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Stricken Russian cargo ship 'to move to Southampton' - BBC News
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2017-12-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 13 crew members are reported to be safe and well and remain on board the vessel.
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Hampshire & Isle of Wight
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The Mekhanik Yartsev lost some of its load off Worthing before becoming stricken in the Solent
Coastguards are continuing to monitor a Russian cargo ship with a "significant list" in the Solent.
The Mekhanik Yartsev got into difficulties off Lee-on-the-Solent on Tuesday morning.
The 13 crew members are reported to be safe and well and remain on board the vessel, which is carrying wooden pallets.
Surveyors have assessed the ship and it is expected to sail to Southampton Harbour on Thursday.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said preparations were being made to "facilitate the arrival" of the ship.
It had been expected to sail on Tuesday night but the move was hampered by poor weather.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The 13 crew members are reported to be safe and well (Video: @SolentShipping)
Although the vessel, which is currently off Hill Head, has developed a 20-degree list, it has power and is stable, the MCA said.
It added it was issuing navigational safety broadcasts every half hour to warn shipping in the area.
Les Chapman, the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention, said the ship lost some pallets overboard before "limping" into sheltered water in the Solent.
"There does not appear to be any danger at all at the moment - there's no pollution, she's in a safe, stable position at a safe anchorage with a tug in attendance and a lifeboat in attendance," he said.
He added the weather was expected to improve and the ship would then be taken to Southampton where its cargo would be unloaded in a bid to "right" the ship.
The MCA said further pieces of cargo were lost from the vessel during the early hours of Wednesday and it has warned some may wash ashore.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-42492087
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Boxing Day dippers brave chilly coastal waters for charity - BBC News
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2017-12-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Thousands of swimmers, many in fancy dress, brave the chilly waters around the English coast.
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England
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Hundreds of people raced into the North Sea off the Norfolk coast
Boxing Day dips have attracted thousands of swimmers and spectators around the English coast.
Dippers have dashed into the chilly waters off beaches in Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside and Dorset, among others.
Many were fundraising for charity dressed as Father Christmas, nuns, elves, Christmas puddings and turkeys.
Sea temperatures were estimated to be about 8.9C (48F) in the north and 11.1C (52F) in the south.
Some people braved the sea dressed as Redcar’s famous Lemon Tops
Costumes ranged from simple swimming costumes, wetsuits and sports gear to something more... complicated
Conditions were "the roughest they have been for a number of years" at Tynemouth Longsands, with swim time limited to 10 minutes, according to participants.
Run by the North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards, the dip first took place in 1999.
Swim veteran Geoff Wade said it was a "great way to clear your head after the excesses of Christmas".
"It felt warmer to me but it was my wife's first time and she didn't think the same," he said.
The Tynemouth dip had a time limit, just in case anyone needed it
Some brave Tynemouth dippers didn't even need fancy dress costumes to keep warm
RNLI Lifeboat operations manager Dave Cocks said the Redcar dip had had "as many spectators as we've ever seen".
The weather was "bright but cold" and there had been "lots of young and old doing the dip", he said.
People might run into the water but it's slower work getting out again
Jade Thirlwall, who is a member of pop band Little Mix, returned to her home town of South Shields to raise funds for a local charity at the Little Haven beach dip.
"My great-aunty Norma, she passed away last year from pancreatic cancer so it means a lot to me to do what I can," she said.
Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall was raising money for local charity Cancer Connections
Nearly 200 people dipped at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea on the Northumberland coast, with local lifeboat volunteers and coastguard teams providing safety cover.
Just as many spectators watched their efforts from the relative warmth of the beach and promenade.
Speed seemed to be the trick at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
Of the annual dips one of the largest, organised by Sunderland Lions Clubs, has been held since 1974.
It attracts up to 900 dippers and raises tens of thousands of pounds for charity.
And there is always a man in a dress... always
Thousands of pounds is raised for charity by dippers
A 70m (230ft) swim across Weymouth Harbour on Christmas Day attracted 483 swimmers - a record number for the event.
It was started this year by Don Laker, 93, whose father inaugurated the event in 1948 with a swimming bet against a friend.
Weymouth and Portland Lions Club took over running it the 1970s.
The hardy souls of Dorset braved Weymouth Harbour on Christmas Day
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42483981
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Laura Plummer's sister: Drug crime 'was a kind gesture' - BBC News
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2017-12-27
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The sister of jailed Briton Laura Plummer tells the BBC her crime was born out of kindness.
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A British woman convicted of smuggling 300 painkiller tablets into Egypt is "on the verge of a mental breakdown", her sister has told the BBC.
Laura Plummer, who was found with Tramadol tablets in her suitcase, has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Jayne Sinclair says Laura was trying to help her Egyptian boyfriend who was in pain after an accident.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42487536
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Snow affects UK airports, roads and homes - BBC News
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2017-12-27
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Several roads and thousands of homes have been affected by snowy weather conditions in the UK.
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Stansted Airport has been forced to close twice and thousands of homes have been left without power due to the snowy weather.
Police are also warning drivers to be careful on the roads.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42496023
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'Zero real wage growth' forecast for 2018 - BBC News
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2017-12-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Britain's pay squeeze will end, but a meaningful pay rise remains out of sight, says research group.
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Business
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The UK's pay squeeze will end next year, but a meaningful rise in wages remains out of sight, an influential research group has warned.
The Resolution Foundation, which campaigns for fair pay, predicted inflation would no longer outpace wage growth by the end of 2018.
But it said real wage growth would still be flat and that many households were pessimistic about their finances.
The Treasury said it was "helping families to earn more".
The Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR), the government's economic watchdog, projects that when the full figures for 2017 are confirmed they will show that wages have fallen by 0.4% in real terms as inflation has soared to more than 3%.
The squeeze, caused by the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote, has contributed to weaker consumer spending and a slowdown in the housing market.
The Resolution Foundation, which based its outlook on OBR data, said the trend would worsen in the first few months of next year before levelling out.
This would result in "zero real wage growth" in 2018 - an improvement on 2017, but worse than any year in the three decades leading up to the financial crisis.
Torsten Bell, director of the research group, said 2017 had been "a tough year for living standards".
"The good news is that things will get better next year. The bad news is we may only go from backwards to standing still, with prospects for a meaningful pay recovery still out of sight."
Referencing Bank of England data, the research group added that 27% of working age households thought their financial positions would worsen in the coming 12 months - roughly the same as those who think it will get better.
However, it noted the lowest paid workers were set for a pay rise of 4.3% in April as the National Living Wage reached £7.83.
Overall, it said UK workers would not see a "noticeable" pay rise until December 2018.
A Treasury spokeswoman said: "We are helping families to earn more and keep more of what they earn. Our National Living Wage is delivering the fastest pay rise for the lowest earners in 20 years and we are cutting taxes for millions of people."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42484798
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Prince Harry grills Barack Obama in quickfire quiz - BBC News
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2017-12-27
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Prince Harry grills former US president Barack Obama in a quickfire quiz.
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Queen or the Queen? Boxers or briefs? Rachel or Monica from Friends? Barack Obama faces some seriously tough questions from Prince Harry.
The royal interviewed the former US president for his guest editorship of Radio 4's Today programme.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42491782
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Nigel Farage defends Donald Trump's Britain First tweets - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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The ex-UKIP leader says the "outrage from the liberal elite" is out of proportion to what happened.
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Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Nigel Farage has defended Donald Trump's retweeting of inflammatory tweets by saying he can't have known what he was doing.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42213950
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Ashes: Shaun Marsh puts Australia in control of second Test in Adelaide - BBC Sport
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2017-12-03
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England face a battle to stay in the second Ashes Test after a Shaun Marsh century puts Australia in command in Adelaide.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Second Ashes Test, Adelaide Oval (day two of five)
England face a battle to stay in the second Ashes Test after a Shaun Marsh century put Australia in command on day two in Adelaide.
Marsh ended on 126 not out, taking Australia to 442-8 declared with the help of Tim Paine (57) and Pat Cummins (44).
England spent 149 overs in the field after winning the toss and when they came to bat, facing an Australia attack armed with a pink ball under the floodlights, it seemed like a recipe for the top order to be blown away.
The tourists lost Mark Stoneman, lbw to Mitchell Starc for 18, before rain arrived to wipe almost 19 overs off the day.
England closed on 29-1, 413 behind, with Alastair Cook on 11 and James Vince yet to score.
With Australia 1-0 up after a 10-wicket win in Brisbane, it is no exaggeration to say England's hopes of retaining the Ashes are already under huge threat, especially as the next Test comes in Perth, where England have not won since 1978.
• None Ashes at stake seven days into series - Jonathan Agnew column
This Test, the first day-nighter in Ashes history, was earmarked as a must-win for England in their bid to defend the urn.
The pink ball, floodlights and often-wet weather seemed ideal to be exploited by the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
But after Joe Root became the first captain in 25 years to field first at the Adelaide Oval, England bowled poorly on day one and paid the price on day two.
Though England improved on their first-day display, they spent most of Sunday in the field thanks to a combination of lucklessness and Marsh's admirable occupation of the crease.
It always seemed likely that Australia would declare and give England a difficult evening period to try to survive.
The home crowd had already been buoyed by some late Marsh hitting and were eager for English pain when Starc began delivering the ball at 93mph.
With England initially scoring freely, both sets of fans were vocal, only for Stoneman to be pinned by a searing Starc delivery that would have demolished leg stump.
In the end, England were pleased to see the rain.
Marsh's call-up for the first Test was met with derision by some who feel he has been given too many opportunities at this level.
Since making his debut six years ago he has only won 25 caps and this is his eighth recall.
However, the left-hander made an important half-century in Brisbane and followed it up with a fifth Test century of grit, patience and potentially huge significance in the context of the series.
With Australia 209-4 overnight, Marsh, on 20, saw Peter Handscomb trapped leg before by Broad in the first over of the day, but built stands of 85 with Paine and 99 with Cummins.
Wicketkeeper Paine, himself a controversial recall, counter-attacked for a third first-class half-century in three weeks after going three years without passing 50. Two of those scores have come against England.
Cummins took 37 balls to get off the mark but took 44 runs off his next 53 with cuts and hits through the leg side.
At the other end, Marsh repeatedly left outside the off stump, scoring with clips off his toes, cover drives and the occasional cut.
When he reached three figures he ran towards the Australian players and staff assembled on the boundary with his helmet off and bat raised.
And, when the declaration was imminent, he took Broad for 14 from three deliveries to further tread England into the dirt.
Improvement comes too late for luckless England
Things could have been different for England had they started day one in the manner in which they began day two.
Broad, with a ball only an over old, immediately found seam movement to pin Handscomb in front, celebrating with a roar at the batsman.
England were still arguably bowling too short, but they were also without good fortune.
They beat the bat with regularity and Anderson had two lbw decisions overturned in as many overs. Marsh, on 29, and Paine, on 24, were both reprieved by height.
Craig Overton, impressive on debut, eventually had Paine fall into the trap of hooking to deep square leg and Broad induced a mis-timed pull from Starc.
But, as the ball moved less in the middle session, any hope that England had of running through the tail was dashed by Cummins, who followed up the 42 he made at the Gabba.
He punished the disappointing Moeen Ali, the off-spinner struggling on a day when he was also hit for a huge six over mid-wicket by Paine.
The lowest point of England's day was a calamitous drop of Marsh, slip Cook and gully Vince colliding after Chris Woakes found the shoulder of the bat.
And even after Overton had Cummins held at third man, Nathan Lyon swiped the same bowler for six in a stand of 32 with Marsh that came in only 22 balls.
'England remain confident' - what they said
England head coach Trevor Bayliss: "The players are confident, there's a good feeling in the dressing room.
"Shaun Marsh showed it's possible to score runs out there. A lot of their batters made starts and there's a long time left in the game.
"It's up to one or two guys to go out there and make a big score, not just a 40 or 50."
Australia's Shaun Marsh: "I haven't thought about all the incidental noise about my selection for the team.
"Six months ago I wasn't sure whether I'd be back here. I'd always dreamt of getting back in. I've just tried to come in and feel nice and relaxed.
"I've felt good about my game the last three or four months."
Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special: "England didn't bowl well. They bowled 1.6m shorter than Australia and that is the problem.
"When you win the toss and bowl you have got to make sure you capitalise and bowl the right length.
"The pitch is playing well. The batsman should feel they can get runs."
• None Get Ashes alerts sent to your phone
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42213958
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Hawaii tests nuclear warning siren - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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The US state of Hawaii has tested its nuclear warning siren for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
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The US state of Hawaii has tested its nuclear warning siren for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
The resumption of the monthly tests comes amid a growing threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear programme.
Pyongyang has tested a series of ballistic missiles and in September carried out its sixth nuclear test.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42207680
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South Korea boat collision leaves 13 dead - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A fishing boat overturns after colliding with a 336-tonne tanker off the South Korean coast.
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Asia
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At least 13 people have died after a fishing boat collided with a 336-tonne tanker and capsized off South Korea's west coast.
Two others were missing, South Korea's coast guard said, as a search and rescue operation continued.
The chartered fishing boat, the Seonchang-1, had been carrying 20 passengers and two crew during a fishing tour at the time of the crash.
Footage from the scene showed the upturned boat being searched by divers.
Navy helicopters and dozens of ships were taking part in the search southwest of Incheon, near Yeongheung island.
Seven people were taken to hospital for treatment. The captain of the 10-tonne fishing boat was among the missing, according to one report from AFP.
There were no reported injuries on board the 336-tonne fuel tanker.
The coast guard took seven people to hospital
South Korean news agency Yonhap said the collision happened nine minutes after the boat departed from the shoreline, possibly as the two vessels passed each other under a bridge.
"There's no specific problem related to weather conditions, sailing reports or other (pre-departure) preparations," a coast guard official told reporters. "We are investigating how the accident happened."
Cold water temperatures may also have contributed to casualties, the official said.
The accident is believed to be the worst in South Korea since 15 people died on a fishing tour near Jeju in 2015.
The year before, a passenger ferry capsized and more than 300 people died, most of them school children on an outing.
The ship, the Sewol, was raised from the sea bed earlier this year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42213513
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MP Nadine Dorries defends 'shared password' tweet - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Nadine Dorries said she shared her log-in passwords with all her staff, triggering security questions.
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UK Politics
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A Conservative MP has defended her cyber-security arrangements after revealing she shares her login passwords with all her staff.
Nadine Dorries said this included "interns on exchange programmes", triggering a backlash on Twitter.
In response, she said she was a backbench MP who did not have access to government documents.
The Mid Bedfordshire MP had been defending Conservative First Secretary of State Damian Green.
A Cabinet Office inquiry is examining claims pornography was found on a computer in Mr Green's Parliamentary office.
He denies watching or downloading pornography on his computer.
Ms Dorries was questioning a retired police officer's claim that Mr Green must have been responsible for material found on his computer.
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 Nadine Dorries This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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She defended herself in subsequent tweets, saying her team were responding to hundreds of emails every day.
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A fellow MP, Nick Boles, tweeted that he shared his password with his staff for the same reasons.
Ms Dorries later tweeted that she was "flattered" by people thinking she would have access to "government docs", adding: "Sorry to disappoint!"
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Nadine Dorries 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.
Jim Killock, of the Open Rights campaign group, said: "On the face of it, Nadine Dorries is admitting to breaching basic data protection laws, making sure her constituents' emails and correspondence is kept confidential and secure. She should not be sharing her log-in with interns.
"More worryingly, it appears this practice of MPs sharing their log-ins may be rather widespread. If so, we need to know."
He urged MPs' staff and former staff to get in touch with his campaign "if they have knowledge about insecure data practices in MPs' offices".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42216622
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Children's commissioner may consider legal action over Universal Credit - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scotland's children's commissioner says the rollout of Universal Credit may be impacting on youngsters' human rights.
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Scotland politics
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The children's commissioner told BBC Scotland he cannot rule out legal action on the issue
Scotland's children's commissioner has said he may consider legal action over the Universal Credit rollout if it further disadvantages young people.
Bruce Adamson said poverty was the biggest human rights issue facing children in Scotland.
He told the BBC reforms to the benefits systems could be resulting in some children going without basics like a warm home and hot meals.
The UK government said Universal Credit was helping people improve their lives.
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said the system was "working" and that as a result of Universal Credit people were "moving into work faster and staying in work longer than under the old system".
The controversial measure, which is being rolled out across the UK, brings six existing benefit payments into one.
It faced criticism over claims some people had to wait six weeks for their first payment, contributing to a rise in debt, rent arrears and evictions.
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced changes aimed at speeding up claim times in his autumn budget last month.
Mr Adamson said he was engaging with ministers, from the both the UK and Scottish governments, about the impact the benefit changes were having on the human rights of children and young people.
He called for "political leadership" on the issue, but said he could not rule of the possibility of legal action in the future.
In an extended interview broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland on Sunday, the children's commissioner said: "Poverty is the biggest human rights issue facing children in Scotland at the moment.
"And there's a number of issues around the way in which Universal Credit is calculated and how it is paid. But this leads to a much, much deeper issue. We are talking about the rights of children and the right to benefit from social security.
"We are talking about things like having a warm and secure place to live, having regular hot, nutritious meals and also the ability to access things like transport to get to school and to enjoy social and cultural activities that we know are so important to their development."
Asked if there was any prospect of legal redress in Scotland, Mr Adamson said: "While we don't have the Convention on the Rights of the Child within our domestic law yet, we do have the Humans Rights Act which brings in the European Convention on Human Rights and the courts look very closely if a state falls below that minimum standard required, where the state fails to provide those basics of life.
"So certainly if children in Scotland aren't getting those basic things then legal action may be the way to take this forward. But it's not the best way."
He added: "We really need political leadership here and we need to make sure that we are never in a situation where children are going without the basics that they need."
The Unite union organised a day of action on Universal Credit on Saturday, with demonstrations held around Scotland
The DWP spokesman said no-one who needed support had to wait six weeks.
He added: "In December, claimants can request an advance of up to 50% of their first payment and a further 50% in January if they need it, repayable over 12 months.
"Universal Credit lies at the heart of our commitment to help people improve their lives and raise their incomes. It provides additional, tailored support to help people move into work and stop claiming benefits altogether."
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Brexit Minister Mike Russell said he thought the Scottish government would be "very sympathetic" to potential legal action against Universal Credit if it infringed the human rights of children.
He said: "The approach of the UK government on social security and welfare is truly appalling. It is impoverishing people. It is leading to despair.
"I think anybody who is standing up against that and arguing for a practical resolution, to what are awful, ideological problems being brought by the Tories, I think deserves all the support he can get."
On Saturday, a day of action, organised by the Unite union, saw demonstrations staged at various locations around Scotland protesting against changes to the benefits system.
You can listen again to the extended interview with Children's Commissioner Bruce Adamson on the BBC iplayer.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42208424
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Triple talaq: India considers jail for 'instant divorce' - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Indian government is proposing a three-year jail sentence for men who use "triple talaq".
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India
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Divorce by a man saying "talaq" three times was declared unlawful in August
Husbands who attempt "instant divorce" could be sentenced to three years in prison under draft legislation being considered in India.
The traditional practice involves a Muslim man saying "talaq" (divorce) three times - in any form, including email or text message.
It was declared unconstitutional by India's Supreme Court in August, but officials say it has continued since.
The proposed law also provides for fines and support for affected women.
The draft Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill has now been sent to regional governments for consultation.
It would explicitly ban "triple talaq", in line with the Supreme Court ruling, and lay out procedures legal procedures for a "subsistence allowance" and custody arrangements, the Press Trust of India said.
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Those provisions have been made "to ensure that in case the husband asks the wife to leave the house she should have legal protection," it quoted a high-level official as saying.
Under the current draft, people suspected of the offence would not be eligible for bail.
It would also ban the practice in any form - including in writing, or by text message.
Indian news outlets said the legislation is due to be considered during the winter parliamentary sessions, which begins in mid-December.
Muslims are India's largest minority group, and it is one of a few countries where the practice of triple talaq - which has no basis in the Koran - has survived.
The Supreme Court ruling came after five women petitions the court, arguing the traditional practice violated their fundamental rights.
The court ruled 3-2 in their favour, and labelled it "un-Islamic".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-42207171
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Rak-Su: Boy band beat Grace Davies to win X Factor 2017 - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Grace Davies faced boy band Rak-Su in the Sunday night final of the ITV singing contest.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Rak-Su have been named the winners of the X Factor 2017.
The Watford-based group beat Grace Davies in the final of the ITV singing competition - the first boy band to win since the show started in 2004.
Rak-Su thanked viewers for voting for them, while their mentor Simon Cowell hailed them as "stars".
Proceeds from Rak-Su's winners' single Dimelo will go to children's hospice charities Together For Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase.
The track, a duet with Wyclef Jean and Naughty Boy, was first performed during Saturday's show.
X Factor judge Cowell also praised runner-up Grace Davies, describing her as "really an outstanding, outstanding artist".
Simon Cowell described runner up Davies as "outstanding"
The finalists performed several original songs during their appearances on X Factor, marking a change in the show's approach this year.
In the ratings battle, however, the first part of the X Factor final - which was shown on Saturday night - lost out to Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC dance contest's quarter final had an average audience of 9.7 million, while the first night of the X Factor final averaged 4.4 million viewers. The two shows overlapped for just over an hour on Saturday.
It was a similar story on Sunday night, when they overlapped for 40 minutes, with an average audience of 5.2 million for the second part of the X Factor final and 10.3 million for Strictly.
Both Rak-Su and Davies previously had songs played by BBC Introducing before auditioning for the X Factor.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42217568
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Barclays axes free Kaspersky product as a 'precaution' - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The bank emailed 290,000 customers on Saturday following warnings about Russian security software.
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UK
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Barclays has stopped offering free Kaspersky anti-virus products to new customers following an official warning about Russian security software.
The bank emailed 290,000 online banking customers on Saturday to say the move was a "precautionary decision".
UK cyber-security chiefs are warning government departments not to use software from Russian companies for systems relating to national security.
Barclays said it treated the security of its customers "very seriously".
A spokesman for Kaspersky said it was "disappointed" that Barclays had discontinued its offer to new customers.
The National Cyber Security Centre - the UK's authority on cyber security and part of GCHQ - is writing to all government departments telling them Russian security software could be exploited by the Kremlin.
But officials stressed they were not saying members of the public or companies should stop using Kaspersky products, which are used by about 400 million people globally.
Barclays told customers it would no longer offer free Kaspersky software "following the information that's been shared in the news" - but advised people with the software already installed that they did not need to take any action.
It wrote: "The UK government has been advised... to remove any Russian products from all highly sensitive systems classified as secret or above.
"We've made the precautionary decision to no longer offer Kaspersky software to new users.
"However, there's nothing to suggest that customers need to stop using Kaspersky."
It went on: "At this stage there is no action for you to take. It's important that you continue to protect yourself with anti-virus software."
The 290,000 people who received emails from Barclays are all online banking customers, who had downloaded Kaspersky in the past decade as part of a 12-month free trial offered by the bank.
Many of these customers, who could include individuals employed by the government, could have ended their subscription once the free trial ended.
Ian Levy, the NCSC's technical director, said there was no evidence the guidance to government departments should apply to the wider public.
"For example, we really don't want people doing things like ripping out Kaspersky software at large as it makes little sense," he said.
A spokesman for Barclays said: "Even though this new guidance isn't directed at members of the public, we have taken the decision to withdraw the offer of Kaspersky software from our customer website."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42209489
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Saudi Arabia's House of Cards - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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The kingdom has always been conservative, but now Saudi Arabia is seen breaking with the past.
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Saudi Arabia is seeing dramatic developments after decades of slow change. Modernisation, women’s rights and squaring up to Iran are all on the agenda, driven by the kingdom’s new, young crown prince. BBC Arabic's Ahmed Zaki tells us why it has suddenly happened.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42186564
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Wiltshire Police find eleven people locked in lorry - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police were called after banging noises were heard coming from the back of the lorry.
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Wiltshire
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Cafe owner David Thomas said he was told the occupants were in an area of the lorry trailer which was not refrigerated
Eleven people, including six children, were found locked in the back of a lorry in a lay-by.
Firefighters cut the locks after police were called to reports of banging from inside the vehicle, which was parked at Willoughby Hedge on the A303 at West Knoyle on Saturday afternoon.
