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Harassment survey: 'I'm a waitress but I feel like a sex worker' - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two in five UK women say they have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour at work, a BBC survey finds.
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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. These young women told the BBC about their experiences of sexual harassment at work
Nilufer Guler is a waitress, but says she feels more like a sex worker at times.
On the second day in a new job, a table of wealthy, suited men said they would "buy her" off her manager so she could eat expensive steak with them.
They asked if she had an intimate piercing and stared at her throughout their meal.
"It's so disrespectful but I couldn't complain. It's a very precarious industry," she says.
Two in five women in the UK say they have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour at work and only a quarter of them reported it, a BBC survey has found.
Among men, one in five (18%) said they have been harassed at work.
The poll of more than 6,000 men and women, one of the largest ever conducted into sexual harassment in the workplace, suggested those who work flexibly are more likely to encounter this type of behaviour.
Of those in flexible working - including those on zero hours contracts, self employed, freelancers and gig economy workers - 43% had experienced some form of sexual harassment at work.
It's a situation Camille Ukpanah from London can relate to.
The 24-year-old worked as a bartender and waitress for an agency. She says guests would make derogatory remarks towards her and her colleagues, and she once saw a man trying to pull up her colleague's skirt in a room full of people.
"The girl had to keep working otherwise she wouldn't have got paid," she says.
When she went to the agency, she says she was met with a cold response.
"You explain certain things that happen but they brush it over. They would say 'if you want to leave, you can go - there are so many people looking for work.'"
"With the use of zero hour contracts, agency work and unfair tipping schemes it's no surprise that sexual harassment is rife in the industry."
"They take power away from workers so that they cannot demand better conditions. They can't come forward about sexual harassment and win."
She says she believes there is hostility towards unions and democracy in the hospitality industry.
"This is why there's no avenue for waitresses to speak out, no process of accountability... This is why we need to form unions and work collectively to bring an end to sexual harassment and its normalisation."
Those taking part in the survey were asked about the most common behaviours they had faced, ranging from unwelcome jokes to pornography and rape.
The public spotlight has been focused on sexual harassment since October when Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein was first accused of harassment and assault.
The story snowballed as A-listers Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevingne added their names to a long list of women claiming Weinstein had preyed on them.
The scandal deepened as men and women shared their own experiences at the hands of powerful men in Hollywood, on TV and beyond, culminating in the #metoo Twitter campaign, which saw people across the world tell their stories.
For those who have spent decades in the workplace, the whole idea of sexual harassment at work is relatively new, but one that has prompted reflection.
Those polled were asked if they agreed that: "Looking back over my working life, I have witnessed behaviour that I now believe to constitute sexual harassment but didn't think it at the time."
Four in 10 (42%) over-55s agreed. Among those near the start of their working lives (18 to 34-year-olds), three in 10 felt the same way.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sandy tells the BBC how a surgeon would put his hands up nurses' skirts
Meg, who did not want to give her surname, said she believed change was already under way, as people had begun to talk about things as "unacceptable".
"A few years ago, it was just like 'oh, he's just a dirty old man and that's what happens'".
Her friend, Maureen, agreed. "It sounds shocking but we didn't use the term assault, we were molested.
"You were molested in transport, in pubs, in social gatherings. It was normal."
There was a general optimism among most people surveyed that the recent scandal would bring sustained improvements in behaviour, but almost a third thought the scandals were irrelevant to people's behaviour.
Confidence that things would change was highest among younger people - three quarters of 18 to 34-year-olds expected to see long-term changes in behaviour, while about a third of over-65s had their doubts.
Office worker Honey Jamie said: "It is fantastic that so many strong women are now banding together. And they refuse to accept it.
"It's great that so many people are standing up against it, but it's sad that we still have to," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42252071
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Theresa May says Brexit deal 'good news' for all voters - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May tells MPs the agreement should reassure both Leave and Remain supporters.
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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. Theresa May: “What we are looking for is a deal that is right for the United Kingdom"
An agreement to move on to the next phase of Brexit talks is "good news" for both Leave and Remain voters, Theresa May has told MPs.
She told Parliament it should reassure those who feared the UK would get "bogged down" in endless negotiations or "crash out" without a deal.
She said the UK did not want a trade arrangement based on any other country but "a deal that is right for the UK".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May had only just "scraped through".
The negotiations so far, he said, had been "punctuated by posturing and delays", with confusion about how legally watertight the agreements were.
Updating Parliament on the terms of Friday's phase one agreement - which is expected to be approved by the other 27 EU leaders later this week - the PM said it would see the UK pay a "fair" divorce bill, avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and see the rights of UK and EU expat citizens "enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts".
But she said that if the UK was not able to agree a withdrawal deal with the EU prior to its scheduled exit in March 2019, "this deal is off the table".
Earlier, the EU said that although the agreement was not strictly legally binding, the two sides had "shaken hands" on it with a "gentleman's agreement" between David Davis and Michel Barnier.
On Sunday the Brexit Secretary David Davis said guarantees on the Northern Ireland border were not legally binding unless the two sides reached a final deal.
But he told LBC Radio on Monday they would be honoured whatever happened.
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said the Brexit Secretary's clarification - in which he insisted one of the government's key aims was to ensure that the Northern Ireland peace process was not harmed - came after concerns in Dublin about the enforceability of Friday's phase one agreement.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. David Davis: "No deal means we won't be paying the money"
Mr Davis said he had been taken out of context when he appeared to tell the BBC's Andrew Marr that guarantees designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland were a "statement of intent".
"What I actually said yesterday in terms was, we want to protect the peace process, want to protect Ireland from the impact of Brexit for them," he said.
"I said this was a statement of intent which was much more than just legally enforceable. Of course it's legally enforceable under the withdrawal agreement but even if that didn't happen for some reason, if something went wrong, we would still be seeking to provide a frictionless invisible border with Ireland."
A European Commission spokesman said the first-phase deal on the Northern Ireland border, the divorce bill and citizens' rights did not strictly have the force of law.
"But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen and it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Citizens' rights, the Irish border and money are the three big negotiation points
She added: "President Juncker had a meeting with Prime Minister May last Friday morning to ascertain that this is precisely the case. They shook hands."
In her statement to Parliament, Theresa May said she expected EU leaders to agree immediately to start talks about a two-year transition deal immediately, paving the way for continued access to the single market for a time-limited period.
"This is good news for the people who voted Leave, who were worried that we were so bogged down in the negotiations, tortuous negotiations it was never going to happen," she said.
"It is good news for people who voted Remain, who were worried we were going to crash out without a deal. We are going to leave but we are going to do so in a smooth and orderly way."
The prime minister, who also written an open letter to EU nationals in the UK, was praised by leading figures from both wings of the Tory party.
On the pro-EU side, Anna Soubry said there was "complete unanimity" within the party that Friday's agreement was a "major step forward" while Nicky Morgan said it was an "early Christmas present".
While commending the PM, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, who had urged her to walk away from the talks if there was no progress, sought reassurances the transition period would be used to "implement things that have been achieved" and "not carry on with no change".
In response, the PM said firms needed time to adjust and avoid the danger of a "double cliff-edge" change in rules - but she also said there would be changes such as EU citizens arriving in the UK having to register.
For Labour, Mr Corbyn said the government's "shambolic" approach was continuing with ministers "contradicting themselves" over whether the UK would pay a financial settlement if there was no trade deal.
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that the EU was unlikely to offer the UK a bespoke trade deal modelled on the one it has with Canada, but with financial services included.
"The EU has effectively ruled that option out," he said. "The EU has also said if you want a Canadian-style approach you have to link it to all kind of conditions to do with state aid, environmental rules and employment rights which effectively rules out the government's philosophy of taking back control".
His party has tabled an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill - to be considered on Tuesday - which would see "the Norway option" of remaining in the single market kept open as long as possible.
Urging Labour MPs and "pragmatic" Tories to support this approach, he said it was "inferior to where we are but it is better than the alternative of not having a close relationship with the EU".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42303059
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UK snow: Power and travel disruption across country - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Weather affects travel and leads to power cuts, with hundreds of schools set to stay closed on Monday.
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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. Scenes of fun and frustration over wintry showers
Heavy snow has led to power cuts and disrupted air, rail and road travel in many parts of the UK.
The deepest snow recorded was 30cm (12in) in Sennybridge, near Brecon, while High Wycombe saw 17cm.
Snow is forecast to remain in Northern Ireland and Scotland but give way to icy conditions overnight elsewhere. Met Office yellow "be aware" warnings for ice affect England and Wales.
Hundreds of schools across England and Wales will be closed on Monday.
Flights have been disrupted at several airports, including Heathrow, where snowploughs were used to clear the runways.
Heathrow remains open but says the de-icing of aircraft is resulting in some delays and cancellations. But passengers flying into the airport have also said they are experiencing delays in disembarking from planes.
Electricity supplier SSE said about 5,400 homes in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire remain without power after snow and wind saw tree branches coming into contact with overhead cables.
Its engineers are working to carry out repairs but because of "continuing issues with access to fault locations" about 800 homes in Oxfordshire will remain without power overnight. The company is serving free hot food and drinks to affected customers.
Across the Midland, South West England and Wales, about 9,000 properties served by Western Power Distribution were affected by power cuts. The company says it is working to restore power overnight.
Buckinghamshire County Council and Shropshire Council say the majority of their schools will be closed on Monday because of the snow.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The forecast is for icy conditions on Monday
There have been similar announcements in Denbighshire, Birmingham, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, while Hertfordshire County Council says some of its schools have taken the decision to shut.
Meanwhile, drivers have been advised by police to avoid non-essential journeys.
The scene on the A40 near Sennybridge in Powys
Temperatures reached lows of -10C (14F) in some parts of Scotland and Wales, falling to as low as -14C (6.8F) in isolated rural areas.
An amber warning for snow was extended on Sunday to cover Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex but areas including Liverpool and South Yorkshire were downgraded to a yellow "be aware" warning.
The Met Office's yellow weather warning for snow and ice on Monday
The Met Office says ice is likely to be the "main hazard" over the next 24 hours as it issued a further yellow "be aware" warning for snow and ice in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It warned of icy surfaces on Monday in Wales and in the Midlands, East of England, London and the South East, the North West, South West, and Yorkshire.
Overnight temperatures into Monday are forecast to be between -1C and 1C in built-up areas but as low as -10C in the countryside.
"Ice is expected to form across many places overnight into Monday morning. Some injuries are likely from slips and falls on icy surfaces as well as icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths," the Met Office said.
"As well as this lying snow from Sunday will continue to be a hazard leading to longer and potentially hazardous journeys."
It said some snow may fall over parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire on Monday morning but it was not expected to settle.
The snow failed to stop the three Premier League matches going ahead - although ground staff were on hand during the Liverpool v Everton derby
The snow showers have swept across London
A gritter ploughs the quiet roads in the Peak District
While this dog owner in Leicestershire braves the cold
A picturesque view was captured in Derwen Gam near Aberaeron, in Wales
Hill walkers made the most of the bright skies over Ben Lawers in Perthshire
The Edward Carson statue in Belfast was barely visible through the snow
But plenty of people were out and about in central London
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42297150
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Golden Globes: Christopher Plummer nominated for Kevin Spacey role - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Other nominees for the Golden Globe awards include Helen Mirren and Judi Dench.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Christopher Plummer has been nominated for a Golden Globe for the role in which he replaced Kevin Spacey.
The actor took over the role in All the Money in the World after a string of sexual harassment allegations were made against Spacey.
The nominees for best drama film include Call Me By Your Name, Dunkirk, The Post, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Dame Helen Mirren and Dame Judi Dench are among the British nominees.
They are in the best actress in a comedy or musical category, alongside Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie and Emma Stone.
The Shape of Water received the most nominations of any film - with seven in total. The Post and Three Billboards each have six.
It was announced last month that Plummer would take over the role of the late oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty in All the Money in the World.
According to Variety, Spacey had already filmed about two weeks of footage for the film, which is directed by Ridley Scott.
Spacey had also appeared in a trailer which was released in September.
Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams, who also star in the movie, had to take part in reshoots for the film, which is still scheduled for release at the end of the month.
But another film in which Spacey stars, Baby Driver, attracted one nomination - Ansel Elgort is up for best actor in a musical or comedy film.
Gary Oldman is nominated for best actor in a drama, for playing Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour - the film's only nod.
Oldman faces competition from Timothee Chalamet (for Call Me By Your Name), Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread), Tom Hanks (The Post) and Denzel Washington (Roman J Israel, Esq).
Angelina Jolie gets a nomination in the best foreign language film category for her Cambodia-set drama First They Killed My Father.
Her competition includes Palme d'Or winner The Square, an art world satire from Sweden that won six prizes at Saturday's European Film Awards.
Nicole Kidman and Robert De Niro are among the nominees in the television categories.
Kidman and Reese Witherspoon are both nominated for best actress in a limited series for their roles in Big Little Lies.
The show received six nominations in total - making it the most-nominated TV series this year.
The pair are up against Jessica Biel, who is nominated for her role in The Sinner, and Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, both of whom are nominated for Feud: Bette and Joan.
Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman star in Big Little Lies
De Niro is nominated for best actor in a limited series for The Wizard of Lies, alongside Jude Law for The Young Pope and Geoffrey Rush for Genius.
The category is completed by Ewan McGregor, who is nominated for Fargo, and Kyle MacLachlan, for Twin Peaks.
The 75th annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by US comedian Seth Meyers, will take place on 7 January.
The nominations were announced at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California by Kristen Bell, Sharon Stone, Alfre Woodard and Garrett Hedlund.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42309451
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Birstall house explosion: Three hurt in gas blast - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two people are airlifted to hospital with "significant" injuries and another suffers minor injuries.
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Leicester
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The blast destroyed two houses in Allington Drive in Birstall and damaged several others
Three people have been hurt - two seriously - in a gas explosion at a house.
Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to a loud bang at the home in Birstall, Leicestershire, at 07:30 GMT.
One house had completely collapsed, one was partially destroyed and others were damaged. The explosion left glass and roof tiles scattered across the street.
Between 30 and 50 properties are thought to have been damaged in total in the explosion.
The fire service said three people were rescued, who were all taken to hospital.
Emergency services were called to the blast site just after 07:30 GMT
Allington Drive is shut and a number of houses in the street have been evacuated as a precaution.
The semi-detached property had collapsed, a neighbouring property partially collapsed and other properties had been damaged
Three people were injured in the gas blast and taken to three different hospitals
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said two of the injured people were in the partially collapsed house and one was in the fully collapsed property.
The fire service said it believed there had been no fire and no reports of gas being smelt.
The gas company said it was too early to speculate on the cause at this time
Matt Cane, from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "When crews arrived, they found two buildings had suffered significant structural collapse.
"We had reports of three people being missing in those buildings.
"Crews worked really hard in difficult conditions to gain access to the three people and rescue them. They have now been transported to hospital by road and air ambulance.
"One has fairly minor injuries. Two have significant injuries."
A number of houses in the street have been evacuated
Tim Hargraves, East Midlands Ambulance Service duty operations manager, said: "One patient has been taken by air ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, one patient has been taken by air ambulance to the Major Trauma Centre in Coventry, and one patient is due to be taken by ambulance to the Leicester Royal Infirmary."
A spokesman from Cadent Gas, the collapsed home's supplier, said: "We are currently on site and our priority at this time is to make safe and we are working with the emergency services to achieve this.
"It's too early to speculate on the cause at this time."
A Charnwood Borough Council spokesman said: "We were called to support the emergency services following reports of a loud bang and a house being damaged in Allington Drive, Birstall earlier this morning.
"We have sent a senior officer to the scene, an officer from our building control team and volunteers to help provide temporary emergency accommodation at Birstall Parish Council offices in Birstall.
"An officer is also visiting the scene in case people affected by the incident need short-term temporary accommodation in the coming days."
A fundraising page has been set up to help those affected by the gas explosion
Tony Timson, who lives nearby, said: "I was in bed and heard this massive explosion about 7:30.
"I quickly looked out of the window and saw debris settling on the street. I came out of the house and about 100 yards down the road was a house and a big black puff of smoke. It was completely demolished.
"We knew someone was in there."
He said within 10 minutes of calling the emergency services, the fire brigade was there.
A fundraising page has been set up to help those affected by the gas explosion.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-42306576
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Netanyahu: Palestinians must face reality over Jerusalem - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Israel's prime minister says Jerusalem has "never been the capital of any other people".
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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.
Israel's prime minister has said Palestinians must "get to grips with" the reality that Jerusalem is Israel's capital in order to move towards peace.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Jerusalem had been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years and had "never been the capital of any other people".
He spoke amid ongoing protests in the Muslim and Arab world at a US decision recognising Jerusalem as the capital.
Violence flared near the US embassy in Lebanon and elsewhere on Sunday.
In Jerusalem itself, a Palestinian was arrested after stabbing and seriously wounding an Israeli security guard at the central bus station.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Netanyahu: Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel
Speaking in Paris after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Netanyahu said efforts to deny the "millennial connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem" were "absurd".
"You can read it in a very fine book - it's called the Bible," he said. "You can read it after the Bible. You can hear it in the history of Jewish communities throughout our diaspora... Where else is the capital of Israel, but in Jerusalem?
"The sooner the Palestinians come to grips with this reality, the sooner we will move towards peace."
Meanwhile a spokesman for the US Vice-President, Mike Pence, strongly criticised the Palestinian Authority, saying it was "unfortunate" that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was declining to meet Mr Pence on his forthcoming trip to the region.
In Egypt, the country's top Muslim and Christian clerics have also cancelled scheduled talks with Mr Pence in protest at the US move.
There has been widespread condemnation of President Donald Trump's decision - announced on Wednesday - to reverse decades of US neutrality on the status of Jerusalem which cuts to the heart of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem.
Israel has always regarded Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 war - as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Sunday has seen a further raft of protests at the US move:
In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a large rally in Istanbul he would not abandon Jerusalem to a state that "kills children".
Mr Netanyahu said the Turkish leader had "attacked Israel".
"I'm not used to receiving lectures about morality from a leader who bombs Kurdish villages in his native Turkey, who jails journalists, helps Iran go around international sanctions and who helps terrorists, including in Gaza, kill innocent people," he added.
Mr Erdoğan has described Jerusalem as a "red line" issue for Muslims and warned Turkey could end up severing diplomatic ties with Israel over the issue.
Turkey and Israel only restored diplomatic relations last year, six years after Turkey cut ties in protest at the killing of nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists in clashes with Israeli commandos on board a ship trying to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42301004
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Margaret Hodge repays £2.97 after Garden Bridge apology - BBC News
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2017-12-11
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Labour's Margaret Hodge tells MPs she is sorry for breaching rules about Parliamentary resources.
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UK Politics
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A senior Labour MP has apologised to the Commons and repaid £2.97 after she was found to have breached Parliament's code of conduct.
Dame Margaret Hodge offered a "sincere" apology for "inadvertently" breaching the rules over her review of the London Garden Bridge project.
An inquiry said the Barking MP should not have used Parliamentary resources for the review.
The £2.97 repayment was the cost of House of Commons stationery, she said.
The code of conduct states MPs should use public resources only "in support of parliamentary duties".
The inquiry concluded the review had not been carried out as part of Dame Margaret's parliamentary activities, because it had been commissioned by an outside body for its own purposes.
The £200m plan to build a bridge covered with trees over the River Thames was abandoned following Dame Margaret's review, which was published in April.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42313309
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Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City - BBC Sport
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2017-12-11
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Jose Mourinho says Manchester United's title hopes are "probably over" after their 2-1 loss to "lucky" Manchester City.
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Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his side's title hopes are "probably" over because referee Michael Oliver failed to award them a penalty in their 2-1 loss to "lucky" Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's team stretched their lead at the top of the table to 11 points and became the first team to win 14 successive English top-flight games in a single season.
City took the lead their vast superiority deserved when man-of-the-match David Silva hooked home from close range after confusion at a corner on 42 minutes, only for United to be handed a lifeline in first-half stoppage time when poor defending from Nicolas Otamendi and Fabian Delph allowed Marcus Rashford to steal in for a composed finish.
Otamendi made amends nine minutes after the break when Romelu Lukaku - who had a poor game - lashed at a clearance in the area and the City defender pounced on the rebound to score.
• None Has Mourinho lost the battle with Guardiola?
• None My Barcelona philosophy is working in England - Guardiola
Mourinho's post-match focus centred on an incident in the 79th minute, when Ander Herrera went down in the box under a challenge from Otamendi and was booked for diving.
"My first reaction is I feel sorry for Michael Oliver because he had a very good match but unfortunately he made an important mistake," Mourinho told BBC Match of the Day.
"The result was made with a big penalty not given. That would have been 2-2.
"Michael was unlucky because it was a clear penalty."
Asked whether the title race was over, Mourinho replied: "Probably, yes. Manchester City are a very good team and they are protected by the luck, and the gods of football are behind them."
Before Sunday's game, Mourinho had suggested City's players go down too easily - something Guardiola dismissed, along with the Portuguese's assertion United should have had a penalty.
"Last season it was the same - we won here and it was the referee. Today as well," Guardiola said.
"Yesterday he spoke about the referee. We are an honest team. We had 65% ball possession, which means we wanted to play. We came here and did that.
"It's not true that my players go down easily. That is not an argument I believe."
Sunday's result ended United's 40-match unbeaten run at home - which stretched back to City's win here in September 2016.
City, who have dropped only two points in their first 16 league games, had opportunities to extend their lead but it was keeper Ederson who made the decisive late intervention with a miraculous double late save from the luckless Lukaku and substitute Juan Mata.
• None Podcast: Is the Premier League title race over?
Is the title race over?
It is a brave call to declare the title race over in early December - but the statistics and evidence are piling up to suggest the chase is on for second place behind City.
City will effectively have to lose four games while all of their rivals need to keep winning, tough to see with Guardiola's team having won every league match since Everton took a point at Etihad Stadium in the second game of the season.
"We are still in December. If we have 11 points when we play the second derby in April then maybe I will tell you that we have the title," said Guardiola, who was full of praise for his side's performance.
"We won at Old Trafford again, that is why I am the most pleased and of course for the three points," he added. "We played good, with a lot of courage. I'm so satisfied."
The trip to Old Trafford, and the renewal of old rivalries between Guardiola and Mourinho, was the most eagerly awaited game of the season between the two teams at the top of the table and was seen as the acid test of City's apparent infallibility.
Those looking for cracks in the Guardiola armour pointed to City having to secure three wins against Huddersfield Town, Southampton and West Ham United with late, late goals.
If City's confidence had been shaken at all by having to fight for victories, there was no sign here as they played with a composure and positivity that was a level above United.
There can be no doubt City were deserved winners and even showed the street wisdom of champions to run down the clock in the closing seconds, to the fury and frustration of Old Trafford.
The title race may not be over - but there was no escaping the feeling a crucial blow has been inflicted on United and the rest of City's pursuers.
Silva may be small in stature but he stood head and shoulders above every other player in the intense heat of this game.
The Spaniard may now be 31 but it is little wonder City were so delighted to secure him on a new contract until 2020.
Silva showed again why he deserves to be ranked as a Premier League great, and one of the finest players to play for City.
He had more time on the ball than any other player, the hallmark of class, and always seemed to have more options in possession than any other player.
Silva pounced for City's crucial first goal, held his own in the physical exchanges and even shrugged off a heavy bang to the head in a clash with United's Marcos Rojo.
It was a complete performance from a world-class player.
City fans stayed in their seats long after the final whistle, delivering a taunt that had echoed around Old Trafford throughout this landmark victory.
"Park The Bus, Park The Bus, Man United…" was the chant that was met with a muted response from the home support, who had seen City show more attacking intent and flair than Mourinho's side could muster.
Until a predictable late charge, this was a strangely muted display from United. Their need for victory was arguably greater than City's as they started the game with an eight-point deficit, but they spent much of the first half on the back foot.
Mourinho's line-up demonstrated attacking intent with the inclusion of Lukaku, Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial. United also missed the power and influence of Paul Pogba, suspended after his red card at Arsenal.
It was still a surprise, however, to see City so comprehensively dominant from the opening exchanges and United were barely able to believe their luck that they went in at half-time on level terms.
Lukaku's lack of confidence and touch did not help and there was an element of good fortune about Ederson's late saves - but there was no doubt United did not push hard enough for victory and were second best.
• None This was just the second time a team has scored more than one goal in the Premier League at Old Trafford against Mourinho's Manchester United (also City in September 2016, 2-1).
• None Mourinho has lost nine matches in all competitions against Guardiola, more than against any other manager.
• None United posted a 35% possession figure, their lowest at Old Trafford in the Premier League since 2003-04 (when Opta started collecting this data).
• None Rashford has been involved in 11 goals in 12 games in all competitions at Old Trafford this season (six goals, five assists), more than any other United player.
• None Otamendi is now the top-scoring defender in the Premier League this season (four goals).
• None Lukaku has scored just five goals in his past 40 Premier League appearances against the 'big six'.
United welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford on Wednesday at 20:00 GMT and are at West Brom on Sunday, 17 December at 14:15.
City travel to Swansea on Wednesday (19:45), before hosting Tottenham on Saturday (17:30).
• None Attempt saved. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a through ball.
• None Ashley Young (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match Ederson (Manchester City) because of an injury.
• None Attempt saved. Juan Mata (Manchester United) left footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal.
• None Attempt saved. Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Anthony Martial.
• None Offside, Manchester United. Nemanja Matic tries a through ball, but Juan Mata is caught offside.
• None Offside, Manchester United. Ashley Young tries a through ball, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42212593
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Trump UK visit expected in new year, US ambassador says - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Woody Johnson says the president will visit in 2018 despite "ruffled feathers" over recent tweets.
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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. Woody Johnson tells Today the US president was not "namby-pamby" about voicing his opinions
The US ambassador to Britain says he expects Donald Trump to visit the UK in the new year despite his recent Twitter row with Theresa May.
Woody Johnson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the disagreement was "probably misinterpreted".
Mrs May had said Mr Trump was "wrong" to share videos posted by the far-right group Britain First, prompting an online backlash from the US president.
Mr Johnson said Mr Trump's relationship with the UK was still "very very good".
But Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said the visit would be "massively opposed in Britain" and a full state visit should be "absolutely off limits".
Sir Vince told the BBC Mr Trump had been "openly abusing and insulting our own prime minister."
Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Vince Cable, said a state visit should "off limits"
The US ambassador said Mr Trump had not yet set a date for the visit - which could be scaled back to a working trip, where the president would not meet the Queen.
"Absolutely, I think he will come," Mr Johnson told Today.
"It hasn't been officially announced, but I hope he does.
"I think it's a very very good relationship," he said.
Speaking of Mrs May's visit to the Oval Office in January, he said: "The prime minister was his first visitor, the first official foreign leader to visit."
There were calls for a reciprocal visit to be abandoned after Mr Trump retweeted three anti-Muslim videos last month.
When a Downing Street spokesman said he had been "wrong" to do so the president hit back, telling Mrs May to focus on "destructive" terrorism in the UK.
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Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, opposes the visit and said British people deserved a special relationship that works "both ways".
"By sharing and promoting videos by Britain First he's undermined our democratic process and put at risk people in our communities," she told Radio 4.
"He didn't listen to our own prime minister who said this is not acceptable."
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Former NFL tycoon Mr Johnson - who has known Mr Trump for 35 years - said he was "familiar with these kinds of emotions people have" from his background in sport.
He accepted there "may be disagreements" over how the president says or does things, agreeing that Mr Trump was not "namby-pamby" about expressing his views.
"Maybe he'll ruffle feathers - there's no question that maybe some feathers were ruffled."
Mr Johnson, who took up his post in September, responded to comments from Twitter users at the time of the row, writing of a "long history" of "speaking frankly" between the US and UK.
Sir Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to the US, said withdrawing the invitation now would give "serious offence" to many people in the States, including those who did not vote for Mr Trump.
"But I think it will be a highly circumscribed visit when it does go ahead," he told Today.
The security risks - including the risk of protests and public disorder - will be "very great," he added.
"US investment in the UK creates (up to) two million jobs, let's think about the essentials and not the fisticuffs above the surface," Sir Christopher said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42319018
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The world's youngest island - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Scientists think Hunga Tunga Hunga Ha'apai might hold clues on where to look for life on Mars.
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Scientists think Hunga Tunga Hunga Ha'apai might hold clues on where to look for life on Mars.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42314269
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France: Migrants at the frozen border - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Migrants attempt to cross from Italy to France through the mountains in sub zero temperatures.
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Migrants attempting to cross illegally from Italy to France through the snow-covered mountains may be met by police or receive a local welcome.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42317793
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Birstall house explosion: Woman dies in hospital - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two others were also injured when two houses collapsed in the blast on Monday morning.
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Leicester
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A woman has died following a gas explosion at a house in Leicestershire.
Janet Jasper was taken to hospital following the blast, which happened on Allington Drive, Birstall, at about 07:30 GMT on Monday.
