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New York bombing suspect Akayed Ullah warned Trump on Facebook - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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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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Doug Jones: The Democrat who upset Alabama Senate race - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The former lawyer who painted Alabama blue for the first time since 1992 in the fight for a Senate seat.
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US & Canada
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Alabama is a deeply conservative place, as its voting record amply demonstrates.
Until Doug Jones came along the state hadn't picked a Democrat for the US Senate since 1992 - and even that man, Richard Shelby, went on to defect to the Republicans.
But on 12 December Mr Jones, 63, painted the old red seat blue when voters chose him to fill Attorney General Jeff Sessions's former berth.
So what do we know about the man who fought and beat Republican Roy Moore for the heart of Dixie?
Mr Jones' victory has been credited to an unusually high turnout of black voters
When Mr Jones beat seven other candidates to win the Democratic primary in August 2017, it was the entry pass to a seriously tough fight. But he would argue he's used to those.
Gordon Douglas Jones, known as Doug, studied political science at the University of Alabama, followed by law at the state's Samford University in 1979. He rose to prominence in 1997, when Bill Clinton named him US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.
Then in his forties, Mr Jones secured a string of high-profile prosecutions, including those of two Ku Klux Klan members who bombed a Baptist church in Birmingham in 1963, killing four black schoolgirls.
The Baptist church at 16th Street had been a centre for civil rights activities in Birmingham, Alabama
He was also linked to the indictment of Eric Rudolph, who killed an off-duty police officer in a 1998 attack on a Birmingham abortion clinic.
This record has helped Mr Jones present as a candidate for our violent times, where white nationalists are raising their banners unafraid on the streets of America.
"Sadly, the pattern of violence as a response to hope has reasserted itself," he wrote in the Huffington Post. "We saw it in the Charleston church massacre in 2015. We saw it on display in Charlottesville this past August. We've seen it in the attacks on mosques and synagogues, and against the LGBT community. We see it in the hostility toward the Latino community.
"We cannot sweep this violence under the rug. We must address the forces that lead to it and prosecute those who perpetrate such acts."
Supporters of Mr Jones saw him as a moderate, a foil to Roy Moore's Bible-bashing
Though Roy Moore's evangelical fervour grabbed more attention, Mr Jones is also a Christian - specifically, a Methodist. He has worshipped at the same church for more than 30 years, and has said the message of Christianity should be one of fairness and inclusivity, not extremism.
Politics took an early hold on Jones, who began his career as a staff counsel to the US Senate Judiciary Committee, working for Alabama Senator Howell Heflin.
From 1980 he spent four years as an Assistant US Attorney, then from 1984-97 worked for a criminal defence firm in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2013, he co-founded his own firm - Jones & Hawley.
Mr Jones counts former Vice President Joe Biden as an old friend, having led his 1988 presidential campaign in Alabama. Mr Biden said of him at an October 2017 rally: "I can count on two hands the people I've campaigned for that have as much integrity, as much courage."
He added that Mr Jones "helped remove 40 years of stain and pain from this state" with the church bombing convictions.
From the off, Mr Jones was aware he was facing poor odds in Alabama, which backed Donald Trump in 2016 with a 28-point landslide.
"They have told me time and again that this race is a long shot," Mr Jones said of the problem. "Well, folks... When you are on the right side of history and the right side of justice, you can do anything."
The delicacy of the task was complicated by allegations against Mr Jones's anti-establishment opponent, Roy Moore. The gun-toting Republican faces several claims of historic sexual misconduct with underage girls, which he denies.
Roy Moore is facing allegations of sexual abuse, which he denies
Mr Jones's campaign adverts have worked to paint him as the ethical choice for Alabama, even as prominent national Republicans broke ranks to refuse Mr Moore their votes.
Some ads featured self-declared Republican voters voicing their support for Mr Jones with the words: "Don't vote for the party. Vote for the man."
The New York Times reported in mid-November that Democrat cash had funded nearly $2m (£1.5m) in TV adverts for Mr Jones, while Mr Moore had spent only about $300,000.
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 Doug Jones 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.
Policy-wise, Mr Jones has pitched himself as a moderate Democrat, calling for an increase in the minimum wage, but also lower corporate taxes "to try to get reinvestment back into this country".
He supports renewable energy, but is hawkish on the need for increased defence spending, saying it will protect the US and shore up Alabama's economy.
On healthcare, a key divide between Republicans and Democrats, he opposes the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, but wants changes to the existing "broken" system.
While President Trump has stoutly supported Roy Moore, national stars of the Democratic Party waited until the last minute to descend on Alabama, to avoid spooking voters with their liberal associations.
On the eve of the election, reports said former President Barack Obama had recorded a robo-call - an automated telephone call to Alabama households - urging the public to back his man.
Former President Barack Obama stepped in at the final hour to rally voters for Doug Jones
"This one's serious," Mr Obama said in the message, according to CNN. "You can't sit it out."
Other senior Democrats who have spoken for Mr Jones include Ohio congressman Tim Ryan, and John Lewis, a revered civil rights leader who was one of the original Freedom Riders and led a famous protest march from Selma in Alabama.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, a rising Democrat star considered a possible 2020 presidential candidate, made the trip to Alabama in person, declaring: "I'm here to try and help some folk get woke. Democracy is not a spectator sport."
Mr Jones has proved he is capable of causing a stunning upset in the ruby red Yellowhammer state. Now he'll be returning to work for the federal government for the first time since making his name with the church bombing prosecutions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42321396
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Roy Moore's skittish escape on horseback - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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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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2017-12-13
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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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UVF killer Haggarty shot Catholic to hide double life - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Loyalist paramilitaries decided who would carry out a shooting by flipping a coin, a court hears.
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Northern Ireland
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The most senior loyalist ever to agree to become a so-called supergrass volunteered to kill a Catholic to cover up the fact he was an informer.
Sean McParland died after being shot while babysitting in Belfast in 1994.
The Ulster Volunteer Force was to decide the identity of the killer by flipping a coin, Belfast Crown Court heard.
But Gary Haggarty volunteered to be the "primary gunman" because he feared he was suspected of being a police agent.
The intended target was a relative of Mr McParland, who was 55.
Haggarty, an ex-commander of the UVF's north Belfast unit, was working as a paid Special Branch agent at the time of the killing.
He worked as an informer for 13 years.
In January 2010, he offered to become a supergrass - officially referred to as an assisting offender - and offered to give evidence against other UVF members he said were also involved in the crimes he committed.
Haggarty, 45, a long-time police informer, has pleaded guilty to 202 terror offences, including five murders, as his part of a controversial state deal that offered a significantly reduced prison term in return for giving evidence against other terrorist suspects.
The two-day sentencing hearing is expected to conclude on Thursday.
Haggarty is likely to be given mandatory life sentences for each of the murders he has admitted.
But he will also receive a significant reduction in his sentence in return for the amount of information he has provided as an assisting offender.
Mr Justice Colton will make that decision based on the information put before him during the hearing.
It is not clear when the sentence is likely to be imposed.
Haggarty is to be the star prosecution witness in the trial of a man accused of murdering Catholic workmen Gary Convie and Eamon Fox in Belfast city centre in May 1994.
But before he can give evidence he must first be sentenced for his own crimes.
Gary Haggarty was the commander of the Ulster Volunteer Force's north Belfast unit
That formal process began on Wednesday when a prosecution lawyer outlined some of the details of Haggarty's confessions to police.
In one of the biggest and most complex cases undertaken in Northern Ireland, he was interviewed by detectives more than 1,000 times and the information he gave them ran beyond 12,000 pages.
The extent of his criminal activities is staggering.
As well as pleading guilty to 202 crimes, he asked that 301 others be taken into consideration.
In addition to the killing of Sean McParland, he also admitted the murders of:
Relatives of some of the victims were in court on Wednesday as a prosecution lawyer spent more than four hours outlining the extent of Haggarty's activities.
He included harrowing details of some of the incidents.
The judge was told how three of Sean McParland's young grandchildren ran screaming from his house in Skegoneill Avenue when the UVF burst in to kill him.
Eamon Fox and Gary Convie were shot dead while eating their lunch at a building site in 1994
In police interviews, Haggarty said he shot the 55-year-old in the chest from close range.
He had planned to fire another five bullets into his chest, but could not do so because his gun jammed.
The prosecution lawyer said Haggarty, who was promoted within the UVF after the shooting, expressed regret during interviews after agreeing to become a supergrass.
"He said he is sorry, it was the wrong person killed, he is sorry for the kids that were there," said the lawyer.
The court was also told that Haggarty acknowledged that two more of his victims, Eamon Fox and Gary Convie, were innocent men and not republicans as claimed by the UVF at the time.
"He said he did not believe they were republicans, but just soft easy targets," added the lawyer.
Kieran Fox, one of Eamon Fox's six children, was one of the relatives in court as the details of Haggarty's litany of crimes was outlined, and welcomed the admission.
"To hear that Haggarty has admitted before they actually carried out the shooting that my dad and Gary were both innocent, that they were not republicans as they claimed at the time, it was nice to hear that part," he said.
The court also heard harrowing details about the extent of injuries to John Harbinson.
The dead man's son was also in the public gallery but left shortly after details of the injuries were described.
Haggarty was involved in abducting Mr Harbinson, but told police he thought he was going to be beaten and shot in the legs, rather than killed.
The hearing will continue on Thursday, when a lawyer representing Gary Haggarty will outline details he gave his police handlers during 13 years as an informer.
He is said to have provided information on:
Prosecutors have said Haggarty's evidence is insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction against 11 other suspected UVF members and two former police intelligence officers, allegedly his then handlers.
The police bristle at the very mention of the word supergrass, because of its association with a series of high-profile trials in the 1980s.
Hundreds of republicans and loyalists were convicted on the word of informers and suspects who agreed to give evidence in return for reduced sentences, new identities and lives outside Northern Ireland.
Those deals were done at a political level, with the details kept secret.
Technically, those individuals were assisting offenders but they became known as "touts" and "supergrasses" in communities.
The system collapsed in 1985 because of concerns about the credibility of the evidence provided by the supergrasses.
Members of the judiciary complained that they were being used as political tools to implement government security policy.
A change in law in 2005 implemented safeguards for trials of that kind.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42337250
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US ready for North Korea talks without preconditions, says Tillerson - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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But hours later the White House says Trump's views "had not changed" and N Korea must first disarm.
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US & Canada
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Rex Tillerson arrives at the Atlantic Council policy forum to discuss North Korea
The US is "ready to talk any time" with North Korea without preconditions, says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
His statement appeared to shift the US position away from previous demands that North Korea must disarm before any talks can be held.
But hours later the White House said President Donald Trump's views on North Korea "had not changed".
North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons technology has led to heavy US-led sanctions against the regime.
Separately, the UN's political chief Jeffrey Feltman, who recently visited Pyongyang, told reporters that North Korean officials felt it was "important to prevent war".
China and Russia both welcomed Mr Tillerson's comments. The Chinese foreign ministry hoped there would now be "meaningful steps towards dialogue and contact" between the US and the North.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said: "Such constructive statements impress us far more than the confrontational rhetoric that we have heard up to now."
Diplomatic relations between the US and North Korea have been strained by recent North Korean nuclear and missile tests, and by a war of words between Mr Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
Speaking at the Atlantic Council policy forum on Tuesday, Mr Tillerson said the US "simply cannot accept a nuclear armed North Korea".
Appearing to soften the US stance towards potential future talks, he said: "Let's just meet and let's talk about the weather if you want and talk about whether it's going to be a square table or a round table if that's what you're excited about.
"Then we can begin to lay out a map, a road map, of what we might be willing to work towards."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How could war with North Korea unfold?
But he insisted that there needed to be a "period of quiet" first, without any nuclear or missile tests.
He added that economic and diplomatic sanctions would continue until "the first bomb drops", and Mr Trump still wanted China - Pyongyang's main economic ally - to cut off oil supplies to North Korea.
Mr Tillerson also said China had made contingency plans to accommodate North Korean refugees in the event of a conflict, a major concern for China.
Several hours after his comments, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement to reporters saying Mr Trump's views "have not changed".
"North Korea is acting in an unsafe way not only toward Japan, China, and South Korea, but the entire world. North Korea's actions are not good for anyone and certainly not good for North Korea."
On Wednesday, North Korean state media said Kim Jong-un had vowed his country would become "the strongest nuclear power and military power in the world".
Speaking at a munitions industry conference, he cited North Korea's recent launch of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-15 as a "great historic victory".
The UN's Jeffrey Feltman said that while senior North Korean officials did not offer any commitments, they had agreed that discussions should continue.
"They agreed that it was important to prevent war," he said, in his first briefing since his four-day trip last week.
"We've left the door ajar and I fervently hope the door to a negotiated solution will now be opened wide."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42333704
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Row over 'smell of cannabis' police stops - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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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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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 4 by College of Policing This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 4 by College of Policing
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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Myles Bradbury: Victim 'destroyed’ by Addenbrooke's abuse doctor - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The blood cancer specialist used a spy pen to take pictures of his victims and was jailed for 22 years.
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Cambridgeshire
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Myles Bradbury was sentenced to 22 years in prison for abusing child patients
The mother of a child abused by a paedophile hospital doctor says her son has been "destroyed" by what happened.
Myles Bradbury was jailed for 22 years in December 2014 after admitting abusing 18 victims at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
The hospital has agreed a number of payouts with Bradbury's victims.
Speaking publicly for the first time, the mother of one victim said her son had had to be taken out of education and she fears he could kill himself.
The mother, who lives in Norfolk, said her son was taken out of education completely a few years ago and now spends most of his time in complete seclusion.
Aged between 10 and 12 when he was abused, the teenager has felt unable to see a doctor since the revelations about Bradbury first emerged three years ago, his mother said.
The pen used by Bradbury also had a small camera just above the clip and could be plugged into a computer to download the footage
"Myles Bradbury destroyed our beautiful boy's life," his mother said.
"So much so that I can't see any way that he'll ever recover.
"He is so bad that we live in fear of him committing suicide.
"We have to watch him 24 hours a day. The first thing we do every day when we wake, we check to see that he is still alive. If he is a bit late getting up we are worried that he will have done something terrible.
"It is completely heartbreaking. He hides away pretty much all day and refuses to leave the house.
"Whilst he has us around I hope he will be okay, but I feel that if we were not around, he'd do something awful."
Bradbury visited an orphanage in Swaziland in 2012 as part of a team helping 300 children
Bradbury, of Herringswell in Suffolk, admitted 25 offences, including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images.
The blood cancer specialist used a spy pen to take pictures of his victims.
That device was found to hold 170,425 images of "boys partially clothed... none indecent", Cambridge Crown Court heard at the time of his sentencing.
The images of his victims, some of whom had haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious illnesses, were gathered at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
Renu Daly, of Hudgell's solicitors, said although some claims have been settled with the hospital, eight cases relating to child victims were ongoing, including some in which the victims suffered "catastrophic psychological injuries".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-42336139
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Salford house fire: Lia Pearson dies in hospital - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Three-year-old Lia Pearson died after the fire - thought to have been a targeted attack - in Salford.
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Manchester
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A three-year-old girl has become the fourth child to die after a house fire which also killed three of her siblings.
Lia Pearson was left critically ill after the blaze in Walkden, Salford, on Monday. She died in hospital.
Demi, 15, died at the scene on Jackson Street. Her brother and sister, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died later in hospital.
Posting on Facebook, Sandra Lever, who described Lia as her "beautiful granddaughter", said she "had passed away peacefully".
Two people have been charged with the murder of the three older children.
Zac Bolland, 23, and Courtney Brierley, 20, both of Worsley, Salford, were also charged with arson and four counts of attempted murder.
One of the charges of attempted murder is likely to be changed to murder following Lia's death, Greater Manchester Police said.
Mr Bolland and Ms Brierley were remanded in custody when they appeared before magistrates.
Any new charges would be heard when they next appear at Manchester Crown Court, police added.
Brandon and Lacie died in hospital on Monday
Two 16-year-olds - who can not be named for legal reasons - in the house at the time of the blaze which broke out at about 05:00 GMT 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).
Michelle Pearson is in a serious condition in hospital
Four children aged 15, eight, seven, and three, died in the blaze
Demi Pearson, 15, was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford
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-42344252
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Labour reprimands Kezia Dugdale over I'm a Celebrity - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scottish Labour gives its former leader a written warning over her appearance on the reality TV show.
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Scotland politics
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Ms Dugdale made no comment to journalists when she returned to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday afternoon
Scottish Labour has given its former leader a written warning over her controversial appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
But the party said Kezia Dugdale would face no further disciplinary action after her stint on the reality TV show.
Ms Dugdale flew into Glasgow Airport from Australia just before midday.
She then met party bosses, including her successor Richard Leonard, and was formally reprimanded over her "unauthorised absence".
Ms Dugdale later arrived at Holyrood in time for a vote at 17:00, and made no comment to waiting journalists when she left the chamber a short time later.
A statement subsequently released by Scottish Labour said Ms Dugdale had been interviewed by its parliamentary group executive.
Ms Dugdale insisted she had used her time in the jungle to promote Labour values
The statement added: "Following a discussion between Richard Leonard, Kezia Dugdale, and the group executive, it has been decided that the group will reprimand Ms Dugdale by way of written warning. She will not face further action."
It quoted Ms Dugdale as saying that she had "deep regret" that her appearance on the reality show had "caused issues in the first weeks of Richard Leonard's leadership", and that she was now "getting back to work".
Ms Dugdale, who faced criticism over her three-week absence from the Scottish Parliament while appearing on the show, had earlier said it was "good to be back" in Scotland as she arrived at the airport,
The MSP was the second contestant to be voted off the ITV show, which was won by Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo.
She spent a week in Australia after being evicted from the jungle - and has pledged to donate a percentage of her appearance fee to charity, but has not said exactly how much.
She took her seat in the Holyrood chamber in time for a vote at the end of the day's business
Voting statistics released by the programme showed that Ms Dugdale won just 1.67% of the votes on the day she was evicted.
As she arrived in Glasgow, Ms Dugdale said the experience was one she was never going to forget.
The politician, who remained in Australia until after the programme's final on Sunday, had said she wanted to use her appearance to reach out to young people about political values.
Asked if she felt she had in fact promoted Labour values she replied: "I did so in the jungle and will continue to do so."
Ms Dugdale arrived back in Glasgow earlier on Wednesday after three weeks in Australia
Ms Dugdale, who was not suspended despite fierce criticism from some within Scottish Labour, has acknowledged she has "a bit of work to do to make amends".
She previously told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme it was difficult to seek approval for her appearance on the show during the leadership contest between Richard Leonard and Anas Sarwar.
The election, triggered by her resignation in August, was won by Mr Leonard - who immediately expressed his disappointment at Ms Dugdale's decision, which was made public just hours before the leadership result was announced.
Mr Leonard said at the time that the party would consider suspending Ms Dugdale - but UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he did not believe suspension would be appropriate.
After being voted out on the jungle, Ms Dugdale said: "I do understand that it's controversial, I do understand there are lots of people at home that are unhappy that I've taken part in this programme and I've got a bit of work to do to make amends.
"But please don't doubt the fact that I'm devoted to the Labour Party, I love my job and I think I'm better-placed to do it for a long time now having had this experience."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42342209
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USA Today editorial says Trump unfit to clean Obama's toilet - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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USA Today's unusually savage opinion also charged the president with an "utter lack of morality".
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US & Canada
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The editorial board of USA Today has said President Donald Trump is "unfit to clean the toilets" in Barack Obama's library or shine George W Bush's shoes.
The scathing editorial comes after Mr Trump claimed a female senator "would do anything" for campaign cash - words which some regarded as sexual innuendo.
"Rock bottom is no impediment for a president who can always find room for a new low," the newspaper added.
USA Today is not known for publishing such blistering editorials.
One of the nation's highest-circulated newspapers, it usually includes an "opposing view" column with each opinion piece.
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But during the 2016 election, the newspaper broke its tradition of not endorsing a presidential candidate by publishing an editorial outlining why, it argued, Mr Trump was "unfit for the presidency".
Although USA Today did not endorse his challenger Hillary Clinton, it told their readers to vote "just not for Donald Trump".
Its latest editorial came a day after Mr Trump tweeted that New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had "come to my office 'begging' for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them)".
Mrs Gillibrand earlier this week called on Mr Trump to resign over allegations of sexual harassment by multiple women.
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
By Wednesday, five other Democratic senators had joined her call.
USA Today responded: "A president who would all but call Sen Kirsten Gillibrand a whore is not fit to clean the toilets in the Barack Obama Presidential Library or to shine the shoes of George W Bush.
"This isn't about the policy differences we have with all presidents or our disappointment in some of their decisions.
"Obama and Bush both failed in many ways. They broke promises and told untruths, but the basic decency of each man was never in doubt."
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Mr Trump was referring to political corruption in his tweet about the New York senator, and dismissed the notion that his words were sexist.
"I think only if your mind is in the gutter would you have read it that way," Ms Sanders told Tuesday's daily press briefing.
The USA Today piece goes on to describe Mr Trump as "uniquely awful", and having an "utter lack of morality, ethics and simple humanity".
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Nearly 60 congresswomen have urged Congress to investigate claims against Mr Trump of sexual harassment and groping.
Mr Trump said this week Democrats were seeking to capitalise on "the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don't know and/or have never met. FAKE NEWS!"
The White House press secretary later qualified the president was only referring to three Trump accusers who appeared at a news conference on Monday.
That clarification came after one accuser offered photographic evidence of her meeting Mr Trump in December 2005.
The former writer for People Magazine claims Mr Trump pushed her against a wall and "forc[ed] his tongue down my throat" when she interviewed him at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42328467
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Warmer Arctic is the 'new normal' - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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The reliably frozen Arctic is history, say scientists who warn of an unprecedented rate of warming.
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Science & Environment
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The 2017 'Arctic Report' showed that sea ice more than four years old has largely disappeared in the Arctic
A warming, rapidly changing Arctic is the "new normal" and shows no signs of returning to the reliably frozen region of the past.
This is according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Arctic Report Card.
Director of the administration's Arctic Researcher Program, Dr Jeremy Mathis, said the region did a great service to the planet - acting as a refrigerator.
"We've now left that refrigerator door open," he added.
Dr Mathis was speaking at the annual American Geophysical Union meeting in New Orleans, where Noaa presented its annual summation of Arctic science.
This is the 12th report the administration has produced. And although it pointed to "a few anomalies" in a recent pattern of warming in the Arctic region, Dr Mathis said: "We can confirm, it will not stay in its reliably frozen state."
"The thing I took that had the most resonance for me was we're able to use some really long-term records to put the Arctic change into context - going back more than 1,500 years.
"What's really alarming for me is that we're seeing the Arctic is changing faster than at any rate in recorded history."
The speed of change, Dr Mathis added, was making it very hard for people to adapt.
"Villages are being washed away, particularly in the North American Arctic - creating some of the first climate refugees," he said.
"And pace of sea level rise is increasing because the Arctic is warming faster than we anticipated even a decade ago."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Which cities might flood as the ice melts?
Scientists say it is clear that human-induced climate change is contributing to making the Arctic a warmer and more dynamic place.
"When we look at the darkening of the Arctic," said Dr Mathis, "reflective, icy surfaces are melting to reveal darker surfaces that absorb more of the Sun's energy.
Greening Arctic: Vegetation in the tundra is becoming 'bigger and leafier'
"So it probably only took a little bit of human-induced change to start the Arctic down this cascading pathway; a little bit of ice melting led to a little bit of warming, which led to more ice melting, which led to more warming.
"And now we're seeing an acceleration - a runaway effect that may eventually be a catastrophic runaway effect starting to take hold in the Arctic."
Oceanographer and retired US Navy Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet, who was appointed by the Trump Administration as acting administrator of Noaa, was asked during the Arctic report presentation about the response of the White House to the findings.
Many scientists viewed President Trump's recent decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement as clear evidence of his scepticism about human-induced climate change.
He said that the White House was "addressing and acknowledging it and factoring it in to their agenda".
Dr Mathis added that information coming from this report was "beyond reproach".
"They're facts. Facts weighted in thousands and thousands of scientific measurements that have been validated and peer reviewed by a community of experts working in the area for decades.
"Policy-makers can use those facts as they see fit."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42330771
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Brexit vote: Total silence - then disbelief - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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Ministers looked like they felt sick as the government's Brexit bill defeat was announced.
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UK Politics
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The Tory rebels, and the government, believed that a last-minute panicked concession from the government side had walked Theresa May back from the brink of defeat.
Frantic conversations between the government, the whips, the party managers and their MPs who were tempted to rebel had been taking place all day.
We saw cabinet ministers take MPs aside - for just a quiet chat of course - in the closing moments of the vote.
And during the voting, which always takes about 15 minutes, some of those who were tempted tweeted that they had decided to abstain - the last minute promise from the minister, Dominic Raab, had changed their minds or delayed the clash.
We saw as one of the possible rebels, a new Scottish MP, Paul Masterton, was cajoled by the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson (the chief whip until weeks ago) - then after the conversation, picked up his mobile phone and tweeted that he was going to abstain. But the arm twisting and arguments failed.
As the MPs who count the votes made their way to the Speaker's chair, the opposition teller made their way to the outside of the despatch box.
It's a physical signal of telling MPs who has won before the official announcement takes place. As that happened the House of Commons erupted - well at least the Labour side.
Ministers looked like they felt sick. The deputy speaker had to call for silence so the chamber could hear the actual result.
Total silence, and then disbelief as the result was read out. The government had been beaten after all, by only four votes.
It's the first time that Theresa May has been defeated on her own business in the Commons. She has to front up in Brussels tomorrow with other EU leaders only hours after an embarrassing loss in Parliament.
Beyond the red faces in government tonight, does it really matter? Ministers tonight are divided on that. Two cabinet ministers have told me while it's disappointing it doesn't really matter in the big picture.
It's certainly true that the Tory party is so divided over how we leave the EU that the Parliamentary process was always going to be very, very choppy.
But another minister told me the defeat is "bad for Brexit" and was openly frustrated and worried about their colleagues' behaviour.
It's possible too that it was a miscalculation that could have been avoided. Had the minister at the despatch box put forward the concession even a few hours earlier, that tiny number of votes might have gone the other way.
This is only the first big piece of legislation related to our withdrawal from the EU and it has run into trouble.
And one of the leading Tory rebels predicted the government will have to drop one of its other plans, to put a Brexit date in the withdrawal bill, next week.
The broader risk for May is not just that she will have to budge on this particular issue, but that the small group of rebels in the Tory party is strengthened by actually having had this kind of impact - and the opposition parties are already emboldened.
Theresa May had been having her first good week in many, many months. That brief respite just might have come to an end.
