title
stringlengths 13
112
| published_date
stringlengths 10
10
| authors
stringclasses 3
values | description
stringlengths 0
382
⌀ | section
stringlengths 2
31
⌀ | content
stringlengths 0
81.9k
| link
stringlengths 21
189
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Facebook ditches fake news warning flag - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The social network will no longer display a warning icon next to disputed stories.
|
Technology
|
Facebook no longer displays red warning icons next to fake news stories shared on the platform, as it says the approach has not worked as hoped.
In December 2016, the site started showing a "disputed" warning next to articles that third-party fact checking websites said were fake news.
However, it said research suggested the "red flag" approach actually "entrenched deeply held beliefs".
It will now display "related articles" next to disputed news stories.
"Academic research on correcting misinformation has shown that putting a strong image, like a red flag, next to an article may actually entrench deeply held beliefs - the opposite effect to what we intended," Facebook's Tessa Lyons wrote in a blog post.
Instead of displaying a warning icon in the news feed, it will instead "surface fact-checked articles" and display them next to disputed stories.
Facebook said it had tested the approach and found that although the new approach did not reduce the number of times disputed articles were clicked on, it did lead to them being shared fewer times.
People who do try and share a disputed article are showed a pop-up with links to fact-checked sources.
Fact-checked articles will be given more prominence
"Using language that is unbiased and non-judgmental helps us to build products that speak to people with diverse perspectives," Facebook's designers said.
"Just as before, as soon as we learn that an article has been disputed by fact-checkers, we immediately send a notification to those people who previously shared it."
Critics say social networks should face regulation if they do not tackle the spread of misinformation and propaganda.
"What Facebook is trying to do is respond to pressure that it should be treated as a publisher, rather than a platform," said Tim Luckhurst, professor of journalism at the University of Kent.
"I think that argument is dead. They are a publisher, so it is not enough to offer people a menu of other related stories.
"We have a generation of people that are so anti-establishment and sceptical of evidence-based news, we need regulation of the type imposed on broadcasters since they first emerged."
Prof Luckhurst said he was "appalled" by Facebook's argument that it was different from traditional media.
"They usually raise the objection that they cannot be regulated because they're international. Well so is the BBC, so is CNN."
• None Fake news - is Facebook doing enough?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42438750
|
Damian Green: Vendetta or architect of his own downfall? - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Was a former officer after "payback" when he disclosed details about a 2008 probe into Damian Green?
|
UK
|
Damian Green (right) described Bob Quick's claims as "disreputable political smears"
Allies of Damian Green are said to regard his dismissal as the culmination of a nine-year vendetta by police, orchestrated by Bob Quick, the former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner.
Mr Quick oversaw a controversial investigation in 2008 into leaks from the Home Office which led to Mr Green's arrest, a raid on his Westminster office and the seizure of his parliamentary computers.
The Scotland Yard officer faced such heavy criticism over the inquiry that when he made a security blunder in April 2009, inadvertently revealing details of an anti-terror operation, support for him quickly drained away and he resigned.
Implicit in the suggestion of the "vendetta" theory is that the first secretary of state's dismissal was somehow "payback" by Mr Quick for that career-ending leaks inquiry.
But the reality is that Mr Green was the architect of his own downfall.
On November 4, as the Sunday Times presses rolled with the exclusive story, confirmed by Mr Quick, that pornography had been found on Mr Green's work computers, the MP tweeted a statement dismissing the claims in the strongest possible terms.
The story was "false", said Mr Green, who described the allegations as "disreputable political smears" from a "tainted, untrustworthy... and discredited" officer.
Furthermore, police had "never suggested to me improper material was found", he wrote.
Mr Green's statement was a calculated, but high-risk, gamble, apparently intended to recast the pornography claims in the light of a police feud and deflect attention on to Mr Quick's motives.
And for a while it worked.
Indeed, a week later, when the Met Commissioner at the time, Sir Paul Stephenson, told the BBC that he too had been aware of the pornography find, the cabinet minister repeated his assertion that he had never been told about "improper material" on his parliamentary computers, claiming again that the disclosure was being made for "ulterior motives".
But as the Cabinet Office inquiry has now established, Damian Green's statements were "misleading and inaccurate".
In fact, as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has acknowledged, his former colleague "lied".
Mr Green knew about the pornography all along: police had told his lawyers in 2008 and then discussed it with him in 2013.
Only Mr Green can explain why he denied all knowledge of the material.
Mr Hunt suggested on the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, it was something "he didn't mean to say", but Mr Green said it twice, which indicates it was rather more than a slip of the tongue.
His vehement protestations of innocence and counter-accusation against Bob Quick had the effect of ratcheting up the row when it might have served his interests better to dampen it down.
Damian Green leaves his London house a day after standing down
Neil Lewis, the detective who had inspected Mr Green's computers in 2008, was so angered at the minister's remarks that he contacted Mr Quick to offer support and made himself available to the Cabinet Office inquiry.
The inquiry never contacted Mr Lewis to give evidence, fuelling his concerns that it would not be able to establish the full facts about the pornography and might result in a whitewash.
As a result, the former police IT specialist later agreed to a broadcast interview.
Mr Lewis's decision to speak out, together with Mr Quick's public statements, are now being investigated by the Information Commissioner, who will assess whether they broke data protection laws.
A number of senior politicians and police officers believe the two men breached their duty to keep confidential information gleaned during the course of a police inquiry.
But it is unclear if the pair, who claim they have acted in the public interest, have done anything illegal. They cannot face internal disciplinary sanctions because they have retired from the police service.
Besides, the focus of this saga remains on Damian Green.
After all, it was his conduct that sparked the revelations.
Damian Green in his parliamentary office after his arrest in 2008
And given that the Conservative MP now admits knowing about the claims pornography had been found on his work computers there are searching questions about what he did or should have done with that information.
If, as he alleges, he had not downloaded or viewed the material himself, did he inform the parliamentary authorities that his computers had been improperly accessed or hacked by someone else?
Did Mr Green tell David Cameron that his computers' security may have been compromised when the former prime minister appointed him to the Home Office in 2010?
And was Theresa May informed about it when Mr Green was her policing minister between 2012 and 2014, and later when she rejuvenated his political career by bringing him into the cabinet?
There may be wider issues for the police - particularly where the boundaries lie between maintaining confidentiality and exposing alleged wrongdoing. But that should not detract from the bigger questions facing a cabinet minister who failed to tell the truth.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42437530
|
Priest Laurence Soper jailed for sexually abusing boys - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Laurence Soper, 74, is the fourth man convicted of sexual assaults on children at the London school.
|
London
|
Laurence Soper fled to Kosovo in a bid to avoid prosecution for abusing the boys at St Benedict's School in west London
A Catholic priest who abused boys at a London school in the 1970s and 1980s has been jailed for 18 years.
Laurence Soper, 74, fled to Kosovo with £182,000 from the Vatican bank in a bid to avoid prosecution for abusing boys at the independent St Benedict's School, in Ealing, where he taught.
He was extradited to face 19 charges of indecent and serious sexual assault against 10 former pupils.
He is the fourth man to be convicted of molesting children at the school.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Bate said Soper's conduct was "the most appalling breach of trust" and he had "subverted the rules of the Benedictine order and teachings of the Catholic Church".
He said the former abbot and headmaster's life would now be "overshadowed by the proven catalogue of vile abuse".
An Old Bailey jury took 14 hours to find Soper guilty of all charges on 6 December.
Laurence Soper was a senior priest at the Catholic school
Prosecutor Gillian Etherton QC told how the victims were subjected to "sadistic" beatings by Soper for "fake reasons" and on many occasions "with what can only have been a sexual motive".
The "reasons" included kicking a football in the wrong direction, failing to use double margins and using the wrong staircase.
St Benedict's apologised for the "serious wrongs of the past" while Ealing Abbey said: "We apologise to everyone who is affected by the crimes Soper committed.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his victims. We admire them for their courage in coming forward as witnesses."
Soper's victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were supported by relatives in court when he was sentenced.
One victim suffered from nightmares and flashbacks after the abuse, but chose not to come forward out of fear of more beatings, the jury heard during the trial.
Another victim said he was left faithless and suicidal.
In a statement read out in court, he said he wanted to be a vet or pilot before his life was ruined.
He said he began drinking to "numb the pain of what was happening to him".
Having been brought up a strict Catholic, he said he had since lost his faith, adding: "I have tried countless times to take my own life - I just could not cope."
Soper is the latest in a string of men to face allegations relating to their work at St Benedict's.
In 2010, Abbot Shipperlee announced an independent review of safeguarding arrangements, policies and procedures.
The following year, Lord Carlile produced a damning report calling for tougher rules to protect all faith pupils and stripped monks of control at the school.
Soper resigned as an abbot at the £5,000-a-term school in 2000 and moved to Rome, during which time victims started to come forward.
He then skipped bail and spent six years living in Kosovo, with a European Arrest Warrant issued for his extradition.
Judge Bate said: "You have been a clandestine sex offender since your early 30s. Your disgrace is complete."
Soper was attacked while on remand at Wormwood Scrubs prison, the court heard. He is now being held in segregation for his own protection.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42443604
|
Poundland removes Twinings tea from 'Naughty Elf' ad - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The discount chain has removed box of the brand's tea from an ad after the company complained on Twitter.
|
Business
|
Poundland has removed the image of a box of Twinings tea from a controversial social media advert after the company complained on Twitter.
The campaign displayed a toy elf in a suggestive pose with a plastic doll in front of a box of Twinings Classics tea.
Twinings tweeted that the picture "misuses our product".
The picture has reappeared, but without the box of Classics Selection tea and a caption: "Spot the difference?"
Poundland refused to comment on the change, but all the previous offending pictures had disappeared from Twitter by 17:30 GMT on Thursday.
Twinings tweeted about the Poundland campaign: "We had no involvement in this and... it is obviously not reflective of our brand values."
Poundland has been running its "Naughty Elf" adverts since the beginning of December.
They have included tableaux of a toy elf in a hot tub with naked dolls and another of the toy elf playing strip poker.
The campaign has divided opinion on Twitter, with some praising it as "brilliant", others damning it as "outdated misogyny".
Many tweets speculated that Poundland's Twitter Feed had been hacked.
However, Poundland confirmed the adverts were genuine.
Marketing Director Mark Pym said: "The love on Facebook has been overwhelming, and that's because it connects with our shoppers.
"We're proud of a campaign that's only cost £25.53 and is being touted as the winning marketing campaign this Christmas!"
A spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority confirmed they had had eight complaints about the advertising campaign, all on Thursday, claiming that it was offensive and unsuitable to be seen by children.
He said: "Because the complaints have only just come in we will assess them and then decide whether there is a problem, and whether the advertisements need to be investigated."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42441362
|
UK car production driven down by fall in domestic demand - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Car manufacturing output for the UK market drops by 28%, while production for export rises.
|
Business
|
The number of cars built in the UK last month fell by 4.6% compared with a year earlier, driven down by a sharp decline in domestic demand.
Nearly 161,500 vehicles were made in UK factories in November, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
But output for the domestic market fell by 28.1%, as a result of "Brexit uncertainty" and "confusion over diesel taxation", the SMMT said.
The SMMT figures showed that of the 161,490 cars produced last month, 24,276 were for the UK market, while 137,214 were shipped overseas.
Exports reached their highest proportion of output so far this year at 85%.
However, the SMMT said production for the home market "continued to falter" and fell for the fourth month in a row.
Earlier this month, SMMT car registration figures showed that the number of cars sold in the UK fell for the eighth consecutive month in November, declining by 11.2%.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Brexit uncertainty, coupled with confusion over diesel taxation and air quality plans, continues to impact domestic demand for new cars and, with it, production output."
He added that it was good to see exports grow last month, but "this only reinforces how overseas demand remains the driving force for UK car manufacturing.
"Clarity on the nature of our future overseas trading relationships, including details on transition arrangements with the EU, is vital for future growth and success."
The number of cars made so far this year is down 2% compared with the same period last year at 1.57 million.
Production for the home market has fallen by 9%, while production of vehicles for export is flat.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42432516
|
GCHQ cyber-spies 'over-achieved' say MPs - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The UK's ability to cyber-attack other countries has improved says a Parliament committee report.
|
Technology
|
GCHQ can detect the work of hackers around the globe
The UK has substantially increased its hacking capabilities in recent years, an official report says.
This includes the ability to attack other country's communications, weapons systems and even infrastructure.
The details were revealed in the annual report of the Intelligence and Security Committee, which oversees the work of intelligence agencies.
It said GCHQ had "over-achieved", creating double the number of new offensive cyber-capabilities expected.
The report said GCHQ's allocation of effort to develop hacks had increased "very substantially" from 2014.
The programme of developing the capabilities is divided into three tranches and GCHQ said that it had just finished the first. "We… actually over-achieved and delivered [almost double the number of] capabilities [we were aiming for," an official from the agency told the committee.
The details of the successes are classified in the public version of the report.
Such capabilities could, in theory, be used to retaliate against others' cyber-attacks. The report comes a day after the Foreign Office publicly blamed North Korea for the Wannacry attack, which hit the NHS in May 2017.
Not all the projects at GCHQ have been as successful. One - codenamed Foxtrot - was designed to deal with the spread of encryption.
It is described as an "equipment interference programme to increase GCHQ's ability to operate in an environment of ubiquitous encryption" and is considered critical to the agency's work.
However, it was reported to have suffered a number of delays.
"The task has become more complex, the skills shortage has become more apparent," GCHQ told the committee.
"It is our number one priority and our number one worry."
Another priority was Project Golf - an effort to enhance its supercomputing capacity. GCHQ said this project was also critical but on track to be operational early next year.
For years the intelligence community, like much of government, has struggled with IT projects designed to facilitate the sharing of information.
MI5's Alfa programme, described as crucial to the core business of managing information, is said by the committee to have faced major problems. It added that "significant risks" remained to its successful delivery.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42425960
|
Commonwealth Games: Birmingham announced as host of 2022 event - BBC Sport
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Birmingham will host the 2022 Commonwealth Games - the most expensive sports event to be held in Britain since London 2012.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Commonwealth Games
Birmingham has been named host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games - the most expensive sports event to be held in Britain since the London Olympics.
The city's bid was the only one submitted to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) by the deadline of 30 September, after it was chosen ahead of Liverpool as Britain's candidate.
The CGF initially deemed the city's bid was "not fully compliant".
However, it has now been confirmed as the host of the £750m event.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street described the announcement as a "fantastic Christmas present for our region".
The bidding process has been beset with problems, with the South African city of Durban awarded the Games in 2015 before being stripped of the event because it did not meet the CGF criteria.
After Birmingham's bid was initially deemed to not meet the necessary criteria, previously interested cities such as Victoria in Canada and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia were given another two months to apply, but none came forward.
Birmingham's organisers will now move forward with plans to build the UK's largest permanent athletics stadium, supplemented by four indoor arenas.
The decision will also enable the council to pursue the purchase of land for the athletes' village in Perry Barr, one of the city's northern suburbs.
This will be the third time the Commonwealth Games has been held in Britain since the turn of the century, after Manchester and Glasgow staged the event in 2002 and 2014 respectively.
The Games are expected to take place between 27 July and 7 August 2022.
Louise Martin, president of the CGF, said Canada, Malaysia and Australia have all expressed interest in hosting the Games in 2026 or 2030.
Making the announcement at a school in Birmingham, Martin told pupils the Games would "celebrate diversity, create opportunities and drive business links".
"With its rich history, cultural diversity, youthful dynamism and ambitious spirit, Birmingham embodies all that we cherish about the Commonwealth," she said.
"We want this to be a brand new chapter in Birmingham's history, and we want you to be part of that."
Culture secretary Karen Bradley said Birmingham will put on a "brilliant Games that will showcase the best of Britain to the world and make the entire country proud".
A central aspect of the bid was a proposal to increase the capacity of Alexander Stadium.
The venue, which is already used to host Diamond League athletics events, will expand from 12,000 to 50,000 for the Games, with a permanent capacity of 25,000.
In addition, a new aquatics centre will be built at Sandwell for swimming, Para-swimming and diving events.
It is thought the government will pay 75% of the cost of hosting the Games, with the other 25% - about £180m - raised locally.
Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward has said the bid will not affect the council's provision of public services. A 'hotel tax' is one idea reportedly under consideration.
Ian Metcalfe, head of Commonwealth Games England, told BBC Sport the Games will be funded by private backers as well as local and national public funds.
"It's an extraordinary opportunity for the city and region to showcase itself to the world at a time when we will be leaving Europe and the relationship with our Commonwealth neighbours will be even more important," he said.
Councillor John Hunt, the leader of the Liberal Democrats at Birmingham City Council said: "I and my colleagues talked intensively to local residents over about the Games. We found opinion equally divided. Some were enthusiastic, some were hostile because of the costs and the disruption and many wanted to ensure the Games leave the area with better facilities and better services."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/42437441
|
Ramaphosa vows to fight South Africa corruption - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The new ANC leader pledges "radical economic transformation" for South Africa.
|
Africa
|
Cyril Ramaphosa is one of South Africa's wealthiest politicians
The new leader of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, has pledged to fight corruption and pursue a policy of "radical economic transformation".
Closing the party's conference, he said tackling unemployment and poverty should also be key party policies.
Mr Ramaphosa was elected on Monday to succeed President Jacob Zuma as party leader.
He is in a strong position to become president at elections in 2019.
"This conference has resolved that corruption must be fought with the same intensity and purpose that we fight poverty, unemployment and inequality," he told delegates at the end of the five-day conference.
"We must also act fearlessly against alleged corruption and abuse of office within our ranks."
He said that the party had approved the seizure of land without compensation, but he cautioned against undermining the economy and food production.
It was a long wait for Cyril Ramaphosa's speech, which had been scheduled for Wednesday morning. When he finally made it at around midnight, he congratulated his party on having emerged from conference "united".
But there are many who point to issues like the alleged disappearance of 68 votes, cast for the powerful position of secretary general, and argue that splits in the party could well deepen.
Mr Ramaphosa's choice of words on the land issue was interesting. They reflect the careful tightrope the ANC is trying to walk: Addressing the concerns of the majority black population, whilst trying to assuage the business community and allay comparisons to its neighbour Zimbabwe.
There was also the expected condemnation of corruption in government and so-called state capture. What was not expected was his swipe at corporate corruption, and thinly veiled reference to the recent Steinhoff scandal.
Again this is indicative of the delicate balance Mr Ramaphosa is trying to achieve. He wants to let investors know he is serious about correcting the issues of the recent past, and convince black voters that he will equally address the mistakes of white-owned businesses.
The ANC has been under pressure to redress disparities which mean white farmers still own much of the best land in South Africa, more than two decades after the end of apartheid.
"This conference has resolved that the expropriation of land without compensation should be among the mechanisms available to government to give effect to land reform and redistribution," he said.
"It has also been resolved that we ensure we do not undermine the agricultural production or the economy - that is what is important."
Mr Ramaphosa praised his defeated rival for the ANC leadership, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What advice should South Africa's ruling party take on board?
The leadership battle caused fierce political infighting, raising fears that the party might split before the 2019 election.
President Zuma has been embroiled in a series of corruption scandals - he denies any wrongdoing - and support for the ANC has declined in recent elections. However, it still gained more than 50% of the national vote in local polls last year.
Analysts say Mr Ramaphosa may move to sack Mr Zuma in the coming weeks, however this would need the backing of the party leadership.
In a separate development, the ANC conference passed a resolution to direct the government to downgrade the South African embassy in Israel to a liaison office.
It described the move as a "practical expression of support to the oppressed people of Palestine".
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump caused widespread controversy when he announced the US would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate its embassy there from Tel Aviv.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42435886
|
Born in the wrong place for good schools? - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
There is a widening gap in access to good schools, with the north of England falling further behind.
|
Family & Education
|
The report warns that regional gaps in good schools have grown wider in recent years
There is a widening geographical divide in access to high-performing schools in England, says a report from the Education Policy Institute.
Between 2010 and 2015, London took an increasing share of the secondary schools where pupils were most likely to make good progress.
But the report says areas in the North and North East were being left behind.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said social mobility plans would help chances to be spread more evenly.
The report picks up on concerns about social mobility now being increasingly affected by where families live - with disadvantaged youngsters in London having a much better chance of going to good schools than similarly deprived pupils in other parts of the country.
David Laws, the think tank's chairman and a former education minister, said the widening inequality was "shocking".
In this study, "high-performing" schools are not those with the best exam results or rated as outstanding or good but those that are in the top third for how much progress pupils have made since starting secondary school.
The report says that a number of London boroughs are stretching further ahead in the density of such schools.
Harrow, Hillingdon, Brent, Ealing and Camden are among those with the greatest increases in such schools with a high level of value added.
Among the 20 top authorities by this measure, 16 are in London.
The authorities with a decreasing number of such high-performing schools are clustered in the North and Midlands, including Blackburn, Derby, Wirral, Warrington and Dudley.
Young people in Blackpool and Hartlepool are named as having the least access to local secondary schools where pupil progress is in the top third by national standards.
The analysis shows how levels of deprivation are not necessarily linked to the availability of high-performing schools.
Haringey has 29% of pupils eligible for free school meals, but has among the country's highest densities of successful schools, in terms of value added.
This measure of disadvantage is higher than any of the bottom 10 authorities with the least availability of good value-added schools.
"It is shocking to see that over recent years the access to high-quality secondary school places in England has become even more unequal," said Mr Laws.
"In one-fifth of local areas, children cannot access quality secondary school places. government rhetoric about spreading opportunity is not being matched by experience in areas such as the North, North East and parts of the Midlands."
Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said: "The answer of course is pretty simple."
He said schools needed better funding, to be able to recruit high-quality teachers and to have a longer-term approach to keeping the best teachers and head teachers.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said that a new plan to promote social mobility was designed "to make sure opportunities are spread evenly across the country".
"That's why we are targeting the areas that need the most support through the £72m opportunity areas programme, and by investing £280m over the next two years to target resources at the schools most in need to improve their performance and deliver more good school places."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42425343
|
Business Live: FTSE closes at all-time high - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The FTSE 100 closed at an all-time high, up 1% with mining stocks featuring prominently.
|
Business
|
And we'll keep you signed in.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-42367122
|
One teen has been campaigning to end period poverty - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Amika George, 18, wants free menstrual products to be given to pupils on free school meals.
|
Newsbeat
|
After seeing a news article about some girls in Leeds who missed school because they couldn't afford menstrual products, one teenager took it upon herself to change things.
"I'm still at school and to imagine what it would be like to miss a week of school every month is what really got to me," says 18-year-old Amika George.
"So I started a petition and called it #FreePeriods.
"The idea is that everyone on free school meals would get free menstrual products.
Amika George is calling for free menstrual products for those on free school meals
"I think some people will say they are really cheap, but it's easy to forget that you need to meet those costs every single month for several years in your life.
"So in the long run it adds up."
Amika organised a protest opposite Downing Street where celeb speakers - including Adwoa Aboah, Aisling Bea and Daisy Lowe - called on Theresa May to provide free menstruation products for those already on free school meals.
She says the government has been "dismissive of period poverty" because it says schools have discretion over how they use the money in their budget.
"We all know schools are incredibly stretched for money and budgets are being cut," says Amika.
"But also there's still a lot of taboo around periods.
"It's something that doesn't make any sense to me as to why a completely natural process that half the world's population goes through is unspeakable and scary and disgusting.
"And that is something that really needs to change."
If given the chance to talk to the prime minister, Amika would say: "There are girls missing school for up to a week every month and that's damaging the economy because it means those girls are less likely to get amazing jobs.
"There are people who are suffering from extreme poverty in the UK and it's awful she's not done enough to combat that.
"I'd say my solution of providing free menstrual products to all girls on free meals would work."
The government says it's invested more than £11bn since 2011 to help schools support their most disadvantaged pupils.
In a statement, it told Newsbeat: "Current guidance to schools on relationship and sex education encourages schools to make adequate and sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation."
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/42424484
|
Damian Green sacked after 'misleading statements' on porn claims - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The PM's deputy is asked to resign after making "inaccurate statements" after pornographic material was found on his Commons computer.
|
UK Politics
|
Damian Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies, has been sacked from the cabinet after an inquiry found he had breached the ministerial code.
He was "asked to quit" after he was found to have made "inaccurate and misleading" statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.
He also apologised for making writer Kate Maltby feel uncomfortable in 2015.
Laura Kuenssberg said the PM "had little choice but to ask him to go".
The BBC's political editor said the departure of a close friend left Mrs May a "lonelier figure".
Mr Green, 61, who as first secretary of state was effectively the PM's deputy, is the third cabinet minister to resign in the space of two months - Sir Michael Fallon and Priti Patel both quit in November.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May "will miss his advice, will miss his support" - Laura Kuenssberg on Damian Green sacking
In her written response, Mrs May expressed "deep regret" at Mr Green's departure but said his actions "fell short" of the conduct expected of a cabinet minister.
Like Mrs May, Mr Green campaigned for Remain in last year's EU referendum and had been a leading voice in Cabinet for a "softer" Brexit.
He had been under investigation regarding allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards journalist and Tory activist Ms Maltby. He denied suggestions that he made unwanted advances towards her in 2015.
