the case is closed."
The hearing came two days before a Manchester United game against Chelsea.
The Spanish authorities began the image rights case against Mr Mourinho in June.
Mr Mourinho's representatives, Gestifute Media, said earlier that he had paid more than €26m in tax at an average rate of more than 41% while living in Spain from June 2010 until May 2013.
In 2015, Gestifute said, he accepted a settlement agreement regarding previous years.
Several leading footballers have also recently faced tax investigations in Spain.
Argentines Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano and Ángel Di María have all been punished for tax evasion while a case against Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo continues. He denies wrongdoing.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41856291
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Safety first by May? Not so much - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Here's why Theresa May's decision to make Gavin Williamson defence secretary is not such a cautious move.
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UK Politics
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The new defence secretary is welcomed to the MoD
Gavin Williamson is a smart operator, a talented politician, who has proved himself loyal to Theresa May by running her leadership campaign and then getting through the nightmare of holding the Tories together with no majority, so far.
This very fragile government has not lost a vote on its own business.
Theresa May's programme has been much curtailed by the political reality. But she has not, so far, been humiliated in Parliament in the way that, the morning after the election, it seemed quite feasible that she would be.
The restive right have been held back from making significant attacks. And ardent Remainers have been handled carefully enough not to blow up (so far). That is a kind of achievement, and it is in large part down to the capabilities of Gavin Williamson. So why not reward him?
Secondly, the prime minister also wants to promote the next generation in the Tory party, to give the impression they aren't simply a busted flush. Promoting one of their number is a move in that direction. And Williamson is not from the Tory Home Counties either.
And beyond keeping a tarantula as a pet - pictured here by his successor...
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...and suggesting that he is a fan of the "sharpened carrot", rather than the stick, there is not much that Gavin Williamson has said or done in his previous political career that is in the public domain that means any embarrassments or problems will be hung around his neck in his new job. (So far at least).
For all those reasons therefore, it is good logic to allocate the former chief whip, Yorkshireman and Staffordshire MP this hefty promotion. Sources within the MoD say it's a good appointment because he is regarded as a very good politician who has shown that "he can get things done".
Here's the other theory though - the decision isn't smart, it's hugely risky.
Problem one, Gavin Williamson has never worked in a government department, he's never been a minister before. Undoubtedly clever, but moving him into such a huge government job straight away is a gamble.
As the Tory MP Sarah Wollaston suggested in a gently cutting way, "there are times when offered a job that it would be better to advise that another would be more experienced and suited to the role".
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A former government insider who knows him well suggested the move shows Number 10's judgement is "whacko".
Second, when all the political parties are in the grip of allegations of sexual misdemeanours and trying to keep a lid on - shall we say - personnel issues, is it really a good time to be moving the man who is charge of party discipline?
And third, while promotions are always going to make some people unhappy, some Tory MPs are furious, believing that Mr Williamson manoeuvred himself into the job, playing on the prime minister's vulnerability.
One minister told me it was "appalling": "She is so weak she has let Gavin Williamson appoint himself".
Another MP said: "She is too weak and overwhelmed to spot his scheming".
A senior Tory said: "MPs are deeply unhappy he has used the position of chief whip to benefit himself and has deserted his post at such a crucial time".
There is no shortage of critics of the appointment, a former minister told me it was "outrageous - we are in the grip of a bunch of boys, when we need serious big beasts leading us. Defence needs someone who is able to fill at least one of Fallon's shoes".
And while Mr Williamson would deny or laugh off any suggestion that he has leadership ambition, others in the Tory party see this move (perhaps inevitably) as part of his attempt to build a bigger power base for a run at the leadership after Theresa May.
Gavin Underwood doesn't have quite the same ring as Frank, but jokes and conspiracy theories are already doing the rounds about his secret plans for world domination, tracing the fictional footsteps of the main character in the American version of House of Cards. (Take with at least a sprinkle, if not a large pinch of salt.)
Despite all the talk of Gavin Williamson's loyalty, this is not a safety first announcement.
The prime minister could have moved other ministers from the Ministry of Defence upwards. But for all the calculations today about whether it is a smart move or something she will come to regret, it is time to see what the new defence secretary is made of.
He has learnt as chief whip that being effective is not the same as being popular. That may well come in handy.
And here's the irony, the man who was meant to make sure that Tory MPs behaved themselves has found himself a rather good new job - because one of them did not.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41845781
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Ferne McCann: Ex-Towie star gives birth to baby girl - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Reality TV star, 27, reveals she is "so in love and bursting with pride", in social media post.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Ferne McCann with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, the father of her newborn child
Reality TV star Ferne McCann has announced the birth of her daughter.
The 27-year-old broke the news on her Instagram page, revealing the girl arrived a week early.
The newborn's father, ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, 25, is currently standing trial over an acid attack at a London nightclub in April.
McCann wrote: "Welcome to the world my darling. Didn't expect to see you a week early. I'm so in love & bursting with pride. It's a girl."
McCann, who is yet to name her daughter, also posted her first baby photo, featuring her child's hand.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star, previously told OK! Magazine she was stuck between two names for a girl.
"I had a girl's name but I've just thought of another one I like so, if it's a girl, I'm going to see what the baby looks like and then decide between the two," she said.
Reacting to the news, one-time co-star Gemma Collins tweeted, "So emotional right now congratulations @fernemccann on your beautiful little girl."
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Tesco fraud trial hears of boss's shock over misstated profits - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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The Tesco fraud trial hears of the chief executive's reaction on learning profits had been overstated.
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Business
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Former Tesco executives Carl Rogberg (left), Christopher Bush (centre) and John Scouler (right), are on trial at Southwark Crown Court
Tesco's chief executive has told a court of his "surprise and shock" on learning the company's profits had been misstated by £246m.
David Lewis was told about the issue just weeks after he took up the post in September 2014.
Mr Lewis has been giving evidence at the trial into alleged fraud at the supermarket giant.
Former Tesco executives Carl Rogberg, Christopher Bush and John Scouler are on trial. All deny the charges.
They are accused of fraud by abuse of position and false accounting between February and September 2014.
Mr Lewis told jurors at Southwark Crown Court that he took up his post at the beginning of September 2014.
He said he had had numerous meetings with Bush and one with Scouler, but he was not told of the accounting issue until 19 September.
He recalled he was called into a meeting with Adrian Morris, Tesco's chief counsel, at about lunchtime that day, and presented with a paper detailing the problem.
Asked for his reaction to this, he told the court: "One of surprise and one of shock, really.
"I think the thing that was unique to this paper was the indication that the numbers that had been declared had a potential misstatement within them.
"What was new was the proposition here that £246m of income had been included in the first half of the year that on that basis of this paper was deemed to be questionable."
Mr Lewis said: "I had never experienced anything like this before, but it was quite clear that having read the paper, and the manner in which it was served, I felt that it had to be taken very seriously."
He said he called Tesco's chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, and told him what the document said, and that a team of internal and external auditors was assembled to work through the weekend.
Mr Lewis went on to explain the company had spent a great deal of time between Tesco's public announcement on 22 September stating profits had been overestimated, and when the company was due to issue its interim results on 23 October.
He said: "It was a very intensive amount of investigation of these numbers. It required a huge amount of review of paperwork, documentation between pretty much all of the suppliers to Tesco and the different categories in order to validate the number.
"So that was quite an extensive exercise."
At an earlier hearing, the court heard that two members of its finance department resigned in 2014 over concerns they may be compromising their professional integrity.
The two were unhappy about what they were being asked to do by bosses.
Carl Rogberg, 50, Chris Bush, 51, and John Scouler, 49, are alleged to have failed to correct inaccurately recorded income figures.
The company's former UK finance head, UK managing director and UK food commercial boss deny charges of fraud by abuse of position and false accounting.
The court has heard the three men were accused of "cooking the books" by bringing forward income not yet earned to artificially inflate its figures.
Problems with Tesco's accounts came to light in a regulatory announcement in September 2014, when Tesco shocked the market in admitting it had overstated profits forecast by about £250m.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41848389
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Labour suspends Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Party activist says she was shocked Kelvin Hopkins got promoted after complaint made.
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UK Politics
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Labour has suspended an MP after it was alleged he sexually harassed a party activist three years ago.
Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins, 76, has not commented on the claims, which were published in the Telegraph shortly after his suspension was announced.
The woman involved, Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, said he had sent her inappropriate text messages and made inappropriate physical contact while hugging her.
Mr Hopkins has had the whip withdrawn while an investigation takes place.
A party spokesman said Labour "takes all such complaints extremely seriously and has robust procedures in place".
Ms Etemadzadeh told the Telegraph that she met Mr Hopkins in 2013 and invited him to speak at a Labour event at Essex University in 2014, when she was 24, after which, she told the newspaper he had hugged her too tightly and made inappropriate contact.
She visited Parliament at his invitation in February 2015 but said later that month he sent a suggestive text message. Having taken advice from another Labour MP, she said she took a complaint about him to Labour's whips office in December 2015.
It is understood that at the time, Mr Hopkins was spoken to about why his behaviour was inappropriate and was reprimanded by the then chief whip Dame Rosie Winterton.
But he went on to be promoted, albeit briefly, to Labour's front bench in June 2016 - shortly after leader Jeremy Corbyn faced mass resignations following the EU referendum.
Sources suggested Labour whips advised the leader's office not to promote him because of what happened. The leader's office say that is not the case.
Ms Etmadzadeh said she was frustrated that he had been promoted but when she complained to the chief whip, she was told she could not take action while remaining anonymous.
She told the BBC: "I was shocked to learn that he got promoted afterwards.
"I'm disillusioned by the party not just not doing anything, but then promoting him afterward. They ignored it."
Mr Hopkins has been MP for Luton North since 1997
The BBC has been told that Ms Etmadzadeh had a meeting with the chief whip on Thursday.
There has not yet been any comment from Mr Hopkins - who is married and has been Luton North MP for 20 years - despite repeated attempts to contact him.
Labour MP Jess Phillips told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Hopkins should probably not have been promoted.
But she added: "I don't think that it was sort of political expediency; I think that people just didn't take it as seriously as it needed to be taken."
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn declined to answer questions from reporters about Mr Hopkins's promotion on Friday morning.
The suspension comes amid various claims of sexual harassment and improper behaviour in Parliament.
Sir Michael Fallon quit as defence secretary on Wednesday night, saying his conduct may have "fallen short" of the standards expected by the UK military.
In another incident, Labour confirmed it had launched an independent inquiry into claims that activist Bex Bailey, 25, was discouraged by a party official from reporting an alleged rape at a Labour event in 2011. Party leaders have vowed to tackle discipline and grievance procedures.
In a letter to Commons Speaker John Bercow, Theresa May said disciplinary procedures needed to be reformed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41853430
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Priti Patel held undisclosed meetings in Israel - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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International Development Secretary held meetings without telling the Foreign Office, the BBC has learned.
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UK Politics
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The International Development Secretary held undisclosed meetings in Israel without telling the Foreign Office while accompanied by an influential pro-Israeli Conservative campaigner, the BBC has learned.
Priti Patel met the leader of one of Israel's main political parties and made visits to several organisations where official departmental business was reportedly discussed.
According to one source, at least one of the meetings was held at the suggestion of the Israeli ambassador to London.
In contrast, British diplomats in Israel were not informed about Ms Patel's plans.
Ministers are by convention supposed to tell the Foreign Office when they are conducting official business overseas.
Downing Street said Ms Patel was on a private holiday she had paid for herself, during which she took the opportunity to meet people.
Ms Patel told the Guardian: "Boris [Johnson] knew about the visit. The point is that the Foreign Office did know about this, Boris knew about [the trip]. It is not on, it is not on at all.
"I went out there, I paid for it. And there is nothing else to this. It is quite extraordinary. It is for the Foreign Office to go away and explain themselves."
But Labour have called for an investigation to examine whether Ms Patel breached the ministerial code and rules on lobbying.
The meetings took place over two days in August while Ms Patel was on holiday in Israel.
No civil servants were present but Ms Patel was accompanied by Lord Polak, honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), an influential lobbying organisation that has access to wealthy party donors.
Some ministers and MPs accused Ms Patel of trying to win favour with wealthy pro-Israeli Conservative donors who could fund a potential future leadership campaign.