Stephen Hammond, one of the rebels, has just been sacked from his position as deputy Conservative Party chairman. Tonight, no-one is playing nice.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42346277
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Harvey Weinstein: Salma Hayek alleges he threatened to kill her - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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The Hollywood mogul said sexual allegations made by the Mexican actress are "not accurate"
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US & Canada
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Salma Hayek, seen here promoting Frida in 2003, which she starred in and co-produced
Actress Salma Hayek has described Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as a rage-fuelled "monster", alleging he sexually harassed and threatened her.
Writing in the New York Times, Hayek said Weinstein once told her: "I will kill you, don't think I can't."
Dozens of actresses, including Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault.
Writing in the New York Times, Hayek, 51, described working with the film mogul on what she called her "greatest ambition" - telling the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
She wrote that, after striking a deal with Weinstein for the rights of the film that would eventually become 2002's Frida, she was forced to repeatedly refuse sexual advances.
"No to me taking a shower with him.
"No to letting him watch me take a shower.
"No to letting him give me a massage.
"No to letting a naked friend of his give me a massage.
"No to letting him give me oral sex.
"No to my getting naked with another woman," she wrote.
She went on to accuse him of threatening to shut the film down unless she filmed a nude sex scene with another actress.
"I had to take a tranquilizer, which eventually stopped the crying but made the vomiting worse," she wrote of her emotional turmoil at filming a scene she thought unnecessary.
"As you can imagine, this was not sexy, but it was the only way I could get through the scene."
Weinstein's spokeswoman said in a statement: "Mr Weinstein does not recall pressuring Salma to do a gratuitous sex scene with a female co-star and he was not there for the filming."
"All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by Salma are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired."
Frida would eventually gather six Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Hayek.
Mr Weinstein has been accused of rape, sexual assault and harassment, but has "unequivocally denied" any allegations of non-consensual relationships.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42344533
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Drone smugglers caught on camera - BBC News
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2017-12-13
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The Ministry of Justice has released footage of a gang caught using a drone to deliver contraband to prisons.
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The Ministry of Justice has released footage of a gang caught using a drone to deliver contraband to prisons. The ringleader, Craig Hickinbottom, organised the flights from behind bars. He's been sentenced to an extra seven years and two months in jail.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42326764
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Brexit transition deal is urgent, say select committee MPs - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Treasury Select Committee says “temporary standstill agreement” will be necessary to ease business concerns.
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Business
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Theresa May must urgently agree a transitional deal with EU counterparts, say MPs
An influential group of MPs has urged Britain and the European Union to agree a "status quo" transition period following Britain's departure from the EU.
The Treasury Select Committee said that the temporary arrangement should be agreed as quickly as possible to ease business concerns over a "no deal" Brexit.
The committee's report said it "strongly supported" the prime minister's push for a comprehensive free trade deal which would keep borders as "frictionless" as possible.
But it said in order to reach that point, an implementation period would be necessary where the European Court of Justice (ECJ) was likely to retain supremacy over UK laws.
"An agreement between the UK and EU27 on 'standstill' transitional arrangements is now urgent," said Nicky Morgan, the Conservative chairwoman of the committee who campaigned for Remain before the referendum.
"The consequences of failing to reach an agreement are dramatic and damaging."
"Many businesses will begin to prepare for a 'no deal' outcome - moving jobs and activity, and incurring potentially unnecessary expenditure - early next year," said Ms Morgan.
"Transitional arrangements must therefore be straightforward enough to negotiate in a matter of weeks.
"This may well include accepting EU rules beyond those of the single market and customs union and it is likely to involve retaining, on a temporary basis, the jurisdiction of the ECJ, and the direct effect and supremacy of EU law.
"That is a price worth paying for stability and certainty after 30 March 2019."
The government has said that it may agree to a strictly time-limited implementation phase after Brexit.
Britain would leave the EU customs union and the single market but would retain equivalent rules.
Mrs May has argued that if there is an agreement with the EU, it may mean the UK "will start off with the ECJ governing the rules that we are part of".
And in her Florence speech in September the prime minister said an implementation period could last two years.
Nicky Morgan says transition arrangements should be negotiated "in a matter of weeks"
Earlier this week, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said that there was now a "furious race against time" to negotiate implementation arrangements and the framework for a new free trade deal.
"We are ready to move to the second phase, which will expand discussions to cover transition and the framework for the future relationship," he said on Monday.
The select committee said a transition deal could be followed by a further "adaption period" for some sectors such as financial services.
"The difference between a 'no-deal' scenario and the temporary preservation of the status quo is dramatic," said John Mann, a Labour member of the committee who supported Britain leaving the EU in the run up to the referendum.
"A 'no-deal' scenario would be damaging to both sides; a 'standstill' transition is in the interests of both the UK and the EU27."
"In particular, a 'standstill' transition would mitigate the major risk that Her Majesty's Revenue and Custom's Customs Declarations Service [a new system for controlling the flow of goods across borders] is not ready in time for 30 March 2019.
"If this project were to fail, the committee remains to be convinced that contingency plans exist to avoid the severe disruption to goods that would occur in an unplanned 'no-deal' scenario."
Many members of the financial services sector also support an implementation period.
Miles Celic, chief executive of the financial services sector lobby group TheCityUK, said that both sides would suffer if implementation arrangements were not agreed.
"Now that talks seem likely to move on to the second phase, EU and UK negotiators must not delay discussing a transitional deal," he said.
It's not just London that would suffer without a transition, says Miles Celic
"The longer it takes, the less value it has.
"Many firms are already well underway with their contingency plans.
"Those which remain are ready to press 'go' early in the new year.
"There is still time to slow or adapt these plans, but without progress soon, it may be too late.
"This isn't just about business leaving the UK.
"It is about the very high risk of jobs, capital and inward investment leaving Europe.
"The resulting fragmented markets will be of benefit to no-one, with costs likely to increase for customers right across the continent."
• None Fears grow across the Atlantic over Brexit
• None So, did 'soft Brexit' just win?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42344628
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Liver surgeon Simon Bramhall marked initials on patients - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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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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Grenfell family: 'You feel like a prisoner living here' - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Matthew Price meets Grenfell families six months on from the fire
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UK
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Hotel living has been a struggle, says Mohammed Rasoul
It is only when you walk through the door of the hotel room that you even begin to understand what life has been like for so many of the survivors, six months on from the Grenfell fire.
Stacked along a short corridor, past the wardrobe and door to the bathroom, they've piled up cases and boxes. Clothes on top. It's tidy, but a squeeze.
This is the room that grandpa sleeps in.
Then through the door into the adjoining room. You can't open it fully because of the single camp bed on the other side. Push through, however, and you're in another room, the same size.
The single bed is for dad - Mohammed. A double is shared by mum, son and daughter. They are five and two years old respectively, and there's little space in which to play.
They say there's nowhere for Mohammed's wife Munira to cook, so most of the time they get take-away meals. The plastic boxes are stacked up neatly on the side, ready to be washed.
For the last six months this is how the Rasoul family has lived.
"It's a struggle," says the father, Mohammed Rasoul. "At first, immediately after the fire you think, 'Oh, OK, hotels, we'll be comfortable for a while.' But the novelty soon wears off when you realise it's the place you're going to be living in.
"It comes to the point where you feel like a prisoner living in here."
Mohammed's father had lived in the Grenfell tower for 37 years. Now 86, he has vascular dementia, and he's confused.
They have been offered a new home, but not close to where they used to live.
"All we want is to be rehoused in the same area. We want to be there back in the community, with our friends, my son's school," he says.
Take the underground from the stop close to Mohammed's hotel, change at Notting Hill, and in half an hour you can be at another hotel, which is currently home to Rashida Ali and her 10-year-old daughter Hayam.
The council needs to find homes for 208 Grenfell families
"I have lots of nightmares. Sometimes I cry in the middle of the night and wake my mum and she calms me down and she says 'Don't worry, at least we're safe.'
"I don't feel safe when I'm by myself or like in a closed room and there's no escape next to me. I just feel I can't breathe."
Hayam and her mother are about to move into temporary accommodation. Rashida didn't want that initially, because she preferred not to have to uproot them twice. But she's decided to move, for her daughter's benefit.
"She needs to pack her stuff everyday, open suitcase, close suitcase, tidy up because this is not our home. We live in a hotel but it feels like we are homeless."
Like many she says she doesn't trust the council to deliver on their promise to move people into permanent homes when a suitable one comes up.
"The system keeps changing," she says. "I'm worried if I sign this (temporary accommodation contract) in a few months I'm not going to be allowed to move out."
Most of those made homeless by the fire are still in hotels - 28 of them are families with children.
The council wants to move people out into temporary flats. The Alves family has taken up the offer.
Miguel Alves says it allows them "to have a family life, to have meals together."
Miguel was one of the few leaseholders in the Grenfell Tower - he bought his flat in 2001 - and had 15 years of his mortgage left to pay. That adds another layer of complication.
Despite all he's gone through, he says he's having to fight to get the council to accept his demand that the new home he eventually moves into will be the same size with the same number of bedrooms as his Grenfell flat.
"I asked for a meeting, and they take one week, nobody answers my emails."
This lack of communication isn't a one off. At a recent council meeting one woman - Lidia, whose elderly mother lived on the top floor and who survived because she was away that night - said she had had 11 different housing officers assigned to her in the last six months.
Lidia's hands and legs were shaking uncontrollably with stress as she spoke. Many say the delays and uncertainty are taking a mental toll.
Any local authority would be stretched by the task that faces Kensington and Chelsea Council.
It needs to find homes for 208 households. It has set aside £235m to do that. It takes time to buy properties.
Lawyers representing the former residents are striving to ensure that the new tenancy agreements and leaseholds match exactly the terms and conditions people had in Grenfell.
The council's director of housing, Maxine Holdsworth, says she "gets a huge amount of positive feedback about our frontline housing officers and how supportive they've been".
What then about the charges that officers change, that communications are difficult?
"Every single household has their own dedicated housing officer," she replies. "I would be confident that if someone rang up today their call would be answered they would get to speak to their housing officer."
The deputy leader of the council admitted last week that he felt embarrassed about the speed of the rehousing process.
Back down the Tube line, in the Rasoul family's hotel room they are keeping their spirits up, somehow.
"I'm OK," says Mohammed. "I have my moments, but there's so much that needs to be dealt with, so many things going on.
"It's not just our housing issues, it's our personal issues, living here. No personal space, the kids have to go to sleep at certain times, lights out for the children. But we stay positive."
And when he thinks about the home that he has lost?
"All my childhood memories, moments of happiness, laughter, food being enjoyed, my children being born there. I dare not delve into it too much, I know that will just break me."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42320896
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UK must tackle loneliness, says Jo Cox Commission report - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Commission set up by murdered MP Jo Cox says nine million adults in the UK are affected.
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UK
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The government should create a national strategy to combat loneliness, says a report by a commission set up by the murdered MP Jo Cox.
The commission, formed by the MP before she was killed in her constituency in 2016, calls for the appointment of a minister to lead action on the issue.
It says loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and affects nine million UK people.
The government says new initiatives will be announced next year.
The report acknowledges that government action alone cannot solve the problem.
However, it says: "Tackling loneliness is a generational challenge that can only be met by concerted action by everyone - governments, employers, businesses, civil society organisations, families, communities and individuals all have a role to play.
"Working together we can make a difference."
The report is calling for the Family Test, a measure of assessing the effect of government policies on stable families, to become a family and relationships test.
The cross-party commission was established by Mrs Cox when she was Labour MP for Batley and Spen.
It continued its work after she was murdered outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorkshire in June 2016.
The commission has been working with 13 charities including Age UK and Action for Children to come up with ideas for change.
The report will be presented in Birstall on Friday by the joint commission chairs, Labour MP Rachel Reeves and the Conservative's Seema Kennedy,
They will be joined by Mrs Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater.
Mrs Cox set up the commission before she was killed in 2016
The joint chairs said: "We know that loneliness will not end until we all recognise the role we can play in making that happen.
"Jo always looked forwards, not back. She would have said that what matters most now are the actions, big and small, that people take in response to the commission's work."
The report's release will coincide with the launch of three Royal Voluntary Service projects set to tackle loneliness and isolation in Mrs Cox's former constituency.
The schemes - partly financed by the Jo Cox Fund set up in her memory - will include lunch clubs, activities, and workshops as well as a new Community Connections Programme.
This will "match up volunteers with lonely people in the area" according to Royal Voluntary Service's Chief Executive Catherine Johnstone, acting as a practical template for the commission's recommendations.
The government said it welcomed the commission's work and tackling social isolation and loneliness is of "huge importance".
A spokeswoman added: "A number of government initiatives already help to reduce loneliness, such as improved mental health support and funding to create new green spaces for communities, but we are committed to doing more and look forward to setting out plans in the new year," she added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42354807
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Hurricane Harvey rainfall 'weighed 127bn tonnes' - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scientists established how much rain fell by measuring how much the Earth compressed during the storm.
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Science & Environment
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Roads turned to rivers across Houston as Harvey hit
Scientists have weighed the water that fell on Texas during the record-breaking Hurricane Harvey in August.
They calculate, by measuring how much the Earth was compressed, that the Category 4 storm dropped 127 billion tonnes, or 34 trillion US gallons.
"One person asked me how many stadia is that. It's 26,000 New Orleans Superdomes," said Adrian Borsa from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
His numbers were released as other scientists stated that this year's big hurricanes had a clear human influence.
Harvey, Irma and Maria ripped through the US Gulf states and the Caribbean, leading to widespread flooding and wind damage.
Researchers told the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union here in New Orleans that the heavy rainfall seen in Harvey was very likely exacerbated by the extra warming associated with increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Sea surface temperatures were particularly high in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico this hurricane season. Warm ocean water acts as a fuel for the storms.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's James Cook found a scene of devastation in Rockport
Harvey devastated parts of the Texas coastline because it stalled, concentrating its deluge in a very narrow region. It was one of the heaviest precipitation events in recorded hurricane history.
Standard rain gauges saw upwards of 1,270mm (50 inches) of precipitation in places. But these were point measurements and Dr Borsa attempted to get a much broader view by assessing how much the Earth moved in response to the weight of overlying water.
This was detected by a network of high-precision GPS stations, which registered the vertical displacement of the land. "It's like you sitting down on a mattress - it depresses; you stand up and it rebounds. The Earth behaves very similarly, like a rubber block.
"So the Earth is recording the effects of the loads acting on its surface."
The GPS network is dense enough that a very wide picture of activity can be discerned. "It gives us a holistic view, not just point measurements,” Dr Borsa told BBC News.
What is especially smart is that the system can see the immediate change after the storm as water runs off the land through rivers, but also captures the much slower effect of water removal through evaporation, driven by the warmth of the Sun. This takes several weeks.
"One of the big deficiencies in our models is that evapotranspiration - that's the Sun and plants doing their things - is not currently directly observed, and it's half of the total water budget. I think GPS is going to be able to provide very useful information about this."
At the same AGU gathering, the American Meteorological Association revealed that its annual report on extreme weather events had identified three that would “not have been possible” without the influence of human-induced climate change.
These were: the record-breaking global temperatures in 2016; the 2016 heat wave across Asia and the high ocean temperatures measured off the coast of Alaska.
These were events that happened because “we have created a new climate,” said National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) climate scientist Stephanie Herring.
The report also concluded that other heat waves around the world were made more intense by climate change and that Arctic warming was “most likely” not possible without it.
The coral bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef and other marine ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean were also amplified by “human-caused warming of the ocean”.
The research is primarily based on comparing models, or simulations, of our climate. “We run a model that shows what the world looks like today and we can validate those models against what is actually happening,” explained Dr Herring.
“Then we compare it to a model of an ‘alternative world’ in which - theoretically - climate change never happened; as if humans didn’t emit greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution.
“So we can look at a world with climate change and a world without it.”
Harvey's rain could have filled 26,000 New Orleans Superdomes
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42347510
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Deporting EU rough sleepers from UK unlawful, High Court rules - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A Home Office policy of deporting EU nationals found sleeping rough must stop, the High Court rules.
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UK
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A Home Office policy of removing EU citizens found sleeping rough on UK streets is unlawful and must stop, the High Court has ruled.
A judge said the measure, introduced last year, was discriminatory and broke freedom of movement rules.
Campaigners brought the case on behalf of three men facing removal.
The government said it was disappointed by the ruling - which applies to people from the EU and European Economic Area - but would not be appealing.
The Public Interest Law Unit (PILU) at Lambeth Law Centre, which took out the judicial review, said the decision would affect hundreds of people.
It said the Home Office had been carrying out "regular raids" on locations where officials believed they would find European nationals who could be deported.
In her ruling, the judge, Mrs Justice Lang, also said the Home Office was wrong to have used the raids as a chance to verify whether the rough sleepers were abusing their right to reside in another European nation.
PILU said the High Court had shown itself willing to protect the rights of a vulnerable group, adding: "Homelessness cannot humanely be dealt with by detaining or forcibly removing homeless people."
Three men facing removal orders from the Home Office were selected as "test cases" for the hearing:
The judge said the order should be dropped against Mr Gureckis, while Mr Cielecki is now expected to appeal against his. The order against Mr Perlinski was withdrawn in November after he began living with a relative.
She said "rough sleeping, even accompanied by low level offending such as begging, drinking in a public place and other street nuisances, would not be grounds for removal" and the Home Office's "less favourable" treatment of rough sleepers from outside the UK could not be justified.
The Home Office said the EU's Free Movement Directive allowed member states to impose restrictions on people in certain situations, including where there were concerns about security, public health, or fraud.
Its lawyers had argued the operations to remove the rough sleepers were a "sensible and lawful approach".
A spokesman said: "We will consider carefully what steps are necessary to ensure we reflect the judgment in future enforcement."
He added that most of the people removed under the measure had not exercised their rights to residency in the UK when required and were therefore unlawfully in the country.
Speaking after the ruling, Matthew Downie from the homeless charity Crisis, who gave evidence against the Home Office, said the policy had been "brutal and indiscriminate". He said in many cases people had been taken away from help they were getting to resolve their homelessness.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42354864
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Black Friday lifts UK retail sales in November - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Deals on electrical household appliances boosted sales in November, official figures suggest.
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Business
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Black Friday helped to propel retail sales 1.6% higher in November from a year earlier, official figures suggest.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that retailers had reported a particular uplift in sales of electrical household appliances.
However, analysts said that Black Friday had distorted sales and retailers faced challenging conditions.
The ONS said that the quantity of food bought in November fell by 0.1% compared to the same month last year.
However, the amount of money spent jumped by 3.5%, reflecting a rise in food prices that has contributed to the increase in inflation, which is now at a near six-year high of 3.1%.
In non-food sales, clothing and footwear rebounded from a slump in October to rise 2.3% in November from a year earlier. Department stores, however, saw their sales fall by 0.9% which the ONS said "continues a recent pattern of slowdown in this sector".
Alex Marsh, managing director of Close Brothers Retail Finance, said: "The final run up to Christmas may prove more difficult than usual for retailers as they battle low consumer confidence amid increasing inflation and a squeeze on wages."
Black Friday is an import from the US, where it takes place on the day after Thanksgiving and is regarded as the start of the Christmas shopping period.
Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: "The surge in retail sales in November does not signal broader consumer strength."
Mr Tombs said Black Friday meant the strength in November retail sales "merely reflected people bringing forward purchases that they otherwise would have made in December or January to November, due to the discounts available".
Month-on-month, sales rose by 1.1% in November from October, which was ahead of analysts' forecasts for 0.4% growth.
Ian Geddes, head of retail at Deloitte, said that "on the surface" the data was "promising".
But he said: "The next 10 days of pre-Christmas sales will be crucial for retailers. Trading is likely to peak on Friday 22 December, particularly for purchases of food and drink as consumers prepare for festive hosting.
"However, profitability is another matter and margins are under intense pressure."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42350406
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Cannabis and vaping more popular than smoking among US teens - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Some 15% of students had used marijuana, 12.1% had vaped but only 5% had smoked, found a study.
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US & Canada
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US teenagers are using marijuana and vaporisers more than they smoke cigarettes, a government study shows.
Some 15% of high school students said they had used marijuana within the previous 30 days, found the report for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
And 12.1% of students said they had used a vaping device. But only 5% had smoked cigarettes.
One in 10 high school seniors said he or she had vaped marijuana at least once in the past year.
"It's much higher than I expected," said Richard Miech, the University of Michigan researcher who led the study, of the cannabis vaping figure.
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The findings suggest cannabis use is up about 1% overall among teenagers.
Nearly a quarter of students said they had vaped, smoked or eaten marijuana in the previous year.
One in 17 high school seniors said he or she had used marijuana every day.
Dr Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said: "These are teens that are supposed to be learning at school.
"When you're stoned, you can't learn much."
Some students surveyed said they used vaporisers to smoke nicotine or flavouring, instead of marijuana.
The study suggests this as a possible reason why daily cigarette smoking among 17 and 18-year-old students was down to 4.2% this year from a recorded high of 24.6% in 1997.
Some 43,703 students aged between 13 and 18 years old in public and private high schools were questioned for the study.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42358149
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Britain First's Jayda Fransen appears in Belfast court - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jayda Fransen is charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour.
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Northern Ireland
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Jayda Fransen is charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour
The deputy leader of far right group Britain First has appeared in court charged in connection with an incident at a Belfast peace wall.
Jayda Fransen, 31, from Anerley, south-east London, was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.
She appeared briefly at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday morning.
Ms Fransen was arrested on Thursday after appearing in court in Belfast over a separate incident.
She was released on bail and is due to appear in court again next month.
After bail was granted, Ms Fransen's supporters in the public gallery cheered and applauded.
She raised her arm in the air as they cheered.
Among her supporters was Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First.
The charge against Ms Fransen relates to comments she is alleged to have made in a video online that was filmed at a peace wall in west Belfast.
Friday's charge stems from an incident at a peace wall on 13 December.
Peace walls are used to separate Catholic and Protestant residents in Northern Ireland, in areas where tension between the two communities can run high.
The police objected in court to Ms Fransen being given bail. A PSNI detective told the court that "our objection is that she's going to commit further offences".
However, the judge granted her bail on the condition that she did not go within 500m of any demonstration or procession in Northern Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42359462
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Watch BBC coverage of the Grenfell Tower memorial - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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A memorial service for the victims and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire is held at St Paul's Cathedral
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A memorial service for the victims and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire is held at St Paul's Cathedral, six months on from the fire.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42350656
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MSF estimates more than 6,700 Rohingya killed in Myanmar - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Medecins Sans Frontieres' estimate far exceeds the official figure and includes more than 700 children.
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Asia
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Among the refugees are many young children
At least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the month after violence broke out in Myanmar in August, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says.
Based on surveys of refugees in Bangladesh, the number is much higher than Myanmar's official figure of 400.
MSF said it was "the clearest indication yet of the widespread violence" by Myanmar authorities.
The Myanmar military blames the violence on "terrorists" and has denied any wrongdoing.
More than 647,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh since August, MSF says.
The aid group's survey found that at least 9,000 Rohingya died in Myanmar, also known as Burma, between 25 August and 24 September.
"In the most conservative estimations" at least 6,700 of those deaths have been caused by violence, including at least 730 children under the age of five, according to MSF.
Previously, the armed forces stated that around 400 people had been killed, most of them described as Muslim terrorists.
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There have been plenty of detailed reports by journalists and researchers, based on interviews conducted with refugees, which make it hard to dispute that terrible human rights abuses took place at the hands of the security forces.
But many of these reports focussed on the worst cases; there are several media reports about a massacre at one village called Tula Toli. Some Rohingya I interviewed told me they had fled in fear of violence, but had not actually experienced it.
This well-researched figure by MSF suggests the operation conducted by the military was brutal enough to raise the possibility of taking a case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
The problem would be that Myanmar has not ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC and is not bound to co-operate with it. Bringing a case would require the approval of all five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and China has until now given its full support to the Myanmar government's handling of the crisis.
The military crackdown began on 25 August after Rohingya Arsa militants attacked more than 30 police posts.
After an internal investigation, the Myanmar army in November exonerated itself of any blame regarding the crisis.
It denied killing any civilians, burning their villages, raping women and girls, and stealing possessions.
The mostly Muslim minority are denied citizenship by Myanmar, where they are seen as immigrants from Bangladesh. The government does not use the term Rohingya but calls them Bengali Muslims.
The government's assertions contradicted evidence seen by BBC correspondents. The United Nations human rights chief has said it seems like "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
MSF says the experiences recounted by refugees were "horrific"
"What we uncovered was staggering, both in terms of the numbers of people who reported a family member died as a result of violence, and the horrific ways in which they said they were killed or severely injured," MSF Medical Director Sidney Wong said.
Among the dead children below the age of five, MSF says more than 59% were reportedly shot, 15% burnt to death, 7% beaten to death and 2% killed by landmine blasts.
Many refugees have been subject to brutal violence
"The numbers of deaths are likely to be an underestimation as we have not surveyed all refugee settlements in Bangladesh and because the surveys don't account for the families who never made it out of Myanmar," Mr Wong said.
In November, Bangladesh signed a deal with Myanmar to return hundreds of thousands of the refugees.
MSF said the agreement was "premature" pointing out that "currently people are still fleeing" and reports of violence have come even in recent weeks.
The group also warned there was still very limited access for aid groups into Rakhine state.
The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority who have long experienced persecution in Myanmar.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42348214
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Suu Kyi stripped of Freedom of Dublin City award - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dublin City Council votes to revoke Aung Sang Suu Kyi's Freedom of Dublin City award.
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Europe
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Aung San Suu Kyi has faced widespread criticism over her reluctance to acknowledge the military violence, which the UN has called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
Dublin City Councillors have voted to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's Freedom of Dublin City award.
Musician Bob Geldof handed back his Freedom of Dublin award last month to protest against the inclusion of Ms Suu Kyi on the honours list.
She has been accused of ignoring the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims; half a million have fled to Bangladesh following recent violence.
Some 59 councillors backed the motion, with two against and one abstention.
The Dublin City councillors also agreed to remove Sir Bob Geldof's name from the roll of honour, after he returned his Freedom of Dublin City scroll to the council last month.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bob Geldof hands back his Freedom of the City award
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42346773
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If Brexit was a video game - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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The government lost a key vote, and it's a big deal.
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Rebel MPs have defeated the government in a vote on the EU Withdrawal Bill - the bill that'll take the UK out of the EU.
But Esther Webber tells us why it's not quite game over for Brexit.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42346305
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Grenfell Tower fire memorial service: As it happened - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A service at St Paul's Cathedral was held to honour the 71 victims of the fire.
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UK
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Maria Jafari, who lost her father in the fire, told the Press Association: "It's very, very hard. Still she (my mother) cries, every day, every second when we are talking about our father, all the memories come out again. It's six months and it's still very hard for us.
