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The time when America stopped being great - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A year ago Donald Trump produced the biggest political upset in modern day USA, but were there historical clues that pointed to his unexpected victory?
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US & Canada
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A year ago Donald Trump produced the biggest political upset in modern-day America, but were there historical clues that pointed to his unexpected victory?
Flying into Los Angeles, a descent that takes you from the desert, over the mountains, to the outer suburbs dotted with swimming pools shaped like kidneys, always brings on a near narcotic surge of nostalgia.
This was the flight path I followed more than 30 years ago, as I fulfilled a boyhood dream to make my first trip to the United States. America had always fired my imagination, both as a place and as an idea. So as I entered the immigration hall, under the winsome smile of America's movie star president, it was hardly a case of love at first sight.
My infatuation had started long before, with Westerns, cop shows, superhero comic strips, and movies such as West Side Story and Grease. Gotham exerted more of a pull than London. My 16-year-old self could quote more presidents than prime ministers. Like so many new arrivals, like so many of my compatriots, I felt an instant sense of belonging, a fealty borne of familiarity.
Eighties America lived up to its billing, from the multi-lane freeways to the cavernous fridges, from the drive-in movie theatres to the drive-through burger joints. I loved the bigness, the boldness, the brashness. Coming from a country where too many people were reconciled to their fate from too early an age, the animating force of the American Dream was not just seductive but unshackling.
Upward mobility was not a given amongst my schoolmates. The absence of resentment was also striking: the belief success was something to emulate rather than envy. The sight of a Cadillac induced different feelings than the sight of a Rolls Royce.
It was 1984. Los Angeles was hosting the Olympics. The Soviet boycott meant US athletes dominated the medals table more so than usual. McDonald's had a scratch-card promotion, planned presumably before Eastern bloc countries decided to keep their distance, offering Big Macs, Cokes and fries if Americans won gold, silver or bronze in selected events. So for weeks I feasted on free fast food, a calorific accompaniment to chants of "USA! USA!"
This was the summertime of American resurgence. After the long national nightmare of Vietnam, Watergate and the Iranian hostage crisis, the country demonstrated its capacity for renewal. 1984, far from being the dystopian hell presaged by George Orwell, was a time of celebration and optimism. Uncle Sam - back then, nobody gave much thought to the country being given a male personification - seemed happy again in his own skin.
For millions, it really was "Morning Again in America", the slogan of Ronald Reagan's re-election campaign. In that year's presidential election, he buried his Democratic opponent Walter Mondale in a landslide, winning 49 out of 50 states and 58.8% of the popular vote.
The United States could hardly be described as politically harmonious. There was the usual divided government. Republicans retained control of the Senate, but the Democrats kept their stranglehold on the House of Representatives. Reagan's sunniness was sullied by the launch of his 1980 campaign with a call for "states' rights", which sounded to many like a dog-whistle for denial of civil rights.
Ronald Reagan on the campaign trail in 1979
His chosen venue was Philadelphia, but not the city of brotherly love, the cradle of the Declaration of Independence, but rather Philadelphia, Mississippi, a rural backwater close to where three civil rights workers had been murdered by white supremacists in 1964. Reagan, like Nixon, pursued the southern strategy, which exploited white fears about black advance.
Still, the anthem of the hour was Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA and politics was not nearly as polarised as it is today. Even though the Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill reviled Reagan's trickle-down economics - he called him a "cheerleader for selfishness" and "Herbert Hoover with a smile" - these two Irish-Americans found common ground as they sought to act in the national interest.
Both understood the Founding Fathers had hard-wired compromise into the governmental system, and that Washington, with its checks and balances, was unworkable without give and take. They worked together on tax reform and safeguarding Social Security.
The country was in the ascendant. Not so paranoid as it was in the 1950s, not so restive as it was in the 1960s, and nowhere near as demoralised as it had been in the 1970s.
History is never neat or linear. Decades do not automatically have personalities, but it is possible to divide the period since 1984 into two distinct phases. The final 16 years of the 20th Century was a time of American hegemony. The first 16 years of the 21st Century has proven to be a period of dysfunction, discontent, disillusionment and decline. The America of today in many ways reflects the dissonance between the two.
In those twilight years of the last millennium, America enjoyed something akin to the dominance achieved at the Los Angeles Olympics. Just two years after Reagan demanded that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall, that concrete and ideological barricade was gone. The United States won the Cold War. In the New World Order that emerged afterwards, it became the sole superpower in a unipolar world.
A Berliner celebrates in front of the Berlin wall on 15 November 1989
The speed at which US-led forces won the first Gulf War in 1991 helped slay the ghosts of Vietnam. With a reformist leader, Boris Yeltsin, installed in the Kremlin, there was an expectation Russia would embrace democratic reform. Even after Tiananmen Square, there was a hope that China might follow suit, as it moved towards a more market-based economy.
This was the thrust of Francis Fukuyama's thesis in his landmark 1989 essay, The End of History, which spoke of "the universalisation of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government".
For all the forecasts Japan would become the world's largest economy, America refused to cede its financial and commercial dominance. Instead of Sony ruling the corporate world, Silicon Valley became the new high-tech workshop of business.
Bill Clinton's boast of building a bridge to the 21st Century rang true, although it was emergent tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google that were the true architects and engineers. Thirty years after planting the Stars and Stripes on the Sea of Tranquillity, America not only dominated outer space but cyberspace too.
This phase of US dominance could never be described as untroubled. The Los Angeles riots in 1992, sparked by the beating of Rodney King and the acquittal of the police officers charged with his assault, highlighted deep racial divisions.
In Washington, Bill Clinton's impeachment exhibited the hyper-partisanship that was changing the tenor of Washington life. In the age of 24/7 cable news, politics was starting to double as soap opera.
Yet as we approached 31 December 1999, the assertion that the 20th Century had been The American Century was an axiom. I was in the capital as Bill Clinton presided over the midnight celebrations on the National Mall, and as the fireworks skipped from the Lincoln Memorial down the Reflecting Pool to illuminate the Washington monument, the mighty obelisk looked like a giant exclamation mark or a massive number one.
The national story changed dramatically and unexpectedly soon after. While doomsday predictions of a Y2K bug failed to materialise, it nonetheless felt as if the United States had been infected with a virus. 2000 saw the dot-com bubble explode. In November, the disputed presidential election between George W Bush and Al Gore badly damaged the reputation of US democracy.
Why, a Zimbabwean diplomat even suggested Africa send international observers to oversee the Florida recount. Beyond America's borders came harbingers of trouble. In Russia, 31 December 1999, as those fireworks were being primed, Vladimir Putin took over from Boris Yeltsin.
The year 2001 brought the horror of September 11th, an event more traumatic than Pearl Harbor. Post-9/11 America became less welcoming and more suspicious. The Bush administration's "war on terror" - open-ended conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq - drained the country of blood and treasure.
The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, and the Great Recession that followed, arguably had a more lasting impact on the American psyche than the destruction of the Twin Towers. Just as 9/11 had undermined confidence in the country's national security, the financial collapse shattered confidence in its economic security.
With parents no longer certain their children would come to enjoy more abundant lives than they did, the American Dream felt like a chimera. The American compact, the bargain that if you worked hard and played by the rules your family would succeed, was no longer assumed. Between 2000 and 2011, the overall net wealth of US households fell. By 2014, the richest 1% of Americans had accrued more wealth than the bottom 90%.
To many in the watching world, and most of the 69 million Americans who voted for him, the election of the country's first black president again demonstrated America's capacity for regeneration.
Although his presidency did much to rescue the economy, he couldn't repair a fractured country. The creation of a post-partisan nation, which Obama outlined in his breakthrough speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, proved just as illusory as the emergence of a post-racial society, which he always knew was beyond him.
During the Obama years, Washington descended into a level of dysfunction unprecedented in post-war America.
"My number one priority is making sure President Obama's a one-term president," declared then-Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, summing up the obstructionist mood of his Republican colleagues. It led to a crisis of governance, including the shutdown of 2013 and the repeated battles over raising the debt ceiling. The political map of America, rather than taking on a more purple hue, came to be rendered in deeper shades of red and blue.
Beyond Capitol Hill, there was a whitelash to the first black president, seen in the rise of the Birther movement and in elements of the Tea Party movement. On the right, movement conservatives challenged establishment Republicans. On the left, identity politics displaced a more class-oriented politics as union influence waned. Both parties seemed to vacate the middle ground, relying instead on maximising support from their respective bases - African-Americans, evangelicals, the LGBT community, gun-owners - to win elections.
Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama continued to talk about moving towards a more perfect union. But reality made a mockery of these lofty words. Sandy Hook. Orlando. The spate of police shootings. The gang-related mayhem in his adopted home of Chicago. The mess in Washington. The opioid crisis. The health indices even pointed to a sick nation, in which the death rate was rising. By 2016, life expectancy fell for the first time since 1993.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. US election: Relive the wild ride in 170 seconds
This was the backdrop against which the 2016 election was fought, one of the most dispiriting campaigns in US political history. A battle between the two most unpopular major party candidates since polling began, ended with a victor who had higher negative ratings than his opponent and in the end, three million fewer votes.
Just as I had been on the National Mall to ring in the new millennium in 2000, I was there again on 20 January 2017, for Donald Trump's inaugural celebrations. They included some Reagan-era flourishes. At the eve of the inauguration concert, Lee Greenwood reprised his Reaganite anthem God Bless the USA, albeit with a frailer voice.
There were chants of "USA, USA," a staple of the billionaire's campaign rallies - usually triggered by his riff on building a wall along the Mexican border. There was also an 80s vibe about the telegenic first family, who looked fresh from a set of a primetime soap, like Dynasty or Falcon Crest.
The spectacle brought to mind what Norman Mailer once said of Reagan, that the 40th president understood "the President of the United States was the leading soap opera figure in the great American drama, and one had better possess star value". Trump understood this, and it explained much of his success, even if his star power came from reality TV rather than Hollywood B-movies.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michael Cockerell: The parallels between Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump
Yet Trump is not Reagan. His politics of grievance, and the fist-shaking anger it fed off, struck a different tone than the Gipper's more positive pitch. It played on a shared sense of personal and national victimhood that would have been alien to Reagan.
In the space of just three decades, then, the United States had gone from "It's morning in America again" to something much darker: "American Carnage", the most memorable phrase from Trump's inaugural address.
It is tempting to see Trump's victory this time last year as an aberration. A historical mishap. The election all came down, after all, to just 77,744 votes in three key states: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. But when you consider the boom-to-bust cycle of the period between 1984 and 2016, the Trump phenomenon doesn't look so accidental.
In many ways Trump's unexpected victory marked the culmination of a large number of trends in US politics, society and culture, many of which are rooted in that end-of-century period of American dominion.
Consider how the fall of the Berlin Wall changed Washington, and how it ushered in an era of destructive and negative politics. In the post-war years, bipartisanship was routine, partly because of a shared determination to defeat communism. America's two-party system, adversarial though it was, benefited from the existence of a shared enemy. To pass laws, President Eisenhower regularly worked with Democratic chieftains such as House Speaker Sam Rayburn and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson.
Reforms such as the 1958 National Defense Education Act, which improved science teaching in response to the launch of Sputnik, were framed precisely with defeating communism in mind.
Much of the impetus to pass landmark civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s came from the propaganda gift Jim Crow laws handed to the Soviet Union, especially as Moscow sought to expand its sphere of influence among newly decolonised African nations.
Patriotic bipartisanship frayed and ripped after the end of the Cold War. It was in the 1990s the then-Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole started to use the filibuster more aggressively as a blocking device. Government shutdowns became politically weaponised.
In the 1994 congressional mid-terms, the Republican revolution brought a wave of fierce partisans to Washington, with an ideological aversion to government and thus little investment in making it work. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the first Republican to occupy the post in 40 years, personified the kind of abrasive partisan that came to the fore on Capitol Hill.
Grudging bipartisanship was still possible, as Clinton and Gingrich demonstrated over welfare and criminal justice reform in the mid-1990s. But this period witnessed the acidification of DC politics. The gerrymandering of the House of Representatives encouraged strict partisanship, because the threat to most lawmakers came from within their own parties. Moderates or pragmatists who strayed from the partisan path were punished with a primary challenge from more doctrinaire rivals.
By the 112th Congress in 2011-2012, there was no Democrat in the House more conservative than a Republican and no Republican more liberal than a Democrat. This was new. In the post-war years, there had been considerable ideological overlap between liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats. In this more polarised climate, bipartisanship became a dirty word. One leading conservative thinker and anti-tax campaigner, Grover Norquist, likened it to date rape.
Would Congress have impeached Bill Clinton, ostensibly for having an affair with an intern, had America still been waging the Cold War? I sense not - it would have been seen, in those more serious times, as a frivolous distraction. When Congress moved towards impeaching Richard Nixon it did so because Watergate and its cover-up truly rose to the level of high crimes and misdemeanours.
Clinton's impeachment signalled the emergence of another new political trend: the delegitimisation of sitting presidents. And both parties played the game. The Democrats cast George W Bush as illegitimate because Al Gore won the popular vote and the Supreme Court controversially ruled in the Republican's favour during the Florida recount.
The Birther movement, led by Donald Trump, tried to delegitimise Barack Obama with specious and racist claims that he was not born in Hawaii. Most recently, the Democrats have cast aspersions on Trump's victory, partly because he lost the popular vote and partly because they allege he achieved a Kremlin-assisted victory.
Over this period, the political discourse also became shriller. Rush Limbaugh, after getting his first radio show in 1984, rose to become the king of the right-wing shock jocks. Fox News was launched in 1996, the same year as MSNBC, which became its progressive counterpoint. The internet quickened the metabolism of the news industry and became the home for the kind of hateful commentary traditional news outlets rarely published.
Home foreclosures skyrocketed at the end of the last decade
Maybe the Jerry Springerisation of political news coverage can be traced to the moment the Drudge Report first published the name Monica Lewinsky, "scooping" Newsweek which hesitated before publishing such an explosive story. The success of the Drudge Report demonstrated how new outlets, which didn't share the same news values as the mainstream media, could establish brands literally overnight. This lesson was doubtless learnt by Andrew Breitbart, an editor at Drudge who founded the right-wing website Breitbart News.
The internet and social media, trumpeted initially as the ultimate tool for bringing people together, actually became a forum for cynicism, division and various outlandish conspiracy theories. America became more atomised.
As Robert D Putnam identified in his 1995 seminal essay, Bowling Alone, lower participation rates in organisations such as unions, parent teacher associations, the Boy Scouts and women's clubs had reduced person to person contacts and civil interaction.
Economically, this period saw the continuation of what's been called the "Great Divergence" which produced stark inequalities in wealth and income. Between 1979 and 2007, household income in the top 1% grew by 275% compared to just 18% growth in the bottom fifth of households.
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The Clinton-era was a period of financial deregulation, including the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, the landmark reform passed during the depression, as well as legislation exempting credit default swaps from regulation.
Disruptive technologies changed the workplace and upended the labour market. Automation, more so than globalisation, was the big jobs killer during this phase. Between 1990 and 2007, machines killed off up to 670,000 US manufacturing jobs alone.
The Rust Belt rebellion that propelled Trump to the White House has been described as a revolt against robots, not that his supporters viewed it that way. Encouraged by the billionaire, many blamed increased foreign competition and the influx of foreign workers.
The opioid crisis can be traced back to the early 1990s with the over-prescription of powerful painkillers. Between 1991 and 2011, painkiller prescriptions tripled.
America seemed intoxicated by its own post-Cold War success. Then came the hangover of the past 16 years.
Over the past few months, I've followed that same westward flight path to California on a number of occasions, and found myself asking what would an impressionable 16-year-old make of America now. Would she share my adolescent sense of wonder, or would she peer out over the Pacific at twilight and wonder if the sun was setting on America itself?
What would she make of the gun violence, brought into grotesque relief again by the Las Vegas massacre? Multiple shootings are not new, of course. Just days before I arrived in the States in 1984, a gunman had walked into a McDonalds in a suburb of San Diego and shot dead 21 people. It was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
What's different between now and then, however, is the regularity of these massacres, and how the repetitiveness of the killings has normalised them. What was striking about Las Vegas was the muted nationwide response to a gunman killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.
Once-shocking massacres no longer arouse intense emotions for those unconnected to the killings. A month on, and it is almost as if it didn't happen.
What would she make of race relations? Back in 1984, black athletes such as Carl Lewis, Edwin Moses and Michael Jordan were unifying figures as they helped reap that Olympic golden harvest. Now some of America's leading black athletes are vilified by their president for taking a knee to protest, a right enshrined in the First Amendment. These athletes now find themselves combatants in the country's endless culture wars.
What would she make of the confluence of gun violence and race, evident in the spate of police shootings of unarmed black men and in the online auction where the weapon that killed Trayvon Martin fetched more than $100,000?
Charlottesville, with its torch-wielding and hate-spewing neo-Nazis, was another low point. So, too, were the president's remarks afterwards, when he described the crowd as including some "very fine people" and implied a moral equivalence between white supremacists and anti-racist protesters.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Trump said versus what I saw - by the BBC's Joel Gunter
I was at the news conference in Trump Tower that day. An African-American cameraman next to me yelled out "What message does this send to our children?" The question went unanswered, but concerned parents ask it everyday about Donald Trump's behaviour.
What about the monuments debate? The last civil war veteran died in 1959, but the conflict rumbles on in various guises and upon various proxy battlefields, as America continues to grapple with the original sin of slavery.
But what if she landed in the American heartland, rather than flying over it? Coastal separateness can sometimes be exaggerated, but it would be a very different experience than Los Angeles. In the Rust Belt, stretches of riverway are crowded again with coal barges, and local business leaders believe in the Trump Bump because they see it in their order books and balance sheets.
In the Coal Belt, there's been delight at the rescinding of Obama's Clean Power Plan. In the Bible Belt, evangelicals behold Trump as a fellow victim of sneering liberal elites. In the Sun Belt, close to the Mexican border, there's wide support for his crackdown on illegal immigration.
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In many football stadiums, she would hear the chorus of boos from fans who agree with the president that the take-the-knee protests denigrate the flag. In bars, union branches and American Legion halls, you'll find many who applaud Donald Trump for "telling like it is", refusing to be bound by norms of presidential behaviour or political correctness.
There are pointers of national success elsewhere. The New York Stock Exchange is still reaching record highs. Business confidence is on the up. Unemployment is at a 16-year low. Of the 62 million people who voted for Trump, a large number continue to regard him more as a national saviour than a national embarrassment.
In many red states, "Make America Great Again" echoes just as strongly as it did 12 months ago. Trump has a historically low approval rating of just 35%, but it's 78% among Republicans.
In the international realm, it's plausible foreign adversaries fear the United States more under Trump than Obama, and foreign allies no longer take the country for granted. The so-called Islamic State has been driven from Raqqa. Twenty-five Nato allies have pledged to increase defence spending. Beijing, under pressure from Washington, appears to be exerting more economic leverage over Pyongyang.
However, America First increasingly means America alone, most notably on the Paris climate change accord and the Iranian nuclear deal. Trump has also Twitter-shamed longstanding allies, such as Germany and Australia, and infuriated its closest friend Britain, with rash tweets about crime rates and terror attacks.
His labelling of foes such as Kim Jong Un as Little Rocket Man seems juvenile and self-diminishing. It hardly reaches the Reagan standard of "tear down this wall". Indeed, with North Korea, there's the widespread fear that Trump's tweet tirades could spark a nuclear confrontation.
Few countries look anymore to Trump's America as a global exemplar, the "city upon a hill" Reagan spoke of in his farewell address to the nation. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel is routinely described as the leader of the free world, the moniker bestowed on the US president since the days of FDR.
The Economist, which trolls Trump almost weekly, has described Chinese President Xi Jinping as the most powerful man in the world. American exceptionalism is now commonly viewed as a negative construct. "Only in America" is a term of derision.
Ronald Reagan used to talk of the 11th commandment - No Republican should speak ill of another Republican. So it is worth noting that some of Trump's most caustic and thoughtful critics have come from within his own party. Senator Jeff Flake called him "a danger to democracy".
Bob Corker described the White House as an "adult day care centre". John McCain, a frequent critic, has railed against "spurious, half-baked nationalism". George W Bush sounded the alarm about bigotry being emboldened and of how politics "seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication", without specifically naming the current president.
Trump's determination to be an anti-president has arguably had a vandalising effect on the office of the presidency, and to civil society more broadly. Artists have boycotted the White House reception held ahead of the annual Kennedy Center Awards, a red letter night in the country's cultural calendar.
The Golden State Warriors were disinvited from appearing at the White House after their championship win because of the take-the-knee protest. It's new for these kinds of commemorations to become contested.
Trump has even politicised one of the commander-in-chief's most solemn acts, offering condolences to the families of the fallen. It led to an indecorous row with a war widow. Small wonder long time Washington watchers, on both the right and left, consider this the nastiest and most graceless presidency of the modern era.
The corollary is the historical stock of his predecessors is rising. When the five living former presidents appeared together in Texas earlier this month they were greeted like a group of superheroes donning their capes for one final mission. It speaks of these unreal times that George W Bush is spoken of fondly, even wistfully, by long-time liberal foes.
Trump's claim he could be just as presidential as Abraham Lincoln is one of the more comical boasts to come from the White House. Then there are the falsehoods, the "alternative facts" and attacks on the "fake media" - his label for news organisations such as the New York Times and Washington Post, whose reporting has rarely been better. Recently he has even threatened to revoke the licences of networks whose news divisions have published critical stories. To some it has shades of 1984, but Orwell's version.
As for Morning in America, it has a new connotation - checking Trump's Twitter for pre-dawn tweets. The president commonly starts the day by lashing out at opponents or mercilessly mocking them. The new normal, it is often called. But it seems more apt to call it the new abnormal.
There is an extent to which America is politics-proof and president-proof. However bad things got in Washington, my sense has long been that the US would be rescued by its other vital centres of power. New York, its financial and cultural capital. San Francisco, its tech hub. Boston, its academic first city. Hollywood, its entertainment centre.
Adrienne Mccallister, director of Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality business development at Google, speaks during a launch event
But Los Angeles is reeling from the Harvey Weinstein revelations, the Uber scandal has shone a harsh light on corporate ethics in the tech sector and the Wells Fargo affair has once again shown Wall Street in a dismal light.
US universities dominate global rankings, but its top colleges could hardly be described as engines of intergenerational mobility. A study by the New York Times of 38 colleges, including Yale, Princeton and Dartmouth, showed that students from the top 1% income bracket occupied more places than the students from the bottom 60%. Of this year's intake at Harvard, almost a third were the sons and daughters of alumni.
Automation will also continue to be a jobs killer. One study this year predicted that nearly 40% of US jobs will be lost to computers and machines over the next 15 years. Spending time in the Rust Belt valleys around Pittsburgh last year I was struck by how many taxi and Uber drivers used to work in the steel industry. Now America's one-time Steel City is a centre of excellence for robotics and where Uber is road testing its driverless cars.
There's still truth in the adage that America is always going to hell, but it never quite gets there. But how that is being tested. Presently, it feels more like a continent than a country, with shared land occupied by warring tribes. Not a failing state but not a united states.
As I've travelled this country, I struggle to identify where Americans will find common political ground. Not in the guns debate. Not in the abortion debate. Not in the healthcare debate. Not even in the singing of the national anthem at American football games. Even a cataclysmic event on the scale of 9/11 failed to unify the country.
If anything it sowed the seeds of further division, especially over immigration. Some Americans agree with Donald Trump that arrivals from mainly Muslim countries need to be blocked. Others see that as an American anathema.
When I made my first journey to the US all those years ago I witnessed a coming together. Those Olympic celebrations were in some ways an orgy of nationalism, but there was also a commonality of spirit and purpose. From Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue performed on 84 grand pianos to a polyglot team of athletes bedecked with medals.
From the pilot who flew around the LA Coliseum in a jet pack to the customers who left McDonald's with free Big Macs. There was reason for rejoicing. The present was golden. America felt like America again.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41826022
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Boy, 14, held over acid attack on London delivery driver - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The teenager is being held by detectives investigating two acid attacks on London delivery drivers.
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London
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One of the victims was attacked in Walthamstow by two men who were trying to steal his moped
A 14-year-old has been arrested over an acid attack which left a delivery driver "fighting for his life".
The 32-year-old could lose his sight after a substance was repeatedly thrown in his face in Walthamstow on Thursday evening, police said.
In a separate attack in Tottenham about 30 minutes later, another delivery driver, also 32, had a corrosive substance thrown at him.
Police "strongly suspect" the attacks are linked, the BBC's Danny Shaw said.
The home affairs correspondent added the victim in the first attack - during which two males tried to steal his moped - had injuries to his throat, face, oesophagus and eyes and was in an induced coma.
The first attack happened in Walpole Road, Walthamstow
The Met said the teenager has been arrested over the Walthamstow attack and is being held on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm.
Detectives said the victim was likely to lose sight in both eyes.
"This attack has left a man fighting for his life and with terrible eye injuries," Det Ch Insp Gordon Henderson said.
"This was an innocent man going about his work as a delivery driver, who may never see again."
Forensic teams are carrying out investigations in Walthamstow
In the second attack, two males approached the victim on Yarmouth Crescent, Tottenham, in a bid to steal his moped.
He was taken to hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The second happened in Yarmouth Crescent in Tottenham
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41859186
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Why plague caught Madagascar unaware - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The African country has been battling the worst outbreak in recent times.
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Health
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Madagascar is facing the worst outbreak of plague in 50 years.
There have been more than 1,800 cases and 127 deaths since the start of August, according to new figures.
The island off the south-east coast of Africa is used to seeing about 400 cases of mostly bubonic plague in the same rural areas every year.
But this year it has developed into the deadlier pneumonic version and spread to much more populated areas, including the capital.
The WHO describes the plague as "one of the oldest - and most feared - of all diseases".
Historically, plague has been responsible for widespread pandemics with extremely high numbers of deaths.
It was known as the Black Death during the 14th Century, killing more than 50 million people across Europe.
The good news is that a simple short course of antibiotics can cure the plague, providing it is given early.
The current outbreak in Madagascar is also slowing down, with the number of cases falling in the past couple of weeks.
But the World Health Organization is warning further spikes could be on the way.
It says "despite the relative ease of treatment, plague's association with the Black Death weighs heavily on the popular conscience - and is regularly cited in media reports and tabloid headlines about outbreaks".
So how did this outbreak become the worst in recent times?
"An outbreak of plague no longer unfolds in the manner portrayed by our history books," said Dr Sylvie Briand, director of WHO's Infectious Hazard Management Department.
"Plague is an old disease, but the challenges it poses today are contemporary and fundamentally different from what we had even 40 years ago."
The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres has been responding to the outbreak in one of the worst hit areas of Tamatave.
Dr Tim Jagatic told BBC News the outbreak had spread to populated areas when a man infected with bubonic plague had travelled from the highlands to the capital and then on to the coastal city of Tamatave by bus.
Treatment centres have been set up
"He had the bubonic form of the plague and entered into one of the major cities, where the bubonic version of the disease had the potential of turning into the pneumonic form without treatment.
"He was in a closed environment with many people when he started to develop severe symptoms, and he started to transmit the pneumonic form of the disease to others."
Dr Jagatic said this had happened in late August, which is outside the normal plague season of September to April, in an area that never usually saw pneumonic plague.
It meant people weren't expecting the plague - and certainly not the type that could spread from person to person.
"So it wasn't recognised until later," he said, allowing the disease to "proliferate over a period of time unabated".
This index case infected 31 other people, according to the WHO, four of whom died.
It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that an outbreak of the plague was detected and officially confirmed.
Since then, the country's Ministry of Health and other health agencies have swung into action, and cases have started to decline since mid-October.
The risk of this outbreak spreading globally is considered low, and the WHO has advised against any travel restrictions.
"Most people haven't experienced plague on this scale before… so it's putting a lot of anxiety and strain on the health system," said Olivier Le Polain, an epidemiologist from the UK's Rapid Support Team, which is helping the Madagascan government with its response.
"There's also fear in the population.
"There's an on-going risk going forward because the plague endemic season doesn't end until the end of April so, knowing it's in areas such as the capital, we need heightened vigilance."
The WHO describes the overall risk for the island as "very high".
There are also serious concerns about the potential spread of the disease beyond Madagascar.
Frequent travel by air and sea to and from neighbouring countries means the risk of the disease spreading to places including Mozambique, the Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania is considered "moderate".
The WHO says it is helping those countries to step up surveillance and prepare for a potential outbreak.
However, it says, the overall risk of the plague spreading globally is low.
WHO official Tarik Jasarevic told BBC News the organisation "advises against any restriction on travel or trade to Madagascar based on the current information available".
"The evidence tells us that the risks associated with shutting borders are higher than keeping them open."
Back at the MSF treatment centre in Tamatave, Dr Jagatic said the country was now much better prepared as the plague season continued.
"Outbreaks are always difficult to predict. Right now we're seeing a decrease in cases, but that doesn't mean this is over," he said.
"We're prepared for a spike, and want to make absolutely sure we won't be caught off guard again."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41844625
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Bowe Bergdahl spared prison time for US Army desertion - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The former prisoner of war will be dishonourably dismissed, in an outcome Trump calls a "disgrace".
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US & Canada
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Bergdahl was facing up to life in prison after he pleaded guilty last month to desertion
US Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl will be spared prison time after he was found guilty of deserting his Afghan outpost in 2009, a military judge has ruled.
Under the sentence in his court martial, the 31-year-old sergeant will be dishonourably discharged, reduced to private in rank and lose pay.
Prosecutors had argued Bergdahl should spend 14 years behind bars for endangering US troops in Afghanistan.
He spent five years in Taliban captivity after abandoning his post.
US President Donald Trump tweeted that the sentence was a "total disgrace".
He has repeatedly called Bergdahl "a traitor" and criticised the Obama-era prisoner exchange with the Taliban that led to the American soldier's release.
The judge, Army Col Jeffery R Nance, considered the president's attacks as a mitigating factor in sentencing Bergdahl, whose lawyers argued he could not receive a fair trial because of the comments.
On Friday, the judge said the Idaho native must forfeit pay equal to $1,000 (£765) per month for 10 months.
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Bergdahl had been facing up to life in prison after he pleaded guilty last month to desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy.
His lawyer Eugene Fidell told reporters: "He has lost nearly a decade of his life.
He said Bergdahl is glad his "terrible ordeal" is now over.
Major Justin Oshana, for the prosecution, told the sentencing hearing that other US troops were injured in the hunt for Bergdahl.
But Captain Nina Banks, for the defence, said that when he deserted, Bergdahl had not yet been diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder, which includes grandiose thinking.
The soldier said he had walked away from his outpost in Paktika province to report problems in his unit.
The military investigator who interrogated Bergdahl following his return from the US had told officials he did not believe he deserved further punishment.
He said Bergdahl had suffered the worst case of prisoner abuse against a US soldier in captivity since the Vietnam War.
On Monday, Bergdahl took the stand to apologise to the troops who were wounded in the search for him.
Shannon Allen's husband was shot in the head in the search for Bergdahl
"I made a horrible mistake," he said in the courtroom at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. "Saying I'm sorry is not enough."
Master Sergeant Mark Allen was shot in the head during a July 2009 mission to find Bergdahl.
His wife, Shannon Allen, who was a witness for the prosecution this week, described the impact of her husband's debilitating brain injury.
"Instead of being his wife, I'm his caregiver," she said in an emotional testimony.
"Which doesn't mean I love him any less, but it's a very different dynamic.
"We can't even hold hands anymore without me prying open his hand and putting mine in."
Bergdahl testified that his Taliban captors had locked him in a cage after he briefly escaped.
He said he received little food, water or sleep and was forced to watch beheading videos.
Bergdahl was freed in a politically contentious 2014 Taliban prisoner swap brokered by former President Barack Obama's administration.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41860828
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Harriet Harman urged to apologise for 'staggering judgement error' over joke - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Harriet Harman is urged to apologise for repeating on TV a Holocaust joke that she had found offensive.
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UK Politics
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Harriet Harman has been urged to apologise for repeating an offensive joke about the Holocaust on BBC TV.
The Labour MP read out the joke as an example of one she had complained about some years ago.
The Jewish Leadership Council said it was a "staggering error of judgement" to repeat it "irrespective of the point she was trying to make".
Ms Harman later tweeted that it was "no laughing matter" and such jokes "perpetuate discrimination & hatred".
The former Labour deputy leader appeared on BBC One's This Week programme and repeated the joke in a segment about humour which offends people.
Referring to a story she recounts in her memoir A Woman's Work, she said: "I've long been accused of being humourless, and a humourless feminist, and I'll give you two examples that I protested about, because they were offensive and hurtful."
She annoyed host Andrew Neil by saying: "People like Andrew say that things like this are perfectly all right."
She was cut short by Mr Neil after telling the first joke - which she said was "not funny" - and the presenter reprimanded her for suggesting he would think it was OK.
He later told the Labour MP to "be quiet".
The chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council Simon Johnson said: "I cannot recall being so disappointed in a politician. Harriet Harman must surely know better than to repeat a vile Holocaust joke, irrespective of the point she was trying to make. She must apologise and do so quickly. It is a staggering error of judgment."
Mr Neil later tweeted that he was "appalled and even a little bit upset by what she said".
He said: "What was wrong was 1) Even to tell that so called joke on live TV. 2) Claim I would like the joke. Appalling on both counts."
Ms Harman has not apologised but on Twitter she said that anti-Semitic jokes were "no laughing matter".
She tweeted a page from her book, in which she recounts two offensive jokes that appeared in a Guy's Hospital rag magazine years ago, which she went on to refer to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In her book, she wrote that she had been condemned "for overreacting and being humourless".
But, she added, "the Jewish community and local black and Asian organisations were deeply appreciative when the hospital apologised".
Ms Harman was offered support by Labour shadow minister Chi Onwurah, who said: "I remember those kind of jokes in 1980s Imperial College rag mag. Very isolating for minority/female students like me. Good on you, Harriet."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41863815
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Parachute trial: Husband 'would never ever' harm wife - BBC News
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2017-11-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Emile Cilliers told police he did not try to kill his wife, who plunged 4,000ft after her parachute failed to open.
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Wiltshire
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The prosecution claims Emile Cilliers wanted to kill his wife and start a new life with his lover
An Army instructor accused of trying to murder his wife told police he would "never, ever" try to harm her, a court has heard.
Former Army officer Victoria Cilliers suffered multiple injuries in 2015 when her parachute failed to open and she fell 4,000ft (1,200m).
Emile Cilliers is accused of tampering with the equipment to cause her death.
But in statements given to police in September last year, Mr Cilliers said he loved his wife and children.
During a police interview, a transcript of which was read out at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Cilliers was asked: "Did you try to kill your wife?"
He was then asked: "Did you try to kill your children?"
Victoria Cilliers suffered multiple injuries when her parachute failed to open
The jury has already heard that Mr Cilliers had been having an affair with another woman in the months before the parachute failed during a jump over Netheravon airfield in Wiltshire.