The Home Office said immigration enforcement officers found 10 Iraqi nationals and one Afghan national.
Police said the driver was helping with inquiries but had not been arrested.
The driver of the lorry had been returning to Taunton from Belgium and had stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe.
David Thomas, who runs the cafe, said the driver could not open the back doors because they had been glued shut.
He said the occupants had been "pretty lucky" because part of the lorry was refrigerated.
"The compartment they were in contained a few pallets of rather expensive Belgian chocolate and was at a normal temperature," he said.
"I understand from the driver if they'd been in the front compartment that was quite well-chilled so they would have had a few problems there."
Police were called to the Willoughby Hedge lay-by on Saturday afternoon
A Wiltshire Police spokesman said the adults found in the lorry were being kept in custody overnight and would be handed to Home Office officials on Monday.
"We are currently working with colleagues from the Home Office Immigration Department as our inquiries progress," a spokesman said.
"Where someone has no right to remain in the UK, we will take action to remove them," a Home Office spokeswoman added.
Wiltshire Council said it was working with its partner agencies "to provide support and help to those involved".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-42214837
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Chief vet defends support of larger hen cages - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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On Twitter, Nigel Gibbens says the pens are a "necessary defence" against bird flu.
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UK
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Battery cages for chickens were banned in the EU in 2012
Some cages for hens provide a "necessary defence" against bird flu, the government's chief vet has said.
In a tweet, Nigel Gibbens said the larger pens, which replaced so-called battery cages in 2012, have welfare benefits and offer more space.
It comes after 10 leading British vets, who believe caging hens is unethical, said his "brazen endorsement" was "extremely disappointing".
They said the restricted space was "seriously detrimental to welfare".
Battery cages for chickens were banned in the EU in 2012. The ruling said that if laying hens were to be held they must be in enriched - also known as colony - cages instead.
The enriched cages provided extra space to nest, scratch and roost and the guidance from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is that each bird in an enriched cage must have at least 750 square centimetres of space.
The minimum for battery cages was 550 square centimetres.
Despite the banning of battery cages, a number of leading retailers have announced that they are moving towards selling free-range eggs only.
But at the Egg and Poultry Industry Conference in October, Mr Gibbens called this a "regrettable move" and said cages "have a lot going for them".
Criticising him in a group letter to the Times, 10 vets said overcrowding and restricted space were "seriously detrimental to welfare".
"Hens in cages cannot carry out fundamental species-specific behaviours", they added.
The group dismissed his claims about protection against bird flu saying there are other options to manage the threat and urged the chief vet to take a "more progressive position".
Mr Gibbens later defended his view on Twitter and said: "Free range risks disease that is really bad for welfare."
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A Defra spokeswoman said: "Enriched cages offer less exposure to the threat of bird flu during an outbreak than free range systems, and provide more floor space and more height than battery cages."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42208550
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Jarvis Cocker's BBC 6Music show to end - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Pulp singer has fronted a Sunday show since 2010; his slot will now be filled by performer Amy Lame.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Jarvis Cocker's BBC 6 Music show will finish at the end of December, the Pulp frontman has announced.
His weekly Sunday Service programme was launched in January 2010.
Cocker, who has periodically taken breaks from his radio show to pursue other projects, has been absent from it since July.
He will return to present five last programmes, finishing on 31 December. From 7 January, the slot will be filled by Amy Lame for a new show.
Cocker said: "It's not goodbye, it's just farewell.
"We wanted to say farewell properly and so we're going to do a run of five extra-special shows throughout December, starting this Sunday.
The head of 6 Music, Paul Rodgers, said Mr Cocker had been an integral part of the station's development and called the show "a real mould-breaker".
"Jarvis will always be an important part of the 6 Music family and we are looking forward to him returning to work on new projects with us," he added.
Lame said she would miss Cocker but her new show was a "dream come true".
"I can't wait to get cracking, connect with listeners, and keep the alternative spirit of music and culture alive and well."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42210667
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Pontiac Silverdome stadium fails to implode near Detroit - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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Detroit's Pontiac Silverdome stadium is still standing after Sunday's planned demolition didn't go to plan.
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The planned partial-demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome stadium near Detroit has failed.
The stadium, once home to the Detroit Lions NFL team, has been empty for a decade.
Its staged demolition was due to begin with an implosion on Sunday, but while footage showed plumes of smoke rising, the building remained standing.
Local media quoted officials as saying the stadium was "built a little too well".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42216297
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Whirlpool tumble dryers: MPs' anger as replacement ends - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Whirlpool ends a scheme that had offered cut-price replacements for tumble dryers linked to a fire risk.
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UK
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MPs are demanding to know why the white goods manufacturer Whirlpool ended a product replacement scheme for dangerous tumble dryers.
The Commons business committee says one million of the defective machines remain in UK homes.
Last week, a coroner blamed a fault in a Whirlpool dryer for a 2014 fire that killed two men in north Wales.
The firm says it is still offering free repairs, but ended a £50 offer for a replacement machine after demand fell.
The affected machines include dryers manufactured under the Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan or Proline brands between April 2004 and October 2015.
After problems with the machines first emerged, Whirlpool initially told customers that the dryers were safe to use but should not be left unattended, but later said the machines should be unplugged until they could be repaired.
With growing waiting lists for a repair, the company then said it would allow customers to purchase a replacement dryer for the reduced price of £50.
The Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee has written to Whirlpool, asking why it has now chosen to end this replacement scheme.
Committee chairwoman Rachel Reeves accused the US manufacturer of "falling significantly short of their responsibilities" and asked why boss Ian Moverly failed to mention the end of the replacement scheme when he gave evidence to her committee in October.
Whirlpool said anyone with an affected dryer was still eligible for a free repair, and should contact them immediately to arrange it.
It said in a statement: "After two years of extensive measures to raise awareness, the number of consumers coming forward has fallen sharply.
"This suggests that few affected appliances remain in service."
It told customers who still owned one of the appliances it was "never too late" to get in touch.
Doug McTavish and Bernard Hender died in the fire at the flat in Llanrwst
It continued: "Previously, consumers who wished to upgrade their products to a newer model were offered the additional option of a brand-new dryer in exchange for a small contribution to the total cost.
"The scheme has now ended due to a fall in demand."
The coroner from the inquests into the deaths of Doug McTavish and Bernard Hender in Llanrwst, north Wales, told Whirlpool that it had to "take action".
He said the fire was caused "on the balance of probabilities" by an electrical fault with the door switch on the dryer.
He described evidence presented at the inquest by Whirlpool as "defensive and dismissive" and said the company's approach was an "obstacle" to finding steps to prevent future fires.
His final report has been sent to the company, which has until 26 December to respond.
Consumer group Which? criticised both Whirlpool and the government, which it called on to step in.
The company's managing director of home products and services, Alex Neill, said: 'It is completely unacceptable that Whirlpool has shut down its replacement scheme for these dangerous tumble dryers.
"It is irresponsible that despite one million households potentially still using an affected machine, Whirlpool seems unwilling to do everything possible to deal with this issue.
"The government must step in and force Whirlpool to fully recall the remaining tumble dryers."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42208560
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A new model for social mobility? - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Could a new scheme to help talented students into prestigious US universities show a way to increase social mobility?
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Education & Family
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Ben Hopkins is heading for a US university
On the steps of Downing Street, Theresa May pledged to promote social mobility, to make Britain a country that works for everyone.
She pointed out that a white working-class boy is currently less likely than anyone else to go to university, and that the privately educated dominated the "top professions".
Her cabinet has the highest proportion of state-educated ministers since Clement Attlee was prime minister in 1945.
Justine Greening is the first education secretary to have been wholly educated at a comprehensive school.
However, promising social mobility and delivering it are different things, as previous governments have learned.
For decades now, the charity the Sutton Trust has been the standard-bearer for social mobility in Britain, developing schemes to help pupils from less advantaged backgrounds gain access to elite universities, and helping them into the professions.
The trust's chief executive, Lee Elliot Major, said the Brexit vote underlines the need for a broader policy now, as it exposed a divided country.
Many areas which voted Leave are those same areas where opportunities are fewest.
Mr Elliot Major said: "The political vote that we saw was a direct consequence of social immobility."
One of the Sutton Trust's newest schemes, in partnership with the Fulbright Commission, helps teenagers to apply to American universities and win scholarships to pay the fees.
It is very competitive. There are 10 applicants for every place.
Just 61 British students are going to the US on the scheme this year.
Ben Hopkins, aged 18, from the village of Wheaton Aston in Staffordshire, will soon be heading for Bowdoin in Maine, where he has won a scholarship. It is one of the most highly rated liberal arts colleges in the US, with fees of $62,000 (£48,000) a year.
Ben Hopkins worried whether he would fit in at Oxford
Ben does not come from a privileged background. His father is a machinist, his mother a teaching assistant.
Neither went to university. The family live in a modest, though immaculate, home, on the outskirts of the village.
South Staffordshire is one of the more affluent parts of the Midlands, with a lower rate of unemployment than the national average.
It is a Conservative area. Nearly 65% voted Leave on 23 June. Those I spoke to cited fears over immigration.
Ben's mother, Tracy, told me he had always been very committed to his schoolwork, and he perseveres until he gets something right: "He's a perfectionist."
She said she wasn't a "tiger mother". Ben had always set his own pace. Both parents are very supportive of their son and proud of his achievement.
Ben told me his teachers had helped him greatly. Some gave up their own free time to give him extra lessons.
He was a pupil at the local comprehensive, Wolgarston High, in the nearby market town of Penkridge. It is rated "good" by Ofsted, and improving. It currently gets some of the best A-level results in South Staffordshire.
Every year, some pupils go to Russell Group universities, and sometimes students go to Oxford or Cambridge.
However, Ben told me that when he visited Oxford he wondered whether he would fit in, as so many students seemed to have gone to private school.
Headteacher Philip Tapp says there is very little in the local area to inspire and raise aspirations
Adam Simmonds, head of sixth form at Wolgarston High, said others occasionally felt the same, as there is a strong sense of community in this part of South Staffordshire, and some 18-year-olds do not want to leave.
"Sometimes it's a powerful draw, their experiences in this locality, and they don't want to give that up to go to, well any university, actually," he said.
"We've had students with three As at A-level who've decided to stay at home because they like staying at home."
Though Stafford is just over an hour from London by train, Ben had only visited the capital once before he went for the Sutton Trust assessment.
The school headteacher, Philip Tapp, said he was working to arrange more trips for all students. He said there was very little in the local area to inspire and raise aspirations.
So what made Ben such an exception? His family, his teachers and ultimately, himself. No-one told him about the Sutton Trust: he discovered it online.
Adam Simmonds described Ben, outgoing head boy, as an "elder statesman" of the school whom everyone respected and felt they could talk to.
Lee Elliot Major, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, urged the new government to consider how to extend social mobility to help more people.
He said; "We can pick talent and then catapult it into opportunity, as with our US programme where you have amazing young people who are going to the Ivy League and other leading universities.
"But what about those areas that are left behind? What about the children who don't go on those programmes? And I think no-one at the moment has got the answer to that."
The new government is considering reversing the ban on new grammar schools, as a way of promoting social mobility. But that's controversial - many argue it will not work.
David Skelton, of the conservative think tank Renewal, said he thought a more sophisticated and complex approach was needed now. He said: "1950s England should not be our model."
He suggested more streaming in schools could be effective, and he endorsed the comments of the new minister for skills, Robert Halfon, who has said apprenticeships should be more highly valued and more could be done to improve vocational and technical training, such as that provided by university technical colleges.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37011068
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Motorway PC stops van from falling off bridge - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The vehicle was in danger of tumbling to the ground before PC Martin Willis arrived on the scene.
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Leeds & West Yorkshire
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PC Willis said he held onto the van to stop it toppling over a bridge
A police officer held on to a van to stop it falling as it teetered on the edge of a motorway bridge.
The driver was trapped inside when PC Martin Willis arrived at the scene on the A1(M) in Yorkshire.
Writing on Twitter, he said he grabbed on to the vehicle to stop it "swaying in the wind".
PC Willis, known as Motorway Martin to his followers, said he couldn't "begin to describe [his] relief" when firefighters arrived.
A view from below the bridge shows the van's precarious position
The van ended up in the precarious position when it came off the road near the border between North and West Yorkshire.
Posting on Twitter, PC Willis described how he tried to stabilise the vehicle with the driver still trapped inside.
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 Motorway Martin 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.
PC Willis was praised by colleagues for his swift action.
"Your superman cape isn't in this photo though! Must have come off in the fracas!," PC Adam Pace tweeted.
PC Willis he said he was relieved to see West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue arrive at the scene
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-42207935
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Lottery win means couple can marry after 30-year engagement - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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A £1m Lotto win not only saved a couple's house, it allowed them to get married.
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A couple who have been engaged for 30 years can finally marry after a £1m lottery win.
Tony Pearce, 66, and Deb Gellatly, 58, from Southend, have never been able to afford the cost of a wedding.
The Lotto raffle prize means they can clear their debts and finally get married.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-42207620
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Daisy Ridley denies wanting to leave Star Wars movies - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The British actress says her role is "awesome" and she has no plans to give it up.
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Newsbeat
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Daisy Ridley has denied reports that she wants to give up the role of Rey at the end of the current series.
Daisy will be in the latest movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi and is due to be in the ninth episode.
"When I did sign up, I did sign up for three films and that's where I sort of saw the story ending," she said.
"I think everyone has perhaps taken that as me going, 'I don't want anything to do with it' which is vastly untrue because this is awesome."
Daisy said it was meaningful that Rey features as the leading female role in a film produced by a major firm, Walt Disney Studios.
She also hailed director JJ Abrams who introduced Rey in the first instalment of the new era, The Force Awakens.
Earlier this year, it was announced that JJ would return to direct Star Wars: Episode IX which is expected to be released December 2019.
"JJ has always put brilliant females in his things," Ridley said. "So I think it was wonderful and then the fact it came from a big studio says a lot too, and I think there's a big change already.
"Obviously there's still a long way to go."
According to research by the Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women account for just 29% of lead solo roles and 37% of major roles in the top 100 grossing Hollywood films of last year.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will debut in cinemas on the 15 December.
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/42215277
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Labour peer Lord Bassam to repay travel expenses - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The party's chief whip in the Lords says he has not been told he broke the rules but will repay.
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UK Politics
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A Labour peer is to repay parliamentary travel expenses after accepting it would have been "more appropriate" not to have claimed the money.
The Mail On Sunday reports Lord Bassam, Labour's chief whip in the Lords, claimed the cost of travelling to and from his home in Brighton since 2010.
He also got an annual £36,366 allowance for overnight stays in London.
Lord Bassam said he had not been told rules were breached, but would not submit such claims again.
The Mail on Sunday reported Lord Bassam was making an hour-long train journey between his home on the south coast and London, claiming about £6,400 a year in expenses to cover train tickets and taxi fares.
But according to the paper, as chief whip and because his main home is not in London, Lord Bassam is one of a small number of front bench peers entitled to the Lords office holders allowance.
The payment is included in his salary and designed to cover "expenses in staying overnight away from their main or only residence".
In a statement Lord Bassam said: "With my home outside of London, I have been in receipt of the relevant office holders allowance for the opposition chief whip in the Lords.
"At the same time, in accordance with rules laid down by the House, I have claimed costs for my regular travel to and from Parliament.
"While I have not been advised that any breach of the rules has taken place, waiving the right to such travel claims would perhaps have been a more appropriate response on my part.
"I will not be submitting any further claims in this way, and instead use the office holders allowance to cover those additional costs. I will also discuss with House officials the steps necessary to repay previous travel claims."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42213063
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Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United - BBC Sport
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2017-12-03
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Manchester City come from behind to win their 13th Premier League match in a row with victory over stubborn West Ham.
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Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Manchester City came from behind to win a record-equalling 13th Premier League match in a row with victory over stubborn West Ham at Etihad Stadium.
Angelo Ogbonna's header on the stroke of half-time put the lowly Hammers ahead, but Nicolas Otamendi responded with a predatory finish shortly after the break.
David Silva won it for City, acrobatically converting a Kevin de Bruyne pass with seven minutes left.
Victory meant Pep Guardiola's side re-established their eight-point lead over Manchester United, who they play at Old Trafford next Sunday (16:30 GMT).
They also equalled the longest winning run within a top-flight season, matching Sunderland and Preston (1891-92), Arsenal (2001-02) and Chelsea (2016-17).
West Ham, though, have set a club record for the fewest points after 15 Premier League matches - they have just 10.
The Londoners had their chances - as well as Ogbonna's goal, Michail Antonio almost pounced when Ederson spilled the ball, and Manuel Lanzini forced the goalkeeper to save at his near post.
But it always looked as though City's pressure would tell and, shortly after De Bruyne's free-kick was palmed away, Gabriel Jesus skipped through and slid the ball to Otamendi, who scored.
Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, De Bruyne and Jesus had further chances before Silva won it for the home side, but there was still time for the Hammers to go close, with Diafra Sakho shooting just wide after Marko Arnautovic pulled the ball back.
• None Analysis: Total belief, squad unity and late goals - who can stop Man City?
City leave it late to win - again
Silva's strike made this the fourth game in a row City have won thanks to a goal scored in or after the 83rd minute. Sterling had scored the past three, having also hit an injury-time winner at Bournemouth in August.
A home victory always looked the likeliest result, with City extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 28 matches.
They were made to fight for the points, though, and Silva's late winner was one of 18 shots they had in the second half.
While City have been in full flow for much of the season, they have also shown their resilience - taking a league-high 10 points from losing positions.
Prior to their late winners against Huddersfield last month and now West Ham, City had won only one of their past 30 games in which they had been behind at half-time.
That combination of silk and steel has taken them eight points clear at the top, and it will take something special to stop them.
Despite the defeat, there was plenty for Hammers boss David Moyes to take heart from as his side kept the league leaders at bay for almost an hour.
The first half was particularly encouraging and, though a deflected strike from Silva extended Adrian, West Ham had better chances through Antonio and Lanzini.
They looked defensively solid and confident in their gameplan, and Moyes' only disappointment will be they could not keep it up.
Jesus' half-time introduction made a difference, but Sane, De Bruyne and Silva - who had not been at their best in the first half - also began to influence things.
City had had six shots to the Hammers' four prior to that, but Adrian was forced into a string of saves as the hosts bombarded his goal in search of a winner.
Adrian, who came in as Joe Hart was unable to face his parent club, was a standout performer but the Hammers had opportunities of their own despite the absence of strikers Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez.
And the agonising nature of this defeat was summed up by the reaction of former City defender Pablo Zabaleta when Silva's shot hit the back of the net.
David Moyes speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "I have to say it was a really good effort. We defended much better today. We've worked a bit on it, we had one day where we could prepare.
"We needed our goalkeeper to play well. He got both hands to most things. I thought most of it was outside the box. I have to say we did a really good job.
"What a chance we have to make it 2-2 late on. My feeling was I thought we deserved it (to equalise). You get results in different ways and it looked as though we might have got one today. For long parts of the game we were in with a chance."
Pep Guardiola speaking to Match of the Day: "We started really well but we lost our patience. We didn't have any rhythm because Adrian was taking 30 seconds every time.
"It was similar to the last few games, in the second half I thought we would score. They played 10 players inside the box, it was almost impossible.
"It's a big victory. It showed what we are. We had two strikers in the second half and that helped, it was a big lesson for me. We created more with two.
"We spoke a lot about defending set-pieces but they are taller. It will happen again next week against United so we have to try and concede fewer set-pieces."
Record-equalling success and record-breaking disappointment - the best of the stats
• None City have equalled the longest winning run within a top-flight season.
• None City's haul of 43 points from 15 games is a joint top-flight record, level with Tottenham in 1960-61 (converted to three points for a win).
• None West Ham's total of 10 points from 15 games is their lowest in the Premier League and lowest in the top-flight since 1976-77 (nine, converted to three for a win).
• None Since his debut for City in September 2015, De Bruyne has provided 35 assists in the league - more than any other in the big five European leagues.
• None Jesus has been directly involved in 21 goals in his 24 Premier League appearances so far (15 goals, 6 assists).
• None Ogbonna scored his first goal in the big five European leagues, in his 144th appearance.
West Ham return to London Stadium to face Chelsea on Saturday (12:30 GMT) in the first of two successive home games - with Arsenal to come afterwards.
Manchester City travel to Ukraine to take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) and return to league action against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday (16:30).
• None Adrián (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Diafra Sakho (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Marko Arnautovic.
• None Substitution, West Ham United. André Ayew replaces Michail Antonio because of an injury.
• None Goal! Manchester City 2, West Ham United 1. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
• None Attempt saved. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Pedro Obiang.
• None Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Assisted by David Silva.
• None Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
• None Attempt blocked. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42126648
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Metropolitan Opera suspends James Levine after sex abuse claims - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The New York opera house investigating multiple claims of misconduct involving the conductor.
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Entertainment & Arts
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James Levine was also a conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
New York's Metropolitan Opera says it has suspended the renowned conductor James Levine following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Met said Mr Levine, 74, would not appear this season and it had appointed a law firm to investigate his actions.
Three men have now accused Mr Levine of abusing them decades ago when they were teenagers.
Mr Levine, who was music director at the Met for 40 years, has not commented publicly on the accusations.
He retired for health reasons in 2016 but has continued to work with the opera as music director emeritus.
The Met announced on Saturday it was investigating a claim based on a 2016 police report in which a man accused Mr Levine of abusing him as a teenager in the 1980s.
Peter Gelb, general manager of the Met, told the New York Times on Sunday that it had decided to suspend its relationship with the conductor and cancel his forthcoming engagements after learning of the accounts of two other men who described similar sexual encounters beginning in the late 1960s.
"While we await the results of the investigation, based on these news reports, the Met has made the decision to act now," Mr Gelb said in a statement on Twitter, adding: "This is a tragedy for anyone whose life has been affected."
The Times said the Met had been aware of the police report since last year. However, Mr Levine had denied the accusations and the Met had heard nothing further from police, the newspaper added.
The accusations follow a series of sexual abuse and harassment claims made against high-profile figures in the entertainment industry.
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An Illinois police report, seen by the New York Times, said one of the alleged victims claimed that the abuse began in 1985 when he was 15 and Mr Levine was 41, and continued until 1993.
During his career Mr Levine has conducted more than 2,500 performances at the Met.
He made his debut there in June 1971 with Puccini's Tosca, becoming principal conductor in the 1973-74 season and music director in 1976-77.
He conducted 85 different operas and also worked with the Three Tenors - Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo.
He has struggled with Parkinson's disease and other health issues and now conducts from a motorised wheelchair.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42213054
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Potsdam bomb 'was attempt to extort' from DHL shipping company - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A bomb found at a Christmas market in Germany on Friday was an attempt to extort from DHL.
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Europe
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Germany is on high alert for attacks following last year's fatal attack on a Christmas market in Berlin
Police investigating a bomb found at a Christmas market in Germany on Friday say it was not terrorism but an attempt to blackmail the shipping company, DHL.
The nail bomb was sent in a parcel to a pharmacy near a market in Potsdam.
Police performed a controlled explosion on the device, which was full of explosives but had no detonator.
After scanning a QR code on the package, police found that those involved demanded millions of euros to not set the bomb off.
"The good news is it that we can say, with all likelihood, that the package was not aimed at the Christmas market," Brandenburg's Interior Minister Karl-Heinz Schröter said.
But he and others warned that there might be more such attempts. Police said a similar package was sent to an online trader based in Frankfurt an der Oder recently.
Germany is on a heightened terror alert, a year after 12 people died in an Islamist attack at a Berlin Christmas market.
Officials have warned people to call the police instead of opening suspicious packages.
They said people should watch out for smudges, visible wires and unfamiliar or missing return addresses.
• None Germany attacks: What is going on?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42214932
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West Midlands Police release footage of M6 crash - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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A lorry crashes into two cars when its driver 'falls asleep' at the wheel on the M6.
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Footage has been released of the moment a lorry driver crashed into stationary cars on the M6 at 43mph.
The 47-year-old driver, from Liverpool, told police at the scene, "I think I went to sleep for a moment".
He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 16 months.
West Midlands Police said the two car drivers were treated for broken bones and back and neck injuries.