"I wish nobody could have this in the whole life, in the whole world, I wish nobody would have to go through all these things."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-42351346
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Scottish income tax rises to be unveiled - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The finance secretary is expected to announce tax increases for middle and higher earners.
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Scotland politics
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Derek Mackay will be presenting his second draft budget as Scottish finance secretary
Scotland's finance secretary is expected to confirm income tax rises for middle and higher earners when he unveils his draft budget for next year.
Derek Mackay will say the increase in taxation is needed to raise more money to help protect public services.
It will see many people in Scotland pay more income tax than those on the same salary elsewhere in the UK.
But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that 70% of taxpayers will pay no more than they do at present.
The Scottish government was given powers over income tax rates and bands last year.
Mr Mackay is also expected to promise extra money for the NHS, childcare, education and the police in his budget statement in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday afternoon, and to give details of pay rises for public sector workers.
And he will outline a package of plans designed to boost business, including more extensive broadband provision.
But the most significant measure will be an increase in income tax, which comes after Ms Sturgeon suggested it was time for higher earners to pay a "modest" amount more.
Derek Mackay and Nicola Sturgeon published a discussion paper on income tax last month
BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor says he expects the 20p rate for lower earners to be frozen, but that there may be a new tax band created that would see those earning above about £30,000 pay more.
The government has hinted that the top 45p rate of tax for those earning more than £150,000 will not be raised to 50p, as some opposition parties have called for, but may go up by a smaller amount.
Business leaders have warned that Scotland cannot afford to be associated with higher taxation than other parts of the UK.
But most people will pay no more tax than they do now - because the median salary in Scotland is £24,000.
Nobody likes paying income tax. Nobody likes paying more income tax. Therefore, the draft budget is potentially a challenge in terms of public support.
It is particularly a challenge given that the largest opposition party to the SNP are the Conservatives and the Conservatives will mount a very, very strong attack based upon any tax changes whatsoever.
Mr Mackay will seek to rebut that by accusing the Conservatives of hypocrisy - by saying that they demand spending on pet projects while at the same time demanding tax restraint.
Again, it will depend on what the public hears with regard to this - whether they listen to the government or whether they listen to the opposition, the Conservatives.
MSPs will get their first chance to vote on the plans in the new year, with the minority SNP government needing support from at least one opposition party in order to pass the budget.
Economic forecasts from the new Scottish Fiscal Commission will be published alongside the draft budget for the first time.
Experts have warned that the budget comes at a "crucial" time for Scotland's economy, which they say is "stuck in a cycle of weak growth".
Ms Sturgeon and Mr Mackay set out a series of possible income tax models last month, with many of them adding additional tax bands to those currently in place across the UK.
The various models were estimated to raise up to an additional £290m - less than 1% of the Scottish government's total budget, which was about £33bn last year.
Mr Mackay has conceded that the budget is "set within a challenging context", although he points the finger at "continued austerity" from Westminster.
He has highlighted analysis showing Holyrood's resource grant falling by £200m in real terms for the coming year - although the Conservatives contend that the block grant from the UK government is increasing overall, due to extra funds for capital spending.
The finance secretary said: "The budget will bring forward key measures to protect public services like our NHS against the worst effects of UK budget cuts and continued Brexit uncertainty, and deliver a growth package to support the economy, unlock innovation and drive increased productivity.
"This will be a budget that is good for taxpayers, good for public services and good for business. It is a budget that will deliver for Scotland."
MSPs will get their first chance to vote on the plans in the new year
Opposition parties will ultimately be key as the minority SNP government will need support from at least one in order to pass its budget, with the final vote due in February.
The Conservatives have consistently argued against tax rises, and as such are highly unlikely to be persuaded to back Mr Mackay's budget.
Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser used a Holyrood debate on Wednesday to quote the SNP's manifesto back at them, saying the party had "absolutely no mandate" to increase the basic rate of tax.
He said 65% of the electorate had backed parties which had pledged not to increase the basic rate of tax - the SNP and Conservatives - and that the budget was about "whether politicians can be trusted to keep their promises".
Scottish Labour has called for "radical decisions" in the budget to tackle poverty, with new leader Richard Leonard saying Mr Mackay must not "just tinker around the edges".
Labour has also repeatedly raised the issue of funding for local councils, which Mr Mackay has insisted will be "fair".
The Scottish Greens - seen as the most likely party to back the SNP on the budget - have set out priorities including "progressive changes to income tax", a move to "reverse the cuts" to local budgets, an above-inflation rise in public sector pay and investment in low-carbon infrastructure.
The Scottish Lib Dems, meanwhile, have called for "specific, targeted investment" with a particular focus on education, as well as action to tackle the "woeful gap in the numbers of new mental health staff being trained".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42339146
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Brexit: UK in Erasmus student scheme until at least 2020 - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May confirms UK participation in student exchange will continue for a period after Brexit.
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UK Politics
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The UK will continue to take part in the Erasmus student exchange programme until at least the end of 2020, the prime minister has said.
Theresa May praised Erasmus+ and confirmed the UK would still be involved after Brexit in March 2019.
Whether it is involved long term is among issues likely to be discussed during the next stage of negotiations.
Erasmus+ sees students study in another European country for between three and 12 months as part of their degree.
The prime minister is in Brussels where she will have dinner with EU leaders on Thursday.
On Friday, without Mrs May, they are expected to formally approve a recommendation that "sufficient progress" has been made in Brexit negotiations so far to move them onto the next stage.
Mrs May agreed a draft deal with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last week which would mean the UK would continue its funding of EU projects, including Erasmus, until the end of this EU budget period in 2020.
If EU leaders approve the draft deal, Brexit negotiations can begin on the next phase, covering the future relationship between the UK and EU and a two-year transition or implementation deal from March 2019. It is not clear whether this would include Erasmus+.
Mrs May said that British students benefitted from studying in the EU while UK universities were a popular choice for European students.
Speaking during a discussion on education and culture at the summit in Brussels, she added: "I welcome the opportunity to provide clarity to young people and the education sector and reaffirm our commitment to the deep and special relationship we want to build with the EU."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42360849
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The priceless pictures that survived Grenfell fire - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Paul believed the photos of his late mother had been destroyed in the Grenfell Tower blaze.
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Paul escaped from the sixth floor of Grenfell Tower.
He believed photos of his mother - who died of a brain tumour in 2010 - had been lost, along with a jewellery box.
But he has now been able to retrieve them.
Watch the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42342460
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Vice chancellors' pay: Universities to sign new 'fair pay' code - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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US Federal Reserve raises interest rates again - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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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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Net neutrality rules weakened by US regulator - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A US regulator votes to ease restrictions preventing ISPs prioritising some services' data over others'.
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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. What is net neutrality and how could it affect you?
Restrictions on US broadband providers' ability to prioritise one service's data over another are to be reduced after a vote by a regulator.
The Federal Communications Commission voted three to two to change the way "net neutrality" is governed.
Internet service providers (ISPs) will now be allowed to speed up or slow down different companies' data, and charge consumers according to the services they access.
But they must disclose such practices.
Ahead of the vote, protesters rallied outside the FCC's building to oppose the change.
Many argue the reversal of rules introduced under President Barack Obama will make the internet less open and accessible.
The decision is already facing legal challenges, with New York's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, announcing he will lead a lawsuit challenging the FCC's decision.
Mr Schneiderman accused the watchdog of failing to investigate possible abuse of the public commenting process. He said as many as two million identities, some of dead New Yorkers, were used to post comments to the FCC website.
During the hearing, FCC commissioner Mr Michael O'Rielly hit back at those claims, saying staff had been able to determine and discard comments that were illegitimate.
Thursday's proceedings in Washington were halted for about 15 minutes after a security alert forced an evacuation of the FCC's chamber, the final twist in a bitter and at times vitriolic debate.
The hearing was briefly suspended because of a security alert that occurred while chairman Ajit Pai was speaking
The FCC's chairman, Ajit Pai, argues the changes will foster innovation and encourage ISPs to invest in faster connections for people living in rural areas.
He refers to the change as "restoring internet freedom".
Technically, the vote was to reclassify broadband internet as an information service rather than telecommunications.
The consequence of this is that the FCC will no longer directly regulate ISPs.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: What do people know about net neutrality?
Instead jurisdiction will pass to another regulator, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Its key responsibility will be to check that the companies disclose if they block data, throttle it or offer to prioritise traffic, rather than stopping such behaviour.
One criticism of this is that US consumers often have few if any ISPs to choose between. Moreover, opponents of the change claim it could take years to address any misbehaviour.
"I dissent to this legally-lightweight, consumer-harming, corporate-enabling, destroying-internet freedom order," said Democrat commissioner Mignon Clyburn ahead of the vote.
But fellow commissioner Mr O'Rielly, a Republican, said fears over the end of net neutrality were a "scary bedtime story for the children of telecom geeks".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42355666
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Haemophilia A trial results 'mind-blowing' - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Doctors use gene therapy to correct the defect that causes haemophilia A.
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Health
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British doctors say they have achieved "mind-blowing" results in an attempt to rid people of haemophilia A.
Patients are born with a genetic defect that means they do not produce a protein needed to stop bleeding.
Thirteen patients given the gene therapy at Barts Health NHS Trust are now off treatment with 11 producing near-normal levels of the protein.
Jake Omer, 29 from Billericay, Essex, was on the trial and says he feels like he has a new body.
Like 2,000 other people in the UK, his body could not make clotting factor VIII.
A minor injury used to cause severe bleeding. He remembers losing two front teeth as a child and bleeding for days afterwards.
Even the impact of walking would lead to bleeding in his joints and eventually cause arthritis.
Jake has needed at least three injections of factor VIII a week for most of his life.
But in February 2016, he had a single infusion of gene therapy.
Jake told the BBC: "I feel like a new person now - I feel like a well-oiled robot.
"I feel I can do a lot more. I feel my body allows me to do more.
"I don't think I would have been able to walk 500m without my joints flaring up, whereas now I think sort of two, three, four-mile walk - I could quite easily achieve that."
The first time he knew it had worked was four months after the therapy when he dropped a gym weight and bashed his elbow.
He started to panic, but after icing the injury that evening, everything was normal the next day.
It contains the instructions for factor VIII that Jake was born without.
The virus is used like a postman to deliver the genetic instructions to the liver, which then starts producing factor VIII.
In the first trials, low doses of gene therapy had no effect.
Of the 13 patients given higher doses, all are off their haemophilia medication a year on and 11 are producing near-normal levels of factor VIII.
Prof John Pasi, who led the trials at Barts and Queen Mary University of London, said: "This is huge.
"It's ground-breaking because the option to think about normalising levels in patients with severe haemophilia is absolutely mind-blowing.
"To offer people the potential of a normal life when they've had to inject themselves with factor VIII every other day to prevent bleeding is transformational."
An analysis of the first nine patients on the trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Larger trials are now imminent to see if the therapy can truly transform the lives of patients.
It is also uncertain how long the gene therapy will be effective.
Liz Carroll, the chief executive of The Haemophilia Society, said: "Gene therapy is a potentially game-changing treatment.
"Despite world-leading treatment standards in the UK many still suffer painful bleeds leading to chronic joint damage."
However, she warned there was a wide variation in who responded to therapy, which still needed to be explained.
Gene therapies are likely to be spectacularly expensive. However, the current cost of regular factor VIII injections is about £100,000 a patient per year for life.
Jake says the therapy should help him live a full life with his family: "It's going to allow me as my boys grow up to be more active with them, to kick footballs about, to climb trees, to hopefully run around the park with them, not be someone who has to worry."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42337396
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Grenfell fire: Families and survivors remember victims at St Paul's memorial - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Royal Family members joined the bereaved at the London memorial to pay tribute to the 71 victims.
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UK
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Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have attended a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, alongside members of the Royal Family and PM Theresa May.
Bereaved families, survivors and rescue workers were joined by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
Bishop of Kensington Graham Tomlin said he hoped the tragedy would represent a "time we learnt a new, better way".
The commemoration, marking six months since the tragedy, also gave thanks to all those who assisted at the time of the fire and since - including the emergency services, recovery teams, the community, public support workers and volunteers.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and singer Adele were also among the more than 1,500 guests.
The families of victims held photographs of their loved ones outside the cathedral
Singer Adele attended the service, among more than 1,500 guests
As the memorial began, a Green For Grenfell banner adorned with a heart was carried into the cathedral.
Opening the service ahead of a minute's silence, Dean of St Paul's Dr David Ison said: "We come together as different faiths as we remember those whose lives were lost."
"Be united in the face of suffering and sorrow," he added.
He said the UK grieved "at the unspeakable tragedy, loss and hurt of that June day".
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall joined the congregation
Six months on from the Grenfell Tower fire, the grief and anger of those affected is still visibly raw.
Underneath the sadness there was dismay that many of the survivors attending the national memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral are still homeless.
And while those who died in the fire were remembered, there was also comment on what has taken place since - and what more importantly still needs to be done.
Families held photographs of victims of the fire, while voice recordings from people at the scene of the fire were played to the congregation.
The Al-Sadiq and Al-Zahra Schools Girls' Choir then sang out the words: "Never lose hope."
Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington and organiser of the memorial, told the congregation: "Today we ask why warnings were not heeded, why a community was left feeling neglected, uncared for, not listened to."
But he said he looked ahead to the New Year with "hope" of change from "a city that didn't listen".
He said he hoped the word "Grenfell" would change from a symbol of "sorrow, grief or injustice" to "a symbol of the time we learnt a new and better way - to listen and to love".
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Before the service, Bishop Tomlin told the BBC: "There was a very strong desire within the local community to have the service here, because faith is very important to a lot of people in the local area, and that can bring a real sense of strength to people."
One of those in attendance was Tiago Alves, who escaped the blaze with his family.
He told BBC Breakfast his thoughts would be with bereaved families during the "emotional" memorial: "Today is a day not about survivors; today is purely about the bereaved, their families and the loved ones they have lost."
He said the memorial would bring back a lot of awful memories for many people, but added: "The reason we are doing this today is so that people never forget - we want people to remember."
Families stood on the steps of St Paul's after the service
Many held white roses along with photographs of loved ones
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall also attended the service
A young girl lights a memorial candle among tributes laid for the victims
Portobello Road Salvation Army Band and St Paul's Cathedral Choir performed during the service, and the Ebony Steel Band, frequent performers at the Notting Hill Carnival, played a verse of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
At the end of the service, bereaved families and survivors left the cathedral in silence, holding white roses.
Clarrie Mendy, who lost her cousin Mary and Mary's daughter, Khadija Saye, in the fire, said the memorial was "what the community needs, what the survivors need".
"It is a very emotional day," she said. "I just hope everybody will get something from it."
Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, did not attend the service, after some families said they did not want the council there in an official capacity.
However, a minute's silence was held outside the town hall in High Street Kensington as the memorial service began.
The final death toll from the fire was put at 53 adults and 18 children, including stillborn baby Logan Gomes, following an arduous process of recovering and identifying remains from the block.
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tiago Alves, who escaped the blaze with his family, attended the service
Earlier, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the force would do "whatever it takes" to bring to justice anyone who had committed a criminal offence linked to the fire.
Ms Dick said officers would investigate "meticulously, fairly and fearlessly", but said she would be "vey surprised" if the criminal investigation was completed within the next 12 months.
Scotland Yard has previously said it will be considering both individual and corporate manslaughter charges.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42347207
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France Millas train crash: Children killed as bus cut in two - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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At least four children died and at least 18 people were hurt in the collision in southern France.
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage of emergency vehicles at the scene of the crash
A train and a school bus have collided near Perpignan in southern France, leaving at least four children dead.
At least 18 people were injured, some of them critically, after the crash on a level crossing between Millas and Saint-Féliu-d'Amont.
The bus had picked up pupils from a nearby secondary school before it was hit by a train travelling at about 80km/h (50mph).
Pictures from the scene showed the bus split in two by the force of the crash.
Train operator SNCF said witnesses had reported seeing the barriers at the level crossing down at the time of the collision, although that was not confirmed.
The bus, which had left the Christian Bourquin College in Millas, was on the crossing when it was hit by the train, which was travelling from Perpignan. Visibility was described as good.
Four children died at the scene on Thursday. At one point local authorities said two 11-year-old girls had succumbed to their injuries on Friday morning, but later denied this report.
Some 30 people were on the regional train at the time.
Pictures from the scene showed the school bus sheared in two
Investigators are waiting to interview the driver of the bus. She was slightly injured in the crash. The train driver also escaped serous injury.
Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie regional council, said the level crossing had been upgraded recently and appeared to have been in very good condition. "The level crossing was very visible," she said. SNCF said it had an automatic barrier with standard signals and was not considered particularly dangerous.
But the grandmother of an injured 11-year-old girl who had been on the bus told a very different story. The girl said the barrier had not come down but remained raised. "The red lights that normally flash did not come on," she said. "The [bus] driver went through and stopped half way, and that's where the train crashed into it."
Rail operator SNCF has modernised level crossings across France in recent years, following numerous accidents, the BBC's Chris Bockman reports from Toulouse.
More than 150 emergency workers and four helicopters were deployed as part of the rescue effort.
Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne called the crash a "terrible accident" and Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer was due to visit a counselling centre set up at the Christian Bourquin College on Friday.
A statement from the education minister's office said he would visit "to support students, families, teachers and the entire educational community".
In a tweet, French President Emmanuel Macron offered his condolences: "All my thoughts for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families. The state is fully mobilised to help them."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42358075
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Grenfell memorial: Key moments - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Survivors of the tower fire which claimed 71 lives attend a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral.
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Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have attended a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, alongside members of the Royal Family.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42361323
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Grenfell fire: Worrying number of PTSD cases among survivors and locals - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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A unique NHS service helping Grenfell survivors has found high levels of mental trauma.
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UK
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A large proportion of the people living in buildings close to Grenfell Tower show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), six months after the tragedy, which killed 71 people, the NHS says.
Caused by very stressful or distressing events, PTSD can lead to nightmares and flashbacks, with sufferers often feeling isolated, irritable and guilty.
So far, about 1,000 people have been screened for symptoms, with the number of PTSD sufferers at the highest end of a range of expectations after comparing it to other recent tragedies such as terror attacks.
Overall, the NHS believes that as many as 11,000 people - including survivors, witnesses and the bereaved - could be suffering from the psychological impact of the fire, which took many hours to be brought under control.
It anticipates that thousands of these people will need therapy.
A special team of more than 50 therapists and 20 outreach workers has been established, called the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, in what the NHS says is its largest ever mental health response to a traumatic event.
More than 500 people have already attended sessions with NHS therapists to treat symptoms of anxiety and PTSD. So far, 150 children have completed or are having continuing therapy.
"I'm not coping," one woman told an outreach worker.
She lives in a flat in what is known as the walkways - right next to the burnt-out shell of Grenfell Tower, a potent and ever-present symbol of the fire.
Her eyes filling with tears, she said she was having flashbacks and was struggling to sleep but had begun to get therapy, which was helping.
"I thought I would cope, but I can't because the tower is still there. It's a big reminder, which you can't forget."
The outreach work involves teams of NHS staff going door to door, working outwards from Grenfell Tower.
They ask each person how they are feeling and look for signs of trauma. If appropriate, they complete an on-the-spot PTSD questionnaire.
They call it "street-screening", and so far staff have screened about 1,000 people living close to the tower.
The rates of PTSD picked up by the screening range from 75% of those screened in the buildings nearest the tower to 40% in buildings a little further away.
But rates vary considerably from building to building.
The plan is to continue street-screening outwards from the tower until the PTSD rate drops.
But there are dozens of high-rise buildings, some miles away from Grenfell Tower, that had a clear line of sight to the burning building, and whose residents may also have been affected.
The teams have also screened survivors from Grenfell Tower, most of whom are still living in hotels. I joined two outreach workers as they spoke to one survivor.
"I'm feeling down, not depressed, but down."
"Is that every day, every other day, or for several days?"
The man lived on the 13th floor, with his wife, son and daughter. The whole family survived.
The other family members are getting counselling, but he felt he didn't need help. Six months on, he's now changed his mind.
The family owned a leasehold flat in the tower, and he says the continuing process of seeking compensation from Kensington and Chelsea Council has made him feel increasingly anxious.
"I tried to prove to myself that I can manage without [counselling], but I think it's the right time now to ask for help.
"I've felt a bit sad, and I don't want to give up just because I'm not well. I have the feeling it's better to give up - that's the reason I'm going to accept some help."
Kensington and Chelsea Council says it is doing all it can to ensure survivors and local residents have access to the mental health support they need.
The outreach team is dealing with numerous logistical challenges, including incomplete lists of survivors living in temporary accommodation and frequently changing council key-workers who are meant to be the main point of contact with survivors.
The team has even had to provide therapy to key-workers who have themselves become traumatised by their work.
The Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service is the first response of its kind
It's all been an unusual challenge for the NHS.
"I think the outreach model is completely unique," said Emma Kennedy, from the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service.
"Seeking out people, bringing them in, and walking through the journey of therapy with them, hasn't been tried in any other service in terms of disaster response."
People who score highly enough under the street-screening tool for PTSD or anxiety are referred to therapists for counselling, often a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or another talking therapy.
She said many had not been able to process their memories of what had happened on the night of the fire, because of the extreme stress they had been under as they had tried to escape the burning building.
"The memory evolves like a multi-sensory video which can be re-triggered at any time."
"People might start to get clips of what they saw, what they heard - even smelt, tasted, felt - on that night coming back to them in the months and years afterwards, and that can be very distressing."
One Grenfell resident now experiences those feelings whenever he goes downstairs.
"They actually smell smoke, and have the same fear they felt that night."
Treating PTSD of this type involves a process known as reliving - having the patient talk through these experiences in minute detail in order to update the memory in a safe environment.
I joined one patient, who asked to remain anonymous, during a CBT session. He witnessed the fire and lost three close family members in it.
"When doing therapy, you're basically writing down what you've got in your head, but you're also re-writing what you've got in your head in a way that you're able to deal with," he said.
"It most definitely put things into perspective for me, in terms of filtering the important thoughts and using them to move forward with my life."
Many people living in the area say the constant physical presence of the gutted shell of the tower itself triggers flashbacks.
Alastair Bailey, a consultant clinical psychologist who runs the adult part of the service, says it's a very difficult reminder for people.
"There's been a lot of support in the local community, and that's a really helpful thing.
"But there's another thing which is not so helpful in terms of developing trauma, and that's called rumination, which is going over what's happened to you again and again. Both things have occurred."
The service expects to continue offering therapy for years to come, as PTSD can sometimes take years to develop.
About £7m has been budgeted for the NHS health response this year, and up to £10m will be needed next year.
The Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service is a free and confidential NHS service for children and adults affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
You can access the service at The Curve, 4 Bard Road, W10 6TP between 10:00 and 20:00 every day.
You can also call 0800 0234 650 (lines open 24/7), email cnw-tr.spa@nhs.net or if you are deaf or have a hearing impairment, you can use the Next Generation Text Service on 18001 0800 0234 650.
• None Self refer to the Grenfell health and wellbeing service The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42338725
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Concern over 'remote supervision' of offenders by phone - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Widespread use of the practice in England and Wales is not acceptable, says watchdog report.
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UK
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Thousands of offenders given community sentences are being supervised via a phone call every six weeks, the chief probation inspector has said.
In a report, Dame Glenys Stacey said widespread use of the practice in England and Wales was "not acceptable".
The findings also revealed some junior probation officers had 200 cases at once. Dame Glenys said poor supervision was "a risk to the public".
The government said supervision by phone was only for low-risk cases.
But it acknowledged that improvements were needed to raise the standard of probation services.
The government's probation reforms, known as Transforming Rehabilitation, launched three years ago and split offender supervision between a state-run service and 21 privately-operated companies.
It created the National Probation Service (NPS) to deal with high-risk offenders, while Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) were assigned low and medium-risk cases.
An offender given a community sentence may be required to undertake unpaid work or attend a government-sanctioned programme.
In her annual report, Dame Glenys said the government's probation reforms had created a "two-tier and fragmented" system in which the private companies were "struggling" and she questioned whether the probation system could "deliver sufficiently well".
Dame Glenys Stacey became the chief probation inspector in March 2016
It revealed some offenders were only met once before being placed on "remote supervision" by private probation providers.
That could amount to no more than a telephone call every six weeks, with no further face-to-face meetings taking place.
Inspectors said the calls were little more than "checking in" and made it difficult to assess any change in the risk posed to the public.
These arrangements are allowed under the terms of the contracts, but the report emphasised that face-to-face work was vital.
It also found that inexperienced probation staff were responsible for monitoring 200 offenders each, when the recommended maximum number is 60.
Dame Glenys said: "I find it inexplicable that, under the banner of innovation, these developments were allowed.
"We should all be concerned, given the rehabilitation opportunities missed, and the risks to the public if individuals are not supervised well."
Jacob Tas, chief executive of social justice charity Nacro, said there had been almost daily reports of problems and called for the government to act "urgently" to address failings.
It is hard to see this report as anything other than a damning indictment of the probation reforms introduced in 2014, by Chris Grayling, when he was justice secretary.
The 113-page document details how the privatised part of the new system simply is not functioning properly, with unmanageable caseloads and supervision-by-phone the most glaring examples.
The significance of these failings should not be under-estimated.
Successful rehabilitation hinges on having a relationship of trust between offender and probation officer. That is exceptionally difficult if they are not in regular face-to-face contact.
The findings will also do little to inspire confidence in community sentences at a time when the government is encouraging judges and magistrates to consider non-custodial alternatives to the more costly option of imprisonment.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42343937
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NHS in England told to reveal avoidable deaths data - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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Most NHS trusts in England will publish information on deaths caused by failings in patient care by 2018.
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Health
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The NHS in England is to become the first healthcare system in the world to publish figures on avoidable patient deaths, the health secretary has said.
By the end of 2017, some 170 out of 223 trusts will publish data on deaths they believe could have been prevented.
It is estimated there are up to 9,000 deaths in hospitals each year caused by failings in NHS care.
The Department for Health said it wanted to ensure the NHS learned lessons from every case.
There is no standard definition of an avoidable death and each hospital trust makes its own judgment.
The data released by the organisations will include details of reviews and investigations into deaths, and information on any action taken as a result.
As part of the release from more than three quarters of England's trusts, families of patients will also be given full explanations over relatives' deaths.
These explanations, the department says, will be used to support bereaved relatives and carers, and will ensure they are treated with empathy, compassion and respect.
Out of a total of around 240,000 deaths in hospital, the government says there are between 1,200 and 9,000 deaths each year caused by problems with care.
Two cases highlighted by the government are that of 18-year-old Connor Sparrowhawk and one-year-old William Mead.
In 2013, Connor Sparrowhawk died in the care of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust at Slade House in Oxford. The trust has accepted his death was "entirely preventable".
