title
stringlengths 13
112
| published_date
stringlengths 10
10
| authors
stringclasses 3
values | description
stringlengths 0
382
⌀ | section
stringlengths 2
31
⌀ | content
stringlengths 0
81.9k
| link
stringlengths 21
189
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Travelling the world with cats and a dog - BBC News
|
2017-03-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The BBC's Andrew Harding on the ups and downs of looking after domestic animals when you're posted around the world.
|
Magazine
|
It's 26 years since I set off to try my luck as a journalist in Moscow. I had a rucksack, a Russian phrasebook, and the expectation of adventure. What I hadn't anticipated was… pets.
Within a year there was an insistent scratching sound on my apartment door. I opened it to find a scrawny stray ginger cat.
Grace strolled in from a dark, pungent stairwell and declared (in that blank, unimpressed way that Russians often have with strangers) that this would do just fine.
Oh, and she was pregnant.
After that, Grace left our flat just once - slipping on an icy windowsill and falling three storeys.
On the phone, the vet loftily declared that she'd be fine: "Only falls of between five and 10 storeys are fatal here. Anything higher or lower is perfectly safe."
Besides, it was winter. Plenty of snow.
Nearly 10 years later - still serenely unimpressed by life - Grace, and one of her sons, flew with us from Moscow to Nairobi.
Kenya meant good weather, the unfamiliar pleasure of friendly strangers, birds big enough to grab an inexperienced cat, and a house with a garden.
Suddenly a dog seemed possible. Maybe even necessary.
Like most of our neighbours in Nairobi, we had a night guard who wandered around the garden holding a big stick until we were asleep and then settled down on two chairs to snore his way through the rest of the night. Perhaps a dog would help.
We found Lily in languid, rural Karen, on the edge of the Rift Valley. She'd recently been born to Tamu and General Gordon - a Labrador retriever couple.
Others in the same litter ended up with Nairobi diplomats and soon grew uncomfortably plump on the crust-less sandwiches they sourced at garden parties.
Lily quickly made it clear that guarding was not in her skill set. She enjoyed eating unfamiliar objects and playing with our young children - but she was understandably terrified of Grace the cat, and equally scared of the dark. And of strangers. And of wildlife.
Not that it seemed to matter. In much of Africa dogs are not generally perceived according to their breed or temperament. They are simply dogs. Things to be wary of. Things that police and guards tend to set on people.
So it's possible, I suppose that blonde, enthusiastic Lily may inadvertently have given a few Nairobi burglars second thoughts.
Either way, four years later, we moved to Singapore. Small, safe, steamy.
The immaculate kennels where Lily served her three months of quarantine even offered air conditioning.
We had a garden, once again - now frequented by large snakes, and by larger monitor lizards with their wide, grotesque mouths.
Lily stayed indoors. Grace too. And over time I became properly acquainted with the complex, haphazard, expensive world of international pet transportation.
Moving around the former Soviet Union had been rather easy. Vets, for instance, were often happy to backdate or forge whatever certificates seemed appropriate. Bribery wasn't just an option, it was an integral part of the process.
In Singapore, then Thailand, then briefly in France, and now in South Africa, it's a more unpredictable affair.
Nine years ago, I sat with Grace on my lap, in a Bangkok vet's office, quietly pleading with him to put her down. She was 18 years old, had days to live, and was in obvious pain. The vet nodded, smiled sympathetically, and then explained that that wasn't part of Thai culture.
I took Grace home. She died. And a week later she was given a proper send-off at a local Buddhist temple - one catering specially for pets. I like to think she would have been unimpressed.
Then, of course, there's the paperwork, and what I've discovered to be the fundamental, immutable law of pet migration.
The stricter and more extensive the requirements ahead of travel - for passports, jabs, microchips, special crates, transit fees and all the rest of it - the bigger the smiles of the customs officials at the destination airport, as they wave away your dossier full of hard-won paperwork without a glance, and crouch down to stroke the new arrival.
Last week I took Lily to the vet here in Johannesburg. She's 16 now - Lily, that is - and getting a little unsteady.
She's also quite happily deaf, which means the summer thunderstorms here no longer send her frantic with fear.
Unlike their Thai counterparts, South Africans vets always seem to be offering to put pets down. It's as if they have a quota to fill. But all Lily needed was her nails clipping.
She's sitting with me here as I write this at home. Her large ears lifting inquisitively. An elderly, cosmopolitan Kenyan.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39156616
|
Sunderland 0-2 Manchester City - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-05
| null |
Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane goals help Manchester City to three points as Sunderland stay bottom of the table.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Sergio Aguero scored his fifth goal in his last three games to help Manchester City back into third place in the Premier League and keep Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Black Cats had defended doggedly before a swift City counter attack ended with Aguero prodding in Raheem Sterling's low cross from close range.
The visitors then clicked into gear as David Silva fed the explosive Leroy Sane for the Germany winger to double their lead after the break.
Jermain Defoe did find the net in a rare Sunderland attack late on, but his header was ruled out for offside.
The result could have been more comfortable for City, but Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford saved well from Aguero.
For all City's possession, it was the hosts who threatened first, Defoe hitting the post with a bouncing effort from outside the box that had Willy Caballero beaten.
Fabio Borini headed wide from the rebound, and any hopes David Moyes' side had of taking three points seemed to evaporate with that miss.
City still fighting on three fronts
With Chelsea not in action until Monday, Manchester City took the chance to move within eight points of the runaway leaders with a confident performance at the Stadium of Light.
Pep Guardiola will hope this victory, and an earlier win for second-placed Tottenham, may see Antonio Conte's side begin to feel the pressure.
It was a fourth league win on the trot for Guardiola's outfit, who are building momentum and can continue to crank up the heat up on their title rivals when they face Stoke in a game in hand on Wednesday.
But they are fighting on three fronts, with this routine victory marking the start of five games in 15 days that include a Champions League last-16 second-leg trip to Monaco and a FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough.
It is a problem Guardiola will welcome, but does the Spaniard's squad have the depth to cope?
He made five changes to the side which thrashed Huddersfield 5-1 in midweek and could afford to drop Kevin de Bruyne for Silva, whose incisive passing helped unlock a resilient Sunderland.
So what about Aguero? The Argentine's future was thrust into the spotlight after he lost his place to 19-year-old Gabriel Jesus last month, and he admitted this week his position at the club was unclear.
Guardiola can be ruthless when he feels a player does not fit into his system, just ask Joe Hart, but a metatarsal injury for Brazil forward Jesus appears to have offered Aguero a lifeline.
The 28-year-old has now scored five goals in his last three games in all competitions for City, having gone six games without finding the net before that.
Guardiola is building a team spearheaded by youth, and Aguero's poacher-like presence was complemented once again by the creativity of Sterling and Sane.
Sterling's trickery proved a constant threat down the right and Sane's sheer speed gave City an outlet on the opposite flank, gliding beyond his marker to finish left-footed past Pickford for the visitors' second.
Sunderland have become masters of beating the drop when appearing dead and buried in recent seasons, but they may have left the escape act too late this time around.
Sitting six points from safety at the bottom of the Premier League, the Black Cats' fate lies out of their hands.
And with relegation rivals Crystal Palace, Swansea and Leicester enjoying a recent upturn in form, David Moyes needs something of a miracle if his side are to spring a late recovery.
Moyes' side have taken points off Liverpool and Tottenham at home since the turn of the year, and did frustrate City for long spells in the first half, but once the visitors found a breakthrough they were able to keep Sunderland at arm's length.
'I don't like to defend a result at 2-0'
Sunderland manager David Moyes speaking to BBC Sport: "I don't think you can fault the players for any of that. We lacked quality at times though. They did all they could to try to get something out of the game."
On the team: "When you're in it every day you see the levels go up. We've got games coming up - we don't have to show it, we have to do it.
"We tried to make chances. The one that hits the post and comes out maybe that'll hit the inside of the post and go in next time.
"I hope our players understand the position that we're in, but we're not panicking."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola speaking to BBC Sport: "We are so happy. We played good. We expected aggression and intensity. It was a very good first goal. It was important to go into half-time 1-0 up. If they were winning with the amazing atmosphere it would have been difficult.
"Leroy Sane is every day getting better. He has gaps to improve but he's only 21. He's an intelligent guy and a very nice guy. We are here to help him become what he can be.
"We were passing the ball between ourselves in the last 25 minutes. I don't like to defend a result and be near our box. It is OK if you're 3-0 or 4-0 up but not 2-0."
Aguero hits 50 on the road - the stats
• None Manchester City have won 10 away league games this season - they've never won more in a single Premier League campaign (also 10 in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2014-15).
• None Only Man Utd in 1993-94 and Chelsea in 2004-05 (both 11) have won more of their opening 14 away games in a single Premier League season.
• None Sergio Aguero became the 21st player to score 50 Premier League goals away from home.
• None Sunderland have failed to score in five of their last six Premier League games, the exception being a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace.
• None David Silva has provided 62 assists in the Premier League since his debut, at least 11 more than any other player in that time (Wayne Rooney, 51).
Manchester City host Stoke on Wednesday, kick-off 20:00 GMT, before visiting Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday (12:15).
Sunderland are not back in action until Saturday, 18 March, when they welcome Burnley to the Stadium of Light.
• None Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Bacary Sagna.
• None Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Leroy Sané.
• None Attempt saved. Nolito (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
• None Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Leroy Sané.
• None Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
• None Offside, Sunderland. Lamine Koné tries a through ball, but Jermain Defoe is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Lamine Koné (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Wahbi Khazri with a cross following a corner. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39093809
|
No bed of roses: The Kenyan flower pickers fighting sexual harassment - BBC News
|
2017-03-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The initiatives aiming to help female flower pickers in Kenya fight sexual harassment and earn higher wages.
|
Business
|
Julia says her current job is a good opportunity, but on a previous flower farm she was sexually harassed
Female flower pickers in Kenya can face many hardships in their work - often finding themselves victims of sexual harassment or earning a wage so low they struggle to get by - but initiatives are in place to try to improve the workers' rights.
As Julia prepares for the start of the working week, a discarded pile of jumpers and jeans are flung from a wire rack on to a sunken mattress on the floor. She has a busy day ahead, picking roses on the local flower farm, and she wants to impress her new manager.
"It was an opportunity I couldn't refuse," she explains, ushering the youngest of her five children out the door. "Regular work, a school nearby and a new home. Here in rural Kenya, there isn't anything else for women like me."
Glancing out of the window of the minibus as it skirts around the shores of serene Lake Naivasha, 100km (62 miles) north of Nairobi, she points out the rays of sun bouncing off calm waters. It's easy to see why families flock here during the harvesting season.
But beyond the vibrant fields of freshly cut roses and chrysanthemums, it's claimed that workers' rights are being exploited on an industrial scale, with allegations of low pay, unfair dismissals and sexual harassment of the predominantly female workforce.
"Men complain that when we wear skirts, they feel like having sex with us. We have to be careful," says Julia. "That's why it's important that I am dressed appropriately."
Julia, who does not want to give her last name, recently left a role on a farm nearby after she refused to have sex with her male supervisor. She is hopeful that her new job on a farm certified by Fairtrade International will offer more protection.
Fairtrade Africa says female workers need to be empowered
Aware of the frequency of incidents of sexual assault, Fairtrade has set up a gender committee on each of its 39 flower farms in Kenya, which encourages women to report violations.
Tsitsi Choruma, global gender adviser and chief operating officer for Fairtrade Africa, believes these structures are necessary to ensure harassment is reported.
"We need to build confidence - the softer skills mean these women are able to talk. We must build the power within them. We also need to involve men to enhance equality and empowerment."
But for the remaining 60% of flower farms in Kenya that do not have the Fairtrade reporting structures in place, holding perpetrators to account is complex.
Andrew Odete, regional project manager at Hivos International, a Kenyan human rights organisation, says that more needs to be done to address the sexual harassment of female staff.
"Many women live in fear of losing their marriages if they are accused of being complicit in that act. Because of power relations, if it is the director or the manager accused of a violation, the choice as to who must leave is an easy one for many farms."
Some workers say they don't earn enough to sustain themselves
Low pay is also rife across the horticulture sector in Kenya. On average, a harvester earns between $60 to $120 per month, falling far below what workers require to sustain themselves.
At a farm on the southern shores of Lake Naivasha, flower harvester Daisy shuffles languidly towards the bus stop at the end of her shift. She says that she is concerned her salary is not enough to support her family.
"I earn around $50 per month. That money is too small. It's not enough to feed myself and it's much too little to provide food for my children."
While discussions about a minimum wage are continuing within the horticulture sector, Stephen Oburo from the Federation of Kenyan Employers, an affiliate of Kenya's Labour Ministry, claims that the onus should be shifted to employees rather than employers in order to exercise fair workers' rights.
"If these women can't even inform union leaders or the Ministry of Labour about their wages, they are doing a disservice to themselves and this country," he states. "Do they want us to put a policeman on each farm to make sure these violations don't happen? We don't have the resources to do that."
For many flower harvesters, safeguarding their rights is primarily managed by trade unions and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Jane Ngige, chief executive of the Kenya Flower Council, says that supporting farms to come up with innovative answers to old problems will be the next step forward.
Jane Ngige says new initiatives are having a big impact on workers' lives
"When women get their wages, they lose their money to thieves. They are often attacked on the way home, or their husbands find 'better ways' for them to use that money. In response, the farms installed ATMs. These women are now running bank accounts and you cannot imagine what an impact that has had on these workers."
The role that consumers in Europe play can also make an impact, Andrew Odete from Hivos says.
"We have found that there is a willingness by the consumer to pay 35 euro cents (30p) per bouquet of flowers in order that that money comes back upstream and translates into a liveable wage for a worker on the farms of Lake Naivasha."
But for women like Daisy without the reporting structures in place to address violations of workers' rights, she hopes that this role will be a short-term fix.
"When I get a better job, I will go. I don't mind where. Anywhere would be better than here."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39103419
|
Afghanistan: The only gynaecologist for hundreds of miles - BBC News
|
2017-03-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Dr Homa Amiri Kakar left her job in a remote Afghan province but is returning, wracked with guilt.
|
Asia
|
Fed up with what she felt was mismanagement at her hospital, gynaecologist Homa Amiri Kakar had walked out of her job in a remote part of Afghanistan and returned to the capital. But just a week later she agreed to go back, guilt-stricken about the women she had deserted, as the BBC's Sarah Buckley and Asif Maroof report.
"I am deeply unhappy that I left behind patients, especially female patients in remote villages - they are not in a condition to explain all types of their sickness to male doctors - so it would be very difficult without a female doctor," she says.
Religious and cultural mores mean that women rarely visit male doctors for any condition, never mind a gynaecological one, and Dr Kakar, 39, realised that leaving her post in Paktika province left her patients dangerously vulnerable.
"Many times if there is not a female doctor many symptoms will remain untold by females and could cause a big problem, and even lead to their deaths," she told the BBC.
Dr Kakar (R) had told the health minister Ferozuddin Feroz (L) she was not happy with her working conditions
If the patient's husband, father or other male relative cannot or will not find a way of transporting her to an area where there is a female doctor on hand, then she will simply not receive treatment, says ex-health minister Soraya Dalil, now Afghan ambassador to Switzerland.
"In Afghanistan the decisions are usually made by men... if they are a female patient then it depends on the male member of the family if they want to take the female to the doctor, or to take her to another area of the country where there is a female," she said.
One woman on the other side of Afghanistan - in Herat province - told the BBC a neighbour died in childbirth before her eyes because she needed medical help and there were no female doctors available in her district. Her husband was too poor to arrange transport to a hospital which did have a female doctor.
BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre.
Other stories you might like:
And in Paktia province a six-year-old girl narrowly escaped the same fate, Dr Kakar says. The girl had been married by her family to a 45-year-old man and sex with him had caused her to bleed and develop an infection. Because there was no female doctor in the area where she lived no-one could examine her and work out what was the matter.
It was only after severe bleeding that her father eventually took her to a hospital some distance away that did have a female medic on hand. The authorities intervened and separated her from her husband and she is now living in a shelter.
Whilst there is a lack of female doctors, there has been a major push in recent years by NGOs and health officials to train up more midwives.
A report by UNFPA and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2002 found that for every 100,000 live births, some 1,600 women died from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth.
But according to the UN, this has now fallen to 396 per 100,000 women. By contrast, the UK rate is 9 per 100,000 women.
There has been recent investment in midwifery care in Afghanistan
The Afghan government says this success is due to a concerted training programme for midwives - which have increased from 437 in 2002 to 4,600 last year.
However Dr Kakar says that there is still insufficient midwifery presence in the province she works in because hospitals are not recruiting them - instead midwives are encouraged to make home visits.
But she says they need to be under the authority of a hospital where they can receive proper mentoring by doctors.
She also said that all too often unqualified unofficial midwives are operating in the community - offering women medicine without prescription, sometimes with fatal results.
Elyas Wahdat, the governor of the province Dr Kakar has returned to, says they need more women doctors.
"We have many facilities and equipment but unfortunately the female doctors are not coming to Paktika," he said. Decades of under-developed female education means there are not many women doctors available in the country.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
"Now the residents are being persuaded to send their girls to school - this year is the first year we graduated girls from school, and they are due to sit their exam for entering the university - but still we need another five years until they graduate [from university]," he said.
Under the Taliban, girls were almost completely excluded from school and university but according to the Afghan Ministry of Education today there are more than 9 million students enrolled in schools, 40% of whom are girls.
Many schoolchildren learn outside in dangerous circumstances
But according to the Brookings Institute only 21% of girls finish even primary education, due to factors such as cultural barriers, early marriage, a lack of female teachers and long and dangerous routes to school.
In its annual report on Afghanistan, the UN said that as a result of ground fighting between militants and troops in civilian areas 3,498 civilians were killed and 7,920 wounded in 2016, a 3% rise on 2015. The number of children killed or injured jumped by a quarter to its highest level to date.
"The other element is providing sufficient equipment for their education so the family should realise that if they send their girls to schools there is good equipment and teachers there so it's not a waste of time," says Soraya Dalil.
Dr Kakar is clear that Paktika province needs her.
"I strongly feel that it's better for a female doctor to be there, that's why I accepted the request by the minister to go back."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38918509
|
Jack Barsky: The KGB spy who lived the American dream - BBC News
|
2017-03-05
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The remarkable double life of undercover agent Jack Barsky who lived the American dream at the KGB's expense.
|
Magazine
|
It's no secret that the Russians have long tried to plant "sleeper agents" in the US - men and women indistinguishable from normal Americans, who live - on the surface - completely normal lives. But what happens when one of them doesn't want to go home?
Jack Barsky died in September 1955, at the age of 10, and was buried in the Mount Lebanon Cemetery in the suburbs of Washington DC.
His name is on the passport of the man sitting before me now - a youthful 67-year-old East German, born Albert Dittrich. The passport is not a fake. Albert Dittrich is Jack Barsky in the eyes of the US government.
The story of how this came to be is, by Barsky's own admission, "implausible" and "ridiculous", even by the standards of Cold War espionage. But as he explains in a new memoir, Deep Undercover, it has been thoroughly checked out by the FBI. As far as anyone can tell, it is all true.
It began in the mid-70s, when Dittrich, destined at the time to become a chemistry professor at an East German university, was talent-spotted by the KGB and sent to Moscow for training in how to behave like an American.
His mission was to live under a false identity in the heart of the capitalist enemy, as one of an elite band of undercover Soviet agents known as "illegals".
"I was sent to the United States to establish myself as a citizen and then make contact, to the extent possible, at the highest levels possible of decision makers - particularly political decision makers," he says.
This "idiotic adventure," as he now calls it, had "a lot of appeal to an arrogant young man, a smart young man" intoxicated by the idea of foreign travel and living "above the law".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "This kind of double life wears on you"
He arrived in New York in the Autumn of 1978, at the age of 29, posing as a Canadian national, William Dyson. Dyson, who had travelled via Belgrade, Rome, Mexico City and Chicago, "immediately vanished into thin air", having served his purpose. And Dittrich began his new life as Jack Barsky.
He was a man with no past and no identification papers - except for a birth certificate obtained by an employee of the Soviet embassy in Washington, who had kept his eyes open during a walk in the Mount Lebanon cemetery.
Barsky had supreme self-confidence, a near-flawless American accent, and $10,000 in cash.
He also had a "legend" to explain why he did not have a social security number. He told people he had had a "tough start in life" in New Jersey and had dropped out of high school. He had then worked on a remote farm for years before deciding "to give life another chance and move back to New York city".
He rented a room in a Manhattan hotel and set about the laborious task of building a fake identity. Over the next year, he parlayed Jack Barsky's birth certificate into a library card, then a driver's licence and, finally, a social security card.
But without qualifications in Barsky's name, or any employment history, his career options were limited. Rather than rubbing shoulders with the upper echelons of American society, as his KGB handlers had wanted, he initially found himself delivering parcels to them, as a cycle courier in the smarter parts of Manhattan.
The young KGB agent arrived in New York in the late 1970s
"By chance it turned out that the messenger job was actually really good for me to become Americanised because I was interacting with people who didn't care much where I came from, what my history was, where I was going," he says.
"Yet I was able to observe and listen and become more familiar with American customs. So for the first two, three years I had very few questions that I had to answer."
The advice from his handlers on blending in - gleaned from Soviet diplomats and resident agents in the US - "turned out to be, at minimum, weak but, at worst, totally false", he says.
"I'll give you an example. One of the things I was told explicitly was to stay away from the Jews. Now, obviously, there is anti-Semitism in there, but secondly, the stupidity of that statement is that they sent me to New York. There are more Jews in New York than in Israel, I think."
Barsky would later use his handlers' prejudices and ignorance of American society against them.
But as a "rookie" agent he was eager to please and threw himself into the undercover life. He spent much of his free time zig-zagging across New York on counter-surveillance missions designed to flush out any enemy agents who might be following him.
He would update Moscow Centre on his progress in weekly radio transmissions, or letters in secret writing, and deposit microfilm at dead drop sites in various New York parks, where he would also periodically pick up canisters stuffed with cash or the fake passports he needed for his trips back to Moscow for debriefing.
He would return the to the East every two years, where he would be reunited with his German wife Gerlinde, and young son Matthias, who had no idea what he had been up to. They thought he was doing top secret but very well-paid work at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Barsky's handlers were delighted with his progress except for one thing - he could not get hold of an American passport. This failure weighed heavily on him.
On one early trip to the passport office in New York an official asked him to fill out a questionnaire which asked, among other things, the name of the high school he had attended.
"I had a legend but it could not be verified," he says. "So if somebody went to check on that they would have found out that I wasn't real."
Terrified that his cover might be blown, he scooped up any documents with his name on them and marched out of the office in a feigned temper at all this red tape.
The real Jack Barsky is buried in a Washington DC cemetery
Without a passport, Barsky was limited to low-level intelligence work and his achievements as a spy were, by his own account, "minimal".
He profiled potential recruits and compiled reports on the mood of the country during events such as the 1983 downing of a Korean Airlines flight by a Soviet fighter, which ratcheted up tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.
On one occasion, he flew to California to track down a defector (he later learned, to his immense relief, that the man, a psychology professor, had not been assassinated).
He also carried out some industrial espionage, stealing software from his office - all of it commercially available - which was spirited away on microfilm to aid the floundering Soviet economy.
But it often seemed the very fact of him being in the US, moving around freely without the knowledge of the authorities, was enough for Moscow.
"They were very much focused on having people on the other side just in case of a war. Which I think, in hindsight, was pretty stupid. That indicated very old thinking."
The myth of the "Great Illegals" - heroic undercover agents who had helped Russia defeat the Nazis and gather vital pre-war intelligence in hostile countries - loomed large over the Soviet intelligence agencies, who spent a lot of time and effort during the Cold War trying to recapture these former glories, with apparently limited success.
Barsky later found out that he was part of a "third wave" of Soviet illegals in the US - the first two waves having failed. And we now know that illegals continued to be infiltrated in the 1980s and beyond.
He believes about "10 to 12" agents were trained up at the same time as him. Some, he says, could still be out there, living undercover in the United States, though he finds it hard to believe that anyone exposed to life in the US would retain an unwavering communist faith for long.
He is scathing about his KGB handlers, who were "very smart" and the "cream of the crop" but who seemed chiefly concerned with making his mission appear a success to please their bosses.
"The expectations of us, of me - I didn't know anybody else - were far, far too high. It was just really wishful thinking," he now says of his mission.
On the other hand, the KGB's original plan for him might actually have worked, he says.
"I am glad it didn't work out because I could have done some damage.
"The idea was for me to get genuine American documentation and move to Europe, say to a German-speaking country, where the Russians were going to set me up with a flourishing business. And they knew how to do that.
"And so I would become quite wealthy and then go back to the United States without having to explain where the money came from. At that point, I would have been in a situation to socialise with people that were of value."
This plan fell through because of his failure to get a passport, so the KGB reverted to Plan B.
This was for Barsky was to study for a degree and gradually work his way up the social order to the point where he could gather useful intelligence - a mission he describes as "nearly impossible".
The degree part was relatively straightforward. He was, after all, a university professor in his former life. He graduated top of his class in computer systems at Baruch College, which enabled him to get a job as a programmer at Met Life insurance in New York.
Like many undercover agents before him, he began to realise that much of what he had been taught about the West - that it was an "evil" system on the brink of economic and social collapse - was a lie.
Barsky (fourth right) felt at home with co-workers at Met Life
"There was a way to rationalise that because we were taught that the West was doing so well because they took all the riches out of the Third World," he says.
But, he adds, "what eventually softened my attitude" was the "normal, nice people" he met in his daily life.
"[My] sense was that the enemy was not really evil. So I was always waiting to eventually find the real evil people and I didn't even find them in the insurance company."
Met Life almost felt like home, he says, "because it was a very paternalistic, 'we take care of you' kind of a culture".
"There was nothing like we were taught. Nothing that I expected. I wanted to really hate the people and the country and I couldn't bring myself to hate them. Not even dislike them."
But he was keeping a far bigger secret from his KGB bosses than his wavering commitment to communism.
In 1985, he had married an illegal immigrant from Guyana he had met through a personal ad in the Village Voice newspaper - and they now had a daughter together.
He now had two families to go with his two identities, and he knew the time would come when he had to choose between them.
It finally happened in 1988, when after 10 years undercover he was suddenly ordered to return home immediately. Moscow was in a panic, believing the FBI was on to him.
To do anything other than run as ordered - grab his emergency Canadian birth certificate and driver's licence and get out of the US - would be potentially suicidal.
He dithered and stalled for a week. Could he really leave his beloved baby daughter Chelsea behind forever?
But the KGB was losing patience. One morning, on a subway platform a resident agent delivered a chilling message: "You have got to come home or else you're dead."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Americans producers: 'Here was someone who lived it'
It was time for some lateral thinking.
From discussions with his handlers in Moscow, Barsky had come to believe the Soviet hierarchy feared three things about America.
He already knew about their anti-Semitism and their fear of Ronald Reagan, who they saw as an unpredictable religious zealot who might launch a nuclear strike to "accelerate" the Biblical "end times".
But he also remembered their "morally superior" attitude to the Aids epidemic - their belief that it "served the Americans right" and their determination to protect the motherland from infection.
Barsky stalled a bit more and then hatched a plan.
"I wrote this letter, in secret writing, that I wouldn't come back because I had contracted Aids, and the only way for me to get treatment would be in the United States.
"I also told the Russians in the same letter that I would not defect, I would not give up any secrets. I would just disappear and try to get healthy."
To begin with Barsky lived in constant fear for his life, remembering that threat on the subway platform. But after a few months, he began to breathe more easily.
"I started thinking 'I think I got away with this.' The FBI had not knocked on the door. The KGB had not done anything."
He gradually let his guard down and settled into the life of a typical middle-class American in a comfortable new home in upstate New York.
While he had fallen for the American Dream and the trappings of the consumer society, he still had some conflicting feelings.
"My loyalties to communism and the homeland and Russia, they were still pretty strong. My resignation, you can also call it a 'soft defection' - that was triggered by having this child here. It was not ideological. It would be easy to claim that. But it wasn't true."
Playing at the back of his mind was always the question of whether his past would catch up with him. And, finally, one day, it did.
The man who exposed him was a KGB archivist, Vasili Nikitich Mitrokhin, who defected to the West in 1992 - after the fall of communism - with a vast trove of Soviet secrets, including the true identity of Jack Barsky.
The FBI watched him for more than three years, even buying the house next door to his as they tried to figure out whether he really was a KGB agent and, if so, whether he was still active.
In the end, Barsky himself gave the game away, during an argument with his wife, Penelope, that was picked up by the FBI's bugs.
"I was trying to repair a marriage that was slowly falling apart. I was trying to tell my wife the 'sacrifice' I had made to stay with Chelsea and her. So in the kitchen I told her, 'By the way, this is what I did. I am a German. I used to work for the KGB and they told me to come home and I stayed here with you and it was quite dangerous for me. This is what I sacrificed.'
"And that completely backfired. Instead of bringing her over to my side, she said: 'What does that mean for me if they ever catch you?'"
It was the evidence the FBI needed to pick him up. In a meticulously planned operation, Barsky was pulled over by a Pennsylvania state trooper as he drove away from a toll booth on his way home from work one evening.
After stepping out of his car, he was approached by a man in civilian clothes, who held up a badge and said in a calm voice: "Special agent Reilly, FBI. We would like to talk with you."
The colour drained from Barsky's face. "I knew the gig was up," he says. But with characteristic bravado he asked the FBI man: "What took you so long?"
He kidded around with Joe Reilly and the other agents who interrogated him, and tried to give them as much information about the KGB's operations as he could. But inside he was panicking that he would be sent to jail and that his American family, which he had been trying to hold together, would be broken up.
In fact, luck was on his side. After passing a lie-detector test he was told that he was free to go and, even more remarkably, that the FBI would help him fulfil his dream of becoming an American citizen.
Reilly, who went on to become Barsky's best friend and golfing partner, even visited the elderly parents of the real Jack Barsky, who agreed not to reveal that their son's identity had been stolen.
"I was so lucky and so was my family that the decision-makers were nice enough to say, 'Well, you were so well-established, we don't want to disrupt your life,'" he says.
"It required some interesting gymnastics to make me legal because one thing I didn't have was proof of entry into the country. I came here on documentation that was fraudulently obtained, so it took 10-plus years to finally become a citizen. And when it did, it felt good."
Barsky is now married for a third time and has a young daughter. He has also found God, completing his journey from a hardline communist and atheist to a churchgoing, all-American patriot.
He has even managed to reconnect with the family he left behind in Germany, although his first wife, Gerlinde, is still not speaking to him.
"I have a very good relationship with Matthias, my son, and his wife. And I am now a grandfather. When we talk about things like Americans playing soccer against Germans, I say 'us'. I mean the Americans. I am not German any more. The metamorphosis is complete."
The final act in his story came two years ago when he revealed the secret of his extraordinary double life on the US current affairs programme, 60 Minutes.
He had long wanted to share his story with the world, but his bosses at the New York electricity company where he worked as a software developer were less than impressed to find they had a former KGB agent on the payroll, and promptly fired him.
Barsky says he has no regrets. He knows how fortunate he has been.
"This kind of double life wears on you. And most people can't handle it. I am not saying that I lived a charmed life but I got away with it.
"I am in good health. I have had some issues with alcohol that I have overcome and I got another chance to have a good family life. And another child. And I am finally getting to live the life that I should have lived a long time ago. I am really lucky."
Perhaps the supreme irony of Jack Barsky's story is that he was only able to complete the mission the KGB had set him - to obtain an American passport and citizenship - with the help of the FBI. He cannot resist a smile at the thought of telling his KGB handlers that he has not been such a failure after all.
"I wouldn't mind meeting one or two of those fellows I worked with and saying 'Hey, see I did it!'"
Deep Undercover - My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America, by Jack Barsky and Cindy Coloma, is published next month
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38846022
|
Man Utd 'won't cry' over Zlatan Ibrahimovic incidents, says Jose Mourinho - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-05
| null |
Manchester United will not "cry to the media" about two controversies involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic against Bournemouth, says Jose Mourinho.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not go "crying to the media" about the two controversies involving the Swede in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings, 23, landed on the United forward's head with his studs, but said afterwards the collision was "unintentional".
Moments later, Ibrahimovic caught Mings in the face with his elbow at a corner.
"He jumped into my elbow," said the former Paris St-Germain striker, 35.
Both players could face retrospective action if referee Kevin Friend says he did not see either incident.
"We are from that generation of street football and football for big guys. We are not the kind of generation who goes to the media and cries about what happened.
"What counts is the result. Nothing else matters for us."
Listen: My son was shocked to see Zlatan's elbow - fan calls 606Relive the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford
44 mins: Mings slides into a tackle on Wayne Rooney, also taking out Ibrahimovic. The Bournemouth defender gets to his feet and then hurdles Ibrahimovic, landing on the Swede's head with his right boot.
45 mins: United win a corner which is swung in to the far post where Ibrahimovic and Mings challenge for the high ball.
Ibrahimovic catches Mings with his right elbow after winning the header, the Bournemouth defender going down to the ground clutching his head.
Bournemouth skipper Andrew Surman pushes Ibrahimovic in the chest, earning a second yellow card from Friend.
45+1 mins: The referee has a conversation with Ibrahimovic and United skipper Rooney, then sends off Surman before restarting play after a lengthy delay.
What happens now?
Referee Friend will send his report of the match to the Football Association on Monday.
Players can be charged only if a referee says he did not see an incident.
Deliberate elbows and stamping are both red card offences, so would result in three-match bans if either Ibrahimovic or Mings were charged and found guilty.
Bournemouth assistant manager Jason Tindall said his players felt Ibrahimovic had elbowed Mings, although he had not seen the incident.
Ibrahimovic disagreed: "You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump, I jump high and I protect myself. Mings jumps into my elbow.
"I'm not someone who attacks someone off the field. It is not my intention to hurt someone."
Former Ipswich defender Mings was making only his fifth Premier League start after suffering with injuries since joining Bournemouth in an £8m deal in July 2015.
And he said he was relishing facing former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris St-Germain striker Ibrahimovic before the game at Old Trafford.
"It was a good battle, you know what you're going to get playing against him. I enjoyed the battle all day," said Mings, 23.
"What he possesses in height, in strength, I also possess. We had to ride a lot of storms but we stood up to the test very well.
"I've watched him growing up through his career and dreamt of days like this."
"I don't think the referee has seen Tyrone Mings try to stamp on Zlatan's head. I was right there," said the England international, 31.
"That's wrong in football. Everyone likes tackles in the game but to try to stamp on a player's head - there's no room for it."
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic is insulting people's intelligence when he says Mings jumps into his elbow.
"I think that comment is going to get people at the FA's backs up. He shouldn't have said anything."
"When Ibrahimovic jumped up for that header he was looking at Mings and not the ball.
"He's led with his elbow and he knew exactly what he was doing. The referee has made a complete mess of that."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39168130
|
West Indies v England: Joe Root and Chris Woakes steer England to victory - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-05
| null |
Joe Root and Chris Woakes guide England to a four-wicket win and a series-clinching victory over West Indies.
| null |
England survived a mid-innings wobble to beat West Indies by four wickets in the second one-day international and win the series with a match to spare.
Liam Plunkett took 3-32 as West Indies, despite 50 from Jason Mohammed, were bowled out for 225 in 47.5 overs.
Jason Roy (52) put England on top but home spinners Ashley Nurse (3-34) and Devendra Bishoo (2-43) hit back.
However, Joe Root (90) and Chris Woakes (68) put on an unbeaten 102 to see England home with 10 balls left.
Batsmen needed to play patiently on a slow wicket at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium - the same one used in the first match on Friday - but only new Test captain Root and all-rounder Woakes really mastered the conditions.
Root's typically composed innings, which featured just three boundaries in 127 deliveries, and Woakes' more adventurous 83-ball knock guided England to an 11th win out of their last 12 completed ODIs against West Indies.
Root was named man of the match but Woakes was perhaps equally deserving of the award having also recorded figures of 0-26 from eight accurate overs with the ball.
Eoin Morgan's team, who won the first match by 45 runs, will seek to make it 3-0 in the final match in Barbados on Thursday.
What they said - Morgan praises Woakes
England captain Eoin Morgan: "I thought the bowlers did an outstanding job again, building on what we did on Friday. In the field we were a bit sloppy and the chase wasn't ideal, but we knew it would be tough.
"Jason Roy played well at the start but where we lost a few wickets was a bit of a concern. But the partnership of 102 between your opening bowler and best batsman - you have to take your hat off to them.
"Woakes is a guy who keeps giving to the team and a man who often goes without the majority of the praise and that's just his character. We don't want to rely on him too much but he is a luxury down the bottom of the order.
"We want to win all three games, we will be putting out our best 11 in Barbados."
England's reply got off to a poor start when Sam Billings, facing his first ball and the second of the innings, was caught at first slip.
Roy was almost out to a sensational diving catch by Carlos Brathwaite and then survived a close review for caught behind.
The Surrey opener brought up his ninth ODI fifty from 46 balls, before off-spinner Nurse had him caught on the boundary for the first of his three wickets.
After a shaky start Root started to find the gaps but West Indies' slow bowlers brought their side back into the match with four wickets for 16 runs.
Morgan, who made a century in the first ODI, fell leg before for seven, Ben Stokes was caught behind for one, Jos Buttler departed for a seven-ball duck and Moeen Ali was bowled for three.
Root and Woakes' sensible stand regained control, although Woakes - who hit five fours and two sixes - was dropped on the boundary on 42 and then again on 58.
After being invited to bowl first, pace bowler Steven Finn took two wickets and became the third-fastest Englishman to reach 100 one-day international wickets.
He reached the feat in his 65th match, with only Darren Gough and Stuart Broad getting there faster (both taking 62).
Making the most of some uneven bounce, Finn surprised left-handers Evin Lewis and Kieran Powell to create easy catches.
Stokes then had Shai Hope caught behind but jarred his finger when he made a mess of a high but simple chance to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite.
Brathwaite looked dangerous before departing for 42 after being stumped off Moeen. Mohammed, though, played fluently on the way to his second ODI half-century.
But having reached it from 71 balls by pulling Stokes high over midwicket for six, he chipped a routine catch to Adil Rashid at mid-on off Plunkett.
Plunkett did the trick again, with another variation slower delivery, when Jonathan Carter (39) skied a catch to Rashid.
Rashid held his third successive catch when he took a swirling caught-and-bowled after Jason Holder became the next to mistime an attempted big shot.
Then Carlos Brathwaite fell to an excellent catch on the long-on boundary by Billings, and Plunkett bowled Nurse as the innings ending tamely with the last three wickets falling for six runs.
Further reaction from the players
Man of the match Joe Root: "It was about being patient and accepting the odd over where you might only get one or two runs.