He also denied that he had either downloaded or viewed pornography on a computer removed from his Commons office in 2008 and said police had "never suggested to me that improper material was found".
In his resignation letter, Mr Green said statements he made about what he knew about the pornography could have been "clearer", conceding that his lawyers had been informed by Met Police lawyers about their initial discovery in 2008 and the police had also raised the matter with him in a phone call in 2013.
"I apologise that my statements were misleading on this point," he said.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Green had "lied" about "a particular incident" and that was why he had to go but it was a "sad moment".
Asked if his departure left Theresa May more isolated, he said "leadership is lonely" but she had shown "extraordinary resilience in very challenging circumstances" and was someone "who is capable of taking very difficult decisions".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "I was shocked": Former detective constable Neil Lewis speaks to the BBC
An official report by the Cabinet Office found that public statements he made relating to what he knew about the claims were "inaccurate and misleading" and constituted a breach of the ministerial code.
The report also found that although there were "competing and contradictory accounts of what were private meetings" between himself and Ms Maltby, the investigation found her account "to be plausible".
Her parents, Colin and Victoria Maltby, said in a statement they were not surprised to find that the inquiry found Mr Green to have been "untruthful as a minister, nor that they found our daughter to be a plausible witness".
They praised their 31-year-old daughter for her courage in speaking out about the "abuse of authority".
Ms Maltby is not commenting on Mr Green's resignation until she receives more details from the Cabinet Office.
Damian Green was a confidant of the prime minister for many years
Damian Green has never been a politician with a huge public persona, or even a hugely well-known character.
But he was an extremely important ally of Theresa May. Not just a political friend but a genuine one, close to her for decades.
The government, so the joke in Westminster goes, has become "weak and stable", with number 10 taking back some control of the agenda in recent weeks.
So it is not likely that Mr Green's exit will suddenly unleash another bout of turmoil.
But the prime minister clearly took this decision very seriously.
She is a politician who guards her views, her own persona very closely. To lose one of the few who understood her, who she trusts, leaves her a lonelier figure.
In her reply, the PM said while the report had found his conduct to have been "professional and proper" in general, it was right that he had apologised for making Ms Maltby "feel uncomfortable".
Addressing breaches of the ministerial code, she added: "While I can understand the considerable distress caused to you by some of the allegations made in the past few weeks, I know that you share my commitment to maintaining the high standards that the public demands of ministers of the crown.
"It is therefore with deep regret that I asked you to resign from the government and have accepted your resignation."
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 Helen Catt 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.
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 Helen Catt 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.
Mr Green's political future has been in question since Ms Maltby claimed in an article in the Times that the minister "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015 and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message which left her feeling "awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised".
Mr Green, an acquaintance of the journalist's parents, said the claims were "hurtful" and "completely false".
Kate Maltby's account was found to be plausible, the report says
But they were referred for investigation by top civil servant Sue Gray - who is examining other claims that emerged during a swirl of allegations about harassment and other misconduct at Westminster.
The inquiry was subsequently expanded to consider claims that legal pornography was found on a computer removed from Mr Green's office in the House of Commons in 2008.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
It was one of a number of possessions seized by the police during a controversial inquiry into the leaking of official documents by a civil servant to Mr Green, at the time a shadow Home Office minister under David Cameron.
Mrs May, who has known Mr Green since they were contemporaries at Oxford, brought him into the cabinet after she became PM in 2016 and promoted him to first secretary of state in July.
Since then, he has played a substantial role behind the scenes chairing key cabinet committees and has also deputised for Mrs May at Prime Minister's Questions.
It is not clear who will replace him in those roles but unconfirmed reports have suggested there will be no announcement until the New Year, with Parliament due to go on recess on Thursday.
• None Theresa May loses one of the few who understood her
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42434802
|
Hospitals to cancel ops to cope with winter surge - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Bosses say the move is needed to prepare for the early January spike in demand, but surgeons complain of short notice.
|
Health
|
Hospitals across England have been told to cancel non-emergency operations in the new year to prepare for a post-Christmas surge in patients.
The first weeks of January are often the busiest of the year with winter illnesses peaking, combined with the growing day-to-day demand in A&E.
So an emergency panel of NHS bosses is urging hospitals to cut back on their routine work, such as knee and hip ops.
They hope it will give hospitals some breathing space to cope.
Publicly, no figure is being put on the number of operations that should be put off, although the BBC understands hospitals are working on the basis of doing 10% fewer.
That would mean in the region of 15,000 operations not taking place in the first two weeks of January.
The panel has suggested hospitals use the staff freed up by the move to set up "hot clinics" staffed by experts in conditions such as respiratory illness to take the pressure off A&E.
The directive is the first to be issued by the NHS National Emergency Pressures Panel, a new group of senior doctors, nurses and managers set up to advise NHS England.
Can't find your health trust? Browse the full list Rather search by typing? Back to search
If you can't see the NHS Tracker, click or tap here.
Panel chair Prof Sir Bruce Keogh said it would be sensible for hospitals to curtail the amount of planned work they are doing until at least mid January.
"NHS staff are working flat out to cope with seasonal pressures and ensure patients receive the best possible care.
"However, given the scale of the challenge, hospitals should be planning for a surge that comes in the new year by freeing up beds and staff where they can to care for our sickest patients."
He said this would reduce the need for last-minute cancellations which were unfair on patients.
It comes as figures released on Thursday showed pressures had already started building.
The weekly bulletin from NHS England showed over 1,000 beds were closed because of the vomiting bug Norovirus - nearly 10% of the hospital bed-stock - while ambulances were increasingly likely to find themselves delayed when they dropped off patients at A&E.
Pauline Philip, the NHS national director for emergency care, said it was a sensible move.
She also urged hospitals to make the most of the extra £350m winter funding provided by the government, which was released into the system last week.
And she added: "There is still time for the public to play their part by ensuring they have their flu jab and by using local pharmacies and NHS 111."
Prof Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, welcomed the move as it provided clarity over what should be done as pressures grow.
But he said it was still pretty "short notice" for those patients who face having their operations cancelled.
And he urged hospitals to prioritise cancer treatment and other planned operations that, if cancelled, would harm patients.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42439679
|
North Korea defection: Warning shots as soldier crosses border to South - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The soldier appeared at a checkpoint in the South in thick fog, but a search party was in pursuit.
|
Asia
|
The DMZ is one of the world's most heavily guarded strips of land
South Korea's military has fired warning shots at North Korean guards searching for a soldier who defected.
The North Korean soldier had walked across the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) shortly after 08:00 (23:00 GMT Wednesday).
He had emerged from thick fog at a checkpoint, said the South's military.
He is the fourth North Korean soldier to defect this year. The incident comes weeks after one of the most dramatic defections in recent times.
In that incident, on 13 November, a soldier was shot as he fled across to the southern side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the village of Panmunjom.
Thursday's incident took place at a checkpoint in the mid-western frontline, said Roh Jae-cheon, spokesman for South Korea's joint chiefs of staff.
Heavy fog had descended on the area, limiting visibility to about 100m (110 yards), he told reporters. But as the North Korean soldier approached the post, his movements were picked up on surveillance equipment.
Mr Roh added that the defector was taken into custody and was "safely secured". Authorities are now investigating what drove him to make the crossing.
The soldier, thought to be 19 years old, was carrying an AK-47 rifle, reported The Korea Herald citing the military. No gunfire was exchanged at the time.
But shortly after his crossing, a group of border guards from the North approached the border, appearing to search for their comrade, according to South Korea's defence ministry. South Korean soldiers fired about 20 warning shots.
Officials said the sound of gunshots coming from the North was heard about 40 minutes later, although no bullets were found to have crossed the border.
Heavy fog had descended on the checkpoint, said South Korea's military
Very few North Korean defectors risk crossing to the South via the DMZ.
One of the world's most heavily guarded strips of land, the DMZ is a thin buffer zone between the two Koreas and is fortified on both sides with barbed wire, surveillance cameras, electric fencing and landmines.
Last month's defection saw a soldier drive a jeep right up to the border, in a dramatic escape captured on surveillance cameras.
He ran across to the South in a hail of bullets from North Korean guards.
Shot five times, the soldier collapsed in a pile of leaves on the South's side, and was later rescued by South Korean soldiers.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A rare instance of a defector fleeing through the demilitarised zone was captured on CCTV in 2017
His recovery was closely tracked by South Korean media. He was released from intensive care and is reported to have written a thank you note to the doctors who treated him.
Two other North Korean soldiers defected, also via the DMZ, in June this year in separate incidents. Only one soldier defected last year.
The total number of North Koreans who directly defected to the South has also risen to 15 this year, compared to five last year, according to official figures reported by Yonhap news agency.
Hundreds more defect through China, before making their way to the South.
In a separate announcement on Thursday, South Korea's unification ministry said two defecting North Koreans had been found on a fishing boat in the South's waters.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42435798
|
Brexit: Be more patriotic about cheese, says Michael Gove - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Prices will go up if the UK leaves the EU without a deal but not if people buy British, says Michael Gove.
|
UK Politics
|
Michael Gove has hit back at claims the price of cheddar cheese will go up by 40% if Britain leaves the EU without a trade deal.
The environment secretary said that would not happen if consumers started buying more British cheddar.
"I am deeply concerned about your unpatriotic attitude towards cheese," he joked to the Labour MP quizzing him.
He said his department was "very pro UK cheddar" - and Britain's dairy farmers would respond to what the market wants.
His attempts to show off his knowledge of cheddar, by naming varieties such as "Montgomery or Lincolnshire Poacher", were cut short by environment committee chairman Neil Parish.
Britain currently imports "lots of cheddar" from Ireland, the Commons environment committee was told, but if it leaves the EU without a trade deal and goes to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules it will face tariffs on that product of 40%.
That meant prices in British shops would go up by 40%, Labour's Angela Smith claimed.
Mr Gove said it would be important to have these WTO tariffs if Britain left without a deal to prevent British farmers being undercut by cheap food imports - but he insisted the price of cheddar would not rise by 40%.
Mr Gove has criticised standards in US chicken farms
Agriculture minister George Eustice told the environment committee: "What would probably happen, if everybody put up such a tariff wall, is that we would consume more of the cheese we produce, rather than send it to Ireland, and Ireland would be selling us less cheese."
The UK currently exports £320m of cheddar to Ireland every year and imports £389m of cheddar, he told the committee (Ireland accounts for about 80% of all cheddar imports, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board).
Mr Gove suggested going to WTO rules was as likely as "a tsunami hitting the South West of England" and the government did not want to do it - but he told the MPs that his department was planning for such an eventuality.
He said that if it happened it would lead to higher food prices in the shops, but also more export opportunities for farmers. Mr Eustice quoted research by the Resolution Foundation that under WTO rules retail prices might rise by 4.3%.
Mr Gove also suggested he could block a post-Brexit trade deal with the US if it included allowing the import of chlorine-washed chickens.
He said it was a matter of animal welfare rather than food safety - saying American chicken farmers were "less respectful of the birds" - and Britain would need to be "assertive" in trade talks.
He claimed his department "punches above its weight" and has "extra muscle" in Whitehall so it would be able to insist on keeping its chicken and other food standards.
"The Cabinet is agreed that there should be no compromise on high animal welfare and environmental standards," he said.
In response to Mr Gove's comments the pro-Remain Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, of the Open Britain group, said Mr Gove's comments meant "a trade deal with Trump's America won't be happening anytime soon".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42427812
|
Errington's Dunsyre Blue cheese recalled over listeria concerns - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Errington's Dunsyre Blue was named as the most likely source of an E.coli outbreak last year.
|
Glasgow & West Scotland
|
A cheesemaker that was named as the most likely source of an E.coli outbreak last year has recalled one of its products over listeria fears.
South Lanarkshire-based Errington Cheese is recalling a batch of Dunsyre Blue after listeria monocytogenes was found by a wholesaler.
Health experts said it was the likely source of an outbreak of 26 cases of E. coli O157 last year.
One of the cases was a three-year-old girl, who later died.
The Crown Office later said there was no evidence available to link the cheese with the child's death in September 2016
Food Standards Scotland has now said Errington Cheese Ltd has "voluntarily" recalled a batch of Dunsyre Blue after listeria was detected.
The batch number involved is J9, it said.
The food standards body advised people who had bought the product not to eat it.
They said customers should return it to where it was bought for a full refund.
Symptoms caused by Listeria monocytogenes can be similar to flu and includes high temperature, muscle ache or pains, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.
In rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.
Older people, pregnant women and babies are at most risk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-42447306
|
Hunt: Green sacking 'very sad moment' - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Jeremy Hunt says Damian Green clearly breached ministerial code but that it is a sad moment.
| null |
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called the sacking of Damian Green a "very sad moment".
Mr Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies was fired for breaching the ministerial code after he was found to have made "inaccurate and misleading" statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.
Jeremy Hunt told the Today programme it was clear Mr Green had been sacked because he had breached the ministerial code.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42438345
|
Jonghyun: K-pop stars carry SHINee singer's coffin - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
K-pop fans around the world have been mourning the 27-year-old, who took his own life this week.
|
Asia
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
K-pop's biggest stars have led the procession for the funeral of singer Jonghyun who took his own life this week aged 27.
Jonghyun, whose real name was Kim Jong-hyun, was the lead singer of one of the biggest K-pop groups, SHINee.
His bandmates and others from the pop group Super Junior carried his coffin, dressed in all black.
His death has sparked waves of grief among fans with thousands visiting the hospital where his body was held.
A note believed to have been sent by him to a friend spoke of his struggles with depression and fame.
It said he was "broken from the inside" and that "the life of fame was never meant for me".
"What else can I say more. Just tell me I've done well. That this is enough. That I've worked hard. Even if you can't smile don't fault me on my way."
The procession on Thursday left the Asan Medican Centre in Seoul with one of Jonghyun's band mates and his sister at the front.
The pallbearers carried the coffin to the hearse which was then driven to the private funeral. Only family members and friends attended.
But hundreds gathered at the hospital for a final farewell.
Jonghyun's sister carried a picture of him and walked ahead of the casket
Jonghyun was found unconscious in a Seoul apartment late on Monday. He was taken to hospital where he was declared dead.
Investigators said no post-mortem examination would be performed on his body and later ruled it a suicide.
Earlier this week, SHINee posted an emotional tribute on their official Twitter account, saying in Korean: "Jonghyun, who loved music more than anyone.... Forever, he will be remembered."
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 SHINee 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.
Conceived in South Korea in the 1990s as a Western-Asian hybrid, K-pop is now a multi-million dollar industry.
It is at the forefront of the so-called Korean Wave - the spread of Korean music, drama and film across Asia and worldwide.
SHINee were founded in 2008 as a five member group under SM Entertainment, and quickly rose to become of the biggest K-pop boy groups.
Over the past years, SHINee recorded several albums in Japanese and in 2017 sold out the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome and part of their Japan tour. Earlier this year, they also played their first North American tour.
Depression is more than just feeling a bit down for a few days. It is an illness which, at its most severe, can leave people feeling that life is no longer worth living. It can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness and constant tiredness which may last for months and months.
People with depression can also feel anxious, irritable and agitated on a daily basis but it affects everyone differently and only in rare cases is it a reason for violence against others.
If people admit their symptoms and talk to someone about their feelings, depression can usually be treated but the biggest barrier to getting help is often stigma and the fear of disclosing mental health problems.
If you are feeling emotionally distressed, here are details of organisations in the UK which offer advice and support.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42435821
|
'No 10 knew' of Damian Green claims in 2016, says Kate Maltby - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Kate Maltby raised concerns about Damian Green's conduct with aides but Theresa May says she was not told.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Kate Maltby, who claims Damian Green made inappropriate advances to her, says she told a senior Downing Street aide about his behaviour in 2016.
The MP, who denies the claims, was sacked from the cabinet on Wednesday.
This came after an inquiry found he had broken the ministerial code over "misleading" statements after pornography was found on his computer.
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was not aware of the claims about Mr Green until last month.
Speaking on a visit to Cyprus, she said she had first read about them in an article by Ms Maltby in the Times newspaper.
She said: "I recognise that Kate Maltby was obviously extremely distressed by what happened. Damian Green has recognised that and he has apologised. I think that is absolutely the right thing to do."
She has said it is important that people working in Parliament feel they can bring forward any concerns they have to be "treated seriously".
The Cabinet Office investigation into Mr Green was prompted by her allegations that Mr Green had "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message.
The inquiry was later widened to include the claims about legal pornography being discovered on his computer after a police raid on his Commons office in 2008.
Speaking after the inquiry, which concluded that her evidence was "plausible", Ms Maltby told the BBC she had not told many people about the alleged incident at the time - except her parents - as she "wondered if it was a one-off".
"Eventually I spoke to a very senior and long-serving aide of Theresa May," she added.
When giving evidence to the inquiry, she told its head, Sue Gray, that Downing Street was aware of her allegations "to the best of my knowledge".
"I was aware that he was the deputy prime minister and I was aware that No 10 knew about it."
Ms Maltby said she had never called for Mr Green's sacking, but wrote her article because she wanted to change the culture of Downing Street.
"This whole story has been about power," she said. "Damian Green became a very, very powerful person.
"I was aware that there seemed to be improper mixing of mentorship and sexual advance within the Conservative party in his case."
Mr Green was sacked after making "misleading" statement about pornography found on his computer
Ms Maltby added: "My actions in this have never been guided by the quest to claim scalps, to force resignations to end people's careers.
"We need an end to the era in which the sexual exploitation of younger people is the sort of peccadillo of a politician.
"That is tolerated by those in power and perhaps exploited to enforce party discipline but not to actually do any good."
A Downing Street source told the BBC: "The Cabinet Office conducted a thorough investigation into a number of allegations about Damian Green.
"The PM has made it clear that everyone should be able to work in politics without fear or harassment - that is why she has brought forward a new code of conduct for the Conservative Party, and set up a cross-party working group to make recommendations about the Houses of Parliament."
Speaking on Thursday, Mrs May reiterated her personal "sadness" at sacking her close ally Mr Green but said it was "absolutely right" that he had apologised to Ms Maltby.
Although Mr Green was sacked over his statements about the pornography on his computer, he used his resignation letter to also apologise to Ms Maltby, who was a family friend.
"I deeply regret the distress caused to Kate Maltby following her article about me and the reaction to it," he wrote.
"I do not recognise the events she described in her article, but I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and for this I apologise."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "I was shocked": Former detective constable Neil Lewis speaks to the BBC
Meanwhile, former senior police officer Bob Quick and retired detective Neil Lewis, who told the BBC he had been "shocked" by the contents of Mr Green's office computer, are being investigated for possible breaches of the Data Protection Act.
The Metropolitan Police, who referred the case to the data regulator, said the pair were under investigation over the "apparent disclosure to the media of confidential material gathered during a police investigation in 2008".
Conservative MPs are angry about the alleged actions of the two retired detectives, with Jeremy Hunt claiming they "did not sit comfortably in a democracy" - something, he added, Theresa May "had made clear" in her letter to Mr Green.
Boris Johnson said the actions of the police "had the slight feeling of a vendetta", and needed to be investigated further.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42449683
|
MP Mark Garnier cleared of breaking ministerial code - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Theresa May said "a line should be drawn under the issue" following a Cabinet Office investigation.
|
UK Politics
|
Some of the accusations date back to 2010 - before Mark Garnier was a minister
MP Mark Garnier has been cleared of breaking the ministerial code after a Cabinet Office investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
International trade minister Mark Garnier was also said to have used derogatory language to his secretary and asked her to buy sex toys in 2010.
The investigation concluded there was "no evidence" to suggest he had broken the rules.
Theresa May said "a line should be drawn under the issue".
The Conservative MP said he did not intend to comment on the outcome of the inquiry.
The allegations regarding his secretary, Caroline Edmondson, from before he was appointed a minister in 2016, came to light in October.
Ms Edmondson, who now works for another MP, told The Mail on Sunday he had given her money to buy two vibrators at a Soho sex shop and called her "sugar tits."
Mr Garnier told the paper: "I'm not going to deny it, because I'm not going to be dishonest. I'm going to have to take it on the chin."
The Cabinet Office investigation said there was "no dispute about the facts of the incident", but there was "a significant difference of interpretation between the parties", leaving a member of staff "distressed".
A No 10 spokesman said: "It was not his intention to cause distress, and Mr Garnier has apologised unreservedly to the individual.
"On that basis, the prime minister considers that a line should be drawn under the issue."
The announcement comes a day after Mrs May sacked her First Secretary of State, Damian Green, for breaching the ministerial code.
He was asked by the PM to quit after making "inaccurate and misleading" statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.
Mr Green also apologised for making writer Kate Maltby feel uncomfortable in 2015.
It made him the third cabinet minister to leave the table in recent weeks, following the resignations of Sir Michael Fallon and Priti Patel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42448314
|
Melbourne crash: Driver arrested after hitting pedestrians - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Eyewitness Jim Stoupas describes a vehicle hitting pedestrians in Melbourne.
| null |
Jim Stoupas describes what happened after a car drove into a crowd in Melbourne.
Australian police have arrested two people. Emergency services quickly arrived on the scene.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42438335
|
Laura Kuenssberg on Damian Green sacking - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Damian Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies, has been sacked from the cabinet after an inquiry found he had breached the ministerial code.
| null |
Damian Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies, has been sacked from the cabinet after an inquiry found he had breached the ministerial code.
He was "asked to quit" after he was found to have made "inaccurate and misleading" statements about what he knew about claims pornography was found on a computer in his office in 2008.
He apologised for this and for making writer Kate Maltby feel uncomfortable.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42433201
|
Philippines ferry carrying 251 capsizes - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Passengers say strong winds and waves meant the vessel started taking on water - and quickly sank.
|
Asia
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A ferry carrying 251 people has capsized in stormy seas off the east coast of the Philippines.
Local fisherman and rescue boats saved more than 200 of those on board - but at least four people died and seven are missing, the coastguard says.
Passengers say large waves and strong winds meant the vessel started taking in water near the island of Polillo - and quickly sank.
Rescuers said they were hampered by heavy rain and big waves.
The ferry was carrying 251 people when the accident occurred
Coastguard spokesman Armand Balilo said the ferry had capacity for 280 people and had not been overloaded.
"We believe the weather was a big factor [in the accident]," he added.
Boat accidents are relatively common in the Philippines, which frequently experiences storms.
Tropical Storm Tembin is forecast to hit land early on Friday and people travelling home for Christmas had been warned to do so earlier than usual.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42438607
|
Toys R Us staves off collapse after rescue talks - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Last-minute talks with pension watchdog secure £9.8m pension fund injection, but stores will close.
|
Business
|
Toys R Us has staved off collapse after creditors backed a rescue plan for the UK retailer.
It follows last-minute negotiations with the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) to secure a £9.8m injection into the company's pension fund.
However, the rescue plan entails closing 26 of its 105 UK outlets, putting 800 jobs at risk, although no stores will close until spring 2018.
Toys R Us employs 3,200 staff in total in the UK.
The retailer's creditors met on Thursday to vote on the rescue plan, which hinged on a resolution of the pension deficit. Toys R Us's UK staff pension scheme has a deficit of more than £25m.
The PPF said the new offer from the company was composed of a payment of £3.8m in 2018, with a further £6m promised over 2019 and 2020.
The vote saw 98% of Toys R Us creditors backing the arrangement.
Toys R Us will continue to trade under its company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which is a step short of going into administration.
Steve Knights, managing director of Toys R Us UK, said: "The vote in favour of the CVA represents strong support for our business plan and provides us with the platform we need to transform our business so that we can better serve our customers today and long into the future.
"All of our stores across the UK will remain open for business as normal until spring 2018. Customers can continue to shop online and there will be no changes to our returns policies or gift cards across this period."
The company sells largely from warehouse-style stores at the edge of towns, but says these are now "too big and expensive to run". It is also finding it hard to compete against online toy retailers.
The chain said that, as part of the CVA proposal, a number of these stores had been identified for closure.
It said talks with employees would start in the New Year.
Toy's R Us's parent company in the US is in formal bankruptcy protection proceedings. Recent reports suggest it is considering closing between 100 and 200 stores in America.
Figures released earlier this week show its US business lost $623m (£466.5m) in the quarter to the end of October, compared with $156m for the same period a year ago.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42437955
|
Damian Green: PM's university friend and political ally sacked - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A profile of Theresa May's close ally, who has been sacked after he breached the ministerial code.
|
UK Politics
|
Damian Green has been a confidant of the prime minister for many years
Damian Green was one of the prime minister's closest allies in government. A university friend, he entered Parliament at the same time as Theresa May.
But now he has been sacked from the cabinet after an investigation found he breached the ministerial code.
Mr Green was a leading Conservative figure for 20 years and had been a friend of the prime minister since they were at Oxford university together in the 1970s.
They entered Parliament together in 1997.
Later, he served in the Home Office during the coalition government.
After she became Tory leader in June 2016, Mrs May brought the 61-year old into her cabinet and a year later named him as her effective deputy by giving him the title of first secretary of state.
Since then, the former journalist, who campaigned for Remain in the EU referendum, has been a vital cog in a government beset by divisions and infighting over Brexit.