Meanwhile, an NHS England report into the death of William Mead said he might have lived if 111 call handlers had realised the seriousness of his condition.
William, from Cornwall, died of blood poisoning after a chest infection.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents trusts in England, said it was "right" that patient safety was made a priority.
"It is important this work is carried forward in the spirit of learning and sharing good practice, rather than recriminations," he said.
Some avoidable deaths are deemed to have occurred among terminally-ill patients who might have lived longer if they had spent their final weeks at home - and Mr Hopson added too many patients were still dying in hospital.
Announcing the roll-out, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said each trust was being asked to use the same methodology to determine whether a death was preventable or not.
But he added the data released could not be used to rank trusts against each other because of different reporting procedures used when mistakes happened.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today: "It's about hospitals creating a culture which makes it easy for staff on the frontline to say, 'look, something went wrong; I think it could have had a different outcome and we need to learn from this so it doesn't happen again'."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42347942
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Special-needs pupils 'struggle' with new tests - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Primary school league tables show pupils with special needs are dropping further behind their classmates.
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Family & Education
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Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in England are dropping further behind their classmates in national primary school tests, statistics show.
The gap between SEN pupils and their peers has risen from 48 percentage points in 2016 to 52 this year.
The figures are revealed in school league tables, published by the Department for Education (DfE), showing the results of about 16,000 primaries.
Head teachers say special-needs education funding is in crisis.
The government statistics show 18% of children with SEN reached the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 70% of their peers without special needs.
Although SEN pupils' results edged upwards on last year, when 14% made the grade, their non-SEN peers boosted their results more dramatically from 62% to 70%.
Teachers have been warning that pupils with special needs, such as mild autism or dyslexia, would struggle in the tougher tests introduced last year.
A National Association of Head Teachers' spokesman said it was "one of those situations where money is the solution and schools need the government's help".
The tables also showed disadvantaged pupils still perform far worse than all other pupils in England, with around half passing the tests, compared to nearly two-thirds of non-disadvantaged.
The gap between the two groups of pupils is now as wide as it was in 2012 at about 20 percentage points.
However, there does appear to be a small catch-up (one percentage point) in poorer pupils' attainment on 2016 when the tougher tests were introduced and results for all pupils dipped significantly.
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: "This data is a useful indication of school performance but it is not the whole story. One thing it does do, though, is confirm what NAHT has been saying for a long time about social mobility.
"Raising the Key Stage 2 standard (Sats test) was not going to help close the gap. The issues that underpin inequality reach far beyond the school gates and exist throughout the communities that schools serve."
But Schools Minister Nick Gibb hailed the achievements of pupils and teachers, saying they had responded well to the more rigorous curriculum.
This set of pupils was the first to benefit from the government's new approach to phonics, he said.
"Pupils are now leaving primary school better prepared for the rigours of secondary school and for future success in their education," Mr Gibb added.
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Overall, pupils have scored better in their Sats results than last year, which was the first year of the new tests.
The DfE said this was partly because of "increased familiarity" with the new tests.
There was a nine percentage point increase in the proportion of black pupils passing the tests, to 60% - just one percentage point behind the national average and white pupils.
The top five local authorities were all London boroughs, with Richmond upon Thames at the top, Kensington and Chelsea coming second and Bromley third.
The inner city boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Hackney have claimed the fourth and fifth spots.
In 1999, Hackney, which had been one of the worst performing boroughs, became the first local education authority to be taken out of council control.
In this year's tests across England, local authority schools slightly outperformed academies and free schools, with 62% of their schools reaching the expected standard compared with 61% of academies and free schools.
In all, 511 schools - 4% of the total - have fallen beneath the government's expectations or "floor standard", where fewer than 65% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics and the school did not achieve sufficient progress scores in all three subjects.
This is an improvement on last year, where 665 - 5% - primaries were found wanting.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42353456
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Ashes: No evidence of corruption in third Test after fixing claims - ICC - BBC Sport
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2017-12-14
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There is "no evidence" that the third Ashes Test between Australia and England has been "corrupted", says the International Cricket Council.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
There is "no evidence" that the third Ashes Test between Australia and England in Perth has been "corrupted", says the International Cricket Council.
The Sun claimed Indian bookmakers offered to fix aspects of the match.
"We have now received all materials relating to The Sun investigation," said Alex Marshall, the ICC general manager anti-corruption.
"There is no indication that any players in this Test have been in contact with the alleged fixers."
The Test started on Thursday at 02:30 GMT, with Australia leading 2-0 in the series. They will regain the Ashes if they win any of the final three matches.
The Sun reported that a gang, working with an Australian called 'the Silent Man', was charging up to £138,000 to influence the game.
No England players were named as being involved but the gang claimed to have recruited one former Australian player.
England captain Joe Root, who said he had been "made aware" of the claims, told BBC Test Match Special: "It's very sad that this has been written about.
"We've got to focus on this Test match and do everything we can to win it."
Australia skipper Steve Smith said: "As far as I know, there's nothing that's been going on or anything like that. There's no place for that in our game."
It is unclear how the bookmakers proposed to fix the Test, although, according to the newspaper, one told Sun investigators he could "get players to follow 'scripts' - such as how many runs would be scored in a session, or an innings, when a wicket will fall and what a team would do if it won the toss".
Marshall added: "We take the allegations extremely seriously and they will be investigated by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit working with anti-corruption colleagues from member countries."The allegations are wide-ranging and relate to various forms cricket in several countries, including T20 tournaments."
An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: "We are aware of these allegations and there is no suggestion that any of the England team is involved in any way."
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said: "Cricket Australia, the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board have a very strong stance against corruption.
"Any credible allegations will be taken very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and we take seriously any allegation that threaten to undermine the integrity of our sport."
Based on the information in the dossier received from the newspaper, Sutherland said: "There's no evidence, substance or justification to suspect that this Test match or the Ashes series as a whole is subject to corrupt activities."
He said Cricket Australia had "full confidence" in its players.
• None What difference does an extra 5mph make for a fast bowler?
• None Cruel comedy and eviscerations - England's misery at the Waca
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42346990
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Theresa May 'dancing to EU's tune' over Brexit, says Farage - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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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: Man in court charged with murder - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A third person charged over the deaths of four children has appeared in court.
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Manchester
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Four siblings died as a result of the fire and their mother is in a coma in hospital
A third person charged with murder over the deaths of four children in a house fire in Salford has appeared in court.
David Worrall, 25, of no fixed address, who has also been charged with arson and attempted murder, appeared before Manchester and Salford magistrates.
He will appear at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, alongside Zak Bolland, 23, and Courtney Brierley, 20, both of Worsley, who face similar charges.
Four siblings aged three to 15 died as a result of the blaze on Monday.
Demi Pearson, 15, died at the scene on Jackson Street in Walkden. Her brother and sister, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died later in hospital.
Their mother Michelle, 35, is in a coma in a serious condition in hospital and unaware of their deaths.
The fire started at the house on Jackson Street in Walkden at 05:00 GMT on Monday
Two 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, managed to escape the blaze, which broke out at about 05:00 GMT.
Mr Worrall spoke only to confirm his name, age, nationality and that he was of no fixed address. He is accused of four counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and one count of arson with intent to endanger life.
Mr Worrall, Mr Bolland and Ms Brierley have all been remanded in custody until the preliminary hearing on Friday.
Both Mr Bolland and Ms Brierley were due to appear at the crown court on Thursday but their hearing was postponed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42349685
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UVF killer Haggarty shot Catholic to hide double life - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Loyalist paramilitaries decided who would carry out a shooting by flipping a coin, a court hears.
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Northern Ireland
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The most senior loyalist ever to agree to become a so-called supergrass volunteered to kill a Catholic to cover up the fact he was an informer.
Sean McParland died after being shot while babysitting in Belfast in 1994.
The Ulster Volunteer Force was to decide the identity of the killer by flipping a coin, Belfast Crown Court heard.
But Gary Haggarty volunteered to be the "primary gunman" because he feared he was suspected of being a police agent.
The intended target was a relative of Mr McParland, who was 55.
Haggarty, an ex-commander of the UVF's north Belfast unit, was working as a paid Special Branch agent at the time of the killing.
He worked as an informer for 13 years.
In January 2010, he offered to become a supergrass - officially referred to as an assisting offender - and offered to give evidence against other UVF members he said were also involved in the crimes he committed.
Haggarty, 45, a long-time police informer, has pleaded guilty to 202 terror offences, including five murders, as his part of a controversial state deal that offered a significantly reduced prison term in return for giving evidence against other terrorist suspects.
The two-day sentencing hearing is expected to conclude on Thursday.
Haggarty is likely to be given mandatory life sentences for each of the murders he has admitted.
But he will also receive a significant reduction in his sentence in return for the amount of information he has provided as an assisting offender.
Mr Justice Colton will make that decision based on the information put before him during the hearing.
It is not clear when the sentence is likely to be imposed.
Haggarty is to be the star prosecution witness in the trial of a man accused of murdering Catholic workmen Gary Convie and Eamon Fox in Belfast city centre in May 1994.
But before he can give evidence he must first be sentenced for his own crimes.
Gary Haggarty was the commander of the Ulster Volunteer Force's north Belfast unit
That formal process began on Wednesday when a prosecution lawyer outlined some of the details of Haggarty's confessions to police.
In one of the biggest and most complex cases undertaken in Northern Ireland, he was interviewed by detectives more than 1,000 times and the information he gave them ran beyond 12,000 pages.
The extent of his criminal activities is staggering.
As well as pleading guilty to 202 crimes, he asked that 301 others be taken into consideration.
In addition to the killing of Sean McParland, he also admitted the murders of:
Relatives of some of the victims were in court on Wednesday as a prosecution lawyer spent more than four hours outlining the extent of Haggarty's activities.
He included harrowing details of some of the incidents.
The judge was told how three of Sean McParland's young grandchildren ran screaming from his house in Skegoneill Avenue when the UVF burst in to kill him.
Eamon Fox and Gary Convie were shot dead while eating their lunch at a building site in 1994
In police interviews, Haggarty said he shot the 55-year-old in the chest from close range.
He had planned to fire another five bullets into his chest, but could not do so because his gun jammed.
The prosecution lawyer said Haggarty, who was promoted within the UVF after the shooting, expressed regret during interviews after agreeing to become a supergrass.
"He said he is sorry, it was the wrong person killed, he is sorry for the kids that were there," said the lawyer.
The court was also told that Haggarty acknowledged that two more of his victims, Eamon Fox and Gary Convie, were innocent men and not republicans as claimed by the UVF at the time.
"He said he did not believe they were republicans, but just soft easy targets," added the lawyer.
Kieran Fox, one of Eamon Fox's six children, was one of the relatives in court as the details of Haggarty's litany of crimes was outlined, and welcomed the admission.
"To hear that Haggarty has admitted before they actually carried out the shooting that my dad and Gary were both innocent, that they were not republicans as they claimed at the time, it was nice to hear that part," he said.
The court also heard harrowing details about the extent of injuries to John Harbinson.
The dead man's son was also in the public gallery but left shortly after details of the injuries were described.
Haggarty was involved in abducting Mr Harbinson, but told police he thought he was going to be beaten and shot in the legs, rather than killed.
The hearing will continue on Thursday, when a lawyer representing Gary Haggarty will outline details he gave his police handlers during 13 years as an informer.
He is said to have provided information on:
Prosecutors have said Haggarty's evidence is insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction against 11 other suspected UVF members and two former police intelligence officers, allegedly his then handlers.
The police bristle at the very mention of the word supergrass, because of its association with a series of high-profile trials in the 1980s.
Hundreds of republicans and loyalists were convicted on the word of informers and suspects who agreed to give evidence in return for reduced sentences, new identities and lives outside Northern Ireland.
Those deals were done at a political level, with the details kept secret.
Technically, those individuals were assisting offenders but they became known as "touts" and "supergrasses" in communities.
The system collapsed in 1985 because of concerns about the credibility of the evidence provided by the supergrasses.
Members of the judiciary complained that they were being used as political tools to implement government security policy.
A change in law in 2005 implemented safeguards for trials of that kind.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42337250
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Britain First's Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen arrested - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jayda Fransen re-arrested after appearing in court while Paul Golding was arrested outside the courtroom.
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Northern Ireland
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Jayda Fransen and Paul Golding outside the courtroom in Belfast on Thursday
The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First has been re-arrested after appearing in a Belfast court over a speech she gave in the city.
Jayda Fransen, 31, of Anerley, south-east London, was in court over two charges relating to behaviour intended to or likely to stir up hatred.
Her lawyer told the court that she intended to plead not guilty.
Britain First leader Paul Golding, 35, was also arrested outside the courtroom before the hearing.
Mr Golding was accompanying Ms Fransen to the hearing.
The police confirmed they have arrested a 35-year-old man as part of their investigation into the "Northern Ireland Against Terrorism" rally in August.
It is believed Ms Fransen has been re-arrested over social media posts she made from a peace wall in Belfast on Wednesday.
Peace walls are used to separate Catholic and Protestant residents in areas where tension between the two communities can run high.
The Britain First leader Paul Golding was alongside his deputy as she arrived at court.
But instead of accompanying her into the courtroom, Mr Golding was detained by detectives and taken to a nearby police station.
Britain First supporters holding a demonstration outside the court building
Ms Fransen spoke only once in the dock - to confirm she understood the charges against her.
A small group of supporters were in Belfast Magistrates Court - and after Ms Fransen was re-arrested, they staged a short but angry demonstration, holding placards and chanting in front of the media gathered outside the building.
The police confirmed that a 31-year-old woman had been arrested as part of an investigation into "an incident at a peace wall".
Ms Fransen, whose anti-Islamic social media posts were retweeted by US President Donald Trump in November, appeared in the dock at Belfast Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
The court ordered her not to go within 500m of any demonstration or parade in Northern Ireland as part of her release on bail.
A detective told the court that a "Free Speech for Jayda" rally was planned to take place last weekend and was postponed because of snow.
"We have concerns there would be further offences and also concerns about public order," the detective said.
Prosecutors has also sought curbs on Ms Fransen's social media use but the judge expressed doubts over whether the court's jurisdiction extended that far.
Ms Fransen is due to return to court on 9 January.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42351026
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Bank sees boost from Brexit progress - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Bank of England says progress in Brexit talks is likely to boost household and business confidence.
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Business
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The Bank of England says confidence among households and businesses is likely to be supported by last week's progress in Brexit talks.
Last week the European Union agreed that sufficient progress had been made in Brexit negotiations to allow progress to the next stage and to put in place a transition period from 2019.
The Bank said that would reduce the likelihood of a "disorderly" Brexit.
Bank policy makers have also agreed to keep interest rates on hold at 0.5%.
In minutes from the latest meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the Bank said that since its previous meeting in early November there had been two "significant events": the Autumn Budget and progress in Brexit talks.
Last week's agreement between the UK and the European Union would "reduce the likelihood of a disorderly exit, and was likely to support household and corporate confidence," the MPC said.
However, it said the reaction of households, businesses and markets to developments on Brexit talks "remain the most significant influence on, and source of uncertainty about, the economic outlook".
Since their last meeting, members of the MPC have also assessed the potential impact of the November's Autumn Budget.
They believe it will lift the level of GDP by 0.3% by 2020, as Chancellor Philip Hammond eased up on austerity measures.
On Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index hit 3.1% in November, the highest rate in nearly six years.
That rise above 3% means Bank of England governor Mark Carney has to write to the government and explain why inflation is so far above the target of 2%.
That letter will be revealed along with the Bank's next Quarterly Inflation report, next February.
The MPC today repeated its view that inflation was "likely to be close to its peak".
The Bank argues that the main reason behind rising inflation has been the decline in value of the pound, which fell sharply in June 2016 when the UK voted to leave the European Union.
Although the pound has recovered in recent months, it is still about 10% lower against the dollar and the euro, which makes imported goods, food and raw materials more expensive.
Last month the MPC decided to raise interest rates for the first time in 10 years.
It attributed the 0.25% rise to record-low unemployment, rising inflation and stronger global growth.
It also indicated there would be two more rises over the next three years.
In the minutes from its latest meeting the Bank said "modest" increases in interest rates would be needed over the next few years, but repeated previous promises that those rises would be "gradual and to a limited extent".
Higher interest rates have a big impact on the economy.
Of the 8.1 million households with a mortgage, 3.7 million - or 46% - are on either a standard variable rate or a tracker rate - which generally move in line with the official bank rate.
A move higher can also give savers a lift as High Street banks generally have to raise their rates of interest.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42352623
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Grenfell Fire: Grief remains raw at St Paul's memorial - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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There were a huge range of emotions at the St Paul's Cathedral service to remember the 71 Grenfell fire victims.
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UK
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Six months on from the Grenfell Tower fire, the grief and anger of those affected is still visibly raw.
Underneath the sadness there was dismay that many of the survivors attending the national memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral are still homeless.
And while those who died in the fire were remembered, there was also comment on what has taken place since - and what more importantly still needs to be done.
On a cold and crisp December morning, there was a noticeable silence around St Paul's as people stopped to reflect.
The poignant lull continued as survivors, friends and families of those affected by the fire quietly began to make their way into the cathedral.
This silence was only broken when the majestic bells of St Paul's tolled across the City of London at 10:30.
At the same time a spontaneous ripple of applause broke out from the crowd as firefighters made their way up the cathedral steps.
Many held white roses along with photographs of loved ones
It was a sign of the gratitude for the efforts of the emergency services on the night of 14 June.
The bells continued to chime for 30 minutes, a mark of respect to the 71 who died in Grenfell Tower.
And it is clear why the survivors chose St Paul's, a cathedral where so many services of national significance have taken place over the years.
One mourner, Damel Carayol, 55, who lost his 44-year-old cousin Mary Mandy in the fire, said the service was needed and the venue fitting.
The service was held at St Paul's Cathedral, in central London
"It recognises the tragedy on a national level," he said.
"It's a step, but the biggest step will be accountability."
And while the service was being held it became apparent that the anger and uncertainty on display in the aftermath of the fire remained.
There are currently dozens of households still stuck in hotels.
Outside St Paul's, Prof Chris Imafidon said he knows of 20 people who lost everything in the fire.
"It is a very sad day," he said. "But the families want a service from the council, not a church service.
"This is just a big distraction from the fact that six months on many families are still homeless and will be spending Christmas in a hotel," he said.
There was another moment of reflection after the service finished.
Hundreds of relatives and survivors gathered on the steps of St Paul's, displaying single white roses and photographs of those who perished.
Some survivors then went straight back to their hotels.
But there was then a range of emotions on display as others moved on to St Paul's churchyard.
Visibly upset, they hugged and consoled each other, while some continued to vent their anger and speak of feeling neglected.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42357708
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White House contradicts Tillerson on North Korea, adding to confusion - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The secretary of state appears to have been contradicted by the White House and his own department.
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US & Canada
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Rex Tillerson is reportedly an increasingly marginalised figure as secretary of state
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appears to have been contradicted by the White House and his own department, after suggesting the US had softened its position on talks with North Korea.
Mr Tillerson said on Tuesday that he was ready to open dialogue with Pyongyang, without preconditions.
But within a day, the White House and State Department had reiterated the administration's hard line, stressing that North Korea must first commit to abandoning its nuclear weapons.
The mixed messages mark the third time in recent months that Mr Tillerson has been publicly at odds with the White House.
Speaking at a policy forum in Washington DC on Tuesday, the secretary of state told the audience: "We've said from the diplomatic side we're ready to talk any time North Korea, would like to talk, and we're ready to have the first meeting without precondition."
He added: "Let's just meet and let's talk about the weather if you want and talk about whether it's going to be a square table or a round table if that's what you're excited about."
In response to the remarks, an unnamed White House official told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday: "The administration is united in insisting that any negotiations with North Korea must wait until the regime fundamentally improves its behavior.
"As the secretary of state himself has said, this must include, but is not limited to, no further nuclear or missile tests."
And Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the State Department, tweeted to reiterate the administration position that preconditions apply regarding North Korea's nuclear programme.
She said: "Our policy on #DPRK has not changed. Diplomacy is our top priority through our maximum pressure campaign.
"We remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a serious & credible dialogue on the peaceful denuclearization, but that time is not now."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How could war with North Korea unfold?
The contradiction is the latest clash between the White House and the secretary of state.
In August, then-White House advisor Sebastian Gorka criticised Mr Tillerson after the secretary of state attempted to moderate President Trump's remarks on North Korea.
"The idea that Secretary Tillerson is going to discuss military matters is simply nonsensical, it is the job of Secretary Mattis, the secretary of defence, to talk about military matters," Mr Gorka told the BBC.
Then in September, after Mr Tillerson said he had established direct lines of communication with Pyongyang, the president accused the secretary of "wasting his time".
"Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!" Mr Trump tweeted.
Mr Trump has been widely reported to be considering replacing Mr Tillerson, a former chief executive of energy giant Exxon Mobil. But the president has called the reports fake news.
Mr Tillerson has also defended the Obama administration deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, which Mr Trump has railed against and sought to overturn.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42347671
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Salford house fire: Lia Pearson dies in hospital - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Three-year-old Lia Pearson died after the fire - thought to have been a targeted attack - in Salford.
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Manchester
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A three-year-old girl has become the fourth child to die after a house fire which also killed three of her siblings.
Lia Pearson was left critically ill after the blaze in Walkden, Salford, on Monday. She died in hospital.
Demi, 15, died at the scene on Jackson Street. Her brother and sister, Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died later in hospital.
Posting on Facebook, Sandra Lever, who described Lia as her "beautiful granddaughter", said she "had passed away peacefully".
Two people have been charged with the murder of the three older children.
Zac Bolland, 23, and Courtney Brierley, 20, both of Worsley, Salford, were also charged with arson and four counts of attempted murder.
One of the charges of attempted murder is likely to be changed to murder following Lia's death, Greater Manchester Police said.
Mr Bolland and Ms Brierley were remanded in custody when they appeared before magistrates.
Any new charges would be heard when they next appear at Manchester Crown Court, police added.
Brandon and Lacie died in hospital on Monday
Two 16-year-olds - who can not be named for legal reasons - in the house at the time of the blaze which broke out at about 05:00 GMT 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).
Michelle Pearson is in a serious condition in hospital
Four children aged 15, eight, seven, and three, died in the blaze
Demi Pearson, 15, was a pupil at Harrop Fold School in Salford
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-42344252
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Labour reprimands Kezia Dugdale over I'm a Celebrity - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scottish Labour gives its former leader a written warning over her appearance on the reality TV show.
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Scotland politics
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Ms Dugdale made no comment to journalists when she returned to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday afternoon
Scottish Labour has given its former leader a written warning over her controversial appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
But the party said Kezia Dugdale would face no further disciplinary action after her stint on the reality TV show.
Ms Dugdale flew into Glasgow Airport from Australia just before midday.
She then met party bosses, including her successor Richard Leonard, and was formally reprimanded over her "unauthorised absence".
Ms Dugdale later arrived at Holyrood in time for a vote at 17:00, and made no comment to waiting journalists when she left the chamber a short time later.
A statement subsequently released by Scottish Labour said Ms Dugdale had been interviewed by its parliamentary group executive.
Ms Dugdale insisted she had used her time in the jungle to promote Labour values
The statement added: "Following a discussion between Richard Leonard, Kezia Dugdale, and the group executive, it has been decided that the group will reprimand Ms Dugdale by way of written warning. She will not face further action."
It quoted Ms Dugdale as saying that she had "deep regret" that her appearance on the reality show had "caused issues in the first weeks of Richard Leonard's leadership", and that she was now "getting back to work".
Ms Dugdale, who faced criticism over her three-week absence from the Scottish Parliament while appearing on the show, had earlier said it was "good to be back" in Scotland as she arrived at the airport,
The MSP was the second contestant to be voted off the ITV show, which was won by Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo.
She spent a week in Australia after being evicted from the jungle - and has pledged to donate a percentage of her appearance fee to charity, but has not said exactly how much.
She took her seat in the Holyrood chamber in time for a vote at the end of the day's business
Voting statistics released by the programme showed that Ms Dugdale won just 1.67% of the votes on the day she was evicted.
As she arrived in Glasgow, Ms Dugdale said the experience was one she was never going to forget.
The politician, who remained in Australia until after the programme's final on Sunday, had said she wanted to use her appearance to reach out to young people about political values.
Asked if she felt she had in fact promoted Labour values she replied: "I did so in the jungle and will continue to do so."
Ms Dugdale arrived back in Glasgow earlier on Wednesday after three weeks in Australia
Ms Dugdale, who was not suspended despite fierce criticism from some within Scottish Labour, has acknowledged she has "a bit of work to do to make amends".
She previously told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme it was difficult to seek approval for her appearance on the show during the leadership contest between Richard Leonard and Anas Sarwar.
The election, triggered by her resignation in August, was won by Mr Leonard - who immediately expressed his disappointment at Ms Dugdale's decision, which was made public just hours before the leadership result was announced.
Mr Leonard said at the time that the party would consider suspending Ms Dugdale - but UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he did not believe suspension would be appropriate.
After being voted out on the jungle, Ms Dugdale said: "I do understand that it's controversial, I do understand there are lots of people at home that are unhappy that I've taken part in this programme and I've got a bit of work to do to make amends.
"But please don't doubt the fact that I'm devoted to the Labour Party, I love my job and I think I'm better-placed to do it for a long time now having had this experience."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42342209
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Brexit vote: Total silence - then disbelief - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ministers looked like they felt sick as the government's Brexit bill defeat was announced.
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UK Politics
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The Tory rebels, and the government, believed that a last-minute panicked concession from the government side had walked Theresa May back from the brink of defeat.
Frantic conversations between the government, the whips, the party managers and their MPs who were tempted to rebel had been taking place all day.
We saw cabinet ministers take MPs aside - for just a quiet chat of course - in the closing moments of the vote.
And during the voting, which always takes about 15 minutes, some of those who were tempted tweeted that they had decided to abstain - the last minute promise from the minister, Dominic Raab, had changed their minds or delayed the clash.
We saw as one of the possible rebels, a new Scottish MP, Paul Masterton, was cajoled by the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson (the chief whip until weeks ago) - then after the conversation, picked up his mobile phone and tweeted that he was going to abstain. But the arm twisting and arguments failed.
As the MPs who count the votes made their way to the Speaker's chair, the opposition teller made their way to the outside of the despatch box.
It's a physical signal of telling MPs who has won before the official announcement takes place. As that happened the House of Commons erupted - well at least the Labour side.
Ministers looked like they felt sick. The deputy speaker had to call for silence so the chamber could hear the actual result.
Total silence, and then disbelief as the result was read out. The government had been beaten after all, by only four votes.