Midlands Live: Man continued to be questioned in murder probe; Homes evacuated after grenade found
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42215413
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Social mobility: The worst places to grow up poor - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Former industrial towns, rural and coastal areas fare worst in "spiral of ever-growing division".
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Family & Education
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Rhythmical Mike is a successful performer - but says his schooldays were "a nightmare"
"You've got this - the whirlwind that you're in - is the beginning of something wonderfully new - for you."
Rhythmical Mike, a 24-year-old East Midlands poet, performs his work to pupils at Lovers' Lane Primary school in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
It's an area where many children face big challenges and, according to a new State of the Nation report from the Social Mobility Commission, their educational and career prospects are too often limited from the outset.
It ranks all 324 local authorities in England in terms of the life chances of someone born into a disadvantaged background and it debunks the notion of a simple North-South divide.
Instead, it says, there is a "postcode lottery" with "hotspots" (shown in orange on the map below) and "cold spots" (shown in blue) found in all regions.
The report highlights a "self-reinforcing spiral of ever growing division", with children in some areas getting a poor start in life from which they can never recover.
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Map created with Carto. If you can't see the map, tap here.
West Somerset sits at the bottom of the league table, with average wages less than half those in the best performing parts of London.
There are some surprises, with wealthy areas such as West Berkshire, Cotswold and Crawley performing badly for their most vulnerable residents.
The report explains that wealthy areas can see high levels of low pay, with poorer young people at risk of being "somewhat neglected", particularly if they are scattered around isolated rural schools
Conversely, some of the most deprived areas are "hotspots", providing good education, employment opportunities and housing for their most disadvantaged residents.
These include London boroughs with big deprived populations such as Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham.
In Kensington and Chelsea half of disadvantaged teenagers make it to university, but the figure for the same group in Barnsley, Hastings and Eastbourne is just 10%.
"London and its hinterland are increasingly looking like a different country from the rest of Britain," says Alan Milburn, who chairs the Social Mobility Commission.
"It is moving ahead, as are many of our country's great cities.
"But too many rural and coastal areas and towns of Britain's old industrial heartlands are being left behind economically and hollowed out socially."
Large variations were also found within Scotland and Wales, although the data is not directly comparable with that for England, says the report.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Not many opportunities": People in the town of Newark share their experiences
The East Midlands is the English region with the worst outcomes for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, says the report - and within the East Midlands, Newark and Sherwood is the worst performing local authority.
In Newark, only 43% of children are ready for school when they start Reception, compared with 52% nationally, the research finds.
And by adulthood only 21% are in professional or managerial roles, compared with 51% in Oxford.
Mike, real name Mike Markham, has been a poet for about six years, running his own company and playing at festivals, supporting stars like Rizzle Kicks and Russell Brand.
For him, school was a really negative experience. He feels he failed there.
"It was a nightmare," he says, but believes overcoming his early difficulties helped him succeed later in life.
"Anybody can achieve anything," is his message to the children.
He believes that, despite class structures, the world is changing.
"I think you've just got to be driven, you've got to be inspired you've got to be inspiring."
Efforts to improve social mobility need to start early, says the report
The children themselves have big ambitions.
"I want to be a boxer. I want to get to the highest level and be a professional," says one boy.
"I want to be a heart surgeon and to do that I am going to have to get into the best universities there are and I've just got to try and pass all my exams," says a girl.
But head teacher Jenny Hodgkinson says too many parents are caught between low pay and rising living costs and are working so hard simply to put food on the table, that they often lack time and energy to focus on their children's schooling.
"There's a lot of challenges facing families at the moment," she says.
"In terms of working more than one job, people with low income aren't time rich.
"They want to do the best for their children and they work ever so hard but they don't always have the resources to do what they need to."
"It can be difficult trying to earn a living in this town," says parent Sian Mclachlan.
In the town centre, one young woman complained of few opportunities for young people.
"If there's a good job going it will be gone within a week or so," she adds.
"I've got job security," says one young man. "But I could be doing a lot more. I took better money where I should have gone to college - but you're not really pushed in this area."
The school is making great efforts to improve children's mental health, resilience and self-esteem, along with extra reading support and individual mentoring.
It is working to draw in families, with classes to improve parents' basic skills which can help improve attitudes to education and boost their children's attendance.
Ms Mclachlan says workshops on CV writing, job interviews and money management are also on offer.
But the report warns of "mind-blowing inconsistency" in efforts to improve social mobility.
"Tinkering around the edges will not do the trick," says Mr Milburn.
"The analysis in this report substantiates the sense of political alienation and social resentment that so many parts of Britain feel."
He wants "a new level of effort to tackle the phenomenon of left-behind Britain" and urges the government to increase spending on regions that most need it.
For example, estimates suggest that the North of England is £6bn underfunded compared with London.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alan Milburn: "Your chances of getting on really depend on where you're born and where you live"
Education Secretary Justine Greening said the findings underlined "the importance of focusing our efforts in more disadvantaged areas where we can make the biggest difference".
"We are making progress. There are now 1.8 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010. Disadvantaged young people are entering universities at record rates and the attainment gap between them and their peers has narrowed.
"We are also boosting salaries through the introduction of the National Living Wage, creating more full-time, permanent jobs and investing £9bn in affordable housing. Taken together, this won't just change individual lives, it will help transform our country into a fairer society."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42112436
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Social mobility board quits over lack of progress - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Chairman Alan Milburn criticises the government, which says it had decided not to renew his term.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Milburn said Brexit meant ministers were unlikely to have the energy to tackle "one of the biggest challenges" facing the UK
All four members of the board of the government's Social Mobility Commission have stood down in protest at the lack of progress towards a "fairer Britain".
Ex-Labour minister Alan Milburn, who chairs the commission, said he had "little hope" the current government could make the "necessary" progress.
The government was too focused on Brexit to deal with the issue, he said.
The government said Mr Milburn's term had come to an end and it had already decided to get some "fresh blood" in.
The commission is charged with monitoring the government's progress in "freeing children from poverty and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential".
In his resignation letter to Theresa May, published in The Observer, Mr Milburn said he did not doubt her "personal belief" in social justice, but he saw "little evidence of that being translated into meaningful action".
He said individual ministers, such as the education secretary, had shown a deep commitment to social mobility.
But it had "become obvious that the government as a whole is unable to commit the same level of support".
Neither, according to the former Labour minister and his colleagues on the board who include a former Conservative education secretary.
Their frustration demonstrates the extent to which Brexit is all-consuming for the government.
Leaving the EU is taking up so much time, energy and effort that there is little capacity for anything else to get done.
Even on an issue which is a personal priority for the prime minister.
Mr Milburn, a former health secretary, took up his role at the commission in July 2012, under the coalition government led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he said divisions in Britain were becoming wider - pointing to the ongoing squeeze on wages.
The government lacked the "bandwidth" to tackle social division while also dealing with Brexit, he said, describing his task as being like "pushing water uphill".
Mr Milburn said Education Secretary Justine Greening had been a "champion for the cause" and had wanted him to stay in post - which Ms Greening, who also appeared on the show, would not be drawn on.
"He has done a fantastic job, but his term had come to an end and I think it was about getting some fresh blood into the commission," she said.
She denied the government lacked the will to tackle inequality, but admitted more needed to be done.
In a report published last week, the commission said economic, social and local divisions laid bare by the Brexit vote needed to be addressed to prevent a rise in far right or hard left extremism.
It said London and its commuter belt appeared to be a "different country" to coastal, rural and former industrial areas, with young people there facing lower pay and fewer top jobs.
The resignations come as Mrs May, who entered Downing Street in July 2016 promising to tackle the "burning injustices" that hold back poorer people, faces questions over the future of senior minister Damian Green - who is effectively her second in command - and is under pressure as Brexit talks continue.
In an interview in the Sunday Times, Mr Milburn said: "There has been indecision, dysfunctionality and a lack of leadership."
Theresa May pledged to "make Britain a country that works for everyone" when she became PM
The government said it was making "good progress" on social mobility and focusing on disadvantaged areas.
It said it had already told Mr Milburn it planned to appoint a new chair and would hold an open application process for the role.
It said it was committed to fighting injustice "and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to go as far as their talents will take them".
It highlighted its increase of the national living wage, cuts in income tax for the lowest paid and doubling of free childcare in England.
The process of appointing a new chairperson and commissioners would begin as soon as possible, it added.
The other board members standing down include deputy chair of the commission and Tory former education secretary Baroness Shephard.
Paul Gregg, a professor of economic and social policy at the University of Bath, and David Johnston, the chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation charity, are also leaving.
Shadow cabinet office minister Jon Trickett said the resignations came as "no surprise".
"As inequality has grown under the Tories, social mobility has totally stalled," he said.
"How well people do in life is still based on class background rather than on talent or effort."
Mr Milburn said he would be setting up a new social mobility institute, independent of the government.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42212270
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Russia-Trump: President hits out at FBI over Russia inquiry - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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In a Twitter tirade, the president issues a fresh denial that he tried to obstruct an FBI investigation.
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US & Canada
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Donald Trump's presidency has been overshadowed by the inquiry into collusion with Russia
Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI on Sunday, issuing a fresh denial that he asked former director James Comey to drop an investigation into the conduct of one of his top aides, Michael Flynn.
In a Twitter tirade, Mr Trump said the FBI's reputation was "in tatters".
His attack came amid a flurry of developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the US election.
Mr Trump denies that his team colluded with Russia to get him elected.
Reports emerged over the weekend that Mr Mueller, a former FBI director, had dismissed an FBI officer from the investigation during the summer after he was discovered to have made anti-Trump remarks in text messages.
The president seized on the officer's dismissal, tweeting: "Report: 'ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE' Now it all starts to make sense!"
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A spokesman for Mr Mueller said the officer was dismissed from the investigating team as soon as the messages were discovered.
Michael Flynn, the president's former national security adviser, announced on Friday that he was co-operating with Mr Mueller's investigation, in return for pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
The former general admitted lying to the FBI and has been offered a reduced sentence of six months. Analysts say the deal indicates that Mr Flynn has incriminating information about one or more senior members of the Trump administration.
In a series of tweets posted on Sunday morning, Mr Trump again attacked his former rival for the presidency, Hillary Clinton, who was investigated by the FBI ahead of the election after it emerged she had used a private email server to conduct state department business.
No charges were brought against Mrs Clinton or her team.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After Flynn's guilty plea, what next for the Russia investigation?
In another tweet, the president accused ABC News of "horrendously inaccurate and dishonest reporting", after one of the network's reporters acknowledged making an error in a story about the president.
Chief investigative reporter Brian Ross reported that Mr Trump was a candidate when he directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Moscow.
He later corrected his report to say Mr Trump was president-elect when he gave the order to Mr Flynn. Mr Ross has been suspended by the network for four weeks.
The president fired Mr Flynn in February for misrepresenting the nature of his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak to Vice-President Mike Pence.
Then-FBI director James Comey alleges that in a private meeting the day after Mr Flynn was fired, the president asked him to show leniency to the dismissed aide, saying, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go."
Michael Flynn was sacked in February, just 25 days after taking the job
Mr Comey took notes immediately after the meeting and shared copies with senior FBI officials. President Trump fired Mr Comey in May.
Tweeting on Sunday, Mr Trump issued a fresh denial that he had pushed Mr Comey to drop the investigation into Mr Flynn.
"I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!" he wrote.
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Legal experts say Mr Trump could theoretically have obstructed justice if he had attempted to have the FBI investigation into Mr Flynn squashed.
The president's surprising admission in a tweet on Saturday - that he knew Mr Flynn had lied to the FBI when he fired him - contradicted his own account from the time, and may have added weight to accusations that he obstructed justice.
White House lawyer John Dowd later told the Axios news website that he had drafted the controversial tweet and sent the text to White House social media director Dan Scavino.
The revelations soured what should have been a celebratory weekend for the president, after his sweeping tax reform bill scraped through the Senate early on Saturday morning.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42215767
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North Korea: US in race to address threat, says HR McMaster - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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National security adviser HR McMaster says North Korea is the "greatest immediate threat to the US".
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. HR McMaster: 'There isn't much time left' to address threat from North Korea
White House national security adviser HR McMaster says the US is "in a race" to address the threat from North Korea.
The potential for war is increasing every day but armed conflict is not the only solution, he told a defence forum.
His comments came three days after North Korea carried out its first ballistic missile test in two months, in defiance of UN resolutions.
The latest missile flew higher than any others previously tested, before falling into Japanese waters.
Tensions have heated up in recent months over the north's continued development of its nuclear and missile programme, in spite of global condemnation and international sanctions. Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test in September.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A statement read on North Korean state-run TV blamed the "reckless nuclear war mania of the US" for any possible escalation
The Pentagon was also reported to be scouting sites on the west coast of America to deploy extra defences, amid claims from North Korea that its latest missile could reach the whole of continental United States.
President Donald Trump's national security adviser gave his unscripted comments at a forum in California on Saturday.
"There are ways to address this problem short of armed conflict, but it is a race because he's getting closer and closer, and there's not much time left," Mr McMaster said, in reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How could war with North Korea unfold?
He singled out China, urging the Beijing government to enforce a total oil embargo on the north to make it difficult to fuel missile launches.
"We're asking China to act in China's interest, as they should, and we believe increasingly that it's in China's urgent interest to do more."
"You can't shoot a missile without fuel," he added.
North Korea, meanwhile, has accused the US and neighbouring South Korea of being warmongers ahead of large-scale joint air exercises between the two allies that begin on Monday.
"It is an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK [North Korea], which may lead to a nuclear war any moment," an editorial in the ruling party's Rodong newspaper said.
North Korea said the Hwasong-15 missile it fired on Thursday, which reached an altitude of 4,475km (2,780 miles) and flew 950km in 53 minutes, could have been tipped with a "super-large heavy warhead" capable of striking the US mainland.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. North Korea said in November its latest missile was capable of reaching Washington DC
However, while analysts agree the missile could have travelled more than 13,000km on a standard trajectory and reached the US, they have cast doubts over whether the missile would have been able successfully to carry a heavy warhead that distance.
They do not believe North Korea has mastered the technology to prevent the warhead from breaking up as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere.
Reuters news agency reported on Sunday that research was under way to locate new sites on the US west coast for the possible installation of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) anti-ballistic missiles, similar to those already deployed in South Korea to protect against potential attacks from the north.
It quoted two congressmen, who said the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) was aiming to install extra defences, although no details on locations or timing were given.
However, the MDA, which is part of the US defence department, says it has not yet received instructions to deploy Thaad systems.
Two Thaad systems have already been deployed to South Korea and the US Pacific territory of Guam, which is 3,400km from Pyongyang.
In August, Kim Jong-un announced plans to fire medium-to-long-range rockets towards Guam, where US strategic bombers are based alongside more than 160,000 US citizens.
Thaad systems are able to shoot down short and medium-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight using hit-to-kill technology where kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42213541
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Ireland's Late Late Toy Show surprise - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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Adam and Kayla's visit to the show left the audience "in bits". Here's why.
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The Late Late Toy Show is Ireland's biggest TV event of the year. When Adam and Kayla came on the show, they left the audience "in bits". Here's why.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42212518
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Pledge to boost mental health support in schools - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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The government promises to bring in new mental health support teams and improve waiting times.
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Health
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Children and young people in England are to be able to access mental health support at school or college under government plans to improve services.
The proposals include introducing a four-week waiting time for youngsters needing specialist support and new mental health support teams in schools.
It is hoped around one in four schools in England will have this provision in place by 2022.
Campaigners say it was welcome, but overdue and "only a start".
The issue of young people's mental health has long been of concern, with parents, charities and healthcare professionals warning that families are not getting the support they need.
According to new NHS figures, around one in 10 girls aged 16 or 17 were referred to specialist mental health services in England last year.
The new measures are part of a £300m investment by the Departments of Health and Education.
For 18-year-old Sienna (not her real name), the onset of an eating disorder and depression five years ago has meant she has been in and out of hospital units, sometimes for long periods.
For her, the main frustration with the current system has been the lack of joined-up care.
"One of the things is that I've had no continuity, because I've been sent to quite a lot of units and stuff and had different teams. I've never had one person that's been there the whole way.
"It's all very mixed up. It feels really out of control and like I've not got one person - I've just been sent to loads of different places, I've been given bits and bobs, but it doesn't all fit.
"It would have been helpful if I could just have had someone from the start or had a therapist that sort of stayed with me, some continuous treatment that isn't literally just putting me in hospital and keeping me alive and then discharging me.
"I've never had anything that's sort of continuous, so how do I know what works?"
Sienna says she felt while the symptoms of her anorexia were addressed, the underlining issues causing them were not.
Rachel says her other children have also suffered
"I just feel like I've never been properly treated for the mental side - they just sort of put me in hospital when my physical side's bad and they don't treat anything else, and then they wonder why it keeps happening, why I have to keep going back into hospital."
For her mother Rachel, the visits to various hospitals - on one occasion 300 miles away from home - have left her in need of therapy.
"It's the most horrible feeling when you have your daughter or your young person taken away from you.
"It feels like you've had your heart ripped out. You keep going and you keep going to do all you can to aid their recovery and you travel wherever you've got to travel.
"It's so tough leaving them somewhere where you don't know the staff and getting on a plane or in a car travelling all those miles back home. It's difficult for them and it's excruciating for the family really left behind."
Sarah Brennan, chief executive of the charity Young Minds, said while the government's green paper was very welcome, it was "still only a start".
"What we want to see is a long-term strategy for children and young people's mental health.," she said.
Ms Brennan said a postcode lottery in provision must also be addressed.
The green paper will be published on Monday and will be followed by a 12-week consultation period.
The Local Government Association has previously said that it wanted it to "deliver the root and branch reform".
Its chairman, Cllr Richard Watts, said: "We cannot continue with a system that is leaving thousands of children and families in distress".
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Around half of all mental illness starts before the age of 14, so it is vital children get support as soon as they need it - in the classroom.
"If we catch mental ill health early we can treat it and stop it turning into something more serious."
Education Secretary Justine Greening added that prevention and addressing mental health issues early was key.
"It actually really affects young people's learning when they're not able to engage at school as much as we want them to," she said.
"So it's about more expertise on the doorstep for schools, better organisation between schools and the health service and improving the waiting time steadily so that young people can get faster care."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42194524
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'Supermoon' brightens up skies for stargazers - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The moon appeared larger and brighter in the sky, as it moved closer to Earth.
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UK
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The "supermoon" rising above Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire.
Skywatchers have enjoyed spectacular views of this month's "supermoon" - when the Moon appears larger and brighter in the sky.
The supermoon phenomenon happens when the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth, known as a perigee Moon.
The Moon circuits the Earth in an elliptical or oval orbit - a supermoon occurs when the perigee Moon is also a full Moon.
The supermoon was the last opportunity to see one in 2017.
The moon loomed above Yeadon, in Leeds
To observers, the Moon appears about 7% larger and 15% brighter, although the difference is barely noticeable to the human eye.
Last year the Moon made its closest approach to Earth since 1948 - it will not be that close again until 25 November 2034.
Nasa has called this weekend's sighting the first in a "supermoon trilogy" over the next two months, with others to come on 1 January and 31 January.
December's full Moon is traditionally known as the cold Moon.
The full Moon on Sunday afternoon - when it sits opposite the sun in the sky - was 222,761 miles from Earth, closer than its average 238,900 miles.
The supermoon over the Christmas light trail at Blenheim Palace
The supermoon has also been seen over a lighthouse in South Shields, South Tyneside.
This Moon's elliptical orbit means that its distance from Earth is not constant but varies across a full orbit.
But within this uneven orbit there are further variations caused by the Earth's movements around the Sun.
These mean that the perigee - the closest approach - and full moon are not always in sync.
But occasions when the perigee and full moon coincide have become known as supermoons.
The supermoon was visible around the world, with this view coming from Washington
This picture of the supermoon was taken in Jakarta, Indonesia
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42211288
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Alternative for Germany: Police and protesters clash over meeting - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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Police use water cannon and batons as Alternative for Germany delegates gather to choose leaders.
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Europe
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Five demonstrations were planned to coincide with the AfD convention on Saturday in Hanover, said reports
Several people have been hurt in clashes between police and anti-fascist demonstrators in the city of Hannover.
Protesters were trying to blockade the far-right Alternative for Germany's first conference since it entered parliament after September's elections.
Once the delayed conference began, delegates elected Alexander Gauland as co-leader along with Jörg Meuthen.
Both hardliners, their election suggests the party is continuing its march further to the right.
Georg Pazderski, the party's regional head in Berlin and a relative moderate, failed to get delegates' backing for the leadership.
AfD won 12.6% of the vote in Germany's federal elections in September, becoming the third biggest force in the Bundestag after the centre-right and social democrat SPD.
They had never entered the federal parliament before but are now eyeing a real chance of becoming Germany's main opposition party.
If Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat alliance agrees a coalition deal with Martin Schulz's social democrats, AfD with 94 MPs would become the biggest non-government party.
With temperatures near freezing, Hanover police used water cannon, batons and pepper spray to clear a path for the 600 delegates.
One demonstrator's leg was broken after he chained himself to a barricade, while an officer was hit on the hand by a flying bottle.
Ten protesters were taken into custody.
A total of five demonstrations were scheduled in the northern city on Saturday. Some 6,000 people joined a pro-immigration rally in the city centre and another rally called by trade unions was expected to draw thousands later.
When the conference got under way an hour late, Mr Meuthen hailed delegates for helping the party achieve national success within five years of being founded.
He said the party was attracting support from voters put off by the other parties' "pathetic childish games" amid an ongoing struggle to form a coalition government.
The party has veered to the right since its inception as an anti-euro force, promoting anti-immigration and anti-Islam policies in its election campaign.
But this sharp turn has created tension within its own ranks, with former co-leader Frauke Petry quitting within days of the election.
The delegates on Saturday confirmed the AfD's rightward trajectory, backing Mr Gauland, the leader of the parliamentary party, for the co-leadership.
Mr Gauland, who has pledged to stop "the invasion of foreigners" into Germany, said he had "allowed my friends to convince me to step in".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Post-war politics of Germany: A history of division and unity
Delegates defeated a motion to install Mr Meuthen as the AfD's only president,
They are also due to elect a new executive board to decide the ideological direction of the party and debate policy motions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42209421
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Tony Blair: Brexit puts NI peace process at risk - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Free movement across the Irish border is central to the Good Friday Agreement, former PM tells BBC.
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UK
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The Good Friday Agreement is "at risk because of Brexit" after the UK leaves the EU, former prime minister Tony Blair has told the BBC.
UK and Irish membership of the EU was "central" to the 1998 deal, he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend.
Free movement on the border had been key to reaching an agreement, he said.
The Republic of Ireland's Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Coveney warned against a hard border becoming the "collateral damage" of Brexit.
Mr Coveney, who is also Ireland's foreign minister, told BBC One's Andrew Marr show that Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were "uniquely vulnerable and exposed to a potentially bad outcome" from Brexit.
"We cannot allow some kind of collateral damage or unintended consequence of Brexit to [be] the recreation of a border on the island of Ireland," he said.
Mr Blair said the prospect of a hard border posed "real challenges" to the peace process and it was difficult to see how the issue would be resolved.
The ex-PM, who helped orchestrate the Good Friday Agreement, said that the UK and Ireland's EU membership made it "easy" to appease nationalist feelings in 1998.
The free movement of people, goods and an open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was "part of that expression that the island of Ireland was together", he said.
But there are concerns that Brexit could lead to a "hard border" like that seen before the Good Friday Agreement - for example, by reintroducing customs checks between the two countries.
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted the UK government was opposed to reintroducing a hard border - but said the Irish government or EU could make a "political choice" to impose one.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr: "If the Irish and EU wish to impose a border that would be a matter for them, but they don't have to do it, it is a question of political choice."
Mr Blair said: "If you end up with a hard border, obviously that causes tensions.
"It doesn't mean that you should abandon the Good Friday Agreement, but it poses real challenges to it."
He urged negotiators to overcome the "conundrum" of creating a hard border between the UK and the rest of Europe, while preventing one from re-emerging between Northern Ireland and the South.
Brexit negotiators have said that the Common Travel Area between the two countries, which predates the EU, will remain in place.