Others accused her of conducting her own "freelance foreign policy" on Israel. Ms Patel is a long-standing supporter of Israel and a former vice-chairman of CFI.
Ministers also said there was a potential risk that the meetings could have broken the ministerial code of conduct which states that "ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise".
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been in London this week
One minister said: "This is outrageous. She is a Cabinet minister. She just cannot do this. This is about donors and influence."
One former minister said: "What does it say to the rest of the Middle East if a senior Cabinet minister in charge of Britain's huge aid budget disappears for 48 hours from a family holiday in Israel and is under the wing of a pro-Israeli lobbyist?"
The revelations risk embarrassing the government while the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is in London to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, when Britain first gave its support for a national home for the Jewish people.
A senior Downing Street source denied Ms Patel had done anything wrong. And a source at the Department for International Development said it was a private holiday paid for by the Secretary of State herself.
Foreign Office sources in London - and diplomatic sources in the region - confirmed that Ms Patel had not given them any warning of her visit.
One minister said: "Yes, we did not know about the trip. We were unsighted on it." Another source said the British consulate in Jerusalem was "blindsided" and felt "slightly bruised".
A third Foreign Office source said: "We didn't know and would have expected to know, given the meetings she had."
Ms Patel took time out from her family holiday on 24 August to meet Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel's centrist Yesh Atid party, a former finance minister in Mr Netanyahu's coalition government.
Mr Lapid tweeted a picture of the meeting, saying it was "great to meet Priti Patel" whom he described as "a true friend of Israel." Mr Lapid's spokesman confirmed that he had met Ms Patel but refused to say what they discussed.
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Ms Patel was accompanied by the Tory peer, Lord Polak. He is now honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel but for more than 25 years, he was the director of the lobby group. And in that role he had a huge influence on Conservative thinking on the Middle East, including writing speeches for Tory party leaders.
Lord Polak told the BBC that he just happened to be on holiday at the same time as Ms Patel. "We met up for one or two things," he said. "It was the summer holidays. I just joined her for a couple of days, some drinks, some dinner, that kind of thing."
That included the meeting with Mr Lapid: "He is just an old friend of mine, a personal friend. He is more a journalist than a politician. We just had coffee with him. It wasn't anything formal. It is all very innocent."
Conservative Friends of Israel regularly pays for MPs and peers to visit Israel. But Lord Polak said that Ms Patel paid for the holiday herself and the trip had nothing to do with CFI.
The peer said he organised for Ms Patel to visit Israeli firms and charities creating technologies that could be interesting to a Secretary of State for Development.
Ms Patel visited Beit Issie Shapiro (BIS), a leading Israeli disability charity and campaign group, where she reportedly discussed the possibility of her department forming a long-term partnership with the organisation.
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Jean Judes, executive director of BIS, published a picture on Facebook of Ms Patel visiting her organisation.
Mrs Judes wrote: "As the director of the DFID - UK Department for International Development, Ms Patel expressed interest in a long-term relationship with Beit Issie Shapiro, harnessing Israeli innovation to advance assistive technology for the benefit of people with disabilities in underdeveloped countries.
"We look forward to a strong, fruitful partnership with the DFID to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities worldwide."
Mrs Judes told the BBC that the Israeli embassy in London had been involved in setting up the visit: "We reached out.
"We met with the Israeli ambassador in London and he said this is something we should bring to the attention of Priti Patel." The Israeli embassy in London declined to respond to questions.
Lord Polak said Ms Patel also visited Innovation: Africa, an Israeli not-for-profit organisation developing new solar and water technologies for remote African communities.
The fear among some Tory MPs is that Ms Patel also used the trip to discuss reducing her department's support for Palestinian groups.
The UK currently sends about £68m a year to support the Palestinian territories, most of it from DFID's budget. Some of the money is given directly to the Palestinian Authority, the rest through the local UN agency or individual groups.
Critics claim that instead of just supporting Palestinian refugees and institutions, the money has also been used to pay salaries to Palestinians jailed for terrorism-related offences.
Ms Patel has long been a critic of this funding. She tightened up the guidelines on Palestinian spending last year, focusing more on health and education, but one Foreign Office source said that she had recently tried to go further, presenting a paper to the prime minister and the foreign secretary for yet more restrictions on the funding.
"But they were not particularly impressed by her arguments," said one Foreign Office source. Another said: "She has been trying this for some time. She has been pushing to get her hands on the PA aid budget and we have been pushing back."
Others suggested Ms Patel was getting close to CFI in preparation for a future leadership contest. One Whitehall source said: "I have always understood it to be part of her leadership ambitions, if she has got people from CFI who are prepared to put money into her."
The BBC sent Ms Patel's office a list of questions concerning the visit to Israel which it declined to answer.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41853561
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Compassion over Chinese mother's 'mercy killing' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Social media users react with compassion as a woman of 83 is sentenced for killing her disabled son.
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China
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"Although I didn't want to do this, I am guilty" - Ms. Huang confesses in court
The case of an elderly woman found guilty of killing her disabled son has provoked an outpouring of compassion from Chinese social media users.
The 83-year-old, identified only as Ms Huang, was found guilty of the manslaughter of her disabled son, Li.
She fed her 46-year-old son about 60 sleeping pills on 9 May and strangled him with a silk scarf as she used cotton pads to cover his nose.
Huang was found guilty of manslaughter by the People's Intermediate Court of Guangzhou and received a three-year suspended prison sentence.
She said she took her son's life because she feared no one would care for him after she died.
Li was born prematurely with severe mental and physical disabilities that left him unable to walk or talk.
Prosecutors asked Huang why she could not have arranged for Li to have been cared for by his elder brother, but she said she was not prepared to burden him.
"It was my fault to give birth to him and make him suffer. I'd rather commit murder than leave him to someone else," Huang told the court.
"[F]or the past two years my own health was too poor to take care of him any more," the 83-year-old said.
"I'm getting older and weaker and might die before him," she said. "The idea of killing him occurred to me a week before and I had been struggling."
Head judge Wan Yunfeng said: "She deserves mercy even though she did break the law."
The case has gone viral on the Chinese popular social media microblogging platform Weibo.
One popular comment highlighted the difficulties that having a disability can have on a person and their families
Yuangungun DeXueqiu said: "In this country, a mental illness or disability can make an ordinary family's lives disastrous. For such people, there is really not enough aid."
The case has also reopened the debate around euthanasia in China. One Sina Weibo user said: "This happened because euthanasia has not been legalised."
Some users disagreed with this statement, saying that "This has nothing to do with euthanasia, but with current social welfare issues."
According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation, there are 2.7m people with disabilities in the world's most populous country.
However, there are only 6,740 registered disabled care support services, which can only provide some total care for about 204,000 people with any type of disability.
This means that the burden of care for disabled people in China often falls upon family members of people with disabilities. As one Weibo user put it: "The problem lies in social welfare and the [social] security system is far from perfect."
Some users expressed their sorrow for the defendant. Some saw the incident as "inexplicably sad", while one commenter said they felt "drowned in sorrow".
There was also empathy for her plight, with one user saying: "No-one can understand this mother's love. After all, she personally took care of him for 46 years."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41842986
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Oscar Pistorius: Prosecutors appeal for longer sentence - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Prosecutors tell South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal he should be jailed for 15 years, not six.
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Africa
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South African prosecutors are appealing for a longer sentence for Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius for murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
They told the Supreme Court of Appeal the six-year sentence was "shockingly light" and he should get 15 years.
Defence lawyers say the sentence handed down by a lower court is appropriate.
Pistorius claimed he shot dead Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013 after mistaking her for a burglar at his home in the capital Pretoria.
The lower court justified deviating from the prescribed 15-year sentence by saying mitigating circumstances such as rehabilitation and remorse outweighed aggravating factors such as his failure to fire a warning shot.
But prosecutor Andrea Johnson said the sentence did not match the gravity of the crime.
Pistorius, 30, is not in the court in Bloemfontein. He is being held at the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre prison in Pretoria.
He was initially given a five-year term for manslaughter in 2014, but was found guilty of murder on appeal in 2015.
Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in February 2013.
Previously, the six-time Paralympic gold medallist had made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, in 2012 in London, running on prosthetic "blades".
He had his legs amputated below the knee as a baby.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Pistorius becomes the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41858067
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Sheepdog puppy led a flock of sheep into his owners' home - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Overzealous sheepdog puppy Rocky led a herd of sheep into his owners' home.
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Devon
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The sheep left muck over the house before leaving through the front porch (from Fortitude Press)
Imagine coming home to find a flock of sheep in your kitchen? That is what happened to farmer Rosalyn Edwards.
Her overzealous sheepdog pup Rocky guided a flock of sheep from their pen right into her kitchen.
The seven-month-old border collie took advantage of an open gate to lead nine sheep directly through the back door of his owners' home.
Mrs Edwards said: "It was funny at the time, but then there was quite a lot of wee, poo and mud everywhere."
She posted a video filmed by her children to Facebook, showing the sheep in the kitchen of her smallholding in Devon.
The sheep caused havoc in the house before leaving through the front porch
She said: "I was in the kitchen and heard a noise. I turned around and the sheep were just standing there. There were about nine of them.
"I took the children into another room and then tried to guide the sheep out. They went right around from the kitchen and left again through the porch."
Mrs Edwards says the flock took a good look around the house before finally leaving at the front of the house.
Rocky guided a flock from the pen into the kitchen
Despite the mess she said it was funny, in part because of the eager little sheepdog's efforts.
She said: "Rocky did look quite pleased with himself, but he's going to need more training.
"He brought a whole new meaning to 'bringing the sheep home'."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-41865526
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Parachute husband Emile Cilliers 'hid financial problems' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Emile Cilliers told a court he hid financial problems from his wife out of fear she would leave him.
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Wiltshire
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An Army sergeant accused of sabotaging his wife's parachute in a bid to kill her hid his financial woes from her, a court has heard.
At Winchester Crown Court, South African Mr Cilliers said he secretively took out "loans to cover other loans" out of fear his wife would leave him.
"I was hiding from Victoria the financial situation I was in," he said.
"I was living above my means, taking out loans to cover other loans - all my money would go on repaying loans and I would get another loan to try and hide it.
"I would be embarrassed [if Victoria found out].
"I was afraid she would be disappointed in me, I was just scared."
When asked by Elizabeth Marsh QC, defending, what he thought would happen if his wife had found found out he replied: "Leave me."
Mr Cilliers took the stand at Winchester Crown Court for the first time on Friday
The jury heard that Mrs Cilliers later discovered her husband was struggling with money, and agreed to bail him out.
"I kept on blaming various things for money being missing or not appearing.
"I never told her the truth about the debt I was in or who I owed the money to and I think it came to the point where she had enough," he said.
The jury had previously been told about financial arrangements, including wills, a life insurance policy and a post-nuptial agreement between the couple.
While giving her evidence, Mrs Cilliers told the court these arrangements would not have benefitted her husband in the event of her death.
He answers questions in a calm voice, with a faint South African accent.
When asked by defence barrister Elizabeth Marsh QC where he lived when he first came to England, he says he tried Scotland but only lasted a few weeks.
He also told the court how he had planned on proposing on top of Table Mountain in South Africa after he and Victoria had climbed up.
But the proposal didn't happen then, he told the court, as " Victoria had a meltdown half way through".
Mrs Cilliers broke her vertebrae, ribs and pelvis in the fall at Netheravon Airfield in 2015.
Prosecutors allege Mr Cilliers, a sergeant with the Aldershot-based Royal Army Physical Training Corps, twisted the lines of his wife's main parachute and sabotaged a reserve chute the day before her jump.
Mr Cilliers also denies a second attempted murder charge and a third charge of tampering with a gas fitting at their home in Amesbury, Wiltshire.
He will continue to give evidence when the trial continues on Monday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41858622
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Tory MP Charlie Elphicke suspended after 'serious allegations' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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The Dover MP denies any wrongdoing after "serious allegations" are referred to police.
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UK Politics
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MP Charlie Elphicke has been suspended by the Conservatives after "serious allegations" that have been referred to the police, the party has said.
Mr Elphicke, a former party whip who has been the MP for Dover since 2010, has denied any wrongdoing.