"I thought Chris played exceptionally well. He took a lot of pressure off me at the other end. I think that's a sign of good side, where you don't just rely on one player."
West Indies captain Jason Holder: "It's a disappointing feeling, getting so close. We dropped chances, that's one area we need to improve. In batting, we need some partnerships to set us up nicely. We need to adjust and go forward from here.
"We just have to know when it is time to seize an opportunity. We had some opportunities but we turned them down, and there were some soft dismissals."
Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent: "England were not as clinical as they were in the first game but they put on a good fight and showed how deep they bat, with Woakes coming in and playing with freedom.
"Well done to England, this is what good teams do - even if you have that wobble, you are able to rebuild and go again."
Former West Indies pace bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose: "You have to think about batting all 50 overs. It doesn't matter if you only score 10 or 12 runs in those three overs. It is not good cricket on the part of West Indies to not bat to the end.
"There were a couple of good partnerships. Mohammed played well, but gave it away. Carter played well, but gave it away. This is international cricket and you must be able to assess situations quickly and most of the batsmen haven't done that."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39173337
|
Para-cycling Track Worlds: Sophie Thornhill, Jon Gildea & James Ball win golds - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-05
| null |
Britain's tandem pair Sophie Thornhill and Corrine Hall win their second golds at the Para-cycling Track Worlds.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Disability Sport
British tandem pair Sophie Thornhill and Corrine Hall won their second gold medal at the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles.
Thornhill and her sighted pilot Hall added the kilometre time trial title to the pursuit crown they won on Thursday.
They led a British clean sweep ahead of Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston with Alison Patrick and Helen Scott third.
Jon Gildea and men's tandem pair James Ball and Matt Rotherham claimed their first World titles.
It takes GB's gold medal tally to five with more medal chances to come in Sunday's final session.
Thornhill and Hall finished in a time of one minute 9.552 seconds to beat 43-year-old McGlynn, who is in her first GB outing since 2012, and Haston by 1.537 seconds.
Paralympic triathlon silver medallist Patrick, who is making her debut in international track cycling, and Scott were a further 0.026 seconds back.
"To stand up there with our team-mates was brilliant. I've never experienced that before," Thornhill told BBC Sport.
Hall added: "More GB riders coming through is good; it pushes us along and keeps the competition high."
Ball and Rotherham were the penultimate pair to ride in the men's event and after clocking 1:00.727 seconds. They watched on as Commonwealth Games champions Neil Fachie and Craig Maclean failed to better their time [1:02.39).
"It's one of the greatest feelings I've ever had," said Welshman Ball, who finished fifth with Maclean at the Rio Paralympics
"I'm really happy with how it turned out and I'm hoping for good things on Sunday in the sprint."
Gildea's success in the C5 4km pursuit comes off the back of missing out on selection for Rio 2016.
After qualifying second behind Lauro Cesar Chaman of Brazil, the 38-year-old from Sale, who became eligible for Para-sport in 2013 after breaking his leg badly in a mountain bike accident, dug deep in the final to beat his rival by 1.985 seconds.
"It's nice to come back and get a world champion's jersey. That's the starting point for getting on my way to Tokyo," he said.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/39170417
|
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Man Utd striker banned for three games for violent conduct - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic accepts a three-match ban for violent conduct for elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has accepted a three-match ban for violent conduct for elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Manchester United striker will miss Monday's FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea and Premier League games against Middlesbrough and West Brom.
Mings was also charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.
But Bournemouth have said they will appeal against the defender's charge.
Ibrahimovic, who is United's leading scorer this season with 26 goals, is eligible to play in the Europa League tie against Rostov in Russia on Thursday. He is due to return in the Premier League against Everton on 4 April.
Mings, 23, landed on the United forward's head with his studs before Ibrahimovic, 35, caught his rival in the face with his elbow at a corner.
The players were given until 18:00 GMT on Tuesday to respond to the charge.
Deliberate elbowing and stamping are both red card offences. However, the FA suggested Mings could face an increased ban for his offence.
An FA statement said: "The FA has submitted a claim that the standard punishment that would otherwise apply for the misconduct committed by the Bournemouth defender is 'clearly insufficient'."
"Off-the-ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees.
"Each referee panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision of the panel must be unanimous."
What they said
Speaking to the BBC after the match, both Mings and Ibrahimovic denied any intent in their actions.
Mings said: "It was a good battle, you know exactly what you are going to get playing against him. There will be things highlighted more than others, but I enjoyed it."
Ibrahimovic said Mings had "jumped into" his elbow.
"In my situation, I jump up, I jump high," the Swede said. "At the same time I protect myself and unlucky he jumps into me. Many times this occasion happens."
44 mins: Mings slides into a tackle on Wayne Rooney, also taking out Ibrahimovic. The Bournemouth defender gets to his feet and then hurdles Ibrahimovic, landing on the Swede's head with his right boot.
45 mins: United win a corner which is swung in to the far post where Ibrahimovic and Mings challenge for the high ball.
Ibrahimovic catches Mings with his right elbow after winning the header, the Bournemouth defender going down to the ground clutching his head.
Bournemouth skipper Andrew Surman pushes Ibrahimovic in the chest, earning a second yellow card from Friend.
45+1 mins: The referee has a conversation with Ibrahimovic and United skipper Rooney, then sends off Surman before restarting play after a lengthy delay.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39182905
|
European Indoor Athletics: Muir wins second gold, Philip takes 60m title - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Britain's Laura Muir wins the 3,000m to gain her second gold as Asha Philip takes the 60m title at the European Indoor Championships.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Britain's Laura Muir and Asha Philip won gold at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Belgrade.
Muir, 23, gained her second gold of the championships with victory in the 3,000m on Sunday following her 1500m win the previous day.
The Scot eased away from the rest of the field to break the championship record in eight minutes 35.68 seconds.
Philip, 26, set a new British record to win the women's 60m final in a time of 7.06 seconds.
"I was not doubting myself," Philip told BBC Sport. "I knew I had it in me and the confidence took me through the race.
"When I crossed the line, I could feel the girls on my left and I wasn't sure - the camera came to me and I was like: 'I don't believe it unless you say my name.'"
Muir's team-mate Eilish McColgan won bronze in the 3,000m, while Shelayna Oskan-Clarke was edged into silver by winner Selina Buchel of Switzerland in a thrilling women's 800m final.
Robbie Grabarz took silver in the men's high jump after losing a jump-off for gold against Sylwester Bednarek of Poland, with Lorraine Ugen also winning silver in the women's long jump.
Eilidh Doyle, Philippa Lowe, Mary Iheke and Laviai Nielsen took silver in the women's 4x400m relay behind Poland, who won four golds in total on the final day to top the medal table ahead of Britain.
Muir won her second major title in as many days by again setting a new championship record, having also beaten Dame Kelly Holmes' British record in her 1500m victory on Saturday.
She became the first British athlete since Colin Jackson in Paris in 1994 to win two gold medals in individual events at a single European Indoor Championships.
This victory also makes Muir the first runner to win the 1500m and 3,000m double since Poland's Lidia Chojecka at Birmingham 2007.
After keeping pace with Can out in the front for most of the race, Muir surged clear with just under two laps to go to win by almost eight seconds.
"It was my first time doubling up so I didn't know how my body would cope - I was just hoping I could deliver and I'm delighted," Muir told BBC Sport.
McColgan, 26, passed Maureen Koster of the Netherlands in the final stages to win her first senior medal, while team-mate Steph Twell finished fifth.
"Laura is so much better than the rest of us - I knew gold was gone, but it's my first medal so I'm really chuffed," said McColgan.
With an athlete as confident as Laura Muir is, as in the groove as she is, she wasn't going to settle for just winning.
This is a new Laura that we're witnessing - a couple of years ago she was in tears wondering why she was making those mistakes.
But now her running is stunning - the strength, the power, the endurance and the confidence. She has no fear.
With Jessica Ennis-Hill retiring, we've been wondering who would take on that mantle of the queen of British athletics and Laura is that person.
For Eilish McColgan, her body dictated the change from steeplechase to 3,000m - she was spending more time on the physio bed than she was racing.
So to have a good winter and then come out to win her first medal makes me delighted for her - and I hope it's the start of good things to come.
Philip set the fourth-fastest time in the semi-finals but stepped up for the final, setting a new European-leading mark this season.
Her victory completes a British double in the 60m following Richard Kilty's gold on Saturday.
She is also the first British winner of the women's 60m title since Beverly Kinch at Gothenburg in 1984.
Ukraine's Olesya Povh took silver, 0.04 seconds behind, with Ewa Swoboda of Poland in third.
Philip's gold medal stood after a Swiss protest against her victory was turned down.
Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe paid tribute to the winner, saying: "Asha Philip personifies that tactic we need more of - bringing youngsters to championships like this and letting them take the step up, because it gives them a big boost going into the outdoor season."
Oskan-Clarke, 27, battled with reigning champion Buchel throughout the 800m final, often clashing elbows, but failed to get round the Swiss athlete on the line.
The Briton set a new personal best time of 2:00.39, just 0.01 seconds behind Buchel in a photo finish.
"I was trying to be brave but it was probably a bit silly to go round the outside whereas if I'd sat behind I might have had that bit at the end - it's just annoying," Oskan-Clarke told BBC Sport.
"I am happy but to be so close to the gold, it is a bit disappointing."
Poland's Adam Kszczot took gold in the men's 800m, with the Polish team also winning the men's 4x400m relay in the final race of the championships.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/39173882
|
Is there a way to tackle air pollution? - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The search for solutions to the threat of polluted air is generating ideas that range from the modest to the radical to the bizarre.
|
Science & Environment
|
The search for solutions to the threat of polluted air is generating ideas that range from the modest to the radical to the bizarre.
A London primary school may issue face-masks to its pupils. The council in Cornwall may take the extreme step of moving people out of houses beside the busiest roads.
Four major cities - Paris, Athens, Mexico City and Madrid - plan to ban all diesels by 2025.
Stuttgart, in Germany, has already decided to block all but the most modern diesels on polluted days.
In India's capital, Delhi, often choked with dangerous air, a jet engine may be deployed in an experimental and desperate attempt to create an updraft to disperse dirty air.
The World Health Organization calculates that as many as 92% of the world's population are exposed to dirty air - but that disguises the fact that many different forms of pollution are involved.
For the rural poor, it is fumes from cooking on wood or dung indoors.
For shanty-dwellers in booming mega-cities, it is a combination of traffic exhaust, soot and construction dust.
Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world
In developed countries, it can be a mix of exhaust gas from vehicles and ammonia carried on the wind from the spraying of industrial-scale farms.
In European cities, where people have been encouraged to buy fuel-efficient diesels to help reduce carbon emissions, the hazard is from the harmful gas nitrogen dioxide and tiny specks of pollution known as particulates.
The first step is to understand exactly where the air is polluted and precisely how individuals are affected - and the results can be extremely revealing.
Scientists at the University of Leicester are trialling a portable air monitor to gather precise data at a personal scale.
We watched as volunteer, Logan Eddy, 14, carried the device in a specially adapted backpack that recorded details of the air he was exposed to.
Exactly where he walked was then displayed as lines on an electronic map, the colour of those lines conveying how unhealthy the air was at different points.
The monitor gives a readout of pollution during a journey
It was much worse than WHO guidelines where he had waited to cross a busy junction, strikingly cleaner in a side-street but then almost off the scale in a sheltered spot beside an arcade of shops where a car was parked with its engine idling.
Seeing a graphic display of how pollution can vary so dramatically changed Logan's view of air, and his friends adjusted their behaviour immediately.
"The people who found out have stopped waiting right near the buses after school for their friends," he says.
"They've been waiting… further away from the buses.
"It's obviously had an impact on them."
The personal monitor is one of a range of devices being deployed in Leicester to build up a detailed picture of where pollution hotspots form - and when.
In many cases, they can be short-lived, appearing during rush-hours when traffic jams develop.
For Prof Roland Leigh, of Leicester University, understanding precisely where and when vehicles slow to a crawl or stop will help manage the flow of traffic in a way that minimises the impact on the most vulnerable people - the young and the elderly.
"One of the things we can all do is to improve our transport systems so that our congested traffic is not queued up outside of primary schools and old people's homes but instead is queued in other parts of the city where there's going to be less harm," he says.
But what about tackling one of the main sources of the problem in the first place, the vehicles spewing out the pollutants?
In Europe, under pressure from regulators, the manufacturers have progressively cleaned up their engines over the past few decades - first to trap carbon monoxide and unburned fuel, then particulates and most recently nitrogen dioxide.
The latest European standard, Euro 6, requires vehicles to emit far less pollution than older models, but trust has inevitably been eroded after the car giant VW was caught cheating - using software that activated the emissions controls only during tests.
At Bath University, engineers use a "rolling road" and a robotic "driver" to put cars through realistic simulations of how they are normally used, to find out exactly what's released from the exhaust pipe.
They are also working to understand the trade-offs involved in cleaning up an engine.
For example, adding more pollution-trapping devices can add to fuel consumption, which means increased emissions of carbon dioxide, undermining efforts to tackle climate change.
And however good the latest standards, they still leave vast numbers of older vehicles out on the roads.
Hence the idea of a national scrappage scheme - to provide incentives to drivers to switch to a cleaner model.
It's attracting growing support from an unlikely coalition including the Federation of Small Business, London First, Greenpeace and the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association.
The challenge, as ever, is to find the money to make this happen and to agree who should pay - taxpayers through government incentives or the vehicle owners themselves.
Prof Chris Brace, an automotive engineer of Bath University, says; "Whichever way you approach it, you are asking people to spend more in taxation or more to buy new vehicles, and we need to decide whether that's something we're comfortable with as a society."
Will the parents of an asthmatic child dig deep in their pockets to switch to a cleaner car?
Will new housing developments include charging points for electric cars?
Will the money saved from a fuel-efficient diesel be seen as worth sacrificing for the sake of better air for everyone?
And bear in mind that these are "First World" questions.
In the rapidly growing cities of Africa, and many parts of Asia, there is hardly any monitoring of pollution at all, let alone political will or money to tackle it.
A week of coverage by BBC News examining possible solutions to the problems caused by air pollution.
• None WHO estimates of pollution in your city The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39132679
|
Alexis Sanchez: Arsenal forward dropped after row in training - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez had an angry exchange with team-mates before Saturday's defeat at Liverpool, for which he was dropped.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Alexis Sanchez had an angry exchange with Arsenal team-mates after leaving training mid-session in the build-up to Saturday's defeat at Liverpool.
The Chilean forward, 28, was confronted by team-mates on their return to the changing room and one of them had to be held back as tempers flared.
Sanchez was left out of the starting line-up at Anfield but came on in the second half as Arsenal lost 3-1.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said it was a tactical decision to omit Sanchez.
Wenger brought on his top scorer at half-time, with his side 2-0 down, and he provided the pass for Danny Welbeck's goal.
He has been directly involved in 26 goals in his 26 league games this season, scoring 17 and assisting nine.
• None 'I'd leave Arsenal if I were Sanchez', says Wright
However, Wenger said he had decided to start Welbeck and Oliver Giroud instead to provide a more direct attacking threat.
The defeat was the Gunners' third in four league games and saw them drop out of the top four.
Former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on BBC Match of the Day 2 Extra:
"I think Alexis Sanchez, and a number of players, are waiting to see what Wenger does. If Wenger stays on, I think we'll see a large turnover of players coming in and players leaving.
"If he leaves then it depends who comes in and replaces him, what his ideas are, and that will determine whether players like Sanchez and (Mesut) Ozil re-sign."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39175453
|
UK terror attacks: What we know about disrupted plots - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
What we know about the terror plots disrupted since 2013 and the reasons why we can't report them all.
|
UK
|
Tarik Hassane: One of the most recent and dangerous plotters
Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, of the Metropolitan Police, the UK's most senior counter-terrorism police officer, has used a speech to make a renewed call for public help to counter threats.
He says there have been 13 disrupted terror plots since 2013.
It's a complex figure because there haven't been 13 specific trials before the courts in which individuals have been shown to be involved in attack planning. That doesn't, however, mean the figure is wrong - far from it.
It's all to do with the difference between criminal evidence, leading to a conviction, and secret intelligence that the police and others can use to stop something from happening.
Nadir Syed used encrypted online chats to share gory videos from so-called Islamic State
There are prosecutions where it's really obvious what has been going on, but every now and then I and colleagues see cases where there's a whiff of something spooky in the background that we can't get to the bottom of.
Those cases are usually the ones where it starts to become clear that the security services thought they were on to something but the secret intelligence assessments - perhaps from a hacked device or credible informant - couldn't be supported in open court by evidence.
Sometimes the police intervene early in a case out of fear of losing track of a target. In these cases, the conviction on a lesser offence isn't regarded as a failure - it's still a "disruption" - and that's sometimes the most they can hope for.
So, in the absence of an official list, here are some of the cases that have most concerned the police in recent years:
Nadir Syed, 23, of west London, was convicted of preparing to carry out an attack in 2014 inspired by the self-styled Islamic State group, which evidence suggested would have targeted a poppy seller or someone else linked to Remembrance Sunday.
The same autumn saw the arrest of two students from west London who were later jailed for plotting to kill police or soldiers in a drive-by shooting using a moped.
We also saw the conviction of a delivery driver from Luton who planned to run over a member of the US military outside one of the two air bases used by its air force in Suffolk.
Boy S, who cannot be identified, was sentenced to life in prison at Manchester Crown Court.
One of the most serious recent cases led to Britain's youngest ever convicted terrorist - "Boy S", from Blackburn. When aged 14, he had attempted to incite a man in Australia to kill soldiers.
In March 2015, a teenager who planned to behead a British soldier was jailed in a case that highlighted the speed of his radicalisation.
Other less complex cases included a 19-year-old jailed for grooming a vulnerable young man to kill UK soldiers and a returnee from Syria whom the Crown Prosecution service said was "preparing or planning an act of terrorism".
Three operations involved intelligence that indicated either substantial research and collection of materials required for bomb-making - or testing of a potential device.
A further two were complex operations in which the suspects talked about high-profile targets.
And all of these cases exclude the activity of members of Northern Ireland paramilitary groups - the threat from those individuals is officially classed as "severe".
And, separately, there is increasing concern from police in some parts of the country about the rise of extreme far-right/neo-Nazi grooming for violence.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39183003
|
The Casualty actor behind the Bob Marley musical - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Rebecca Jones goes behind the scenes of One Love - the new Bob Marley musical.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Kwei-Armah appeared in Casualty from 1999 to 2004
You may know Kwame Kwei-Armah best as the paramedic Finlay Newton in the BBC's Casualty.
But it's 13 years since he left the television series and since then he's carved a hugely successful career in the theatre.
His new stage show is about the reggae legend Bob Marley. But he insists, it is "absolutely not" a jukebox musical, where the songs take precedence over the plot.
Kwei-Armah, the writer and director of One Love, The Bob Marley Musical, says it is not "sing-a-long-a-Bob", but "a play with music".
He admitted though that it was a "delicate" balancing act trying to keep in enough songs the audience will recognise.
So hits including No Woman No Cry, Jamming, Three Little Birds and Redemption Song are among 30 tracks that feature in the show.
Rehearsals are taking place for the show, which opens on 10 March
But One Love is not your usual musical hero, womb to tomb story.
Instead it focuses on just three years in Marley's life and career, which Kwei-Armah says are "very significant" in "understanding the hero's journey of the man."
Following an assassination attempt in 1976, the singer left his home in Jamaica and went to live in London in self imposed exile.
While in England he recorded two of his biggest albums: Exodus and Kaya.
Kwei-Armah said he wanted to get inside the mind of the man at that time and "show a side of Bob that we don't often speak about."
"Bob being a political songwriter, I wanted to look at what were the years when he was tested. What were the years when he might have doubted himself? And I found these years to be that."
Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.
Bob Marley's Facebook page has more than 70 million followers
But interest in him shows no sign of diminishing. It is estimated he has sold more than 50 million albums around the world. Time declared Exodus the best album of the 20th Century in 1999. The same year the BBC named One Love the song of the millennium.
His Facebook page has more than 70 million fans - and Marley is in the top 15 most popular pages on the social media site.
For many, Bob Marley is an idol - a civil rights activist who spoke up for the poor and oppressed.
But he was not a saint. And Kwai-Armah says he does not gloss over Marley's womanising and drug use.
He says he portrays him "warts and all". He adds: "I don't need any hero to be an angel."
The singer Mitchell Brunings is playing the title role.
Born in Surinam, but raised in The Netherlands, he was a backing vocalist in a Marley tribute band, before entering the Dutch equivalent of the television talent show, The Voice.
He sang Redemption Song and his performance went viral on YouTube.
As a result, Kwai-Armah cast him in the lead role. It is his UK stage debut and he is feeling the pressure to do Marley justice.
"He has a very big following, a lot of his followers are fanatical about their devotion to him, which I understand because I am one of his followers myself. I don't want to do anything to damage his image."
Kwai-Armah says Marley is portrayed "warts and all" in the show
Marley's family has already given the show their blessing.
His daughter Cedella has said: "Birmingham is a natural place for its UK premiere. With its great mix of cultures, it's a city where my father performed to audiences that were captivated by his presence.
"We have no doubt that telling the story through music to a new generation in Birmingham will be part of his continuing legacy."
One Love: The Bob Marley Musical opens at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 10th March.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39132271
|
Laura Muir targets 1500m and 5,000m double at World Athletics Championships - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Double European Indoor champion Laura Muir plans to race in both the 1500m and the 5,000m at the World Championships in London.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Briton Laura Muir's double gold at the European Indoor Championships has convinced her to race in both the 1500m and 5,000m at the World Championships in London this summer.
The 23-year-old Scot won her first senior medals in the 1500m and 3,000m in Belgrade at the weekend.
"We went for the double to see how the legs coped with a lot of rounds in a short period," Muir told the BBC.
"Hopefully, come London, I'll double up and do the 1500m and the 5K."
The Kinross athlete regards the shorter distance as her "main event" in August but said she was pleased that the schedule for the heats and finals "work really well to double up".
"I'd love to get on the podium," she added. "That would be my first global-level medal."
Timings, however, were not on her side in Belgrade when it came to celebrating her British record-breaking 1500m triumph on Saturday.
An official repeatedly thwarted her attempt to do a lap of honour before Muir eventually gave her the slip.
She told BBC Radio 5 live: "They were saying they were behind on the programme, but the athletes were out on the track so I thought, 'ach, I'm just going to go'."
Muir is juggling her record-breaking athletics career with her veterinary studies.
"Athletics is quite an individual sport so I can fit everything around it," she said.
"I just go for runs in the morning before I head to lectures, and do runs in the evenings when I get back. It is tough and my recovery is not as great as other athletes' but veterinary always came first for me."
Muir revealed she felt motivated to "work even harder over the winter" after her disappointment at finishing seventh in the 1500m final at the Rio Olympics.
"I wanted to race as best as I could throughout 2017 and it's gone pretty well so far," she said.
"I just seem to be getting faster and faster and it's brilliant."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/39178573
|
Women's World Cup: BBC wins rights to show 2019 tournament - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
BBC Sport secures the rights to broadcast the 2019 Women's World Cup which will be held in France.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Women's Football
BBC Sport has secured the rights to broadcast the 2019 Women's World Cup which will be held in France.
Extensive coverage of every game at the tournament will be provided across television, radio and online.
The 2015 competition was also shown on the BBC, when the England team reached the semi-finals.
"We're delighted the BBC will bring the biggest tournament in women's football to the widest possible audience," said director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater.
"Women's football has grown significantly over the last few years and we are proud of the contribution we have made.
"France 2019 promises to be another fantastic showcase for the sport."
Fifa secretary-general Fatma Samoura said: "The seventh edition of the Fifa Women's World Cup in 2015 reached record-breaking numbers of TV viewers and social media clicks, underlining global interest in the world's biggest single-sport event for women.
"As excitement grows around the eighth edition of the competition, we are delighted to work with the BBC to broadcast the ultimate event in women's football to even greater audiences in the UK via the BBC's TV, radio and digital platforms."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39177876
|
Budapest 2024: Why does snub to International Olympic Committee matter? - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
BBC sports editor Dan Roan examines why potential hosts are turning their backs on the Games and assesses how much jeopardy the Olympics are now in.
| null |
Back in September 2013 I interviewed an emotional Thomas Bach in Buenos Aires a few minutes after the German had become the most powerful man in sport.
The newly elected International Olympic Committee (IOC) president confidently told me that after a successful reign by his predecessor Jacques Rogge, the Olympic movement needed mere evolution.
But as we approach four years of Bach's leadership - and with fresh hosting, doping and corruption controversies affecting confidence in his organisation - the demands for an Olympic revolution are growing louder by the day.
The recent withdrawal of Budapest's bid to stage the 2024 Games - the fourth city to pull out of the race - is highly embarrassing for the IOC and seems to have left the Olympics at a crossroads, in desperate need of a new vision.
And the knock-on effects of this latest blow to Bach could be extremely significant: a possible double announcement of hosts for both the 2024 and 2028 Games; and perhaps making it more likely that the IOC takes the unprecedented step of banning Russia from the next Winter Olympics, if that is deemed necessary to restore credibility at this critical time.
Despite reported opposition from within the IOC, it seems increasingly likely that when its members meet in Lima in September to decide which of the two remaining bidders, Los Angeles or Paris, is awarded the Games, the loser will be told it can host the following edition four years later.
This assumes the runner-up for 2024 will actually want to play host in 2028 of course - or indeed be able to. Neither is certain. Plans and partnerships for both bids are based on the cities hosting the event in 2024, and delaying these by another four years may not be possible. But with the IOC now admitting that without recent reforms it could have suffered the ignominy of having no bidders, it seems sensible to try to strike some kind of two-Games deal.
So, why are potential host cities turning their backs on the Games, and how much jeopardy is the Olympics really now in?
• None Hamburg says 'no' to Olympic bid
In 2014, after six cities had decided not to bid for the 2022 Winter Games - leaving just Almaty and Beijing to choose from - Bach hailed his Agenda 2020 reforms as the answer, designed to encourage flexible and cheaper bids from more potential hosts.
Yet three years on, here we are again, with just two bidders left for the 2024 summer Games. Earlier this month, a referendum in the Swiss canton of Graubuenden, which contains the cities of Davos and St Moritz, ensured there would be no bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The recent bleak images of Rio's abandoned and crumbling Olympic venues already falling into disrepair, just a few months after they hosted the city's iconic but chaotic Games, has reinforced fears that the size and cost of the global mega-event is out of control and places too great a burden on host cities.
At the same time, in London, an investigation is now under way into the spiralling costs of the 2012 Olympic stadium, now approaching £800m.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, there are renewed concerns that the budget for the 2020 Games could leap to £21bn, four times the initial estimate, despite recent effort to rein in costs, with the city's governor, Yuriko Koike, admitting she had no idea how much money will eventually be spent on the event.
No wonder, perhaps, that Boston, Hamburg, Rome and now Budapest have all rejected the chance to stage the 2024 Games.
The IOC has blamed local politics for the withdrawal of the Hungarian capital, although Bach will hope to turn it to his advantage and use it to strengthen his case for more reforms.
Bach's latest idea is a change to the rules to allow cities bidding for the second time to pay less than those making their first attempt. Bach told German magazine Stuttgart Nachrichten that it was unfair to judge Rio's Olympic legacy so soon, and urged critics not to underestimate the transport and environmental benefits the Games had left the Brazilian city, while also reminding them of the regeneration of east London in recent years.
So as they enter the final crucial few months of campaigning, which of the two remaining candidate cities are most likely to benefit from Budapest's withdrawal and get to run the first leg of a possible 2024/2028 relay?
Some observers believe it has merely reinforced Paris' status as favourites. Given just how hard it clearly now is to attract bidders from Europe, sponsorship expert Tim Crow argues that it is easy to see why the IOC would be loathe to risk further alienating more potential candidates by rejecting the iconic capital for a third consecutive time - especially for 2024, which will mark 100 years since Paris last hosted the Games.
Add to this the obvious consternation caused in some Olympic circles by US President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric - and his recent travel ban - and Paris seems a logical choice.
Others disagree, however. Journalist Alan Abrahamson argues that the IOC must now turn away from government-backed bids based on large infrastructure or regeneration projects, where taxpayers often end up paying the price when budgets spiral out of control, and instead go for privately funded alternatives.
And that, he insists, means Los Angeles. Unlike in Paris, where 1.5bn euros of public investment is being spent on the construction of an athletes' village and a new aquatics centre, 97% of the American city's major facilities are already built, the kind of sustainability that Bach's Agenda 2020 is meant to be encouraging more of.
It has also not escaped attention that Etienne Thobois, the head of the Paris 2024 bid, was a key consultant for Tokyo 2020 - a bid whose original cost estimates now appear wildly optimistic. And at a time when the IOC is desperate to tackle ageing audiences, become more relevant among younger sports fans, and reboot the troubled Olympic brand, California's global reputation for digital technology and enterprise could make sense. It would also please the IOC's most lucrative broadcast partner, NBC, and its sponsors, most of which are based in the US.
In what is becoming a fascinating dilemma for the IOC, there are various other factors at play.
There is the possibility of anti-American resentment from some in the Olympic community at the US Anti-Doping Agency's (Usada) criticism of the IOC's failure to ban Russia from the Rio Games for state-sponsored doping. Usada is now one of the leading voices pushing for an overhaul of the anti-doping system, demanding a better resourced and independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) with real sanctioning powers. A US congressional hearing recently questioned the IOC's medical and scientific director Richard Budgett on anti-doping, with some wondering if the scrutiny could harm Los Angeles' chances.
But could all that be offset by the possible election of far-right politician Marine le Pen in the French presidential election in May? And could the continued threat of terrorism in France also damage Paris prospects?
What next for Russia?
All will be revealed in Lima in September. But before then, an even bigger decision must be taken by the IOC - on Russia. Despite recent admissions from Wada that there may not be sufficient evidence in last year's damning McLaren report to bring sanctions against certain Russian athletes, and the slow progress of two separate IOC investigations into the scandal, many want the IOC to now do what they failed to do last summer and ban the entire Russian team from Pyeongchang 2018.
My understanding is that despite the obvious threat of a major rift with Russia if such a step is taken, the argument is finally gaining traction among the upper echelons of the IOC, and there is a growing acceptance that it could help demonstrate some leadership at a time when it desperately needs to restore credibility.
The samples of more than 100 athletes from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 have now shown up as positive in retesting, and dozens of medals have been stripped. The IOC is trying to show it has teeth after all, and it may conclude that banning Russia would be the ultimate way of proving the point.
All this comes at a crucial time for the IOC, a time of both opportunity and challenge.
On the one hand, it appears in rude health. Despite continuing concerns over China's human rights record, Bach recently hailed the signing of a ground-breaking six-Games partnership worth a potential $1bn with Chinese conglomerate Alibaba, another major boost to its constantly growing revenues.
The Olympic channel has now been broadcasting for several months, signing deals with 47 federations to televise their sports. Last week, the Sports and Rights Alliance welcomed the IOC's decision to incorporate human rights principles in its revised host city contract.
On the other, however, Bach has faced scrutiny for his organisation's role in the alleged ticket-touting scandal that saw Irish IOC executive Pat Hickey arrested in Rio and detained for five months.
And now an IOC ethics committee is having to look into allegations that vote-buying helped secure the 2016 Games for Rio after a French newspaper reported that a Brazilian businessman made payments to Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former IOC member Lamine Diack, just before the crucial vote in 2009, and that current IOC member Frankie Fredericks also received money.
Frederick denies wrongdoing, while Diack Jr has refused to comment. But with French police already investigating payments made by the Tokyo 2020 bid to an account linked to the Diacks, the list of Games tainted by allegations of corruption is growing.
It is against this backdrop that the IOC is now operating - and being judged.
Budapest's withdrawal from the race to stage the next Games is far from being the only headache it has to contend with right now. But at a time when the IOC's reputation is on the line, the ramifications of this latest snub could be felt well beyond its headquarters in Lausanne. And especially in Los Angeles, Paris and in Moscow.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/39183183
|
How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
How a small Canadian firm used social media to help drive sales of its Instant Pot multi-function cooker.
|
Business
|
Robert Wang and a friend came up with the idea for the product
Robert Wang was hoping to make it easier for people to make a decent meal, but didn't expect his new product to attract a cult following.
Last summer on Amazon Prime Day, the online retailer's global 24-hour annual sale event, one of the top-selling products in the US was a multi-function electric cooker.
The item in question is called the Instant Pot, and more than 215,000 of them were snapped up in the US on that single day.
The fact that this countertop appliance was outselling TVs and tablets may come as a surprise to many people, but not to its legions of dedicated fans, who express unabashed adoration.
"If you look at the Amazon reviews, one common word is 'love'," says Mr Wang.
"Americans are very open with their emotions. Love is all over the place. Another one is that 'Instant Pot changed my life'.
"That's actually rewarding to us - understanding that we have created value for society."
The Instant Pot has built up an online fanbase
First available to buy in 2010, the Instant Pot has become a veritable craze, a success built through social media word-of-mouth instead of traditional TV or print advertising.
Today, the official Instant Pot Facebook group is nearly 398,000-people strong, and there are thousands of other online enthusiasts. Fans share recipes online and tips for making everything from soups, stews and chilli, to poached eggs, popcorn and cheesecake in the appliance.
Mr Wang says that from the beginning the intention was to let the product speak for itself, and build up sales thanks to customer recommendations rather than pay for advertising.
He describes this as the "build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door" marketing strategy.
The Instant Pot is the brainchild of Mr Wang and his friend Yi Qin, who are both veterans of the Canadian technology sector. Mr Wang had worked for the now-defunct telecoms group Nortel, while Mr Qin had been employed by Blackberry.
They were brainstorming ideas for a new project in 2008 and realised people were searching for the same solution they were - a way to cook healthy meals for a family quickly and affordably.
Fans of the Instant Pot post recipes and photos online
That was when their attention turned to kitchen appliances and rebooting the pressure cooker.
They came up with the idea for the Instant Pot, which is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute pan, yogurt maker, warming pot all-in-one unit.
Together with three other partners, they set up a business called Double Insight in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, and the first version of Instant Pot was born in 2010.
"We have tried to automate cooking as much as possible and tried to simplify the cooker," says Mr Qin, who is the firm's vice president of product management. "One press of the button can cook the meal for the family."
Yi Qin says that from day one they wanted the product to be as easy as possible to use
The product was, however, not an immediate success. Mr Qin says that one problem was the "stigma" surrounding one of the Instant Pot's main functions: the fact that it can be used as a pressure cooker, which had long since fallen out of favour in North American kitchens.
"Most people have some concept of urban legends of exploding pressure cookers in their grandmother's kitchens," says Mr Qin.
He says they addressed the issue by making product safety a design priority, and making the Instant Pot as foolproof to use as possible.
Thanks to word of mouth, sales were growing well by 2013 when Amazon started to sell the product, and sales shot up further.
"Amazon is a very practical company," says Mr Qin. "They didn't approach us until they saw that the [upward sales] trend had already formed."
The online buzz surrounding the Instant Pot has been helped by food bloggers enthusiastically talking about the product, and sharing recipes, with their followers.
Some of these bloggers buy their own Instant Pot, while Double Insight gives the cookers to others to test out.
One early challenge was convincing customers the Instant Pot was safer than their grandmother's pressure cooker
Laura Pazzaglia, from website Hip Pressure Cooking, says that she is not surprised by the gadget's success.
"Everybody who has an Instant Pot, they tell three friends about it," she says. "If you keep going like that, obviously you can't help but succeed."
Today Double Insight remains a small business with just 25 employees, contracting out the manufacture of the product to a factory in China.
While the Instant Pot is facing increasing competition from rival products made by much larger appliance companies such as Breville and Black & Decker, Ms Pazzaglia says that Instant Pot's early start and vast online following gives it an edge.
Zeynep Arsel, associate professor of marketing at Montreal's Concordia University, says that the Instant Pot resonates with the trend towards healthy but uncomplicated food, and is boosted by "a textbook perfect buzz marketing campaign".
She adds: "Cooking is a social and emotional practice that creates a lot of meaning in our lives.
"So a product that takes centre stage in cooking practices also creates a sense of attachment by being an agent in our social and emotional lives."
With the Instant Pot now on to its fourth iteration, its design development has been led by feedback and ideas submitted by users. With prices starting from $80 (£65) for the most basic model, the top-of-the-range $180 version can be controlled remotely via your mobile phone.
"This is not so much an Instant Pot story per se, this is every user's story," says Mr Qin. "Whenever you have an Instant Pot product, you have a story to tell."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39058736
|
Spring Budget will not be a 'show fest' - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Wednesday's Budget will be Philip Hammond's first - but a source says it will not feature big changes.
|
UK Politics
|
This week's Budget will be Philip Hammond's first
Clear your diary, get the popcorn in, check you are sitting comfortably - it is almost time for one of the biggest political moments in any year.
Like every year, decisions the chancellor makes will have an immediate impact on people's lives and livelihoods.
Tweaks to the new system of business rates will soften the impact to some firms who are hit by the steepest rises.
An expected top up of a billion or so pounds for the social care system could help alleviate the worst pressure on the service that is struggling in many parts of the country.
The announcements already made about money being allocated to technical education could have a significant impact on millions of young people, in the years to come.
But decisions that the chancellor does not make - continuing with planned cuts and benefit freezes for example - will also affect millions of people.
This Budget is also special because it is the last Spring Budget of its kind, and the chancellor's first.
Philip Hammond is moving the main Budget to the autumn.
There will no longer be two big fiscal events every year - no more Autumn Statement and spring Budget, just a major autumn Budget.
And sources close to the chancellor suggest this Budget is not the place to look for big moves, big changes, or big radical changes.
One minister told me: "It won't be a show fest." Another said: "It's a smaller Budget, although smaller Budgets are actually harder."
Philip Hammond has no intention of flashing any cash, even though the levels of borrowing are expected to be slightly less scary than predicted at the Autumn Statement.
Treasury sources are more optimistic now of being able to do a Brexit trade deal than some months ago.
But there is still a view in Number 11 that the journey to the exit could involve economic headaches, so it makes sense not to allocate every potentially available penny - in case money is needed to ease the pain later on.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39176113
|
FA reform proposals 'wishy washy' - Kick It Out boss Lord Ouseley - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
"Wishy washy" FA proposals to boost diversity among its leadership "won't make a difference", a leading equality campaigner says.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Football Association plans to boost the diversity of its leadership are "wishy washy" and "won't make any difference", says a leading equality campaigner.
The FA announced the proposed reforms after criticism over the way it is run.
They include more women being added to its board and 11 new members joining the FA Council to "better reflect" the diversity of English football.
However, Lord Ouseley, chairman of diversity campaign group Kick It Out, says the changes are "superficial".