Two men were also injured - one is in a stable condition in hospital and the other has been discharged.
One house was destroyed, another torn in half and 50 others were damaged. A "handful" of families spent Monday night in temporary accommodation.
An investigation is under way.
The two collapsed houses before and after
The gas maintenance company Cadent, which supplied the collapsed house in Birstall, has confirmed it attended a call-out on Allington Drive on Sunday.
Chris Rison, from Cadent, said: "We were called and we attended to a job on this street.
"I can't go through the details of that attendance because that's all part of the investigation but it's true that we attended."
The blast destroyed two houses in Allington Drive, Birstall, and damaged several others
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said two of the injured were rescued from the partially collapsed house and one from the fully collapsed property
The three injured in the gas blast were taken to three different hospitals
The Shah family, who live next door to the demolished house, cannot return home because it is not structurally safe.
Local people have offered them shelter, food and hot drinks.
Tina Shah said: "We have had lots of phone calls and messages. The whole community has been fantastic."
Talking about the explosion, she said: "My son was in bed with me and our roof came in. I didn't know what had happened to my daughter because she was in another room.
"I am just really grateful I have been able to walk out of my house with my two children."
An online fundraising page for those affected has already raised more than £2,800
Allington Drive remains closed and curtains and blinds can be seen hanging from properties
Charnwood Borough Council said it was too early to tell if those left temporarily homeless would be able to return home before Christmas.
Richard Smith, who lives three doors down from the blast site, has lost dozens of tiles and damaged windows but stayed at home on Monday night in freezing temperatures.
"It is a bad state, but we are lucky. A lot of people are even worse," he said.
"I can't imagine how those poor people feel. If we had lost our house like they have, I don't know what we would have done really.
"I just feel terrible for them. I am just hoping and praying that they are OK."
An investigation into the cause is under way
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-42320938
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Labour clears MP Clive Lewis of sexual harassment - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Clive Lewis says he is "very pleased to be able to put this behind me and move on".
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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 been cleared of sexual harassment by a party inquiry, the BBC understands.
The Norwich South MP was put under investigation last month after a party supporter claimed that she had been groped by him at the Labour conference in Brighton in September.
Mr Lewis, the former shadow defence secretary, had always denied the allegation.
He said: "I am very pleased to be able to put this behind me and move on."
He added: "I believe it right and proper that the Labour Party treats all allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct seriously.
"I want to express my gratitude to my wife, friends and constituents who have supported me during recent weeks."
The Labour Party launched its investigation into Mr Lewis after an unnamed woman told the Independent newspaper that he had groped her.
At the time, 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."
Announcing the conclusion of the case, a Labour Party spokesman said: "After consideration of statements provided by the complainant and the respondent, the National Executive Committee's sexual harassment panel has ruled that on the balance of the evidence the matter should not be referred to a full hearing of the National Constitutional Committee."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42318625
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Snow in UK: Your photos of the wintry scenes - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Snow has fallen across the UK, causing disruption for some and fun for others. Here are some of your photos.
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UK
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Presha Taneja took this photo of driving conditions while stuck near junction 20 of the M25.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42299737
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Snow in Europe triggers transport chaos - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Hundreds of flights are cancelled in the Netherlands and Belgium.
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Europe
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A traffic jam near Mülheim - one of many in snow-bound Germany
Heavy snow blanketing northern Europe has caused many flight cancellations and delays at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands and Brussels airport.
About 400 flights were cancelled at Schiphol - one of Europe's biggest airports - and about 200 in Brussels.
Travellers have been advised to check flight updates at home, rather than set off for the airport in bad weather.
In Germany the heavy snow has caused many car crashes and traffic jams, as well as train delays.
More than 300 flights were cancelled on Sunday at Frankfurt airport, the busiest in Germany.
The Dutch airport at Eindhoven was temporarily closed because of the snow, and many Dutch schools remained shut on Monday.
Conditions improved later at Brussels airport, where planes were able to take off from one de-iced runway. But Brussels Airlines scrapped all its flights.
In the UK, dozens of flights were cancelled at Heathrow and road conditions were described as treacherous in many areas.
The heavy snow left thousands of British homes without electricity and hundreds of schools were shut on Monday.
In France 32 regions were put on an emergency "orange alert" footing, as a storm nicknamed "Ana" battered the Atlantic coast, with winds gusting as high as 150km/h (93mph). Later the alert was reduced to eight regions in the north and far south.
There were also avalanche warnings in some French Alpine ski resorts, after a metre (3.3ft) or more of fresh snow fell above 2,000 metres.
Nationwide at least 120,000 homes had power cuts on Monday, most of them in the Loire Valley.
The motorway section between Calais and Boulogne was closed after heavy snow in northeastern France.
Not what you expect in Venice: snowflakes on the gondolas
Snow also spread southwards to Italy, causing some travel disruption in northern regions.
The snow caused the closure of schools in Liguria, Piedmont and Tuscany, Italy's La Stampa daily reported.
Ferry services to the islands off Naples were suspended because of strong winds.
Val d'Isère, France: The plentiful snow is generally good news for ski resorts
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42310933
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Westfield shopping centres bought in $25bn deal - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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French property firm Unibail-Rodamco hopes to launch Westfield shopping centres in new markets.
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Business
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The owner of Westfield shopping centres is being bought for $24.7bn (£18.5bn) in a deal that will see the malls launched in new markets.
Australia's Westfield Corporation has agreed to be sold to French property group Unibail-Rodamco.
There are 35 Westfield shopping centres in the UK and the US, while Unibail-Rodamco has 71 sites in Europe.
Unibail-Rodamco said the takeover would result in a "progressive roll-out of the world famous Westfield brand".
The takeover is the second major deal involving shopping centre owners to emerge in just over a week.
On 6 December, Hammerson, which owns the Bullring in Birmingham, announced a £3.4bn bid for Intu, whose properties include the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester.
Westfield owns 35 shopping centres in Britain and the US
The deals come as owners of shopping centres face increasing competition from the shift to shopping online.
Sir Frank Lowy, the billionaire property tycoon who co-founded Westfield in the 1950s, will retire as chairman of Westfield. His sons Peter and Steven will also step down as co-chief executives of the business.
Kate Hardcastle helped the Westfield Corporation with it future retail strategy in 2012, but has no continuing relationship with it: "Customers like Westfield's shopping centres because they're not just places to buy things. They try to be aspirational destinations that seek to entertain and include everyone. In their luxury sections there is never an aloof atmosphere which makes people feel unwelcome.
"Importantly they have also invested in good quality, clean toilets and baby changing areas which are an on-going expense. It is all about keeping shoppers in a retail space because the longer they stay there the more they will spend.
"But Westfield will have to keep innovating to fend off competition from companies such as NewRiver. It owns nearly 30 shopping centres in the UK and is developing a community focused strategy, appealing to different demographics - for instance by hosting coffee mornings for older people."
Speaking at a news conference in Sydney, Westfield chairman Sir Frank Lowy, the billionaire property tycoon who co-founded Westfield in the 1950s said the sale to Unibail-Rodamco would create "the leading shopping centre company in the world".
"It will have the highest quality assets in the best markets across Europe, the United Kingdom and United States. For the assets I've spent my life building I could not imagine a better home for them than in this new company."
Sir Frank will retire as chairman of Westfield following the sale. He is one of the richest people in Australia with a fortune of $5.9bn, according to Forbes magazine, and was knighted by the Queen last week.
Christophe Cuvillier, chief executive of Unibail-Rodamco, said the acquisition of Westfield "adds a number of new attractive retail markets in London and the wealthiest catchment areas in the United States".
He added that the deal would allow it to cut advertising and marketing costs. At the moment, Unibail shopping centres advertise individually under different brands for big events, such Christmas.
It intends to roll-out the recognisable Westfield brand across its flagship shopping centres in areas such as Paris, Barcelona, Vienna and Warsaw.
Unibail and Westfield said they would make €100m (£88.2m) in savings a year following the tie-up.
The group is expected to sell €3bn (£2.65bn) worth of assets over the next few years, which will involving shedding some of its smaller shopping centres.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42320746
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Skin betting: 'Children as young as 11 introduced to gambling' - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Gamers as young as 11 bet using virtual weapons within video games which are then exchanged for cash.
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Technology
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. University student Ryan Archer's love of gaming spiralled into gambling when he was 15
Thousands of children and young people are losing money on websites which allow them to trade virtual items, gambling experts have warned.
The Gambling Commission's annual report has, for the first time, looked at the problem of so-called "skin betting".
The items won - usually modified guns or knives within a video game known as a skin - can often be sold and turned back into real money.
The commission says cracking down on the industry is now a top priority.
Experts say third party websites enable children to gamble the virtual weapons - or skins - on casino or slot machine type games, offering them the chance to generate real money.
Overall, the report shows that around 370,000 11-16 year-olds spent their own money on gambling in the past week, in England, Scotland and Wales.
Most commonly, children were using fruit machines, National Lottery scratch cards or placing private bets.
Bangor University student Ryan Archer's love of gaming spiralled into gambling when he was 15 and he became involved in skin betting.
Four years later he has lost more than £2,000.
"I'd get my student loan, some people spend it on expensive clothes, I spend it on gambling virtual items," he said.
"There have been points where I could struggle to buy food, because this takes priority."
Ryan wanted to build an inventory of skins, but when he could not afford the price tag attached to some of them he began gambling on unlicensed websites to try to raise money.
He said: "It's hard to ask your parents for £1,000 to buy a knife on CSGO (the multiplayer first-person shooter game Counter Strike: Global Offensive), it's a lot easier to ask for a tenner and then try and turn that into £1,000."
In CSGO, players can exchange real money for the chance to obtain a modified weapon known as a skin and a number of gambling websites have been built around the game.
"You wouldn't see an 11-year-old go into a betting shop, but you can with this, there's nothing to stop you," Ryan said.
Skins modify the look of a gun
Skins are collectable, virtual items in video games that change the appearance of a weapon - for example, turning a pistol into a golden gun.
Sometimes skins can be earned within a game, but they can also be bought with real money.
Some games also let players trade and sell skins, with rarer examples attracting high prices.
A number of websites let players gamble with their skins for the chance to win more valuable ones.
Since skins won on such a website could theoretically be sold and turned back into real-world money, critics say betting with skins is unlicensed gambling.
Sarah Harrison, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, said: "Because of these unlicensed skin betting sites, the safeguards that exist are not being applied and we're seeing examples of really young people, 11 and 12-year-olds, who are getting involved in skin betting, not realising that it's gambling.
"At one level they are running up bills perhaps on their parents' Paypal account or credit card, but the wider effect is the introduction and normalisation of this kind of gambling among children and young people."
Earlier this year, the Gambling Commission for the first time prosecuted people for running an unlicensed gambling website connected to a video game.
Craig Douglas, a prominent gamer known as Nepenthez, and his business partner Dylan Rigby, were fined £91,000 ($112,000) and £164,000 respectively after admitting offences under the UK's Gambling Act.
The men ran a website called FUT Galaxy that was connected to the Fifa video game and let gamers gamble virtual currency.
Ms Harrison said the regulator was prepared to take criminal action, but said the "huge issue" also required help from parents, game platform providers and payment providers.
Some games providers have put more safeguards in place, but many of the sites are based abroad.
Vicky Shotbolt, from the group Parentzone said: "It's a huge emerging issue that's getting bigger and bigger, but parents aren't even thinking about it.
"When we talk to people about skin gambling, we normally get a look of complete confusion."
She called on regulators to take more action over the issue.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42311533
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UK forecast: Lying snow, ice and freezing fog - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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There will be lying snow, ice and freezing fog for many during the morning, the BBC's Carol Kirkwood says.
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There will be lying snow, ice and freezing fog for many during the morning, the BBC's Carol Kirkwood says.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42321149
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Three children die in suspicious house fire in Salford - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Three men and a woman are arrested on suspicion of murder after three children died in the blaze.
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Manchester
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Fire crews were called to the scene on Jackson Street at about 05:00 GMT
Three children have died in a house fire in Salford, while a three-year-old is said to be in a critical condition.
A 14-year-old girl, named locally as Demi Pearson, was declared dead at the scene, while an eight-year-old boy and a girl aged seven died in hospital.
Their mother, named as Michelle Pearson, 35, is in a serious condition.
Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the fire, which broke out at the house in Jackson Street, Walkden, at about 05:00 GMT.
Ms Pearson has been heavily sedated and has not yet been told that her children are dead, a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesperson said.
Three men, aged 18, 20 and 23, and a 20-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody for questioning.
A 24-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
GMP confirmed it had had very recent contact with the family and had visited the house in the hours before the blaze.
The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The roads around Jackson Street have been cordoned off
Ch Supt Wayne Miller said what had happened was "the murder, using fire, of three children and we have a three-year-old girl fighting for her life".
He said officers were "keeping an open mind" over whether the tragedy was related to organised crime.
Appealing for any information "no matter how small", he added the deaths would "devastate this family forever".
Neighbour Susan Smith said she saw the children being carried to the ambulances
Neighbour Susan Smith said she heard "people screaming and shouting and then I opened the bathroom window and it was just like if you can imagine an orange cloud and a bang and fireballs coming from the house".
She said paramedics were "pulling up outside our house and they were carrying the children to the ambulances".
The four children, their mother and one other person were taken to hospital.
Two boys, aged 16, who were also in the house, were described as "walking wounded".
It is understood one of the boys is a family member, while the other is not related.
Police are treating the fire as suspicious
Greater Manchester Fire Service said crews rescued five people when they arrived on the scene, while two people had already got out of the house.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42313197
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'Worrying alarm call' for world's birds on brink of extinction - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Seabirds such as the kittiwake are being pushed to the brink of extinction, say conservationists.
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Science & Environment
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Black-legged kittiwake: Colonies are struggling to feed their chicks
Overfishing and changing sea temperatures are pushing seabirds to the brink of extinction, according to new data on the world's birds.
Birds that are now globally threatened include the kittiwake and the Atlantic puffin, which breed on UK sea cliffs.
Meanwhile, on land, the Snowy Owl is struggling to find prey as ice melts in the North American Arctic, say conservation groups.
The iconic bird is listed as vulnerable to extinction for the first time.
"Birds are well-studied and great indicators of the health of the wider environment,'' said Dr Ian Burfield, global science coordinator at BirdLife International, the IUCN Red List authority on birds.
''A species at higher risk of extinction is a worrying alarm call that action needs to be taken now. ''
He added that success in kiwi and pelican conservation had shown that, when well-resourced and supported, conservation efforts do pay off.
Worldwide, over a quarter of more than 200 bird species reassessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have been moved to higher threat categories while a similar number have been downgraded.
Seabirds are of particular concern, including Cape gannets, which are now classified as Endangered, and the Antipodean Albatross, which risks being drowned by fishing lines.
Fishing pressures and ocean changes caused by climate change are reducing food supply for the chicks of seabirds, while adults receive little protection when they fly over areas of the ''high seas'' that do not fall under the jurisdiction of any country, says BirdLife International.
The kittiwake (Rissa Tridactyla, or black-legged kittiwake), which breeds along northern coasts, has declined globally by about 40% since the 1970s.
More than 70% of the British breeding kittiwake population is found in Scotland.
However, there has been a dramatic decline, particularly in Orkney and Shetland and on St Kilda in the Western Isles.
"Some efforts are underway to protect important seabird foraging areas in international waters, but there is much more we could do around the UK to protect our internationally important and increasingly threatened seabird populations," said Laura Bambini, the RSPB Scotland's seabird recovery officer.
Sandeels are a vital food source for breeding seabirds in the North Sea. The eels are threatened by rising sea temperatures and are also harvested by commercial fisheries.
"We need to ensure that the future management of the sandeel fishery is sustainable,'' said Dr Euan Dunn, the RSPB's marine policy specialist.
Cape gannet: Fish stocks are depleted, so it is going hungry
The other birds found in the UK to be placed on the IUCN Red List are:
Elsewhere, the Snowy Owl has moved up the rankings from Least Concern to Vulnerable. The North American population has declined by 64% since 1970, as changing temperatures affect its habitat and prey. Collisions with vehicles and utility lines are also a threat to the owl, made famous in the Harry Potter books.
"Arctic biodiversity is under pressure from a number of stressors, including climate change, so hopefully the uplisting of the Snowy Owl as a flagship species will also draw attention to wider issues in this region,'' said Dr Burfield.
Dalmatian pelican: On the rise due to added protection measures
In Asia, the Yellow-breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola), which is illegally trapped for food, has been uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered.
More positive news comes from Europe, where Dalmatian Pelicans are recovering after conservation efforts. This year, pelicans on Lake Skadar in Montenegro had their most successful breeding season ever, raising 60 chicks.
However, while two species of kiwi in New Zealand are now less threatened, the Kea is declining, in part due to tourists feeding the parrots with junk food like bread and chips.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42314289
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Heat-not-burn tobacco 'is a health risk' - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The new tobacco products are safer than cigarettes but not risk-free, say UK experts.
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Health
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The health risks are lower than smoking cigarettes
"Heat-not-burn" tobacco products are harmful to health even though they are safer than regular cigarettes, say UK experts.
The advisory panel to the government said the devices produce "a number of compounds of concern", including some that can cause cancer.
Manufacturers say their products are aimed at smokers who want the "taste of tobacco with no smoke and less smell".
The panel was concerned that young non-smokers might start using the products.
There were also worries that the products could lead people to take up smoking cigarettes.
The Committee on Toxicity (Cot) looked at the available evidence about the risks of two heat-not-burn products that have recently gone on sale in the UK - IQOS and iFuse.
The devices heat tobacco to a high enough temperature to create a vapour but not smoke.
They are different to e-cigarettes, which vaporise a liquid containing nicotine - the highly addictive compound in tobacco smoke.
The committee found that people using heat-not-burn products are exposed to between 50% to 90% fewer "harmful and potentially harmful" compounds compared with conventional cigarettes.
But it was unable to quantify the exact health risk.
Prof Alan Boobis, committee chairman, said: "The evidence suggests that heat-not-burn products still pose a risk to users. There is likely to be a reduction in risk for cigarette smokers who switch to heat-not-burn products but quitting entirely would be more beneficial."
There was not enough evidence for the committee to compare heat-not-burn with e-cigarettes.
But the committee noted: "If people perceive e-cigarettes as safe this perception could transfer to heat-not-burn tobacco products, despite a lack of data on which to establish this."
Public Health England says there is a large amount of evidence that shows e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking - at least 95%.
"We encourage smokers to try e-cigarettes as a way of stopping smoking. People who combine e-cigarettes with support from their local stop-smoking service have some of the highest quit success rates."
Quitting tobacco-use completely is still the healthiest option, say health experts.
A spokesman for Philip Morris Limited, which makes IQOS, said: "We are encouraged by today's statement of the UK's Committee on Toxicity and will continue to share our scientific evidence.
"We believe that smoke-free alternatives, including heated tobacco products like IQOS and e-cigarettes, have significant potential to be less harmful than cigarettes and can play an important role for smokers and public health."
Simon Clark from the smokers' group Forest said: "Electronic cigarettes are a step too far for many smokers so if the government wants smokers to quit there has to be a range of products that fills the gap between combustible tobacco and e-cigarettes."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42328236
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Investigation ordered into 'misleading' festive tickets - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Customers have been sold tickets for trains that will not run or will be disrupted, a watchdog says.
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UK
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Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has ordered an investigation after reports rail firms "misled" customers.
The watchdog Transport Focus said companies were selling tickets for services over Christmas, despite knowing they will not run.
Mr Grayling said was "unacceptable" for passengers to have to pay higher "walk-up" fares at Christmas.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group said its members would "develop a plan" to address the complaints.
Mr Grayling said: "It would be totally unacceptable if any passenger has to pay walk-up fares this Christmas because advance tickets were not available."
"I expect passengers to be offered the highest standards of customer service and have ordered an immediate investigation into this report."
He also urged Network Rail and train companies to work closer together to minimise disruption and make sure the problem did not happen again.
Transport Focus found more than 2,600 incorrect journeys - those already cancelled or scheduled to face disruption - were on offer during the Christmas week alone.
The group also found that by 13 October - 11 weeks before Christmas - reservations had not opened on Great Western, London Midland, South Western Railway and Southern - despite regulations stating they should.
Only 15% of services were open for reservation on Greater Anglia and 25% on Virgin Trains.
Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: "Failure to release timetables 12 weeks ahead of travel can mean passengers buy tickets for trains that will not run.
"That can't be right. Train operators' advice is to book early at Christmas to get the best deal.
"But if the timetable has not been finalised only more expensive 'on the day' tickets can be bought."
Helen Firth, 37, from Surrey commutes to London for work and says getting home on time to see her nine-year-old son was important.
But she said she was unable to plan her Christmas journeys.
"It's unfair if someone's forked out a bunch of money, but don't know if their train will be delayed," she said.
"Companies should at least advise people so they have the option of knowing and planning other routes."
Paul Plummer, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group responded to the Transport Focus criticisms, saying the issue was "important" and he would reply more fully before Christmas.
Transport Focus have called for a network-wide review to ensure train operators publish correct timetables 12 weeks in advance.
They also want incorrect information to be removed from online timetables, and say passengers who have already bought tickets must be notified when there are changes to their journeys.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42322086
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Web pioneers plead to cancel US net vote - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An influential group calls for a controversial vote on net neutrality due this week to be cancelled.
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Technology
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Several influential figures responsible for creating the internet have demanded that a controversial vote be cancelled.
This week the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will decide on whether to repeal an Obama-era law that protects "net neutrality".
It refers to the principle that all traffic on the internet is treated equally.
The pioneers said the FCC did not know what it was doing.
"It is important to understand that the FCC’s proposed Order is based on a flawed and factually inaccurate understanding of internet technology," the open letter read.
Signees included several of the architects of the early internet and world wide web, such as Vint Cerf and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, along with Steve Wozniak, the Apple co-founder.
The letter calls for the vote, due to be held on 14 December, to be cancelled due to what the authors regard as a lack of transparency and a refusal to listen to critics of the plan.
"The FCC’s rushed and technically incorrect proposed Order to abolish net neutrality protections without any replacement is an imminent threat to the internet we worked so hard to create," the letter states. "It should be stopped."
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is calling for net neutrality to be maintained
The letter, signed by 21 notable people, was sent to the Senate's commerce subcommittee on communications, technology, innovation and the internet.
This week could be pivotal in the history of the internet. Although it is yet to vote, there is no doubt that the Republican-controlled FCC will choose to end net neutrality when it makes its ruling on Thursday.
Without laws protecting the principles, campaigners say internet service providers (ISPs) will have free rein to exploit new power by throttling certain types of internet traffic.
For example, an ISP may decide to charge extra to use a service such as Netflix, or give a company an upper hand by not counting use of certain services when charging users for data bandwidth.
Such moves are theoretical, but until now were prevented by law.
The FCC believes the possible impact of the move has been exaggerated, and said the change in regulations would help improve competition and remove government meddling in the internet.
It said the open market should mean users are not unfairly treated by ISPs - despite many Americans only having one choice of provider in certain parts of the country.
In a move designed to allay fears of foul play, the FCC and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday announced new coordination to clamp down on unfair behaviour from telecoms companies.
The FCC and the FTC, the government body tasked with protecting consumer rights, will jointly investigate any issues.
Vint Cerf is known as one of the "fathers of the internet"
"Instead of saddling the Internet with heavy-handed regulations, we will work together to take targeted action against bad actors," the FCC said.
The FCC's pledge reads that internet providers must be transparent in providing "information concerning an ISP’s practices with respect to blocking, throttling, paid prioritization, and congestion management".
That wording only seemed to intensify campaigners' fears.
Chris Lewis, from pro-net neutrality group Public Knowledge, said: "There is no comfort in this announcement from the FTC.
"Not only is the FCC eliminating basic net neutrality rules, but it’s joining forces with the FTC to say it will only act when a broadband provider is deceiving the public."
He added: "This gives free rein to broadband providers to block or throttle your broadband service as long as they inform you of it."
Protests against the FCC's move will step up a gear on Tuesday. Campaigners have pledged to "break the internet" with floods of messages urging people to contact their representatives.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42318804
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Michael Gove: I'll make Brexit work for animals too - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The environment secretary publishes legislation to recognise animal feelings in UK law.
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UK Politics
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The government has published a new law that says it must treat animals as "sentient beings" when it makes laws.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove promised to "make Brexit work not just for citizens but for the animals we love and cherish too".
The draft law also increases the maximum sentence for serious animal cruelty to five years in jail.
The Green Party said the government had done a "screeching U-turn".
The move follows last month's animal sentience "fake news" row involving a celebrity-backed social media campaign.
After MPs voted not to incorporate part of an EU treaty recognising that animals could feel emotion and pain into the EU Withdrawal Bill, some widely-shared reports and petitions suggested it had been a vote against the idea of animal sentience itself.
High-profile figures such as explorer Ben Fogle shared the stories. He later apologised for posting "misleading threads" but defended sharing details on "important stories".
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In the aftermath Mr Gove hit out at the way social media "corrupts and distorts" political reporting and promised new UK legislation to ensure the principle of animal sentience is recognised.
The draft bill says the government "must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing government policy".
Mr Gove said: "Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, so we are writing that principle into law and ensuring that we protect their welfare.
"Our plans will also increase sentences for those who commit the most heinous acts of animal cruelty to five years in jail.
"We are a nation of animal lovers so we will make Brexit work not just for citizens but for the animals we love and cherish too."
Speaking in a House of Commons debate, Environment Minister Therese Coffey said that "contrary to the fake news that was spread recently" the "direct effect of animal sentience" was already recognised "throughout the statute book" but the new measure would put animals' capability of feeling pain or pleasure "more clearly than ever before in domestic law".
David Bowles, the RSPCA's head of public affairs, said the plans were "potentially great news" for animals post-Brexit.
He said: "To include the recognition of animal sentience as well as increasing animal cruelty sentencing to five years into the new 2018 Animal Welfare Bill is a very bold and welcome move by the government."
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, whose amendment to the EU bill sparked the debate about animal sentience, said the government had "performed a screeching U-turn" after previously insisting it was covered by existing UK law.
"There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this legislation wouldn't have emerged now without the pressure of thousands of people who have taken action after the government voted against my amendment," she said.
Labour's Sue Hayman, shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary, said: "This is a rushed and haphazard attempt to backtrack on the government's mistake of not including animal sentience in the EU Withdrawal Bill.
"There are serious questions about whether this Bill is equivalent to current EU standards given that it does not appear to cover wild animals - giving this Tory government freedom to pursue their pro-fox hunting and reckless badger culling agenda across England."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42313313
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New York Port Authority attack: Man held after Manhattan blast - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A Bangladeshi man is being held after a blast wounded several people at Port Authority bus terminal.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The blast hit during New York's rush-hour - this is how events unfolded
A man is being held after an attempted terror attack at New York City's main bus terminal.
"Terrorists won't win," Mayor Bill de Blasio said after a blast at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan during the morning rush hour on Monday.
The suspect, Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, was injured by a "low-tech explosive device" strapped to his body, officials say.
Three other people suffered minor wounds when it blew up in an underpass.
A photo circulating on social media shows a man, said to be Akayed Ullah, lying on the ground with his clothes ripped and lacerations on his upper body.
Mayor De Blasio said he was believed to have acted alone.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. NYC police commissioner: 'Suspect has burns and wounds to body'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "This is New York. The reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom.
"We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbour and that makes us an international target."
The explosion occurred at about 07:30 (12:30 GMT). Andre Rodriguez, 62, told the New York Times: "I was going through the turnstile. It sounded like an explosion, and everybody started running."
Another eyewitness, Alicja Wlodkowski, told Reuters news agency that she had seen a group of about 60 people running. "A woman fell. And nobody even went to stop and help her because the panic was so scary," she said.
Nearby subway stations were evacuated, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal temporarily shut.
It is the biggest and busiest bus terminal in the world, serving more than 65 million people a year.
The suspect's home in the New York City borough of Brooklyn is being searched, the New York Times reports.
He may have been recently working at an electrical company, according to the New York Post.
Mr Ullah emigrated to the US on a family visa in 2011. The Bangladeshi government said he had no criminal record in the country, which he last visited in September.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders claimed that if Mr Trump's proposed immigration crackdown had already been in place, "the attacker would have never been allowed to come into the country".
"This attack underscores the need for Congress to work with the president on immigration reforms that enhance our national security and public safety," she added during a daily news briefing on Monday.
Several blocks of the city have been cordoned off
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42312293
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Llanelli woman's nudist dating site £50,000 fraud - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A naturist is duped by a woman saying she needed cash for a cow insemination business.
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South West Wales
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A fraudster who met her victim on a dating website for naturists scammed him out of £50,000.
Moira Etchells, 45, met Ian Chatting-Tonks in 2013 and persuaded him to lend her the cash to start a business artificially inseminating cows.