Mr Cilliers is also accused of trying to murder his wife a week before the fall by tampering with a gas fixture at their home in Amesbury.
In his interview, Mr Cilliers said traces of his blood found on the fixture may have been from when he tried to fix it.
He said he tried to release a nut on the pipe, but could not manage it.
He denies two counts of attempted murder and one of recklessly endangering life.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41851552
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Labour MP Clive Lewis denies groping claim - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The party is investigating a formal complaint against the former shadow defence secretary.
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UK Politics
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Clive Lewis said he was "taken aback" by the allegation
Labour MP Clive Lewis has "completely" denied an allegation that he groped a woman at the party's annual conference.
The Labour Party is investigating after a formal complaint was made against the Norwich South MP on Friday.
The former shadow defence secretary is alleged by the woman to have hugged her and squeezed her bottom at a conference event in Brighton in September.
Meanwhile, suspended Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins said he "categorically" denies claims of sexual harassment.
It comes as both Labour and the Conservatives set out measures to deal with sexual harassment following numerous allegations about the conduct of politicians in recent weeks.
This week Sir Michael Fallon resigned as defence secretary, saying his behaviour may have "fallen short" of the standards expected by the UK military.
On Friday the Conservatives suspended MP Charlie Elphicke after "serious allegations" were referred to the police, but the party has provided no further detail about the nature of the claims.
The Labour Party launched its investigation into Mr Lewis after a party member told the Independent newspaper that he had groped her.
Mr Lewis told the BBC he was "vigorously" disputing the allegation, which he said he had been "pretty taken aback" by.
"I don't as a rule at packed Labour party conferences grope people's bottoms when I greet them," he said.
"It's just not how I roll, it's not what I do.
"Is the person mistaken? Have I given them a hug and this has been misinterpreted? I don't know.
"All I know is that I would not deliberately do that, do what's alleged. I completely deny that."
Luton North MP Mr Hopkins has also denied sexual harassment after party activist Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, told the BBC that he had hugged her inappropriately after a student event in 2014.
Mr Hopkins said he had given her a "brief, slight hug just before getting into my car".
He was suspended by the party on Thursday while an investigation takes place.
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
And Labour's former foreign office minister, Ivan Lewis, has denied claims he made non-consensual sexual advances towards women.
Buzzfeed News reported that a woman alleged he had touched her leg and invited her to his house at a Labour Party event in 2010 when she was 19.
Mr Lewis said in a statement to the website that he had "never made non-consensual sexual comments or sexual advances to women".
He added: "However, I understand that a few women have claimed that my behaviour made them feel uncomfortable.
"I have on occasion asked women I work with out for drinks or dinner, or developed strong feelings for them, and I am genuinely sorry if this was unwelcome or inappropriate in the circumstances, and caused anyone to feel awkward."
Ivan Lewis said he had "never made non-consensual sexual comments or sexual advances to women"
Prime Minister Theresa May is due to meet opposition party leaders, including Jeremy Corbyn, on Monday to discuss proposals to bring forward a new grievance system for Westminster staff and MPs.
The Conservatives have published a new code of conduct for their MPs and other elected representatives in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.
During an interview with BBC News about his resignation, Sir Michael said that the culture had changed over the years. "What might have been acceptable 15, 10 years ago, is clearly not acceptable now," he said.
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Jasmin Beckett, a member of Labour's national executive committee and its equalities committee, said: "We've got to be clear that sexual harassment was never acceptable. It was never fine."
"I think that's now why we are in a much better position to deal with this because actually society, and as we've seen Hollywood, knows that this type of behaviour is not acceptable. I hope that this whole scandal will make Westminster think that - I don't think in the past that Westminster has seen this as unacceptable."
Meanwhile, it was announced that Labour would appoint an independent specialist organisation to offer advice and support to individuals affected by sexual harassment in the party.
However, Ms Beckett told the BBC: "One of the things I'm calling for... is for us to re-look at that sexual harassment policy and to create an independent body for all future complaints as well."
Labour also said the independent legal expert, Karon Monaghan QC, would investigate party 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-41867416
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Man in court after London Tube train hits passenger - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The victim was injured when a train struck him at Bayswater Underground station during rush hour.
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London
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A man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a London Underground passenger who was allegedly pushed into the path of a train.
The victim was seriously injured when a District Line train struck him at Bayswater station during the evening rush hour on Thursday.
Alan Alencar is alleged to have shoved him in the back as the Tube train pulled into the central London station.
Mr Alencar, 29, of Edinburgh, was remanded into custody.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, District Judge Tan Ikram ordered Mr Alencar, of Northcote Street, to appear at Blackfriars Crown Court on 1 December.
The judge said there had been no bail application.
The victim, aged in his 50s, managed to crawl out from underneath the carriage and was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41868377
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Girl, 7, found injured in Wimbledon house dies - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Robert Peters, 55, appeared before Wimbledon magistrates earlier charged with attempted murder.
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London
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Police were called to Blenheim Road in Wimbledon
A seven-year-old girl who was found with serious injuries in a house has died in hospital.
Robert Peters, 55, who is known to the child, appeared before Wimbledon magistrates earlier charged with attempted murder.
Emergency services were called to Blenheim Road in Wimbledon, south-west London, on Friday morning where they found the girl
She was taken to hospital where she died on Saturday morning, police said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41869537
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Persuading would-be migrants to stay at home - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Would-be migrants who failed to make it to Europe are being helped to come home and tell others of the dangers of making the attempt.
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Business
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Hassan Odjo says he is happy to be back in Senegal
It is 10 o'clock at night, and outside the arrivals hall of Dakar's main airport, two Senegalese men are taking a moment to get used to their freedom.
Hassan Odjo, 42 and Issa Ba, 23 have just stepped off a flight from Libya, where they had been trapped for months.
"I was praying every day to Allah to give me the chance to come home," says Hassan, a huge smile spread across his face.
"I saw people dying in front of my eyes. Every day I was praying to be back in my country. Today is the happiest day for me, it's like it's my birthday."
Both Hassan and Issa have returned home under a voluntary repatriation programme run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
They had travelled through Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and ended up in Libya - where they became trapped, unable to go further.
Hassan had attempted to cross the Mediterranean, but after his boat got into trouble he was picked up by local militia and held in detention.
It can be hard for some to come back and say they failed to get to Europe, says Seydine Ken
Hassan tells me of the suffering facing economic migrants in Libya, and describes being held in a room with 300 people, being given only bread twice a day, and bad water.
"When they catch you they lock you in prison, beat you or maltreat you, ask you to call your parents to send money."
In Libya detaining migrants has become a business in itself, he says.
"They are selling black people like coffee, like a cup of coffee. Yes I'm telling you the truth!"
Faced with this reality, it isn't surprising that more migrants are opting to return home.
The International Organisation for Migration has access to the Libyan detention centres, and works with national consulates to offer people the choice to get out.
So far this year, the IOM in Senegal alone has helped more than 2,000 people return home. Most of them have either been flown in from Libya, or bussed back from Niger. Others have been brought back from Morocco and Tunisia.
Too many migrants don't realise the dangers they'll face, says the IOM's Senegal boss Jo-Lind Roberts Sene
Sitting quietly next to Hassan is Issa Ba. He cuts a contrasting figure; he looks visibly shaken and for him the homecoming is bittersweet.
"I feel happy because I am going to see my parents again, but at the same time I'm very disappointed. It's a shame you know, it's a dishonour going back without getting to Europe."
Listening to all this is Seydine Ken, the IOM case-worker who is at the airport to meet the two. He's used to seeing these kind of reactions from returnees.
Seydine says: "The social pressure is really difficult because when they organise their trip, the family mobilises money, and sells their goods to pay for it.
"And it's very difficult for them to come back, and see what their family invested in the [failed] migration."
Seydine is part of the government welcome party; and at the airport he provides pocket money and information to take care of immediate needs, and also questions the two about their migration experience.
He's a regular at the airport and says he can be there twice a week to welcome returnees.
"They have not met their dream. They are very disappointed, physically they are very tired and psychologically they are very weak. These people need help - financial help, health and personal development."
The IOM's chief of mission in Senegal is Jo-Lind Roberts Sene. Time and again she notices the serious lack of information about the realities of migrating.
"It's very frustrating when each time we have a charter flight, I get to the airport and have the same exchanges over and over again - they didn't have sufficient information, they knew the trip was dangerous but never knew to what extent."
In rural Senegal, a lack of jobs is one reason many choose to try and reach Europe
Jo-Lind says that around Dakar there is more awareness about the dangers, but that in the countryside and other areas - home to a lot of would-be migrants - there is not this awareness. Voluntary returnees like Hassan and Issa play a vital role in helping change people's views.
One of the regions where young men are being re-absorbed is Tambacounda in eastern Senegal, close to the border with Mali.
Being a poor, rural region, it is the lack of well-paying jobs for young people that encourages them to leave in the first place.
So attempts are being made to reintegrate returned migrants into the community - giving them something to do and a way of earning a living.
One project is a maize farm in the rural community of Jalakoto. It's run two European NGOs, Coopi and La Lumiere, along with the IOM, and helps around 100 young men in the surrounding villages.
The maize farm is designed to help people earn a living - and for them to meet returning migrants
For men like Mamadou Biagey, who came back from Libya three years ago, it's the only thing they have.
"Since I arrived I have lived in hardship because all the money I had I used to travel to Libya. For two years I stayed here without doing anything - it's only this year that I started doing something."
The Jalakoto project is also designed to give young men thinking of leaving for Europe a reason to stay - not just by providing an income and a purpose, but also by encouraging them to rub shoulders with people who can talk of their experiences travelling to Europe.
"Sometimes in our debates there are young men who ask, 'what did you do and how did you do it to get to Libya?'," says Mamadou Biagey, "but I try to discourage from going."
A quick show of hands among the 15 men working in one field reveals one man who says he initially intended to leave.
"In the beginning I only wanted to go and I saved enough money," he explains.
"Later on they brought us the project and explained what it was about and they convinced me. That's how I decided not to go."
In Tambacounda and throughout Senegal there is a battle going on between two narratives of what migration to Europe actually entails.
Warnings about the dangers of migrating are competing with individual success stories, says Issaga Cee
Back in the town, Issaga Cee, a school principal for 13 years, explains how real-life accounts of the dangers of the journey compete for space with apparent success stories on social media.
"People communicate a lot through WhatsApp - its very easy to tell the story of someone who has succeeded," he explains.
"Most of those who return at least have an experience of all the difficulties in Libya, so they have become lecturers about that very difficult trip and its consequences."
The IOM's Jo-Lind Roberts Sene says returning migrants have a crucial role to play: "If it's a message that comes from Europeans it won't go through.
"If it's someone who's tried it, and hasn't made it, and can really explain what it was they experienced along the way, then it will take time - but they really are the ones that can put the message across."
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41859551
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Mum leaves daughter life advice in emotional farewell letter - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Man stabbed to death in row with bikers in Prescot - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The "horrific and senseless" killing took place as the victim walked home from the pub.
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Liverpool
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The victim was stabbed in a pedestrian area of Market Place
A man has been stabbed to death during a row with some people on a scrambler-style motorcycle.
Merseyside Police said he was with friends in a pedestrian area of Market Place in Prescot town centre when the argument started, at about 00:40 GMT.
The 29-year-old was stabbed in the neck with an unknown weapon, police said. The offenders fled, riding off in the direction of a Tesco store.
The victim was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead soon after.
A murder investigation has been launched and police are appealing for witnesses.
Ch Insp Nick Gunatilleke said: "This was a horrific and senseless attack on a young man who had been walking home from a night out in a local pub with his friends."
He called for the offenders to "search their consciences... and hand themselves in now as we will catch them in the end".
Police did not specify how many suspects they were looking for, saying only that the man was stabbed by "the rider or riders of a motorbike".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-41869660
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BA father-daughter pilot team share last flight - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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David and Kat Woodruffe have shared their last BA flight together.
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Father and daughter pilot team David and Kat Woodruffe have shared their last British Airways flight together.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41865809
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Trump pledges US resolve on Japan leg of Asia tour - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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He spoke to troops at a base in Japan at the start of his marathon Asian tour.
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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. President Donald Trump addresses US troops at the Yokota air base in Japan
US President Donald Trump said no nation should underestimate American resolve, as he arrived in Japan at the start of a marathon Asian tour.
Addressing US troops at Yokota air base near Tokyo, he pledged to ensure the military had the resources needed to keep peace and defend freedom.
He later told the Japanese prime minister he thought the two countries had never been closer.
It will be the longest tour of Asia by a US president in 25 years.
It comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea over its nuclear programme and missile tests.
"No-one, no dictator, no regime... should underestimate American resolve," President Trump told cheering US and Japanese troops shortly after his arrival in Japan.
Before touching down, he told reporters on board Air Force One that he expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip.
"I think it's expected we'll meet with Putin," he said. "We want Putin's help on North Korea."
Mr Abe met Mr Trump fresh from his re-election last month
Speaking after talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mr Trump said: "The relationship is really extraordinary.
"We like each other and our countries like each other, and I don't think we've ever been closer to Japan than we are right now."
Earlier the two leaders played golf, when they were joined by Hideki Matsuyama, one of the world's top players - as the president mentioned in a tweet.
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The US First Lady, Melania Trump, spent time with Akie Abe, the Japanese prime minister's wife, who showed her Japanese cultured pearls at shop in Tokyo's Ginza district.
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 Melania Trump This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Stops in South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines are also on the itinerary in the coming week.
En route to Japan, the president stopped in Hawaii where he visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor - the scene of the 1941 Japanese attack that drew the US into World War Two.
He also took part in a briefing at the US Pacific Command.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Japanese women think of Ivanka Trump
Mr Trump has previously exchanged some fiery rhetoric with North Korea over its ballistic missile tests but aides said earlier this week that he would not go to the heavily fortified demilitarised zone (DMZ) on the border between the South and North.
He is, however, to visit Camp Humphreys, a US military complex south of the capital, Seoul.
In Vietnam, Mr Trump will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Da Nang and make a state visit to Hanoi.
His final engagement is scheduled to be a summit of South-East Asian nations in the Philippine capital, Manila, on 13 November but the trip has now been extended by an extra day so he can attend the East Asia Summit.
The last time a US president made such a marathon trip to Asia was when George HW Bush visited the region in late 1991 and early 1992.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41867437
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Sexual harassment claims are 'no witch hunt', says Harman - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Labour MP Harriet Harman says change is "overdue" following sexual abuse allegations in Westminster.
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UK Politics
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Labour MP Harriet Harman has told BBC News that the string of allegations of sexual abuse and harassment against MPs is not a witch hunt.
She said: "There are a lot of men saying this has been blown out of all proportion, it's a witch hunt. No, it's not a witch hunt, it's long overdue."
Her comments follow the suspensions of a Conservative and a Labour MP.
Meanwhile, SNP MSP Mark McDonald has quit as a Scottish government minister over "inappropriate" behaviour.
In a statement he said it had been brought to his attention that some of his "previous actions have been considered to be inappropriate".
"I apologise unreservedly to anyone I have upset or who might have found my behaviour inappropriate," Mr McDonald, who represents Aberdeen Donside at Holyrood, said.
Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke and Labour's Kelvin Hopkins were suspended from their parties on Friday, while Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon resigned earlier this week.
On Saturday morning, Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet, urged people "not to rush to judgement", telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he believes the scandal is turning into a "witch hunt".
"I don't think there's anybody who would seek to defend rape or sexual abuse in the context there's no proof that I can see yet of any wrongdoing. How does a member of Parliament refute that?"
On Friday, the Conservatives published a new code of conduct and are immediately adopting a new complaints procedure.
Mrs May is also meeting opposition party leaders on Monday to discuss proposals to bring forward a new grievance system for Westminster staff and MPs.
Ms Harman, the former Labour deputy leader, said that she thought Prime Minister Theresa May took "very bold action" in relation to Sir Michael's resignation.
Sir Michael, who quit office on Wednesday saying his general conduct fell short of expected standards, has "categorically denied" allegations over his conduct.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The scandal is turning into a "witch hunt", says Tory MP
Ms Harman told BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster that Mrs May's actions have made her "hopeful" that the parties can work together to change standards.
She said people were put off from making complaints for fear of being disloyal to their party and "helping" the other side. But now, she said, "there's a bigger fight".
"We're all tribal beasts, that's why we're there [in parliament] and that has dampened down any ability to speak out," she said. "I think that's changed after this week."
Ms Harman said that Parliament has a "sea change opportunity" to address the issue - and to help those who speak out.
She added: "If you point your finger at a powerful man, they won't just sit there, they will fight back. So there will be some backlash about this amongst the corridors [of Westminster]."
On Friday, Charlie Elphicke, a former party whip who has been the Conservative MP for Dover since 2010, was suspended by the party after "serious allegations" were referred to the police.
Denying 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."
Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Kelvin Hopkins are being investigated by the party over allegations about their behaviour.
But Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale told BBC Radio 4: "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. I was groped and flashed at - Emily Thornberry
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".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour's shadow chancellor says Parliament must 'give women the confidence to work in safety'
Alongside the new code of conduct and complaints procedure, the Conservatives have set up a a hotline for reporting potential breaches and a more detailed investigatory process.
Labour has introduced a new complaints procedure, while the Liberal Democrats continue to review their complaints procedures.
Labour's shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said any complaints system has to apply to all political parties, and must be "fair and objective".
"There should be an element of independence [in the system], particularly for support as well, so people can feel confident about where they can report these things and at the same time how it can be dealt with."
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-41870120
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Sheepdog puppy led a flock of sheep into his owners' home - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Newspaper headline: MP harassment claims and 'cost of Brexit' - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Allegations of sexual misconduct in Westminster continue to dominate the front pages of the newspapers.
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The Papers
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Many papers show shoppers queuing for the new iPhone 10
As the allegations of harassment in Westminster continue to widen, many papers focus on political intrigue behind the scenes.
The Daily Telegraph says Sir Michael Fallon had been scheming to get Commons leader Andrea Leadsom sacked before she made what it calls "a pre-emptive strike" to force him out by alleging he made lewd remarks in a meeting.
The paper says he had suggested she was a "dud" who would have to be sacked to get Cabinet agreement on any Brexit deal.
The Daily Mail asks "did Leadsom knife the minister to save her job?" saying that by acting as a whistleblower she made herself unsackable.
On its front page, the Times says that separate claims against Sir Michael Fallon were presented to Downing Street on Wednesday, and he was asked about them hours before he resigned.
Sir Michael says the latest allegation is untrue and libellous.
But the Sun says it helped seal his fate as defence secretary.
The Financial Times says that although the problem affects all parties, it spells potential disaster for Theresa May, in the same way an unpredictable sleaze scandal undermined former prime minister John Major.
The Independent, which first reported the allegations against Labour MP Clive Lewis, warns of the dramatic repercussions of the scandal if it leads to resignations and by-elections.
It says: "It is unknowable what may happen as we stagger towards Christmas, a good time for a bored nation to enjoy a political scandal."
The Guardian leads on new research which says households will face a £930 a year increase in their shopping bills if Britain leaves the EU without striking a new trade deal.
It says the cost of meat, vegetables and clothing will go up most, with poorer families disproportionately affected.
The Daily Mirror leads with what it calls shocking accusations of sexual harassment and bullying in the world of horseracing.
Gay Kelleway, a trainer and former jockey, says she suffered bullying and abuse and was once pinned against the wall by a fellow rider in the presence of officials who did nothing.
The paper says the intimidation she describes will be "only too familiar to those coming forward in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal" and that "enough is enough".
The British Horseracing Authority has said it is taking the allegations extremely seriously.
Many papers show the queues of shoppers waiting for the new iPhone X, with headlines such as "X marks the spot" for the i, and "The X-factor" in the Guardian.
The Financial Times says demand has been far higher than for recent launches of Apple's new phones.
The Times's business section remarks acidly that proof of man's evolutionary heights are that its first $900bn company is the one which allows you to create an animated emoji of yourself.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41867106
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Insurers 'burying price rises' in renewal letters - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Several cases of companies failing to comply with rules have emerged, risking customers losing out.
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Business
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Some insurers are burying price rises in renewal notices, risking customers losing out financially.
Rules introduced in April require companies to "clearly, accurately and prominently" display a renewal premium and what was paid the year before.
A message to encourage customers to shop around is also stipulated, under rules set by the regulator.
The trade body for insurers said there had been "teething problems" with implementing the new system.
The new rules were expected to collectively save consumers up to £103m a year - but the regulator has said some insurers and brokers are failing to follow the rules properly.
The rules, outlined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), were designed to improve price transparency and tackle the issue of loyal customers paying more than new customers for the same insurance product, particularly when policies automatically renew.
They cover all general insurance products, such as home, motor, pet and travel cover.
Now, in letters and emails about renewals, insurers and brokers are required to:
Seven months into the new system, the regulator said there had been "several examples of firms who have failed to comply fully with the rules".
"Consumers may have lost out as a result. For example, some firms obscured the required information or did not place the information in a prominent position," it said.
Steven Murdoch, from London, complained to John Lewis Insurance that there was not a like-for-like comparison on renewal documents for home insurance.
It gives last year's premium in bold after the extra cost of paying monthly direct debit is added, but the new quotation has the price in bold before the direct debit charge is added.
"It looks like the premium is about the same, when in fact it's an 8% increase," he said.
The extra charge is shown in less prominent type.
He and his wife felt they had lost trust in the insurer, and switched to a different provider, but others may have encountered the same issue.
A spokeswoman for John Lewis Finance said: "We acknowledge that the presentation could be improved and we are currently in the process of amending to ensure we are being as transparent and comprehensive as possible. We apologise for any confusion caused."
Two firms - Admiral and M&S Insurance have written to customers explaining their mistakes. Admiral - one of the largest insurers in the UK and a FTSE 100 company - gave last year's quoted premium, before discounts were applied, rather than the amount that the customer actually paid. M&S had not used the correct wording in its four-year renewal offer for some customers.
There are more cases and the regulator has said it will work with insurers, but could use its powers to fine and order compensation to be paid, if firms fail to comply.
However, the FCA could have avoided some of the failures.
During consultation prior to the new rules being implemented, it was suggested to the FCA that it should be more prescriptive in how and where the old premium and shop around message were displayed.
The FCA's own trial showed that frequently customers overlooked details in renewal notices.
With one insurer in the trial 28% of customers read the renewal letter in detail and 44% skim read, or read the first page. At a second insurer, 23% read the letter in detail and 39% skim read, or read the first page.
Although the regulator pointed to this research, it did not stipulate precisely where the information should be put, nor the exact wording.
In some cases, the previous year's premium and shopping around information have been placed on pages three or four of renewal notices, with the new quotation on the front.
Despite the shortcomings, there has been support for the new policy.
Ian Hughes, chief executive of research agency Consumer Intelligence said that, although implementation had been "patchy" there were signs of a rise in longstanding customers shopping around for a better deal in motor insurance.
Switching rates had changed little, suggesting that customers were being offered a more competitive deal from their original insurer or were haggling on price.
"If you like your insurer, and want to keep on doing business with them, go back to them and tell them what the cheaper price was [from competitors] and see if they can match it," he said.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said that there had been some teething problems with the new system, despite insurers being given an extra three months to prepare compared with the original planned start date of January 2017, and that individual firms were working with the FCA to get things right.
You can hear more on Money Box on BBC Radio 4 at 12:00 BST on Saturday 4 November, and again at 21:00 on Sunday 5 November
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41864115
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Alias Grace: Will Gompertz reviews Netflix's latest drama ★★★☆☆ - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Netflix hasn't been short of gripping dramas this year, but is the latest one any good?
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Entertainment & Arts
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Stranger Things. Riverdale. 13 Reasons Why. Netflix certainly hasn't been short of gripping dramas this year. But is their latest one, released this weekend, up to the same standard? Will Gompertz finds out.
Margaret Atwood's books have been catnip for TV producers in 2017.
First there was the sublime Handmaid's Tale on Hulu, then Wandering Wenda on CBC, and now Sarah Polley's small screen adaptation of Alias Grace for Netflix, directed by Mary Harron.
We're in dense, complex territory with this one. Alias Grace is one of those multi-layered, deeply textured stories that keep English professors in business.
There's symbolism aplenty, psychological game playing, shaggy dog stories, and a couple of contested Murders Most Horrid on which a lecturer can chew semester after semester.
And that's before we get onto the main narrator, the eponymous Grace Marks, who is about as reliable as a 4G phone signal in rural Ireland (which also happens to be where her life started). Not that she had a smartphone - we're in mid-19th Century here.
The set-up is as clear as her story is opaque.
We meet Grace in her early thirties. For the past 15 years she has been an inmate at a penitentiary in Canada having been found guilty of taking part in a double killing. She is a "celebrated murderess", which she considers a notch up from being simply a celebrated murderer.
The vibe is gothic psychodrama - think Twin Peaks meets Jane Eyre. Grace tells us her tale through a series of fireside chats she has with Dr Simon Jordan.
He is a young, earnest psychiatrist hired by the local worthies (led by Reverend Verringer, played by a mutton-chopped David Cronenberg) to produce a favourable assessment of Grace's mental state so she can be pardoned and set free.
He is a decent man (up to a point), but boring. He is played with great restraint by Edward Holcroft who succeeds in communicating Jordan's intensity and professionalism in a performance so dialled down you fear he might nod off between sentences.
Edward Holcroft, Rebecca Liddiard and Kerr Logan (pictured) also star in the show
Not so the inscrutable Grace, played with assurance as both a naïve teenager and marked woman by Sarah Gadon.
She has the focus of a look-out on a street corner, playing mind games with her inquisitor whom she effortlessly wraps around her fingers like the thread she uses to endlessly stitch together quilts.
To be honest, she does bang on a bit, but then who can blame her when the alternative is a beating at the hands of the brutal prison guards who "take pleasure in the distress of a fellow mortal".
And so, over the course of six slow-burn episodes, we hear how a quiet Irish girl found herself locked up behind bars in a brutal prison in Canada. Predatory men play a part, which is very topical of course, but only because some things never change.
As one female servant notes after the death of a jilted housemaid following a back-street abortion: "It is the curse of Eve we [women] must all bear."
Anna Paquin and Paul Gross as Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear
Sarah Polley's script of Atwood's masterful book is not so much a literal adaptation, as a literary one.
I hope she was paid by the word, for she uses many (as one of her characters might say). Which is fine, it works, but there were moments when I wondered what exactly the show was adding by taking the text from page to screen.
But that would be to discount Mary Harron's painterly eye and the tonal harmony she creates in each scene, which is an added bonus.
As the show progresses you realise that Grace's predicament is not really the story at all. She is the story.
This is a portrait of a young woman who has a lot in common with Shakespeare's Ophelia or Tennyson's Lady of Shalott: A tortured soul whose outer beauty becomes sublime because of - not despite of - her tragic circumstances.
Rebecca Liddiard is terrific as Grace's mischievous mate Mary Whitney. She puts in the sort of screen-grabbing turn that suggests stardom is but a role or two away. Zachary Levi also delivers an eye-catching performance as Jeremiah Pontelli, a travelling salesman with a shaman's soul.
Alias Grace is a solid, well-made piece of television that doesn't hide its intelligence under a bonnet, as costume dramas can do. Nor does it attempt to keep your attention with soap opera style cliff-hangers. It is better than that.
But is it better than simply reading the book? I'm not so sure.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41770019
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Tory MP Charlie Elphicke suspended after 'serious allegations' - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Charles Bronson's bride: 'We're very similar creatures' - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Paula Williamson's fiancé is a notorious prisoner, but she says they are like "any other couple".
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UK
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Paula Williamson describes her fiancé as "charismatic, witty and cheeky" - a man who likes llamas and is passionate about his art.
For most, her soon-to-be-husband Charles Bronson - now called Charles Salvador - is one of the UK's most violent prisoners.
"It's a marvel we make it work," says Paula, 37, who marries Bronson, 64, in the confines of HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire next Tuesday.
Bronson, a former bare-knuckle boxer who was first jailed for armed robbery in 1974, will not be able to attend his own wedding reception.
So what brought the couple together and what will their nuptials be like?
Paula, a former soap actress, first wrote to Bronson in 2013 after reading his book on living in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.
"I wanted to thank him - it had hope, and really helped me mentally," she says.
They exchanged letters for the next three years, before he asked to meet - by which time he had changed his last name to Salvador and broken off an engagement with another woman, Lorraine.
"I never spoke to him about Lorraine, as that's his own business," Paula says.
She describes their first meeting at HMP Wakefield: "I wasn't nervous until I heard the slamming of gates and went through security.
"Then I heard this booming cockney voice shouting out my name.
"He was in a segregation unit - a prison within a prison - and stood in the corner sparring in mid-air, I thought he seemed like a nervous boy.
"I said to him, 'Charlie, come here and give me a hug, it's bloody me'."
She has visited Bronson once a week since then. She says the "hours fly by" during their meetings, as they talk about the meals she plans to cook him and he makes her a cup of tea.
"A few weeks in I asked Charlie, 'What are we?' And he replied, 'Well you're my soulmate of course, we are in a relationship - I adore you.'"
Bronson, who was jailed in 1974, will not be able to go to his wedding reception
To outsiders, it may seem an unlikely match.
Luton-born Bronson, a petty criminal since his teens, had his original seven-year sentence increased after a string of violent outbursts, with his time inside dramatised in a 2009 film starring Tom Hardy.
Paula, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent with her four cats, studied acting at university, before landing minor roles in Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
But she insists they are "very similar creatures", with a shared experience of mental health problems.
"I've suffered from awful depression and anxiety following a relationship breakup," she said.
When Bronson proposed to Paula over the phone on Valentine's Day, he said they had "both been to dark places".
Five friends will attend the wedding on 14 November, to be held in a parole hearing room.
Afterwards, Bronson will go back into solitary confinement and the celebrations will continue at a nearby pub.
"We have a bit of time together after the wedding, then he goes back to his cell, which is heartbreaking," Paula says.
But the reception will be a less private affair.
Paula has agreements with tabloid newspapers to write stories about the wedding - having previously invited the Daily Mirror to film the moment Bronson proposed.
"People say I've courted the media," says Paula, who insists she is a "solitary person".
"I want to show Charlie's not forgotten about."
Charles Bronson in 1992 - that year, he spent 53 days outside prison before being arrested again
One important person will be avoiding the cameras: the mother of the bride.
"Mum's not coming to the wedding as she's a private person," Paula says, admitting her family have objected to the match.
"Mum was a bit concerned as he has this awful reputation, but she knows I'm a strong-willed character with my head screwed on," she adds.
She says the backlash from strangers is far worse - claiming she has lost acting jobs over the relationship and is trolled on social media.
"I've had a hell of a lot of hatred towards me for being with him," says Paula, who spends her time answering people's letters to Bronson and campaigning for him to be released.
"It's madness at the moment," she adds. "I've said to Charlie, 'do you want to swap places for a bit'?"
Bronson has a parole hearing on 7 November to determine whether it is safe for him to mix with other prisoners.
The couple can currently only kiss and hold hands between bars during Paula's visits to Wakefield - one of the most secure prisons in the UK and one that counts paedophiles and serial killers among its inmates.
"He's locked up for 22 hours a day," says Paula. "If I thought he'd be in prison the rest of his life, it would be a strange thing to marry."
Despite the separation, Paula insists they are like "any other couple".
"We have little fall outs and tiffs," Paula says. "But after 10 minutes of seeing him I'll smile and say 'for goodness' sake Charlie, stop being such a stupid git!'"
She adds: "I know I'm not 19 any more, but we've also discussed having children one day."
Paula is confident Bronson will be released one day, and is campaigning for his rehabilitation
Paula admits living together would be "very different" from their current life of letters, phone calls and weekly visits.
"I've said to Charlie, when you get out, you will have a room, and that will be your sanctuary," she says.
They want to live in a cottage, keep llamas and go on cruise holidays, while Bronson does his art and gives talks to young offenders.
In the book Paula first read in 2013, Bronson said his troubles were behind him - and described himself as a "prolific artist".
"I'll carry on campaigning for him until we get that life," Paula says.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41777270
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Parachute husband Emile Cilliers 'hid financial problems' - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Mexico fuel theft boss killed during plastic surgery - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jesus Martin was killed at a clinic while he was having plastic surgery to disguise his identity.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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Jesus Martin was a gang leader for "Huachicoleros" who live from stealing fuel mostly from pipelines in Puebla state
A gang leader in Mexico has been killed while undergoing plastic surgery to disguise his identity by changing his face and erasing his fingerprints.
Officials said gunmen burst into the clinic in the city of Puebla and killed Jesus Martin, known as El Kalimba, while he was on the operating table.
Police said the murder seemed to result from a dispute between rival gangs.
They said Martin had been running an operation illegally siphoning fuel from pipelines.
The business has become Mexico's second-biggest organised crime after drug trafficking.
Jesus Martin wasn't the first crime boss in Mexico to use plastic surgery to avoid death or arrest.
One feared Juarez drug cartel boss, Amado Carrillo, died from surgical complications in 1997.
Mexico's state oil company Pemex and local firefighters struggle to control a fire believed to have been started in a pipe due to fuel theft in Puebla earlier this year
The notorious Joaquim Guzmán, known as El Chapo, was captured in 2014 despite changing the shape of most of his features while on the run.
Jesus Martin was known as a "Huachicolero" or a "chupaducto" (pipesucker). He had been running an operation that illegally tapped pipelines, stealing fuel for cheap resale.
The "Huachicoleros" siphon off the fuel and then sell it on at half the market price on busy highroads, costing Mexico's oil company millions of dollars in lost revenue.
The gang bosses also donate fuel on special holidays to local communities to garner favour.
Thousands of families are now engaged in this illegal activity.
The new business has inspired its own subculture and saint, "The Infant Huachicolero", to whom locals pray and make offerings in the hope of receiving protection and prosperity.
It mostly takes place in an area of central Puebla state where pipelines carry 40% of the country's fuel and has begun to have a significant economic impact for Mexico's oil company, Pemex, and local governments.
In April, the Mexican Congress approved a bill to increase sentences for fuel stealing to up to 25 years in prison.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-41867466
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Lebanese PM Hariri resigns, saying he fears assassination plot - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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Saad al-Hariri resigns saying he fears an assassination plot, while also fiercely criticising Iran.
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Middle East
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Mr Hariri has been in charge for less than a year
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri has resigned, saying in a televised broadcast from Saudi Arabia that he feared for his life, while also fiercely criticising Iran.
He accused Iran of sowing "fear and destruction" in several countries, including Lebanon.
Mr Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.
The Hariri family is close to Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional competitor.
Mr Hariri has been prime minister since December 2016, after previously holding the position between 2009 and 2011.
"We are living in a climate similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of martyr Rafik al-Hariri," he said in the broadcast from the Saudi capital Riyadh.
"I have sensed what is being plotted covertly to target my life."