In a post on Twitter, the married 46-year-old wrote: "The party tipped off the press before telling me of my suspension.
"I am not aware of what the alleged claims are and deny any wrongdoing."
Two days into his job as the party's new chief whip, Julian Smith issued a statement announcing Mr Elphicke's suspension.
According to the BBC's political correspondent, Chris Mason, in practice this means Mr Elphicke remains in the Commons, but for the time being at least, is not a Tory MP.
The party has not provided any further detail about the nature of the allegations, and did not reveal who had made a complaint about him.
The Dover and Deal Conservative Association has backed their MP in a statement, saying that Mr Elphicke is "professional and dedicated" and innocent until proven guilty.
However, it comes amid growing concern in Westminster over the conduct of politicians following a string of allegations of serious sexual abuse in Parliament.
Sir Michael Fallon resigned as defence secretary earlier this week following allegations about his conduct.
Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Kelvin Hopkins are being investigated by the party over allegations about their behaviour.
Mr Hopkins has "absolutely and categorically" denied inappropriate conduct, while Mr Lewis has said: "I don't, as a rule, grope people's bottoms".
Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would be wrong to "rush to judgement" before there is proof of wrongdoing, warning against a "witch hunt".
He said: "We're in danger of getting into a situation where nobody half bright, half sensible, half decent, will want to go into the House of Commons - and that will not be good for democracy.
"We should look at the facts...by all means throw book at them, but don't throw the book at them until the case is proven."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour MP Rupa Huq says Westminster needs to "get into line".
But Rupa Huq, Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, told BBC Breakfast that the House of Commons has "no real structure" for complaints.
She said it is "the most unusual workplace" where the rules around sexual harassment are "lax if not non-existent".
"In this sense it needs to get into line, other big companies have a sexual harassment policy, they have a staff handbook. All those things do not exist for MPs", she said.
On top of that, she added, "you've got a whole political culture which has thrived on favours and bullying" as well as partisan "one-upmanship" where people are "incredibly loyal to their parties".
The Conservatives have published a new code of conduct for MPs and other elected representatives, while Labour has introduced a new complaints procedure.
A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats said the party has a "robust and effective" complaints procedure which was strengthened in 2014 and is constantly under review.
The Conservative party is immediately adopting a new complaints procedure with a hotline for reporting potential breaches and a more detailed investigatory process.
For the first time, there will be an independent figure on the body looking into grievances, the party said.
Prime Minister Theresa May is due to meet opposition party leaders, including Labour's Jeremy Corbyn and the Liberal Democrat's Vince Cable, on Monday to discuss proposals to bring forward a new grievance system for Westminster staff and MPs.
Mrs May said Parliament must do its bit as well as the individual parties - as it was not fair to expect potentially vulnerable people to "navigate different grievance procedures according to political party".
Lord Bew, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, told the Today programme that the "burning issue" at stake is the reputation of parliament.
He said it was vital that cases were not dealt with internally by the parties, but by those outside parliament who could "give some reassurance to the public that this is not just another cover-up".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41866970
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Reality Check: Britain's youngest terror suspects - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Are two 14 year-olds the youngest to be charged with terrorism offences?
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UK
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Two 14-year-old boys from Northallerton have appeared in court charged with conspiracy to murder following a counter-terrorism investigation in North Yorkshire.
Are they the youngest in the Britain to have been arrested and charged in such circumstances? Surprising though it may sound, they are not.
In 2015, a teenager from Blackburn was charged with inciting terrorism by encouraging another teenager in Australia to carry out an attack there.
"Boy S" was 14 years and eight months old at the time of his arrest in March of that year and a month older when he was charged. By the time he had pleaded guilty and received the juvenile version of a life sentence, he had turned 15.
The two boys who appeared in court in Leeds, known as A and B, are a little older than Boy S. Assuming their case progresses, they will have turned 15 by the time they face trial.
Very few of those arrested on suspicion of committing a terrorism-related offence are under 18 years old. In the year to June 2016 across England, Wales and Scotland, only 12 of the 222 arrested under counter-terrorism powers were younger than 18.
Since 11 September 2001, more than 3,650 people have been arrested in counter-terrorism investigations in the Great Britain. Of those:
The rise of the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq prompted a slight shift in the age range of those coming under suspicion in the UK.
The group wanted to attract young people from across Europe to its cause - it wanted fit men to fight and young women willing to start families.
That led to more younger people trying to travel to Syria - and that was reflected to some extent in the corresponding arrests statistics.
Not all of those who were arrested were investigated for links to jihadism. One significant investigation from 2016 was focused on the activities of a 17-year-old who had become a follower of the banned neo-Nazi group National Action.
Why is the media not naming the two boys who have appeared in court on Thursday? The law prohibits identifying anyone under the age of 18 who is charged or convicted of a criminal offence unless a judge gives permission.
It's very rare for such an anonymity restriction to be lifted, because judges tend to take the view that the very youngest offenders should be given the chance to be rehabilitated as they mature.
There are exceptions, including the decision to name in 1993 the 10-year-olds who murdered James Bulger.
More recently, a judge refused to lift a reporting restriction prohibiting the media from naming two teenage girls who tortured a vulnerable woman to death in Hartlepool.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41846436
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Newspaper headlines: May's 'Spider Man' and MP scandals - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Anger at the new defence secretary and allegations of sexual harassment lead Friday's front pages.
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The Papers
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The controversial appointment of Gavin Williamson as the new defence secretary is the main story for most of Friday's newspapers.
"Tory anger at May reshuffle" is the headline for the i, whilst the Times has: "May under fire as key ally gets defence job".
The Independent website says much of the dismay is focused on the fact that Mr Williamson has no experience in connection with the military, let alone running a major government department, whilst the Daily Telegraph says Theresa May overlooked several ministers with far more experience.
According to the Financial Times, anger at Mr Williamson stems partly from the belief that as Chief Whip, he helped orchestrate the departure of his predecessor, Sir Michael Fallon, and then took advantage of it.
The man portrayed as Sir Michael's assassin - the i says - had looked at the vacancy, interviewed himself and declared himself up to the task.
The Daily Telegraph says some MPs suggest that the prime minister has brought one of her closest allies into the Cabinet so that he will be in a position to succeed her after Brexit.
The Spectator website says that even those who consider themselves his friends feel that moving a man with no departmental experience to one of the most senior jobs in government says much more about Mrs May's weakness as a leader than it does about Mr Williamson's suitability for the role.
The Sun quotes a "livid" minister as saying: "She is so weak she has let Gavin Williamson appoint himself defence secretary. This is appalling. She has to go."
The Daily Mail and the Sun lead with a claim that Sir Michael Fallon was forced to resign after the Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, complained that he used vile language towards her at a meeting six years ago.
According to the Sun, she had told him she had cold hands, to which he responded: "I know where you can put them to warm them up."
A source close to Sir Michael tells the paper he may have said something that Mrs Leadsom was offended by, but he categorically denies saying something as appalling as has been suggested.
The news that the Home Office has lost track of 56,000 foreign nationals - including convicted criminals and illegal immigrants - sparks incredulity.
The Home Office has come under fire in some of Friday's papers
It is the lead for the Daily Express, which describes the affair as another shambolic mess from the people who are supposed to be keeping this country safe.
The Sun says it is 11 years since the Labour Home Secretary, John Reid, declared the Home Office's immigration systems not fit for purpose - and it's clear nothing has changed.
The first rise in interest rates in more than a decade makes the lead for the Financial Times. But the paper suggests that fewer households will be immediately affected than was the case with previous rate increases.
It says fewer people now own their homes and those that do are more likely to own outright. Three-fifths of mortgages are now fixed rate rather than variable, it adds.
But the Daily Mail accuses the banks of "hammering" borrowers and doing nothing for "long-suffering" savers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41854068
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#WhoIsSue?: Oxfordshire field message sparks hunt for 'Sue' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A police helicopter tweeted a photo of the name in an Oxfordshire field.
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Oxford
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The puzzling message was spotted by a police helicopter near the M40
A mystery "Sue" has left Twitter perplexed after the name was discovered etched into an Oxfordshire field.
The puzzling message was spotted by the National Police Air Service's Benson helicopter just south of Tetsworth, near Thame.
It posted the picture on Twitter and added: "Let's see if we can use the power of social media to #FindSue!"
People suggested it could be an advert for a Suex underwater scooter, or an attempt to get on Google maps.
Twitter user Pete posted: "You sure it's not an advert for a local law firm?"
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Sue can even be seen from space...
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Could Sue Perkins have a superfan in Oxfordshire?
Was it inspired by Johnny Cash's song "A Boy Named Sue"?
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-41858266
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7 days quiz: Whose record has 1D equalled? - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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7 days quiz: It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world over the past seven days?
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Magazine
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It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world over the past seven days?
If you missed last week's quiz, try it here
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41845585
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Gut bacteria 'boost' cancer therapy - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Trials suggest the trillions of micro-organisms living in us alter immunotherapy's effectiveness.
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Health
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Bacteria living in the murky depths of the digestive system seem to influence whether tumours shrink during cancer therapy, say French and US researchers.
They tested the microbiome - the collection of microscopic species that live in us - in cancer patients.
Two studies, in the journal Science, linked specific species and the overall diversity of the microbiome to the effectiveness of immunotherapy drugs.
Experts said the results were fascinating and held a lot of promise.
Our bodies are home to trillions of micro-organisms and the relationship between "us" and "them" goes far beyond infectious diseases.
The microbiome is involved in digestion, protection from infection and regulating the immune system.
Both studies were on patients receiving immunotherapy, which boosts the body's own defences to fight tumours.
It does not work in every patient, but in some cases it can clear even terminal cancer.
One study, at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus in Paris, looked at 249 patients with lung or kidney cancer.
They showed those who had taken antibiotics, such as for dental infection, damaged their microbiome and were more likely to see tumours grow while on immunotherapy.
One species of bacteria in particular, Akkermansia muciniphila, was in 69% of patients that did respond compared with just a third of those who did not.
Boosting levels of A. muciniphila in mice seemed to also boost their response to immunotherapy.
Meanwhile, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 112 patients with advanced melanoma had their microbiome analysed.
Those that responded to therapy tended to have a richer, more diverse microbiome than those that did not.
And they had different bacteria too. High levels of Faecalibacterium and Clostridiales appeared to be beneficial, while Bacteroidales species were bad news in the study.
Tissues samples showed there were more cancer-killing immune cells in the tumour of people with the beneficial bacteria.
The team then performed a trans-poo-sion, a transplant of faecal matter, from people to mice with melanoma.
Mice given bacteria from patients with the "good" mix of bacteria had slower-growing tumours than mice given "bad" bacteria.
Dr Jennifer Wargo, from Texas, told the BBC: "If you disrupt a patient's microbiome you may impair their ability to respond to cancer treatment."
She is planning clinical trials aimed at altering the microbiome in tandem with cancer treatment.
She said: "Our hypothesis is if we change to a more favourable microbiome, you just may be able to make patients respond better.
"The microbiome is game-changing, not just cancer but for overall health, it's definitely going to be a major player."
Mark Fielder, president of the Society for Applied Microbiology and professor of medical biology at Kingston University, said the study showed the importance of understanding the micro-organisms that call our bodies home.
He told the BBC: "It's really interesting and holds a lot of promise, we need to do more work but there are exciting glimmers here in treating some difficult diseases.
"Some claim the microbiome is the answer to everything, I don't think that's the case.
"But once we understand more, it could be that microbiome manipulation is important in changing people's health."
Dr Emma Smith from Cancer Research UK, said: "It's fascinating.
"One of the big challenges for using immunotherapies to treat cancer is understanding which patients will respond, and this research is a step towards helping doctors to identify these people."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41848461
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Ever fancied joining a private members' club? - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Trendy private members' clubs are taking off globally, but are they too exclusive for their own good?
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Business
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The Hospital Club is one of a new breed of trendy private members' clubs
A new breed of fashionable private members clubs are growing in popularity around the world, promising to be more inclusive and diverse than their stuffy older counterparts.
Yet while the newer venues certainly have a far more youthful membership, and you certainly don't need to have gone to a posh school or university, they still have high joining fees and strict vetting processes.