Swansea Crown Court heard she spent £35,000 on a new Land Rover and banked the rest.
Etchells, of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, admitted fraud and got an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years.
Widower Mr Chatting-Tonks, from Norfolk, went online to search for a new partner who was also interested in naturism, which is when he found Etchells' profile.
He paid for her to fly to Alicante where she persuaded him to back a new cow insemination and hoof trimming business.
She said it would give her more time to visit him once a month in Spain, where he had retired to live.
He sent her a total of £50,000, but became suspicious when she started taking longer to respond to his emails.
When Mr Chatting-Tonks said he was going to visit Etchells in Wales, she claimed to have moved to Ireland.
Dyfed-Powys Police began investigating and when caught, she repaid £50,000 in full after selling the Land Rover.
The court was told Etchells had underlying bipolar effective disorder and her condition led to her making "fanciful" claims.
"I have found this case truly bizarre," said Judge Geraint Walters.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-42325475
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How hot is it where you are? - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Compare the temperature in your area to other locations in the UK and around the world.
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UK
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Compare the temperature where you are with more than 50 cities around the world, including some of the hottest and coldest inhabited places. Enter your location or postcode in the search box to see your result.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23252638
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After Weinstein, Trump sexual misconduct accusers demand action - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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More than a dozen women have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. Now, in the moment of #MeToo, how do they feel?
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Decades ago, Jessica Leeds says Donald Trump groped her on a flight. It's a story she first shared during the 2016 election - and multiple other women soon followed suit.
Now, some of them are demanding that Congress holds the president accountable for the allegations. The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan reports.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42314700
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'Monster' fatberg to go on display in museum - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A slice of a monster fatberg, clogging up London's sewers, is going on display in a museum.
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Family & Education
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The museum will show how fat is blocking London's Victorian infrastructure
Part of one of the capital's biggest fatbergs is going to be put on display in the Museum of London next year.
It is a slice of a monster fatberg, over 250m (820ft) long, which had been clogging up sewers below Whitechapel.
The museum says it was a congealed concoction of "fat, oil, grease, wet wipes and sanitary products".
The display will show how modern living and high levels of rubbish are putting pressure on the "arteries" of London's Victorian infrastructure.
The Whitechapel fatberg became something of a celebrity in its own right last autumn - with Thames Water fighting a nine-week battle against a "rock hard" blockage weighing 130 tonnes.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Part of the fatberg was filmed by Thames Water engineers trying to remove the blockage
The museum describes the fatberg's dimensions as being longer than Tower Bridge and as heavy as 11 double-decker buses.
Curator Vyki Sparkes said it "will be one of the most fascinating and disgusting objects we have ever had on display".
Thames Water's Stuart White says that part of its fascination is that it is the product of our own modern-day living, describing it as "repulsively human".
There is an eco-friendly ending to what happened to the rest of the fatberg.
It was chopped up and mostly converted into bio-diesel.
Despite the name, fatbergs are actually mainly made up of wet wipes. They account for a startling 93% of the material blocking our sewers according to Water UK, the membership body for water providers.
They collected samples to analyse from blockages in sewers, pumps and wastewater treatment works.
Wet wipes - mostly baby wipes, but also those used to remove make up and clean surfaces - made up the vast majority of the material.
Fat, oil and grease only made up 0.5%.
The other 7% was made up of a range of other materials including feminine hygiene products, cotton pads and plastic wrappers.
Toilet paper made up just 0.01% of the material blocking our pipes and sewers.
Environmental charities including Greenpeace and the Marine Conservation Society say they are not surprised by this high number since wet wipes are often marketed as "flushable".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42324932
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Margaret Hodge repays £2.97 after Garden Bridge apology - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Labour's Margaret Hodge tells MPs she is sorry for breaching rules about Parliamentary resources.
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UK Politics
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A senior Labour MP has apologised to the Commons and repaid £2.97 after she was found to have breached Parliament's code of conduct.
Dame Margaret Hodge offered a "sincere" apology for "inadvertently" breaching the rules over her review of the London Garden Bridge project.
An inquiry said the Barking MP should not have used Parliamentary resources for the review.
The £2.97 repayment was the cost of House of Commons stationery, she said.
The code of conduct states MPs should use public resources only "in support of parliamentary duties".
The inquiry concluded the review had not been carried out as part of Dame Margaret's parliamentary activities, because it had been commissioned by an outside body for its own purposes.
The £200m plan to build a bridge covered with trees over the River Thames was abandoned following Dame Margaret's review, which was published in April.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42313309
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Netflix defends A Christmas Prince tweet - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The platform sent a tweet addressing the "53 people" that have watched the film 18 days in a row.
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Technology
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Netflix has defended a tweet that revealed 53 people had watched its new Christmas film every day for 18 days in a row.
"Who hurt you?" read the tweet, addressed to them.
The tweet caused controversy, with some saying it was "creepy" of the platform to keep such close tabs on its audience, and mock their choices.
However, others found it entertaining - and unsurprising that Netflix should know what its customers were viewing.
In a statement, Netflix said the privacy of its members was important.
"This information represents overall viewing trends, not the personal viewing information of specific, identified individuals," said a representative.
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Netflix has been studying its user data closely for some time but doesn't often share it.
When the platform first decided to start producing its own material, it mined its user data to see what the most popular content was among its existing customers.
At that time it discovered that the most searched-for and viewed material included that which featured (now disgraced) actor Kevin Spacey, the director David Fincher and BBC political dramas - and that led to the re-make of the 1990 BBC political thriller House of Cards, involving the pair.
"Netflix, like any company these days, keeps a sharp eye on what its users like so that it can offer them more of what they like," said technology commentator Kate Bevan.
"What's a bit creepy, however, is extracting data points with no context and offering up data that should be anonymised in a way that could identify individuals."
Dr Bernie Hogan, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, accused Netflix of "humblebragging" by suggesting its Christmas movie was so compelling it was worth watching every day.
"It is in poor taste," he added.
"Some people have little children who love the comforting repetition of seeing the same movie every day.
"To wryly say 'who hurt you' as they did in the tweet shows not only that they are interested in making moral judgments for the sake of a laugh but also that they probably do not have much contact with young children. It sounds like a cheeky social media account operator who was too clever for their own good."
Music streaming service Spotify has been using data like this in its advertising since 2016.
Billboards featuring straplines such as "Be as loving as the person who put 48 Ed Sheeran songs on their 'I love gingers' playlist," form part of its winter season campaign, reports Adweek.
• None Netflix viewers like comedy over their cornflakes
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42323366
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Trump, Twitter and his 'filter bubble' - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The US president follows just 45 other Twitter users - all of whom agree with him, most of the time.
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US & Canada
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Although his main Twitter account has nearly 44 million followers, President Donald Trump chooses to follow just 45 other Twitter users - all of whom agree with him, most of the time.
Now that seeming reluctance to expose himself to alternative viewpoints is being put forward as a possible factor in the president's decision to retweet three videos by a far-right UK group.
Social media experts call it the "filter bubble" - the ability to choose only the news and views that we agree with.
Earlier this year, Microsoft founder Bill Gates warned against the negative effects of the filter bubble, which he said increasingly prevented people from "mixing and sharing and understanding other points of view".
"It's turned out to be more of a problem than I, or many others, would have expected, " he told the Quartz website.
Sometimes the bubble is automatic, created for us by a combination of our browsing history data, plus the algorithms of Facebook and Google. The end result: posts, people and stories that conform to our individual world view.
Sometimes we get to build our own bubble, by deliberately cutting ourselves off from dialogue with people who don't agree with us.
If Wednesday morning followed the president's typical routine, he woke up, turned on the TV and opened Twitter on his phone.
Although the White House has refused to discuss the "process" by which the video was shared, most observers think it was the president who chose to retweet the video "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!"
The authenticity of that video has now been challenged.
The anger deepened when it was confirmed the three videos had originally been shared by the deputy leader of an anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim group - Britain First.
They had made their way onto the president's feed - it's thought - via one of the few people the president follows on Twitter: right-wing commentator Ann Coulter.
On Thursday, she defended her retweet, telling the BBC: "A video is a video…you don't need to fact-check it."
Ms Coulter is one of the 45 Twitter users that the president "follows" on his most effective communication tool - @realDonaldTrump has 43.7 million followers
But compared with his predecessor, Mr Trump follows a tiny number of other users.
Barack Obama - with 94.7 million Twitter followers - follows 626,000 other Twitter users.
Mr Trump, on the other hand, is much more selective about who he follows.
Trump also uses another Twitter handle, @POTUS (president of the United States) which follows 41 other accounts, mainly family and government departments. He tends to tweet less frequently from this account.
You can recreate the president's @realDonaldTrump feed here https://twitter.com/trumps_feed, courtesy of the Washington Post.
It may be, however, that Mr Trump does expose himself to other viewpoints, according to social media marketer Alex McCann (@altrinchamhq): "We have to remember that he has hundreds of thousands of notifications every day of people replying to his tweets."
"Hopefully he does check these and get a bigger picture than presented by his curated feed of the 45 people he follows. He may have created a Twitter list as well that might give more variety, but we don't know." (No public lists are available on @realDonaldTrump.)
"But if he is restricting himself to 45 people that's going to create a very monotonous feed - an echo chamber of people that agree with you."
Amelia Tait (@ameliargh), tech and digital culture writer at the New Statesman, said that compared with a "normal" user, Mr Trump follows very few people on Twitter.
"This isn't necessarily surprising, as he has always used the site as more of a place to talk rather than listen.
"It could have troubling implications about what he sees and interacts with, though. It's been theorised he saw the Britain First tweets via Twitter's "in case you missed it" tool. Had his feed been busier, he might have missed that too!" she said.
On the @realDonaldTrump's "following" list are seven family members, including wife Melania, his children, and two daughters in law.
He follows four government departments, such as the Department of State, and eight Trump commercial organisations such as his main company, five golf courses and two Trump-branded hotels.
Current and former employees include Vice-President Mike Pence, White House spokesperson Kellyanne Conway and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders also feature.
There are a smattering of "others", including people Mr Trump has worked with before he became president - like World Wrestling Entertainment boss Vince McHahon and former Apprentice star Katrina Campins.
Veteran golfer Gary Player is also on this list. Player has previously praised Mr Trump's game, telling CNBC in October: "The strength is his length, he's a long hitter. He can really get the ball out there."
But by far the largest subset of people and organisations that Mr Trump follows is made up of conservative journalists and TV presenters.
Ten of them work, or have worked, for the conservative news channel Fox News, like Bill O'Reilly and Eric Bolling - both of whom left Fox following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Staunch Trump defender Sean Hannity is also on the president's "follow" list.
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The show Fox and Friends - thought to be a major opinion former on the president - is on the list.
Fox and Friends has been known to cover a story, only for the president to tweet on the same story a few minutes after the programme ends - and sometimes while it is still on air.
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Ms Tait said: "Trump's Twitter feed is most definitely an echo chamber, which is problematic for someone in an elected office who is ostensibly the voice of the people.
"He frequently criticises 'fake news' TV channels but has never rebutted any number of viral tweets calling him out. Is it possible he never saw them?"
However, Alex McCann believes that Trump is only doing what comes naturally.
"Most people gravitate towards opinions they share," he said. "It might be more healthy to consume different opinions. But it will make you more angry.
"Twenty years ago our parents did the same thing - only they bought newspapers that conformed with their world view."
But Mr McCann believes leaders have a special responsibility to step outside of the filter bubble.
"Leaders are supposed to represent everyone," he said. "Not just the people who agree with them."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42187596
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Donald Tusk calls Brexit talks a furious race against time - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The European Council's president urges EU countries to show "unity" in the next phase of talks.
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UK Politics
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Donald Tusk said the EU needed to show "unity" in the next phase of talks
The UK and the EU face a "furious race against time" to finalise Brexit talks before March 2019, the head of the European Council says.
Donald Tusk urged EU leaders to show unity as they try to negotiate what the future relationship will look like and to set up transitional arrangements.
The EU is set to agree this week that enough progress has been made so far to move on from the first phase of talks.
The UK has been told not to "backtrack" on last week's divorce deal.
The comment from EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier came after UK Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested the divorce agreement unveiled by Theresa May amounted to a "statement of intent" rather than a binding agreement.
Mr Davis - the UK's Brexit secretary - said he was quoted out of context.
But European Parliament negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said the "unacceptable remarks" would harm "good faith" in the process.
The UK is set to leave the EU in March 2019, two years after Mrs May served formal notice of Brexit.
Both sides hope to finalise a deal by October 2018 on the future relationship, including trade, so the UK and European Parliaments have time to vote on it before the UK leaves.
In his formal letter on Tuesday inviting leaders to this week's EU summit, Mr Tusk told the 27 member states: "This will be a furious race against time, where again our unity will be key."
On Sunday, Mr Davis said guarantees on the Northern Ireland border - included in a joint EU-UK report published on Friday - were not legally binding unless the two sides reached a final deal.
But he told LBC Radio on Monday they would be honoured whatever happened.
A European Commission spokesman said the first-phase deal on the Northern Ireland border, the divorce bill and citizens' rights did not strictly have the force of law.
"But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen and it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government."
The Brexit secretary's comments at the weekend about the legality of what's been agreed so far between the UK and the EU have been widely noted in Brussels, and a handful of member states have brought them up with me.
"To say we are annoyed is putting it too strongly, though," said one diplomat. "This is the sort of stuff we expected," said another. "It's never good when someone questions an agreement 24 hours after it was done," a third official suggested.
This forms the backdrop to the discussion taking place among EU ministers about the European Council's draft guidelines for Phase 2 of the Brexit talks.
But it is not clear if it will lead to any changes to the draft text that will be discussed by leaders on Friday morning. The document already states in its first paragraph that progress in phase 2 of the talks is contingent on commitments from phase 1 being kept.
Mr Verhofstadt has tabled two amendments for MEPs to debate on Wednesday, one of which says Mr Davis's comments risk undermining "the good faith that has been built during the negotiations".
Another amendment calls on Britain to "fully respect" last week's Brexit deal and ensure it is "fully translated" into a draft Withdrawal Agreement.
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And at a press conference in Brussels, he said the UK must "stick to its commitments" and put them into a draft Withdrawal Agreement "as soon as possible" if there is to be progress in the second phase of talks.
Mr Davis replied with two tweets of his own, promising to work with Mr Verhofstadt to allay his concerns:
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The European Parliament gets a formal vote on the final Brexit deal but it has also been holding debates and issuing resolutions throughout the process to make its voice heard.
Mr Verhofstadt has introduced the amendments alongside the leaders of four other European Parliament political groups.
• None May: Brexit deal 'good news' for everybody
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42322187
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UK inflation rate at near six-year high - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Inflation hits 3.1% as the squeeze on household incomes continues.
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Business
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Inflation rose to 3.1% in November, the highest in nearly six years, as the squeeze on households continued.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that airfares and computer games contributed to the increase.
The most recent data shows that average weekly wages are growing at just 2.2%.
Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, will now have to write a letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond explaining how the Bank intends to bring inflation back to its 2% target.
Mr Carney has to write a letter to the chancellor if the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate is above 3% or below 1%.
In November, the Bank of England raised its key interest rate for the first time in more than a decade from 0.25% to 0.5%.
However, it is not expected to announce a further increase when it publishes the results of the Monetary Policy Committee's two-day meeting on Thursday.
Mr Carney had said that he expected inflation to peak in October or November.
The last time he wrote to the chancellor was in December 2016, after inflation fell to 0.9% in October that year.
Mr Carney's latest letter will be published in February, when the Bank of England will also release its quarterly Inflation Report.
It may be the highest rate of inflation for nearly six years. But that tells you not so much how high it has got but how low it has been for so long.
In the past 10 years, inflation's peak has been 5.2% (in 2011). Tell anyone over the age of 50 that inflation at 3.1% is out of control and you're likely to get a scoff, followed by memories of the 70s and 80s.
What they may forget, though, is that for most of that time wages were also rising - and faster than prices. The tendency of wages to respond to higher prices and outpace them seemed to follow an iron logic back then.
Bigger price rises led to bigger pay rises, forcing many employers to charge higher prices to cover higher labour costs: the so-called "wage-price spiral".
But those rules don't seem to apply these days. The breakdown of that logic is why we have a squeeze on living standards. It is also why the Bank of England isn't that worried about above-target inflation getting higher or even staying above target. In the City, a second rise in interest rates isn't expected until August next year.
Lucy O'Carroll, chief economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: "It's quite possible that inflation is now close to its peak. But some of the latest surveys suggest that service sector costs and prices are rising. Given how dominant services are in the economy, this could feed through to inflation overall.
"That means that further interest rate rises are definitely not off the table."
The ONS said that although airfares fell in November - down 10.4% - the decline was not as steep as last year when they tumbled 13.4%.
Data also shows that food inflation has picked up, especially prices for fish, oil and fats, such as butter and chocolate.
Figures from market researcher Kantar Worldpanel released on Tuesday indicated that food inflation hit 3.6% in the three months to 3 December, the highest rate since 2013.
It also noted that prices for butter and fish had grown as well an increase in the cost of fresh pork. Kantar said only a few items were cheaper during the period, such as fresh chicken and crisps.
Richard Lim, chief executive at Retail Economics, said that the rise in inflation had come "at precisely the wrong time for retailers".
"In the run-up to Christmas, the cost of living, now rising at the fastest rate in five years, remains uncomfortably high for households."
He said that food inflation "is one of the most transparent indicators of living costs and often the catalyst to cut back on spending elsewhere".
However, he expects the inflation rate to now fall and could reach 2.5% by Easter.
The ONS will announce employment data for the August to October period on Wednesday, which will include figures for wage growth.
Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown, forecasts that average weekly wages have risen by 2.5% during the period.
He said: "With wage growth picking up we should see an end to falling real pay in due course.
"That'll be of small comfort, however, to households facing a significant increase in the cost of Christmas this year."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42320052
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Alabama Senate election: Roy Moore faces verdict of voters - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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President Trump's populist brand faces a test as he backs a Republican accused of child abuse.
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US & Canada
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The polls have closed in Alabama, where a firebrand Republican conservative is battling for a Senate seat against a Democrat hoping for a huge upset.
President Donald Trump's populist brand will be tested after he backed Roy Moore, who denies allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls.
Much of the Republican establishment has distanced itself from the 70-year-old former Alabama judge.
The race between Mr Moore and Democrat Doug Jones is too close to call.
The Republican candidate has said homosexual activity should be illegal and argued against removing segregationist language from the state constitution.
But it is sexual abuse claims against him by a number of women, some when they were teenagers, that have made Washington conservatives baulk.
One accuser alleges Mr Moore molested her when she was 14.
The scandal has put an Alabama Senate seat within reach of Democrats for the first time in more than two decades.
Elections are rarely competitive in Alabama. It's the kind of place Republicans might as well weigh their votes rather than count them, such is the party's dominance here.
This special election has upended all the normal expectations and still, at this late stage, remains too close to call.
Democrat Doug Jones can win if he manages to galvanise the black vote in cities such as Birmingham and Montgomery.
Roy Moore, his Republican rival, could easily lose if those rural, white, church-going conservatives stay at home amid the allegations against him.
Whatever the outcome, the repercussions will be felt beyond Alabama.
If the Republicans lose, their Senate advantage contracts to just one vote.
If they win, their candidate is likely to face months of ethics inquiries, and an outside chance of being expelled from the Senate.
For the Democrats, a win would bolster their bargaining power in Congress, and place control of the Senate within definite grasp at next year's mid-term elections.
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On Tuesday, the world's press were waiting as he emerged on horseback from woodland to a ballot station.
He said people should "go out and vote their conscience".
Making his final pitch on election eve, Mr Moore reiterated his denials, again questioning why his accusers had kept quiet for 40 years while he had held various political offices.
Speaking alongside Mr Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, in front of a crowd that chanted the president's slogan "Drain the Swamp", Mr Moore drew heavily from the Bible.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kayla Moore: "One of our attorneys is a Jew"
"I want America great," he said, "but I want America good and she can't be good until we go back to God."
Mr Moore was joined at Monday's rally by his wife Kayla, who said separate allegations last week that her husband was anti-Semitic were "fake news".
"One of our attorneys is a Jew, we have very close friends who are Jewish," she said.
In an automated phone message on Monday, Mr Trump's voice warned voters that his agenda would be "stopped cold" if Mr Moore lost.
But many other leading Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have kept arm's length from their party's candidate, or shunned him altogether.
Without mentioning Mr Moore by name, Republican former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an African-American who grew up in Alabama, urged her home state to "reject bigotry, sexism, and intolerance".
Richard Shelby, Alabama's other senator, said on Sunday the state "deserves better" than Mr Moore.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Roy Moore: How Alabamans are defending the accused judge
A Democratic lawmaker has sent a letter to the Senate urging steps to protect teenagers working in the chamber's page programme from Mr Moore's "predatory conduct".
Mr Jones, a 63-year-old former prosecutor, denies opponents' claims he will be a "puppet" of the Democratic congressional leadership.
He is lauded for helping convict two Ku Klux Klan members who bombed a black church in 1963 in Birmingham, killing four girls.
But Mr Jones' support for abortion rights is toxic to many Christian conservatives in Alabama.
After casting his ballot on Tuesday morning, he predicted: "I don't think Roy Moore is going to win this election."
Former President Barack Obama has recorded an automated phone message for Mr Jones.
"This one's serious," Mr Obama told voters in his call. "You can't sit it out."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42322293
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Baby born with heart outside body 'doing well' - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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A baby born in Leicester with her heart beating outside her body is said to be doing well after three operations.
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Health
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Against the odds: The story of baby Vanellope
A baby born with her heart outside her body has survived after surgery at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
Vanellope Hope Wilkins, who has no breastbone, was delivered three weeks ago by Caesarean section.
She has had three operations to place her heart back in her chest.
The condition, ectopia cordis, is extremely rare, with only a few cases per million births, of which most are stillborn.
The hospital says it knows of no other case in the UK where the baby has survived.
Her parents, Naomi Findlay, 31, and Dean Wilkins, 43, from Nottingham, say Vanellope is "a real fighter".
Naomi said: "It was a real shock when the ultrasound showed that her heart was outside her chest and scary because we didn't know what would happen."
The couple paid for a blood test which showed there were no chromosomal abnormalities and that made them determined to continue with the pregnancy.
Dean added: "We were advised to have a termination and that the chances of survival were next to none - no-one believed she was going to make it except us."
Naomi said having a termination was "not something she could do".
"To see, even at nine weeks, a heartbeat - no matter where it was. It was not something I was going to take away.
"In a way her strength gave me a strength to keep going," she added.
Vanellope had been due on Christmas eve but was delivered by Caesarean section on 22 November in order to reduce the chances of infection and damage to the heart.
There were around 50 medical staff present including obstetricians, heart surgeons, anaesthetists, neonatologists and midwives.
Minutes after her birth, Vanellope's chest was covered with a sterile bag to keep her heart moist and reduce the risk of infection
Within 50 minutes of birth, the baby was undergoing the first of three operations to put her heart back inside the body.
In the most recent surgery, Vanellope's own skin was used to cover the hole in her chest.
Frances Bu'Lock, consultant paediatric cardiologist, said: "Before she was born things looked very bleak but now they are quite a lot better - Vanellope is doing really well and has proved very resilient.
"In the future we may be able to put in some internal bony protection for her heart - perhaps using 3D printing or something organic that would grow with her."
A handful of children in the United States have also survived this condition.
Among them is Audrina Cardenas who was born in Texas in October 2012.
She also had surgery to place her heart back inside her chest and was sent home after three months.
Audrina was given a protective plastic shield to cover her chest.
Glenfield Hospital says Vanellope still faces "a long road ahead" - the major risk being infection.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Baby born with heart outside body goes home
The next step is to take her off a ventilator, which is being used to aid her recovery from surgery.
Dean Wilkins said: "She defying everything - it's beyond a miracle."
The couple named Vanellope after a character in the Disney film "Wreck-It Ralph".
Naomi said: "Vanellope in the film is a real fighter and at the end turns into a princess so we thought it was fitting."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42322246
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Ceredigion Apprentice winner's product recall - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Ceredigion Apprentice winner Alana Spencer is recalling products over health risks.
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Mid Wales
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Alana Spencer toasts her Apprentice victory with Lord Sugar in December last year
Apprentice winner Alana Spencer's cake company has had to recall almost all of its range because of health risks.
Food Standards Agency investigators said Ridiculously Rich by Alana inaccurately labelled its products.
Some allergens were not listed and others were "not correctly declared", the agency said.
A spokesman for the Aberystwyth company insisted only products sold online - less than 10% of its business - had been inaccurately labelled.
But the FSA's advice to the public does not distinguish between products the company sells online or through retail and wholesale outlets.
It warned that people with an allergy to soya, egg, peanuts, wheat, barley, oats or sulphites were at risk.
The FSA identifies inaccurate labelling on seven of the eight cakes and bars currently advertised for sale on the Ridiculously Rich by Alana's website.
The one product not highlighted as a risk by the FSA - spiced apple flapjack - is sold in mixed boxes with brandy butter brownies, which are on the list.
The warning only applies to products made before 1 December this year.
The company's spokesman said it had now corrected its labelling and contacted everyone who had bought its products to invite them to return their purchases free of charge for a replacement or refund.
No-one has yet returned any products, the spokesman said. He declined to disclose the number of items sold with inaccurate labels.
Coeliac UK put out an allergy warning on twitter
On its website, the FSA listed the products with inaccurate labelling and advised customers: "If you have bought any of the above products and have allergies to soya, peanuts, nuts, eggs and/or an allergy or intolerance to wheat, barley, oats (gluten), milk and/or a sensitivity to sulphites do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund."
An FSA spokesman said it was working with the company and Ceredigion council "to ensure that clear allergen information is available to consumers who may have purchased products with inaccurate or insufficient information."
Ms Spencer was unavailable for comment, her company's spokesman said, as she was "filming".
The spokesman added: "Lord Sugar was made aware of the situation immediately.
"He's spoken to Alana and is satisfied she has put the right measures in place to avoid a situation like this again."
Lord Sugar was made aware of the problem "immediately"
Ms Spencer, 25, shot to fame last year when she won BBC television's The Apprentice.
Her victory in the 12th series of the show secured her a £250,000 investment and a 50/50 business partnership with Lord Sugar.
The company's range includes brownies, flapjacks and fudge cake and products cost £12.99 for a box of six.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/42324784
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Renting a home: How much space will £100 buy you? - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The equivalent of a small garden shed in London, but five times that in Bradford.
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England
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Renters in Bradford get more floor space for their money than in many other major cities
Spending £100 a month on rent in London secures floor space equivalent to a small garden shed, compared with nearly five times that in parts of northern England, new research shows.
Data released to BBC News shows cheaper properties to rent in the capital "simply don't exist", letting agents said.
Agents said people were compromising on where they live to make ends meet.
The government said it was increasing spending on affordable housing.
Data from 20 areas of England and Wales relating to two-bedroom houses and flats advertised on OpenRent, and shared with BBC News, reveals:
Types of property for rent also vary in size. The average London one-bed flat for rent measures 51 sq m, according to the data. By contrast, in rural Shropshire and mid Wales, the average is 77 sq m.
The amount of space you get for your rent is reflected in the space you get for your money when buying. The Office for National Statistics said 1 sq m of floor space - about the size of a red phone box - costs £19,439 in Kensington and Chelsea, while in Blaenau Gwent the same amount of space costs £777.
Ed Stennett found renting with a friend was the only way to afford somewhere big enough
For Ed Stennett £1,000 a month, almost twice the national average rent, should have been plenty.
Yet when the app designer moved to central London from Winchester he struggled to find anywhere bigger than a one-room flat for his money.
"Winchester is an expensive place, but even there your money goes further," he said.
"When I was looking in London, £1,000 would get me a studio.
"For some of those it was little more than a room with a sink, a kettle and a microwave.
"Some of the nicer ones might have had space for a double bed, but nothing you'd call a living space. There wouldn't be room for a sofa or a TV."
The 22-year-old said a friend had got a job in London at the same time and the two were able to rent a two-bedroom flat in Bow.
That costs £1,640 a month between them. The national average rent for a property in England and Wales is £926.
Sam Hurst, spokesman for OpenRent, said: "Despite cities like Oxford, Bristol and London being hugely expensive in terms of monthly rents, the properties afforded by those high rents are by no means luxury.
"Having enough room in our homes is very important to our wellbeing, but renters in the south of England are paying a huge premium for it.
"The result is that many in London are compromising on location or who they live with, just to make ends meet.
"Young families who can't afford to buy are in a tough position, since to find the space they need for their growing families, they are forced to move cities.
"Simply looking for smaller properties isn't a solution for renters in the South, either. Those properties simply don't exist."
Seb Klier, policy and campaigns manager for campaign group Generation Rent, said: "The huge difference in rents around the country lays bare the failure to build enough homes in those areas that have the largest jobs markets.