Mr Hariri also attacked the Iran-backed Shia movement Hezbollah, which wields considerable power in Lebanon.
Addressing "Iran and its followers" he said Lebanon would "cut off the hands that wickedly extend into it".
Iran said the resignation would create regional tensions and rejected Mr Hariri's accusations as "unfounded".
Mr Hariri has made several visits in the past few days to Saudi Arabia, whose leadership is strongly opposed to Iran.
His announcement came a day after a meeting in Beirut with Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei.
Taking up the prime minister's office last year, Mr Hariri promised a "new era for Lebanon" after two years of political deadlock.
The coalition government he led brought together almost all of the main political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.
Rafik al-Hariri was killed by a bomb in 2005 in an attack widely blamed on Hezbollah.
The prime minister's resignation has opened up a chasm of uncertainty in Lebanon.
It's still not clear why he announced his decision in Saudi Arabia - an extraordinary move that left even his own MPs bewildered.
But the move will be seen through the lens of the great Shia-Sunni divide that's fuelling much of the violence across the Middle East.
It's pitted the Sunni power, Saudi Arabia, against the Shia power, Iran - with both sides backing different players to wield influence.
In Lebanon, the Saudis support Mr Hariri while Iran backs the Shia movement, Hezbollah.
In recent years, Lebanon has largely been spared the violence seen elsewhere in the region.
But with this stunning resignation, many Lebanese will now fear that their country is firmly in the crosshairs of the two regional superpowers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41870406
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Climate change: US report at odds with some in Trump team - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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A spokesman says climate is "always changing" after a report ties global warming to human activity.
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US & Canada
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Rising sea levels linked to climate change threaten coastal areas like the Marshall Islands
The White House has sought to downplay a major climate change report, which was compiled by 13 US federal agencies.
The study is at odds with assertions from President Donald Trump and several members of his administration.
It says it is "extremely likely" human activity is the "dominant cause" of global warming.
A spokesman for the White House said it supported "rigorous scientific analysis and debate" but added that the climate was "always changing".
White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said it was not certain how sensitive the Earth's climate was to greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Trump, who has embarked on a tour of Asia, once said the concept of global warming was created by the Chinese in order to make American manufacturing less competitive.
It argues that it is "extremely likely" that human activity is causing rapid global warming with dire consequences for the US and the world.
Running to nearly 500 pages, the report concludes that the current period is "now the warmest in the history of modern civilisation".
It is "extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause", it finds, adding that "there is no convincing alternative explanation".
President Trump has made it easier for industry to pollute and he has appointed to key government positions men who are sceptical of their own scientists, the BBC's James Cook, in Los Angeles, says.
Only on Thursday, Mr Trump's Energy Secretary, Rick Perry, told US media that while he thought climate change was real and humans had an "impact on it", he still thought "the science [was] out on" whether humans cause 100% of it.
The researchers say there was no political interference in, or censorship of, their report.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41868878
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Teen Vogue: How will going online-only affect readers? - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Conde Nast has announced the closure of the print edition.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Clicks don't lie. And Teen Vogue gets a lot of them.
A highly-successful website. Six million Facebook likes. A huge following on Snapchat. Three and a half million Twitter followers. There's no doubt Teen Vogue's digital game is strong.
The quarterly print magazine, however, hasn't been having quite the same impact recently. So they're closing it.
Parent company Conde Nast is planning to focus on Teen Vogue's digital content instead - which has been going from strength to strength.
The brand has increased its political coverage and social activism in recent years while still delivering its entertainment, fashion and beauty content.
A visit to Teen Vogue's website gives you some idea about why the formula has been so successful. (Warning: Doing this can make you lose hours from your day).
Its headlines are light and relatable, with many written in the first person.
While the above headlines, all from this week, might make zero sense to anyone outside the target audience, they do a great job of making many of us go 'Ooh that sounds interesting' - *click*.
"They've got a fantastic product and content," says Sarah Penny, Fashion Monitor's head of content.
"For the demographic they are targeting, they really push the boundaries and provide something new that isn't just celebrity, fashion and beauty for teens."
But, she adds: "They're also not ones to sit on the fence - you only have to look at any of their Trump commentary."
"They really came into their own during the election and the fact that they provide accessible current affairs for a young audience is really pioneering and exciting for a teen magazine, which in turn is alluring for their target audience."
This might explain the social media reaction to the news that the print magazine was closing:
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We contacted Teen Vogue, who stressed the growth and expansion of the digital brand, adding that they'll likely still do the occasional print special.
"Though the quarterly print editions will cease publishing on a regular schedule, we will explore re-imagined special issues timed to specific moments, as we do in social," a spokesman told BBC News.
"As audiences continue to evolve around content consumption, we will modernise and calibrate how, where and when we produce and distribute our content to be in sync with the cultural moments and platforms most important to our audiences."
The closure of the print edition is likely to result in up to 80 job losses, according to Variety, and it's not the only changes Conde Nast announced this week.
Some of their other titles like GQ, Allure and Glamour will drop from 12 to 11 print issues per year.
Glamour has also announced this month that it will be going online only
Teen Vogue's move to an exclusively online product follows in the footsteps of the British version of Glamour, which did the same thing earlier this year.
"Conde Nast is doing all of a sudden and dramatically what most major magazine publishers have been doing steadily and quietly for the last 10 years - cutting their cost base to match their reduced revenues," says David Hepworth, whose magazine career has included editing Smash Hits and launching Just Seventeen, Q, Empire and Heat.
But, he cautions: "There are very few cases of magazines going digital-only and managing to retain the lustre on their brand. Once you let paper go you're just another website. You're just more space junk floating around out there."
Teen Vogue has seen its online operation grow under Philip Picardi, who joined as digital editorial director in 2015.
Katy Perry and Ariana Grande have both appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue
"Because of the amount of attention we've received in the press and I think on social, we are looked at as a brand that is safe to pitch for, if you have a story that's not been told before," Picardi told Business of Fashion this month about the brand's digital success.
"Now we feel empowered to be more activist and be bolder about the statements that we're making and the stances that we're taking. And so that's a completely different ballpark to be playing in."
And bolder they have been. Teen Vogue, as BoF points out, has been taking strong stances on politics, LGBTQ issues, the gender pay gap and birth control.
Pretty good for a publication that was once dismissed has having little to offer beyond mascara reviews.
But while its digital operation is growing, Hepworth thinks Conde Nast may end up regretting closing the physical edition.
"All this talk about migrating from print to digital ignores the monetary facts," he says.
"Unless you've come up with a fundamentally different way of doing business - and the fact that this announcement comes so suddenly suggests Conde Nast haven't and are just hoping - you're exchanging pounds for pennies.
Teen Vogue's content has become much more political in recent years
"If you give something away, the only revenue you make is from advertising and the value of online advertising has been falling for years."
He advises Teen Vogue readers: "Remember, if you pay for something, you're the customer. If you get something for free you're the product."
Penny thinks, though, that there was only so much money that could be made from print anyway, and points out the decline in physical sales of magazines in general.
"Print is a very difficult medium to sustain, particularly within this Generation-Z readership," she says.
"They're really the first demographic to have grown up with a digital presence from birth so naturally have an incredibly strong affinity with online consumption - even more so than millennials."
Teen Vogue say they are "aggressively investing in the brand" and pointed to the "tremendous audience growth across its digital, social and video platforms this past year".
Conde Nast will be hoping they can keep that momentum going in the coming months.
Provided readers of the print magazine are okay with swapping pages for clicks, the chances are Teen Vogue should be just fine.
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 print is surviving the digital age
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41845105
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The non-medics in A&E fighting the effects of knife crime - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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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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Kevin Spacey: Netflix severs ties amid sex assault allegations - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The move comes amid a number of sexual assault allegations against the House of Cards actor.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Entertainment company Netflix has severed ties with Kevin Spacey, star of its House of Cards show, amid a number of sex assault allegations against him.
Netflix said it would hold talks with the producers to see if production, which was suspended this week, could resume without Spacey.
Netflix also said it would not release Spacey's film about writer Gore Vidal.
Meanwhile, police in the UK have opened an investigation into the American actor over an alleged sexual assault.
A British actor said he had woken up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him in 2008, the Sun newspaper reported. The man is said to have run from the property after Spacey allegedly said: "Don't tell anyone about this."
Spacey said on Thursday he was seeking treatment after facing allegations of sexual misconduct from a string of men.
Netflix suspended production on House of Cards on 31 October following allegations by Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, who said Spacey had tried to "seduce" him when he was 14.
Spacey said he was "beyond horrified" to hear of the incident, which he said he did not remember.
House of Cards, which is based on a BBC programme, was first broadcast in 2013.
The first season garnered nine Emmy nominations, becoming the first online streaming series to win such mainstream accolades.
"Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey," a company spokesperson said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with MRC [series producer Media Rights Capital] during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.
"We have also decided we will not be moving forward with the release of the film Gore, which was in post-production, starring and produced by Kevin Spacey."
MRC said in a statement earlier that it was "deeply troubled" about the allegations against Spacey.
It said it had dealt with one incident in 2012 in which an unnamed crew member "shared a complaint about a specific remark and gesture made by Kevin Spacey", that immediate action had been taken and that the issue had been resolved.
Spacey had "willingly participated in a training process", it added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41869252
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How a drag wrestler broke the mould for LGBT representation in wrestling - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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."
Warning: Third party videos may contain adverts
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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How I threw away a work of modern art - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Sex trafficking bill gets tech firms' backing - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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After months of resistance, major tech firms support a US bill designed to stop sex traffickers.
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Technology
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The bill seeks to prosecute websites that encourage ads selling sex
The internet’s most powerful companies say they will support new measures that seek to prevent online sex trafficking.
The Internet Association, which counts Facebook, Google and Amazon among its members, had at first said the proposed US law could hurt innovation.
But in a statement released on Friday the group said it was satisfied with “important changes” made to the bill.
US senators are expected to hold an initial vote on the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (Sesta) next week.
"This important bill will hold online sex traffickers accountable and help give trafficking survivors the justice they deserve,” said Senator Robert Portman of Ohio, one of the bill’s authors.
“I’m pleased we’ve reached an agreement to further clarify the intent of the bill and advance this important legislation.”
Technology companies had been opposed to the bill because of changes it would have made to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, enacted in 1996.
The section represents a pillar of internet law - one which protects internet companies from the actions of its users. For example, if a person uses YouTube to break the law by showing something illegal, the user, and not YouTube, is held legally responsible. The Internet Association argued that this framework meant fledgling companies were not burdened by huge, perhaps insurmountable legal risk.
The compromise that finally got the technology companies on board, after going back-and-forth since August, relates to whether a site is “knowingly” aiding traffickers on their platform. The bill now clarifies that a site needs to be "assisting, facilitating or supporting" human trafficking in order to face prosecution.
"Internet Association is committed to combating sexual exploitation and sex trafficking online and supports Sesta,” said Internet Association President Michael Beckerman on Friday.
"Important changes made to Sesta will grant victims the ability to secure the justice they deserve, allow internet platforms to continue their work combating human trafficking, and protect good actors in the ecosystem.”
Amanda Hightower, executive director at Seattle-based Real Escape from the Sex Trade (Rest), told the BBC she welcomed the news.
"With the bulk of trafficking happening over the internet, it's essential we have legislation and safeguards in place to protect victims and reduce the risk of people being sold online," she said.
"Knowing that internet giants are now joining forces with legislators to reduce the potential of trafficking gives me hope that we are heading in the right direction to stop this crime and that those who facilitate trafficking online will be held responsible."
The rewritten components will protect companies that take pro-active measures to remove advertisements that enable trafficking and the sale of sex, but will pave the way for prosecutors to more effectively go after sites that allegedly allow such activity to flourish.
In the crosshairs of US law enforcement is Backpage.com, a site described by California prosecutors as a “massive online brothel” that actively encourages the sale of sex through its listings website. Backpage.com did not return the BBC’s request for comment on Friday.
Despite the changes, some corners of the technology community are still concerned about the bill’s effects. Engine, a non-profit group that pushes the interests of start-ups in Washington, said the new wording was still too vague.
“While the bill sponsors have made improvements to some of the drafting problems in the original language, the changes do not address many of the startup community's concerns,” said Rachel Wolbers, Engine’s policy director.
"The bill still creates uncertainty for platforms regarding their obligations under the law and potentially penalises startups for content that they are unaware of and cannot control."
You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41868143
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What will happen in Syria following IS defeats? - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A number of foreign countries are set to become key players in the country's future.
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Middle East
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Civil wars that spread devastation and suffering across a whole country have no real victors. But one war in Syria - that against the Islamic State (IS) group's so-called caliphate - is well on the way to being won.
Earlier this week IS's last urban bastion in eastern Syria, Deir al-Zour, hard up against the Iraqi border, fell to Assad government forces. IS will remain in some form or another as an insurgency and source of ideological inspiration but as a territorial entity or physical caliphate, it is finished.
But what of Syria's other war, the uprising against the Assad regime and its efforts - aided by Iran and Russia - to crush the opposition?
The current situation on the ground means that forces from the above countries will be in close proximity to United States troops, who are supporting some of the anti-Assad groups.
Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and professor at Oklahoma University, summed it up in simple terms. "Assad has won the Syria war militarily," he told me. "He has defeated the original uprising or revolution. The rebel groups that remain have been pushed to the margins of Syria.
"The international community has all but abandoned them as a lost cause. The rebel militias," he argues, "still have some teeth in defence, but cannot mount a credible offensive against Assad's military."
Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, and another close watcher of Syria, has a slightly more cautious assessment. "President Assad," he notes, "sits more comfortably in Damascus than at any time since 2011."
But having said that, he argues that "it would be inaccurate to suggest Assad had won the war. He's simply avoided losing it."
"The Assad regime has a stated intent to recapture every inch of Syria. If that goal is to ever be met, we're talking years at least," he explained.
But the crucial take-away from all this is that Syria is entering a new phase of conflict. The territorial defeat of IS, says Charles Lister, "will throw an awful lot of potential sources of hostility up into the air and nobody really knows right now how they'll land".
What is emerging is a new strategic map with Syria divided into different zones: One controlled by the Assad regime (with the support of Russia and Iran), another controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (an amalgam of Kurdish, Arab and other groups supported by the US), and others run by various elements of the Syrian opposition, backed to varying degrees by Turkey and Jordan.
Having helped Assad restore his control over a significant part of the Syrian population, Moscow has also manoeuvred itself into holding the best cards in the putative diplomatic end-game.
As Joshua Landis told me, the Astana peace process, led by the Russians, "is the only one worth anything at the moment.
"The Geneva process, led by the US," he notes, "has been about grandstanding and sticking to talking points that no longer have any relevance on the ground, such as demanding that Assad step aside and that democratic elections be held in Syria. Everyone knows this will not happen."
With the demise of IS, Syria's future will continue to be determined by a variety of external players, fighting out their own strategic battles and seeking local advantage.
The four key actors are the US, Russia, Turkey and Iran.
Special forces from Western countries, including the US, have supported Kurdish-Arab forces in Syria
Its initial half-hearted efforts to galvanise a democratic opposition to defeat the Syrian regime failed dramatically. Its focus has largely been on the defeat of the IS caliphate.
But now, Joshua Landis says, Washington must make a decision: "Will it stay in Northern Syria to defend the gains of the Syrian Democratic Forces that it has armed, trained and propelled to victory in Raqqa and the region north of the Euphrates River?"
The difficulty, as Charles Lister told me, is that "beyond fighting IS, it is sadly very hard to determine whether the US really has a Syria policy."
And he says that what policy there is is full of contradictions. For example, Washington continues to say Assad must leave and that his days are numbered, and yet the US has ceased all support to anyone opposed to Assad.
Turkish President Erdogan's main concern is with the Kurds
If US policy could be said to be in a mess, so too could that of Turkey.
Ankara's goal, says Joshua Landis, is to retrench. "It seriously overreached in Syria," he told me, "almost to the point of destabilising Turkey."
He believes that President Erdogan "must make sure that the Kurdish question in Turkey does not lurch toward civil war. He will increasingly normalise relations with Assad in order to contain the independence of Syria's Kurds." Turkish troops have moved a small way into northern Syria to achieve this goal.
Indeed, after posing as a champion of the opposition against the Assad regime, Charles Lister says, that "at times, Turkey has directly betrayed the opposition groups it had stood by for so long, merely to secure a more favourable position against the Kurdish YPG, which it views as a terrorist organisation.
Shia militias, backed by Tehran, have played a prominent role in the campaign against IS
In backing the Assad regime (and offering significant support to the Shia-dominated government in Iraq) Tehran has had one clear goal - to secure its hegemony in the northern Middle East: the lands stretching from Lebanon through Syria and Iraq, all the way to Iran's own borders.
"This," says Joshua Landis, "is the new security architecture that Iran has fought so vigorously for and it is within its reach today. This means that Iran can counter-balance Israel. It means that Iran can establish oil pipelines running to the Mediterranean coast, trade routes, highways, and pilgrimage routes."
This, he says, means "Iran is no longer cut out of the Middle East."
And Tehran has troops to back up its position. Charles Lister notes that Iran "commands tens of thousands of Shia militiamen inside Syria, which gives Tehran more influence than any other actor, bar none."
Russian troops have been on the ground in Syria
Russia, after Iran, is the other great winner from the Syrian conflict, reviving its role in the region, securing important military bases, and making itself a key diplomatic player.
It wants to "solve" Syria on its terms and with its favoured actors ending up the victors and it seems to be well on the way to achieving this goal.
But the growing proximity of Russian and Iranian-backed pro-regime forces and those backed by the US raises the possibility of some dangerous encounters. The US and Russia can agree on the need to defeat IS but on little else. Moscow's "side" has the military and diplomatic advantage on the ground.
Will the US seek to bolster its position in Syria, perhaps as part of a broader policy to "roll back" Iranian influence, as US conservatives are hoping? This may be easier said than done and might require many more resources and boots-on-the-ground than the Trump administration is prepared to put in harm's way.
• None What should happen to IS fighters?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41849778
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'Croydon cat killer': Harpenden mutilated rabbit 'linked' - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The latest killing is thought by a charity to be the work of one killer travelling across the UK.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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The mutilated body of lionhead rabbit Teddy was left in its hutch for its owner to find
The mutilation and death of a pet rabbit could be the latest work of the "Croydon cat killer", it is claimed.
The dismembered body of rabbit Teddy was found by his owner in his cage in her garden in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
Animal charity Snarl, which is investigating hundreds of violent UK cat and rabbit deaths, said it thought the pet fell victim to the same killer.
Hertfordshire Police said officers were examining whether the death was linked to the wider inquiry.
The rabbit's owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said it was "beyond comprehension" that "someone, somehow, climbed into our high-walled garden, killed and mutilated him and left him next to my daughter's little pink Wendy house for us to find".
The lionhead rabbit, whose body was found on Tuesday, was "one of a kind, truly special", she added.
Teddy's owner has urged people to keep their pets indoors
Charity Snarl (South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty) said it was "currently investigating what seems to be a spate of attacks across the south east on cats and rabbits".
Last week, the Hertfordshire force confirmed officers were linking the death of a cat in Potter's Bar to the "Croydon cat killer".
The mutilated body of Taz was found by his owner her Potter's Bar garden
Taz's injuries were consistent with those of other mutilated cats and small animals found across the UK, leading the force to believe the deaths are linked.
The Met Police began investigating a series of "gruesome" killings which initially began in the Croydon area in 2015, after Snarl raised concerns.
The suspect became known as the "Croydon cat killer".
Tony Jenkins, head of Snarl, said about 250 cats and a number of foxes and rabbits had been killed in similar circumstances since October 2015.
He believes the same person - referred to by the charity as the "UK animal killer" - is responsible for all the deaths.
Rusty, a one-year-old cat, was deliberately mutilated and left on the doorstep of its Northampton owner's home in August
"We see no evidence there's anyone else involved as the injuries are being replicated," he said.
"It is possible - both geographically and because of the timings - for one person to be doing this.
"This person is a very clever psychopath, he is forensically aware, avoids CCTV and might well travel as part of his job.
"It is most likely Teddy was killed by this same person."
The Met launched Operation Takahe to investigate the links between animal deaths and last month experts at a new forensic lab in Surrey began re-examining some of the corpses for new evidence.
A £10,000 reward is being offered by Peta UK and Outpaced
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-41830150
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Sounds Like Friday Night: Dizzee Rascal performs live - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Mabel: 'I wrote a hit song on my way to the gym' - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Half of UK road speed cameras are switched off - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police forces admit many fixed speed cameras are off, with four areas having no active cameras.
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UK
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Only around half of fixed speed cameras on British roads are switched on, according to new data.
Figures released by 36 police forces in the UK show that of a total 2,838 cameras, just 1,486 - or 52% - are active and catching law-breakers.
Some forces have turned all their cameras off, according to information obtained by the Press Association (PA).
Northamptonshire police said its were shut off in 2011, but they left the structures in place to deter speeding.
PA sent a freedom of information to all 45 police forces in the UK and their speed camera partnership, of which 36 responded with details of their fixed speed cameras. It did not include data on the mobile devices forces use to catch offenders.
Staffordshire police said it has 272 cameras across its region but that only 14 are active. While Derbyshire said just 10 of its 112 cameras were active.
In common with Northamptonshire, Cleveland, Durham and North Yorkshire said that none of their fixed cameras were switched on.
A spokeswoman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said the decision to use cameras was "an operational matter", adding that "all forces have individual responsibility for their use of speed cameras".
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "Many of the empty yellow cases are due to cuts in road safety grants and the fact that digital cameras, although more effective, are very expensive."
He added: "It has long been the case that cameras were moved between sites, depending on need. When it comes to the chances of being caught on camera, it is a postcode lottery. All cameras in City of London and Suffolk are working whereas only 5% are active in Staffordshire."
"However, drivers should remember that lack of a yellow fixed camera doesn't mean they are immune from mobile hidden cameras. Best advice is stick to the limits rather than gambling on the yellow boxes."
Claire Armstrong, co-founder of the lobby group Safe Speed, which campaigns for more traffic police officers, said that fixed speed cameras "are nothing to do with road safety".
She claimed that "average cameras have a 5% negative effect on road safety, Gatso [yellow box cameras] have a 13% negative effect and a policeman on the side of the road will have a 27% benefit, so why are we using policies that are not effective and that we know have a negative effect on road safety?".
However, Neil Greig, director of policy and research for the charity IAM Road Smart, said: "There's clear evidence at locations where cameras are located, they are there for road safety reasons.
"They don't just appear out of nowhere. They have to go through a process involving looking at the road accident record at that location.
"Each of these locations is a site that has got some kind of accident problem and that's why we want to be sure that there's protection there all the time for the people who live around those sites."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41869134
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Obituary: Gay rights pioneer Roger Lockyer - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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The respected professor and historian, famed for his role in one of the first UK civil partnerships, has died aged 89.
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UK
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When Roger Lockyer met his future husband Percy Steven on a blind date in 1966, their relationship made them criminals in the eyes of British law.
By the time the distinguished academic and author, a reader at Royal Holloway and Bedford Universities of London, died shortly before his 90th birthday, the pair lived as a legally married couple - having tied the knot in 2014.
Their remarkable journey drew worldwide press attention, when, in 2005, they became one of the first couples to enter into a UK civil partnership. Invites to Downing Street followed.
Together for 51 years, they proudly marched in this year's Pride in London parade waving rainbow flags.
However, this was never the plan. Historians usually document history - they rarely walk into the pages themselves.
The couple had lived a quiet, cultured existence in an elegant flat in Marylebone, central London, until the modern era of LGBT rights came knocking and propelled them into the limelight.
Pictures of the pair in sharp suits saying their civil partnership vows, and later popping a magnum of champagne on the steps of the Westminster register office, appeared on TVs and in newspapers across Europe, the US and Canada.
Roger Lockyer (R) with Percy Steven at Pride in London 2017
Eager journalists clamoured for their attention, aware of the rarity of their find; a couple whose relationship was unique, not just for its wit, passion and longevity, but also because it had survived half a century of seismic change in legal and social attitudes towards sexuality.
Roger later remarked: "We had these cameras following us down the street and neighbours leant out of windows to wave us off. Friends spotted us on television in France and Germany.
"After Elton John, we felt like the most famous gay men in the world."
They went on to feature in multiple interviews, including the BBC's recent docudrama Against the Law, marking the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which partially decriminalised homosexuality in England and Wales.
Born in London in 1927, Roger completed National Service in the Royal Navy before reading history at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge.
He graduated with first-class honours, beginning an eminent career as an academic and author of nearly a dozen books on 15th and 16th Century history.
His seminal volume Tudor and Stuart Britain, first published in 1964, remains a core text for many undergraduates in the UK.
But Roger's private and professional lives remained separate by necessity.
Roger (L) celebrates his civil partnership with Percy on the steps of Westminster register office in 2005
His stories of escapades as a young gay man in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s were as mischievous and comic as they were a window into an often hostile world, where as second-class citizens homosexual men had to tread carefully on the edges of society.
National Service was "fantastic" because it was filled with so many gay men.
Cambridge was equally "very, very gay", causing one heterosexual undergraduate to complain to him, through tears, that there was "something wrong with him" because he was attracted to women.
But those social bubbles did not conceal the potential danger of living in a country where men convicted of a being in a same-sex relationship risked jail, loss of their livelihoods, or even death.
Prof Lockyer, who once quipped that the passing of the 1967 act of parliament "took the fun out of breaking the law", equally emphasised its brutal impact.
"It was exciting in a way and almost an adventure. But looking back at it now one realises that potentially it could be awful.
"We know people who were sent to prison and their careers ruined.
"The friend who introduced us was killed and his murder was never solved. It was a deeply unpleasant society."
Despite the dangers, a vibrant, closely guarded, gay community bubbled under the surface.
"There was this semi-secret, sub-rosa network of gay clubs we would go to," Prof Lockyer explained.
One bar-hopping friend and ex-lover was Jeremy Wolfenden, the gay son of Lord Wolfenden, whose radical report controversially recommended decriminalising homosexuality in 1957.
"Places like the Rockingham in Soho... was for well-to-do, sophisticated people - it had its own writing paper.
"You had to give your name at the door and I said: 'Jeremy, aren't you a little worried that you give your name 'Wolfenden'?
"He said: 'Oh don't worry my dear I always give your name.'
"So I'm recorded as having a much busier social life when it was in fact Jeremy capering about town while his father made these important recommendations to the government about 'queers'."
Percy with Roger (R) on their wedding day in 2014
The historian met his future husband Percy Steven, a South African-born actor and lecturer, now 78, on that blind-date in London.
The meeting was an initial "disaster" but Roger, wilting daffodils in hand, had already fallen in love.
He said: "The moment I set eyes on Percy I knew that even though he was being horrid, he was the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with, so I persisted."
For many gay men of their generation, the changes to the law that made them recognised spouses - thereby ensuring the right not to be kicked out of hospital rooms if they were ill, or lose their home due to unfair tax laws when one of them died - came too late.
Roger and Percy's shot to fame late in life came as a pleasant surprise and they embraced opportunities to be as visible as they had previously been secretive.
They also enjoyed plenty of glasses of champagne.
On the night he died, with Percy by his side, Roger's appearance in BBC docudrama Against the Law received a standing ovation at the Barcelona International LGBT Festival.
Roger and Percy enjoyed celebrating at Pride in London 2017
Speaking to the BBC in 2015, he said: "I think that particularly being a historian… people do know a bit about their own history and what others went through and it makes for a richer and fuller life if they do.
"I remember distinctly walking down the street after the ceremony thinking: 'I am as legal a person as anybody else. I am a full citizen at last.' It was a wonderful feeling."
Professor Roger Lockyer, historian, author and activist, was born on November 27, 1927. He died on October 28, 2017 aged 89.
He leaves his husband Percy Steven and a niece.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41851871
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#WhoIsSue? Mystery behind giant field message solved - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Farmer Murray Graham created it for his wife after failing to pull his weight around the house.
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Oxford
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The identity of a woman whose first name was emblazoned in huge letters in a farmer's field has been revealed.
A frenzy was sparked on social media, spawning the hashtag #WhoIsSue, after the letters "SUE x" were spotted by a police pilot flying over Oxfordshire.
It turns out that farmer Murray Graham created the message for his wife as a way of apologising for being "grumpy".
His son George Graham said: "I suppose Dad wanted to express his love in the most creative way he could."
Sue Graham's husband Murray created the message to make up for his grumpiness
Mr Graham's handiwork was spotted on Thursday by a helicopter pilot with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) flying just south of Tetsworth, near Thame.
A photo of the message then posted on the NPAS Benson Twitter page was shared more than 650 times.
The Twitterati explored various theories, ranging from aliens accused of making crop circles wanting to "sue" for defamation to a PR stunt by the Field Museum, which houses a T-Rex skeleton called SUE.
Someone even found a satellite image of the message.
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But on Friday evening the crop conundrum was solved: it was a romantic gesture to appease a disgruntled farmer's wife.
Mr Graham told BBC Radio Oxford that he used his GPS-operated tractor to spray the crops in the shape of his wife's name.
He said he wanted to prove "I'm not quite as grumpy and old as perhaps I make out occasionally."
The farmer added: "As ever, everything has its ups and downs, so I thought I'd try and make a gesture at some point, and that was the one I chose."
He had intended for his son George, a pilot, to take a photo and show it to his wife as an apology, but the passing police helicopter beat him to it.
George Graham revealed his father had been "in the doghouse" after not "pulling his weight" at home.
He added: "I don't know if what he's done is sufficient appeasement for Mum, but it certainly caused a stir on social media."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-41862525
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The time when America stopped being great - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A year ago Donald Trump produced the biggest political upset in modern day USA, but were there historical clues that pointed to his unexpected victory?
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US & Canada
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A year ago Donald Trump produced the biggest political upset in modern-day America, but were there historical clues that pointed to his unexpected victory?
Flying into Los Angeles, a descent that takes you from the desert, over the mountains, to the outer suburbs dotted with swimming pools shaped like kidneys, always brings on a near narcotic surge of nostalgia.
This was the flight path I followed more than 30 years ago, as I fulfilled a boyhood dream to make my first trip to the United States. America had always fired my imagination, both as a place and as an idea. So as I entered the immigration hall, under the winsome smile of America's movie star president, it was hardly a case of love at first sight.
My infatuation had started long before, with Westerns, cop shows, superhero comic strips, and movies such as West Side Story and Grease. Gotham exerted more of a pull than London. My 16-year-old self could quote more presidents than prime ministers. Like so many new arrivals, like so many of my compatriots, I felt an instant sense of belonging, a fealty borne of familiarity.
Eighties America lived up to its billing, from the multi-lane freeways to the cavernous fridges, from the drive-in movie theatres to the drive-through burger joints. I loved the bigness, the boldness, the brashness. Coming from a country where too many people were reconciled to their fate from too early an age, the animating force of the American Dream was not just seductive but unshackling.
Upward mobility was not a given amongst my schoolmates. The absence of resentment was also striking: the belief success was something to emulate rather than envy. The sight of a Cadillac induced different feelings than the sight of a Rolls Royce.
It was 1984. Los Angeles was hosting the Olympics. The Soviet boycott meant US athletes dominated the medals table more so than usual. McDonald's had a scratch-card promotion, planned presumably before Eastern bloc countries decided to keep their distance, offering Big Macs, Cokes and fries if Americans won gold, silver or bronze in selected events. So for weeks I feasted on free fast food, a calorific accompaniment to chants of "USA! USA!"
This was the summertime of American resurgence. After the long national nightmare of Vietnam, Watergate and the Iranian hostage crisis, the country demonstrated its capacity for renewal. 1984, far from being the dystopian hell presaged by George Orwell, was a time of celebration and optimism. Uncle Sam - back then, nobody gave much thought to the country being given a male personification - seemed happy again in his own skin.
For millions, it really was "Morning Again in America", the slogan of Ronald Reagan's re-election campaign. In that year's presidential election, he buried his Democratic opponent Walter Mondale in a landslide, winning 49 out of 50 states and 58.8% of the popular vote.
The United States could hardly be described as politically harmonious. There was the usual divided government. Republicans retained control of the Senate, but the Democrats kept their stranglehold on the House of Representatives. Reagan's sunniness was sullied by the launch of his 1980 campaign with a call for "states' rights", which sounded to many like a dog-whistle for denial of civil rights.
Ronald Reagan on the campaign trail in 1979
His chosen venue was Philadelphia, but not the city of brotherly love, the cradle of the Declaration of Independence, but rather Philadelphia, Mississippi, a rural backwater close to where three civil rights workers had been murdered by white supremacists in 1964. Reagan, like Nixon, pursued the southern strategy, which exploited white fears about black advance.
Still, the anthem of the hour was Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA and politics was not nearly as polarised as it is today. Even though the Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill reviled Reagan's trickle-down economics - he called him a "cheerleader for selfishness" and "Herbert Hoover with a smile" - these two Irish-Americans found common ground as they sought to act in the national interest.
Both understood the Founding Fathers had hard-wired compromise into the governmental system, and that Washington, with its checks and balances, was unworkable without give and take. They worked together on tax reform and safeguarding Social Security.
The country was in the ascendant. Not so paranoid as it was in the 1950s, not so restive as it was in the 1960s, and nowhere near as demoralised as it had been in the 1970s.
History is never neat or linear. Decades do not automatically have personalities, but it is possible to divide the period since 1984 into two distinct phases. The final 16 years of the 20th Century was a time of American hegemony. The first 16 years of the 21st Century has proven to be a period of dysfunction, discontent, disillusionment and decline. The America of today in many ways reflects the dissonance between the two.
In those twilight years of the last millennium, America enjoyed something akin to the dominance achieved at the Los Angeles Olympics. Just two years after Reagan demanded that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall, that concrete and ideological barricade was gone. The United States won the Cold War. In the New World Order that emerged afterwards, it became the sole superpower in a unipolar world.
A Berliner celebrates in front of the Berlin wall on 15 November 1989
The speed at which US-led forces won the first Gulf War in 1991 helped slay the ghosts of Vietnam. With a reformist leader, Boris Yeltsin, installed in the Kremlin, there was an expectation Russia would embrace democratic reform. Even after Tiananmen Square, there was a hope that China might follow suit, as it moved towards a more market-based economy.
This was the thrust of Francis Fukuyama's thesis in his landmark 1989 essay, The End of History, which spoke of "the universalisation of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government".
For all the forecasts Japan would become the world's largest economy, America refused to cede its financial and commercial dominance. Instead of Sony ruling the corporate world, Silicon Valley became the new high-tech workshop of business.
Bill Clinton's boast of building a bridge to the 21st Century rang true, although it was emergent tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google that were the true architects and engineers. Thirty years after planting the Stars and Stripes on the Sea of Tranquillity, America not only dominated outer space but cyberspace too.
This phase of US dominance could never be described as untroubled. The Los Angeles riots in 1992, sparked by the beating of Rodney King and the acquittal of the police officers charged with his assault, highlighted deep racial divisions.