It's the first time that Theresa May has been defeated on her own business in the Commons. She has to front up in Brussels tomorrow with other EU leaders only hours after an embarrassing loss in Parliament.
Beyond the red faces in government tonight, does it really matter? Ministers tonight are divided on that. Two cabinet ministers have told me while it's disappointing it doesn't really matter in the big picture.
It's certainly true that the Tory party is so divided over how we leave the EU that the Parliamentary process was always going to be very, very choppy.
But another minister told me the defeat is "bad for Brexit" and was openly frustrated and worried about their colleagues' behaviour.
It's possible too that it was a miscalculation that could have been avoided. Had the minister at the despatch box put forward the concession even a few hours earlier, that tiny number of votes might have gone the other way.
This is only the first big piece of legislation related to our withdrawal from the EU and it has run into trouble.
And one of the leading Tory rebels predicted the government will have to drop one of its other plans, to put a Brexit date in the withdrawal bill, next week.
The broader risk for May is not just that she will have to budge on this particular issue, but that the small group of rebels in the Tory party is strengthened by actually having had this kind of impact - and the opposition parties are already emboldened.
Theresa May had been having her first good week in many, many months. That brief respite just might have come to an end.
Stephen Hammond, one of the rebels, has just been sacked from his position as deputy Conservative Party chairman. Tonight, no-one is playing nice.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42346277
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Harvey Weinstein: Salma Hayek alleges he threatened to kill her - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Hollywood mogul said sexual allegations made by the Mexican actress are "not accurate"
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US & Canada
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Salma Hayek, seen here promoting Frida in 2003, which she starred in and co-produced
Actress Salma Hayek has described Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as a rage-fuelled "monster", alleging he sexually harassed and threatened her.
Writing in the New York Times, Hayek said Weinstein once told her: "I will kill you, don't think I can't."
Dozens of actresses, including Rose McGowan, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused Weinstein of harassment or assault.
Writing in the New York Times, Hayek, 51, described working with the film mogul on what she called her "greatest ambition" - telling the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
She wrote that, after striking a deal with Weinstein for the rights of the film that would eventually become 2002's Frida, she was forced to repeatedly refuse sexual advances.
"No to me taking a shower with him.
"No to letting him watch me take a shower.
"No to letting him give me a massage.
"No to letting a naked friend of his give me a massage.
"No to letting him give me oral sex.
"No to my getting naked with another woman," she wrote.
She went on to accuse him of threatening to shut the film down unless she filmed a nude sex scene with another actress.
"I had to take a tranquilizer, which eventually stopped the crying but made the vomiting worse," she wrote of her emotional turmoil at filming a scene she thought unnecessary.
"As you can imagine, this was not sexy, but it was the only way I could get through the scene."
Weinstein's spokeswoman said in a statement: "Mr Weinstein does not recall pressuring Salma to do a gratuitous sex scene with a female co-star and he was not there for the filming."
"All of the sexual allegations as portrayed by Salma are not accurate and others who witnessed the events have a different account of what transpired."
Frida would eventually gather six Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Hayek.
Mr Weinstein has been accused of rape, sexual assault and harassment, but has "unequivocally denied" any allegations of non-consensual relationships.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42344533
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Geminid meteor shower dazzles over northern hemisphere - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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If you missed the annual Geminid meteor shower, cameras captured the celestial display over China.
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Each December, the Geminid meteor shower illuminates the night sky with a massive display of shooting stars. Cameras over China captured the peak of the show.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42361133
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Drone smugglers caught on camera - BBC News
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2017-12-14
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The Ministry of Justice has released footage of a gang caught using a drone to deliver contraband to prisons.
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The Ministry of Justice has released footage of a gang caught using a drone to deliver contraband to prisons. The ringleader, Craig Hickinbottom, organised the flights from behind bars. He's been sentenced to an extra seven years and two months in jail.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42326764
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Church apology over Bishop George Bell abuse inquiry - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Former Bishop of Chichester George Bell was accused of sexual abuse decades after his death in 1958.
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Sussex
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George Bell was Bishop of Chichester from 1929 until his death in 1958
The Church of England has apologised to the relatives of a bishop for the way it investigated child abuse claims made against him decades after his death.
Former Bishop of Chichester George Bell, who died in 1958, was alleged to have repeatedly abused a young girl.
She made a formal complaint in 1995 and, 10 years later, won an apology and compensation from the Church.
A report into the handling of the case has criticised the Church's actions, describing its process as "deficient".
The current Bishop of Chichester the Right Reverend Martin Warner praised the "dignity and integrity" of Bishop Bell's accuser, but said the Church inquiry paid "inadequate attention to the rights of those who are dead".
In his review, Lord Carlile said the Church "failed to follow a process that was fair and equitable to both sides".
The allegations against George Bell were first made by the victim, known as "Carol", in 1995, but were not investigated or referred to the police.
She said the bishop began abusing her when she was five and molested her in Chichester Cathedral as she sat listening to stories.
Carol said the abuse continued for about four years.
In 2013, she wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at which point the matter was referred to police.
Two years later the Church paid £16,800 in an out of court settlement and apologised to Carol.
However, the "George Bell Group" of supporters of the former bishop sought and gained a review into how the Church arrived at that decision.
Lord Carlile criticised the Church response as "deficient" in a number of respects and said the most significant was that "it failed to follow a process that was fair and equitable to both sides".
He said the Church should be ready to acknowledge sexual abuse committed by the clergy - but that did not mean the reputations of the dead were without value.
The independent reviewer said even when alleged perpetrators had died there should be methodical and sufficient investigations.
He said in this case it was "clear that the Crown Prosecution Service evidential charging standard... would not have been met".
Making 15 recommendations, Lord Carlile concluded the Church, feeling it should be supportive of the complainant and transparent in its dealings, failed to engage in a process that gave proper consideration to the rights of the bishop.
The review recommended alleged perpetrators, living or dead, should not be identified unless adverse findings of fact are found, or it is in the public interest.
It said: "Whereas in this case the settlement is without admission of liability, the settlement generally should be with a confidentiality provision."
But the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: "The decision to publish his name was taken with immense reluctance, and all involved recognised the deep tragedy involved. However, we have to differ from Lord Carlile's point.
"The Church of England is committed to transparency and therefore we would take a different approach."
Bishop Warner said: "We welcome Lord Carlile's assessment of our processes, and apologise for failures in the work of the Core Group of national and diocesan officers and its inadequate attention to the rights of those who are dead.
"The emotive principle of innocent until proven guilty is a standard by which our actions are judged and we have to ensure as best we can that justice is seen to be done.
"Irrespective of whether she is technically a complainant, survivor, or victim, 'Carol' emerges from this report as a person of dignity and integrity.
"It is essential that her right to privacy continues to be fully respected."
The Church also repeated its apology for failing to report Carol's allegations to the police when she first came forward in 1995.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-42362524
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'Youthquake' declared word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Oxford Dictionaries says the word, coined in the 1960s, sums up millennials driving political change.
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UK
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Jeremy Corbyn was said to have benefited from a "youthquake" after a surge in support from millennials
Oxford Dictionaries has deemed "youthquake" the 2017 word of the year, reflecting what it calls a "political awakening" among millennial voters.
It was first coined in the 1960s by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, who used it to describe sudden changes in fashion, music and attitudes.
Oxford Dictionaries said its use had seen a recent resurgence, to describe young people driving political change.
Oxford Dictionaries' Casper Grathwohl said it was "not an obvious choice".
But he said Youthquake's use in everyday speech had increased five-fold during 2017.
"In the UK, where it rose to prominence as a descriptor of the impact of the country's young people on its general election, calls it out as a word on the move," he said.
Mr Grathwohl said youthquake's use in Britain peaked during the June general election, after polls delivered a better-than-expected result for the Labour party.
Oxford Dictionaries said the word sounded a note of hope after what it described as a "difficult and divisive year".
The word of the year is a word, or expression, that Oxford Dictionaries deems has "attracted a great deal of interest during the year to date" and is drawn from newspapers, books, blogs and transcripts of spoken English.
Last year's word, "post-truth", was chosen after the 2016 Brexit vote and Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election.
The Oxford English Dictionary has updated its definition of youthquake to: "A significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young."
It was previously defined as the "series of radical political and cultural upheavals occurring among students and young people in the 1960s".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42361859
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UK must tackle loneliness, says Jo Cox Commission report - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Commission set up by murdered MP Jo Cox says nine million adults in the UK are affected.
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UK
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The government should create a national strategy to combat loneliness, says a report by a commission set up by the murdered MP Jo Cox.
The commission, formed by the MP before she was killed in her constituency in 2016, calls for the appointment of a minister to lead action on the issue.
It says loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and affects nine million UK people.
The government says new initiatives will be announced next year.
The report acknowledges that government action alone cannot solve the problem.
However, it says: "Tackling loneliness is a generational challenge that can only be met by concerted action by everyone - governments, employers, businesses, civil society organisations, families, communities and individuals all have a role to play.
"Working together we can make a difference."
The report is calling for the Family Test, a measure of assessing the effect of government policies on stable families, to become a family and relationships test.
The cross-party commission was established by Mrs Cox when she was Labour MP for Batley and Spen.
It continued its work after she was murdered outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorkshire in June 2016.
The commission has been working with 13 charities including Age UK and Action for Children to come up with ideas for change.
The report will be presented in Birstall on Friday by the joint commission chairs, Labour MP Rachel Reeves and the Conservative's Seema Kennedy,
They will be joined by Mrs Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater.
Mrs Cox set up the commission before she was killed in 2016
The joint chairs said: "We know that loneliness will not end until we all recognise the role we can play in making that happen.
"Jo always looked forwards, not back. She would have said that what matters most now are the actions, big and small, that people take in response to the commission's work."
The report's release will coincide with the launch of three Royal Voluntary Service projects set to tackle loneliness and isolation in Mrs Cox's former constituency.
The schemes - partly financed by the Jo Cox Fund set up in her memory - will include lunch clubs, activities, and workshops as well as a new Community Connections Programme.
This will "match up volunteers with lonely people in the area" according to Royal Voluntary Service's Chief Executive Catherine Johnstone, acting as a practical template for the commission's recommendations.
The government said it welcomed the commission's work and tackling social isolation and loneliness is of "huge importance".
A spokeswoman added: "A number of government initiatives already help to reduce loneliness, such as improved mental health support and funding to create new green spaces for communities, but we are committed to doing more and look forward to setting out plans in the new year," she added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42354807
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Sky and BT sign channel sharing deal - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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BT will supply its sports channels to Sky, while selling Sky's Now TV service to its customers.
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Business
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The rising cost of sports rights is behind the agreement, analysts say
Sky and BT have have signed a deal to sell their channels on each other's platforms.
Under the deal, BT will now supply its sports channels - which show UEFA Champions League and Premier League football - to Sky.
In addition, BT will be able to sell Sky's Now TV service - which includes Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and the Sky Atlantic channel - to its customers.
The deal comes as the firms face growing competition from online rivals.
Marc Allera, the chief executive of BT Consumer, told the BBC that the deal was partly so the firms could join forces against the potential online threat.
"A lot of technology companies are coming into the market with vast budgets, and changing the market. We need to ensure our customers get the best choice," he said.
In a complex market, potential rivals can also be partners, he added.
He said the Sky deal was a "clear indication" of the importance BT attached to how digital and TV markets were converging, adding the firm would bid fiercely for exclusive content.
Bidding is due to begin in the next Premier League football rights auction in February, and digital giants such as Amazon and Facebook could throw their hats in the ring for streaming rights.
However, Mr Allera said: "I wouldn't say [the deal with Sky] takes the pressure off at all... we believe in holding exclusive rights."
BT has spent more than £3.5bn on Champions League and Premier League football rights since 2012 in an attempt to compete with Sky.
For the 2016 to 2019 football seasons, BT agreed to pay £960m to show 42 Premier League games, and Sky agreed to pay £4.17bn to show 126 games.
For the seasons from 2019 to 2021, the number of games shown could rise to 190.
BT has exclusive TV rights for Champions League games until 2021
Sky boss Jeremy Darroch said: "This is great news for Sky customers who will be able to access all matches on Sky and BT channels from the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Europa League directly with a single Sky TV subscription."
The new services will be available to BT and Sky customers from early 2019.
At present, BT customers can get BT TV via a box, an app, or online, and can only get a pared down version of Sky Sports.
Sky customers can get BT Sport at present, but only if they subscribe through BT.
Richard Broughton, research director at media analysts Ampere, called the deal "very unusual" because of the rivalry between the two firms, but said it was a consequence of the rising costs of sports rights.
"The new rights are up for renewal very soon and this is a pre-emptive shot from both companies to limit their exposure to damage should they not get key rights and also allow them to be a little less aggressive in their bidding."
Michael Hewson, an analyst with CMC Markets, said the BT-Sky deal seemed better for BT than Sky, "given that Sky will take BT's sport content while BT gets Sky's sports, cinema and Sky Atlantic channel, and could even gain more access to content further down the road".
The big online firms have been part of a seismic shift in how people access content.
On Thursday, Disney announced a deal to buy a large chunk of 21st Century Fox, including its 39% stake in Sky.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch told Sky News he was selling Fox's entertainment assets in part due to the rise of online giants.
"[Amazon and Netflix] are growth companies... Amazon, I don't know how much they want to do. They are spending $5bn or $6bn I believe on new programmes, but it's basically to widen the appeal of [Amazon] Prime.
"Anyone who joins Prime seems to spend about $3,000 immediately on retail... you know, they are a huge disruptor if you look at what they're doing."
He said the new Fox company that remained would have the strength to bid for sports rights, but that all companies could be "threatened by big nonsensical bids from the likes of Facebook".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42364401
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Met Police to conduct urgent review after rape trial collapse - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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A judge calls for an investigation after vital phone evidence was disclosed at the last minute.
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London
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Liam Allan had been on bail for two years before his trial collapsed
The Met Police is to hold an "urgent" review of a rape case after being accused of failing to disclose vital evidence.
Liam Allan, 22, was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault but his trial collapsed after police were ordered to hand over phone records.
A computer disk containing 40,000 messages revealed the alleged victim pestered Mr Allan for "casual sex".
The charges against the criminology student were dropped three days into the trial at Croydon Crown Court when Mr Hayes took over the case.
It is understood police had looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence in the case, but had failed to disclose to the prosecution and defence teams messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the allegations against Mr Allan.
The CPS said it offered no evidence in the case on Thursday as there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".
Mr Allan told the BBC he was "overwhelmed" at the moment, adding: "It's a huge amount of confusion to go from being the villain to being innocent."
He also told The Times he had suffered two years of "mental torture... I feel betrayed by the system which I had believed would do the right thing — the system I want to work in."
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Mr Hayes said there had very nearly been "a massive miscarriage of justice" which could have led to Mr Allan being imprisoned for 12 years and being put on the sex offenders register for life.
He said the disk contained information which "completely blew the prosecution case out of the water", although he believed the information had not been disclosed because of "sheer incompetence".
"The trouble is everyone is under pressure... This is a criminal justice system which is not just creaking, it's about to croak," he said.
The BBC's Legal Correspondent Clive Coleman said he understood the defence had asked repeatedly for the phone messages to be disclosed, which included details saying how the alleged victim had spoken to friends about how much she enjoyed having sex with Mr Allan.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman gives his analysis of the case
Mr Allan's solicitor Simone Meerabux said when her client was arrested he had told police about the existence of the messages but "in spite of all that he was charged".
She said prior to the trial the CPS had told them there was "nothing further to disclose" and it was only after they reiterated their request on the first day in court that the information was made available.
A Met spokesman said the force was "urgently reviewing this investigation and will be working with the Crown Prosecution Service to understand exactly what has happened in this case.
"The Met understands the concerns that have been raised as a result of this case being dismissed from court and the ongoing review will seek to address those," he said.
A spokesman for the CPS said: "In November 2017, the police provided more material in the case of Liam Allan. Upon a review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.
"We will now be conducting a management review together with the Metropolitan Police to examine the way in which this case was handled."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42365521
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'Shocking apathy' to fraternity drinking at Pennsylvania university - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Penn State allowed "sadistic" rituals and failed to protect its students, a blistering report finds.
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US & Canada
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Several fraternity members are still facing charges related to the death of Tim Piazza (centre)
A committee probing the Pennsylvania State University's response to drinking in fraternities has issued a blistering report following a student's death.
A grand jury found on Friday that administrators displayed a "shocking apathy" to dangerous levels of drinking and hazing in university social clubs.
The report claims officials knew of the dangers but did nothing.
The report says Tim Piazza, a 19 year old who died last February after binge drinking, "did not have to die".
Penn State officials have yet to comment on the damning report.
The findings say officials "were aware of the excessive and dangerous alcohol abuse indulged by fraternities, such that it was only a matter of time before a death would occur during a hazing event".
"The university bears the ultimate responsibility for the failure to supervise the safety of its students involved in the fraternity system," the report says, adding that although the university's actions were not themselves illegal, their "inaction set the table to allow these criminal acts to occur", which caused Piazza's death.
Tim Piazza, from New Jersey, was left unconscious for hours and suffered internal injuries after falling down steps during an initiation ritual. He later died in hospital.
Other members of the fraternity waited nearly 12 hours to call an ambulance, and were charged with manslaughter, although the most serious charges were later dropped.
Officials say he was fed 18 drinks in a period of one hour and 22 minutes, and that he never obtained the drinks on his own.
Hazing at the school, the report found, is "rampant and pervasive" and encourages "sadistic" rituals that reach "peaks of depravity".
The jury calls for "profound changes on college campuses and communities in Pennsylvania", and for universities to ensure protections for younger students wishing to join fraternities, and sororities - which together are known as campus Greek social life.
Other US universities have taken measures recently to protect students who are seeking to join social clubs.
On Thursday, a University of Houston fraternity in Texas was indicted for hazing, with officials charging that students were deprived of adequate food, water and sleep during a three-day initiation event.
The president of Florida State University told the Associated Press on Thursday that there is currently no timeline for reinstating campus Greek activities there, after they were suspended in November following a student's death.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42370507
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Backlash over 'stay with abuser' posts shared by Essex Police - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The social media posts have been described as sending an "incredibly dangerous message".
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Essex
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A police force has faced a backlash over social media posts that appeared to support domestic abuse victims staying with their partners.
Sheila's Story describes how a woman who "knew that the abuse in her relationship was wrong" is given help and support to stay with her husband.
Essex Police apologised for the offence caused by the post's use of "clumsy language".
"However, the stories featured in the campaign are real stories," a force spokesman said.
"Our message in this campaign isn't 'stay in any relationship no matter how abusive', it's 'if something is happening in your relationship even if you've been with someone for decades there is help you can get'".
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Social media users reacted angrily to the posts on Facebook and Twitter, with one describing them as "idiotic".
Writer and food blogger Jack Monroe said they had "no words for what an irresponsible, silencing, diminishing campaign this is".
"Basically telling women to 'put up and shut up' re domestic abuse. In 2017. This is absurd," Monroe wrote on Twitter.
Another Twitter user remarked: "There's no such thing as staying safe in an abusive relationship".
The force is running the campaign in partnership with Southend, Essex and Thurrock Domestic Abuse Board.
Chair of the board, Dick Madden, said Sheila's Story had been "thought very carefully about" before being shared as part of the campaign.
"Not all domestic abuse cases are the same, and not all victims will want to leave or consider reporting to the police," he said.
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"Through this particular scenario, we are aiming to reach out to this audience and give them information about the support available, whatever their circumstances.
"We want to make sure victims know where to turn to for support."
Mr Madden said the campaign had been developed with domestic abuse specialists, refuges, partners and survivors of abuse.
"The message is clear: domestic abuse is never acceptable," he said.
"Within the comments on this particular post, there were a number of supportive comments - some from survivors who sought support and have stayed within their relationship.
"We think it is positive that the campaign has sparked a debate on a very important issue."
Commenting on the Essex Police Facebook post, one user - who runs a relationships service in Essex - said that many older victims of domestic abuse wanted support to stay with their partners.
The campaign's message "recognises the views of many older victims", she said, and would hopefully encourage them "to come forward without the fear that we are going to swoop in and make them end the relationship".
"That may happen along the line but at least it will be done more safely than had they tried without support," she said.
But chief executive of Women's Aid, Katie Ghose, said the message being promoted was "extremely dangerous".
"It minimises the devastating impact of coercive control, and could leave women stuck in an abusive relationship and feeling that there is nowhere to turn for help," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-42364991
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Schools told not to dismiss sexual harassment 'as banter' - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Women and Equalities Committee said new guidance was a "belated step in the right direction".
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UK Politics
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Teachers should be aware of the likelihood that that harassment can spread on social media
Sexual harassment or violence at school should never be dismissed as "banter", new Department for Education guidance to schools and colleges has stressed.
"Sexting" explicit images and videos of under-18s is illegal, it says, and girls are the most likely victims.
Schools still have a duty to act if incidents outside school are reported.
The Women and Equalities Committee described the issuing of the guidance as a "belated, but critical, step in the right direction".
It adds that more still needs to be done to make sure girls - who are the most likely victims of sexual violence in schools according to the guidance - are "safe and equal" at school.
The guidance, published on the government's website on Thursday, highlights "best practice" but says it is for individual schools and colleges to develop their own policies and procedures. It has also launched a consultation on changes to statutory guidance - which sets out the legal duty on schools and colleges.
The new advice stresses that educational establishments should be making clear that sexual attacks and harassment "will never be tolerated and is not an inevitable part of growing up", warning that if it is allowed, then it can "provide an environment that may lead to sexual violence".
Behaviour such as "grabbing bottoms, breasts and genitalia" is potentially criminal and must not be permitted, it says.
The advice says those accused of sexual attacks or misbehaviour also need support and may be victims of abuse and trauma themselves.
Teachers should consider the ages of the pupils involved in deciding whether behaviour is harmful - particularly if there is more than two years between them, if one child is disabled or physically much smaller.
In any case of reported rape, the child accused should be removed from any classes they share with the alleged victim, "in the best interests of both children". Schools or colleges should do "everything they reasonably can to protect the victim from bullying and harassment as a result of any report they have made".
"Schools and colleges should also consider the potential impact of social media in facilitating the spreading of rumours and exposing victims' identities," the guidance says.
The government says a "whole school approach" should be taken which might include teaching pupils about healthy and respectful relationships, gender stereotyping, self-esteem and prejudice.
Social workers should be alerted if a child has been harmed and rape or assault allegations should be referred to the police. Parents should usually be informed, unless it is considered that this would put pupils at greater risk.
BBC Panorama discovered that reports of sexual offences on school premises in England and Wales increased from 386 in 2013-14 to 922 in 2016-17, according to 31 police forces - including 225 rapes on school grounds over the four years.
In its report last year, the Women and Equalities Committee warned that harassment of girls in English schools was being "accepted as part of daily life" and must be acted upon.
Its chairman, Maria Miller, said it was important that the new advice was being well promoted: "It is well over a year since the committee called for the government and schools to make girls' safety an immediate priority and this is a belated, but critical, step in the right direction.
"The advice addresses in detail important issues that we highlighted in our report, including the need to get support from specialist services and recognising the forms that sexual harassment in schools can take."
But she said more long-term work was needed "so that future generations of girls are safe and equal at school".
For the government, Minister for Children Robert Goodwill said schools and colleges "should be safe places".
"All schools must have an effective child protection policy that addresses a range of issues. To support schools we have published new advice specifically on sexual violence and sexual harassment.
"We are consulting proposed changes to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, to ensure it reflects the challenges that schools must be prepared to deal with."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42365571
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Minimum price 'would increase cost of 70% of alcohol' - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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There will be sharp increase in the cost of alcohol if a minimum price is introduced, say researchers.
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Business
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Introducing a minimum price per unit of alcohol would push up the cost to consumers of most alcohol, not just the cheapest strong drinks, according to researchers.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said a floor of 50p per unit would raise the cost of 70% of alcohol bought in shops.
It said there was a "strong case" for reforming alcohol duties instead.
The Scottish government is due to bring in a minimum price for alcohol in May.
It is consulting on its preferred rate of 50p per unit.
A similar policy is being considered by the Welsh National Assembly.
The IFS looked at what the impact on prices would be if a compulsory minimum price of at least 50p per alcohol unit were introduced, meaning that drinks that currently cost less than that would have to go up in price.
It found the average price rise would be about 35%, but low-cost lagers would increase by 44%, while most ciders would cost 90% more.
About 85% of lager and 80% of cider (measured by units of alcohol) are priced below 50p per unit.
The IFS said most wines, fortified wines and spirits also cost less than 50p per unit and would see their prices go up.
For example, a bottle of sherry containing 17.5 units of alcohol and sold for £7.15 by a supermarket would have to be sold for £8.75 if a minimum price of 50p per unit were introduced.
Twenty cans of cider containing 44 units of alcohol, currently available for £11, would double in price to £22.
The researchers concluded that a minimum price of 50p would have a financial impact on heavy drinkers who tend to buy cheaper and stronger alcohol. But it would also affect a large number of moderate drinkers.
However, the IFS said "it may be better to reform duties and not have a minimum price at all".
It said minimum unit pricing had a "substantial disadvantage" because the policy was "likely to dampen competition in the retail market, resulting in increases in profits to the alcohol industry.
"In contrast, reform of alcohol duties that act to raise the price of strong products, as well as cider, is likely to raise tax revenue," it added.
Anomalies in the current UK alcohol duty system made it "chaotic", it said.
At the moment, for example, EU rules mean wine and cider have to be taxed per litre, with the result they are taxed less per unit of alcohol than stronger drinks.
Separately, the tax on a litre of 7.5% beer is three times that on a litre of 7.5 % cider.
"A sensible reform that would substantially improve the system of alcohol duties would entail taxing directly the alcohol in wine and cider (a move which exiting the European Union will presumably make legally feasible) and increasing the tax on cider to bring it in line with that levied on beer," it said.
Any change to the system of alcohol duty would be under the control of government in Westminster.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42362028
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Ryanair in union offer to avoid Christmas strikes - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The airline says it will recognise pilot unions as it seeks to avoid industrial action at Christmas.
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Business
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Ryanair has said it is prepared to recognise pilot unions as it seeks to avoid strike disruption over the Christmas period.
Earlier this week, 79 Dublin-based Ryanair pilots said they would strike for one day on 20 December.
The airline was also facing action by pilots elsewhere in Europe.
Ryanair has never recognised unions, but it said it would change this policy in order to avoid disruption to flights and passengers in Christmas week.
It has written to pilot unions in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal inviting them for talks.
On Friday afternoon, Irish union Impact, which represents pilots, said it had "made contact with" Ryanair management after receiving a letter from the airline.
"Impact has indicated its belief that an immediate meeting, between management and the union, is now necessary to clarify issues and make progress."
The union said its officials were available "today or at any time over the coming weekend". However, they have not called off next week's strike action in Ireland.