A former chairperson of the Commission for Racial Equality and a current Institute of Race Relations council member, Lord Ouseley told BBC Radio 5 live: "It won't add any additional power and involvement in leadership roles for black and minority ethnic people.
"In fact, there's no representation for disabled people, LGBT communities - it's very superficial.
"While it will look good and it is to be welcomed as some change, it won't make any difference about where the power is, where the control is, and quite frankly it's a bit wishy washy."
Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), was also critical of the reforms, saying they showed "a complete disrespect for key stakeholders" such as players, managers, referees and fans.
"We are referred to as 'not aligned' to The Professional Game or National Game, which shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for the very people who provide their income," he said.
"Such proposals do nothing to bring us in line with the rest of the world or alter the perception of lacking inclusion and being disconnected 'dinosaurs'."
In December, five former FA bosses asked the government to intervene and change an organisation they described as being held back by "elderly white men".
In February, MPs warned they could legislate to force the FA to reform if they had "no confidence" that the organisation would do so itself.
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has said the FA could lose £30m-£40m of public funding if it does not modernise.
FA chairman Greg Clarke reiterated that he will quit if the plans for reform do not win government support.
"This is a transformational leap forward and if the government don't accept this, I'm not sure what else we can do," he told BBC Sport on Monday.
"If government don't want to accept it, who am I to argue but, of course, I will resign."
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway asked Clarke why there were no plans for dedicated black, Asian and minority ethnic background representation on the proposed new 10-member board.
Clarke replied: "What I would like to see is a path to make sure that not only are we gender diverse but ethnically diverse. What I don't want this to be is empty words.
"I want to find a way to achieve it and be accountable. I just need a bit more time to get there.
"It's really important that the FA is representative to society. Throughout the business world, diverse boards make better decisions. I think that's true in football too."
The FA is effectively run by its own parliament, the FA Council, which has 122 members. Just eight are women and only four are from ethnic minorities. More than 90 of the 122 members are aged over 60.
What are the planned reforms?
• None Establish three positions on the FA board reserved for female members by 2018
• None Reduce the size of the board to 10 members
• None Add 11 new members to the FA Council so it "better reflects the inclusive and diverse nature of English football"
• None Limit board membership to three periods of three years
The reforms still have to be approved by the FA Council, which will debate and vote on the recommendations on Monday, 3 April.
If they receive majority approval they will be taken forward to a vote of the shareholders at the FA's annual meeting on 18 May.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39188003
|
Alexis Sanchez row reports 'completely false' - Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says reports of a training ground row between Alexis Sanchez and his team-mates are "completely false".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says reports of a training ground row between Alexis Sanchez and his team-mates are "completely false".
Sanchez is understood to have had an angry exchange with fellow players after leaving training mid-session prior to Saturday's loss at Liverpool.
He was confronted by team-mates on their return to the changing room as tempers flared.
But Wenger said: "I'm not aware, nothing happened."
Sanchez was left out of the starting line-up at Anfield but came on and set up a goal for his side in the second half as Arsenal lost 3-1.
"I explained after the game I decided to go for a more direct option - that was the unique reason for my decision," said Wenger.
"He is a committed player and sometimes with excessive behaviours but you have had that many times in the history of every squad."
Wenger was speaking before the second leg of his side's Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday at home to Bayern Munich, who lead 5-1.
Asked about his relationship with the 28-year-old, the Frenchman said: "Honest and normal like with every single player."
Sanchez took a full part in Arsenal's training session before the game.
After training a picture was posted on Sanchez's Instagram page with the message: "The true warrior fights not because he hates the ones in front of him, but because he loves those behind him. Let's go Gunners. 'The only failure is not trying.'"
Sanchez has been directly involved in 26 goals in his 26 league games this season, scoring 17 and assisting nine.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said he would "probably want to leave" the club if he were in the Chile international's position.
But Wenger said: "Alexis Sanchez has 15 months on his contract so the decision will depend on Arsenal Football Club, not on anyone else."
Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker insists he and his team-mates are behind Wenger.
"It's not always the manager. It's hard for him now to select, he does it with his best knowledge and we trust him. He has got a lot of options now," he said.
"We have shown on many occasions that we can turn it around and we are happy to play for him."
Mertesacker sat beside Wenger for Monday's news conference and said the team spirit was "tense" when asked about Sanchez.
"It is not going to be about one single player and all these questions about one player is very disruptive to our team," he said.
"Tomorrow we have got a game to face that is really important to our team, not to one individual player."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39181385
|
Tony Bellew says retirement 'is an option' after David Haye fight - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Tony Bellew says he is considering retirement following his thrilling victory over bitter rival David Haye in London on Saturday.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Tony Bellew says he is considering retirement following his surprise victory over bitter rival David Haye at London's O2 Arena on Saturday.
But the Liverpudlian, 34, admitted that an offer for one further fight could be too lucrative to turn down.
"I don't know how many times more I can put my body and family through this," Bellew told BBC Radio 5 live.
Asked whether the Haye bout would be his last, he added: "It's an option. It's something I'm thinking about."
WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew defied most predictions to beat Haye - who was affected by a torn Achilles tendon - on his heavyweight debut, and he now has 29 wins and a draw from 32 fights.
Promoter Eddie Hearn said on Sunday that representatives of American WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and WBO champion Joseph Parker of New Zealand had contacted him about a potential fight.
• None Listen: 'I’ve beaten the best cruiserweight this country has produced'
Bellew told BBC One's Breakfast programme: "I have a lot of options. If people want to come and talk to me... I don't know what's going to happen, but it will have to be something special.
"I am the best heavyweight in the world outside the champions, and none of them have a name like David Haye on their record, so what does that mean?
"David Haye was like the bogeyman of the division. Nobody wanted to fight him but the fat cruiserweight did. And you know what? He beat him too. Just let that sink in."
Meanwhile, Haye says his surgery to reattach his Achilles has been a success and that the surgeons are "very confident of a 100% recovery back to full fitness".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39177586
|
West Ham United 1-2 Chelsea - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard both score as Chelsea beat West Ham to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 10 points.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard scored as Chelsea beat West Ham to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 10 points.
It was the Blues' 21st victory of the league season and another big step towards winning the title in Antonio Conte's first season as manager.
The Italian was once again spot on with his tactics - nullifying the predictable aerial threat of the Hammers' 6ft 4in frontman Andy Carroll early in the match.
And then in the 25th minute his attackers cruelly exposed the hosts' defence with a devastating counter-attack.
N'Golo Kante read a pass from Robert Snodgrass deep inside the Chelsea half on the left and played the ball to Hazard. The Belgium winger drove forward, played a one-two with Pedro and then shifted the ball past keeper Darren Randolph before slotting home.
The Blues doubled their lead after the break when Hazard's corner from the left was turned in with his thigh by Costa - the Spain striker's 17th league goal of the season.
The Hammers came close after Costa's strike when Sofiane Feghouli's low drive was brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois. Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso then appeared to block Manuel Lanzini's half-volley with his arm moments later - but referee Andre Marriner deemed it to be accidental.
West Ham finally pierced the last line of defence in stoppage time. Carroll robbed Cesc Fabregas and fed Andre Ayew, who squared for Lanzini to fire in.
• None Chelsea must keep feet on the ground - Conte
No doubt there were West Ham supporters who would have fancied their team's chances of causing an upset on Monday.
They came into the match having lost only one of their past six league games, picking up three wins. And one of the Blues' four defeats came at London Stadium in the EFL Cup earlier this season.
But perhaps what gave those fans greatest belief of a win was the return of Carroll, back after a month out with a groin injury - and the big striker was central to the Hammers' tactics.
In the opening 20 minutes, both Snodgrass and Feghouli provided the ex-Newcastle and Liverpool forward with high lofted balls. Unfortunately for Hammers manager Slaven Bilic, Chelsea had done their homework as their defenders repeatedly prevented Carroll from having an effort on goal.
He became a peripheral figure in the second half as West Ham looked for a new way of breaching the visitors' defence.
They managed to do so through Lanzini in the dying seconds, but there was too little time to find an equaliser.
Not even an intruder who made his way towards the Chelsea players after Hazard's goal could nudge the visitors off their stride. He, like West Ham's attack, was quickly contained.
Chelsea's attack then demonstrated why they are top of the table - the opening goal was a delight.
Kante, who as a defensive midfielder made the second-highest number of sprints on the night - 77 - darted back to cut out Snodgrass' ball. It was then over to Hazard and Pedro, with the Belgian having the confidence and composure to take the ball past Randolph before tucking in.
It was not as good as his Match of the Day goal of the month against Arsenal on 4 February, but impressive nonetheless. Costa, who had a quiet game, then added a simple second after the break.
The Blues did lose their concentration on two occasions: once when Courtois made a great save to block Feghouli's low drive, and then in stoppage time when the Belgium keeper was beaten by Lanzini.
But those mistakes have been few and far between this season.
• None Chelsea have enjoyed 118 Premier League London derby wins, more than any other side (one more than Arsenal).
• None West Ham have won only two of their past 22 Premier League clashes with Chelsea, losing 16 and drawing four.
• None Chelsea are the seventh side to accrue 66-plus points from their first 27 games of a Premier League season, having done it themselves twice before (69 in 2005-06 and 68 in 2004-05). All six previous sides have gone on to win the title.
• None Chelsea scored the opening goal of the game for the 21st time this season in the Premier League, four more times than any other side.
• None Chelsea are the only side to use all three substitutes in all of their Premier League games this season.
• None Lanzini has scored in eight of his 12 Premier League London derby appearances.
Chelsea have an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United coming up on Monday, 13 March (19:45 GMT) and then it is back to league action the following Saturday when they travel to Stoke.
West Ham are away at Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, 11 March (15:00 GMT).
• None Goal! West Ham United 1, Chelsea 2. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by André Ayew.
• None Offside, Chelsea. Kurt Zouma tries a through ball, but Diego Costa is caught offside.
• None Attempt blocked. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by César Azpilicueta.
• None Attempt missed. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Willian.
• None Attempt missed. Pedro Obiang (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39099634
|
Para-cycling Track Worlds: Sophie Thornhill, James Ball and Jon Gildea win golds - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Great Britain win three more golds on the final day of the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Disability Sport
Great Britain won three more golds on the final day of the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles.
Mirroring Saturday's efforts, Sophie Thornhill led a GB one-two-three in the tandem sprint, in front of Alison Patrick and Aileen McGlynn.
James Ball again beat his team-mate Neil Fachie to gold in the men's event, while Jon Gildea claimed his second world title in the C4-5 scratch race.
GB took its tally to eight golds, four silvers and two bronzes at the event.
"We'd joked about doing the treble before coming here but to actually do it is unbelievable," Thornhill, who won three golds with pilot Corrine Hall, told BBC Sport.
Gildea crossed the line second in the scratch race before being upgraded to gold after Brazil's Lauro Cesar Chaman was relegated from gold to bronze for an illegal move in the race's latter stages.
The title was his second of the week after he won the individual pursuit on Saturday.
"It's not the way you'd want to win it and it feels slightly strange but I'll take it," he said.
"I'm 38 now but hopefully this is the first step to getting to the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020."
Ball, along with pilot Matt Rotherham, beat Fachie and Craig Maclean with one race to spare in the sprint final.
"I still can't put it into words. That wasn't in the plans to come out here and win two golds," said Ball.
"We just wanted to come out here and see how we'd get on as a pairing but we knew we were going quick so I'm really happy it's all come together."
As well as medals, the championships in the USA served as a vital ranking-points event for tandem riders hoping to qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/39177045
|
Travelling the world with cats and a dog - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The BBC's Andrew Harding on the ups and downs of looking after domestic animals when you're posted around the world.
|
Magazine
|
It's 26 years since I set off to try my luck as a journalist in Moscow. I had a rucksack, a Russian phrasebook, and the expectation of adventure. What I hadn't anticipated was… pets.
Within a year there was an insistent scratching sound on my apartment door. I opened it to find a scrawny stray ginger cat.
Grace strolled in from a dark, pungent stairwell and declared (in that blank, unimpressed way that Russians often have with strangers) that this would do just fine.
Oh, and she was pregnant.
After that, Grace left our flat just once - slipping on an icy windowsill and falling three storeys.
On the phone, the vet loftily declared that she'd be fine: "Only falls of between five and 10 storeys are fatal here. Anything higher or lower is perfectly safe."
Besides, it was winter. Plenty of snow.
Nearly 10 years later - still serenely unimpressed by life - Grace, and one of her sons, flew with us from Moscow to Nairobi.
Kenya meant good weather, the unfamiliar pleasure of friendly strangers, birds big enough to grab an inexperienced cat, and a house with a garden.
Suddenly a dog seemed possible. Maybe even necessary.
Like most of our neighbours in Nairobi, we had a night guard who wandered around the garden holding a big stick until we were asleep and then settled down on two chairs to snore his way through the rest of the night. Perhaps a dog would help.
We found Lily in languid, rural Karen, on the edge of the Rift Valley. She'd recently been born to Tamu and General Gordon - a Labrador retriever couple.
Others in the same litter ended up with Nairobi diplomats and soon grew uncomfortably plump on the crust-less sandwiches they sourced at garden parties.
Lily quickly made it clear that guarding was not in her skill set. She enjoyed eating unfamiliar objects and playing with our young children - but she was understandably terrified of Grace the cat, and equally scared of the dark. And of strangers. And of wildlife.
Not that it seemed to matter. In much of Africa dogs are not generally perceived according to their breed or temperament. They are simply dogs. Things to be wary of. Things that police and guards tend to set on people.
So it's possible, I suppose that blonde, enthusiastic Lily may inadvertently have given a few Nairobi burglars second thoughts.
Either way, four years later, we moved to Singapore. Small, safe, steamy.
The immaculate kennels where Lily served her three months of quarantine even offered air conditioning.
We had a garden, once again - now frequented by large snakes, and by larger monitor lizards with their wide, grotesque mouths.
Lily stayed indoors. Grace too. And over time I became properly acquainted with the complex, haphazard, expensive world of international pet transportation.
Moving around the former Soviet Union had been rather easy. Vets, for instance, were often happy to backdate or forge whatever certificates seemed appropriate. Bribery wasn't just an option, it was an integral part of the process.
In Singapore, then Thailand, then briefly in France, and now in South Africa, it's a more unpredictable affair.
Nine years ago, I sat with Grace on my lap, in a Bangkok vet's office, quietly pleading with him to put her down. She was 18 years old, had days to live, and was in obvious pain. The vet nodded, smiled sympathetically, and then explained that that wasn't part of Thai culture.
I took Grace home. She died. And a week later she was given a proper send-off at a local Buddhist temple - one catering specially for pets. I like to think she would have been unimpressed.
Then, of course, there's the paperwork, and what I've discovered to be the fundamental, immutable law of pet migration.
The stricter and more extensive the requirements ahead of travel - for passports, jabs, microchips, special crates, transit fees and all the rest of it - the bigger the smiles of the customs officials at the destination airport, as they wave away your dossier full of hard-won paperwork without a glance, and crouch down to stroke the new arrival.
Last week I took Lily to the vet here in Johannesburg. She's 16 now - Lily, that is - and getting a little unsteady.
She's also quite happily deaf, which means the summer thunderstorms here no longer send her frantic with fear.
Unlike their Thai counterparts, South Africans vets always seem to be offering to put pets down. It's as if they have a quota to fill. But all Lily needed was her nails clipping.
She's sitting with me here as I write this at home. Her large ears lifting inquisitively. An elderly, cosmopolitan Kenyan.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39156616
|
Sunderland 0-2 Manchester City - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane goals help Manchester City to three points as Sunderland stay bottom of the table.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Sergio Aguero scored his fifth goal in his last three games to help Manchester City back into third place in the Premier League and keep Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Black Cats had defended doggedly before a swift City counter attack ended with Aguero prodding in Raheem Sterling's low cross from close range.
The visitors then clicked into gear as David Silva fed the explosive Leroy Sane for the Germany winger to double their lead after the break.
Jermain Defoe did find the net in a rare Sunderland attack late on, but his header was ruled out for offside.
The result could have been more comfortable for City, but Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford saved well from Aguero.
For all City's possession, it was the hosts who threatened first, Defoe hitting the post with a bouncing effort from outside the box that had Willy Caballero beaten.
Fabio Borini headed wide from the rebound, and any hopes David Moyes' side had of taking three points seemed to evaporate with that miss.
City still fighting on three fronts
With Chelsea not in action until Monday, Manchester City took the chance to move within eight points of the runaway leaders with a confident performance at the Stadium of Light.
Pep Guardiola will hope this victory, and an earlier win for second-placed Tottenham, may see Antonio Conte's side begin to feel the pressure.
It was a fourth league win on the trot for Guardiola's outfit, who are building momentum and can continue to crank up the heat up on their title rivals when they face Stoke in a game in hand on Wednesday.
But they are fighting on three fronts, with this routine victory marking the start of five games in 15 days that include a Champions League last-16 second-leg trip to Monaco and a FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough.
It is a problem Guardiola will welcome, but does the Spaniard's squad have the depth to cope?
He made five changes to the side which thrashed Huddersfield 5-1 in midweek and could afford to drop Kevin de Bruyne for Silva, whose incisive passing helped unlock a resilient Sunderland.
So what about Aguero? The Argentine's future was thrust into the spotlight after he lost his place to 19-year-old Gabriel Jesus last month, and he admitted this week his position at the club was unclear.
Guardiola can be ruthless when he feels a player does not fit into his system, just ask Joe Hart, but a metatarsal injury for Brazil forward Jesus appears to have offered Aguero a lifeline.
The 28-year-old has now scored five goals in his last three games in all competitions for City, having gone six games without finding the net before that.
Guardiola is building a team spearheaded by youth, and Aguero's poacher-like presence was complemented once again by the creativity of Sterling and Sane.
Sterling's trickery proved a constant threat down the right and Sane's sheer speed gave City an outlet on the opposite flank, gliding beyond his marker to finish left-footed past Pickford for the visitors' second.
Sunderland have become masters of beating the drop when appearing dead and buried in recent seasons, but they may have left the escape act too late this time around.
Sitting six points from safety at the bottom of the Premier League, the Black Cats' fate lies out of their hands.
And with relegation rivals Crystal Palace, Swansea and Leicester enjoying a recent upturn in form, David Moyes needs something of a miracle if his side are to spring a late recovery.
Moyes' side have taken points off Liverpool and Tottenham at home since the turn of the year, and did frustrate City for long spells in the first half, but once the visitors found a breakthrough they were able to keep Sunderland at arm's length.
'I don't like to defend a result at 2-0'
Sunderland manager David Moyes speaking to BBC Sport: "I don't think you can fault the players for any of that. We lacked quality at times though. They did all they could to try to get something out of the game."
On the team: "When you're in it every day you see the levels go up. We've got games coming up - we don't have to show it, we have to do it.
"We tried to make chances. The one that hits the post and comes out maybe that'll hit the inside of the post and go in next time.
"I hope our players understand the position that we're in, but we're not panicking."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola speaking to BBC Sport: "We are so happy. We played good. We expected aggression and intensity. It was a very good first goal. It was important to go into half-time 1-0 up. If they were winning with the amazing atmosphere it would have been difficult.
"Leroy Sane is every day getting better. He has gaps to improve but he's only 21. He's an intelligent guy and a very nice guy. We are here to help him become what he can be.
"We were passing the ball between ourselves in the last 25 minutes. I don't like to defend a result and be near our box. It is OK if you're 3-0 or 4-0 up but not 2-0."
Aguero hits 50 on the road - the stats
• None Manchester City have won 10 away league games this season - they've never won more in a single Premier League campaign (also 10 in 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2014-15).
• None Only Man Utd in 1993-94 and Chelsea in 2004-05 (both 11) have won more of their opening 14 away games in a single Premier League season.
• None Sergio Aguero became the 21st player to score 50 Premier League goals away from home.
• None Sunderland have failed to score in five of their last six Premier League games, the exception being a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace.
• None David Silva has provided 62 assists in the Premier League since his debut, at least 11 more than any other player in that time (Wayne Rooney, 51).
Manchester City host Stoke on Wednesday, kick-off 20:00 GMT, before visiting Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday (12:15).
Sunderland are not back in action until Saturday, 18 March, when they welcome Burnley to the Stadium of Light.
• None Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Bacary Sagna.
• None Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Leroy Sané.
• None Attempt saved. Nolito (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
• None Attempt missed. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Leroy Sané.
• None Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
• None Offside, Sunderland. Lamine Koné tries a through ball, but Jermain Defoe is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Lamine Koné (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Wahbi Khazri with a cross following a corner. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39093809
|
Afghanistan: The only gynaecologist for hundreds of miles - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Dr Homa Amiri Kakar left her job in a remote Afghan province but is returning, wracked with guilt.
|
Asia
|
Fed up with what she felt was mismanagement at her hospital, gynaecologist Homa Amiri Kakar had walked out of her job in a remote part of Afghanistan and returned to the capital. But just a week later she agreed to go back, guilt-stricken about the women she had deserted, as the BBC's Sarah Buckley and Asif Maroof report.
"I am deeply unhappy that I left behind patients, especially female patients in remote villages - they are not in a condition to explain all types of their sickness to male doctors - so it would be very difficult without a female doctor," she says.
Religious and cultural mores mean that women rarely visit male doctors for any condition, never mind a gynaecological one, and Dr Kakar, 39, realised that leaving her post in Paktika province left her patients dangerously vulnerable.
"Many times if there is not a female doctor many symptoms will remain untold by females and could cause a big problem, and even lead to their deaths," she told the BBC.
Dr Kakar (R) had told the health minister Ferozuddin Feroz (L) she was not happy with her working conditions
If the patient's husband, father or other male relative cannot or will not find a way of transporting her to an area where there is a female doctor on hand, then she will simply not receive treatment, says ex-health minister Soraya Dalil, now Afghan ambassador to Switzerland.
"In Afghanistan the decisions are usually made by men... if they are a female patient then it depends on the male member of the family if they want to take the female to the doctor, or to take her to another area of the country where there is a female," she said.
One woman on the other side of Afghanistan - in Herat province - told the BBC a neighbour died in childbirth before her eyes because she needed medical help and there were no female doctors available in her district. Her husband was too poor to arrange transport to a hospital which did have a female doctor.
BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre.
Other stories you might like:
And in Paktia province a six-year-old girl narrowly escaped the same fate, Dr Kakar says. The girl had been married by her family to a 45-year-old man and sex with him had caused her to bleed and develop an infection. Because there was no female doctor in the area where she lived no-one could examine her and work out what was the matter.
It was only after severe bleeding that her father eventually took her to a hospital some distance away that did have a female medic on hand. The authorities intervened and separated her from her husband and she is now living in a shelter.
Whilst there is a lack of female doctors, there has been a major push in recent years by NGOs and health officials to train up more midwives.
A report by UNFPA and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2002 found that for every 100,000 live births, some 1,600 women died from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth.
But according to the UN, this has now fallen to 396 per 100,000 women. By contrast, the UK rate is 9 per 100,000 women.
There has been recent investment in midwifery care in Afghanistan
The Afghan government says this success is due to a concerted training programme for midwives - which have increased from 437 in 2002 to 4,600 last year.
However Dr Kakar says that there is still insufficient midwifery presence in the province she works in because hospitals are not recruiting them - instead midwives are encouraged to make home visits.
But she says they need to be under the authority of a hospital where they can receive proper mentoring by doctors.
She also said that all too often unqualified unofficial midwives are operating in the community - offering women medicine without prescription, sometimes with fatal results.
Elyas Wahdat, the governor of the province Dr Kakar has returned to, says they need more women doctors.
"We have many facilities and equipment but unfortunately the female doctors are not coming to Paktika," he said. Decades of under-developed female education means there are not many women doctors available in the country.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
"Now the residents are being persuaded to send their girls to school - this year is the first year we graduated girls from school, and they are due to sit their exam for entering the university - but still we need another five years until they graduate [from university]," he said.
Under the Taliban, girls were almost completely excluded from school and university but according to the Afghan Ministry of Education today there are more than 9 million students enrolled in schools, 40% of whom are girls.
Many schoolchildren learn outside in dangerous circumstances
But according to the Brookings Institute only 21% of girls finish even primary education, due to factors such as cultural barriers, early marriage, a lack of female teachers and long and dangerous routes to school.
In its annual report on Afghanistan, the UN said that as a result of ground fighting between militants and troops in civilian areas 3,498 civilians were killed and 7,920 wounded in 2016, a 3% rise on 2015. The number of children killed or injured jumped by a quarter to its highest level to date.
"The other element is providing sufficient equipment for their education so the family should realise that if they send their girls to schools there is good equipment and teachers there so it's not a waste of time," says Soraya Dalil.
Dr Kakar is clear that Paktika province needs her.
"I strongly feel that it's better for a female doctor to be there, that's why I accepted the request by the minister to go back."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38918509
|
Alexis Sanchez: Ian Wright says he would leave if he were Arsenal striker - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright says he would "probably want to leave" the club if he was in Alexis Sanchez's position.
| null |
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright says he would "probably want to leave" the club if he was in current forward Alexis Sanchez's position.
The Chilean was left out of the starting line-up at Anfield but came on in the second half as Arsenal lost 3-1.
"It's not looking good for Arsenal and him. I believe his agent is probably on the phone to people now," said Wright.
In the incident which occurred in training before the visit to the Reds, Sanchez left training mid-session and was confronted by team-mates on their return to the changing room, with one of them having to be held back as tempers flared.
"These things happen. It's when you're united as a team that it doesn't come out," added Wright, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live's 606 programme.
Sanchez has been directly involved in 26 goals in his 26 league games this season, scoring 17 and assisting nine.
He set up Danny Welbeck after coming on at Liverpool as Arsenal made it 2-1, but the Gunners could not prevent a defeat which saw them drop out of the top four places, which provide Champions League qualification.
"It's a shame simply because he is Arsenal's best player. He is a player that Arsenal need desperately to be there," said Wright.
"I'm not sure if money is going to keep him there at the moment because if he's storming out of training and not playing in games... it doesn't seem to be a problem for him when he does come on because he still performs to the best of his ability.
"If I was him, I'd probably want to leave as well because what's happening with Arsenal right now is not what he came to Arsenal for, especially not being in the top four.
"Everything points towards that he's unsettled, he's unhappy and it seems to me like he wants to go."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39177358
|
Is Emma Watson anti-feminist for exposing her breasts? - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
We look at whether the actress can still be a beacon for feminism after her Vanity Fair shoot.
|
UK
|
Emma Watson's decision to expose part of her breasts in a Vanity Fair photoshoot has sparked a fierce debate on social media about what it means to be a feminist.
"She complains that women are sexualised and then sexualises herself in her own work. Hypocrisy," said radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer on Twitter.
Watson said she was "confused" by accusations she is "anti-feminist" and there was a real "misunderstanding" about what it actually means.
So can you bare your breasts and still be a feminist?
Women should be united in the fight for equality more than ever, says Victoria Jenkinson
"Emma Watson has done more for women and for young girls than most of us put together," says Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality and women's rights.
"So I don't really see that just because she's made that decision, any of us should be criticising her.
"She's an empowered woman who is posing for a very tasteful image. She's not being exploited, she doing it in a controlling position. It's a positive use of her body."
Sexist News, the team behind the campaign for the Sun to stop using topless models on Page 3, said it loved that the former Harry Potter star was "exploring and championing feminism having grown up in the public eye".
It believes the row created by the photoshoot is "daft", adding: "It is not a debate that we have about men's fashion shoots, regardless of the amounts of nipple-grazing crochet they wear.
"While no woman gets to dress herself outside of our society's patriarchal bubble, this example just shows that someone like Emma Watson is going to face an even more impossible standard than many other women."
Victoria Jenkinson, 20, a member of Girlguiding, believes the shoot has been used as a opportunity to "stir up a frenzy" around Watson and "undermine" her work promoting women's rights.
"The shoot doesn't suggest hypocrisy nor does it undermine her work as a feminist and we as women should be united in our fight for equality more than ever before," she said.
"I don't understand why people have an idea they can tell a woman what she can and can't do and I agree with Emma that critics have missed the point.
"A woman should be able to choose what she wants to do. This is what feminism is all about in 2017."
But Dr Finn Mackay, a feminism researcher at the University of West England, rejects the view that feminism is about giving women "choice" and says it is a social justice movement.
"Emma's saying feminism is about choice and the choice to do whatever you want, but that's a nonsense," she says.
"Some women choose terrible things, some women choose to work for parties that deny women access to abortion, access to healthcare or mothers access to welfare."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Emma Watson responded to claims she is anti-feminist by saying she was "confused" by the comments
However, she does not believe that Watson's pose for Vanity Fair means she is not a feminist.
"If she self identifies as a feminist and believes in promoting women's rights, her doing her job doesn't necessarily have to undermine that.
"I think if she's trying to say being in a photoshoot and getting your breast out is a feminist act, that's a different matter."
But Dr Mackay believes promoting feminism is more effective through the voice and not the body.
"The most radical thing that women can do in this culture is keep their clothes on and open their mouths and make political points," she says.
The controversy surrounding Watson's magazine shoot has brought into question what it means to be a feminist.
But equality groups and feminists say the debate should be focused on female objectification and inequality.
Ms Smethers says: "The real issue about all of this is the pressure on young women to look a certain way, to be judged on their appearance so if we are going to focus on anything that's what I would be more concerned to be prioritised."
Dr Mackay questions why the debate has been reduced to a celebrity exposing her breasts rather than issues such as women's economic positions and cuts to women's services.
"A Hollywood celebrity flashing a bit of boob is really the least of my worries," she says.
Campaigners marched for women's rights at a protest in London in January 2017
"It's interesting that people only speak about it now and their real motivation seems to be to want to have a dig at feminism rather than to talk about the overall problems Hollywood has with objectifying women."
Sexist News adds: "We really need to examine why on earth this one fashion image has caused such outrage. This is not to say that images of fashion or celebrity are unproblematic, quite the contrary.
"As ever the focus is on what a woman should or shouldn't be doing and not on how our culture presents, polices and consumes women's bodies and condemns their actions.
"We need to challenge these things, not the individual women stuck in the system."
Are you a feminist? Has someone challenged whether you are a feminist because of something you've said, done or worn? Tell us about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39177510
|
The pupils stuck in a cycle of maths and English resits - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Many say achieving a maths and English C grade has little relevance to their future careers.
|
Education & Family
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Georgina Tomassi: "I'm 18 and in a class with 15-year-olds"
Almost 80% of pupils in England who do not achieve a C grade in GCSE maths or English fail to attain this mark during their resits. It is leaving hundreds of thousands of students stuck in a cycle of exams.
"I've failed my maths GCSE four times. It's horrible because you feel like you're stupid.
"You feel like there's something wrong with you. I'm 18, and I'm being put into a class with 15-year-olds," Georgina Tomassi tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
She is desperate to achieve a grade C in maths, after missing out by just a few marks on more than one occasion.
In 2013, the government introduced a policy that said students in England who fail to get a grade C or above in GCSE maths or English should carry on studying the subject, or subjects, until the age of 18, with the aim of achieving this mark.
It means hundreds of thousands of pupils like Georgina - who is also studying for A-levels in drama and health and social care - are taking resits up to twice an academic year.
Figures from the Department for Education show that 77.3% of students in England do not attain a C grade in English or maths when they resit the exam post-16.
"You've got to keep going because I need it to get a job and get into university," she says.
"I'm so close and it's so frustrating."
At Tolworth Girls' School's sixth form, in Kingston upon Thames in south-west London, Georgina and her friends are taught resit classes, but the teachers' busy timetables mean they are limited to just a couple of hours per week.
Chloe Gatt, the school's head of English, says budget strains mean it is difficult to find enough staff to cover those teaching the extra lessons.
Were she not teaching the resit class, she would probably be with her Year 7 or 8 pupils, or her A-level students, she says.
At City College Norwich, just under half of all new students arrive without a C grade in maths or English.
The college's head of school for GCSEs, English and maths, Ray Cameron-Goodman, says it has seen a 440% rise in the number of students taking a GCSE in the past few years.
"In terms of staffing resource, that comes to many hundreds of thousands of pounds every year," he explains.
Then there is the amount spent on entering each pupil for their resit exam - usually more than £30 per paper - and extra, hidden costs.
Because it has so many pupils retaking exams, City College Norwich has to hire Norfolk Showground, one of the largest indoor spaces in the county.
The college hires Norfolk Showground for pupils to take exams
"The cost of the showground alone is about £50,000 - then there's the cost of the transport, the first aiders, the catering," Mr Cameron-Goodman explains.
The Association of Colleges says that in England last year, one in five colleges planned to hire external venues to cope with the numbers.
Two-thirds of colleges were forced to take on extra short-term staff to teach those taking resits, it adds.
Colleges say there is no additional funding from the government to cover such costs.
Josh wants to become a bricklayer
For some pupils, the resits can feel like an unwelcome distraction.
City College Norwich offers many vocational subjects, such as cooking, photography and hairdressing.
Josh Bennett, 16, is retaking English. When he leaves education, he hopes to work as a bricklayer.
"I'm more of a hands-on sort of person. I've got eight out of nine distinctions in this course so far.
"I find it very difficult sitting behind a desk and doing something like [studying Shakespeare]. I'd rather be outside and laying bricks, laying concrete - and I'm good at it."
Ryan Eves, aged 20, has taken his English GCSE five times without achieving the elusive C grade.
"It's almost a slight bit of torture. They know that some people just don't get English.
"I've tried so hard just to get a letter on a piece of paper."
Ryan has now been offered an unconditional place at university, and no longer needs a C in English - a fact he describes as "annoying", having spent so much time on the subject.
Mr Cameron-Goodman says the government's policy is "a fantastic thing in principle", but is calling for an alternative set of GCSE qualifications to be made available to students who are consistently unable to reach the required C grades.
Ray Cameron-Goodman says the exam system is not designed for every pupil to achieve a C grade
He says it is wrong to expect every pupil to achieve this mark, as the exam system is not built in this way.
"There is an expectation by the exam boards themselves that a number of students will not pass the examination, and will not pass the examination no matter how many times they resit that examination, so the two things aren't sitting well together."
A Department for Education spokesman said it was "developing credible, high-quality options for students through reforming Functional Skills qualifications in maths and English, to make sure that they deliver the knowledge and skills that employers need, and consequently have credibility and prestige in the jobs market".
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39142646
|
FA reform: Proposals announced following criticism of its governance - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
The FA announces proposals to increase the number of women on its board, one of several reforms following criticism of its governance.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
More women will be appointed to the Football Association's board as part of proposed reforms revealed on Monday after criticism over the way it is run.
In December, five ex-FA bosses asked the government to intervene and change an organisation they described as being held back by "elderly white men".
In February, MPs with "no confidence" the FA would reform itself warned they could legislate to force it to.
Only one woman sits on the current 12-member FA board - Heather Rabbatts.
• None Establish three positions on the FA board reserved for female members by 2018
• None Reduce the size of the board to 10 members
• None Add 11 new members to the FA Council so it "better reflects the inclusive and diverse nature of English football"
• None Limit board membership to three periods of three years
The reforms still have to be approved by the FA Council, which will debate and vote on the recommendations on Monday, 3 April.
If they receive majority approval they will be taken forward to a vote of the shareholders at the FA's Annual General Meeting on 18 May.
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has said the FA could lose £30m-£40m of public funding if it does not modernise.
FA chairman Greg Clarke reiterated that he will quit if the plans for reform do not win government support.
"This is a transformational leap forward and if the government don't accept this, I'm not sure what else we can do," he told BBC Sport on Monday.
"If government don't want to accept it, who am I to argue but, of course, I will resign."
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway asked Clarke why there were no plans for dedicated black, Asian and minority ethnic background representation on the proposed new 10-member board.
Clarke replied: "What I would like to see is a path to make sure that not only are we gender diverse but ethnically diverse. What I don't want this to be is empty words.
"I want to find a way to achieve it and be accountable. I just need a bit more time to get there.
"It's really important that the FA is representative to society. Throughout the business world, diverse boards make better decisions. I think that's true in football too."
The FA is effectively run by its own parliament, the FA Council, which has 122 members. Just eight are women and only four are from ethnic minorities. More than 90 of the 122 members are aged over 60.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39179396
|
Corbyn allies planning to mount 'tea offensive' - BBC News
|
2017-03-06
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Allies of shadow chancellor John McDonnell urge party unity after tough few weeks for Jeremy Corbyn.
|
UK Politics
|
The shadow chancellor has issued an "open invitation" to MPs
"We have begun our tea offensive."
So say the team around the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, as they emphasise the need for "unity" in the Labour Party.
"The biggest fear the Tories have is a united Labour Party," a source close to Mr McDonnell said.
"Jeremy Corbyn could be the most transformative Labour prime minister since Clement Attlee."
The shadow chancellor addressed Labour MPs at their weekly meeting in Parliament earlier on Monday.
Sources said he showed "contrition" over an article he wrote suggesting there was a "soft coup" under way designed to topple Jeremy Corbyn.
"We must focus on unity," he told Labour MPs, singling out for praise previous critics of Mr Corbyn such as Rachel Reeves and Angela Eagle.
John McDonnell has issued "an open invitation to anyone" in the Labour movement who would like to talk to him and have a cup of tea, but sources wouldn't say if they were dispatching invitations directly, or merely accepting requests to meet him.
But not all MPs in the room were convinced.
One told me he asked Mr McDonnell, in a reference to Sir John Major's speech about Brexit: "Why is a former Tory Prime Minister more effective at attacking a Tory government than a Labour shadow chancellor?"
Another walked out 15 minutes before the end muttering "they'll still be droning on this time tomorrow".
Mr McDonnell used his briefing to Labour MPs to set out what his priorities will be in response to Wednesday's Budget.
Labour will have four themes they will question the government on: what they see as "chronic low pay;" a "rigged economy in favour of the privileged few;" social care, where "one million people are going without the care they need" and "ensuring the economy works for women."
Referring to Mr Corbyn's recent publication of his most recent tax return, a source said Mr McDonnell "has a genuine worry for democracy in this country" since "the prime minister and chancellor have still not published their tax returns."
"You have a level of transparency at the top of the Labour Party that you don't have in government."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39188070
|
West Indies v England: Joe Root and Chris Woakes steer England to victory - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-06
| null |
Joe Root and Chris Woakes guide England to a four-wicket win and a series-clinching victory over West Indies.
| null |
England survived a mid-innings wobble to beat West Indies by four wickets in the second one-day international and win the series with a match to spare.
Liam Plunkett took 3-32 as West Indies, despite 50 from Jason Mohammed, were bowled out for 225 in 47.5 overs.
Jason Roy (52) put England on top but home spinners Ashley Nurse (3-34) and Devendra Bishoo (2-43) hit back.
However, Joe Root (90) and Chris Woakes (68) put on an unbeaten 102 to see England home with 10 balls left.