Mr Blair said Theresa May and Philip Hammond were trying to negotiate the "fundamentally unnegotiable" by leaving the EU, while also trying to maintain preferential treatment in the EU's common market.
"They're trying to negotiate getting out of the single market, but recreate all of its benefits," he said.
"That's not going to happen.
"The risk is, frankly, you end up with a muddle and the worst of both worlds."
Mr Blair, who was speaking about housing policies proposed in a new report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, also blamed Brexit for distracting the government from the "huge problem" of housing supply.
"The whole of the political class, as it were, is simply centred on Brexit," he said.
He proposed a series of policies designed to tackle the housing crisis - including a new "land value tax" which would see the value of underlying land taxed instead of property.
He also said there would be "no extra money" for the NHS through Brexit.
Tony Blair and the former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern signing the Good Friday Agreement in 1998
However, he said Mrs May was "right" to criticise US President Donald Trump's recent tweeting of far-right videos.
He said it was the "minimum" she could have said - considering she needs to cooperate with the US.
You can hear the full interview with Tony Blair at 13:00 GMT on Radio 4's The World This Weekend.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42213623
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Trump-Russia: Six big takeaways from the Flynn deal - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Michael Flynn is facing prison, and the Trump White House is facing a political crisis.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After Flynn's guilty plea, what next for the Russia investigation?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller just dropped the hammer. Again.
On Friday it was Michael Flynn's turn "in the barrel", to borrow a line from Trump confidant Roger Stone. The former national security adviser pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about December 2016 conversations he had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak and pledged to "fully co-operate" with Mr Mueller's ongoing investigations.
Mr Flynn has admitted he misled the FBI about his discussions regarding new sanctions imposed on Russia by the Obama administration following evidence of alleged meddling in the 2016 election.
There had been hints this was coming, after word last week that Mr Flynn's defence lawyers had stopped co-operating with the Trump legal team. The president's own scattershot behaviour on Twitter this week could also have been a key tell, like a trick knee acting up before a big storm.
So why is this being billed as a major development in the ongoing investigation into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia? Let us count the ways.
1) Trump's inner circle has been breached
It is difficult to overstate the significance of this felony plea deal. Mr Flynn was a close adviser and confidant of Mr Trump throughout the 2016 presidential race. He was a surrogate for the candidate on television and enjoyed a prominent speaking role at the July Republican National Convention. He had a pivotal role in Mr Trump's presidential transition.
The role of national security adviser in the White House, which Mr Flynn assumed upon Mr Trump's inauguration, is one of the most senior positions in any administration, responsible for being the key conduit between the sprawling US military and intelligence bureaucracies and the president. It is a post that has been held by the likes of Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
Mr Trump was so partial to Mr Flynn that he was praising him as a "wonderful man" who had been "treated very, very unfairly by the media" just days after firing him.
Now Mr Flynn could be going to jail - and, more importantly, could be sharing damaging information about the Trump inner circle he inhabited for so long.
According to the "Statement of the Offense" filed by the special counsel's office, Mr Flynn is testifying that he had contact with Trump transition team officials before and after his fateful December 2016 conversation with Ambassador Kislyak. "Members of the transition team," the document relates, "did not want Russia to escalate the situation after the Obama administration imposed new sanctions on the Russian government".
These conversations came more than a month after Mr Trump had won the presidency. Mr Flynn had already been announced as the national security adviser in the incoming White House - a top post in the president's inner circle.
The next big question is who exactly were the unnamed senior members of the presidential transition team. Some US news outlets are naming Jared Kushner and former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland. Others seem to indicate it was Mr Trump himself. Eventually, Mr Flynn - and Mr Mueller - will have to lay their cards on the table.
Mr Flynn's assertions about his conversations with the transition team run directly counter to statements made by Mr Trump in a February press conference in which he said Mr Flynn was acting against orders when he reached out to Mr Kislyak.
In fact the White House said at the time that the president dismissed Mr Flynn as national security adviser because he lied to Vice-President Mike Pence about his Russian contacts. The true nature of Mr Flynn's conversations with Mr Kislyak first came out thanks to leaks to the press of information gleaned from government surveillance of Mr Kislyak.
If Mr Flynn has evidence corroborating his account of December contacts with the Trump transition team - which was headed by Mr Pence himself - the White House's explanation for its handling of the Flynn situation, denials of knowledge and all, starts to crumble.
Mr Flynn appeared in court in front of Judge Rudolph Contreras
Anyone in the president's inner circle who told the FBI or Mr Mueller's investigators that they weren't privy to Mr Flynn's activities, when there is evidence that they knew, would be open to another round of charges of lying to the FBI.
The White House response, at least so far, seems to be that Mr Flynn is a lying liar who lies.
"The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year," White House lawyer Ty Cobb wrote in a press statement. "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn."
4) Mr Mueller could be building an obstruction of justice case
Dust off that old political saw that "it's not the crime, it's the cover-up". While Mr Flynn's contact with the Russian ambassador is questionable, given that he was undercutting Obama administration policy efforts, it is probably not illegal.
What is illegal, however, is obstruction of justice. Former FBI Director James Comey has testified that on 14 February - the day after Mr Flynn was sacked - Mr Trump urged the director to back off his investigation into Mr Flynn during a private Oval Office meeting.
If the president knew that the ongoing law-enforcement inquiry would discover Mr Flynn had been acting under orders - either by the president or a member of his transition team - that could be the kind of motive that would help support an obstruction of justice charge.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How Michael Flynn became entangled in Russia probe
5) Only the tip of the iceberg?
There were a lot of rumours and allegations floating around about Mr Flynn before Friday's plea deal news. The special counsel's office was reportedly looking into Mr Flynn's Obama-era work as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. It was scrutinising his 2015 trip to Russia, paid for by the Kremlin-backed RT network, and his undisclosed lobbying on behalf of Turkish government interests.
The charge brought against him, however, was solely related to his December 2016 phone conversations with Mr Kislyak. Although it comes with a possible five-year prison sentence, Mr Mueller hardly threw the book at the former national security adviser. Is this all there is?
Mr Mueller is primarily tasked with investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Mr Flynn was a senior adviser to and advocate for Mr Trump's presidential bid. Does the relative modesty of the charges against Mr Flynn indicate he may be offering information directly relevant to this inquiry?
Mr Flynn's plea deal is just one piece of a much larger puzzle the special counsel office is trying to solve.
In October Mr Mueller indicted former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, a top aide with White House ties, on money laundering charges predating their involvement with the Trump campaign.
He also struck a plea deal with former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who told prosecutors he lied about his own contacts with Russians.
Each move is distinct and not directly related - at least not yet. A some point we are going to learn whether Mr Mueller is building a larger case against the Trump campaign out of these legal moves - or that the sum total of his efforts is nibbling around the edges.
As the president likes to say, stay tuned.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42174518
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Samuel Berkley: Family of teenager killed on M67 'heartbroken' - BBC News
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2017-12-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Samuel Berkley, 14, played for Hattersley FC and recently became an uncle.
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Manchester
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The family of a teenager who died after he was hit by a car on a motorway said they are "completely heartbroken".
Samuel Berkley, 14, was found on the hard shoulder of the M67 in Hyde, Greater Manchester, in a critical condition at about 17:25 GMT on Friday.
He had been struck by a BMW and later died in hospital. The driver stopped at the scene and spoke with police.
Samuel's family said he was a "fun, outgoing and friendly boy" and a "talented footballer".
He lived at home with his parents in Denton and was described as having "many friends" at Audenshaw School, where he studied.
The teenager had started playing for Hattersley FC and recently became an uncle to his brother's new daughter.
Police had to shut the motorway for several hours
The motorway was shut for several hours on Friday while officers carried out investigations.
Sgt Lee Westhead, from Greater Manchester Police, said officers were working to "uncover how this happened and piece together the moments before the collision".
He appealed for witnesses to come forward.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42207962
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Arsenal 1-3 Manchester United - BBC Sport
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2017-12-03
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Manchester United end Arsenal's run of 12 home league wins despite Paul Pogba being sent off in a thrilling encounter.
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Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Manchester United ruthlessly punished defensive errors to become the first side to win a league game at Arsenal since January in one of the matches of the season so far.
Jose Mourinho's side were reduced to 10 men late on when Paul Pogba was sent off for a dangerous tackle and they were aided by a stunning goalkeeping display by David de Gea throughout.
But they did telling damage early on when Antonio Valencia pounced on a loose Laurent Koscielny pass to drill the opener, before Jesse Lingard side-footed a second after robbing Shkodran Mustafi to link smartly with Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial.
The strikes meant United had scored as many goals in 11 minutes as they had in eight away fixtures against the Premier League's so-called 'big six' clubs.
• None What happened in the Premier League on Saturday?
• None Watch: Pogba hopes injuries will cause Man City to slip up
An end-to-end first-half, which delivered 20 shots on goal, saw Arsenal hit the woodwork through Alexandre Lacazette and Granit Xhaka during a frenetic goalmouth scramble, before De Gea denied Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac, and spectacularly prevented a Lukaku own goal.
The Spaniard could do nothing about Lacazette's simple finish on 48 minutes but after Lingard had hit the post in a breathless start to the second half, De Gea produced an unbelievable double save from Lacazette and Alexis Sanchez.
His heroics maintained the advantage during an opening 15 minutes to the second half which saw United have just 26% of possession, but Lingard was on hand to tap in a third on 63 minutes after good work by Pogba.
Pogba was dismissed when he mistimed a tackle to effectively stamp on the back of Bellerin's leg, and the Frenchman will now miss the Manchester derby next Sunday.
But his moment of woe felt merely a footnote in a riveting encounter which moved second-placed United to within five points of their city rivals.
Mourinho has garnered a reputation for defensive set-ups on trips to the league's traditional big clubs but his side went after their hosts early on, hounding possession high up the pitch to great effect.
Their opening two goals owed much to slack use of possession by the home side but needed clinical finishes, notably when Martial cleverly flicked into the path of Lingard for the second.
The reward for their adventure secured a first win for Mourinho in his past 12 away fixtures against the 'big six'.
He could be forgiven for not enjoying seeing Arsenal fire 33 shots at goal and said he later told De Gea - who equalled the league record for saves in a match - he had witnessed the "best from a goalkeeper in the world".
Arsene Wenger also labelled De Gea "absolutely outstanding" but while his brilliance points to United riding their luck at times, they were impressive in offering a balance between defence and attack.
Nemanja Matic was consistently well placed, never more so than when blocking a goal-bound Aaron Ramsey shot with the score at 2-0.
And the presence of the defensive midfielder once again freed Pogba, who in bursting into the box to lay on Lingard's second now has five assists this season, surpassing his four in the previous campaign.
Whether Mourinho will choose to live so dangerously against Manchester City next week remains to be seen, but those watching from a neutral stance would be fortunate to see a game as good as this one again.
Wenger spoke of a "good performance" and "impeccable attitude" from his players but he will be familiar with this feeling.
Only twice in 18 meetings with Mourinho has he got the upper hand and the charitable way in which his side gave away goals will not sit well.
Koscielny's cross-field pass and Mustafi's indecision ultimately left a mountain to climb if Arsenal were to record a 12th straight home win in the league.
The ease with which Pogba sauntered into the area to create a third just as Arsenal were seeking to build on Lacazette's goal also smacked of weakness.
Arsenal can justifiably feel aggrieved by a penalty shout that was turned down late on when Danny Welbeck was caught by Matteo Darmian but by that point, the 10 men of United had finally managed to calm a frantic affair.
Wenger's side drop out of the Champions League qualification places into fifth. They were superb going forward at times and will scratch their heads as to how they only found the net once but, not for the first time, it was at the other end where their shortcomings showed up.
It was a magnificent game of football. We have talked about Manchester City going forward but what we saw at times from Manchester United was equally as good.
They were just breaking, too quick and too sharp with their pace and their power. They went after Arsenal, put them under pressure and wanted to get behind their defence, and Arsenal could not cope with their one- or two-touch football.
It was great to watch, and Manchester United were too good and too clever for Arsenal. Superb.
I think De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world. He was brilliant.
I think it is a red card. It looks terrible. It was dangerous and he was endangering his opponent.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "David de Gea was man of the match by a clear mile.
"We played well but there is nothing more frustrating when you have that quality of performance and nothing to show for it at the end. The attitude was impeccable until the end. But you cannot make the mistakes we made at the beginning."
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said: "I loved the way my team played and fought. Arsenal played in some period amazing attacking football - creating difficulties for us.
"But I have to say that my players deserve all the great words. I don't know so many in English but amazing, phenomenal, fantastic. They deserved three points."
• None Arsenal suffered their first home league defeat since losing 2-1 to Watford in January.
• None Manchester United have won more Premier League away games at Arsenal than any other side (8).
• None David de Gea made 14 saves in the game, the joint-most in a Premier League game since 2003-04, when Opta started collecting this data. Vito Mannone and Tim Krul have also made 14 saves in a fixture.
• None Paul Pogba has scored four goals and assisted six more in his past nine Premier League appearances.
• None Alexandre Lacazette has scored more home goals in the Premier League this season than any other player (six).
• None Paul Pogba received his first red card in league competition since May 2013 for Juventus v Palermo
Arsenal will follow Thursday's Europa League home game against BATE Borisov (20:05 GMT) by visiting Southampton on Sunday, 10 December (13:30). Manchester United need a point at home against CSKA Moscow to progress in the Champions League on Tuesday (19:45) and then host Manchester City on Sunday, 10 December (16:30).
• None Offside, Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette tries a through ball, but Nacho Monreal is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
• None Attempt saved. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross.
• None Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
• None Attempt blocked. Alex Iwobi (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nacho Monreal.
• None Attempt blocked. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey.
• None Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42119930
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Nigel Farage defends Donald Trump's Britain First tweets - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The ex-UKIP leader says the "outrage from the liberal elite" is out of proportion to what happened.
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Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Nigel Farage has defended Donald Trump's retweeting of inflammatory tweets by saying he can't have known what he was doing.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42213950
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Man proposes after breaking ankle on Newquay coastal path - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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John Dardis didn't let his injury spoil the romance - popping the question while waiting for paramedics.
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Cornwall
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Suzannah Newham said yes to John Dardis
A man's romantic proposal plans were almost ruined when he fell and broke his ankle on a coast path - but he popped the question anyway, while waiting for emergency services.
Suzannah Newham said yes as John Dardis lay on wet ground unable to move, Newquay Coastguard said.
Rescuers had some "great banter" with the Bristol pair while fitting a splint and administering pain killers.
"He literally fell for her," a spokesman said.
The couple were said to be staying at Mawgan Porth near Newquay for the weekend and had gone for a coastal walk when Mr Dardis slipped on wet ground.
However, he decided to carry on with his plans to propose despite suffering a broken ankle in the fall.
The rescue team carried John Dardis across fields to an ambulance
The groom-to-be posted a picture on Facebook of his ankle in a cast next to a bottle of champagne and thanked the rescuers for their "great banter" after the accident on Saturday morning.
Suzannah Newham showed off her ring on the way to the hospital
Regie Butler, Newquay Coastguard rescue officer, said: "It was an unfortunate accident but John was very stoic.
"The best man's got the best speech to give now."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-42213995
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Take Belfast 'Troubles' taxi tour - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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As Brexit looms, we visit Belfast's peace walls, and meet those working to unite both sides in uncertain times.
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Since the Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998, marking the end of 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, relationships between Catholics and Protestants have improved.
But in some areas, peace walls are still in use to separate the two communities.
These walls have now become an attraction for tourists visiting Belfast.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42200840
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Kezia Dugdale says Celebrity jungle was 'political gamble' - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The former Scottish Labour leader was the second person to leave the I'm a Celebrity camp.
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Scotland politics
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Kezia Dugdale said she knew appearing on I'm A Celebrity would be a "political gamble".
The former Scottish Labour leader, known as Kez on the ITV show, was the second person to be evicted from the Australian jungle.
Ms Dugdale said she expected criticism but would be coming home "with my head held high".
She faced a backlash after it emerged she joined the reality show without permission from the Labour Party.
The MSP lasted 11 days in the camp.
The Edinburgh and Lothians MSP had asked for three weeks off from Holyrood business but did not reveal her plans to go on the show.
New leader Richard Leonard initially had said he was "not persuaded" that his predecessor should be punished, despite his own "personal disappointment" and strong criticism from others in the party.
Scottish Labour later announced that Ms Dugdale she would not be suspended from the party.
However, she will be interviewed on her return to parliament and will "have the opportunity to present her account of events."
Ms Dugdale was expected to be paid tens of thousands of pounds, part of which she said she would be donating to charity, along with her MSP's salary for the time she is away.
In an interview with ITV's Lorraine, she said: "I always knew it was going to be a big gamble for me politically.
"I know I'm going back to a good deal of criticism and I will take that face on. I've got to have a lot of conversations with people but I'm going back with my head held high.
"I came out here to do what I wanted to do. I love my job, it's a great privilege to be a Labour politician and I fully intend on continuing to do it for a very long time."
The 36-year-old said she appeared on the programme to show young viewers that not all politicians were like fellow camper Stanley Johnson, who is Boris Johnson's father.
In her exit interview she told presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly she wanted to use the appearance to talk about the things she cared about.
She added: "And to take on the myth that every politician looks like Stanley - old, white, male, pale and stale. I wanted to show that there is a variety of people out there."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-42219876
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Australia same-sex marriage: MP proposes in parliament - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Tim Wilson addressed his partner directly during a debate on legalising same-sex marriage.
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Australia
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Will you marry me? Australian politician proposes to his partner in parliament
An Australian MP has proposed to his partner during a parliamentary debate on legalising same-sex marriage.
Tim Wilson's proposal to Ryan Bolger, who was sitting in the public gallery, was met with a loud "yes" - reaffirming a commitment they made nine years ago.
The House of Representatives began debating the bill on Monday, five days after it was passed in the Senate.
Mr Wilson is believed to be the first MP to propose on the floor of the house, officials said.
"In my first speech, I defined our bond by the ring that sits on both of our left hands. They [the rings] are the answer to the question we cannot ask," an emotional Mr Wilson said in his speech.
"So there is only one thing left to do. Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?"
The question drew cheers and applause. The speaker congratulated the pair, before confirming that Mr Bolger's response had been officially recorded in Hansard.
Tim Wilson proposed to his partner, who was sitting in the public gallery
Mr Wilson said the protracted national debate on same-sex marriage had been the "soundtrack" to their relationship.
Earlier, the government MP spoke about his own experience growing up as a gay teenager and struggling with a stigma surrounding homosexuality.
"This bill rams a stake into the heart of that stigma and its legacy," he said.
Mr Wilson is among 77 MPs who will speak on the bill. A vote is likely to happen this week unless there are significant amendments.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Long-time same-sex couples on what a law change would mean for them
Conservative politicians are expected to suggest amendments to the bill, such as additional exemptions for celebrants who refuse to marry same-sex couples. The Senate rejected such amendments in its debate last week.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-42217521
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MP Nadine Dorries defends 'shared password' tweet - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Nadine Dorries said she shared her log-in passwords with all her staff, triggering security questions.
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UK Politics
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A Conservative MP has defended her cyber-security arrangements after revealing she shares her login passwords with all her staff.
Nadine Dorries said this included "interns on exchange programmes", triggering a backlash on Twitter.
In response, she said she was a backbench MP who did not have access to government documents.
The Mid Bedfordshire MP had been defending Conservative First Secretary of State Damian Green.
A Cabinet Office inquiry is examining claims pornography was found on a computer in Mr Green's Parliamentary office.
He denies watching or downloading pornography on his computer.
Ms Dorries was questioning a retired police officer's claim that Mr Green must have been responsible for material found on his computer.
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She defended herself in subsequent tweets, saying her team were responding to hundreds of emails every day.
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A fellow MP, Nick Boles, tweeted that he shared his password with his staff for the same reasons.
Ms Dorries later tweeted that she was "flattered" by people thinking she would have access to "government docs", adding: "Sorry to disappoint!"
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Jim Killock, of the Open Rights campaign group, said: "On the face of it, Nadine Dorries is admitting to breaching basic data protection laws, making sure her constituents' emails and correspondence is kept confidential and secure. She should not be sharing her log-in with interns.
"More worryingly, it appears this practice of MPs sharing their log-ins may be rather widespread. If so, we need to know."
He urged MPs' staff and former staff to get in touch with his campaign "if they have knowledge about insecure data practices in MPs' offices".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42216622
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Asthma sufferers urged to wear scarves in cold to stop attacks - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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This can help to warm up winter air before it is breathed in and reduce the risk of an attack.
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Health
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Covering the mouth and nose can help to warm up air being breathed in by those with asthma
Asthma sufferers are being encouraged to wear a scarf over their nose and mouth to prevent asthma attacks this winter.
Breathing in cold, damp air can make the airways tighten and trigger an attack in three out of four people, charity Asthma UK says.
This can leave people coughing, wheezing and gasping for breath.
The charity's #Scarfie campaign says "a scarf can save a life" but it's not a replacement for asthma medicines.
Four million people with asthma in the UK say that breathing in cold winter air makes their asthma symptoms worse.
Ethan Jennings, who is nearly four, and from Lancashire, has had severe asthma symptoms since he was a baby. In one year, he was rushed to hospital 17 times for treatment.
His dad, Trevor, says winter is always a bad time for him.
Ethan was 11 months old when he first started gasping for breath
"When it gets cold, it's bedlam, he's more prone to colds and that brings out his symptoms."
The winter when he turned one was particularly awful - "we nearly lost him", Trevor says.
Ethan spent a week in hospital fighting for his life having been given all available treatments.
Since then, he has responded better but his parents know that they have to be particularly vigilant in winter.
"I'm just waiting to hear a cough. He hasn't yet got the vocabulary to tell me his chest is tight, but that is coming.
"In the meantime, anything we can do to protect him when he's outdoors - we do it."
Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma UK and a practising GP, said just going outside on a cold day could be life-threatening for many people with asthma.
"Living in the UK means that cold weather is impossible to avoid over winter, but if people have asthma, simply wrapping a scarf around their nose and mouth can warm up the air before they breathe it in, reducing their risk of having an asthma attack.
"We are urging everyone - whether they have asthma or know someone that does - to share the message that something as simple as a scarf could save a life."
In the UK, 5.4 million people have asthma and just over one million of them are children.
Last year, 1,410 people died from asthma - 14 were children.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42199200
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Brexit: DUP won't accept deal that 'separates' NI from UK - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Arlene Foster has said the DUP will not allow a Brexit deal that allows 'regulatory divergence' from the UK.
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DUP leader Arlene Foster has said her party will not accept any Brexit deal that "separates" Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42227521
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X Factor final: The winner is... - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Host Dermot O'Leary reveals the name concealed in a gold envelope.
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Rak-Su were crowned the winners of the X Factor final beating Grace Davies.
The group from Watford will release Dimelo with Wyclef Jean and Naughty Boy.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42217708
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Leo Varadkar: 'We need firm guarantees on no hard border' - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Leo Varadkar says UK had agreed a form of words on border, and Ireland is disappointed at lack of deal.
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Europe
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Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he was "surprised and disappointed" that an anticipated deal on Brexit was not reached on Monday.
He said Ireland could not go into a second phase of Brexit talks without "firm guarantees that there will not be a hard border in Ireland".
Mr Varadkar said the UK had agreed a text that met Irish concerns.
However, he was then later told that the British government was not in a position to conclude "what was agreed".
The taoiseach told a press conference in Dublin that earlier on Monday, he had been in touch with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Council President Donald Tusk and confirmed to both Ireland's agreement on the form of words about the Irish border.
But the deal did not go ahead.
The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said the deal broke down after the DUP refused to accept UK concessions on the Irish border issue.
Irish ministers say the border is "more than a customs issue" and must be handled sensitively
Prime Minister Theresa May is understood to have broken off from talks with Mr Junker to speak to DUP leader Arlene Foster.
It happened after the DUP leader had held a press conference saying her party would "not accept any form of regulatory divergence" that separates Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.
However, Downing Street sources insist it was not only the intervention by the DUP that meant a deal was not concluded.
The DUP insists NI must leave the EU on the same terms as the rest of the UK
It is understood that there are still differences of opinion over citizens' rights, the role of the European Courts after the implementation period and also over the technicalities of the Irish border.