The UK pilots' union Balpa, which was not planning to strike next week, said it had written to Ryanair to accept the offer of talks.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ryanair tells Today the airline is moving to recognise unions as it's "time for change"
The carrier said it would recognise unions "as the representative body for pilots in Ryanair in each of these countries, as long as they establish committees of Ryanair pilots to deal with Ryanair issues, as Ryanair will not engage with pilots who fly for competitor airlines in Ireland or elsewhere".
Ryanair chief operations officer Peter Bellew told the BBC there were "no strings" attached to the offer.
"The basis of what we've asked to do is the same as other airlines do around the world and within Europe, so I don't believe there's any strings there."
Ryanair called on the unions to cancel the planned strike on 20 December.
However, Mr Bellew said the offer to hold talks about collective bargaining was not just about next week's planned strikes.
"This is about the long term. We have 4,500 pilots working for Ryanair at the moment, great aviation professionals, we need to get a basis with them to work going forward.
"We feel it's the best grounds to move forward with our workforce for the next 10/20 years where we intend to grow to be the biggest airline in the world."
Ryanair's share price fell 8.6% after the invitation to talks became public, amid investors' fears that any change could push up costs.
Mr Bellew said: "I think there might be some minor changes but I don't think it's going to be material in the overall cost of the company."
Pilots in Italy had been due to strike on Friday for four hours, between 13:00 and 17:00 CET (12:00-16:00 GMT).
However, following receipt of the letter from Ryanair, the main pilots' union, Anpac, said it had suspended its walkout.
Chief executive Michael O'Leary admitted union recognition would be a "significant change" for the airline.
"Christmas flights are very important to our customers and we wish to remove any worry or concern that they may be disrupted by pilot industrial action next week," he said.
"If the best way to achieve this is to talk to our pilots through a recognised union process, then we are prepared to do so."
In October, Mr O'Leary wrote to the Ryanair's pilots to offer them better pay and conditions after the airline was forced to cancel thousands of flights.
At the time of the cancellations the airline admitted it had "messed up" the planning of its pilots' holidays.
In his letter, Mr O'Leary also apologised for changes that caused disruptions to their rotas and urged them not to leave the airline.
Aviation expert John Strickland of JLS Consulting said the idea of Ryanair recognising unions was "revolutionary" for the company.
"I think the company realises they need to pay more, they recognise it's a labour group who they cannot do without, they cannot simply replace pilots off the street on a short-term basis.
"There's a global pilot shortage and Ryanair is actually pretty well placed in the pecking order for pilot jobs but they have to make sure these people are on side and not inflame personal feelings with that part of the workforce," he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42364502
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Britain First's Jayda Fransen appears in Belfast court - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jayda Fransen is charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour.
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Northern Ireland
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Jayda Fransen is charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour
The deputy leader of far right group Britain First has appeared in court charged in connection with an incident at a Belfast peace wall.
Jayda Fransen, 31, from Anerley, south-east London, was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.
She appeared briefly at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday morning.
Ms Fransen was arrested on Thursday after appearing in court in Belfast over a separate incident.
She was released on bail and is due to appear in court again next month.
After bail was granted, Ms Fransen's supporters in the public gallery cheered and applauded.
She raised her arm in the air as they cheered.
Among her supporters was Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First.
The charge against Ms Fransen relates to comments she is alleged to have made in a video online that was filmed at a peace wall in west Belfast.
Friday's charge stems from an incident at a peace wall on 13 December.
Peace walls are used to separate Catholic and Protestant residents in Northern Ireland, in areas where tension between the two communities can run high.
The police objected in court to Ms Fransen being given bail. A PSNI detective told the court that "our objection is that she's going to commit further offences".
However, the judge granted her bail on the condition that she did not go within 500m of any demonstration or procession in Northern Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42359462
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Driver dies after school bus crash in Aberdeenshire - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Several children escaped with minor injuries after a school bus crashed on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
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NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland
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A 68-year-old man has died after the school bus he was driving was involved in a crash with a lorry and car on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
The accident happened on the B979 South Deeside Road near Maryculter Bridge at about 07:45.
There were 13 children on the bus, of primary and secondary age. They suffered only cuts and bruises.
The bus involved was carrying pupils from Lathallan private school in Johnshaven.
The male drivers of the DAF lorry, aged 56, and red Audi A4, aged 40, were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
They were not thought to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Insp Neil Morrison said: "Sadly the driver of the coach died of his injuries at the scene.
"The 13 on the coach were not seriously injured. They have been reunited with their parents.
"Any collision of this nature is traumatic and out thoughts are with those involved."
The road was closed for most of Friday
He added of the road conditions: "It's been cold, the road surface is a consideration for us."
Lathallan headmaster Richard Toley said: "We have been informed by Police Scotland that the driver has sadly passed away.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, he was a larger than life character who was extremely popular with our pupils.
"He will be missed by us all."
The road between Leggart Terrace and Netherley Road has been reopened.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-42363808
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Student Liam Allan 'betrayed' after rape trial collapse - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police are accused of failing to disclose vital phone records to the defence before the trial.
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London
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Liam Allan talks about what it is like being falsely accused of rape
A man whose rape trial collapsed after detectives failed to disclose vital evidence to the defence said he felt "betrayed" by police and the CPS.
Liam Allan was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault but his trial collapsed after police were ordered to hand over phone records.
The 22-year-old student said his life had been "flipped upside down" and he wanted lessons to be learned.
The Met Police said it was "urgently reviewing this investigation".
The case against Mr Allan at Croydon Crown Court was dropped after three days when the evidence on a computer disk containing 40,000 messages revealed the alleged victim pestered him for "casual sex".
He told the BBC his life had been "torn away" by the process, which included being on bail for two years.
"You just think the worst case scenario... People have to start planning for life without you," he said.
Mr Allan faced a possible jail term of 12 years and being put on the sex offenders register for life had he been found guilty.
He said he felt "pure fear" when he learned he had been accused of rape but would never be able to understand why the accusations were made.
The 22-year-old student had been charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault
"There was no possible real gain from it other than destroying somebody else's life... It's something I will never be able to forgive or forget."
But he said he wanted to use his experience "to change the system".
"This wasn't a case of people trying to prove my innocence, it was a case of people trying to prove I was guilty," Mr Allan said.
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It is understood police had looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence in the case, but had failed to disclose to the prosecution and defence teams messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the allegations against Mr Allan.
Prosecution barrister Jerry Hayes accused police of "sheer incompetence" over the case.
Before the trial the defence team had repeatedly asked for the phone messages to be disclosed but was told there was nothing to disclose.
Mr Hayes, who demanded the messages to be passed to the defence, said he believed the trial had come about because "everyone is under pressure".
"This is a criminal justice system which is not just creaking, it's about to croak," he said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman gives his analysis of the case
Mr Allan's lawyer Simone Meerabux said it had been "a very traumatic experience" for her client.
She said it was "amazing" the case had got to the stage it did "but it's not uncommon" because of problems with disclosure.
A Met spokesman said the force was "urgently reviewing this investigation and will be working with the Crown Prosecution Service to understand exactly what has happened in this case.
"The Met understands the concerns that have been raised as a result of this case being dismissed from court and the ongoing review will seek to address those," he said.
A spokesman for the CPS said: "In November 2017, the police provided more material in the case of Liam Allan. Upon a review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.
"We will now be conducting a management review together with the Metropolitan Police to examine the way in which this case was handled."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42366629
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Brexit: UK in Erasmus student scheme until at least 2020 - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May confirms UK participation in student exchange will continue for a period after Brexit.
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UK Politics
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The UK will continue to take part in the Erasmus student exchange programme until at least the end of 2020, the prime minister has said.
Theresa May praised Erasmus+ and confirmed the UK would still be involved after Brexit in March 2019.
Whether it is involved long term is among issues likely to be discussed during the next stage of negotiations.
Erasmus+ sees students study in another European country for between three and 12 months as part of their degree.
The prime minister is in Brussels where she will have dinner with EU leaders on Thursday.
On Friday, without Mrs May, they are expected to formally approve a recommendation that "sufficient progress" has been made in Brexit negotiations so far to move them onto the next stage.
Mrs May agreed a draft deal with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last week which would mean the UK would continue its funding of EU projects, including Erasmus, until the end of this EU budget period in 2020.
If EU leaders approve the draft deal, Brexit negotiations can begin on the next phase, covering the future relationship between the UK and EU and a two-year transition or implementation deal from March 2019. It is not clear whether this would include Erasmus+.
Mrs May said that British students benefitted from studying in the EU while UK universities were a popular choice for European students.
Speaking during a discussion on education and culture at the summit in Brussels, she added: "I welcome the opportunity to provide clarity to young people and the education sector and reaffirm our commitment to the deep and special relationship we want to build with the EU."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42360849
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Corrie Mckeague: Reward to find missing airman doubles - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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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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Corrie Mckeague's mother said all they have is "theories" but "no evidence"
A reward offered to find missing airman Corrie Mckeague has been doubled to £100,000.
Mr Mckeague, who was 23 when he disappeared, vanished during a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in September 2016.
On Monday, police said they had stopped searching a landfill site after finding no trace of Mr Mckeague.
His mother Nicola Urquhart has begged people with information to come forward.
She said all the family have is "theories" but "no evidence".
"I plead to anybody involved that's spoken to us in the past, spoken to the police, to please get back in touch with us again," Mrs Urquhart added.
Corrie Mckeague was last seen at 03:25 BST on 24 September 2016
The reward has been offered by local businessman Colin Davey.
The search of the waste site at Milton, Cambridgeshire, restarted in October after a 20-week excavation ended earlier in the year.
Suffolk Police said it was "content" Mr Mckeague was not in the landfill areas that had been searched and the investigation into his disappearance would continue.
Police have stopped searching the landfill site after finding no trace of Mr Mckeague
Mr Mckeague, from Dunfermline, Fife, was on a night out with colleagues from his base RAF Honington when he went missing.
He was last seen at 03:25 BST on 24 September 2016 when he was captured on CCTV entering a bin loading bay known as the Horseshoe.
His phone was tracked as taking the same route as a bin lorry, which led police to believe he had climbed in a bin and been taken to the landfill site.
A £50,000 reward was first offered in December 2016.
It was later withdrawn because it had not led to any new information, but was reinstated in August.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-42369608
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Almost half of under-25s 'never use a condom with a new partner' - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Public Health England launches a new campaign to get more people thinking about using condoms.
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Newsbeat
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A new campaign's being launched by Public Health England to get more under-25s to use condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections spreading.
It's the first government sexual health campaign in eight years.
It comes as a survey carried out by PHE and YouGov revealed that almost half of sexually active young people have had sex with someone new for the first time without using a condom.
One in 10 had never even used one.
STIs can cause infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, swollen or painful testicles and even meningitis.
Public Health England and YouGov spoke to more than than 2,000 16-24-year-olds about their sexual health.
The main reason for not using a condom was because they said sex felt better without one.
Jordan, who's 19 and from Wrexham, admits he only uses them around "half the time".
He told Newsbeat that being drunk was one of the reasons he hadn't used one with a new partner.
"Drink definitely has an effect, because when you're drunk, you're more careless."
The poll found half the people who admitted to not using a condom had done so when drunk.
We also spoke to Lydia who admits she's more cautious when sober.
Lydia says when she's drunk she's less likely to practise safe sex
But she adds the feeling is "not as nice" when a partner uses a condom.
Both admit to feeling guilty the day after having unprotected sex and have visited an STI clinic to get tested.
Other reasons given in the survey for not using a condom during sex included one of a couple being on the pill or having a contraceptive implant.
That's something student Ellie says is common.
The 20-year-old admits some men she's slept with are far more worried about getting her pregnant than getting an STI.
Ellie says men she's slept with are far more concerned about pregnancy than STIs
"It's on them then, isn't it? If it's a baby, it's them too.
"If it's an STI, it's your responsibility."
Jordan adds: "If a girl's on the pill, then it's another way of saying 'you don't need to use a condom then'."
In 2016, there were more than 141,000 chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses in people aged between 15 and 24 in England.
Jesse, who's 24, told Newsbeat he contracted both because he didn't use a condom.
Jesse admits he used to sleep around and didn't use protection
"It wasn't a nice experience. They caused pain in my groin and discomfort when urinating.
"The worst of it though was having to tell my previous and current sexual partner that I had contracted the STIs, so they also needed to get checked and treated.
Symptoms vary but some, like chlamydia, may not even show any.
"I had symptoms, but I know there are so many people who don't have symptoms," says Jesse.
"Now when having sex with someone new I will definitely use a condom."
Doctors are worried because gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, and may become untreatable in the future.
GP Dr Sara Kayat says the only way to avoid getting an STI is to use a condom.
"Whilst many STIs are symptomless, contracting them can have serious health consequences if left untreated and even lead to infertility.
"As I tell patients in my clinic every week, it's just not worth putting yourself at risk by not using a condom."
For more info and advice on STIs, check out the BBC Advice pages. and find out where you can get free condoms here.
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/42264177
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US woman used bitcoin to move cash to Islamic State, police say - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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She is accused of taking out fraudulent bank loans and buying bitcoin to funnel cash to IS.
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US & Canada
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Bitcoin can be purchased online or via special ATMs
A New York woman has been accused of laundering bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and wiring the money to help the so-called Islamic State.
Zoobia Shahnaz, 27, was charged with bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering and is being held without bail.
Ms Shahnaz was born in Pakistan and worked as a lab technician in the US.
Prosecutors say she took out fraudulent loans of $85,000 (£63,000) in order to buy the bitcoin online.
Bitcoin is an online currency. Despite not being legal tender, the value of bitcoin has rocketed this year.
It has been exploited by criminals to launder money. British authorities are pushing to increase regulation of the currency.
According to court records, Ms Shahnaz, who lives in Brentwood on Long Island, was a lab technician at a Manhattan hospital until June.
Prosecutors said that Ms Shahnaz obtained a Pakistani passport in July and booked a flight to Pakistan with a layover in Istanbul, intending to travel to Syria.
She was arrested at John F Kennedy airport carrying $9,500 in cash, just under the limit of $10,000 that a person can legally take out of the country without declaring the funds.
Searches of her electronic devices showed numerous searches for Islamic State-related material.
Ms Shahnaz faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the money laundering charges and up to 30 years for the bank fraud charge.
Her lawyer, Steve Zissou, said she was sending money overseas to help Syrian refugees.
"What she saw made her devoted to lessening the suffering of a lot of the Syrian refugees and everything she does is for that purpose," Mr Zissou said outside the courthouse.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42362478
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Brexit: Relief for Theresa May but a hard road ahead - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May's team will be happy phase one of Brexit talks are over but the way ahead could be fraught.
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UK Politics
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Phew. After the six months she has had, Theresa May might be entitled to breathe a sigh of relief, as the European Council officially declared that the first phase of our long goodbye from the European Union is over.
Stand back from the daily dramas and perhaps it was always bound to happen.
Both sides are committed to getting an agreement.
The EU and the UK both want a deal to be done, and while there has, inevitably, been grumpiness on both sides, they have, in the main, dealt with each other in good faith.
But the fragility of the government, and the complexities of some of the issues, have meant that, on some occasions, it has felt like the prime minister might not get there. Had she not been able to get this far, there genuinely could have been questions about her future.
The conventional wisdom is that the next phase will be more complicated, even more fraught.
There are some optimists in government who believe it doesn't have to be that way - because the UK and the EU are already partners, it's a question of unpicking an existing relationship, rather than putting one together from scratch.
But there are significant contradictions to iron out, contrasting motivations, conflicting views inside the Conservative Party as well as among the EU 27.
The experience of the past few months suggests, in fact, that the way ahead will be extremely fraught and the prime minister's goal of a full agreement by March 2019 is hopeful, rather than grounded in reality.
But for today, at least, Mrs May's team can be satisfied, if only for a moment or two, that they have managed even to come this far.
• None Brexit talks to move to next stage - EU
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42365262
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Hillsborough officer not charged over horse burn claims - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The mounted officer and a farrier were accused of lying about fans burning a horse with cigarettes.
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Liverpool
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The scene unfolding at the Leppings Lane terrace where Liverpool fans were standing
A mounted officer and a police worker who claimed Liverpool fans burned a horse with cigarettes during the Hillsborough disaster will not face criminal charges.
The former South Yorkshire Police officer and the civilian farrier were accused of making up the story.
Both men were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) by the police watchdog.
The CPS said the families of the 96 Hillsborough victims had been informed.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) had submitted files on the two men following allegations about falsified evidence.
Prosecutors said the mounted officer had been seen on camera before the FA Cup semi-final lashing out towards fans, whom he later claimed were burning his horse with cigarettes.
The farrier, who was a friend of the officer, also described the injuries sustained by the horse.
It was alleged that the accounts were false and given to protect the officer from disciplinary action.
The CPS said the evidential threshold for a charge of perverting the course of justice had been met in relation to the farrier, but it was concluded that it was not in the public interest to charge him.
It said the evidential threshold had not been met in relation to the officer.
IPCC deputy chairwoman Rachel Cerfontyne said: "It was vitally important that allegations of such a serious nature were investigated robustly."
Six men, including match commander David Duckenfield, are already facing prosecution for alleged offences related to the disaster on 15 April 1989 and its aftermath.
Once all criminal proceedings have concluded, the IPCC will consider whether any former officers would have had cases to answer for misconduct.
Evidence supporting these findings will be set out in a final investigation report.
A total of 96 Liverpool fans were fatally crushed during the stadium disaster on 15 April as their FA Cup semi-final began against Nottingham Forest.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-42365516
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Net neutrality rules weakened by US regulator - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A US regulator votes to ease restrictions preventing ISPs prioritising some services' data over others'.
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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. What is net neutrality and how could it affect you?
Restrictions on US broadband providers' ability to prioritise one service's data over another are to be reduced after a vote by a regulator.
The Federal Communications Commission voted three to two to change the way "net neutrality" is governed.
Internet service providers (ISPs) will now be allowed to speed up or slow down different companies' data, and charge consumers according to the services they access.
But they must disclose such practices.
Ahead of the vote, protesters rallied outside the FCC's building to oppose the change.
Many argue the reversal of rules introduced under President Barack Obama will make the internet less open and accessible.
The decision is already facing legal challenges, with New York's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, announcing he will lead a lawsuit challenging the FCC's decision.
Mr Schneiderman accused the watchdog of failing to investigate possible abuse of the public commenting process. He said as many as two million identities, some of dead New Yorkers, were used to post comments to the FCC website.
During the hearing, FCC commissioner Mr Michael O'Rielly hit back at those claims, saying staff had been able to determine and discard comments that were illegitimate.
Thursday's proceedings in Washington were halted for about 15 minutes after a security alert forced an evacuation of the FCC's chamber, the final twist in a bitter and at times vitriolic debate.
The hearing was briefly suspended because of a security alert that occurred while chairman Ajit Pai was speaking
The FCC's chairman, Ajit Pai, argues the changes will foster innovation and encourage ISPs to invest in faster connections for people living in rural areas.
He refers to the change as "restoring internet freedom".
Technically, the vote was to reclassify broadband internet as an information service rather than telecommunications.
The consequence of this is that the FCC will no longer directly regulate ISPs.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: What do people know about net neutrality?
Instead jurisdiction will pass to another regulator, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Its key responsibility will be to check that the companies disclose if they block data, throttle it or offer to prioritise traffic, rather than stopping such behaviour.
One criticism of this is that US consumers often have few if any ISPs to choose between. Moreover, opponents of the change claim it could take years to address any misbehaviour.
"I dissent to this legally-lightweight, consumer-harming, corporate-enabling, destroying-internet freedom order," said Democrat commissioner Mignon Clyburn ahead of the vote.
But fellow commissioner Mr O'Rielly, a Republican, said fears over the end of net neutrality were a "scary bedtime story for the children of telecom geeks".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42355666
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Disabled man's cancer care criticised - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The family of disabled man Ian Shaw were told he was dying - now he is responding well to cancer treatment.
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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. Ian's family were told he was dying
The failure to offer a learning disabled young man cancer treatment has been described as a shocking example of health inequalities by charities.
Ian Shaw was sent home to die, but a doctor queried that decision after seeing his story on the BBC.
Ian, 35, who has since been given chemotherapy, is now doing well.
The hospital involved has said his learning disabilities had not been a factor in the decision to put him on end-of-life care.
In December 2016, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
His parents say they were told by doctors nothing more could be done for him as the cancer had spread too far.
In February, he arrived home for what his family believed would be his final few months.
Ian, whose behaviour could at times be challenging, spent nearly a decade in secure units, moving between three different places.
His family believe in the units he was over-medicated and his health neglected.
They had to fight to get him moved to a supported home in the community, it was a few months after the move that the cancer was detected.
His parents believe it could have been found the year before when he was treated for a testicular swelling, if there had been a thorough investigation.
In July of this year, the BBC reported on Ian's case after it led to a call for the prime minister to appoint a commissioner to champion the rights of people with learning disabilities.
Sir Stephen Bubb, who had written two reports for NHS England on secure units, described Ian's case as "all too typical" of the continuing failures vulnerable people faced.
Dr Justin Wilson was watching the report on the BBC News at Six and Ten.
He is a psychiatrist who has also studied treatment of cancer in people with learning disabilities. He asked to be put in touch with the family.
He says: "Knowing that testicular cancer is one of the most treatable cancers that there is, I was surprised that the decision had been made not to provide treatment and I wanted to understand what that was about."
As a result, a second opinion was sought about Ian's treatment.
"My concern was that perhaps judgements were made about the quality of life that he has because of his severe learning disabilities and because of the physical impact of how the cancer has spread," says Dr Wilson.
"I'm also clearly aware that providing cancer treatment for someone with the problems that Ian has is a real challenge.
"It is really difficult to give the best possible treatment to somebody in that situation, but my view is those challenges can be overcome."
Ian is now undergoing chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital - and he is doing well.
A scan at the end of November showed after four rounds of chemotherapy the tumour, which had spread to his stomach, had shrunk.
Ian's mother, Jan, says: "Especially when I thought there was no treatment and no cure, it was just a waiting game, but now there is hope."
Ian was a patient at Luton and Dunstable Hospital when his family were told last February that he was terminally ill and could not be treated.
In a statement, the University Hospital Trust said a course of chemotherapy had been planned but Ian's condition had then worsened.
A range of experts had been consulted and it had been decided he had been too ill to undergo treatment.
It added: "The decision was therefore taken, in consultation with his family, to start palliative care.
"The trust can confirm that Mr Shaw's learning difficulties were not a factor in the decision to move to a palliative care pathway."
Ian's family were told he was dying
NHS England says it is working to reduce the health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities. But neither it nor the Department of Health wanted to comment on Ian's case.
NHS policy is that reasonable adjustments should be made to ensure that people with learning disabilities get the medical help they need.
In Ian's case, he is put under an anaesthetic for a short time while he is given the chemotherapy.
The tumour has affected Ian's spine so he is unable to walk, but after 10 months in bed, in November he was moved into a wheelchair.
In a joint statement, the charities Mencap and Challenging Behaviour Foundation said: "We know 1,200 people with a learning disability die every year when their lives could have been saved had they had access to good quality healthcare at the right time.
"Failures to train healthcare professionals on how to support patients with a learning disability and the refusal to involve families in key decisions about their loved one's health continue to contribute to this scandal of unequal health treatment."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42339856
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Brexit: Guidelines for the next stage of talks - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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What are the key phrases in the Brexit guidelines and what do they mean?
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UK Politics
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The European Council has said that Brexit talks can enter the second phase following last week's agreement.
As a result it has published its guidelines for the next stage of talks.
Here are some of the key phrases from that document.
Don't forget that there are plenty of crucial details that still need to be resolved before negotiations on a withdrawal agreement come to an end.
That means the financial settlement, citizens' rights and of course, the Irish border.
Sufficient progress is not the end of the story, but the text also makes it clear that there will be a concerted effort to lock in what has been agreed so far - and that if the EU detects any reluctance or backsliding from the UK then that will have a negative effect on discussions about the future.
Theresa May has already agreed that a transition of about two years will take place under existing EU rules and regulations, but the EU's text makes crystal clear what it believes that means.
The UK will have to accept all EU law (that's what the acquis means) including new laws passed during the transition itself.
But it will no longer have a seat at the table when those laws are made. To put it brutally - the UK will, for a while, become a rule-taker rather than a rule-maker.
Both sides talk of a strictly time-limited transition period, so there doesn't appear to be much appetite at the moment for extending it.
Quite what happens if a future trade deal isn't ready by the end of the transition, a scenario many experts think is quite possible, will have to be debated in the future.
During the transition, the UK will have to accept the full jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and all four freedoms - including the freedom of movement of people.
The EU says the UK will remain in the single market and the customs union during a transition, while the UK insists that it will leave both on Brexit day.
This could become a semantic argument, because by accepting all rules and regulations - in other words, the status quo - the UK will remain in the single market and the customs union whether it likes it or not.
The British government has suggested that some things - like dispute resolution mechanisms - could change during the transition as agreement is made on future co-operation. But there's little appetite in the EU for that - in its view, you're either in or you're out.
The EU 27 stress that they want a close partnership with the UK in the future, but here they are setting out the limits of what they could mean.
The further away the UK wants to be from the rules and regulations of the single market the less access it will have - there is no such thing as partial membership.
This gets us back to the unresolved debate about what "full alignment" at the Irish border really means in practice.
The phrase "preserve a level playing field" is important too. The EU is anxious to ensure that the UK doesn't try to undercut the EU in any way by having looser regulations in certain key areas, and, if it does, then there will be consequences.
EU negotiators won't have the authority to start discussions with the UK on future relations (including trade and also things like security and foreign policy) until another set of guidelines is adopted in March 2018.
That gives the two sides not much more than six months to agree the text of a broad political declaration on the outlines of the future relationship.
The EU hopes to get that finalised by October 2018, but it emphasises that formal trade negotiations can only begin after the UK has left the EU.
Informal contacts on what the future might look like are probably taking place already, but the EU is still waiting for greater clarity from London about what exactly the UK government hopes to achieve in the long term.
The UK is trying to be as ambitious as possible about what can be done before Brexit actually happens. The EU, though, emphasises that trade talks will have to continue long after the UK has left.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42367532
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Boy, four, left on school bus tried to walk home - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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The four-year-old was left on school transport in a bus depot and then tried to find his way home.
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Highlands & Islands
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Schoolboy John Robertson relaxing at home following his ordeal last week
A four-year-old boy tried to walk home from a bus depot after being left on his school bus.
John Robertson was travelling home to North Kessock from Munlochy Primary School on the Black Isle last Friday.
But he did not get off at his stop and ended up, unnoticed, in the bus in D&E Coaches' Inverness Longman depot, about three miles and across the A9's Kessock Bridge from where he lives.