In Washington, Bill Clinton's impeachment exhibited the hyper-partisanship that was changing the tenor of Washington life. In the age of 24/7 cable news, politics was starting to double as soap opera.
Yet as we approached 31 December 1999, the assertion that the 20th Century had been The American Century was an axiom. I was in the capital as Bill Clinton presided over the midnight celebrations on the National Mall, and as the fireworks skipped from the Lincoln Memorial down the Reflecting Pool to illuminate the Washington monument, the mighty obelisk looked like a giant exclamation mark or a massive number one.
The national story changed dramatically and unexpectedly soon after. While doomsday predictions of a Y2K bug failed to materialise, it nonetheless felt as if the United States had been infected with a virus. 2000 saw the dot-com bubble explode. In November, the disputed presidential election between George W Bush and Al Gore badly damaged the reputation of US democracy.
Why, a Zimbabwean diplomat even suggested Africa send international observers to oversee the Florida recount. Beyond America's borders came harbingers of trouble. In Russia, 31 December 1999, as those fireworks were being primed, Vladimir Putin took over from Boris Yeltsin.
The year 2001 brought the horror of September 11th, an event more traumatic than Pearl Harbor. Post-9/11 America became less welcoming and more suspicious. The Bush administration's "war on terror" - open-ended conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq - drained the country of blood and treasure.
The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, and the Great Recession that followed, arguably had a more lasting impact on the American psyche than the destruction of the Twin Towers. Just as 9/11 had undermined confidence in the country's national security, the financial collapse shattered confidence in its economic security.
With parents no longer certain their children would come to enjoy more abundant lives than they did, the American Dream felt like a chimera. The American compact, the bargain that if you worked hard and played by the rules your family would succeed, was no longer assumed. Between 2000 and 2011, the overall net wealth of US households fell. By 2014, the richest 1% of Americans had accrued more wealth than the bottom 90%.
To many in the watching world, and most of the 69 million Americans who voted for him, the election of the country's first black president again demonstrated America's capacity for regeneration.
Although his presidency did much to rescue the economy, he couldn't repair a fractured country. The creation of a post-partisan nation, which Obama outlined in his breakthrough speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, proved just as illusory as the emergence of a post-racial society, which he always knew was beyond him.
During the Obama years, Washington descended into a level of dysfunction unprecedented in post-war America.
"My number one priority is making sure President Obama's a one-term president," declared then-Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, summing up the obstructionist mood of his Republican colleagues. It led to a crisis of governance, including the shutdown of 2013 and the repeated battles over raising the debt ceiling. The political map of America, rather than taking on a more purple hue, came to be rendered in deeper shades of red and blue.
Beyond Capitol Hill, there was a whitelash to the first black president, seen in the rise of the Birther movement and in elements of the Tea Party movement. On the right, movement conservatives challenged establishment Republicans. On the left, identity politics displaced a more class-oriented politics as union influence waned. Both parties seemed to vacate the middle ground, relying instead on maximising support from their respective bases - African-Americans, evangelicals, the LGBT community, gun-owners - to win elections.
Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama continued to talk about moving towards a more perfect union. But reality made a mockery of these lofty words. Sandy Hook. Orlando. The spate of police shootings. The gang-related mayhem in his adopted home of Chicago. The mess in Washington. The opioid crisis. The health indices even pointed to a sick nation, in which the death rate was rising. By 2016, life expectancy fell for the first time since 1993.
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This was the backdrop against which the 2016 election was fought, one of the most dispiriting campaigns in US political history. A battle between the two most unpopular major party candidates since polling began, ended with a victor who had higher negative ratings than his opponent and in the end, three million fewer votes.
Just as I had been on the National Mall to ring in the new millennium in 2000, I was there again on 20 January 2017, for Donald Trump's inaugural celebrations. They included some Reagan-era flourishes. At the eve of the inauguration concert, Lee Greenwood reprised his Reaganite anthem God Bless the USA, albeit with a frailer voice.
There were chants of "USA, USA," a staple of the billionaire's campaign rallies - usually triggered by his riff on building a wall along the Mexican border. There was also an 80s vibe about the telegenic first family, who looked fresh from a set of a primetime soap, like Dynasty or Falcon Crest.
The spectacle brought to mind what Norman Mailer once said of Reagan, that the 40th president understood "the President of the United States was the leading soap opera figure in the great American drama, and one had better possess star value". Trump understood this, and it explained much of his success, even if his star power came from reality TV rather than Hollywood B-movies.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michael Cockerell: The parallels between Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump
Yet Trump is not Reagan. His politics of grievance, and the fist-shaking anger it fed off, struck a different tone than the Gipper's more positive pitch. It played on a shared sense of personal and national victimhood that would have been alien to Reagan.
In the space of just three decades, then, the United States had gone from "It's morning in America again" to something much darker: "American Carnage", the most memorable phrase from Trump's inaugural address.
It is tempting to see Trump's victory this time last year as an aberration. A historical mishap. The election all came down, after all, to just 77,744 votes in three key states: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. But when you consider the boom-to-bust cycle of the period between 1984 and 2016, the Trump phenomenon doesn't look so accidental.
In many ways Trump's unexpected victory marked the culmination of a large number of trends in US politics, society and culture, many of which are rooted in that end-of-century period of American dominion.
Consider how the fall of the Berlin Wall changed Washington, and how it ushered in an era of destructive and negative politics. In the post-war years, bipartisanship was routine, partly because of a shared determination to defeat communism. America's two-party system, adversarial though it was, benefited from the existence of a shared enemy. To pass laws, President Eisenhower regularly worked with Democratic chieftains such as House Speaker Sam Rayburn and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson.
Reforms such as the 1958 National Defense Education Act, which improved science teaching in response to the launch of Sputnik, were framed precisely with defeating communism in mind.
Much of the impetus to pass landmark civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s came from the propaganda gift Jim Crow laws handed to the Soviet Union, especially as Moscow sought to expand its sphere of influence among newly decolonised African nations.
Patriotic bipartisanship frayed and ripped after the end of the Cold War. It was in the 1990s the then-Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole started to use the filibuster more aggressively as a blocking device. Government shutdowns became politically weaponised.
In the 1994 congressional mid-terms, the Republican revolution brought a wave of fierce partisans to Washington, with an ideological aversion to government and thus little investment in making it work. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the first Republican to occupy the post in 40 years, personified the kind of abrasive partisan that came to the fore on Capitol Hill.
Grudging bipartisanship was still possible, as Clinton and Gingrich demonstrated over welfare and criminal justice reform in the mid-1990s. But this period witnessed the acidification of DC politics. The gerrymandering of the House of Representatives encouraged strict partisanship, because the threat to most lawmakers came from within their own parties. Moderates or pragmatists who strayed from the partisan path were punished with a primary challenge from more doctrinaire rivals.
By the 112th Congress in 2011-2012, there was no Democrat in the House more conservative than a Republican and no Republican more liberal than a Democrat. This was new. In the post-war years, there had been considerable ideological overlap between liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats. In this more polarised climate, bipartisanship became a dirty word. One leading conservative thinker and anti-tax campaigner, Grover Norquist, likened it to date rape.
Would Congress have impeached Bill Clinton, ostensibly for having an affair with an intern, had America still been waging the Cold War? I sense not - it would have been seen, in those more serious times, as a frivolous distraction. When Congress moved towards impeaching Richard Nixon it did so because Watergate and its cover-up truly rose to the level of high crimes and misdemeanours.
Clinton's impeachment signalled the emergence of another new political trend: the delegitimisation of sitting presidents. And both parties played the game. The Democrats cast George W Bush as illegitimate because Al Gore won the popular vote and the Supreme Court controversially ruled in the Republican's favour during the Florida recount.
The Birther movement, led by Donald Trump, tried to delegitimise Barack Obama with specious and racist claims that he was not born in Hawaii. Most recently, the Democrats have cast aspersions on Trump's victory, partly because he lost the popular vote and partly because they allege he achieved a Kremlin-assisted victory.
Over this period, the political discourse also became shriller. Rush Limbaugh, after getting his first radio show in 1984, rose to become the king of the right-wing shock jocks. Fox News was launched in 1996, the same year as MSNBC, which became its progressive counterpoint. The internet quickened the metabolism of the news industry and became the home for the kind of hateful commentary traditional news outlets rarely published.
Home foreclosures skyrocketed at the end of the last decade
Maybe the Jerry Springerisation of political news coverage can be traced to the moment the Drudge Report first published the name Monica Lewinsky, "scooping" Newsweek which hesitated before publishing such an explosive story. The success of the Drudge Report demonstrated how new outlets, which didn't share the same news values as the mainstream media, could establish brands literally overnight. This lesson was doubtless learnt by Andrew Breitbart, an editor at Drudge who founded the right-wing website Breitbart News.
The internet and social media, trumpeted initially as the ultimate tool for bringing people together, actually became a forum for cynicism, division and various outlandish conspiracy theories. America became more atomised.
As Robert D Putnam identified in his 1995 seminal essay, Bowling Alone, lower participation rates in organisations such as unions, parent teacher associations, the Boy Scouts and women's clubs had reduced person to person contacts and civil interaction.
Economically, this period saw the continuation of what's been called the "Great Divergence" which produced stark inequalities in wealth and income. Between 1979 and 2007, household income in the top 1% grew by 275% compared to just 18% growth in the bottom fifth of households.
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The Clinton-era was a period of financial deregulation, including the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, the landmark reform passed during the depression, as well as legislation exempting credit default swaps from regulation.
Disruptive technologies changed the workplace and upended the labour market. Automation, more so than globalisation, was the big jobs killer during this phase. Between 1990 and 2007, machines killed off up to 670,000 US manufacturing jobs alone.
The Rust Belt rebellion that propelled Trump to the White House has been described as a revolt against robots, not that his supporters viewed it that way. Encouraged by the billionaire, many blamed increased foreign competition and the influx of foreign workers.
The opioid crisis can be traced back to the early 1990s with the over-prescription of powerful painkillers. Between 1991 and 2011, painkiller prescriptions tripled.
America seemed intoxicated by its own post-Cold War success. Then came the hangover of the past 16 years.
Over the past few months, I've followed that same westward flight path to California on a number of occasions, and found myself asking what would an impressionable 16-year-old make of America now. Would she share my adolescent sense of wonder, or would she peer out over the Pacific at twilight and wonder if the sun was setting on America itself?
What would she make of the gun violence, brought into grotesque relief again by the Las Vegas massacre? Multiple shootings are not new, of course. Just days before I arrived in the States in 1984, a gunman had walked into a McDonalds in a suburb of San Diego and shot dead 21 people. It was then the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
What's different between now and then, however, is the regularity of these massacres, and how the repetitiveness of the killings has normalised them. What was striking about Las Vegas was the muted nationwide response to a gunman killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.
Once-shocking massacres no longer arouse intense emotions for those unconnected to the killings. A month on, and it is almost as if it didn't happen.
What would she make of race relations? Back in 1984, black athletes such as Carl Lewis, Edwin Moses and Michael Jordan were unifying figures as they helped reap that Olympic golden harvest. Now some of America's leading black athletes are vilified by their president for taking a knee to protest, a right enshrined in the First Amendment. These athletes now find themselves combatants in the country's endless culture wars.
What would she make of the confluence of gun violence and race, evident in the spate of police shootings of unarmed black men and in the online auction where the weapon that killed Trayvon Martin fetched more than $100,000?
Charlottesville, with its torch-wielding and hate-spewing neo-Nazis, was another low point. So, too, were the president's remarks afterwards, when he described the crowd as including some "very fine people" and implied a moral equivalence between white supremacists and anti-racist protesters.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Trump said versus what I saw - by the BBC's Joel Gunter
I was at the news conference in Trump Tower that day. An African-American cameraman next to me yelled out "What message does this send to our children?" The question went unanswered, but concerned parents ask it everyday about Donald Trump's behaviour.
What about the monuments debate? The last civil war veteran died in 1959, but the conflict rumbles on in various guises and upon various proxy battlefields, as America continues to grapple with the original sin of slavery.
But what if she landed in the American heartland, rather than flying over it? Coastal separateness can sometimes be exaggerated, but it would be a very different experience than Los Angeles. In the Rust Belt, stretches of riverway are crowded again with coal barges, and local business leaders believe in the Trump Bump because they see it in their order books and balance sheets.
In the Coal Belt, there's been delight at the rescinding of Obama's Clean Power Plan. In the Bible Belt, evangelicals behold Trump as a fellow victim of sneering liberal elites. In the Sun Belt, close to the Mexican border, there's wide support for his crackdown on illegal immigration.
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In many football stadiums, she would hear the chorus of boos from fans who agree with the president that the take-the-knee protests denigrate the flag. In bars, union branches and American Legion halls, you'll find many who applaud Donald Trump for "telling like it is", refusing to be bound by norms of presidential behaviour or political correctness.
There are pointers of national success elsewhere. The New York Stock Exchange is still reaching record highs. Business confidence is on the up. Unemployment is at a 16-year low. Of the 62 million people who voted for Trump, a large number continue to regard him more as a national saviour than a national embarrassment.
In many red states, "Make America Great Again" echoes just as strongly as it did 12 months ago. Trump has a historically low approval rating of just 35%, but it's 78% among Republicans.
In the international realm, it's plausible foreign adversaries fear the United States more under Trump than Obama, and foreign allies no longer take the country for granted. The so-called Islamic State has been driven from Raqqa. Twenty-five Nato allies have pledged to increase defence spending. Beijing, under pressure from Washington, appears to be exerting more economic leverage over Pyongyang.
However, America First increasingly means America alone, most notably on the Paris climate change accord and the Iranian nuclear deal. Trump has also Twitter-shamed longstanding allies, such as Germany and Australia, and infuriated its closest friend Britain, with rash tweets about crime rates and terror attacks.
His labelling of foes such as Kim Jong Un as Little Rocket Man seems juvenile and self-diminishing. It hardly reaches the Reagan standard of "tear down this wall". Indeed, with North Korea, there's the widespread fear that Trump's tweet tirades could spark a nuclear confrontation.
Few countries look anymore to Trump's America as a global exemplar, the "city upon a hill" Reagan spoke of in his farewell address to the nation. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel is routinely described as the leader of the free world, the moniker bestowed on the US president since the days of FDR.
The Economist, which trolls Trump almost weekly, has described Chinese President Xi Jinping as the most powerful man in the world. American exceptionalism is now commonly viewed as a negative construct. "Only in America" is a term of derision.
Ronald Reagan used to talk of the 11th commandment - No Republican should speak ill of another Republican. So it is worth noting that some of Trump's most caustic and thoughtful critics have come from within his own party. Senator Jeff Flake called him "a danger to democracy".
Bob Corker described the White House as an "adult day care centre". John McCain, a frequent critic, has railed against "spurious, half-baked nationalism". George W Bush sounded the alarm about bigotry being emboldened and of how politics "seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication", without specifically naming the current president.
Trump's determination to be an anti-president has arguably had a vandalising effect on the office of the presidency, and to civil society more broadly. Artists have boycotted the White House reception held ahead of the annual Kennedy Center Awards, a red letter night in the country's cultural calendar.
The Golden State Warriors were disinvited from appearing at the White House after their championship win because of the take-the-knee protest. It's new for these kinds of commemorations to become contested.
Trump has even politicised one of the commander-in-chief's most solemn acts, offering condolences to the families of the fallen. It led to an indecorous row with a war widow. Small wonder long time Washington watchers, on both the right and left, consider this the nastiest and most graceless presidency of the modern era.
The corollary is the historical stock of his predecessors is rising. When the five living former presidents appeared together in Texas earlier this month they were greeted like a group of superheroes donning their capes for one final mission. It speaks of these unreal times that George W Bush is spoken of fondly, even wistfully, by long-time liberal foes.
Trump's claim he could be just as presidential as Abraham Lincoln is one of the more comical boasts to come from the White House. Then there are the falsehoods, the "alternative facts" and attacks on the "fake media" - his label for news organisations such as the New York Times and Washington Post, whose reporting has rarely been better. Recently he has even threatened to revoke the licences of networks whose news divisions have published critical stories. To some it has shades of 1984, but Orwell's version.
As for Morning in America, it has a new connotation - checking Trump's Twitter for pre-dawn tweets. The president commonly starts the day by lashing out at opponents or mercilessly mocking them. The new normal, it is often called. But it seems more apt to call it the new abnormal.
There is an extent to which America is politics-proof and president-proof. However bad things got in Washington, my sense has long been that the US would be rescued by its other vital centres of power. New York, its financial and cultural capital. San Francisco, its tech hub. Boston, its academic first city. Hollywood, its entertainment centre.
Adrienne Mccallister, director of Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality business development at Google, speaks during a launch event
But Los Angeles is reeling from the Harvey Weinstein revelations, the Uber scandal has shone a harsh light on corporate ethics in the tech sector and the Wells Fargo affair has once again shown Wall Street in a dismal light.
US universities dominate global rankings, but its top colleges could hardly be described as engines of intergenerational mobility. A study by the New York Times of 38 colleges, including Yale, Princeton and Dartmouth, showed that students from the top 1% income bracket occupied more places than the students from the bottom 60%. Of this year's intake at Harvard, almost a third were the sons and daughters of alumni.
Automation will also continue to be a jobs killer. One study this year predicted that nearly 40% of US jobs will be lost to computers and machines over the next 15 years. Spending time in the Rust Belt valleys around Pittsburgh last year I was struck by how many taxi and Uber drivers used to work in the steel industry. Now America's one-time Steel City is a centre of excellence for robotics and where Uber is road testing its driverless cars.
There's still truth in the adage that America is always going to hell, but it never quite gets there. But how that is being tested. Presently, it feels more like a continent than a country, with shared land occupied by warring tribes. Not a failing state but not a united states.
As I've travelled this country, I struggle to identify where Americans will find common political ground. Not in the guns debate. Not in the abortion debate. Not in the healthcare debate. Not even in the singing of the national anthem at American football games. Even a cataclysmic event on the scale of 9/11 failed to unify the country.
If anything it sowed the seeds of further division, especially over immigration. Some Americans agree with Donald Trump that arrivals from mainly Muslim countries need to be blocked. Others see that as an American anathema.
When I made my first journey to the US all those years ago I witnessed a coming together. Those Olympic celebrations were in some ways an orgy of nationalism, but there was also a commonality of spirit and purpose. From Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue performed on 84 grand pianos to a polyglot team of athletes bedecked with medals.
From the pilot who flew around the LA Coliseum in a jet pack to the customers who left McDonald's with free Big Macs. There was reason for rejoicing. The present was golden. America felt like America again.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41826022
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Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins denies sexual harassment claim - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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British woman arrested for drug trafficking in Egypt - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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Laura Plummer is arrested after reportedly flying to Cairo with hundreds of painkiller pills.
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UK
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Laura Plummer was reportedly arrested after flying into Cairo with hundreds of painkiller pills
A British woman has been arrested in Egypt and accused of drug trafficking.
Laura Plummer, from Hull, was arrested after flying into Cairo with nearly 300 tramadol tablets and some Naproxen in her suitcase, the Sun reported.
Her family told the paper she brought the painkillers for her Egyptian husband, who she visits two to four times a year and who has a bad back.
The Foreign Office said it was supporting a British woman and her family after her detention in Egypt.
Family members told the Sun that Miss Plummer, 33, signed a 38-page statement in Arabic thinking it would lead to her release, but instead she has been kept in a cell with 25 other women for nearly a month.
They also say they have been told she could face up to 25 years in prison, or even the death penalty.
Miss Plummer's brother, James, 31, told the Press Association his sister thought she was doing a "good deed" by bringing the medication over to her husband.
Mr Plummer said his mother and sisters had travelled to Egypt to visit Miss Plummer following her arrest on 9 October, adding: "They say she's unrecognisable. When they seen her, she's like a zombie, they said."
Mr Plummer said the family feel "helpless" due to being in a different country.
He said his sister's hair was starting to fall out due to stress. "I don't think she's tough enough to survive it," he added.
"She has a phobia of using anybody else's toilet, so let alone sharing a toilet and a floor with everybody else.
"That will be awful for her, it'll be traumatising."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41868568
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Why plague caught Madagascar unaware - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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The African country has been battling the worst outbreak in recent times.
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Health
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Madagascar is facing the worst outbreak of plague in 50 years.
There have been more than 1,800 cases and 127 deaths since the start of August, according to new figures.
The island off the south-east coast of Africa is used to seeing about 400 cases of mostly bubonic plague in the same rural areas every year.
But this year it has developed into the deadlier pneumonic version and spread to much more populated areas, including the capital.
The WHO describes the plague as "one of the oldest - and most feared - of all diseases".
Historically, plague has been responsible for widespread pandemics with extremely high numbers of deaths.
It was known as the Black Death during the 14th Century, killing more than 50 million people across Europe.
The good news is that a simple short course of antibiotics can cure the plague, providing it is given early.
The current outbreak in Madagascar is also slowing down, with the number of cases falling in the past couple of weeks.
But the World Health Organization is warning further spikes could be on the way.
It says "despite the relative ease of treatment, plague's association with the Black Death weighs heavily on the popular conscience - and is regularly cited in media reports and tabloid headlines about outbreaks".
So how did this outbreak become the worst in recent times?
"An outbreak of plague no longer unfolds in the manner portrayed by our history books," said Dr Sylvie Briand, director of WHO's Infectious Hazard Management Department.
"Plague is an old disease, but the challenges it poses today are contemporary and fundamentally different from what we had even 40 years ago."
The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres has been responding to the outbreak in one of the worst hit areas of Tamatave.
Dr Tim Jagatic told BBC News the outbreak had spread to populated areas when a man infected with bubonic plague had travelled from the highlands to the capital and then on to the coastal city of Tamatave by bus.
Treatment centres have been set up
"He had the bubonic form of the plague and entered into one of the major cities, where the bubonic version of the disease had the potential of turning into the pneumonic form without treatment.
"He was in a closed environment with many people when he started to develop severe symptoms, and he started to transmit the pneumonic form of the disease to others."
Dr Jagatic said this had happened in late August, which is outside the normal plague season of September to April, in an area that never usually saw pneumonic plague.
It meant people weren't expecting the plague - and certainly not the type that could spread from person to person.
"So it wasn't recognised until later," he said, allowing the disease to "proliferate over a period of time unabated".
This index case infected 31 other people, according to the WHO, four of whom died.
It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that an outbreak of the plague was detected and officially confirmed.
Since then, the country's Ministry of Health and other health agencies have swung into action, and cases have started to decline since mid-October.
The risk of this outbreak spreading globally is considered low, and the WHO has advised against any travel restrictions.
"Most people haven't experienced plague on this scale before… so it's putting a lot of anxiety and strain on the health system," said Olivier Le Polain, an epidemiologist from the UK's Rapid Support Team, which is helping the Madagascan government with its response.
"There's also fear in the population.
"There's an on-going risk going forward because the plague endemic season doesn't end until the end of April so, knowing it's in areas such as the capital, we need heightened vigilance."
The WHO describes the overall risk for the island as "very high".
There are also serious concerns about the potential spread of the disease beyond Madagascar.
Frequent travel by air and sea to and from neighbouring countries means the risk of the disease spreading to places including Mozambique, the Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania is considered "moderate".
The WHO says it is helping those countries to step up surveillance and prepare for a potential outbreak.
However, it says, the overall risk of the plague spreading globally is low.
WHO official Tarik Jasarevic told BBC News the organisation "advises against any restriction on travel or trade to Madagascar based on the current information available".
"The evidence tells us that the risks associated with shutting borders are higher than keeping them open."
Back at the MSF treatment centre in Tamatave, Dr Jagatic said the country was now much better prepared as the plague season continued.
"Outbreaks are always difficult to predict. Right now we're seeing a decrease in cases, but that doesn't mean this is over," he said.
"We're prepared for a spike, and want to make absolutely sure we won't be caught off guard again."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41844625
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Harriet Harman urged to apologise for 'staggering judgement error' over joke - BBC News
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2017-11-04
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Harriet Harman is urged to apologise for repeating on TV a Holocaust joke that she had found offensive.
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UK Politics
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Harriet Harman has been urged to apologise for repeating an offensive joke about the Holocaust on BBC TV.
The Labour MP read out the joke as an example of one she had complained about some years ago.
The Jewish Leadership Council said it was a "staggering error of judgement" to repeat it "irrespective of the point she was trying to make".
Ms Harman later tweeted that it was "no laughing matter" and such jokes "perpetuate discrimination & hatred".
The former Labour deputy leader appeared on BBC One's This Week programme and repeated the joke in a segment about humour which offends people.
Referring to a story she recounts in her memoir A Woman's Work, she said: "I've long been accused of being humourless, and a humourless feminist, and I'll give you two examples that I protested about, because they were offensive and hurtful."
She annoyed host Andrew Neil by saying: "People like Andrew say that things like this are perfectly all right."
She was cut short by Mr Neil after telling the first joke - which she said was "not funny" - and the presenter reprimanded her for suggesting he would think it was OK.
He later told the Labour MP to "be quiet".
The chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council Simon Johnson said: "I cannot recall being so disappointed in a politician. Harriet Harman must surely know better than to repeat a vile Holocaust joke, irrespective of the point she was trying to make. She must apologise and do so quickly. It is a staggering error of judgment."
Mr Neil later tweeted that he was "appalled and even a little bit upset by what she said".
He said: "What was wrong was 1) Even to tell that so called joke on live TV. 2) Claim I would like the joke. Appalling on both counts."
Ms Harman has not apologised but on Twitter she said that anti-Semitic jokes were "no laughing matter".
She tweeted a page from her book, in which she recounts two offensive jokes that appeared in a Guy's Hospital rag magazine years ago, which she went on to refer to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In her book, she wrote that she had been condemned "for overreacting and being humourless".
But, she added, "the Jewish community and local black and Asian organisations were deeply appreciative when the hospital apologised".
Ms Harman was offered support by Labour shadow minister Chi Onwurah, who said: "I remember those kind of jokes in 1980s Imperial College rag mag. Very isolating for minority/female students like me. Good on you, Harriet."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41863815
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MSP Monica Lennon claims she was 'groped' by senior male colleague - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Monica Lennon tells a Sunday newspaper she was sexually assaulted in a room full of people in 2013.
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Scotland politics
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Monica Lennon believes "at least half a dozen" people witnessed the alleged sexual assault
A Labour MSP has said she was sexually assaulted by a senior male colleague at a party.
Monica Lennon told the Sunday Mail that she was groped at a social event in 2013 in front of several witnesses.
She said she made an initial complaint to Scottish Labour but decided not to progress it because she felt she would not be believed.
Labour said it was working to improve the way it deals with sexual harassment complaints and safeguarding issues.
Ms Lennon, 36, told the paper: "It happened at a Labour Party social event in 2013, before I was an MSP. It was a private function, a room full of people.
"A man, who was a senior figure in the party, touched me in a manner that some would say is 'handsy'. He was sitting next to me when he groped me, in full view of other people.
"I don't want to go into the full details but he touched my body, in an intimate way, without invitation or permission. This shouldn't happen to anyone.
"It's possible at least half a dozen people saw exactly what happened.
"One man, who at the time was a Labour politician, joked to everyone in earshot, 'That's your fault for coming over here and getting him all excited'."
Ms Lennon, who was a South Lanarkshire councillor at the time, said the experience left her feeling humiliated, though she knew she was not at fault.
The MSP added: "A few days later I ran into another man who had seen what happened and he made a jokey reference to it.
"The underlying message was clear, the whole thing was to be treated as a joke. I felt disappointed, hurt, embarrassed and let down."
Another newspaper, the Sunday Post, reports that the SNP MSP, Willie Coffey was reported to Holyrood authorities six months ago after a civil servant complained about "inappropriate language" and "unsolicited attention".
The Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley MSP denies the allegation and says he does not recognise the claims about his behaviour.
Ms Lennon was elected to Holyrood in 2016 and is now Scottish Labour's spokeswoman on inequalities
Ms Lennon is the most senior UK politician to say she has been the victim of sexual assault since the harassment scandal began to emerge in the last fortnight.
She is the third member of Labour to claim she was not given enough support by the party.
Labour activist Bex Bailey said she was raped at a party event and a senior Labour official discouraged her from reporting the attack.
Ava Etemadzadeh, another Labour activist, claimed MP Kelvin Hopkins hugged her inappropriately after a student event in 2014. Mr Hopkins denies wrongdoing.
Ms Lennon, who was elected to Holyrood in 2016, said she phoned Scottish Labour to report her alleged attacker's behaviour some time later.
She added: "I was asked if I wanted to make an official written complaint. I just felt like that wasn't really an option. I didn't feel I would be believed."
A Labour party spokesman said: "The party takes all complaints of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination extremely seriously.
"We ask that anyone with a complaint comes forward so that allegations can be properly investigated. When evidence of misconduct comes to light, all appropriate disciplinary action is taken in line with the party's rule book and procedures.
"The party has been working with its affiliates to develop procedures specifically designed to deal with complaints of sexual harassment and safeguarding issues in order to improve internal processes and make it easier to report concerns."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-41876121
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Saudi Arabia: Missile intercepted near Riyadh - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are battling a Saudi-led coalition, say they were behind the launch.
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Middle East
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A Yemeni TV station released footage of what it claimed was a Riyadh-bound missile
Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen, after a loud explosion was heard near Riyadh airport on Saturday evening.
The missile was destroyed over the capital and fragments landed in the airport area, officials quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency said.
A TV channel linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen said the missile was fired at the King Khalid International Airport.
The civil aviation authority said that air traffic was not disrupted.
Saudi forces have reported shooting down Houthi missiles in the past , though none has come so close to a major population centre.
"The missile was launched indiscriminately to target the civilian and populated areas," said Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.
"Shattered fragments from the intercepted missile landed in an uninhabited area of the airport and there were no injuries."
Witnesses reported seeing parts of the missile in the airport's car park, Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya reported.
Residents in the north of Riyadh said their windows were rattled by a loud blast on Saturday evening that was followed by the roar of low-flying aircraft.
The Houthi-run Saba News in Yemen said the missile had been a Burkan H2.
The rebel group is believed to have access to a stockpile of Scud ballistic missiles and home-grown variants. Saudi forces have previously brought them down with Patriot surface-to-air missiles bought from the US.
The Houthis fired a missile towards Riyadh in May, a day before US President Donald Trump was due to arrive in the city for a visit, but it was shot down 200km (120 miles) from the capital.
Yemen has been devastated by a war between forces loyal to the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.
Saudi Arabia is leading a campaign to defeat the Houthis, and is the biggest power in an international air coalition that has bombed the rebel group since 2015.
On Wednesday a suspected strike by the Saudi-led coalition killed at least 26 people at a hotel and market in northern Yemen, medics and local officials said.
The coalition, which rights groups say has bombed schools, hospitals, markets and residential areas, said it struck a "legitimate military target".
UN-brokered talks have failed to bring an end to the bloodshed in Yemen, which has claimed more than 8,600 lives and injured nearly 50,000 since the Saudi-led campaign began.
The conflict has also left 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is believed to have affected 884,000 people and caused 2,184 deaths.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41872995
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Paradise Papers: Queen's private estate invested £10m in offshore funds - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Duchy of Lancaster put cash in Cayman Islands and Bermuda funds in 2004-2005, leaked documents show.
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UK
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About £10m of the Queen's private money was invested offshore, leaked documents show.
The Duchy of Lancaster, which provides the Queen with an income, held funds in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.
A small amount ended up in the company behind BrightHouse, a chain accused of irresponsible lending, and Threshers, which went bust owing £17.5m in UK tax.
The Duchy said the BrightHouse holding now equates to £3,208 and it was not involved in fund investment decisions.
It added it had been unaware the stores featured in the investments.
The chief finance officer of the £500m estate, Chris Adcock, told the BBC: "Our investment strategy is based on advice and recommendation from our investment consultants and appropriate asset allocation...
"The Duchy has only invested in highly regarded private equity funds following a strong recommendation from our investment consultants."
A spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster added: "We operate a number of investments and a few of these are with overseas funds. All of our investments are fully audited and legitimate.
"The Queen voluntarily pays tax on any income she receives from the Duchy."
Details about the Duchy's investments came to light in the Paradise Papers - a leak of 13.4m documents from companies including Appleby, one of the world's leading offshore law firms.
The two funds were based in British overseas territories with no corporation tax and at the centre of the offshore financial industry.
But the Duchy said it was not aware there were tax advantages to it from investing in offshore funds, adding that tax strategy was not a part of the estate's investment policy.
The documents show the Duchy of Lancaster put £5m in the Jubilee Absolute Return Fund Limited in Bermuda in 2004, with the investment coming to an end in 2010.
In 2005 the Duchy agreed to put $7.5m (£5.7m) in the Dover Street VI Cayman Fund LP.
Documents show the fund invested in medical and technology companies.
The connection to rent-to-buy firm BrightHouse began in 2007 when the US company running the fund asked the Duchy to contribute $450,000 to five projects, including the purchase of the two UK High Street retailers.
This included an interest in London-based private equity firm Vision Capital, the company which acquired 100% of BrightHouse and 75% of the owners of Threshers off licence chain.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge says she is furious with those who advise the Queen
Under its new owners, Threshers' balance sheet was loaded with debt and it paid no corporation tax for two years. When the drinks retailer went bust in October 2009, almost 6,000 people lost their jobs.
The majority of Vision Capital's BrightHouse investment later ended up in a company based in Luxembourg and it began paying less corporation tax in the UK.
Last month, the UK's financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, said BrightHouse, which sells electrical goods and furniture predominantly to people on lower incomes via weekly installments, had not acted as a "responsible lender" and ordered it to pay £14.8m compensation to 249,000 customers.
The Duchy said its investment in the Cayman Islands fund is due to continue until 2019 or 2020 and amounts to 0.3% of the total value of the estate, while its interest in BrightHouse now equates to just 0.0006% of its wealth. The Duchy did not provide a figure for its interest in Threshers.
Vision Capital said it "complies with all laws and regulations and pays its tax in full and on time. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong".
The Paradise Papers' revelations over the Queen's finances are certainly embarrassing.
Many will also view the Duchy of Lancaster's offshore investments in BrightHouse and Threshers as dubious and inappropriate.
However, it is not a question of tax avoidance, but of judgement on behalf of her advisers.
The Queen is officially exempt from UK tax laws, but voluntarily pays her share of income tax on her £500m estate.
It is extraordinary and puzzling that her advisers could have felt that it was appropriate - for somebody whose reputation is based so much on setting a good example - to invest in these offshore funds.
There will be meetings and questions being asked within Buckingham Palace this morning as the monarchy finds its reputation tarnished by association.
The Duchy's 2017 annual report says it "gives ongoing consideration regarding any of its acts or omissions that could adversely impact the reputation of the Duchy or Her Majesty The Queen".
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, the former chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said she was "pretty furious" with the Queen's investment advisers, saying they were bringing her reputation into disrepute.