So how less elitist are they? And what are the benefits of getting your name on the list?
"I like how organically relationships happen at Soho House," says tech entrepreneur Tyler McIntyre. "You can't wear business suits, you can't hand out business cards, and you can't take phone calls."
The 26-year-old joined Soho Beach House in Miami two years ago, after visiting with friends who were members.
"It's a laidback place to network but it's also given me the opportunity to try things I typically wouldn't do by myself, like wine tastings or a jam-making class.
"And sometimes I'll go to the sunset DJ parties by the pool, which are loud and pretty crazy."
Welcome to the new breed of private members' club, which claim to be less restrictive and more diverse than the stuffy gentlemen's clubs of the past.
These modern venues - with their co-working spaces, screening rooms and rooftop pools - are fast becoming the places where many of today's young creative class choose to work and play.
Membership isn't cheap though, with some charging more than $2,000 (£1,500) per annum, along with joining fees of $300.
"In the past, members' clubs were seen as being elitist and populated by people who went to the same public schools and universities," says Richard Cope, a senior trends consultant at Mintel.
"But these places are more for entrepreneurs and self-made people. The only thing you have to be able to do is pay the fee, and it can be fairly expensive."
While trendy members' clubs have been around for years, they became much more common after the launch of Soho House in London in 1995.
The trend has also gained a foothold in the US and other countries.
"We've see a huge jump in the number of the new types of club coming online, as compared to the traditional model," says Zack Bates of Private Club Marketing, a firm that promotes members' clubs.
"In Los Angeles, you can't get into Soho House. So others are being built, the Hospital Club, Griffin Club and Norwood, to keep up with the appetite for these spaces."
Soho House itself now boasts 18 venues around the world, including in New York, Istanbul, Berlin, and soon Mumbai.
Group revenue rose 3% in 2016 to £293.4m, while global membership jumped from 56,000 to 70,000.
However, you have to do more than just fill out an application to join its venues.
Membership costs between £400 to £1,580 per annum, depending on the club, although there are discounts for under-27s.
More stories from the BBC's Business Brain series looking at interesting business topics from around the world:
The Hospital Club has a TV and music studio on site
And there's a tough background check to ensure potential members are part of the creative class - Soho House frowns on those who work in financial services, for instance.
Once accepted, members enjoy a host of perks. Soho House Barcelona, for example, one of the chain's newest venues, boasts a retro-themed gym, pool and free classes like yoga.
Members pay full price for food and drink but get discounts on the club's hotel rooms.
Mr Cope says: "These clubs offer people a discreet place to network and wind down, typically in cities where personal space is at a premium."
However, they are also about "showing off to a degree".
"In an age of social media, people like to let others know where they hang out or which restaurants they eat at. So there's an element of satisfying those peacock tendencies."
The Hospital Club says it provides its members with networking opportunities
The newer clubs do serve more practical functions, though, such as offering young entrepreneurs a place to work.
Take London's Hospital Club, based in Covent Garden, which offers its own meeting and conference rooms, and even an in-house TV and music recording studio. Standard membership costs £865 plus a £250 joining fee.
While some might find such fees high, it's still cheaper than forking out for your own office space, says Mr Bates.
"It suits today's digital nomads, who work remotely via their laptops. Paying for an office can be prohibitively expensive, especially in a major city."
Members' clubs also offer vital networking opportunities that help further your career, says Zikki Munyao, 40.
The remote IT worker joined Common House, a private member's club in Charlottesville, USA, largely for this purpose.
"There are areas to socialise and meeting spaces where I can have privacy," he says of the club, where membership costs $150 (£113) a month, plus a $600 joining fee.
"I even met my estate agent over a game of pool."
The new breed of members' clubs does face challenges, though.
Some warn that as clubs proliferate, their exclusivity is becoming diluted, and they struggle to attract the celebrities that once lent them cachet.
The social commentator Peter York tells the BBC: "Traditionally private members' clubs have played on their exclusivity and being able to attract the 'magic people'.
"But as more and more of them pop up, you get blase. The magical people also can't be corralled in one place anymore."
He adds that as clubs like Soho House keep on expanding, they seem to be "more about business", which further dilutes their brand.
"The danger is that a new challenger, which looks younger and groovier, arrives and steals your limelight."
But Mr Cope believes the market for these new clubs is going to expand.
"Having somewhere where you can unwind and host friends in the centre of cities is useful. So there are a lot of practicalities around this.
"It is also about expressing your individuality, so I think the emotional need for this is only going to grow."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41497600
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Moors Murders: Ian Brady's ashes disposed of at sea - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Moors Murderer was cremated without ceremony and the ashes disposed of in the middle of the night.
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Manchester
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The ashes of Moors Murderer Ian Brady have been disposed of at sea in the middle of the night after a cremation last week, it has been revealed.
The child killer, who died in May aged 79, was cremated without ceremony.
It comes after a court ruling to ensure the disposal of his body did not cause "offence and distress" to his victims' families.
Brady, along with Myra Hindley, tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s. She died in prison in 2002.
Brady's body was collected from Royal Liverpool Hospital's mortuary by a council official at about 21:00 BST on 25 October, documents show.
Under police escort, the corpse was taken to Southport Crematorium where the cremation began at 22:00 BST, with no music or flowers allowed.
Brady's ashes were then placed in a weighted biodegradable urn, driven to Liverpool Marina and dispatched at sea at 02:30 BST.
Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey, Edward Evans, John Kilbride and Pauline Reade were killed in the Moors Murders
It was reported that Brady wished to have his remains burnt and ashes scattered in Glasgow, where he grew up. But the city's council said it would refuse any request for Brady to be cremated in the area.
There were also concerns his remains would be scattered on Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester - where the pair buried at least three of their victims.
Brady's executor Robin Makin had said there was "no likelihood" of this happening, but the High Court ruled in October that the disposal of the body should be taken out of his hands.
The killer died at Ashworth High Security Hospital in Maghull, Merseyside, having been held there since 1985.
He and partner Hindley were convicted of luring children and teenagers to their deaths, with most of their victims buried on Saddleworth Moor, Oldham.
He was jailed in 1966 for murdering John Kilbride, aged 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17.
In 1985, he also admitted killing Pauline Reade, 16, and 12-year-old Keith Bennett, whose body is believed to be on the moor but has never been found.
Despite pleas from Keith's mother Winnie Johnson, who died in 2012, Brady did not reveal where her son was buried.
Saddleworth Moor has been the scene of several searches for the remains of Brady's victims
John Kilbride's brother Terry said the victims' families knew the plans for Brady's remains in advance.
"The urn was made of salt and it disintegrated after about 10 or 15 minutes of being in the water," he said.
"I was originally under the impression he was just going to be burnt and put in the grounds of a prison but being put in the sea is the next best thing.
"This was the only way to really put the families at ease and the public as well."
Brady's ashes were disposed of from a boat that set out from Liverpool Marina
Mr Kilbride described Brady as "clever and manipulative", saying he "tormented" families from his prison cell.
"[When] he always seemed to come up on TV or in the papers, it was always around an anniversary or Christmas.
"He actually died on John's birthday, May 15. You can imagine how that feels," he added.
An inquest into Brady's death heard he died of natural causes.
Margaret Carney, chief executive of Sefton Council, said: "The High Court ordered us to cremate the remains of Ian Brady because he died within the Sefton borough boundary."
She said it took place outside normal operating hours and no other services at the crematorium were affected.
"The coffin did not enter any public area and was cremated in a separate standby cremator which was professionally cleaned afterwards."
In a statement, Tameside and Oldham councils said: "We are pleased that this matter is now concluded and we are grateful for the support and professionalism shown... to ensure Ian Stewart-Brady's body and remains were disposed of expediently at sea in a manner compatible with the public interest and those of the victim's relatives."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-41855180
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World's most expensive dram of Scotch was a fake - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Analysts in Scotland conclude that a £7,600 measure of whisky bought in a Swiss hotel was a fake.
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Scotland business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The dram was bought for £7,600
A dram of vintage Scotch bought by a Chinese millionaire in a Swiss hotel bar for £7,600 was a fake, laboratory tests have concluded.
Analysts from Scotland were called in by the Waldhaus Am See hotel in St Moritz after experts questioned the authenticity of the 2cl shot.
It had been poured from an unopened bottle labelled as an 1878 Macallan single malt.
It is believed to be the largest sum ever paid for a poured dram of Scotch.
But analysis found that it was almost certainly not distilled before 1970.
The hotel said it had accepted the findings and reimbursed the customer in full.
Zhang Wei, 36, from Beijing - one of China's highest-earning online writers - had paid just under 10,000 Swiss francs (£7,600, $10,050) for the single shot while visiting the hotel's Devil's Place whisky bar in July.
But suspicions about the spirit's provenance surfaced soon after the purchase, when whisky industry experts spotted discrepancies in the bottle's cork and label from newspaper articles.
Mr Zhang was photographed with hotel manager Sandro Bernasconi after buying the dram
That prompted the Waldhaus to send a sample to Dunfermline-based specialists Rare Whisky 101 (RW101) for analysis.
Carbon dating tests were then carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford, which suggested a 95% probability that the spirit was created between 1970 and 1972.
Further lab tests by Fife-based alcohol analysts Tatlock and Thomson indicated that it was probably a blended Scotch, comprising 60% malt and 40% grain - ruling it out as a single malt.
RW101 said the tests had shown that the bottle was "almost worthless as a collector's item".
Had the bottle been genuine, it would have carried a bar-value of about 300,000 Swiss francs (£227,000).
The dram was poured from an unopened bottle that purported to be an 1878 Macallan
Mr Zhang, who writes martial arts fantasy novels under the pen name Tang Jia San Shao, earned the equivalent of about $16.8m in 2015, according to China Daily.
He bought the dram while on holiday with his grandmother at the Swiss hotel, which stocks 2,500 different whiskies.
Waldhaus manager Sandro Bernasconi told BBC Scotland that the hotel had no idea the bottle was a fake.
He said: "My father bought the bottle of Macallan 25 years ago, when he was manager of this hotel, and it had not been opened.
"When Mr Zhang asked if he could try some, we told him it wasn't for sale. When he said he really wanted to try it, I called my father who told me we could wait another 20 years for a customer like that so we should sell it.
"Mr Zhang and I then opened the bottle together and drank some of it."
Mr Zhang wrote about his experience with the "1878" Macallan a few days after his visit to the Waldhaus hotel
A few days after tasting the whisky, Mr Zhang posted a message on the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo about his experience.
He wrote in Mandarin: "When I came across a fine spirit from over 100 years ago, there wasn't much struggle inside.
"My grandma who accompanied me on this trip was only 82, yet the alcohol was 139 years old - same age as my grandma's grandma.
"To answer you all, it had a good taste. It's not just the taste, but also history."
The dram was bought from the Devil's Place whisky bar in St Moritz
Mr Bernasconi broke the bad news to Mr Zhang when he flew out to China to reimburse him recently.
He added: "When I showed him the results, he was not angry - he thanked me very much for the hotel's honesty and said his experience in Switzerland had been good.
"When it comes to selling our customers some of the world's rarest and oldest whiskies, we felt it was our duty to ensure that our stock is 100% authentic and the real deal.
"That's why we called in RW101.
"The result has been a big shock to the system, and we are delighted to have repaid our customer in full as a gesture of goodwill."
RW101 co-founder David Robertson said: "The Waldhaus team did exactly the right thing by trying to authenticate this whisky.
"We would implore that others in the market do what they can to identify any rogue bottles.
"The more intelligence we can provide, the greater the chance we have to defeat the fakers and fraudsters who seek to dupe the unsuspecting rare whisky consumer."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-41695774
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UK interest rates rise for first time in 10 years - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Savers set to gain from the rise in rates to 0.5%, but mortgage costs will increase for some borrowers.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Bank of England may lift rates twice more over three years
For the first time in more than 10 years, the Bank of England has raised interest rates.
The official bank rate has been lifted from 0.25% to 0.5%, the first increase since July 2007.
It is likely to rise twice more over the next three years, according to Bank of England governor Mark Carney.
The move reverses the cut in August of last year, which was made in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union.
Almost four million households face higher mortgage interest payments after the rise, but it should give savers a modest lift in their returns.