The UK was reportedly prepared to accept that Northern Ireland may remain in the EU's customs union and single market in all but name.
At her press conference on Monday afternoon, Mrs Foster accused Dublin of trying to change the 1998 Belfast Agreement without unionists' consent.
"We will not stand for that," she said.
"The prime minister has told the House of Commons that there will be no border in the Irish Sea and the prime minister has been clear that the UK is leaving the EU as a whole and that the territorial and economic integrity of the UK will be protected," said the DUP leader.
This is the latest in a series of meetings between Theresa May and EU officials
The Irish prime minister told a news conference that it "would not be helpful" for him to attribute blame for the breakdown in agreement.
When asked about the DUP's influence with the UK government, Mr Varadkar said that although they are the largest party in Northern Ireland, and their views have to be taken into account, they "don't represent the majority of people in Northern Ireland".
He added that the majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU during the Brexit referendum.
The Irish government had been seeking guarantees from the UK that there would be no customs checks on the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit and movements of goods and people would remain seamless.
John O'Dowd, Sinn Féin, accused the DUP leader, Mrs Foster, of putting party political needs ahead of border issues.
"It appears from the leaks of the paper that were presented today - and we will examine the paper in its totality - that there is certainly a significant section of the UK government who are prepared to treat us different because they either understand the unique circumstances of this island or they accept that these talks are going nowhere until this matter is dealt with," he said.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has been meeting key EU figures in an attempt to hammer out a deal ahead of a summit in 10 days time.
Mr Tusk represents the leaders of the other 27 EU members, who all need to agree for there to be a move to the next phase of talks.
The UK voted for Brexit last year and is due to leave in March 2019, but negotiations have been deadlocked over three so-called separation issues: the status of expat citizens, the "divorce" bill and the Northern Ireland border.
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement was reached on 10 April 1998 by the British and Irish governments and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland about how NI should be governed.
The agreement aimed to set up a nationalist and unionist power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42225755
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Nelson Mandela funeral: 'Millions misspent' - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Money earmarked for schools and hospitals was used for commemorative T-shirts, a report says.
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Africa
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Four years have passed since South African hero Nelson Mandela died
South Africa's corruption watchdog has found officials misused millions of dollars during Nelson Mandela's funeral four years ago.
According to the report, 300m rand ($22m; £16m) was redirected from a development fund to help with costs.
It had been earmarked for things like "sanitation, the replacement of mud schools and the refurbishment of hospitals," the report stated.
Instead, the authorities allegedly spent it on items like $24 T-shirts.
Allegations of misuse first emerged in 2014, months after Mr Mandela's funeral in Qunu, Eastern Cape, in December 2013, which was attended by heads of state from around the world.
Now, nearly four years after Mr Mandela's death at the age of 95, the country's public protector, Busi Mkhwebane, has asked President Jacob Zuma to pursue the allegations further using the special investigations unit.
The 300-page report describes how officials in the Eastern Cape pocketed funds, ignored basic rules, and inflated costs.
Mr Mandela spent 27 years in prison after being charged with trying to overthrow the apartheid government
Ms Mkhwebane described the failure to follow regulations on the spending of public money as "very scary" and "appalling", according to South Africa's Mail&Guardian newspaper.
"It is very concerning that we can use a funeral to do such things," she told a press conference. "How do you charge or escalate prices or even send an invoice for something you have not delivered?"
Ms Mkhwebane said disorganisation had a role to play in the misuse, but also hit out at how South Africa's ruling ANC party had apparently issued instructions to officials on how the money should be spent.
"There are invoices we are showing with letterheads from the ANC. And monies were paid but again services were not rendered," she was quoted as saying by South Africa's EyeWitness News.
She added: "We are hopeful whoever has committed these acts will be taken to task."
This is not the first scandal to surround official events commemorating the apartheid struggle hero's life.
The man tasked with providing a sign language interpretation at the memorial service was accused of making up gestures, while a fight for control over Mandela's legacy within his own family mired the last months of his life.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42224937
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South Korea and US stage 'largest' air drill - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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North Korea accuses them of "begging for nuclear war", days after it fired its 'highest' missile.
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This is the US's largest deployment of stealth fighter jets to South Korea.
Tens of thousands of South Korean and American troops are involved in the annual exercises.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219709
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Privacy regulator warns MPs over shared passwords - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The Information Commissioner's Office says it is making enquiries about MPs giving staff their logins.
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Technology
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The MP Nadine Dorries wrote on Twitter that all her staff had her login details
The UK's data privacy regulator has cautioned MPs about sharing work computer passwords.
It follows tweets by three Conservative Party MPs over the weekend claiming that they had provided their staff with access to their login details.
Sharing passwords is not a breach of the UK's Data Protection Act.
But the law says that "appropriate" security measures concerning personal data must be in place and that those with access must be properly vetted.
"We're aware of reports that MPs share logins and passwords and are making enquiries of the relevant parliamentary authorities," the Information Commissioner's Office said in a tweet of its own.
"We would remind MPs and others of their obligations under the Data Protection Act to keep personal data secure."
It added a link to a guide outlining the types of safety measures that should be enforced.
The issue was raised by Nadine Dorries - the member of parliament for mid-Bedfordshire - who posted on Saturday evening that her team logged into her computer using her login details "everyday".
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She had made the point in order to cast doubt over claims that First Secretary of State Damian Green must have been responsible for viewing pornography allegedly found on his computer. The minister denies the accusation, but has faced calls to resign.
Nick Boles - MP for Grantham and Stamford - followed up saying that he had shared his password with his four members of his staff, so they could deal with letters and emails from constituents.
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And Will Quince - who represents Colchester - said that he had given his login to his office manager, adding that he did not always lock his machine to allow other team members access.
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The House of Commons Staff Handbook explicitly states that its employees must not share their passwords, but the rule does not appear to cover logins of the MPs themselves.
Even so, some politicians have stressed that they do keep their details private.
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Security experts have expressed concern about the suggestion that password-sharing is commonplace among MPs and their staff.
Troy Hunt blogged about a variety of alternative ways to share access to emails and other documents without providing full access to a computer's contents.
And the consultant Graham Cluley suggested: "it should worry us all if the very people who are tasked with legislating on internet privacy and security issues are proving to be so utterly clueless".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42225214
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Rak-Su: Boy band beat Grace Davies to win X Factor 2017 - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Grace Davies faced boy band Rak-Su in the Sunday night final of the ITV singing contest.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Rak-Su have been named the winners of the X Factor 2017.
The Watford-based group beat Grace Davies in the final of the ITV singing competition - the first boy band to win since the show started in 2004.
Rak-Su thanked viewers for voting for them, while their mentor Simon Cowell hailed them as "stars".
Proceeds from Rak-Su's winners' single Dimelo will go to children's hospice charities Together For Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase.
The track, a duet with Wyclef Jean and Naughty Boy, was first performed during Saturday's show.
X Factor judge Cowell also praised runner-up Grace Davies, describing her as "really an outstanding, outstanding artist".
Simon Cowell described runner up Davies as "outstanding"
The finalists performed several original songs during their appearances on X Factor, marking a change in the show's approach this year.
In the ratings battle, however, the first part of the X Factor final - which was shown on Saturday night - lost out to Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC dance contest's quarter final had an average audience of 9.7 million, while the first night of the X Factor final averaged 4.4 million viewers. The two shows overlapped for just over an hour on Saturday.
It was a similar story on Sunday night, when they overlapped for 40 minutes, with an average audience of 5.2 million for the second part of the X Factor final and 10.3 million for Strictly.
Both Rak-Su and Davies previously had songs played by BBC Introducing before auditioning for the X Factor.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42217568
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Wiltshire Police find eleven people locked in lorry - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police were called after banging noises were heard coming from the back of the lorry.
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Wiltshire
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Cafe owner David Thomas said he was told the occupants were in an area of the lorry trailer which was not refrigerated
Eleven people, including six children, were found locked in the back of a lorry in a lay-by.
Firefighters cut the locks after police were called to reports of banging from inside the vehicle, which was parked at Willoughby Hedge on the A303 at West Knoyle on Saturday afternoon.
The Home Office said immigration enforcement officers found 10 Iraqi nationals and one Afghan national.
Police said the driver was helping with inquiries but had not been arrested.
The driver of the lorry had been returning to Taunton from Belgium and had stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe.
David Thomas, who runs the cafe, said the driver could not open the back doors because they had been glued shut.
He said the occupants had been "pretty lucky" because part of the lorry was refrigerated.
"The compartment they were in contained a few pallets of rather expensive Belgian chocolate and was at a normal temperature," he said.
"I understand from the driver if they'd been in the front compartment that was quite well-chilled so they would have had a few problems there."
Police were called to the Willoughby Hedge lay-by on Saturday afternoon
A Wiltshire Police spokesman said the adults found in the lorry were being kept in custody overnight and would be handed to Home Office officials on Monday.
"We are currently working with colleagues from the Home Office Immigration Department as our inquiries progress," a spokesman said.
"Where someone has no right to remain in the UK, we will take action to remove them," a Home Office spokeswoman added.
Wiltshire Council said it was working with its partner agencies "to provide support and help to those involved".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-42214837
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Shashi Kapoor, Bollywood legend, dies at 79 - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The veteran actor starred in major Bollywood hits as well as several British and US films.
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India
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Shashi Kapoor acted in more than 150 films
Kapoor, who acted in huge hits like Deewar and Kabhie Kabhie, had been ill for some time and was in hospital.
He was a member of the Kapoor dynasty, which has dominated the Hindi film industry for decades.
He won several national film awards and was awarded the Padma Bhushan civilian honour by the Indian government in 2011. He also acted in a number of British and American films.
Kapoor died at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in the western city of Mumbai.
"Yes he has passed away. He had kidney problem since several years. He was on dialysis for several years," his nephew, actor Randhir Kapoor, told Press Trust of India. The funeral will be held on Tuesday morning, he said.
The actor was married to late English actress Jennifer Kendal, with whom he set up Mumbai's iconic Prithvi Theatre in 1978. His sister-in-law is British actress Felicity Kendal.
Kapoor began his career as a child actor and appeared in more than 150 films, including a dozen in English. He became known internationally for his roles in Merchant Ivory productions like "Shakespeare-wallah" and "Heat and Dust".
In 2015, he was given the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in Indian cinema.
Kapoor was known for his charming smile and was often described by his fans as the "handsomest star ever". He had a huge fan following among women.
He was cast alongside superstar Amitabh Bachchan in some of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters of the 1970s and 1980s, and the two actors played brothers, best friends or rivals.
His comment in Deewar - "Mere paas maa hai" (But I have mother's support) - during a tense confrontation with screen-sibling Bachchan tops the list of best Bollywood lines for millions of fans around the globe.
Over the years, it has found its way on to merchandise like shoulder bags, coffee mugs and cushion covers.
As news of his death spread, fans took to social media to express their grief and pay tributes, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-42225524
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Men sought over gay apology attack on Jubilee Tube train - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two men put the victim in a headlock and strangled him until he apologised for being gay.
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London
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British Transport Police have released images of two men they want to speak to over the attack
Police are searching for two men after a teenager was attacked on a Tube train and forced to apologise for being gay.
The 19-year-old had been travelling with friends on the Jubilee line in south-east London on 21 October when he was verbally abused by two men.
One of them put him in a headlock while the other took his phone and threatened to stab him. He was then strangled until he said sorry for being gay.
The British Transport Police (BTP) said "hate crime would not be tolerated".
The group that included the victim were dressed in fancy dress and had been travelling between West Ham and North Greenwich when the attack occurred.
After the men released the teenager they gave him back his phone but got into a fight with the rest of the group, police said.
A 25-year-old woman suffered bruising after she was punched and pushed to the ground.
In a statement, the BTP said: "We won't tolerate behaviour where someone is targeted because they are perceived to be different, or made to feel uncomfortable on their journey."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42226558
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Army dogs faced with being destroyed reprieved - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Ministry of Defence planned to destroy the dogs because it said they were too aggressive to rehome.
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Leicester
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One of the dogs, Dazz, was featured in MoD publicity shots at the Defence Animal Centre
Two retired army dogs which faced being destroyed because they were too aggressive to rehome have been saved, the BBC understands.
Kevin and Dazz, both Belgian shepherds, were deployed in Afghanistan and were retired from frontline service in 2013.
The dogs are based at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan wrote to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday to call for a reprieve.
The MoD has assured their dog handlers that they could be saved.
A third animal, a police dog named Driver, who was also at risk, could also be rehomed.
Sir Alan, the MP for Melton and Rutland and Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, said: "It is very good news, as long as they have a good home, which also guarantees safety for people.
"We are all happy for Kevin and Dazz and also good luck to Driver."
He said they were "hero dogs who have fought fearlessly alongside our soldiers" and any danger to people "must be proven".
The dogs have been trained to show aggression which makes rehoming difficult
Former soldier turned author Andy McNab launched an online petition, which has more than 370,000 signatures and will be delivered to the centre in Melton Mowbray.
"Service dogs have saved my life on numerous occasions," he said.
"Dogs like Kevin, Dazz, and Driver are an asset when they are serving but they are even more of an asset when they are retired."
The Belgian shepherds went on patrol with troops in Afghanistan and were used for their aggression.
The MoD had said: "Wherever possible, we endeavour to re-home them [dogs] at the end of their service life.
"Sadly, there are some occasions where this is not possible."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-42228449
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Brigitte Macron names France's first baby panda - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The French president's wife got a shock when she went to name the first panda born in her country.
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Brigitte Macron got a shock when she went to name the first panda born in France.
The wife of the French president is also the panda's "godmother".
In a speech, she later said France had been "proud and happy" to host the pandas from China and that the cub was a symbol of the countries' historic ties.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42230077
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Theresa May statement at Brexit news conference - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Theresa May says there will be more Brexit talks this week and she is "confident that we will conclude this positively".
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Theresa May said the two sides had been "working hard" and "negotiating hard" but differences remained on two issues.
Speaking after Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, the UK Prime Minister said they would meet again this week, and she was "confident that we will conclude this positively."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42223402
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Jorja Smith wins Brits Critics' Choice - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The sensitive, streetwise soul of Jorja Smith has earned her the Brits Critics' Choice award.
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Entertainment & Arts
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R&B singer Jorja Smith has won the Brits Critics' Choice award, singling her out as one to watch next year.
The 20-year-old, who comes from Walsall in the West Midlands, beat two other newcomers, Mabel and Stefflon Don, to the prize.
The award, which recognises "the future stars of British recording talent", has previously gone to Adele, Emeli Sande and last year's winner, Rag N Bone Man.
"This is such a special way to end the year," said Smith.
The singer, who took fourth place on the BBC Sound of 2017, was working in a Starbucks less than two years ago when she posted her first single, Blue Lights, on SoundCloud.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jorja Smith performs So Lonely for the BBC Music Sound of 2017
A soulful, semi-autobiographical look at her childhood in the West Midlands (it references the number four bus she used to catch home) it quickly earned shout-outs from Stormzy, Skrillex and Drake - who put her on his More Life mixtape earlier this year, alongside the likes of Kanye West and Young Thug.
The Canadian R&B star also invited Smith on stage during his concerts at London's O2 arena and the Barclays Center in Birmingham. After the second show, the pair popped out to a local Co-Op to buy sweets, to the surprise of fans.
This year, she has released two smooth-but-streetwise singles, Teenage Fantasy and On My Mind, both of which were named "Hottest Record In The World" by BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac.
Smith said she "couldn't believe" she'd been given the Critics' Choice award, which is chosen by a panel of music industry experts - including critics, record label employees and the heads of the UK's biggest radio stations.
"It's been an unforgettable 2017 during which I've fulfilled so many of my dreams," she said.
"And to be part of an all-female shortlist alongside Mabel and Stefflon Don, who've both had incredible 2017s, makes it even better!
"There's lots more to come in 2018 from all of us and I will do my best to make it another memorable year."
The Critics' Choice prize is the first accolade to be announced before the official Brit Awards ceremony, which will take place at London's O2 Arena on 21 February, 2018.
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Ashes: England take late wickets for faint hope against Australia in Adelaide - BBC Sport
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2017-12-04
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Australia finish day three of the second Ashes Test with a lead of 268 runs after an England batting collapse in Adelaide.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
England tore into the Australia top order late on the third day of the second Ashes Test to give themselves faint hope of a remarkable escape in Adelaide.
James Anderson and Chris Woakes took two wickets each to reduce the home side to 53-4.
That, though, is still a lead of 268 after the tourists were bowled out for 227.
Through a combination of poor strokes, excellent Australian bowling and some even better catching, England slumped from their overnight 29-1 to 142-7.
Respectability was earned by a stand of 66 between Chris Woakes (36) and debutant Craig Overton, who added 41 not out to the three wickets he took in Australia's first innings.
The England batting effort was made all the more lamentable by the way their bowlers performed after the hosts opted not to enforce the follow-on.
England will have to cause more dramatic damage on the fourth day so they are not left with a notional run chase or a rearguard attempt to bat for a draw.
Either will be severely hampered by the likelihood of Australia having two opportunities to bowl in evening sessions under floodlights.
If England are beaten, they will travel to the Waca in Perth, a ground where they have not won since 1978, knowing that defeat would hand the Ashes to Australia.
• None Is England's glimmer of hope well founded? Ashes analysis
• None Listen to TMS highlights on loop throughout the day
England arrived at the Adelaide Oval on Monday knowing they needed to get as close to Australia's total as possible.
Instead, James Vince was out to the fourth delivery he faced, the first of four wickets to fall in a morning session that appeared to have put the match beyond the visitors.
When Australia were not being gifted wickets by poor strokes, they created moments of magic - Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc both took incredible catches off their own bowling.
It took Overton and Woakes to bravely set an example to the top order, both men withstanding a barrage from the home pacemen.
And, curiously, England's thrilling display with the ball late in the day only served to increase the frustration of their poor first-day effort after Joe Root won the toss and asked Australia to bat.
England were full of the intent they lacked on Saturday, Anderson particularly brilliant in swinging the pink ball under the lights.
Cameron Bancroft was caught behind and Usman Khawaja trapped leg before.
Woakes had David Warner held at second slip and, after Steve Smith successfully overturned being given out lbw to Anderson, he could not avoid a similar fate from the Warwickshire man.
It was wonderful theatre in the Adelaide night but, despite England's late surge, their earlier failings have left them well behind in this match.
For almost two days, Australia built their large first-innings total through patience, application and occupation of the crease.
It was something England could not replicate.
Of the six men from the top seven to fall on Monday, only Alastair Cook and Dawid Malan can feel like they did not play a part in their own downfall.
Vince's shot, an attempted backfoot drive at Josh Hazlewood in the second over of the day, was woeful, matched by Root's flash at Pat Cummins.
Cook was batting nicely until he edged Lyon to slip to depart for 37, while Malan received a beautiful delivery from Cummins and gloved behind.
Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow were the victims of the two brilliant return catches, but both were playing uppishly. Moeen poked at Lyon, Bairstow drove at Starc.
It required the guts and doggedness of Woakes and Overton to drag England towards 200, both standing up to bouncer after bouncer and pouncing on the rare opportunities to score.
Woakes eventually miscued a pull off Starc, with the swift departures of Stuart Broad and Anderson leaving the impressive Overton unbeaten.
Australia's attack twice ran through England's tail in their 10-wicket first Test victory and here they exhibited the skills that deserted the tourists over the first two days.
When they were not purposely bowling short with the intention to intimidate, their three pacemen bowled the full length that England could not find.
Cummins was especially dangerous with movement off the seam. He and Starc were hostile, while Hazlewood also came close to 90mph.
At the other end, off-spinner Lyon found the turn and bounce that eluded Moeen, while also providing precious control.
The highlights were the catches taken by Lyon and Starc.
First Lyon leapt goalkeeper-style across the pitch to snare Moeen in his left hand with his body almost parallel to the ground.
Then Starc stuck out a right hand to parry Bairstow's drive upwards, taking the rebound with the ball behind him.
Australia got a touch ragged when faced by Woakes and Overton, overdoing the short bowling.
But, after Starc got Woakes with the third caught-and-bowled of the innings, Lyon accounted for Broad and Anderson to end with 4-60.
'We're still in the game' - reaction & analysis
England all-rounder Chris Woakes, speaking to Test Match Special: "We fought back nicely but are still behind in the game. It is good to see a fightback and we showed good character and put them under pressure.
"We could have had a better day with the bat. We have played a few loose shots as a batting unit. We have to bat for longer periods and make the bowlers come back and bowl three, four or five spells.
"When you build a partnership and work as a pair it gets easier. When you first go to the crease it is tough but it is Ashes cricket - you expect it to be tough."
England's James Anderson: "We're a long way behind in the game so we can't over-attack in the field. We've got an outside chance. We've got a lot of work to do.
"We gave it absolutely everything and we've come away with four wickets, which we're delighted with. We attacked where we could, bowled as full as we could and we got the rewards.
"We've got some very frustrated players in the dressing room. We should have got more runs than we did."
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special: "I am frustrated that England didn't run in like this on the first morning. There has been real intent and energy but they were already over 200 behind."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42221762
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Sir Elton John 'in shock' after his mother dies aged 92 - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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"I only saw her last Monday," says the star, who was estranged from his mother for several years.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Elton John poses with his mother in 2002
Sir Elton John says he is "in shock" after the death of his mother, Sheila Farebrother, just months after their reconciliation.
"So sad to say that my mother passed away this morning," he said on his Facebook page, alongside a photo of them together.
"I only saw her last Monday and I am in shock. Travel safe, mum. Thank you for everything."
Sir Elton, who was born Reginald Dwight, was Ms Farebrother's only son.
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Although his father - a flight lieutenant in the RAF - was a trumpeter in his spare time, it was his mother who ignited his love of pop music.
An avid record collector, she brought home music by artists such as Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and supported Sir Elton throughout his career.
But they fell out over a "petty" argument in 2008, when Sir Elton asked her to sever ties with two old friends, Bob Halley and John Reid.
Mr Halley had worked for Sir Elton for three decades, first as a driver then later as a personal assistant, before he resigned as part of a series of changes Sir Elton was making to his team.
Mr Reid, who had been Sir Elton's manager and briefly his lover, helped the musician become one of the world's most famous - and richest - performers, but they too fell out.
Sir Elton and David Furnish, pictured here last month, have two children together
"I told him: 'I'm not about to do that and drop them,'" Ms Farebrother told the Daily Mail.
"Then to my utter amazement, he told me he hated me. And he then banged the phone down. Imagine! To me, his mother!"
Ms Farebrother told the newspaper at the time that she had never met her grandsons Zachary and Elijah, who Sir Elton and his partner David Furnish fathered through IVF with an American surrogate mother.
For her 90th birthday, Ms Farebrother hired an Elton John tribute act to perform.
Her son got in touch soon after, sending her white orchids to celebrate the milestone.
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But their relationship was still strained. Sir Elton told Rolling Stone that his mother had not called him to say thank you after the bouquet arrived.
"To be honest with you, I don't miss her," he said. "I look after her, but I don't want her in my life."
However, the pair appear to have fully reconciled this year, after Sir Elton recovered from a potentially fatal bacterial infection.
"Dear Mum, Happy Mother's Day!" he wrote on Instagram in February. "So happy we are back in touch. Love, Elton xo"
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Pontiac Silverdome stadium fails to implode near Detroit - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Detroit's Pontiac Silverdome stadium is still standing after Sunday's planned demolition didn't go to plan.
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The planned partial-demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome stadium near Detroit has failed.
The stadium, once home to the Detroit Lions NFL team, has been empty for a decade.
Its staged demolition was due to begin with an implosion on Sunday, but while footage showed plumes of smoke rising, the building remained standing.
Local media quoted officials as saying the stadium was "built a little too well".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42216297
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Venezuela unveils virtual currency amid economic crisis - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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President Maduro says the Petro crypto-currency will be backed by the country's oil and gas wealth.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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President Maduro made the announcement during his weekly TV and radio programme
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the creation of a new virtual currency in a bid to ease the country's economic crisis.
He said the Petro would be backed by Venezuela's oil, gas, gold and diamond wealth.
Opposition lawmakers, however, poured scorn on the plan.
Venezuela's economy has been hit by falling oil revenue and the plummeting value of its existing currency, the bolivar.