"It is so obvious that if you're looking after the money of the monarchy, you've got to be actually cleaner than clean and you must never go near the dirty world of money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion or actually making money in dubious ways," she said.
The business model of BrightHouse has long come under the spotlight.
A parliamentary report in 2015 said the company was charging interest rates of up to 94%. One in five customers were in arrears and one in 10 purchases ended in repossession. In one case examined by MPs and Lords, a Samsung freezer cost £644 to buy in John Lewis but £1,716 under a five-year plan from the chain.
BrightHouse was attracting attention at the time of the Duchy's investment - with the Financial Times challenging its chief executive in November 2008 to respond to accusations that the chain was "preying on the vulnerable".
The company maintains it is a responsible lender and through its 300 stores provides a services to millions of Britons who are unable to access up traditional lines of credit.
BrightHouse told the Guardian newspaper it follows all relevant tax regulations and pays its tax in full and on time.
Vision Capital announced it was acquiring the stakes in BrightHouse and Threshers in June 2007.
The offshore leaked documents show the Duchy of Lancaster was among 46 investors in the $312m Dover Street VI Cayman Fund LP.
In September 2007, investors were asked to pay 6% of their financial commitment into five investments, including "Project Bertie".
The investors were told Project Bertie was formed to take an interest in a company set up by Vision Capital to "acquire a portfolio of two retailers in the United Kingdom".
The Duchy of Lancaster's $450,000 commitment to the "capital call" is listed in the documents.
Another document shows the investment in Jubilee Absolute Return Fund.
Established more than 700 years ago, the Duchy of Lancaster has a commercial and residential property portfolio and financial investments.
Its main purpose is to provide income for the Queen, who is known as the "Duke of Lancaster".
Although the Duchy is not subject to tax, since 1993 the Queen has voluntarily paid tax on any income she receives.
The Duchy's annual report and accounts include a summary of its holdings and financial performance and are put before Parliament. The offshore investments were not referenced in the reports but there is no requirement for specific details of the Duchy's holdings to be disclosed.
Dave McClure, the author of a book about the wealth of the Royal Family, told the BBC "pressure will grow on the Duchy to open up to proper parliamentary scrutiny by the National Audit Office, which they've resisted for decades.
"The solution to the problem might be just full disclosure, so everyone knows what investments they're investing in."
The Duchy said the Queen "takes a keen interest in the Duchy's estates and tenants" but "appoints a chancellor and the Duchy Council to administer the affairs of Her Duchy. The chancellor delegates the oversight to the Duchy to the Council".
Investors in the Dover Street VI Cayman Fund LP made a commitment for a "given period" and are "not party to its ongoing investment decisions" or where money is "ultimately invested", it added.
Asked whether the Duchy had other investments in offshore funds, it said it "currently invests in a fund domiciled in Ireland".
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a government minister and sits in the cabinet, but plays a nominal role in running the estate. The current chancellor is Sir Patrick McLoughlin MP, the Chairman of the Conservative Party.
At the time the Duchy initially invested in the Dover Street VI Cayman Fund LP in September 2005, its chancellor was Labour MP John Hutton.
Ed Miliband was the chancellor of the Duchy at the time the call came to invest in the company taking over BrightHouse and Threshers. Coincidentally in 2016, the former Labour leader called for better regulation on buy-to-rent firms such as BrightHouse in a film for the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41878305
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Paradise Papers: Are we taming offshore finance? - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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It's very private and it's very big. But who uses it and should we try to stop them?
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Business
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Like the Cheshire Cat, it's hard to tame something that keeps disappearing and reappearing
The offshore finance industry puts trillions of dollars worldwide beyond the taxman's reach. Bringing it to heel is like taming a cat; not just a normal moggy - a thankless task in itself - but a Cheshire Cat: nebulous, hard to pin down, disappearing and reappearing when it likes.
No-one can actually agree on what a tax haven is. Or even on the name: one person's tax haven is another's "offshore financial centre". No-one can agree on how many there are. Nor on exactly how much money is stashed offshore. No statistics are fully reliable.
And this suits those who operate in offshore finance, from the owner of the wealth to the lawyer or accountant middlemen who manage the funds, to the often sun-kissed beaches of the jurisdictions where they are secluded or pass through. The industry's key word is privacy. Or secrecy - a word it doesn't like so much.
One adage cited by the taxation author and expert Nicholas Shaxson sums it up: "Those who know don't talk. And those who talk don't know."
But do we really not know how much is stashed offshore?
A report this September, co-authored by the economist Gabriel Zucman, estimates about 10% of global GDP - the way we measure the size of the world's economy - is held offshore, about $7.8tn (£6tn). The Boston Consulting Group reported it last year at about $10tn.
If you are thinking, wow, that's bigger than Japan's economy, you'd be right. But if you want a real wow, try $36tn - the estimate offered by James Henry, author of the book Blood Bankers. That's twice as big as the US economy.
And here's another wow. Remember the slogan "we are the 99%" coined by the Occupy movement to lambast the top 1% of the population for their disproportionate share of wealth? Well, the Zucman report says 80% of all offshore cash is owned by 0.1% of the richest households, with 50% held by the top 0.01%.
So if you read this and are thinking, if you can't beat them... quite frankly, it's unlikely you will ever join them. The management fees for the ordinary person will probably far outstrip the gains.
As Nicholas Shaxson told BBC Panorama: "At the very lowest end you'll have the middle classes doing little bits and pieces. But the large majority of what's going on, this is a game for rich people."
Surely we know some of how this works? The systems have a ring of familiarity - double taxation; tax inversion; trusts; shell companies etc. It's just we don't usually know who's in the schemes and what they are getting out of them.
The basic essence is rerouting money in one location where you don't like the taxation rules to another location - one that is stable and reliable - where there aren't as many, or any.
For example, if you want to protect your assets to stave off creditors, stick them in an offshore shell company. Hey presto, much harder to get at. Want to hide ownership of a property? Put it in a trust.
This is not illegal. There are many other schemes, legal, illegal and sometimes ethically debatable. But even within these categories there are many variables on what actually constitutes The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. After all, in the film with that name the ugly arguably wasn't as bad as the bad, and the good was hardly perfect.
True to their Cheshire Cat-like origins, offshore financial centres (OFCs) do not always appear where one might expect them.
That's because offshore, sorry to confuse you, is also onshore. This makes it impossible to pin down the global number of OFCs. It could be 50, 70 or more and new ones come and go.
The US and UK are arguably two of the biggest OFCs.
For example, setting up shell firms is easy in some US states, like Delaware.
And it's widely known that the City of London acts as the facilitating hub for Crown dependencies and overseas territories that channel trillions of offshore dollars.
The smaller, often island, nations are what Nicholas Shaxson calls "captured states".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Investigative journalist Nicholas Shaxson on why tax havens are ‘like captured states’
He told Panorama: "These places don't have a very deep pool of experienced people. They're just people who say, well we trust the accountants, we trust the lawyers to tell us what's best for our island and we'll do it."
So how does offshore defend itself?
Well, the jurisdictions say it's wrong to think there are banks in OFCs sitting on pots of gold - the money is simply being reinvested by companies - and that if there were no OFCs there would be no constraint on the tax rates governments might levy.
OFCs, they say, simply pump cash around the globe and the new transparency rules put in place over the past decade have severely limited tax evasion.
It's certainly wrong to lump all the OFCs together. Some are better regulated than others. Down at the murkier end, dealings in Panama were exposed by leaks last year.
But Bermuda's Bob Richards offered a stout defence of its financial services in an interview with Panorama carried out while he was still finance minister, citing a taxation system that had been in place for more than 100 years and adding that if other nations were losing out on tax they should sort their own systems out.
Bermuda, he says, has fully signed up to an international agreement that allows for the automatic transfer of tax information within governments and such a jurisdiction "cannot be a tax haven".
And Appleby, the financial services firm involved in these latest leaks, made the case for OFCs back in 2009, in the wake of the global crash.
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It said there was "no evidence OFCs played any role in the economic crisis", OFCs were "neither the source of - nor the destination for - criminal proceeds" and that OFCs "protect people victimised by crime, corruption, or persecution by shielding them from venal governments".
Of the latest leaks, the company said: "Many of the questions raise matters where - on any view - there is plainly no conceivable wrongdoing on the part of Appleby whatsoever."
OFCs say there are no secrets, just privacy. But Gerard Ryle, of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which oversaw this huge leak of financial documents, known as the Paradise Papers, dismisses this.
"The only product that the offshore world sells is secrecy and when you take away secrecy they don't have a product anymore," he told the BBC.
"Where you have secrecy, you have the potential for wrongdoing."
Whatever term you prefer, the elusive nature of offshore makes it hard to root out wrongdoing.
You could start an investigation into one firm or individual and be shuttled around from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, company to company, turning up a whole tranche of names on documents that are linked to no real owner, sometimes no real person, and lead absolutely nowhere.
You're probably also thinking, we've now had an awful lot of these financial leaks, haven't they changed anything?
Spin backwards to April 2016. The Panama Papers have just come out. Iceland's PM Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has resigned after the leaks showed he owned an offshore company with his wife.
Thousands are demonstrating in Reykjavik to vent anger at their politicians.
Some estimates put the protest numbers at 6% of the whole Icelandic population. That's like if 19 million people turned up to a protest in the US today.
But then travel over to Elektrostal, two hours east of Moscow. Resident Nadezhda is haranguing BBC reporter Steve Rosenberg. "All these 'investigations' are a waste of time and money. We know what you're up to. They're trying to rub Putin's face in the dirt," she says.
It kind of depends on where you are.
In the West, at least, people are questioning what high-net-worth individuals and multinationals can get away with.
Is it right that they can use loopholes to keep more of their cash? Or should it go to governments to spend on their people?
To be fair, governments have been tracking stashed cash since the 2008 global meltdown, independent of any financial leaks, although their talk has usually been tougher than their action.
Secrecy is now harder to achieve, transparency is greater. So-called country-by-country reporting, requiring multinationals to break down how they operate in different nations, has widened and public registries of companies have increased.
Even Russia brought in a law requiring the disclosure of offshore assets. The result? Since the law came in three years ago, dozens of the super-rich have given up Russian residency to avoid it.
There are also OFC blacklists mooted but, as Nicholas Shaxson says, the big players will make sure their operations are not on it and it will weed out only the minnows.
The offshore firms will "recalibrate", he says. "When legislation changes, you will have this ecosystem kind of readjusting and the money will shift to other places."
And wealth holders will readjust too. Pump cash into diamonds and artworks maybe? Or just go and actually live somewhere that charges low tax.
What makes this a vicious circle is that many governments are fully prepared to sanction offshore finance. Indeed, many people in government use it, as these leaks show.
And there is one thing we do know. If the super wealthy don't pay the taxes, the money has to come from everyone else.
Which to many may sound a bit mad, but as the Cheshire Cat says: "We're all mad here".
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41877924
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SNP minister Mark McDonald quits over 'previous actions' - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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MSP Mark McDonald steps down as childcare minister over behaviour seen as "inappropriate".
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Scotland politics
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A Scottish government minister has resigned over previous actions which he said were considered "inappropriate".
Mark McDonald, the SNP MSP for Aberdeen Donside, said he was stepping down from his role as childcare and early years minister.
He apologised and said his attempts to be "humourous" or "friendly" may have led others to become uncomfortable.
He is one of two SNP members currently being investigated by the party over possible misconduct.
It is understood the allegations against him are not criminal in nature. The other complaint being investigated by the SNP does not relate to a parliamentarian.
In a statement he said: "It has been brought to my attention that some of my previous actions have been considered to be inappropriate - where I have believed myself to have been merely humorous or attempting to be friendly, my behaviour might have made others uncomfortable or led them to question my intentions.
"My behaviour is entirely my responsibility and I apologise unreservedly to anyone I have upset or who might have found my behaviour inappropriate.
"In light of my position in government, I believe it would not be appropriate for me to continue to serve in my role in the Scottish government at this time and I have tendered my resignation as a minister.
"I hope that in taking this step neither any particular woman or my family will be the focus of undue and unwarranted scrutiny.
"It has been an honour to serve in the Scottish government and I will continue to serve my constituents in Aberdeen Donside to the best of my ability."
A cross party meeting has been held at Holyrood to discuss improved ways of tackling sexual harassment
A former Aberdeen City councillor, Mark McDonald was elected as a list MSP at Holyrood in 2011 and became a constituency MSP when he won the Aberdeen Donside by-election in 2013, following the death of Brian Adam.
The 37-year-old was responsible for a members bill on high hedge disputes, which passed unanimously at Holyrood. He was appointed a minister in May 2016.
Earlier this week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney both warned men - including those in the SNP - to reflect on their behaviour as allegations of sexual harassment reached Holyrood.
A spokesperson for the first minister said: "Mark has taken the right action in apologising and recognising that in his current role it would be inappropriate for him to remain in government.
"He will continue to make a valuable contribution to parliament as the MSP for Aberdeen Donside.
"As the deputy first minister told parliament earlier in the week it is right that men take responsibility for their behaviour and it is to Mark's credit that he has done so."
A confidential phone line has been launched and an anonymised survey is to be carried out to determine the extent of sexual harassment at the Scottish Parliament.
The measure was announced after Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh held an urgent meeting with representatives from each party including Nicola Sturgeon.
A Scottish government spokesperson said Mr McDonald tendered his resignation to the first minister on Saturday.
"The education secretary is responsible for all aspects of the education portfolio including those led by the minister for childcare and early years. The first minister will appoint a new minister in due course," the spokesperson added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-41872427
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Second teenager arrested over acid attack on London delivery driver - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The victim could lose his sight after being sprayed in the face by suspects who tried to steal his moped.
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London
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A delivery driver was attacked in Walthamstow by two males who were trying to steal his moped
A second teenager has been arrested over an acid attack that left a delivery driver critically injured.
The 32-year-old could lose his sight following the assault in Walthamstow, east London, on Thursday evening.
A 16-year-old was arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. A 14-year-old held on Friday has been released under investigation.
In another attack in Tottenham on Thursday, a second delivery driver had a corrosive substance thrown at him.
Police "strongly suspect" the attacks are linked, the BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.
He added that the victim in the first attack - who was injured as two males tried to steal his moped - had injuries to his throat, face, oesophagus and eyes and had been in an induced coma.
The first attack happened in Walpole Road, Walthamstow
Police said the suspects demanded he hand over his keys, and when he refused a struggle followed.
"This attack has left a man fighting for his life and with terrible eye injuries," Det Ch Insp Gordon Henderson said.
"This was an innocent man going about his work as a delivery driver, who may never see again."
In the second attack, two males approached a delivery driver on Yarmouth Crescent in Tottenham, north London, in a bid to steal his moped.
He was taken to hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41876104
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Twitter criticised for 'erasing' bisexual photos - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The social media platform is criticised for failing to show any photos under the bisexual hashtag.
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Newsbeat
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Twitter is being criticised for failing to show any photos under the bisexual hashtag.
Some are calling it bi-erasure, as photo results for "lesbian" and "gay" still exist.
Users are pointing out that when you search #bisexual, a message appears on the photos tab stating: "The term you entered did not bring up any results."
Twitter says there was no "erasure" and that there was an "error with the system that has been resolved".
The message a user gets when you type bisexual into the photo search field
Kate Harrad, of campaign group The Bisexual Index, tells Newsbeat that bisexual people have "historically been hypersexualised and associated with porn and promiscuity".
"Every bi-activist knows the problems of trying to search for bi-content on the web and some public wi-fi systems block it altogether, even when it's nothing to do with sex, because bisexual is seen as a dodgy word in itself.
"This is why Twitter needs to be very sensitive to any filtering that reduces access to bi content, and very aware of the problem of bisexual erasure."
It's not known whether the omission is connected to recent changes made to Twitter's rules around potentially sensitive material.
An update on 3 November listed new ways it was dealing with issues such as spam, graphic violence, adult content and abusive behaviour.
Currently, no photos show up regardless of whether the "hide sensitive content" button is checked or unchecked.
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/41868972
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Iraq War: Gordon Brown says UK 'misled' over WMDs - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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US intelligence was not shared before the UK joined the fight, the former PM says in his memoir.
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UK
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The UK was misled over former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's access to weapons of mass destruction, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said.
Mr Brown says US intelligence, which challenged the extent of Iraq's WMD stockpile, was not shared with the UK before it joined the Iraq War.
In an extract from his memoir, the ex-Labour leader says "we were not just misinformed, but misled".
Mr Brown says he became aware of the "crucial" paper after leaving office.
The Iraq War - which divided British public opinion - began in March 2003, with the conflict and its aftermath claiming the lives of 179 UK troops.
The UK joined the US-led invasion after both countries jointly accused Saddam Hussein of possessing weapons of mass destruction and having links to terrorism.
British intelligence from 2002, seen at the time by the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr Brown, suggested the country was capable of having such weapons.
"I was told they knew where the weapons were," Mr Brown writes.
"I remember thinking at the time that it was almost as if they could give me the street name and number where they were located."
But, Mr Brown says a report commissioned at the time by the then-US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "forcibly challenged" this view.
He said it suggested other intelligence had relied "heavily on analytic assumptions" rather than hard evidence, and disproved Iraq's capability to make weapons of mass destruction.
"If I am right that somewhere within the American system the truth about Iraq's lack of weapons was known, then we were not just misinformed but misled on the critical issue," he writes in My Life, Our Times.
A seven-year inquiry into the UK's involvement in the Iraq War found Saddam Hussein posed "no imminent threat" when the US and UK invaded.
The Chilcot report also concluded that "flawed" intelligence started the war.
According to Mr Brown, the UK may never have agreed to take part if the information had been shared.
"Given that Iraq had no usable chemical, biological or nuclear weapons that it could deploy and was not about to attack the coalition, then two tests of a just war were not met: war could not be justified."
Despite this, he did say some action was required due to the failure of Saddam Hussein complying with UN resolutions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41872701
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Paradise Papers: Queen's private estate invested £10m in offshore funds - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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About £10m of the Queen's private money was invested offshore, leaked documents show.
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About £10m of the Queen's private money was invested offshore, leaked documents show.
The Duchy of Lancaster, which provides the Queen with an income, held funds in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.
Find out more about the Paradise Papers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41880665
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Damian Green says computer porn allegations are 'political smears' - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Damian Green, a key ally of Theresa May, says claims by an ex-police officer are "completely untrue".
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UK Politics
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Damian Green said the allegations were from a "tainted and untrustworthy source"
Theresa May's most senior minister has denied a claim that police found pornography on a computer in his office during a raid in 2008.
First Secretary of State Damian Green said ex-police chief Bob Quick's claims in the Sunday Times were "completely untrue" and "political smears".
And he said police had never told him that any improper material had been found on a parliamentary computer.
Mr Quick said he "stood" by the claim and would take part in an inquiry.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Chris Pincher has resigned as a government whip and referred himself to police following newspaper allegations about his conduct made by a party activist.
The revelations are the latest in a growing sexual misconduct scandal in Westminster.
Chris Pincher is the MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire
On Sunday, further details emerged about allegations against Sir Michael Fallon, who this week resigned as defence secretary over his behaviour.
The Observer reported that he quit shortly after journalist Jane Merrick told Downing Street he had lunged at her and attempted to kiss her on the lips in 2003 after they had lunch together.
And Tory MPs Daniel Poulter, Stephen Crabb and Daniel Kawczynski have been referred to the Conservative Party disciplinary committee after media allegations about their conduct.
The allegation regarding Mr Green, who is effectively the prime minister's deputy, relates to an inquiry into Home Office leaks which briefly led to his arrest in 2008.
Daniel Poulter, Stephen Crabb and Daniel Kawczynski have faced questions about their professional conduct
Former Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick said on Sunday that his officers had found pornographic material on a computer in Mr Green's Commons office after they searched it as part of their controversial investigation - which resulted in no charges.
The ex-anti-terror chief said he had made an appointment to speak to a senior official in the Cabinet Office, which last week launched an inquiry into an unrelated allegation against Mr Green, to discuss the matter.
"I bear no malice to Damian Green," he told BBC News.
Mr Quick, who quit his role in 2009 after inadvertently revealing secret documents, accepted he had not asked officers to report the matter at the time, saying they "didn't expect to find the material" and were in the midst of a "very difficult inquiry with a lot of pressure to drop the case".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Andrew Marr asked Home Secretary Amber Rudd whether the centre of government was close to collapse
But Mr Green said "the allegations about the material and computer, now nine years old, are false, disreputable political smears", adding that they "amount to little more than an unscrupulous character assassination".
The Cabinet Office inquiry was triggered after journalist Kate Maltby, who is three decades younger than Mr Green, told the Times he "fleetingly" touched her knee during a meeting in a pub in 2015 and a year later sent her a "suggestive" text message after she was pictured wearing a corset in the newspaper.
Mr Green said any allegation that he made sexual advances to Ms Maltby was "untrue (and) deeply hurtful".
Two Tory MPs, Anna Soubry and Heidi Allen, have urged Mr Green to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation but Home Secretary Amber Rudd said her cabinet colleague had the right to defend himself.
"I do think that we shouldn't rush to allege anything until that inquiry has taken place," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr.
More generally, she said abuse of power could not be tolerated and there needed to be a "clearing out" of Westminster to get rid of any such behaviour.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Anna Soubry has said former Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was "responsible for his own downfall" amid fresh claims about his past behaviour.
Ms Merrick told the Observer she "shrank away in horror" when Sir Michael tried to kiss her when she was a 29-year-old reporter at the Daily Mail.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jeremy Corbyn says there must be change following recent revelations of sexual harassment
"I felt humiliated, ashamed. Was I even guilty that maybe I had led him on in some way by drinking with him?" she said. "After years of having a drink with so many other MPs who have not acted inappropriately towards me, I now know I was not."
Friends of Sir Michael have not denied the allegation, but the BBC understands that his ministerial career ended because he could not guarantee there would be no further revelations after he admitted repeatedly touching another journalist's knee at a conference dinner 15 years ago.
Ms Soubry praised the journalist's "outstanding bravery" in coming forward and said she had put her in touch with Downing Street after Ms Merrick had confided in her and Labour's Harriet Harman.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jane Merrick "outstandingly brave" for speaking out about Sir Michael Fallon - Conservative MP Anna Soubry
Theresa May, she added, must ensure an independent complaints system immediately so victims of harassment and those accused of misconduct did not have to undergo "trial by newspapers".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said this must be a "turning point" for how the whole political class behaves, telling activists that his party - under fire for how it has handled harassment and rape allegations - was not afraid to "shine a spotlight" on itself.
"We must say, no more. We must no longer allow women, or anyone else for that matter, to be abused in the workplace or anywhere else," he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41874026
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Harassment in politics gone on too long, says ex-advisor - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Political parties do not have the right procedures in place to tackle sexual harassment, it is claimed.
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Wales politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Cathy Owens says a male politician once tried to get into bed with her
The harassment of women in Welsh politics has gone on for some years, a former government advisor has said.
Cathy Owens, who runs political consultancy agency Deryn, spoke out about the issue and said a politician once tried to get into bed with her while staying overnight at her house.
She was speaking to Sunday Politics Wales about the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing Westminster.
Welsh party leaders will discuss the issue at the Senedd on Tuesday.
Ms Owens said party leaders had been told about inappropriate behaviour but no action had been taken, adding some male politicians were "sexual predators".
She said: "I was very early on in my career, this was an elected representative, I made clear that nothing was going to happen, he was staying in the spare room, and sometime later [I remember him] coming into my bedroom and trying to get into my bed.
"In another situation someone has come into the taxi that I'm going home in."
Ms Owens said action needed to be taken to tackle the harassment faced by women in Welsh politics, saying the parties did not have the right procedures in place.
"These aren't random men flirting with women," she said.
"Thankfully we are talking about a small number of men who have used their positions and are sexual predators, they have used their position in politics knowing that the parties will protect them."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mark Drakeford said sexual harassment at the assembly "must not be tolerated"
It comes as former AMs have also said the sexual harassment of women "goes on all the time" at the Welsh assembly.
Ex-politicians raised concerns about "a lack of procedures" and of colleagues "turning a blind eye to appalling behaviour".
The assembly said no formal sexual harassment allegations had been made against an AM.
One former AM spoke of a researcher who claimed she had woken up to find a male former assembly member undressing her.
The ex-AM also said they had to step in to physically stop a colleague from harassing another woman researcher.
Another former AM said it was difficult to report inappropriate behaviour in the assembly because it is such a small organisation.
"When you see someone behaving inappropriately, you're likely to know that person," they said.
"We tolerated things we shouldn't and turned a blind eye... but there wasn't a clear procedure for dealing with problems."
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said any allegations of sexual harassment at the assembly should be taken seriously and systems must be put in place to make sure such behaviour is not tolerated.
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said Ms Owens' experience made him "sick to the pit of his stomach" and such actions must "not be tolerated" in the future.
Labour said it had written to constituency secretaries and women's officers with specific guidance about reporting complaints of sexual harassment.
Plaid Cymru said it had put new infrastructure in place to deal with complaints more quickly and was reviewing its internal protocols and considering how it could strengthen them.
The Conservatives said they were "actively working with colleagues across the party to ensure that all the appropriate safeguards are in place to protect staff from harassment in all its forms".
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "There are clear guidelines on how to make a complaint and in cases where the complainant doesn't wish to disclose their identity the pastoral care officer can act as the de facto complainant".
UKIP said it was reviewing its safeguarding procedures to ensure the protection of all who work with the party.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-41872533
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George Bush Sr calls Trump a 'blowhard' and voted for Clinton - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The former president voted for Hillary Clinton, while his son casts doubt on Mr Trump's ability.
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US & Canada
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Both men, highly critical of Mr Trump, served as Republican presidents
Former US Republican President George Bush Sr has confirmed he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, labelling Donald Trump a "blowhard".
His son, George W Bush, said he worries that "I will be the last Republican president", even though President Trump is a Republican.
"This guy doesn't know what it means to be president," the younger man said.
The pair's comments come from a new book, titled The Last Republicans.
Preview excerpts from the book were published by US media outlets.
"Blowhard" is a casual term for a person who is boastful or blustering, the Oxford English Dictionary says, and it is usually meant as an insult.
"I don't like him. I don't know much about him, but I know he's a blowhard. And I'm not too excited about him being a leader," said George Bush Sr, who was president between 1989 and 1993.
He also told the author of the book, Mark Updegrove, that he felt Mr Trump ran for the presidency because he had "a certain ego", in remarks reported by US media outlets including CNN and the New York Times.
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George W Bush, adding to his remarks that Mr Trump "doesn't know what it means to be president," said "you can either exploit the anger, incite it, or you can come up with ideas to deal with it."
The younger Bush's comments are in keeping with a speech he gave in late October widely seen as a critique of the new president, though it did not name him.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, neither former president endorsed Donald Trump.
But in the new book, George Bush Sr confirmed that he voted for the rival party's candidate in Hillary Clinton.
George W Bush, however, said he simply left his presidential ballot blank.
George W Bush - pictured with Mrs Clinton at Mr Trump's inauguration - left his ballot blank
The book's title, Mr Updegrove told CNN, came from a remark made by George W Bush during the presidential election.
As the previous Republican president before Barack Obama took office, he told the author: "You know, I fear that I will be the last Republican president."
"And it wasn't just about Hillary Clinton becoming president, as the Republican Party was having a difficult time finding itself. It was because Donald Trump represented everything that the Bushes abhorred," Mr Updegrove told CNN.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders hit back at the former presidents in a statement.
"The American people voted to elect an outsider who is capable of implementing real, positive, and needed change - instead of a lifelong politician beholden to special interests," she said.
"If they were interested in continuing decades of costly mistakes, another establishment politician more concerned with putting politics over people would have won."
Meanwhile, former head of the Democratic National Committee, Donna Brazile, has claimed she seriously considered replacing Hillary Clinton with Vice-President Joe Biden as the party's presidential candidate during the campaign.
In extracts from her own book published by the Washington Post, she said Mrs Clinton's campaign had "the odour of failure" and alleges a huge array of failures and incidents of mismanagement within the party.
Ms Brazile was herself at the centre of a controversy when she fed the Clinton campaign a question in advance of a debate against Bernie Sanders during the race for the Democratic nomination.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41871958
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Girl, 7, found injured in Wimbledon house dies - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Robert Peters, 55, appeared before Wimbledon magistrates earlier charged with attempted murder.
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London
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Police were called to Blenheim Road in Wimbledon
A seven-year-old girl who was found with serious injuries in a house has died in hospital.
Robert Peters, 55, who is known to the child, appeared before Wimbledon magistrates earlier charged with attempted murder.
Emergency services were called to Blenheim Road in Wimbledon, south-west London, on Friday morning where they found the girl
She was taken to hospital where she died on Saturday morning, police said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41869537
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Brexit 'threat to UK broadcasting jobs', trade body warns - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Broadcasters warn of adverse effects to their industry unless a Brexit trade deal is reached with the EU.
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Business
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TV firms may have to move some operations abroad if there is no Brexit trade deal, the body for international broadcasters in the UK has warned.
It says thousands of jobs could potentially be at stake in the event of a "hard " Brexit, where the UK leaves the EU with no formal trade agreement.
The Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA) speaks for media networks such as Eurosport, Disney and Discovery.
The government says it "will work to get the right deal for broadcasters".
The UK dominates Europe's broadcasting sector, due to the availability of skilled employees and English being the dominant language in the industry.
Thanks to the country of origin principle, hundreds of international media organisations based in the UK can broadcast to anywhere in the EU.
Adam Minns, executive director of COBA, estimates that one in four jobs in the UK broadcasting sector is working exclusively, or in part, on an international channel.
He also says there is more than £500m a year invested in wages, overheads and technology.
"No [trade] deal would jeopardise the UK's status as Europe's leading international broadcasting hub," says COBA.
"International broadcasters based here would, reluctantly, be forced to restructure their European operations. No deal would put at risk thousands of jobs in the UK broadcasting sector, hundreds of millions of pounds of investment every year, and would undermine the sector's long-term global competitiveness.
"Like many sectors, broadcasters cannot wait until the cliff edge of March 2019 to make decisions about the future of their European businesses."
Media watchdog Ofcom recently said that Brexit was now one of the biggest challenges facing the sector.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam and Dublin are just two of the cities hoping to attract broadcasters.
However, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "The UK is currently the EU's biggest broadcasting hub, and the sector makes an important contribution to our thriving creative industries.
"During our negotiations with the EU we will work to get the right deal for broadcasters and will support their continued growth in the UK."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41875853
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Growing number of MPs under scrutiny over conduct claims - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ex-Tory ministers Daniel Poulter and Stephen Crabb are the latest to be investigated over their conduct.
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UK Politics
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A number of MPs are being investigated over allegations about their past conduct towards women.
Ex-ministers Daniel Poulter and Stephen Crabb are among Tory MPs to be referred to internal party inquiries.
One cabinet minister, Sir Michael Fallon, has already resigned while others have denied claims against them and remain in office.
Labour has suspended two MPs and is separately investigating an ex-official's allegation of rape.
The parties have begun a series of investigations under newly constituted procedures into alleged inappropriate behaviour in response to a series of press reports in the last week.
Other cases have been referred to the Cabinet Office and, in one case so far, to the police.
The First Secretary of State, who is Theresa May's effective deputy, is being investigated by the Cabinet Office over claims he "fleetingly" touched a female journalist's knee during a meeting in a pub in 2015 and a year later sent her a "suggestive" text message after she was pictured wearing a corset in a newspaper.
Mr Green said any allegation that he made sexual advances to Kate Maltby was "untrue (and) deeply hurtful".
It has also been claimed that pornography was found on the Ashford MP's computer during a 2008 police investigation into Home Office leaks which led the police to search Mr Green's Commons office.
The ex-police officer who led the inquiry, Bob Quick, has said he will co-operate with the Cabinet Office probe.
Mr Green said the allegations were "false", describing them as "disreputable political smears" and "amount to little more than an unscrupulous character assassination".
The MP for Dover has been suspended by his party after "serious allegations" against him were referred to the police. He says he is not aware of what the alleged claims are and denies any wrongdoing. He has said it is a "a denial of justice when people who have had allegations made against them, lose their job or their party whip without knowing what those allegations are".
The international trade minister is being investigated by the Cabinet Office for a potential breach of ministerial rules after he admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys. The MP for Wyre Forest also confirmed he called her "sugar tits", but said it did not amount to harassment. He has since apologised to his constituents but told the Kidderminster Shuttle that the remarks were reported out of context and did not amount to harassment.
The MP, who represents Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has been referred to the Conservative Party disciplinary committee after allegations in the Sunday Times.
He said he "denied all allegations of misconduct or inappropriate behaviour and will vigorously defend himself against any such claims".
The Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen told the BBC that he had made a formal complaint to party officials about Mr Poulter in 2010 which was not acted upon.
The veteran Tory MP resigned as defence secretary on 1 November, saying his conduct "fell short" of the standards expected by the UK military.
It followed a claim that he put his hand on female journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer's knee back in 2003.
After his resignation, other claims have since emerged about his conduct, with journalist Jane Merrick disclosing that he tried to kiss her following a lunch in 2003.
And Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the House of Commons, is reported to have complained to Downing Street about "lewd" comments that Sir Michael is alleged to have made, which he denies, while they were both members of the Treasury select committee.
After he quit, Sir Michael - who is not under formal investigation - told the BBC that behaviour which had been "acceptable 15, 10 years ago is clearly not acceptable now".
The BBC understands Sir Michael did not feel that he could necessarily account for every encounter in a long ministerial career without being able to guarantee no more revelations would emerge.
The former Welsh secretary is being investigated by the Conservative Party over newspaper claims that he sent "explicit" text messages to a 19-year-old woman after he interviewed her for a job in 2013.
The MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, who resigned from government last year amid reports that he had "sexted" another woman, has been referred to the party's disciplinary panel under the terms of its new code of conduct.
The MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham has been referred to the party's internal disciplinary committee following media reports, first broadcast by Channel 4 News, that he tried to set up a date between a visitor and a Commons researcher.
The MP told BBC Radio Shropshire there was no impropriety, saying he asked the woman to have coffee with a friend, she said no and that was the end of it. He has accused the media of a "febrile witch hunt".
Chris Pincher is the MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire
The MP for Tamworth has stepped down as a government whip and referred himself to police following allegations about his conduct in 2001 made by a party activist and reported by a Sunday newspaper.
The Luton North MP, 76, has been suspended after Labour activist Ava Etemadzadeh, 27, said he sent her inappropriate text messages and made inappropriate physical contact at a student event in 2014.
He says he "absolutely and categorically" denies the claims, describing instead what he said was a "brief, slight hug just before getting into my car".
Labour says Mr Hopkins was informally reprimanded about his behaviour in 2015 but the party faces questions about how he was briefly promoted in 2016 to the role of shadow culture secretary.
The Sheffield Hallam MP has had the party whip withdrawn and is being investigated for allegedly posting a series of misogynistic and homophobic messages on social media.