Batsmen needed to play patiently on a slow wicket at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium - the same one used in the first match on Friday - but only new Test captain Root and all-rounder Woakes really mastered the conditions.
Root's typically composed innings, which featured just three boundaries in 127 deliveries, and Woakes' more adventurous 83-ball knock guided England to an 11th win out of their last 12 completed ODIs against West Indies.
Root was named man of the match but Woakes was perhaps equally deserving of the award having also recorded figures of 0-26 from eight accurate overs with the ball.
Eoin Morgan's team, who won the first match by 45 runs, will seek to make it 3-0 in the final match in Barbados on Thursday.
What they said - Morgan praises Woakes
England captain Eoin Morgan: "I thought the bowlers did an outstanding job again, building on what we did on Friday. In the field we were a bit sloppy and the chase wasn't ideal, but we knew it would be tough.
"Jason Roy played well at the start but where we lost a few wickets was a bit of a concern. But the partnership of 102 between your opening bowler and best batsman - you have to take your hat off to them.
"Woakes is a guy who keeps giving to the team and a man who often goes without the majority of the praise and that's just his character. We don't want to rely on him too much but he is a luxury down the bottom of the order.
"We want to win all three games, we will be putting out our best 11 in Barbados."
England's reply got off to a poor start when Sam Billings, facing his first ball and the second of the innings, was caught at first slip.
Roy was almost out to a sensational diving catch by Carlos Brathwaite and then survived a close review for caught behind.
The Surrey opener brought up his ninth ODI fifty from 46 balls, before off-spinner Nurse had him caught on the boundary for the first of his three wickets.
After a shaky start Root started to find the gaps but West Indies' slow bowlers brought their side back into the match with four wickets for 16 runs.
Morgan, who made a century in the first ODI, fell leg before for seven, Ben Stokes was caught behind for one, Jos Buttler departed for a seven-ball duck and Moeen Ali was bowled for three.
Root and Woakes' sensible stand regained control, although Woakes - who hit five fours and two sixes - was dropped on the boundary on 42 and then again on 58.
After being invited to bowl first, pace bowler Steven Finn took two wickets and became the third-fastest Englishman to reach 100 one-day international wickets.
He reached the feat in his 65th match, with only Darren Gough and Stuart Broad getting there faster (both taking 62).
Making the most of some uneven bounce, Finn surprised left-handers Evin Lewis and Kieran Powell to create easy catches.
Stokes then had Shai Hope caught behind but jarred his finger when he made a mess of a high but simple chance to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite.
Brathwaite looked dangerous before departing for 42 after being stumped off Moeen. Mohammed, though, played fluently on the way to his second ODI half-century.
But having reached it from 71 balls by pulling Stokes high over midwicket for six, he chipped a routine catch to Adil Rashid at mid-on off Plunkett.
Plunkett did the trick again, with another variation slower delivery, when Jonathan Carter (39) skied a catch to Rashid.
Rashid held his third successive catch when he took a swirling caught-and-bowled after Jason Holder became the next to mistime an attempted big shot.
Then Carlos Brathwaite fell to an excellent catch on the long-on boundary by Billings, and Plunkett bowled Nurse as the innings ending tamely with the last three wickets falling for six runs.
Further reaction from the players
Man of the match Joe Root: "It was about being patient and accepting the odd over where you might only get one or two runs.
"I thought Chris played exceptionally well. He took a lot of pressure off me at the other end. I think that's a sign of good side, where you don't just rely on one player."
West Indies captain Jason Holder: "It's a disappointing feeling, getting so close. We dropped chances, that's one area we need to improve. In batting, we need some partnerships to set us up nicely. We need to adjust and go forward from here.
"We just have to know when it is time to seize an opportunity. We had some opportunities but we turned them down, and there were some soft dismissals."
Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent: "England were not as clinical as they were in the first game but they put on a good fight and showed how deep they bat, with Woakes coming in and playing with freedom.
"Well done to England, this is what good teams do - even if you have that wobble, you are able to rebuild and go again."
Former West Indies pace bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose: "You have to think about batting all 50 overs. It doesn't matter if you only score 10 or 12 runs in those three overs. It is not good cricket on the part of West Indies to not bat to the end.
"There were a couple of good partnerships. Mohammed played well, but gave it away. Carter played well, but gave it away. This is international cricket and you must be able to assess situations quickly and most of the batsmen haven't done that."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39173337
|
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Man Utd striker banned for three games for violent conduct - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic accepts a three-match ban for violent conduct for elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has accepted a three-match ban for violent conduct for elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Manchester United striker will miss Monday's FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea and Premier League games against Middlesbrough and West Brom.
Mings was also charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.
But Bournemouth have said they will appeal against the defender's charge.
Ibrahimovic, who is United's leading scorer this season with 26 goals, is eligible to play in the Europa League tie against Rostov in Russia on Thursday. He is due to return in the Premier League against Everton on 4 April.
Mings, 23, landed on the United forward's head with his studs before Ibrahimovic, 35, caught his rival in the face with his elbow at a corner.
The players were given until 18:00 GMT on Tuesday to respond to the charge.
Deliberate elbowing and stamping are both red card offences. However, the FA suggested Mings could face an increased ban for his offence.
An FA statement said: "The FA has submitted a claim that the standard punishment that would otherwise apply for the misconduct committed by the Bournemouth defender is 'clearly insufficient'."
"Off-the-ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees.
"Each referee panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision of the panel must be unanimous."
What they said
Speaking to the BBC after the match, both Mings and Ibrahimovic denied any intent in their actions.
Mings said: "It was a good battle, you know exactly what you are going to get playing against him. There will be things highlighted more than others, but I enjoyed it."
Ibrahimovic said Mings had "jumped into" his elbow.
"In my situation, I jump up, I jump high," the Swede said. "At the same time I protect myself and unlucky he jumps into me. Many times this occasion happens."
44 mins: Mings slides into a tackle on Wayne Rooney, also taking out Ibrahimovic. The Bournemouth defender gets to his feet and then hurdles Ibrahimovic, landing on the Swede's head with his right boot.
45 mins: United win a corner which is swung in to the far post where Ibrahimovic and Mings challenge for the high ball.
Ibrahimovic catches Mings with his right elbow after winning the header, the Bournemouth defender going down to the ground clutching his head.
Bournemouth skipper Andrew Surman pushes Ibrahimovic in the chest, earning a second yellow card from Friend.
45+1 mins: The referee has a conversation with Ibrahimovic and United skipper Rooney, then sends off Surman before restarting play after a lengthy delay.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39182905
|
Ex-football coach faces sex abuse charges - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Barry Bennell, who worked at Crewe in the 1980s and 1990s, faces eight more charges relating to boys.
|
UK
|
Former football coach Barry Bennell has been charged with eight more counts of historical child sexual abuse.
The 63-year-old ex-youth coach at Crewe Alexandra faces allegations relating to two boys between 1980 and 1987.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges followed an investigation by Cheshire Police.
Mr Bennell, who also had links to Manchester City and Stoke City, will appear at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court on 13 March.
He is accused of two counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14, indecent assault on a boy aged under 16, and five other offences.
Mr Bennell previously appeared in court in January charged with eight separate offences of sexual assault against a boy aged under 16, between 1981 and 1986.
He pleaded not guilty at Chester Crown Court and was remanded in custody until a further hearing on 20 March.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39197916
|
UK terror attacks: What we know about disrupted plots - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
What we know about the terror plots disrupted since 2013 and the reasons why we can't report them all.
|
UK
|
Tarik Hassane: One of the most recent and dangerous plotters
Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, of the Metropolitan Police, the UK's most senior counter-terrorism police officer, has used a speech to make a renewed call for public help to counter threats.
He says there have been 13 disrupted terror plots since 2013.
It's a complex figure because there haven't been 13 specific trials before the courts in which individuals have been shown to be involved in attack planning. That doesn't, however, mean the figure is wrong - far from it.
It's all to do with the difference between criminal evidence, leading to a conviction, and secret intelligence that the police and others can use to stop something from happening.
Nadir Syed used encrypted online chats to share gory videos from so-called Islamic State
There are prosecutions where it's really obvious what has been going on, but every now and then I and colleagues see cases where there's a whiff of something spooky in the background that we can't get to the bottom of.
Those cases are usually the ones where it starts to become clear that the security services thought they were on to something but the secret intelligence assessments - perhaps from a hacked device or credible informant - couldn't be supported in open court by evidence.
Sometimes the police intervene early in a case out of fear of losing track of a target. In these cases, the conviction on a lesser offence isn't regarded as a failure - it's still a "disruption" - and that's sometimes the most they can hope for.
So, in the absence of an official list, here are some of the cases that have most concerned the police in recent years:
Nadir Syed, 23, of west London, was convicted of preparing to carry out an attack in 2014 inspired by the self-styled Islamic State group, which evidence suggested would have targeted a poppy seller or someone else linked to Remembrance Sunday.
The same autumn saw the arrest of two students from west London who were later jailed for plotting to kill police or soldiers in a drive-by shooting using a moped.
We also saw the conviction of a delivery driver from Luton who planned to run over a member of the US military outside one of the two air bases used by its air force in Suffolk.
Boy S, who cannot be identified, was sentenced to life in prison at Manchester Crown Court.
One of the most serious recent cases led to Britain's youngest ever convicted terrorist - "Boy S", from Blackburn. When aged 14, he had attempted to incite a man in Australia to kill soldiers.
In March 2015, a teenager who planned to behead a British soldier was jailed in a case that highlighted the speed of his radicalisation.
Other less complex cases included a 19-year-old jailed for grooming a vulnerable young man to kill UK soldiers and a returnee from Syria whom the Crown Prosecution service said was "preparing or planning an act of terrorism".
Three operations involved intelligence that indicated either substantial research and collection of materials required for bomb-making - or testing of a potential device.
A further two were complex operations in which the suspects talked about high-profile targets.
And all of these cases exclude the activity of members of Northern Ireland paramilitary groups - the threat from those individuals is officially classed as "severe".
And, separately, there is increasing concern from police in some parts of the country about the rise of extreme far-right/neo-Nazi grooming for violence.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39183003
|
David Haye rules out retirement as he targets Tony Bellew rematch - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Former heavyweight world champion David Haye rules out retiring from the sport and says he is targeting a rematch with Tony Bellew.
| null |
Former heavyweight world champion David Haye has ruled out retiring from the sport and is targeting a rematch with Tony Bellew.
Haye, 36, had surgery on an Achilles injury sustained in Saturday's 11th-round defeat by Bellew in London.
He suffered the injury in the sixth round of the fight, but says a two-and-a-half-hour operation "went well".
"I live to fight another day and I will fight another day," Haye told Sky Sports.
Asked if he would be returning to the ring, he said: "No doubt about it, I have never been more sure about it."
He added: "Other athletes have come back in six to nine months after the same injury, I am in a good condition, a healthy-living person and I am looking forward to getting back in there."
Bellew, 34, said he is considering retirement following his win, but admitted that an offer for one further fight could be too lucrative to turn down.
Asked whether the Haye bout would be his last, Bellew told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's an option. It's something I'm thinking about."
In response, Haye told Sky Sports: "I never envisaged losing this fight, if Tony Bellew does retire - and I truly hope he doesn't - then I will carry on in my path to be number one in the world.
"But it is only fair to the fans to rematch against the guy who beat me. If that does not happen, then I will find a way to challenge for the heavyweight title. I believe after sharing a ring with him, he will want to do it again."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39198262
|
Reality Check: Are taxes going up to 1986 levels? - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Some taxes are expected to rise in the coming years, but it could all change in Wednesday's Budget.
|
Business
|
The claim: Taxes could rise to their highest level as a proportion of national income since 1986-87 by 2019-20.
Reality Check verdict: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts suggest taxes could actually reach that level as soon as 2017-18. That may not happen if changes are made in this week's Budget and it is only a forecast, so unexpected events could prevent it happening.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said in its Green Budget that tax is rising as a share of national income and by 2019-20 is due to reach its highest level since 1986-87.
It is important to stress that it is not saying taxes on all individuals or households are going up. The measure it is using is the government's total tax receipts (and the OBR's forecasts of those receipts) as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP), which is the total amount of goods and services produced by the economy.
We will examine which taxes have been rising later, but it is true that the total take is expected to rise in the next few years to levels unseen since the mid-1980s.
It is in the next financial year, 2017-18, that the OBR expects the big jump in receipts to 36.9% of GDP, which take it above the peaks of 2011-12. Indeed it appears to be that year and not 2019-20 that first takes receipts to 1986-87 levels.
But it does not mean that everybody is paying more tax.
There have been gradual falls in revenue from income tax, for example, as the amount people have to be earning to pay it has been increasing.
The government said in the Autumn Statement that the increases in the basic rate threshold in the last parliament had meant four million of the lowest-paid people were not paying it at all.
In addition to the taxes included on this chart are fuel duty, which has fallen gradually as successive governments have frozen it, and VAT, which got a boost when the government raised it from 17.5% to 20% at the start of 2011, but has been pretty constant since.
The category of tax that has been rising strikingly and is mainly responsible for the increase next year is "other".
That includes the new dividend tax regime, the increased insurance premium tax and a higher rate of stamp duty land tax for second homes.
But all of the forecasts for the coming years are from the OBR and are based on how things stood at the time of the Autumn Statement.
All this could change in Wednesday's Budget.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39153184
|
The Swedish Trump fans who secretly record journalists - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A far-right Swedish website is secretly recording phone calls with journalists and academics - and then posting the edited versions online.
|
BBC Trending
|
It's a website that describes itself as a citizens' initiative set up to ask the questions the mainstream media won't. Its critics say it's a "far-right trolling factory" whose sole purpose is to harass and intimidate.
"Granskning Sverige" roughly translates as "Examining Sweden". The site encourages volunteers to call journalists with a list of questions about their news coverage.
"I would say that the basic theme is xenophobic, they don't like immigrants," says Mathias Stahle, an investigative journalist for the Eskilstuna-Kuriren newspaper.
"They would like to read more positive things about Donald Trump, they would like to see positive stories about modern Russia and they want to have positive views of neo-Nazis."
Unbeknownst to the journalists being called, the conversations are recorded, edited and posted online on the website as well as the YouTube page of Erik Johansson, the administrator of the website.
One example of such a conversation was with Eva Burman - a colleague of Mathias Stahle's and Eskilstuna-Kuriren's editor-in-chief. The caller introduced himself as "Janne", and asked her why a story about an attack on a security guard didn't mention that a foreigner was allegedly behind the assault.
"The truth has to get out there," the caller says, according to an extract of the conversation published on the newspaper website. "Janne" blames Moroccan street children for the attack, although police are certain it was a local gang of youths. As the caller continues to make his case, Burman gets frustrated until she eventually snaps: "That is called racism."
The conversation - which lasted more than 20 minutes - was edited down to three minutes, and published on YouTube with the headline "Editor in chief calls citizen racist".
Conversations with journalists are secretly recorded and published online by Granskning Sverige
After hearing of Swedish journalists targeted by the callers, Stahle went undercover. He created a fake social media profile and signed up to several right-wing forums. He then contacted Granskning Sverige to offer his services as volunteer to call and record conversations with journalists.
He tells Trending that the offer was accepted almost immediately and he was told he could make money out of it - around $100 for every edited call that got over 3,000 hits online.
He says he was told that he needed to keep his identity secret and that any phone calls were to be edited to make them sound dramatic before being uploaded.
Hear this story in full on the BBC World Service, or download our podcast
BBC Trending approached Granskning Sverige administrators and received a reply from Erik Johansson who directed us towards a recording of an interview he had done with Stahle. In the interview, Johansson - which is an alias - insisted that what he does is no different from the secret recording techniques used by traditional journalists when a direct approach for an interview has failed.
One obvious difference though is that traditional journalistic ethics - like those practised by the BBC - usually require that the person who's been recorded is given a chance to reply before anything is published.
Johansson says that he's doing nothing wrong and that he's simply trying to persuade the media and others to present a more balanced picture of modern Sweden. Mathias Stahle, though, isn't convinced.
"I find what they do appalling," he says, "because they so obviously have a political agenda of their own which they want to communicate to the rest of the world by making these fake interviews."
And it's not just journalists who are being cold-called by the website.
Martin Kragh, head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs published a report in January alleging that Russia was involved in a misinformation campaign aimed at influencing Sweden's relationship with Nato.
The paper was well received amongst other academics and tallies with the views of many western security experts but there was also a furious backlash from people claiming he was the one spreading disinformation.
"For the last six weeks I've been harassed and threatened," Martin Kragh says. "There has been a cyber attack and also a spread of disinformation. If you Google my name you find a lot of terrible things they've written about me."
In the days after the report came out Martin says he was bombarded by calls.
"This is a person who calls, he won't reveal his name, he will call you repeatedly using secret phone numbers and then he edits the phone calls himself in a way that you have no control over." Martin says. "He will also call colleagues of yours, to ask questions to get personal information.
"This is in no way normal journalistic behaviour."
In his interview with Mathias, Erik Johansson denies that his website aims to intimidate people.
He says that he believes he is performing an important service by providing an alternative view to that put forward by "mainstream media".
But he can no longer do so from behind a cloak of anonymity. Recently, the Swedish newspaper Expressen outed the man calling himself Erik Johansson as Fabian Fjalling, a 48-year-old from Torslanda near Gothenburg.
An Asian-American photographer says some digital foodies are playing into racist stereotypes about ethnic dishes. READ MORE
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-39158975
|
Why young people are now less likely to smoke - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All age groups in the UK are smoking less - but the largest decrease seems to be among young adults.
|
Health
|
All age groups in the UK are smoking less - but the largest decrease is among 18- to 24-year-olds, according to the Office of National Statistics. Why is that?
The latest figures, for 2015, suggest one in every five (20.7%) 18- to 24-year-olds is a smoker.
In 2010, this figure was one in every four (25.8%).
Today, about 70% of 16- to 24-year-olds have never started smoking cigarettes in the first place, the data suggests - up from 46% in 1974, when records began.
And even among the age group most likely to smoke, 24- to 35-year-olds, about 60% - up from 35% in 1974 - have never picked up the habit.
Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) says: "We know that young people who try smoking are highly likely to grow up to become smokers, so the high numbers of young people reporting that they have never even tried smoking is good news."
Model Kylie Jenner was called a bad role model after she was pictured smoking on Instagram, perhaps an indicator it is no longer seen as cool.
The new data suggests 23.3% of 16- to 24-year-olds quit smoking in 2015, compared with 21.4% in 2010 and 13.4% in 1974.
Ash says this has been "achieved through a combination of effective legislation, policy and support for adults to quit over many decades - much of which has had a big impact on youth uptake as well as quitting".
Policy director Hazel Cheeseman says: "Creating an environment in which fewer young people try smoking and more smokers quit will protect the health of future generations and avoid hundreds and thousands of premature deaths.
"However, the achievements made to date are at risk.
"The government must urgently publish a new tobacco control plan for England and ensure this is properly funded."
In 2015, three out of every 100 16- to 24-year-olds used electronic cigarettes, up from one in every 100 in 2014, the new data suggests.
And, in total, 2.3 million people in the UK are using them - half in order to stop smoking.
But some are concerned vaping could prove a gateway to smoking for teenagers.
And critics say the fruit flavours of some e-cigarettes could make them more appealing to children.
In December 2016, the US Surgeon General said the use of e-cigarettes by children was "a major public health concern".
But Ash says the latest figures "confirm that most users are smokers or ex-smokers".
"The figures also highlight that most users are seeking to improve their health, with the most common reason for use being as an aid to quit smoking," it says.
"Where smokers make a complete switch, they can expect to significantly reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals which cause cancer and other smoking-related illnesses."
Paul Hunt, managing director of e-cigarette manufacturer V2Cigs.co.uk, said: "E-cigarettes are supporting thousands of people in quitting smoking every day.
"Information from the NHS states that people who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking can expect similar or better results than when using other nicotine replacement therapies."
"Of those people who combined NHS stop smoking support with e-cigarettes, two out of three were successful in quitting."
"As they eliminate chemicals found in regular cigarettes, such as tar, and allow people control over the amount of nicotine they're consuming, e-cigarettes are a great tool in overcoming smoking addiction."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39192635
|
MI6 head Maurice Oldfield: The spy boss 'dragged through the mud' - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The family of Maurice Oldfield, regarded as one of MI6's greatest chiefs, ask why his name was allowed to be dragged through the mud for so long?
|
Derby
|
From humble beginnings, Maurice Oldfield (left) was used as the basis for Alec Guinness' character in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Maurice Oldfield rose from humble beginnings to become one of the UK's greatest ever spy chiefs. He was credited with keeping his country out of the Vietnam War - and also inspired Alec Guinness's portrayal of George Smiley in the TV series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Yet allegations of child abuse - later proved to be false - dogged his reputation for years.
These claims - which centred on a children's home in Belfast, where he was stationed in the late 1970s - were only discounted three months ago, 36 years after his death.
His family, who have mounted a posthumous defence for decades, have described the impact as "devastating" and "heartbreaking".
Born on a farmhouse table in Derbyshire, Mr Oldfield had been an unlikely candidate to lead the UK's secret service. Educated at Manchester University, he was an outsider among the elitist, Oxbridge-dominated intelligence services.
Despite this, he enjoyed a stellar career, becoming head of MI6 in 1973 - at a time when the spy agency was reeling after years of Soviet infiltration.
Over six years he stabilised the ship and - just as he was about to retire in 1979 - prime minister Margaret Thatcher asked him to take on one more job, co-ordinating security and intelligence in Northern Ireland.
His time there nearly demolished his legacy.
Allegations emerged that Oldfield had abused boys at Kincora children's home
Shortly before he died aged 65 in 1981, rumours began circulating about Mr Oldfield's private life while in Northern Ireland.
It was alleged he had compromised his position by making a pass at a man in a County Down bar. He was also said to have propositioned a man in a Belfast pub toilets.
More seriously, rumours began to emerge connecting him to a boys' home in Belfast, where children had been abused.
These stories began to appear in the newspapers from 1987 and never went away, resurfacing when he was named in the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry into child abuse in Northern Ireland in 2014.
Oldfield's great-nephew, Martin Pearce, had a book published on Oldfield's life last year
He was also named in the Metropolitan Police's Operation Midland inquiry into allegations that a paedophile ring operated in Westminster in the 1970s and 1980s.
The latter inquiry ended in March 2016 with no charges being brought against anyone while the Northern Irish investigation concluded in January that allegations against Mr Oldfield had "no substance".
Mr Oldfield's great-nephew Martin Pearce said the toll on the family over the past three decades had been terrible.
"It was devastating, particularly for his brothers and sisters, most of whom were still alive," he said.
"They never believed any of it but, to see their brother who they had been so proud of being dragged through the press in such a negative way, was heartbreaking."
Oldfield was one of the most decorated MI6 leaders
He said the government of the 1980s had refused to defend his great uncle as it was "happy with the distraction" from the Spycatcher affair, in which MI5 agent Peter Wright had alleged the service had operated beyond the law.
"It seems there has been a lot of incompetence over the years that needn't have happened," he said.
"Now Maurice has been fully exonerated we can all move on from that.
"We have always had the absolute confidence and certainty that he was entirely innocent of everything but it's just been horrible to have his name dragged through the mud."
Few of Mr Oldfield's immediate relatives, who tried to defend his name in the years after his death, are themselves still alive. Mr Pearce said it was "frustrating" they are not around to see his name cleared.
Colin Wallace, a whistleblower on abuse in Northern Ireland and an ex-intelligence officer, said he too was angry at Mr Oldfield's treatment.
"It's important to point out he was the most decorated of all our intelligence officers with a track record... second to none," he said.
But smears of that nature can stick, according to MI6 historian Stephen Dorrill.
"There's still a mark against him because of that," he said.
"His role in Northern Ireland was important, he was always looking for a peaceful way out. MI6's role in talking to the IRA actually did save lives."
Oldfield liked to return to Over Haddon in the Peak District as often as he could
It was far from the only success in his career.
"Anybody who achieves chief inside MI6 has done exceptionally well because often it's riddled with factions," Mr Dorrill said.
"Coming from Manchester University he would still have been something of an outsider in the service as most came through the Oxbridge route."
MI6 was "in a mess" when Mr Oldfield took over as head in 1973, Mr Dorrill added.
There had been the scandal of the Cambridge Five - the ring of double agents, including Kim Philby and Guy Burgess, who passed hundreds of files to the Russians.
Mr Oldfield managed to gain back the United States' trust in MI6, but perhaps his greatest achievement was helping to persuade the government to stay out of the Vietnam War.
"If Britain had been dragged into that, if [Harold] Wilson had decided to go along with the Americans, that could have been the deaths of many, many young people and he avoided that," said Mr Dorrill.
Oldfield was the first secret service chief to be allowed to appear in the press, which made him something of a reluctant celebrity in the Cold War era.
While preparing to play George Smiley in the BBC adaptation of John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, actor Alec Guinness said he wanted to meet a "real spy".
Alec Guinness studied Oldfield's mannerisms for the part of George Smiley
Although Smiley was created some years before he ever met Mr Oldfield, Le Carre did introduce the pair in a London pub.
"Maurice and Alec Guinness got there before him and they were chatting away when John Le Carre arrived," said Mr Pearce.
According to Mr Dorrill, Guinness "observed Maurice very carefully: What he was drinking, how he talked and sat and how he walked down the road."
Le Carre himself said Guinness asked why Mr Oldfield had wiped the rim of his glass during their meeting: "Do you think he's looking for the dregs of poison?" he asked.
"Well if he was, he's dead," Le Carre replied.
Mr Oldfield wrote to the actor after seeing the series, telling him: "I still don't recognise myself."
Inside Out East Midlands is available on the iPlayer.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-39114955
|
Vauxhall's uncertain road ahead begins - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Car bosses at the Geneva motor show say GM's two UK factories are at a disadvantage.
|
Business
|
Carlos Tavares, the man who will determine the future of Vauxhall workers, downplayed the threat to more than 4,000 Vauxhall workers - but he chose his words very carefully.
The head of PSA insisted that the new combined company would have an opportunity to set new internal benchmarks for performance.
They will allow plants to be compared and improve.
Production commitments expire in 2021 for Ellesmere Port and 2025 for Luton.
After that it will be every plant for itself in a battle for jobs.
The combined company will have 24 factories and everyone at the Geneva motor show agrees that is a few too many.
Several senior executives who asked not to be named had the same message. Consolidation is good because it's the best way to take out overcapacity. That has to happen and that means plants will close and jobs will go.
In this inevitable fight for survival, the UK starts at a disadvantage according to most executives here.
Uncertainty over Brexit and the terms of trade with Europe is one handicap. The fall in sterling is another. Although labour costs have gone down, the price of the 75% of parts for a Vauxhall Astra that come from Europe has gone up.
Having said that, Mr Tavares said that in the event of a "hard" Brexit, it may be more - not less - important to have manufacturing in the UK.
Andy Palmer, the chief executive of Aston Martin agreed. He told the BBC that for a company like PSA - if there is a tariff wall - having some production on the other side of it could make sense as a measure of insurance against high tariffs and volatile currency moves.
For that to work, though, more of the supply chain would need to move to the UK and that takes government help.
Over to you, Mr Hammond...
When it comes to car manufacturing, governments rarely sit on the sidelines. Car industry jobs seem to have a particular political resonance around the world.
As well as Ellesmere Port and Luton competing with more than 20 other plants in Europe, the UK government will be up against some stiff competition from European politicians.
The UK government scored an early success by persuading Nissan to increase investment in Sunderland after promising support for skills and training. There was a particular focus on electric cars and battery technology - themes that are red hot in the industry presentations here.
What worked with Nissan may be popular with PSA, which lags some of their rivals in electric and self-driving cars.
Extra motivation - if any were needed - for the chancellor to play those cards in Wednesday's Budget. I expect he will.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39188465
|
Antonio Conte: Chelsea must keep feet on the ground - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Chelsea's players are told to "go step by step" by boss Antonio Conte after victory over West Ham took them 10 points clear at the top.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte told his players to "keep their feet on the ground" after they beat West Ham 2-1 on Monday to take another big step towards the Premier League title.
The Blues lead second-placed Tottenham by 10 points with 11 games left.
Supporters were singing "we're going to win the league" at London Stadium, but Conte said: "We must think we have to take 26 points. We go step by step."
Those points would mean a total of 92 - the maximum Spurs can accumulate is 89.
Chelsea are the seventh side to accrue 66-plus points from their first 27 games of a Premier League season, having done it themselves twice before (69 in 2005-06 and 68 in 2004-05). All six previous sides have gone on to win the title.
Italian Conte, in his debut Premier League season, added: "We must think every opponent will want to beat us from now until the end.
"To dream is good, but it's important to keep our feet on the ground."
Despite his side recording their 21st league win of the season, Conte said he was disappointed with them conceding against West Ham late in the game.
Eden Hazard finished off a counter-attack in the 25th minute to give Chelsea the lead before Diego Costa made it 2-0 from close range five minutes after the restart.
However, Manuel Lanzini's stoppage-time strike made it an uneasy final few seconds for the Blues.
"To give away a clean sheet at the end is not good," Conte said.
"We must improve in this situation - but I'm pleased. We showed great concentration and commitment and will to win."
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic does not expect their London rivals to slip up in the run-in.
"They look serious. For me they are not going to lose that. I can't see them being casual," the former Croatia defender said.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39188178
|
Budapest 2024: Why does snub to International Olympic Committee matter? - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
BBC sports editor Dan Roan examines why potential hosts are turning their backs on the Games and assesses how much jeopardy the Olympics are now in.
| null |
Back in September 2013 I interviewed an emotional Thomas Bach in Buenos Aires a few minutes after the German had become the most powerful man in sport.
The newly elected International Olympic Committee (IOC) president confidently told me that after a successful reign by his predecessor Jacques Rogge, the Olympic movement needed mere evolution.
But as we approach four years of Bach's leadership - and with fresh hosting, doping and corruption controversies affecting confidence in his organisation - the demands for an Olympic revolution are growing louder by the day.
The recent withdrawal of Budapest's bid to stage the 2024 Games - the fourth city to pull out of the race - is highly embarrassing for the IOC and seems to have left the Olympics at a crossroads, in desperate need of a new vision.
And the knock-on effects of this latest blow to Bach could be extremely significant: a possible double announcement of hosts for both the 2024 and 2028 Games; and perhaps making it more likely that the IOC takes the unprecedented step of banning Russia from the next Winter Olympics, if that is deemed necessary to restore credibility at this critical time.
Despite reported opposition from within the IOC, it seems increasingly likely that when its members meet in Lima in September to decide which of the two remaining bidders, Los Angeles or Paris, is awarded the Games, the loser will be told it can host the following edition four years later.
This assumes the runner-up for 2024 will actually want to play host in 2028 of course - or indeed be able to. Neither is certain. Plans and partnerships for both bids are based on the cities hosting the event in 2024, and delaying these by another four years may not be possible. But with the IOC now admitting that without recent reforms it could have suffered the ignominy of having no bidders, it seems sensible to try to strike some kind of two-Games deal.
So, why are potential host cities turning their backs on the Games, and how much jeopardy is the Olympics really now in?
• None Hamburg says 'no' to Olympic bid
In 2014, after six cities had decided not to bid for the 2022 Winter Games - leaving just Almaty and Beijing to choose from - Bach hailed his Agenda 2020 reforms as the answer, designed to encourage flexible and cheaper bids from more potential hosts.
Yet three years on, here we are again, with just two bidders left for the 2024 summer Games. Earlier this month, a referendum in the Swiss canton of Graubuenden, which contains the cities of Davos and St Moritz, ensured there would be no bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The recent bleak images of Rio's abandoned and crumbling Olympic venues already falling into disrepair, just a few months after they hosted the city's iconic but chaotic Games, has reinforced fears that the size and cost of the global mega-event is out of control and places too great a burden on host cities.
At the same time, in London, an investigation is now under way into the spiralling costs of the 2012 Olympic stadium, now approaching £800m.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, there are renewed concerns that the budget for the 2020 Games could leap to £21bn, four times the initial estimate, despite recent effort to rein in costs, with the city's governor, Yuriko Koike, admitting she had no idea how much money will eventually be spent on the event.
No wonder, perhaps, that Boston, Hamburg, Rome and now Budapest have all rejected the chance to stage the 2024 Games.
The IOC has blamed local politics for the withdrawal of the Hungarian capital, although Bach will hope to turn it to his advantage and use it to strengthen his case for more reforms.
Bach's latest idea is a change to the rules to allow cities bidding for the second time to pay less than those making their first attempt. Bach told German magazine Stuttgart Nachrichten that it was unfair to judge Rio's Olympic legacy so soon, and urged critics not to underestimate the transport and environmental benefits the Games had left the Brazilian city, while also reminding them of the regeneration of east London in recent years.
So as they enter the final crucial few months of campaigning, which of the two remaining candidate cities are most likely to benefit from Budapest's withdrawal and get to run the first leg of a possible 2024/2028 relay?
Some observers believe it has merely reinforced Paris' status as favourites. Given just how hard it clearly now is to attract bidders from Europe, sponsorship expert Tim Crow argues that it is easy to see why the IOC would be loathe to risk further alienating more potential candidates by rejecting the iconic capital for a third consecutive time - especially for 2024, which will mark 100 years since Paris last hosted the Games.
Add to this the obvious consternation caused in some Olympic circles by US President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric - and his recent travel ban - and Paris seems a logical choice.
Others disagree, however. Journalist Alan Abrahamson argues that the IOC must now turn away from government-backed bids based on large infrastructure or regeneration projects, where taxpayers often end up paying the price when budgets spiral out of control, and instead go for privately funded alternatives.
And that, he insists, means Los Angeles. Unlike in Paris, where 1.5bn euros of public investment is being spent on the construction of an athletes' village and a new aquatics centre, 97% of the American city's major facilities are already built, the kind of sustainability that Bach's Agenda 2020 is meant to be encouraging more of.
It has also not escaped attention that Etienne Thobois, the head of the Paris 2024 bid, was a key consultant for Tokyo 2020 - a bid whose original cost estimates now appear wildly optimistic. And at a time when the IOC is desperate to tackle ageing audiences, become more relevant among younger sports fans, and reboot the troubled Olympic brand, California's global reputation for digital technology and enterprise could make sense. It would also please the IOC's most lucrative broadcast partner, NBC, and its sponsors, most of which are based in the US.
In what is becoming a fascinating dilemma for the IOC, there are various other factors at play.
There is the possibility of anti-American resentment from some in the Olympic community at the US Anti-Doping Agency's (Usada) criticism of the IOC's failure to ban Russia from the Rio Games for state-sponsored doping. Usada is now one of the leading voices pushing for an overhaul of the anti-doping system, demanding a better resourced and independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) with real sanctioning powers. A US congressional hearing recently questioned the IOC's medical and scientific director Richard Budgett on anti-doping, with some wondering if the scrutiny could harm Los Angeles' chances.
But could all that be offset by the possible election of far-right politician Marine le Pen in the French presidential election in May? And could the continued threat of terrorism in France also damage Paris prospects?
What next for Russia?
All will be revealed in Lima in September. But before then, an even bigger decision must be taken by the IOC - on Russia. Despite recent admissions from Wada that there may not be sufficient evidence in last year's damning McLaren report to bring sanctions against certain Russian athletes, and the slow progress of two separate IOC investigations into the scandal, many want the IOC to now do what they failed to do last summer and ban the entire Russian team from Pyeongchang 2018.
My understanding is that despite the obvious threat of a major rift with Russia if such a step is taken, the argument is finally gaining traction among the upper echelons of the IOC, and there is a growing acceptance that it could help demonstrate some leadership at a time when it desperately needs to restore credibility.
The samples of more than 100 athletes from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 have now shown up as positive in retesting, and dozens of medals have been stripped. The IOC is trying to show it has teeth after all, and it may conclude that banning Russia would be the ultimate way of proving the point.
All this comes at a crucial time for the IOC, a time of both opportunity and challenge.
On the one hand, it appears in rude health. Despite continuing concerns over China's human rights record, Bach recently hailed the signing of a ground-breaking six-Games partnership worth a potential $1bn with Chinese conglomerate Alibaba, another major boost to its constantly growing revenues.
The Olympic channel has now been broadcasting for several months, signing deals with 47 federations to televise their sports. Last week, the Sports and Rights Alliance welcomed the IOC's decision to incorporate human rights principles in its revised host city contract.
On the other, however, Bach has faced scrutiny for his organisation's role in the alleged ticket-touting scandal that saw Irish IOC executive Pat Hickey arrested in Rio and detained for five months.
And now an IOC ethics committee is having to look into allegations that vote-buying helped secure the 2016 Games for Rio after a French newspaper reported that a Brazilian businessman made payments to Papa Massata Diack, son of disgraced former IOC member Lamine Diack, just before the crucial vote in 2009, and that current IOC member Frankie Fredericks also received money.
Frederick denies wrongdoing, while Diack Jr has refused to comment. But with French police already investigating payments made by the Tokyo 2020 bid to an account linked to the Diacks, the list of Games tainted by allegations of corruption is growing.
It is against this backdrop that the IOC is now operating - and being judged.
Budapest's withdrawal from the race to stage the next Games is far from being the only headache it has to contend with right now. But at a time when the IOC's reputation is on the line, the ramifications of this latest snub could be felt well beyond its headquarters in Lausanne. And especially in Los Angeles, Paris and in Moscow.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/39183183
|
FA reform proposals 'wishy washy' - Kick It Out boss Lord Ouseley - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
"Wishy washy" FA proposals to boost diversity among its leadership "won't make a difference", a leading equality campaigner says.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Football Association plans to boost the diversity of its leadership are "wishy washy" and "won't make any difference", says a leading equality campaigner.
The FA announced the proposed reforms after criticism over the way it is run.
They include more women being added to its board and 11 new members joining the FA Council to "better reflect" the diversity of English football.
However, Lord Ouseley, chairman of diversity campaign group Kick It Out, says the changes are "superficial".
A former chairperson of the Commission for Racial Equality and a current Institute of Race Relations council member, Lord Ouseley told BBC Radio 5 live: "It won't add any additional power and involvement in leadership roles for black and minority ethnic people.
"In fact, there's no representation for disabled people, LGBT communities - it's very superficial.
"While it will look good and it is to be welcomed as some change, it won't make any difference about where the power is, where the control is, and quite frankly it's a bit wishy washy."
Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), was also critical of the reforms, saying they showed "a complete disrespect for key stakeholders" such as players, managers, referees and fans.
"We are referred to as 'not aligned' to The Professional Game or National Game, which shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for the very people who provide their income," he said.
"Such proposals do nothing to bring us in line with the rest of the world or alter the perception of lacking inclusion and being disconnected 'dinosaurs'."