The boy was spotted close to Inverness Caledonian Thistle's stadium.
He told his parents he had waited onboard the mini bus after it stopped at the depot, expecting the driver to come and find him.
After a time, still on his own inside the bus unnoticed, he managed to open the door and set out to find his way home.
D&E Coaches said it was "extremely disappointed" by the circumstances of the incident. It has dismissed the driver for gross misconduct.
Highland Council, which contracts D&E Coaches as a provider of its school transport, and Police Scotland have begun investigations into the incident.
John's parents, Nikki and John, had thought he was late home because the school bus had been delayed by bad weather, which included snow showers.
His father was waiting for John at home where the boy should have been dropped off.
John Robertson snr had expected his son to be dropped off at home
John tried to make his way home after being left on a bus in a coach depot
It was the boy's fifth time taking the school bus, which takes about eight children to and from Munlochy Primary. John's parents usually take him to and from school by car, but the car had broken down.
On the previous four days, John was dropped off near the door of his home. But the bus did not appear near the flats that Friday.
John's father initially believed this may have been because of the snow and that John had been dropped off a short distance away.
When John still had not come home, his family called the bus company and were told that John had been dropped off. In a follow up call they were told that he had not got on the bus.
John's parents began calling friends, family and police in an effort to find him.
Family and friends also made searches of North Kessock and Munlochy for the youngster.
Mr Robertson told BBC Radio Scotland's John Beattie programme he was half way through a call to police when officers received information that John had been found and was being taken to a police station.
John told his parents that he had sat on the bus in the depot for a time thinking the bus driver would come back and find him.
Mr Robertson said: "It was a mini bus, so he was able to open the door.
"He decided to get to the Kessock Bridge to get home. He said he crossed a couple of roads. Luckily two teachers found him.
"They said he was shaken up, cold and after some persuasion, because we've taught him not to talk to strangers, they managed to get him into their warm car."
Mr Robertson said he was proud of his son's actions. John has been getting a lift to and from school from a family friend since the incident.
The four-year-old thought the driver would come to find him
A spokeswoman for Highland Council said: "We are extremely concerned about this incident and we are carrying out a full investigation into the circumstances with our contracted school transport provider.
"The incident is also the subject of an ongoing police investigation."
Earlier Black Isle councillor Gordon Adam told BBC Alba it was a concerning incident.
He said he thought the boy had fallen asleep and woke up at the depot and was not seen by the driver.
"Somehow he got himself to the stadium, which in itself is very worrying as it would have involved crossing a main road," he added.
D&E Coaches said it had carried out its own investigation of the incident.
A spokesman said: "We are extremely disappointed at the circumstances in which a child was left on one of our minibuses going from Munlochy Primary School to North Kessock last Friday when it was parked in a yard in Inverness.
"A full internal investigation has been conducted and the driver concerned has been dismissed for gross misconduct.
"Relying on an assurance from another pupil that this child was not on the bus is unacceptable.
"All drivers are expected to check their buses at the end of the journey but this clearly did not occur in this instance."
John ended up in the D&E Coaches' Inverness Longman depot
In a response to the incident, the company has introduced a new course on Driver Awareness in School Contracts as part of the accreditation process for a driver licence.
Long-term employees were being given refresher courses.
The spokesman added: "We wish to express our sincere apologies to the family of the child for the distress caused and we are extremely relieved that the child was safe and sound.
"D&E Coaches have been running school contracts for over 20 years and currently have 58 school contracts conveying 3,000 children a day to and from school.
"This is the first time anything of this nature has occurred to mar our excellent record and the new measures will enhance driver vigilance to try to ensure there is never a repeat."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-42365641
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Brexit: Move to head off another Tory rebellion - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Theresa May looks set to avoid another defeat after proposed changes to Brexit bill, the BBC understands.
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UK Politics
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The government looks likely to avoid another potential Commons defeat on Brexit, the BBC understands.
Tory rebels have been concerned about plans to put the Brexit date and time - 11pm on 29 March 2019 - into law.
But backbenchers have tabled an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill allowing some flexibility.
Ministers are highly likely to accept the amendment in a vote next week, BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg said.
It comes as EU leaders agreed to move to the next phase of Brexit talks.
Theresa May suffered her first Commons defeat as prime minister on Wednesday, as Tory rebels joined forces with Labour and the SNP to vote for a plan to give MPs a bigger say in any Brexit deal.
Ministers feared they might be heading for a further defeat on Wednesday, when MPs vote on a plan to enshrine the Brexit date in law.
A number of Conservative MPs had echoed Labour concerns the move could box Britain into a corner if negotiations with the EU go to the wire.
Several Conservative MPs, including former Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin, have now tabled an amendment to the bill that would give the government more flexibility over the exit day.
The new amendment seeks to allow the government to change the "exit day" through further legislation, if the negotiations are continuing.
Ministers are likely to accept their plan, which is a change that some of the potential rebels have been asking for, the BBC understands.
Senior sources are confident they can see off a defeat, after No 10 said there were no plans to take the date out of the bill.
Conservative MP Dominic Grieve, who led Wednesday's rebellion, told BBC Three Counties Radio: "I am aware that the government has, I think, this afternoon tabled a further amendment for next Wednesday, which very sensibly looks like it will resolve the issue that was troubling some of us.
"If that is the case, and I am fairly confident it is, then that issue will be satisfactorily resolved."
Bernard Jenkin, a leading Tory Brexiteer, said: "The purpose of this amendment is to avoid needless division over matters of detail when we should be supporting the PM.
"Nothing that has occurred alters the determination of the government to achieved the kind of Brexit that the PM set out in her Lancaster House speech - which takes back control of our borders, our money and our laws and our our ability to do meaningful trade deals."
• None Relief for May but a hard road ahead
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42373822
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to marry on 19 May 2018 - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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In a break with royal tradition, the wedding is being held on a Saturday rather than a weekday.
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UK
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The couple announced their engagement in November
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will be held on Saturday 19 May 2018, Kensington Palace has announced.
The pair confirmed their engagement in November and said the service would be at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The date breaks with tradition as royal weddings usually take place on a weekday - the Queen wed on a Thursday and the Duke of Cambridge on a Friday.
The wedding will be on the same day as the FA Cup Final, which Prince William normally attends as FA president.
The time of the match has yet to be confirmed, but in recent years it has taken place at 17:30 GMT.
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The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, including the service, music, flowers and reception.
The event will take place just a month after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to welcome their third child to the family.
Ms Markle will be baptised into the Church of England and confirmed before the wedding.
Earlier this week, Kensington Palace announced the couple will be spending Christmas together at Sandringham with the Queen.
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The prince and the American actor, 36, carried out their first official engagement in Nottingham on 1 December.
Prince Harry made a public appearance at Sandhurst earlier on Friday - 11 years after he graduated from the military academy - for the Sovereign's Parade.
BBC Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the Saturday date was "unusual, but not unprecedented" and would give people the opportunity to go to Windsor for the celebrations.
He added: "Downing Street clearly hasn't been persuaded [into giving a Bank Holiday]… these things are so ruled by precedent."
Prince Harry and Ms Markle on their first official engagement in Nottingham
Reacting to the clash with the cup match, an FA spokesman said the organisation was "delighted" for Prince Harry and Ms Markle.
He added: "Saturday 19 May promises to be a wonderful day with such a special royal occasion being followed by English football's showpiece event, the Emirates FA Cup Final.
"With millions coming together to watch both events at home and around the world, it will be a day to celebrate."
The couple visited a gallery and school in Nottingham
The prince designed her engagement ring, which features two diamonds that belonged to Princess Diana
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42369780
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France Millas train crash: Children killed as bus cut in two - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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At least four children died and at least 18 people were hurt in the collision in southern France.
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage of emergency vehicles at the scene of the crash
A train and a school bus have collided near Perpignan in southern France, leaving at least four children dead.
At least 18 people were injured, some of them critically, after the crash on a level crossing between Millas and Saint-Féliu-d'Amont.
The bus had picked up pupils from a nearby secondary school before it was hit by a train travelling at about 80km/h (50mph).
Pictures from the scene showed the bus split in two by the force of the crash.
Train operator SNCF said witnesses had reported seeing the barriers at the level crossing down at the time of the collision, although that was not confirmed.
The bus, which had left the Christian Bourquin College in Millas, was on the crossing when it was hit by the train, which was travelling from Perpignan. Visibility was described as good.
Four children died at the scene on Thursday. At one point local authorities said two 11-year-old girls had succumbed to their injuries on Friday morning, but later denied this report.
Some 30 people were on the regional train at the time.
Pictures from the scene showed the school bus sheared in two
Investigators are waiting to interview the driver of the bus. She was slightly injured in the crash. The train driver also escaped serous injury.
Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie regional council, said the level crossing had been upgraded recently and appeared to have been in very good condition. "The level crossing was very visible," she said. SNCF said it had an automatic barrier with standard signals and was not considered particularly dangerous.
But the grandmother of an injured 11-year-old girl who had been on the bus told a very different story. The girl said the barrier had not come down but remained raised. "The red lights that normally flash did not come on," she said. "The [bus] driver went through and stopped half way, and that's where the train crashed into it."
Rail operator SNCF has modernised level crossings across France in recent years, following numerous accidents, the BBC's Chris Bockman reports from Toulouse.
More than 150 emergency workers and four helicopters were deployed as part of the rescue effort.
Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne called the crash a "terrible accident" and Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer was due to visit a counselling centre set up at the Christian Bourquin College on Friday.
A statement from the education minister's office said he would visit "to support students, families, teachers and the entire educational community".
In a tweet, French President Emmanuel Macron offered his condolences: "All my thoughts for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families. The state is fully mobilised to help them."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42358075
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Grenfell fire: Families and survivors remember victims at St Paul's memorial - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Royal Family members joined the bereaved at the London memorial to pay tribute to the 71 victims.
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UK
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Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have attended a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, alongside members of the Royal Family and PM Theresa May.
Bereaved families, survivors and rescue workers were joined by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
Bishop of Kensington Graham Tomlin said he hoped the tragedy would represent a "time we learnt a new, better way".
The commemoration, marking six months since the tragedy, also gave thanks to all those who assisted at the time of the fire and since - including the emergency services, recovery teams, the community, public support workers and volunteers.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and singer Adele were also among the more than 1,500 guests.
The families of victims held photographs of their loved ones outside the cathedral
Singer Adele attended the service, among more than 1,500 guests
As the memorial began, a Green For Grenfell banner adorned with a heart was carried into the cathedral.
Opening the service ahead of a minute's silence, Dean of St Paul's Dr David Ison said: "We come together as different faiths as we remember those whose lives were lost."
"Be united in the face of suffering and sorrow," he added.
He said the UK grieved "at the unspeakable tragedy, loss and hurt of that June day".
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall joined the congregation
Six months on from the Grenfell Tower fire, the grief and anger of those affected is still visibly raw.
Underneath the sadness there was dismay that many of the survivors attending the national memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral are still homeless.
And while those who died in the fire were remembered, there was also comment on what has taken place since - and what more importantly still needs to be done.
Families held photographs of victims of the fire, while voice recordings from people at the scene of the fire were played to the congregation.
The Al-Sadiq and Al-Zahra Schools Girls' Choir then sang out the words: "Never lose hope."
Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington and organiser of the memorial, told the congregation: "Today we ask why warnings were not heeded, why a community was left feeling neglected, uncared for, not listened to."
But he said he looked ahead to the New Year with "hope" of change from "a city that didn't listen".
He said he hoped the word "Grenfell" would change from a symbol of "sorrow, grief or injustice" to "a symbol of the time we learnt a new and better way - to listen and to love".
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Before the service, Bishop Tomlin told the BBC: "There was a very strong desire within the local community to have the service here, because faith is very important to a lot of people in the local area, and that can bring a real sense of strength to people."
One of those in attendance was Tiago Alves, who escaped the blaze with his family.
He told BBC Breakfast his thoughts would be with bereaved families during the "emotional" memorial: "Today is a day not about survivors; today is purely about the bereaved, their families and the loved ones they have lost."
He said the memorial would bring back a lot of awful memories for many people, but added: "The reason we are doing this today is so that people never forget - we want people to remember."
Families stood on the steps of St Paul's after the service
Many held white roses along with photographs of loved ones
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall also attended the service
A young girl lights a memorial candle among tributes laid for the victims
Portobello Road Salvation Army Band and St Paul's Cathedral Choir performed during the service, and the Ebony Steel Band, frequent performers at the Notting Hill Carnival, played a verse of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
At the end of the service, bereaved families and survivors left the cathedral in silence, holding white roses.
Clarrie Mendy, who lost her cousin Mary and Mary's daughter, Khadija Saye, in the fire, said the memorial was "what the community needs, what the survivors need".
"It is a very emotional day," she said. "I just hope everybody will get something from it."
Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, did not attend the service, after some families said they did not want the council there in an official capacity.
However, a minute's silence was held outside the town hall in High Street Kensington as the memorial service began.
The final death toll from the fire was put at 53 adults and 18 children, including stillborn baby Logan Gomes, following an arduous process of recovering and identifying remains from the block.
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tiago Alves, who escaped the blaze with his family, attended the service
Earlier, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the force would do "whatever it takes" to bring to justice anyone who had committed a criminal offence linked to the fire.
Ms Dick said officers would investigate "meticulously, fairly and fearlessly", but said she would be "vey surprised" if the criminal investigation was completed within the next 12 months.
Scotland Yard has previously said it will be considering both individual and corporate manslaughter charges.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42347207
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Grenfell memorial: Key moments - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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Survivors of the tower fire which claimed 71 lives attend a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral.
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Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have attended a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, alongside members of the Royal Family.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42361323
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Ashes: Steve Smith hits 92 not out on second day of third Test - BBC Sport
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2017-12-15
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Australia captain Steve Smith hits an unbeaten 92 as the hosts finish the second day of the third Test on 203-3 - still 200 runs behind England.
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Third Ashes Test, Waca (day two of five)
Captain Steve Smith made an unbeaten 92 as Australia forced their way back into the third Ashes Test on day two in Perth.
Smith's chanceless and controlled knock took the home side to 203-3, 200 behind England.
Jonny Bairstow earlier completed a century for the tourists, but after Dawid Malan fell for 140, they lost their last six wickets for 35 runs in 51 balls to be 403 all out.
Though Craig Overton removed both openers to leave Australia 55-2, Smith shared 124 with Usman Khawaja, who was dropped twice in his 50.
Khawaja was eventually trapped lbw by Chris Woakes, but Smith remained, making batting look quite effortless in perfect conditions.
England's lead is healthy and Australia will have to bat last on a surface showing occasional signs of variable bounce - yet Smith's continuing presence leaves the hosts with a chance of gaining first-innings parity at least.
With Australia 2-0 up, England must not be beaten at the Waca - a ground where they have not won since 1978 - in order to avoid surrendering the Ashes at the earliest opportunity.
Their efforts in the last hour were hampered by an injury to Overton, who took a blow to the ribs in trying to take a return catch off Khawaja.
• None Reaction and analysis to second day's play
Smith had seen David Warner caught behind and Cameron Bancroft pinned leg before, both by the increasingly impressive Overton, when he made his way to the crease with Australia 348 runs behind.
The captain's unbeaten 141 was the difference between the sides in the hosts' first Test win in Brisbane and though he was kept relatively quiet at the Adelaide Oval, this was Smith again looking every inch the number one Test batsman in the world.
At the Gabba he favoured the leg side; here he played handsome drives through the off side to go with one pull for six off Overton.
Khawaja, scoring square of the wicket, played the supporting role until he was undone by one from Woakes that skidded and nipped off the seam.
There seemed every chance that Smith would complete a century before the close, but England stopped him from reaching three figures and it is his wicket that they will prize over all others when play gets back under way at 02:30 GMT on Saturday.
He will be joined by Shaun Marsh, who took 18 balls to get off the mark, but is coming off the back of a century of his own in Adelaide.
As well as Malan batted, the moment that he danced at off-spinner Nathan Lyon, miscued to point and was well held by diving substitute fielder Peter Handscomb can be pinpointed as when Australia began to get back in the game.
From there, the England lower order meekly surrendered - as they have in three of the four previous innings in this series.
Moeen Ali limply poked Pat Cummins to second slip, Woakes helped Josh Hazlewood to long leg and Bairstow played across the line to be bowled by Starc.
Overton patted Hazlewood to short leg and a swiping Stuart Broad top-edged Starc, who ended with 4-91. The final six wickets fell in a little over 45 minutes.
With the ball, England needed Overton to show them the correct length, while James Anderson curiously did not deliver a single ball to Smith until the skipper had reached 47. Moeen has not taken a wicket with his off-breaks since the third day of the first Test.
More costly were the lives given to Khawaja - first by a diving Overton attempting a return catch when the left-hander had not scored, then by second slip Joe Root, who appeared not to see an edge off Woakes when he was on 28.
And, late on, Marsh could have been held off Moeen by either wicketkeeper Bairstow or short leg Mark Stoneman, when the ball flew off the latter's boot but could not be gathered as both dived for it.
The early progress of Malan and Bairstow was as serene as the first evening, when Malan reached his maiden Test century.
From 305-4 overnight, it took them 27 balls to score the first run of the day, after which Malan was once again into his trademark cover-driving.
As he did on Thursday, Bairstow ignored short deliveries and instead waited for anything overpitched to score on both sides of the wicket.
When he reached three figures with a single off Mitchell Marsh, the wicketkeeper celebrated his fourth Test century with a 'headbutt' of his helmet, referencing the accusation that he did the same to Bancroft at the beginning of the tour.
The Malan-Bairstow partnership of 237 is an England record for the fifth wicket against Australia and, when they were together, the tourists had the chance to bat themselves into an unbeatable position.
Malan was furious with himself when he gave his wicket to Lyon - rightly so, considering how Australia then turned the tide.
'400 is a great effort from the guys'
England's Jonny Bairstow, speaking to Test Match Special: "We've got 400 on the board. From 100-4, we could have been out for a lot less than that.
"For us to get 400 from that position was a great effort from the guys.
"We're happy so far. Tomorrow the first couple of sessions are massive for us. There's no reason why we can't come out and take a couple of wickets.
"If we can take a lead into that second innings, who knows what can happen down the line?"
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "That was Jonny Bairstow's best Test innings. He ducked and swayed away from the short stuff and had so much balance on the front foot. It was as good as I have seen him.
"England bowled too short again - especially Chris Woakes. He's struggling on this tour.
"England have to take every chance they get tomorrow. Concentration is key."
• None Get Ashes alerts sent to your phone
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42364536
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BBC appoints Fran Unsworth as next head of news - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Fran Unsworth is appointed the new BBC director of news, replacing James Harding, who leaves in 2018.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Fran Unsworth has been appointed the new BBC director of news and current affairs, replacing James Harding, who is leaving at the beginning of 2018.
Unsworth is currently director of the BBC World Service Group and deputy director of news and current affairs.
She started her BBC career in local radio, before moving to Newsbeat. She went on to become head of political programmes and then newsgathering.
After four years at the BBC, Harding is setting up his own news media venture.
BBC director general Tony Hall described the role as "one of the most demanding of any in broadcasting", saying he was "delighted she is taking up the role".
"She brings a combination of excellent news judgement, authority, management knowhow, and the trust of her colleagues both in news and across the BBC," he added.
The job of director for news and current affairs, which has been accepted by Fran Unsworth, is undoubtedly one of the biggest in British, some would say international, journalism. It is also, by all accounts, an invitation to hell.
Despite being one of the most powerful jobs in journalism, the job is not wholly, or even mainly, editorial. If you are in charge of a particular programme, or publication, the idea is that as editor you get to focus on the exciting business of editorial judgement: what stories, pictures, campaigns, headlines to use and so on.
Unfortunately, the sorry financial state of much modern media means that editors' time is increasingly spent doing less fun things, like begging advertisers for money, or sacking people.
At the BBC, however, there is a whole other world of pain, and rightly too: as an organisation owned by the public, every penny has to be accounted for, and most of the decision making too.
James Harding came to the BBC from The Times newspaper
Unsworth said she was "delighted", adding: "We are living through a period of significant change at home and abroad. In a complex world, the BBC's journalism matters more than ever.
"I am proud to lead a team of such dedicated and talented people."
Unsworth, who will sit on the BBC's executive committee, will take up the role at the start of the new year.
In the past year she has overseen the biggest expansion of the World Service since the 1940s, adding 12 new global language services including Korean and Pidgin.
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-42365321
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Star system has record eight exoplanets - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Nasa finds a distant star circled by eight planets, equal to the complement in our own Solar System.
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Science & Environment
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Artwork: the Kepler-90 system is the first to tie with our Solar System in number of planets
Nasa has found a distant star circled by eight planets, equal to the complement in our own Solar System.
It's the largest number of worlds ever discovered in a planetary system outside our own.
The star known as Kepler-90, is just a bit hotter and larger than the Sun; astronomers already knew of seven planets around it.
The newly discovered world is small enough to be rocky, according to scientists.
"This makes Kepler-90 the first star to host as many planets as our own Solar System," said Christopher Shallue, a software engineer at Google, which contributed to the discovery.
Engineers from Google used a type of artificial intelligence called machine learning to find planets that were missed by previous searches.
Artwork: The Kepler telescope was launched to detect new worlds using the "transit method"
The discovery was based on observations gathered by Nasa's Kepler Space Telescope.
Its parent star is very distant, lying 2,545 light-years away. But its planetary system appears to be ordered in a similar way to our own.
Andrew Vanderburg, a co-discoverer at the University of Texas at Austin, said: "The Kepler-90 star system is like a mini version of our Solar System. You have small planets inside and big planets outside, but everything is scrunched in much closer."
To give a sense of how close, the outermost planet in the system orbits at around the same distance the Earth does from the Sun.
Because the new world, dubbed Kepler-90i, is so much further in - it completes one circuit of its star every 14.4 days - it's estimated to have a scorching hot surface temperature of around 425C.
The machine learning technique was also used to find a new Earth-sized planet, called Kepler 80g, around a different star.
Some 3,500 exoplanets - worlds circling other stars - have been documented in recent decades.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42356305
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Grenfell fire: Worrying number of PTSD cases among survivors and locals - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A unique NHS service helping Grenfell survivors has found high levels of mental trauma.
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UK
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A large proportion of the people living in buildings close to Grenfell Tower show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), six months after the tragedy, which killed 71 people, the NHS says.
Caused by very stressful or distressing events, PTSD can lead to nightmares and flashbacks, with sufferers often feeling isolated, irritable and guilty.
So far, about 1,000 people have been screened for symptoms, with the number of PTSD sufferers at the highest end of a range of expectations after comparing it to other recent tragedies such as terror attacks.
Overall, the NHS believes that as many as 11,000 people - including survivors, witnesses and the bereaved - could be suffering from the psychological impact of the fire, which took many hours to be brought under control.
It anticipates that thousands of these people will need therapy.
A special team of more than 50 therapists and 20 outreach workers has been established, called the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, in what the NHS says is its largest ever mental health response to a traumatic event.
More than 500 people have already attended sessions with NHS therapists to treat symptoms of anxiety and PTSD. So far, 150 children have completed or are having continuing therapy.
"I'm not coping," one woman told an outreach worker.
She lives in a flat in what is known as the walkways - right next to the burnt-out shell of Grenfell Tower, a potent and ever-present symbol of the fire.
Her eyes filling with tears, she said she was having flashbacks and was struggling to sleep but had begun to get therapy, which was helping.
"I thought I would cope, but I can't because the tower is still there. It's a big reminder, which you can't forget."
The outreach work involves teams of NHS staff going door to door, working outwards from Grenfell Tower.
They ask each person how they are feeling and look for signs of trauma. If appropriate, they complete an on-the-spot PTSD questionnaire.
They call it "street-screening", and so far staff have screened about 1,000 people living close to the tower.
The rates of PTSD picked up by the screening range from 75% of those screened in the buildings nearest the tower to 40% in buildings a little further away.
But rates vary considerably from building to building.
The plan is to continue street-screening outwards from the tower until the PTSD rate drops.
But there are dozens of high-rise buildings, some miles away from Grenfell Tower, that had a clear line of sight to the burning building, and whose residents may also have been affected.
The teams have also screened survivors from Grenfell Tower, most of whom are still living in hotels. I joined two outreach workers as they spoke to one survivor.
"I'm feeling down, not depressed, but down."
"Is that every day, every other day, or for several days?"
The man lived on the 13th floor, with his wife, son and daughter. The whole family survived.
The other family members are getting counselling, but he felt he didn't need help. Six months on, he's now changed his mind.
The family owned a leasehold flat in the tower, and he says the continuing process of seeking compensation from Kensington and Chelsea Council has made him feel increasingly anxious.
"I tried to prove to myself that I can manage without [counselling], but I think it's the right time now to ask for help.
"I've felt a bit sad, and I don't want to give up just because I'm not well. I have the feeling it's better to give up - that's the reason I'm going to accept some help."
Kensington and Chelsea Council says it is doing all it can to ensure survivors and local residents have access to the mental health support they need.
The outreach team is dealing with numerous logistical challenges, including incomplete lists of survivors living in temporary accommodation and frequently changing council key-workers who are meant to be the main point of contact with survivors.
The team has even had to provide therapy to key-workers who have themselves become traumatised by their work.
The Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service is the first response of its kind
It's all been an unusual challenge for the NHS.
"I think the outreach model is completely unique," said Emma Kennedy, from the Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service.
"Seeking out people, bringing them in, and walking through the journey of therapy with them, hasn't been tried in any other service in terms of disaster response."
People who score highly enough under the street-screening tool for PTSD or anxiety are referred to therapists for counselling, often a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or another talking therapy.
She said many had not been able to process their memories of what had happened on the night of the fire, because of the extreme stress they had been under as they had tried to escape the burning building.
"The memory evolves like a multi-sensory video which can be re-triggered at any time."
"People might start to get clips of what they saw, what they heard - even smelt, tasted, felt - on that night coming back to them in the months and years afterwards, and that can be very distressing."
One Grenfell resident now experiences those feelings whenever he goes downstairs.
"They actually smell smoke, and have the same fear they felt that night."
Treating PTSD of this type involves a process known as reliving - having the patient talk through these experiences in minute detail in order to update the memory in a safe environment.
I joined one patient, who asked to remain anonymous, during a CBT session. He witnessed the fire and lost three close family members in it.
"When doing therapy, you're basically writing down what you've got in your head, but you're also re-writing what you've got in your head in a way that you're able to deal with," he said.
"It most definitely put things into perspective for me, in terms of filtering the important thoughts and using them to move forward with my life."
Many people living in the area say the constant physical presence of the gutted shell of the tower itself triggers flashbacks.
Alastair Bailey, a consultant clinical psychologist who runs the adult part of the service, says it's a very difficult reminder for people.