"It may be much cheaper to rent in Shropshire or Northumberland than in London, Oxford and Bristol, but people are moving to these cities for work and need homes that are affordable.
"To fix this we need much greater ambition from politicians to build homes where they're needed, along with powers to control rents where demand is highest."
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We are fixing our broken housing market and making the rental sector fairer and more transparent. Overall rents are now increasing at a lower level than inflation.
"But we're determined to do more and that's why we have increased the affordable housing budget to more than £9bn and introduced measures to boost the delivery of properties.
"We're also delivering on our promise to ban tenant fees, alongside other measures to make renting fairer and increase protection for people."
Where can you afford to live? Try our housing calculator to see where you could rent or buy This interactive content requires an internet connection and a modern browser. Do you want to buy or rent? Use the buttons to increase or decrease the number of bedrooms: minimum one, maximum four. Alternatively, enter a number into the text input How much is your deposit? Enter your deposit below or adjust the deposit amount using the slider Return to 'How much is your deposit?' This calculator assumes you need a deposit of at least 5% of the value of the property to get a mortgage. The average deposit for UK first-time buyers is . How much can you pay monthly? Enter your monthly payment below or adjust the payment amount using the slider Return to 'How much can you pay monthly?' Your monthly payments are what you can afford to pay each month. Think about your monthly income and take off bills, council tax and living expenses. The average rent figure is for England and Wales. Amount of the that has housing you can Explore the map in detail below Search the UK for more details about a local area What does affordable mean? You have a big enough deposit and your monthly payments are high enough. The prices are based on the local market. If there are 100 properties of the right size in an area and they are placed in price order with the cheapest first, the “low-end” of the market will be the 25th property, "mid-priced" is the 50th and "high-end” will be the 75th.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42154476
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UK forecast: Cold temperatures, ice and freezing fog - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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There will be cold temperatures, ice and freezing fog for many, the BBC's Carol Kirkwood says.
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There will be cold temperatures, ice and freezing fog for many, the BBC's Carol Kirkwood says.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42324237
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NHS to fund baby Oliver's US heart operation - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Oliver's parents had so far raised £130,000 of the £150,000 needed for the life-saving operation.
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England
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Oliver's heart condition causes his pulse to race dangerously fast
The family of a baby boy who have been fundraising for him to have life-saving heart surgery in the US has been told the NHS will now fund his treatment.
Doctors in Boston have agreed to operate on Oliver Cameron, who was born with a rare heart tumour, after his first birthday in January.
Earlier, his parents warned time was running out to raise the £150,000 needed for his treatment.
The NHS said it would pay because the procedure was not available in the UK.
Lydia and Tim Cameron, from Wantage in Oxfordshire, have already raised £130,000 for the surgery to have Oliver's tumour removed.
They have not indicated what they intend to do with the funds raised.
Previously doctors advised that to maximise Oliver's ability to recover his parents should ideally wait until his first birthday but, if his condition worsened, he may require the operation immediately.
A statement from NHS England said it had "agreed to fund Oliver's treatment abroad" because there was "not currently a surgical service in the UK with experience of treating this exceptionally rare condition".
Oliver's condition - cardiac fibroma - is extremely rare and the number of patients with this type of tumour in England is estimated to be in single figures.
He needs around-the-clock care to stabilise his heart rate and an implant under his skin sends readings back to specialists at Southampton General Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since doctors in Oxford discovered the tumour.
Specialists in Southampton said removing the tumour would be "extremely high risk" because there was limited experience in treating his condition in the UK so they had decided to support his parents' bid to find treatment elsewhere.
The NHS said it was also discussing whether a UK surgeon might accompany Oliver to Boston to learn from the surgeons in the US so the innovative surgery could "potentially be offered in the UK in future".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40864598
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Toni Mascolo, co-founder of salon chain Toni & Guy, dies - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Italian-born hairdresser who built his south London salon into a global chain dies
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UK
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Toni & Guy opened their first salon in Clapham during the 1960s
The co-founder of the hairdresser chain Toni & Guy - Giuseppe "Toni" Mascolo - has died at the age of 75.
Mr Mascolo and his brother, Gaetano 'Guy' Mascolo, opened their first salon in south London in 1963.
Offering an "Italian style" hairdressing service, the unisex salon grew into an international brand and staple of the British high street.
Mr Mascolo, who was the chief executive of the firm, died on Sunday surrounded by his family.
The Mascolo family were Italian immigrants who arrived in England in the 1950s They settled in Clapham, south London, where the brothers opened their first salon.
Hairdressing ran in the family and Mr Mascolo senior - a celebrated hairdresser in his own right - taught all four of his sons to cut hair from a young age.
Founded during the "swinging sixties", Toni and Guy offered a unisex service that appealed to both men and women, in contrast to traditional barber shops and woman-only hair salons.
Celebrities such as composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and singer Dusty Springfield were among the famous faces who frequented the salon.
The firm opened its first central London salon in London's West End in 1973.
Shortly afterwards two more Mascolo brothers, Bruno and Anthony, helped propel the family business into an international brand.
Since then Toni & Guy has grown to comprise two global, franchised hair salon groups, with 475 shops in 48 countries.
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 TONI&GUY 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.
Toni Mascolo was awarded an OBE for services to hairdressing in 2008 and in 2012 was honoured by the Fellowship of British Hairdressers with a lifetime achievement award
He is survived by wife Pauline, brothers Bruno and Anthony, children Sacha, Christian and Pierre, and many grandchildren.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42330761
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UK snow: Forecasters predicting coldest night of year - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Snow and ice warnings are extended, with temperatures expected to drop as low as -15C overnight.
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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. BBC forecaster Philip Avery says temperatures will plunge below zero overnight
Freezing conditions are continuing to affect parts of the UK, as forecasters warn it could be facing the coldest night of the year.
A fourth day of wintry weather has caused widespread disruption, affecting flights, trains and ferries.
Yellow Met Office warnings for snow and ice have been extended until 11:00 GMT on Tuesday. Forecasters are predicting temperatures could hit -15C (5F).
Hundreds of schools are to stay closed for a second successive day on Tuesday.
The Met Office's weather warning covers Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland, the Midlands, London and the South East of England.
Clear skies overnight could lead temperatures to drop lowest in Wales and central England.
A low of -11.6C (11F) was recorded on Sunday night in Chillingham Barns, Northumberland, although Saturday was the coldest night of the year so far, reaching -12.4C.
BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton said hazardous conditions would continue in the coming days, although there would be less snow than at the weekend.
"A perishingly cold night is expected as we move through Monday evening into Tuesday, with another widespread and severe frost, and temperatures plummeting to below -10C across any snowfields," he said.
Over 350 schools in the West Midlands are to close for another day, while in Wales about 180 schools so far have said they will shut.
More than 1,000 schools didn't open on Monday - nearly 600 of those were in Wales.
This snowy Monday commute was on the A21 in Hastings
A car turns around after a fallen tree blocks the A40 near Sennybridge, Wales, on Sunday
Meanwhile, a trackside fire at London Waterloo added to the delays, causing major disruption to journeys to and from the station.
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More than 1,000 homes are still without power after 140,000 were cut off on Sunday.
Western Power Distribution said 900 homes were still cut off, including more than 700 in the West Midlands.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said 750 remained cut off in Oxfordshire.
Sunset over the Chiltern Hills on Monday afternoon
Wootton by Woodstock Primary is one of at least 183 schools in Oxfordshire which are closed
Snow on the coast at Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear on Monday morning
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Will change to organ donor rules mean more transplants? - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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The government is proposing a big change by moving to a system of "presumed consent" in England.
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Health
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Odette has been waiting for a kidney and pancreas transplant for a year.
In an attempt to make more organs available for transplant, ministers are proposing a radical change by moving to a system of "presumed consent".
Current rules in England mean those willing to donate their organs, should they die, sign up to a donor register.
A consultation on the new system, which would see opting out of organ donation replacing opting in, starts on Tuesday.
Wales has already adopted an approach of presumed consent. Scotland plans to introduce a similar scheme.
Northern Ireland has also expressed an interest in doing likewise.
About 6,500 people in the UK are waiting for an organ transplant.
Every year, 450 of those on the waiting list die before the right donor is found.
Emma was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes as a child. After nearly 30 years, the condition has wrecked her kidneys.
Emma is on the waiting list for a transplant
Every night Emma plugs herself in to a dialysis machine, and then nearly two litres (3.5 pints) of fluid is pumped in and out of her body, doing the job of her damaged organs.
"Everything I do is the dialysis and medical," she says.
"You get up, you come home and then you sit on a machine.
"I don't do anything else, I don't enjoy life, I don't have a hobby, nothing... so that's all I do."
With a young daughter, Emma relies a lot on her husband and family. And she still manages to hold down an office job.
But, she says: "You're tired all the time as it is, and it's like how much of this can I take, how much can you take being tired all the time?
"You want to do stuff - you need to do stuff - but where do you get the energy to do it? Where do I find that energy?"
It is still too early to say what impact the change in Wales has had, but so far about 205,000 people have signed the opt-out register, 6% of the population.
The Health Secretary for England, Jeremy Hunt, says: "The issue here is really we know the vast majority of people are willing for their organs to be used but the vast majority of people are not on the organ donor register.
"So it's about how we change that, and so the issue of presumed consent is one of the things we are looking at.
"But what we need really is to have much better communication inside families so people know what their family members actually want."
The percentage of all families who, if approached after their relative's death, consent to donation has remained stubbornly at 60-65%.
It is rare for the family of a registered donor to object, but it is more common when people have not signed up or discussed it with their family.
The donor system was radically overhauled in 2008, with the introduction of specialist nurses liaising closely with families.
There were 793 deceased donors in 2007, and 10 years later that number had risen 78%, to 1,413.
Meanwhile, the number of registered donors has risen 67%, from 14.1 million to 23.6 million.
But the 2008 taskforce rejected the ides of presumed consent.
Retired kidney transplant surgeon and former head of the UK's transplant services Prof Chris Rudge says: "The key question is, 'Will it work? Will it make a difference?'
"And if the answer is yes, then that would be very good. But if the answer is no, then I question why we are going down this route.
"The only evidence I have seen is that it won't make any difference and it is not the answer to the problem, but there is a risk that it may make things worse.
"That is my starting point. I am not totally against it, but if I am right, it won't improve things.
"There is no good evidence it will increase the number of donors."
But Dr Afshin Tavakoli, a transplant surgeon at one of the UK's busiest units at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, says it's not the issue of presumed consent that matters most.
"It is very important that people talk about their wishes to members of their family, to their children, to their parents.
"The time can come at any time, for any one of us, and and at that moment our wishes need to be known.
"Members of the family have to respect that and they can only do so if they really know what we want."
• None The boy who inspired the change in organ donation - Radio 4
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42282409
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Keaton Jones: Bullied boy's family faces backlash - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The family of bullied Keaton Jones, who has had support from A-list celebs, is being accused of racism and money grabbing.
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Newsbeat
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The family of bullied Keaton Jones have faced a backlash online following allegations they've been asking for money and have racist views.
A Facebook video of the US schoolboy talking about being bullied went viral earlier this week and celebrities posted their support.
But now they've faced online criticism after photos emerged allegedly showing the family with the Confederate flag.
His mum Kimberly Jones has told ABC News: "We're not racists."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The footage of Keaton Jones has more than 22m views
The Confederate flag is controversial as it was first introduced in the US Civil War by the states fighting to keep slavery legal and some see it as a symbol of racial hatred.
In an interview with ABC News, Kimberly said the photo with the flag was meant to be "ironic, funny, extreme".
"I am genuinely, truly sorry. If I could take it back I would."
People have also been questioning Kimberly's motives for posting the original video.
It's after someone using the Instagram account KimberlyJones_38 asked for donations for her son and linked to a PayPal account and GoFundMe page.
It is not clear whether the real Kimberly Jones was behind that appeal. BBC Newsbeat has approached her for comment but she has not responded.
It is not unusual for people to set up fake donation pages off the back of high-profile events.
Social media users, believing the crowdfunding message to be from Keaton's mother, criticised her for trying to make money out of her son's situation.
All content on the @KimberlyJones_38 account has now been deleted and a woman claiming to be Keaton's sister, Lakyn Jones, has insisted it is fake.
On Twitter she said: "We haven't received any money and don't plan on it. The gofundme's [sic] aren't by any of us."
She also denied allegations the family was racist, saying: "Those who know me and my family know we aren't racist.
"My brother doesn't say the "N" word. Please leave it alone."
Rihanna and Chris Brown have deleted their original posts supporting Keaton. Rihanna put up a different anti-bullying message.
Others have reinforced the need to support Keaton despite what his family's views may or may not be.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/42320496
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Salford house fire: Five questioned over child deaths - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Three children died in the suspicious Salford fire and a three-year-old is in a critical condition.
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Manchester
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Five people are being questioned over the suspected murder of three children who died in a house fire in Salford.
Fourteen-year-old Demi Pearson died at the scene of the blaze which broke out in Jackson Street, Walkden, at about 05:00 GMT on Monday.
Eight-year-old Brandon and Lacie, aged seven, died in hospital, while three-year-old girl Lia is in a critical condition.
Their mother, Michelle Pearson, 35, is in a serious condition.
The blaze broke out at 05:00 GMT on Monday
Demi Pearson, 14, was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford
Ms Pearson has been heavily sedated and has not yet been told her children are dead, a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokeswoman said.
One other person was taken to hospital, while two 16-year-olds - Ms Pearson's son, Kyle, and a friend - who were in the house, freed themselves before fire crews arrived.
Michelle Pearson is in a serious condition in hospital
Police confirmed there had been previous incidents at the family's home.
The case has been referred by GMP to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
It is understood the voluntary referral was in response to police contact with the family less than 24 hours before the fire.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police were filmed leading one of the suspects away after his arrest
Tributes are being laid for the three children who died in the fire
This quiet residential street flanked by a large park on one side is still cordoned off.
There is a metal police cordon on one side and officers standing on the other.
Tributes to the three children who have died are growing on both sides of the barrier.
Rev Gill Page, associate rector from St John the Baptist Church, told me more than 200 people - many of them youngsters - attended a "very moving and emotional" service last night.
She said candles were lit and a book of condolence was opened in memory of the victims.
Detectives are questioning three men, aged 18, 20 and 23, and a 20-year-old woman on suspicion of murder.
A 24-year-old man is being held on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Demi Pearson was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford, which featured in the Channel 4 documentary Educating Greater Manchester.
Head teacher Drew Povey said: "We are devastated at the tragic loss of life today in our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family involved."
Jackson Street was cordoned off between Algernon Road and Alexandra Road
Ch Supt Wayne Miller said police were appealing for witnesses or those with information about the events leading up to the fire.
"In what is such a heartbreaking set of circumstances, we have been doing our very best to support the family in every way that we can and carry out our inquiries quickly and sensitively," he said.
Damian O'Rourke, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Firefighters arrived within minutes and were faced with a very serious and well-developed fire involving the ground and first floor.
"Knowing there were people trapped inside, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus immediately went in and quickly rescued five people from the house but sadly three of those people died."
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: "Our thoughts are with the friends and family of those killed and seriously injured in this horrific incident in our city."
He urged anyone with information to contact the police, adding: "We'll continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our communities."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42319016
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Ryanair pilots to strike before Christmas - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Some passengers face disruption after 79 Dublin-based pilots and others around Europe plan walkouts.
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Business
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Ryanair passengers face disruption to their Christmas travel plans after pilots and crew announced industrial action in a bid to win union recognition and better conditions.
In Ireland, 79 pilots based in Dublin will strike for one day on 20 December.
The airline, which does not recognise unions, said they represented about 28% of its Dublin-based captains.
Meanwhile, Ryanair pilots and cabin crew in Italy plan to strike for four hours on 15 December.
The airline said last week it would "ignore" the Italian move, claiming staff rarely heeded calls to walk out.
Pilots based in Portugal and Germany also plan industrial action.
Cockpit, the German pilots' union, said its Ryanair members would strike for better pay and conditions if the airline refused to begin talks, but vowed not to disrupt flights over Christmas.
Ryanair said it would "not deal with or recognise" the German union "regardless of what action - if any - takes place".
Unions have long argued that their airline fails to offer pilots the same pay and conditions as its rivals.
Impact, the Irish pilots' union, said the dispute was "solely about winning independent representation for pilots in the company", said official Ashley Connolly.
The union warned of further strikes if Ryanair failed to reach agreement with its members.
"Ryanair will deal with any such disruptions if, or when they arise, and we apologise sincerely to customers for any upset or worry this threatened action... may cause," the company said.
It said the Dublin staff who planned to strike were a "small group of pilots who are working their notice and will shortly leave Ryanair, so they don't care how much upset they cause colleagues or customers".
Analysts at Goodbody said although there were deep divisions between pilots and Ryanair management, the "headlines are worse than the reality on the ground" they wrote in a note.
In September Ryanair said more than 2,000 flights would be cancelled this winter after it rearranged pilots' rosters to comply with new aviation rules.
Later that month it announced 18,000 further flights would be cancelled over the winter season, affecting more than 700,000 passengers.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary wrote to its 4,200 pilots to apologise for the changes to their rotas and urged them not to leave the airline.
However, this week it warned Dublin pilots they would lose agreed benefits by striking.
Many of the airline's pilots have joined unions following the cancellations, but Ryanair said it could legally decline to negotiate with them.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42320733
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Oxford teacher investigated for 'misgendering' to sue school - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Joshua Sutcliffe was investigated for referring to a pupil who identifies as a boy as a girl.
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Oxford
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Joshua Sutcliffe said he apologised after the student became angry
A teacher who faced disciplinary action after he referred to a transgender pupil as a girl is taking his school to an employment tribunal.
Joshua Sutcliffe, from Oxford, says he was investigated after he said "well done girls" to a group that included a student who identifies as a boy.
The 27-year-old Christian pastor is now suing the school for constructive dismissal and discrimination.
The secondary school previously said it would be "inappropriate" to comment.
Mr Sutcliffe, who teaches children aged between 11 and 18, said the incident took place on 2 November and he apologised after the pupil became angry.
He said a week-long investigation found he had "misgendered" the pupil and "contravened the school's equality policy".
Mr Sutcliffe claims the school has "systematically and maliciously" breached his rights and he had left his job as it had made it impossible for him to continue working there.
In a letter to the head teacher he wrote: "As a Christian, I do not share your belief in the ideology of transgenderism.
"I do not believe that young children should be encouraged to self-select a 'gender' which may be different from their biological sex.
"Or that everyone at school should adjust their behaviour to accommodate such a 'transition'; or that people should be punished for lack of enthusiasm about it."
The maths teacher, who is also a pastor at the Christ Revelation church in Oxford, said he tried to balance his beliefs with the need to treat the pupil sensitively.
He claimed he did this by avoiding the use of gender-specific pronouns and by referring to the pupil by name.
The state academy school where he was employed said it has received indication Mr Sutcliffe proposes to take legal action against it.
It has not received formal confirmation that he has resigned, it added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-42312342
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Brighton shoplifter sues Sussex Police over Taser arrest - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Paul McClelland, who was arrested four years ago in Brighton, is suing Sussex Police for damages.
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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. Paul McClelland was Tasered in July 2013 in a Brighton car park as he was being arrested
A man suing Sussex Police after he was Tasered has told a court the incident left him anxious and suicidal.
A Taser was used on Paul McClelland in July 2013 in a car park in Brighton as he was being arrested for shoplifting.
A video of the arrest was passed to The Argus newspaper at the time.
In a civil case against the chief constable of Sussex, Mr McClelland is claiming the police used excessive force in carrying out the arrest. Sussex Police has rejected the claim.
Sophie Khan, Mr McClelland's solicitor advocate, said he was bringing the case against Chief Constable Giles York because he believed he was Tasered unreasonably when he was surrendering and moving backwards to be handcuffed.
He was arrested in Western Road, Brighton. An internal police investigation found the force had done everything correctly and there was no evidence of misconduct.
Mr McClelland, 42, pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer, common assault and theft at Brighton Magistrates' Court two months later, and was given a community service order.
On Monday, His Honour Judge Simpkiss, sitting at the County Court at Brighton, was shown the video of what happened.
The court was shown the situation from three different angles, as recorded by council CCTV, a body-worn police camera, and a video filmed by a passer-by.
Mr McLelland admitted he had been sitting on the beach drinking strong lager before the incident.
Before he was Tasered he removed his shirt and adopted a boxing stance, shouting to police: "Come on."
He agreed that he would not have behaved that way had he been sober, the court heard.
He said the pain of the electric shock was like "death".
"You can't breathe, it takes your breath away," he told the court.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-42315333
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Salford house fire: Officer's 'heart breaks' for family - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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"Words cannot describe" how a family feels after losing three children in a house fire, police say.
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"Words cannot describe" how a family which has lost three children in a house fire are feeling, a senior police officer has said.
Ch Supt Wayne Miller told a press conference his "heart breaks" for the relatives of Demi Pearson, 14, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, who died in a blaze in Walkden on Monday.
The children's mother Michelle, 35, and three-year-old sister Lia remain in hospital.
He added that officers had looked at CCTV footage and "now believe this to be a targeted attack".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42331675
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Huntington’s breakthrough may stop disease - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scientists say it could be the biggest breakthrough in neurodegenerative diseases for 50 years.
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Health
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Peter has Huntington's disease and his siblings Sandy and Frank also have the gene
The defect that causes the neurodegenerative disease Huntington's has been corrected in patients for the first time, the BBC has learned.
An experimental drug, injected into spinal fluid, safely lowered levels of toxic proteins in the brain.
The research team, at University College London, say there is now hope the deadly disease can be stopped.
Experts say it could be the biggest breakthrough in neurodegenerative diseases for 50 years.
Huntington's is one of the most devastating diseases.
Some patients described it as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neurone disease rolled into one.
Peter Allen, 51, is in the early stages of Huntington's and took part in the trial: "You end up in almost a vegetative state, it's a horrible end."
Huntington's blights families. Peter has seen his mum Stephanie, uncle Keith and grandmother Olive die from it.
Tests show his sister Sandy and brother Frank will develop the disease.
The three siblings have eight children - all young adults, each of whom has a 50-50 chance of developing the disease.
The unstoppable death of brain cells in Huntington's leaves patients in permanent decline, affecting their movement, behaviour, memory and ability to think clearly.
Peter, from Essex, told me: "It's so difficult to have that degenerative thing in you.
"You know the last day was better than the next one's going to be."
Huntington's is caused by an error in a section of DNA called the huntingtin gene.
Normally this contains the instructions for making a protein, called huntingtin, which is vital for brain development.
But a genetic error corrupts the protein and turns it into a killer of brain cells.
The treatment is designed to silence the gene.
On the trial, 46 patients had the drug injected into the fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.
The procedure was carried out at the Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.
Doctors did not know what would happen. One fear was the injections could have caused fatal meningitis.
But the first in-human trial showed the drug was safe, well tolerated by patients and crucially reduced the levels of huntingtin in the brain.
Prof Sarah Tabrizi , from the UCL Institute of Neurology, led the trials.
Prof Sarah Tabrizi, the lead researcher and director of the Huntington's Disease Centre at UCL, told the BBC: "I've been seeing patients in clinic for nearly 20 years, I've seen many of my patients over that time die.
"For the first time we have the potential, we have the hope, of a therapy that one day may slow or prevent Huntington's disease.
"This is of groundbreaking importance for patients and families."
Doctors are not calling this a cure. They still need vital long-term data to show whether lowering levels of huntingtin will change the course of the disease.
The animal research suggests it would. Some motor function even recovered in those experiments.
Peter, Sandy and Frank - as well as their partners Annie, Dermot and Hayley - have always promised their children they will not need to worry about Huntington's as there will be a treatment in time for them.
Peter told the BBC: "I'm the luckiest person in the world to be sitting here on the verge of having that.
"Hopefully that will be made available to everybody, to my brothers and sisters and fundamentally my children."
He, along with the other trial participants, can continue taking the drug as part of the next wave of trials.
They will set out to show whether the disease can be slowed, and ultimately prevented, by treating Huntington's disease carriers before they develop any symptoms.
Prof John Hardy, who was awarded the Breakthrough Prize for his work on Alzheimer's, told the BBC: "I really think this is, potentially, the biggest breakthrough in neurodegenerative disease in the past 50 years.
"That sounds like hyperbole - in a year I might be embarrassed by saying that - but that's how I feel at the moment."
The UCL scientist, who was not involved in the research, says the same approach might be possible in other neurodegenerative diseases that feature the build-up of toxic proteins in the brain.
The protein synuclein is implicated in Parkinson's while amyloid and tau seem to have a role in dementias.
Off the back of this research, trials are planned using gene-silencing to lower the levels of tau.
Prof Giovanna Mallucci, who discovered the first chemical to prevent the death of brain tissue in any neurodegenerative disease, said the trial was a "tremendous step forward" for patients and there was now "real room for optimism".
But Prof Mallucci, who is the associate director of UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, cautioned it was still a big leap to expect gene-silencing to work in other neurodegenerative diseases.
She told the BBC: "The case for these is not as clear-cut as for Huntington's disease, they are more complex and less well understood.
"But the principle that a gene, any gene affecting disease progression and susceptibility, can be safely modified in this way in humans is very exciting and builds momentum and confidence in pursuing these avenues for potential treatments."
The full details of the trial will be presented to scientists and published next year.
The therapy was developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, which said the drug had "substantially exceeded" expectations, and the licence has now been sold to Roche.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42308341
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Trump sex harassment accusers demand congressional inquiry - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Three women repeat claims the president groped, fondled, forcibly kissed and humiliated them.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jessica Leeds is calling on Congress to open an inquiry into President Trump
Three women who accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct have demanded a congressional inquiry.
At a New York City news conference, the trio accused Mr Trump of groping, fondling, forcibly kissing, humiliating or harassing them.
Three of them - Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey, and Rachel Crooks - detailed their allegations shortly beforehand live on television.
The White House said the women were making "false claims".
Monday morning's press conference was organised by Brave New Films, which last month released a documentary, 16 Women and Donald Trump, about the claims made by multiple women.
Ms Leeds, Ms Holvey and Ms Crooks originally went public separately with their allegations a month before last year's US presidential election.
The claims have been given a new lease of life by the harassment scandals that have engulfed high-profile public figures since October's fall of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
On NBC News on Monday, Ms Holvey said Mr Trump had ogled her and other competitors in 2006 at the Miss USA beauty pageant, which he owned.
The former Miss North Carolina, who was 20-years-old at the time, said "he lined all of us up" and was "just looking me over like I was just a piece of meat".
"It left me feeling very gross," Ms Holvey told NBC host Megyn Kelly.
She later told the reporters: "They've investigated other Congress members, so I think it only stands fair that he [Mr Trump] is investigated as well
"This isn't a partisan issue, this is, how women are treated every day."
Ms Leeds, now in her 70s, says that when she was 38 she sat next to Mr Trump in the first-class cabin of a flight to New York and he sexually assaulted her.
Ms Leeds said: "He jumped all over me."
She said she came forward because: "I wanted people to know what kind of person Trump really is, and what a pervert he is."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Speaking in 2016, Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos accuses Donald Trump of 'thrusting his genitals' at her
Ms Crooks said she was kissed on the lips by Mr Trump outside a lift in Trump Tower when she was a 22-year-old receptionist at a real estate company there.
"I was shocked," she said. "Devastated."
The White House said on Monday: "These false claims, totally disputed in most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year's campaign, and the American people voiced their judgment by delivering a decisive victory.
"The timing and absurdity of these false claims speaks volumes and the publicity tour that has begun only further confirms the political motives behind them."
The president rejected such allegations last year and vowed to sue the accusers, though no lawsuit has yet been filed.
But over the weekend Mr Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said his accusers "should be heard".
Speaking to CBS News, Mrs Haley said she was "incredibly proud of the women who have come forward".
Meanwhile, three Democratic senators - Cory Booker of New Jersey, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York - called on Mr Trump to resign over the allegations.
During his successful run for the presidency last year, Mr Trump was heard boasting of grabbing women's vaginas in a leaked videotape.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42313637
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Fears grow across the Atlantic over Brexit fallout - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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US think tank warns nearly all UK's trading relationships with Europe will be worse after March 2019.
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Business
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Nearly all the possible trading relationships between Britain and the European Union following Brexit would be less favourable than staying in the European Union, according to an influential US think tank.
The Rand Corporation study said the worst option would be a "no deal".
That would leave the UK economy 4.9% poorer by 2029.
"No deal" would also have a negative effect on the EU economy, but it would be "relatively minor".
The report said that even a "soft Brexit" involving staying in the free market would not be as positive economically as staying in the EU.
Rand plays a significant role in America, with half of its funding coming from the US government.
In Europe it has advised the UK government on policy issues such as mental health, as well as the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Its report argues that Brexit was likely to have a "mostly negative effect" on American interests in Europe, given the UK is a firm ally of the US in security matters and a supporter of free markets.