In December, five former FA bosses asked the government to intervene and change an organisation they described as being held back by "elderly white men".
In February, MPs warned they could legislate to force the FA to reform if they had "no confidence" that the organisation would do so itself.
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has said the FA could lose £30m-£40m of public funding if it does not modernise.
FA chairman Greg Clarke reiterated that he will quit if the plans for reform do not win government support.
"This is a transformational leap forward and if the government don't accept this, I'm not sure what else we can do," he told BBC Sport on Monday.
"If government don't want to accept it, who am I to argue but, of course, I will resign."
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway asked Clarke why there were no plans for dedicated black, Asian and minority ethnic background representation on the proposed new 10-member board.
Clarke replied: "What I would like to see is a path to make sure that not only are we gender diverse but ethnically diverse. What I don't want this to be is empty words.
"I want to find a way to achieve it and be accountable. I just need a bit more time to get there.
"It's really important that the FA is representative to society. Throughout the business world, diverse boards make better decisions. I think that's true in football too."
The FA is effectively run by its own parliament, the FA Council, which has 122 members. Just eight are women and only four are from ethnic minorities. More than 90 of the 122 members are aged over 60.
What are the planned reforms?
• None Establish three positions on the FA board reserved for female members by 2018
• None Reduce the size of the board to 10 members
• None Add 11 new members to the FA Council so it "better reflects the inclusive and diverse nature of English football"
• None Limit board membership to three periods of three years
The reforms still have to be approved by the FA Council, which will debate and vote on the recommendations on Monday, 3 April.
If they receive majority approval they will be taken forward to a vote of the shareholders at the FA's annual meeting on 18 May.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39188003
|
SheBelieves Cup 2017: England lose 1-0 to Germany - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
England women lose their final game of the SheBelieves Cup 1-0 to Germany after Anja Mittag scores her 50th international goal in Washington D.C.
| null |
England women lose their final game of the SheBelieves Cup 1-0 to Germany after Anja Mittag scores her 50th international goal in Washington D.C.
Available to UK users only.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39201740
|
Conceded? Brazilian striker scores straight from kick-off - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
With his side just having conceded an equaliser away at Catanduvense, striker Mirrai scores directly from the kick-off for Comercial FC who went on to win the game 4-1.
| null |
With his side just having conceded an equaliser away at Catanduvense, striker Mirrai scores directly from the kick-off for Comercial FC who went on to win the game in Brazil 4-1.
Available to UK users only.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39191151
|
Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Arsenal advancing is as unlikely as... - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Arsenal are 33-1 to overturn a 5-1 first-leg thrashing by Bayern Munich and progress to the Champions League last eight on Tuesday night. How do some other unlikely events compare?
| null |
Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Arsenal advancing is as unlikely as... Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsenal are 33-1 to overturn a 5-1 first-leg thrashing by Bayern Munich and progress to the Champions League last eight on Tuesday night. How do some other unlikely events compare?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39184593
|
Kevin Pietersen: Surrey re-sign ex-England batsman for T20 Blast - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen rejoins Surrey to play in this summer's T20 Blast competition.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has re-signed for Surrey to play in this summer's T20 Blast competition.
The 36-year-old will play his first game against Essex at The Oval on 19 July and then will be available for the rest of the tournament.
Pietersen first joined Surrey in 2010 and made his last appearance in England in June 2015, when he did not bat in a rain-affected game against Sussex.
Pietersen has played mostly T20 cricket since appearing in the last of his 104 Tests in 2014.
He is England's third-highest run scorer in international T20 cricket behind Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales, and was part of the England team that won the World Twenty20 title in 2010.
South Africa-born Pietersen revealed the news via video on his Facebook page while playing golf at Wentworth.
"I am so, so happy to be back with Surrey and back playing in England," he said.
"I love playing in England, I love playing at The Oval and I've always loved the dressing room at The Oval."
Surrey won the inaugural county T20 competition in 2003 and have been losing finalists on two occasions since then, most recently to Northants in 2013.
Pietersen will miss the first four group games of the 2017 competition, but will be available for the other 10 matches and the knockout stage, should Surrey get that far.
"Re-signing KP is a massive boost to the club and the T20 Blast competition," Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart told the club website.
"To have a player of his undoubted calibre available to us will add strength and experience to our squad and I'm sure all our fans will enjoy seeing him back playing in England again.
"His work ethic and appetite for success are infectious and our squad have always enjoyed having him around the dressing room and performing out in the middle."
Pietersen began the winter in South Africa playing for Dolphins in the CSA T20 Challenge and scored 198 runs in five innings, including 81 off 46 balls against Warriors in December.
From there, he travelled to Australia for the Big Bash tournament, contributing 268 runs in eight innings to help Melbourne Stars reach the semi-finals.
In February's Pakistan Super League, he had two ducks in his first three innings, but bounced back with two half-centuries, including a match-winning 88 not out off 42 balls against Lahore Qalandars, in which he hit eight sixes.
But he, along with England's Tymal Mills and Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright, opted not to take part in the final because of security concerns about playing in Lahore.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39195035
|
Tony Bellew says retirement 'is an option' after David Haye fight - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Tony Bellew says he is considering retirement following his thrilling victory over bitter rival David Haye in London on Saturday.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Tony Bellew says he is considering retirement following his surprise victory over bitter rival David Haye at London's O2 Arena on Saturday.
But the Liverpudlian, 34, admitted that an offer for one further fight could be too lucrative to turn down.
"I don't know how many times more I can put my body and family through this," Bellew told BBC Radio 5 live.
Asked whether the Haye bout would be his last, he added: "It's an option. It's something I'm thinking about."
WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew defied most predictions to beat Haye - who was affected by a torn Achilles tendon - on his heavyweight debut, and he now has 29 wins and a draw from 32 fights.
Promoter Eddie Hearn said on Sunday that representatives of American WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and WBO champion Joseph Parker of New Zealand had contacted him about a potential fight.
• None Listen: 'I’ve beaten the best cruiserweight this country has produced'
Bellew told BBC One's Breakfast programme: "I have a lot of options. If people want to come and talk to me... I don't know what's going to happen, but it will have to be something special.
"I am the best heavyweight in the world outside the champions, and none of them have a name like David Haye on their record, so what does that mean?
"David Haye was like the bogeyman of the division. Nobody wanted to fight him but the fat cruiserweight did. And you know what? He beat him too. Just let that sink in."
Meanwhile, Haye says his surgery to reattach his Achilles has been a success and that the surgeons are "very confident of a 100% recovery back to full fitness".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39177586
|
Craig Shakespeare: Leicester City caretaker boss to be offered manager's job - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Leicester's caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare will be offered the Foxes manager's job until the end of the season.
| null |
Craig Shakespeare will be offered the Leicester City manager's job until the end of the season, BBC Radio Leicester understands.
Shakespeare was Claudio Ranieri's assistant, and has been caretaker boss since the Italian was sacked in February.
The Foxes have since won both of their games with Shakespeare in charge.
The 53-year-old has never managed full-time, and was brought to Leicester by Ranieri's predecessor, Nigel Pearson.
Ranieri, 65, was sacked by Leicester nine months after leading the club to the Premier League title.
Leicester have also spoken to other potential candidates to replace him, including former England manager Roy Hodgson.
Shakespeare's first match as caretaker manager was a 3-1 league victory over Liverpool.
Speaking after that game, defender Danny Simpson said Shakespeare had "kept it simple and told us what he wanted to do, which was simple and basic. We've done that so let's hope we can carry it on for him".
After his side moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over Hull on Saturday, Shakespeare said: "My remit was to win these two games and that's what we've done."
Leicester next play Sevilla at home in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie next Tuesday. The Spanish side won the first leg 2-1.
It's an appointment that will go down well on the terraces, the dressing room and in the media suite - Craig Shakespeare deserves this chance and is a top man to boot.
Shakey, as he's affectionately known, fostered a close working relationship with Nigel Pearson in his first spell with the club as the Foxes cruised through League One and into the Championship. He followed Pearson to Hull after leaving the Foxes in 2010, only to return in 2011 following the dismissal of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Shakespeare opted to stay with Claudio Ranieri when he was appointed in the summer of 2015, a decision which sees a Premier League winners' medal hanging on his mantelpiece.
He's always expressed a wish to one day be his own man and while this may have come in a rather unorthodox way - and there is no suggestion it was anything other than picking up the pieces following the Italian's sacking - Shakespeare will relish this chance and, despite what Martin Keown may have said on Match of the Day at the weekend, has the support of the fans in the city.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39193031
|
West Ham United 1-2 Chelsea - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard both score as Chelsea beat West Ham to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 10 points.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard scored as Chelsea beat West Ham to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 10 points.
It was the Blues' 21st victory of the league season and another big step towards winning the title in Antonio Conte's first season as manager.
The Italian was once again spot on with his tactics - nullifying the predictable aerial threat of the Hammers' 6ft 4in frontman Andy Carroll early in the match.
And then in the 25th minute his attackers cruelly exposed the hosts' defence with a devastating counter-attack.
N'Golo Kante read a pass from Robert Snodgrass deep inside the Chelsea half on the left and played the ball to Hazard. The Belgium winger drove forward, played a one-two with Pedro and then shifted the ball past keeper Darren Randolph before slotting home.
The Blues doubled their lead after the break when Hazard's corner from the left was turned in with his thigh by Costa - the Spain striker's 17th league goal of the season.
The Hammers came close after Costa's strike when Sofiane Feghouli's low drive was brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois. Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso then appeared to block Manuel Lanzini's half-volley with his arm moments later - but referee Andre Marriner deemed it to be accidental.
West Ham finally pierced the last line of defence in stoppage time. Carroll robbed Cesc Fabregas and fed Andre Ayew, who squared for Lanzini to fire in.
• None Chelsea must keep feet on the ground - Conte
No doubt there were West Ham supporters who would have fancied their team's chances of causing an upset on Monday.
They came into the match having lost only one of their past six league games, picking up three wins. And one of the Blues' four defeats came at London Stadium in the EFL Cup earlier this season.
But perhaps what gave those fans greatest belief of a win was the return of Carroll, back after a month out with a groin injury - and the big striker was central to the Hammers' tactics.
In the opening 20 minutes, both Snodgrass and Feghouli provided the ex-Newcastle and Liverpool forward with high lofted balls. Unfortunately for Hammers manager Slaven Bilic, Chelsea had done their homework as their defenders repeatedly prevented Carroll from having an effort on goal.
He became a peripheral figure in the second half as West Ham looked for a new way of breaching the visitors' defence.
They managed to do so through Lanzini in the dying seconds, but there was too little time to find an equaliser.
Not even an intruder who made his way towards the Chelsea players after Hazard's goal could nudge the visitors off their stride. He, like West Ham's attack, was quickly contained.
Chelsea's attack then demonstrated why they are top of the table - the opening goal was a delight.
Kante, who as a defensive midfielder made the second-highest number of sprints on the night - 77 - darted back to cut out Snodgrass' ball. It was then over to Hazard and Pedro, with the Belgian having the confidence and composure to take the ball past Randolph before tucking in.
It was not as good as his Match of the Day goal of the month against Arsenal on 4 February, but impressive nonetheless. Costa, who had a quiet game, then added a simple second after the break.
The Blues did lose their concentration on two occasions: once when Courtois made a great save to block Feghouli's low drive, and then in stoppage time when the Belgium keeper was beaten by Lanzini.
But those mistakes have been few and far between this season.
• None Chelsea have enjoyed 118 Premier League London derby wins, more than any other side (one more than Arsenal).
• None West Ham have won only two of their past 22 Premier League clashes with Chelsea, losing 16 and drawing four.
• None Chelsea are the seventh side to accrue 66-plus points from their first 27 games of a Premier League season, having done it themselves twice before (69 in 2005-06 and 68 in 2004-05). All six previous sides have gone on to win the title.
• None Chelsea scored the opening goal of the game for the 21st time this season in the Premier League, four more times than any other side.
• None Chelsea are the only side to use all three substitutes in all of their Premier League games this season.
• None Lanzini has scored in eight of his 12 Premier League London derby appearances.
Chelsea have an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United coming up on Monday, 13 March (19:45 GMT) and then it is back to league action the following Saturday when they travel to Stoke.
West Ham are away at Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, 11 March (15:00 GMT).
• None Goal! West Ham United 1, Chelsea 2. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by André Ayew.
• None Offside, Chelsea. Kurt Zouma tries a through ball, but Diego Costa is caught offside.
• None Attempt blocked. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by César Azpilicueta.
• None Attempt missed. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Willian.
• None Attempt missed. Pedro Obiang (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39099634
|
Napoli 1-3 Real Madrid (2-6 agg) - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Real Madrid come from a goal down against Napoli in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie to progress to the quarter-finals.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Real Madrid came from a goal down against Napoli in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie to progress to the quarter-finals.
Napoli were utterly dominant in a one-sided first half and took the lead on 24 minutes when Marek Hamsik put Dries Mertens through on goal as Real's defence went missing.
But captain Sergio Ramos netted one and had another header deflected in by Mertens after the break to put the holders in control.
Alvaro Morata then followed up Cristiano Ronaldo's shot to complete a comfortable victory.
Real's defensive weakness was perfectly exploited by Napoli's game plan in the first-half - a high-press put Pepe and Marcelo under pressure before Hamsik threaded a perfect through ball to Mertens who finished well in the bottom corner.
But the Italian side ultimately failed to take their other chances - Hamsik fizzed multiple shots wide before Mertens hit the woodwork and Real eventually made them pay.
The Spanish giants have now reached their seventh successive Champions League quarter-final and are unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League matches (W7, D5); their longest run without defeat in the Champions League or European Cup.
47 games in a row - but Ronaldo frustrated again
Real Madrid increased their Spanish record of scoring in 47 consecutive games with a win in Italy, but their Portuguese star striker is enduring his longest barren patch in the Champions League - Ronaldo has now gone six games without a goal.
He has five assists in seven Champions League appearances this term - his most in the competition in a single season for Real - but despite playing his part in Morata's strike, he could claim neither a goal nor an assist as he twice hit the woodwork.
Back from injury, having missed Saturday's 4-1 win over Eibar, Ronaldo had Real's best chance in the first half, but he could only hit the woodwork from a tight angle having rounded Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
Once again Real looked leaky at the back - the likes of Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne and Mertens carving them open with relative ease during the first half.
But captain Ramos came to their rescue and Real never looked back.
The 30-year-old may be a defender by trade and have a reputation for his red card collection, but he has also made a name for himself at the other end of the pitch.
Ramos is one of only three defenders to have scored in two different European Cup finals.
Alongside Tommy Gemmell (Celtic 1967 and 70), who passed away last week, and Phil Neal (Liverpool 1977 and 84), he scored in both the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals against Atletico Madrid.
And he came to his side's rescue once again in Naples with two emphatic headers, one deflected by Mertens, at a crucial period in the second half.
With Real Madrid completely outplayed in the first 40 minutes and a goal down courtesy of Mertens' crisp strike, Ramos rose highest from two Toni Kroos corners straight after the break to silence a 57,000-strong crowd inside the San Paolo stadium.
On a tricky night in Italy, where Real Madrid's record is somewhat shaky (18 losses, eight draws and now six wins), the Spain international stepped up when Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo flew under the radar.
12 on the trot - the stats you need to know
• None Real Madrid are unbeaten in the past 12 Champions League matches (W7, D5); their longest run without defeat in the Champions League or European Cup.
• None Real Madrid have reached the Champions League quarter-finals in each of the last seven seasons.
• None Dries Mertens has now scored 17 times in his last 16 games in all competitions for Napoli.
• None Seven of Napoli's past 10 Champions League goals have either been scored (5) or assisted (2) by Dries Mertens.
• None Real Madrid have progressed from each of their last nine Champions League ties in the last 16 or beyond when they've won the first leg.
• None Napoli, meanwhile, have now been eliminated on each of the previous five occasions they have lost the first leg of a last 16 tie in European competition.
• None Goal! Napoli 1, Real Madrid 3. Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
• None Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Marcelo.
• None Amadou Diawara (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt missed. Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
• None Attempt missed. Marko Rog (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Piotr Zielinski.
• None Offside, Real Madrid. Keylor Navas tries a through ball, but Álvaro Morata is caught offside.
• None Attempt blocked. Marcelo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Toni Kroos.
• None Attempt blocked. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Marcelo with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39152659
|
Emma Watson isn't alone - I face a 'breast backlash' every day - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Mother-of-two Karen Gormley says the size of her breasts means people make judgements about her personality.
|
UK
|
Karen Gormley describes herself as "smiley and quite shy", but says people see her differently simply because of the size of her breasts. The 45-year-old, from Preston, Lancashire, got in touch with BBC News after the furore over Emma Watson's Vanity Fair photoshoot.
Karen says women, in particular, are guilty of judging her character just by her appearance.
"I am petite with large breasts. I am 5ft 2. When I was last measured years ago I was a 28G.
People assume that my shape means I am promiscuous.
I found it all-too familiar when Emma Watson was criticised as being anti-feminist for showing part of her breasts in a magazine photoshoot.
Women who are up in arms about it aren't doing us any favours. I'm also a feminist and believe women should be able to wear whatever they like.
Unlike Emma, I'm too shy to be in photographs, but as soon as I wear fitted clothes or a lower neckline, I'm branded as attention-seeking.
It began when I was 14. I noticed that middle-aged men would follow me. I was in school uniform but it happened every time I went into town. It was really frightening.
But it wasn't always men. A female teacher once told me I couldn't wear a pinafore dress even though it was school uniform because I wasn't "covered up".
I felt on edge all the time and began wearing baggy clothes, so people thought I was fat.
When I was 16 I braved wearing a fitted dress for a party. It wasn't low cut but my cleavage showed a bit - suddenly my friends gasped at how much "weight" I'd lost.
The worst thing that ever happened was when I was 21 and my boyfriend at the time introduced me to his brother. Instead of saying "Nice to meet you" he pointed at my chest and said "Look at the size of them!".
As part of my job working with young offenders, I have worked in offices full of men and have constantly dealt with comments.
I was always seen as the "easy" woman to flirt with.
I am planning a breast reduction, which I can get on the NHS, due to the size of my breasts, which cause me back problems.
The decision is to do with my health but also the way I've been treated.
It was a friend-of-a-friend's comment that proved the last straw. She said that I only get attention because I have big boobs.
It made me feel like I am nothing except for what hangs on my chest. I don't want to be that person.
I have two daughters - 17 and 22 - who are both very pretty and a similar shape to me, and I see them going through the same thing.
I used to be over-protective and tell them to take pictures off Facebook, but I don't want my problem to become their problem too.
I just tell them that if you wear low-cut stuff, somebody will judge you to have a certain character you don't have. It's not your fault and they don't have the right to do that, but they will.
But my daughters aren't shy like me and would tear a strip off anyone who bothers them!"
A nasty remark on social media or even a well-meaning comment from a friend can be hugely damaging to a person's body image - and even drive someone to opt for surgery, according to psychologists.
About half of UK women are unhappy with their body shape, which can lead to low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders and body dysmorphias.
Dr Emma Halliwell, a psychologist at the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England, thinks body image is an "issue that impacts upon all aspects of girls' and women's lives".
Her research into body confidence has found that "society teaches girls that their appearance is intrinsically linked to their value as a person".
Women are bombarded with a "beauty ideal" - one body type, one look, one shape, one colour, one breast or buttock - which is reinforced by friends, on Facebook and in magazines and music videos, she says.
As a result, adult women may skip work or a job interview if they feel negative about their looks.
"We need to challenge these messages that female appearance is of central importance," she says.
• None Is Emma Watson anti-feminist for exposing her breasts?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39195785
|
Six Nations 2017: Billy Vunipola to make England comeback against Scotland - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Billy Vunipola will feature against Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday, after being confirmed in England's matchday squad.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section English Rugby
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Radio Scotland, plus live text commentary via the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app
Billy Vunipola will feature against Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday, after being confirmed in England's matchday squad.
The number eight made his comeback from a knee injury last weekend, and is included in a 24-man training party to prepare for the Calcutta Cup match.
Vunipola has been lined up to replace Nathan Hughes in the starting XV.
Scrum half Ben Youngs, wing Jack Nowell and centre Jonathan Joseph are also poised for returns to the backline.
Vunipola made his comeback ahead of schedule for his club Saracens on Sunday, after three months out with ligament damage.
And England head coach Eddie Jones appears set to bring him back at the first time of asking, after England's training plans on Tuesday showed Vunipola would start in the back row.
Bath centre Joseph, who was left out of the squad that beat Italy, is set to replace Ben Te'o at outside centre, while it's likely Youngs will be preferred to Danny Care, with Nowell edging out Jonny May.
England will confirm their starting XV and replacements on Thursday morning.
Jones' side lead the Six Nations table with three wins from their three matches.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39200918
|
Wheelchair man: Turning myself into a superhero - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Mohammad Sayed was abandoned by his family in Afghanistan after he was paralysed by a bomb. Now he's designed a comic book superhero based on his own life story.
|
Magazine
|
Mohammad Sayed was abandoned by his family in Afghanistan after his house was bombed and he was left paralysed. Now he has become a US citizen, and designed a comic book superhero - Wheelchair Man - based on his own life story.
I used to play with my father's AK47, rocket launchers and used mortar shells. We didn't have toys and every household had them. They made me feel powerful and I used to brag that I was not scared of the bombs raining down on us. But eventually one of those bombs fell on me.
I lived in the Panjshir valley with my mom, my dad, my two brothers, my sister and my grandmother. My father was a commander with the Afghan National Army (ANA) in charge of 300 soldiers.
My mother died when I was between five and six years old, I don't know the exact year, but I think it was around 2002.
Eleven days later I was seriously injured. It was so traumatic that I don't really like to go into the details.
My father took me to a hospital that day and never came back for me, so I had to take care of myself.
For the first couple of weeks all I could do was cry. But people in Afghanistan are very resilient - you face challenges, but you have to get up and move on, and that's what I did.
The hospital was run by Italians and it had about 500 employees.
After six months my medical needs had all been seen to - I have a spinal cord injury and I can't walk now, I'm in a wheelchair - but since I didn't have anywhere else to go they gave me a bed in the corner of a ward where I lived with the other patients. That was my home.
I had to pay for my food and clothes, and take care of myself, so I started a little business repairing the cell phones of the employees - the cleaners, cooks and guards at the hospital.
Cell phones had just come to Afghanistan and a lot of people there are illiterate - because of the war they never went to school. They couldn't even read in Farsi and the phones were in English. So they would have simple problems with their phones, I would fix them and they would give me a $2 or $3 tip (£2.40), which was a lot of money.
Then I figured out a way to make cell phones hold their charge for a day or two longer, and started making money that way.
I would also teach the foreigners in the hospital Farsi. We'd bond over time and when they left Afghanistan they would often give me a good amount of money, perhaps $20 (£16), which was a lot of money in those days.
Dr William, the American doctor through whom I met my mom, left me $600 (£480), and there was another doctor who left me 600 euros (£507). I was a hustler and I was hitting the jackpot.
The head of the hospital had a safe where the money was kept. Whenever I needed it I would go to him and he would give me what I needed, but my businesses were doing well so I never used most of that money.
When I came to the US I actually brought $600 (£480) of savings with me.
Well, I lived in the hospital for seven years, and I went to school and had my little businesses repairing cell phones, but unfortunately in 2007 the hospital abruptly shut down. It became like a ghost town and I was the only living soul in it. I had to figure out a way of taking care of myself again.
One day I was sitting in the hospital and one of the guards came to me and said there was a blue-eyed woman looking for me. I thought that was pretty strange, I'd never met a blue-eyed woman.
So I came down and there she was, Maria Pia Sanchez. She was a nurse, a friend of Dr William, and very nice. Whenever she came to Afghanistan for work she would come to visit me and eventually she said she would like to give me a home in the US.
In 2009, at the age of 12, I came to the US to receive medical treatment to straighten my spine.
I had more than 12 operations, I lost so much blood, it wasn't good.
I tell people that I have died three times and come back to life - one was when I had my accident, one was when my father left me, and the third time was when I had this surgery.
But now I'm doing very well, my back is straight and thankfully I don't have pain any more.
The doctors said that if I had stayed in Afghanistan my life expectancy would have been 18. Now I'm 20, so I'm definitely making progress.
But it was scary coming to the US, it was like going to a new planet.
Going to school with girls was very challenging because in Afghanistan my teacher and classmates had all been male.
I now had a female teacher and my principal was female. Eight of my classmates were girls and they would come to school in shorts - that's kind of considered being naked in Afghanistan.
So it was hard to get used to, it was a culture shock.
And my teachers would get so mad when they talked to me because I would look down - that's very respectful in Afghanistan. They'd say, "Look me in the eye when I talk to you!" There were a lot of cultural misunderstandings.
It was emotionally hard for me too, because I was feeling that I wasn't as smart as I'd been in Afghanistan. I was the top of my class there, but now I was new and although I could speak and write English my grammar and spelling were bad. I would feel really depressed that I was not good compared to all my classmates. But eventually I did learn and did very well.
I'm very creative and always try to solve problems, so when I heard about this school called NuVu - a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) school founded by MIT students - I really wanted to go there.
I went to meet the head of the school and I said, "This is exactly where I want to be, I want to come here!"
But then I learned that you had to actually pay. I told them, "I don't have money, I really want to come here, but I don't have money."
I think I was the first student that they gave a scholarship to. I went there in 2014 for about two years and learned a lot about engineering.
I would look all over the internet to buy stuff for my wheelchair. A lot of companies make products for wheelchair users but they're not in wheelchairs themselves, so they over engineer them and then sell them for such a high price that most people can't afford them.
So I started designing my own invention that would allow me to have a cup-holder, a tripod to hold my camera, a canopy to keep the sun and rain off, and all of these different attachments that I wanted for my wheelchair - I called it the Key 2 Freedom.
It's 3D printable, magnetised, customisable and everything is controlled by the user. This is important because most companies make products that attach to the back of a wheelchair and which can't be controlled by the user.
Somehow the White House heard about it and I was invited to the 2015 White House Science Fair and presented to President Obama. I got a lot of publicity.
It turns out that not many similar products exist, so I decided I wanted to actually start a company that developed these products and take them to market. Several of my inventions are now patent pending.
During that period my mom took me to Boston Comic Con where they have superheroes and all these different comic characters - Spider Man, Iron Man - but no superheroes that represent the wheelchair community.
I thought: "This is the greatest country, how is it possible that they have no wheelchair superhero?"
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Well, I wasn't going to wait for Marvel to do it. I want to celebrate the powers and abilities that wheelchair users have, so I started to create a superhero called Wheelchair Man based on my own real-life story.
I write the stories and then I have an artist, Arielle Epstein, who is very talented, draw the images.
Wheelchair Man is a teenager, he's an immigrant and he's a Muslim. He's against hatred and he wants to end violence and make this world a better place. One of his main superpowers is that he can make criminals see the consequence of a crime before they have even committed it.
My plan is to develop a comic book series to inspire people with disabilities. There will be four other original superheroes - Wheelchair Woman, Wheelchair Girl, Wheelchair Boy and Captain Afghanistan - and all of them will be based on the real lives of wheelchair users from developing countries.
Our dream is to also eventually turn all of the stories into video games and movies.
I want to motivate people in wheelchairs, especially kids, to not give up on their dreams. Whatever they want to do they'll do it 10 times better than if they had their legs because the pain and struggle that we go through makes us stronger.
That's my message, that's Wheelchair Man's message, and that's the message behind all the superheroes that we will create.
When I came to the US my father started reaching out to me and I talked to him. He had remarried twice.
Unfortunately one of my brothers, Wakil, who had followed in my father's footsteps and joined the ANA, was blown up by the Taliban two years ago. He bled to death on his way to the hospital. My father left the army after that happened.
My other brother, Big, and my sister, Zara, are still with my father. I really want to go back there to meet Zara. She was very young and had just learned how to walk when I was hospitalised. Now she's about 15 years old. Every time I try to talk to her on the phone she starts crying and then I start crying.
I've asked my father why he left me. I said to him: "You left me when I needed you the most."
But he was realistic. He said: "If I had taken you home, you wouldn't be alive today. We didn't have the resources to take care of you, you wouldn't have been able to go to school and this opportunity to come to the US would never have happened."
Mohammad Sayed was interviewed by Sarah McDermott and Matthew Bannister
All images courtesy of Mohammad Sayed and Rimpower
Listen to Mohammad Sayed speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39044623
|
Team Sky admit 'mistakes' over medical package but deny wrongdoing - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Team Sky admit mistakes were made around the delivery of a medical package to Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2011 but deny breaking anti-doping rules.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Team Sky have admitted "mistakes were made" around the delivery of a medical package to Sir Bradley Wiggins but deny breaking anti-doping rules.
The team have been unable to provide records to back up the claim Wiggins was given a legal decongestant at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine in France.
MPs have criticised the team's record-keeping, while UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) is investigating the package's contents.
Team Sky say they take "full responsibility" for the failures.
"There is a fundamental difference between process failures and wrongdoing," said Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford.
On Tuesday, Team Sky published a covering letter and supporting document sent by Brailsford to address the concerns of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
At a series of hearings, the committee has sought answers relating to the package and Wiggins' use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs).
The original allegation made to Ukad was that the package delivered by then-British Cycling coach Simon Cope to ex-Team Sky medic Dr Richard Freeman contained triamcinolone - the corticosteroid for which Wiggins, a five-time Olympic gold medallist and the first Briton to win the Tour de France, later received three TUEs, as leaked by hackers Fancy Bears.
Team Sky said it is right the claim is being "investigated thoroughly" by Ukad but asserted that there has so far been "no evidence whatsoever to substantiate the allegation".
In the supporting document, Team Sky say Freeman had no prescription rights to purchase the decongestant Fluimucil in France and questioned some media reports over the amount of triamcinolone ordered by the team.
They also say Freeman "failed to comply with team policy" by not saving written notes to confirm Wiggins was administered Fluimucil at the time in the right place, instead storing his notes on a laptop that was reported stolen in 2014.
"Self-evidently, the events of recent months have highlighted areas where mistakes were made by Team Sky.
"Some members of staff did not comply fully with the policies and procedures that existed at that time. Regrettably, those mistakes mean that we have not been able to provide the complete set of records that we should have around the specific race relevant to Ukad's investigation. We accept full responsibility for this.
"However, many of the subsequent assumptions and assertions about the way Team Sky operates have been inaccurate or extended to implications that are simply untrue.
"Our commitment to anti-doping has been a core principle of Team Sky since its inception. Our mission is to race and win clean, and we have done so for eight years.
"To my understanding, Ukad's extensive investigation has found nothing whatsoever to support this allegation, which we believe to be false.
"Some of the comments made about Team Sky have been unreasonable and incorrect."
How did we get here?
• None Wiggins and Team Sky come under scrutiny for his use of TUEs after his confidential medical information was leaked by hackers 'Fancy Bears'.
• None Wiggins, an asthma and allergy sufferer, received special permission to use triamcinolone shortly before the 2012 Tour de France as well as the previous year's event and the 2013 Giro d'Italia.
• None His TUEs were approved by British authorities, and cycling's world governing body the UCI. There is no suggestion either the 36-year-old or Team Sky broke any rules.
• None A Daily Mail investigation revealed Team Sky and Wiggins were being investigated by Ukad over the contents of the 'mystery package'.
• None Ukad officials visited British Cycling headquarters in Manchester as part of a investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in the sport.
• None Brailsford faced the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) hearing into doping in sport. He told MPs Freeman had told him the package contained Fluimucil.
• None Ex-Olympic champion Nicole Cooke tells MPs she is "sceptical" of Team Sky's drug-free credentials and Wiggins' TUEs.
• None Ukad chief Nicole Sapstead tells MPs Freeman, who received the package, has no record of his medical treatment at the time.
• None Freeman, who missed the select committee hearing on 2 March because of ill health, had a laptop containing medical records stolen.
Moments after the letter and document were published, Team Sky board chairman Graham McWilliam tweeted his "100%" support for Brailsford, saying the board were 100% behind the team principal and looking forward to "many more years of success."
"Pleased to see Team Sky challenging some of the inaccurate commentary of recent days," McWilliam added.
Britain's Geraint Thomas - one of a majority of Team Sky riders to back Brailsford on Monday - says it is "annoying" that Wiggins and Freeman are not answering questions about these issues instead of the current team.
"The thing is with Dave, a CEO of a company doesn't oversee everything that everyone does, you have to delegate and trust people to the head of those certain areas," Thomas told Cycling Weekly.
"Freeman and Brad don't seem to be having too much of the flak, really, it just seems to be us.
"We are the ones who have to stand here now and answer these questions, which we have nothing to do with."
After Brailsford - until recently one of British sport's most respected figures - appeared to be on the brink, this is Team Sky's attempt to finally get a grip of a crisis that was seemed to be spiralling out of control.
They will hope that the combination of contrition and defiance in this eight-page document, along with more detailed explanations of some of the questions raised by last week's incendiary parliamentary hearing, will relieve some pressure.
However, Chris Froome's failure to join other riders in support of his boss (instead defiantly tweeting about his steak supper - and then a giraffe) was another PR calamity, and permanent damage to the team's reputation has been done.
Brailsford must now hope there are no further revelations, or his position - already precarious - may become untenable.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39198422
|
Is Emma Watson anti-feminist for exposing her breasts? - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
We look at whether the actress can still be a beacon for feminism after her Vanity Fair shoot.
|
UK
|
Emma Watson's decision to expose part of her breasts in a Vanity Fair photoshoot has sparked a fierce debate on social media about what it means to be a feminist.
"She complains that women are sexualised and then sexualises herself in her own work. Hypocrisy," said radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer on Twitter.
Watson said she was "confused" by accusations she is "anti-feminist" and there was a real "misunderstanding" about what it actually means.
So can you bare your breasts and still be a feminist?
Women should be united in the fight for equality more than ever, says Victoria Jenkinson
"Emma Watson has done more for women and for young girls than most of us put together," says Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality and women's rights.
"So I don't really see that just because she's made that decision, any of us should be criticising her.
"She's an empowered woman who is posing for a very tasteful image. She's not being exploited, she doing it in a controlling position. It's a positive use of her body."
Sexist News, the team behind the campaign for the Sun to stop using topless models on Page 3, said it loved that the former Harry Potter star was "exploring and championing feminism having grown up in the public eye".
It believes the row created by the photoshoot is "daft", adding: "It is not a debate that we have about men's fashion shoots, regardless of the amounts of nipple-grazing crochet they wear.
"While no woman gets to dress herself outside of our society's patriarchal bubble, this example just shows that someone like Emma Watson is going to face an even more impossible standard than many other women."
Victoria Jenkinson, 20, a member of Girlguiding, believes the shoot has been used as a opportunity to "stir up a frenzy" around Watson and "undermine" her work promoting women's rights.
"The shoot doesn't suggest hypocrisy nor does it undermine her work as a feminist and we as women should be united in our fight for equality more than ever before," she said.
"I don't understand why people have an idea they can tell a woman what she can and can't do and I agree with Emma that critics have missed the point.
"A woman should be able to choose what she wants to do. This is what feminism is all about in 2017."
But Dr Finn Mackay, a feminism researcher at the University of West England, rejects the view that feminism is about giving women "choice" and says it is a social justice movement.
"Emma's saying feminism is about choice and the choice to do whatever you want, but that's a nonsense," she says.
"Some women choose terrible things, some women choose to work for parties that deny women access to abortion, access to healthcare or mothers access to welfare."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Emma Watson responded to claims she is anti-feminist by saying she was "confused" by the comments
However, she does not believe that Watson's pose for Vanity Fair means she is not a feminist.
"If she self identifies as a feminist and believes in promoting women's rights, her doing her job doesn't necessarily have to undermine that.
"I think if she's trying to say being in a photoshoot and getting your breast out is a feminist act, that's a different matter."
But Dr Mackay believes promoting feminism is more effective through the voice and not the body.
"The most radical thing that women can do in this culture is keep their clothes on and open their mouths and make political points," she says.
The controversy surrounding Watson's magazine shoot has brought into question what it means to be a feminist.
But equality groups and feminists say the debate should be focused on female objectification and inequality.
Ms Smethers says: "The real issue about all of this is the pressure on young women to look a certain way, to be judged on their appearance so if we are going to focus on anything that's what I would be more concerned to be prioritised."
Dr Mackay questions why the debate has been reduced to a celebrity exposing her breasts rather than issues such as women's economic positions and cuts to women's services.
"A Hollywood celebrity flashing a bit of boob is really the least of my worries," she says.
Campaigners marched for women's rights at a protest in London in January 2017
"It's interesting that people only speak about it now and their real motivation seems to be to want to have a dig at feminism rather than to talk about the overall problems Hollywood has with objectifying women."
Sexist News adds: "We really need to examine why on earth this one fashion image has caused such outrage. This is not to say that images of fashion or celebrity are unproblematic, quite the contrary.
"As ever the focus is on what a woman should or shouldn't be doing and not on how our culture presents, polices and consumes women's bodies and condemns their actions.
"We need to challenge these things, not the individual women stuck in the system."
Are you a feminist? Has someone challenged whether you are a feminist because of something you've said, done or worn? Tell us about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39177510
|
The pupils stuck in a cycle of maths and English resits - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Many say achieving a maths and English C grade has little relevance to their future careers.
|
Education & Family
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Georgina Tomassi: "I'm 18 and in a class with 15-year-olds"
Almost 80% of pupils in England who do not achieve a C grade in GCSE maths or English fail to attain this mark during their resits. It is leaving hundreds of thousands of students stuck in a cycle of exams.
"I've failed my maths GCSE four times. It's horrible because you feel like you're stupid.
"You feel like there's something wrong with you. I'm 18, and I'm being put into a class with 15-year-olds," Georgina Tomassi tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
She is desperate to achieve a grade C in maths, after missing out by just a few marks on more than one occasion.
In 2013, the government introduced a policy that said students in England who fail to get a grade C or above in GCSE maths or English should carry on studying the subject, or subjects, until the age of 18, with the aim of achieving this mark.
It means hundreds of thousands of pupils like Georgina - who is also studying for A-levels in drama and health and social care - are taking resits up to twice an academic year.
Figures from the Department for Education show that 77.3% of students in England do not attain a C grade in English or maths when they resit the exam post-16.
"You've got to keep going because I need it to get a job and get into university," she says.
"I'm so close and it's so frustrating."
At Tolworth Girls' School's sixth form, in Kingston upon Thames in south-west London, Georgina and her friends are taught resit classes, but the teachers' busy timetables mean they are limited to just a couple of hours per week.
Chloe Gatt, the school's head of English, says budget strains mean it is difficult to find enough staff to cover those teaching the extra lessons.
Were she not teaching the resit class, she would probably be with her Year 7 or 8 pupils, or her A-level students, she says.