President Maduro has also railed against US sanctions which he describes as a "blockade".
In a televised announcement on Sunday, Mr Maduro said the new crypto-currency would allow Venezuela "to advance in issues of monetary sovereignty, to make financial transactions and overcome the financial blockade".
"The 21st Century has arrived!" he added to cheers from supporters.
He gave no details on how, or when, the new currency would be launched.
Oil has long been the mainstay of the Venezuelan economy
The move follows increasing global interest in the crypto-currency Bitcoin.
A US regulator recently said it would let two traditional exchanges begin trading in Bitcoin-related financial contracts, although the digital currency continues to prove volatile.
Venezuela owes an estimated $140bn (£103bn) to foreign creditors and economists suggest Mr Maduro is looking to try to pay them with Petros as he seeks to restructure the country's debt.
Opposition lawmakers insisted the proposed currency would need the backing of the National Assembly, and some doubted it would ever happen.
"It's Maduro being a clown. This has no credibility," opposition lawmaker and economist Ángel Alvarado told Reuters news agency.
Venezuela has historically relied on its oil wealth to support its economy but a decline in oil prices has sent the country into economic and political crisis.
The US and European Union have imposed sanctions, citing repressive policies by the government.
Last month, Russia agreed to restructure $3.15bn (£2.4bn) in debt owed by Venezuela. The deal allows Venezuela to make "minimal" repayments on its Russian obligations over the next six years.
• None Venezuela's debt problem: To default or to pay
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-42217798
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Met police chief condemns ex-officers' Damian Green porn claims - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Cressida Dick says confidential information should be respected and that there could be prosecutions.
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UK Politics
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The head of the Metropolitan Police has condemned retired officers over their claims about finding pornography on Conservative Damian Green's computer.
Commissioner Cressida Dick said all officers had a duty to protect sensitive information they discovered.
She said the Met was investigating whether an offence had been committed and that there could be a prosecution.
First Secretary of State Mr Green denies watching or downloading pornography on his computer.
The allegations were first made last month by former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick, who led a 2008 inquiry into Home Office leaks which saw Mr Green's Commons office being searched.
Mr Quick made his claims after the Cabinet Office launched an investigation into accusations of inappropriate behaviour by Mr Green towards journalist Kate Maltby, which the MP has described as "completely false".
And then on Friday, retired Met detective Neil Lewis said "thousands" of thumbnail images of legal pornography had been found on Mr Green's parliamentary computer in 2008.
Speaking on BBC Radio London, Ms Dick said: "All police officers know very well that they have a duty of confidentiality, a duty to protect personal information.
"That duty in my view clearly endures after you leave the service.
"And so it is my view that what they have done based on my understanding of what they're saying... what they have done is wrong, and I condemn it."
Officers come across sensitive information every day, the commissioner said, and "know full well" it is their duty to protect it.
She declined to give a "running commentary" on the Met's investigation - which is running parallel to the Cabinet Office probe - into whether confidential information has been disclosed.
She added: "I can say that we are reviewing...to see whether any offences have been committed."
Ms Dick told LBC there "could be a prosecution" but that this would be for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide.
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said a prosecution under the Data Protection Act - which includes a public interest defence - was a possibility, although he added that things were at a very early stage.
The Met is currently reviewing the circumstances of the case and has not launched a full investigation, he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42221737
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Motorway PC stops van falling from bridge in Yorkshire - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The vehicle was hanging over the bridge on the A1 in Yorkshire.
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A police officer held on to a van to stop it falling from the edge of a motorway bridge.
PC Martin Willis arrived at the scene on the A1(M) in Yorkshire and the van driver was trapped inside.
Writing on Twitter, he said he grabbed on to the vehicle to stop it "swaying in the wind".
PC Willis, known as Motorway Martin to his followers, said he couldn't "begin to describe [his] relief" when firefighters arrived.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-42227632
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Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United - BBC Sport
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2017-12-04
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Manchester City come from behind to win their 13th Premier League match in a row with victory over stubborn West Ham.
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Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Manchester City came from behind to win a record-equalling 13th Premier League match in a row with victory over stubborn West Ham at Etihad Stadium.
Angelo Ogbonna's header on the stroke of half-time put the lowly Hammers ahead, but Nicolas Otamendi responded with a predatory finish shortly after the break.
David Silva won it for City, acrobatically converting a Kevin de Bruyne pass with seven minutes left.
Victory meant Pep Guardiola's side re-established their eight-point lead over Manchester United, who they play at Old Trafford next Sunday (16:30 GMT).
They also equalled the longest winning run within a top-flight season, matching Sunderland and Preston (1891-92), Arsenal (2001-02) and Chelsea (2016-17).
West Ham, though, have set a club record for the fewest points after 15 Premier League matches - they have just 10.
The Londoners had their chances - as well as Ogbonna's goal, Michail Antonio almost pounced when Ederson spilled the ball, and Manuel Lanzini forced the goalkeeper to save at his near post.
But it always looked as though City's pressure would tell and, shortly after De Bruyne's free-kick was palmed away, Gabriel Jesus skipped through and slid the ball to Otamendi, who scored.
Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling, De Bruyne and Jesus had further chances before Silva won it for the home side, but there was still time for the Hammers to go close, with Diafra Sakho shooting just wide after Marko Arnautovic pulled the ball back.
• None Analysis: Total belief, squad unity and late goals - who can stop Man City?
City leave it late to win - again
Silva's strike made this the fourth game in a row City have won thanks to a goal scored in or after the 83rd minute. Sterling had scored the past three, having also hit an injury-time winner at Bournemouth in August.
A home victory always looked the likeliest result, with City extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 28 matches.
They were made to fight for the points, though, and Silva's late winner was one of 18 shots they had in the second half.
While City have been in full flow for much of the season, they have also shown their resilience - taking a league-high 10 points from losing positions.
Prior to their late winners against Huddersfield last month and now West Ham, City had won only one of their past 30 games in which they had been behind at half-time.
That combination of silk and steel has taken them eight points clear at the top, and it will take something special to stop them.
Despite the defeat, there was plenty for Hammers boss David Moyes to take heart from as his side kept the league leaders at bay for almost an hour.
The first half was particularly encouraging and, though a deflected strike from Silva extended Adrian, West Ham had better chances through Antonio and Lanzini.
They looked defensively solid and confident in their gameplan, and Moyes' only disappointment will be they could not keep it up.
Jesus' half-time introduction made a difference, but Sane, De Bruyne and Silva - who had not been at their best in the first half - also began to influence things.
City had had six shots to the Hammers' four prior to that, but Adrian was forced into a string of saves as the hosts bombarded his goal in search of a winner.
Adrian, who came in as Joe Hart was unable to face his parent club, was a standout performer but the Hammers had opportunities of their own despite the absence of strikers Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez.
And the agonising nature of this defeat was summed up by the reaction of former City defender Pablo Zabaleta when Silva's shot hit the back of the net.
David Moyes speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "I have to say it was a really good effort. We defended much better today. We've worked a bit on it, we had one day where we could prepare.
"We needed our goalkeeper to play well. He got both hands to most things. I thought most of it was outside the box. I have to say we did a really good job.
"What a chance we have to make it 2-2 late on. My feeling was I thought we deserved it (to equalise). You get results in different ways and it looked as though we might have got one today. For long parts of the game we were in with a chance."
Pep Guardiola speaking to Match of the Day: "We started really well but we lost our patience. We didn't have any rhythm because Adrian was taking 30 seconds every time.
"It was similar to the last few games, in the second half I thought we would score. They played 10 players inside the box, it was almost impossible.
"It's a big victory. It showed what we are. We had two strikers in the second half and that helped, it was a big lesson for me. We created more with two.
"We spoke a lot about defending set-pieces but they are taller. It will happen again next week against United so we have to try and concede fewer set-pieces."
Record-equalling success and record-breaking disappointment - the best of the stats
• None City have equalled the longest winning run within a top-flight season.
• None City's haul of 43 points from 15 games is a joint top-flight record, level with Tottenham in 1960-61 (converted to three points for a win).
• None West Ham's total of 10 points from 15 games is their lowest in the Premier League and lowest in the top-flight since 1976-77 (nine, converted to three for a win).
• None Since his debut for City in September 2015, De Bruyne has provided 35 assists in the league - more than any other in the big five European leagues.
• None Jesus has been directly involved in 21 goals in his 24 Premier League appearances so far (15 goals, 6 assists).
• None Ogbonna scored his first goal in the big five European leagues, in his 144th appearance.
West Ham return to London Stadium to face Chelsea on Saturday (12:30 GMT) in the first of two successive home games - with Arsenal to come afterwards.
Manchester City travel to Ukraine to take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) and return to league action against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday (16:30).
• None Adrián (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt missed. Diafra Sakho (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Marko Arnautovic.
• None Substitution, West Ham United. André Ayew replaces Michail Antonio because of an injury.
• None Goal! Manchester City 2, West Ham United 1. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
• None Attempt saved. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Pedro Obiang.
• None Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Assisted by David Silva.
• None Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
• None Attempt blocked. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42126648
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Metropolitan Opera suspends James Levine after sex abuse claims - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The New York opera house investigating multiple claims of misconduct involving the conductor.
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Entertainment & Arts
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James Levine was also a conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
New York's Metropolitan Opera says it has suspended the renowned conductor James Levine following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Met said Mr Levine, 74, would not appear this season and it had appointed a law firm to investigate his actions.
Three men have now accused Mr Levine of abusing them decades ago when they were teenagers.
Mr Levine, who was music director at the Met for 40 years, has not commented publicly on the accusations.
He retired for health reasons in 2016 but has continued to work with the opera as music director emeritus.
The Met announced on Saturday it was investigating a claim based on a 2016 police report in which a man accused Mr Levine of abusing him as a teenager in the 1980s.
Peter Gelb, general manager of the Met, told the New York Times on Sunday that it had decided to suspend its relationship with the conductor and cancel his forthcoming engagements after learning of the accounts of two other men who described similar sexual encounters beginning in the late 1960s.
"While we await the results of the investigation, based on these news reports, the Met has made the decision to act now," Mr Gelb said in a statement on Twitter, adding: "This is a tragedy for anyone whose life has been affected."
The Times said the Met had been aware of the police report since last year. However, Mr Levine had denied the accusations and the Met had heard nothing further from police, the newspaper added.
The accusations follow a series of sexual abuse and harassment claims made against high-profile figures in the entertainment industry.
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An Illinois police report, seen by the New York Times, said one of the alleged victims claimed that the abuse began in 1985 when he was 15 and Mr Levine was 41, and continued until 1993.
During his career Mr Levine has conducted more than 2,500 performances at the Met.
He made his debut there in June 1971 with Puccini's Tosca, becoming principal conductor in the 1973-74 season and music director in 1976-77.
He conducted 85 different operas and also worked with the Three Tenors - Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo.
He has struggled with Parkinson's disease and other health issues and now conducts from a motorised wheelchair.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42213054
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Potsdam bomb 'was attempt to extort' from DHL shipping company - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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A bomb found at a Christmas market in Germany on Friday was an attempt to extort from DHL.
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Europe
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Germany is on high alert for attacks following last year's fatal attack on a Christmas market in Berlin
Police investigating a bomb found at a Christmas market in Germany on Friday say it was not terrorism but an attempt to blackmail the shipping company, DHL.
The nail bomb was sent in a parcel to a pharmacy near a market in Potsdam.
Police performed a controlled explosion on the device, which was full of explosives but had no detonator.
After scanning a QR code on the package, police found that those involved demanded millions of euros to not set the bomb off.
"The good news is it that we can say, with all likelihood, that the package was not aimed at the Christmas market," Brandenburg's Interior Minister Karl-Heinz Schröter said.
But he and others warned that there might be more such attempts. Police said a similar package was sent to an online trader based in Frankfurt an der Oder recently.
Germany is on a heightened terror alert, a year after 12 people died in an Islamist attack at a Berlin Christmas market.
Officials have warned people to call the police instead of opening suspicious packages.
They said people should watch out for smudges, visible wires and unfamiliar or missing return addresses.
• None Germany attacks: What is going on?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42214932
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Child sex abuse inquiry: Priest 'tried to control' investigation - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Former Ampleforth College head teacher Father Leo Chamberlain denies influencing a boy's parents.
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UK
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Allegations of sex abuse at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire are being probed by the independent child sex abuse inquiry
Police raised concerns that the head of a Roman Catholic boarding school tried to "control" a child sex abuse investigation, an inquiry has heard.
A former North Yorkshire detective said officers were "excluded" from inquiries at Ampleforth College in 1995 and 2002.
But former head teacher Father Leo Chamberlain denied influencing a boy's parents during a phone call in 1995.
He told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse there had been "no skulduggery".
The Catholic Church is one of 13 public organisations being scrutinised by the inquiry, which is being headed by Prof Alexis Jay.
Det Supt Barry Honeysett said he had told Fr Chamberlain in 2003 that he did not trust the private school, because alleged victims of abuse had been spoken to by staff before police were called in.
Mr Honeysett, who led an inquiry into abuse at Ampleforth College, said: "The issue was largely around the delay in the police becoming involved.
"A direct approach had been made to the victim which I felt was inappropriate."
Earlier in the hearing, the priest was questioned about another policy officer, Det Sgt Hartnett, who was involved investigating allegations at Ampleforth.
Lead counsel to the inquiry Riel Karmy-Jones put it to Fr Chamberlain that Det Sgt Hartnett believed the priest was trying to "control the investigation".
Fr Chamberlain, who began working at the school in 1961, said the suggestion was "completely subjective".
He said he had to spoken to the boy's parents to inform them of the situation and in doing so, had "made no obstruction" to the police inquiry.
Father Leo Chamberlain taught at Ampleforth College from 1961 to 2003
Evidence was heard that the Abbott of Ampleforth, Fr Timothy Wright, went to visit a complainant of child sex abuse, causing mistrust between the Church and North Yorkshire Police.
Speaking via video link, Fr Chamberlain - head teacher at Ampleforth between 1992 and 2003 - said police thought there was a conspiracy between him and Fr Wright "to close the matter down", which he said was not the case.
Fr Chamberlain told the inquiry that during the 1980s, a teacher who had abused pupils would "be got rid of and it was thought wrongly that to keep it all very quiet was in the best interests of the victim".
An earlier hearing was told the former head teacher was warned about employing Fr Piers Grant-Ferris - who was later jailed for abusing boys.
Grant-Ferris, who the pupils had nicknamed "Pervy Piers", was convicted of 20 counts of indecent assault in 2006.
The inquiry was shown a letter by a psychologist employed by the school, Elizabeth Mann, who wrote in 2003 that Grant-Ferris and a second monk posed a risk to pupils.
At the time, Fr Chamberlain said he thought it was safe to employ Grant-Ferris in the abbey's shop, which he had described as "something of a goldfish bowl", regularly visited by guests and students.
He told the inquiry: "Because it was a very visible place I thought well, we could probably make it work. But I think I could have been wrong about that."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42226648
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Brussels 'unusually optimistic' ahead of May visit - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Brussels is in an upbeat mood as the UK PM arrives for Brexit talks, says the BBC's Katya Adler.
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Europe
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Theresa May will hold talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
Brussels is in an upbeat mood. Which is rather rare when it comes to Brexit.
In fact, I've been taken aback by the positive tone of my many conversations.
Suddenly, after hearing endless EU complaints about perceived foot-dragging by London during these grey and grumpy months of Brexit negotiations, EU diplomats spoke to me this weekend of "movement", "traction" and a "lack of negativity" in the frantic last-minute talks ahead of Monday's visit by Theresa May.
Of course, this might all be misplaced optimism. After all, as both the UK and EU love to point out, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that won't be until autumn next year but...
What's at stake here is not a final Brexit deal but whether Brexit negotiations can now widen to include talk of a transition deal and the future shape of EU/UK relations (in or out of the single market and customs union etc).
That depends on whether the EU deems that "sufficient progress" has been made on citizens' rights, Ireland and the financial settlement.
Diplomats reached broad agreement on money and citizens over the weekend.
There is strong opposition to a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
I understand some sovereignty issues are still outstanding on citizens' rights but one EU source told me: "The Brits gave us pretty much everything we asked for."
Dublin wants written assurances from Downing Street that the Good Friday Agreement will be protected and that there will be no re-introduction of a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The search for political wording acceptable to all sides continued throughout the night.
Brussels deemed it a good omen on Sunday when Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP - a unionist party in Northern Ireland that supports Theresa May's government in Westminster - said she was in favour of a "sensible Brexit".
The EU has told member state Ireland that it has the final say in any part of the Brexit agreement that pertains to the Irish border but Prime Minister Leo Varadkar seems loath to use his veto.
In trade terms alone, Ireland believes it has more to lose than any other EU country, if there is a no-deal scenario post-Brexit.
This is why so much is riding on Monday on Theresa May's lunch with EU Commission chief Jean Claude Juncker.
Blood, sweat and tears of negotiating teams aside, the prime minister's personal assurances will be sought in Brussels, on Ireland and other matters.
If all goes smoothly, a joint UK-EU report is being drawn up for publication later in the day to lock in all Brexit understandings agreed to date.
A sure sign that the commission is feeling confident is Jean-Claude Juncker's invitation to European Parliament representatives to meet ahead of Theresa May's arrival.
The parliament is particularly exacting when it comes to citizens' rights and it has a Brexit deal veto.
The European Commission president clearly feels he has enough in his pocket to get them on board.
All EU sources I have spoken to described themselves at the very least as "cautiously optimistic" ahead of the prime minister's arrival.
So much so, that EU diplomats tell me they're already debating the "what next?"
What mandate should the lead EU negotiator Michel Barnier be given by Europe's leaders at their mid-December summit if there is a green light to proceed to Brexit Phase 2?
There is heated debate right now as to whether Mr Barnier will first be instructed to talk transition deals with the UK and only later - in March next year - have his mandate widened to include negotiations on the future shape of EU-UK relations, which would touch on trade, of course.
Brussels may be feeling Brexit-buoyant at the start of the day but if all goes according to their plan - and that, I stress, is by no means a fait accompli - there will be pockets of disgruntlement amongst those in the UK who view the government as caving in to EU demands and amongst EU countries like Germany that are more cautious than the EU Commission about leaping in to the realms of Brexit Phase 2.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42218047
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Man dies after being hit by police car in Haringey on 999 call - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The car had been on a 999 call and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene in Haringey.
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London
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The crash happened on Seven Sisters Road on Sunday evening
A pedestrian has died after being hit by a police car on an emergency call in London.
Officers gave first aid at the scene in Haringey but the man in his 40s was pronounced dead.
The crash occurred at 18:45 GMT on Sunday on Seven Sisters Road close to the junction with Elizabeth Road.
The Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Police Complaints Commission have been informed, the Met Police said.
One local shopkeeper, Mehmet, said: "I was with two or three customers, and I heard a big noise outside."
"We saw that a police car had hit a person. We saw the police car stop, and two officers got out and tried to resuscitate him."
He said a number of people had been struck by vehicles nearby in the past.
"I think the council should put a zebra crossing in. People are often crossing and the road is very busy, and it's very dangerous for them."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42223152
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Tortured by Syrian extremists 'who received UK aid' - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The Nour al-Din al-Zinki group in Syria took funds through a UK-backed project, BBC Panorama finds.
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The extremist Syrian group Nour al-Din al-Zinki took funds through a UK-backed foreign aid project, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.
Taxpayers' money was diverted to Zinki via the Free Syrian Police scheme.
The government has suspended funding while it investigates the allegations.
UK users can watch the full BBC Panorama investigation on BBC iPlayer.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-42231296
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Taiwan rainbow 'lasts record-breaking nine hours' - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Taiwan's Chinese Culture University says the phenomenon breaks the record held by the UK.
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Asia
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This may be the longest-lasting rainbow ever
A rainbow may be a wondrous sight but for most people it's also a fairly fleeting one.
But last week, professors and students of the Chinese Culture University in Taipei's mountains were treated to one that lasted for nine hours.
"It was amazing… It felt like a gift from the sky... It's so rare!" said Chou Kun-hsuan, a professor in the university's Department of Atmospheric Sciences.
Prof Chou and a second professor, Liu Ching-huang, led the efforts to document the rainbow with the help of the department's students and the campus community.
Rainbows typically last much less than an hour
Their observations, pictures and video recordings showed the rainbow lasted from 06:57 until 15:55 - eight hours and 58 minutes.
If confirmed, it would shatter the previous record for the longest-lasting rainbow, set in Yorkshire, England, on 14 March 1994.
That rainbow was recorded as lasting six hours, from 09:00 to 15:00, according to the Guinness World Records.
Rainbows typically last much less than an hour, according to the Guinness website.
The rainbow lasted from 06:57 until 15:55 - eight hours and 58 minutes - the university said
"After four hours, we mobilised all our students and began to notify everyone in the school to take pictures and send us pictures," Prof Chou said.
"When we broke the previous record after passing six hours, I was hardly able to stay seated for lunch; it was around lunchtime. I was so excited; I wanted to make sure we captured the rainbow. But then it did something even more incredible; it went on to beat the previous record by another three hours!"
The professors and department were ready to capture the rainbow because they had recorded a rainbow lasting about six hours the previous Monday, Prof Chou said.
The department is now gathering all the evidence to apply for the Guinness record.
Such atmospheric conditions are common in winter in Taipei's Yangmingshan mountain range
"With the 10,000 pictures we took in our department alone, and the many more taken by others on campus and people living nearby, I'm confident we can prove to Guinness second by second that this rainbow lasted for nine hours," Prof Chou said.
The conditions that made the rainbow last so long were a seasonal north-east monsoon that trapped moisture in the air, forming clouds; sunlight and a relatively slow wind speed of 2.5-5 metres per second.
Such atmospheric conditions are common in winter in Taipei's Yangmingshan mountain range, where the campus is located, making it an ideal place for spotting long-lasting rainbows, Prof Chou said.
He added: "I plan to contact the Taipei City tourism department to promote this, 'you can see a nine-hour rainbow in Taipei in the winter, it's amazing! Come to Taipei!'"
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219665
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Facebook creates 800 jobs as it opens new London office - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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US social media giant says 2,300 people will work for the company in the UK by the end of 2018.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tech giant opens its biggest engineering hub outside the US
Facebook is opening a new London office that will allow it to create 800 new UK jobs in 2018.
By the end of next year about 2,300 people will work for the social media company in the UK.
The office will be Facebook's biggest engineering hub outside the US, and opens during its tenth year in the UK.
Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook's Europe, Middle East and Asia vice-president, said the company was "more committed than ever to the UK".
She said Britain's "entrepreneurial ecosystem and engineering excellence" made it an ideal location for technology firms.
The seven-floor building at Rathbone Place, near Oxford Circus in central London, was designed by Frank Gehry, the architect best known for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
It will accommodate engineers and developers as well as marketing and sales teams.
The building will also house a dedicated incubator space for start-ups, called LDN-LAB.
UK-based start-ups will be invited to take part in three month programmes designed to help kickstart their businesses.
Facebook experts from disciplines including engineering, product and partnerships will work with the companies as part of the initiative.
Julian David of techUK, which represents 950 technology firms in the UK, welcomed a world-leading company such as Facebook investing in London despite the uncertainties surrounding Brexit.
Chancellor Philip Hammond said Facebook's decision to expand in London was a "sign of confidence" in Britain.
"The UK is not only the best place to start a new business, it's also the best place to grow one," he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42213942
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West Midlands Police release footage of M6 crash - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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A lorry crashes into two cars when its driver 'falls asleep' at the wheel on the M6.
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Footage has been released of the moment a lorry driver crashed into stationary cars on the M6 at 43mph.
The 47-year-old driver, from Liverpool, told police at the scene, "I think I went to sleep for a moment".
He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 16 months.
West Midlands Police said the two car drivers were treated for broken bones and back and neck injuries.
Midlands Live: Man continued to be questioned in murder probe; Homes evacuated after grenade found
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42215413
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Nazi-salute man drove at curry shop owner in Harrow - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The court heard Marek Zakrocki shouted "white power" during a drunken rampage in Harrow.
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London
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Marek Zakrocki shouted "white power" before using his van as a weapon
A supporter of the far-right group Britain First gave a Nazi salute and drove at a curry house owner during a drunken rampage in London.