As well as many of the country's 45 million savers, anyone considering buying an annuity for their pension will also see better deals.
The main losers will be households with a variable rate mortgage.
Mr Carney expects banks to pass on the rate rise to savers, but said many mortgages, loans and credit cards would not see an immediate impact.
He said that British households have been "savvy" with their finances and have mostly taken out fixed-rate mortgages, which means it will take some time before the rise has an impact on them.
The Bank estimates that almost two million mortgage holders have not experienced an interest rate rise since taking out a mortgage.
Of the 8.1 million households with a mortgage, 3.7 million - or 46% - are on either a standard variable rate or a tracker rate - which generally move with the official bank rate.
The average outstanding balance is £89,000 which would see payments increase by about £12 a month, according to UK Finance.
The panel which sets interest rates, called the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), justified the rate increase by pointing to record-low unemployment, rising inflation and stronger global economic growth.
Seven out of the nine members voted in favour of higher rates.
Mr Carney told the BBC that the Bank expected the UK economy to grow at about 1.7% for the next few years, which he said would require "about two more interest rate increases over the next three years".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. We challenged some ten year olds to explain a system that baffles many adults…
The pound fell about 1% against the dollar and euro, as some investors had hoped to see hints of more rate rises. Sterling dropped more than a cent against the two currencies to $1.3130 and €1.1280 respectively.
The financial markets are indicating two more interest rate increases over the next three years, taking the official rate to 1%.
Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club consultancy, said: "The Bank of England seemingly sees the hike to 0.50% as more likely to be a case of 'one and a little more to come' rather than 'one and done'."
The MPC also said that the decision to leave the European Union is having a "noticeable impact" on the economic outlook.
Mr Carney said "Brexit-related constraints" on investment and workers appeared to be holding back the potential growth of the economy.
Looking ahead, he said: "The biggest determinate of our outlook is going to be those negotiations ongoing on Brexit - both a transition deal to a new arrangement and what is the longer form arrangement with the European Union."
The Bank of England is tasked with keeping consumer price inflation at around 2%.
However, inflation has been running higher than that since February, and in September it hit 3% - the highest rate since April 2012.
Mr Carney said inflation was unlikely to return to 2% without raising rates, because the economy was growing at levels "above its speed limit".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Where were you when interest rates last went up?
Business bodies said the rise was expected, but warned that companies could be hit if further increases came too soon.
The Federation of Small Businesses said some would struggle to "absorb more hikes in the short term", while the CBI said "what's important is the pace of any future rises".
Economists said the rise was unlikely to have a big effect on the economy, because rates are still at the lows seen since the financial crisis.
Lucy O'Carroll, chief economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: "The symbolism of this hike is more significant than its economic impact."
The Bank has been reluctant to raise interest rates until now, arguing that inflation had been boosted by the fall in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote in June of last year.
That weaker pound has driven up the costs of imported food, fuel and other goods. The Bank says this effect is probably at its peak at the moment.
The other issue holding back the Bank has been the weakness in wage growth. While inflation hit 3% in September, wage growth was only 2.1%.
However, the Bank sees wage growth "gradually" increasing over the 2018 and says there are signs of that happening already.
In its Quarterly Inflation Report, released with the announcement on rates, the Bank estimated inflation was likely to peak this month at 3.2%.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41846330
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The non-medics in A&E fighting the effects of knife crime - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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One charity puts youth workers alongside trauma doctors to take advantage of "the teachable moment".
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Tom Symonds met the charity Redthread, that works with gang violence victims
Can young people who've been injured in knife and gun crime be steered towards a safer future at the moment they're at their most vulnerable? The idea has been pioneered in four London hospitals by the charity Redthread, which places youth workers an the heart of accident and emergency alongside trauma medics.
It is early evening in "resus", part of accident and emergency at King's College Hospital in south London.
One of the city's four major trauma centres, if you are in a serious accident, or you are stabbed or shot, this is where you may end up.
It is an extraordinary place.
Green-overalled ambulance crews constantly arrive to be met by teams of medical staff in coloured scrubs. Sometimes there are wails of pain from patients. The public address system blares urgent announcements.
A nurse at King's College Hospital takes details of an incoming patient
The ring of the "red phone" cuts through it all - warning the medics of an incoming patient.
He arrives, dressings marked with blood, on a trolley surrounded by paramedics and is handed over to a 10-strong team of waiting trauma specialists.
Senior consultant Dr Emer Sutherland marshals her team. The patient is 16. He has been slashed four times with a large knife.
A trauma team attends a patient in the resus unit at King's College Hospital
In the course of the next few hours, the resus team will ensure he lives. They're good at what they do. Only three young stabbing victims have died in the hospital this year.
But there's another specialist alongside them.
Lucy Knell-Taylor is 29, dressed in a T-shirt and leggings. She's not a doctor, but a youth worker with the charity Redthread.
She is there not to save a life, but to change one.
We spent four days at King's, during which time we saw a steady flow of patients with stab wounds - almost all of them under 18. The peak time for admission was not late at night, but at school going-home time.
After a decade of falling levels of violent crime, they are now increasing again.
Reported knife crime rose 26% in the last year. In London, 21 teenagers have been murdered, 15 stabbed to death.
Redthread is trying to help young people escape what for many is a life riven by violence. To achieve that, youth worker Lucy has to wait for the right time.
When victims are able to talk, she moves in among the medical team and begins the task of building a relationship with someone she's never met, who may be traumatised and hostile, while they are having emergency treatment.
Some respond well. One gestured to his wounds and said to Lucy: "I want you to look at it and tell me what they are doing."
Others are more difficult. Many young men involved in criminal gangs who won't even tell her their "government" or real name. She's been called a "pagan", meaning "you're not one of us".
She is often told: "I slipped on glass." In resus, they know that's usually code for "I was stabbed."
She responds with reassurance, practical help and personal warmth. Forging a relationship is everything.
Redthread calls this "the teachable moment". When someone is critically injured, they are suddenly removed from the streets. They are dependent on doctors for their survival. They may be in pain.
The aim is to teach them that this is a moment they should grasp. A junction in their lives where a choice can be made. To go back, or to move on.
Lucy Knell-Taylor says she seeks to form a bond with patients
"Getting to them now when they are here in the hospital," Lucy Knell-Taylor says, "is my opportunity to say every single thing which has happened before this second, kind of doesn't matter.
"Right now you're in pain, you're away from your natural environment, your friends may or may not be here. This is an opportunity to think - does something need to be different?
"It's live, it's the moment it's most real to them. It's the perfect moment."
When it works, a bond is formed between Ms Knell-Taylor and the victim. It means she can later say "You can trust me. I've seen your pain face!"
But it can be traumatic work. Ms Knell-Taylor describes one incident when, called to resus, she was confronted with a large group of "road men" - gang members. One turned, and a kitchen knife was sticking out of his eye.
She has seen patients die.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Special correspondent Ed Thomas has witnessed the reality of knife crime
Dr Emer Sutherland helped set up the project 13 years ago. "I am a middle-aged mum," she says. "I don't have the same experiences young people have.
"I can keep them alive, I can resuscitate them, but then my expert colleagues - the youth workers - come in to offer them what they want for the future."
The teachable moment is designed to open the door to potentially years of work aimed at extracting victims from a violent life.
Ms Knell-Taylor has argued for "her people" in court, fought battles with probation officers, sorted housing, and even organised transport for one patient who couldn't go to a certain hospital because he might be stabbed passing through a rival group's territory.
Jane - not her real name - is one of Redthread's successes.
"Jane" (L) has had the support of Redthread's Becky Calnan for several years
Now in her 20s, when she was a teenager, she became involved in a drugs gang and was forced to carry guns and knives around London. "I saw a man get both of his legs broken," she tells me.
She was sexually abused and sent to be raped by rival gangs, as part of a bizarre arrangement used when her gang had done something which might otherwise result in its rivals retaliating violently.
"If your girl had to sleep with a guy from another gang, it was like they had one up on you. The girls were used as pawns," she says.
Unwell, Jane came to King's. Hospital staff opened the door to the teachable moment by tipping off Redthread that she would be at a clinic the next morning.
"It was probably one of the lowest points in my life," she says. "I wasn't feeling great, and in that moment Becky was there to help me."
Becky Calnan has recently stopped working directly with Jane, a mark of her progress
Becky is Becky Calnan, an experienced Redthread worker who has now been with Jane for years.
"I just felt an automatic connection that actually this was someone who - regardless of what I was involved in - was going to help me," Jane says.
"Since then, I've probably spoken to her every other day for years. She's helped me rebuild relationships with my family, get me back into a community."
"Ideally I'd like her to be in my life for… well, forever."
But in fact their work connection recently came to an end. Jane accepts that as "a mark of how far I've come".
The Redthread team is expanding its work into hospitals outside London
Lucy Knell-Taylor says success is measured by her services no longer being needed.
"I try and work on this Nanny McPhee principle of when you need me but don't want me I'll be there, but when you want me but no longer need me, I won't," she says.
A recent report on the charity's work at St Mary's hospital suggested it had led to a 60% reduction in the number of young people coming back to the emergency department as victims of violent crime.
However, it has proven tricky for Redthread to show wider evidence of its success, because of a lack of funding for studies of what happens to the young people it contacts.
Now the project's being expanded to three hospitals in Birmingham and Nottingham which will provide an opportunity to measure the effect of the "teachable moment" both before and after Redthread gets to work.
The intensive one-to-one relationships with young people that Redthread believes can divert them from violent lifestyles don't come cheap. Scaling up the project could get very expensive.
But every case arriving in resus results in a bill to the NHS for hugely expensive specialist care. Policymakers will also have to consider the real cost of not cutting youth violence.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41818289
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Jeremy Corbyn 'warned over promoting harassment claim MP' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Jeremy Corbyn's decision to promote an MP accused of harassment was questioned by Labour's chief whip, the BBC understands.
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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. Ava Etemadzadeh: "It made me feel extremely uncomfortable and it was a revolting act."
Labour's former chief whip queried Jeremy Corbyn's decision to promote an MP, following allegations of sexual harassment, the BBC has learned.
Dame Rosie Winterton rang the Labour leader's office to ask why Kelvin Hopkins had been appointed to the shadow cabinet in July 2016.
She reminded them that Mr Hopkins had been reprimanded for harassing a young activist, a Labour source said.
The Labour Party has not officially commented on the claim.
A party spokesman said an investigation is ongoing into the allegations about Mr Hopkins's conduct and it takes such complaints "extremely seriously".
Mr Hopkins, 76, was promoted to Jeremy Corbyn's frontbench team in July 2016 but asked to return to the backbenches four months later.
He has not commented on the allegations about his past conduct but has been suspended while the party investigates them.
Labour activist Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, earlier told the BBC she had been left feeling "very powerless and isolated" after Mr Hopkins was promoted - the year after she complained about his behaviour.
Ms Etemadzadeh claims the Luton North MP made inappropriate physical contact while hugging her, after she had invited him to speak at a university event in 2014, which "made me feel extremely uncomfortable".
"The second incident was in Parliament when I went to have a conversation and he told me that 'let's not talk about politics, do you have a boyfriend?'," she told BBC News.
"And he also said that if nobody was in his office he would've taken me there. I was absolutely shocked and I wasn't really expecting that."
After refusing to respond to his phone calls, she claimed he sent her a message "saying that I'm an attractive, lovely young woman and a man would be lucky to have me as a lover and if he was young ... but he's not".
Some months later she raised concerns about Mr Hopkins' conduct with another Labour MP and her complaint was passed to the party's then chief whip Dame Rosie Winterton, who responded to it.
But Ms Etemadzadeh said she was told she would have to waive her anonymity for action to be taken and the prospect of this "scared" her.
It is understood Mr Hopkins was verbally reprimanded about his alleged behaviour.
But he went on to be promoted, albeit briefly, to Labour's front bench in June 2016 - shortly after leader Jeremy Corbyn faced mass resignations following the EU referendum.
Mr Hopkins has been MP for Luton North since 1997
Ms Etemadzadeh told the BBC she believed that the Labour leader's office had been contacted about the complaint "and it was ignored".