The 35-year-old apologised to Labour MPs for online remarks between 2002 and 2004, saying he had been on a "journey" since then.
He has denied some more recent claims, including making offensive remarks to a woman he met on a dating app in a bar in Sheffield.
A formal complaint has been made against the Norwich South MP by a woman who says he groped her at the party's annual conference.
The former shadow defence secretary is alleged to have hugged her and squeezed her bottom. Mr Lewis is "vigorously" disputing the allegation, telling the BBC "it's just not how I roll, it's not what I do".
He suggested the encounter may have been "misinterpreted" and he would never have "deliberately" done what was alleged.
Ivan Lewis said he had "never made non-consensual sexual comments or sexual advances to women"
Labour is investigating a complaint made against the Bury South MP, who has been suspended by the party. Mr Lewis said he was "deeply saddened" by the move and "strongly disputes" the allegation. He had previously denied making any "non-consensual sexual comments or sexual advances towards women" after Buzzfeed News reported allegations that he had touched a woman's leg and invited her to his house at a Labour Party event in 2010. He has said he was sorry if his behaviour towards women he worked with had made anyone feel "awkward".
Carl Sargeant was found dead four days after being sacked
The Welsh Assembly member quit as secretary for communities and children in the Welsh government after allegations about his conduct. He urged a full inquiry to "clear his name" but was found dead four days after he was sacked. It is understood he took his own life. An inquiry will look into how Wales's First Minister Carwyn Jones handled the allegations.
An independent investigation is under way after Labour activist Bex Bailey said that she had been raped at a party event in 2011 and discouraged by a senior official from reporting the attack.
Ms Bailey, who was 19 at the time, said she had been told reporting the matter might "damage" her career.
Labour's response to the incident, which did not involve an MP, is the subject of an investigation by the QC Karon Monaghan.
The MSP said she was sexually assaulted by a senior male colleague at a party in 2013.
She told the Sunday Mail she was groped at a social event in front of several witnesses. She said she made an initial complaint to Scottish Labour but decided not to progress with it because she felt she would not be believed.
Mark McDonald MSP has quit as childcare and early years minister over previous actions which he said were considered "inappropriate".
He is being investigated by the SNP for possible misconduct. It is understood the allegations are not criminal in nature.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41877151
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Driver describes scene of Texas church shooting - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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A driver describes the scene as emergency services attend a Texas church shooting.
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Driver Jordan Steubing describes the scene as emergency services attend a mass shooting in Texas.
A gunman is believed to have opened fire at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.
Police told the outlet there were "multiple victims" and the gunman had been killed in the aftermath.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41879384
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Sutherland Springs: Texas church shooting leaves 26 dead - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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A gunman opened fire at a church in Sutherland Springs in the worst mass shooting in state history.
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US & Canada
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At least 26 people have been killed and 20 others wounded after a gunman opened fire at a Texas church during a Sunday service.
The attack happened at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a small town in Wilson County. The victims' ages ranged from five to 72.
The suspected gunman was later found dead in his vehicle some miles away.
Police identified him only as a "young, white male" but US media named him as Devin Patrick Kelley, 26.
Kelley is reported to have been discharged from the US air force in 2014 following a court martial for assaulting his wife and child.
The motive for the killings was not immediately clear.
A candlelit vigil was held for victims of the shooting in Sutherland Springs
Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Freeman Martin said the attacker, dressed all in black and wearing a bulletproof vest, opened fire with a Ruger assault rifle outside the church at around 11:30 local time (17:30 GMT) and then went inside.
As the gunman left the church, a local citizen grabbed his own rifle and began shooting at the suspect, who then dropped his weapon and fled in a vehicle.
The citizen pursued the suspect, who eventually drove off the road and crashed his car at the Guadalupe County line.
At 01:30, Chris Speer was still sitting on his porch, sucking his cigarette in the dark. Fourteen hours earlier he was in the same place, with his 11-month-old son, when he heard "close to 30 shots".
"Your first instinct, you're out in the country, you think someone is shooting, practising," he says. "But it was too close. I knew something wasn't right."
He took his son inside. "If I could have got my gun, I would have," he says. "But when you've got a kid in your hands, I'm not risking it. He wouldn't let go."
Mr Speer didn't know the attacker but he knew "a lot" of the victims. "We're a small community. We band together. But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
Police found the man dead in his car but it is unclear if he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from injuries received when fired on by the local citizen. The car contained several weapons.
Mr Martin added: "We have multiple crime scenes. We have the church, outside the church. We have where the suspect's vehicle was located.
"We have been following up on the suspect and where he's from. We have Texas Rangers at all the hospitals locating those and interviewing those who were injured."
One man has told how he chased the gunman after seeing "two men exchanging gunfire" outside the church. Speaking to local TV station Ksat.com, Johnnie Langendorff said a "gentleman came and said we need to pursue him. And that's what I did, I just acted".
Mr Langendorff said the pair were driving at speeds of up to 95mph (153km/h) until the gunman lost control of his car and crashed.
Governor Greg Abbott, confirming the death toll, said it was the worst mass shooting in the history of Texas.
"This will be a long, suffering mourning for those in pain," he said at a news conference on Sunday.
The First Baptist Church's pastor, Frank Pomeroy, told ABC News his 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, was among those killed.
Mr Pomeroy, who was in Oklahoma at the time of the attack, described her as "one very beautiful, special child" in a phone call to the television outlet.
At least 10 victims, including four children, were being treated at the University Health System in nearby San Antonio, the hospital said in a tweet.
The authorities could not confirm the names of any victims as they continued to work through the crime scene, Sheriff Joe Tackitt said.
Officials said 23 people were found dead inside the church while two people were fatally shot outside. Another died in hospital, the authorities say.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After the Las Vegas attack in October 2017 the BBC looked at how US mass shootings are getting worse
One witness, Carrie Matula, told NBC News: "We heard semi-automatic gunfire… we're only about 50 yards away from this church.
"This is a very small community, so everyone was very curious as to what was going on."
Sutherland Springs, which has a population of about 400, lies about 30 miles (50km) south-east of the city of San Antonio.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A guide to the weapons available in the US and the rate at which they fire
President Donald Trump, on a tour of Asia, said the gunman was "a very deranged individual" and denied that guns were to blame for the shooting.
"We have a lot of mental health problems in our country, but this isn't a guns situation," he said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump: 'We cannot begin to imagine the suffering'
The shooting comes just a month after a gunman in Las Vegas opened fire on an outdoor music festival, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41880511
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Trump pledges US resolve on Japan leg of Asia tour - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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He spoke to troops at a base in Japan at the start of his marathon Asian tour.
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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. President Donald Trump addresses US troops at the Yokota air base in Japan
US President Donald Trump said no nation should underestimate American resolve, as he arrived in Japan at the start of a marathon Asian tour.
Addressing US troops at Yokota air base near Tokyo, he pledged to ensure the military had the resources needed to keep peace and defend freedom.
He later told the Japanese prime minister he thought the two countries had never been closer.
It will be the longest tour of Asia by a US president in 25 years.
It comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea over its nuclear programme and missile tests.
"No-one, no dictator, no regime... should underestimate American resolve," President Trump told cheering US and Japanese troops shortly after his arrival in Japan.
Before touching down, he told reporters on board Air Force One that he expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip.
"I think it's expected we'll meet with Putin," he said. "We want Putin's help on North Korea."
Mr Abe met Mr Trump fresh from his re-election last month
Speaking after talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mr Trump said: "The relationship is really extraordinary.
"We like each other and our countries like each other, and I don't think we've ever been closer to Japan than we are right now."
Earlier the two leaders played golf, when they were joined by Hideki Matsuyama, one of the world's top players - as the president mentioned in a tweet.
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The US First Lady, Melania Trump, spent time with Akie Abe, the Japanese prime minister's wife, who showed her Japanese cultured pearls at shop in Tokyo's Ginza district.
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Stops in South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines are also on the itinerary in the coming week.
En route to Japan, the president stopped in Hawaii where he visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor - the scene of the 1941 Japanese attack that drew the US into World War Two.
He also took part in a briefing at the US Pacific Command.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Japanese women think of Ivanka Trump
Mr Trump has previously exchanged some fiery rhetoric with North Korea over its ballistic missile tests but aides said earlier this week that he would not go to the heavily fortified demilitarised zone (DMZ) on the border between the South and North.
He is, however, to visit Camp Humphreys, a US military complex south of the capital, Seoul.
In Vietnam, Mr Trump will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Da Nang and make a state visit to Hanoi.
His final engagement is scheduled to be a summit of South-East Asian nations in the Philippine capital, Manila, on 13 November but the trip has now been extended by an extra day so he can attend the East Asia Summit.
The last time a US president made such a marathon trip to Asia was when George HW Bush visited the region in late 1991 and early 1992.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41867437
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Ipswich Hospital: Child patient returns as physiotherapist - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Lauren Culley, 22, spent a large part of her childhood at the hospital. Now she works there.
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A physio has returned to hospital where she was treated as a child.
Lauren Culley, 22, spent a large part of her childhood at Ipswich Hospital after being diagnosed with congenital dislocation of the hip, aged two, and then juvenile arthritis, aged seven.
The former University of Hertfordshire student has now returned to the hospital as a child's physio to give others the "positive experience" she received.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-41858294
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Sexual harassment claims are 'no witch hunt', says Harman - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Labour MP Harriet Harman says change is "overdue" following sexual abuse allegations in Westminster.
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UK Politics
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Labour MP Harriet Harman has told BBC News that the string of allegations of sexual abuse and harassment against MPs is not a witch hunt.
She said: "There are a lot of men saying this has been blown out of all proportion, it's a witch hunt. No, it's not a witch hunt, it's long overdue."
Her comments follow the suspensions of a Conservative and a Labour MP.
Meanwhile, SNP MSP Mark McDonald has quit as a Scottish government minister over "inappropriate" behaviour.
In a statement he said it had been brought to his attention that some of his "previous actions have been considered to be inappropriate".
"I apologise unreservedly to anyone I have upset or who might have found my behaviour inappropriate," Mr McDonald, who represents Aberdeen Donside at Holyrood, said.
Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke and Labour's Kelvin Hopkins were suspended from their parties on Friday, while Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon resigned earlier this week.
On Saturday morning, Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet, urged people "not to rush to judgement", telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he believes the scandal is turning into a "witch hunt".
"I don't think there's anybody who would seek to defend rape or sexual abuse in the context there's no proof that I can see yet of any wrongdoing. How does a member of Parliament refute that?"
On Friday, the Conservatives published a new code of conduct and are immediately adopting a new complaints procedure.
Mrs May is also meeting opposition party leaders on Monday to discuss proposals to bring forward a new grievance system for Westminster staff and MPs.
Ms Harman, the former Labour deputy leader, said that she thought Prime Minister Theresa May took "very bold action" in relation to Sir Michael's resignation.
Sir Michael, who quit office on Wednesday saying his general conduct fell short of expected standards, has "categorically denied" allegations over his conduct.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The scandal is turning into a "witch hunt", says Tory MP
Ms Harman told BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster that Mrs May's actions have made her "hopeful" that the parties can work together to change standards.
She said people were put off from making complaints for fear of being disloyal to their party and "helping" the other side. But now, she said, "there's a bigger fight".
"We're all tribal beasts, that's why we're there [in parliament] and that has dampened down any ability to speak out," she said. "I think that's changed after this week."
Ms Harman said that Parliament has a "sea change opportunity" to address the issue - and to help those who speak out.
She added: "If you point your finger at a powerful man, they won't just sit there, they will fight back. So there will be some backlash about this amongst the corridors [of Westminster]."
On Friday, Charlie Elphicke, a former party whip who has been the Conservative MP for Dover since 2010, was suspended by the party after "serious allegations" were referred to the police.
Denying 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."
Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Kelvin Hopkins are being investigated by the party over allegations about their behaviour.
But Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale told BBC Radio 4: "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. I was groped and flashed at - Emily Thornberry
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".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour's shadow chancellor says Parliament must 'give women the confidence to work in safety'
Alongside the new code of conduct and complaints procedure, the Conservatives have set up a a hotline for reporting potential breaches and a more detailed investigatory process.
Labour has introduced a new complaints procedure, while the Liberal Democrats continue to review their complaints procedures.
Labour's shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said any complaints system has to apply to all political parties, and must be "fair and objective".
"There should be an element of independence [in the system], particularly for support as well, so people can feel confident about where they can report these things and at the same time how it can be dealt with."
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-41870120
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Fireworks display in Amesbury injures 14 - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Hotel in Amesbury apologises after display goes wrong and fireworks shoot into a crowd.
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A display box at a fireworks event in Wiltshire malfunctioned sending projectiles towards the crowd.
Ambulance crews treated 14 people for minor injuries after the display at the Antrobus Arms in Amesbury.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41877333
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Live: Paradise Papers: Tax haven secrets of the super-rich exposed - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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A massive leak exposes how the powerful and wealthy secretly invest vast amounts of cash offshore.
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World
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We are going to finish our coverage at the end of day three of the Paradise Papers revelations.
The huge trove of leaked documents has made headlines around the world on the offshore financial affairs of hundreds of politicians, multinationals, celebrities and high-net-worth individuals.
Here are today's top stories so far:
• Prince Charles campaigned to alter climate-change agreements without disclosing his private estate had an offshore financial interest in what he was promoting
• An entrepreneur charged with managing the oil wealth of the struggling African state of Angola was paid more than $41m in just 20 months
• The Isle of Man has rejected claims it is a tax haven, saying it doesn't welcome those "seeking to evade or aggressively avoid taxes"
They came after a wave of stories on Monday, including:
• Apple has protected its low-tax regime by using the Channel Island of Jersey
• Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton avoided tax on his £16.5m luxury jet, the papers suggest
• A Lithuanian shopping mall partly owned by U2 star Bono is under investigation for potential tax evasion
• How three stars of the hit BBC sitcom, Mrs Brown's Boys, diverted more than £2m into an offshore tax-avoidance scheme
And the stories on day one revealed:
• The Queen's private estate invested about £10m offshore including a small amount in the company behind BrightHouse, a chain accused of irresponsible lending
• One of President Donald Trump's top administration officials kept a financial stake in a firm whose major partners include a Russian company part-owned by President Vladimir Putin's son-in-law
• Lord Ashcroft, a former Conservative party deputy chairman, has denied allegations he ignored the rules around how his offshore investments were managed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-41879690
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Paradise Papers: Tax revelations hit Canada PM Justin Trudeau's fundraiser - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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A key aide of Canada's PM is linked to schemes that may have cost the nation millions, the Paradise Papers show.
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US & Canada
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A key aide of Canada's PM is linked to offshore schemes that may have cost the nation millions of dollars in taxes, the Paradise Papers show.
The revelations may embarrass Justin Trudeau, who has campaigned against tax havens.
The leaks pose questions about the actions of Stephen Bronfman, chief fundraiser for Mr Trudeau's Liberal Party as well as ex-senator Leo Kolber.
Lawyers for them said no deals had tried to evade tax and all were legal.
Canadian broadcaster, CBC, and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) have been spearheading this investigation as part of the Paradise Papers leaks.
They said a trove of documents found in the files of Appleby, the offshore law firm that is the main source of the leaks, suggested that Mr Bronfman's investment firm, Claridge, had for more than 20 years moved millions offshore for the Kolber family.
Stephen Bronfman is not only a key aide to Mr Trudeau, he is a close friend and was central to his rise to power.
He helped raise cash for Mr Trudeau's party leadership battle in 2013 and was then asked to turn around the Liberal Party's financial fortunes.
The key revelations in the Paradise Papers concern a Cayman Islands trust which Claridge runs for Leo Kolber.
Mr Kolber, a retired senator originally appointed by Mr Trudeau's father, Pierre, was the chief Liberal Party fundraiser for many years, earning the nickname "Bagman". He has had longstanding links with the Bronfman family - one of Canada's most illustrious - and is Stephen's godfather.
Mr Kolber's home was used in September last year for a Liberal Party fundraising event co-hosted by Stephen Bronfman.
Stephen Bronfman (right) with his father Charles
The Bronfmans are one of Canada's most illustrious families.
Samuel Bronfman, Stephen's grandfather, founded Seagram, once the largest alcohol distiller in the world.
Samuel's son Charles - Stephen's father - is worth an estimated $2.3bn, while Stephen's cousin Edgar Jr engineered the disastrous sale of Seagram to Vivendi in 2000, losing the family billions.
Stephen, born in 1963, took over the private equity firm Claridge, of which he is still executive chairman, in 1997 and initially kept a lower profile.
In 2013, Justin Trudeau turned to him to raise money for his Liberal Party leadership bid. After winning, Mr Trudeau asked him to turn around the party's financial fortunes. Mr Bronfman has said Mr Trudeau is "very, very saleable".
In March 2016, he joined Mr Trudeau on his first state visit as PM - to President Barack Obama.
The Liberal Party told CBC and the ICIJ that Mr Bronfman's role was as a volunteer on its National Board and that although it was grateful for his contribution, his role was non-voting and did not involve policy decisions.
The document trail raises significant questions about activities surrounding the Kolber Trust, which was set up in 1991 in the Cayman Islands, with Mr Kolber's son, Jonathan, and his "legitimate issue" as its beneficiaries.
Millions of dollars were transferred into the Claridge-run trust, much of it in loans from the Bronfman family.
The leaked documents show some of the Bronfman loans were made without interest, which many tax officials see as a red flag suggesting possible tax avoidance.
In one case, the ICIJ found a C$4.1m ($3.1m) loan from a US-based Bronfman trust to the Kolber Trust that it says would appear to have required interest payment under US law.
Leo Kolber was a former Liberal Party fundraiser who earned the nickname "Bagman"
Jonathan Kolber's investment adviser tells Mr Kolber that if he pays the interest, Claridge will find a way to "make him whole", suggesting Mr Kolber send the company an invoice for unspecified "services rendered" in exactly the same amount.
Tax expert Marwah Rizqy told CBC this was the "smoking gun" because, if true, "that means it's not a real debt".
However, lawyers for Mr Kolber and Mr Bronfman told the ICIJ that "non-interest bearing loans by a US person do not violate US law. Rather, in certain circumstances, there is a deemed interest concept".
This is a complex concept that deals with interest on a loan that is deemed to have been received even though it has not. It usually involves a profits adjustment made by tax authorities in the lender's country.
Another question that was raised concerns the nature of trusts. One fundamental rule is that decisions about them are made by trustees offshore.
Tax experts told CBC that if too many decisions were being made in Canada, tax authorities there would question the offshore nature of the trust and it could be liable for taxes dating back to its foundation.
CBC said it had found a number of instances of attempts to reduce the Canada link.
One document says an invoice to Montreal-based investment adviser Don Chazan "should be treated as personal expenses and not expenses of the trusts... This results in one less formal link between the trusts and entities outside Cayman".
When earlier interviewed by CBC about who ran the Kolber Trust, Jonathan Kolber had said that Mr Chazan was "the adviser. He's the guy who made the decisions".
However, the Kolber and Bronfman lawyers told the ICIJ that the Kolber Trust was run from the Cayman islands and that Mr Chazan "was certainly never the directing mind of the Trust".
Another trail concerns Lynn Kolber Halliday, Jonathan's sister and another Kolber Trust beneficiary.
As a US citizen the money sent to her could trigger taxes. Her name was later taken off the trust.
She would "be taken care of in other ways than through the trust", one document reads.
The Israel-based Jonathan "will arrange to make gifts to her instead of the trust making the present distributions to her".
The Kolber and Bronfman lawyers told the ICIJ: "Personal gifts are a customary mode of financial assistance."
They added that "none of the transactions or entities at issue were effected or established to evade or even avoid taxation" and that they "were always in full conformity with all applicable laws and requirements".
Any tax avoidance would reflect badly on a party that has set out its stall on preventing it and on fair taxation.
Back in March, Mr Trudeau had vowed to do a "better job of getting tax avoiders".
He was responding to a CBC/Radio-Canada investigation that showed a number of wealthy Canadians were apparently linked to shell companies on the Isle of Man.
"It is absolutely unacceptable that there be people not paying their fair share of taxes," he said. "It's something we continue to take very, very seriously."
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41877065
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Psychiatrist vacancies 'double in four years' in England - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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One in 10 consultant roles is currently unfilled in England, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
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Health
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Mental health is becoming more of a priority on the health agenda
One in 10 consultant psychiatrist roles is currently unfilled in NHS organisations in England, says a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
It says the number of unfilled posts has doubled in the past four years.
Wales is also struggling to fill posts, with vacancies of 9%, while Scotland and Northern Ireland have vacancy rates of 6% and 2% respectively.
The college called the vacancies "frankly alarming" and said they increased waiting times for patients.
Prof Wendy Burn, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the current situation meant patients might be waiting months to see a psychiatrist, during which time they could be getting worse.
She said it was "a scandal" because if you had cancer you would expect to see a cancer specialist.
"Patients won't get the care they need. Some will have been plucking up the courage to go to their GP, and then there is no-one to see them when they are referred," she said.
Prof Burn said the rise in vacancies was down to the difficulty in recruiting psychiatrists.
At the same time, more posts were being created for consultant psychiatrists as mental illness moved up the health agenda, but there were no specialists to fill them, she said.
She said medical schools need to broaden their pool of applicants in order to get more psychiatrists into the workplace.
"We are keen that medical schools should take in people studying psychology A-level - because they will be more likely to end up as psychiatrists."
It takes 13 years to train as a consultant psychiatrist.
The report found the situation was worst for psychiatrists in England who specialise in treating children or older people.
In both specialities, the vacancy rates doubled from roughly 6% in 2013 to 12% in 2017.
The findings are supported by a recent review by the Care Quality Commission which found young people are facing long waiting times and unequal access to mental health services.
Saffron Cordery, from NHS Providers, said the shortages were "deeply worrying".
"The government's laudable ambition to improve mental health services will only be realised if we have the right workforce with the right skills in the right place."
The Welsh Government said there was a need for more doctors to choose psychiatry as a specialty.
It said it was spending more on mental health services than any other part of the NHS.
• None 'Not enough psychiatrists across UK'
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41860343
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Woman's deliberate scratch snares Watford burglar - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A court hears Annie-Laure Promonet "made it her aim" to obtain Marvyn Mulvey's DNA.
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Beds, Herts & Bucks
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Annie-Laure Promonet managed to hang on to her laptop during the burglary
A woman said she deliberately scratched a burglar while he was trying to steal her laptop in order to get his DNA.
Annie-Laure Promonet, 42, found a man in her home in Watford, Hertfordshire, on 22 July and attempted to stop him.
Police were able to take scrapings from under her fingernails and found traces of tissue from Marvyn Mulvey, 40.
Mulvey admitted burglary and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for seven and a half years at St Albans Crown Court on Friday.
Prosecutor Richard Jones told the court Ms Promonet had "made it her aim" to scratch Mulvey to obtain his DNA.
After the hearing, Ms Promonet said: "I thought I had to see his face, see if I could get his DNA, while all the time trying to memorise the clothes he was wearing.
"I didn't have time to panic. Maybe if I'd had a few more seconds then I would have realised it was a dangerous thing to do."
Marvyn Mulvey was jailed for seven and a half years
During the burglary, Mulvey used a wine bottle to beat Ms Promonet to the floor, leaving her with bruising to her body and head injuries.
She managed to hold on to her laptop, but Mulvey took a key to her flat and left.
He was later traced through his DNA and was arrested.
Judge Graham Arran said Ms Promonet had shown a "very cool head" during the burglary.
"She did what was was necessary to bring this defendant to justice and showed enormous bravery in preventing him escaping from her flat," he said.
At a crown court ceremony, Ms Promonet will be given an award of £350 out of public funds for her bravery.
In a letter to the judge, Mulvey apologised and said: "What I have put her though, no-one should have to go through."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-41872232
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Social media giants have 'moral duty' to tackle child abuse - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Paedophiles are targeting gaming platforms used by children, Home Secretary Amber Rudd says.
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UK Politics
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Tech companies need to do more to combat the "exponential" growth in child sexual exploitation online, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said.
Ms Rudd said internet giants have a "moral duty" to act and need to work with smaller platforms used by child gamers where paedophiles operate.
She is to meet counterparts in the US government to discuss the issue.
The tech companies have said they are doing their utmost to keep their young users safe.
During Ms Rudd's trip she will attend a roundtable discussion joined by tech companies including Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
The home secretary will welcome work that has been done to tackle online child sexual abuse, but will also say that more needs to be done at a "far greater pace" across the technology industry.
Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday, Ms Rudd said: "We've seen the real growth of child sexual exploitation internationally, and we're going to make sure that we work with the Americans to take action against it.
"We need to make sure [tech companies] put their technical know how into addressing it.
"Particularly working with smaller platforms where children go to game online, to meet each other; there are paedophiles working there.
"We need to make sure that internet companies work with us, in partnership, to change this."
Ms Rudd's comments come as new government figures show there was a 700% increase in the number of indecent images identified on technology company servers and flagged to law enforcement agencies between 2013 and 2017.
Each month there are more than 400 arrests for indecent images of children offences in the UK and some 500 children are being protected from online sexual exploitation, the government said.
Ms Rudd will also raise concerns about the use of messaging websites and apps, as well as video and image apps and websites, during her trip.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41874021
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FA Cup: Oxford City, Maidstone and Boreham Wood cause upsets in first round - BBC Sport
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2017-11-05
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Non-league sides Oxford City, Maidstone and Boreham Wood knock out Football League opposition in the FA Cup.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Oxford City, Maidstone United and Boreham Wood caused the biggest upsets in Saturday's FA Cup first round.
Oxford, who are one place off the bottom of the National League South, were 1-0 winners at League Two side Colchester United as they ended a 48-year wait to reach round two for a second time.
Fifth-tier Maidstone pulled off a famous 4-2 win at League Two side Cheltenham Town, while their National League counterparts Boreham Wood came from a goal down to beat League One Blackpool 2-1 - their first win over an EFL side.
The lowest-ranked side guaranteed a second-round tie are seventh-tier Hereford FC after they beat AFC Telford United 1-0 in front of a capacity crowd at Edgar Street.
Their Southern Premier League rivals Slough Town, who are two places above the Bulls in their league, had an impressive 6-0 win at National League North side Gainsborough Trinity thanks in part to a Matthew Lench hat-trick.
Meanwhile, four League Two sides got the better of League One opposition, National League Tranmere Rovers earned a replay after a 1-1 draw at League One Peterborough United and their fifth-tier counterparts AFC Fylde made the second round for the first time in their history following a 4-1 win over sixth-tier Kidderminster Harriers.
If you had been popping out of the Ashmolean museum and sauntering down Magdalen Street on Friday morning, you probably would have expected the better-known of Oxford's two clubs to be the one to progress into round two.
League One United famously won the League Cup in 1986 and once made the FA Cup quarter-finals - but they were sent packing at League Two Port Vale on Friday night, leaving City to carry the ancient seat of learning's FA Cup hopes.
The task looked daunting for a side without a league win since the middle of August as they travelled to a Colchester side in mid-table in League Two.
• None Watch all of the latest FA Cup highlights and reaction here
But step-up journeyman striker Matt Paterson - the 28-year-old has had spells at nine other clubs including Southampton, Southend, Stockport County and Burton Albion - to score the only goal and earn his side a place in round two for the first time since 1969, and temporary bragging rights over their cross-town rivals.
So near, but oh so far
For every FA Cup dream story there is also one of heartbreak.
And was any side more gutted on Saturday than Ebbsfleet United?
Going into first-half stoppage time they were 2-0 up at home to League One Doncaster Rovers. But Matty Blair and John Marquis scored in three first-half stoppage-time minutes to bring Doncaster level and four more after the break ensured an emphatic 6-2 scoreline.
Harry Kewell, meanwhile, won the cup in 2006 with Liverpool - the famous 'Gerrard final' - but his managerial debut at Crawley Town has proved tough with the side just two points above the League Two relegation zone.
Crawley, who famously made the fifth round in 2011 and lost to the other Red Devils - Manchester United - have a decent cup pedigree.
They travelled to 2013 winners Wigan Athletic and took a 20th-minute lead, but nine minutes later the Latics levelled and Lee Evans added a winner for Wigan with 19 minutes to go.
Barnet also had a giant-killing in their eyes after going 1-0 up at Blackburn Rovers. But three goals in the final half hour ensured the 1995 Premier League champions and six-time FA Cup winners made Monday's second-round draw.
West Ham fans may remember Zavon Hines, and so will Cheltenham supporters after they were humbled 4-2 at home by his current National League club Maidstone United.
A contemporary of players such as Mark Noble, Junior Stanislas and James Tomkins - who have all gone on to successful top-flight careers - Hines never really made the grade with the Hammers.
Despite playing for England Under-21s and scoring on his Hammers debut as a 19-year-old in the League Cup, the forward never managed to establish himself and has toured a host of clubs in the top four divisions.
Before this season he had only scored 14 goals in more than nine and a half years, but since moving to Maidstone the Jamaica-born striker, who is now 28, has been a changed man.
He has scored eight times in his past 11 games, including his first and second FA Cup goals - the second in Maidstone's famous win on Saturday.
The victory put them into the second round for the second time in four seasons.
While the rest of Mansfield's squad got on the bus for the 40-mile trip from Field Mill to Barnsley-based Shaw Lane, Danny Rose's journey was a lot shorter.
Barnsley-born Rose, who began his career with the town's Championship side, lives just five minutes away from the Northern Premier League club and made his own way to the ground.
And it was a short journey to success for the striker, who scored two excellent goals to help Mansfield to a 3-1 win, including a spectacular scissor kick.
In fact, he scored twice as many FA Cup goals in a five-minute period at Shaw Lane than he managed during his three-year spell at Oakwell.
His one Barnsley cup goal was a winner when the Tykes beat Burnley 1-0 in 2013.
You cannot mention the FA Cup and Hereford without mentioning Ronnie Radford.
Sign up for the 2017 FA People's Cup and take your chance to win tickets to the FA Cup final and achieve national five-a-side glory.
And you cannot mention Telford and the FA Cup without mentioning 1985 when they reached the fifth round before losing to an Everton side that had Kevin Sheedy, Peter Reid and Andy Gray wearing blue.
But since those heady times, both clubs have gone bust and been reformed.
AFC Telford United are in National League North after being reborn in 2004, while Hereford FC started out in 2015 after the original Bulls went bust.
The only sell-out crowd of the round so far - more than 4,700 - saw Southern Premier League Hereford overcome 10-man Telford thanks to John Mills' solitary goal.
Could we have a new Radford in the making?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41871258
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Joint Chiefs say invasion 'only way' to totally disarm N Korea - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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A ground invasion is the only way to destroy Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal, the Joint Chiefs say.
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US & Canada
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US soldiers take part in "Warrior Strike" exercises in South Korea in September
A Pentagon assessment has declared the only way to completely destroy all parts of North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is through a ground invasion.
Rear Admiral Michael Dumont expressed the opinion on behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a letter to Congressman Ted Lieu.
Mr Dumont said calculating "even the roughest" potential casualty figures would be extremely difficult.
He also gave some detail on what the first hours of a war would involve.
"The only way to 'locate and destroy - with complete certainty - all components of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs' is through a ground invasion," he wrote in response to Congressman Lieu's questions about a potential conflict.
The risks involved included a potential nuclear counter-attack by North Korea while US forces attempted to disable its "deeply buried, underground facilities", he said.
"A classified briefing is the best venue for a detailed discussion," he added.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff directly advise the president of the United States on military matters.
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In a statement with more than a dozen other military veterans turned congressmen, Mr Lieu, a Democrat, said the assessment was "deeply disturbing" and warned that a conflict "could result in hundreds of thousands, or even millions of deaths in just the first few days of fighting."
"Their assessment underscores what we've known all along: there are no good military options for North Korea," the statement said.
The letter was published as Donald Trump begins his mammoth tour of Asia, during which the North Korean threat is expected to be a major topic of discussion.
The president has previously said that if forced to defend the US or its allies, he "will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea."
"The President needs to stop making provocative statements that hinder diplomatic options and put American troops further at risk," Mr Lieu's joint statement said.
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Rear Admiral Dumont opened his letter with a clear indication that his office supported economic and diplomatic solutions ahead of any military action.
Potential casualties from a conflict depended heavily on the intensity of any attack on South Korea's capital, Seoul, which lies just 35 miles (56 km) from the border, as well as how much advance warning the US and its allies had, he said.
He said a counter-offensive from artillery battery fire and air strikes might help limit casualties.
The Joint Chiefs also fear that Pyongyang would use biological weapons in a conflict, despite international conventions banning their use, as well as chemical weapons - which it has never agreed to abandon.
"It likely possesses a [chemical weapons] stockpile," the letter said.
The assessment by military chiefs follows the release of a report from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, which warned that even a brief conflict without the use of banned weapons could cost tens of thousands of lives.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41878123
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Paradise Papers: Lord Ashcroft 'ignored rules' on offshore trust - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Conservative Party donor faces questions over "secret control" of Bermuda fund.
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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. Watch Lord Ashcroft try to avoid Richard Bilton’s questions about his offshore trust
Tory donor Lord Ashcroft ignored rules around the management of his offshore investments, leaked documents suggest.
The peer gave assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Punta Gorda Trust in Bermuda in 2000.
The Paradise Papers suggests he sometimes made decisions without consulting trust officials. Such action could see the trust challenged by HMRC.
Lord Ashcroft said he would not respond because of the way he has been treated by BBC Panorama in the past.
Panorama approached Lord Ashcroft during last month's Conservative Party conference in Manchester but he declined to answer any questions about the trust.
The 71-year-old former party deputy chairman has given millions of pounds to the Tories.
He fell out with David Cameron in 2010 and later he co-authored a controversial unauthorised biography of the then prime minister but remains involved in UK politics through his polling and publishing interests.
Journalist Peter Oborne says Lord Ashcroft has been a "hugely significant figure" in the Conservative Party over the last 20 years.
He said: "Lord Ashcroft has been one of the most significant donors to the... party. But it's not just... that he's been a giver of money, he's also been very important organisationally. He's involved himself in the internal politics."
Other documents in the Paradise Papers show Lord Ashcroft has secretly remained non-domiciled in the UK for tax purposes.
The structure of a trust involves one entity legally entrusting a second to look after assets for a third, essentially removing ownership for tax purposes.
Wealthy people can legally avoid paying tax on assets that they have given to a trust because they can tell the authorities they no longer own or control the assets in them.
But for a trust to work as a tax break, decisions about its assets have to be taken independently by the trustees.
A series of leaked emails between trustees and Lord Ashcroft's advisers suggest he was was willing to ignore the rules.
Despite the warning, Lord Ashcroft appears to have continued to make decisions about the Trust's assets.
In October 2000, one of the trustees says: "I would like to emphasize at this point that it is imperative at all times that the Trustees are aware of any and all transactions to be entered into prior to transactions occurring.