"An EU without the UK may be more willing to create barriers for non-EU companies, to the detriment of US companies and the American economy," the report says.
"In the development of EU defence policy, for example, the UK aim was often to ensure that EU measures did not undermine NATO and the strong transatlantic partnership."
That approach could change once Britain has left the EU.
The Rand report said that there was only one option that would leave the UK better off outside the European Union: a comprehensive three-way free trade deal between Britain, the US and the EU.
But the report admits that is an extremely unlikely scenario, given that the present trade negotiations between the US and the EU (the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) are not supported by President Donald Trump and are "in a hiatus".
"The analysis clearly shows that the UK will be economically worse-off outside of the EU under most trade scenarios - the key question for the UK is how much worse-off," said Charles Ries, a vice-president at Rand and the report's lead author.
"It is in the best interests of the UK, and to a lesser extent the EU, to achieve some sort of open trading and investment relationship post-Brexit."
Mr Ries is former US ambassador to Greece and was also principal deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs in the US between 2000 and 2004.
Although the report says that a loss of growth caused by leaving the EU could in part be compensated for by free trade deals with other countries such as India and China, they would be difficult to execute.
"Since the EU has a political incentive to demonstrate that the UK is worse off as a result of leaving the EU (so as to discourage other departures), and some in the UK believe the costs of 'no deal' are low, there is a real risk that the parties - even while seeking to cooperate - will find themselves struggling to reach any agreement," the report says.
"Unfortunately for the UK, 'no deal' - or, indeed, any of the 'hard Brexit' scenarios - is the worst situation for the future, with significant losses in terms of economic growth."
The report says that many American companies invest in the UK because it offers open access to the EU.
It argues that foreign direct investment (FDI) has been boosted by 28% because of the UK's membership of the EU.
"Our research indicates that a fall back to World Trade Organisation rules would reduce EU FDI inflow into the UK by about $7.8bn (£5.8bn).
"If the UK signs a comprehensive FTA [free trade agreement] with the EU, investment from the EU would fall by $3.4bn - a reduction of about 9% from EU membership investment levels.
"Signing an FTA with the United States would add about $3.2bn in FDI inflows for the UK from our baseline scenario, making up about one-third of investment lost due to termination of EU membership. The best option would be to conclude a three-way UK-EU-US trade agreement."
Rand says that once free trade negotiations start, "several fault lines" could emerge among the remaining 27 members of the EU, which may put the UK in a stronger position.
"These include the diverging interests of the countries that use the euro currency and those that do not, as well as the diverging interests of those countries that are net contributors to the EU budget and those that are net recipients," the report says.
"Interests could also diverge on regional bases. Northern European countries may seek the maximum possible free movement of goods while trying to lure the financial industry from London to their countries.
"Southern European countries may focus on securing a high financial settlement from the UK and preserving agricultural and fisheries policies.
"And eastern European countries may seek strong protections for their citizens currently in the UK. These differing priorities may come into play as trade-offs are made."
• None So, did 'soft Brexit' just win?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42315280
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Salford house fire 'targeted attack' - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A house fire in Salford which killed three children was a "targeted attack", police have said.
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Manchester
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A house fire which killed three children was a "targeted attack", police have said.
Demi Pearson, 14, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died, while Lia, three, and mother Michelle, 35, remain in hospital.
Ms Pearson's son, Kyle, and a friend both escaped from the home, in Salford, before fire crews arrived.
Six people have now been arrested, after a 25-year-old man was held on suspicion of murder.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Words cannot describe" how a family feels after losing three children, police say.
Michelle Pearson is in a serious condition in hospital
Ch Supt Wayne Miller of Greater Manchester Police said detectives believe the attack was targeted after collecting CCTV from the area.
"We now have a much deeper understanding of the devastating events which lead to the tragic deaths," he said.
Ch Supt Miller said relatives of the family have been left "completely devastated".
"The loss of a child in any circumstance is unthinkable, to lose three in such deplorable circumstances words cannot describe.
"My heart breaks for them, it really does.
"We're doing all that we can to get them the answers they quite rightly deserve."
Two men, aged 19 and 20, arrested on suspicion of murder have been released on bail, as has a 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Officers visited the house in Jackson Street, Walkden, a few hours before the blaze, which happened at about 05:00 GMT on Monday.
Police confirmed there had been previous incidents at the family's home.
The case has been referred by GMP to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which confirmed an investigation had started.
It feels it is "necessary to independently investigate the circumstances of this incident in relation to the force's actions".
Demi Pearson, 14, was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police were filmed leading one of the suspects away after his arrest
The children's schools have paid tribute to them.
Demi Pearson was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford, which featured in the Channel 4 documentary Educating Greater Manchester.
Head teacher Drew Povey said everyone at the school was "truly devastated".
"Team Harrop mourns alongside the relatives and friends of those whose lives were needlessly and mercilessly taken from them. The spirit of Salford cannot and will not be crushed. We will work together to comfort and rebuild those lives that have been forever changed," he said.
Emma Henderson, head teacher at Bridgewater Primary school, said the school is consoling pupils and their families.
"Our school is very much part of this special community and understands the intense pain experienced at this senseless loss of precious life," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42330736
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Brexit: Right-to-stay forms 'will only take minutes' - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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And a UK minister says decisions on EU nationals' applications shouldn't take more than two weeks.
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UK Politics
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Anyone who arrives before Brexit day on 29 March 2019 will have the right to stay.
It will only take a couple of minutes for EU citizens to register online to stay in the UK after Brexit, Home Office minister Brandon Lewis has said.
There would, he said, be a "presumption in favour" of approving applications when the process begins late next year and people should hear in two weeks.
Rather than having to wade through 85 pages as in the past, he said there would be just six to eight questions.
Theresa May has urged all three million EU nationals to stay after March 2019.
A reciprocal deal on the rights of EU nationals in the UK and British expats on the continent is part of the stage-one agreement approved by the European Commission on Friday - which is expected to be rubber-stamped by all 28 EU members later this week.
Mr Lewis told the Lords EU Justice sub-committee that Friday's agreement meant EU nationals worried about their future "can be confident they do not have to do anything immediately".
When the application process for what the government has described as "settled status" begins, he said the system would be far simpler than those applying for permanent residency in the past have had to deal with.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Citizens' rights, the Irish border and money are the three big negotiation points
"The way we are looking to develop this is using online processes where somebody spends literally a few minutes online and within a couple of weeks your settled status is dealt with and granted," Mr Lewis said.
Unlike other applicants, existing permanent residents may not have to pay a fee to apply again nor have to supply evidence that they are living in the UK.
For those who don't already have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, charges will be capped at about £72.50 - the cost that Britons pay to renew their passports.
The immigration minister said the Home Office always had a duty to be rigorous when it came to considering applications for permanent residency - which people are eligible for after five continuous years in the UK.
But he admitted the current system was "overly complicated and bureaucratic" and the authorities' approach would have to change when it came to Brexit because of the sheer numbers of people affected.
"There is a presumption that they will be granted," he said.
"The only circumstance I can see someone not being granted settled status is if the criminal records check show they are a criminal, or if someone was trying to claim to be an EU citizen in the UK and they were not - a fraudulent application."
Ministers hope the new system will be up and running in the second half of 2018 and have pledged that those given settled status would have "broadly the same rights" as British citizens.
But during the session Labour peer Lord Cashman called for all EU citizens who already qualify for permanent residence to be registered immediately under a fast-track process.
And Lib Dem peer Baroness Ludford said a lot of existing EU citizens were experiencing a "great deal of hassle" and she questioned how the system would produce the "nirvana of simplicity" expected by ministers.
Citing cases where EU citizens who had lived in the UK for decades had received letters asking them to leave, she claimed "there was an attempt by the Home Office to create a hostile environment".
Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said existing rights enjoyed by EU nationals should be guaranteed. "The government needs to give clarity on what it has agreed, and to stick to its word," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42322018
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UK service sector growth slows while prices rise - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Service sector firms increased prices at the fastest pace for nearly 10 years last month, a survey suggests.
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Business
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Firms in the UK's key services sector raised prices at the fastest pace for nearly a decade last month as they faced higher costs for food, fuel and salaries, according to a survey.
The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) for services also said growth in the sector had slowed.
Growth in new orders cooled as consumers were hit by a "double whammy" of higher prices and weak wage growth.
The services sector accounts for nearly 80% of UK economic output.
The closely-watched PMI reading fell to 53.8 for the services sector in November, down from 55.6 the previous month. However, this was still above the 50 threshold for growth, which the sector has achieved for 16 consecutive months.
The report noted a "sharp and accelerated rise in prices" by firms.
The fall in the value of the pound has pushed up the price of imported goods for companies, and the sector has also been hit by changes to business rates and higher salaries after the launch of the National Living Wage.
Duncan Brock, director of customer relationships at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), said: "November's data painted a disappointing portrait of a sector struggling against Brexit-related uncertainty and a weaker economic outlook.
"Businesses could no longer fight against the tide of higher prices for food, fuel and salaries as input cost inflation remained close to its strongest for six years, and businesses passed these increases on to consumers at the fastest rate since February 2008.
"The level of new order growth lost some momentum, as inflation also ate away at household incomes for a double whammy effect on the UK population reluctant to spend," he added.
However, while the PMI service sector survey was weaker than expected, similar studies of the manufacturing and construction sectors have indicated a better performance last month, with activity in the manufacturing sector growing at the fastest pace for four years.
Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, said the surveys as a whole indicated the economy would see "robust growth" in the final three months of the year of about 0.45%.
Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club, also said the figures "suggest that the economy is maintaining a modestly improved performance in the fourth quarter".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42236422
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New York bombing suspect Akayed Ullah warned Trump on Facebook - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Akayed Ullah, 27, faces a series of terror charges over Monday's bus terminal attack in New York.
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US & Canada
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Akayed Ullah emigrated to the US with his family in 2011
The man who faces terror charges over Monday's bus terminal bombing in New York posted a warning to President Donald Trump just before the attack.
"Trump you failed to protect your nation," it read. The post by Akayed Ullah was revealed in charges filed by federal prosecutors on Tuesday.
They say the 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant carried out the bombing inspired by the Islamic State group.
He wounded himself and three others in Monday morning's attack.
Mr Ullah is accused of blowing up a crude device strapped to his body in an underpass at Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal during the rush hour.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) tweeted that he was facing state charges including criminal possession of a weapon, supporting an act of terrorism and making a "terroristic threat".
The federal charges, announced later on Tuesday, include providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place.
According to the federal complaint filed by prosecutors, Mr Ullah said after his arrest: "I did it for the Islamic State."
He also told investigators he had been motivated by American air strikes on IS target, the document says.
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The complaint says Mr Ullah used materials that included Christmas lights to make the device. It was affixed to his body with Velcro straps.
A search of the suspect's home in the New York City borough of Brooklyn "revealed metal pipes, pieces of wire and metal screws, which were consistent with the bomb materials recovered at the scene," prosecutor Joom Kim told reporters.
He said the suspect "admitted that he began researching how to build bombs about a year ago, and had been planning this particular attack for several weeks".
He selected the location and timing "to maximise casualties", Mr Kim added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The blast hit during New York's rush-hour - this is how events unfolded
Mr Ullah emigrated to the US on a family visa in 2011 from the Chittagong area of Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshi government says he had no criminal record in the country, which he last visited in September. The visit lasted about six weeks, his uncle told the Associated Press news agency.
Mr Ullah's wife did not join him in the US. She and other family members are now being questioned to try to understand how he was radicalised.
US President Donald Trump has said Monday's attack, which followed a terror attack in Manhattan in October that killed eight people, "highlights the urgent need... to enact legislative reforms to protect the American people".
"America must fix its lax immigration system, which allows far too many dangerous, inadequately vetted people to access our country," Mr Trump added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42327359
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Roy Moore's skittish escape on horseback - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Roy Moore's skittish escape happened after he appeared at an Alabama polling site to cast his vote.
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The Republican candidate arrived at an Alabama polling site on horseback - but had trouble leaving the same way.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42333109
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DR Congo crisis: On Kasai's hunger road - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Fergal Keane reveals the crisis in DR Congo's Kasai region, where millions face starvation.
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Fergal Keane reveals the crisis along a road in the Democratic Republic of Congo that threatens hundreds of thousands.
Nearly half a million severely malnourished children are at risk of starvation in the country's Kasai region.
The UN has just declared the crisis in DRC as the highest level of emergency - the same as Yemen, Syria and Iraq.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42333743
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Row over 'smell of cannabis' police stops - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Some officers disagree with guidance not to search people purely because they smell of cannabis.
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UK
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A row has broken out over advice given to police in England and Wales telling them not to stop and search people only because they smell of cannabis.
It was first given to police last year and was reiterated by an Inspectorate of Constabulary report on Tuesday.
The advice says officers should look at other factors like behaviour as well.
But some officers, including the chief constable of Merseyside Police, said they disagreed. The College of Policing said it plans to review the guidance.
Police officers can use stop-and-search powers if they have "reasonable grounds" to suspect someone is carrying items such as drugs, weapons or stolen property.
Last year, they were given new guidance by the College of Policing that the smell of cannabis on its own would not normally justify stopping and searching someone or their vehicle.
But the Inspectorate of Constabulary said many officers were unaware of the guidance and it is now urging forces to encourage officers to not rely on a smell alone.
However, Chief Constable Andy Cooke, of Merseyside Police, said he would not be giving that advice to his teams.
He tweeted: "I disagree. The guidance in my view is wrong and the law does not preclude it.
"Smell of cannabis is sufficient to stop search and I will continue to encourage my officers to use it particularly on those criminals who are engaged in serious and organised crime."
Matt Locke, of Northumbria Police, described the guidance as "inconsistent", adding that it was "a bit of a dog's dinner".
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Another police officer, from North Yorkshire Police, tweeted: "If I smell cannabis on someone or coming from a vehicle then I'll conduct a search. I don't think there's a cop in this land that wouldn't.
"Recently not only had that led to me seizing quantities of cannabis, but also arresting drivers showing with it in their system."
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Mike Cunningham, HM Inspector of Constabulary, responded to questions on social media about the guidance by saying the smell of cannabis "can be reasonable grounds" to search but it will be "for the officer to explain".
He added that the advice "encourages multiple grounds" to merit a stop and search.
The row came after the Inspectorate of Constabulary analysed more than 8,500 stop and search records and found almost 600 were conducted solely because police could smell cannabis.
Searches based on other grounds, such as the suspect's behaviour, result in more arrests, the report said.
At the heart of this row is an important question: are too many people being needlessly stopped and searched for drugs?
The Inspectorate report drops a heavy hint that they are.
It says police carried out 3,698 searches, 43% of the sample, because officers believed a suspect had drugs on them for their own use, even though drug possession offences may not be "priority crimes".
The watchdog is concerned about this, firstly, because drug possession searches are not necessarily the best use of police time; and secondly, because they appear to affect ethnic minority groups disproportionately.
That's one of the key reasons why the Inspectorate has reinforced the College of Policing guidance on stop and searches, including the advice about smelling cannabis - even though it's caused a stink.
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The report said it was "troubling" that black people were eight times more likely to be stopped than white people.
At the same time, black people were less likely to have illegal substances found on them than white people.
The National Police Chiefs' Council said it was looking at why young black men were disproportionately stopped.
The NPCC said stop-and-search powers were important "with rising knife and gun crime", as well as being a deterrent for people considering carrying out acid attacks.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42329124
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Tyson Fury free to resume boxing career after compromise reached with Ukad - BBC Sport
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2017-12-12
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Tyson Fury is free to resume his boxing career after reaching an agreement over a backdated two-year doping ban.
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Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Britain's Tyson Fury is free to resume his boxing career after accepting a backdated two-year doping ban.
The former world heavyweight champion tested positive for a banned steroid in February 2015, but blamed the result on eating uncastrated wild boar.
His victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 was his last fight before beginning his legal battle with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad).
Fury, 29, said he was glad he could put the "nightmare" behind him.
He will be free to return to the ring once he regains his boxing licence from the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), who Ukad say have accepted the outcome.
Hughie Fury, Tyson's cousin, has reached a similar agreement after he also tested positive in February 2015.
Both men were not charged until June 2016 and both continue to insist they have "never knowingly or deliberately committed a violation".
Last month, BBC Sport reported Ukad feared it could be made insolvent or require a bailout over the dispute had Fury been cleared.
However, Ukad chief executive Nicole Sapstead insisted there was "absolutely no whitewash and nothing to be fearful or embarrassed about" in the decision.
She said the anti-doping agency had been "completely transparent" and that the developments represented a "good outcome", given their conviction that a doping violation did take place.
A Ukad statement read: "In recognition of the retrospective counter-arguments and the risks inherent in the dispute resolution process, each side has accepted a compromise of its position."
In a statement Tyson Fury said he and Hughie were "happy" the issue had been settled and that they can "move forward knowing they will not be labelled drug cheats".
Both fighters' respective bouts in February 2015, including Tyson's victory over Christian Hammer, have been disqualified but results after that date, including the win over Klitschko, stand.
"I'm a fighting man through and through and I've never backed down from anyone in my life and I was certainly not going to back down from fighting this dispute," he said.
Following the decision, Fury called out fellow Briton Anthony Joshua - the IBF and WBA heavyweight world champion - on social media, saying "where you at boy? I'm coming for you punk".
Joshua defended his world titles in October, while the other two world belts are held by American Deontay Wilder and New Zealand's Joseph Parker.
Last month, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said there was "absolutely no question" Joshua would face Wilder in a unification bout in 2018.
"Next year I will be back doing what I do best, better than ever and ready to reclaim the world titles which are rightfully mine," Fury said. "It's time to get the party started."
There was no sign of Tyson Fury on Monday morning at the central London venue where his hearing with Ukad was due to take place. Now we know why. His lawyers were in deep discussion with the anti-doping authority, cutting a deal acceptable to all sides to this dispute.
Ukad insist that a threat of a loss of earnings lawsuit, if Fury won, played no part in their decision.
Nevertheless, the conclusion of this long-running saga will be hailed as a victory by all parties with Ukad getting an admission of guilt and Fury given clearance to resume his career.
As for the wild boar? He is sadly unavailable for comment.
How did we get here?
Fury secured the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts by defeating Klitschko in Dusseldorf in November 2015, although he was forced to relinquish the IBF title soon afterwards after refusing to fight the organisation's mandatory challenger.
A rematch with Klitschko was scheduled for summer 2016 but Fury was forced to postpone because of injury, before later withdrawing.
Ukad confirmed in June 2016 that he and cousin Hughie had tested positive for a banned substance - now confirmed to be banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.
Nandrolone acts similarly to the hormone testosterone and the Furys have relied on a defence that they ate uncastrated wild boar - which is naturally high in testosterone - as the reason for failing the tests.
The pair were charged by Ukad but provisional suspensions were lifted in August 2016 after appeals.
Two months later, Fury gave up his world titles to focus on mental health problems and the BBBofC suspended his licence "pending further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/42329394
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Corrie Mckeague: Landfill search for missing airman ends - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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RAF airman Corrie Mckeague was last seen in September 2016 during a night out in Suffolk.
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Suffolk
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The airman was seen on CCTV pictures walking through Bury St Edmunds after a night out
The search of a landfill site for missing RAF airman Corrie Mckeague, who vanished during a night out in September 2016, has ended.
Police believe Mr Mckeague climbed into a waste bin in Bury St Edmunds and was taken away by a bin lorry.
The search of a site at Milton, Cambridgeshire, restarted in October after a search there ended earlier in the year.
Suffolk Police said "no trace" of the airman had been found.
The force said it was "content" he was not in the landfill areas that had been searched and the investigation into his disappearance would continue.
Mr Mckeague's mother, Nicola Urquhart, said by searching the waste site the police had given her "immeasurable peace of mind".
His father Martin said they had a "lifelong debt of gratitude" to all those involved in searching for his son.
The latest landfill search focused on an area next to the original excavation site
Mr Mckeague, who was 23 at the time he went missing, was last seen at 03:25 BST on 24 September 2016.
He was captured on CCTV entering a bin loading bay known as the Horseshoe and his phone was tracked as taking the same route as a bin lorry.
Police started a 20-week search of the landfill site in March before ending it in July.
The latest excavation has been focused on an area next to the site of the original search.
Det Supt Katie Elliott said there were "a number of theories" about what happened to Mr Mckeague and they were "continuing to test the evidence".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-42315042
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Keith Chegwin: 'True telly legend' dies aged 60 - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The veteran TV presenter has died aged 60 after a long illness, his family says.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Veteran TV presenter Keith Chegwin has died aged 60 after a long illness, his family has said.
They said he had endured a "long-term battle with a progressive lung condition" which "rapidly worsened towards the end of this year".
He died at home on Monday with his family by his side, who said they were "heartbroken".
Tributes have been paid from the world of entertainment for the "true telly legend".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Noel Edmonds pays a tearful tribute to his "first telly chum" Keith Chegwin
Chegwin was perhaps best known for hosting programmes including children's game show Cheggers Plays Pop, Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore.
The Liverpool-born star began his career as a child actor, starring in films such as Roman Polanski's Macbeth and TV shows including The Liver Birds, The Adventures of Black Beauty and Z-Cars.
He went on to appear in reality TV shows including Celebrity Big Brother.
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The larger-than-life character, described by his family as "a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend", leaves his wife Maria and two children.
Chegwin had been cared for at a hospice in recent weeks.
His last tweet was posted on 28 September.
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Chegwin was previously married to fellow TV presenter Maggie Philbin, whom he had met on Swap Shop.
Philbin paid tribute to her former husband, saying: "It is incredibly sad. Keith was a one-off. Full of life, generous and with a focus on things that mattered - his family.
"I saw him two months ago at his sister Janice's wedding, where he was still attempting to be life and soul of the party despite being on portable oxygen and made sure he knew how much he meant to us all.
"Our daughter Rose flew home from San Francisco to be with him over the last few weeks and I know he was surrounded by so much love from his second wife Maria, their son Ted, his sister Janice, his twin brother Jeff and his father Colin."
Fellow Swap Shop presenter Noel Edmonds said in a statement: "I've lost my first real telly chum and I'm certain I'm not alone in shedding tears for a true telly legend.
"The greatest achievement for any TV performer is for the viewers to regard you as a friend and today millions will be grateful for Keith's contribution to their childhood memories and like me they will mourn the passing of a friend."
Ricky Gervais, who created the series Extras which Chegwin starred in, described him as a "national treasure".
Gaby Roslin, who worked with Chegwin on The Big Breakfast, described him as "so generous and kind" and a "happy and joyous man".
Chegwin had two children, including a daughter with his first wife Maggie Philbin
John Craven, who worked with Chegwin on Swap Shop told BBC News that his colleague "never lost his cool. I never saw Keith when he wasn't happy. He was a great, great character."
He added: "We were great friends for many years, but we lost touch a bit and [his death] came as a huge shock for me."
Presenter Chris Evans, who worked with Chegwin on the Big Breakfast, tweeted: "Very sad and shocked to hear of the passing of Keith Chegwin. The king of outside broadcast."
Bobby Davro said Chegwin was "one of the nicest guys" in showbiz.
And Tony Blackburn said he was "devastated" at the loss of his friend.
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Blackburn told BBC News that Chegwin was "exactly the same (off air) as he was on television" and that he never saw him with a script.
"He was the most lovely person I've ever met and I'm so sad he's no longer with us," he added.
Breakfast presenter Lorraine Kelly said he was "a kind, funny, brave man".
And Fiona Phillips, who also worked with him on breakfast TV, also paid tribute to her friend.
Phillip Schofield, who presented Saturday morning show Going Live, described Chegwin as "one of my many original Saturday morning heroes".
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Chegwin also had a hit single with I Wanna Be A Winner in 1981. The novelty hit, which was recorded by Chegwin and his Swap Shop co-hosts under the name Brown Sauce, reached number 15 in the charts.
His career fell away in the 80s and 90s and he had a well-documented struggle with alcoholism for many years. But it was revived by a stint on the Big Breakfast.
He went on to make infamous Channel 5 nudist gameshow Naked Jungle, appearing naked except for a hat - which he later described as the "worst career move" of his "entire life".
Chegwin - known affectionately by the nickname Cheggers - also appeared in Celebrity Big Brother, Bargain Hunt Famous Finds and Dancing on Ice.
He was due to appear in the 2012 Dancing on Ice series but had to pull out after breaking his ribs during the first day of rehearsal. He returned as a contestant the following year.
He also took part in Pointless Celebrities and Masterchef.
The disease Chegwin had is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which causes scarring of the lungs.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42313706
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Facebook to overhaul Irish tax scheme - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The advertising giant is to change its tax arrangements in about 30 countries after a similar move in the UK.
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Business
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Facebook is to overhaul its tax structure so that it pays tax in the country where profits are earned, instead of using an Irish subsidiary.
The online advertising giant is to make the change in every country outside the US where it has an office.
In 2016, Facebook said it would stop routing UK sales through Ireland for tax purposes.
The change comes after pressure on large firms over their tax affairs from governments and the public.
Facebook chief financial officer Dave Wehner said: "We believe that moving to a local selling structure will provide more transparency to governments and policy makers around the world who have called for greater visibility over the revenue associated with locally-supported sales in their countries."
The move will affect how Facebook pays taxes in 30 countries including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.
In the UK, there was public outrage after it emerged that Facebook had paid just £4,327 in tax in 2014.
In April 2016, the company began booking more advertising income through its UK office, instead of Ireland.
That significantly boosted revenue and profits for its UK business, and has meant that so far it has paid higher taxes.
Facebook paid £5.1m in tax in the UK last year, up from £4.2m in 2015, on revenues of £842m.
However, that does not necessarily mean it will start paying more tax in other countries as a result of the overhaul, Professor Prem Sikka of the universities of Sheffield and Essex told the BBC.
Taxes are paid on profits, and "the huge difficulty with large companies is trying to determine exactly what the profit is," he said.
There are a number of ways firms can muddy the waters, including charging intra-group management fees, royalty fees, and profit-sharing, he said.
Professor Sikka added that the Facebook move "may well be appeasing public opinion, while at the same time it takes a very small hit on its profits, if any."
EU authorities are pursuing big technology companies over what they see as avoidance of tax by routing business through lower tax jurisdictions.
In 2015, the UK government introduced a "diverted profits" tax, a higher rate of corporation tax aimed at companies that move profits out of the country.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42324485
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Inflation tracker: Will you feel the pinch this Christmas? - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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From smoked salmon to smartphones, 2017 is shaping up to be an expensive Christmas for consumers.
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Business
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The cost of Christmas: Some seasonal favourites have gone up in price since last year
From boxes of chocolates to mince pies and even Brussels sprouts, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a table piled high with food.
But the price of the festive grocery shop has spiralled this year, thanks to growing food inflation.
Food and soft drink prices rose by 4.1% in the year to October - the biggest growth in four years and a move that's hit some perennial Christmas favourites particularly hard.
The average price of smoked salmon shot up by 22.9% between November 2015 and November 2016, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
Brussels sprouts are up 8.4%, while Christmas puddings are 7.7% more expensive, according to the figures.
In September and October, consumer price inflation hit 3% compared with a year earlier - the highest level in five years and 0.9% above the rate of wage growth.
But some of the key components of Christmas - including popular presents such as smartphones and clothes - have seen average prices rise by far more than that.
So what's behind the increases? And are we tightening our belts this Christmas as a result?
The pound has fallen by as much as 20% relative to other currencies following the Brexit vote in 2016, meaning that retailers who rely on imports have seen significant price rises.
The UK brings in about 50% of the food we eat from overseas, so supermarkets have been under particular pressure.
Paul Martin, head of retail at KPMG, says that consumers are particularly sensitive to food price changes.
"Before 2017, grocery prices were falling off the back of the supermarket price war," he says.
"We have gone quickly from a position where people are used to their weekly shop getting cheaper to getting more expensive."
Mr Martin points out that the effect is psychological, with people paying more attention to rising prices than falling ones.
"Some sectors are hit particularly hard. For example, the price of smoked salmon has gone up markedly and that is an important part of Christmas for many people," he adds.
Although some foods have become more expensive, we are buying it in increasing quantities. Over the three months to November, total food sales increased 4%, according to the British Retail Consortium and KPMG.
And it seems we are still keen to treat ourselves as Christmas approaches, but are being more innovative in how we shop.
One in three shoppers say the cost of Christmas is a growing concern compared with last year, says grocery research firm IGD.
About 45% of shoppers told the IGD they would start Christmas shopping early to spread the cost, compared with 35% who said the same last year.
And 43% are planning to spread the bulk of their food shopping across a range of stores - twice as many as were planning to do a big Christmas shop in one place.
The rising price of phones means users are holding on to their handsets for longer, according to some reports
Many tech enthusiasts will be hoping for an iPhone X in their Christmas stocking. But they could be left disappointed if the price hikes seen on smartphones make them an unappealing purchase.