The Old Bailey heard Marek Zakrocki shouted "white power" before using his van as a weapon outside Spicy Night in Harrow on 23 June.
The 48-year-old window fitter was heard to say "I'm going to kill a Muslim. I'm doing it for Britain".
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and beating his wife.
Prosecutor Denis Barry said: "Mr Zakrocki had plainly, during the course of that afternoon, had far too much to drink.
"During the course of that evening he assaulted his wife, drove off in his work vehicle, insulted a series of passers-by and then drove his vehicle at the owner of a curry house, breaking the window of the curry house.
"It's plain that his conduct is very likely to have been motivated by his views about our diverse society."
The drunken rampage took place at the Spicy Night restaurant in Harrow
The attack happened on the anniversary of the Brexit vote.
The court heard he had also said at the time: "This is how I'm going to help the country. You people cannot do anything."
Following his arrest by armed officers, a Nazi coin was found in his pocket and copies of Britain First newspapers and flyers at his home in Harrow.
Mr Barry said Zakrocki had been "fixated" by Muslims and had made donations to Britain First in the past.
The court heard Zakrocki's van mounted the pavement twice before making contact with restaurant owner Kamal Ahmed.
The windows of the curry house were also smashed during the attack, some of which was caught on CCTV.
Jonathan Lennon, defending, said Zakrocki had "not intended to kill anybody".
Zakrocki will be sentenced later.
Further charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and having a knife in Northolt Road, Harrow, were ordered to lie on file.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42223156
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The vet treating homeless people's dogs - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Jade Statt was inspired after walking past a rough sleeper and his dog on a night out.
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Jade Statt helped set up Street Vet after a meeting with one rough sleeper and his dog.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42201020
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HMP Swaleside: Inmate injured during disturbance - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Riot-trained "Tornado" squad officers were called in to deal with violence among inmates on one wing.
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Kent
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The violence was contained in one wing, the Prison Service said
An inmate has been injured during a disturbance at a jail that led to riot officers being called in.
Specialist "Tornado" squad officers were brought in at HMP Swaleside, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, on Sunday.
A small number of inmates on one wing were involved in the violence, which has since been "successfully resolved", the Prison Service (PS) said.
Almost a year ago, up to 60 inmates took over part of the prison for 12 hours.
On the latest incident, the PS said: "We do not tolerate violence in our prisons and are clear that those responsible will be referred to police and could spend longer behind bars."
In September, a report revealed there had been an "unacceptable escalation of instability" at the jail.
The HM Inspectorate of Prisons said there had been too many assaults on both staff and prisoners and the smuggling of weapons was an issue.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-42217789
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'Shame and anger' at plastic ocean pollution - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Scientists working on the BBC's Blue Planet II series talk of their dismay at the spread of discarded plastic.
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Science & Environment
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Wandering albatrosses scour the oceans for food to bring back to their chicks
Scientists who advised the Blue Planet II documentary team say they feel "shame and anger" at the “plague of plastic” impacting the natural world.
Even in the remote waters of Antarctica, they have found evidence of plastic killing and harming seabirds.
Wandering albatrosses – which have the longest wingspan of any birds alive today – are thought to be especially vulnerable.
Nesting on the barren islands of South Georgia, they feed their young by scouring thousands of miles of ocean for squid and fish but often bring back plastic instead.
The final episode of what has become the most-watched TV programme of the year explores how the oceans are threatened by human activities including overfishing and pollution.
It will be broadcast on Sunday 10 December.
The final programme in the series will look at some of the threats facing the oceans
In a particularly moving scene, Dr Lucy Quinn, a zoologist, is seen checking albatross chicks on Bird Island where she was the British Antarctic Survey’s winter manager for more than two years.
One chick that Dr Quinn found dead and later dissected was killed because a plastic toothpick that it swallowed had pierced its stomach.
Others had regurgitated plastic items including cling film, food packaging, cutlery and parts of bottles.
Dr Quinn told me: “I feel real shame and anger that it’s humans who have caused this problem.
"It’s really sad because you get to know the birds and how long it takes the parents, away for ten days at a time, to collect food for their chicks and what they bring back is plastic.
"And what’s sad is that the plague of plastic is as far-reaching as these seemingly pristine environments."
Lucy Quinn seen checking albatrosses on Bird Island, part of South Georgia
It's not known how many albatross chicks in Antarctica die from plastic pollution every year – it's thought to be fewer than the losses suffered by Laysan albatrosses on Midway Atoll in the Pacific .
But on Bird Island, predators often eat dead chicks before the researchers can reach them – and the suspicion is that the effect of the plastic goes beyond the direct killing of seabirds.
According to Dr Quinn, the threat is more insidious, weakening birds as they waste energy trying to digest plastic, which has no nutritional value, and potentially poisoning them as chemicals are released when the plastic breaks down in their stomachs.
Research at the other end of the world into a smaller relative of the albatross – the fulmars of the North Sea – shows that while plastics may directly kill seabirds, it is the debilitating effects of the waste that could be more serious.
If a human had ingested the equivalent plastic volume as the average fulmar does (L), it would fill a lunchbox (R)
Studies of fulmars found dead on beaches or caught accidentally by fishermen – which Dr Quinn has also been involved in – show that from 2010-2014, UK fulmars were found to contain on average 39 particles of plastic weighing a total of 0.32 grams.
In an unsettling image, the volume of space taken up by that plastic in a fulmar’s belly is the equivalent in a human stomach of the contents of a typical lunchbox, and usually the plastic is made up of consumer items used just once and then thrown away.
Most shocking is the effect of party balloons, released in a moment of celebration, but then catching the eye of a fulmar searching for food.
Dr Quinn remembers one occasion when she dissected one of the birds.
"I couldn’t believe my eyes, seeing a balloon in the bird’s oesophagus, which would have killed it, along with cling film, toothbrushes and packaging – I feel extremely sad for the birds and impatient to do something," she said.
The plastic may be undermining the fulmars’ health, which could affect their ability to breed - with long-term implications for the population as a whole.
Cayman Trough: Plastic debris has descended to the deepest parts of the world's oceans
The threat from plastic waste is not limited to pieces that are visible – bottles, bags and other items break down into minute fragments, or "micro-plastics", which enter the food chain in every corner of the ocean.
Scientists from the University of Newcastle even identified tiny fibres in the smallest creatures living in the deepest part of the Pacific, the Mariana Trench.
Dr Jon Copley, of the University of Southampton, who joined the Blue Planet submarine filming in Antarctica, says that although he did not spot any plastic in the polar waters, he has been shocked by its presence elsewhere.
"When I've seen plastic in the deep ocean - such as a bin liner we found near deep-sea vents in the Cayman Trough - there's an initial shock and disappointment that our rubbish has got here before us as explorers.
"But then there's the realisation that our everyday lives are more connected to the deep ocean than we perhaps think.
"Every piece of plastic rubbish has a story, so it also makes me wonder about the chain of events that led to that particular item ending up in the deep ocean, and whether any of those events could have been prevented."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42221262
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The 'peace diamond' of Sierra Leone - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Half of the proceeds from the sale of the 709 carat gem will be invested in the local community.
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The government of Sierra Leone has auctioned a 709 carat rough diamond, named the 'peace diamond', which will benefit its people.
Half of the proceeds from the sale of the diamond will go directly towards bringing clean water, electricity, schools, medical facilities, bridges and roads to the community where the stone was discovered.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42229105
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Social mobility board quits over lack of progress - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Chairman Alan Milburn criticises the government, which says it had decided not to renew his term.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Milburn said Brexit meant ministers were unlikely to have the energy to tackle "one of the biggest challenges" facing the UK
All four members of the board of the government's Social Mobility Commission have stood down in protest at the lack of progress towards a "fairer Britain".
Ex-Labour minister Alan Milburn, who chairs the commission, said he had "little hope" the current government could make the "necessary" progress.
The government was too focused on Brexit to deal with the issue, he said.
The government said Mr Milburn's term had come to an end and it had already decided to get some "fresh blood" in.
The commission is charged with monitoring the government's progress in "freeing children from poverty and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential".
In his resignation letter to Theresa May, published in The Observer, Mr Milburn said he did not doubt her "personal belief" in social justice, but he saw "little evidence of that being translated into meaningful action".
He said individual ministers, such as the education secretary, had shown a deep commitment to social mobility.
But it had "become obvious that the government as a whole is unable to commit the same level of support".
Neither, according to the former Labour minister and his colleagues on the board who include a former Conservative education secretary.
Their frustration demonstrates the extent to which Brexit is all-consuming for the government.
Leaving the EU is taking up so much time, energy and effort that there is little capacity for anything else to get done.
Even on an issue which is a personal priority for the prime minister.
Mr Milburn, a former health secretary, took up his role at the commission in July 2012, under the coalition government led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he said divisions in Britain were becoming wider - pointing to the ongoing squeeze on wages.
The government lacked the "bandwidth" to tackle social division while also dealing with Brexit, he said, describing his task as being like "pushing water uphill".
Mr Milburn said Education Secretary Justine Greening had been a "champion for the cause" and had wanted him to stay in post - which Ms Greening, who also appeared on the show, would not be drawn on.
"He has done a fantastic job, but his term had come to an end and I think it was about getting some fresh blood into the commission," she said.
She denied the government lacked the will to tackle inequality, but admitted more needed to be done.
In a report published last week, the commission said economic, social and local divisions laid bare by the Brexit vote needed to be addressed to prevent a rise in far right or hard left extremism.
It said London and its commuter belt appeared to be a "different country" to coastal, rural and former industrial areas, with young people there facing lower pay and fewer top jobs.
The resignations come as Mrs May, who entered Downing Street in July 2016 promising to tackle the "burning injustices" that hold back poorer people, faces questions over the future of senior minister Damian Green - who is effectively her second in command - and is under pressure as Brexit talks continue.
In an interview in the Sunday Times, Mr Milburn said: "There has been indecision, dysfunctionality and a lack of leadership."
Theresa May pledged to "make Britain a country that works for everyone" when she became PM
The government said it was making "good progress" on social mobility and focusing on disadvantaged areas.
It said it had already told Mr Milburn it planned to appoint a new chair and would hold an open application process for the role.
It said it was committed to fighting injustice "and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to go as far as their talents will take them".
It highlighted its increase of the national living wage, cuts in income tax for the lowest paid and doubling of free childcare in England.
The process of appointing a new chairperson and commissioners would begin as soon as possible, it added.
The other board members standing down include deputy chair of the commission and Tory former education secretary Baroness Shephard.
Paul Gregg, a professor of economic and social policy at the University of Bath, and David Johnston, the chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation charity, are also leaving.
Shadow cabinet office minister Jon Trickett said the resignations came as "no surprise".
"As inequality has grown under the Tories, social mobility has totally stalled," he said.
"How well people do in life is still based on class background rather than on talent or effort."
Mr Milburn said he would be setting up a new social mobility institute, independent of the government.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42212270
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Russia-Trump: President hits out at FBI over Russia inquiry - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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In a Twitter tirade, the president issues a fresh denial that he tried to obstruct an FBI investigation.
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US & Canada
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Donald Trump's presidency has been overshadowed by the inquiry into collusion with Russia
Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI on Sunday, issuing a fresh denial that he asked former director James Comey to drop an investigation into the conduct of one of his top aides, Michael Flynn.
In a Twitter tirade, Mr Trump said the FBI's reputation was "in tatters".
His attack came amid a flurry of developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the US election.
Mr Trump denies that his team colluded with Russia to get him elected.
Reports emerged over the weekend that Mr Mueller, a former FBI director, had dismissed an FBI officer from the investigation during the summer after he was discovered to have made anti-Trump remarks in text messages.
The president seized on the officer's dismissal, tweeting: "Report: 'ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE' Now it all starts to make sense!"
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A spokesman for Mr Mueller said the officer was dismissed from the investigating team as soon as the messages were discovered.
Michael Flynn, the president's former national security adviser, announced on Friday that he was co-operating with Mr Mueller's investigation, in return for pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
The former general admitted lying to the FBI and has been offered a reduced sentence of six months. Analysts say the deal indicates that Mr Flynn has incriminating information about one or more senior members of the Trump administration.
In a series of tweets posted on Sunday morning, Mr Trump again attacked his former rival for the presidency, Hillary Clinton, who was investigated by the FBI ahead of the election after it emerged she had used a private email server to conduct state department business.
No charges were brought against Mrs Clinton or her team.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After Flynn's guilty plea, what next for the Russia investigation?
In another tweet, the president accused ABC News of "horrendously inaccurate and dishonest reporting", after one of the network's reporters acknowledged making an error in a story about the president.
Chief investigative reporter Brian Ross reported that Mr Trump was a candidate when he directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Moscow.
He later corrected his report to say Mr Trump was president-elect when he gave the order to Mr Flynn. Mr Ross has been suspended by the network for four weeks.
The president fired Mr Flynn in February for misrepresenting the nature of his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak to Vice-President Mike Pence.
Then-FBI director James Comey alleges that in a private meeting the day after Mr Flynn was fired, the president asked him to show leniency to the dismissed aide, saying, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go."
Michael Flynn was sacked in February, just 25 days after taking the job
Mr Comey took notes immediately after the meeting and shared copies with senior FBI officials. President Trump fired Mr Comey in May.
Tweeting on Sunday, Mr Trump issued a fresh denial that he had pushed Mr Comey to drop the investigation into Mr Flynn.
"I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!" he wrote.
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Legal experts say Mr Trump could theoretically have obstructed justice if he had attempted to have the FBI investigation into Mr Flynn squashed.
The president's surprising admission in a tweet on Saturday - that he knew Mr Flynn had lied to the FBI when he fired him - contradicted his own account from the time, and may have added weight to accusations that he obstructed justice.
White House lawyer John Dowd later told the Axios news website that he had drafted the controversial tweet and sent the text to White House social media director Dan Scavino.
The revelations soured what should have been a celebratory weekend for the president, after his sweeping tax reform bill scraped through the Senate early on Saturday morning.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42215767
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Poppi Worthington inquest: No 'natural causes' pathologist says - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dr Alison Armour told an inquest she believed Poppi had been sexually assaulted.
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Cumbria
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Poppi Worthington was blue and not breathing when she was brought to hospital
There were no natural causes to account for the death of 13-month-old Poppi Worthington at her Cumbria home, a pathologist has told an inquest.
The toddler died suddenly at a house in Barrow, early on 12 December 2012. No-one has ever been prosecuted.
In evidence to an inquest into Poppi's death, Dr Alison Armour said she believed Poppi was sexually assaulted.
Dr Armour also said she had suspected Poppi had been physically abused before she started to examine her body.
Dr Armour said: "I think it is very important to state in this case the autopsy revealed no natural causes to account for Poppi Worthington's death."
She said her conclusions were based on all of her findings which were "in keeping" with Poppi suffering a penetrative injury.
When asked if there was anything she had seen that contradicted her conclusion.
However, she maintained the "mechanism" of Poppi's death remained "unascertained".
She said it would be wrong to say that a penetrative injury alone caused the death, but she believed it happened and it may have been a contributing factor.
Gillian Irving QC asked Dr Armour: "Is the reality five years on that we really are never going to know the cause of death of Poppi Worthington?"
Dr Armour said: "I do appreciate the mother wants a cause of death, but there are some times when we cannot give a cause of death.
"We have to to be sure, we cannot speculate.
"I know it would bring closure to your client, but I cannot give it, not even on the balance of probabilities.
"There isn't enough for me to sure."
The double bed where Poppi was placed at the time of her collapse
The inquest had heard a detailed account of the various tests done on Poppi during the post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Armour.
The Home Office pathologist said she did find evidence of an "upper respiratory tract infection" which was consistent with Poppi's parents claims she was "a bit snuffly" and had a cold.
She also said she found a "tiny focus" of pneumonia in Poppi's lungs, but it would not account for Poppi's death.
Dr Armour, who has been a Home Office pathologist for 30 years, was asked about bright red blood, known as frank blood, found in Poppi's nose.
She said a cause could not be given for certain, but it can be found in cases of smothering or suffocation.
Earlier, Dr Armour told the inquest in Kendal, that an X-ray revealed the child had leg fractures.
Both of Poppi's parents have said they could not explain the fractures and did not believe they were causing her pain.
Counsel for the coroner, Alison Hewitt, asked Dr Armour if she had expressed concern about child abuse before carrying out her post-mortem examination - a comment Det Sgt John Carton claimed he had heard the Home Office pathologist make.
Dr Armour confirmed she made the remark having been "very concerned" by the fractures revealed by a full body X-ray and skeletal survey.
The sofa on the ground floor of the family home where Poppi Worthington was resuscitated
She added: "I think the phrase might have been: 'In cases where there are fractures with no history of accidental trauma and it is picked up at the time of the death of a child, this is strongly suspicious of child abuse'.
Dr Armour carried out the post-mortem examination at the Royal Children's Hospital in Manchester. Poppi weighed 10.7kg and was 81cm tall.
The Cumbria force has been criticised for its handling of the investigation by the police watchdog.
The new inquest was ordered after a seven-minute hearing in 2014 determined Poppi's death was "unascertained".
In 2016, High Court family judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson ruled Poppi was probably sexually assaulted by her father shortly before she died.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-42224421
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'Supermoon' brightens up skies for stargazers - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The moon appeared larger and brighter in the sky, as it moved closer to Earth.
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UK
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The "supermoon" rising above Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire.
Skywatchers have enjoyed spectacular views of this month's "supermoon" - when the Moon appears larger and brighter in the sky.
The supermoon phenomenon happens when the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth, known as a perigee Moon.
The Moon circuits the Earth in an elliptical or oval orbit - a supermoon occurs when the perigee Moon is also a full Moon.
The supermoon was the last opportunity to see one in 2017.
The moon loomed above Yeadon, in Leeds
To observers, the Moon appears about 7% larger and 15% brighter, although the difference is barely noticeable to the human eye.
Last year the Moon made its closest approach to Earth since 1948 - it will not be that close again until 25 November 2034.
Nasa has called this weekend's sighting the first in a "supermoon trilogy" over the next two months, with others to come on 1 January and 31 January.
December's full Moon is traditionally known as the cold Moon.
The full Moon on Sunday afternoon - when it sits opposite the sun in the sky - was 222,761 miles from Earth, closer than its average 238,900 miles.
The supermoon over the Christmas light trail at Blenheim Palace
The supermoon has also been seen over a lighthouse in South Shields, South Tyneside.
This Moon's elliptical orbit means that its distance from Earth is not constant but varies across a full orbit.
But within this uneven orbit there are further variations caused by the Earth's movements around the Sun.
These mean that the perigee - the closest approach - and full moon are not always in sync.
But occasions when the perigee and full moon coincide have become known as supermoons.
The supermoon was visible around the world, with this view coming from Washington
This picture of the supermoon was taken in Jakarta, Indonesia
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42211288
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Malta arrests 10 over Caruana Galizia car bomb murder - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Prominent blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a bomb attack which shocked the nation.
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Europe
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Police in Malta have arrested 10 Maltese nationals in connection with the car bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told reporters that police operations were under way in the town of Marsa, and the Bugibba and Zebbug areas.
Caruana Galizia was killed close to her home on 16 October in an attack which shocked the country.
The 53-year-old was known for her blog accusing top politicians of corruption.
The government offered a €1m (£890,000; $1.2m) reward for information about her murder.
International experts, including from the FBI, were called in to help in the investigation.
Police and troops are being used in the security operation, with roads blocked and a patrol boat deployed.
Mr Muscat said some of the detainees were already known to the police while others had criminal records.
When asked if the eight arrested had participated in the murder, or if they also included the mastermind, Mr Muscat would not comment, Malta Today reports.
"I have a clear idea of what they did and who they are but I cannot give out more details at this time," he said.
On her Running Commentary blog, Caruana Galizia had relentlessly reported on alleged corruption among politicians across party lines.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Andrew Borg Cardona: "My friend has been killed there"
With a career spanning more than three decades, she was "one of Malta's most important, visible, fearless journalists", in the words of former Home Affairs Minister Louis Galea.
Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people but the tiny EU state's leaders were barred by her family.
Her three sons refused to endorse the reward and called on Mr Muscat to resign for failing to uphold "fundamental freedom".
The editors of eight of the world's largest news organisations, including the BBC, called for the European Commission - the EU executive - to investigate the murder.
In response, Frans Timmermans, vice-president of the commission, urged the authorities to leave "no stone unturned" in the case.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42221352
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UK foreign aid money 'diverted to extremists' in Syria - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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A foreign aid scheme is suspended by the government, following a BBC Panorama investigation.
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UK
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The Free Syrian Police project is run from Gaziantep in Turkey, just across the border from Syria
The government has suspended a foreign aid project after a BBC Panorama investigation found taxpayers' cash was being diverted to extremists in Syria.
Officers from a UK-backed police force in Syria have also been working with courts carrying out brutal sentences.
A UK government spokesman said it takes allegations of co-operation with terrorist groups "extremely seriously".
Adam Smith International, the British company running the project, said it strongly denies the allegations.
The Free Syrian Police (FSP) was set up following the uprising in Syria, to bring law and order to parts of the country that were controlled by opposition forces.
Adam Smith International (ASI) has been running the project since October 2014.
Britain was one of six donor countries paying for the project, which provides community policing to the rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Idlib and Daraa provinces.
It is intended to be an unarmed civilian police force, and not co-operate with extremist groups, but Panorama has found examples where that was not the case. Some of Panorama's allegations against the project include:
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced in April that the UK would commit a further £4 million to the UK-funded Access to Justice and Community Security (AJACS) scheme that supports the FSP.
ASI says the FSP is an unarmed community police force that brings the rule of law and safety to millions of people in a war-torn country.
An ASI spokesman said it "strongly refutes Panorama's allegations".
"We have managed taxpayers' money effectively to confront terrorism, bring security to Syrian communities and mitigate the considerable risks of operating in a war zone," he said.
"ASI has managed the project successfully alongside our partner in an extremely challenging, high-risk environment under the close supervision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and five other governments."
The company says it uses cash to fund the police because there is no practical alternative - and that the British government is aware of the payments.
A police station in Koknaya was supposed to be the base for 57 officers - but ASI staff could not find any police officers during a visit in 2016
Panorama has obtained ASI documents that show dead and fictitious people were on the police payroll.
One police station in Koknaya in Idlib province was supposed to be the base for 57 police officers. But the documents show that when ASI's staff visited in September 2016, they couldn't find a single officer.
ASI said officers were accounted for on subsequent visits. The company has now suspended the payment of all salaries at the Koknaya police station.
It said it had identified very few examples across Syria where deceased officers had remained on the salary list.
The documents also show how some police officers in Aleppo province were forced to hand over cash to the extremist group - Nour al-Din al-Zinki - in control of the area.
An ASI report from July 2016 warned that 20% of all police salaries were being handed over "to pay for the military and security support that Zinki provides to the five FSP stations located areas under its control".
As well as handing over a cut of British aid money to Zinki, the police had also worked with a Zinki court "by writing up warrants, delivering notices, and turning criminals over to the court".
The police cooperation has continued despite allegations of torture and summary executions involving the court at al-Qasimiyeh.
Tory MP Crispin Blunt, former chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the FSP should not be supporting extremist courts.
He said: "You've got people being sentenced to death for homosexuality.
"Clearly that is completely and utterly unacceptable by any standard and the idea that British taxpayers' money was associated with that would of course be wholly abhorrent."
ASI says it has strict guidelines in place to ensure detainees are treated fairly and humanely, and that payments to the police stations which were paying Zinki were stopped in August 2016. It says donor governments were kept fully informed.
A road near Sarmin - where two women were stoned to death in the presence of FSP officers
Panorama also discovered that the Free Syrian Police provided support for courts run by the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda - Jabhat al-Nusra - which handed out extreme punishments.
Police officers were present when two women were stoned to death near Sarmin in December 2014. Sources have told Panorama the officers closed the road so that the execution could take place.
ASI says the police officers who attended the stoning were not formally under FSP control and have since been removed.
Panorama has also seen evidence that al-Nusra handpicked police officers in two stations in Idlib province.
ASI says that the officers imposed by al-Nusra were detected in under two months and that payments to the station were then stopped.