"To do otherwise, will only serve to undermine the integrity of the Trust as the Trustees are being advised of actions taken in connection with trust assets, which should be under their control, after the event."
A review of the trust in 2009, discovered that significant payments out had been made that had not been properly recorded.
In an internal email, a lawyer representing the trust says: "There have been very large sums of money involved and I am very concerned that there has been inadequate supervision of both transactions and distributions... to put it bluntly we seem to be told nothing whereas we carry the responsibility of acting as trustee."
Paperwork then appears to have been put in place retrospectively "to ensure that we have all the relevant trustee and company authorities in place for the transactions which have occured [sic]".
Trust experts say anybody who puts their money into a trust could face a challenge by tax authorities if it was felt rules had been abused.
This could include a challenge from HM Revenue & Customs if it was to take the view an overseas trust had been controlled from the UK.
Nicholas Shaxson, the author of Treasure Islands, an expose of the workings of tax havens, told Panorama: "On the evidence I have seen, it looks like something that is abusive behaviour and an abusive structure. If the trustees are worried, the trustees are expressing alarm about that, that's a clear red flag."
Professor Brooke Harrington, the author of Capital Without Borders, said: "It's important that trustees be independent because the whole concept of a trust is that a settlor gives over legal ownership of an asset to the trustee.
"That's why you get these tax benefits and other legal benefits from the trust structure."
Lord Ashcroft's spokesman, Alan Kilkenny, is quoted in the Guardian newspaper as saying the peer had never engaged in tax evasion, abusive tax avoidance or tax avoidance using artificial structures.
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41878306
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Lebanese PM Hariri resigns, saying he fears assassination plot - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Saad al-Hariri resigns saying he fears an assassination plot, while also fiercely criticising Iran.
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Middle East
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Mr Hariri has been in charge for less than a year
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri has resigned, saying in a televised broadcast from Saudi Arabia that he feared for his life, while also fiercely criticising Iran.
He accused Iran of sowing "fear and destruction" in several countries, including Lebanon.
Mr Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.
The Hariri family is close to Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional competitor.
Mr Hariri has been prime minister since December 2016, after previously holding the position between 2009 and 2011.
"We are living in a climate similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of martyr Rafik al-Hariri," he said in the broadcast from the Saudi capital Riyadh.
"I have sensed what is being plotted covertly to target my life."
Mr Hariri also attacked the Iran-backed Shia movement Hezbollah, which wields considerable power in Lebanon.
Addressing "Iran and its followers" he said Lebanon would "cut off the hands that wickedly extend into it".
Iran said the resignation would create regional tensions and rejected Mr Hariri's accusations as "unfounded".
Mr Hariri has made several visits in the past few days to Saudi Arabia, whose leadership is strongly opposed to Iran.
His announcement came a day after a meeting in Beirut with Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei.
Taking up the prime minister's office last year, Mr Hariri promised a "new era for Lebanon" after two years of political deadlock.
The coalition government he led brought together almost all of the main political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.
Rafik al-Hariri was killed by a bomb in 2005 in an attack widely blamed on Hezbollah.
The prime minister's resignation has opened up a chasm of uncertainty in Lebanon.
It's still not clear why he announced his decision in Saudi Arabia - an extraordinary move that left even his own MPs bewildered.
But the move will be seen through the lens of the great Shia-Sunni divide that's fuelling much of the violence across the Middle East.
It's pitted the Sunni power, Saudi Arabia, against the Shia power, Iran - with both sides backing different players to wield influence.
In Lebanon, the Saudis support Mr Hariri while Iran backs the Shia movement, Hezbollah.
In recent years, Lebanon has largely been spared the violence seen elsewhere in the region.
But with this stunning resignation, many Lebanese will now fear that their country is firmly in the crosshairs of the two regional superpowers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41870406
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Lewes bonfire festivities attended by thousands - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An effigy of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un was paraded through the streets of Lewes.
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Sussex
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The annual celebration is one of the largest in the UK
Tens of thousands of people joined bonfire celebrations in the East Sussex town of Lewes, despite measures to lower attendance.
People had been warned by police not to go unless they were from the town.
Roads were closed hours before the start of event, and train services were suspended within a five-mile radius.
Sussex Police said about 80 people were treated for injuries, mostly minor. Officers made five arrests and issued three dispersal orders by 01:30 GMT.
Ch Supt Neil Honnor said the arrests were for drink-driving, failing to comply with a dispersal order, possession of a knife and an assault.
Police said it was thought about 60,000 people had attended the event.
The force did say crowd numbers were an estimate because there was no official count.
But Ch Supt Honnor said: "That's far too many for crowd safety purposes."
An effigy of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un was paraded through the streets
Members of Lewes' bonfire societies marched the town's narrow streets as the fireworks went off
The annual celebration is one of the largest of its type in the UK
Before the event, one of the groups involved agreed to tone down its costumes, after the leader of dance troupe Zulu Tradition, booked to perform at this year's event, said they were "incredibly offensive".
Members of Lewes Borough Bonfire Society traditionally wear black face paint and extravagant accessories for the parade.
Some locals have backed the group, commenting the tradition of painting faces had been going on for years.
A Zulu costume used in previous years at the Lewes Bonfire
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-41873512
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Six injured in London to Brighton Veteran Car Run crash - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The 1902 Benz was in collision with three other cars while going from London to Brighton.
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Surrey
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The wreckage of the 1902 Benz can be seen on the bonnet of the Ford C-Max
Six people were injured in a crash during the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
The 1902 Benz was involved in a collision with three other cars at about 11:35 GMT at Reigate Hill, Surrey.
It had been taking part in the annual parade of vehicles dating back to the early 20th Century.
Two people from the Benz were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Two other people travelling in the car were taken to hospital with minor injuries, said Surrey Police.
A Ford C-Max, a Mercedes-Benz GLE and a Fiat Fiorino were also involved in the crash.
Two passengers from the Ford were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The Royal Automobile Club, which stages the veteran run, previously said it was the world's oldest motoring event.
It commemorates the Emancipation Run in 1896, celebrating the Locomotives on the Highway Act which raised the speed limit from 4mph to 14mph and abolished the requirement for vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot.
The Royal Automobile Club said it would be "conducting a thorough review to identify any lessons which can be learnt from this accident".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-41879353
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Pandora Papers: Your guide to nine years of finance leaks - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What have been the major financial disclosures and what action has been taken?
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Business
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The financial secrets of hundreds of world leaders, politicians and celebrities has been exposed in another huge leak of financial documents.
Dubbed the Pandora Papers it features almost 12 million files from companies providing offshore services in tax havens around the world.
The data was obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in Washington DC, which has organised the biggest ever global investigation, spanning 117 countries and involving more than 600 journalists. In the UK the investigation has been led by BBC Panorama and the Guardian.
The files are the latest in a series of whistleblower-led investigations that have rocked the world of finance in recent years.
So let's round up the other major leaks of the past decade.
In September 2020 the FinCEN Files exposed the failure of major global banks to stop money laundering and financial crime. They also revealed how the UK is often the weak link in the financial system and how London is awash with Russian cash.
The files included more than 2,000 suspicious activity reports (SARs), filed by financial institutions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Agency, or FinCEN, a part of the US Treasury Department. They also include 17,641 records obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and other sources.
They were obtained by BuzzFeed News which shared them with the ICIJ and 400 journalists around the world, including BBC Panorama, which led the investigation in the UK.
A huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which revealed the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
Who leaked the data? The BBC does not know the identity of the source. The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the ICIJ. Panorama led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries.
A confidential settlement was later reached between the BBC, the Guardian and Appleby over the reporting of the leaked documents, which Appleby said were taken by hackers. The Guardian and BBC said the reports were in the public interest but did not give more detail about the settlement.
Until Pandora this leak was seen as the daddy of them all in data size. If you thought the Wikileaks dump of sensitive diplomatic cables in 2010 was a big deal, this carried 1,500 times more data.
Süddeutsche Zeitung's "brothers". Despite surnames that sound exactly the same, these two leading lights of the Panama Papers investigation, Frederik Obermaier (L) and Bastian Obermayer, are not related
The Panama Papers came about after an anonymous source contacted reporters at German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2015 and supplied encrypted documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. It sells anonymous offshore companies that help the owners hide their business dealings.
Overwhelmed by the scale of the dump, which eventually grew to 2.6 terabytes of data, the Süddeutsche Zeitung called in the ICIJ, which led to the involvement of about 100 other partner news organisations, including the BBC's Panorama.
After more than a year of scrutiny, the ICIJ and its partners jointly published the Panama Papers on 3 April 2016, with the database of documents going online a month later.
Who was named? Where do we start? A few of the news partners focused on how associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin shuffled cash around the globe. Not that the Russians cared much. The prime ministers of Iceland and Pakistan came to far stickier ends, the former quitting and the latter being thrown out of office by the Supreme Court. Overall the financial dealings of a dozen current and former world leaders, more than 120 politicians and public officials and countless billionaires, celebrities and sports stars were exposed.
Who leaked the data? John Doe. Yes, we know. It's not a real name. In US crime series it is mostly used to label anonymous victims but Mr (or Ms) Doe's manifesto, released a month after publication, reveals a self-styled revolutionary. The real identity is still unknown.
Five months after the Panama Papers, the ICIJ published revelations from the Bahamas corporate registry. The 38GB cache revealed the offshore activities of "prime ministers, ministers, princes and convicted felons", it said. Former EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes admitted an "oversight" in failing to disclose her interest in an offshore company.
This ICIJ investigation, involving hundreds of journalists from 45 countries, including BBC Panorama, went public in February 2015.
It focused on HSBC Private Bank (Suisse), a subsidiary of the banking giant, and so lifted the lid on dealings in a country where banking secrecy is taken for granted.
The leaked files covered accounts up to the year 2007, linked with more than 100,000 individuals and legal entities from more than 200 countries.
The ICIJ said the subsidiary had served "those close to discredited regimes" and "clients who had been unfavourably named by the United Nations".
HSBC admitted that the "compliance culture and standards of due diligence" at the subsidiary at the time were "lower than they are today".
Who was named? The ICIJ said HSBC had profited from "arms dealers, bag men for Third World dictators, traffickers in blood diamonds and other international outlaws".
It also cited those close to the regimes of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, former Tunisian President Ben Ali and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Who leaked the data? Actually, we know this one. The ICIJ investigation was based on data originally leaked by the French-Italian software engineer and whistleblower Hervé Falciani, though the ICIJ got it later from another source. From 2008 onwards he passed information on HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) to French authorities, who in turn passed them to other relevant governments. Mr Falciani was indicted in Switzerland. He was held in detention in Spain but was later released and now lives in France.
Or LuxLeaks for short. Another extensive ICIJ investigation, which revealed its findings in November 2014.
It centred on how professional services company PricewaterhouseCoopers helped multinational companies gain hundreds of favourable tax rulings in Luxembourg between 2002 and 2010.
The ICIJ said multinationals had saved billions by channelling money through Luxembourg, sometimes at tax rates of less than 1%. One address in Luxembourg was home to more than 1,600 companies, it said.
The leak of documents was first exposed in 2012 after a joint investigation between Panorama and France2 which lifted the lid on the tax agreements of UK pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and media company Northern & Shell.
Who was named? Pepsi, IKEA, AIG and Deutsche Bank were among those named.
A second tranche of leaked documents said the Walt Disney Co and Skype had funnelled hundreds of millions of dollars in profits through Luxembourg subsidiaries. They and the other firms denied any wrongdoing.
Jean-Claude Juncker had been PM of Luxembourg when it enacted many of its tax avoidance rules. He had been appointed president of the European Commission just a few days before the leak came out. He said he had not encouraged avoidance.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jean-Claude Juncker says he is "politically responsible for what happened"
Eurosceptics went to town and pushed a censure motion against him and his commission. It was rejected. But the EU did investigate, and by 2016 had proposed a yet-to-be realised common tax scheme for the EU.
Who leaked the data? Frenchman Antoine Deltour, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers employee, was the main man, saying he had acted in the public interest. Another PwC employee, Raphael Halet, helped him.
The pair, along with journalist Edouard Perrin, were all charged in Luxembourg after a PwC complaint. A first verdict was later revisited, watering down sentences, with Deltour given a six-month suspended jail term which was later quashed. Halet received a small fine and Mr Perrin was acquitted.
This was about a tenth of the size of the Panama Papers but was seen as the biggest exposé of international tax fraud ever when the ICIJ and its news partners went public in November 2012 and April 2013.
Some 2.5 million files revealed the names of more than 120,000 companies and trusts in hideaways such as the British Virgin Islands and the Cook Islands.
BBC Panorama exposed a flourishing tax evasion industry in the UK in an undercover investigation based on the files.
Who was named? The usual suspects. A mix of politicians, government officials and their families, with the Russians notable, but also those in China, Azerbaijan, Canada, Thailand, Mongolia and Pakistan. The Philippines - in the form of the family of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos - get a dishonourable mention. To be fair, the ICIJ does point out that the leaks are not necessarily evidence of illegal actions.
Who leaked the data? The ICIJ cites "two financial service providers, a private bank in Jersey and the Bahamas corporate registry" as the sources, but says nothing more other than it was "data obtained".
The Pandora Papers is a leak of almost 12 million documents and files exposing the secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires. The data was obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in Washington DC and has led to one of the biggest ever global investigations.
More than 600 journalists from 117 countries have looked at the hidden fortunes of some of the most powerful people on the planet. BBC Panorama and the Guardian have led the investigation in the UK.
Pandora Papers coverage: follow reaction on Twitter using #PandoraPapers, in the BBC News app, or watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41877932
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Briton held in Egypt over drugs made 'honest mistake' - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Laura Plummer, accused of drug trafficking in Egypt, 'doesn't know Tramadol from a Panadol'.
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UK
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A British woman who has been detained in Egypt for bringing nearly 300 Tramadol tablets into the country made "an innocent, honest mistake", according to her brother.
Laura Plummer, from Hull, was transporting the pills for her Egyptian partner who suffers from back pain.
It is illegal to supply prescription drugs and Ms Plummer, 33, could face up to 25 years in jail.
Her local MP Karl Turner said the Foreign Office was now involved.
He said the British Embassy has provided a lawyer - Ms Plummer's third since she was detained at Hurghada International Airport on suspicion of drug trafficking on 9 October.
Ms Plummer's family has been told she could face up to 25 years in prison, or even the death penalty.
Her brother James Plummer told BBC Radio 5 live that Ms Plummer was visiting her husband of 18 months on "just a routine holiday". She reportedly sees him between two and four times a year.
It is not clear, however, whether the marriage is official.
Ms Plummer's brother said she had taken some Tramadol with her to treat her husband's back pain
He said that Laura, a shop assistant, had told a colleague about her partner's back pain and the work colleague replied that she could get some tablets from her GP. "They were prescribed to a friend of hers," he said.
"So she took those over with her," Mr Plummer said. "Laura didn't even check what they were, she didn't even know there was Tramadol in the bag. There was also Naproxen as well."
Mr Turner said Ms Plummer had brought the tablets to Egypt along with a number of other goods.
"It is difficult to get certain things in Egypt apparently so she'd taken talcum powder, shaving gel and razor blades and all sorts of things," he said. "Clearly, [she was] very, very naïve."
Tramadol is the most abused drug in Egypt, according to Ghada Wali, the country's Minister of Social Solidarity.
In August, she said that the Drug Control Fund, which she chairs, received the most calls about Tramadol on its free helpline - which overall received 48,000 calls between January and June.
Ms Plummer is now being held in jail where Mr Turner said she is sharing a cell with between 20 to 30 other women.
Mr Turner said: "The family describe Laura to me as somebody who is very naïve.
"Her father said to me 'look, the truth is she wouldn't know Tramadol from a Panadol. She wouldn't have a clue that she was doing something unlawful'."
He said that a British Embassy representative has been visiting Ms Plummer regularly and has been in touch with her family.
Despite the severe overcrowding in Egyptian jails, Mr Turner said: "Her family said to some extent it is better that she's with lots of people in a cell than in a cell on her own because people are around her.
"But the conditions are going to be extremely basic and I'm sure she's petrified by what is unfolding before her."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41875573
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Amber Rudd on Damian Green allegations - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Amber Rudd says a claim that pornography was found on Damian Green's computer will be investigated.
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The home secretary says a claim that pornography was found on First Secretary of State Damian Green's computer in 2008 will be investigated.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41876595
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Kevin Spacey: Netflix severs ties amid sex assault allegations - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The move comes amid a number of sexual assault allegations against the House of Cards actor.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Entertainment company Netflix has severed ties with Kevin Spacey, star of its House of Cards show, amid a number of sex assault allegations against him.
Netflix said it would hold talks with the producers to see if production, which was suspended this week, could resume without Spacey.
Netflix also said it would not release Spacey's film about writer Gore Vidal.
Meanwhile, police in the UK have opened an investigation into the American actor over an alleged sexual assault.
A British actor said he had woken up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him in 2008, the Sun newspaper reported. The man is said to have run from the property after Spacey allegedly said: "Don't tell anyone about this."
Spacey said on Thursday he was seeking treatment after facing allegations of sexual misconduct from a string of men.
Netflix suspended production on House of Cards on 31 October following allegations by Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, who said Spacey had tried to "seduce" him when he was 14.
Spacey said he was "beyond horrified" to hear of the incident, which he said he did not remember.
House of Cards, which is based on a BBC programme, was first broadcast in 2013.
The first season garnered nine Emmy nominations, becoming the first online streaming series to win such mainstream accolades.
"Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey," a company spokesperson said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with MRC [series producer Media Rights Capital] during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.
"We have also decided we will not be moving forward with the release of the film Gore, which was in post-production, starring and produced by Kevin Spacey."
MRC said in a statement earlier that it was "deeply troubled" about the allegations against Spacey.
It said it had dealt with one incident in 2012 in which an unnamed crew member "shared a complaint about a specific remark and gesture made by Kevin Spacey", that immediate action had been taken and that the issue had been resolved.
Spacey had "willingly participated in a training process", it added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41869252
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Paradise Papers: Lord Ashcroft stayed non-dom despite pledges - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Conservative donor continued to retain status despite assurances by the party.
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UK Politics
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Lord Ashcroft remained a non-dom, and continued to avoid tax despite attempts by Parliament to make peers pay their full share, leaked documents reveal.
The peer was domiciled for tax purposes in Belize at a time when it was widely believed he had given up the status, the Paradise Papers show.
While ordinary Britons have to pay tax on everything they earn, non-doms are only taxed on their UK income.
Lord Ashcroft, who donated millions to the Tories, said he would not comment.
He said it was because of the way he had been treated by BBC Panorama in the past.
But his spokesman, Alan Kilkenny, is quoted in the Guardian newspaper as saying the peer had never engaged in tax evasion, abusive tax avoidance or tax avoidance using artificial structures.
When questions were raised about the peer's non-dom status in 2010, he denied any "impropriety or wrongdoing".
A former party treasurer and deputy chairman, Lord Ashcroft fell out with David Cameron in 2010 and later co-authored a controversial unauthorised biography of the then prime minister.
But the 71-year-old remains involved in UK politics through his polling and publishing interests and last year said he would start donating "smaller sums" to the party again.
Parliament tried to force the controversial peer to pay full British tax when he entered the House of Lords in 2000.
Lord Ashcroft promised to become a permanent resident in the UK - a change that would have meant giving up his status as a UK resident whose permanent home, or domicile, is outside of the country.
The then leader of the Conservative Party William Hague told Parliament that becoming a peer would "cost him [Lord Ashcroft] and benefit the Treasury tens of millions of pounds a year in tax".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch Lord Ashcroft try to avoid Richard Bilton’s questions about his offshore trust
The tax was never paid because Lord Ashcroft, who was once Belize's ambassador to the United Nations and maintains links to the central American country, persuaded officials that he should be allowed to become a long term resident of the UK rather than a permanent one. A distinction that allowed him to retain his non-dom status.
The leaked documents show that between 2000 and 2010, Lord Ashcroft received payments of around $200m (£150m) from his offshore trust in the Bermuda.
The Tory Peer continued to sit in the House of Lords and as a non-dom he did not have to pay tax on these payments.
Lord Ashcroft's admission in 2010 that he was still a non-dom led to a major political controversy and the introduction of legislation designed to force anybody who sits in Parliament to pay full British tax.
After Lord Ashcroft told the BBC in May 2010 he was going to become "a fully taxed person in Britain", it was widely reported he had given up his non-dom status.
The Conservative Party also gave such an indication on 7 July that same year.
However, documents seen by the BBC's Panorama, reveal "his true domicile is Belize".
The new law, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, had not specified that non-dom MPs and peers would have to give up the status - only that they be "treated as domiciled in the UK" by the tax authorities.
It meant Lord Ashcroft had to pay full British tax while he sat in Parliament, but as soon as he resigned from the House of Lords in March 2015 he was also a non-dom again in the eyes of UK revenue inspectors.
The Paradise Papers suggest Lord Ashcroft worked around the new law to continue avoiding tax on his worldwide income between 2010 and 2015.
On the 31 March 2010, the day before the new law came into effect, Lord Ashcroft's offshore trust bought shares worth £33.9m from one of his companies.
His advisers note that the deal has "capital gains tax implications" but they point out he is "not domiciled in the UK at the moment".
If the deal had happened the following day, he would have been treated differently and could have been liable for capital gains tax.
Lord Ashcroft with William Hague and Ffion Hague in 2006
While he was sitting in the Lords as a full British taxpayer between 2010 and 2015, Lord Ashcroft appears to have stopped taking payments from his offshore trust.
One of his advisers notes "that there is no applicable tax as there is no distributable income".
The accounts for the trust show Lord Ashcroft didn't receive any payments in 2011, 2012 or 2013. The accounts for 2014 and 2015 were not in the leaked documents.
Lord Ashcroft announced his resignation from the House of Lords in March 2015.
If he had still been sitting in Parliament, he would have been liable for capital gains tax on any profits from the sale. But Lord Ashcroft was being treated as a non-dom again and could legally avoid the tax.
Journalist Peter Oborne says Lord Ashcroft's non-dom status was a "huge issue" at the time he started to sit in the Lords and there was "fresh controversy" when the Tories entered power in 2010.
The revelations in the Paradise Papers could cause a "major political explosion," he said. "The Labour Party... will turn it into a first class political row. It will raise huge questions about not just the Conservatives [but] also the House of Lords."
The Conservative Party did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41879422
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Lebanon Hariri resignation a plot to stoke tension, says Iran - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Iran accuses the US and Saudi Arabia of being behind the resignation of Lebanon's Saad al-Hariri.
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Middle East
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Iran says the surprise resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri is part of a plot to stoke tensions in the region.
An adviser to Iran's supreme leader accused the US and Saudi Arabia of being behind the move.
Mr Hariri, in a televised broadcast from Saudi Arabia, accused Iran of sowing "fear and destruction" in several countries, including Lebanon.
He said he was stepping down because he feared for his life.
Mr Hariri's father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.
Correspondents say his sudden departure plunges Lebanon into a new political crisis and raises fears that it may be at the forefront of the regional rivalry between Shia power Iran and Sunni stronghold Saudi Arabia.
Following the statement on Saturday, Iranian politicians lined up to denounce Mr Hariri's assertions.
"Hariri's resignation was done with planning by [US President] Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia," said Hussein Sheikh al-Islam, adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi, quoted by the official Irna news agency, said Mr Hariri's departure was aimed at creating tension in Lebanon and the region.
He said Mr Hariri had repeated "unrealistic and unfounded accusations" and had aligned himself with "those who want ill for the region", singling out Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US.
Mr Hariri, whose family is close to Saudi Arabia, has been prime minister since December 2016, after previously holding the position between 2009 and 2011.
"We are living in a climate similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of martyr Rafik al-Hariri," he said in the broadcast from the Saudi capital Riyadh.
"I have sensed what is being plotted covertly to target my life."
Rafik al-Hariri was killed by a bomb in 2005 in an attack widely blamed on the Iran-backed Shia movement Hezbollah, which wields considerable power in Lebanon.
Addressing "Iran and its followers" he said Lebanon would "cut off the hands that wickedly extend into it".
Mr Hariri has made several recent visits to Saudi Arabia. His announcement came a day after a meeting in Beirut with Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
After taking office last year, Mr Hariri promised a "new era for Lebanon" after two years of political deadlock.
The coalition government he led brought together almost all of the main political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-41874488
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Sexual harassment 'was never fine' - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Labour's Jasmin Beckett dismisses claims of generational differences on harassment
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Jasmin Beckett, a member of Labour's national executive committee and its equalities committee, said: "We've got to be clear that sexual harassment was never acceptable. It was never fine."
"I think that's now why we are in a much better position to deal with this because actually society, and as we've seen Hollywood, knows that this type of behaviour is not acceptable.
Prime Minister Theresa May is due to meet opposition party leaders, including Jeremy Corbyn, on Monday to discuss proposals to bring forward a new grievance system for Westminster staff and MPs.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41869132
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Trump pitches for $2 trillion Saudi Aramco oil float - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The US president tweets Saudi Arabia, asking it to choose New York for the deal.
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Business
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President Donald Trump has made a pitch to Saudi Arabia to float the world's biggest oil company in the US.
He tweeted: "Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!"
The proposed share flotation will see 5% of the state-owned company sold in an Initial Public Offering next year.
It is expected to list domestically and on at least one foreign exchange with New York and London vying for the deal.
The Aramco IPO is expected to be the largest in history, raising around $100bn in revenue for the Saudi kingdom.
If listed in London, it could be worth up to £56bn for the London Stock Exchange.
Mr Trump was tweeting at the beginning of an 11-day trip to Asia which will take the president and First Lady Melania Trump to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
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Prime Minister Theresa May met the boss of Saudi Aramco earlier this year.
During a trip to Saudi Arabia in April, Mrs May held talks with chairman Khalid Al-Falih, who is also Saudi Arabia's energy minister.
She was joined at the meeting by Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK City watchdog, is currently consulting on whether to create a new category for sovereign-controlled companies who wish to list on the London Stock Exchange.
The proposal has prompted questions from both the Commons Treasury Select Committee and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee over whether the FCA was politically influenced to alter the rules to help lure Saudi Aramco to London.
In a letter to both committees, FCA chief executive Andrew Bailey admitted that discussions with the world's biggest oil firm were held early this year.
But he said: "We do not think protections for investors will be weakened."
Under existing UK listing rules, every time a company does a deal with an investor who controls a stake of 10% or more in the business, the company must get shareholder approval.
Relaxing this rule would mean Saudi Aramco could do deals with the Saudi government without shareholder approval.
The Treasury and the FCA declined to comment; The London Stock Exchange was unavailable.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41869135
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Paradise Papers: ‘Avoid sanctioned Russians’ - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Ex-US sanctions policy co-ordinator Daniel Fried on dealing with Russians.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41879998
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Paradise Papers: Lord Ashcroft hides from trust question - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Watch Lord Ashcroft try to avoid Richard Bilton’s questions about his offshore trust.
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Watch Lord Ashcroft try to avoid Richard Bilton’s questions about his offshore trust.
Find out more about the Paradise Papers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41880024
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Fireworks display in Amesbury cancelled after 14 hurt - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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A display box malfunctioned sending projectiles towards the crowd at the event in Wiltshire.
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Wiltshire
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fireworks shot towards the crowd at the display
Fourteen people were injured at a bonfire event when fireworks malfunctioned and shot into the crowd.
The display at the Antrobus Hotel in Amesbury, Wiltshire, on Saturday night was cancelled soon afterwards.
A number of young children were among the 14 people injured, who were all treated at the scene.
Wiltshire Council said the authority was investigating what happened at the display and would be liaising with the hotel.
The Health and Safety Executive said it would only investigate if the council decided it was appropriate.
The hotel said "a single display box, containing multiple fireworks, malfunctioned" and said it called an end to the display as soon as it happened.
In a statement, it added: "Regrettably, despite the safety cordon exceeding the manufacturer's guidelines, some projectiles ejected towards the crowd line.
"We are mortified about what has occurred today and would like to apologise to all those affected, please rest assured that a full investigation will take place."
A display box containing multiple fireworks malfunctioned at the Antrobus Hotel
Lewis Foote, who was at the event with his wife and sons, aged one and three, said: "I saw on the right hand side there was a picnic bench and people were sitting there having a drink and a firework went off on the bench right in front of them.
"I thought that ain't right and then another one flew straight into the crowd."
Mr Foote said it had felt overcrowded and nobody was counting numbers on the door.
"There was a lot of panic and kids crying, it was quite scary," he added.
"We were crammed in and all we could do was turn our backs and shield our faces."
Rachael Tomlinson said she was hit in the face by a firework
Rachael Tomlinson, who was at the front with her daughter, said she was hit in the face by a firework.
She said: "I was a bit shaken as it was really close to my eye. The ambulance crews put ice on it.
"I saw a lady in the toilet whose hat was black where it had been burnt and another lady had to put her hat out because it caught fire.
"I saw a little boy with five burns on his face and he was really shaken up."
Many of those who attended have taken to Facebook to voice concerns over how the display was handled and to complain that videos they had posted on the event's page had been deleted by organisers.
Natalie Morris said: "After things went bad there was no shelter and no safety exits so we were sitting ducks, fireworks coming over the top of us and exploding at our feet, sheltering kids with ourselves.
"We are all traumatised but safe, my daughter plucked up courage to try and enjoy fireworks and has now been scarred for life."
The hotel has been asked to comment further.
A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said they were called to the scene at about 20:10 GMT, to reports of fireworks in the crowd.
The force said no arrests have been made.
Fire crews and ambulances were also in attendance, and South Western Ambulance Service said it treated 14 people at the scene.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41876233
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Corbyn defends promoting MP Kelvin Hopkins despite reprimand - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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It was "reasonable" to give Kelvin Hopkins a job despite concerns about him, Labour's leader says.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Jeremy Corbyn has defended his decision to appoint an MP to his shadow cabinet who had been reprimanded for allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
The Labour leader said he was aware Kelvin Hopkins had been rebuked by the party's chief whip in 2015 after concerns raised by a young activist.
But he said he thought the case had been "closed" and the promotion to his ministerial team was "reasonable".
Mr Hopkins was suspended last week but denies claims of sexual harassment.
The 76-year old MP has been accused by Ava Etemadzadeh of hugging her inappropriately after a student event in 2014 and subsequently making offensive comments during a visit to Parliament.
The 27-year-old activist, who said she later received an over-familiar message from the MP, did not make a formal complaint at the time after being told she would have to waive her anonymity to do so.
But she reported the matter to an MP, who then informed the then chief whip Rosie Winterton, resulting in Mr Hopkins receiving a verbal reprimand in 2015.
Labour's handling of the case has come in for criticism after it emerged that Ms Winterton expressed her reservations to the leadership about Mr Hopkins' appointment as shadow culture secretary in July 2016.
Although he only served in the position for three months, at a time when Mr Corbyn was struggling to rebuild his frontbench after a mass walkout over his leadership, several MPs have suggested the move was a mistake.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ava Etemadzadeh said she felt ignored by the party
Asked on Sunday whether it was appropriate to promote Mr Hopkins, Mr Corbyn said he could not "discuss hindsight" but he stood by his decision at the time.
"He had been reprimanded, the case had been closed... I thought it was reasonable to appoint him, albeit for a very short time, to shadow cabinet... All I can say is I took a decision based on what I knew at the time and he made a good contribution to the shadow cabinet during the short time he was there."
The whole matter must now be "investigated and resolved," Mr Corbyn insisted.
"Now the case has been reopened and it will be looked at again. He has been suspended from party membership, which is the decision I took immediately I heard about the later revelations."
Ms Etemadzadeh has said she believed the party leadership had basically "ignored" her concerns and, in promoting Mr Hopkins, had effectively condoned his alleged behaviour - leaving her feeling disillusioned.
Categorically denying any claims of harassment, Mr Hopkins said he had only "put an arm around" Ms Etemadzadeh at their first meeting and did not rub any part of his body against hers.
The activist, he maintained, had given no indication at the time she was in any way upset.
The Luton North MP, who has been in Parliament since 1997, said he did not recall subsequently asking her about her personal life, but said he did send a text message saying she was "charming and sweet-natured".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41878689
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Telford mother's baby son died after developing rickets - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Beverley Thahane speaks out as new research shows at least 50 children a year in the UK get rickets.
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A mother whose baby son died after developing rickets has expressed her shock at the diagnosis.
Beverley Thahane had taken her child Noah to the GP and hospital on numerous occasions because he was ill, but he was not diagnosed until just before his death in January 2017.
Rickets, which affects bone development and in some cases the heart and brain, was thought to be largely eradicated.
But a new two-year study has found at least 50 children a year are getting the disease.
See the full story on Inside Out West Midlands on Monday 6 November at 19:30 GMT on BBC One and on iPlayer afterwards
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-41863446
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Manchester City 3-1 Arsenal - BBC Sport
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2017-11-05
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Manager Pep Guardiola praises Manchester City's "amazing" form after they outclass Arsenal to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised his side's "amazing" run of form after they outclassed Arsenal to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
City have won nine consecutive league matches, a club record for a single season, have progressed to the knockout stage of the Champions League and are through to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
"We cannot deny the last two months have been amazing," Guardiola said. "We knew how important this game was and we prepared well. The players gave an amazing performance."
Kevin de Bruyne's driven finish and a Sergio Aguero penalty put City in command and, even though substitute Alexandre Lacazette pulled one back for Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus sealed victory for the home side from close range.
Arsenal were aggrieved at the penalty awarded for Nacho Monreal's challenge on Raheem Sterling and both Jesus and David Silva appeared to be offside for the third goal, but the visitors did not deserve to take anything from the game.
"It is unfortunate that the game finished the way it finished," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "You can accept it if City win in a normal way, but this is unacceptable."
Still, the Gunners would have been beaten by more had it not been for the saves of goalkeeper Petr Cech and the wastefulness of the hosts.
City go into the two-week international break with an extended advantage over second-placed Manchester United, who were beaten 1-0 at Chelsea.
The eight-point gap between the top two is the largest after 11 games in the Premier League era.
Arsenal slip to sixth, 12 points behind City, and face a battle to regain a place in the Champions League.
• None Re-live Manchester City's victory over Arsenal and Manchester United's defeat by Chelsea
City have now won 15 consecutive matches in all competitions, including an EFL Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties.
Their 11-game haul of 31 points and +31 goal difference is a Premier League record, built on some breathtaking attacking play. This win was no different, even if they were hampered by their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.
City were particularly dangerous on the counter-attack, their pace, movement and precision passing a constant threat. Just behind the front three of Aguero, Sterling and Leroy Sane, De Bruyne was the orchestrator.
Aguero and Sterling could have both scored before De Bruyne broke the deadlock, the Belgian playing a one-two with Fernandinho and angling the ball inside the far post via Cech's fingertips.
City could have been further ahead by the break, a Silva ball across goal should have been finished, while Sterling was unable to feed Sane when Arsenal were outnumbered at the back.