He has played a substantial role behind the scenes chairing key cabinet committees and, more publicly, deputised for Mrs May at Prime Minister's Questions as recently as last week.
He spent much of his early political career in the backroom, but the MP for Ashford in Kent has twice hit the headlines in a big way over the past decade.
His political future has been in question since journalist and Conservative activist Kate Maltby suggested, in an article in November for the Times, he had behaved inappropriately towards her.
The 31-year old claimed the minister "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015 and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message which left her feeling "awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised".
Mr Green, who is an acquaintance of the journalist's parents, said the claims were "hurtful" and "completely false".
But they were referred to the Cabinet Office for investigation by a top civil servant amid a swirl of allegations about harassment and other misconduct at Westminster.
In his resignation letter, Mr Green apologised to Ms Maltby for making her feel "uncomfortable".
The civil servant's inquiry also considered claims that legal pornography was found on a computer removed from Mr Green's office in the House of Commons in 2008.
Damian Green and his wife, Alicia Collinson, have two daughters
Mr Green, shadow immigration minister at the time, was arrested in November 2008 and was held for nine hours as part of a Scotland Yard inquiry into a Home Office leak.
The arrest was described as disproportionate and flawed by two inquiries in 2009 and no charges were brought against him.
Mr Green, who is married to barrister Alicia Collinson and has two grown-up daughters, has always strenuously denied that he either viewed or downloaded any pornographic material on his Commons computer.
But, in his resignation letter, he said he should have been clear that police lawyers talked to his lawyers in 2008 about the pornography, and the police raised the matter again in a phone call in 2013.
Although it took Mr Green a comparatively long while to make it to the cabinet table, he is no stranger to being close to the centre of power - giving up a successful career in newspapers and broadcasting to work as an official in John Major's Downing Street in the early 1990s.
The Welsh-born politician was on the Tories' pro-European wing, having refused to rule out the UK one day joining the euro, long after many of his colleagues had done so.
But unlike EU diehards such as Ken Clarke and Lord Heseltine, who also campaigned on the remain side in the 2016 referendum, he has been on something of a journey and has taken a more pragmatic approach to Brexit.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42193826
|
Stepfather jailed over boy's water park drowning - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Paul Smith had initially denied letting five-year-old Charlie Dunn wander off.
|
Leicester
|
Charlie Dunn was pulled from the Blue Lagoon children's pool at Bosworth Water Park
The stepfather of a five-year-old boy who drowned at a water park has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
Paul Smith pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence over the death of Charlie Dunn.
Charlie, who could not swim, was found in a pool at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire on 23 July 2016.
Smith, 36, of Tamworth, denied letting the boy wander off alone for more than two hours but changed his plea during a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Paul Smith and Lynsey Dunn from Tamworth, Staffordshire, were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court
The boy's mother, Lynsey Dunn, 28, also of Tamworth, Staffordshire, had a charge of manslaughter dropped.
She was given an eight-month suspended sentence after she admitted neglecting Charlie in a separate incident in 2015, when a neighbour prevented him driving a toy car onto a main road.
The court was told Smith was heard swearing and blaming others after Charlie - who was placed on the child protection register in 2012 - went missing while unsupervised.
Charlie was left to "fend for himself" in a pool which had signs warning that children must be supervised.
One father who was in the pool had to explain to another parent that Charlie was not his son, Mrs Justice Jefford recounted.
The court heard Smith has 10 previous convictions for 28 crimes and was a "person of interest" to Staffordshire social services.
They had become involved with Charlie when he was 14 months old and put a child protection plan in place for him.
Mary Prior QC, prosecuting, said Smith "had a status of being a risk to children", but there was no evidence of Charlie having come to harm when the plan became effective.
Staffordshire County Council is now conducting a serious case review into Charlie's death.
In sentencing, Mrs Justice Jefford said she did not doubt the defendants "had genuine love and affection for Charlie", but said Smith was "completely indifferent" to the boy's "whereabouts and safety".
"This was not a case in which there was an isolated and momentary lapse in care and supervision," she said.
The judge also praised three boys, aged 10, 11 and 12, who pulled Charlie from the pool, saying it "must have been a horrific experience for them".
Smith was sentenced to five years and two months for manslaughter, with a consecutive two-year term handed down for threatening to petrol-bomb the home of a witness.
He was also given a further four months for driving while disqualified.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-42425758
|
Chocolate poisoning risk to dogs at Christmas - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Chocolate poisoning is a risk to the family dog over the festive season, vets are warning.
|
Science & Environment
|
Dogs have been known to snaffle chocolate decorations, gifts and advent calendars
Chocolate poisoning is a risk to the family dog at Christmas, say vets.
They warn that dogs are four times more likely to fall ill from eating chocolate at this time of year.
A study found hundreds of cases of dogs needing veterinary treatment after stealing chocolate Santas, selection boxes, chocolate oranges and even a mug of hot chocolate.
Vets are trying to get the message across that the confectionery should be kept out of reach of the family pet.
While dogs like the taste of chocolate, it can make them ill, even in small quantities.
''The take home message is firstly to make sure that people recognise that chocolate is a potential problem and to be vigilant with their chocolate gifts over the holiday period,'' said Dr Philip Jones, lecturer in veterinary epidemiology and public health at the University of Liverpool.
''If their dog does get access... to make sure that they contact their veterinary surgeon.
''And also before they contact their veterinary surgeon to have an estimate of how much chocolate and what type of chocolate the dog has eaten.''
The chemical theobromine, found in cocoa beans, is broken down more slowly in dogs. This can lead to sickness, increased heart rate, agitation, seizure, and, occasionally, death.
Electronic health records from 200 veterinary practices - about 10% of the total number in the UK - were analysed for the study, between 2012 and 2017.
The research found chocolate intoxication was four times more likely at Christmas than on a normal day. The risk was half that at Easter, but there was no difference on Valentine's Day and Halloween.
Vomiting was the most common symptom of chocolate poisoning, followed by agitation and increased heart rare.
Younger dogs were more likely to snaffle chocolate and fall ill. In most cases, only small amounts were consumed. However, there were exceptions, such as when a dog ate a large number of Easter eggs hidden in a garden for a children's party.
Treatment for poisoning depends on the amount of time that has passed since the dog ate.
The dog may be given medicine to induce vomiting and activated charcoal to stop further absorption of the toxic substance.
The dog may then need fluid therapy and further medication to combat toxic effects on the heart.
The study is published in the journal, Veterinary Record.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42426757
|
Theresa May loses one of the few who understood her - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Damian Green's resignation leaves the prime minister a lonelier figure.
|
UK Politics
|
As Theresa May was just ending her year in a better place than her team could have imagined, her deputy has been forced to depart from government, despite his continued insistence that he has done nothing wrong.
Damian Green has never been a politician with a huge public persona, or even a hugely well-known character.
But he was an extremely important ally of Theresa May. Not just a political friend but a genuine one, close to her for decades.
The government, so the joke in Westminster goes, has become "weak and stable", with number 10 taking back some control of the agenda in recent weeks.
So it is not likely that Mr Green's exit will suddenly unleash another bout of turmoil.
But the prime minister clearly took this decision very seriously.
His friends in government had believed that he would have been cleared, with one minister telling me today, "he'll be fine".
After the prime minister received the initial report on Monday from the Cabinet Office official Sue Grey, who found flaws in his account, Mrs May asked for further advice, calling in her independent adviser, Sir Alex Allan.
He then, in turn, concluded that there had been breaches of the rules. With that, Mrs May had little choice but to ask him to go.
But just as Damian Green's friends say it is a disappointment for him, still insisting that he has done nothing wrong, so too it is a political blow for the prime minister.
She is a politician who guards her views, her own persona very closely. To lose one of the few who understood her, who she trusts, leaves her a lonelier figure tonight.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42434771
|
Catalonia election amid crisis with Spain over independence - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Updates and expert analysis as Spain's restive region elects a new parliament amid a crisis over independence.
|
Europe
|
We are now pausing our live coverage following Thursday's election in Catalonia.
A pro-Spanish unity party has won the most seats but separatist parties will together be able to form a majority in parliament.
The results are a setback for Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy who had imposed direct rule over the region after its illegal independence declaration.
For the latest updates see our main news story.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-42445868
|
Kaci Sullivan: 'I gave birth as both genders' - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Kaci Sullivan's second child came after he began to transition and start living as a man.
| null |
Kaci Sullivan, from Missouri, first gave birth five years ago, before beginning to transition and start living as a man.
Last month, he gave birth again after seven days in labour.
Kaci conceived with partner Steven after a break from taking male hormones.
Watch the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42441695
|
IMF downgrades UK growth forecast on Brexit uncertainty - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The IMF has cut its UK economic growth forecast, blaming Brexit uncertainty.
|
Business
|
The IMF has cut its UK economic growth forecast, blaming Brexit uncertainty.
The Fund expects growth of 1.6% this year, down slightly from its previous forecast of 1.7%. It expects growth to slow further next year, to 1.5%.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde said uncertainty over the Brexit deal was causing UK firms to delay investment plans.
She also said rising inflation, caused by the fall in the pound, and stagnant wages were squeezing spending power.
Ms Lagarde said that the government had made "significant progress" in reducing the deficit.
But she added that relative to growth in the rest of the world, "the UK is losing out as a result of higher inflation, pressure on wages and incomes and delayed investment".
"If you look at investment alone, with 2.1% of GDP in investment, with the global economy as it is, and the space the UK economy has in that global economy, it should be rolling at 6%."
I asked Christine Lagarde at the launch of the IMF report how she responded to critics who said the IMF had been too gloomy before the referendum.
It's worth reproducing her answer in full.
"The numbers that we are seeing the economy deliver today are actually proving the point we made a year and a half ago when people said, you are too gloomy," she said.
"We were not too gloomy, we were pretty much on the mark, I mean within 0.1% or so - our forecast actually turned out to be the reality of the economy.
"Sterling has depreciated, inflation has gone up, wages have been squeezed as a result, and investments have been slowed down and are certainly lower than where we would expect them to be."
Yes, there are many positives in this report on record high employment and praise for progress on those Brexit talks.
But the big takeaway is this.
In a world of strong global growth, the IMF stands by its analysis that the UK economy has suffered since the referendum.
Ms Lagarde said that increased productivity was key to increasing living standards and that a new trade deal could help restore productivity levels in the UK.
She said: "The shape of the new agreement with the EU will affect productivity performance through its implications for trade, investment and migration.
"The higher are any new barriers to the cross-border flow of services, goods and workers, the more negative the impact would be."
However, Ms Lagarde also said: "Brexit has the potential to reshape the structure of the UK economy. The impact will depend on the nature of the final agreement and may take many years to fully materialise."
Brexit supporter and economist Ruth Lea said that while the fall in value of the pound had squeezed incomes, it had also helped exports.
Ms Lea, who is economic adviser to the Arbuthnot Banking Group, also said that inflation was likely to fall, which would help company and household finances.
The IMF has made dramatic changes to its growth forecasts for the UK since the Brexit referendum. Immediately after the vote in June 2016, it slashed its forecast for 2017 from 2.2% to 1.3%.
It then revised it sharply upwards at the start of this year, but since July has been steadily cutting it again.
Labour's shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said: "The IMF has today played the role of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future to remind the chancellor that the last seven years of Tory economic failure is undermining our economy.
"As the IMF rightly points out, despite strong global growth, UK economic growth is revised down, and business growth is down despite Tory tax giveaways to big business; while working households this Christmas are struggling with rising prices and lagging wages."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42424700
|
Aldi stabbing: Woman dies in Skipton supermarket attack - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Terrified shoppers screamed as the woman was stabbed in the store in Skipton during the afternoon.
|
England
|
Shoppers at the store spoke of "hearing screams"
A woman who was stabbed in an Aldi supermarket, in Skipton, North Yorkshire, has died.
The 30-year-old was attacked at the store in Keighley Road at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday.
Shoppers were left terrified, with one witness saying everyone "screamed and ran up and down". The witness also said she had "never been so scared".
A 44-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, North Yorkshire Police said.
A force spokesman said: "The suspect was initially detained by brave members of staff and public, before he was arrested by officers who were quickly on scene.
"He was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder, but it has now turned into a murder investigation despite the efforts of medics to save the victim."
He added that they were not in a position to identify the victim at this stage, but her family was being supported by specialist officers.
The store was busy with shoppers at the time, and one said: "I just saw the aftermath, I was so scared I ran off.
"All the staff were racing about," she said, adding police vans arrived on the scene within minutes.
In a statement released on Friday, Aldi said the store would be closed until further notice to allow police to carry out investigations.
A spokesperson said: "We are working with the police following an incident at our Skipton store."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42449924
|
PM's deputy Damian Green denies inappropriate behaviour claim - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Senior minister Damian Green denies claims by a Tory activist that he acted inappropriately.
|
UK Politics
|
Prime Minister Theresa May's deputy, Damian Green, has said allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female activist are "completely false".
Mr Green has instructed libel lawyers over the claims, the BBC understands.
Tory activist Kate Maltby wrote in the Times that he "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message.
The cabinet secretary is to investigate whether Mr Green broke the ministerial code.
Ms Maltby, 31, a writer and academic, said Mr Green, 61, said he had sent her the text message after she posed in a corset for the Times.
According to her article in the paper, it read: "Long time no see. But having admired you in a corset in my favourite tabloid I felt impelled to ask if you are free for a drink anytime?"
The encounters left her feeling "awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised", she wrote.
Mr Green, now first secretary of state, and Theresa May's effective deputy, said he had known Ms Maltby since 2014 and the pair "had a drink as friends twice-yearly".
"The text I sent after she appeared in a newspaper article was sent in that spirit - as two friends agreeing to meet for a regular catch up - and nothing more," he said.
"This untrue allegation has come as a complete shock and is deeply hurtful, especially from someone I considered a personal friend."
He also denied the claim he put his hand on Ms Maltby's knee.
Asked about the claims in the Times as he left his home on Wednesday morning, Mr Green told reporters: "All these allegations are completely false."
The ministerial code requires ministers to "behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety".
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, Small Business Minister Margot James said there was no need for Mr Green to resign during the cabinet secretary's investigation.
"I've read the article in the Times today, and I certainly don't think that it warrants anyone's resignation, temporary or otherwise, in my opinion," she said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. William Hague tells Today he hopes Westminster is entering an era of greater accountability
It comes as allegations and rumours relating to sexual harassment and abuse by MPs swirl around Westminster.
On Tuesday, Labour confirmed it had launched an independent inquiry into claims that activist Bex Bailey, 25, was discouraged by a party official from reporting an alleged rape at a Labour event in 2011.
She told the BBC she had waived her anonymity to urge changes to the way such cases are handled.
In a separate case, an anonymous woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an MP on a foreign work trip last year told the Guardian her allegations were not taken seriously.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon confirmed he was once rebuked by a journalist for putting his hand on her knee during dinner.
Meanwhile, the BBC has seen a list, thought to have been compiled by staff and researchers at Westminster, detailing a range of mostly unproven allegations about 40 Conservative MPs and ministers.
Among the claims are a number of serious allegations of inappropriate behaviour with junior members of staff, the use of prostitutes and affairs between MPs.
The government has promised urgent action to improve the handling of complaints about the way MPs' staff are treated.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41827264
|
Melbourne crash: Driver arrested after hitting pedestrians - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A driver who hit pedestrians has "mental health issues" but no known terrorism links, police say.
|
Australia
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The crash happened on Flinders Street at a busy crossing in the centre of the city
The man who deliberately drove a car into a crowd in Melbourne is a drug user with mental health issues but no known terrorism links, police say.
The Australian citizen of Afghan descent was taken into custody after a struggle at the scene of the incident.
The car the 32-year-old was driving hit a number of pedestrians on Flinders Street, a busy thoroughfare in the city centre, said Victoria Police.
Fourteen people have been injured, with several in a critical condition.
A second man, 24, was arrested after being seen filming the incident. He had a bag of knives with him, police added.
"It is now believed he had no links to the incident, however he is still assisting police with inquiries," they said.
The driver was arrested by an off-duty police officer. Police say he was the only person in the car.
The officer sustained shoulder and hand injuries during the arrest and was taken to hospital.
The driver was also taken to hospital, under police guard.
Police arrested this man at the scene
The white SUV struck pedestrians just after 16:30 local time (05:30 GMT).
Witness Jim Stoupas, who runs a business nearby, told the BBC: "It just barrelled through a completely full intersection of pedestrians. There was no attempt to brake, no attempt to swerve."
He added: "I saw probably five to eight people on the ground with people swarming around them [to help]. Within a minute, I think, there were police on site, so it was very, very speedy."
Ambulance Victoria said in a statement that a child of pre-school age with serious head injuries was among those taken to hospital.
Another witness, Lachlan Read, told the Herald Sun the whole incident lasted about 15 seconds.
"He has gone straight through the red light at pace and it was bang, bang, bang. It was just one after the other," he said of the moment the vehicle started hitting people.
Rossella Belardi told the BBC she was coming out of Flinders Street Station when she saw people running. "Many people were on the floor and smoke was coming out of the car."
"Police and the ambulance service were incredible," she added. "They came immediately out of nowhere."
Police have cordoned off the area by Flinders Street station
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Twitter that the investigations had begun, and sent "thoughts and prayers" to those affected.
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 Malcolm Turnbull 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.
The leader of the Australian opposition, Bill Shorten, also tweeted about the "shocking scenes" and praised the emergency services.
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 Bill Shorten 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.
In January, six people died when a man drove a car into pedestrians on Bourke Street.
Afterwards, city authorities installed concrete blocks in various locations - including on Flinders Street - hoping to prevent vehicle-based attacks.
In September, a 15-year-old boy dressed in black combat gear was seen driving erratically down nearby Swanston Street.
After a confrontation with police he was subdued with a Taser outside Flinders Street Station. Police later said it was not a terrorist incident.
• None 'Car ploughed into us at 60mph' Video, 00:00:41'Car ploughed into us at 60mph'
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42437315
|
US finds against Bombardier in Boeing dispute - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Commerce Department's findings on Wednesday could lead to trade duties of almost 300%.
|
Business
|
Parts of Bombardier's C-Series planes are made in Belfast
The US has ruled that Canada's Bombardier received government subsidies and sold C-Series jets below cost in the US, a step likely to lead to steep tariffs.
The US Commerce Department investigated the aerospace firm's US sales after a petition from rival American company Boeing.
The conflict has the potential to lead to job losses in Northern Ireland.
Bombardier said it was "deeply disappointed" in the decision.
The dispute has contributed to escalating trade tensions between the US and Canada.
The fight stems from a 2016 sale of 75 C-Series jets to Delta Air Lines. Boeing claims Delta paid $20m per plane, well below an estimated cost of $33m and what Bombardier charges in Canada.
Bombardier employs about 1,000 people in Belfast linked to the C-Series.
The Unite union in the UK called the Commerce Department decision "nakedly political", adding it had the potential to "crush jobs, not only in Northern Ireland but in the US too".
"More than 50 percent of C-Series components are sourced from the US, where the supply chain sustains 22,000 US jobs. The economic impact of these tariffs would be felt in communities on both sides of the Atlantic," said Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner.
"Boeing is using its meritless complaint as cover to close the US market, which is one of the biggest in the world, to new entrants such as Bombardier's C-Series aircraft."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The Commerce Department's final determination on Wednesday set trade duties of about 292% - slightly lower than a preliminary finding.
The inquiry now moves to the US International Trade Commission, which will examine if the dumping and subsidies caused injury to Boeing. It is expected to make a final decision in February 2018, which would trigger the duties.
This week, Canada's ambassador to the US warned that it might take the fight to the World Trade Organization, if the US continues to side with Boeing.
Earlier this month Canada scrapped plans to buy 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets, underlining Canada's anger over the trade challenge.
On Wednesday, Bombardier said the Commerce Department had not taken into account Bombardier's plan to build a facility in the US, as part of a planned partnership with Airbus.
"This facility will provide US airlines with a US-built plane thereby eliminating any possibility of harm due to imports," said spokesman Mike Nadolski.
"Unfortunately, the Commerce Department decision is divorced from this reality and ignores long-standing business practices in the aerospace industry, including launch pricing and the financing of multibillion dollar aircraft programs."
The Commerce Department said it will collect the duties from the importer, if the US commission finds against Bombardier.
Delta has said it plans to move forward with the order, but does not expect to pay the tariffs.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42434537
|
Theresa May seeks to reassure UK's Polish residents - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Speaking in Warsaw, the PM says encouraging people to stay in the UK after Brexit is a key priority.
|
UK Politics
|
Theresa May was in Poland to sign a defence treaty with the country
Theresa May has sought to reassure Polish people living in the UK that they are still welcome after Brexit.
Speaking on a trip to Warsaw to sign a new defence treaty with the country, the PM said the one million Polish residents were a "strong part of [UK] society".
She promised a "simple" and "easy" process to get "settled status" to remain after the UK leaves the EU.
The trip comes after Mrs May sacked one of her closest allies, Damian Green.
She asked him to leave after he made "misleading" statements about claims pornography was found on his parliamentary computer.
Senior members of the cabinet, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, have joined her on the visit.
The prime minister told the bilateral summit in the Polish capital it was a "key priority" for her visit to "give assurance" to Polish nationals living in the UK that "we want them to stay".
"That's why we worked so hard to get a deal with the EU earlier this month, to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK," she added.
Mrs May said there would be certain requirements, such as the length of time a person has been in the UK, to achieve "settled status", but residents will be given a "significant period" to apply.
She added: "We value Polish citizens and other EU citizens in the UK. They have made a life choice, we want them to be able to continue with that life choice."
The PM recently wrote to the 980,000 Poles in the UK urging them to stay in the country after Brexit, reassuring them that the process of applying for settled status will be quick and inexpensive.
The two leaders signed the defence treaty before giving speeches, saying it was a "powerful symbol" of co-operation.
Downing Street said it was only the second such agreement the UK has with a European ally, after France.
It provides a framework for enhanced co-operation in training, information sharing, defence procurement and joint exercises between the Nato partners.
The UK has also backed an initiative to blunt Russian propaganda in the region.
"Poland matters greatly to the UK," Mrs May said. "I am determined that Brexit will not weaken our relationship with Poland. Rather, it will serve as a catalyst to strengthen it."
Mrs May has also announced that the UK is to provide £5m of funding to a joint UK-Polish plan to counter Russian misinformation in the region.
Part of the money will go towards supporting Belsat, a Polish-funded TV channel broadcasting in Belarus, one of Russia's closest allies in the region.
Last month, Mrs May said Moscow was seeking to "sow discord" in the West by meddling in elections and mounting cyber attacks against critical infrastructure.
Theresa May with Poland's former Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, who was replaced by Mateusz Morawiecki earlier this month
Her visit comes hours after the EU announced disciplinary measures against Poland, accusing the country of undermining the independence of its judges.
Downing Street said Mrs May would raise her concerns with new Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, but she told a press conference constitutional issues were "primarily a matter for the country concerned, not the EU".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42432390
|
Virgin Trains West Coast strike called off - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Unions call off a planned strike for Friday and action on a number of days in January.
|
Business
|
Virgin Trains says planned strikes by the RMT and TSSA unions on Virgin Trains West Coast have been called off.
Strikes were due to take place on Friday and on four days in January.
The company said it would try to run a full service on Friday, but warned there could be some cancellations.
Virgin advised customers to check the timetable before travelling. However, the revised timetable is not due to go live on its website until the early hours of Friday morning.
"We'll do everything we can to run a full service on Friday, but because the strike has been called off at the last minute there may be some cancellations," said Phil Whittingham, managing director for Virgin Trains on the west coast.
"We'll be working hard to make sure our customers can make it home as quickly and easily as possible for Christmas."
The strike was over pay, with the RMT seeking a "suitable and equal" pay offer for train managers and on-board catering workers on the West Coast route from Glasgow to Euston to that given to drivers.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said a breakthrough had been made in talks with the company and the offer, as yet unspecified, was good enough to be put to union members.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: "I am pleased Virgin has finally seen sense, come back to the negotiating table, and made an offer sparing our passengers further disruption at... Christmas."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42446986
|
Sea turtle found tangled in floating cocaine bales - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
The US Coast Guard tries to save the animal tangled in line connecting bales of cocaine in the Pacific.
| null |
With rope wrapped around its neck, this loggerhead sea turtle became part of a US Coast Guard rescue effort in the Pacific Ocean.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-42421409
|
Catt Sadler: US TV host quits over equal pay dispute - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Catt Sadler says she found out she earned about half as much as her male co-host at E! News.
|
US & Canada
|
Catt Sadler has worked at the network for more than a decade
US TV news presenter Catt Sadler has quit her role with E! News after learning that she earned about half of what her male co-host does.
Sadler, who has worked at the network since 2006, said an executive had made her aware of the pay gap.
In a statement, she said she subsequently asked for "what I know I deserve and [was] denied repeatedly".
She made her final appearance on the network on Tuesday, fronting daytime programme Daily Pop and later E! News.
Sadler said in a post on her website: "There was a massive disparity in pay between my similarly situated male co-host and myself. He was making close to double my salary for the past several years."