At City College Norwich, just under half of all new students arrive without a C grade in maths or English.
The college's head of school for GCSEs, English and maths, Ray Cameron-Goodman, says it has seen a 440% rise in the number of students taking a GCSE in the past few years.
"In terms of staffing resource, that comes to many hundreds of thousands of pounds every year," he explains.
Then there is the amount spent on entering each pupil for their resit exam - usually more than £30 per paper - and extra, hidden costs.
Because it has so many pupils retaking exams, City College Norwich has to hire Norfolk Showground, one of the largest indoor spaces in the county.
The college hires Norfolk Showground for pupils to take exams
"The cost of the showground alone is about £50,000 - then there's the cost of the transport, the first aiders, the catering," Mr Cameron-Goodman explains.
The Association of Colleges says that in England last year, one in five colleges planned to hire external venues to cope with the numbers.
Two-thirds of colleges were forced to take on extra short-term staff to teach those taking resits, it adds.
Colleges say there is no additional funding from the government to cover such costs.
Josh wants to become a bricklayer
For some pupils, the resits can feel like an unwelcome distraction.
City College Norwich offers many vocational subjects, such as cooking, photography and hairdressing.
Josh Bennett, 16, is retaking English. When he leaves education, he hopes to work as a bricklayer.
"I'm more of a hands-on sort of person. I've got eight out of nine distinctions in this course so far.
"I find it very difficult sitting behind a desk and doing something like [studying Shakespeare]. I'd rather be outside and laying bricks, laying concrete - and I'm good at it."
Ryan Eves, aged 20, has taken his English GCSE five times without achieving the elusive C grade.
"It's almost a slight bit of torture. They know that some people just don't get English.
"I've tried so hard just to get a letter on a piece of paper."
Ryan has now been offered an unconditional place at university, and no longer needs a C in English - a fact he describes as "annoying", having spent so much time on the subject.
Mr Cameron-Goodman says the government's policy is "a fantastic thing in principle", but is calling for an alternative set of GCSE qualifications to be made available to students who are consistently unable to reach the required C grades.
Ray Cameron-Goodman says the exam system is not designed for every pupil to achieve a C grade
He says it is wrong to expect every pupil to achieve this mark, as the exam system is not built in this way.
"There is an expectation by the exam boards themselves that a number of students will not pass the examination, and will not pass the examination no matter how many times they resit that examination, so the two things aren't sitting well together."
A Department for Education spokesman said it was "developing credible, high-quality options for students through reforming Functional Skills qualifications in maths and English, to make sure that they deliver the knowledge and skills that employers need, and consequently have credibility and prestige in the jobs market".
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39142646
|
Corbyn allies planning to mount 'tea offensive' - BBC News
|
2017-03-07
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Allies of shadow chancellor John McDonnell urge party unity after tough few weeks for Jeremy Corbyn.
|
UK Politics
|
The shadow chancellor has issued an "open invitation" to MPs
"We have begun our tea offensive."
So say the team around the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, as they emphasise the need for "unity" in the Labour Party.
"The biggest fear the Tories have is a united Labour Party," a source close to Mr McDonnell said.
"Jeremy Corbyn could be the most transformative Labour prime minister since Clement Attlee."
The shadow chancellor addressed Labour MPs at their weekly meeting in Parliament earlier on Monday.
Sources said he showed "contrition" over an article he wrote suggesting there was a "soft coup" under way designed to topple Jeremy Corbyn.
"We must focus on unity," he told Labour MPs, singling out for praise previous critics of Mr Corbyn such as Rachel Reeves and Angela Eagle.
John McDonnell has issued "an open invitation to anyone" in the Labour movement who would like to talk to him and have a cup of tea, but sources wouldn't say if they were dispatching invitations directly, or merely accepting requests to meet him.
But not all MPs in the room were convinced.
One told me he asked Mr McDonnell, in a reference to Sir John Major's speech about Brexit: "Why is a former Tory Prime Minister more effective at attacking a Tory government than a Labour shadow chancellor?"
Another walked out 15 minutes before the end muttering "they'll still be droning on this time tomorrow".
Mr McDonnell used his briefing to Labour MPs to set out what his priorities will be in response to Wednesday's Budget.
Labour will have four themes they will question the government on: what they see as "chronic low pay;" a "rigged economy in favour of the privileged few;" social care, where "one million people are going without the care they need" and "ensuring the economy works for women."
Referring to Mr Corbyn's recent publication of his most recent tax return, a source said Mr McDonnell "has a genuine worry for democracy in this country" since "the prime minister and chancellor have still not published their tax returns."
"You have a level of transparency at the top of the Labour Party that you don't have in government."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39188070
|
Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton fears Ferrari have fastest car in 2017 - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-07
| null |
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari may have the quickest car with three days remaining of Formula 1's pre-season testing programme.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton said he believes Ferrari may have the quickest car with three days remaining of Formula 1's pre-season testing programme.
Williams driver Felipe Massa set the pace on the first day of the final test but Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was less than 0.2 seconds behind on a slower tyre.
Hamilton was fourth fastest for Mercedes, 0.5secs behind the German.
"Ferrari are possibly the favourites," Hamilton said.
"We can't take our eyes off them they are doing such a great job.
"And Red Bull look like they're going quite quick today. It is going to be close at the first race for sure."
• None Relive the first day of the second F1 test
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was second fastest overall on Tuesday, but set his time while using the fastest ultra-soft tyre which no other driver did.
Who is really quickest?
It is notoriously difficult accurately to predict competitiveness from pre-season testing because there are so many variables.
But Ferrari have impressed onlookers and rival teams this year so far with their consistently fast times, while not using either of the two softest types of tyre.
Vettel continued this form on Tuesday, lapping just 0.18secs slower than Massa, who was using a tyre that Pirelli reckons to be about 0.8secs faster.
Red Bull also appeared competitive, Ricciardo swapping times with Vettel and Hamilton during the morning session.
Hamilton said he had had a difficult morning before handing over to new team-mate Valtteri Bottas for the afternoon.
"It didn't feel spectacular this morning," he said, "but we had some issues with tyre temps and with some floor damage so I sacrificed some of my time so Valtteri could run this afternoon."
Meanwhile, McLaren and engine partner Honda suffered another blow in a troubled pre-season programme.
Honda decided to change the engine in the car Stoffel Vandoorne was driving when they discovered an electrical problem after just 34 laps.
It is the latest in a series of problems with Honda's newly redesigned engine.
Honda has had three engine failures in the course of five days of testing so far. The Japanese company has not revealed how many engines it has gone through - a spokesman saying it has used "a mixture, and some have been used on multiple days" - but it is believed to be at least five.
Vandoorne ended the day 10th fastest, 2.8secs off the pace.
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier admitted relations between the two partners were under "maximum" strain.
He added: "The pressure is obviously huge and obviously we put the maximum pressure on all of our relationship with Honda, and the same for them.
"We cannot put a footstep wrong. We need to be able to deliver the best car as well, so this is both sides."
He said he hoped a new specification of Honda engine to be introduced before the end of this week's test would solve "part of this problem - or most of this problem".
And he insisted McLaren were not considering ending its contract with Honda, which is in the third of 10 years.
"We have a contract in place," said Boullier. "We don't even obviously think about it, because there is a contract between us, a long term contract, and we want to build on it even if it is not ideal times."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39199829
|
Six Nations: Vunipola brothers 'aim higher' as Billy set for England return - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Prop Mako Vunipola says brother Billy is in better form than him after their injury lay-offs and tips him for success on his England return.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Radio Scotland, plus live text commentary via the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app
England prop Mako Vunipola believes he and brother Billy can come back better than ever after their injury lay-offs.
The pair were outstanding for England throughout 2016, but both missed the first part of the Six Nations with knee problems.
Mako made his return off the bench against Italy while number eight Billy will face Scotland this weekend.
"The challenge is not to be reaching the same levels, it's to go higher," Mako told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Billy has come back in and trained well, and his knee is looking good. He actually looks a lot better than me, so fair play to him."
• None Listen: Could the Twickenham crowd turn on England?
Mako says the brothers' Tongan heritage means staying in good physical shape while injured is a challenge.
"It's probably the gene, being Tongan doesn't help," Mako explained.
"It's always a thing with me where I have to keep on top of my diet, and I am getting as much help as I can.
"We have [England rugby nutrition consultant] Graeme Close who keeps a close watch on me.
"Definitely with age it's got better, but it's definitely still a work-on for me. I have given up chocolate for Lent, chocolate is probably one of my guilty pleasures."
Billy made his return for Saracens three weeks ahead of schedule, playing more than 70 minutes in Sunday's win over Newcastle.
"He was a bit grumpy when he was injured, so it's good for him to get back in the mix," Mako said of his brother.
"He was always confident he was going to come back quicker, but I was worried he was going to push himself too much.
"But his knee is looking good, it doesn't look like he has missed much. He has a smile on his face."
Listen to England v Scotland on BBC Radio 5 live, 16:00 GMT on Saturday, 11 March.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39210782
|
CIA faces huge problem over malware claims - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The latest leaks about alleged CIA hacking tools pose a huge problem for the US spy agency.
|
Technology
|
The CIA has not said if the claims are true
Already embroiled in a row with President Donald Trump amid his claims that spies are leaking secrets against him, now the CIA is facing its own damaging leaks.
This time it's the American intelligence community's familiar foe - Wikileaks - with another cache of what look like highly sensitive secret documents, this time about the CIA's technical capabilities.
The National Security Agency faced its problems when Edward Snowden passed on documents to journalists - but this time it's the NSA's sister agency.
While the NSA is the agency charged with collecting what is called signals intelligence and the CIA's job is to recruit human spies, the reality is that the technical and the human side of espionage have been drawing closer for years.
The CIA created a Directorate of Digital Innovation whose director told me the priority was making sure the agency stayed on top of technology.
While the NSA may sift global internet traffic looking for intelligence, the CIA prioritises close access against specific targets who it is interested in.
And getting into someone's electronic devices can be vital if you are trying to target them - either to recruit them as an agent or for a drone strike against a suspected terrorist.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Former CIA boss: latest leak on Wikileaks has 'made my country less safe'
These latest leaks will be a huge problem for the CIA as the Snowden leaks were for the NSA (although there will be less surprise about these capabilities now since we learned so much from the Snowden files).
There is the embarrassment factor - that an agency whose job is to steal other people's secrets has not been able to keep their own.
This will be added to by the revelations that the US consulate in Frankfurt was used as a base for the technical operations which may cause problems in Germany where the Edward Snowden revelations caused intense domestic debate.
Then there will be the fear of a loss of intelligence coverage by the CIA against their targets who may change their behaviour because they now know the spies can do.
The CIA is alleged to have found a way to listen to conversations that took place close to Samsung TVs
And then there will be the questions over whether the CIA's technical capabilities were too expansive and too secret.
Because many of the initial documents point to capabilities targeting consumer devices, the hardest questions may revolve around what is known as the "equities" problem - when you find a vulnerability in a piece of technology, how do you balance the benefit of leaving that vulnerability in place so the intelligence agency can exploit it to collect intelligence with the benefit to the public of informing the manufacturer so they can close it and improve everyone's security?
If an intelligence agency has found a vulnerability then other hackers might do as well. The NSA faced questions about whether it had found the right balance and now it may be the CIA's turn.
There will be anger in the CIA and some of that will be directed at Wikileaks.
Wikileaks has said the source of this latest cache of documents came from a former US government hacker or contractor.
But it is an organisation that the US intelligence community has claimed may have been a route for information hacked from the Democrats by the Russians during last year's election to make it into the public domain.
No doubt the CIA will be trying to establish the exact source of the latest leak and understand the timing - coming right in the middle of an intensifying row between American spies and their own president.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39197664
|
Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Arsene Wenger 'revolted' by referee but proud of side despite thrashing - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Arsene Wenger says he was "revolted" by the referee but calls Arsenal brave after Tuesday's Champions League last-16 thrashing by Bayern Munich.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsene Wenger said he was "revolted" by the referee after his "brave" Arsenal side suffered a last-16 Champions League thrashing by Bayern Munich.
Referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos denied the hosts a penalty when 1-0 up before later awarding one for a Laurent Koscielny foul on Robert Lewandowski.
Koscielny was sent off as Arsenal lost 5-1 on Tuesday and 10-2 on aggregate.
"The penalty and red card are absolutely unexplainable and scandalous," Gunners boss Wenger said.
"It's irresponsible from the referee. It leaves me very angry and very frustrated."
Arsenal faced an uphill struggle going into Tuesday's second leg having suffered a 5-1 defeat in Germany three weeks ago.
Theo Walcott's first-half strike gave them a sliver of hope, but that vanished when Lewandowski scored from the spot shortly after the restart and Koscielny was sent off for the foul that led to the penalty.
Sidiropoulos initially showed Koscielny a yellow card but upgraded that to a red after consulting his assistant on the byeline, with the defender apparently deemed to have committed a deliberate foul.
Under laws introduced in April, the previous punishment of a red card and a penalty for a foul in the box that denies a goalscoring opportunity was changed.
Now, players committing accidental fouls that deny a goalscoring chance are shown a yellow instead - but deliberate fouls still incur a red card.
After Bayern's equaliser, Arsenal's momentum faded. They conceded four goals in 17 minutes but, despite suffering the biggest aggregate defeat of an English side in the Champions League, Wenger said the result did not "reflect the courage of the performance".
"Overall it's difficult to understand what's happened," he told BT Sport. "I still must say my team has produced a huge effort and played very well."
Wenger added he thought Xabi Alonso's challenge on Theo Walcott in the first half was "100% a penalty", and also claimed Bayern striker Lewandowski was offside in the build-up to the foul by Koscielny that resulted in the French defender's dismissal.
"It's just not serious," Wenger said.
"When you see the importance of the games and you see an attitude like that I am absolutely revolted and sorry for people who come and pay a lot of money to watch this kind of game."
The 67-year-old Frenchman was also the subject of protests from fans before the game at Emirates Stadium, asking for him to step down.
When asked about the demonstration, Wenger said: "I've nothing to add to that."
'There needs to be a cleansing'
The Gunners have now been knocked out at this stage of the Champions League for seven successive seasons.
And it would be the "right decision for the club" if Wenger was to leave after 21 years in charge, says former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas.
"Changes seem inevitable," Jenas told BBC Radio 5 live. "This is a pivotal moment in Arsenal's history, a moment to look on. There needs to be a cleansing."
Neil Lennon echoed that sentiment, calling Arsenal "a team of spoiled brats, who throw in the towel too easily at times".
"What I don't want is for Arsene to tarnish his legacy," said the Hibernian manager.
"Since they reached the Champions League final in 2006, there's been a steady decline and there comes a point where people switch off to it and that point has come."
Arsenal's best chance of silverware this season is in the FA Cup and they host non-league Lincoln City in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
They are fifth in the Premier League, 16 points behind leaders Chelsea and two points adrift of fourth-place Liverpool, although they have a game in hand.
"It will be a tough ask to get into the top four," said Jenas. "You have seen over the last two games... the way they fell apart has not been great for Wenger."
'He can't seem to find an answer'
There was also reaction from other former professionals, including ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright.
He told BT Sport: "The first game was more upsetting than this, but it's a sad day because we've gone out again at this stage. We're going through a period in our history that's the worst.
"It will take some sort of monumental effort to turn it around in terms of the drive and determination of the players. It feels like something is coming to an end."
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand added: "The last 10 years in terms of league trophies and the Champions League, it's been a disappointing time.
"It's disappointing to see Wenger go out on this note after all he's done. At this moment in time things are not going right and he can't seem to find the answer."
If you get rid of Arsene Wenger, what next? Who do you bring in? Where is the club going to go?
For me, the question over who should be manager obscures the wider issues of what is going wrong.
The team needs to be better, but all the focus is on Wenger when surely it's the players who need to be taking more responsibility on the pitch.
When things go wrong, you want to see character. We've not seen that from them in recent games.
We don't know the whole story about what happened with Alexis Sanchez, but players having bust-ups in training? I don't see that as a bad thing.
Football should be a passionate game, you want to see people pushing each other on.
How bad was it? The stats
• None The 10-2 aggregate defeat is the worst suffered by an English side in the Champions League
• None It was Arsenal's biggest home loss at Emirates Stadium, the biggest since November 1998 (5-0 against Chelsea in the League Cup)
• None Only one Champions League tie has seen a greater margin of victory for a team - Bayern Munich v Sporting Lisbon (12-1, 2009)
'Shame Again' - How the papers reacted
What did the fans say?
James Holness: Wenger points the finger of blame elsewhere for Arsenal's failings, but ultimately he MUST take responsibility. He has to go.
Grumpy Expat: I love Arsene Wenger. Given me many happy memories. I loved my ex-girlfriend too. As difficult as it was, that had to end too.
Craig Smith: Sad day for Arsenal as Wenger's legacy is going down in flames. Hope he quits early so can be given a positive send off.
Tim: Wenger shouldn't be given the option of turning down new deal. No one is bigger than the club. Sack him. Now.
Johnny Magrinho: Wenger to blame? Ridiculous. The success he's brought to this club is astronomical. This? Not his fault. Blame the players.
RobroyMan: Arsenal need a serious rebuild from the board down. Mentality is marshmallow. Bellerin, Ozil and Sanchez gone. Manager is responsible for the character of his team, full stop. Bring In Allegri.
Rewstep: Well now go, Walk out the door, Just turn around now, you're not manager any more...
Selected from user comments and tweets sent to #bbcfootball
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39201464
|
Steve Smith unfair play criticism 'outrageous' - Australia CEO Sutherland - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Accusations Australia were guilty of unfair play against India are "outrageous" says Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Accusations of unfair play by Australia in their Test defeat by India are "outrageous", says Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.
Australia skipper Steve Smith was seen looking up to his side's dressing room when pondering whether to ask for a review after he was given out lbw.
India captain Virat Kohli said Smith had "crossed the line".
The International Cricket Council confirmed no action would be taken against either captain.
Sutherland said of Smith: "We have every faith there was no ill-intent in his actions. Steve's an outstanding person."
Smith, 27, admitted his error and described it as "a bit of brain-fade".
The laws of the game forbid players from consulting with anyone off the field about whether to use the Decision Review System (DRS), given that support staff have access to television replays in the dressing room.
Kohli, 28, said it was not an isolated incident and alleges he saw Australian players looking to the dressing room for DRS assistance on two other occasions while he was batting.
"I pointed that out to the umpire as well that I had seen their players looking upstairs for confirmation," Kohli added.
"We observed that, we told the match referee and the umpire that it's been happening for the last three days and it has to stop."
However, Sutherland replied: "I find the allegations questioning the integrity of Steve Smith, the Australian team and the dressing room, outrageous.
"We reject any commentary that suggests our integrity was brought into disrepute or that systemic unfair tactics are used, and stand by Steve and the Australian cricketers who are proudly representing our country."
The Indian cricket authorities responded with a strong rebuttal, insisting they "steadfastly stand" with Kohli and his team.
"Virat Kohli is a mature and seasoned cricketer and his conduct on the field has been exemplary," said the the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
"BCCI has requested the ICC to take cognisance of the fact that Smith admitted to a 'brain fade' at that moment.
"BCCI sincerely hopes that the rest of the matches are played in the true spirit of cricket."
India's victory levelled the four-match series at 1-1 and the penultimate Test begins in Ranchi on 16 March.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will return home from the tour of India with a shoulder injury and a replacement is expected to be announced in due course.
A headline in The Sydney Morning Herald read: "Kohli all but accuses Australia of cheating after epic Indian Test win".
And Andrew Wu wrote that the series has become a "no-holds barred, bare-knuckle fight after a spiteful finish to the second Test".
"Relations between the two sides are now at its lowest point since the Monkeygate scandal of 2007-08", he adds, referring to an incident when India's Harbhajan Singh was accused of a racial slur aimed at Andrew Symonds. He was later exonerated.
Writing in The Age, Greg Baum says the DRS has been a "nightmare" for everyone.
"Now it [DRS] has become Frankenstein, a man-made mechanical monster. If more sensible protocols cannot be developed, it should be scrapped altogether", he says.
A headline in the Herald Sun described the Indian captain as the "cricket's ultimate bully" while The Australian says "Cricket war of words flares again".
The report in The Australian said: "Cricket Australia chief launches an extraordinary attack on Indian skipper Virat Kohli, as strained relations explode again".
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39203230
|
David Haye rules out retirement as he targets Tony Bellew rematch - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Former heavyweight world champion David Haye rules out retiring from the sport and says he is targeting a rematch with Tony Bellew.
| null |
Former heavyweight world champion David Haye has ruled out retiring from the sport and is targeting a rematch with Tony Bellew.
Haye, 36, had surgery on an Achilles injury sustained in Saturday's 11th-round defeat by Bellew in London.
He suffered the injury in the sixth round of the fight, but says a two-and-a-half-hour operation "went well".
"I live to fight another day and I will fight another day," Haye told Sky Sports.
Asked if he would be returning to the ring, he said: "No doubt about it, I have never been more sure about it."
He added: "Other athletes have come back in six to nine months after the same injury, I am in a good condition, a healthy-living person and I am looking forward to getting back in there."
Bellew, 34, said he is considering retirement following his win, but admitted that an offer for one further fight could be too lucrative to turn down.
Asked whether the Haye bout would be his last, Bellew told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's an option. It's something I'm thinking about."
In response, Haye told Sky Sports: "I never envisaged losing this fight, if Tony Bellew does retire - and I truly hope he doesn't - then I will carry on in my path to be number one in the world.
"But it is only fair to the fans to rematch against the guy who beat me. If that does not happen, then I will find a way to challenge for the heavyweight title. I believe after sharing a ring with him, he will want to do it again."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39198262
|
Rachel Yankey: Top female coach in men's football 'long way off' - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Ex-England winger Rachel Yankey explains why producing better female coaches is more of a priority than making a breakthrough in the men's game.
| null |
On International Women's Day, former Arsenal and England winger Rachel Yankey explains how views on women in football have changed over the past 15 years and why producing better female coaches is more of a priority than making a breakthrough in the men's game.
When I was a kid, I once shaved my head to pretend to be a boy because it ensured no-one questioned me as a footballer.
And when I started coaching in primary schools in 2004, the kids would see a woman walk into the playground and say: "Why have we got a female coach?"
Thankfully, that sort of scenario doesn't happen any more.
When I was recently doing my Uefa B licence, I coached at Barnet's under-18 men's team and there were no quizzical looks or snide comments.
It probably helped that they recognised me from my playing career at Arsenal and England, but they accepted me for who I was and after a few sessions I gained their trust. It feels pretty cool when a player turns to you and asks: "As a winger, what would you do?"
That shows you the perception of women playing and coaching football has changed massively, but there's still a lot to work on and the lack of female coaches at the top level is still an issue.
People often ask when we'll see a female coaching at a men's professional team, but a more pertinent question is: how many females are working at the top of women's football in England?
In the top two divisions of the Women's Super League, five out of 20 managers are women so, in my view, we need more qualified female coaches in that area first.
• None Fall of women in top jobs 'extremely concerning'
The reasons for the lack of women's coaches are numerous and I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers.
The first thing to say is that the coaches need to be good enough in the first place. They must have the right qualifications and experience, and I would hate to see jobs being handed out in a tokenistic fashion. That doesn't help anybody.
There are problems in getting female coaches onto courses in the first place, and I think that's where some hard work needs to happen. It might be that women don't know when the courses are happening or they fear being rejected or laughed at, like girls used to when they wanted to play football. I can only say that football is a lot more tolerant now.
The real problem comes when female coaches are being rejected for work despite having the qualifications.
Is it covert sexism? I draw parallels with qualified black coaches who struggle to get employment. People need to be given a chance and for that to happen, perceptions need to change.
If you have the experience and qualifications and you don't get a job, you will always look for the reasons why. I would urge those chairmen, or whoever is hiring, to be more open-minded.
I'm now part of a group of elite female players, including former England skipper Casey Stoney, and record England goalscorer Kelly Smith, who are doing their Uefa A licence.
There are many more England players who are heading down this pathway, and it points to a bright future where experienced internationals can pass their knowledge onto the next generation.
Do we need to break into the men's game to make it as a coach? I don't think that's necessary in order to be considered a success. And I think it will be a long way off anyway because of the external influences which will judge you.
Look at how Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger or Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri are treated by fans and the press. It's a cut-throat business and imagine if a female manager was in charge.
Despite the progress, stereotypes still exist in football and until that is broken down it will be extremely difficult for a woman to manage a top level men's team.
A lot of it will be down to the culture of the club, similar to Clermont Foot in France where Corinne Diacre has had some success in the French second division.
On a personal level, I'm concentrating on being the best coach I can be but it's a challenge moving from the playing side to being on the sidelines.
Despite being released from Arsenal, I've not hung up my boots yet and I actually find it easier to spot things while I'm on the field. I enjoy passing on my football knowledge and I'm looking forward to helping shape the future of women's football.
After England reached third place in the 2015 World Cup, we have evidence that we are producing better players so now we need take the same approach with our coaches.
Once that happens, perhaps we will see more female coaches pushing towards the men's game and maybe even Premier League or Football League clubs seeking those coaches out.
Former England boss Hope Powell was linked with Grimsby at one stage and now she is working in a Professional Footballers' Association role educating male coaches in professional clubs.
That will change perceptions and ensure she is rightly seen as a successful coach, who just happens to be female.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39184903
|
French election explained in five charts - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
French voters go to the polls to elect a new president in April - we take a closer look at some of the issues most likely to influence their choice of candidate.
|
Europe
|
French voters are choosing a new president - amid considerable political uncertainty in Europe and the world following the British vote for Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as US leader.
There are five leading candidates - from across the political spectrum - who will contest the first round of voting on 23 April and unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, the two leading contenders will then go through to a second round on 7 May.
So who are the candidates and what are the issues likely to decide this election?
On the far right, the National Front's Marine Le Pen appears to have achieved more electoral success since distancing herself from some of her father's more extreme xenophobic policies.
Latest opinion polls show Ms Le Pen is ahead of the other four candidates in the first round - though a long way short of 50% - and is therefore likely to get through to the run-off.
In 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen got through to the second round, but lost to Jacques Chirac.
Opinion polls currently suggest Marine Le Pen would be defeated in the second round by Emmanuel Macron. Without the backing of a traditional political party, the former economy minister, who has never held an elected office, is standing as a centrist candidate.
The previous front-runner, centre-right Republican Francois Fillon, has lost support over allegations his wife and children were paid public money for jobs they never had.
Prosecutors have launched a full judicial inquiry into the affair but he has survived an attempt within his party to replace him as candidate.
Socialist and former education minister Benoit Hamon, with a reputation as a left-wing rebel, has a plan to introduce a universal income which would be rolled out initially to those on a modest income, being expanded to all French citizens some time after 2022.
Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has the backing of the French Communist Party and stood unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2012.
One of the overriding issues facing French voters is unemployment - with at least one in four people aged under 25 unemployed.
The national rate stood at 10% in the last quarter of 2016 and according to the French official statistics office, Insee, it fell over the year by just 0.2%.
Latest unemployment figures for the European Union show France had the 8th highest jobless rate out of the 28 member states in December - and more than double that of Germany and the UK.
Last year's slight fall in the jobless rate came too late for President Francois Hollande, who had staked his reputation on creating more jobs during his time in office. Faced with very low ratings in the polls, he pulled out of the election race - the first French president not to run for a second term in modern history.
The problem of reducing unemployment will now fall to his successor.
The French economy is the second-biggest in the eurozone - but its recovery from the financial crisis of 2008 has been slow.
One of Mr Hollande's key policies was a new labour law, intended to help boost the economy by giving firms greater freedom to increase regular working hours, reduce pay and lay off workers.
But measures were watered down to get the bill through and the hoped-for improvements in the economy have not yet materialised.
France's economy, measured in terms of its Gross Domestic Product, has continued to lag behind its closest European neighbours, Germany and Britain.
All the leading candidates have argued that deep changes are needed in the French economy.
Security and immigration are also high on the agenda in this election.
France is still in a state of emergency following a number of terror attacks, including 14 July last year when 86 people died as a lorry ploughed into a crowd in Nice celebrating Bastille Day.
More than 230 people have died in terror attacks in France since January 2015.
Hundreds of young French Muslims are known to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State. Interior ministry figures say almost 700 French citizens are still in the region - although numbers have dropped off in the past year.
Some of the perpetrators of the Paris attacks in November 2015 are known to have travelled to Syria - French officials fear others who have been radicalised may now return to France to commit further atrocities.
Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in France as a result of the crisis which began in 2015, largely as a result of people fleeing the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
France received more than 85,000 applications for asylum in 2016 - more than 5,800 came from Syria. Although the figure has been rising steadily, the number of asylum-seekers applying to stay in France is lower than other European countries like Germany.
Official figures from 2014 show 8.9% of the 65.8m French population were immigrants. The figure has risen by 0.8% since 2006.
There is no official breakdown of the figures, as it is illegal in France to collect data on race and religion, but there are thought to be about five million Muslims living in France, the biggest Muslim population in the EU.
The majority of France's Muslim population live in the poorer suburbs of big cities like Paris, Marseille and Lyon, where unemployment is much higher than the national average.
The National Front has made treatment of immigrants one of its key policy issues - saying jobs, welfare, housing and school places should go to French nationals before "foreigners". A Pew Research Center survey in 2016 indicated that 29% of French adults viewed Muslims unfavourably.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39038685
|
Women In Sport: Number of women in top jobs at UK sporting bodies declining, says study - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
The number of women in top jobs at UK sporting bodies is declining, says a study which calls the findings "extremely concerning".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Sport
The number of women getting top jobs at UK sporting bodies is down by 6% since 2014, says a new study which calls the findings "extremely concerning".
The Women in Sport survey found around half of the 68 Sport England and UK Sport-funded national governing bodies have fewer than 30% of non-executive director roles filled by women.
Under government guidelines coming into effect on 1 April, those organisations must have at least 30% women on their board, or risk losing funding.
Nine of the 68 organisations have no women in senior leadership roles below chief executive level.
The British Taekwondo Council, the sport's national governing body, has no woman in any leadership or board positions.
Overall the number of women on the boards of governing bodies is 30% on average.
• None Top female coach in men's football 'long way off' - Rachel Yankey column
• None Lack of women at top of LTA 'wrong' - Judy Murray
• None Of the 68 governing bodies, just under half (33) have less than 30% female non-executive directors
• None For 2016 these included British Cycling, Rugby Football League, England and Wales Cricket Board, Rugby Football Union and the Football Association
• None There has been a decrease in the number of women in senior leadership roles - the most senior paid roles, excluding the chief executive officer
• None Nine of the 68 organisations had no female senior leaders below chief executive level
• None 18% of chairs are female and 23% of chief executive officers are women
• None At England Netball, 80% of senior leaders are female
The report concluded: "Women in Sport is also extremely concerned by the decrease in the number of women in senior leadership roles. While organisations should continue to tackle the diversity of their boards, they also need to broaden their focus, addressing diversity within their organisations more generally."
Speaking to BBC Sport, Ruth Holdaway, Women in Sport chief executive said: "There is positivity in the fact that in the seven years we have been doing this audit, we have seen an increase in the number of women at every level of leadership in sport.
"But now we are seeing the figures plateau and for non-executive directors on boards, the figure has sat at around 30% for the last couple of years.
"That is an average across all of the governing bodies, that masks a disparity, some do better than that and some do worse than that. Half of the national bodies are hitting the 30% target, the other half have work to do."
The figures in the study are for 2016 and just 7% of the Football Association's non-executive directors are women - the third lowest in the study.
However, the FA has since proposed reforms to appoint more women to its board.
British Cycling, which in the study has 17% of females as non-executive directors, appointed Julie Harrington as its new chief executive on Monday.
Holdaway said gender diversity is being held back by life president and honorary roles for men.
"The time is coming for those who are blocking progress to move, " she said.
Director of sport at funding body Sport England, Phil Smith, said organisations have to draw up an action plan of how they will reach the 30% target by 1 April, or face losing their funding.
"They have enough time to write an action plan, " Smith told the BBC. "Public investment in any sports organisations is dependent on organisations reach the standards of the code, anyone who is not able to reach them or have adequate plans to do so, won't be able to attract public investment."
England Hockey currently fail to meet the target, as three of their 12 members (25%) are women.
But chief executive Sally Munday said she was confident they would be able to eventually meet the guidelines.
"We will look at how we can evolve to meet the guidelines," Munday told BBC Sport.
"We will not get to 1 April and ask a board member to leave. We have an outstanding board, it just so happens than more are men than women. Over time, as board members leave, we will look at recruiting people who still meet the skill set, but will enable us to meet the recommendations in the guidelines."
The new code of governance will come into effect on 1 April and then each sport will be given their own individual deadline to meet the requirements.
Some governing bodies will find it easier to diversify than others. The FA's recent proposal to reserve three places for women on its board from 2018 still has to be approved by its 122 person council - an overwhelming male body historically resistant to reform.
Those that don't meet the criteria risk losing millions of pounds of public investment. The Government is also prepared to withdraw essential support for bids to host major events. The consequences for failing to modernise are now more serious than ever.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/39186461
|
Amir Khan-Manny Pacquiao's proposed UAE fight 'dead' - promoter Bob Arum - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Britain's Amir Khan will not fight Manny Pacquiao in the UAE next month, the Filipino's promoter, Bob Arum, reveals.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Britain's Amir Khan will not fight WBO world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao next month, the Filipino's promoter, Bob Arum, has revealed.
The two fighters had announced the "super fight" for 23 April on Twitter at the end of February, with the United Arab Emirates expected to be the venue.
But Aram told ESPN: "It's kaddish for the UAE deal. It's dead.
"I'm talking about another proposal for another fight, not Khan. Khan won't be Manny's next opponent."
The April fight was originally arranged after Pacquiao's followers on Twitter voted Khan as the opponent they would like to see the 38-year-old fight next.
Khan, 30, who won silver as a lightweight at the 2004 Olympics, beat compatriot Kell Brook, Australia's Jeff Horn and American Terence Crawford with 48% of the vote carried out by Pacquiao.
Arum also told the Los Angeles Times that the $38m (£31.1m) offer for the bout had failed to materialise and that the duo could not face each other until the second half of 2017, under revised terms.
Arum said Pacquiao's advisor Michael Koncz would negotiate a revised fight against an alternative opponent that could be staged in July.
Pacquiao, who has won 59 of his 67 bouts, claimed the WBO title with a unanimous points victory over American Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas last November.
Khan's last fight in May 2016 saw him jump two weight divisions to 155lbs, when he challenged Mexico's Saul Alvarez for the WBC middleweight title, but was knocked out in the sixth round.
Find out how to get into boxing with our special guide.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39203065
|
Why young people are now less likely to smoke - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
All age groups in the UK are smoking less - but the largest decrease seems to be among young adults.
|
Health
|
All age groups in the UK are smoking less - but the largest decrease is among 18- to 24-year-olds, according to the Office of National Statistics. Why is that?
The latest figures, for 2015, suggest one in every five (20.7%) 18- to 24-year-olds is a smoker.
In 2010, this figure was one in every four (25.8%).
Today, about 70% of 16- to 24-year-olds have never started smoking cigarettes in the first place, the data suggests - up from 46% in 1974, when records began.
And even among the age group most likely to smoke, 24- to 35-year-olds, about 60% - up from 35% in 1974 - have never picked up the habit.
Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) says: "We know that young people who try smoking are highly likely to grow up to become smokers, so the high numbers of young people reporting that they have never even tried smoking is good news."
Model Kylie Jenner was called a bad role model after she was pictured smoking on Instagram, perhaps an indicator it is no longer seen as cool.
The new data suggests 23.3% of 16- to 24-year-olds quit smoking in 2015, compared with 21.4% in 2010 and 13.4% in 1974.
Ash says this has been "achieved through a combination of effective legislation, policy and support for adults to quit over many decades - much of which has had a big impact on youth uptake as well as quitting".
Policy director Hazel Cheeseman says: "Creating an environment in which fewer young people try smoking and more smokers quit will protect the health of future generations and avoid hundreds and thousands of premature deaths.
"However, the achievements made to date are at risk.
"The government must urgently publish a new tobacco control plan for England and ensure this is properly funded."
In 2015, three out of every 100 16- to 24-year-olds used electronic cigarettes, up from one in every 100 in 2014, the new data suggests.
And, in total, 2.3 million people in the UK are using them - half in order to stop smoking.
But some are concerned vaping could prove a gateway to smoking for teenagers.
And critics say the fruit flavours of some e-cigarettes could make them more appealing to children.
In December 2016, the US Surgeon General said the use of e-cigarettes by children was "a major public health concern".
But Ash says the latest figures "confirm that most users are smokers or ex-smokers".
"The figures also highlight that most users are seeking to improve their health, with the most common reason for use being as an aid to quit smoking," it says.
"Where smokers make a complete switch, they can expect to significantly reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals which cause cancer and other smoking-related illnesses."
Paul Hunt, managing director of e-cigarette manufacturer V2Cigs.co.uk, said: "E-cigarettes are supporting thousands of people in quitting smoking every day.
"Information from the NHS states that people who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking can expect similar or better results than when using other nicotine replacement therapies."
"Of those people who combined NHS stop smoking support with e-cigarettes, two out of three were successful in quitting."
"As they eliminate chemicals found in regular cigarettes, such as tar, and allow people control over the amount of nicotine they're consuming, e-cigarettes are a great tool in overcoming smoking addiction."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39192635
|
Reality Check: Are taxes going up to 1986 levels? - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Some taxes are expected to rise in the coming years, but it could all change in Wednesday's Budget.
|
Business
|
The claim: Taxes could rise to their highest level as a proportion of national income since 1986-87 by 2019-20.
Reality Check verdict: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts suggest taxes could actually reach that level as soon as 2017-18. That may not happen if changes are made in this week's Budget and it is only a forecast, so unexpected events could prevent it happening.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said in its Green Budget that tax is rising as a share of national income and by 2019-20 is due to reach its highest level since 1986-87.
It is important to stress that it is not saying taxes on all individuals or households are going up. The measure it is using is the government's total tax receipts (and the OBR's forecasts of those receipts) as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP), which is the total amount of goods and services produced by the economy.
We will examine which taxes have been rising later, but it is true that the total take is expected to rise in the next few years to levels unseen since the mid-1980s.
It is in the next financial year, 2017-18, that the OBR expects the big jump in receipts to 36.9% of GDP, which take it above the peaks of 2011-12. Indeed it appears to be that year and not 2019-20 that first takes receipts to 1986-87 levels.
But it does not mean that everybody is paying more tax.
There have been gradual falls in revenue from income tax, for example, as the amount people have to be earning to pay it has been increasing.
The government said in the Autumn Statement that the increases in the basic rate threshold in the last parliament had meant four million of the lowest-paid people were not paying it at all.