"There's been a lot of support in the local community, and that's a really helpful thing.
"But there's another thing which is not so helpful in terms of developing trauma, and that's called rumination, which is going over what's happened to you again and again. Both things have occurred."
The service expects to continue offering therapy for years to come, as PTSD can sometimes take years to develop.
About £7m has been budgeted for the NHS health response this year, and up to £10m will be needed next year.
The Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service is a free and confidential NHS service for children and adults affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
You can access the service at The Curve, 4 Bard Road, W10 6TP between 10:00 and 20:00 every day.
You can also call 0800 0234 650 (lines open 24/7), email cnw-tr.spa@nhs.net or if you are deaf or have a hearing impairment, you can use the Next Generation Text Service on 18001 0800 0234 650.
• None Self refer to the Grenfell health and wellbeing service The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42338725
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Special-needs pupils 'struggle' with new tests - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Primary school league tables show pupils with special needs are dropping further behind their classmates.
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Family & Education
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Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in England are dropping further behind their classmates in national primary school tests, statistics show.
The gap between SEN pupils and their peers has risen from 48 percentage points in 2016 to 52 this year.
The figures are revealed in school league tables, published by the Department for Education (DfE), showing the results of about 16,000 primaries.
Head teachers say special-needs education funding is in crisis.
The government statistics show 18% of children with SEN reached the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 70% of their peers without special needs.
Although SEN pupils' results edged upwards on last year, when 14% made the grade, their non-SEN peers boosted their results more dramatically from 62% to 70%.
Teachers have been warning that pupils with special needs, such as mild autism or dyslexia, would struggle in the tougher tests introduced last year.
A National Association of Head Teachers' spokesman said it was "one of those situations where money is the solution and schools need the government's help".
The tables also showed disadvantaged pupils still perform far worse than all other pupils in England, with around half passing the tests, compared to nearly two-thirds of non-disadvantaged.
The gap between the two groups of pupils is now as wide as it was in 2012 at about 20 percentage points.
However, there does appear to be a small catch-up (one percentage point) in poorer pupils' attainment on 2016 when the tougher tests were introduced and results for all pupils dipped significantly.
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: "This data is a useful indication of school performance but it is not the whole story. One thing it does do, though, is confirm what NAHT has been saying for a long time about social mobility.
"Raising the Key Stage 2 standard (Sats test) was not going to help close the gap. The issues that underpin inequality reach far beyond the school gates and exist throughout the communities that schools serve."
But Schools Minister Nick Gibb hailed the achievements of pupils and teachers, saying they had responded well to the more rigorous curriculum.
This set of pupils was the first to benefit from the government's new approach to phonics, he said.
"Pupils are now leaving primary school better prepared for the rigours of secondary school and for future success in their education," Mr Gibb added.
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Overall, pupils have scored better in their Sats results than last year, which was the first year of the new tests.
The DfE said this was partly because of "increased familiarity" with the new tests.
There was a nine percentage point increase in the proportion of black pupils passing the tests, to 60% - just one percentage point behind the national average and white pupils.
The top five local authorities were all London boroughs, with Richmond upon Thames at the top, Kensington and Chelsea coming second and Bromley third.
The inner city boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Hackney have claimed the fourth and fifth spots.
In 1999, Hackney, which had been one of the worst performing boroughs, became the first local education authority to be taken out of council control.
In this year's tests across England, local authority schools slightly outperformed academies and free schools, with 62% of their schools reaching the expected standard compared with 61% of academies and free schools.
In all, 511 schools - 4% of the total - have fallen beneath the government's expectations or "floor standard", where fewer than 65% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics and the school did not achieve sufficient progress scores in all three subjects.
This is an improvement on last year, where 665 - 5% - primaries were found wanting.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42353456
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Brexit: EU leaders agree to move talks to next stage - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May welcomes "important step" and calls for "rapid progress" on transition discussions.
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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. Brexit: Theresa May says agreement is "important step" on the road to Brexit
EU leaders have agreed to move Brexit talks on to the second phase but called for "further clarity" from the UK about the future relationship it wants.
The first issue to be discussed, early next year, will be the details of an expected two-year transition period after the UK's exit in March 2019.
Talks on trade and security co-operation are set to follow in March.
Theresa May hailed an "important step" on the road but Germany's Angela Merkel said it would get "even tougher".
Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, broke the news that the 27 EU leaders were happy to move on to phase two after they met in Brussels.
He congratulated Mrs May on reaching this stage and said the EU would begin internal preparations for the next phase right now as well as "exploratory contacts with the UK to get more clarity on their vision".
While securing a deal in time for the UK's exit in March 2019 was realistic, he suggested that the next phase would be "more challenging and more demanding".
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This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Theresa May This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by Theresa May
Mrs May said the two sides would begin discussions on future relations straight away and hoped for "rapid progress" on a transitional phase to "give certainty" to business.
"This is an important step on the road to delivering the smooth and orderly Brexit that people voted for in June 2016," she said.
"The UK and EU have shown what can be achieved with commitment and perseverance on both sides."
Labour's international trade spokesman, Barry Gardiner, welcomed the move forward, but said it would be a "real problem" for business if the EU didn't start talking trade for a further three months.
He also said his party would not put a time limit on a post-Brexit transition phase, as the expected two-year period would be "extremely tight".
Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel held a joint news conference at the end of the summit
The EU has published its guidelines for phase two of the negotiations, with discussions on future economic co-operation not likely to begin until March.
The three-page document says the UK will remain under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and be required to permit freedom of movement during any transition period.
And agreements on the Irish border, the so-called divorce bill and the rights of EU and UK citizens, agreed by Mrs May last Friday, must be "respected in full and translated faithfully into legal terms as quickly as possible".
The document says: "As the UK will continue to participate in the customs union and the single market during the transition, it will have to continue to comply with EU trade policy."
While the EU is willing to engage in "preliminary and preparatory discussions" on trade as part of building a "close partnership" after the UK's departure, this means any formal agreement "can only be finalised and concluded once the UK has become a third country".
After the six months she has had, Theresa May might be entitled to breathe a sigh of relief, as the European Council officially declared that the first phase of our long goodbye from the European Union is over.
Stand back from the daily dramas and perhaps it was always bound to happen.
Both sides are committed to getting an agreement.
The EU and the UK both want a deal to be done, and while there has, inevitably, been grumpiness on both sides, they have, in the main, dealt with each other in good faith.
The document "calls on the UK to provide further clarity on its position on the framework for the future relationship".
But in a passage added during the past week, it invites the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to "continue internal preparatory discussions" on future relations rather than having to wait until March to do so.
Sources have told the BBC that the government is highly likely to accept an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill next week to see off another potential Commons defeat for Theresa May.
Conservative rebels have been concerned about plans to put the Brexit date and time - 11pm on 29 March 2019 - into law.
Backbenchers, including former minister Oliver Letwin, have tabled an amendment, suggesting a change to the legislation.
Ministers are likely to accept their plan, which is a change that some of the potential rebels have been asking for, the BBC understands.
Senior sources are confident they can see off a defeat, after No 10 said there were no plans to take the date out of the bill.
Responding to the reports, Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer wrote on Twitter: "After a car-crash defeat on Brexit vote, rumours that PM will now U-turn on gimmick exit day amendment: forced to get a Tory MP to amend her own amendment before its put to the vote!"
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU's initial priority was to "formalise the agreement" that had already been reached before moving forward, adding "the second phase will be significantly harder and the first was very difficult".
Praising Mrs May as a "tough, smart and polite" negotiator, he said he was "entirely convinced" that the final agreement reached would be approved by the UK and European Parliaments.
Giving his response, French President Emmanuel Macron said that in moving forward the EU had maintained its unity, protected the integrity of the single market and ensured "compliance with our own rules".
Mrs May is set to discuss her vision of the "end state" for the UK outside the EU at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, having suffered her first Commons Brexit defeat earlier this week.
• None Relief for May but a hard road ahead
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42368096
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HS2 redundancy pay 'shocking waste' of taxpayer cash - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Overpayments totalling £1.76m were made to 94 people, a committee of MPs says.
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Business
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A computer generated image of an HS2 train on the Birmingham and Fazeley viaduct
Unauthorised redundancy payments made by the state-owned company managing the HS2 rail project were a "shocking waste of taxpayers' money", MPs have said.
The Public Accounts Committee said the firm overseeing construction of a high-speed rail line offered staff terms "well in excess" of authorised levels.
The MPs blamed "weak internal processes" at HS2 for overpayments to 94 people totalling £1.76m.
An HS2 spokesperson acknowledged "a serious error" had been made.
The company made the payments in 2016-17 after shedding 94 staff in a move from London to Birmingham.
A combination of compulsory and voluntary redundancy schemes were offered on enhanced terms, resulting in a total bill of £2.76m, despite instructions from the Department of Transport that they should be at statutory rates, which would have incurred payments of £1m, MPs on the committee said.
The MPs' report says that HS2's chief executive at the time, Simon Kirby, had an email from the government telling him that he wasn't allowed to offer staff larger, enhanced redundancy payments when the firm relocated.
But it says Mr Kirby didn't pass that email on to anyone else.
However, Mr Kirby - who now works at Rolls Royce - said in a statement that he had not been responsible for the decision to approve more generous severance packages.
"I did not approve the payments at issue and deny any allegation of wrongdoing," he said.
"I left HS2 in December last year and the decision to make senior managers redundant, and under what terms, was not made until after I left."
MPs concluded a lack of basic financial controls at HS2 Ltd heightened the risk of fraud and financial errors, a situation it said was exacerbated by high rates of staff turnover.
"The unauthorised schemes were able to proceed because weak internal processes at HS2 Ltd prevented key decision-making and scrutiny bodies from receiving accurate information," the committee said.
The HS2 rail link being built between London, Manchester and Leeds, via Birmingham has already proved controversial for its impact on communities in the path of the new line, over its environmental impact and for its £55.7bn price tag.
The HS2 spokesperson said: "HS2 is on track and has achieved a lot in its short lifespan. It has been able to do so because of our ability to have the right people in the right jobs at the right time.
"But while that was the reason for these payments it is clear that we got the process wrong and we are now putting the right systems in place to make sure that does not happen again."
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We have made clear to HS2 Ltd in the strongest terms that we expect them to always meet their obligations and responsibilities to the taxpayer.
"As the NAO said this was a failure in the internal process at HS2 Ltd that resulted in these payments being made without approval in place.
"The Department has received legal advice that bringing a claim against Mr Kirby for breaching his duties and responsibilities as CEO and director of HS2 Ltd would not be justified."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42358892
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Tulse Hill hit-and-run: Police release CCTV images - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 29-year-old victim died after being struck by four vehicles on a pedestrian crossing in London.
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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
Police investigating a fatal hit-and-run in which a woman was struck four times have released CCTV images of vehicles they believe were involved.
The victim, 29, was "left to die" on the pedestrian crossing, when all four drivers failed to stop, on Monday.
She was hit as she crossed Norwood Road in Tulse Hill, in south London, as the traffic went through on a green light.
The images show a white lorry - possibly a Mercedes, and a black car, similar to a Vauxhall SUV.
Detectives have traced two drivers allegedly involved but are still looking for the other two.
One of the vehicles believed to be involved in the hit-and-run was a white lorry
Police are urging the driver to come forward
Two of the four drivers have been traced so far
The victim, who was Polish and staying with family in Wandsworth, was struck by one lorry, before being hit by a second lorry and two cars, the Metropolitan Police believe.
She was treated by paramedics but died from her injuries, less than an hour after she was fatally injured at about 06:45 GMT on Monday.
Her family is due in the UK later, to enable her to be formally identified.
Police interviewed the 49-year-old male driver of the first lorry under caution and arrested the 52-year-old male driver of the second car on Tuesday.
He was detained on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and later released under investigation.
The Met said it was "grateful for all those witnesses who have come forward".
But, they are still seeking any dashcam footage from drivers who were in the Norwood Road area between 06:30 and 07:00 GMT.
Acting Det Sgt Alastair Middleton, of the Met Police, said: "We continue to appeal for anyone who was passing and witnessed the collision and the moments afterwards to contact us immediately.
"Enquiries are continuing to trace the two outstanding vehicles involved. A number of actions, including the recovery of local CCTV footage are in hand. I would urge the two drivers we are yet to trace come forward and speak with my team."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42363862
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Salford fatal fire: Family 'won't be broken' - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The children's mother remains in hospital in a coma "bandaged from head to foot".
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Manchester
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The children's aunt Claire Pearson shared her memories of them
The aunt of four children who died in a house fire in Salford says the family is trying to cope with their grief but "nothing will ever break us".
Demi Pearson, 15, and siblings Brandon, eight, and Lacie, seven, died in the blaze in Walkden on Monday. Lia, three, died in hospital on Wednesday.
Claire Pearson said: "What's happened is tragic but it won't separate this family. We are all very close."
Her sister and the children's mother, Michelle, 35, is in hospital in a coma.
Two men and a woman appeared in court earlier charged with murdering the siblings. They were remanded in custody until 9 March for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
Ms Pearson says her sister is "an amazing woman" and the house on Jackson Street "was like a youth club with the amount of kids" who would visit.
"She was such a mother to everybody else's kids as well as her own," she said.
"When it was family time they'd all cuddle up on the couch together, they were so close.
"Lacie was a little diva, she didn't stop dancing. Lia was obsessed with Peppa Pig. Brandon and Lacie were so close."
The family said they were "dreading the day" they have to tell Michelle "the awful news about her babies".
Lia, Demi, Brandon and Lacie died following Monday's fire, while their mum Michelle is still in a coma
Speaking of how the family feels, she said: "You can't feel pain, you can't feel grief, you can't feel anything, you're so numb inside, it's too much to take in."
Mike Pearson, Michelle's father, said: "The kids were just like any other kids. They were very supportive, very independent, but very tightly-knit.
"Demi was a little star. She'd been a diabetic and had problems in and out of hospital with that but nothing phased her, she was a beautiful girl.
"Brandon was quite funny, he was more like a school teacher, he was so intelligent."
Mike Pearson said Michelle Pearson is expected to be in a medically-induced coma for the next three or four weeks
He described Michelle, who they said was in critical but stable condition, as "fiercely independent".
"Michelle would do things her way. She loved her kids to pieces, she'd look after anyone. She was a friend to everyone," he said.
"She didn't have a bad word to say about anyone. She had a heart of gold, but she was nobody's fool, she'd stand her corner."
He said the family has recently been to church to pray for her recovery.
"She's so badly burned, she's bandaged from head to foot, she looks like a mummy and she's going to be in the medically-induced coma for the next three or four weeks," he said.
"It's going to be a long road but hopefully she'll pull through. Whether she'll have the fight, I don't know. I'm hoping she'll get the strength from somewhere but she's lost all her babies and that's the heartbreaking thing.
"We've got to focus on Michelle and try and be there for her."
Claire Pearson said the house on Jackson Street "was like a youth club with the amount of kids" who visited
He added he was "gobsmacked" at the support the family has received from the local community.
"The outpouring of love and support, it's been overwhelming. People have come from miles to leave flowers and teddy bears and messages of support," he said.
"They've been absolutely outstanding. We thank everyone for the messages and the love."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42360628
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Britvic confirms Norwich factory closure - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The manufacturer of Robinsons and Fruit Shoot is to move manufacturing to three other sites.
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Norfolk
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Britvic co-owns the site with Unilever, which owns Colman's Mustard
Britvic has confirmed it will leave its Norwich site, with the loss of hundreds of jobs in the city, in 2019.
The drinks manufacturer, which co-owns Carrow Works with Unilever, said it would transfer production of Robinsons and Fruit Shoot to its other sites.
It said it would offer employees redeployment and "help to find alternative employment".
The Unite union said the announcement just before Christmas was a bid to "bury bad news".
Britvic said it currently employed 249 people at the site, which it shares with Colman's Mustard.
Manufacturing will instead take place at Rugby, east London and Leeds.
"Transferring production will improve efficiency and productivity and reduce our environmental impact," the company said.
The decision follows a consultation with employee representatives, including the GMB and Unite unions.
Britvic said it would transfer production of Robinsons and Fruit Shoot to other factories
Chief executive Simon Litherland said: "This was not a proposal that we made lightly and we understand that the outcome of the collective consultation process will be upsetting for our colleagues in Norwich.
"It is a sad and difficult time.
"I want to thank everyone at Norwich, past and present, for their dedication, hard work and commitment, and I would like to say again that this decision is in no way a reflection of their performance."
The Unite union criticised the timing of the announcement and described the closure as "a hammer blow for the workers and the economy of Norwich in the run up Christmas".
Its national officer for the food and drink sector, Julia Long, branded the announcement as "a classic case of trying to bury bad news".
The move by Britvic has been mooted for several months, with fears expressed for the future of Colman's Mustard, which has been manufactured at the site since 1860.
Unilever, which owns Colman's, has previously said it could shut the site if Britvic closed operations.
It is conducting its own review and is looking at three sites in the city, including staying at Carrow Works.
Unilever has been approached for comment.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-42373062
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Unilever sells margarine business to KKR for £6bn - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Anglo-Dutch firm is selling brands including Flora and ProActiv to the private equity giant.
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Business
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Unilever has agreed to sell its margarine and spreads business, which include Flora and ProActiv, to private equity giant KKR for €6.8bn ($8bn; £6bn).
The move follows a wide-ranging review of its business which was prompted by a takeover attempt by rival Kraft.
Unilever said it would look for a buyer of the spreads business in April.
At the time, it said the firm would step up its cost-cutting, aiming for a 20% margin by 2020.
It said the margarine business was a "declining segment" that could be "better managed by others".
As well as Flora and ProActiv, it also owns I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Bertolli.
Paul Polman, chief executive of Unilever, said: "The announcement today marks a further step in reshaping and sharpening our portfolio for long term growth.
"I am confident that under KKR's ownership, the spreads business, with its iconic brands, will be able to fulfil its full potential as well as societal responsibilities."
It operates across more than 190 countries.
The deal is expected to be completed in the middle of next year, and is subject to regulator approval in certain jurisdictions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42365300
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Grenfell Fire: Grief remains raw at St Paul's memorial - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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There were a huge range of emotions at the St Paul's Cathedral service to remember the 71 Grenfell fire victims.
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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.
Six months on from the Grenfell Tower fire, the grief and anger of those affected is still visibly raw.
Underneath the sadness there was dismay that many of the survivors attending the national memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral are still homeless.
And while those who died in the fire were remembered, there was also comment on what has taken place since - and what more importantly still needs to be done.
On a cold and crisp December morning, there was a noticeable silence around St Paul's as people stopped to reflect.
The poignant lull continued as survivors, friends and families of those affected by the fire quietly began to make their way into the cathedral.
This silence was only broken when the majestic bells of St Paul's tolled across the City of London at 10:30.
At the same time a spontaneous ripple of applause broke out from the crowd as firefighters made their way up the cathedral steps.
Many held white roses along with photographs of loved ones
It was a sign of the gratitude for the efforts of the emergency services on the night of 14 June.
The bells continued to chime for 30 minutes, a mark of respect to the 71 who died in Grenfell Tower.
And it is clear why the survivors chose St Paul's, a cathedral where so many services of national significance have taken place over the years.
One mourner, Damel Carayol, 55, who lost his 44-year-old cousin Mary Mandy in the fire, said the service was needed and the venue fitting.
The service was held at St Paul's Cathedral, in central London
"It recognises the tragedy on a national level," he said.
"It's a step, but the biggest step will be accountability."
And while the service was being held it became apparent that the anger and uncertainty on display in the aftermath of the fire remained.
There are currently dozens of households still stuck in hotels.
Outside St Paul's, Prof Chris Imafidon said he knows of 20 people who lost everything in the fire.
"It is a very sad day," he said. "But the families want a service from the council, not a church service.
"This is just a big distraction from the fact that six months on many families are still homeless and will be spending Christmas in a hotel," he said.
There was another moment of reflection after the service finished.
Hundreds of relatives and survivors gathered on the steps of St Paul's, displaying single white roses and photographs of those who perished.
Some survivors then went straight back to their hotels.
But there was then a range of emotions on display as others moved on to St Paul's churchyard.
Visibly upset, they hugged and consoled each other, while some continued to vent their anger and speak of feeling neglected.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42357708
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Million Britons miss out on 'decent' broadband speeds - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Many Britons still struggle with slow broadband, finds report from communications regulator Ofcom
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Technology
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Decent broadband can be hard to find in some rural areas, said Ofcom
The UK's digital divide has narrowed but more than one million homes and offices still struggle to get good broadband, says an Ofcom report.
The Connected Nations report found that about 4% of properties cannot get a broadband speed fast enough to meet their needs.
Last year, about 1.6 million UK properties were in this position.
Smartphone access to the net also needed to improve, it said, as many only got weak signals when travelling.
"Broadband coverage is improving, but our findings show there's still urgent work required before people and businesses get the services they need," said Steve Unger, Ofcom's technology chief, in a statement.
"Everyone should have good access to the internet, wherever they live and work," he added.
The UK's appetite for data has grown at a huge rate in the last 12 months, found the report.
The average amount of data carried across UK networks grew by 52% during that period. The average home broadband connection now carries about 190 gigabytes of data every month, it found.
Telecommunications watchdog Ofcom defines decent broadband as a speed of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps) to download and one mbps to upload.
At these speeds, downloading a high-definition movie could take up to 90 minutes, said Ofcom, if no one else was using that link to the net.
Ofcom said the 1Mbps upload speed was becoming more critical as small businesses and families make greater use of video-sharing and conferencing, which require good upload speeds.
Ofcom said the problem of poor broadband was most pronounced in rural areas, where about 17% lack decent broadband.
The 10 down/one up split is the specification for Ofcom's proposed universal service offering - which every property in the UK should be able to receive, it said.
Many places cannot obtain these speeds because they are in rural areas that are far from telephone exchanges or street cabinets through which broadband is delivered.
More broadly, said the report, access to superfast broadband services that run in excess of 30Mbps was improving.
By May 2017, 91% of properties could receive such a service - a small increase from last year when the figure stood at 89%.
The higher speeds were proving popular, suggested the report, with 38% of premises that can get it signing up for the service.
Mobile signals are often weak on road and rail routes
As well as fixed-line broadband, the Ofcom report also said mobile operators needed to work harder to give customers a better experience.
Now, about 58% of premises can get a 4G signal indoors - up from 40% in 2016.
However, it said, many people struggled to receive good coverage when they were out and about. Currently only 43% of the UK's landmass can get signals from all four mobile operators.
Coverage was often poor on roads and railways, said Ofcom.
It said it was engaged in work to measure mobile connectivity on travel routes to monitor if operators are improving services for customers.
"People have never relied so much on their phones in daily life," said Mr Unger, adding that Ofcom's work would help to give people a more accurate picture of the quality of the service they can expect.
Matt Hancock, minister for digital, said there was a "clear need" for rapid improvements to mobile coverage.
"We've recently removed outdated restrictions, giving mobile operators more freedom to improve their networks including hard-to-reach rural areas," he said. "But industry need to play their part too through continued investment and improvement in their networks, making sure that customers are not paying for services they don't receive."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42367202
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Brexit: EU leaders set to move talks on to next stage - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May was applauded by European counterparts at a dinner on Thursday, ahead of the EU decision.
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UK Politics
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The 27 other EU leaders have stressed there is still a long way to go
EU leaders are expected to formally agree to start the next phase of Brexit negotiations later.
It means talks can move on to the long-term relationship between the UK and EU, days after Theresa May suffered her first defeat in the House of Commons.
The next round of talks on a transition period after the UK leaves in March 2019 could begin as early as next week.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said this process would be "significantly harder".
Mrs May was applauded by other leaders at dinner in Brussels on Thursday night after she made a speech urging the two sides to embrace the way ahead with "creativity and ambition".
The European Commission has said "sufficient progress" has been made on the first phase to move onto discussing the framework of a future relationship - including issues such as security and trade.
Mr Juncker said the EU's initial priority was to "formalise the agreement we have now" on issues such as citizens' rights before starting negotiations on a future relationship after the UK leaves in March 2019.
"The second phase will be significantly harder than the first and the first was very difficult," he warned.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. May: We've won 35 out of 36 votes
Speaking to reporters, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said progress had been made but there was "much more work to be done and time is of the essence".
Under EU rules, the prime minister will not attend the meeting where the decision is formally confirmed. She has now returned to the UK.
During the dinner with the 27 other EU leaders, Mrs May urged them to approve an agreement to move Brexit talks on to a second phase.
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In a brief speech, she stressed her keenness to get on with shaping a "deep and special" future partnership as quickly as possible, leaving no doubt that she believes she was "on course to deliver Brexit".
She said she made "no secret" of wanting to move on to the next phase and to approaching it with "ambition and creativity".
"A particular priority should be agreement on the implementation period so that we can bring greater certainty to businesses in the UK and across the 27," she said.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has warned "time is of the essence"
In applauding Mrs May, Mr Juncker said her EU colleagues "felt that she did make a big effort and this has to be recognised" while Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said he appreciated "her efforts and engagement".
But Maltese PM Joseph Muscat said the UK must spell out "very clearly" what it wanted from its post-Brexit relationship with the EU for the talks to proceed smoothly.
The text likely to be rubber-stamped by the leaders will promise to work towards a "framework" for a trade deal - with a wait until March before guidelines for the way ahead are produced.
The document states that a formal free trade agreement cannot be signed until after the UK has left the EU.
The talks will first prioritise translating recent headway on the issues of citizens' rights, the Irish border and the "divorce bill" into a legally-binding withdrawal agreement - as well as to work out the terms for a transition period to follow the official date of Brexit.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is it game over for Brexit?
The EU leaders will stay on to discuss the eurozone as the two-day summit draws to a close - having also debated the flow of migrants over the Mediterranean and sanctions on Russia.
Mrs May has said the Brexit process is still "on course" despite her defeat in a Parliamentary vote on Wednesday night.
Speaking in Brussels, Mrs May said she was "disappointed" at the vote on the EU Withdrawal Bill, but the legislation was making "good progress".
MPs backed an amendment giving them a legal guarantee of a vote on the final Brexit deal struck with Brussels.
Ministers are due to have their first discussion of the "end state" relationship between UK and the EU in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mrs May is facing a further challenge next week when MPs vote on a government amendment to enshrine the Brexit date of 29 March 2019 in law.
The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there was no sign so far that Mrs May was going to budge on the issue but further compromises could be "forced on her".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42362507
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Fall pensioner, 95, waits six hours for ambulance - BBC News
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2017-12-15
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A 95-year-old man spent six hours in agony waiting for an ambulance after breaking his hip.
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A 95-year-old Middlesbrough man spent six hours in agony waiting for an ambulance after breaking his hip.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-42371584
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