"I'm very disillusioned because just a few months later I realised that Jeremy Corbyn promoted Kelvin Hopkins to the shadow cabinet, despite the fact that the leader's office was aware of this and they refused to act and that made me feel very powerless and isolated and alone."
Labour MP Jess Phillips told the BBC earlier: "I am a bit concerned about the fact that Kelvin was then promoted afterwards, that does seem wrong to me... I think that people just didn't take it as seriously as it needed to be taken."
Asked about the story, Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "The issue has come to light and and the matter is being thoroughly investigated by the party."
Last week Mr Corbyn said he would encourage any woman who had been abused or harassed by MPs to speak out, adding that the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) had adopted new "robust" procedures to deal with the issue in July.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41857136
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How a drag wrestler broke the mould for LGBT representation in wrestling - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Rick Cataldo has found success as part of The Fella Twins and opened doors for more LGBT people in the business.
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Newsbeat
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The wrestling industry isn't known for LGBT representation, but drag wrestler Rick Cataldo is hoping to change that.
Rick has been a professional wrestler since 2004 but his career took off in 2014 when he formed The Fella Twins.
As part of the duo, he says he was able to pay tribute to the female wrestlers who inspired him as a child.
"At an early age I was attracted because even in such a violent atmosphere there could be beauty and colour," he tells Newsbeat.
"Plus, the big boobs and the blonde hair? That wasn't so bad either."
Growing up idolising WWE Divas such as Sable, Terry Runnels and Dawn Marie, Rick started wrestling at 14 but struggled to find a place in the industry.
He never wanted to be like other male wrestlers and instead worked with female wrestlers.
"I was always the joke and the comedy relief," he says. "I was trying to find my place and what would get me bookings."
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He says male wrestlers had pretended to be gay, but found that being open about his sexuality outside the ring proved to be a major hurdle.
"They'd throw my bags out of the locker room because they found out I was gay and it wasn't just a character [I was playing]," he explains.
"To this day, independent companies won't book me because of a fear of what families might say."
In 2014 he started wrestling in drag, reinventing his act and finding the success he craved once he proved doubters wrong.
"I wanted to turn up at every show looking just as beautiful as the girl wrestlers on TV," he says.
"I've stuck with it for three years because it's working and finally people are like, 'OK, Rick is doing something here.'"
Rick says other LGBT wrestlers have told him they are now compared to him
Rick, who lives in Los Angeles in the US, found more success and bookings with The Fella Twins and inspired other LGBT people to enter the industry.
"Over the last three years there have been a lot of LGBT wrestlers," he explains.
"A lot of them reached out to me and said how much I'd inspired them. I reach back to a lot of them because there was no-one before me to do that."
However, after three years as part of The Fella Twins, Rick's next goal is to help promote LGBT wrestling helping others find a place in the mainstream.
"My main goal, overall, was to look back and have left a dent in the world of professional wrestling," he says.
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/41832881
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Why Call of Duty WW2 bosses won't 'shy away' from history - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Bosses of the new Call of Duty say being truthful to the violence of WW2 honours those who fought.
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Newsbeat
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Bosses of the new Call of Duty game say they "touch on some really dark subject matter" in the new release.
The makers say creating a title based on a conflict that claimed about 60 million lives has been a challenge.
It's been 10 years since the Call of Duty franchise based a game during World War Two.
"In no way do you want to glorify violence, but at the same time you can't ignore it," says Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey.
"We spent a lot of time working on the right balance."
After a lukewarm reaction to last year's entry in the series, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, fans have been excited by a return to a historical setting
"When you talk about Nazi Germany and the atrocities committed by Hitler's regime, how do you honour the cause?
"How do you respect the loss of life that happened?"
The answer, the team decided, was detailed research and a decision not to shy away from what was happening.
To do that historian Marty Morgan, who's worked on Band of Brothers, was asked to help advise the team.
"It would be insincere not to touch on what was really happening," Michael explains.
"From the politics at the time, segregation among the allies, the role of women, to the Holocaust.
"By turning away from them we would not have brought the right level of awareness or be able to honour what was really happening.
"We saw a chance to tell a story that hadn't been told in video games in almost a decade. It's the most profound and personal subject matter we've ever touched on."
It's particularly personal for Glen Schofield, another co-founder of Sledgehammer games, whose grandfather fought in WW2.
"He had a Purple Heart and Bronze Star," he tells Newsbeat.
"My father would tell his stories, and my dad died as we were making the game - so we named the main character after him.
"So for us getting the details right is important. We want people to walk away entertained and learn something at the same time."
That's something Michael agrees with.
"This is more important now than ever," he believes.
"Having this platform, which is entertainment but also has a chance to tell this story to millions and millions of people, is very rewarding."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/41848521
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'Why I had my Nazi tattoos removed' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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A former neo-Nazi has his swastika tattoos removed after forging an unlikely friendship with his black probation officer.
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US & Canada
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A former neo-Nazi had his swastika tattoos removed after forging an unlikely friendship with his black probation officer. Michael Kent tells the Victoria Derbyshire programme about the relationship that changed his life.
For 20 years, Michael was involved in a violent white supremacist movement in Arizona, committing hate crimes and recruiting young people.
During that time he acquired two swastika tattoos on his chest and a large tattoo of "white pride", a motto used by white supremacists, on his back.
"Every letter I had of the white pride, I had to go on a mission and I had to hurt somebody to gain each letter of that," he says.
Michael says his neo-Nazi views evolved from racial encounters while growing up in a mostly black neighbourhood, where they had to "fight to survive as a family".
When he was 12, an African-American man broke into his house and tried to rape his mother, and on another occasion, the mother of a black friend said she didn't want "that blue-eyed devil in this house".
"That just fuelled my hate as they didn't like me so you know what, I'm going all out, and I started hating them more than anything," he explains. "Just on how one person treated me, I thought everyone was like that. I became more and more hateful as time went on."
Swastikas and Confederate flags were previously hung in Michael's home
His outlook started to change when he met Tiffany Whittier, who took over his case a year after he completed a prison term for drugs and weapons charges.
She was the first probation officer who had visited him alone, previously they had always come in pairs due to his violent record. She had seen photos of the tattoos in his file, so knew what she was letting herself in for. Michael was impressed.
"That day it sparked something. She had the audacity, the balls, the strength to come to me. From that day on, little by little, she just started transforming my life," he says.
On the next occasion Tiffany went inside his home where she found swastikas, Confederate flags and pictures of Hitler on display. Despite this, she strongly felt she wasn't there to judge him.
"I wanted to get to know him on face value. I just began to speak to Michael, find out where he's from, where his hate stemmed from," she explains.
"I just worked with him, wanted him to be successful on probation and slowly but surely he started to do that on his own. I didn't realise the impact I was having on his own life."
Michael had to "earn" each letter of his tattoo by committing a violent act
She suggested he took down his Nazi paraphernalia, joking that he could replace it with positive influences like smiley faces - but he took it seriously.
Little by little, he got rid of his Nazi stuff and says he started feeling better, less aggressive. Meanwhile, his rapport with Tiffany grew as she supported him, meeting his colleagues and family.
"More and more she became involved in my life and the hate started drifting away and the love started building in my heart," he says. They used to call me "cranky pants" at work, but I began going to work happy and not aggressive," he says.
"As we got to know each other I showed her pictures of what I was like before and she said, 'Oh my God Michael, if I had known what you were like I would never have walked through your gate that day.'"
To complete his transformation, Michael approached an organisation called Redemption Ink, a not-for-profit organisation in the US which removes hate-related tattoos. They referred him to a company in Colorado, where he now lives, which is covering the old pictures with new designs.
"They are turning all this ugliness into something beautiful. I am almost in tears every time," he says.
Michael says having his tattoos removed has been an emotional process
Michael now lives in the mountains, working on a chicken farm where he is the only white person. He has had to move far away from his children because of fear of reprisals from gang members.
The pair now hope to use their story to encourage others to engage with each other more to combat racism. They hope to write a book and will soon be launching a Facebook group "so we can talk about race issues and unite all cultures together to become one".
"I hurt a lot of people, I hurt children by recruiting them when they were young. I went from being a trailer trash racist to a good person," Michael says.
"She's a very courageous woman and I am so glad and very thankful that she's in my life."
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41816588
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How I threw away a work of modern art - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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David Chazan regrets destroying a valuable work by the 'French Banksy' in favour of smooth, white walls.
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Europe
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A work by French street artist Invader on display at an exhibition in Los Angeles
To me, it looked like a child's crude attempt at a mosaic. About a dozen small square tiles of different colours. Glued to the wall in a geometric design vaguely resembling a face with two square eyes.
It stood out in the otherwise empty and dingy Paris flat. Once my home, I was moving back in, after nearly 20 years away. My tenants, three young single men, were showing me round before they left.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the cluster of tiles.
"That's by Invader," my tenant replied. "He's a street artist. He's like a French Banksy."
I quite liked Banksy, but the young man must have seen that I didn't appear overly impressed by his French counterpart.
"You must leave this," he said earnestly. "One day it will be worth a lot of money."
The tiled pieces such as this one in London are inspired by the 1978 video game Space Invaders
Being British, I nodded politely - but inwardly I chortled at the notion that a few tiles stuck on a bedroom wall could ever be considered a work of art.
Trying to prove I wasn't too old to get it, I said: "It reminds me of something." After struggling for a few seconds to recall exactly what, I exclaimed triumphantly: "Tetris!"
Now it was his turn to look dubious, so I explained: "You know, the video game from the 80s." "Not Tetris," he said, mock-patiently. "Space Invaders. The mother of modern video games."
He added: "The artist came to one of our parties and ended up staying a few months. It was his way of saying thank you. Now we're leaving it for you."
My neighbours had complained over the years - with varying degrees of indignation and perhaps envy - that the three young men had thrown raucous parties nearly every weekend. The flat was such a wreck that my tenant admitted that, when he was working during the week as an up-and-coming executive, he stayed at his girlfriend's.
Now he was getting married, while I was about to transform the bachelor party pad back into a respectable bourgeois home.
I duly promised the young men that I would look after the artwork and thanked them for leaving it. But then the builders came to replaster and repaint the room.
"I might leave that," I told them.
They looked at me sceptically. "Why do you want to keep it? It will look strange," the painter said.
I hesitated, but only for a moment. The wall was stripped, replastered and painted a tasteful shade of blanc cassé - off-white, far more aesthetically pleasing than a bunch of multicoloured tiles.
That was nine years ago, when I was moving back to France.
As the years passed, I noticed more of the Space Invaders mosaics on buildings around Paris. Never did I feel a twinge of regret for destroying the one in my flat.
Then, two years ago, it began to dawn on me what I'd done.
I reported on how one of the distinctive mosaics of the French street artist known as Invader was about to be displayed - on board the International Space Station. The European Space Agency said it would - in their words - highlight the bridges between art and space.
It was bigger, but otherwise similar to the one I'd unceremoniously stripped out of my flat.
Artwork by Invader has turned up on the International Space Station and European Space Agency ground installations
Invader was a global phenomenon, famous in New York, Hong Kong, London, and of course Paris.
Then came the real blow. To my horror, I learned that one of his works had sold for more than €200,000 (£178,000; $233,000).
The mosaics I'd once scoffed at are now so sought-after that thieves posing as municipal workers in high-visibility vests went around Paris this summer carefully removing them.
Theft and vandalism have always been problems for Invader, a graduate of the Paris School of Fine Arts who was born in 1969, the year man landed on the Moon.
But there's a fightback: fans known as "reactivators" photograph his works and reconstruct those that get damaged or disappear.
Had I taken a picture of the one in my flat, I could have called in the reactivators.
Now, I'll just have to live with the fact that I tossed out a valuable work of art because I preferred a smooth, blank, white wall.
Perhaps I could try to market a piece of that as a work of art. But hold on a minute - hasn't someone already come up with that concept?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41850348
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The US state that bans sparklers but not guns - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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American firework laws may seem strict - but have they got the right idea?
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US & Canada
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American firework laws may seem strict - but as the UK prepares for Bonfire Night, has the US got the right idea?
In Delaware, you don't need a licence to own a shotgun.
You don't need a permit to buy a shotgun or carry a shotgun.
If you're over 18, and you pass the background check, the state won't interfere with your shotgun.