"How can I remain silent when my rights under the law have been violated? How can we make it better for the next generation of girls if we do not stand for what is fair and just today?" she added.
She added that she had wanted to stay in her job but "the decision was made for me and I must go".
In a tweet, Sadler said it had been a "difficult day" but thanked her fans for sending supportive messages.
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 catt sadler 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.
In a statement to the BBC, an E! spokesperson said: "E! compensates employees fairly and appropriately based on their roles, regardless of gender. We appreciate Catt Sadler's many contributions at E! News and wish her all the best following her decision to leave the network."
Earlier this year, the female presenter of one of Australia's most prestigious TV news shows moved to a rival channel amid reports that she had been denied pay parity with her male co-presenter.
Lisa Wilkinson, 57, announced that she was joining Channel Ten's The Project because the Nine Network had been "unable to meet her expectations".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42432235
|
Collapse of rape trials appalling, says attorney general - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Two young men were cleared after Met Police officers failed to disclose crucial evidence.
|
UK
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The collapse of two rape cases in one week was an "appalling failure" of the criminal justice system, Attorney General Jeremy Wright has said.
Two young men were cleared when it emerged that Met Police officers had failed to disclose crucial evidence.
Around 30 rape cases about to go to trial are to be reviewed immediately and "scores" more will be looked at.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick admitted that police and prosecutors had made mistakes.
She said the 30 cases would not be reinvestigated, but would be reviewed to make sure everything that should have been disclosed had been.
The police have a duty to disclose any material to the defence that might support their case. If disclosure fails, innocent people go to jail, says the BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman.
"We need to learn lessons," Ms Dick told BBC Radio London, and insisted her officers were professional and fair with a "very complex job" to do.
Isaac Itiary was charged with raping a child in July but the case collapsed
The trial of student Liam Allan, 22, was thrown out at Croydon Crown Court last week.
The case collapsed three days into the trial when the police were ordered to hand over phone records showing the alleged victim had pestered Mr Allan for casual sex.
Days later, another prosecution case collapsed against Isaac Itiary, who was facing trial at Inner London Crown Court, accused of raping a child.
He was charged in July but police only disclosed "relevant material" in response to his defence case statement as his trial was about to start.
The same Met Police officer had worked on both men's cases. He remains on full duty.
The Met said it would review both these cases separately, as well as carrying out the wider review of other live rape cases.
Justice minister Dominic Raab said it was "absolutely right" for the Met to carry out the review, adding: "The basic principle of British justice is at stake."
"The proper disclosure obligations in these two cases have not been discharged, and that is deeply worrying," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"This is not a new thing. It should be made easy by technology," he added.
The cases of Liam Allan and Isaac Itiary are very different.
As far as Mr Allan is concerned, the Met has accepted the case "clearly went wrong".
Crucial information was disclosed to defence barristers so late that the trial was already well under way.
In Mr Itiary's case, procedures appear to have been followed, though it's possible police could have acted more quickly.
What the cases have done is shine a light on the importance of following disclosure rules.
Undoubtedly the squeeze on resources, with cuts in the Crown Prosecution Service and policing and a national shortage of detectives, together with the increased caseload for sexual offences units, have played their part.
An inspection report this year also pinpointed inadequacies in training and supervision.
Some see the problems as a direct result of a misplaced culture of "believing" the victim, where police don't look for or withhold contradictory evidence - but that's an assertion for the attorney general's inquiry to examine.
Last week, Attorney General of England and Wales Jeremy Wright ordered a review to look at disclosure processes - including codes of practice, guidelines and legislation relating to sex offences and other crimes - which is expected to report back next year.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wright said the two cases of the young men were "obviously appalling failures of the criminal justice system".
"We need to understand and understand urgently what went wrong in those cases," he said.
He added that there were already concerns about the disclosure system due to the large amounts of digital information that needed filtering and sifting to find evidence that ought to be disclosed.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42431171
|
Damian Green: Timeline of his downfall - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The events and allegations that led to Damian Green being sacked as First Secretary of State.
|
UK Politics
|
Damian Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies, has been sacked from the cabinet following claims that pornography was found on his office computer.
Here is a timeline of how Home Office leaks in 2008 sparked an investigation which would lead to his downfall.
8 October 2008: The Cabinet Office calls the Metropolitan Police to investigate after a series of leaked official documents from the Home Office are published in national newspapers. The leaks, about illegal immigration and other issues, embarrass the Labour government. Damian Green is the Conservatives' immigration spokesman at the time.
19 November 2008: Junior Home Office official Christopher Galley is arrested in connection with the leaked documents. No charges were brought against him, although he was later sacked.
27 November 2008: Mr Green is arrested and held by the Metropolitan Police for nine hours on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office". His home and his offices in Kent and parliament are searched. He is released on bail.
2 December 2008: Scotland Yard announces an urgent review of its handling of the leaks probe.
8 April 2009: The officer in charge of the inquiry into the leaks, Bob Quick, is forced to resign over an alleged security breach. He was widely criticised by Tory MPs for the raid of Mr Green's offices.
16 April 2009: The Crown Prosecution Service announces Mr Green and Mr Galley will not face prosecution.
17 June 2009: A parliamentary inquiry is announced into the arrest of Mr Green.
19 August 2009: Mr Green hails a police decision to remove his DNA from a national database as a "small but significant victory for freedom".
Kate Maltby says Damian Green made inappropriate advances towards her
31 October 2017: Theresa May asks Whitehall's top civil servant to investigate allegations that Mr Green, now First Secretary of State, made inappropriate advances towards journalist and activist Kate Maltby in 2015 - which he denies.
1 November 2017: Ms Maltby writes in the Times that Damian Green "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message. The 31-year-old writer and academic says the encounters left her feeling "awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised". Mr Green says he had known Ms Maltby since 2014 and the pair "had a drink as friends twice-yearly". He said the text he had sent to her was meant to be friendly and "this untrue allegation has come as a complete shock and is deeply hurtful." He denies touching her knee in 2015.
4 November 2017: Bob Quick tells the Sunday Times pornography was found on one of Mr Green's parliamentary computers during the 2008 inquiry into the home office leaks. Damian Green says: "This story is completely untrue and comes from a tainted and untrustworthy source. The police have never suggested to me that improper material was found on my Parliamentary computer, nor did I have a 'private' computer as has been claimed."
6 November 2017: The Cabinet Office investigation is expanded to include Mr Quick's allegations.
11 November 2017: Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson says he had been aware of allegations about pornography being found on Mr Green's office computer. Mr Green says: "I reiterate that no allegations about the presence of improper material on my parliamentary computers have ever been put to me or to the parliamentary authorities by the police. I can only assume that they are being made now, nine years later, for ulterior motives."
1 December 2017: Former Scotland Yard detective Neil Lewis tells BBC News he was "shocked" by the amount of pornography on a computer seized from Mr Green's office in 2008, adding that the material had not been illegal.
4 December 2017: The head of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, condemns retired officers Neil Lewis and Bob Quick over their allegations, saying all officers had a duty to protect sensitive information they discovered.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Damian Green speaking to reporters outside his home in his constituency of Ashford
5 December 2017: Mr Quick calls on Mr Green to retract his "deeply hurtful" allegations that he lied about finding "vast amounts" of pornography on the MP's computer.
18 December 2017: Theresa May receives the report on Damian Green's conduct by Cabinet Office official Sue Gray.
20 December 2017: Theresa May sacks Mr Green from the cabinet after the inquiry found he breached the ministerial code over "inaccurate and misleading" statements he made on 4 and 11 November which suggested he did not know pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.
In his resignation letter, Mr Green said statements he made could have been "clearer", conceding that his lawyers had been informed by Met Police lawyers about their initial discovery in 2008 and the police had also raised the matter with him in a phone call in 2013.
The report also found that although there were "competing and contradictory accounts of what were private meetings" between himself and Ms Maltby, the investigation found her account "to be plausible".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42438525
|
Sofa surfers: The young hidden homeless - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Almost one in 10 young people rely on goodwill for a bed for weeks on end, says BBC research.
|
UK
|
Sam: "It takes pretty much every day of my life, trying to find out where I am going to be staying"
Sam does not know where he will be sleeping tonight.
Now 23, he says he first became homeless at 15 because of a family breakdown and has been in and out of bedsits, hostels and supported accommodation ever since.
"I've stayed at friends' in the past - I've never really had my own actual flat," he says.
"I've slept rough quite a few times but most of the time when I've slept rough I have not actually slept.
"I just wander round because I can't really shut off when I'm out in the cold."
This week a committee of MPs called homelessness a "national crisis", highlighting more than 9,000 rough sleepers and 78,000 families in temporary accommodation in England alone.
Sam drifts between friends' sofas, temporary accommodation and rough sleeping in and around Leyland in Lancashire. Young people like him do not always show in official statistics - but new UK-wide research for the BBC found:
At The Key drop-in centre for young homeless people in Leyland, Ian, 25, says he has been sofa-surfing for seven years.
His days revolve around a few hours at the drop-in centre.
Otherwise, he walks the streets for hours, trying to stay warm and then heads to a mate's house in the evening.
"I end up spending a few hours there. Then I would finally ask him if I could stay the night. If he says yes I would stay there."
He says he feels a burden on his friends.
Sometimes he says he runs out of friends he feels able to ask and has to sleep out.
The most common reasons for young people resorting to friends' sofas included parents being unable or unwilling to provide housing, extended family being unable to help and splitting from a partner.
On the phone, looking for a room
Ian has been offered a friend's flat for the next three weeks.
Sam, who has spent time in prison, has come to the drop-in centre to make calls to try to find a room for the night.
On the coldest nights, the local council will find him somewhere to stay but that ends as soon as the temperature rises above zero.
"It takes pretty much every day of my life, trying to find out where I am going to be staying.
"It doesn't feel like it ever ends. I feel quite drained with it all."
He is on medication for depression. Sam says not having an address means he can't register with a GP to get the mental health support he needs.
Depression affects Ian too and both young men say it's hard to study or look for work without an address.
"I feel like I'm going round in circles and circles and circles," says Ian.
"All I can do is keep trying."
Ursula Patten, operations director at The Key, says sofa surfers should definitely be considered homeless.
"You are homeless if you haven't got a place you can stay on a consistent basis - somewhere that you can call home."
She says about 70% of the homeless young people on the charity's books have sofa-surfed before running out of options and seeking help.
But she believes that with the right support there is no reason why homeless young people should not have hope for the future.
"It's just a phase in your life. You may have got lost but you've got strengths. Everybody's got strengths. And I would say go and get some support and somebody to help you find your direction in life because you can attain great things."
The charity Centrepoint said the BBC data corroborated its own research, carried out in 2014 by Cambridge University.
Co-author Anna Clarke said: "Sofa-surfing is a not uncommon experience for young people in housing difficulties.
"It is really useful to have this kind of evidence on something that's inherently difficult to quantify."
And Centrepoint chief executive Seyi Obakin said it was crucial to "dispel the myth that there is anything fun or easy about sofa-surfing".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Five things about being homeless
"Goodwill is the only thing keeping too many young people from sleeping on the UK's streets.
"It's frightening just how many are trapped in a cycle that is detrimental to their health, sees them struggle to keep up in education, and where outstaying their welcome can mean becoming exposed to dangers no-one should have to face."
• None 'I sofa-surfed after being kicked out of home on Christmas Day' - BBC Newsbeat
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42427398
|
Eating disorder care in Northern Ireland under review - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Patients battling eating disorders in Northern Ireland often have to leave the country for treatment.
| null |
Struggling to cope with an acute eating disorder is tough enough, but imagine if the hospital treatment you need is only available hundreds of miles away.
That's what it's like for many patients in Northern Ireland, who have to leave the country, their family and friends.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42318404
|
Jailed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'eligible for early release' - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says he is hopeful his wife will be released soon.
|
UK
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Richard Ratcliffe tells the BBC: "Formally, on the system, she's eligible to be released at any point."
British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Iran for 18 months, has been told she is eligible for early release, her husband has said.
Richard Ratcliffe told BBC Radio 5 Live that an Iranian judiciary database had listed her as "eligible for release".
He said her lawyer was "hopeful" when he visited her in prison on Wednesday.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in Iran since April 2016 after being accused of spying - charges she denies.
Her family have always maintained she was on holiday with her daughter.
Mr Ratcliffe said his wife's case had previously been marked as "closed", so the status change was "great news".
"Part of me is trying not to get too hopeful and just to keep calm just in case there is more to come," he said.
"But he (her lawyer) was clearly hopeful. He told her that it's a matter of finalising paperwork and it might be days to weeks rather than tomorrow morning.
"But definitely it feels like the end is much closer in sight."
Mr Ratcliffe said he felt there was a "change of the tide" since Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson travelled to Iran, as since then a second case against his 37-year-old wife was postponed and then cancelled.
"And now suddenly the database is shifting and saying eligible for early release," he said.
"She's still in prison but everything is feeling very positive."
Mr Johnson was in Iran for talks earlier this month and pressed for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release on humanitarian grounds.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in Iran since April 2016
He had been accused of risking an additional five years being added to her sentence when he told a parliamentary committee that she had been in Iran to train journalists.
In November, he apologised in the Commons, retracting "any suggestion she was there in a professional capacity".
Hampstead and Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq said the news had given the family a "glimmer of light".
"It has given Nazanin a real boost of positive energy, and now we wait impatiently to see what happens next," she told the BBC.
"Although we do not want to celebrate prematurely, it would be the perfect Christmas gift to see Nazanin released and back with her family where she belongs."
Mr Ratcliffe said part of him was still hoping his wife would be home in time for Christmas.
"Definitely hopeful, we will be singing our carols with great gusto," he said.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42439701
|
Jerusalem UN vote: Trump threatens US aid recipients - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The US leader says countries thinking of voting against the US in a UN vote could lose financial aid.
|
Middle East
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that back a United Nations resolution opposing the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump took that step amid international criticism.
"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us," he told reporters at the White House.
"Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care."
His comments come ahead of a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution opposing any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The draft resolution does not mention the US, but says any decisions on Jerusalem should be cancelled.
Fourteen states backed a similar motion on Jerusalem at the UN Security Council on Monday
Earlier, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned member states that President Trump had asked her to report on "who voted against us" on Thursday.
President Trump and Ambassador Haley are trying to use American muscle rather than diplomacy to convince countries to vote their way. From Washington's perspective, recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and deciding to move its embassy there is its sovereign right.
But that's not how the majority of countries at the United Nations see it.
The strongest repudiation came, unsurprisingly, from Washington's critics.
Meanwhile, many US allies are brushing off the tough rhetoric as an empty threat.
A senior diplomat told me it was clear that the Trump administration was determined to take a stand for Israel at the UN, but he doubted that Washington would cut aid to, say, Egypt - which sponsored the failed Security Council measure on which the General Assembly draft resolution is based.
What is certain is that the US will be isolated in the General Assembly on Thursday as the rest of the world once again tells President Trump that it does not agree with his decision on Jerusalem.
The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel occupied the east of the city, previously occupied by Jordan, in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why the ancient city of Jerusalem is so important
The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.
Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries currently maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. However, President Trump has told the US state department to start work on moving the US embassy.
The 193-member UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency special session on Thursday at the request of Arab and Muslim states, who condemned Mr Trump's decision to reverse decades of US policy earlier this month.
The Palestinians called for the meeting after the US vetoed a Security Council resolution, which affirmed that any decisions on the status of Jerusalem were "null and void and must be rescinded", and urged all states to "refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the holy city".
The other 14 members of the Security Council voted in favour of the draft, but Ms Haley described it as an "insult".
The non-binding resolution put forward by Turkey and Yemen for the General Assembly vote mirrors the vetoed Security Council draft.
The Palestinian permanent observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said he hoped there would be "overwhelming support" for the resolution.
But on Tuesday, Ms Haley warned in a letter to dozens of member states that encouraged them to "know that the president and the US take this vote personally".
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 Nikki Haley 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.
"The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us. We will take note of each and every vote on this issue," she wrote, according to journalists who were shown the letter.
"The president's announcement does not affect final status negotiations in any way, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem," she added. "The president also made sure to support the status quo of Jerusalem's holy sites."
Ms Haley echoed the warning on Twitter, writing: "The US will be taking names."
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accused the US of intimidation.
"We see that the United States, which was left alone, is now resorting to threats. No honourable, dignified country would bow down to this pressure," Mr Cavusoglu told a joint news conference in Ankara on Wednesday before travelling to New York.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42431095
|
Finsbury Park mosque attack suspect pleads not guilty - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Darren Osborne denies killing one man and injuring others by driving a van into worshippers near a mosque.
|
UK
|
Darren Osborne pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder
The man accused of the Finsbury Park attack in June has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder.
Darren Osborne, 48, is accused of deliberately driving a hired van into worshippers near the Muslim Welfare House in north London.
One man, Makram Ali, was killed and 11 other people were injured.
Mr Osborne, from Cardiff, appeared via video-link from Belmarsh prison in south-east London.
It was the first time he has been asked to answer the charges against him.
Speaking in a clear voice, he pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Ali, 51, and not guilty to attempting to murder others at the junction of Seven Sisters Road and Whadcoat Street in Finsbury Park.
His trial will start on 22 January at Woolwich Crown Court.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443453
|
Frozen embryo record parents on 'miracle' baby - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
| null |
Tina Gibson's daughter was born from an embryo that had been frozen for nearly 25 years.
| null |
US couple Tina and Benjamin Gibson's daughter was born from an embryo that had been frozen for nearly 25 years.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42442703
|
Cost of global disasters 'jumps to $306bn in 2017' - BBC News
|
2017-12-21
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires caused much of the estimated $306bn losses, a report says.
|
Business
|
Hurricane Maria caused extensive damage in Puerto Rico which is still struggling to rebuild
Disasters in 2017 caused losses of $306bn (£229bn), according to estimates from insurance giant Swiss Re.
The figure represents a 63% jump from last year, and is well above the average of the past decade.
The Americas was hardest hit, with hurricanes in the Caribbean and southern US, earthquakes in Mexico and wildfires in California.
Despite the rise in the financial cost of disasters, there was no significant increase in the loss of lives.
Swiss Re said more than 11,000 people died or went missing in disaster events in 2017, which is similar to 2016's figure.
A report by the firm's research arm Sigma found insured losses amounted to $136bn (£102bn) - more than double last year's total and the third highest on record.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria together caused insured losses of about $93bn (£70bn) according to the the report.
But Swiss Re said the insurance industry had demonstrated that it could cope very well with such high losses, despite gaps in protection remaining.
"If the industry is able to extend its reach, many more people and businesses can become better equipped to withstand the fallout from disaster events", said Martin Bertogg, head of catastrophe perils at Swiss Re.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42435834
|
Slender Man stabbing: Girl gets 25 years in mental hospital - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Wisconsin teen was convicted of helping stab a classmate to please the horror character in 2014.
|
US & Canada
|
Morgan Geyser (L) and Anissa Weier (R) were 12 at the time of the crime
One of two US girls convicted of a 2014 stabbing to honour the horror character Slender Man has been sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital.
Anissa Weier, 16, pleaded guilty to being a party to attempted second-degree homicide, but claimed she was mentally ill at the time.
She and Morgan Geyser lured a classmate into a Wisconsin wooded park where Geyser stabbed her 19 times as Weier stood by. The victim survived.
All three girls were 12 at the time.
The victim was found crawling from woods by a cyclist near the city of Waukesha, a western suburb of Milwaukee. She had stab wounds to her arms, legs and torso.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren on Thursday sentenced Weier to the maximum punishment of 25 years in a psychiatric institution.
The sentencing is retroactive to the date of the crime in May 2014, which means she will be committed until the age of 37.
Weier and Geyser told investigators that they believed they had to kill their victim in "dedication" to Slender Man, a fictional horror website character.
Before her sentencing, Weier told the judge: "I do hold myself accountable for this and that I will do whatever I have to do to make sure I don't get any sort of delusion or whatever again.
"I want everybody involved to know I deeply regret everything that happened that day. I know that nothing I say is going to make this right and nothing I say is going to fix what I broke."
He is a skinny, shadowy figure, who has appeared in photos, drawings and articles across the internet.
Some claim he has tentacles emerging from his back and most say he wears dark clothes and has a pale face.
The schoolgirls involved in the attack in Waukesha say there were inspired after reading about him in a creepypasta, a short online story designed to shock or scare the reader.
Slender Man first appeared on the internet in 2009.
Eric Knudsen from Florida created the character in response to a call for submissions from the online forum SomethingAwful and posted the picture of the figure behind a crowd of people.
Earlier this year Geyser pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in a deal with prosecutors to avoid a prison term.
She is scheduled to be sentenced in February. Prosecutors have asked that she be sent to a mental hospital for at least 40 years.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42450641
|
N Korea given 'unambiguous message' - Haley - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
| null |
US ambassador Nikki Haley says a UN Security Council resolution sends a clear warning to North Korea.
| null |
US ambassador Nikki Haley said a unanimous UN Security Council resolution sent a clear warning to North Korea that further missile tests would invite more punishment.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42462074
|
'Iconic' blue British passport to return after Brexit - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The 'iconic' design will replace the burgundy passports that have been in use for almost 30 years.
|
UK
|
British passports will change from burgundy to blue after Britain leaves the EU, the Home Office has said.
Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said he was delighted to return to the "iconic" blue and gold design which came into use almost 100 years ago.
The new passports will be issued to those renewing or applying for a passport from October 2019.
Burgundy passports were first issued in 1988. The EU has never compelled the UK to change the colour of its passport.
Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage responded to the announcement by tweeting "Happy Brexmas!"
He added: "In the 2016 referendum, we wanted our passports back. Now we've got them back!"
But Labour MP Mary Creagh tweeted: "No-one under 45 will have owned a blue passport, and most will think they're not worth £50 billion and crashing the economy."
Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he knew many Remain voters who still had an "attachment" and "speak fondly" of the blue passport.
Did Brussels force the UK to change the colour of its passport? No.
The European Union has never had the power to force the UK to change the colour of the British passport.
Dumping the blue for burgundy was a decision taken by the UK in the 1980s after the then EEC (European Economic Community) member states tried to harmonise designs to make life easier for travellers and border officials.
So this wasn't a decision forced on the UK by Brussels Eurocrats. Ministers could have ignored it.
Croatia retained its blue passport after it joined the EU in 2013.
Some countries in the EU have a burgundy passport like Italy (left), but Croatia retained its blue passport (right) after joining the union in 2013
In a similar vein, the EU has never had the power to order the UK to remove references to Her Majesty The Queen from the passport. It is still a British document, but with added EU wording to guarantee freedom of movement.
The only legal requirement to harmonise EU passports related to security standards, part of a global governmental effort to combat forgery.
If the EU wanted passports to change in any other way, the plans would need each government to agree.
Tory MP Andrew Rosindell, who campaigned to bring back the blue passport, tweeted: "A great Christmas present for those who care about our national identity - the fanatical Remainers hate it, but the restoration of our own British passport is a powerful symbol that Britain is Back!"
However, many other people have mocked the announcement on social media.
Simon Blackwell, a comedy writer, said: "Why do we need any colour passport? We should just be able to shout, "British! Less of your nonsense!" and stroll straight through."
According to the Passport Index, 76 countries have blue passports, including a number of former colonial and Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, the United States, Canada, India and Hong Kong.
Several Caribbean countries also have blue passports, including Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
In Europe, people from Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina both carry blue passports, while it is also a popular colour in central and south America - Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Uruguay and Venezuela are among those that have them.
Stig Abell, editor of the Times Literary Supplement, tweeted: "I've just spent the last 10 minutes screaming 'Take that you burgundy symbol of EU oppression' at my passport.
"It just stares insolently back, as if it is an inanimate and merely functional object and its colour doesn't matter."
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 John O'Farrell 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.
The new passports will also have updated security features to protect against fraud, Mr Lewis said.
The Home Office said there was no need for British passport holders to do anything ahead of their current passport renewal date, adding that the changes would be introduced in phases.
When the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, burgundy passports will continue to be issued but with no reference to the European Union.
The blue passports will be issued later the same year, after a new contract for their production is negotiated.
"Leaving the EU gives us a unique opportunity to restore our national identity and forge a new path for ourselves in the world", Mr Lewis said.
1414: The first version of the passport - 'Safe Conducts' was introduced during the reign of King Henry V (seen here at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415).
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443253
|
Boris Johnson says UK wants better relations with Russia - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Boris Johnson and Sergei Lavrov clash over cyber-attacks but also trade jokes after talks in Moscow.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Boris Johnson says the UK's relations with Russia are "not on a good footing" but he wants them to improve, after talks in Moscow.
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused the UK of making "insulting" statements ahead of the meeting.
But he said he trusted Mr Johnson and they had agreed on the need to work together on the UN Security Council.
Mr Johnson is the first UK foreign secretary to visit Russia in five years.
Mr Lavrov said it was no secret that Britain's relations with Russia were at a "low point".
And he accused Britain of making a series of "aggressive and insulting" public statements ahead of their meeting, saying Russia had done nothing to justify being seen as an aggressor in relation to its actions in Ukraine and Syria.
"I cannot recall any of Russia's actions that would be aggressive in relation to the United Kingdom. We did not blame London for anything," said Mr Lavrov.