The cost of premium smartphones has been rising steadily each year. Average prices increased by 10.2% in 2015, 16.7% last year and 6.7% in 2017, according to technology analysts Gartner.
PC price hikes have been even more pronounced, with the average selling price rising by 23% in 2016 and 14% in 2017 - after an average fall of 29% in 2014.
Technology prices largely fell by 3-5% every year until 2012, but now things are different, says Ranjit Atwal, a research director at Gartner.
"On the PC side, a lot of people started to buy better models that were higher spec, so started to move up the price curve," he says.
"Then there are issues around exchange rates. When the pound fell in 2016 we saw quite a big increase in pricing. The cost of the components has been increasing too."
Will this strike tech gifts off Christmas lists? Phone users are typically holding on to their handsets for four or five months longer, as prices have become more expensive, Dixons Carphone's chief executive Seb James warned back in August.
But Mr Atwal says shoppers aren't overly bothered by price hikes.
"Smartphones are much more pervasive - everybody has one," he says.
"People don't buy them all in one go, so they don't really realise. Groceries are a frequent purchase: if the price of milk goes up 5p, you notice that."
Average clothing prices have risen 11.5% since last year, after retailers timed the winter wather better
Prices have gone up 11.5% in the UK online clothing, shoes and accessories market from November 2016 to November 2017 on a like-for-like retailer basis, says data analytics platform WGSN Instock.
WGSN's Nivindya Sharma notes that retailers have had to grapple with increased sourcing costs as the pound lost value after the Brexit referendum.
Incorporating this year's trends such as ruffles, embellishments and embroidery in designs has also pushed prices up, while the fashion for upmarket trainers has given retailers a boost.
"There is an increasing propensity among shoppers to buy less, buy better," she says.
"As a reaction to this, retailers have invested in expanding or introducing their premium collections and price points. There is also a greater volume of premium wool products such as merino and cashmere now available on the High Street.
"Shoppers are increasingly concerned about value for money, so retailers have had to really justify their price points through initiatives such as design innovation, quality, premium fabric or high-profile collaborations."
Shops have also learnt from last year's mistake of discounting clothing too early.
The mild winter weather of last year meant shops had to slash the price of coats and jackets. This year, they waited until the temperature started to drop significantly, making shoppers more willing to pay full price.
As a result, women's coat prices online have gone up 6.8% year on year, while women's jacket prices have gone up 9.9%.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42271582
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Budget 2017: The endless living squeeze - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Budget downgrades for economic growth and productivity mean we could see stagnant wages until 2025.
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Business
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What is the point of capitalism?
That might seem like a pretty big question, but one answer could be "to provide people the opportunity through work to become richer".
What, though, if the economy fails in that endeavour?
If the system leaves you - despite all your efforts - worse off in December than you were the previous January?
Or worse off now than you were a decade ago?
It was Lord Adair Turner, the former head of the Low Pay Commission, who put it succinctly.
"The UK over the last 10 years has created a lot of jobs, but today real wages are below where they were in 2007," he told me earlier this year.
"That is not the capitalist system delivering its promise that over a decade or so it will raise all boats, and it is a very fundamental issue."
Yesterday the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) announced an aggressive downgrade of both its growth and productivity forecasts.
Those big, macro-economic announcements have a significant effect on all of us as well as on the state of the public finances.
It means the economy is forecast to be weaker at producing wealth for every hour that we work.
Which makes the chances of a pay rise for everyone recede.
Today, two pieces of chunky analysis of the OBR's judgements reveal why those downgrades are so important.
The social justice think tank, the Resolution Foundation, said that "lower productivity feeds directly through to pay, which is now forecast to be £1,000 a year lower on average than the OBR thought back in March".
The Foundation says that the fall in real incomes people are experiencing could now become the longest since records began.
And that wages will not recover to their pre-financial crisis levels until 2025 - that's 17 years during which people have been experiencing an incomes squeeze.
The tax and economy think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, agrees.
"Real earnings are falling this year as inflation has risen to 3%," Paul Johnson, the Institute's director, said.
"The nascent recovery in earnings, which were growing through 2014 to the first half of 2016, has been choked off.
"That they even might still be below their 2008 level in 2022 as the OBR forecasts is truly astonishing. Let's hope this forecast turns out to be too pessimistic."
Government ministers will be similarly keeping their fingers crossed.
And hoping that with strong employment levels and plans to boost investment in the type of infrastructure that boosts productivity - transport, scientific and technology research - the real incomes squeeze can be alleviated.
Because if a system does not deliver increasing wealth - even if it is a modest increase - then people, quite naturally, begin to wonder what is the point.
• None What the Budget means for you
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42097238
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Theresa May says Brexit deal 'good news' for all voters - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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Theresa May tells MPs the agreement should reassure both Leave and Remain supporters.
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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. Theresa May: “What we are looking for is a deal that is right for the United Kingdom"
An agreement to move on to the next phase of Brexit talks is "good news" for both Leave and Remain voters, Theresa May has told MPs.
She told Parliament it should reassure those who feared the UK would get "bogged down" in endless negotiations or "crash out" without a deal.
She said the UK did not want a trade arrangement based on any other country but "a deal that is right for the UK".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May had only just "scraped through".
The negotiations so far, he said, had been "punctuated by posturing and delays", with confusion about how legally watertight the agreements were.
Updating Parliament on the terms of Friday's phase one agreement - which is expected to be approved by the other 27 EU leaders later this week - the PM said it would see the UK pay a "fair" divorce bill, avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and see the rights of UK and EU expat citizens "enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts".
But she said that if the UK was not able to agree a withdrawal deal with the EU prior to its scheduled exit in March 2019, "this deal is off the table".
Earlier, the EU said that although the agreement was not strictly legally binding, the two sides had "shaken hands" on it with a "gentleman's agreement" between David Davis and Michel Barnier.
On Sunday the Brexit Secretary David Davis said guarantees on the Northern Ireland border were not legally binding unless the two sides reached a final deal.
But he told LBC Radio on Monday they would be honoured whatever happened.
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said the Brexit Secretary's clarification - in which he insisted one of the government's key aims was to ensure that the Northern Ireland peace process was not harmed - came after concerns in Dublin about the enforceability of Friday's phase one agreement.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. David Davis: "No deal means we won't be paying the money"
Mr Davis said he had been taken out of context when he appeared to tell the BBC's Andrew Marr that guarantees designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland were a "statement of intent".
"What I actually said yesterday in terms was, we want to protect the peace process, want to protect Ireland from the impact of Brexit for them," he said.
"I said this was a statement of intent which was much more than just legally enforceable. Of course it's legally enforceable under the withdrawal agreement but even if that didn't happen for some reason, if something went wrong, we would still be seeking to provide a frictionless invisible border with Ireland."
A European Commission spokesman said the first-phase deal on the Northern Ireland border, the divorce bill and citizens' rights did not strictly have the force of law.
"But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen and it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Citizens' rights, the Irish border and money are the three big negotiation points
She added: "President Juncker had a meeting with Prime Minister May last Friday morning to ascertain that this is precisely the case. They shook hands."
In her statement to Parliament, Theresa May said she expected EU leaders to agree immediately to start talks about a two-year transition deal immediately, paving the way for continued access to the single market for a time-limited period.
"This is good news for the people who voted Leave, who were worried that we were so bogged down in the negotiations, tortuous negotiations it was never going to happen," she said.
"It is good news for people who voted Remain, who were worried we were going to crash out without a deal. We are going to leave but we are going to do so in a smooth and orderly way."
The prime minister, who also written an open letter to EU nationals in the UK, was praised by leading figures from both wings of the Tory party.
On the pro-EU side, Anna Soubry said there was "complete unanimity" within the party that Friday's agreement was a "major step forward" while Nicky Morgan said it was an "early Christmas present".
While commending the PM, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, who had urged her to walk away from the talks if there was no progress, sought reassurances the transition period would be used to "implement things that have been achieved" and "not carry on with no change".
In response, the PM said firms needed time to adjust and avoid the danger of a "double cliff-edge" change in rules - but she also said there would be changes such as EU citizens arriving in the UK having to register.
For Labour, Mr Corbyn said the government's "shambolic" approach was continuing with ministers "contradicting themselves" over whether the UK would pay a financial settlement if there was no trade deal.
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that the EU was unlikely to offer the UK a bespoke trade deal modelled on the one it has with Canada, but with financial services included.
"The EU has effectively ruled that option out," he said. "The EU has also said if you want a Canadian-style approach you have to link it to all kind of conditions to do with state aid, environmental rules and employment rights which effectively rules out the government's philosophy of taking back control".
His party has tabled an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill - to be considered on Tuesday - which would see "the Norway option" of remaining in the single market kept open as long as possible.
Urging Labour MPs and "pragmatic" Tories to support this approach, he said it was "inferior to where we are but it is better than the alternative of not having a close relationship with the EU".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42303059
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Marine flare explodes at Waterbeach recycling centre - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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The marine flare goes off as a worker at a recycling centre is sifting through waste.
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A worker at a recycling centre had a shock when a marine flare went off in his hands as he picked it up from a conveyor belt.
It happened at Amey's plant in Waterbeach, near Cambridge, in November.
The footage has been released by the firm to remind people to consider what they are recycling this Christmas.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-42331451
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Woman 'just left to die' in Tulse Hill hit-and-run - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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The 29-year-old was hit by four vehicles on a pedestrian crossing and none of the drivers stopped.
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London
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The victim was hit on a pedestrian crossing on the South Circular Road near Norwood Road
A woman killed in a hit-and-run in south London was "just left to die".
The 29-year-old from Wandsworth was hit by four vehicles on a pedestrian crossing on South Circular Road at 06:48 GMT on Monday. None of the drivers stopped, police said.
Navin Bagan, 37, who works at the nearby Tulse Hill cafe, added the drivers were "heartless".
One resident said the road layout "encourages dangerous driving" and has written to an MP to urge for change.
The woman was hit by two lorries and two cars. Her next of kin have been informed.
In the letter shared on social media to Chuka Umunna MP, Ross Runs wrote: "As both a pedestrian and a driver, the junction at Tulse Hill encourages some of the most aggressive driving I have seen in London.
"If there is an opposite to 'traffic calming' then this is it."
He said the current design encouraged speeding and the road had become "a racetrack of sorts".
"I hope that nobody else has to needlessly lose their life due to poor urban planning on a road that encourages excessive speed and dangerous driving," he added.
Mr Umunna is the local MP for Streatham, not Dulwich & West Norwood where the crash happened.
However, he and Helen Hayes, who represents the neighbouring constituency, said in a joint statement their thoughts were with the victim's family and friends.
"Lambeth Council is working closely with Transport for London on urgently needed changes to the Tulse Hill gyratory which will make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists," the statement said.
"We are pushing for these works to be delivered as soon as possible, and for any lessons which emerge from the investigation into this appalling incident to be acted upon immediately."
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Police have appealed for any witnesses to the crash and for the drivers to get in contact.
"This road is sometimes very busy in the mornings, but that's not an excuse for a car to hit a lady and run off," Ms Bagan said.
"I'm sure they will find them - it's a busy road, there are lots of security cameras."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42322526
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UK snow: Travellers struggle as icy conditions persist - BBC News
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2017-12-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Wintry conditions continue to cause delays for travellers as hundreds of schools remain closed.
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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.
Drivers and other travellers are facing difficult journeys as icy conditions persist across much of the UK.
The Met Office has a yellow warning for ice until Wednesday 11:00 GMT, with the worst affected areas likely to be Scotland and the north of England.
A "flash freeze" caused disruption at Glasgow Airport, with some flights cancelled or diverted to other Scottish airports after the runway froze.
Hundreds of schools were closed for a second day.
Temperatures in central and southern England remained only a few degrees above freezing throughout Tuesday.
The Met Office's warning covers Wales, parts of Scotland and much of England - including the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, London, the South East, East, South West, the North East and North West.
It said the chance of ice was highest across parts of Scotland and northern England where rain might fall onto frozen surfaces. Those areas were also likely to see a few centimetres of fresh snow on high ground.
"There will probably be icy stretches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths with some injuries possible from slips and falls," the Met Office added.
At Glasgow Airport sub-zero temperatures and heavy rain caused a rapid formation of ice on the runway and taxiways as well as roads around the airport.
As a result, seven flights were forced to land at Edinburgh and Prestwick airports and four flights to and from London City Airport were cancelled.
Operations were suspended at Glasgow for 45 minutes. It is back in operation but travellers are being advised to contact their airline before leaving for the airport.
Travel may be disrupted over coming days as rain meets freezing temperatures and turns to ice on roads and pavements, said BBC Weather's Darren Bett.
There remains a risk of snow in Scotland overnight on Tuesday, with a risk of light showers over high ground in northern England.
Winds will strengthen over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, but temperatures will be higher than in recent days.
Edmund King, AA president, said the service had rescued more than 140 people from snow and ice by lunchtime.
He urged other drivers to slow down and leave more space between vehicles, and warned that opportunist thieves were stealing cars left defrosting on driveways and by the roadside.
"Give yourself extra time and don't leave the car running unattended to warm up," he advised.
More than 350 schools in the West Midlands, some 200 in Shropshire and more than 300 schools in Wales remained shut for a second day.
On Monday, more than 1,000 schools were closed - about 600 of which were in Wales.
More snow and ice is forecast for the north of England and Scotland
Horses were put through their paces at Newmarket racecourse despite the low temperatures
Boats on the frozen Shropshire Union Canal at Market Drayton were going nowhere
An estimated 190 homes were still without a power supply supply in the West Midlands on Tuesday evening.
Heathrow Airport in west London said the "majority" of departures and arrivals would run as scheduled but advised passengers to check before travelling because of bad weather in Europe.
Train travellers faced delays on their homeward journeys, with Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia and London Northwestern Railway all reporting major delays into the evening rush hour.
Some Arriva Trains Wales lines were not running on Tuesday evening and the company expects delays to last until the early hours of Wednesday.
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Eurotunnel also said services were running with delays, with four-hour waits for passengers departing from Calais and Folkestone. It recommended customers cancelled or changed their travel plans.
P&O ferries across the Channel are delayed by up to three hours because of the weather. Travellers are being told to check in and will be put on the first available sailing.
The TUC called on employers not to force staff to make dangerous journeys "for the sake of presenteeism" and to give staff advice on what to do if the weather or lack of public transport kept them away.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42318755
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Liver surgeon Simon Bramhall marked initials on patients - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Simon Bramhall admits marking his initials on the livers of two transplant patients.
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Birmingham & Black Country
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A surgeon who marked his initials on the livers of two transplant patients has admitted assault by beating.
Simon Bramhall, 53, committed the offences at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital in February and August 2013.
The liver, spleen and pancreas surgeon was suspended later that year.
He pleaded guilty to two charges at Birmingham Crown Court and will be sentenced at the same court on 12 January.
He denied the more serious charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm - a plea which was accepted by prosecutors.
Tony Badenoch QC said the case was "without legal precedent in criminal law".
Bramhall, who came to attention in 2010 when he transplanted a liver saved from a burning aircraft into a patient, was suspended when the branding was discovered by another surgeon.
Liver surgeons use an argon beam to stop livers bleeding, but can also use it to burn the surface of the liver to sketch out the area of an operation.
Simon Bramhall covered his face as he left Birmingham Crown Court
Bramhall was suspended from Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2013
It is not believed to have been harmful to the liver and the marks normally disappear.
In one case it appears the organ was already damaged and as a result did not heal itself in the normal manner, allowing the marks to be seen.
Mr Badenoch said it had been a "highly unusual and complex case, both within the expert medical testimony served by both sides and in law."
He said what Bramhall had done was not isolated and required "some skill and concentration".
"It was done in the presence of colleagues," he said.
His actions were carried out "with a disregard for the feelings of unconscious patients", the prosecutor added.
Bramhall resigned after a disciplinary hearing with University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust in May 2014.
Speaking to the BBC after his suspension he admitted he had made "a mistake".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42344180
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Leeds crash: Boy, 15, admits causing deaths - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Five people - including three boys - died when the stolen car they were in hit a tree in Leeds.
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Leeds & West Yorkshire
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Clockwise from top left: Ellis and Elliott Thornton-Kimmitt, Robbie Meerun, Anthony Armour and Darnell Harte
A 15-year-old boy has admitted causing the deaths of five people who were killed when the stolen car they were in hit a tree in Leeds.
Ellis, 12, and Elliott Thornton-Kimmitt, 14, died along with Darnell Harte, 15, Anthony Armour and Robbie Meerun, both 24, in the crash on 25 November.
The boy, who cannot be named, appeared at Leeds Crown Court by video link.
He pleaded guilty to five counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
The three boys and two men died when the Renault Clio they were in crashed into a tree in Stonegate Road, Meanwood, at 21:55 GMT.
The stolen car hit a tree on Stonegate Road in Meanwood
West Yorkshire Police said the car had been stolen in the Headingley area of the city hours earlier.
A force spokesman previously said officers found a scene of "complete carnage" when they arrived at the crash site on a residential street about three miles north of Leeds city centre.
The boy was remanded in custody for reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing, which is expected to take place on 26 January.
Floral tributes were placed close to the scene in the days after the crash
Six people were in the car when it crashed on 25 November
During the 20-minute hearing, several people in the public gallery wept as the guilty pleas were entered.
Judge Peter Collier QC, the Recorder of Leeds, told the boy a custodial term was "inevitable" and he was warned to expect a lengthy sentence.
Inquests into the deaths were opened and adjourned at Wakefield Coroner's Court on Monday.
The Renault Clio struck a tree at speed, causing car parts to be strewn over the road and pavement
Police closed the road for several hours to allow forensic investigations to be carried out
David Holderness, from the Crown Prosecution Service, described the incident as a "truly shocking crime".
He said: "The defendant acted in a supremely dangerous way, driving erratically and at great speed in a residential area.
"Tragically his victims paid the price of the driver's utter irresponsibility with their lives."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42337838
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Disney set to seal $60bn 21st Century Fox takeover - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A sale of Rupert Murdoch's entertainment assets could be confirmed as soon as Thursday, reports say.
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Business
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Rupert Murdoch with his third wife, Jerry Hall
Walt Disney is close to confirming a deal to buy 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets for about $60bn, reports say.
The sale would include the 20th Century Fox film studio and the Sky and Star satellite broadcasters in the UK, Europe and Asia.
Disney was left as the front runner after Comcast, the NBC owner, dropped out of the race on Monday.
The Financial Times said talks about the price were continuing on Tuesday.
CNBC reported that Fox and Disney were on a "glide path" for an announcement on Thursday, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
The Murdoch family was said to favour a deal with Disney because it would rather be paid in the entertainment giant's shares than Comcast stock.
A deal with Disney could also face fewer US regulatory hurdles, although it is extremely unlikely to be waved through.
Also in question is what will happen to 21st Century Fox's bid to buy the 61% of Sky that it does not already own.
The deal is already under scrutiny by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is expected to publish its provisional findings in January.
It is not clear whether Disney will continue with the takeover if it buys the 39% stake from 21st Century Fox as part of the wider transaction.
Matthew Horsman, analyst at Mediatique, told Variety magazine that the CMA is likely to continue probing the deal. "They've done all the work. I'm pretty sure they're going to announce a decision," he said.
How 21st Century Fox fits into the Murdoch empire
The assets being sold by Fox include its FX and National Geographic cable channels, 22 regional US sports networks and the company's stake in the Hulu streaming platform in the US.
It would also add to Disney's extensive film and television library, with movies such as Avatar and Deadpool, as well as small screen hits including The Simpsons and Modern Family.
The Fox broadcast network, Fox News and Fox Sports would remain under the Murdochs' control.
As well as its film studio, Disney also owns the ESPN sports network and cable channels.
Mr Murdoch's decision to sell most of Fox has surprised many commentators given his desire to continually expand his media empire over the past five decades.
Talks were understood to have been held between the two companies in November but did not result in an agreement.
Shares in Disney rose 0.5% in New York on Tuesday, valuing the company at $162bn, while 21st Century Fox added 1%, valuing it at $62.6bn.
Fox shares have jumped by close to a third over the past three months.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42333452
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Meghan Markle to spend Christmas with Queen at Sandringham - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Recently engaged Ms Markle and Prince Harry will attend the church service at the Sandringham estate.
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UK
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Meghan Markle will spend Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen and other senior members of the Royal Family, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
Ms Markle and Prince Harry, who announced their engagement last month, are expected to attend the traditional Christmas Day church service on the Queen's private estate in Norfolk.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also spend Christmas Day there.
The prince and American Ms Markle are due to marry in May next year.
It is tradition for the Royal Family to attend the morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church on 25 December.
The Royal Family will gather for Christmas lunch at Sandringham House
Typically, hundreds of well-wishers gather along the route to the church to catch a glimpse of the Queen and other royals.
Some of the younger members of the family speak to the public and receive bouquets of flowers.
Later, they all return to Sandringham House for Christmas lunch, before watching the Queen's Christmas Day address in the afternoon.
In step with German tradition, the family exchanges presents on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day.
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Couple jailed for plotting Birmingham terror attack - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Ummarayiat Mirza and his wife Madihah Taheer were sentenced to 16 years and 10 years respectively.
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UK
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A married couple have been jailed for planning a terror attack in Birmingham.
Ummarayiat Mirza, 21, and his wife Madihah Taheer, 22, were sentenced to 16 years and 10 years respectively.
An intelligence operation had led to Mirza's arrest at gunpoint in March. Woolwich Crown Court head the couple, from Birmingham, had been planning a knife attack and had looked at targets, including the city's central synagogue.
Mirza's sister, Zainub, was jailed for 30 months for sharing propaganda.
Mirza was thought to have been planning a rampage for just days after the Westminster Bridge attack.
His wife had brought him a large knife and the couple had fantasised about a life in the territories of the so-called Islamic State.
He had pleaded guilty to preparing terrorist acts while Taheer was convicted of the same charge.
Zainub Mirza admitted five counts of disseminating terrorist publications by sending her brother IS videos on social media.
Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Kinch QC said Ummarayiat Mirza had made "inexorable progress" from enthusiasm for terrorism acts to training, sourcing of a weapon and researching a target.
His 16-year term comes with an additional five years on licence, during which he could be returned to jail if he reoffends.
Madihah Taheer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He described the case as a "personal tragedy" for Taheer as the trial began when her first child was only five months old but said she had been a willing partner at every stage of the plan.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42343771
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Chris Froome: Cyclist facing questions over adverse test result - BBC Sport
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2017-12-13
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Team Sky cyclist Chris Froome is asked to provide more details after adverse findings show he had double the allowed level of a legal asthma drug in his urine.
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Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Chris Froome is facing questions after returning an "adverse" drugs test at the Vuelta a Espana.
The Team Sky rider had double the allowed level of legal asthma drug Salbutamol in his urine.
Cycling's world governing body the UCI wants more details from the team but says Froome is not suspended.
The Briton, 32, says he increased his dosage but it was within the legal limits and the UCI is "absolutely right" to ask questions.
Froome says he took his team doctor's advice to up his inhaler use after his asthma symptoms got worse during the Vuelta.
He became the first Briton to win the three-week race around Spain and it followed his Tour de France victory in July.
He was notified of the "adverse analytical finding" on 20 September 2017.
The urine test, taken on 7 September, showed levels of the drug, Salbutamol, which is commonly taken for asthma, were at 2,000 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml).
That compares to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (Wada) threshold of 1,000 ng/ml.
• None 'The ambiguity in this is huge' - special BeSpoke podcast
The use of Salbutamol is permitted, without the need of a therapeutic use exemption (TUE), but only within certain doses.
No other samples taken from Froome during the race needed further examination.
The organising body of Vuelta said it will "await the UCI's official conclusions" before any further action, adding its position is one of "extreme caution, as it hopes for this issue to be resolved as quickly as possible."
The information has only come to light following a Team Sky statement on Wednesday, issued on the back of recent media reports.
The UCI also published details of its investigation on Wednesday.
The UCI says analysis of Froome's A and B samples shows levels which exceed the limit.
Team Sky insist the rider inhaled no more than the permissible dose.
Froome, who has suffered with asthma since childhood, says he welcomed the investigation.
"It is well known that I have asthma and I know exactly what the rules are. I use an inhaler to manage my symptoms (always within the permissible limits) and I know for sure that I will be tested every day I wear the race leader's jersey.
"My asthma got worse at the Vuelta so I followed the team doctor's advice to increase my Salbutamol dosage. As always, I took the greatest care to ensure that I did not use more than the permissible dose.
"I take my leadership position in my sport very seriously. The UCI is absolutely right to examine test results and, together with the team, I will provide whatever information it requires."
Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford said they are co-operating fully with the investigation.
"There are complex medical and physiological issues which affect the metabolism and excretion of Salbutamol. We're committed to establishing the facts and understanding exactly what happened on this occasion.
"I have the utmost confidence that Chris followed the medical guidance in managing his asthma symptoms, staying within the permissible dose for Salbutamol. Of course, we will do whatever we can to help address these questions."
What the UCI says
The UCI says it is investigating Froome's case under organisation's anti-doping rules.
"The anti-doping control was planned and carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent body mandated by the UCI, in charge of defining and implementing the anti-doping strategy in cycling.
"The analysis of the B sample has confirmed the results of the rider's A sample and the proceedings are being conducted in line with the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.
"As a matter of principle, and whilst not required by the World Anti-Doping Code, the UCI systematically reports potential anti-doping rule violations via its website when a mandatory provisional suspension applies.
"Pursuant to Article 7.9.1. of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the presence of a Specified Substance such as Salbutamol in a sample does not result in the imposition of such mandatory provisional suspension against the rider."
Last week former UCI chief Brian Cookson said Team Sky should have its reputation "reinstated" following unproven doping allegations and questions over its use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) - permission to use otherwise-banned substances when there is a proven medical need.
"I don't think anyone should be surprised when a professional sports team pushes the rules right to the very limit," Cookson said.
In November, UK Anti-Doping completed its investigation into allegations of wrongdoing at Team Sky and British Cycling.
The 14-month inquiry was looking into claims a 'mystery' medical package delivered for Sir Bradley Wiggins at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2011.
Ukad said it had been "unable" to prove the package contained a banned substance.
Wiggins had sought TUEs to use banned anti-inflammatory drug triamcinoclone for allergies and respiratory issues before the 2011 Tour de France, his 2012 Tour win and the 2013 Giro d'Italia.
Wiggins, British Cycling and Team Sky always denied any wrongdoing.
Like Wiggins, Froome was named in leaked medical records by the Russian hackers Fancy Bears as one of the athletes to use TUEs during competition.
The documents claimed he was given the exemption for the asthma drug prednisolone in May 2013 and April 2014.
Earlier this year, the rider admitted he rejected a TUE for his asthma during his Tour de France win in 2015.
What now for Froome?
The greatest cyclist in the world and arguably Britain's most successful current sports star - now faces a fight to salvage his reputation. Such has been Froome's domination of his sport, and his use of medication to treat his asthma, he has repeatedly been forced to insist he is clean, and infamously faced abuse from some roadside spectators during the 2015 Tour de France. He has also been a vocal critic of "abuse" of TUEs.
Some observers have made the point that Froome made no mention or seemed to show any signs of "acute asthma symptoms" or illness during the Vuelta. Some are also surprised at Froome's announcement two weeks ago that he was riding next summer's Giro d'Italia when he privately knew that this situation could mean he may be banned for the race. But others will remain confident and hopeful that he can satisfactorily explain the elevated levels of Salbutamol, and continue his lucrative career that has earned him a £4million a year contract with Team Sky. Certainly, there will be much at stake when the UCI rules.
This could also be yet another blow to Team Sky too. Already under pressure over their use of TUEs, last month a UK Anti-Doping investigation into a mystery delivery to former rider Sir Bradley Wiggins concluded, but made clear that a lack of medical records meant that there was no evidence to back up the team's version of events.
That episode was damaging enough, but this could be much, much worse. Not just for Froome and his team, but for the whole of the sport too.
What about previous Salbutamol use in cycling?
Italian rider Diego Ulissi got a nine-month ban in 2014 for having 1920ng/ml in his test results.
His countryman Alessandro Petacchi was banned for a year for a reading of 1320ng/ml in 2007.
But riders have also been able to successfully explain adverse analytic findings. Leonardo Piepoli avoided a ban in 2007.
Should Froome not be able to similarly successfully explain the anomaly, he could be stripped of his Vuelta title and may be unable to ride in May's Giro d'Italia - as he seeks to become just the third rider to win three successive Grand Tours - or defend his Tour de France title in July.
According to the NHS, Salbutamol is used to relieve symptoms of asthma such as coughing, wheezing and feeling breathless.
It works by relaxing the muscles of the airways into the lungs which makes it easier to breathe.
Salbutamol comes in an inhaler, which is usually blue.
If people are unable to use an inhaler, Salbutamol can be given as tablets, capsules or syrup.