The company says the payments in question only amounted to $1,800 (£1,340) and did not come from British government funds. But ASI didn't explain how they could be sure when the whole project is funded by cash.
A UK government spokesman said: "We take any allegations of co-operation with terrorist groups and of human rights abuses extremely seriously and the Foreign Office has suspended this programme while we investigate these allegations.
"We believe that such work in Syria is important to protect our national security interest but of course we reach this judgment carefully given that in such a challenging environment no activity is without risk.
"That's why all our programmes are designed carefully and subject to robust monitoring."
You can see more on this story on Panorama, Jihadis You Pay For on BBC One at 7.30pm on Monday 4 December and afterwards on iPlayer.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42217132
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UK and EU Brexit talks latest - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Rolling updates as the UK and the EU seek to make a breakthrough on the Northern Ireland border.
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UK Politics
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Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been talking to the BBC about today's Brexit developments.
She says no-one wants to see a hard border on the island of Ireland and suggests the "unhealthy influence" of the DUP at Westminster was a major factor in the apparent failure to finalise an agreement.
If the concept of a distinct status for Northern Ireland is borne out in the final phase one agreement, she says "this will change everything".
Quote Message: The bottom line is the UK government appears to be accepting parts of the UK can effectively stay within the single market, so if that's good enough and possible enough for Northern Ireland there's no reason why it can't be the case for Scotland." The bottom line is the UK government appears to be accepting parts of the UK can effectively stay within the single market, so if that's good enough and possible enough for Northern Ireland there's no reason why it can't be the case for Scotland."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-42225873
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Alex Hales: England batsman not charged by police and available for selection - BBC Sport
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2017-12-04
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England batsman Alex Hales will not face a criminal charge over an incident outside a nightclub in September and is available for selection.
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Last updated on .From the section Cricket
England batsman Alex Hales will not face criminal charges over an incident outside a nightclub in Bristol in September and is available for selection, the England and Wales Cricket Board says.
He had been with all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.
Hales, 28, was not arrested but was interviewed under caution by police and was not considered for selection.
He could still be punished by the ECB.
The ECB's internal disciplinary process is on hold until any criminal proceedings against Stokes are concluded.
"Alex Hales will now be considered for England selection," the ECB said in a statement.
Hales is a one-day and T20 specialist, who last played Test cricket in August 2016 and could return for the limited-overs leg of England's tour of Australia.
England will play a five-game one-day series against Australia in January, before a triangular Twenty20 series against New Zealand and Australia in February.
The ECB has also allowed Hales to play in the inaugural T20 Cricket League in Dubai from 21 to 24 December.
Stokes was arrested after a night out that followed England's victory over West Indies in the third one-day international.
Video footage emerged which allegedly showed him in a brawl in the early hours of the morning.
A man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident on 25 September.
In the aftermath, Hales, who voluntarily helped police with their inquiries, was left out of the fourth ODI along with Stokes.
The ECB then announced Stokes and Hales would not be considered for selection until further notice.
On 29 November, Avon and Somerset Police said it had completed its investigation and sent the findings to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide if Stokes would be charged.
With a decision not to be made for several weeks, Stokes seems unlikely to play in England's current Ashes series in Australia.
However, he can play domestic cricket in any country and signed for Canterbury last week after travelling to New Zealand to visit his family.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42222983
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Trump-Russia: Six big takeaways from the Flynn deal - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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Michael Flynn is facing prison, and the Trump White House is facing a political crisis.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After Flynn's guilty plea, what next for the Russia investigation?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller just dropped the hammer. Again.
On Friday it was Michael Flynn's turn "in the barrel", to borrow a line from Trump confidant Roger Stone. The former national security adviser pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about December 2016 conversations he had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak and pledged to "fully co-operate" with Mr Mueller's ongoing investigations.
Mr Flynn has admitted he misled the FBI about his discussions regarding new sanctions imposed on Russia by the Obama administration following evidence of alleged meddling in the 2016 election.
There had been hints this was coming, after word last week that Mr Flynn's defence lawyers had stopped co-operating with the Trump legal team. The president's own scattershot behaviour on Twitter this week could also have been a key tell, like a trick knee acting up before a big storm.
So why is this being billed as a major development in the ongoing investigation into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia? Let us count the ways.
1) Trump's inner circle has been breached
It is difficult to overstate the significance of this felony plea deal. Mr Flynn was a close adviser and confidant of Mr Trump throughout the 2016 presidential race. He was a surrogate for the candidate on television and enjoyed a prominent speaking role at the July Republican National Convention. He had a pivotal role in Mr Trump's presidential transition.
The role of national security adviser in the White House, which Mr Flynn assumed upon Mr Trump's inauguration, is one of the most senior positions in any administration, responsible for being the key conduit between the sprawling US military and intelligence bureaucracies and the president. It is a post that has been held by the likes of Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
Mr Trump was so partial to Mr Flynn that he was praising him as a "wonderful man" who had been "treated very, very unfairly by the media" just days after firing him.
Now Mr Flynn could be going to jail - and, more importantly, could be sharing damaging information about the Trump inner circle he inhabited for so long.
According to the "Statement of the Offense" filed by the special counsel's office, Mr Flynn is testifying that he had contact with Trump transition team officials before and after his fateful December 2016 conversation with Ambassador Kislyak. "Members of the transition team," the document relates, "did not want Russia to escalate the situation after the Obama administration imposed new sanctions on the Russian government".
These conversations came more than a month after Mr Trump had won the presidency. Mr Flynn had already been announced as the national security adviser in the incoming White House - a top post in the president's inner circle.
The next big question is who exactly were the unnamed senior members of the presidential transition team. Some US news outlets are naming Jared Kushner and former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland. Others seem to indicate it was Mr Trump himself. Eventually, Mr Flynn - and Mr Mueller - will have to lay their cards on the table.
Mr Flynn's assertions about his conversations with the transition team run directly counter to statements made by Mr Trump in a February press conference in which he said Mr Flynn was acting against orders when he reached out to Mr Kislyak.
In fact the White House said at the time that the president dismissed Mr Flynn as national security adviser because he lied to Vice-President Mike Pence about his Russian contacts. The true nature of Mr Flynn's conversations with Mr Kislyak first came out thanks to leaks to the press of information gleaned from government surveillance of Mr Kislyak.
If Mr Flynn has evidence corroborating his account of December contacts with the Trump transition team - which was headed by Mr Pence himself - the White House's explanation for its handling of the Flynn situation, denials of knowledge and all, starts to crumble.
Mr Flynn appeared in court in front of Judge Rudolph Contreras
Anyone in the president's inner circle who told the FBI or Mr Mueller's investigators that they weren't privy to Mr Flynn's activities, when there is evidence that they knew, would be open to another round of charges of lying to the FBI.
The White House response, at least so far, seems to be that Mr Flynn is a lying liar who lies.
"The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year," White House lawyer Ty Cobb wrote in a press statement. "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn."
4) Mr Mueller could be building an obstruction of justice case
Dust off that old political saw that "it's not the crime, it's the cover-up". While Mr Flynn's contact with the Russian ambassador is questionable, given that he was undercutting Obama administration policy efforts, it is probably not illegal.
What is illegal, however, is obstruction of justice. Former FBI Director James Comey has testified that on 14 February - the day after Mr Flynn was sacked - Mr Trump urged the director to back off his investigation into Mr Flynn during a private Oval Office meeting.
If the president knew that the ongoing law-enforcement inquiry would discover Mr Flynn had been acting under orders - either by the president or a member of his transition team - that could be the kind of motive that would help support an obstruction of justice charge.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How Michael Flynn became entangled in Russia probe
5) Only the tip of the iceberg?
There were a lot of rumours and allegations floating around about Mr Flynn before Friday's plea deal news. The special counsel's office was reportedly looking into Mr Flynn's Obama-era work as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. It was scrutinising his 2015 trip to Russia, paid for by the Kremlin-backed RT network, and his undisclosed lobbying on behalf of Turkish government interests.
The charge brought against him, however, was solely related to his December 2016 phone conversations with Mr Kislyak. Although it comes with a possible five-year prison sentence, Mr Mueller hardly threw the book at the former national security adviser. Is this all there is?
Mr Mueller is primarily tasked with investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Mr Flynn was a senior adviser to and advocate for Mr Trump's presidential bid. Does the relative modesty of the charges against Mr Flynn indicate he may be offering information directly relevant to this inquiry?
Mr Flynn's plea deal is just one piece of a much larger puzzle the special counsel office is trying to solve.
In October Mr Mueller indicted former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, a top aide with White House ties, on money laundering charges predating their involvement with the Trump campaign.
He also struck a plea deal with former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who told prosecutors he lied about his own contacts with Russians.
Each move is distinct and not directly related - at least not yet. A some point we are going to learn whether Mr Mueller is building a larger case against the Trump campaign out of these legal moves - or that the sum total of his efforts is nibbling around the edges.
As the president likes to say, stay tuned.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42174518
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Jon Venables: Bulger killer anonymity breach complaint - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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There is a worldwide ban on publishing anything revealing Jon Venables' current identity.
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Liverpool
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Jon Venables was 10 when he and Robert Thompson killed James Bulger
A potential breach of a court order which prevents the identification of one of James Bulger's killers is being investigated, the Attorney General's Office has confirmed.
Jon Venables, now 35, was convicted of killing two-year-old James in Merseyside in 1993, along with Robert Thompson.
The pair were released in 2001.
There is a worldwide ban on publishing anything revealing their current identities.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said: "We have received a complaint that the anonymity order has been breached and we are investigating."
A High Court injunction prohibits the publication of any images or information claiming to identify or locate the pair- even if it is not actually them.
The order also covers material published on the internet.
In 2013 two men who published photographs on Twitter and Facebook said to show the killers of James Bulger received suspended jail sentences for being in contempt of court.
Venables was recalled to prison last month after being suspected of having child abuse images on his computer.
It is the second time he has been sent back to jail for the same suspected offence.
He was first recalled in 2010, following his release in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder of James, aged two, in 1993.
James Bulger was two when he was abducted and killed in 1993
On 12 February 1993, James - just a few weeks before his third birthday - was reported missing by his mother from outside a butcher's shop in the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside.
CCTV images revealed he had been lured away by Venables and Thompson, both then aged 10.
His body was found two days later on a railway line.
Thompson and Venables were arrested and charged within days. They were both convicted at Preston Crown Court of James's murder, in November 1993.
In 2001, the pair were released - with new identities - from secure children's homes on life licence, meaning they can be recalled at any time.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-42229448
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Reggie Yates leaves Top of the Pops after 'offensive' Jewish slur - BBC News
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2017-12-04
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The presenter says he will not take part in this year's holiday specials after offensive remarks.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Reggie Yates was due to present the Christmas and New Year TOTP specials with Fearne Cotton
Reggie Yates will not host this year's Top of the Pops holiday specials after making "ill-considered remarks" in a podcast interview.
Yates apologised last month for using the phrase "fat Jewish guy" to refer to managers in the music industry.
He has now tweeted to say he has "taken the decision to step down" from hosting the music shows, which were due to air on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
The presenter added that he apologised "unreservedly to the Jewish community".
In the Halfcast Podcast, hosted by DJ Chuckie Lothian, he had used the phrase while praising artists who chose to remain independently managed, adding: "They're managed by their brethren."
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In his latest statement on Twitter, he said his words "reinforced offensive stereotypes" and that the comment was "no reflection on how I truly feel".
The host, who also presents The Insider series for BBC Three, was due to present this year's holiday specials of long-running show Top of the Pops with Fearne Cotton.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We take these issues very seriously and Reggie is in no doubt about the BBC's view of his comments."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42231416
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Can Theresa May fix Brexit border problem? - BBC News
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2017-12-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The PM needs to square the Democratic Unionists, the Dublin government and her own party. And smartish.
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UK Politics
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It is not clear if the DUP saw the final wording of the agreement on the Irish border
It is pretty clear how it all went wrong yesterday.
But as we left Brussels in the pitch black this morning we're still in the dark about what happens next, and how Theresa May can get this whole process back on track, and smartish.
While it's not the end of the potential overall deal if the two sides can't move on to the next phase of talks at the summit next week, it is what both sides desperately want.
The longer it takes, the more risk there is of course of other parts of yesterday's draft being unpicked. The idea was, remember, to lock in the agreement so far, then get on with the rest. It isn't clear what happens next though.
There are some big political and practical questions to ask. (If you are not very interested in the minutiae of all of this, look away now.... but guess what, it's not just about a fight with her allies in Northern Ireland, but her friends and rivals around the cabinet table too).
1. How can Theresa May get the DUP back on board quickly?
There is a dispute over whether or not they had seen the full text of the draft agreement yesterday.
Some sources say they hadn't seen the whole thing, therefore they hadn't seen the full context of what was being said, and flew off the handle over the initial leaks from Brussels over what had been agreed, the UK government "conceding" on the border as MEPs outside the Commission building told us before May even arrived.
While it's clear the DUP was in close contact with the government it is possible to believe they hadn't seen the whole text complete with the caveats, because even senior officials involved in the talks weren't allowed to have electronic copies of the document, only hard copies.
And as there had been lots and lots of changes to the text over the weekend, it's not impossible to imagine that the final, final, final version that then emerged had not been shown in full to the DUP.
Others in government suggest the DUP had seen it all, and as we reported last night, the Tory chief whip told the PM it was all signed off. If that's the case, it is a much bigger political problem of trust for the PM, if the DUP had been kept in the loop and given their approval, but then threw their toys out of the pram.
It's not clear whether the PM and Arlene Foster will meet in the next couple of days in person, but from late last night talks between the two sides were under way.
But with such strong objections on the record now, it is very difficult to see how the DUP can just say, ok then prime minister, when we said we couldn't back it, we really meant that we could, unless there is a change in the language in the text that has already taken weeks of painful negotiation to agree. It's said there are three different policy options that could provide a fix, but this feels more like a battle of wills.
And don't forget, there are a number of Tory MPs who agree with them. The idea of close "alignment", is anathema to some Conservative Brexiteers too.
There is however a very big difference between allowing Northern Ireland to choose to keep cooperating in some sectors and write that into the deal, and imposing a much bigger change where it essentially stands alone from the rest of the UK, and is pushed much closer to the EU.
2. This morning it feels pretty much impossible for the other side, Dublin, to back down in any way.
Irish leader Leo Varadkar, who is in the middle of a political whirlwind of his own, went public yesterday to make it clear that there was indeed an agreed text, and that there was no way that it could be unpicked.
Beyond the reassurances on policy that the Irish so desired, to change tack politically and suddenly give back the concessions that appear to have been so hard won seems extremely unlikely to happen.
3. It's worth pondering too whether the EU pushed the Republic of Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland pushed the EU, too hard?
The last week or so have been the moment of maximum leverage for the Republic of Ireland and they have squeezed every drop out of it. But if, with the EU's backing, they have pushed May into an impossible trap, no one will win. Several weeks ago a senior government official suggested to me that we should be worried about France and Germany underestimating the PM's political difficulties.
If the calculus became impossible for her to stay at the table, there was, they feared, no guaranteed way of her being being able to "get back in the harness". Because we are leaving the EU, the old expectations that the UK will always be able to keep talking, to keep going, don't apply any more.
4. Is the only way out then for the prime minister to face down her allies?
Perhaps, indeed, but why didn't she do that yesterday? There was not due to be a vote in Parliament on the suggested deal at the end of phase one. There was no moment on this specific issue when she required the DUP's backing. Northern Ireland is yet to receive the bulk of the billion that was promised to them after the DUP did a deal with the government.
One insider wondered aloud yesterday why she just hadn't dared them to take her on. The DUP will try to max out its influence at every stage and won't give up easily. The government knows how hard they can negotiate, after they spun out their confidence and supply agreement with No 10 over many days in the summer.
But when the stakes are high, the one thing the Northern Ireland contingent truly don't want is a Jeremy Corbyn government. And if Brexit is completely derailed, arguably that risk for the DUP and the Tories moves into view. And above all, if all the PM has really promised is voluntary alignment in some sectors that shouldn't be hypothetically impossible to agree, if she really demands it.
5. The amount of trouble the prime minister is in also depends what the cabinet demands to know this morning, and what the promises over "alignment" really amounted to.
While the crucial paragraphs over the Irish border did emerge into the public, the text of the whole document is still a secret.
The suspicion in some circles is that Theresa May and Olly Robbins, her top EU official, might have been suggesting that "regulatory alignment", where the rules in the UK mirror very closely those in the EU, was an option, not just for Northern Ireland, but for the rest of the country, or at least some sectors of the economy.
That had not been scoped out by the Brexit department, it's suggested, let alone signed off by the cabinet.
Round that table, be in no doubt, there are very different views over how close the UK's "alignment" should be. If Brexiteers Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and others feel this morning that the prime minister somehow tried to bounce them into agreeing to a future outside the EU where the UK was permanently bound tightly to Brussels, expect fireworks at home.
That could end up being much more troublesome for Theresa May than the behaviour of the Northern Ireland party whose votes she needs.
No 10 sources say the suggestions that the PM wants alignment for the whole of the UK are wide of the mark. But Brexiteers are likely to demand reassurance.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42235282
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Brexit deal: Difficult days ahead as DUP says 'no' - BBC News
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2017-12-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Unionists are sceptical border trade harmonisation may be the thin end of an Irish unity wedge.
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Northern Ireland
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Unionists are sceptical Irish border trade harmonisation may be the thin end of an Irish unity wedge
Last Friday, European Council President Donald Tusk visited Dublin and told British politicians that, whether they liked it or not, the key to the UK's future after Brexit lay in Dublin.
This week began with the DUP leader, Arlene Foster, reminding the EU, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Theresa May that, whether they like it or not, her party holds some cards in the Brexit game.
The DUP says it never assented to any of the wording which leaked out of the Brexit discussions, whether it be "no regulatory divergence" across the island of Ireland after Brexit or "continued regulatory alignment".
Those words were meant to provide reassurance to the Irish government that, should the EU and the UK not be able to reach a trade deal, there would be a backstop that would guarantee trade across the border would continue pretty much as it does now.
It would mean Northern Ireland businesses adhering to the same standards and rules as their southern counterparts.
However, unionists tend to view with scepticism any proposal for harmonisation of rules on either side of the border.
They are concerned such an approach may be the thin end of a wedge towards Irish unity.
In addition, the committed Brexiteers among the DUP argue that if, over time, Northern Ireland diverges from the trading regulations applied elsewhere in the UK, it could create a barrier to trade within the UK and prevent Belfast benefiting from any deals London might negotiate in the future.
Perhaps if the parliamentary arithmetic had been different, the prime minister might have pushed ahead and signed a deal with the EU against the DUP's wishes.
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But Theresa May needs the DUP's backing at Westminster.
If she had ignored their concerns, there's little doubt that the party's 10 MPs would have sat on their hands and not supported the Conservatives in important votes on the EU Withdrawal Bill this week.
Government negotiators have 10 days until the full European summit to try to placate the DUP and make progress towards the Holy Grail of phase two trade talks.
But that task has been complicated by the DUP's show of strength, the publication of the sensitive wording from the draft negotiating text and Leo Varadkar's public insistence that the British government had signed up to a formula which the DUP found so hard to swallow.
A deadline has been missed and difficult negotiations lie ahead.
In other words, we are back in a scenario with which the DUP, with all of its Stormont experience, is very familiar.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42231046
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First tax havens blacklist published by EU - BBC News
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2017-12-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Saint Lucia, Barbados and South Korea are among 17 territories labelled as tax havens by Brussels.
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Business
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Saint Lucia is on the EU's 17 "non-cooperative jurisdictions"
The European Union has published its first blacklist of tax havens, naming 17 territories including Saint Lucia, Barbados and South Korea.
A "watchlist" of 47 countries promising to change their tax rules to meet EU standards has also been issued.
The "grey list" includes several with UK links, including Hong Kong, Jersey, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, as well as Switzerland and Turkey.
Both lists have been criticised as omitting the most notorious tax havens.
The lists follow the leaking of the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers, revealing how companies and individuals hid their wealth from tax authorities around the world in offshore accounts.
EU tax commissioner Pierre Moscovici said the blacklist represented "substantial progress", adding: "Its very existence is an important step forward. But because it is the first EU list, it remains an insufficient response to the scale of tax evasion worldwide."
To determine whether a country is a "non-cooperative jurisdiction" the EU index measures the transparency of its tax regime, tax rates and whether the tax system encourages multinationals to unfairly shift profits to low tax regimes to avoid higher duties in other states. In particular these include tax systems that offer incentives such as 0% corporate tax to foreign companies.
EU members have been left to decide what action to take against the offenders. Ministers ruled out imposing a withholding tax on transactions to tax havens as well as other financial sanctions.
Some states, such as Luxembourg and Malta, opposed stricter sanctions, according to officials. EU Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said "stronger countermeasures would have been preferable".
Panama is one of the 17 countries listed by the EU but its president, Juan Carlos Varela, said the country was "not in any way a tax haven".
Panama is on the EU's tax havens blacklist
The EU is encouraging member states to take what it calls "defensive actions" against those countries that do not reform their tax systems.
The UK-based charity Oxfam last week published its own list of 35 countries that it said should be blacklisted.
Oli Pearce, Oxfam's inequality and tax policy advisor, said: "It is disturbing to see mostly small countries on the EU blacklist, while the most notorious tax havens - UK-linked places like Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Jersey and the Virgin Islands - escape with a place on the 'grey list'.
"Although we recognise this is a step in the right direction, if EU leaders let too many tax havens off the hook we'll all lose out. A place on the grey list must not mean tax havens get off scot-free."
However, tax campaigner Richard Murphy said some countries on the grey list could still face heavy sanctions if they failed to reform their tax systems.
He said EU countries will be encouraged to disallow payments made to these places for tax purposes, or to charge withholding taxes on interest payments to them.
That tactic could "utterly neuter their so-called status as 'tax neutral international financial centres' by ensuring that all monies they receive have been taxed before getting there", Mr Murphy said.
"The EU is also saying to the UK that it is taking real measures against British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and the message is - if you go the same way as them with a similar low-tax regime after Brexit, you'll be sanctioned too."
The EU made exceptions for countries faced with natural disasters such as hurricanes, and put the process temporarily on hold.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42237315
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Malta blogger murder: Three charged with Caruana Galizia killing - BBC News
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2017-12-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia died in an explosion in October.
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Europe
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Three men have been charged with the murder of Maltese investigative journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, aged 55 and 53, and Vincent Muscat, 55, all pleaded not guilty.
They were also accused of possession of bomb-making material and weapons.
Caruana Galizia died in an explosion shortly after she left her home in Bidnija, near Mosta, on 16 October.
The 53-year-old was known for her blog accusing top politicians of corruption.
On Monday, police arrested 10 Maltese nationals in connection with the murder. Police operations took place in the town of Marsa, and the Bugibba and Zebbug areas.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who is not related to Vincent Muscat, said some of the 10 detainees were already known to the police while others had criminal records.
The Times of Malta reports that the three men who have been charged were among those arrested.
A close friend of Caruana Galizia told Reuters news agency that she did not think the journalist had ever investigated the men.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Andrew Borg Cardona: "My friend has been killed there"
The government had offered a €1m (£890,000; $1.2m) reward for information about Caruana Galizia's murder.
Her three sons refused to endorse the reward, and said they were "not interested in justice without change".
In her Running Commentary blog, Caruana Galizia had relentlessly reported on alleged corruption among politicians across party lines.
With a career spanning more than three decades, she was "one of Malta's most important, visible, fearless journalists", in the words of former Home Affairs Minister Louis Galea.
Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people but the tiny EU state's leaders were barred by her family.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a pillar of Malta's democracy, her friend says
International experts, including from the FBI, were called in to help in the investigation.
The editors of eight of the world's largest news organisations, including the BBC, called for the European Commission - the EU executive - to investigate the murder.
In response, Frans Timmermans, vice-president of the commission, urged the authorities to leave "no stone unturned" in the case.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42246695
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Tory MP Heidi Allen in tears during universal credit debate - BBC News
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2017-12-05
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Conservative MP Heidi Allen was in tears after Labour's Frank Field's speech.
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Conservative MP Heidi Allen was left in tears after Labour's Frank Field described the "destitution" faced by his constituents during a Commons debate about universal credit.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42243073
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