"On the contrary, we have heard accusations, even insultingly formulated - that we support the criminal regime in Syria, that we are aggressors, that we are occupiers, we annex other territories.
"And all this despite the fact that on all the regional issues in question, and on many others, all information about what our position is, what it is based on, is regularly provided."
The pair also clashed over Russia's alleged attempts to interfere in elections in the West, following UK Prime Minister Theresa May's warnings about the risks of Russia's "sustained campaign of cyber-espionage and disruption".
Despite the differences between London and Moscow, both sides have an interest in improving what is a poor relationship.
There are several issues where both Britain and Russia sometimes disagree but want more dialogue.
On Syria, the UK wants to help shape any future political settlement while Russia needs western money to help rebuild the country.
On North Korea, both Russia and the UK want to find ways of de-escalating the crisis prompted by Pyongyang's ballistic missile programme.
And on Iran, both sides want to do what they can to protect the deal they helped negotiate to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
So Friday's meeting may have allowed both sides to rehearse their differences - and the veteran Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, gave as good as he got from the comparative novice foreign secretary, Boris Johnson.
But it also allowed them to crack a few jokes and build a relationship that they could need in the years to come.
This was not a reset or a return to business as usual but the opening of a channel of communication that in recent years has been as frozen as the Moscow winter.
Ahead of the meeting in Moscow, the UK government said Mr Johnson would warn Russia to stop cyber-attacks which threaten Britain's national security or face retaliation of a similar kind from the UK.
But Mr Lavrov accused Mr Johnson of being a "hostage" of untrue Western narratives on the issue, insisting Russia had not meddled in elections in other countries.
Mr Johnson said there was "abundant evidence" of Russian interference in polls in the US, Germany, Denmark and France.
Boris Johnson stands in front of Saint Basil's cathedral in Red square in Moscow
And takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Mr Lavrov hit back by telling Mr Johnson he himself had said Russia had not interfered in Britain's general election and Brexit referendum.
Mr Johnson interrupted his Russian counterpart to add: "Not successfully."
Mr Lavrov said the evidence produced so far of Russian attempts at interference amounted to no more than the spending of "a few kopecks" on social media adverts.
"I think you have made all this up in your Western community and unfortunately right now you are hostage to this subject, it is very difficult for you to climb down from the fence you have climbed."
He also criticised Britain for cutting off ties with Russia's FSB security agency over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London, saying the UK authorities had refused to hand over information in the case.
He said government criticism of British politicians who speak to Russian media outlets, such as the RT television channel, damaged the reputation of the UK as "the cradle of democracy".
Mr Johnson acknowledged the "difficulties" in relations with Russia, adding: "It is a regrettable state of affairs but it should not preclude co-operation."
The UK foreign secretary said they had identified common ground on issues such as North Korea, Syria and trade - and said the UK and Russian security services should co-ordinate ahead of next year's World Cup.
As the mood at the press conference relaxed, Mr Lavrov said: "I trust Boris and I trust him to an extent that I am ready to call him BorIs [Russian-style pronunciation] rather than BOris."
Mr Johnson said he adopted the approach Ronald Reagan had taken with Mikhail Gorbachev: "Trust, but verify."
And he joked that his trust was so great that he had handed his coat with "everything in my pockets, secret or otherwise" to Mr Lavrov when he arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.
Mr Lavrov joked back: "I can say that there was nothing in the pockets of Boris's coat", to which Mr Johnson responded in surprise: "So you have searched it already?"
Mr Johnson's trip follows Prime Minister Theresa May's accusation last month that Russia was trying to "undermine free societies".
Her criticisms were repeated by Ciaran Martin, chief executive of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre, who said that Russia was "seeking to undermine the international system".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42450479
|
Big Ben to chime for Christmas and new year celebrations - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The iconic clock will temporarily resume service on December 23 until New Year's Day.
|
UK
|
Big Ben is to temporarily chime again over the festive season.
The Great Bell, housed in the Palace of Westminster's Elizabeth Tower, will resume service from 9am on December 23 until 1pm on New Year's Day.
Its hourly bongs were controversially halted in August until 2021 to ensure the safety of workers carrying out repairs on the tower.
Keeper of the Great Clock, Steve Jaggs, said Big Ben's return would allow it to remain a "focal point" of celebrations.
He said that the chimes, most recently reactivated for Armistice Day in November, would continue to be rung for special occasions during its four-year restoration period.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Big Ben last fell silent in 2007 and before that, for major refurbishments between 1983 and 1985.
In operation for 157 years, the clock face and surrounding tower is currently clad in scaffolding.
"This essential programme of works will safeguard it for future generations, as well as protecting and conserving the Elizabeth Tower," Mr Jagg added.
The decision to silence the Great Bell sparked "concern" and criticism from MPs and Prime Minister Theresa May.
In response, the House of Commons said it would look again at the duration of the project and the scope for hearing the bell's famous bongs more often.
The full splendour of Big Ben is currently concealed by scaffolding
The estimated cost of repairs have now doubled to an estimated £61m, well above the original £25m repair costs, parliamentary authorities have said.
They expressed disappointment at the spiralling bill and said it would be analysed as part of the review.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42449347
|
Poundland removes Twinings tea from 'Naughty Elf' ad - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The discount chain has removed box of the brand's tea from an ad after the company complained on Twitter.
|
Business
|
Poundland has removed the image of a box of Twinings tea from a controversial social media advert after the company complained on Twitter.
The campaign displayed a toy elf in a suggestive pose with a plastic doll in front of a box of Twinings Classics tea.
Twinings tweeted that the picture "misuses our product".
The picture has reappeared, but without the box of Classics Selection tea and a caption: "Spot the difference?"
Poundland refused to comment on the change, but all the previous offending pictures had disappeared from Twitter by 17:30 GMT on Thursday.
Twinings tweeted about the Poundland campaign: "We had no involvement in this and... it is obviously not reflective of our brand values."
Poundland has been running its "Naughty Elf" adverts since the beginning of December.
They have included tableaux of a toy elf in a hot tub with naked dolls and another of the toy elf playing strip poker.
The campaign has divided opinion on Twitter, with some praising it as "brilliant", others damning it as "outdated misogyny".
Many tweets speculated that Poundland's Twitter Feed had been hacked.
However, Poundland confirmed the adverts were genuine.
Marketing Director Mark Pym said: "The love on Facebook has been overwhelming, and that's because it connects with our shoppers.
"We're proud of a campaign that's only cost £25.53 and is being touted as the winning marketing campaign this Christmas!"
A spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority confirmed they had had eight complaints about the advertising campaign, all on Thursday, claiming that it was offensive and unsuitable to be seen by children.
He said: "Because the complaints have only just come in we will assess them and then decide whether there is a problem, and whether the advertisements need to be investigated."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42441362
|
Boris Johnson: Poor UK relations with Russia a tragedy - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
| null |
Boris Johnson is the first UK foreign secretary to visit Russia in five years.
| null |
Boris Johnson says it is "a tragedy" that the UK's relationship with Russia isn't "on a good footing".
The foreign secretary held a press conference with Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on his visit to Russia.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42453312
|
North Korea: How are countries defending themselves? - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
As missile tests become more frequent, how do South Korea, Japan and the US plan to stop an attack?
|
Asia
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nuclear N Korea: What do we know?
North Korea's nuclear weapons programme has progressed faster than predicted, threatening the security of nearby nations – and potentially the United States.
The US envoy to the United Nations put it simply: "Despite our efforts over the last 24 years, the North Korean nuclear programme is more advanced and dangerous than ever."
Analysts tend to agree that the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, is seeking a nuclear deterrent rather than an all-out war - but other nations are not taking chances.
So how do you defend against a politically isolated state with nuclear ambitions, when diplomacy, it appears, simply does not work?
The other half of the Korean peninsula has a long history of preparing to defend itself from its northern neighbour. The two countries are technically still at war, having never signed a peace treaty when the Korean War ended in 1953.
The Thaad system - seen here in testing - is one of several anti-missile defences
One key part of its defensive line is the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) - a region 250km (155 mile) long and 4km (2.5 mile) wide that separates the two nations, guarded by thousands of soldiers, lined with barbed wire fences, and filled with landmines.
But it is believed that North Korea's People's Army - with more than a million regular soldiers and millions more reserve troops - has drilled extensively on how to invade across the border.
And the heavy land border fortifications do nothing, of course, to prevent a missile strike.
For a while, it was thought that Thaad - the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense - might be South Korea's best counter to a nuclear attack.
Thaad, funded by the South's military ally the United States, is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles as they descend in the final phase of a strike. The complex technology was first deployed in May 2017, and has been successfully tested.
But the politics of South Korea's relationship with the North means its rollout has not been easy.
North Korea and its only ally China both see Thaad as a provocation, and many South Koreans living near the places its was deployed fear it could be seen as a military target.
The South's new president, President Moon Jae-in, suspended the rollout of the system in June, saying an environmental impact analysis was needed.
But in light of recent nuclear tests, the South's defence ministry has now said it will deploy the four remaining Thaad launchers that had been delivered, in addition to the two already operational.
At its closest point, Japan is just a little over 500km (310 miles) from North Korea - well within striking distance.
In August, Pyongyang fired a missile directly over Japan, in what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an "unprecedented" threat to his country.
The close proximity of the two nations means that Japan has only minutes to respond to any launch. During the August missile test, people had about three minutes from receiving the emergency warning until the missile flew overhead. Many only learned about the threat later in the day.
In terms of defence options, Japan utilises the Patriot missile system which, like Thaad, is designed to shoot down incoming missiles. But it has a limited operational range, making it effective at defending key locations - and not the entire country.
But Japan does not have to worry about land invasion to the same extent North Korea does, and at sea, it has other options at its disposal.
Japan, South Korea, the United States are among the countries with the Aegis naval defence system.
Aegis is yet another anti-missile system, but unlike Thaad or Patriot defences, it can also be deployed to ships patrolling the seas in the region.
A test missile fired by the US on August 29, left, was shot down by the Aegis system similar to the file photo, right
Those battleships come equipped with powerful radar which could detect the launch when deployed near the North Korean coast. They are also fitted with guided missiles, and could attempt to shoot down the incoming missile - or share its tracking data with another missile defence system closer to the target.
There are a handful of problems with the system, though. Aegis ships need to be deployed in the right place at the right time - and while they have been tested extensively, they have never been used to defend against an actual launch.
For years, the best defence for the US was its sheer distance from North Korea - some 5,000km (3,100 miles) to Alaska and almost 9,000km to San Francisco. But rapid advancements mean that distance might no longer be far enough.
North Korea's military wants the capability to shrink a high-yield nuclear warhead to fit on an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM). In theory, that would allow Pyongyang to strike the United States.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. See the US anti-missile system in action
After its latest test, North Korea claimed it had managed to shrink the warhead, posting photos of what it said was a hydrogen bomb - in keeping with a Washington Post report from early August.
That means the US is now reconsidering its missile defences, with President Trump having ordered a review of the entire system.
It already has detection and interception systems. But critics believe that the US system is far from reliable, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus wrote in July.
In the foreseeable future, only a handful of its interceptor missiles will be available to deal with the potential North Korean threat, he said.
And it also has to worry about its overseas territory of Guam - a key military outpost in the Pacific which has been singled out by North Korea as a threat to be "contained".
That island already has a Thaad system deployed, but state media says Kim Jong-un has already been briefed on strike plans - and is waiting to see the next US actions.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41152424
|
Eric Schmidt steps down as boss of Google owner - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The executive chairman of Google-owner Alphabet will remain on the board as a technical adviser.
|
Business
|
The executive chairman of Google owner Alphabet is to step down in January, the company has announced.
Eric Schmidt, who has been with the tech giant since 2001, will remain on the board as a technical adviser on science and technology issues.
Mr Schmidt has played a key role in the development of Google from a small California start-up to the global business it is today.
Alphabet said it expected to appoint a non-executive chairman.
In a statement Mr Schmidt said "the time is right in Alphabet's evolution for this transition".
He added that in recent years he had spent a lot of his time on science and technology issues and philanthropy and he would expand that work.
Google was founded as an internet search company in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Mr Schmidt joined the company as chief executive in 2001, becoming chairman in 2011.
In 2015 Google restructured and the new parent company was called Alphabet with Mr Schmidt becoming chairman.
Alphabet has more than 70,000 employees worldwide, and owns Google Search, Maps, Ads, Gmail, Android, Chrome, and YouTube.
Joe Beda, chief technology officer of technology firm Heptio and a former Google employee, said: "He helped them mature into the powerhouse business it is today without throwing away the uniqueness that was Google during those early days."
Alphabet board member John Hennessy said Mr Schmidt had been "tremendously effective and tireless in guiding our board, particularly as we restructured from Google to Alphabet".
Google still makes up the most of Alphabet's revenue and income.
However, the group also includes the so-called Other Bets unit, which includes the Waymo driverless car business and the Project Loon WiFi-enabled weather balloon venture.
Mr Schmidt said the Alphabet structure was "working well", and "Google and the Other Bets are thriving".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42450513
|
Amazon apologises for 'threats' to customer - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Amazon has apologised to a customer, who believed he was sent coded death threats by an employee.
|
UK
|
Amazon has apologised to a customer who was emailed what he felt were "coded death threats" by a call centre worker.
Michael Jacobson received five book recommendations including Death, Follow You Home and Suicide's An Option, he told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours.
"We have zero tolerance for any misuse of customer data and have apologised to the customer," Amazon, which offered Mr Jacobson a £50 goodwill gesture, said.
"The individual involved no longer works for Amazon," it told the BBC.
Mr Jacobson, a former special constable in London, first contacted Amazon's help centre after experiencing delivery issues with a package he had ordered in October.
Mr Jacobson was sent book recommendations including Death, Follow You Home and Death Made Me
He told You and Yours: "Later that afternoon I checked my emails, and I'd received five, all from Amazon."
"They were all ostensibly book recommendations but the titles were pretty ominous and threatening, and I was pretty taken aback and I joked with my girlfriend, who I was with at the time, about it being a death threat."
He added: "The more I looked into it, I realised that they had actually been sent manually by an employee at Amazon rather than via an algorithm."
The books were Death, Follow You Home, The Denial of Death, Death Made Me, and Suicide's An Option.
Mr Jacobson suspected the recommendations had been sent by an individual, which made him feel anxious about his safety.
"I was concerned, because as soon as I realised that this had been sent by an individual rather than by a computer, it meant an Amazon employee had access to my personal information."
After getting in touch with Amazon to report the issue, they investigated and found the book recommendations had been sent by a then employee in India.
In an email to Mr Jacobson, Amazon said: "On this occasion, an isolated individual was using the 'share page' function on our site to send you the emails in question.
"We are taking this matter very seriously," the company added, saying also that "corrective actions have been taken internally both in relation to the agent who instigated the emails, and subsequent service failures".
Despite the investigation by Amazon, Mr Jacobson, who felt intimidated by the emails, says he feels the matter has not been handled well.
"At no point did (Amazon) say, we're confident you're not in any danger, this individual is thousands of miles away," he said.
"They told me none of that, which I was not happy about."
You and Yours is on BBC Radio 4 weekdays 12:15-13:00 GMT. Listen online or download the programme podcast.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42459594
|
Starvation in Sanaa: 1,000 days of Yemen's civil war - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
| null |
After 1,000 days of civil war in Yemen, 8 million people are at risk of starvation.
| null |
After 1,000 days of civil war in Yemen, 8 million people are at risk of starvation.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42442463
|
Christmas getaway: 'Frantic Friday' as thousands set off by road and rail - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Some train companies are urging passengers to travel by Saturday as maintenance work halts trains.
|
UK
|
Thousands of travellers have hit the UK's roads and railways at the start of the Christmas getaway on what was billed as "frantic Friday".
An estimated 1.3 million Christmas drivers were expected to add to the usual end-of-week traffic.
Bristol Airport cancelled flights after a plane came off the runway and several train lines reported disruption.
However, road delays were less severe than predicted, with the RAC suggesting many may travel on Saturday instead.
Many of Britain's mainline routes will be partially shut in the coming days as Network Rail carries out its biggest ever Christmas engineering programme.
With Paddington station completely closed between Christmas Eve and 27 December, Great Western Railway is urging passengers to get to their Christmas destination by the end of Saturday "at the latest".
Meanwhile, the Association of British Travel Agents said 4.5 million people were expected to travel abroad in coming days.
It said airports, ports and international train stations would be exceptionally busy and advised people to begin their journeys earlier than usual.
About 260 rail engineering projects will cause disruption to trains during the Christmas period.
Earlier South Western Railway blamed sickness among train crew for the cancellation of some services on Friday.
On Southern, there have been delays to journeys between East Croydon and Milton Keynes, Redhill and Reigate, London terminals and Tattenham Corner, and London Bridge and East Grinstead.
ScotRail has been suffering delays and cancellations between Stranraer/Ardrossan Harbour and Kilmarnock/Glasgow Central after a train derailment in a depot.
But Virgin trains as running a full timetable on the West Coast mainline after a planned strike was called off.
Flights in and out of Bristol Airport were suspended after a plane carrying 25 people came off the runway. The runway is now not expected to reopen until 23:00 GMT at the earliest.
A post on the airport's Twitter feed apologised for the disruption and thanked customers for their "continued patience.""
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The RAC said: "Friday has turned out to be slightly less frantic than it first looked although things are hotting up this evening as holiday traffic is competing with commuters and commercial traffic."
It said it had attended 9,000 breakdowns - 15% higher than the seasonal norm.
It warned that drivers might have altered their plans, increasing the risk of serious delays on Saturday.
Earlier, the M1 was hit by three serious incidents with a vehicle fire closing three northbound lanes.
The M40 southbound was closed earlier between junction 10 (Brackley) and junction nine (Bicester), after a lorry caught fire.
Witnesses said the vehicle was carrying bottles of beer which exploded due to the heat.
However, according to Highways England, the disruption has now cleared. Some stretches of the M40 remain slow due to road works.
Beer bottles were reported to be exploding on the M40 after the lorry carrying them caught fire
A "roadworks embargo" is in place on English motorways and major A roads until 00:01 on 2 January in a bid to ease festive congestion.
Many lanes are open and temporary speed restrictions are lifted. However, 27 sets of roadworks, covering a total of 122 miles, are staying in place because it would be too dangerous to lift them.
In Wales, no roadworks are taking place over Christmas and the New Year, other than essential or emergency work.
Coach operator National Express is running extra services over the festive period.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42445966
|
Russian politicians dismiss PM's 'election meddling' claims - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The UK PM said Russia was trying to "undermine free societies" in the West and "sow discord".
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Russia 'tries to sow discord in the West'
Senior Russian politicians have dismissed accusations by Theresa May that Moscow has meddled in elections and carried out cyber-espionage.
On Monday night, Mrs May accused Moscow of "planting fake stories" to "sow discord in the West".
She said Vladimir Putin's government was trying to "undermine free societies".
Russian senators accused the UK PM of "making a fool of herself" with a "counterproductive" speech.
But the top US diplomat in the UK, Woody Johnson, said countries engaging in such behaviour needed to be "called out".
President Donald Trump's newly appointed ambassador to the UK told BBC News that Mrs May "probably has evidence" of Russian meddling and she had "every right" to draw attention to it.
Mrs May's comments, at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at London's Guildhall, were in contrast to those of US President Donald Trump, who last week said he believed President Putin's denial of intervening in the 2016 presidential election.
The Russian Embassy in the UK hit back at her criticism on Twitter and described her remarks as "fake news".
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 MFA Russia 🇷🇺 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.
Alexei Pushkov, a Russian senator involved in media policy, said: "The world order that suits May, with the seizure of Iraq, war in Libya, the rise of IS and terrorism in Europe, has had its day. You can't save it by attacking Russia."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Wood Johnson on Mrs May's comments: 'She probably has evidence to indicate that that was the case'
Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of Russia's Parliament, said: "Russia, like the UK, is by no means striving to bring back the Cold War. We are ready to develop a mutual dialogue and partnership relations."
He added: "In this case, I completely disagree with the statement that Russia is allegedly trying to undermine the international system of rules."
And Frants Klintsevich, deputy chairman of the defence and security committee in the Parliament's upper house, said: "May has done more damage to herself than to us, making a fool of herself in the eyes of the world community and once again raising Russia's profile."
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is due to visit Russia next month.
In what Mrs May described as a "very simple message" for President Putin, she said he must choose a very "different path" from the one that in recent years had seen Moscow annex Crimea, foment conflict in Ukraine and launch cyber-attacks on governments and parliaments across Europe.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Boris Johnson told MPs about Russian meddling in UK elections
Russia could be a valuable partner of the West but only if it "plays by the rules", she argued.
"Russia has repeatedly violated the national airspace of several European countries and mounted a sustained campaign of cyber-espionage and disruption.
"This has included meddling in elections and hacking the Danish Ministry of Defence and the Bundestag among many others.
"We know what you are doing and you will not succeed. Because you underestimate the resilience of our democracies, the enduring attraction of free and open societies and the commitment of Western nations to the alliances that bind us."
She said that as the UK left the EU and charted a new course in the world, it remained absolutely committed to Nato and securing a Brexit deal which "strengthens our liberal values", adding that a strong economic partnership between the UK and EU would be a bulwark against Russian agitation in Europe.
There are some countries in Europe that believe the West should engage more closely with Russia.
They argue the European Union and the United States should better understand Russia's point of view, its belief that it is threatened from all sides.
And that more should be done to accommodate this sense of vulnerability, by softening Nato's approach and reducing sanctions.
Well, not Theresa May. In a speech in the US in February, the prime minister spoke of the need to "engage but beware" of Russia. She has now switched the order and the focus is very much on beware.
She believes that President Putin should be called out for the threat that she believes he poses both internationally and in the UK.
The Electoral Commission is investigating claims that Russia used social media to meddle in the Brexit referendum.
So Mrs May is willing to engage with Russia - she is sending the foreign secretary to Moscow next month.
But she also wants Russia to know that Mr Johnson will come with a clear message that its destabilising activities will no longer be tolerated.
Mr Johnson, who will be making his first trip to Russia as foreign secretary in December, has said the UK's policy to Russia must be one of "beware but engage" following a decade of strained relations.
He told MPs earlier this month that he had not seen any evidence of Russia trying to interfere in British elections or the 2016 Brexit vote, in which Moscow has insisted it remained neutral.
In her speech, Mrs May said the UK would "take the necessary action to counter Russian activity".
"We do not want to return to the Cold War or to be in a state of perpetual confrontation.
"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia has the reach and the responsibility to play a vital role in promoting international stability.
"Russia can, and I hope one day will, choose this different path. But for as long as Russia does not, we will act together to protect our interests and the international order on which they depend."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41983091
|
Johanna Young 1992 murder: Key to case 'in local area' - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Johanna Young was 14 when she disappeared from home in Watton at Christmas in 1992.
|
Norfolk
|
Johanna Young's parents Robert and Carol want closure 25 years on
Police investigating the murder of a teenager 25 years ago remain convinced someone in the area where she died holds the key to the case.
Johanna Young was 14 when she went missing from her family home in Watton, Norfolk, on 23 December 1992.
Her partially-clothed body was found covered in scratches and face down in water on Boxing Day.
Investigating officer Marie James said: "I am convinced the answer lies within the community of Watton."
"I'm quite sure that there is someone out there, whether they used to live in Watton or have since moved on, that has information that may unlock this case," said Det Insp James, of Norfolk Police.
A post-mortem examination revealed Johanna - whose body was found close to Griston Road in Watton - died from drowning and a fractured skull.
A fresh appeal in 2014 saw two people arrested and bailed but police said there was "insufficient information to prove those individuals' involvement".
Her partially-clothed body was found covered in scratches and face down in water on Boxing Day, on 1992
Johanna had left home, where she lived with her parents Carol and Robert and siblings Daniel and Emma, at 19:30 GMT on 23 December.
When she did not return home that night, her parents assumed she was with friends or her boyfriend Ryan Firman.
But, she failed to turn up for her paper round on Christmas Eve and the police were called.
After her body was recovered, investigations targeted local men and although three people were arrested and questioned, no charges were brought.
Mr Young, 64, said they would "finally get closure" if the case was solved.
"You live in hope that someday something will happen," added Mrs Young, 61.
A cryptic letter was sent to the Eastern Daily Press soon after Johanna was found dead
Johanna's body was found after a dog walker came across one of her trainers in undergrowth near the body.
There was no evidence of a sexual motive, police said.
Soon after Johanna was found dead, a cryptic letter was sent to the Eastern Daily Press, featuring a drawing of a girl, a youth, a motorcycle, the date and naming Griston Road.
It is believed a "young man" with a motorcycle was seen in the area on the night she went missing, police said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-42082948
|
Hospitals to cancel ops to cope with winter surge - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Bosses say the move is needed to prepare for the early January spike in demand, but surgeons complain of short notice.
|
Health
|
Hospitals across England have been told to cancel non-emergency operations in the new year to prepare for a post-Christmas surge in patients.
The first weeks of January are often the busiest of the year with winter illnesses peaking, combined with the growing day-to-day demand in A&E.