In addition to the taxes included on this chart are fuel duty, which has fallen gradually as successive governments have frozen it, and VAT, which got a boost when the government raised it from 17.5% to 20% at the start of 2011, but has been pretty constant since.
The category of tax that has been rising strikingly and is mainly responsible for the increase next year is "other".
That includes the new dividend tax regime, the increased insurance premium tax and a higher rate of stamp duty land tax for second homes.
But all of the forecasts for the coming years are from the OBR and are based on how things stood at the time of the Autumn Statement.
All this could change in Wednesday's Budget.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39153184
|
Arsene Wenger: Is Arsenal's Bayern Munich defeat end of the road? - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
There was no mutiny at Arsenal, but there were ominous signs that Arsene Wenger has reached the end, writes Phil McNulty.
| null |
Arsene Wenger stood in isolation and desolation in his technical area as the pain he suffers this time every year nagged away at him once more - but now it was accompanied by an inescapable feeling of finality.
As his Arsenal side dissolved and were brutally dispatched by Bayern Munich - once they awoke from 45 minutes of complacency - Wenger will have felt every goal, every added humiliation, like a blow to the solar plexus. Five second-half goals. Five more questions to ponder.
A proud man, Wenger will have surveyed the thousands of empty seats that increased in number at Emirates Stadium with every Bayern strike on the way to a humiliating 10-2 aggregate loss and surely questioned what more he can do at Arsenal.
The Gunners were out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the seventh successive season. However, few nights could have been more chastening than this one for the man who has known such glory, but who now may be contemplating the end of the road.
Once the German champions were prodded into life by a generous penalty award and a red card after Laurent Koscielny fouled Robert Lewandowski, they delivered a ruthless verdict on just how far Arsenal have been marginalised from the elite European group they once occupied with style and with regularity. It underscored a dramatic fall from grace.
Wenger was not subjected to widespread rebellion or mutiny inside the stadium, but there were ominous signs that can often be used as indicators that a manager's future has reached its defining moment.
A group of Arsenal fans, not huge in number but noisy, led a protest march on Emirates Stadium from their old Highbury home, brandishing banners that read "Enough Is Enough", "No New Contract", "All Good Things Come To An End" - and what looked like a rather hastily assembled affair that read: "Stubborn. Stale. Clueless."
They chanted "Arsene Wenger - You're Killing Our Club" - harsh and heartbreaking words aimed at a man who, whatever even his fiercest critic will say, loves Arsenal and has done so much to enrich them.
It was strictly a minority. But an even more significant indicator may have been the large number of empty seats inside the Emirates. It was announced that 59,911 tickets had been sold - but it was fair to say 59,911 had not pitched up, many clearly deciding they had better things to do despite having shelled out hard-earned cash.
Arsenal equipped themselves well for 45 minutes, but the whole night and performance had the stench of too little, too late - and there is no good news, no consolation, no hard luck story about successive 5-1 defeats in the Champions League.
The manner in which Arsenal collapsed once Bayern equalised was an alarming barometer of fragile confidence, belief and morale. It was understandable heads would go down as hope was snuffed out, but the manner in which they were picked apart was horrendous. Players were stretched hopelessly out of position and Bayern almost scored at will.
Alexis Sanchez was even robbed by Arjen Robben, hardly a tackling heavyweight, on the edge of his own area for one goal in an incident that summed up the Chile forward's night after the controversy of his exclusion at Liverpool.
Sanchez was a central figure amid stories of training ground unrest but he was restored here as Arsenal went in search of a miracle.
He was greeted warmly by Arsenal's fans when his name was announced, but he was not able to make a point to Wenger or anyone else on this night and his wave as he was substituted late on could even have been construed as the start of a long farewell between now and the end of the season.
After taking his seat on the bench, Sanchez was pictured chuckling briefly, something that riled some supporters on social media, despite it being impossible to determine precisely what he had found humorous.
The backdrop to this dead rubber - there was never any realistic chance of this Arsenal side in their current condition reviving it even when they took the lead on the night - was a cloud of uncertainty over the club that is becoming increasingly toxic.
There are no guarantees about the future of arguably the three highest-profile figures at Arsenal, a state of affairs creating a mood of chaos around Emirates Stadium.
Wenger is giving no clues as to whether he will sign a two-year deal that is on the table, amid mounting criticism of his methods. Sanchez looks certain to depart in the summer as his relationship with the club fractures. And Mesut Ozil's stock has fallen as his own contract situation is shrouded in mystery.
This would be a situation to prey on the nerves and frustrations of Arsenal's fans even before it is set alongside a team that look further away than ever from a Premier League title challenge and now suffering from one of their most humiliating, harrowing Champions League experiences.
The double figures aggregate loss actually might have been worse and this latest last-16 exit is made even more painful by being cloaked in the feeling of an end of an era after a Champions League story that has increasingly become one of diminishing returns for Wenger and Arsenal.
They were made to look light years away from Europe's elite by Bayern. Wenger may have cursed the luck of the draw once more - and even the officials - but there was no escaping a seventh straight exit at the last-16 stage.
The Gunners are the first side to lose five consecutive home knockout ties in Champions League history. Arsene Wenger's side suffered the joint second heaviest aggregate defeat in Champions League history (2-10), and the highest for an English team. This is the first time Arsenal have conceded five goals at home since November 1998 (against Chelsea in League Cup - a 5-0 loss).
As Arsenal fans gathered on Holloway Road and around Emirates Stadium before kick-off the pervading emotion was gloom. There was no sense this Arsenal could frighten Bayern in the same way they frightened AC Milan here almost five years ago to the day, when they had the Italian giants rocking at 3-0 down after losing the first leg 4-0.
And so it proved. Not this time. Wenger's Arsenal, in this Champions League context at least, now find even a gallant near-miss beyond them.
If there is the growing sense that this is Wenger's final fling, there was also an ominous feeling of an extra layer of fear to add to the frustration of Arsenal's supporters. Is this finally the time they end up without Champions League football for the first time this century?
Wenger's sense of pride would be damaged enough by an elimination as wounding as this, an exit that left no room for debate about Arsenal's reduced status. It might hurt even more if he had to start life outside the European footballing environment that has become his and Arsenal's natural home.
The Gunners have always managed to find a place in the Premier League's top four but this now faces its most serious threat, with Chelsea the champions-elect and Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool (and arguably even Manchester United) all looking in better shape.
Wenger, who wrote about "our pride and our honour" being at stake in his match notes, might have to swallow his own pride should Arsenal end up with only a Europa League place at the end of this season. There was no pride or honour to take away from this night.
Would Wenger, at 67, have the desire to effectively start again and rebuild in Europe's second-tier tournament, or would that be a timely cue for him to step aside for a successor?
There is still time for Wenger to salvage a measure of success and respectability from Arsenal's season and either stay or go on a high of sorts.
Arsenal will be overwhelming favourites to reach the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley with a last-eight tie against non-league Lincoln City awaiting them this weekend, while there is still the top-four place on offer.
The FA Cup has been the only silverware sustaining Wenger and Arsenal in the barren years since the title triumph of "The Invincibles" in 2003-04.
If - and it is still a big "if" - he wins it, it will allow Wenger, Arsenal and their supporters a celebration. But even that may not prove to be enough to soothe the atmosphere of unease in this part of north London.
Chastening nights like these, when the cavernous gap between Arsenal and those they wish to challenge was cruelly exposed, may carry more weight when it comes to Wenger's verdict on his own future and that of the supporters on him.
Wenger was spared at the final whistle, with only a few jeers to be heard because so many had left. It looked and felt like a lonely existence for Arsenal's manager.
He simply shook his head, a mixture of disappointment at the result and what he later said he felt was an injustice at the hands of officials - which carried a note of desperation and straw-clutching when examined through the prism of both legs.
"Every Good Story Has An Ending" read one large banner being paraded outside the stadium before kick-off.
And as Wenger headed down the tunnel and Arsenal's fans headed out into the night, it was hard to escape the growing belief that this one is moving towards its final chapter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39201620
|
MI6 head Maurice Oldfield: The spy boss 'dragged through the mud' - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The family of Maurice Oldfield, regarded as one of MI6's greatest chiefs, ask why his name was allowed to be dragged through the mud for so long?
|
Derby
|
From humble beginnings, Maurice Oldfield (left) was used as the basis for Alec Guinness' character in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Maurice Oldfield rose from humble beginnings to become one of the UK's greatest ever spy chiefs. He was credited with keeping his country out of the Vietnam War - and also inspired Alec Guinness's portrayal of George Smiley in the TV series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Yet allegations of child abuse - later proved to be false - dogged his reputation for years.
These claims - which centred on a children's home in Belfast, where he was stationed in the late 1970s - were only discounted three months ago, 36 years after his death.
His family, who have mounted a posthumous defence for decades, have described the impact as "devastating" and "heartbreaking".
Born on a farmhouse table in Derbyshire, Mr Oldfield had been an unlikely candidate to lead the UK's secret service. Educated at Manchester University, he was an outsider among the elitist, Oxbridge-dominated intelligence services.
Despite this, he enjoyed a stellar career, becoming head of MI6 in 1973 - at a time when the spy agency was reeling after years of Soviet infiltration.
Over six years he stabilised the ship and - just as he was about to retire in 1979 - prime minister Margaret Thatcher asked him to take on one more job, co-ordinating security and intelligence in Northern Ireland.
His time there nearly demolished his legacy.
Allegations emerged that Oldfield had abused boys at Kincora children's home
Shortly before he died aged 65 in 1981, rumours began circulating about Mr Oldfield's private life while in Northern Ireland.
It was alleged he had compromised his position by making a pass at a man in a County Down bar. He was also said to have propositioned a man in a Belfast pub toilets.
More seriously, rumours began to emerge connecting him to a boys' home in Belfast, where children had been abused.
These stories began to appear in the newspapers from 1987 and never went away, resurfacing when he was named in the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry into child abuse in Northern Ireland in 2014.
Oldfield's great-nephew, Martin Pearce, had a book published on Oldfield's life last year
He was also named in the Metropolitan Police's Operation Midland inquiry into allegations that a paedophile ring operated in Westminster in the 1970s and 1980s.
The latter inquiry ended in March 2016 with no charges being brought against anyone while the Northern Irish investigation concluded in January that allegations against Mr Oldfield had "no substance".
Mr Oldfield's great-nephew Martin Pearce said the toll on the family over the past three decades had been terrible.
"It was devastating, particularly for his brothers and sisters, most of whom were still alive," he said.
"They never believed any of it but, to see their brother who they had been so proud of being dragged through the press in such a negative way, was heartbreaking."
Oldfield was one of the most decorated MI6 leaders
He said the government of the 1980s had refused to defend his great uncle as it was "happy with the distraction" from the Spycatcher affair, in which MI5 agent Peter Wright had alleged the service had operated beyond the law.
"It seems there has been a lot of incompetence over the years that needn't have happened," he said.
"Now Maurice has been fully exonerated we can all move on from that.
"We have always had the absolute confidence and certainty that he was entirely innocent of everything but it's just been horrible to have his name dragged through the mud."
Few of Mr Oldfield's immediate relatives, who tried to defend his name in the years after his death, are themselves still alive. Mr Pearce said it was "frustrating" they are not around to see his name cleared.
Colin Wallace, a whistleblower on abuse in Northern Ireland and an ex-intelligence officer, said he too was angry at Mr Oldfield's treatment.
"It's important to point out he was the most decorated of all our intelligence officers with a track record... second to none," he said.
But smears of that nature can stick, according to MI6 historian Stephen Dorrill.
"There's still a mark against him because of that," he said.
"His role in Northern Ireland was important, he was always looking for a peaceful way out. MI6's role in talking to the IRA actually did save lives."
Oldfield liked to return to Over Haddon in the Peak District as often as he could
It was far from the only success in his career.
"Anybody who achieves chief inside MI6 has done exceptionally well because often it's riddled with factions," Mr Dorrill said.
"Coming from Manchester University he would still have been something of an outsider in the service as most came through the Oxbridge route."
MI6 was "in a mess" when Mr Oldfield took over as head in 1973, Mr Dorrill added.
There had been the scandal of the Cambridge Five - the ring of double agents, including Kim Philby and Guy Burgess, who passed hundreds of files to the Russians.
Mr Oldfield managed to gain back the United States' trust in MI6, but perhaps his greatest achievement was helping to persuade the government to stay out of the Vietnam War.
"If Britain had been dragged into that, if [Harold] Wilson had decided to go along with the Americans, that could have been the deaths of many, many young people and he avoided that," said Mr Dorrill.
Oldfield was the first secret service chief to be allowed to appear in the press, which made him something of a reluctant celebrity in the Cold War era.
While preparing to play George Smiley in the BBC adaptation of John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, actor Alec Guinness said he wanted to meet a "real spy".
Alec Guinness studied Oldfield's mannerisms for the part of George Smiley
Although Smiley was created some years before he ever met Mr Oldfield, Le Carre did introduce the pair in a London pub.
"Maurice and Alec Guinness got there before him and they were chatting away when John Le Carre arrived," said Mr Pearce.
According to Mr Dorrill, Guinness "observed Maurice very carefully: What he was drinking, how he talked and sat and how he walked down the road."
Le Carre himself said Guinness asked why Mr Oldfield had wiped the rim of his glass during their meeting: "Do you think he's looking for the dregs of poison?" he asked.
"Well if he was, he's dead," Le Carre replied.
Mr Oldfield wrote to the actor after seeing the series, telling him: "I still don't recognise myself."
Inside Out East Midlands is available on the iPlayer.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-39114955
|
Indian Wells: Heather Watson wins to set up Johanna Konta tie - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Heather Watson sets up an all-British second round tie against Johanna Konta by beating American Nicole Gibbs at Indian Wells.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Heather Watson came from a set down to win her first round tie against Nicole Gibbs at Indian Wells Heather Watson set up an all-British second round tie against Johanna Konta by beating American Nicole Gibbs at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Gibbs took the first set 6-4 before Watson won the next two sets 6-2, including 10 of the final 12 games. Friday's match will be the first meeting between world number 11 Konta and Watson on the WTA Tour. Their only previous match was a second-tier event in 2013, when Watson retired after losing the first four games.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39213739
|
Formula 1: Valtteri Bottas sets fastest lap in 2017 testing as Kimi Raikkonen crashes - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Kimi Raikkonen crashes his Ferrari as Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas sets the fastest lap of the winter on day two of the final F1 test.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
Kimi Raikkonen crashed his Ferrari as Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas set the fastest lap of the winter on the second day of the final pre-season test.
Raikkonen lost control and spun at the 160mph Turn Three during the afternoon, hitting the barrier and damaging the front wing and suspension.
He was unhurt but the crash ended Ferrari's running for the day.
Bottas set the pace with a lap of one minute 19.310 seconds, 0.11secs quicker than Williams' Felipe Massa.
• None Relive the second day of the final pre-season test
• None Who are the fastest and slowest teams in 2017?
It was another difficult day for McLaren, who have been beset by reliability and performance problems with their Honda engine so far in pre-season.
The team insisted they suffered no specific problems but two-time champion Fernando Alonso managed only 46 laps - compared with a total of 149 for the two Mercedes drivers.
The Spaniard, who was 12th fastest, was 2.6secs slower than the fastest driver [Raikkonen] who also used the 'soft' tyre to set his quickest time.
In a far less extreme fashion, it was also a frustrating day for Red Bull. Although Max Verstappen completed more laps than any other individual driver, the team had to complete a change of a Renault engine and the Dutchman also ground to a stop out on track a few laps from the end of a race-simulation run.
Bottas was using the super-soft tyre and Massa the ultra-soft when they set their fastest times.
Headline lap times in pre-season are notoriously inaccurate predictions for true competitive form.
Although Bottas was 0.9secs quicker than Raikkonen on the day, the margin between the soft and super-soft tyres is said to be about 0.6-0.7secs. On that basis alone, Bottas' lap was of comparable pace to the fastest soft-tyre lap of last week's first test, set by Raikkonen's team-mate Sebastian Vettel and the German's lap on the first day of this week's test on Tuesday.
There are countless other variables to take into account, such as fuel load, engine mode, car settings and so on, all of which can have a significant effect on lap time.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39205336
|
How India's 'Real Marigold Hotel' changed my life - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Sheila Ferguson joined a group of celebrities in Kerala to see what it would be like to retire there.
|
Magazine
|
Sheila Ferguson made her name singing in The Three Degrees in the 60s and 70s. She's one of eight famous people who went to Kerala to film the TV programme The Real Marigold Hotel, which is designed to make people think about growing old in India. She says the experience completely changed her life.
I went to India as a sceptic. I'd never been there before. I did some research, saw that they've got arranged marriages, they've got snakes, they've got mosquitoes and I thought, "What the hell do I want to go to India for?"
But I believe in the philosophy that you should try everything once, to see if you like it. So I found myself in Kerala riding sleeper trains - which I will never do again as long as I live - and living in a communal home with seven other OAPs. I got more than I bargained for.
The first thing that struck me was how busy it was. The city was crowded and smelly but there wasn't as much poverty as I expected from watching the film Gandhi! It turns out that there's a good quality of life in Kerala. When we first got there I was behaving like the problem child, I was a real handful. I even asked Bill to swap rooms and he was gentleman enough to agree.
The Three Degrees in 1974 - Sheila Ferguson with Valerie Holiday and Fayette Pinkney
But that didn't last too long. I met some fascinating people and got some valuable perspective on my life back home. India entirely changed my attitude towards my life.
Until I went to India I never realised that I was lonely. I thought I was just fine. But living with seven other people communally in India held a magnifying glass to how solitary my life actually is.
In some respects, I've not had human contact for years. It's really the emotional and mental stimulation of talking to other people that I'm missing.
I live on my own, one daughter's in Dubai, one's in England and I'm in Majorca. My partner Jon died in 2010 and it's time I got the hell out of here!
My social life really dips in the winter because everybody hibernates. My cleaner comes to my house on Thursdays but other than that, I could go all week without seeing another soul.
I could fall down on the steps in my house, or in the swimming pool and nobody would know for a week. I think my family are concerned about me living alone, but I never thought of it until now. Now I understand their worry.
Residents of The Real Marigold Hotel: Amanda Barrie, Paul Nicholas, Bill Oddie, Lionel Blair, Dr Miriam Stoppard, Dennis Taylor, Rustie Lee and Sheila Ferguson
In The Real Marigold Hotel, eight celebrities visit India to see how retiring there would differ from growing old in the UK.
You can watch the programme on BBC One at 21:00 on Wednesday 8 March or catch up later online.
In India, at the dinner table the seven of us would be talking, Bill Oddie telling us about his grandchildren, Paul Nicholas showing pictures of his daughters and his wife. I would be thinking, "They all have families to go back to and I'm going back to an empty house." That's when it really sank in. If I'm not careful I will end up sitting alone, at the head of my 14-seater dining table in a wedding dress, like Miss Havisham.
When my daughter, Alex, came out to visit me in India from her home in Dubai I realised just how much I missed my family. I want to see them more and now, thanks to my time in India, I am ready to find a new love.
I hadn't been on a date since Jon died so I was shocked to be asked out by a gentleman at a drinks party in Kerala. Usually I'm the one asking a guy out, so when he just came out with it at first I thought it was a joke, I thought that the crew had put him up to it! He was very upfront, no nonsense. It's been so long since anyone has said things like that to me, it was really lovely.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Since then I have been on another date in England. I think once you open up inside, your aura looks different to other people, so it may be that I was blocking myself off before.
I have been threatening to move back to England for the past four years. Soon after Jon died, I realised I didn't suit living alone but I didn't do anything about it. I kept putting it off, procrastinating. Probably because I wanted to stay here in Majorca in memory of the life I had built with him.
I threw myself into work. But this year, because of my trip to India, I am putting my house on the market so that I can move back to England in the spring. My two daughters grew up in Berkshire and I love it there. I'm really looking forward to being near my friends and family again.
In India, families are a close-knit unit, they do not disown their elders as we do in Western culture. They take responsibility and take care of one another. India has also helped me to become more understanding and patient with my mother, who turns 95 this year.
It calmed me down too. I've always been hyperactive and my work requires constant energy and enthusiasm - live now, sleep later. Being in a more spiritual place, where I had to give up control to others, helped my mind to open and to realise that the small things don't matter so much.
I found that when I was rehearsing a panto in Ipswich everything was going awry, everything was late, it was a tech rehearsal, we opened the next day and everything was a mess. I just sat there and looked and said, "Well OK they'll get it together. I know my lines." And I just calmly went back to my dressing room. Any time before India I would have thrown a fit and I'm known for it.
The Marigold Hotel changed me and I've carried that lesson into my everyday life.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39184023
|
Judy Murray: Lack of women in LTA leadership roles 'completely wrong' - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Britain's former Fed Cup captain explains why she believes the Lawn Tennis Association needs more women in leadership roles.
| null |
Judy Murray says it is "completely wrong" there are so few women in senior leadership roles at the Lawn Tennis Association.
Britain's former Fed Cup captain believes there must be more women at the top of the national governing body if female involvement in tennis in the UK is to grow.
"There probably haven't been anywhere near enough opportunities for women to develop: not just in coaching roles, but throughout the entire organisation," Murray told BBC Sport.
• None Number of women in top jobs at UK sporting bodies declining, says study
• None Top female coach in men's football 'a long way off' - Rachel Yankey
"If you look at our leadership team at the moment within the LTA [eight people on the executive team plus head coaches Leon Smith and Jeremy Bates] - there is only one woman, and that's the lady who runs the Human Resources department.
"So in that very important team - the decision-making team - there is no female tennis voice and to me that is completely wrong: something that really needs to be addressed. We need a much better balance."
With the notable exception of the professional tour, women are under-represented throughout the sport. Inspiring more girls to take up tennis - and then crucially to continue playing as they approach their teenage years - is central to the issue, and Murray believes female coaches are a big part of the answer.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
Murray designed the Miss-Hits programme, which is aimed at girls aged between five and eight, and at the beginning of February launched a female coaching initiative called She Rallies. Both programmes are run in partnership with the LTA.
"I tried hard when I was Fed Cup captain to grow the women's side of the game," she said.
"We don't have anywhere near enough women coaches and I do believe there is a correlation between the number of female coaches and our ability to retain girls in competitive sport.
"Women so much better understand how girls think and behave and what their needs are. Teenage girls, in my experience, are not going to open up about their fears - such as issues with their bodies - to male coaches."
The disparity between the number of male and female coaches is starkly illustrated in the professional game. Britain's top three women - Johanna Konta, Heather Watson and Naomi Broady - have taken on male coaches in recent months - principally because there is a much bigger pool to choose from.
"My experience of working with women coaches is that there aren't egos," Murray continued.
"They are much more willing to work together, and network and share. And I think if we can use that as a starting point, then we get more women doing things together and we can really start to make some inroads."
The LTA says it has insisted on there being at least one woman on the shortlist for the last three executive vacancies, and is proud of the fact that the nine women who have returned from maternity leave in the past 18 months have all been offered flexible working. A specific strategy aimed at women and girls is set to be launched later in the year.
And as for increasing the number of women in the senior leadership team, chief executive Michael Downey says it is a priority for the LTA, but that it will not happen overnight.
"Given that our sport is pretty gender-balanced, we want to have more gender balance in leadership roles," Downey told the BBC.
"Change like that can take some time to get there, but we've got to keep working on it: it's the right thing to do.
"We spend a lot of time on the key hires, and hopefully more often or not there will be qualified women who give us an opportunity to achieve some of those metrics moving forward."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39191845
|
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: LA Galaxy want Manchester United forward in MLS - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
LA Galaxy tell Zlatan Ibrahimovic they are prepared to make him the highest paid player in MLS history if he joins them this summer.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
LA Galaxy have told Zlatan Ibrahimovic they are prepared to make him the highest paid player in Major League Soccer history if he joins them from Manchester United this summer.
Ibrahimovic only joined United on a one-year deal last summer.
There is an option for the Swede to stay longer but while the club are desperate to keep him, the 35-year-old is yet to agree.
Ibrahimovic has scored 26 goals for United this season.
He will start Thursday's Europa League last-16 first-leg tie with Russian side Rostov but is about to serve a three-match domestic ban after accepting a charge of violent conduct for elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings in the face at Old Trafford on Saturday.
In 2016, Brazilian forward Kaka was the highest paid player in MLS, with a published annual salary from Orlando City of $7.167m (£5.89m).
LA Galaxy paid former England midfielder Steven Gerrard $6.1m (£5.01m) last season. He has since retired.
Sources have told BBC Sport that Galaxy see Ibrahimovic as having the potential to make as big an impact on soccer in the United States as David Beckham did when he joined the club from Real Madrid in 2007.
It is not known what contract length Galaxy - winners of three out of the last six MLS titles - would be willing to offer Ibrahimovic but the club feels it has a realistic chance of signing the veteran frontman.
With his contract expiring in the summer, LA Galaxy could sign Ibrahimovic in advance of a move to MLS during the July transfer window. That is what they did with Beckham in 2007, a signing that was announced in the January prior to his Real Madrid contract coming to an end on 30 June.
However, United will almost certainly have other ideas.
Following their EFL Cup final win over Southampton, when Ibrahimovic scored United's late winner, manager Jose Mourinho said that while he would not beg the forward to stay at Old Trafford, he thought United fans would be willing to camp in the striker's garden in an attempt to persuade him.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39213267
|
SheBelieves Cup 2017: England lose 1-0 to Germany - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
England women lose their final game of the SheBelieves Cup 1-0 to Germany after Anja Mittag scores her 50th international goal in Washington D.C.
| null |
England women lose their final game of the SheBelieves Cup 1-0 to Germany after Anja Mittag scores her 50th international goal in Washington D.C.
Available to UK users only.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39201740
|
Manchester City 0-0 Stoke City - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Manchester City miss the chance to move to second in the Premier League as their game in hand ends goalless against Stoke City.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City's title hopes suffered a potentially-decisive blow after they were held by a resolute Stoke side and missed the chance to cut Chelsea's lead at the top of the table.
A win for City would have moved them above Tottenham and into second place but they could not find the attacking spark required to break down a well-drilled Potters side.
City boss Pep Guardiola had said before kick-off that his team could not afford any more slip-ups in their pursuit of the leaders, who remain 10 points clear of the chasing pack with 11 games left.
Guardiola's side were sluggish before the break and, although they improved when David Silva came off the bench in the second half, he could not make the difference.
Silva had City's best effort when he drilled a low shot a fraction wide after a one-two with Fernandinho but, despite a flurry of late chances, Stoke keeper Lee Grant's only save came from a first-half free-kick by Aleksandar Kolarov.
City are still, in theory at least, chasing silverware on three fronts and head to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday before travelling to Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday.
It is a pivotal week in Pep Guardiola's first season in English football, but this result means it has started in frustrating fashion.
The attacking verve that had carried City to four straight league wins and seen them hit five goals past Monaco and Huddersfield in the last month was, initially, nowhere to be seen.
Too many misplaced passes meant Stoke were under little pressure for much of the match, and City's finishing was also wide of the mark when they did create chances late on.
Sergio Aguero had scored five goals in his previous three games but did not find the target with any of his three efforts.
Leroy Sane flashed a shot over the bar, Nicolas Otamendi headed over from a corner and City's last chance came and went when Kelechi Iheanacho met an inviting cross at the near post but steered the ball wide.
Raheem Sterling was not involved while Guardiola opted to start with both Silva and defender John Stones on the bench.
"The rotations are good when you have a successful result but, when they are not, always we miss those people," said the City boss.
"It is almost impossible to play the same 11 players. When you have one game a week you can play the same 11 players no problem. We have a lot of games, we have to make a rotation - if not it will be so difficult."
The Potters are still to beat a top-eight Premier League team this season but the performance that earned them this point deserves plenty of credit.
Mark Hughes said before kick-off that his side would be less open than normal but although they were indeed extremely disciplined at the back, they did more than defend in numbers.
The outcome could have been worse for the home side had Mame Biram Diouf not scuffed an early shot from close range following Gael Clichy's slip.
Bruno Martins Indi and Saido Berahino also had sniffs of goal when City left space at the back, but Stoke's main aim appeared to be a clean sheet and they accomplished that comfortably enough.
They were helped by City's lack of spark for much of the match, but this was still a significant defensive improvement on their last trip to play one of the top four, which ended in a 4-0 defeat at Tottenham last month.
The commitment and industry of Stoke's entire side stood out but their defensive masterclass was superbly marshalled by Ryan Shawcross, who was a rock at centre-half and helped keep Sergio Aguero, among others, quiet.
'The gap was big and is still big' - manager reaction
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola: "They defended deep and it was complicated to find the players between the lines. We were there in the last minutes. I don't have regrets about how they ran, how they fought.
"We created a lot of situations for the last pass and sometimes we missed it. When you analyse the chances we had, I don't really remember more than one Stoke chance."
On the title race: "The gap was big and is still big. We have to focus game by game."
Stoke boss Mark Hughes: "Not many teams come here and restrict Manchester City to so few chances.
"We didn't rely on luck. We made our own luck and were difficult to break down. You can see what it meant tonight and that shows the honesty of the group."
Another clean sheet for Caballero - the stats
• None Willy Caballero has now kept one more clean sheet for Man City this season (7) than Claudio Bravo (6) despite playing eight games fewer (17 v 25).
• None This was the first time Pep Guardiola has drawn a Premier League game 0-0 and his first in league competition since Dortmund 0-0 Bayern in March 2016.
• None In fact, this was the first time that Manchester City have failed to score at the Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola in all competitions (19 games).
• None Manchester City mustered just one shot on target in this game - their lowest tally in a competitive home game since April 2016 v Real Madrid (Champions League).
• None Stoke City have scored just one goal in their nine Premier League visits to the Etihad Stadium to face Man City.
City's FA Cup quarter-final with Middlesbrough is on Saturday at 12:15 GMT, then they head to Monaco for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday (19:45 GMT). They hold a 5-3 lead from the first meeting in Manchester.
This game was originally scheduled for the coming weekend, so Stoke do not play again until Saturday 18 March, when they host leaders Chelsea (15:00 GMT).
• None Attempt missed. Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.
• None Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Gaël Clichy with a headed pass.
• None Jonathan Walters (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt missed. Jonathan Walters (Stoke City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Phil Bardsley with a cross.
• None Attempt missed. Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by David Silva with a cross following a corner.
• None Attempt blocked. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bacary Sagna. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39136972
|
Six Nations 2017: Wales unchanged to face Ireland - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Wales coach Rob Howley names an unchanged team and bench as they host Ireland in the Six Nations on Friday.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby
Coverage: Live on BBC One Wales & S4C, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary.
Wales have named an unchanged starting team and bench to face Ireland in the Six Nations on Friday.
Coach Rob Howley has resisted calls to bring in fresh faces following defeats by Scotland and England.
Dan Biggar has held off Sam Davies' challenge at fly-half and George North remains on the wing with Ross Moriarty preferred at eight to Taulupe Faletau.
Ireland's starting XV also stays the same with Tommy Bowe replacing injured winger Andrew Trimble on the bench.
Howley said: "There is a lot of experience in our group. You don't become a bad team overnight.
"As coaches we discussed possibly giving the side a chance to redeem themselves for the second half performance [against Scotland].
"There were too many forced and unforced errors in that game, I thought we were dominant for the first half against Scotland and that was off the back of one of the best games in the Six Nations against England for 75 minutes.
"This is a good team and we've got the opportunity to go out in front of our home supporters and deliver a performance the players are proud of and it's equally important for the supporters to support that.
"It's going to be a huge game on Friday night."
In the build-up to the announcement, Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards said North had been warned about his form.
Open-side flanker Justin Tipuric will win his 50th Wales cap. He has also played once for the British and Irish Lions.
Howley had been expected to change his back row and second row, with Bath pair Faletau and Luke Charteris tipped to start.
Howley said the fact Faletau played for Bath against Wasps in the English Premiership was factor in the decision to retain the number eight on the bench while Charteris is named among the replacements despite the fact he is still undergoing return to play protocols after taking a blow to the head in that match.
"It would have been a six-day turnaround, they both played on Saturday and the pitch at Bath is pretty heavy," added Howley.
"Luke had concussion, he came off in that game. He's gone through the HIA (head injury assessment) process but wasn't able to train Saturday and Sunday.
"Luke passed the HIA on the day, he's done checks up until this point [Wednesday], he's just got his contact protocol to go through and he'll be fine."
• None Listen: 'Take off your Toblerone boots' - the text Jonathan Davies had off brother James
Wales beat Italy in their opening game, but defeats by England and Scotland have meant a drop to seventh in the World Rugby global rankings.
A loss to Ireland and another against France on 18 March could mean Wales going into May's 2019 World Cup draw in ninth position and facing another "group of death" in Japan having endured similar circumstances in 2015.
On that occasion, Wales beat hosts England on their way to the quarter-finals, but lost to eventual finalists Australia in their pool game.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39188244
|
The thorny question of what pupils should learn in school - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Lib Dem manifesto argues for creative subjects alongside academic subjects.
|
Education & Family
|
The Lib Dems want to stop primary school tests narrowing learning
Is there such a thing as a "curriculum for life" ?
That's what the Lib Dems want to offer for children in England.
If you have a child at school you'll know how much what they learn is already changing.
The end of primary school tests known as Sats have been made tougher, with more complex grammar and maths among the changes.
And if your household is going through the agony of GCSE revision, you'll know this is the first year of the new English and maths exams which are also designed to be more challenging.
There has been so much change that schools have been complaining they can barely keep up.
The unglamorous, but important issue of what children learn at school rarely features in election campaigns.
Yet subjects matter because it influences the choices your child can make about their future job, or what they want to study at college and university.
So it's striking that the Lib Dems have chosen to make the subjects taught in schools, the curriculum, a large part of their education election offer.
Their manifesto says this would mean a shorter list of core subjects all state funded schools would have to teach.
But they also want learning about money, and mental health to be included alongside age appropriate sex and relationship lessons.
It is only weeks since a change in the law to make sex and relationship education compulsory for all secondary schools in England, with primary schools teaching just about relationships.
There is a promise too to protect creative subjects like music, art and drama amid concerns that tightening budgets and a focus on results are squeezing them out.
Quite how they would be protected isn't clear, although the party is likely to argue that promising extra money will help.
So should politicians be deciding what your kids learn at school?
An interesting question as some recent Education Secretaries have had very definite views.
The Lib Dems are making a bid to take the politics of changing governments out of these decisions.
They want to set up what looks like a new quango - an Educational Standards Authority - which would bring in changes after consulting teachers.
But in the end, when there are issues in schools, just like in hospitals, the buck stops with politicians.
Voters tend to have little time for a senior politician trying to outsource the blame for any decisions.
So, as the Lib Dem manifesto delicately puts it - there would have to be some way of retaining "legitimate democratic accountability".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39204674
|
Hughie Fury to face Joseph Parker for WBO heavyweight title in New Zealand in May - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Hughie Fury, Tyson's cousin, will fight unbeaten Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight title in Auckland on 6 May.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Hughie Fury, cousin of former world heavyweight champion Tyson, will fight New Zealand's Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight title in Auckland on 6 May.
Parker, 25, became the first New Zealand-born heavyweight champion when he beat Mexico's Andy Ruiz on points in December to win the title vacated due to Tyson Fury's break from the sport.
The Las Vegas-based fighter is unbeaten in 22 bouts, winning 18 by knockout.
Fury, 22, is also unbeaten and won the WBO Intercontinental title in April.
His cousin, 29, created a major upset when he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko to win the world title in November 2015 but relinquished his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles in October last year to deal with his "medical treatment and recovery" after admitting taking cocaine to deal with depression.
Asked about his forthcoming clash in New Zealand, the younger Fury said: "I do rate Parker as one of the best heavyweights at the minute but I believe I am the best heavyweight out there.
"Tyson has already done it, I'm the next one in line. Trust me I'm bringing that title back. Whatever he brings I've got an answer for it.
"I'll win this title and then Tyson can come back and we'll rule the heavyweight division together."
Potential unification bouts, should Parker win, could involve Britain's IBF champion Anthony Joshua - who faces Klitschko in London next month - or American WBC title holder Deontay Wilder.
Parker's Duco Events promoter David Higgins said discussions had taken place with representatives of both.
Duco added that Tyson is expected to join his cousin's entourage in Auckland.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39202735
|
Emma Watson isn't alone - I face a 'breast backlash' every day - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Mother-of-two Karen Gormley says the size of her breasts means people make judgements about her personality.
|
UK
|
Karen Gormley describes herself as "smiley and quite shy", but says people see her differently simply because of the size of her breasts. The 45-year-old, from Preston, Lancashire, got in touch with BBC News after the furore over Emma Watson's Vanity Fair photoshoot.
Karen says women, in particular, are guilty of judging her character just by her appearance.
"I am petite with large breasts. I am 5ft 2. When I was last measured years ago I was a 28G.
People assume that my shape means I am promiscuous.
I found it all-too familiar when Emma Watson was criticised as being anti-feminist for showing part of her breasts in a magazine photoshoot.
Women who are up in arms about it aren't doing us any favours. I'm also a feminist and believe women should be able to wear whatever they like.
Unlike Emma, I'm too shy to be in photographs, but as soon as I wear fitted clothes or a lower neckline, I'm branded as attention-seeking.
It began when I was 14. I noticed that middle-aged men would follow me. I was in school uniform but it happened every time I went into town. It was really frightening.
But it wasn't always men. A female teacher once told me I couldn't wear a pinafore dress even though it was school uniform because I wasn't "covered up".
I felt on edge all the time and began wearing baggy clothes, so people thought I was fat.
When I was 16 I braved wearing a fitted dress for a party. It wasn't low cut but my cleavage showed a bit - suddenly my friends gasped at how much "weight" I'd lost.
The worst thing that ever happened was when I was 21 and my boyfriend at the time introduced me to his brother. Instead of saying "Nice to meet you" he pointed at my chest and said "Look at the size of them!".
As part of my job working with young offenders, I have worked in offices full of men and have constantly dealt with comments.
I was always seen as the "easy" woman to flirt with.
I am planning a breast reduction, which I can get on the NHS, due to the size of my breasts, which cause me back problems.
The decision is to do with my health but also the way I've been treated.
It was a friend-of-a-friend's comment that proved the last straw. She said that I only get attention because I have big boobs.
It made me feel like I am nothing except for what hangs on my chest. I don't want to be that person.
I have two daughters - 17 and 22 - who are both very pretty and a similar shape to me, and I see them going through the same thing.
I used to be over-protective and tell them to take pictures off Facebook, but I don't want my problem to become their problem too.
I just tell them that if you wear low-cut stuff, somebody will judge you to have a certain character you don't have. It's not your fault and they don't have the right to do that, but they will.
But my daughters aren't shy like me and would tear a strip off anyone who bothers them!"