Wada introduced strict dosage regulations for 2017 for several asthma drugs - including Salbutamol - over concerns about the increase in use among athletes.
Several medical studies have suggested there is no enhancement in performance for an athlete inhaling Salbutamol.
Dr Tom Bassindale, an anti-doping scientist at Sheffield Hallam University, now expects Froome to have laboratory tests to try to explain the abnormal result.
"The regulations allow the athlete to go through a controlled experiment where he will replicate the dosage taken and try so show why his body might have a different physiological make-up which gave the result," he told BBC Sport.
But he said he was surprised that such a common drug as Salbutamol had caused this issue.
"I wouldn't anticipate a few extra puffs on an inhaler would have any performance-enhancing effect," he added.
"The drug can have similar effects to drinking coffee - your heart beats faster, it can give you a quick boost like caffeine."
Dr Bassindale said there are a number of reasons why the test result could have been so high - but the main explanation in athletes would be dehydration.
"When the body is dehydrated, it can increase the concentration of the drug in the system," he said.
"Hours out riding a bike through the mountains might have that effect. But, having said that, Froome has been a professional athlete for some time and hasn't had any issue like this before."
Why do so many elite athletes have asthma?
Top athletes are more likely to have asthma than the general population.
This is down to the large volumes of air they breathe in through their mouths when exercising at high intensity over long periods of time.
When the air is cold and dry, this can trigger asthma-related symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest, also known as exercise-induced asthma. Cyclists are particularly at risk because of the high aerobic element of the sport. Air pollution getting into the airways out on the road can also be a trigger.
Research suggests that around 35-40% of British Olympic cyclists use an inhaler, compared with 21% of the Olympic team as a whole and 9% of the general population.
If asthma is already diagnosed in elite athletes, then intensive exercise can make it worse - but if it is properly treated, the condition should not prove a disadvantage.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/42335916
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Facebook and Twitter: Nine Russian Brexit ads found by inquiries - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Twitter says it has also identified six referendum-related ads believed to be funded by Russia.
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Technology
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Facebook says its investigation into Russian attempts to influence the Brexit vote has determined the activity amounted to just three adverts.
Twitter says its own inquiry has linked six ads promoting referendum-related content on its platform to Russian sources.
The Electoral Commission had asked the social media giants for the data.
But an MP who had also demanded the review has said he is dissatisfied with Facebook's response.
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Facebook said it had looked into activity by accounts and pages it had previously tied to a Russian organisation called the Internet Research Agency.
It said the Brexit ads had cost less than $1 (75p) in total to post, and had reached no more than 200 UK-based viewers over four days.
The Kremlin has previously denied trying to meddle in the referendum.
An earlier investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 US presidential election found more than $100,000 had been spent on 3,000 Facebook adverts, placed by the Internet Research Agency.
In January, the US Director of National Intelligence identified the same agency as a vehicle for spreading misinformation.
In a letter to the Electoral Commission, Facebook said: "We strongly support the commission's efforts to regulate and enforce political campaign finance rules in the United Kingdom, and we take the commission's request very seriously."
But Damian Collins, MP and chair of the digital, culture and media select committee was not impressed.
"Facebook responded only with regards to funded advertisements to audiences in the UK from the around 470 accounts and pages run by the Russian based Internet Research Agency, which had been active during the US Presidential election.
"It would appear that no work has been done by Facebook to look for Russian activity around the EU referendum, other than from funded advertisements from those accounts that had already been identified as part of the US Senate's investigation.
"No work has been done by Facebook to look for other fake accounts and pages that could be linked to Russian-backed agencies and which were active during the EU referendum, as I requested."
Twitter later issued its own response to the Electoral Commission.
"Among the accounts that we have previously identified as likely funded from Russian sources, we have thus far identified one account - @RT_com - which promoted referendum-related content during the regulated period," it said.
The account in question is run by the state-funded broadcaster RT, formerly known as Russia Today.
Twitter added that a total of $1,031.99 had been spent on six referendum-related ads during the campaign.
In a speech in November, the prime minister accused Russia of spreading fake news, meddling in elections and mounting a sustained campaign of cyber-espionage.
Theresa May made no specific mention of any meddling in the EU referendum, but there has been mounting pressure from politicians for an investigation into any attempts to interfere in the vote.
A study by academics in the UK and US suggested that tens of thousands of Russia-based Twitter accounts, many of them apparently automated, had posted tweets about the EU vote during the campaign.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42342216
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More than 20,000 meals bought for homeless people - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The pre-paid meals were donated within 10 hours of a campaign being launched to help feed Scotland's rough sleepers.
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Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland
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The vouchers enable meals to be provided for homeless people
More than 20,000 pre-paid meals were bought for homeless people within 10 hours of a festive campaign being launched.
Itison began its fourth annual festive fundraiser for Social Bite on Tuesday.
Within 10 hours, 20,668 vouchers had been donated to help feed rough sleepers in Scotland.
On Saturday, about 9,000 spent the night in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh as part of Sleep in the Park, organised by Social Bite.
Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, said: "Before our first Itison fundraiser in 2014, we were a small social enterprise and often ran out of food donated through our pay-it-forward scheme, and would have to turn people away or ask them to come back later.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Organisers say Sleep in the Park was about more than raising money
"After the first Itison fundraiser ran, we were completely blown away by the response - over 32,000 vouchers were donated, allowing us to provide meals not just on Christmas Day but right throughout the year.
"Each year it gets bigger and bigger and since it launched we've never had to turn away a single person which is just incredible."
Last year, 75,755 vouchers were donated on Itison, allowing Social Bite to provide hot meals for homeless people throughout the year.
The food firm's Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen cafes will open their doors to serve rough sleepers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to serve dinners with all the trimmings.
All the money raised will go to Social Bite.
Liam Gallagher, John Cleese and Deacon Blue performed at Sleep in the Park.
Oli Norman, chief executive of Itison, said: "Around 18 of us took part in Social Bite's Sleep In The Park at the weekend and that teeny glimpse into what it's like sleeping in the freezing cold highlighted just how wrong it is that in this day in age, people are still having to sleep rough in such treacherous conditions."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-42332449
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LinkedIn hosted jihadist lectures, Blair institute reveals - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Lectures and essays by Islamist extremists have been shared on the Microsoft-owned social network.
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Technology
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Four lectures by the deceased cleric Anwar al-Awlaki were among the material found
Lectures by a radical Islamist cleric linked to the 9/11 attacks and other jihadist content have been discovered on LinkedIn.
The business-focused social network was alerted to the issue after an investigation by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
The Microsoft-owned business has since removed the material.
But it faces criticism for not having taken a more proactive stance ahead of the discovery.
According to the former prime minister's research body - whose remit includes counter-extremism - some of the documents had been on LinkedIn for eight years.
The researcher who made the discovery, earlier this month, said there had been no obvious way to flag the problem to the technology company, and ultimately relied on the Times newspaper to bring it to Microsoft's attention.
"Platforms must ensure that sufficient, effective reporting mechanisms are in place," Mubaraz Ahmed told the BBC.
"The likes of Facebook, Twitter, and Google have taken demonstrable and effective steps to counter terrorists' use of the internet, but other platforms must not ignore the risks or become complacent."
A total of 18 jihadist documents uploaded between 2009 and 2016 were discovered by Mr Ahmed on LinkedIn's Slideshare service.
Slideshare allows LinkedIn members to show each other documents and presentations
Before they were removed, they had collectively attracted more than 21,000 views.
The authors included Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical American cleric who met two of the 11 September 2001 hijackers before their attack, as well as being linked to other plots before his death in 2011.
They also featured Omar Bakri Muhammad, a Syrian-born preacher who once lived in the UK and has claimed to have helped radicalise one of the killers of murdered soldier Lee Rigby.
"These aren't exactly obscure [jihadist] ideologues," said Mr Ahmed.
Microsoft is a member of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, which was set up in June to co-ordinate how technology companies tackle extremist content posted to their sites.
British politicians are currently considering following Germany's lead in introducing laws to fine such companies if they fail to take down extremist material fast enough.
"Where there's an audience, there's an audience for hate - LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or wherever," said Dr Bernie Hogan, from the Oxford Internet Institute.
"[But] it's exceedingly tricky [to police] because go too far and you trample rights."
A spokesman for LinkedIn said it did provide a way for the public to report concerns, but acknowledged that it might need to make this clearer.
"We do not tolerate or permit activity on our site that violates our terms of service, including hate speech, violence and threats," he said.
"Within Slideshare, a Report Content option is present on the statistics tab of each presentation.
"We will review the placement of the reporting function to ensure it is more easily found. We are grateful for this issue being brought to our attention."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42338746
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Westminster rape trial: Samuel Armstrong 'victim gave story to press' - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Jurors hear a woman allegedly raped by an MP's aide gave the story to the Sun and the Mail.
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England
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Samuel Armstrong has claimed what happened took place with "full consent"
A woman who claims she was raped by an MP's chief of staff in Westminster gave the story to journalists hours after the alleged attack, a jury has heard.
Samuel Armstrong, of Danbury, Essex, denies two charges of rape and two of sexual assault on 14 October 2016.
Southwark Crown Court heard the woman sent a message to her boyfriend.
"Keeping you in the loop. I've given it to Harry Cole who works for the Sun. It will either be in the Mail on Sunday or the Sun front page on Monday," it said.
Jurors were told the message was sent 15 hours after the alleged assault, and a later message said: "The media already knew so this is my way of controlling it to ensure I get a sympathetic writer."
When Sarah Forshaw QC, defending, asked the woman, a parliamentary worker in her 20s, about the messages, she insisted she did not sell the story and explained it had been a friend who spoke to the Sun.
She said: "I really didn't want my identity to come out and it was a state where I had absolutely no control in the event, so I wanted a little bit of control."
The court has heard claims the attack happened in the early hours in the Westminster office of South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay after the woman fell asleep there after a night drinking.
The woman said Mr Armstrong, 24, of Copt Hill, called her a "bitch" and raped her twice after she turned down an invitation to go back to his flat in Clapham, south London.
It is claimed the attack happened in the Westminster office of South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay
Ms Forshaw suggested the woman became distressed when she tried to leave Westminster after having consensual sex with Mr Armstrong.
"When it was over you were not upset with him at all, were you?" she asked.
But the woman answered: "Yes - I was completely confused and devastated in the truest sense of that word."
The woman admitted sending a request to Mr Armstrong to follow him on Twitter in September 2017 but said it was an accident.
Ms Forshaw suggested to the victim she had told a lie at the time, but once she had told it she couldn't take it back, and the woman told her she was "incorrect".
The defence lawyer also put it to her that everything that happened in Mr Mackinlay's office was with her consent, but the woman answered: "No, absolutely not."
Mr Armstrong's defence lawyer suggested the woman became distressed as she left
The court has heard the pair were at the sports and social bar on the evening of 13 October, before they went to the roof garden terrace to see Big Ben.
Jurors heard they later went to the leader's terrace in the Lords' office to drink wine, before taking a bottle back to Mr Mackinlay's office in the Norman Shaw building.
The court heard suggestions the pair mutually kissed as they danced to jazz music in the office, before they had consensual sex - a claim the woman denied.
She also denied a suggestion she had swept papers on to the floor so they could continue on a desk.
Ms Forshaw said to the woman: "Far from being unhappy during this sexual encounter, you and he were chatting during sex?"
The defence barrister asked the woman if she remembered Mr Armstrong saying something like "how does the size suit the lady?" - but the alleged victim replied "no".
Ms Forshaw added: "You said that it suited you well. Do you remember that?"
The woman again replied: "No."
Jurors heard from cleaner Vincent Ble who said the woman was "shaking and crying" when he saw her.
He said she held on to him while his manager called the police.
And the jury heard the phone call made on the parliamentary network in which the sobbing woman told an officer she was "forced upon", before she added: "I got taken back, I don't know.... and I've just had sex and I really, really didn't want to."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42341216
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Donald Tusk calls Brexit talks a furious race against time - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The European Council's president urges EU countries to show "unity" in the next phase of talks.
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UK Politics
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Donald Tusk said the EU needed to show "unity" in the next phase of talks
The UK and the EU face a "furious race against time" to finalise Brexit talks before March 2019, the head of the European Council says.
Donald Tusk urged EU leaders to show unity as they try to negotiate what the future relationship will look like and to set up transitional arrangements.
The EU is set to agree this week that enough progress has been made so far to move on from the first phase of talks.
The UK has been told not to "backtrack" on last week's divorce deal.
The comment from EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier came after UK Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested the divorce agreement unveiled by Theresa May amounted to a "statement of intent" rather than a binding agreement.
Mr Davis - the UK's Brexit secretary - said he was quoted out of context.
But European Parliament negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said the "unacceptable remarks" would harm "good faith" in the process.
The UK is set to leave the EU in March 2019, two years after Mrs May served formal notice of Brexit.
Both sides hope to finalise a deal by October 2018 on the future relationship, including trade, so the UK and European Parliaments have time to vote on it before the UK leaves.
In his formal letter on Tuesday inviting leaders to this week's EU summit, Mr Tusk told the 27 member states: "This will be a furious race against time, where again our unity will be key."
On Sunday, Mr Davis said guarantees on the Northern Ireland border - included in a joint EU-UK report published on Friday - were not legally binding unless the two sides reached a final deal.
But he told LBC Radio on Monday they would be honoured whatever happened.
A European Commission spokesman said the first-phase deal on the Northern Ireland border, the divorce bill and citizens' rights did not strictly have the force of law.
"But we see the joint report of Michel Barnier and David Davis as a deal between gentlemen and it is the clear understanding that it is fully backed and endorsed by the UK government."
The Brexit secretary's comments at the weekend about the legality of what's been agreed so far between the UK and the EU have been widely noted in Brussels, and a handful of member states have brought them up with me.
"To say we are annoyed is putting it too strongly, though," said one diplomat. "This is the sort of stuff we expected," said another. "It's never good when someone questions an agreement 24 hours after it was done," a third official suggested.
This forms the backdrop to the discussion taking place among EU ministers about the European Council's draft guidelines for Phase 2 of the Brexit talks.
But it is not clear if it will lead to any changes to the draft text that will be discussed by leaders on Friday morning. The document already states in its first paragraph that progress in phase 2 of the talks is contingent on commitments from phase 1 being kept.
Mr Verhofstadt has tabled two amendments for MEPs to debate on Wednesday, one of which says Mr Davis's comments risk undermining "the good faith that has been built during the negotiations".
Another amendment calls on Britain to "fully respect" last week's Brexit deal and ensure it is "fully translated" into a draft Withdrawal Agreement.
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And at a press conference in Brussels, he said the UK must "stick to its commitments" and put them into a draft Withdrawal Agreement "as soon as possible" if there is to be progress in the second phase of talks.
Mr Davis replied with two tweets of his own, promising to work with Mr Verhofstadt to allay his concerns:
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The European Parliament gets a formal vote on the final Brexit deal but it has also been holding debates and issuing resolutions throughout the process to make its voice heard.
Mr Verhofstadt has introduced the amendments alongside the leaders of four other European Parliament political groups.
• None May: Brexit deal 'good news' for everybody
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42322187
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Armed forces veterans to get ID to recognise 'sacrifice' - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The move could see driving licences of 2.5 million ex-military personnel stamped with a "V" symbol.
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UK
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British armed forces veterans could have their driving licences stamped with a "V", as part of plans to improve the recognition of their service.
The move, similar to a US scheme, could see 2.5 million ex-military personnel issued with the new licence to "clearly distinguish" them as veterans.
The card would give holders easier access to specialist services and to offers, including retail discounts.
PM Theresa May said veterans deserved "recognition for their sacrifice".
The scheme, to be announced by the prime minister later, could be implemented in the early 2020s.
Mrs May will say the card will be the first universally recognised ID for veterans in the UK and will create a new proof of service for veterans.
The Ministry of Defence is working with the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to adapt the design of the current driving licence.
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The idea came from Veterans Minister Tobias Ellwood, who said it would improve the recognition of veterans.
The Conservative MP for Bournemouth East said: "As a former soldier, I am aware of the personal attachment with the service ID.
"Carried at all times it becomes symbolic of the responsibility and there is a strange sense of loss when upon departing the armed forces, it is taken from you.
"I'm delighted this initiative, which sits in the Armed Forces Covenant, will help us all better recognise our veterans and their service to our country."
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said he hoped the card would become "a badge of honour" for veterans.
"I hope this ID will become a badge of honour for the veteran community," he added.
The proposed scheme is similar to one in the US, where ex-service personnel receive a veterans' card containing their names, photo and details of medals.
The card is also used to access some healthcare benefits.
• None Not enough help on jobs for veterans
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42336381
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Water bills set to fall by up to £25 from 2020 - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Water bills in England and Wales will fall by between £15 and £25 a year from 2020 onwards, the regulator Ofwat says.
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Business
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Household water bills in England and Wales will fall by between £15 and £25 a year from 2020 to 2025, the regulator Ofwat has pledged.
A forthcoming price review will give water companies less wiggle room to recover the costs of debt and equity from customers, the regulator said.
Ofwat was criticised by an influential government committee in 2016 for overestimating water firms' costs.
Water UK, said it was a "tough challenge from Ofwat".
Consumers can look forward to a real terms fall in water bills, Ofwat said.
Since privatisation in 1989, water bills have risen above inflation by about 40%, leading to a debate about whether privatisation works for that industry.
The regulator's chief executive, Cathryn Ross, told the BBC: "We have an early view on the financing costs that we're going to enable companies to recover from their customers.
"That's the biggest single driver of the bill. Financing costs are about a third of the average bill."
She said those financing costs for water companies had come down from 3.74% in 2014 to 2.4% now, and that difference can be passed on to customers.
But companies are allowed to add the cost of inflation on to bills.
So from 2020, customers will be paying less than they would have been paying had the price controls not been set at that level by Ofwat, but there may not be an actual, noticeable fall in the bill.
Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of Water UK, said Ofwat's review would be "tougher for some companies than others".
However, he added: " The industry has a strong track record in providing customers with a world class product and service.
"We've cut bills, increased help for the less well-off, and reduced leakage by a third, and we are committed to achieving even more for customers in the future."
The final Ofwat price review will be published in 2019.
Jeremy Corbyn has a simple remedy for the perceived excessive profits and underperformance of water companies - nationalisation.
Ofwat's answer is not so easily digestible - 260 pages of dense regulatorese, full of catchy concepts like the "weighted average cost of capital for appointee companies".
The headline savings promised, just £15 to £25 a year from an average bill in the five years from 2020, will also not set many hearts racing.
Ofwat's problem is that the companies it regulates have by and large prospered despite its successive attempts to crack down on returns.
Severn Trent, the largest quoted water company - one that has shares listed on the stock exchange - has promised its shareholders dividends of inflation plus 4% for the foreseeable future, an astonishing return for what is a low-risk utility stock.
Ofwat needs to find a much sharper tool if its solution, rather than Mr Corbyn's, is to catch the public imagination.
Ms Ross said nationalisation would be a political decision, but that since privatisation, water firms had invested £140bn.
"There has to be a question about whether government would do that if that were to land on the public balance sheet, but of course, government can borrow more cheaply," she said.
In a price review, Ofwat looks at the costs of financing that water firms face; the costs of service, such as how much it costs to transport water or treat it; and it looks at how water firms can improve their service.
In 2016, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said Ofwat had consistently overestimated water companies' costs.
Ms Ross said the regulator had taken a view in 2009 of what the financing costs would be, and "actually the financing costs were a lot lower than that, and that's really why the MPs were criticising us".
"We've taken that on board, and that's why today... we're taking a tougher line," she added.
The Consumer Council for Water, a watchdog, said an Ofwat decision to get rid of a cap on rewards for beating performance targets "could open the door to bill instability" after 2019.
Tony Smith, the watchdog's chief executive, said: "This could hand companies an opportunity to claw back some of the money they would be unable to get through lower financing costs and it could lead to bill increases which many customers view as rewards for doing the day job."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42336197
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Donald Trump tumbles to earth with a bump - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The president no longer has an aura of invincibility, neither have the Democrats' problems gone away.
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US & Canada
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Mr Trump had urged supporters to vote for Mr Moore
For Roy Moore it looks like the next time he saddles up his horse it will be to ride off into the sunset.
The maverick Christian conservative who enjoyed the full-throated support of Steve Bannon, the slightly-more-tempered endorsement of Donald Trump and the outright antipathy of certain sections of the GOP, has failed in the reddest of red states. So how much should be read into this defeat?
Needless to say - and understandably - most of the attention will fall on the humiliation this represents to Donald Trump, but the bigger loser is his erstwhile White House head of strategy Steve Bannon. Alabama was to be the Petri dish for next November's mid-term elections.
Alabama would show that rabble-rousing, right-wing, anti-establishment, swamp-draining insurgents could take on the Republican Party grandees in primary races and then cruise to victory afterwards in the main election against the Democrats.
Roy Moore's (R) defeat is a blow to Steve Bannon (L) and his insurgent campaign
Well Mr Bannon got one out of two. Yes, Roy Moore beat Luther Strange to win the Republican nomination - but he lost where it mattered. And that is calamitous for Mr Bannon.
This is a result where you can be sure the Republican establishment will be savouring a Bannon defeat almost as much as the Democrats are rubbing their eyes in wonderment at their victory.
Mr Bannon, the self-declared Leninist wanting to rip down the walls of the establishment, looks a weaker man today. Not finished by any means, but certainly undermined.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What the Alabama upset will mean for Donald Trump's agenda
Donald Trump, aside from finding himself on the losing side - which his opponents will revel in - will now find getting legislation through the Senate much more difficult. There will now be 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats.
It means the awkward squad in the GOP now have much more leverage over legislation. Senators Flake and Corker, who are standing down and loathe Donald Trump, will need to be courted rather than abused by the president. Those of a more liberal bent might seek to rein in the president's more far-reaching proposals.
Mr Trump's gut instinct got him the Republican nomination against all the odds and won him the presidential election.
But on Alabama he's now found himself on the losing side - twice. First backing Luther Strange and then, after he lost, getting behind - and more importantly sticking with - Roy Moore even when it became clear he was a political liability after repeated allegations of sexual abuse against teenage girls emerged.
Why this matters is that for two years now Donald Trump seems to have defied the laws of political gravity. Say what you like, insult who you like, do what you like, and when Newton's Law is suspended no harm will come to you.
But suddenly this president is no longer operating in a weightless environment. He has tumbled to earth with a bump. This is important. When someone seems invincible but turns out to be mortal after all, it will affect how your friends and enemies approach you. They might become less fearful.
The Democrats still have plenty of problems that need addressing
Now let's say a word about the real winners in all this, the Democrats. After a dreadful 18 months they have a victory to crow about. They have won in Alabama. Alabama, for goodness sake. Surely this is the platform for sweeping the board at the mid-terms! Taking back control of Congress. A hammer blow to the Trump presidency.
All I would say to that is - steady. This was not a decisive vote for Democratic Party politics, this was a referendum on Roy Moore.
And given the accusations against him, and given the number of prominent people who came out to say they had no reason to disbelieve his female accusers (the president's daughter, Ivanka, the Senate majority leader, the House Speaker to name but three), Mr Moore ran Doug Jones incredibly close.
And what is it the Democrats stand for? Are they the party of Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders? What is their distinct economic message? How do they win back the blue collar workers (and a lot of other groups besides who went over to Donald Trump in 2016)?
The Democrats are right to bask in their success today. Why wouldn't you? But the problems that led them to lose in November 2016 have not gone away with their astonishing victory in Alabama.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42338009
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Baby born with heart outside chest - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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How a baby born with her heart outside her body has survived after surgery at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
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How a baby born with her heart outside her body has survived after surgery at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42328266
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Baby born with heart outside body 'doing well' - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A baby born in Leicester with her heart beating outside her body is said to be doing well after three operations.
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Health
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Against the odds: The story of baby Vanellope
A baby born with her heart outside her body has survived after surgery at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
Vanellope Hope Wilkins, who has no breastbone, was delivered three weeks ago by Caesarean section.
She has had three operations to place her heart back in her chest.
The condition, ectopia cordis, is extremely rare, with only a few cases per million births, of which most are stillborn.
The hospital says it knows of no other case in the UK where the baby has survived.
Her parents, Naomi Findlay, 31, and Dean Wilkins, 43, from Nottingham, say Vanellope is "a real fighter".
Naomi said: "It was a real shock when the ultrasound showed that her heart was outside her chest and scary because we didn't know what would happen."
The couple paid for a blood test which showed there were no chromosomal abnormalities and that made them determined to continue with the pregnancy.
Dean added: "We were advised to have a termination and that the chances of survival were next to none - no-one believed she was going to make it except us."
Naomi said having a termination was "not something she could do".
"To see, even at nine weeks, a heartbeat - no matter where it was. It was not something I was going to take away.
"In a way her strength gave me a strength to keep going," she added.
Vanellope had been due on Christmas eve but was delivered by Caesarean section on 22 November in order to reduce the chances of infection and damage to the heart.
There were around 50 medical staff present including obstetricians, heart surgeons, anaesthetists, neonatologists and midwives.
Minutes after her birth, Vanellope's chest was covered with a sterile bag to keep her heart moist and reduce the risk of infection
Within 50 minutes of birth, the baby was undergoing the first of three operations to put her heart back inside the body.
In the most recent surgery, Vanellope's own skin was used to cover the hole in her chest.
Frances Bu'Lock, consultant paediatric cardiologist, said: "Before she was born things looked very bleak but now they are quite a lot better - Vanellope is doing really well and has proved very resilient.
"In the future we may be able to put in some internal bony protection for her heart - perhaps using 3D printing or something organic that would grow with her."
A handful of children in the United States have also survived this condition.
Among them is Audrina Cardenas who was born in Texas in October 2012.
She also had surgery to place her heart back inside her chest and was sent home after three months.
Audrina was given a protective plastic shield to cover her chest.
Glenfield Hospital says Vanellope still faces "a long road ahead" - the major risk being infection.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Baby born with heart outside body goes home
The next step is to take her off a ventilator, which is being used to aid her recovery from surgery.
Dean Wilkins said: "She defying everything - it's beyond a miracle."
The couple named Vanellope after a character in the Disney film "Wreck-It Ralph".
Naomi said: "Vanellope in the film is a real fighter and at the end turns into a princess so we thought it was fitting."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42322246
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Spurs player in global teacher prize shortlist - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A PE teacher, who plays for Spurs, is shortlisted in a competition to find the world's best teacher.
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Family & Education
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Eartha Pond has made the final 50 in a competition for the world's best teacher
A London teacher who raised £100,000 for survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire and who plays top-level football has been named in the top 50 shortlist for the annual Global Teacher Prize.
Eartha Pond is a finalist in the $1m (£750,000) teaching competition.
The PE teacher, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur Ladies, is assistant vice-principal at the Crest Academy in Neasden, north-west London.
She says it's great to see the value of teachers' work being recognised.
The teachers in the final 50 are from 33 countries, in a competition run by the Varkey Foundation with the aim of raising the status of the teaching profession.
Ms Pond, who trained as a teacher six years ago, has helped to run Girls Allowed clubs in schools, encouraging young women to take part in sport.
As a footballer she played for Chelsea and Arsenal before signing for Spurs - and in teaching she has also been a top performer, with a strong record in results in sports qualifications.
As a teacher, she says "every day is a lesson". And combining teaching with football, she says can feel like trying to live the lives of two people.
She lives close to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire - and says that when she saw what had happened she began to raise funds.
"I hoped to raise £5,000," she said. But in the end she collected £80,000 and then a school's sports day and support from local businesses took the total to £100,000.
"It's my community, it was a natural reaction, my people needed help," she says of the efforts to support survivors.
Ms Pond is one of four teachers from the UK in the top 50, in a shortlist drawn from more than 30,000 nominations.
The winner will be presented next year with their prize at a ceremony in Dubai.
Last year's winner was Maggie MacDonnell, who teaches at a remote village school in the Canadian Arctic and who has campaigned about the problem of youth suicides in the Inuit community.
The winner was announced by a video-link with astronauts on the International Space Station and with a message from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, congratulated the finalists and said: "We intend to keep this momentum going as our journey continues to return teachers to their rightful position as one of the most respected professions in society."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42327582
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Who will blink first? - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The government faces a potential defeat on the EU Withdrawal Bill.
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UK Politics
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Brexit Secretary David Davis is trying to steer the EU bill through Parliament - Dominic Grieve wants to amend it
And the prospect of defeat takes on a whole new meaning for governments who don't have majorities. In other times, it's not that unusual for governments to lose votes on amendments, take stock and then alter their legislation.
It's part of the system, however messy it gets. But Theresa May's government, without a majority of its own, has been marked by trying to avoid defeat in the Commons by folding, budging, or making new promises to avoid losing actual votes (caveat - the government has lost opposition day debates, when they have refused to vote at all, but it's a very different picture on getting their own business done).
For vulnerable governments, to lose is potentially much more dangerous than the odd defeat for governments who are secure in the level of their support.