So an emergency panel of NHS bosses is urging hospitals to cut back on their routine work, such as knee and hip ops.
They hope it will give hospitals some breathing space to cope.
Publicly, no figure is being put on the number of operations that should be put off, although the BBC understands hospitals are working on the basis of doing 10% fewer.
That would mean in the region of 15,000 operations not taking place in the first two weeks of January.
The panel has suggested hospitals use the staff freed up by the move to set up "hot clinics" staffed by experts in conditions such as respiratory illness to take the pressure off A&E.
The directive is the first to be issued by the NHS National Emergency Pressures Panel, a new group of senior doctors, nurses and managers set up to advise NHS England.
Can't find your health trust? Browse the full list Rather search by typing? Back to search
If you can't see the NHS Tracker, click or tap here.
Panel chair Prof Sir Bruce Keogh said it would be sensible for hospitals to curtail the amount of planned work they are doing until at least mid January.
"NHS staff are working flat out to cope with seasonal pressures and ensure patients receive the best possible care.
"However, given the scale of the challenge, hospitals should be planning for a surge that comes in the new year by freeing up beds and staff where they can to care for our sickest patients."
He said this would reduce the need for last-minute cancellations which were unfair on patients.
It comes as figures released on Thursday showed pressures had already started building.
The weekly bulletin from NHS England showed over 1,000 beds were closed because of the vomiting bug Norovirus - nearly 10% of the hospital bed-stock - while ambulances were increasingly likely to find themselves delayed when they dropped off patients at A&E.
Pauline Philip, the NHS national director for emergency care, said it was a sensible move.
She also urged hospitals to make the most of the extra £350m winter funding provided by the government, which was released into the system last week.
And she added: "There is still time for the public to play their part by ensuring they have their flu jab and by using local pharmacies and NHS 111."
Prof Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, welcomed the move as it provided clarity over what should be done as pressures grow.
But he said it was still pretty "short notice" for those patients who face having their operations cancelled.
And he urged hospitals to prioritise cancer treatment and other planned operations that, if cancelled, would harm patients.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42439679
|
MI5 warnings on Brexit, terror and Russia - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A rise in terror attacks in Europe has brought the UK closer to its European partners despite Brexit, says MI5.
|
UK
|
Berlin has been remembering those hurt and killed in a terror attack on a Christmas market this time last year
MI5 has had to reassure its European partners about co-operation since the Brexit referendum, the head of the security service says, but the twin fears of terrorism and Russia has meant that European countries still want the UK's help.
With a marked increase in the number of attacks in Europe, the committee said the government should be more forthcoming on any potential risks associated with Britain leaving the EU.
The annual report of the Intelligence and Security Committee provides the most detailed overview of the work of Britain's spy agencies.
The committee, chaired by Dominic Grieve MP, said that the last two years had seen a rise in attacks in Europe leading to questions over the capability of some countries to deal with the threat.
That had led to closer co-operation between different intelligence and security services.
European mechanisms played an essential role in the UK's national security, the committee said, and it urged the government to outline its assessment of the risks of the UK's departure from the EU and the measures it is putting in place.
One question the committee asked head of MI5 Andrew Parker was whether he was confident that Brexit would not have an impact on counter-terrorist work.
"Yes and no," he replied. "There are two parts to this.
"My life has got more difficult since the referendum because of the need to invest reassurance time with all of our European partners, but the thing that is driving the quality of those relationships currently is the darkness of the threat and the common concern about it.
"Half of Europe is scared of terrorism and the other half is scared of Russia and both halves want us to help them."
Mr Parker said this would not change with Brexit since much of the national security work was outside of the EU anyway.
However, he said his "hesitancy" was because there were certain issues which were within EU competence and might be affected by the negotiations, in particular those that relate to data-sharing across borders.
Head of MI5 Andrew Parker says his life has got harder since the UK voted to leave the EU
A witness from GCHQ also said it had concerns as to how European data-sharing would work after Brexit with the likely need for some kind of arrangement to share data in a way which accords with European privacy concerns.
"That's a policy issue way beyond intelligence, actually, but it will have big implications for us, so getting that right is important," the individual told the committee.
MI5 said the most striking shift in counter-terrorist work in the last five years was the rise in what is called "high-risk casework" - referring to individuals who have received terrorist training or are attempting to procure the means to carry out an attack, but who may not yet have a current attack plan.
It is also estimated that more than 300 UK individuals who went to join so-called Islamic State remained in the Middle East and might pose a threat if they returned to the UK.
Overall, it is thought 6,000 European fighters travelled out to fight with IS.
The annual report also points to the breadth of concerns for the agencies.
MI5 told the committee that Northern Ireland represents the "most concentrated area of terrorist activity probably anywhere in Europe", with terrorist activity disrupted on a weekly basis.
Dissident republicans conducted 16 attacks on national security targets in 2015/16, they say.
Northern Ireland-related terrorism accounted for about 18% of MI5's operational and investigative resources. 64% is devoted to what is called international counter-terrorism (largely Islamist-related activity from groups like IS and al-Qaeda).
MI5's work on hostile state activity, including counter-espionage, counterproliferation and protective security, accounts for around 18% of its effort.
Russia has risen up the list of priorities in recent years.
MI6 described the Russian state as "formidable adversaries" to the committee.
"They clearly are operating to risk thresholds which are nothing like those that the West operates," MI5 said.
Officials described a number of steps taken to protect the UK's political system from the kind of attack allegedly seen in 2016 in the US, including tracking the major known perpetrators and ensuring individuals involved in politics had access to security advice.
So far there are few signs of the close working relationship with the US being affected by the Trump administration, the committee says, although the agencies are aware of the potential risks, especially if campaign talk of returning to waterboarding of detainees was to actually become policy.
"Any significant change in US policies relating to detainee treatment would pose very serious questions for the UK-USA intelligence relationship," MI6 said.
One other revelation came in the report.
MI6 - which spent £798,000 on external consultants to review its structure - is increasing accommodation through refurbishment of Vauxhall Cross. And for Britain's spies, that means they will have to start hot-desking.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42434767
|
Frozen embryo record parents on 'miracle' baby - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
| null |
Tina Gibson's daughter was born from an embryo that had been frozen for nearly 25 years.
| null |
US couple Tina and Benjamin Gibson's daughter was born from an embryo that had been frozen for nearly 25 years.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42442703
|
Curbs on plastic bottle and packaging waste sought by MPs - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
MPs want deposits on plastic bottles and a higher levy on packaging to protect the seas from pollution.
|
Business
|
People should pay a deposit for using plastic bottles in an attempt to protect the seas from the "devastating effects" of plastic pollution, MPs say.
The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) also wants free public drinking water fountains.
And it says firms using plastic packaging should pay more for the waste they create.
The government says it is consulting with industry on a deposit scheme, and charges for single-use plastics.
But the MPs say ministers need to review society's relationship with plastics as a whole.
They are proposing a sliding scale of taxes on plastic packaging.
They want suppliers of hard-to-recycle complex plastics to be charged most and firms using simple easy-to-recycle packages to pay least.
The MPs are trying to tackle the rising tide of plastic waste in the ocean, which has been described by UN Oceans Chief Lisa Svensson as a "planetary crisis".
EAC Chair Mary Creagh MP said: "Urgent action is needed to protect our environment from the devastating effects of marine plastic pollution which, if it continues to rise at current rates, will outweigh fish by 2050."
She added that the current levy on plastics producers only raised a fraction of the cost of dealing with plastic waste.
"Packaging producers don't currently have to bear the full financial burden of recycling their packaging," she said.
"By reforming charges, the government can ensure that producers and retailers will have financial incentives to design packaging that is easily recyclable - or face higher compliance costs."
The committee also proposes a minimum 50% recycled plastic content in plastic bottles to stimulate the recycled plastics market.
Michael Gove said he'd been moved by images of plastic pollution on the Blue Planet series
The Recycling Association strongly supports rules prompting packaging firms to simplify packaging and use fewer different types of plastics.
The Green Party's Amelia Womack said: "We need to design out waste from the very start of the consumer chain. That means ending production of single-use plastics while providing the infrastructure to enable corporations and individuals to recycle close to 100% of the items they use.
"Second, we need to invest in alternatives to plastic. There is a slowly rising network of zero-waste shops across the UK and companies like Splosh and Lush create products designed to have a limited or no impact on the environment.
Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said "tokenistic measures" - such as introducing plastic-free aisles in stores - were not the answer to reducing plastic use.
"It needs a holistic solution," he told the BBC's Today programme. "Whether that's recycling to make sure there are common recycling standards across the UK, whether it's the plastics we use."
He said Sainsbury's had reduced its plastic use by 30% since 2006 - but insisted plastic "does perform a purpose" for certain products.
"One of the things that is commonly cited is 'why do we put plastic on cucumbers' - it extends the life of those products," he said.
The government says it's taking the plastics waste problem very seriously - the Environment Secretary Michael Gove told me he's considering a four-point plan.
Mr Gove said he'd been moved by images of plastic pollution on the Blue Planet series.
Ministers are consulting with firms on a deposit scheme for bottles, and on charges for single-use plastics.
Some firms are highly sensitive to consumer pressure on the issue: Lucozade announced it would change the complex packaging on its bottles after being exposed as a recycling "villain" by BBC News.
The British Plastics Federation was unavailable for comment.
Local authorities are wary about any plans that would raise costs for them.
"It's crucial that local authorities are consulted on the introduction of any new plastic bottle deposit return scheme," said Councillor Martin Tett, the Local Government Association's Environment spokesman.
"If councils are to be given the responsibilities to facilitate such a service, it must be matched in funding and resources so that councils are able to successfully implement it."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42441355
|
Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool - BBC Sport
|
2017-12-22
| null |
Roberto Firmino earns Liverpool a draw in an incredible Premier League encounter in which Arsenal score three goals in just five minutes.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Roberto Firmino's powerful finish earned Liverpool a draw in an incredible Premier League encounter that had seen Arsenal score three goals in just five second-half minutes.
The Gunners had been trailing 2-0 after Philippe Coutinho scored his first headed league goal in England before Mohamed Salah added a second early in the second half with a deflected strike.
But Arsenal suddenly came alive as Alexis Sanchez headed in Hector Bellerin's cross from close range before Granit Xhaka's thumping strike was too powerful for Simon Mignolet's weak save.
Barely two minutes later Mesut Ozil put Arsenal ahead with a neat clip over Mignolet.
Play swung from one end of the pitch to the other at blistering pace, with both sides looking capable of scoring with every attack.
But it was Liverpool who had the final say in one of the most thrilling Premier League encounters in years as Petr Cech could only take the sting out of Firmino's shot and the ball bounced over the line.
The point meant Liverpool held onto fourth place, with Arsenal remaining fifth - a point behind the Reds.
• None Re-live the thrilling encounter between Arsenal and Liverpool
How a crazy six minutes panned out
This had looked like being a routine win for Liverpool after a dominant first half.
They led through Coutinho's clever header and should have had more but for some uncharacteristically wasteful finishing by Sadio Mane and Salah.
However, it was not long until the Premier League's top scorer had his 15th of the season, and so began an incredible six minutes...
52 mins: Salah races on to Firmino's superb pass and makes it 2-0 with a deflected finish. Arsenal, who have not had a single shot on target, look beaten.
53 mins: Out of nowhere, Arsenal are back in it. Sanchez is well placed to nod in Bellerin's cross from close range.
56 mins: What's going on!? Arsenal are level! Xhaka tries his luck from 25 yards and the ball fizzes through Mignolet's hand.
58 mins: Goals! Goals! Goals! Arsenal are ahead as Ozil is on to Alexandre Lacazette's backheel before clipping the ball over Mignolet.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is not too keen on the 'Fab Four' nickname that has been given to his attacking quartet of Coutinho, Salah, Mane and Firmino, but he might have to develop an acceptance for it as they continue to dominate the headlines.
Three of them scored in this game and, in truth, all four should have been on the scoresheet, with Mane going for the acrobatic with a first-half scissor kick with Cech beaten.
The quartet have now collectively accounted for 29 of Liverpool's past 34 goals and while the Reds' attacking strength cannot be questioned - they have scored at least three goals in their past four Premier League away games - the defence can.
Liverpool had conceded 16 goals in their first nine league games and while they had stemmed the tide in the games since the 4-1 defeat by Tottenham at the end of October, familiar frailties arose in this encounter as players switched off after conceding, while Mignolet should have done better with Xhaka's effort.
A tale of two halves for Arsenal
David de Gea's saves against Arsenal for Manchester United earlier this month appeared to have had a long-lasting impact on the Gunners.
Since Jose Mourinho's side beat them 3-1 at the start of the month - with De Gea making 14 saves that day - Arsenal had struggled to convert shots into goals, having 56 attempts in the three Premier League games before Liverpool's visit, putting 12 of those on target and scoring just twice.
It was more of the same in the first half of this game as Mignolet enjoyed once of the easiest 45 minutes of his career. Arsenal managed just one shot - and that was wide of goal - but all that changed in the second half as they scored from all but one of their shots on target.
The Gunners were no doubt helped by Liverpool's poor defensive performance, but Arsene Wenger praised the character of his side to stage such a fightback.
"In the first half we were paralysed and frozen," said Wenger. "We gave too many balls away and looked second best everywhere.
"In the second half we have shown quality, character and played at our level."
'Point is the minimum we deserve'
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: "You need to be angry with yourself, not sad or insecure. We came back into the game and scored our third. The point is the minimum we deserve. Because of the intensity of the game it was not easy to create clearer chances. When you get a point at Arsenal it is usually OK but after this give me a few minutes to get there.
"Three goals at Arsenal should be enough. We defended most of the time pretty well. We did not give space away. After they score the first and the second, it is not easy but we need to deal with these situations better."
• None There have been 27 goals scored in the past five Premier League meetings between these teams (10 for Arsenal, 17 for Liverpool) at an average of 5.4 per game.
• None Liverpool have scored 54 away goals in all competitions in 2017, their most in a calendar year since 1982 (66).
• None There were just 388 seconds between Mo Salah putting Liverpool 2-0 ahead and Mesut Ozil scoring to make it 3-2 to Arsenal.
• None Arsenal have conceded seven goals in two league games against Liverpool this season - in only one Premier League campaign have they conceded more against an opponent (10 against Man Utd in 2011-12).
• None Since Jurgen Klopp's first Premier League match in charge in October 2015, Liverpool's games have seen 279 goals scored (174 for, 105 against), more than any other club.
• None Philippe Coutinho has been involved in 16 goals in 11 away matches in all competitions (nine goals, seven assists).
• None Coutinho scored his 53rd goal for Liverpool in all competitions - however, this was his first headed goal for the Reds.
• None Roberto Firmino has been involved in eight goals in his past five Premier League appearances against Arsenal (five goals, three assists).
• None Firmino has also scored and assisted in each of his past three Premier League games against the Gunners.
Arsenal have a bit of time to enjoy the Christmas break. They are next in action on 28 December when they travel to Crystal Palace (20:00 GMT). Liverpool, meanwhile, have a shorter turnaround because they host Swansea on Boxing Day (17:30 GMT).
• None Attempt missed. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left.
• None Offside, Arsenal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles tries a through ball, but Mesut Özil is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum following a fast break.
• None Offside, Liverpool. James Milner tries a through ball, but Mohamed Salah is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42362392
|
Birmingham Crash: Hundreds attend taxi driver's funeral - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Huge crowds were at Birmingham Central Mosque for the funeral of 33-year-old Imtiaz Mohammed.
|
Birmingham & Black Country
|
Imtiaz Mohammed has been described as a "happy, loving and friendly guy" by his family
The funeral has been held for a taxi driver who was one of six people killed in a crash in Birmingham.
Imtiaz Mohammed had called his wife to say he was on his last job of the night shortly before the six-vehicle crash on Lee Bank Middleway on Sunday.
Hundreds gathered to celebrate his life in what was described as a "peaceful and sobering service" at the Central Mosque.
The mosque is just a few hundred yards from the scene of the accident.
Mr Mohammed, 33, had six children aged under 15. His death came the day before his daughter's fourth birthday.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
After the funeral and burial, mosque chairman Muhammad Afzal said: "Hundreds of people attended and we prayed both for the assembly and for Imtiaz, may he rest in peace.
"People are very upset because in Birmingham this was the worst road accident we've had for many years.
"A lot of people are asking for some review of the speed limits and what safety measures can be put in place on the road, so that this does not happen again."
The funeral at Birmingham Central Mosque is on the same road where six people died
The taxi driver's father, Ikhtiar Mohammed, said: "This is a tragedy, a tragic accident.
"I am sorry for my son who has lost his life and I am sorry for the others who have also lost human beings, like us.
"God bless them, and God bless my son."
The two passengers in the taxi, 43-year-old Lucy Davis, from Kingstanding in Birmingham, and 42-year-old Lee Jenkins, who worked at University Hospitals Birmingham, also died.
Mother Lucy Davis, 43, was described by her family as a "beautiful Lady in Red"
Tauqeer Hussain (L) and Mohammed Fahsha (R) were two of six crash victims
Kasar Jehangir, 25, Tauqeer Hussain, 26, and 30-year-old Mohammed Fahsha were killed when the Audi they were travelling in collided with the taxi.
A 22-year-old friend, also a passenger in the car, is in a serious condition in hospital.
A petition has been launched calling for better safety measures on Lee Bank Middleway, following the crash
More than 21,000 people have signed a petition calling for better safety measures on the Middleway.
It will be delivered to Birmingham City Council, calling for speed cameras in the underpass close to where the crash happened and for barriers to be placed along the dual carriageway.
The council said it will look into the petition, but said before Sunday, there had only been one serious accident in the last three years on the road.
A police investigation into the crash is continuing.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42453972
|
'No 10 knew' of Damian Green claims in 2016, says Kate Maltby - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Kate Maltby raised concerns about Damian Green's conduct with aides but Theresa May says she was not told.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Kate Maltby, who claims Damian Green made inappropriate advances to her, says she told a senior Downing Street aide about his behaviour in 2016.
The MP, who denies the claims, was sacked from the cabinet on Wednesday.
This came after an inquiry found he had broken the ministerial code over "misleading" statements after pornography was found on his computer.
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was not aware of the claims about Mr Green until last month.
Speaking on a visit to Cyprus, she said she had first read about them in an article by Ms Maltby in the Times newspaper.
She said: "I recognise that Kate Maltby was obviously extremely distressed by what happened. Damian Green has recognised that and he has apologised. I think that is absolutely the right thing to do."
She has said it is important that people working in Parliament feel they can bring forward any concerns they have to be "treated seriously".
The Cabinet Office investigation into Mr Green was prompted by her allegations that Mr Green had "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message.
The inquiry was later widened to include the claims about legal pornography being discovered on his computer after a police raid on his Commons office in 2008.
Speaking after the inquiry, which concluded that her evidence was "plausible", Ms Maltby told the BBC she had not told many people about the alleged incident at the time - except her parents - as she "wondered if it was a one-off".
"Eventually I spoke to a very senior and long-serving aide of Theresa May," she added.
When giving evidence to the inquiry, she told its head, Sue Gray, that Downing Street was aware of her allegations "to the best of my knowledge".
"I was aware that he was the deputy prime minister and I was aware that No 10 knew about it."
Ms Maltby said she had never called for Mr Green's sacking, but wrote her article because she wanted to change the culture of Downing Street.
"This whole story has been about power," she said. "Damian Green became a very, very powerful person.
"I was aware that there seemed to be improper mixing of mentorship and sexual advance within the Conservative party in his case."
Mr Green was sacked after making "misleading" statement about pornography found on his computer
Ms Maltby added: "My actions in this have never been guided by the quest to claim scalps, to force resignations to end people's careers.
"We need an end to the era in which the sexual exploitation of younger people is the sort of peccadillo of a politician.
"That is tolerated by those in power and perhaps exploited to enforce party discipline but not to actually do any good."
A Downing Street source told the BBC: "The Cabinet Office conducted a thorough investigation into a number of allegations about Damian Green.
"The PM has made it clear that everyone should be able to work in politics without fear or harassment - that is why she has brought forward a new code of conduct for the Conservative Party, and set up a cross-party working group to make recommendations about the Houses of Parliament."
Speaking on Thursday, Mrs May reiterated her personal "sadness" at sacking her close ally Mr Green but said it was "absolutely right" that he had apologised to Ms Maltby.
Although Mr Green was sacked over his statements about the pornography on his computer, he used his resignation letter to also apologise to Ms Maltby, who was a family friend.
"I deeply regret the distress caused to Kate Maltby following her article about me and the reaction to it," he wrote.
"I do not recognise the events she described in her article, but I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and for this I apologise."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "I was shocked": Former detective constable Neil Lewis speaks to the BBC
Meanwhile, former senior police officer Bob Quick and retired detective Neil Lewis, who told the BBC he had been "shocked" by the contents of Mr Green's office computer, are being investigated for possible breaches of the Data Protection Act.
The Metropolitan Police, who referred the case to the data regulator, said the pair were under investigation over the "apparent disclosure to the media of confidential material gathered during a police investigation in 2008".
Conservative MPs are angry about the alleged actions of the two retired detectives, with Jeremy Hunt claiming they "did not sit comfortably in a democracy" - something, he added, Theresa May "had made clear" in her letter to Mr Green.
Boris Johnson said the actions of the police "had the slight feeling of a vendetta", and needed to be investigated further.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42449683
|
MP Mark Garnier cleared of breaking ministerial code - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Theresa May said "a line should be drawn under the issue" following a Cabinet Office investigation.
|
UK Politics
|
Some of the accusations date back to 2010 - before Mark Garnier was a minister
MP Mark Garnier has been cleared of breaking the ministerial code after a Cabinet Office investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
International trade minister Mark Garnier was also said to have used derogatory language to his secretary and asked her to buy sex toys in 2010.
The investigation concluded there was "no evidence" to suggest he had broken the rules.
Theresa May said "a line should be drawn under the issue".
The Conservative MP said he did not intend to comment on the outcome of the inquiry.
The allegations regarding his secretary, Caroline Edmondson, from before he was appointed a minister in 2016, came to light in October.
Ms Edmondson, who now works for another MP, told The Mail on Sunday he had given her money to buy two vibrators at a Soho sex shop and called her "sugar tits."
Mr Garnier told the paper: "I'm not going to deny it, because I'm not going to be dishonest. I'm going to have to take it on the chin."
The Cabinet Office investigation said there was "no dispute about the facts of the incident", but there was "a significant difference of interpretation between the parties", leaving a member of staff "distressed".
A No 10 spokesman said: "It was not his intention to cause distress, and Mr Garnier has apologised unreservedly to the individual.
"On that basis, the prime minister considers that a line should be drawn under the issue."
The announcement comes a day after Mrs May sacked her First Secretary of State, Damian Green, for breaching the ministerial code.
He was asked by the PM to quit after making "inaccurate and misleading" statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.
Mr Green also apologised for making writer Kate Maltby feel uncomfortable in 2015.
It made him the third cabinet minister to leave the table in recent weeks, following the resignations of Sir Michael Fallon and Priti Patel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42448314
|
Typhoon fighter jets intercept prime minister's plane in exercise - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Theresa May watched the manoeuvre from the cockpit during her journey from Cyprus.
|
UK
|
The jets also refuelled from the prime minister's plane during the training exercise
Two Typhoon jets armed with air-to-air missiles intercepted Theresa May's plane on its return to the UK from Cyprus as part of a training exercise.
Theresa May watched pilots carry out the manoeuvre - a rehearsal for a suspected hijacking scenario - from the cockpit of the RAF Voyager.
The jets, scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, also hooked up to the PM's plane for air-to-air refuelling.
Mrs May was returning from a two-day trip to Poland and Cyprus.
The fighter jets pulled up alongside the converted Voyager at 17,000 feet, and tipped their wings as part of the exercise.
Pilots from 3 Squadron and 11 Squadron performed the manoeuvre.
The jets each took on four tonnes of fuel during the exercise, at 600kg-a-minute.
The Typhoons are the sort of jets that would be used to intercept foreign planes illegally entering British airspace and the exercise demonstrated how the RAF's Quick Reaction Alert would work.
Mrs May was said to have spent the rest of the journey working on papers from her ministerial Red Box and relaxing with a sudoku number puzzle.
Theresa May visited RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on her way back to the UK from Poland
She said: "Witnessing the unique skill of the RAF at first hand is an absolute privilege and demonstrates that the British Armed Forces are the finest in the world.
"The work they do is admirable and impressive and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for everything they do to keep us safe."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42457964
|
Rape conviction quashed over new Facebook evidence - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A 26-year-old man jailed in 2013 for rape has his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal.
|
Derby
|
Mr Kay was jailed in 2013 for four and half years after a trial at Derby Crown Court
A man jailed for rape four years ago has had his conviction overturned after new Facebook evidence emerged.
Danny Kay's sentence was quashed by the Court of Appeal after deleted messages were found in an archived folder backing his version of events.
The 26-year-old had denied rape at Derby Crown Court in 2013 but was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Judges ruled on Thursday the new evidence supported his claim the sex was consensual.
The messages showed that jurors at the trial had been given an "edited and misleading" picture of the conversation between the pair, the court heard.