Sparklers, however, are a different matter.
Unless you have a permit for a public display, it is illegal to sell or possess fireworks in Delaware.
That includes sparklers - which the law specifically mentions.
The maximum fine is $100. Last year, 17 people were arrested in Delaware for fireworks offences.
While the US constitution does uphold the right to bear arms, it doesn't uphold the right to bear roman candles.
The offices at Patriotic Fireworks in Maryland
In the US, firework laws vary from state to state, even town to town. Like Delaware, Massachusetts bans all consumer fireworks - including sparklers.
Illinois, Ohio, and Vermont ban everything but sparklers and novelty items. Other states ban anything that flies.
The laws mean firework stores are often found on state lines, so customers from one state can take advantage of laws in another.
Patriotic Fireworks is in Elkton, Maryland - six miles from the Delaware state line. It's a small, friendly store, found down a long, tree-lined track.
A pig-tailed dog called Princess Sofia says hello to customers. A sign on the door says: "Let freedom ring".
But they take the law seriously.
Firstly, they don't sell to people from Maryland. They could, but the state law is so complex, and so strict, it's not worth their time.
"I would have to dedicate a person to go round with each customer, to make sure they bought legal items," says owner April Frederici. "It's just easier not to."
They do sell to Delaware residents - "I can't be the world's policeman," says April - but every customer must sign a contract.
It states that fireworks will be used "in accordance with all state and local laws". It also says Patriotic will not be liable for any "accident or injury".
And when it comes to fireworks, accidents do happen. Just ask American football player Jason Pierre-Paul.
In 2015, Pierre-Paul celebrated Independence Day in his home town of Deerfield Beach, Florida. At the end of the night, he decided to set off one last firework.
He tried seven times to light the fuse. Then it exploded in his hand.
Pierre-Paul lost his index finger and the tip of his thumb. His middle finger was badly damaged.
He still plays football, returning with his hand wrapped in a club. In 2016, he became the face of a fireworks safety campaign.
"Jason Pierre-Paul is a great example of the dangers of fireworks," says Michael Chionchio, the assistant state fire marshal in Delaware.
Michael and the state fire marshal's office are based on the edge of the state capital, Dover.
In the car park, a sign keeps tally of the number of fire deaths in Delaware. Last year: nine. This year: seven (six without a smoke detector).
Michael is proud of his state's fireworks law. "I can sum it up in a few words," he says. "Fireworks are unsafe."
In 2004, Republicans in the state legislature tried to legalise sparklers, but failed. This year, they are trying again.
The fire marshal opposes the change. Not only are sparklers a "gateway" to other fireworks, says Michael, but they are unsafe.
"A sparkler can burn up to 1,800 degrees (980 celsius)," he says.
Michael leans across the wooden table and points to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2016 report on firework safety.
It says fireworks were involved in 11,100 injuries treated in US hospitals in 2016 (92% of victims were seen at the emergency department then released).
In the 30 days around 4 July, sparklers caused 900 injuries, with 400 of those in children aged 0-4.
"We can't consciously tell you that we accept fireworks and sparklers being legalised," says Michael.
"We just can't do that. We're fire marshals. We protect people from fires. We can't support something that will hurt somebody."
Although the constitution allows guns, the US has a safety-conscious streak. In the "land of the free", the following are banned:
Slowly, though, firework laws are being liberalised.
Since 2000, nine states have legalised sparklers - New Jersey was the most recent. Another seven states have relaxed laws on other fireworks.
Julie Heckman from the American Pyrotechnics Association says legalising fireworks makes them safer.
"Everyone celebrates their pride and patriotism on 4 July with backyard fireworks," she says.
"If fireworks are banned, people are just breaking the law. And where there was complete prohibition there was no safety message."
Like Michael Chionchio, she has statistics to make her case. The number of firework-related injuries is the same as in 1976 - 11,100.
But at the same time, the consumption of fireworks has increased massively. Pound for pound, says Julie, the injury rate has fallen "dramatically".
The association attributes the decline to better education and safer products. It also points out that other things are risky, too.
In 2016, it says baseball was linked to 10 times as many injuries as fireworks.
Peter Schwartzkopf is the Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives, and was a policeman in the state for 25 years.
"I don't want you to think we're a bunch of prudes," he says.
"We have fireworks on 4 July in my town, Rehoboth. It's permitted, it's a fantastic show.
"It's not like we don't do fireworks. But it's mostly commercialised, done by companies that are experts."
While he says fireworks are "very dangerous", he "doesn't see that much harm in a sparkler". But he points out that Delaware has a "very strong fire marshal and fire company lobby".
Is it not strange that a place that allows firearms should ban fireworks?
"It's two separate things, but I'd love to trade you on that one," he says.
"I believe in the right to carry a gun and the right to protect yourself. But I think somewhere along the line we've gone way too far.
"They make guns out there that have no legitimate reason, other than to kill people in war. I'm on the side of tightening it up."
So why hasn't it been tightened up?
"It's a difficult process," he says. "And we have an extremely strong gun lobby in DC."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41811499
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Great British Bake Off: Paul Hollywood 'horrified' by Prue Leith gaffe - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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The Bake Off judge says his fellow adjudicator "made a mistake" in revealing this year's winner too early.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Hollywood was quizzed about Leith's error by An Extra Slice host Jo Brand
Bake Off star Paul Hollywood has spoken of his horror after the winner of this year's series was accidentally revealed by fellow judge Prue Leith.
"What can you say? I was horrified," he said on Channel 4's spin-off show An Extra Slice. "She's made a mistake."
"Unfortunately Prue can't be with us as she's too busy deleting her Twitter account," joked presenter Jo Brand.
Leith revealed that Sophie Faldo had won on Tuesday morning, hours before the finale was aired.
The tweet was hastily deleted, but not before many people had noticed and circulated the gaffe.
She said she was in Bhutan and had been confused by the time difference between the UK and the South Asian country.
Sophie Faldo (centre) was named the winner of this year's Bake Off series
"She was in the Himalayas apparently," said Hollywood on Thursday's edition of Bake Off's sister programme.
Brand made a second reference to Leith's error by pretending the writer and restaurateur had been in touch.
"I've had a text from Prue and apparently the winner [of next year's show] is somebody called Malcolm," she said.
Leith's mistake did not stop 7.7 million watching the Bake Off final on Tuesday, earning Channel 4 its highest overnight ratings since 2012.
The series was the first to air on Channel 4 following the programme's high-profile switch from BBC One.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41857151
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Andrea Leadsom did not call for Fallon's sacking says No 10 - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Andrea Leadsom didn't urge the PM to sack then defence secretary over disputed comments, No 10 says.
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UK Politics
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Reports claim Sir Michael Fallon made "lewd" remarks to Andrea Leadsom when they served on a Commons committee together.
No 10 has insisted Andrea Leadsom did not call for Sir Michael Fallon to be sacked from the cabinet amid reports she complained about his conduct.
The Sun and Daily Mail said the Commons leader complained about the ex-defence secretary making "lewd" remarks to her.
Sir Michael, who quit office on Wednesday saying his general conduct fell short of expected standards, has "categorically denied" the allegations.
Mrs Leadsom has led ministers' response to the Westminster misconduct claims.
In a statement to Parliament on Monday, she said Commons procedures for handling complaints about MPs needed to be overhauled as women working in Parliament had a right to feel safe.
Sir Michael became the first minister to resign since allegations of inappropriate behaviour by MPs from different parties first surfaced ten days ago.
The latest newspaper claims involving the veteran Tory date back to between 2010 and 2012 when he and Mrs Leadsom were members of the Treasury Select Committee.
According to the Sun and the Daily Mail, Mrs Leadsom remarked to Sir Michael - who was not a minister at the time but was deputy chair of the Conservatives - that she had cold hands and he allegedly replied: "I know where you can put them to warm them up".
The newspapers claim Sir Michael was forced to quit as defence secretary after Mrs Leadsom complained to Prime Minister Theresa May about the alleged incident.
A source close to Sir Michael said he "categorically denies" the newspapers' claims. Mrs Leadsom has not commented on them.
But No 10 issued a statement, saying: "The Leader of the House did not, and has not, asked the prime minister to consider the position of Sir Michael Fallon when he was defence secretary."
The prime minister sat beside Andrea Leadsom as she gave her speech to Parliament
Sir Michael confirmed on Tuesday that he was once rebuked by a journalist, Julia Hartley-Brewer, for putting his hand on her knee during a dinner in 2002, and he apologised at the time.
A day later, he resigned as defence secretary, telling the BBC: "The culture has changed over the years, what might have been acceptable 15, 10 years ago is clearly not acceptable now.
"Parliament now has to look at itself and the prime minister has made very clear that conduct needs to be improved and we need to protect the staff of Westminster against any particular allegations of harassment."
He was replaced on Thursday by Chief Whip Gavin Williamson.
Ms Hartley-Brewer said that if he had gone because of her knee, it would be "the most absurd reason for anyone to have lost their job in the history of the universe".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Michael Fallon: "Not right for me to go on as defence secretary".
Labour is also facing new claims of sexual harassment and has suspended an MP whilst it carries out an investigation.
Kelvin Hopkins, who has represented Luton North for 20 years, has been accused of sexually harassing a party activist.
A spokesman said Labour "takes all such complaints extremely seriously and has robust procedures in place".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41854582
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German police find 'WW2 bomb' was big courgette - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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A pensioner was alarmed by a monster courgette in his garden in south-west Germany.
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Europe
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Police agreed with the elderly man that the vegetable looked like a bomb
A German man feared a monster courgette he found in his garden was an unexploded World War Two bomb and called the police.
The 5kg (11-pound) courgette had probably been thrown over a hedge into the 81 year old's garden, police said.
Luckily no evacuation was required in Bretten, a town near Karlsruhe in south-west Germany.
The 40cm (16-inch) vegetable - also called zucchini - "really did look like a bomb", police said.
Once police had reassured him following the early morning call-out, the pensioner disposed of the courgette himself.
Many unexploded bombs dropped by the British RAF or US Air Force have been unearthed in Germany, usually during construction work.
On 3 September 65,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Frankfurt, so that a 1.4-tonne British bomb could be defused. It was the biggest evacuation in post-war German history for an unexploded bomb alert.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41857694
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Sounds Like Friday Night: Dizzee Rascal performs live - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Grime star replaces Gallagher, after the ex-Oasis frontman cancels on doctor's orders.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Dizzee Rascal has stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Liam Gallagher on the BBC's new live music show Sounds Like Friday Night.
The former Oasis frontman, 44, pulled out of the live show after being told to rest his voice by doctors.
Gallagher - who released his first solo album last month - performed on BBC Radio 2 in concert on Thursday night.
He wrote on Twitter: "Sorry I can't perform... as I've been told to rest my voice by my doctor. As you were."
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Liam Gallagher This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
A BBC spokeswoman reiterated that the singer had been advised to rest because of vocal issues.
"We wish him a speedy recovery," she added.
Friday night's show saw former One Direction star Liam Payne join presenters Greg James and Dotty as a guest host.
Introduced as a grime superstar, Dizzee Rascal performed his new single Bop N Keep It Dippin' - taken from his latest album Raskit - in amongst the studio audience.
Discussing the record with James and Dotty, he described it as a "a straight up rap album".
"I want to give the people great bars", he added, before teasing future collaborations.
The show also saw Payne, London Grammar and R&B newcomer Mabel perform live.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41866056
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Kevin Spacey seeks treatment as more stars face harassment claims - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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The actor is "taking the time necessary" to look for treatment in the wake of recent allegations.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The actor won Oscars in 1996 and 2000
Kevin Spacey has said he is seeking treatment after facing allegations of sexual misconduct from a string of men.
A representative for the actor said he "is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment".
They did not give any information about what kind of treatment he wants.
He is one of several Hollywood figures who have been accused of sexual misconduct. Dustin Hoffman has issued an apology while director Brett Ratner has been accused by six women.
A lawyer for Ratner, the director of the Rush Hour films and X-Men: The Last Stand, has "categorically" denied all of the accusations.
The allegations have been sparked by multiple women speaking out against the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and a subsequent campaign encouraging victims to share their stories of sexual harassment under the #metoo hashtag.
So who has been accused of misconduct?