It's in that context that the government faces a potential defeat on Wednesday on the Withdrawal Bill and must weigh up its best course of action.
The legislation has been grinding its way through the Commons for weeks. Tory rebels have threatened to vote against the government on a few different occasions.
This time however, with the rebellion led by one of the most unlikely troublemakers, the former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, they really do mean business.
And while the government today has sought to say ministers are listening, government sources say they are looking to do what they can to make peace - as things stand tonight, it's feasible that the prime minister will be beaten in the Commons tomorrow night. Yes, a possible defeat on the eve of the European Council.
The dispute (for once!) is pretty simple. A group of Tories, including former ministers and lawyers, are demanding a legal guarantee that MPs have a chance to vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal before we leave, what they say is a vital piece of democratic oversight.
Yes, the government has already promised MPs a vote, but the rebels and the opposition parties want the promise to be enshrined in law as soon as possible. The government has already conceded the principle, they say, given that there is going to be another bill (yes another one) relating to the final deal.
But for now, ministers, who are listening, and the government whips frantically trying to talk the rebels down, don't want to budge or give up their resistance to the proposed change.
Meanwhile Labour is pushing the Tory rebels finally to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
The role of Labour's small band of Brexiteers will be vital too. There are suggestions that for a couple of them, the temptation to defeat the government could override their consistent positions of voting with the government on Brexit. And the sums are so finally balanced every vote will count. One of the leading rebels said "it really may come down to the twos or threes".
A ministerial statement is expected in the morning that could contain more concessions to the rebels, or at least restate and package up the guarantees the government has already put forward.
The situation could change rapidly, with another potential rebellion melting away. But the government may well have to budge, again, if they want to avoid defeat. It might have to be Theresa May and her ministerial team who blink this time.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42332881
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Ceredigion Apprentice winner's product recall - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ceredigion Apprentice winner Alana Spencer is recalling products over health risks.
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Mid Wales
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Alana Spencer toasts her Apprentice victory with Lord Sugar in December last year
Apprentice winner Alana Spencer's cake company has had to recall almost all of its range because of health risks.
Food Standards Agency investigators said Ridiculously Rich by Alana inaccurately labelled its products.
Some allergens were not listed and others were "not correctly declared", the agency said.
A spokesman for the Aberystwyth company insisted only products sold online - less than 10% of its business - had been inaccurately labelled.
But the FSA's advice to the public does not distinguish between products the company sells online or through retail and wholesale outlets.
It warned that people with an allergy to soya, egg, peanuts, wheat, barley, oats or sulphites were at risk.
The FSA identifies inaccurate labelling on seven of the eight cakes and bars currently advertised for sale on the Ridiculously Rich by Alana's website.
The one product not highlighted as a risk by the FSA - spiced apple flapjack - is sold in mixed boxes with brandy butter brownies, which are on the list.
The warning only applies to products made before 1 December this year.
The company's spokesman said it had now corrected its labelling and contacted everyone who had bought its products to invite them to return their purchases free of charge for a replacement or refund.
No-one has yet returned any products, the spokesman said. He declined to disclose the number of items sold with inaccurate labels.
Coeliac UK put out an allergy warning on twitter
On its website, the FSA listed the products with inaccurate labelling and advised customers: "If you have bought any of the above products and have allergies to soya, peanuts, nuts, eggs and/or an allergy or intolerance to wheat, barley, oats (gluten), milk and/or a sensitivity to sulphites do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund."
An FSA spokesman said it was working with the company and Ceredigion council "to ensure that clear allergen information is available to consumers who may have purchased products with inaccurate or insufficient information."
Ms Spencer was unavailable for comment, her company's spokesman said, as she was "filming".
The spokesman added: "Lord Sugar was made aware of the situation immediately.
"He's spoken to Alana and is satisfied she has put the right measures in place to avoid a situation like this again."
Lord Sugar was made aware of the problem "immediately"
Ms Spencer, 25, shot to fame last year when she won BBC television's The Apprentice.
Her victory in the 12th series of the show secured her a £250,000 investment and a 50/50 business partnership with Lord Sugar.
The company's range includes brownies, flapjacks and fudge cake and products cost £12.99 for a box of six.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/42324784
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Alabama Senate election: Roy Moore faces verdict of voters - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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President Trump's populist brand faces a test as he backs a Republican accused of child abuse.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The polls have closed in Alabama, where a firebrand Republican conservative is battling for a Senate seat against a Democrat hoping for a huge upset.
President Donald Trump's populist brand will be tested after he backed Roy Moore, who denies allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls.
Much of the Republican establishment has distanced itself from the 70-year-old former Alabama judge.
The race between Mr Moore and Democrat Doug Jones is too close to call.
The Republican candidate has said homosexual activity should be illegal and argued against removing segregationist language from the state constitution.
But it is sexual abuse claims against him by a number of women, some when they were teenagers, that have made Washington conservatives baulk.
One accuser alleges Mr Moore molested her when she was 14.
The scandal has put an Alabama Senate seat within reach of Democrats for the first time in more than two decades.
Elections are rarely competitive in Alabama. It's the kind of place Republicans might as well weigh their votes rather than count them, such is the party's dominance here.
This special election has upended all the normal expectations and still, at this late stage, remains too close to call.
Democrat Doug Jones can win if he manages to galvanise the black vote in cities such as Birmingham and Montgomery.
Roy Moore, his Republican rival, could easily lose if those rural, white, church-going conservatives stay at home amid the allegations against him.
Whatever the outcome, the repercussions will be felt beyond Alabama.
If the Republicans lose, their Senate advantage contracts to just one vote.
If they win, their candidate is likely to face months of ethics inquiries, and an outside chance of being expelled from the Senate.
For the Democrats, a win would bolster their bargaining power in Congress, and place control of the Senate within definite grasp at next year's mid-term elections.
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 Donald J. 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.
On Tuesday, the world's press were waiting as he emerged on horseback from woodland to a ballot station.
He said people should "go out and vote their conscience".
Making his final pitch on election eve, Mr Moore reiterated his denials, again questioning why his accusers had kept quiet for 40 years while he had held various political offices.
Speaking alongside Mr Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, in front of a crowd that chanted the president's slogan "Drain the Swamp", Mr Moore drew heavily from the Bible.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kayla Moore: "One of our attorneys is a Jew"
"I want America great," he said, "but I want America good and she can't be good until we go back to God."
Mr Moore was joined at Monday's rally by his wife Kayla, who said separate allegations last week that her husband was anti-Semitic were "fake news".
"One of our attorneys is a Jew, we have very close friends who are Jewish," she said.
In an automated phone message on Monday, Mr Trump's voice warned voters that his agenda would be "stopped cold" if Mr Moore lost.
But many other leading Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have kept arm's length from their party's candidate, or shunned him altogether.
Without mentioning Mr Moore by name, Republican former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an African-American who grew up in Alabama, urged her home state to "reject bigotry, sexism, and intolerance".
Richard Shelby, Alabama's other senator, said on Sunday the state "deserves better" than Mr Moore.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Roy Moore: How Alabamans are defending the accused judge
A Democratic lawmaker has sent a letter to the Senate urging steps to protect teenagers working in the chamber's page programme from Mr Moore's "predatory conduct".
Mr Jones, a 63-year-old former prosecutor, denies opponents' claims he will be a "puppet" of the Democratic congressional leadership.
He is lauded for helping convict two Ku Klux Klan members who bombed a black church in 1963 in Birmingham, killing four girls.
But Mr Jones' support for abortion rights is toxic to many Christian conservatives in Alabama.
After casting his ballot on Tuesday morning, he predicted: "I don't think Roy Moore is going to win this election."
Former President Barack Obama has recorded an automated phone message for Mr Jones.
"This one's serious," Mr Obama told voters in his call. "You can't sit it out."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42322293
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NHS to fund baby Oliver's US heart operation - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Oliver's parents had so far raised £130,000 of the £150,000 needed for the life-saving operation.
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England
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Oliver's heart condition causes his pulse to race dangerously fast
The family of a baby boy who have been fundraising for him to have life-saving heart surgery in the US has been told the NHS will now fund his treatment.
Doctors in Boston have agreed to operate on Oliver Cameron, who was born with a rare heart tumour, after his first birthday in January.
Earlier, his parents warned time was running out to raise the £150,000 needed for his treatment.
The NHS said it would pay because the procedure was not available in the UK.
Lydia and Tim Cameron, from Wantage in Oxfordshire, have already raised £130,000 for the surgery to have Oliver's tumour removed.
They have not indicated what they intend to do with the funds raised.
Previously doctors advised that to maximise Oliver's ability to recover his parents should ideally wait until his first birthday but, if his condition worsened, he may require the operation immediately.
A statement from NHS England said it had "agreed to fund Oliver's treatment abroad" because there was "not currently a surgical service in the UK with experience of treating this exceptionally rare condition".
Oliver's condition - cardiac fibroma - is extremely rare and the number of patients with this type of tumour in England is estimated to be in single figures.
He needs around-the-clock care to stabilise his heart rate and an implant under his skin sends readings back to specialists at Southampton General Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since doctors in Oxford discovered the tumour.
Specialists in Southampton said removing the tumour would be "extremely high risk" because there was limited experience in treating his condition in the UK so they had decided to support his parents' bid to find treatment elsewhere.
The NHS said it was also discussing whether a UK surgeon might accompany Oliver to Boston to learn from the surgeons in the US so the innovative surgery could "potentially be offered in the UK in future".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40864598
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Vice chancellors' pay: Universities to sign new 'fair pay' code - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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University leaders have agreed to a new code on senior pay, which will be published in the next few weeks.
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Family & Education
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University leaders have been under pressure over high salaries
University leaders have agreed to a new code on senior pay, which is expected to be published in the next few weeks.
University representatives held a meeting with minister Jo Johnson on Wednesday where they accepted the need for more accountability.
It follows fierce criticism of university leaders over claims of excessive senior pay, with the head of the University of Bath stepping down.
Mr Johnson says "public confidence" over pay had to be restored.
The universities minister met leaders of Universities UK, the Russell Group and the Committee of University Chairs - with Mr Johnson calling for more restraint over pay.
It is understood that a "fair remuneration code" will be published in January for university leaders, by the Committee of University Chairs.
Mr Johnson told university leaders that there must be a more transparent and independent system for the setting of senior salaries - and an end to the "upwards ratchet in pay".
He set out a series of requirements, including that vice chancellors must not sit on the committee that decides their pay.
Jo Johnson has told universities they need to restore public confidence
There will also have to be disclosure of benefits, such as subsidised housing and expenses.
The size of pay gaps between university heads and academic staff will also have to be published.
"It is vital that pay arrangements command public confidence and deliver value for money for students and taxpayers," said Mr Johnson.
Universities, under increasing public pressure and protests from their own academic staff, say they also want to "rebuild public confidence".
"We agree more needs to be done to ensure the process for deciding senior pay is viewed as open and accountable," a Russell Group spokesperson said.
The group of leading universities says it is backing "a new code to ensure pay-setting arrangements are as rigorous and transparent as they can be".
Universities UK said "competitive pay is necessary to attract first rate leaders" but a new code would be a "welcome step".
"As universities receive funding from taxpayers and through student fees, it is reasonable to expect pay decisions to be fair, accountable and justified," said a Universities UK spokesman.
Mr Johnson last week warned the university sector that it needed to get pay under control - and that a new regulator would be used to enforce this.
There have been a series of protests over vice-chancellors' pay in recent weeks - including at the University of Bath, the University of Southampton and at Bath Spa.
"Has there been a problem? Most definitely," said Mr Johnson last week. But he said universities now recognised the need to answer public concerns about value for money.
"I think they really are starting to get it."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42345469
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Vote defeat will lead to 'compressed timetable' - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Labour's Keir Starmer calls the government defeat over the Brexit bill "humiliating and entirely avoidable", as David Davis says it will have the effect of compressing the timetable on the UK's exit from the EU.
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Parliaments
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Labour's Keir Starmer has called the Brexit vote, in which the government was defeated over amendment 7 last night, a "humiliating and entirely avoidable defeat".
The shadow Brexit secretary asked for a reassurance that the government will not seek to overturn the decision at report stage during Brexit questions in the Commons.
David Davis said the effect of the vote was to see the powers available under section 9 deferred until after Royal Assent is given to the government's yet to be introduced Withdrawal and Implementation Bill.
He said it would have the effect of compressing the timetable.
The government wants to see a working statute book, as we leave the EU, he said, but as always we take the House of Commons view seriously.
Keir Starmer called on the government to drop amendment 381 - this is the amendment which will put the date of exit on the bill.
Rather than repeat last night's debacle, "drop this gimmick", he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-parliaments-42310031
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Roy Moore: The eyes of the world are on Alabama election - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Roy Moore's bid for the US Senate was controversial long before he faced sexual misconduct claims.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Many in Alabama still back the controversial Republican candidate
Sexual misconduct claims against an already-controversial candidate have thrust a US Senate race into the global spotlight - and highlighted divisions between President Trump and top Republicans.
Question: Just how interested is the world in the Alabama election tomorrow?
Answer: A reporter from Moldova is down there. It's pretty much all you need to know.
News organisations from foreign countries love stories about America that expose its weaknesses. They always have done.
It can sometimes be explained as schadenfreude, an almost indecent glee when things are perceived to have gone wrong in the world's superpower.
The riots in Ferguson, the shooting of Trayvon Martin, Hurricane Katrina, the financial crash, and now the Alabama race.
Those reporters would not normally fly to the Deep South to cover a mere US Senate race, especially one that should have been a straightforward Republican win in this conservative state.
Then again, you don't often get a candidate who believes homosexuality should be illegal, Muslims should be banned from serving in Congress and the last time America was great was when there was slavery.
Moore supporters packed a barn to hear him speak earlier this month
I deliberately omitted the sex allegations there because his record, even without serious claims of child molestation (which he denies), make him extreme, even by the standards of conservative, evangelical, Southern politicians.
The world's press probably would not have descended on Alabama for Tuesday's vote had it not been for the sexual harassment stories, but they should have done.
This was a fascinating story of America before that.
And it's a fascinating indication of the state of American politics today.
The Alabama race has split the Republican party. Donald Trump this weekend recorded a phone message in support of Roy Moore and at a rally in Florida urged Alabamians to vote for him. The president warned the Trump agenda could be at risk if the Democrats win the seat and reduce the Republican's already-narrow majority in the Senate.
The failed effort to repeal and replace Obamacare earlier this year proved how fragile the party's control of the Senate is. They desperately want to avoid a similar fate when it comes to upcoming votes on tax cuts.
Yet, other top Republicans, including the sitting senator for Alabama, have said they can't vote for Mr Moore because of the allegations against him.
Senator Richard Shelby is popular in the conservative state so it will be interesting to see whether his denunciation of Mr Moore has an impact at the polls.
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Plenty of Alabamians are sticking by the candidate.
Roy Moore has what's been described as an almost "cult-like" following in Alabama.
He's the ultimate beneficiary of today's tribal politics. His supporters believe he embodies Christian values, will stand to bring the Bible back into politics and is prepared to defy politicians in Washington.
They see him as a true conservative who will consistently fight their side in America's bitter culture wars. But it's not his faith nor his opposition to abortion, immigration, and government that make him exceptional by US standards.
Roy Moore has attracted controversy throughout his career
Over the years he has said things that can in total fairness be described as discriminatory, things that might have been expected to kill a political career. And yet his aspirations have thrived and he may well be about to become an American senator.
In 2006, Mr Moore wrote an editorial comparing the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf. The piece argued Muslims should not be allowed to serve in the US Congress.
In a television interview in 2005 he said he believes "homosexual conduct should be illegal".
Moore has also said Vladimir Putin, who says it's his duty to stop gay marriage, may be right on the issue.
Despite America's formal separation of church and state, Mr Moore believes "god's laws are always superior to man's".
He says Christianity should be favoured by the state.
In 1997, he suggested a link between teaching evolution in schools and drive-by shootings.
Democrat Doug Jones hopes to upset the odds in this deeply conservative state
And, yes, he told an African-American at a rally during this campaign that America was last great during the time of slavery "when families were united - even though we had slavery".
All that made the Alabama race extraordinary even before eight women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct. One of them says she was just 14 at the time he allegedly assaulted her.
In the #MeToo moment that was what really got the world's attention.
But think about all the other things Mr Moore has said and this story should have grabbed our headlines from the beginning.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42314699
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Toni Mascolo, co-founder of salon chain Toni & Guy, dies - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Italian-born hairdresser who built his south London salon into a global chain dies
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UK
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Toni & Guy opened their first salon in Clapham during the 1960s
The co-founder of the hairdresser chain Toni & Guy - Giuseppe "Toni" Mascolo - has died at the age of 75.
Mr Mascolo and his brother, Gaetano 'Guy' Mascolo, opened their first salon in south London in 1963.
Offering an "Italian style" hairdressing service, the unisex salon grew into an international brand and staple of the British high street.
Mr Mascolo, who was the chief executive of the firm, died on Sunday surrounded by his family.
The Mascolo family were Italian immigrants who arrived in England in the 1950s They settled in Clapham, south London, where the brothers opened their first salon.
Hairdressing ran in the family and Mr Mascolo senior - a celebrated hairdresser in his own right - taught all four of his sons to cut hair from a young age.
Founded during the "swinging sixties", Toni and Guy offered a unisex service that appealed to both men and women, in contrast to traditional barber shops and woman-only hair salons.
Celebrities such as composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and singer Dusty Springfield were among the famous faces who frequented the salon.
The firm opened its first central London salon in London's West End in 1973.
Shortly afterwards two more Mascolo brothers, Bruno and Anthony, helped propel the family business into an international brand.
Since then Toni & Guy has grown to comprise two global, franchised hair salon groups, with 475 shops in 48 countries.
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Toni Mascolo was awarded an OBE for services to hairdressing in 2008 and in 2012 was honoured by the Fellowship of British Hairdressers with a lifetime achievement award
He is survived by wife Pauline, brothers Bruno and Anthony, children Sacha, Christian and Pierre, and many grandchildren.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42330761
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Ryanair pilots to strike before Christmas - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Some passengers face disruption after 79 Dublin-based pilots and others around Europe plan walkouts.
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Business
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Ryanair passengers face disruption to their Christmas travel plans after pilots and crew announced industrial action in a bid to win union recognition and better conditions.
In Ireland, 79 pilots based in Dublin will strike for one day on 20 December.
The airline, which does not recognise unions, said they represented about 28% of its Dublin-based captains.
Meanwhile, Ryanair pilots and cabin crew in Italy plan to strike for four hours on 15 December.
The airline said last week it would "ignore" the Italian move, claiming staff rarely heeded calls to walk out.
Pilots based in Portugal and Germany also plan industrial action.
Cockpit, the German pilots' union, said its Ryanair members would strike for better pay and conditions if the airline refused to begin talks, but vowed not to disrupt flights over Christmas.
Ryanair said it would "not deal with or recognise" the German union "regardless of what action - if any - takes place".
Unions have long argued that their airline fails to offer pilots the same pay and conditions as its rivals.
Impact, the Irish pilots' union, said the dispute was "solely about winning independent representation for pilots in the company", said official Ashley Connolly.
The union warned of further strikes if Ryanair failed to reach agreement with its members.
"Ryanair will deal with any such disruptions if, or when they arise, and we apologise sincerely to customers for any upset or worry this threatened action... may cause," the company said.
It said the Dublin staff who planned to strike were a "small group of pilots who are working their notice and will shortly leave Ryanair, so they don't care how much upset they cause colleagues or customers".
Analysts at Goodbody said although there were deep divisions between pilots and Ryanair management, the "headlines are worse than the reality on the ground" they wrote in a note.
In September Ryanair said more than 2,000 flights would be cancelled this winter after it rearranged pilots' rosters to comply with new aviation rules.
Later that month it announced 18,000 further flights would be cancelled over the winter season, affecting more than 700,000 passengers.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary wrote to its 4,200 pilots to apologise for the changes to their rotas and urged them not to leave the airline.
However, this week it warned Dublin pilots they would lose agreed benefits by striking.
Many of the airline's pilots have joined unions following the cancellations, but Ryanair said it could legally decline to negotiate with them.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42320733
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US Federal Reserve raises interest rates again - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The US central bank has moved to increase interest rates for the third time this year.
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Business
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Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen has raised interest rates three times this year
The US Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by 0.25%, the third rate rise in 2017.
The US central bank said the move, which was widely expected, underscores "solid" gains in the US economy.
Officials also boosted their economic forecasts, projecting 2.5% growth in GDP in 2017 and 2018, due in part to planned tax cuts.
The Fed said it anticipates three further increases in rates next year, unchanged from its previous forecast.
The decision to raise interest rates, raising the cost of borrowing, takes the Fed farther away from the ultra-low rates it put in place during the financial crisis to boost economic activity.
The Fed is targeting a range of 1.25% to 1.5% for its benchmark rate. But a majority of officials said they expect interest rates above 2% will be appropriate next year.
The shift in policy comes as the US economy gains strength.
US economic output has increased at an annual rate of more than 3% in recent quarters, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% last month - the lowest rate since 2001.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who is stepping down from her post in February, said the economy, labour market and financial system have grown stronger under her watch.
"There's less to lose sleep about now than has been true for quite some time, so I feel good about the economic outlook," she said.
Ms Yellen said policymakers expect the economy to get a further lift from a package of tax cuts - one of President Trump's central campaign promises - and those expectations were factored in when they revised upwards their predictions for economic growth.
The Fed is now forecasting 2.5% GDP growth in 2018, compared to a forecast it made in September of 2.1%.
While Congress and President Trump's Administration continue to wrangle over tax reform, the Fed had to judge what the final outcome of that political process would mean for the economy. Inevitably there is a lot of uncertainty in there but they have concluded that it would provide a boost over the next three years.
The Fed's policy makers expect somewhat stronger growth than they did in September. Janet Yellen said that reflected a view in the committee that the reforms would stimulate consumer spending and business investment.
But there has not been much change in what the Fed's policy makers think of the longer term prospects. The Fed publishes information showing the range of expectations that its policy makers have. The middle of that range for long term growth is unchanged at a rather modest 1.8%.
Despite the acceleration in growth, members of the Federal Open Markets Committee said they expect interest rate increases to remain gradual - in part, a sign of ongoing concerns that inflation has remained below the Fed's 2% target.
Ms Yellen said she continues to believe the lacklustre inflation growth is due to one-off factors, such as declines in costs for mobile phone plans.
But she said the Fed will continue to watch those numbers and "if necessary, re-think" what is determining them.
"There's work undone there," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42344170
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Star power: Princes turn out for Star Wars premiere - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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William and Harry joined cast and crew of The Last Jedi at London's Royal Albert Hall.
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William and Harry joined cast and crew of Star Wars: The Last Jedi at London's Royal Albert Hall.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42335396
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Theresa May 'dancing to EU's tune' over Brexit, says Farage - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage criticises "Theresa the appeaser" as MEPs back move to next phase of talks.
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UK Politics
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The former UKIP leader suggested the UK had caved in over the "divorce bill" and citizens' rights
The UK has "danced to the EU's tune" during the Brexit negotiations, former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has claimed.
In a debate in Strasbourg, he called the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, "Theresa the appeaser", saying she had "given in on virtually everything".
The European Parliament later voted to endorse an agreement struck by the UK and European Commission which is set to move the talks on to their next phase.
But MEPs also insisted the UK must honour the commitments it has made.
Amid concerns about whether Friday's agreement on citizens' rights, the Northern Ireland border and the so-called "divorce bill" is legally binding, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit spokesman, said he had been reassured the UK would not "back-track" on its commitments.
The agreement should be converted into a legal text in weeks, not months, he added.
In a symbolic but politically significant vote, the European Parliament backed the European Commission's view that sufficient progress had been made on so-called divorce issues to move to talks covering a transition phase and the EU's future relations with the UK.
The EU's negotiator Michel Barnier said there was "no going back" on Friday's agreement - which is expected to be rubber-stamped by all other 27 EU members later this week.
"It has been noted and recorded and is going to have to be translated into a legally binding withdrawal agreement," he said.
During the debate, several MEPs criticised the UK's Brexit Secretary, David Davis, for suggesting in an interview on Sunday that the first-phase agreement was more of a "statement of intent" than a "legally enforceable thing" - comments he has since backed away from.
German Christian Democrat MEP Manfred Weber, who leads the centre-right EPP group, said the remarks were "not helpful" for building trust between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage - who has campaigned for 20 years to take the UK out of the EU - also attacked the British government, saying Mr Barnier "didn't need" to make many concessions to Theresa May.
"I'm not surprised you're all very pleased with Theresa the appeaser - who has given in on virtually everything," he said.
"She has danced to your tune all the way through this. You must be very, very happy indeed."
Warning of a further betrayal of Brexit voters, he said the prospect of a two-year transition after the UK left in March 2019 would be the "biggest deception yet", meaning the UK would have left the EU "in name only".
"I think Brexit at some point in the future may need to be refought all over again," he added.
But defending the British prime minister, Conservative MEP Syed Kamall said both sides had needed to make compromises and concessions in order to "avoid a no-deal situation".
Important progress had been made, he added, when both sides "understood the need for flexibility and focused on building a better future rather than looking back at the past".
• None Rebel Tory: I'll stand up and be counted
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42337093
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Salford house fire 'targeted attack' - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A house fire in Salford which killed three children was a "targeted attack", police have said.
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Manchester
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A house fire which killed three children was a "targeted attack", police have said.
Demi Pearson, 14, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died, while Lia, three, and mother Michelle, 35, remain in hospital.
Ms Pearson's son, Kyle, and a friend both escaped from the home, in Salford, before fire crews arrived.
Six people have now been arrested, after a 25-year-old man was held on suspicion of murder.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Words cannot describe" how a family feels after losing three children, police say.
Michelle Pearson is in a serious condition in hospital
Ch Supt Wayne Miller of Greater Manchester Police said detectives believe the attack was targeted after collecting CCTV from the area.
"We now have a much deeper understanding of the devastating events which lead to the tragic deaths," he said.
Ch Supt Miller said relatives of the family have been left "completely devastated".
"The loss of a child in any circumstance is unthinkable, to lose three in such deplorable circumstances words cannot describe.
"My heart breaks for them, it really does.
"We're doing all that we can to get them the answers they quite rightly deserve."
Two men, aged 19 and 20, arrested on suspicion of murder have been released on bail, as has a 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Officers visited the house in Jackson Street, Walkden, a few hours before the blaze, which happened at about 05:00 GMT on Monday.
Police confirmed there had been previous incidents at the family's home.
The case has been referred by GMP to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which confirmed an investigation had started.
It feels it is "necessary to independently investigate the circumstances of this incident in relation to the force's actions".
Demi Pearson, 14, was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police were filmed leading one of the suspects away after his arrest
The children's schools have paid tribute to them.
Demi Pearson was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford, which featured in the Channel 4 documentary Educating Greater Manchester.
Head teacher Drew Povey said everyone at the school was "truly devastated".
"Team Harrop mourns alongside the relatives and friends of those whose lives were needlessly and mercilessly taken from them. The spirit of Salford cannot and will not be crushed. We will work together to comfort and rebuild those lives that have been forever changed," he said.
Emma Henderson, head teacher at Bridgewater Primary school, said the school is consoling pupils and their families.
"Our school is very much part of this special community and understands the intense pain experienced at this senseless loss of precious life," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42330736
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Salford house fire: Pair in court over murder of three children - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A man and a woman are accused of murdering three children who died in a house fire in Salford.
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Manchester
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Three children aged 14, eight and seven, died in the blaze
Two people charged with murder over the deaths of three children in a house fire in Salford have appeared in court.
Zak Bolland, 23, and Courtney Brierley, 20, both of Worsley, Salford were also charged with arson and four counts of attempted murder.
They were remanded in custody until their next appearance.
Demi Pearson, 14, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died in the blaze on Monday. Their mother Michelle and a three-year-old remain in hospital.
Mr Bolland, of Blackleach Drive, and Ms Brierley, of Worsley Avenue, did not apply for bail and are listed to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday.
Two men, aged 19 and 20, arrested on suspicion of murder have been released on police bail.
A 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has also been bailed.
The three-year-old, who cannot be named due to their age, is in a critical condition in hospital following the fire at a property in Walkden, which broke out at about 05:00 GMT.
Ms Pearson, 35, has been heavily sedated and has not yet been told about the deaths of her children.
Two 16-year-olds - who also can not be named for legal reasons - in the house at the time of the blaze managed to escape.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed there had been incidents at the family's home prior to the blaze and it had referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The head teacher at the school Demi attended said she was a "really good kid"
Drew Povey, head teacher at Harrop Fold School, Worsley, which Demi attended, paid tribute to the popular pupil.
He said she was a "really good kid… fun-loving… and funny".
"I don't know anyone that didn't really get on well with her… and it was the same outside of school as well," he added.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42336078
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