In his ruling, Mr Justice James Goss said: "We have come to the conclusion that, in a case of one word against another, the full Facebook message exchange provides very cogent evidence both in relation to the truthfulness and reliability of (the woman) ... and the reliability of (Mr Kay's) account and his truthfulness."
Judges heard police asked the woman to retrieve Facebook messages that they had exchanged.
Three pages of messages had been printed and the woman, who cannot be identified, told jurors she had deleted some to free up storage space.
She had said there had been little contact after sex, but defence lawyers argued the new evidence showed otherwise.
The ruling comes after a Conservative MP's chief of staff was cleared of rape after saying sex was consensual.
In another high-profile case, charges against 22-year-old student Liam Allan were dropped after police failed to reveal vital phone evidence.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-42453405
|
Antibiotic use in meat revealed by UK supermarkets - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
M&S, Waitrose and Asda all publish the figures as part of a drive to cut the use of antibiotics.
|
Business
|
Three UK supermarket chains have published figures on the amount of antibiotics used by their farm suppliers, in an effort to cut use of the medicines.
Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Asda have all revealed the quantities of antibiotics in meat and dairy produce.
Campaigners have called on all supermarkets to follow their lead.
Overuse of antibiotics can cause drugs resistance leading to the prevalence of superbugs such as MRSA.
England's Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies warned in October that if antibiotics lost their effectiveness it would "spell the end to modern medicine".
The campaign group, the Alliance To Save Our Antibiotics, which was founded by charities Sustain, Compassion in World Farming and the Soil Association welcomed the move by the supermarkets, saying it was a good start.
Coilin Nunan, scientific advisor to the Alliance said: "The publication of this data should help drive average use across the farming industry down, as it illustrates the extent to which many other producers are still overusing antibiotics, despite recent cuts.
"We are also calling for all supermarkets to publish antibiotic-use data by farming system, so that consumers can compare free-range and organic farming with indoor farming and intensive systems."
Figures from all three supermarket chains show they are ahead of industry-wide targets on chicken farms.
Mr Nunan said Marks and Spencer figures showed their pig and chicken farmers were using less than one quarter of the UK averages.
He said antibiotic use in Waitrose's pig and chicken suppliers was about one third or less than industry averages and use in turkeys was about one sixth of the average.
Asda's figures showed its suppliers' usage was less than half the industry average for chickens, and for turkey it was less than a quarter but their pig survey was still in progress, he added.
Information on the different sectors is not comprehensive and varies in detail so it is not always possible to make direct comparisons.
The supermarkets follow industry standards set by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance which represents organisations involved in the food chain.
The UK Veterinary Antibiotics Resistance and Sales Surveillance Report 2016, released in October, showed sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals dropped by 27%, achieving a government-set target two years early.
Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi do not at present publish data on antibiotic use.
Lidl said: "We are committed to meeting sector targets and fully support the disclosure of antibiotic usage, however we believe that it is important to support suppliers through the development of a centralised, industry-wide approach."
Morrisons said it was "open-minded" about publishing data. Tesco said it had a comprehensive plan to reduce antibiotic use, "including measuring and publishing progress against our commitments".
The British Retail Consortium, which represents the big supermarkets, said all its members advocated the responsible use of antibiotics and were working to reduce usage without any detrimental effect on animal welfare.
It's director of food policy, Andrew Opie, said: "All our members are collaborating with their suppliers to determine what data is available and the best way to communicate progress."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42437665
|
Melbourne attack an isolated incident, says PM Turnbull - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Australia's prime minister says the attack was "shocking" but there were no known extremist links.
|
Australia
|
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said an attack involving a car in Melbourne was a "shocking crime" but an "isolated incident".
On Thursday, a 32-year old man drove his car into pedestrians on Flinders Street, injuring 19 people.
Police have said the driver had a history of mental illness and drug abuse but no known extremist links.
He had "attributed his actions to perceived mistreatment of Muslims", said a senior officer.
The man, who was arrested at the scene by an off-duty officer, is an Australian citizen of Afghan descent who arrived in Australia under a refugee programme.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The crash happened on Flinders Street at a busy crossing in the centre of the city
At this stage there were "no known links to any political issues, or any links to extremist groups" but he added that "nothing should be ruled out".
Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton earlier said the man was known to have a mental illness. He was on a treatment plan but had missed an appointment on Thursday.
When interviewed by police he "spoke about dreams, he spoke about voices", said the chief inspector, "but he also did attribute some of his actions to the poor treatment of Muslims".
Mr Turnbull confirmed that nine foreign nationals were among the injured.
According to media reports, these include three South Korean tourists, as well as tourists from China and Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Several of the injured remain in critical condition, one pre-school aged child is reportedly stable.
On Friday morning, streets in the city centre reopened and trams were operating as usual.
Police said a second man arrested at the scene was released and expected to be charged with possession of cannabis and a controlled weapon.
The charges are not linked to the car attack.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/42451576
|
Theresa May accuses Vladimir Putin of election meddling - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The PM says Russia is trying to "undermine free societies" in the West and "sow discord".
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Russia 'tries to sow discord in the West'
Theresa May has launched her strongest attack on Russia yet, accusing Moscow of meddling in elections and carrying out cyber espionage.
Addressing leading business figures at a banquet in London, the prime minister said Vladimir Putin's government was trying to "undermine free societies".
Mrs May said it was "planting fake stories" to "sow discord in the West".
While the UK did not want "perpetual confrontation" with Russia, it would protect its interests, she added.
Her comments are in stark contrast to those of US President Donald Trump, who last week said he believed his Russian counterpart's denial of intervening in the 2016 presidential election.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is due to visit Russia next month.
In a major foreign policy speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at London's Guildhall, which Mrs May described as a "very simple message" for President Putin, she said he must choose a very "different path" from the one that in recent years had seen Moscow annex Crimea, foment conflict in Ukraine and launch cyber attacks on governments and Parliaments across Europe.
Russia could be a valuable partner of the West but only if it "plays by the rules", she argued.
"Russia has repeatedly violated the national airspace of several European countries and mounted a sustained campaign of cyber espionage and disruption.
"This has included meddling in elections and hacking the Danish Ministry of Defence and the Bundestag among many others."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Boris Johnson told MPs about Russian meddling in UK elections
"We know what you are doing and you will not succeed. Because you underestimate the resilience of our democracies, the enduring attraction of free and open societies and the commitment of Western nations to the alliances that bind us."
She said as the UK left the EU and charted a new course in the world, it remained absolutely committed to Nato and securing a Brexit deal which "strengthens our liberal values", adding that a strong economic partnership between the UK and EU would be a bulwark against Russian agitation in Europe.
There are some countries in Europe that believe the West should engage more closely with Russia.
They argue the European Union and the United States should better understand Russia's point of view, its belief that it is threatened from all sides.
And that more should be done to accommodate this sense of vulnerability, by softening Nato's approach and reducing sanctions.
Well, not Theresa May. In a speech in the US in February, the prime minister spoke of the need to "engage but beware" of Russia. She has now switched the order and the focus is very much on beware.
She believes that President Putin should be called out for the threat she believes he poses both internationally and in the UK.
The Electoral Commission is investigating claims that Russia used social media to meddle in the Brexit referendum.
So Mrs May is willing to engage with Russia - she is sending the foreign secretary to Moscow next month.
But she also wants Russia to know that Mr Johnson will come with a clear message that its destabilising activities will no longer be tolerated.
Mr Johnson, who will be making his first trip to Russia since becoming foreign secretary in December, has said the UK's policy towards Moscow must be one of "beware but engage" following a decade of strained relations.
He told MPs earlier this month that he had not seen any evidence of Russia trying to interfere in British elections or the 2016 Brexit vote, in which Moscow has insisted it remained neutral.
"We will take the necessary action to counter Russian activity," Mrs May added.
"But this is not where we want to be and not the relationship with Russia we want.
"We do not want to return to the Cold War or to be in a state of perpetual confrontation.
"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia has the reach and the responsibility to play a vital role in promoting international stability.
"Russia can, and I hope one day will, choose this different path. But for as long as Russia does not, we will act together to protect our interests and the international order on which they depend."
Responding to Mrs May's speech, former Labour cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw - who has been raising the issue of Russian interference in UK elections for nearly a year - tweeted: "Asking why May suddenly acknowledging Russian interference now having stonewalled for months."
"The international system of rules must be saved not from Russia but from the advocates of intervention, coups and regime change. Russia will not accept those 'rules'," he tweeted.
"The world order that suits May, with the seizure of Iraq, war in Libya, the rise of IS and terrorism in Europe, has had its day. You can't save it by attacking Russia."
In Mrs May's speech, she also said the authorities in Myanmar - formerly known as Burma - must take "full responsibility" for what "looked like ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya people in Rakhine province.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41973043
|
Sweetie: 'Girl' chatbot targets thousands of paedophiles - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
| null |
Automated chatbot "Sweetie" can handle thousands of conversations and send warnings to perpetrators.
| null |
Paedophiles are being targeted online by an automated chatbot that makes them think they're talking to a 12-year-old girl.
The "Sweetie" project first made headlines in 2013. It can now handle thousands of simultaneous conversations and send perpetrators warning messages.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42461065
|
Australian WW1-era submarine found after 13th search mission - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
| null |
The discovery of the first Allied submarine lost in World War One solves Australia's oldest naval mystery.
| null |
It's taken 103 years of searching but the wreck of Australia's first naval submarine has been found.
The HMAS AE-1 was the first Allied submarine lost in World War One.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42451713
|
Australia methamphetamine seizure 'worth a record A$1bn' - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Eight men are arrested over the largest seizure of the drug in national history.
|
Australia
|
Six men were arrested at a dock near Geraldton, in Western Australia
Australian police have arrested eight men over the nation's largest ever seizure of the drug methamphetamine.
The haul, estimated to have a street value of A$1bn (£600m; $800m), was uncovered when police raided a dock in Western Australia, authorities said.
Police have charged the men, each of whom faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, has been described as the most damaging illicit drug in Australia.
The 1.2-tonne (2,650lb) bust was larger than the previous record seizure, made in Melbourne in April.
"We are very pleased that 12 million hits of methamphetamine will be off the streets over the Christmas [and] new year period," said Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
Six men were arrested at a dock near the city of Geraldton, while two were arrested in Perth. All are Australians aged between 33 and 52.
The drugs were intercepted about 400km (250 miles) north of Perth
The arrests happened after 59 bags containing the drugs were loaded from a boat, Valkoista, into a white van on Thursday, Australian Federal Police said.
In 2015, Australia's government established a national taskforce to tackle the growing use of ice.
The move followed a report by the Australian Crime Commission that found ice posed the highest risk to communities of any illegal substance.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42450959
|
Catalonia election amid crisis with Spain over independence - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Updates and expert analysis as Spain's restive region elects a new parliament amid a crisis over independence.
|
Europe
|
We are now pausing our live coverage following Thursday's election in Catalonia.
A pro-Spanish unity party has won the most seats but separatist parties will together be able to form a majority in parliament.
The results are a setback for Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy who had imposed direct rule over the region after its illegal independence declaration.
For the latest updates see our main news story.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-42445868
|
UK cyber-defence chief accuses Russia of hack attacks - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Russia is accused of having attacked Britain's media, telecommunications and energy sectors.
|
Technology
|
The National Cyber Security Centre said the UK's energy sector had been targeted
One of the UK's cyber-defence chiefs has accused Russia of having attacked Britain's media, telecommunications and energy sectors over the past year.
Ciaran Martin, chief executive of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), added that Russia was "seeking to undermine the international system".
His comments were made at an event organised by the Times newspaper.
Ahead of the speech, the paper reported that one of the attacks had targeted the UK's power supply on election day.
The Russian Embassy in London said it was concerned the assertions were misleading.
The NCSC was established about a year ago. Last month, it revealed that it had already classed a total of 590 attacks - from a variety of perpetrators - as being "significant", and that more than 30 incidents had been judged serious enough to require a cross-government response.
Mr Martin's accusations follow Prime Minister Theresa May's own claim that Russia had "mounted a sustained campaign of cyber-espionage and disruption".
The NCSC chief referenced this in his own speech.
"The prime minister made the point on Monday night - international order as we know it is in danger of being eroded," he said.
"This is clearly a cause for concern and the NCSC is actively engaging with international partners, industry and civil society to tackle this threat."
However, Russia has suggested the accusations are "non-transparent and biased".
"We would be interested in finding out the details and seeing the original findings on which the statements are based," the country's London embassy said.
"It would be most unfortunate to see [Britain] informed by wrong intelligence."
The London-based National Cyber Security Centre was launched in October 2016
To coincide with its event, the Times also published details of a new study into how Russia used Twitter to influence 2016's Brexit referendum.
The research indicates that more than 156,000 Russia-based accounts - many of them automated bots - mentioned #Brexit in original posts or retweets in the days surrounding the vote.
Many were in favour of the UK leaving the European Union, but a minority were pro-Remain. The academics involved believed the posts were seen hundreds of millions of times.
One of the researchers told the BBC that social media was providing Russia with a relatively cheap way to spread its propaganda.
"Ukraine experienced [a similar] information war in 2014 - and if it worked in Ukraine it can also work in Western democracies," said Prof Sasha Talavera from Swansea University.
"One can use it to split society and marginalise groups. Social media nowadays is a powerful tool."
He added that some form of regulation of the large social media firms might now be required.
The Guardian reports details of a separate University of Edinburgh study that also presents evidence of Russia using Twitter to sway opinion in the lead-up to the Brexit vote.
The Kremlin has previously denied trying to meddle in the referendum.
But the chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Damian Collins, said he now wanted Twitter to share examples of tweets linked to a Russian "troll factory", known as the Internet Research Agency, about British politics.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41997262
|
Aldi stabbing: Woman dies in Skipton supermarket attack - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Terrified shoppers screamed as the woman was stabbed in the store in Skipton during the afternoon.
|
England
|
Shoppers at the store spoke of "hearing screams"
A woman who was stabbed in an Aldi supermarket, in Skipton, North Yorkshire, has died.
The 30-year-old was attacked at the store in Keighley Road at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday.
Shoppers were left terrified, with one witness saying everyone "screamed and ran up and down". The witness also said she had "never been so scared".
A 44-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, North Yorkshire Police said.
A force spokesman said: "The suspect was initially detained by brave members of staff and public, before he was arrested by officers who were quickly on scene.
"He was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder, but it has now turned into a murder investigation despite the efforts of medics to save the victim."
He added that they were not in a position to identify the victim at this stage, but her family was being supported by specialist officers.
The store was busy with shoppers at the time, and one said: "I just saw the aftermath, I was so scared I ran off.
"All the staff were racing about," she said, adding police vans arrived on the scene within minutes.
In a statement released on Friday, Aldi said the store would be closed until further notice to allow police to carry out investigations.
A spokesperson said: "We are working with the police following an incident at our Skipton store."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42449924
|
PM's deputy Damian Green denies inappropriate behaviour claim - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Senior minister Damian Green denies claims by a Tory activist that he acted inappropriately.
|
UK Politics
|
Prime Minister Theresa May's deputy, Damian Green, has said allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female activist are "completely false".
Mr Green has instructed libel lawyers over the claims, the BBC understands.
Tory activist Kate Maltby wrote in the Times that he "fleetingly" touched her knee in a pub in 2015, and in 2016 sent her a "suggestive" text message.
The cabinet secretary is to investigate whether Mr Green broke the ministerial code.
Ms Maltby, 31, a writer and academic, said Mr Green, 61, said he had sent her the text message after she posed in a corset for the Times.
According to her article in the paper, it read: "Long time no see. But having admired you in a corset in my favourite tabloid I felt impelled to ask if you are free for a drink anytime?"
The encounters left her feeling "awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised", she wrote.
Mr Green, now first secretary of state, and Theresa May's effective deputy, said he had known Ms Maltby since 2014 and the pair "had a drink as friends twice-yearly".
"The text I sent after she appeared in a newspaper article was sent in that spirit - as two friends agreeing to meet for a regular catch up - and nothing more," he said.
"This untrue allegation has come as a complete shock and is deeply hurtful, especially from someone I considered a personal friend."
He also denied the claim he put his hand on Ms Maltby's knee.
Asked about the claims in the Times as he left his home on Wednesday morning, Mr Green told reporters: "All these allegations are completely false."
The ministerial code requires ministers to "behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety".
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, Small Business Minister Margot James said there was no need for Mr Green to resign during the cabinet secretary's investigation.
"I've read the article in the Times today, and I certainly don't think that it warrants anyone's resignation, temporary or otherwise, in my opinion," she said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. William Hague tells Today he hopes Westminster is entering an era of greater accountability
It comes as allegations and rumours relating to sexual harassment and abuse by MPs swirl around Westminster.
On Tuesday, Labour confirmed it had launched an independent inquiry into claims that activist Bex Bailey, 25, was discouraged by a party official from reporting an alleged rape at a Labour event in 2011.
She told the BBC she had waived her anonymity to urge changes to the way such cases are handled.
In a separate case, an anonymous woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an MP on a foreign work trip last year told the Guardian her allegations were not taken seriously.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon confirmed he was once rebuked by a journalist for putting his hand on her knee during dinner.
Meanwhile, the BBC has seen a list, thought to have been compiled by staff and researchers at Westminster, detailing a range of mostly unproven allegations about 40 Conservative MPs and ministers.
Among the claims are a number of serious allegations of inappropriate behaviour with junior members of staff, the use of prostitutes and affairs between MPs.
The government has promised urgent action to improve the handling of complaints about the way MPs' staff are treated.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41827264
|
Italian 'ambulances of death' worker arrested - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Sicilian suspect injected air into patients' veins to earn cash from a funeral parlour, police say.
|
Europe
|
Police on the Italian island of Sicily have arrested an ambulance worker suspected of killing people to earn money from a funeral parlour linked to the mafia.
The man is alleged to have injected air into the veins of at least three terminally ill patients as they were transported back to their homes.
He is said to have been paid €300 (£265) for each corpse.
Italian media have dubbed it the "ambulances of death" scandal.
Police arrested the man after a contact, said to be a reformed mafia member, gave details to authorities in the city of Catania and to an investigative TV programme. The ambulance worker is charged with voluntary homicide.
It is alleged that the suspect injected air into the veins of patients - causing them to die of an embolism - as they were being transported back to the small inland town of Biancavilla.
The 42-year-old man is said to have then taken advantage of grieving families by recommending a funeral agency linked to the Sicilian mafia, from which he gained a commission.
Reports suggest the scheme could have been operating since 2012 and there could have been many other victims.
Investigators say they have looked into dozens of deaths in Biancavilla but only 12 have so far been deemed "meaningful" and only three have been presented to an investigating magistrate.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42451096
|
Aldi stabbing: Jodie Willsher murder suspect charged - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Mum-of-one Jodie Willsher, 30, was stabbed while working at the Skipton store on Thursday.
|
York & North Yorkshire
|
Jodie Willsher was working at the the Keighley Road Aldi store in Skipton, North Yorkshire, when she was stabbed
A 44-year-old man has been charged with murdering a woman who was stabbed to death in an Aldi supermarket.
Mum-of-one Jodie Willsher, 30, was attacked as she worked in the Keighley Road store in Skipton, North Yorkshire, at 15:30 GMT on Thursday.
She sustained multiple serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, North Yorkshire Police said.
Neville Hord, from Skipton, has been remanded in custody and is to appear at York Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
Malcolm Willsher described his wife as "lovely and warm and always had a smile on her face".
He added: "She was amazing, beautiful and a lovely person. She was a doting mother and a loving wife."
Tributes have been paid to 30-year-old Jodie Willsher
Aldi said the store would be closed until further notice to allow police to carry out investigations.
Colin Breslin, regional managing director at Aldi, said: "Jodie was a much loved and popular colleague.
"We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this incident. Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time."
Matthew Barnes, chief executive officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, said the company was "doing everything we can to support our people and all those affected during this difficult time".
Flowers were left in the supermarket car park, with friends describing her as "a truly lovely woman and very popular".
Flowers have been left outside the Aldi store in Keighley Road
Police have appealed for a "brave witness who restrained the suspect" to come forward.
The man, believed to be in his sixties, was wearing a flat cap and a two-tone light and dark walking jacket.
Officers believe he was shopping with a woman who has short light-brown hair and was wearing a light-coloured, possibly grey, jacket.
The force said: "He was the first person to try and intervene and was involved in a sustained struggle.
"They appear to have left the store before the emergency services arrived."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-42462131
|
Ed Sheeran (and Beyonce) have Christmas number one - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The British singer tops the festive chart with Perfect after holding off a challenge - from himself.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sheeran said he felt "very proud and happy" in a video message
Ed Sheeran has beaten off competition from Eminem - and himself - to land his first UK Christmas number one single.
Perfect - which he released in three separate versions in a bid to clinch the Christmas crown - had faced a challenge from Eminem's River, on which Sheeran provides guest vocals.
But the rapper ended in second place, while Wham's Last Christmas came third.
In a video message, the British singer said securing the Christmas top spot was "an actual dream come true".
The video for Perfect riffs on Wham's classic Last Christmas clip
"I'm very proud and happy," he said. "Thank you so much and have a very merry Christmas, happy holidays and a happy new year."
Sheeran's domination of the Christmas chart was all but assured after he released a new version of his doe-eyed ballad with Beyonce.
That version drove most of his sales - though chart rules mean Beyonce is denied a credit on the Christmas number one, with Sheeran's original counted as the lead track.
Eminem's River took an early lead on streaming services but faltered as the week went on.
Fans had hoped to send Last Christmas to number one to mark the first anniversary of George Michael's death.
Despite support from ITV's This Morning and Michael's ex-bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, however, the song failed to beat its original chart position of number two.
Back in 1984, it was denied the top spot by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? charity single.
As has become tradition, yuletide standards by Mariah Carey and The Pogues have returned to the Top 40 off the back of huge streaming figures.
There are 16 Christmas songs in the Top 40, among them such classics as Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee and Wonderful Christmastime by Sir Paul McCartney.
The presence of lesser-known tracks, like Ariana Grande's Santa Tell Me and Elton John's Step Into Christmas, can be explained by their prominent placing in Spotify's Christmas is Coming playlist.
"By and large, the most popular ones are the ones featured on the front page of Spotify," chart analyst James Masterton told the BBC.
"It exposes the amount of influence the application has over the singles market."
This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by MariahCareyVEVO This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’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. YouTube content may contain adverts.
Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You was the UK's favourite festive song on Spotify this year.
And it's not just an advent phenomenon. Data released by the BPI this week showed Carey's classic had been played 16,000 times in the first week of July.
According to Spotify, the most popular day for streaming seasonal songs was 13 December, when 13% of all music played in the UK was Christmas-themed.
In the album chart, Eminem's album Revival did manage to dislodge Sheeran's Divide.
It is the star's eighth UK number one album in a row, with his six previous studio albums and the 2005 greatest hits collection Curtain Call all making the top spot.
Led Zeppelin and Abba are the only other artists to accumulated eight consecutive number one albums in the UK.
Revival's first week sales are the second highest of 2017, behind Divide.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42401275
|
Banbury mother dies after raising £40,000 for sons - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Sam Kyme wanted a new life for her boys with her sister's family in Australia after her death.
|
Oxford
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sam Kyme made a plea through her friends to keep her sons out of care
A woman with motor neurone disease who raised more than £40,000 to enable her sons to live with her sister in Australia has died.
Sam Kyme, 34, from Banbury, could no longer talk, but made the plea through her friends on a crowdfunding website.
The cash will be used to fund the funeral, plane tickets, and legal and school fees.
Sister Pippa Hughes said she passed away on Thursday "knowing everything is sorted for her kids".
Ms Hughes lives in Australia and it was her sister's "last wish" that her sons Joey and Harry could live with her there.
"It's amazing how life can change in a year," Ms Hughes said.
"This time last year it was Christmas and we were all together and this year it's completely changed.
"There was no warning, you just never know what's going to happen.
"We've got a few days now to scream and shout and cry, but Christmas, we're going to make it for Sam."
Sam dreamed her boys would have a new life in Australia after her death
Friend Susanna Howard said Ms Kyme died "peacefully with her family around her".
"The family are deeply saddened but also relieved that she is no longer suffering," she said.
"We know that Sam would like everyone to celebrate her life by raising a glass to her and her family at this festive time."
Sam Kyme (left) was diagnosed four months after this picture was taken with her sister Pippa Hughes
Ms Kyme was diagnosed in April and told she had months to live. Within two months she could no longer speak.
Ms Howard said she had been "battling to be here for Christmas" so she could "spend it with her boys and family".
"My greatest fear is not that I am dying - it is the welfare of my boys," Ms Kyme's message had said on her crowdfunding page.
"I fear that Joey and Harry will go into care," it continued.
Ms Hughes said the funds meant the family could "all move to Oz, start a new life together, while never forgetting Sam".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-42453715
|
I'm more than 'Madame Brexit' - Theresa May - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The PM insists she is "in it for the long-term" and shrugs off claims she has had a bad year.
|
UK Politics
|
Theresa May has insisted she is more than "Madame Brexit," having been given the title by Poland's prime minister.
She said there were "other things" she wanted to achieve apart from delivering a successful exit from the EU - such as improvements to education and training.