New allegations have emerged from a number of men accusing Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct.
US filmmaker Tony Montana claims he was groped by the actor in a Los Angeles bar in 2003. He says he was left with PTSD for six months after Spacey "forcefully" grabbed his crotch.
Mr Montana told Radar Online that he was in his 30s when the incident took place at the Coronet Bar in LA.
It follows an allegation made by Anthony Rapp that the House of Cards actor tried to "seduce" him when he was 14 years old.
Kevin Spacey says he has no recollection of that encounter, and was "beyond horrified".
Incidents regarding Spacey are also alleged to have taken place in the UK while the two-time Oscar winner was the artistic director at the Old Vic in London between 2004 and 2015.
Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos, who acted in several plays at the theatre, claims Spacey "routinely preyed" on young male actors.
One man told the BBC about his experience of being invited to spend the weekend with Spacey in New York when he was a teenager in the 1980s.
The Old Vic has set up a confidential complaints process for anyone connected to the theatre, and said on Thursday that it is "already seeing the great benefits of the new policy of openness and the safe sharing of information".
Six women have accused Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct.
The women, including The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn, made the allegations in the Los Angeles Times.
Natasha Henstridge, who appeared in Species and The Whole Ten Yards, claimed she had been forced into a sex act with Ratner as a teenager.
The actress, now 43, was a 19-year-old model at the time she alleges Ratner stopped her from leaving a room at his New York apartment and then made her perform a sex act on him.
"He strong-armed me in a real way," she told the LA Times. "He physically forced himself onto me."
Ratner's lawyer "categorically" denied all of the accusations on his behalf in response to the article.
Separately, Ratner has filed a libel case in Hawaii against a woman who accused him on Facebook of rape more than 10 years ago.
Ratner says he has stepped away from dealings with movie studio Warner Bros since the allegations came to light.
Dustin Hoffman has been accused of sexually harassing an intern on the set of one of his films in 1985.
Anna Graham Hunter, a writer, says that when she was 17, the Oscar-winning actor groped her and made inappropriate comments about sex to her.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: "He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me."
Hoffman apologised, and said he was sorry if he "put her in an uncomfortable situation".
In a statement to the magazine, Hoffman said: "I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am."
The BBC has contacted representatives of Dustin Hoffman for his response to these allegations.
Senior editor Michael Oreskes has resigned following accusations he kissed female colleagues without their consent during business meetings.
The 63-year-old was asked to step down by the National Public Radio (NPR) network in response to the allegations. He has previously worked for the Associated Press and the New York Times.
Two women spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity, and reported stories of abrupt and unexpected kisses during business meetings. They said they were worried about career development if their names were made public.
One of the women said that while she met Mr Oreskes in the hope of getting a job with the New York Times, he suggested that they eat room service lunch in a hotel, before he unexpectedly kissed her and "slipped his tongue into her mouth".
He has not commented publicly on the allegations, and journalists at NPR report that they have tried to contact him for comment, without success.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41843955
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Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins denies sexual harassment claim - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Labour's Kelvin Hopkins says he "absolutely and categorically" denies claims by a party activist.
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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. Westminster has been rocked by a series of sexual harassment claims
Suspended Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins has said he "absolutely and categorically" denies claims of sexual harassment.
Labour activist Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, earlier told the BBC that Mr Hopkins had hugged her inappropriately after a student event in 2014.
Denying the claims, Mr Hopkins said he had only "put an arm around her" and did not hold her tight.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Clive Lewis has denied groping a woman at the party's annual conference this year.
A party member told the Independent newspaper how Norwich South MP Mr Lewis allegedly groped her at the party conference last month.
Labour said it was investigating a formal complaint against Mr Lewis.
However, in a statement, the former shadow minister said: "I know how I roll. I don't squeeze women's buttocks."
He told BBC News he was "vigorously" disputing the allegation, adding: "I'm feeling pretty taken aback by it all."
"I'm a friendly person, I'm someone who enjoys the company of people and it saddens me that I will now have to think about standing back, about being more formal," he said.
A Labour statement said the party was investigating a formal complaint made against Clive Lewis
The claims against Mr Lewis come after Luton North MP Mr Hopkins was suspended by the party on Thursday while an investigation takes place.
Ms Etemadzadeh alleges that Mr Hopkins said during a conversation in Parliament: "Let's not talk about politics, do you have a boyfriend?"
"He also said that if nobody was in his office he would've taken me there," she added. "I was absolutely shocked and I wasn't really expecting that."
After refusing to respond to his phone calls, she claimed he sent her a message saying "that I'm an attractive, lovely young woman and a man would be lucky to have me as a lover and if he was young... but he's not".
Mr Hopkins did not initially respond to the allegations.
However, in a statement issued by his solicitors, the 76-year-old denied claims he had acted inappropriately at the student event in 2014.
He said: "I simply put an arm around her shoulder to give her a brief, slight hug just before getting into my car.
"I did not hold her tight. I did not rub any part of my body, let alone my crotch, against Ava.
"She waved me off as I drove away and did not say anything whatsoever to suggest that anything had occurred that upset her, let alone revolted her."
Mr Hopkins said he did not recall asking her about her personal life, but said he did send a text message saying she was "charming and sweet-natured".
He admitted sending a message that said "a nice young man would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend and lover... Were I to be young... but I am not...".
He said she replied to the message.
Ms Etemadzadeh said she raised her concerns about Mr Hopkins' conduct with another Labour MP, saying her complaint was passed to the party's former chief whip Dame Rosie Winterton, who responded to it.
But Ms Etemadzadeh said she was told she would have to waive her anonymity for action to be taken and the prospect of that "scared" her.
It is understood Mr Hopkins was verbally reprimanded about his alleged behaviour.
He went on to be promoted, albeit briefly, to Labour's front bench in June 2016 - shortly after leader Jeremy Corbyn faced mass resignations following the EU referendum.
It has emerged that Dame Rosie rang the Labour leader's office to ask why Mr Hopkins had been appointed to the shadow cabinet in July 2016.
A Labour source said she reminded them that Mr Hopkins had been reprimanded for harassing a young activist.
The Labour Party has not commented on the claim.
On Friday, it was announced that Labour will appoint an independent specialist organisation to offer advice and support to individuals affected by sexual harassment in the party.
A statement said the party will announce the organisation will take on the role "as soon as possible".
It also said that independent legal expert, Karon Monaghan QC, will investigate Labour activist Bex Bailey's allegations.
Ms Bailey has said she was raped at a party event and a senior Labour official discouraged her from reporting the attack.
She said she was told reporting the alleged 2011 incident could "damage" her and that she was given no advice on what she should do next.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41866351
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Mabel: 'I wrote a hit song on my way to the gym' - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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Neneh Cherry's daughter Mabel wrote Finders Keepers in 45 minutes. Now it's lodged in the Top 10.
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Entertainment & Arts
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A couple of months ago, R&B singer Mabel was trying to kill time while she waited to go to the gym.
"I'd booked some dumb exercise class at eight o'clock and it was six - so my brother was like, 'Just get on the piano and see what happens.'"
Forty-five minutes later, the 21-year-old had written Finders Keepers, a song that's now firmly lodged in the Top 10.
"It's amazing," she tells the BBC. "I just wanted to make something fun for me and my friends."
Mabel has been making waves since 2015, when she released the slinky, sensual Know Me Better, with its seductive refrain: "I could go all day wearing nothing but your kiss".
But she's been around music all her life. Her parents are hip-hop legend Neneh Cherry and Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey.
Born in the mountains of Malaga, she was raised between Spain, London and Stockholm, learning piano at the age of five and choreographing routines to Destiny's Child with her sister.
Mabel said she was initially intimidated by her mother's musical success
She's no stranger to the recording studio either, accompanying McVey when he produced the Sugababes' debut album, One Touch, in 2000.
At the tender age of four, she managed to sleep through the whole thing. "Do you know what? It's still a problem!" she laughs.
"The vibrations of the bass make me so cosy. The other day I had a blanket in the studio and my brother was like, 'You need to move. You're not writing, you're napping!'"
The habit has earned her the nickname Lil' Bassy - and it's not just confined to the studio. "It's concerts as well!" she says. "If I put earplugs in, the muffled sound of a gig gets me.
"Not at my own shows though," she clarifies. "[There's] no sleeping if I'm on stage."
Mabel is currently working on her debut album
Given her background, Mabel's success might seem like a fait accompli. But for a long time, she avoided making music.
"I felt quite embarrassed by being my mum and dad's daughter," she once said. "I thought, 'People will never take me seriously.'"
She eventually overcame that fear and enrolled to study production and music theory in Stockholm. After graduating she moved to London.
There she was cast for a photo shoot in i-D magazine. That caught the attention of Skepta, who put her in his video for Shutdown.
Mabel's hip-hop tinged debut, Know Me Better, went viral soon afterwards, propelling Mabel onto the BBC's Sound of 2016 list.
But she's purposefully taken her time, touring with Years & Years and crafting an impressive catalogue of singles.
"These things take time," she says, noting that new artists need longer to nurture an audience in the slow-burn streaming era.
"It's more like America, where sometimes it takes years to break a record."
This is especially true of Finders Keepers, which first came out in March and later featured on Mabel's Bedroom EP - a 21st take on the '90s R&B of Brandy and Aaliyah.
Lyrically, the EP discusses control within relationships - "how one minute you can be in the driving seat, then that flips and you're very much out of control."
It's also about balancing out the male-dominated narrative of R&B - which is where Finders Keepers comes in.
"There's so many R&B songs where guys are talking about a clingy girl, like: 'I don't want a girlfriend and this girl's so clingy and blah blah blah.'
"But I'm a woman and I've been in situations that have been the reverse of that, so I wanted to tell that story."
Mabel has toured with pop group Years & Years and Skepta's grime collective Boy Better Know
Finders Keepers stands out even more because it's Mabel's first uptempo track. "I really struggled with it before," she says.
"I'm really good at the '90s slow jams. I've got that down. But I love to dance, so why wouldn't I make something I could dance to?"
The song's success, she says, "surpassed everyone's expectations and every other song I've ever done" - and it spurred her to write more in the same vein.
"I have like Finders Keepers fever now!" the singer says.
"Sometimes I go in the studio and I'm like, 'That worked so well, and I wrote it in 45 minutes so if I try wearing the same outfit and playing on the same piano it'll happen again.'
"But you know what? That's why I love music - because I'm such a control freak and it's the only thing that I can't really control.
Mabel's Bedroom EP and her Ivy To Roses mixtape are out now.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
• None Cherry on returning to the limelight
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41844858
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Old scams, new tricks as fraudsters adapt - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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National Trading Standards says time-honoured fraud methods will not disappear any time soon.
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Business
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Fraudsters are using junk mail in new and more sophisticated ways
The organisation at the frontline of UK consumer protection says it is seeing a pattern of "old scams, new tricks".
National Trading Standards (NTS) said that while online crime was a growing problem, time-honoured fraud methods would not disappear any time soon.
It said many people were still hounded by cold callers, scam mail and doorstep criminals.
Criminals were also using smart TVs and voice-activated home devices to steal data, its Consumer Harm Report warned.
NTS, which was set up by the government in 2012, said 2016-17 had been a record-breaking year, with 104 criminal convictions.
However, it said criminals were using new tactics to avoid detection, such as mail arriving via third-party countries and the use of blank envelopes, so that people had to open them to find out what they contained.
In its annual report, it listed the potential emerging threats to consumers over the coming year, including:
"An evolving criminal landscape does not mean the more traditional scams will disappear," it said.
"Instead, National Trading Standards is seeing a trend of criminals diversifying and adapting their current schemes, evidenced in mass marketing mail scams.
"Additionally, more scams are originating abroad, with criminals concealing the payments they're receiving from their victims through payment processing companies," it said.
But it said its actions had prevented nearly £127m in losses to consumers and businesses during the year.
Lord Toby Harris, who chairs the NTS, said: "Our teams are operating in an ever-evolving criminal environment. Consumer protection bodies are facing changing and challenging times."
He also praised the efforts of the public, who were "pivotal" in reporting crimes and supporting the NTS's work.
"So together, we continue to work to disrupt, investigate, prosecute and keep people safe."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41851510
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