Only when Aguero converted a penalty off the post, early in the second half, was the result beyond doubt.
The visitors complained that Monreal's tangle with Sterling should not have penalised, but the Arsenal defender hauled down the England forward without winning the ball.
Some sloppiness crept into City's play - home keeper Ederson almost dropped Alex Iwobi's long-range shot into his own net and they were carved open for Lacazette's goal.
But substitute Jesus' tap-in, fed by Silva from the right when both men could have been flagged offside, was no more than Guardiola's side deserved.
It was to Arsenal's credit that they did not capitulate - as they have done so often in the past - but this was a stark reminder of how far they lag behind the Premier League's top clubs.
In away league matches against the rest of the 'big six' since the start of the 2014-15 season, Wenger's side have won only once (a 2-0 win at City in January 2015), losing 10 and drawing seven.
Though they started brightly, the Gunners were soon pushed back by wave after wave of City attacks, a central defensive trio that included Francis Coquelin continually stretched.
Going forward, they lacked the incision and creativity of their opponents. Alexis Sanchez, pursued by City in the summer, was tireless in his efforts as a lone striker, but an isolated figure.
Sanchez was preferred up front to Lacazatte, the £46.5m pre-season arrival, and it was only when the France striker was introduced that Arsenal looked like taking anything from the game.
The visitors came down the inside-right channel, good work from Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey fed Lacazette, whose shot went through the legs of Ederson.
Even then, though, the prospect of Arsenal earning a point seemed unlikely and they needed Cech to deny Jesus and De Bruyne before the third City goal made the scoreline a fair reflection of the game.
'It will be difficult to stop City' - what they said
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "The only regret is the chances in the first half that we did not take, or when we didn't make the right pass. My wish is that the players come back healthy from the international break.
"We deserved to win it. We were so, so tired after the Champions League game and against Arsenal it is never won because they are able to make changes.
"We have 12 more points than Arsenal and Liverpool, eight more than Tottenham. That is a lot in November."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "Can anyone stop them? With the way they have started and the quality they have it will be difficult, but you never know. If on top of that they have decisions like they have had today, they will be unstoppable.
"Sanchez did very well. He was up front on his own in the first half but did not have enough support. Overall, I think he has done everything. He is focused and wants to win. He put in a good performance.
"[Per] Mertesacker came in sick yesterday morning. [Fellow defender Rob] Holding had a thigh strain and [Mathieu] Debuchy has just come back from a long-term absence. I don't see that big problem for Coquelin to play in the middle of the two defenders or as the defensive midfielder."
• None Manchester City's 31 points and a +31 goal difference is the best start to a Premier League season after 11 games.
• None Arsenal have registered just one win away to the 'big six' in the Premier League since the start of 2014-15, drawing seven and losing 10.
• None Manchester City's haul of 52 goals is a record for a Premier League club after 17 games in all competitions (since 1992-93).
• None City midfielder Fernandinho has been directly involved in four goals in his last four Premier League appearances (two goals, two assists), as many as in his previous 64.
• None Since the start of last season, Arsenal have conceded 12 goals from the penalty spot, more than any other Premier League side.
• None City forward Sergio Aguero has had a hand in 10 goals in his last five Premier League games (seven goals, three assists).
• None Petr Cech has saved none of the 13 penalties he has faced with Arsenal in all competitions.
• None City forward Gabriel Jesus' rate of a goal every 89.6 minutes in the Premier League is the best record of any player to score more than 10 goals in the competition.
Manchester City travel to Leicester on Saturday, 18 November, following the international break (15:00 GMT). Earlier that day, Arsenal host biggest rivals Tottenham in the north London derby (12:30).
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match Fabian Delph (Manchester City) because of an injury.
• None Offside, Manchester City. Ederson tries a through ball, but Gabriel Jesus is caught offside.
• None David Silva (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41792812
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Dele Alli: England and Tottenham midfielder ruled out with hamstring injury - BBC Sport
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2017-11-05
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Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli is ruled out of England's November friendly matches against Germany and Brazil with a hamstring injury.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has been ruled out of England's friendly matches against Germany and Brazil in November with a hamstring injury.
Alli, 21, missed Sunday's Premier League victory over Crystal Palace with the injury, which boss Mauricio Pochettino described as "minor".
The national team have not announced a replacement in the squad.
Alli's England and Spurs team-mates Harry Winks and Harry Kane required treatment during their side's 1-0 win.
Pochettino said 21-year-old midfielder Winks, who went off at half-time at Wembley, had twisted his ankle.
"It's a bit painful now. We must assess him with the national team medical staff," he said.
"He's so excited to make the national team. It's up to our medical staff and the national team medical staff to make a decision."
Striker Kane, 24, received treatment on his knee in the first half and was substituted on 77 minutes for "protection" according to the Spurs boss.
"It's better to avoid risk. I think he's OK and I'm sure he's going to make the national team," Pochettino added.
England host Germany at Wembley on Friday, 10 November and play Brazil at the same venue the following Tuesday.
Tottenham's next game after the international break is the north London derby at Arsenal on Saturday, 18 November (kick-off 12:30 GMT).
"Dele felt his tendon after the Manchester United game and played 90 minutes against Real Madrid," Pochettino said.
"It's a very small thing. We think he can make Arsenal."
Alli has scored seven goals in 16 appearances for Spurs this season, including four in his last four games, and has two goals in 22 games for England since making his debut in 2015.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41877073
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BBC extends Met Office weather forecast contract - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The current deal is scheduled to end in March 2018 when MeteoGroup is due to take over.
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UK
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The BBC has extended its contract with the Met Office to supply weather information after its replacement provider failed to be ready in time.
Meteogroup was expected to take over providing meteorological data for TV, radio and online in spring 2017.
But delays mean the Met Office's contract will now end in March 2018.
In August 2015, the BBC announced it was changing weather forecasting provider to "secure the best value for money for licence fee payers".
At the time, it said the contract change would save the corporation "millions of pounds".
The previous deal with the Met Office, which has provided the data used for BBC forecasts since the corporation's first radio weather bulletin in 1922, ended on 30 September 2017.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: "As the UK's national weather service we will always ensure the UK public have the weather information they need so they can make informed decisions.
"We are continuing to provide the BBC with their weather services, having signed a contract out to March 2018."
When Meteogroup takes over the service, the BBC will continue to show all national severe weather warnings as agreed with the Exeter-based Met Office.
Under the terms of the deal, the BBC will also be supported by the UK's national meteorological service at times of severe weather.
A BBC spokesman told the Guardian: "As is well known, we're changing our weather services provider and it's only right we take the time to make sure the new and improved service and graphics provide audiences with the best possible service.
"BBC Weather will continue to give people reliable forecasts on television, radio, online and our app."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41878713
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Mass shooting at Texas church - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A gunman opened fire at a church in Texas during Sunday services, killing many people.
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US & Canada
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Sutherland Springs: What we know so far
At least 26 people were killed and 20 injured when a gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday morning. It is the worst mass shooting in the state's history. Children are reported among the victims. The suspect, described as a white male, wore a bulletproof vest and black combat gear. Police say that after leaving the church he was shot at by a local resident and dropped his assault rifle and fled the scene. He was later found dead in his vehicle. Police have not confirmed the suspect's identity but US media have named him as Devin P Kelley, 26. The motive is still not clear.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-41880700
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Budget 2017: Pubs urge Hammond to cut beer duty - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The British Beer and Pub Association said current tax rates were "unsustainable".
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Business
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Beer duty should be cut by a penny in this month's Budget to help save pubs from closing, the British Beer and Pub Association (BPA) has said.
It comes as sales of beer in the UK's pubs, bars and restaurants have fallen by the biggest margin for five years.
The BPA said 35 million fewer pints of beer were sold in British pubs, bars and restaurants in the three months to September, compared with a year ago.
In March, beer duty increased by 2p a pint, the first rise in five years.
Chancellor Philip Hammond will deliver his next Budget on Wednesday 22 November.
The BPA warned that pubs will continue to close if the trend continues, blaming "sky high" business rates - particularly in London and the South East, where prices are higher still.
Chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "When the government was cutting or freezing beer duty from 2013-15, sales of British beer stabilised, after years of steep decline.
"Beer has had a 39% tax rise in the past decade. With tax rates 14 times higher than in Germany, these levels are unsustainable."
While the number of breweries in Britain is up almost two-thirds in the past five years, the number of pubs continues to fall and is down 17% since 1996.
Many are preferring to drink at home, with sales in supermarkets having overtaken those in pubs.
The average price of a pint in the UK is now £3.60 - up by 13p on 2016 - according to the Good Pub Guide.
"We need fair taxes for British beer, so that brewers and pub operators can invest in thriving pubs, and take advantage of new opportunities to export more beer around the world as we leave the EU," Mr Simmonds added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41873462
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Paradise Papers: Commerce chief Wilbur Ross's links with sanctioned Russians - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The US commerce secretary has business ties with key Putin allies, the Paradise Papers show.
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US & Canada
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Wilbur Ross has played a key part in Donald Trump's business and political careers
A top member of Donald Trump's administration has business links with Russian allies of President Vladimir Putin who are under US sanctions, the Paradise Papers have revealed.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has an interest in Navigator Holdings, which earns millions a year transporting gas for Russian energy firm Sibur.
Two major Sibur shareholders are under some form of US sanctions.
A commerce department spokesman did not dispute the revelations.
"Secretary Ross recuses himself from any matters focused on transoceanic shipping vessels," the spokesman told BBC Panorama, adding that the secretary "works closely with Commerce Department ethics officials to ensure the highest ethical standards".
Another Sibur shareholder is President Putin's son in law, Kirill Shamalov.
He holds a 3.9% stake in the firm. Gennady Timchenko, who has been individually sanctioned by the United States, has at least 12 companies connected to him, and Leonid Mikhelson, whose main company, Novatek, is also sanctioned, are major shareholders.
Sibur itself and Mr Shamalov are not under sanctions, although Mr Shamalov's father, Nikolai, is.
The commerce department spokesman said Mr Ross had never met the three Russian shareholders.
The US imposed some sanctions after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Others were imposed last year for alleged interference in the US presidential election.
The revelations will again raise questions about the Russian connections of Donald Trump's team. His presidency has been dogged by allegations that Russians colluded to try to influence the outcome of the election. He has called the allegations "fake news". A special counsel is investigating the matter.
Wilbur Ross and Donald Trump have known each other for more than a quarter of a century. Mr Ross played a key part in a prepackaged bankruptcy deal - deal agreed between a company and its creditors - for Mr Trump's Atlantic City casino, the Taj Mahal, in the 1990s.
Trump biographer David Cay Johnston told BBC Panorama: "If it hadn't been for Wilbur Ross, Donald Trump would not be in the White House.
WL Ross & Co, which was founded by Wilbur Ross, first invested in Navigator Holdings in 2011.
An investigation has revealed details of how Mr Ross retains a financial interest in Navigator Holdings via a number of companies in the Cayman Islands.
Some of these Cayman companies were disclosed by Mr Ross when he became commerce secretary, but under the disclosure rules he did not have to declare his interest in Navigator Holdings.
Its annual report in 2016 showed 31.5% was still held by entities in which Mr Ross has a stake, although the value of Mr Ross's personal holding remains unclear.
Donald Trump at the Taj Mahal casino in 1990
Back in 1990, after a high-profile financial battle, Donald Trump opened his third casino in Atlantic City - the Taj Mahal, dubbed the "eighth wonder of the world".
It didn't go well. Mr Trump financed it with $675m raised through junk bonds at an interest rate of 14%. He struggled to make the payments.
Step in Wilbur Ross. Then at Rothschild Inc, he was representing the angry bondholders but liked Donald Trump's style.
Trump biographer David Cay Johnston said: "Wilbur Ross was a key negotiator in Donald Trump not having to go through bankruptcy and not being swept into the dustbin of history because he saw the value in the Trump name."
Mr Ross said at this year's Concordia Annual Summit: "When you meet people who are under tremendous financial pressure... you really get to see what they are made of, and he was made of much stronger stuff than a lot of owners of troubled businesses."
One prepackaged bankruptcy later and The Donald was on his way out of debt and heading up the Forbes rich list.
Wilbur Ross became a board member of Navigator in 2012 but the commerce department said he was not on the board when Navigator signed its charter deal with Sibur that year.
But Mr Ross was still a board member during the period from March to November 2014, when the US was sanctioning Russians over the annexation of Crimea, including Mr Timchenko and Mr Mikhelson's company, Novatek.
During that period Navigator continued to increase its business with Sibur. The energy firm accounted for 9.1% of Navigator's total revenues in 2015, compared with 5.3% in 2014, Navigator's own filings show.
Mr Ross left Navigator's board in November 2014 but his seat was taken by Ross group partner Wendy Teramoto, who served on it until 2017.
Figures from 2016 showed Sibur was still among Navigator's top five clients, predominantly exporting Russian gas to Europe and potentially providing significant income to sanctioned Putin allies.
This year, Navigator doubled the fleet it is using on Sibur exports to four. Sibur has provided Navigator with $68m (£49m) in revenue since 2014.
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There is no suggestion Mr Ross has violated any rules.
But Daniel Fried, who oversaw the introduction of US sanctions against Russia under President Barack Obama, told Panorama that it would be a mistake for any American official to do business with Sibur.
"I would advise any client who came to me to stay well away from Sibur or anybody else who has been sanctioned or has a relationship with sanctioned individuals... on the grounds, at least, of reputational risk."
But Mr Ross appears to have maintained a close relationship with the shipping company.
On the night that he was nominated as commerce secretary by President Trump, Mr Ross went to a restaurant in New York where he was congratulated on his promotion by the senior management of Navigator Holdings, Bloomberg reported.
Mr Ross reportedly told the CEO of Navigator: "Your interest is aligned to mine. The US economy will grow, and Navigator will be a beneficiary."
Another key Navigator customer has been PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company. It was targeted by US sanctions this year.
The commerce department said Mr Ross had "been generally supportive of the Administration's sanctions of Russian and other entities".
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41876939
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#WhoIsSue? Mystery behind giant field message solved - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Farmer Murray Graham created it for his wife after failing to pull his weight around the house.
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Oxford
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The identity of a woman whose first name was emblazoned in huge letters in a farmer's field has been revealed.
A frenzy was sparked on social media, spawning the hashtag #WhoIsSue, after the letters "SUE x" were spotted by a police pilot flying over Oxfordshire.
It turns out that farmer Murray Graham created the message for his wife as a way of apologising for being "grumpy".
His son George Graham said: "I suppose Dad wanted to express his love in the most creative way he could."
Sue Graham's husband Murray created the message to make up for his grumpiness
Mr Graham's handiwork was spotted on Thursday by a helicopter pilot with the National Police Air Service (NPAS) flying just south of Tetsworth, near Thame.
A photo of the message then posted on the NPAS Benson Twitter page was shared more than 650 times.
The Twitterati explored various theories, ranging from aliens accused of making crop circles wanting to "sue" for defamation to a PR stunt by the Field Museum, which houses a T-Rex skeleton called SUE.
Someone even found a satellite image of the message.
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But on Friday evening the crop conundrum was solved: it was a romantic gesture to appease a disgruntled farmer's wife.
Mr Graham told BBC Radio Oxford that he used his GPS-operated tractor to spray the crops in the shape of his wife's name.
He said he wanted to prove "I'm not quite as grumpy and old as perhaps I make out occasionally."
The farmer added: "As ever, everything has its ups and downs, so I thought I'd try and make a gesture at some point, and that was the one I chose."
He had intended for his son George, a pilot, to take a photo and show it to his wife as an apology, but the passing police helicopter beat him to it.
George Graham revealed his father had been "in the doghouse" after not "pulling his weight" at home.
He added: "I don't know if what he's done is sufficient appeasement for Mum, but it certainly caused a stir on social media."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-41862525
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Half of UK road speed cameras are switched off - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Police forces admit many fixed speed cameras are off, with four areas having no active cameras.
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UK
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Only around half of fixed speed cameras on British roads are switched on, according to new data.
Figures released by 36 police forces in the UK show that of a total 2,838 cameras, just 1,486 - or 52% - are active and catching law-breakers.
Some forces have turned all their cameras off, according to information obtained by the Press Association (PA).
Northamptonshire police said its were shut off in 2011, but they left the structures in place to deter speeding.
PA sent a freedom of information to all 45 police forces in the UK and their speed camera partnership, of which 36 responded with details of their fixed speed cameras. It did not include data on the mobile devices forces use to catch offenders.
Staffordshire police said it has 272 cameras across its region but that only 14 are active. While Derbyshire said just 10 of its 112 cameras were active.
In common with Northamptonshire, Cleveland, Durham and North Yorkshire said that none of their fixed cameras were switched on.
A spokeswoman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said the decision to use cameras was "an operational matter", adding that "all forces have individual responsibility for their use of speed cameras".
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "Many of the empty yellow cases are due to cuts in road safety grants and the fact that digital cameras, although more effective, are very expensive."
He added: "It has long been the case that cameras were moved between sites, depending on need. When it comes to the chances of being caught on camera, it is a postcode lottery. All cameras in City of London and Suffolk are working whereas only 5% are active in Staffordshire."
"However, drivers should remember that lack of a yellow fixed camera doesn't mean they are immune from mobile hidden cameras. Best advice is stick to the limits rather than gambling on the yellow boxes."
Claire Armstrong, co-founder of the lobby group Safe Speed, which campaigns for more traffic police officers, said that fixed speed cameras "are nothing to do with road safety".
She claimed that "average cameras have a 5% negative effect on road safety, Gatso [yellow box cameras] have a 13% negative effect and a policeman on the side of the road will have a 27% benefit, so why are we using policies that are not effective and that we know have a negative effect on road safety?".
However, Neil Greig, director of policy and research for the charity IAM Road Smart, said: "There's clear evidence at locations where cameras are located, they are there for road safety reasons.
"They don't just appear out of nowhere. They have to go through a process involving looking at the road accident record at that location.
"Each of these locations is a site that has got some kind of accident problem and that's why we want to be sure that there's protection there all the time for the people who live around those sites."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41869134
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Mass shooting leaves 'multiple victims' at Texas church - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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Police in the US state of Texas say several people have been shot by a gunman at a church.
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Police in the US state of Texas say several people have been shot by a gunman at a church.
The attack happened at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs in Wilson County.
Local ABC affiliate KSAT 12 reported the gunman entered the church at around 11:30 local time and began shooting.
Police told the outlet there were "multiple victims" and the gunman had been killed in the aftermath.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41879382
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Paradise Papers: Who is in control of Everton? - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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The Paradise Papers leaks question whose money was used to buy into the Premier League club.
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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. Paradise Papers: Who is in control of Everton?
Questions have been raised in the leaked Paradise Papers about who controls Everton FC and whether Premier League rules have been broken.
Farhad Moshiri sold his Arsenal stake in 2016 to buy nearly 50% of Everton.
But the leaks suggest his original Arsenal stake was funded by a "gift" from oligarch Alisher Usmanov, who owns 30.4% of Arsenal, raising the question of whether his money is now in Everton.
Lawyers acting for him in the Everton deal said any allegation Premier League rules had been violated were wholly false.
They say Mr Moshiri is independently wealthy and funded the football investments himself.
Mr Usmanov's legal representatives said there were errors in the allegations and that the investigation was a gross intrusion into their client's privacy.
Premier League rules state an individual who owns a stake of 10% or more in one club cannot hold a single share in another, to avoid any conflict of interest, including in games between the clubs and in transfers.
Officially Mr Usmanov and Mr Moshiri, the oligarch's former accountant, bought a 14.58% stake in Arsenal together in 2007 through an offshore company called Red and White Holdings.
But the documents show that all the funds for the purchase of the Arsenal shares came from a firm called Epion Holdings, a company wholly owned by Mr Usmanov, who is currently said to be worth about $15.8bn (£12bn).
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One document reads: "Dividend from Gallagher Holdings to Alisher Usmanov who will then gift the monies to Moshiri who will in turn invest in the company. Funding for Red and White has come from Epion Holdings Limited".
Gallagher Holdings is also an Usmanov company.
Lawyers acting for Mr Moshiri originally denied that the money had come from Epion.
They later admitted the initial funding had come from Epion, but said Mr Moshiri had subsequently paid Mr Usmanov back.
Red and White Holdings continued to raise its stake in Arsenal, reaching 30.4%.
In February 2016, Mr Moshiri sold his half of the Arsenal shares to the Russian oligarch.
A document in the Paradise Papers from Appleby, the firm overseeing due diligence on the deal, confirms the sale was used to raise funds to buy a 49.9% stake in Everton. The reported price was £87.5m.
A Russian media company with close links to Mr Usmanov initially reported the Everton deal as "Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov has become the new owner of Everton". The report was soon taken down but suspicions were aroused.
The suspicions rose further this January when it was announced Everton's training ground, Finch Farm, was now being sponsored by Mr Usmanov's company, USM Holdings. The training ground has been renamed USM Finch Farm.
When BBC Panorama approached Mr Moshiri and asked him whether Mr Usmanov was in control of Everton, he asked: "Are you crazy? Have you seen a psychiatrist?"
He said: "If it is a loan, you owe the money back to him. If it is a gift, it is yours. It is neither of them because I paid for it."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ex-FA chairman Greg Dyke on how the Premier League may respond
Mr Moshiri later said that all the documents that mentioned a gift were "a mistake".
Mr Moshiri's legal representatives said the Premier League had carried out checks, including on its funding, and was satisfied that he had complied with its Owners' and Directors' Test.
They also said that Mr Moshiri, who is said by Forbes magazine to be worth $2.4bn, had subsequently provided considerably more finance to Everton.
Former FA chairman Greg Dyke told Panorama that a gift "sounds unusual", adding: "If these papers say what you say they say, I feel sure that the Premier League will want to do their own investigations."
And shadow culture minister Tom Watson has said he will be writing to the Premier League to urge them to investigate.
The outcome of any investigation would depend on what the two men did and what the clubs knew.
When asked about the matter, the Premier League said it "would not disclose confidential information about clubs or individuals".
The Everton deal was administered by Isle of Man company Bridgewaters Limited.
Other documents in the Paradise Papers suggest that Bridgewaters was secretly taken over by Mr Usmanov in 2011. This is strongly denied by Bridgewaters and Mr Usmanov.
Blue Heaven Holdings, the company that owns Everton, has its registered office at Bridgewaters and its two directors are an employee of Bridgewaters and an employee of Mr Usmanov's company, USM Holdings.
Lawyers for Mr Usmanov said there were "errors of fact and interpretation" in the allegations but gave no further details.
They said: "Our client is not obliged at all to assist you in your enquiries. It is not for him to do your journalists' research which on its face appears to be biased."
In May, Mr Usmanov failed in a £1bn bid to buy out major Arsenal shareholder Stan Kroenke, a move that would have left him with about 97% of Arsenal shares.
Mr Usmanov is known to be frustrated at his inability to influence Arsenal and has no seat on the board.
Both clubs have had their problems on the pitch. Many Arsenal fans have questioned whether manager Arsene Wenger should continue given the recent lack of league titles, while Everton sacked boss Ronald Koeman after a poor start to the season.
The teams met at Goodison Park on 22 October, with Arsenal running out 5-2 winners.
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41878954
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Climate talks open amid anger over Trump's coal support - BBC News
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2017-11-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The latest round of UN led climate talks have opened in Bonn with delegates from almost 200 countries in attendance.
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Science & Environment
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Representatives of US coal companies are due to present at this year's climate talks
The latest round of UN led climate talks have opened in Bonn with delegates from almost 200 countries in attendance.
Over the next two weeks, negotiators hope to clarify the rulebook of the Paris climate agreement.
It is the first major meeting since President Trump announced plans to take the US out of the Paris pact last June.
Many delegates are unhappy with White House plans to promote fossil fuels here as a "solution" to climate change.
An adviser to the president is expected to take part in a pro-coal presentation in the second week of this conference, which is officially known as COP23,
Separately, a group of governors will say that the US is still committed to climate action despite Mr Trump's rejection of the Paris agreement.
Under the rules, the US cannot leave the agreement until 2020 so they have sent a team of negotiators to this meeting.
President Trump declared in June that the US would withdraw from the "unfair" Paris pact
The official US delegation, mainly career civil servants, may well be overshadowed, though, by other groups with very different visions for how the US should combat climate change.
According to reports, members of the Trump administration will lend their support to an event to promote fossil fuels and nuclear power as solutions to climate change.
Speakers from coal giant Peabody Energy, among others, will make a presentation to highlight the role that coal and other fuels can play in curbing the impacts of rising temperatures.
A White House spokesman said in a statement that the discussion aimed to build on the administration's efforts to promote fossil fuels at the G20 meeting this year.
"It is undeniable that fossil fuels will be used for the foreseeable future, and it is in everyone's interest that they be efficient and clean," the spokesman said.
The prospect of fossil fuel industries making their case at this meeting has angered some who will be attending.
"Fossil fuels having any role in tackling climate change is beyond absurd. It is dangerous," said Andrew Norton, director of the International Institute for Environment and Development.
"These talks are no place for pushing the fossil fuel agenda. The US needs to come back to the table and help with the rapid cuts in emissions that the situation demands."
Long-time talks participant Alden Meyer from the Union of Concerned Scientists added: "It's not a credible solution, but that doesn't seem to bother them.
"They might even welcome some of the reaction to show to their base that they are fighting for America's interest and not this globalist malarkey."
Environmentalists point to the contradiction of the Trump administration championing fossil fuels while an authoritative National Climate Assessment report, released on the eve of COP23, is clear that CO2 from these fuels is the key cause of climate change.
The report says: "It is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. For the warming over the last century, there is no convincing alternative explanation supported by the extent of the observational evidence."
Other groups opposed to the Trump perspective will also be paying for a large pavilion at the talks.
Fiji, which is chairing this year's talks, has experienced the impacts of extreme weather
Delegations of US governors, mayors and business people, under the We Are Still In coalition umbrella, will be in Bonn to tell negotiators that below the Federal level, much of America still supports the Paris agreement.
The US Climate Alliance, which represents 14 states and one territory, says that it speaks for around 36% of the US population and if it were a nation state would be the third biggest economy in the world.
One of the governors who will be on the ground in Bonn is Washington's Jay Inslee.
"We need to make sure that the world maintains confidence in our ability to move forward," he told reporters.
"So far, not one single nation state, city or county, municipality or school district have followed Donald Trump into the ranks of surrendering to climate change since he pulled out of Paris - his decision has energised our efforts."
This determination to remain part of Paris is also being reflected at city level in many parts of the US.
"Whatever 'America first' is supposed to mean, it absolutely does not mean America alone," said Mayor Lionel Johnson from the city of St Gabriel in Louisiana.
"My fellow mayors and I stand united and we stand with the international community to pursue solutions to the dramatic climate challenges we are facing together. Count us in!"
Apart from the confusion over who is speaking for the US, the talks will focus on establishing rules and guidelines for the Paris pact. These need to be agreed by the end of 2018.
The talks are being chaired by Fiji, which is the first time a small island developing state has taken this role. As such, questions of climate impacts are likely to be in the spotlight, including the tricky question of loss and damage.
This is a potential area of significant disagreement as the richer countries are strongly opposed to any implied legal liability for the damages caused by climate related extreme weather events.
Around 20,000 delegates and visitors will attend the meeting over two weeks.
Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41859283
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Paradise Papers: Are we taming offshore finance? - BBC News
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2017-11-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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It's very private and it's very big. But who uses it and should we try to stop them?
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Business
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Like the Cheshire Cat, it's hard to tame something that keeps disappearing and reappearing
The offshore finance industry puts trillions of dollars worldwide beyond the taxman's reach. Bringing it to heel is like taming a cat; not just a normal moggy - a thankless task in itself - but a Cheshire Cat: nebulous, hard to pin down, disappearing and reappearing when it likes.
No-one can actually agree on what a tax haven is. Or even on the name: one person's tax haven is another's "offshore financial centre". No-one can agree on how many there are. Nor on exactly how much money is stashed offshore. No statistics are fully reliable.
And this suits those who operate in offshore finance, from the owner of the wealth to the lawyer or accountant middlemen who manage the funds, to the often sun-kissed beaches of the jurisdictions where they are secluded or pass through. The industry's key word is privacy. Or secrecy - a word it doesn't like so much.
One adage cited by the taxation author and expert Nicholas Shaxson sums it up: "Those who know don't talk. And those who talk don't know."
But do we really not know how much is stashed offshore?
A report this September, co-authored by the economist Gabriel Zucman, estimates about 10% of global GDP - the way we measure the size of the world's economy - is held offshore, about $7.8tn (£6tn). The Boston Consulting Group reported it last year at about $10tn.
If you are thinking, wow, that's bigger than Japan's economy, you'd be right. But if you want a real wow, try $36tn - the estimate offered by James Henry, author of the book Blood Bankers. That's twice as big as the US economy.
And here's another wow. Remember the slogan "we are the 99%" coined by the Occupy movement to lambast the top 1% of the population for their disproportionate share of wealth? Well, the Zucman report says 80% of all offshore cash is owned by 0.1% of the richest households, with 50% held by the top 0.01%.
So if you read this and are thinking, if you can't beat them... quite frankly, it's unlikely you will ever join them. The management fees for the ordinary person will probably far outstrip the gains.
As Nicholas Shaxson told BBC Panorama: "At the very lowest end you'll have the middle classes doing little bits and pieces. But the large majority of what's going on, this is a game for rich people."
Surely we know some of how this works? The systems have a ring of familiarity - double taxation; tax inversion; trusts; shell companies etc. It's just we don't usually know who's in the schemes and what they are getting out of them.
The basic essence is rerouting money in one location where you don't like the taxation rules to another location - one that is stable and reliable - where there aren't as many, or any.
For example, if you want to protect your assets to stave off creditors, stick them in an offshore shell company. Hey presto, much harder to get at. Want to hide ownership of a property? Put it in a trust.
This is not illegal. There are many other schemes, legal, illegal and sometimes ethically debatable. But even within these categories there are many variables on what actually constitutes The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. After all, in the film with that name the ugly arguably wasn't as bad as the bad, and the good was hardly perfect.
True to their Cheshire Cat-like origins, offshore financial centres (OFCs) do not always appear where one might expect them.
That's because offshore, sorry to confuse you, is also onshore. This makes it impossible to pin down the global number of OFCs. It could be 50, 70 or more and new ones come and go.
The US and UK are arguably two of the biggest OFCs.
For example, setting up shell firms is easy in some US states, like Delaware.
And it's widely known that the City of London acts as the facilitating hub for Crown dependencies and overseas territories that channel trillions of offshore dollars.
The smaller, often island, nations are what Nicholas Shaxson calls "captured states".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Investigative journalist Nicholas Shaxson on why tax havens are ‘like captured states’
He told Panorama: "These places don't have a very deep pool of experienced people. They're just people who say, well we trust the accountants, we trust the lawyers to tell us what's best for our island and we'll do it."
So how does offshore defend itself?
Well, the jurisdictions say it's wrong to think there are banks in OFCs sitting on pots of gold - the money is simply being reinvested by companies - and that if there were no OFCs there would be no constraint on the tax rates governments might levy.
OFCs, they say, simply pump cash around the globe and the new transparency rules put in place over the past decade have severely limited tax evasion.
It's certainly wrong to lump all the OFCs together. Some are better regulated than others. Down at the murkier end, dealings in Panama were exposed by leaks last year.
But Bermuda's Bob Richards offered a stout defence of its financial services in an interview with Panorama carried out while he was still finance minister, citing a taxation system that had been in place for more than 100 years and adding that if other nations were losing out on tax they should sort their own systems out.
Bermuda, he says, has fully signed up to an international agreement that allows for the automatic transfer of tax information within governments and such a jurisdiction "cannot be a tax haven".
And Appleby, the financial services firm involved in these latest leaks, made the case for OFCs back in 2009, in the wake of the global crash.
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It said there was "no evidence OFCs played any role in the economic crisis", OFCs were "neither the source of - nor the destination for - criminal proceeds" and that OFCs "protect people victimised by crime, corruption, or persecution by shielding them from venal governments".
Of the latest leaks, the company said: "Many of the questions raise matters where - on any view - there is plainly no conceivable wrongdoing on the part of Appleby whatsoever."
OFCs say there are no secrets, just privacy. But Gerard Ryle, of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which oversaw this huge leak of financial documents, known as the Paradise Papers, dismisses this.
"The only product that the offshore world sells is secrecy and when you take away secrecy they don't have a product anymore," he told the BBC.
"Where you have secrecy, you have the potential for wrongdoing."
Whatever term you prefer, the elusive nature of offshore makes it hard to root out wrongdoing.
You could start an investigation into one firm or individual and be shuttled around from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, company to company, turning up a whole tranche of names on documents that are linked to no real owner, sometimes no real person, and lead absolutely nowhere.
You're probably also thinking, we've now had an awful lot of these financial leaks, haven't they changed anything?
Spin backwards to April 2016. The Panama Papers have just come out. Iceland's PM Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has resigned after the leaks showed he owned an offshore company with his wife.
Thousands are demonstrating in Reykjavik to vent anger at their politicians.
Some estimates put the protest numbers at 6% of the whole Icelandic population. That's like if 19 million people turned up to a protest in the US today.
But then travel over to Elektrostal, two hours east of Moscow. Resident Nadezhda is haranguing BBC reporter Steve Rosenberg. "All these 'investigations' are a waste of time and money. We know what you're up to. They're trying to rub Putin's face in the dirt," she says.
It kind of depends on where you are.
In the West, at least, people are questioning what high-net-worth individuals and multinationals can get away with.
Is it right that they can use loopholes to keep more of their cash? Or should it go to governments to spend on their people?
To be fair, governments have been tracking stashed cash since the 2008 global meltdown, independent of any financial leaks, although their talk has usually been tougher than their action.
Secrecy is now harder to achieve, transparency is greater. So-called country-by-country reporting, requiring multinationals to break down how they operate in different nations, has widened and public registries of companies have increased.
Even Russia brought in a law requiring the disclosure of offshore assets. The result? Since the law came in three years ago, dozens of the super-rich have given up Russian residency to avoid it.
There are also OFC blacklists mooted but, as Nicholas Shaxson says, the big players will make sure their operations are not on it and it will weed out only the minnows.
The offshore firms will "recalibrate", he says. "When legislation changes, you will have this ecosystem kind of readjusting and the money will shift to other places."
And wealth holders will readjust too. Pump cash into diamonds and artworks maybe? Or just go and actually live somewhere that charges low tax.
What makes this a vicious circle is that many governments are fully prepared to sanction offshore finance. Indeed, many people in government use it, as these leaks show.
And there is one thing we do know. If the super wealthy don't pay the taxes, the money has to come from everyone else.
Which to many may sound a bit mad, but as the Cheshire Cat says: "We're all mad here".
The papers are a huge batch of leaked documents mostly from offshore law firm Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.
The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source.
Paradise Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #ParadisePapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "Paradise Papers"
Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41877924
|
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