And she insisted she was "in it for the long-term", shrugging off suggestions she had had a bad year.
The prime minister was speaking to reporters during a visit to UK troops stationed in Cyprus.
Mrs May gained her new nickname on Thursday, after holding talks in Warsaw with Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Mr Morawiecki told their joint press conference: "As Madame Brexit has said, Brexit is Brexit."
Mrs May said she had been amused by the comment.
"You might have noticed I smiled when I heard the translation of Mrs Brexit or Madame Brexit," she told reporters.
"Look, I am going to deliver on Brexit. That is undoubtedly the case, but I am doing other things as well. If you look at the changes we are making on skills, education and training for example.
"The industrial strategy which actually was talked about with the Poles as well… and global Britain."
She said she had completed a number of foreign trips in the run up to Christmas "promoting the UK both in trading terms, but also our role in defence and security".
Asked if she would characterise 2017 - a year which saw her lose her Commons majority in a snap election she had called - as one of the most difficult years of her career, Mrs May highlighted her recent breakthrough in Brexit talks.
"If you look at what's happened over the past couple of months we have made sufficient progress on the Brexit negotiations, we have had a good Budget that is building a Britain that is fit for the future.
"What we've put into the Budget in terms of funding for the health service but also housing is really important for the future of this country.
"We have had the industrial strategy, which I see as an absolutely crucial plan and part of actually ensuring that our economy does meet the needs of the future and is providing the jobs of the future for the people in the UK."
She said she was "optimistic" about making progress on defence and security, as well as trade, "as we go into phase two of Brexit negotiations".
"What we want to achieve is in the interests of the EU27 as well as ours," she added.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42458062
|
Ladbrokes Coral bought by online rival GVC - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The UK's biggest High Street bookmaker is bought by GVC, owner of Sportingbet and Foxy Bingo.
|
Business
|
Gambling giant Ladbrokes Coral has agreed to be bought by online rival GVC in a deal worth up to £4bn.
Under the deal, shareholders in GVC - which owns the Bwin, Sportingbet and Foxy Bingo brands - will hold 53.5% of the combined group.
Ladbrokes Coral became the UK's biggest High Street bookmaker following last year's merger of Ladbrokes and Coral.
The company has about 3,500 High Street outlets and employs more than 25,000 staff.
GVC - which has 2,800 employees - has grown rapidly in recent years through a number of takeovers, most notably that of Bwin.party in February last year.
The final worth of the deal is dependent on the government's review of gaming machines known as fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said it will cap the size of stakes gamblers can make on FOBTs, amid concerns they may harm vulnerable people.
Ministers have proposed that bets on the machines should be cut from a maximum of £100 a spin to somewhere between £2 and £50.
GVC and Ladbrokes Coral have said that the review could hit the profitability of Ladbrokes Coral's UK business.
Under the terms of the deal, for each share that Ladbrokes Coral shareholders own, they will get 32.7p in cash and 0.141 ordinary GVC shares, plus a "contingent value right" worth up to 42.8p.
The size of this contingent entitlement will be decided by the outcome of the DCMS review.
GVC chief executive Kenneth Alexander described the takeover deal as "a truly exciting prospect".
Ladbrokes Coral chairman John Kelly said the tie-up with GVC would "improve the customer experience, drive faster online growth and build a more diverse and extensive international portfolio of businesses".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42452945
|
Jailed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'eligible for early release' - BBC News
|
2017-12-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says he is hopeful his wife will be released soon.
|
UK
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Richard Ratcliffe tells the BBC: "Formally, on the system, she's eligible to be released at any point."
British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Iran for 18 months, has been told she is eligible for early release, her husband has said.
Richard Ratcliffe told BBC Radio 5 Live that an Iranian judiciary database had listed her as "eligible for release".
He said her lawyer was "hopeful" when he visited her in prison on Wednesday.
Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in Iran since April 2016 after being accused of spying - charges she denies.
Her family have always maintained she was on holiday with her daughter.
Mr Ratcliffe said his wife's case had previously been marked as "closed", so the status change was "great news".
"Part of me is trying not to get too hopeful and just to keep calm just in case there is more to come," he said.
"But he (her lawyer) was clearly hopeful. He told her that it's a matter of finalising paperwork and it might be days to weeks rather than tomorrow morning.
"But definitely it feels like the end is much closer in sight."
Mr Ratcliffe said he felt there was a "change of the tide" since Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson travelled to Iran, as since then a second case against his 37-year-old wife was postponed and then cancelled.
"And now suddenly the database is shifting and saying eligible for early release," he said.
"She's still in prison but everything is feeling very positive."
Mr Johnson was in Iran for talks earlier this month and pressed for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release on humanitarian grounds.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in Iran since April 2016
He had been accused of risking an additional five years being added to her sentence when he told a parliamentary committee that she had been in Iran to train journalists.
In November, he apologised in the Commons, retracting "any suggestion she was there in a professional capacity".
Hampstead and Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq said the news had given the family a "glimmer of light".
"It has given Nazanin a real boost of positive energy, and now we wait impatiently to see what happens next," she told the BBC.
"Although we do not want to celebrate prematurely, it would be the perfect Christmas gift to see Nazanin released and back with her family where she belongs."
Mr Ratcliffe said part of him was still hoping his wife would be home in time for Christmas.
"Definitely hopeful, we will be singing our carols with great gusto," he said.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42439701
|
N Korea given 'unambiguous message' - Haley - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
| null |
US ambassador Nikki Haley says a UN Security Council resolution sends a clear warning to North Korea.
| null |
US ambassador Nikki Haley said a unanimous UN Security Council resolution sent a clear warning to North Korea that further missile tests would invite more punishment.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42462074
|
Tropical Storm Tembin: Rescuers search for victims - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
| null |
This video has been removed for right reasons.
| null |
This video has been removed for right reasons.
Tropical Storm Tembin brought flash flooding and mudslides to many parts of Mindanao island, in the southern Philippines, before heading west.
Rescuers are searching for survivors and thousands of people have been evacuated.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42465224
|
Philippines Tropical Storm Tembin kills more than 180 on Mindanao - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Tropical Storm Tembin brings flash floods and mudslides to the southern island of Mindanao.
|
Asia
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The aftermath of Storm Tembin on Mindanao island
More than 180 people are reported to have been killed as a tropical storm swept through the southern Philippines, with dozens more missing.
Storm Tembin brought flash flooding and mudslides to parts of Mindanao island.
Two towns badly hit were Tubod and Piagapo, where a number of homes were buried by boulders.
Tembin, with winds of up to 80km/h (50 mph), has passed across Mindanao and reached the resort islands of Palawan, and will now move further west.
The Philippines suffers regularly from deadly tropical storms, although Mindanao is not often hit.
Tembin, known as Vinta in the Philippines, started lashing Mindanao on Friday, with a state of emergency declared in some areas including the Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur regions.
Regional officials quoted by the Rappler website said there were 127 fatalities in Lanao del Norte, up to 50 in the Zamboanga peninsula and at least 18 in Lanao del Sur.
Tubod police officer Gerry Parami told the AFP news agency that there had been at least 19 deaths in the town, which is in Lanao del Norte. The remote village of Dalama was wiped out by flash floods.
"The river rose and most of the homes were swept away. The village is no longer there," he said.
He said volunteers were digging through mud to try to recover bodies in the village.
Another official told AFP that at least 10 people had died in the town of Piagapo, 10km east of Tubod.
"We've sent rescuers but they're making little progress," Saripada Pacasum said.
More deaths were reported in the towns of Sibuco and Salug.
Power cuts and the loss of communication lines have hampered rescue efforts.
Andrew Morris, from the UN children's agency Unicef in Mindanao, said in some areas there were big risks for disease, particularly for children, and restoring clean water supplies would be a priority.
"Lanao del Sur province is the poorest in the Philippines, and in the past seven months there have been around 350,000 people displaced in that province because of fighting," he told the BBC, referring to battles between government forces and Islamist militants in Marawi.
"So the priority yesterday and this morning has really been to check their situation."
Storm Tembin made a second landfall on Balabac island in the Palawan archipelago and is forecast to travel west, south of the Spratly Islands, reaching southern Vietnam in about three days.
The region is still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 5,000 people and affected millions in 2013.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42464644
|
Boris Johnson says UK wants better relations with Russia - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Boris Johnson and Sergei Lavrov clash over cyber-attacks but also trade jokes after talks in Moscow.
|
UK Politics
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Boris Johnson says the UK's relations with Russia are "not on a good footing" but he wants them to improve, after talks in Moscow.
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused the UK of making "insulting" statements ahead of the meeting.
But he said he trusted Mr Johnson and they had agreed on the need to work together on the UN Security Council.
Mr Johnson is the first UK foreign secretary to visit Russia in five years.
Mr Lavrov said it was no secret that Britain's relations with Russia were at a "low point".
And he accused Britain of making a series of "aggressive and insulting" public statements ahead of their meeting, saying Russia had done nothing to justify being seen as an aggressor in relation to its actions in Ukraine and Syria.
"I cannot recall any of Russia's actions that would be aggressive in relation to the United Kingdom. We did not blame London for anything," said Mr Lavrov.
"On the contrary, we have heard accusations, even insultingly formulated - that we support the criminal regime in Syria, that we are aggressors, that we are occupiers, we annex other territories.
"And all this despite the fact that on all the regional issues in question, and on many others, all information about what our position is, what it is based on, is regularly provided."
The pair also clashed over Russia's alleged attempts to interfere in elections in the West, following UK Prime Minister Theresa May's warnings about the risks of Russia's "sustained campaign of cyber-espionage and disruption".
Despite the differences between London and Moscow, both sides have an interest in improving what is a poor relationship.
There are several issues where both Britain and Russia sometimes disagree but want more dialogue.
On Syria, the UK wants to help shape any future political settlement while Russia needs western money to help rebuild the country.
On North Korea, both Russia and the UK want to find ways of de-escalating the crisis prompted by Pyongyang's ballistic missile programme.
And on Iran, both sides want to do what they can to protect the deal they helped negotiate to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
So Friday's meeting may have allowed both sides to rehearse their differences - and the veteran Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, gave as good as he got from the comparative novice foreign secretary, Boris Johnson.
But it also allowed them to crack a few jokes and build a relationship that they could need in the years to come.
This was not a reset or a return to business as usual but the opening of a channel of communication that in recent years has been as frozen as the Moscow winter.
Ahead of the meeting in Moscow, the UK government said Mr Johnson would warn Russia to stop cyber-attacks which threaten Britain's national security or face retaliation of a similar kind from the UK.
But Mr Lavrov accused Mr Johnson of being a "hostage" of untrue Western narratives on the issue, insisting Russia had not meddled in elections in other countries.
Mr Johnson said there was "abundant evidence" of Russian interference in polls in the US, Germany, Denmark and France.
Boris Johnson stands in front of Saint Basil's cathedral in Red square in Moscow
And takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Mr Lavrov hit back by telling Mr Johnson he himself had said Russia had not interfered in Britain's general election and Brexit referendum.
Mr Johnson interrupted his Russian counterpart to add: "Not successfully."
Mr Lavrov said the evidence produced so far of Russian attempts at interference amounted to no more than the spending of "a few kopecks" on social media adverts.
"I think you have made all this up in your Western community and unfortunately right now you are hostage to this subject, it is very difficult for you to climb down from the fence you have climbed."
He also criticised Britain for cutting off ties with Russia's FSB security agency over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London, saying the UK authorities had refused to hand over information in the case.
He said government criticism of British politicians who speak to Russian media outlets, such as the RT television channel, damaged the reputation of the UK as "the cradle of democracy".
Mr Johnson acknowledged the "difficulties" in relations with Russia, adding: "It is a regrettable state of affairs but it should not preclude co-operation."
The UK foreign secretary said they had identified common ground on issues such as North Korea, Syria and trade - and said the UK and Russian security services should co-ordinate ahead of next year's World Cup.
As the mood at the press conference relaxed, Mr Lavrov said: "I trust Boris and I trust him to an extent that I am ready to call him BorIs [Russian-style pronunciation] rather than BOris."
Mr Johnson said he adopted the approach Ronald Reagan had taken with Mikhail Gorbachev: "Trust, but verify."
And he joked that his trust was so great that he had handed his coat with "everything in my pockets, secret or otherwise" to Mr Lavrov when he arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.
Mr Lavrov joked back: "I can say that there was nothing in the pockets of Boris's coat", to which Mr Johnson responded in surprise: "So you have searched it already?"
Mr Johnson's trip follows Prime Minister Theresa May's accusation last month that Russia was trying to "undermine free societies".
Her criticisms were repeated by Ciaran Martin, chief executive of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre, who said that Russia was "seeking to undermine the international system".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42450479
|
Big Ben's iconic bongs return - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
| null |
The moment the Great Bell of the Elizabeth Tower's hourly chimes resumed for the festive period.
| null |
This was the moment Big Ben's iconic bongs returned, to ring across the festive period.
The Great Bell of the Elizabeth Tower fell silent in August whilst repair work was carried out.
The chimes were most recently reactivated for Armistice Day in November and will continue to be rung for special occasions during its four-year restoration period.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42465385
|
Bruce McCandless, who made first untethered space flight, dies at 80 - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
In February 1984, Bruce McCandless pushed off from the Space Shuttle and drifted alone into space.
|
US & Canada
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Bruce McCandless, who was captured in a stunning photograph in 1984 as he made the first untethered flight in space, has died aged 80, Nasa said.
With a jetpack, McCandless travelled 100m (328ft) from the Space Shuttle.
"That may have been one small step for Neil, but it's a heck of a big leap for me," he joked, riffing on Neil Armstrong's famous moon-landing line.
Armstrong's words were in fact relayed to McCandless, who was in mission control for the moon landing in 1969.
His voice was recorded in those era-defining moments, communicating with Armstrong and his fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins as they planted the US flag on the moon.
"Oh, it's beautiful, Mike. It really is," McCandless said over the radio.
He died at home in California on Thursday, Nasa said. No cause of death was given.
"The iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the human potential," said Senator John McCain, who was a classmate of McCandless at the US Naval Academy.
McCandless was the youngest of 19 astronauts selected by Nasa in 1966 to join the space programme. He was 28, with a navy career that had seen him in action during the Cuban missile crisis.
It would be 1984 before he first flew to space, at the age of 46, but his untethered flight captured the imagination of a public that was becoming accustomed to space flight.
McCandless orbited at 18,000mph (29,000km/h), using a hefty jet pack to propel himself away from and then back towards the Space Shuttle.
Bruce McCandless pictured with his jetpack in 1982
At a post-flight news conference back on Earth, he said he had experienced no fear of flying loose from the craft.
"Once you're accustomed to seeing the Earth rushing by at four miles per second and you concentrate on the Orbiter and/or the spar as your references at hand, you feel quite comfortable flying around at the relatively slow velocities with respect to them," he said.
"It's sort of like two rather fast airplanes flying formation over one another."
McCandless had over the years been involved with the design and development of the jet pack that allowed him to fly alone, and over the radio from space he told mission control "we sure have a nice flying machine here".
Alongside McCandless, Robert Stewart, an army colonel, also tested the jetpack, officially known as the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).
Down on earth, the New York Times described their flight in a front page article as "a spectacle of bravery and beauty".
"Free from any lifeline and propelled into the dark void by tiny jets, they became, in effect, the first human satellites," the paper wrote.
McCandless went back up to space for a second mission in 1990, helping to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope. In total he spent 312 hours in space, four of them flying the MMU.
In a 2015 article for the Guardian, he reflected on the photo which made him famous, noting that he had his visor down because he was looking at the sun.
"It's also one of its attractions: my anonymity means people can imagine themselves doing the same thing," he wrote. "Like Neil said in 1969, I was representing mankind up there."
McCandless is survived by his wife, Ellen Shields McCandless, two children and two grandchildren.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42465059
|
Aldi stabbing: Jodie Willsher murder-accused Neville Hord in court - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Neville Hord, 44, has been charged with stabbing supermarket worker Jodie Willsher, 30, to death.
|
York & North Yorkshire
|
Jodie Willsher's husband Malcolm said she was "lovely and warm and always had a smile on her face"
The man accused of stabbing an Aldi supermarket worker to death has appeared in court charged with murder.
Neville Hord, 44, from Bradford, is accused of attacking Jodie Willsher, 30, as she worked at the store in Skipton, North Yorkshire.
Mother-of-one Mrs Willsher suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene on Thursday.
Mr Hord, of Great Horton Road, was remanded by York magistrates to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 28 December.
Neville Hord will appear at Leeds Crown Court on 28 December
There were no family members present in court for the short hearing.
Mr Hord was remanded in custody until his next court appearance
Malcolm Willsher described his wife as "lovely and warm and always had a smile on her face".
He added: "She was amazing, beautiful and a lovely person. She was a doting mother and a loving wife."
Aldi has said the store would be closed until further notice to allow police to carry out investigations.
Colin Breslin, regional manager at Aldi described Mrs Willsher as "a much loved and popular colleague" and said they were "all deeply shocked and saddened by this incident".
Friends described Jodie Willsher as "a truly lovely woman"
Matthew Barnes, chief executive officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, said the company was "doing everything we can to support our people and all those affected during this difficult time".
Floral tributes have been left in the supermarket car park, with friends describing her as "a truly lovely woman and very popular".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-42462968
|
London Zoo fire kills aardvark 'and meerkats' - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Staff from the zoo were treated for injuries and one person taken to hospital in the blaze.
|
London
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Staff have been injured and an aardvark and possibly four meerkats killed in a fire at London Zoo.
About 70 firefighters tackled the blaze at its height in the Animal Adventure section that spread to a shop.
One person was taken to hospital and eight were treated at the scene.
The zoo said an aardvark called Misha died in the fire and four meerkats were still unaccounted for, presumed dead. The zoo was shut on Saturday but said it would reopen on Sunday.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Photographs posted on social media showed orange flames rising from the building
Ten fire engines went to the zoo, which sits in the capital's Regent's Park, shortly after 06:00 GMT and the fire was brought under control about three hours later.
Six people were given help at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation and two for minor injuries, London Ambulance Service said.
One person was taken to a north-west London hospital, the service said.
Duty staff who live on site were on the scene "immediately" and started moving animals to safety, the zoo said.
In a statement the zoo said it was "devastated" about what had happened.
It said: "Sadly our vets have confirmed the death of our nine-year-old aardvark, Misha. There are also four meerkats still unaccounted for, but we are now presuming these have also died.
"All other animals in the vicinity are being monitored closely by our vets, but early signs suggest they have not been affected. We will continue to monitor them over the coming days.
"We are all naturally devastated by this, but are immensely grateful to the fire brigade, who reacted quickly to the situation to bring the fire under control. "
You might also be interested in:
Adnan Abdul Husein said he saw the blaze from a nearby park when he was out walking his dog, and alerted zoo security.
"It didn't look like smoke just coming out of a chimney - it was quite heavy", he said.
"As I got closer to the zoo I could see that it was actually inside the zoo so I went over to the security and told them, 'there's flames or there's smoke coming from inside there, do you know anything about it?'. And they obviously didn't have a clue."
London Fire Brigade (LFB) station manager Clive Robinson, who was at the scene, said three-quarters of the cafe and shop had been affected by the fire and half of the roof.
He said: "Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring animal enclosures."
The cause of the fire is not yet known, London Fire Brigade said
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-42465094
|
Syria war: Assad 'may evacuate cancer children' from Eastern Ghouta - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Seven children could be brought from a besieged suburb if Syria's president agrees, a charity says.
|
Middle East
|
Rama, 4, has lymphoma and last received medication eight months ago
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is considering a request to evacuate seven children with cancer from a besieged area, a British charity says.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an adviser to the charity, told the BBC that Mr Assad's private office had said he would decide next week.
The children are among more than 130 needing urgent medical treatment in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta.
The Damascus suburb has been under government siege for four years.
Earlier this month the Red Cross said life in Eastern Ghouta was becoming "impossible" and the situation there had reached a "critical point".
The UN has been trying for weeks to arrange medical evacuations. Dozens of civilians are reported to have died in recent government bombardments and food shortages have led to severe malnutrition.
"We understand Assad is thinking about it. And we're calling him back on Tuesday morning to speak to him direct," said Mr de Bretton-Gordon, who advises the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), which operates in Eastern Ghouta.
"And if he gives us the go-ahead then the plan is that we will get to Ghouta as quickly as we can, get the children."
The seven children who could be evacuated include Rama, 4, who has lymphoma, is suffering from malnutrition and has a malignant tumour in her throat.
Rama is also malnourished and has a throat tumour
The last time she received the medication she needs was eight months ago, the UOSSM said.
Mr de Bretton-Gordon said the UN had told him that she and the other children could be treated elsewhere in Syria or abroad.
However, an evacuation would not include children in Eastern Ghouta with other medical conditions, such as two-month-old baby Karim, who lost an eye and suffered severe injuries in a reported government attack.
Karim's father, four siblings and aunt have taken care of him since his mother's death
Photos of Karim have sparked a social media campaign to raise awareness about his and the other children's plight. People in Syria and abroad have posted photographs of themselves covering their left eyes.
Last month, UN humanitarian co-ordinator Jan Egeland said nine people with urgent medical needs had died in Eastern Ghouta after requests to evacuate them were denied.
"The men with guns and power on the ground are denying us access to the most vulnerable. They are attacking civilians - including massively schools and hospitals. It's been on both sides," he said.
He called on Iran and Russia to put pressure on Mr Assad to allow the evacuations.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Children in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta are among those suffering
Nearly 12% of children in Eastern Ghouta are suffering from acute malnutrition - the highest level recorded in Syria since the war began - the UN says. Joint UN and Syrian Red Crescent aid convoys have not been able to deliver enough food for all 400,000 civilians trapped there.
Meanwhile limits on electricity, fuel, safe drinking-water and basic sanitation services are increasing the risk of outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, the UN says.
The area has been designated a "de-escalation zone" by Russia and Iran, the government's main allies, along with Turkey, which supports the opposition.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42467306
|
'Remarkable' truffle discovery on Paris rooftop raises hopes of more - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A 21g truffle found in a Paris roof garden raises hopes that more could be grown in the city.
|
Europe
|
There was celebration among French foodies after a wild truffle was discovered on a Paris rooftop.
The discovery, at the base of a hornbeam tree in a hotel roof garden near the Eiffel Tower, is thought to be a first for the city.
Truffles usually grow further south, in more Mediterranean climes, and are dug up by specially-trained pigs or dogs.
Prices for the aromatic fungi have recently doubled to more than 5,000 euros ($6,000) a kilo.
The winter black truffle found in Paris is not the most prized of the truffle family but it is valued by chefs for use with scallops, sausage or potatoes.
Experts at France's Museum of Natural History said it was remarkable the truffle had grown so far from its usual habitat.
"The discovery of this wild truffle is a wonderful example of how roof gardens and green roofs have a huge potential for urban biodiversity," said the museum, which revealed the find.
Frederic Madre, a researcher from the museum's centre of ecology and conservation, told the AFP news agency he felt a "great surge of joy" at the discovery.
He said he had to resist the temptation to taste the 21g (0.75oz) fungus before handing it over for analysis.
The museum's mushroom expert, Professor Marc-Andre Selosse, said the truffle growth in a northern city was "remarkable".
"This shows that it could happen again and that it might be possible to cultivate truffles on Paris roofs," he told AFP.
The French capital is trying to increase urban gardening, aiming to transform the roofs of office buildings and other spaces into 100 acres of garden over the next two years.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42465056
|
Daphne du Maurier's Cornish home listed - BBC News
|
2017-12-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The riverside home that inspired Daphne du Maurier's first novel is given Grade II listed status.
|
Cornwall
|
Daphne du Maurier's riverside Cornish holiday home was a shipwright's workshop before it was bought by the Du Maurier family
The Cornish holiday home where Daphne du Maurier wrote her first novel has been given Grade II listed status.
The author wrote The Loving Spirit, published in 1931, at the former boatyard on the River Fowey in Bodinnick, southeast Cornwall.
After its publication, Du Maurier said the novel was inspired by "the sense of freedom" the home brought.
The house and its quay were listed by the Culture Department on the advice of Historic England.
The author is probably best known for her novel Rebecca.
Ferryside was bought in 1926 by the du Maurier family who transformed it into a second home.
Many of British novelist Daphne du Maurier novels were set in Cornwall, a region that inspired some of the greatest novels of the 20th century
Du Maurier's son, Christian Browning, said: "My mother adored the house and fell in love with Cornwall, which was to be the backdrop of her most famous novels.
"I feel sure that she would be immensely proud that Historic England have granted Ferryside a Grade II listing."
Ferryside's transformation reflected a wider trend for second homes which began in the 19th century and has had a significant impact on Cornwall
The building was constructed of local granite in the early 1800s, serving as a shipwright's workshop, yard and quay, and is an important survivor of Cornwall's maritime heritage, Historic England said.
After it was bought by the du Mauriers, the original quay was turned into a domestic garden, the sail loft became bedrooms and a bathroom, and the former boat store was changed into the family sitting room.
The Grade II listed status reflects the home's connection to du Maurier and its wider architectural and historical significance.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-42465495
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.