A nasty remark on social media or even a well-meaning comment from a friend can be hugely damaging to a person's body image - and even drive someone to opt for surgery, according to psychologists.
About half of UK women are unhappy with their body shape, which can lead to low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders and body dysmorphias.
Dr Emma Halliwell, a psychologist at the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England, thinks body image is an "issue that impacts upon all aspects of girls' and women's lives".
Her research into body confidence has found that "society teaches girls that their appearance is intrinsically linked to their value as a person".
Women are bombarded with a "beauty ideal" - one body type, one look, one shape, one colour, one breast or buttock - which is reinforced by friends, on Facebook and in magazines and music videos, she says.
As a result, adult women may skip work or a job interview if they feel negative about their looks.
"We need to challenge these messages that female appearance is of central importance," she says.
• None Is Emma Watson anti-feminist for exposing her breasts?
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39195785
|
Six Nations 2017: Billy Vunipola to make England comeback against Scotland - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Billy Vunipola will feature against Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday, after being confirmed in England's matchday squad.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section English Rugby
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Radio Scotland, plus live text commentary via the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app
Billy Vunipola will feature against Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday, after being confirmed in England's matchday squad.
The number eight made his comeback from a knee injury last weekend, and is included in a 24-man training party to prepare for the Calcutta Cup match.
Vunipola has been lined up to replace Nathan Hughes in the starting XV.
Scrum half Ben Youngs, wing Jack Nowell and centre Jonathan Joseph are also poised for returns to the backline.
Vunipola made his comeback ahead of schedule for his club Saracens on Sunday, after three months out with ligament damage.
And England head coach Eddie Jones appears set to bring him back at the first time of asking, after England's training plans on Tuesday showed Vunipola would start in the back row.
Bath centre Joseph, who was left out of the squad that beat Italy, is set to replace Ben Te'o at outside centre, while it's likely Youngs will be preferred to Danny Care, with Nowell edging out Jonny May.
England will confirm their starting XV and replacements on Thursday morning.
Jones' side lead the Six Nations table with three wins from their three matches.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39200918
|
Team Sky admit 'mistakes' over medical package but deny wrongdoing - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Team Sky admit mistakes were made around the delivery of a medical package to Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2011 but deny breaking anti-doping rules.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Team Sky have admitted "mistakes were made" around the delivery of a medical package to Sir Bradley Wiggins but deny breaking anti-doping rules.
The team have been unable to provide records to back up the claim Wiggins was given a legal decongestant at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine in France.
MPs have criticised the team's record-keeping, while UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) is investigating the package's contents.
Team Sky say they take "full responsibility" for the failures.
"There is a fundamental difference between process failures and wrongdoing," said Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford.
On Tuesday, Team Sky published a covering letter and supporting document sent by Brailsford to address the concerns of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
At a series of hearings, the committee has sought answers relating to the package and Wiggins' use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs).
The original allegation made to Ukad was that the package delivered by then-British Cycling coach Simon Cope to ex-Team Sky medic Dr Richard Freeman contained triamcinolone - the corticosteroid for which Wiggins, a five-time Olympic gold medallist and the first Briton to win the Tour de France, later received three TUEs, as leaked by hackers Fancy Bears.
Team Sky said it is right the claim is being "investigated thoroughly" by Ukad but asserted that there has so far been "no evidence whatsoever to substantiate the allegation".
In the supporting document, Team Sky say Freeman had no prescription rights to purchase the decongestant Fluimucil in France and questioned some media reports over the amount of triamcinolone ordered by the team.
They also say Freeman "failed to comply with team policy" by not saving written notes to confirm Wiggins was administered Fluimucil at the time in the right place, instead storing his notes on a laptop that was reported stolen in 2014.
"Self-evidently, the events of recent months have highlighted areas where mistakes were made by Team Sky.
"Some members of staff did not comply fully with the policies and procedures that existed at that time. Regrettably, those mistakes mean that we have not been able to provide the complete set of records that we should have around the specific race relevant to Ukad's investigation. We accept full responsibility for this.
"However, many of the subsequent assumptions and assertions about the way Team Sky operates have been inaccurate or extended to implications that are simply untrue.
"Our commitment to anti-doping has been a core principle of Team Sky since its inception. Our mission is to race and win clean, and we have done so for eight years.
"To my understanding, Ukad's extensive investigation has found nothing whatsoever to support this allegation, which we believe to be false.
"Some of the comments made about Team Sky have been unreasonable and incorrect."
How did we get here?
• None Wiggins and Team Sky come under scrutiny for his use of TUEs after his confidential medical information was leaked by hackers 'Fancy Bears'.
• None Wiggins, an asthma and allergy sufferer, received special permission to use triamcinolone shortly before the 2012 Tour de France as well as the previous year's event and the 2013 Giro d'Italia.
• None His TUEs were approved by British authorities, and cycling's world governing body the UCI. There is no suggestion either the 36-year-old or Team Sky broke any rules.
• None A Daily Mail investigation revealed Team Sky and Wiggins were being investigated by Ukad over the contents of the 'mystery package'.
• None Ukad officials visited British Cycling headquarters in Manchester as part of a investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in the sport.
• None Brailsford faced the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) hearing into doping in sport. He told MPs Freeman had told him the package contained Fluimucil.
• None Ex-Olympic champion Nicole Cooke tells MPs she is "sceptical" of Team Sky's drug-free credentials and Wiggins' TUEs.
• None Ukad chief Nicole Sapstead tells MPs Freeman, who received the package, has no record of his medical treatment at the time.
• None Freeman, who missed the select committee hearing on 2 March because of ill health, had a laptop containing medical records stolen.
Moments after the letter and document were published, Team Sky board chairman Graham McWilliam tweeted his "100%" support for Brailsford, saying the board were 100% behind the team principal and looking forward to "many more years of success."
"Pleased to see Team Sky challenging some of the inaccurate commentary of recent days," McWilliam added.
Britain's Geraint Thomas - one of a majority of Team Sky riders to back Brailsford on Monday - says it is "annoying" that Wiggins and Freeman are not answering questions about these issues instead of the current team.
"The thing is with Dave, a CEO of a company doesn't oversee everything that everyone does, you have to delegate and trust people to the head of those certain areas," Thomas told Cycling Weekly.
"Freeman and Brad don't seem to be having too much of the flak, really, it just seems to be us.
"We are the ones who have to stand here now and answer these questions, which we have nothing to do with."
After Brailsford - until recently one of British sport's most respected figures - appeared to be on the brink, this is Team Sky's attempt to finally get a grip of a crisis that was seemed to be spiralling out of control.
They will hope that the combination of contrition and defiance in this eight-page document, along with more detailed explanations of some of the questions raised by last week's incendiary parliamentary hearing, will relieve some pressure.
However, Chris Froome's failure to join other riders in support of his boss (instead defiantly tweeting about his steak supper - and then a giraffe) was another PR calamity, and permanent damage to the team's reputation has been done.
Brailsford must now hope there are no further revelations, or his position - already precarious - may become untenable.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39198422
|
Tyrone Mings: Bournemouth defender to serve five-match ban - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings will serve a five-match ban after being charged with violent conduct in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings will serve a five-match ban for violent conduct after a Football Association panel ruled he deliberately stood on the head of Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The 23-year-old landed with his studs on the forward's head during Saturday's fiery 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
Bournemouth said they are "extremely disappointed" with the FA's decision.
Speaking to the BBC after Saturday's match, Mings denied any intent.
He said: "It was a good battle, you know exactly what you are going to get playing against him [Ibrahimovic]. There will be things highlighted more than others, but I enjoyed it."
Mings will miss Bournemouth's next five league fixtures but is due to return for the match at Tottenham on Saturday, 15 April.
The Cherries are 14th and five points above the relegation zone. They will be without Mings for almost half of their remaining 11 games this season.
Mings' ban leaves Eddie Howe's side increasingly short of defensive cover. Simon Francis is still out with a hamstring injury, Nathan Ake has returned to parent club Chelsea and Marc Wilson has joined West Brom on loan after making only three appearances for the Cherries.
It also adds to a tough start for Mings in the Premier League, having been sidelined for a year after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament on his debut in August 2015.
"AFC Bournemouth are extremely disappointed with the FA Regulatory Commission's decision to find Tyrone Mings guilty of the charges against him and impose a five-game suspension following Saturday's incident at Old Trafford involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"We will study the detailed reasons of the commission once they become available but find it extraordinary that the charges can be described as 'proven' when there is absolutely no evidence to prove the incident was intentional.
"It is our strongly held belief - backed up by our relationship with the player, and knowledge of his background and character - that it was an accidental collision.
"Tyrone twice apologised to Ibrahimovic during the match for the accidental collision and also reiterated that there was no intent straight after the final whistle in a series of television interviews.
"We fully support our player. Tyrone has an excellent disciplinary record and has not been sent off in 75 matches as a professional. During that time he has only received 13 yellow cards - the last of which came in April 2015.
"The club will be making no further comment."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39210644
|
Sir Bradley Wiggins: Geraint Thomas 'annoyed' over 'mystery package' case - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Geraint Thomas is "annoyed" that Sir Bradley Wiggins has not had to "take the flak" over a 'mystery package' he received in 2011.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas is "annoyed" Sir Bradley Wiggins has not had to "take the flak" over a 'mystery package' delivered for him in 2011.
UK Anti-Doping is investigating the package received by Dr Richard Freeman, an ex-Team Sky medic who pulled out of a hearing into the matter last week.
Wiggins, the 2012 Tour de France winner, has not been asked to appear.
"For sure, there's still questions to be answered, but Freeman and Brad don't seem to have the flak," Thomas said.
"Those are the people who, primarily, this whole things involves. But they can swan around getting on with their lives while we have to answer questions we've got nothing to do with," he told Cycling Weekly.
"Really, it just seems to be us, which is annoying."
Team Sky have admitted "mistakes were made" around the delivery of a medical package sent to Wiggins when he was racing at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine, but deny breaking anti-doping rules.
Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford has said he was told the package contained a legal decongestant - Fluimucil.
However, there are no records of the treatment, a situation which leaves British Cycling and Team Sky's reputation "in tatters", according to the chairman of the parliamentary select committee investigating the matter.
Team Sky say they take "full responsibility" for the failures.
"There is a fundamental difference between process failures and wrongdoing," Brailsford said on Tuesday.
On Monday, several Team Sky riders - including Thomas - tweeted their support for Brailsford.
Chris Froome, a three-time Tour de France winner and the team's leading rider, has yet to comment publically.
"I've known Dave a hell of a long time now and have 100% confidence he would never do things the wrong way," Thomas added.
"He's done so much for the sport. I'm fully behind him. He hasn't done anything untoward, no rules have been broken - the same as Brad and Freeman."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39204990
|
Germany women 1-0 England women - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
England round off their SheBelieves Cup campaign with a narrow defeat at the hands of European and Olympic champions Germany in Washington.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Women's Football
England rounded off their SheBelieves Cup campaign with a narrow defeat at the hands of European and Olympic champions Germany in Washington.
Lina Magull hit the bar for Germany before Anja Mittag scored the winner just before half-time with a fine finish from 12 yards.
England threatened an equaliser after the break with Jordan Nobbs and Demi Stokes going close.
Jill Scott had a chance to score in stoppage time but fired over.
The Lionesses went into the game knowing a victory would give them a great chance of lifting the trophy following Saturday's defeat of hosts and world champions USA.
But Mark Sampson's team could find no way through after Mittag had scored her 50th international goal.
England, who lost 2-1 to France in their opening game, finished the tournament with one win and two defeats.
In the final game of the tournament, France beat hosts USA 3-0 - their worst defeat since a 4-0 loss to Brazil in the 2007 World Cup semi-finals - to win the trophy.
The French, with two wins and a draw, topped the four-team table with seven points from Germany (4).
England finished third on three points, above the US on goal difference.
Their next game is a friendly against Italy at Port Vale (19:45 GMT) on Friday, 7 April.
• None Attempt saved. Alexandra Popp (Germany) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lena Petermann.
• None Offside, England. Karen Carney tries a through ball, but Toni Duggan is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Jill Scott (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.
• None Attempt blocked. Anna Blässe (Germany) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sara Däbritz.
• None Babett Peter (Germany) is shown the yellow card for dangerous play.
• None Delay over. They are ready to continue.
• None Delay in match Josephine Henning (Germany) because of an injury.
• None Offside, Germany. Anna Blässe tries a through ball, but Sara Doorsoun is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39107806
|
Why high-flying Singapore wants more than grades - BBC News
|
2017-03-08
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Singapore the top ranking country in education tests now wants to put more emphasis on well-being.
|
Business
|
Singapore is top of education rankings - but now wants to focus on well-being
Singapore is in top place in the international rankings for education. But it wants the next upgrade of its school system to focus on keeping students positive and resilient.
Dr Lim Lai Cheng, former head of the prestigious Raffles Institution school in Singapore and director at the Singapore Management University, explains the push for character as well as qualifications.
It was no accident that Singapore created one of the world's highest performing education systems in five decades.
Reminiscent of the examinations for selecting mandarins in old China, the road to success in Singapore has always been focused on academic credentials, based on merit and allowing equal access for all.
This centralised system helped Singapore to create social cohesion, a unity of purpose among its schools and an ethos of hard work that many nations envy.
But the purpose of the education system has changed and Singapore in 2017 is no longer the fledgling state it was in 1965.
Schools have become highly stratified and competitive. More advantaged families are better able to support their children with extra lessons outside of school, such as enrichment classes in mathematics, English, dance and music.
Those who can't afford this have to depend on their children's own motivation and the resources of the school to catch up.
Dr Lim Lai Cheng says the school system needs to encourage well-being
This social divide continues to widen because the policies that had won the system its accolades - based on the principle of meritocracy - no longer support the social mobility they were meant to bring about.
So work is in progress to tackle anything in the system that seems to be working against social cohesion.
This time around, it will no longer be enough to develop a highly-skilled workforce to plug into the global economy.
More stories from the BBC's Global education series looking at education from an international perspective, and how to get in touch.
You can join the debate at the BBC's Family & Education News Facebook page.
The next update of the education system will have to ensure that Singapore can create a more equitable society, build a stronger social compact among its people while at the same time develop capabilities for the new digital economy.
Government policies are moving away from parents and students' unhealthy obsession with grades and entry to top schools and want to put more emphasis on the importance of values.
Schools have been encouraged, especially for the early elementary years, to scrap standardised examinations and focus on the development of the whole child.
Singapore wants its school system to help with character as well as qualifications
"Character scorecards" and "reflection journals" have become the staple in many primary schools, to allow parents to follow the social and developmental progress of their children.
A number of schools have also adopted an approach centred on well-being, as promulgated by Dr Martin Seligman, director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
Dr Seligman's model advocates that academic success and well-being form a double helix, and that the best schooling must include educating children on values and character, as well as how to interact well with others, set goals for themselves and work towards achieving those goals.
Positive education, a movement that is gaining momentum across the world, works to create a school culture that supports caring, trusting relationships.
Singapore has built its modern economy on investments in education
It is an approach that focuses on specific skills that assist students to build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience, promote mindfulness and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
This approach has worked well with schools that are trying to implement the new syllabuses for character and citizenship education, launched in the last three years.
An important segment of the new curriculum, at the primary level is family time, and how parents should play an important role in inculcating the right values in their children.
At the secondary and high school levels, "values in action" programmes lie at the core of educating young Singaporeans to be empathetic, socially responsible and active citizens in their community.
For example, students work on projects that serve the elderly, reach out to migrant workers and read to latch-key children in day-care centres.
The emphasis is on character and resilience as well as exam results
There have also been calls for more flexibility over admissions to local top schools and universities to encompass selection based on character traits such as drive, resilience and passion.
To enhance equity, the education ministry has also attempted to spread resources more evenly across schools by rotating experienced principals to schools that need more attention and paying more attention to academically weaker students by strengthening vocational and skills training.
All round, government leaders have expounded a wider definition of success beyond academic grades.
The media and elite schools have been discouraged from showcasing top students and their academic achievements.
There has also been a nationwide initiative called SkillsFuture which puts, in the first instance 500 Singapore dollars (£290) in the hands of every Singaporean from age 25 onwards, for them to pursue lifelong learning, build personal mastery and pursue their passion.
An online databank with at least 10,000 courses that Singaporeans can sign up for, to broaden or deepen their skills or take on new hobbies, is easily accessible.
School-based education and career guidance counsellors are also provided at the primary to tertiary levels, to nurture students' self-awareness, self-directedness and life skills.
Drawn from people with industry experience, the counsellors help students to explore education and career options.
They should be able to help students with information about the skills needed for the digital economy, so that students can go beyond what they learn for exams.
This is a softer approach - emphasising values and character and trying to improve the link between school and work. It's the search for the next formula for education in Singapore.
Dr Lim Lai Cheng is executive director of SMU Academy, Singapore Management University, former head of the Raffles Institution in Singapore and consultant on the board of Winter's International School Finder.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39142030
|
Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Ten-man Arsenal are knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage after a second-half capitulation against Bayern Munich.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Ten-man Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the seventh successive season following a second-half capitulation against Bayern Munich.
A debated decision in the 53rd minute shattered any hopes of the Gunners becoming the first side in Champions League history to overturn a four-goal deficit, having also lost the first leg in Germany 5-1.
They led through Theo Walcott's stunning 20th-minute goal, before Bayern were awarded a penalty that also resulted in the sending off of defender Laurent Koscielny.
The France centre-back was initially shown a yellow card by referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos for his foul on Robert Lewandowski inside the area - but it was upgraded to a red once he decided Koscielny made no attempt to win the ball.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger looked perplexed by the sudden change of heart by the official.
Lewandowski placed his spot-kick beyond the reach of David Ospina to give Bayern a 6-2 aggregate lead and effectively kill off the tie.
The home side then folded as Bayern scored four goals in 17 minutes. Arjen Robben robbed Alexis Sanchez of the ball and beat Ospina, before Douglas Costa made it 3-1 with a stunning solo goal.
Fellow midfielder Arturo Vidal grabbed a late double, first with an impudent chip before slotting in from Costa's square pass.
How bad was it? The stats
• None The 10-2 aggregate defeat is the worst suffered by an English side in the Champions League
• None It was Arsenal's biggest home loss since November 1998 (5-0 against Chelsea in the League Cup)
• None Only one Champions League tie has seen a greater margin of victory for a team - Bayern Munich v Sporting Lisbon (12-1, 2009)
If this was to be Wenger's final outing in the Champions League with Arsenal then what an embarrassing final act.
Few expected the Gunners to perform a miracle, but they did at least expect to take the fight to the German giants.
Aside from the goal, Walcott also went close when Manuel Neuer saved his effort and Olivier Giroud hit the base of the post with a header.
Walcott was also denied a penalty after it appeared that Xabi Alonso had fouled him.
But Bayern rarely looked stretched and bided their time before punishing an error-strewn second-half display by the home side.
Some might debate whether Koscielny deserved a straight red but, under new laws regarding penalties, the referee was right to amend his initial decision to award the defender a yellow.
The Gunners' similarly folded when the Frenchman came off injured in the first leg with the scores 1-1.
Arsenal's initial target of scoring four goals would have still taken the contest into extra time. Any chance of that happening ended when Robben nipped in to take the ball away from the feet of Sanchez, who was inexplicably trying to play the ball on the edge of his own area.
The team lost heart thereafter and allowed Costa to run 50 yards before the Brazilian cut inside and curled in a brilliant 20-yard strike.
Vidal's double came late and in quick succession. First an error by Shkodran Mustafi was punished with a cheeky dink, before the Chile midfielder tapped in Costa's pass.
The final whistle could not come soon enough for Wenger and his team.
While Bayern carried out their own protest against ticket prices by throwing toilet rolls on to the pitch, the main attention was on the 'Wenger Out' demonstration before kick-off.
A large gathering of fans made it known outside the ground that they did not want the Frenchman in charge of the club.
Wenger has yet to decide whether to accept the contract extension or leave the club he has managed since 1996.
This week's saga surrounding Sanchez, the protests and finally now this heavy defeat might have brought the 67-year-old closer to making up his mind.
'Shame Again' - How the papers reacted
• None Attempt missed. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
• None Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 5. Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Douglas Costa.
• None Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 4. Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Xabi Alonso with a through ball.
• None Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 3. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Rafinha following a fast break.
• None Attempt saved. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lucas Pérez.
• None Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Douglas Costa with a cross.
• None Offside, FC Bayern München. Franck Ribéry tries a through ball, but Robert Lewandowski is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39152642
|
Arsenal fans sing anti-Wenger songs after Bayern Munich defeat - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-08
| null |
Arsenal fans gather outside the Emirates Stadium to sing songs demanding the sacking of Arsene Wenger after the Gunners' humiliating Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
| null |
Arsenal fans gather outside the Emirates Stadium to sing songs demanding the sacking of Arsene Wenger after the Gunners' humiliating 5-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
READ MORE: 'Ominous signs Wenger is in last chapter'
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39203664
|
Reality Check: Do 60% benefit from the changes in National Insurance? - BBC News
|
2017-03-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Who are the winners and losers from the Budget announcement on National Insurance?
|
Business
|
The claim: 60% of self-employed people will pay less National Insurance as a result of these changes.
Reality Check verdict: 60% of people according to Treasury estimates will pay less, but only if you combine the abolition of Class 2 National Insurance contributions, which was announced in 2016, with the increase in Class 4 contributions announced on Wednesday. Nobody will pay less National Insurance as a result of the changes announced in Wednesday's Budget alone.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond was on the BBC's Breakfast programme on Thursday, talking about the changes made in his Budget.
He said that 60% of self-employed people would pay less National Insurance as a result of the changes.
What changed on Wednesday was that in April 2018, Class 4 National Insurance contributions will rise from 9% of profits earned between £8,060 and £43,000 a year, to 10%.
The following year it will rise again to 11%.
National Insurance of 2% will still be payable on earnings above £43,000.
George Osborne announced the previous year that Class 2 National Insurance contributions, which are paid at a flat rate of £2.80 a week by self-employed people earning profits of more than £5,965 a year, would be abolished from April 2018.
Mr Hammond was keen to combine the effects of these two changes, describing the net effect as raising £145m a year by 2020-21.
The Budget documents predict that just raising Class 4 contributions will raise £495m in 2020-21, with the measure raising a total of just over £2bn over the next five years.
If you look at the two changes together, the Treasury says that 2.6 million people will be better off by an average of £115 a year, while 1.6 million people will lose out by an average of £240 a year.
The latest labour market figures estimated that there were a total of 4.8 million self-employed workers, but some of them will be earning less than £5,965 so will be neither better off nor worse off, which means the total is feasible.
From those figures, it appears that 60% of self-employed people could be paying less in National Insurance.
But it would be a bit surprising if all self-employed people looked at it like that.
They were expecting a tax cut in April next year, and as a result of this Budget, 40% of them will now face a tax increase instead.
It will be the higher-earning, self-employed people who lose out.
The Institute for Fiscal studies has worked out that anyone earning profits of less than £15,570 a year will be better off, while the maximum loss will be £589 a year.
UPDATE 15 March: More figures emerged in the following days and the policy was reversed a week later. Find more details in this Reality Check.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39219675
|
Six Nations: Vunipola brothers 'aim higher' as Billy set for England return - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-09
| null |
Prop Mako Vunipola says brother Billy is in better form than him after their injury lay-offs and tips him for success on his England return.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Radio Scotland, plus live text commentary via the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app
England prop Mako Vunipola believes he and brother Billy can come back better than ever after their injury lay-offs.
The pair were outstanding for England throughout 2016, but both missed the first part of the Six Nations with knee problems.
Mako made his return off the bench against Italy while number eight Billy will face Scotland this weekend.
"The challenge is not to be reaching the same levels, it's to go higher," Mako told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Billy has come back in and trained well, and his knee is looking good. He actually looks a lot better than me, so fair play to him."
• None Listen: Could the Twickenham crowd turn on England?
Mako says the brothers' Tongan heritage means staying in good physical shape while injured is a challenge.
"It's probably the gene, being Tongan doesn't help," Mako explained.
"It's always a thing with me where I have to keep on top of my diet, and I am getting as much help as I can.
"We have [England rugby nutrition consultant] Graeme Close who keeps a close watch on me.
"Definitely with age it's got better, but it's definitely still a work-on for me. I have given up chocolate for Lent, chocolate is probably one of my guilty pleasures."
Billy made his return for Saracens three weeks ahead of schedule, playing more than 70 minutes in Sunday's win over Newcastle.
"He was a bit grumpy when he was injured, so it's good for him to get back in the mix," Mako said of his brother.
"He was always confident he was going to come back quicker, but I was worried he was going to push himself too much.
"But his knee is looking good, it doesn't look like he has missed much. He has a smile on his face."
Listen to England v Scotland on BBC Radio 5 live, 16:00 GMT on Saturday, 11 March.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39210782
|
What is the true meaning of 'Essex girl'? - BBC News
|
2017-03-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Forget the white stilettos and fake tans - the stereotype means something else nowadays.
|
Essex
|
The hackneyed cliché of white stilettos is a thing of the past
"Essex girls" have long been mocked as thick, promiscuous and lacking in class. But a campaign to turn the hackneyed clichés on their heads is fast gathering pace. The BBC's Jodie Halford asks whether being from Essex is a disadvantage in modern life?
A few years ago, I was talking to a colleague over the phone when he asked me my name.
"Wow, that's an appropriate name for someone from Essex," he said. "Conjures up images of white stilettos and fake tans."
If I had hailed from elsewhere in England, I am confident he would not have made such a remark. But then, "Essex girls" have come to expect a certain amount of sneering when our origins are discovered.
It is all the fault of a decades-old stereotype which is so ingrained in British culture that it has its own entry in the dictionary.
The origins of this label possibly lie with the concept of Essex man - that almost forgotten relative of the Essex girl - which reared its head in the early 1990s.
Journalist Simon Heffer used the term to denote a new type of Conservative voter who was "young, industrious, mildly brutish and culturally barren". Such men were typically self-made and had benefitted from the policies of Margaret Thatcher, he said.
The county's women were soon to be stereotyped too.
An article in The Independent from November 1991 related the recent "craze" for Essex girl jokes.
They often went something like this: "How does an Essex girl turn on the light afterwards? She kicks open the car door."
The newspaper said the jokes had been imported from the United States, where they had originated as "blonde" jokes before being adapted for a British audience.
Add to that shows like Birds of a Feather - and later The Only Way is Essex - and the reputation of the county's women was firmly cemented.
Dr Terri Simpkin said Essex girl's negative meaning was developed in the 1980s and 90s
Dr Terri Simpkin, a lecturer in leadership and corporate education at Anglia Ruskin University, said the term Essex girl was first recorded in 1892 but its modern connotations date from the late 1980s.
"There's that connection between post-war migration out of London into the new towns and elsewhere with the decline of manufacturing and the rise of professional occupations," she said.
"Essex became a corridor between dormitory towns and London, so we saw a rise in people having social mobility.
"Out of that came a level of snobbery and a disparaging view of people who had become more aspirational and affluent.
"But with women, there was gender discrimination as well, because so-called Essex girls weren't wilting wallflowers - they were more overt as sexual beings, they took control of their own sexuality."
Southend-on-Sea playwright Sadie Hasler says the Essex girl stereotype is "utterly moronic"
Sadie Hasler, 36, a playwright and columnist from Southend-on-Sea, has encountered her fair share of Essex girl prejudice.
"The most common thing when you mention where you're from to people who aren't from there is that initial glimmer in their eyes," she says.
"You can't hear the word Essex without having a cognitive flash of all the stereotypes. It's part of the battle, all those years of history behind the word."
Ms Hasler, who has worked as an actor and comedy performer, said she moved away from the industry because her accent and age meant she was being given a narrow range of roles where she was "asked to wear PVC catsuits, go topless, always be sexual".
"If I'd been from another county, I don't think that would have happened," she said.
"When I was touring, and doing lots of character comedy, I saw more Essex stereotypes far more widely in other parts of the country than in Southend."
"Travelling into London, people are always surprised to learn I have a brain," she adds. "It's almost like they're saying: 'Well done, you've escaped Essex!'
"It makes no sense for people to feel that way - it's utterly moronic, in fact."
Essex is about more than just stereotypes, as this image of Landermere Wharf in the Tendring district shows
Last autumn, Essex girls were splashed across newspapers and television screens once more, when two bloggers started a petition to remove the definition from the dictionaries.
The Oxford English Dictionary refers to her as "unintelligent, promiscuous, and materialistic", while Collins adds "devoid of taste" to the mix.
Juliet Thomas and Natasha Sawkins, from Motherhub, decided to do something about it.
"We asked the dictionary if there was another example of a stereotype defining someone from a particular area," Ms Thomas said. "There wasn't.
"It's not for us to define what it means, but people have started to reclaim it and give it a far more positive meaning - it's just that there's currently no alternative definition."
Juliet Thomas and Natasha Sawkins are campaigning to change or remove the dictionary definition of Essex girl
The Essex Girl petition was run alongside a social media campaign with tweets from hundreds of women who wanted to reclaim the term.
Great British Bake Off winner Jo Wheatley, writer and vlogger Giovanna Fletcher and Olympic sailor Saskia Clark were among those who threw their support behind #iamanessexgirl.
"We didn't feel successful women in Essex were being talked about enough, with most of the focus going to the lazy stereotypes," said Mrs Thomas.
Another organisation celebrating the county's women is the Essex Women's Advisory Group (EWAG), a charitable foundation set up to "challenge negative stereotypes by promoting the confidence and achievements of Essex women and girls".
Its chair, Juliet Townsend, said she had heard of young women pretending they were from elsewhere when going for jobs outside of the county.
"They're not confident to say they're from Essex, or they feel their accent or what they wear is the subject of ridicule," she said.
"I'm so proud to be an Essex girl. Silly jokes about it are really boring, and make me judge whoever who cracks them.
"But there are so many people who don't have that confidence to brush off the comments and jokes - we want to empower those people to have the confidence not to feel that way."
Shows like The Only Way is Essex were criticised for playing up to the stereotype
So what does it really mean to be an Essex girl in 2017?
She grew up in Ilford - part of the London borough of Redbridge since 1965, but still considered Essex in many people's hearts.
"I left home at 21 and moved to Manchester," she recalled, "and I was embarrassed to tell people where I was from. The stereotype had informed how I felt.
"But the older I got, the more confident and proud I became to tell people. We're strong minded, strong willed - and we know how to have a great time."
Mrs Thomas and Mrs Sawkins - who were born outside of the county but have lived there for a number of years - simply want people to continue to "reclaim the term" and give it a more positive meaning.
"We knew getting the dictionary changed wouldn't happen overnight - it wasn't about that," said Mrs Sawkins. "It's about bringing it to people's attention, and celebrating the success of women from Essex - real women doing amazing things".
The Essex Way runs from Harwich (pictured) to Epping
Wednesday was International Women's Day and Ms Townsend, from EWAG, said she planned to raise awareness of her campaign through a sponsored walk along the Essex Way - an 81 mile (130km) trek from Epping to Harwich.
"My version of being an Essex girl can be completely different to someone else's," she said. "There's no right or wrong way of being an Essex girl.
"It's important to remember the cliché, the heightened version, exists because Essex girls can be proud of looking good while having brains."
Playwright Ms Hasler believes work should be done in schools in the county to give pupils, both male and female, a degree of assertiveness, and to teach them "it's ok to challenge the stereotype."
"If you could take every negative stereotype about Essex girls, and turn them into positives, it would be amazing to see Essex girl come out and say love your body, make the most of what you've got, own it, don't take lip from anyone, say what you think, defend yourself and don't be a wallflower," she said.
"The thing about Essex girl is she actually represents lots of positive messages for women - but they're currently dressed up in the most hideous way."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-39125171
|
Stray bullets in Rio: The girl shot in the play area - BBC News
|
2017-03-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The death of a two-year-old girl reignites debate about gun violence in Rio.
|
Latin America & Caribbean
|
Sofia was with her parents in a popular restaurant when a shootout between the police and a suspected criminal erupted
On a summer night in January, Sofia's family took her to a restaurant in Iraja, a suburb of Rio, where she could use the play area outdoors. It had a big, colourful slide, where children could climb up some stairs and come out through a tunnel to the ground.
From inside the restaurant, Sofia's parents watched their two-year-old daughter. The play area was protected from the street by a gate so, in a city with shocking levels of crime, families felt the children were relatively safe there.
Being safe in Rio is always a top concern. Iraja, a busy middle and lower middle-class neighbourhood of around 100,000 people in northern Rio, is surrounded by some of the city's most violent areas, and criminals are quite active there.
Like on that Saturday night. Police were sent to the streets next to the restaurant to investigate a car robbery, something frequent in that area: an average of four cars a day were robbed there in 2016.
Police officers had set up a barricade after identifying a suspect, but the man did not obey calls to stop and, according to reports, tried to escape.
Sofia's parents described her as a "smart" girl who loved to enjoy herself
Sofia's father, Felipe Amaral Fernandes, said she was especially happy on that night. "She had told my wife: 'Mummy, I'm very happy today'. She didn't even want to eat."
Herica, the mother, was proud of her daughter, who could already count from one to 10 in English. Sofia also enjoyed dancing to music clips in front of the television, and was in love with the pink, purple and blue scooter "Papai Noel", or Santa Claus, had given her last Christmas.
"She was smart, intense. Sometimes she didn't even want to sleep because she only wanted to enjoy herself," Ms Fernandes said. One time, she said, Sofia was asked about what she loved the most in her life. Sofia replied: "Enjoy myself".
Sofia was playing on the slide when the police chase neared the restaurant. At around 22:00, a shooting started.
The sound of gunfire was loud and close, and the families who were in the restaurant went to the play area to pick up their children. Sofia's parents, now also outside, waited for her to come through the slide. "I screamed 'Sofia, Sofia!'," Ms Fernandes said. But her daughter did not answer.
Sofia's father looked inside the tunnel, but she was not there. He went to the other side of the slide, and climbed it. "That's when I saw my daughter up there, motionless, bloodied. I broke into the toy, took her from there and ran."
Sofia had been shot in the face.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sofia is one of 31 children who have been killed by stray bullets in Rio, activists say
"I got desperate seeing my little daughter there. I felt impotent," said Mr Fernandes, a police officer. "I'm used to violence around me but I never thought this was going to happen to my daughter. When it happened I thought: 'My goodness, not with me'."
He carried Sofia in his arms. People in the restaurant stopped a police car that was passing nearby, and it took father and daughter to the hospital. The crowd watched in disbelief.
Shootouts are part of life in Rio.
Despite Brazil's tight gun laws, rights groups say millions of weapons are in the hands of criminals. Tougher regulations were approved in 2004, banning the carrying of guns in public and controlling illegal ownership. But activists say they are incapable of curbing illegal gun trade and that bandits have been largely unaffected.
The reasons for shootouts vary. Some are the result of clashes between rival criminals; others, of armed robberies, like the one in Iraja. But rights advocates say they mainly occur during police operations against heavily armed drug gangs in impoverished neighbourhoods, where some groups are the de-facto rulers.
And civilians often find themselves in the crossfire. "These police operations are badly planned. In many times they happen at daylight, in densely populated areas, with war weaponry being used," said Antonio Carlos Costa, president of Rio de Paz, or Rio of peace, a local human rights group.
Shootouts between the police and criminals often happen during the day
Last year, researcher Cecilia Oliveira, who works with rights group Amnesty International, was looking for reliable data about shootouts in Rio. But numbers were hard to come by as there were no official statistics.
So last July, she helped create Fogo Cruzado, Portuguese for "crossfire", an app for people to report gunfire in their neighbourhoods. Between its launch and January this year, according to Amnesty, 50,000 people downloaded it.
The numbers gave a sense of the fear that millions of people live in: there were 2,517 notifications, an average of almost 14 a day. The reports included 539 deaths and 570 injured.
Most alerts came from poor neighbourhoods and shantytowns, or favelas, places notorious for their violence. "I was shocked by the numbers. This level of violence is alarming for a city that is not in a war zone. And civilians are the most affected, their freedom and human rights are systematically violated," Ms Oliveira said.
She too blamed poor police operations against criminals for most of the shootouts. Interestingly, the data showed that the hardest-hit areas shared a common profile, she said. "It's very clear that the people being affected by this violence are young and black. You don't see this type of police operation in neighbourhoods that are not favelas."
Notifications made on Fogo Cruzado app show the number of shootings in Rio between July of last year and January
Rio's military police rejected the criticism towards its operations, saying they are all "meticulously planned" to avoid casualties among civilians.
"In order to prevent criminal actions, systematic operations are needed in places where the criminal wave is more recurrent. And shootings against policemen when they enter these areas, in many cases, result in victims on both sides," they said in a statement to the BBC.
Many shootouts take place in close proximity to civilians
Lives are often put on hold, as basic services such as electricity, water and transport are frequently interrupted by shootings.
Rio's train operator said last year it was planning to stop services on one line indefinitely because of gun violence next to the tracks.
Shops and hospitals are also forced to shut. In 2011, a suspected drug trafficker who was exchanging fire with police stormed a public health clinic in an attempt to hide himself, terrifying patients inside - he was later arrested and nobody was hurt. The clinic then temporarily suspended works due to insecurity.
Schools and universities in dangerous neighbourhoods have often cancelled classes, sometimes for days, affecting thousands of students. In some areas, teachers and children were being taught at school how to look for cover in the case of gun fights.
Two years ago, shootings around some schools in Mare, one of Rio's most violent areas, were so frequent that teachers decided to cut the classes short: they would start later, at 08:00, and finish one hour earlier, at 15:30. That, they said, was because shootouts often occurred at 07:00, when police officers changed shifts.
In many neighbourhoods of Rio, criminal gangs are the de-facto rulers
"Civilians in Rio's favelas end up in the crossfire, being victims in their own houses. They are forced to live under these circumstances, which is absurd," said Ivan Marques, executive director of human rights group Instituto Sou da Paz.
"The anti-drug policy in Brazil chose this wrong option, of militarising the issue. You have an enemy, not a criminal. And this is the collateral effect of this war between police and the organised crime."
And then there are the stray bullets.
In 2003, Luciana Novaes was in the canteen at her university in a neighbourhood in northern Rio next to a favela, when a shootout erupted between drug traffickers and police. Shops nearby had closed because of the violence, but the university had not.
It was around 09:00. Ms Novaes, who was 19 at the time, was in a break between exams when a stray bullet hit her in the jaw. She said she could not miss the exam because of the scholarship she had from the university.
The bullet went on to injure her vertebrae, leaving her quadriplegic. "It's a very difficult situation. There is no day, no time, no place. I was inside the university when it happened. People usually avoid getting out at night, but it's risky at anytime," Ms Novaes said.
The police say all operations are "meticulously planned" to avoid casualties among civilians
She spent a year and a half in the intensive care unit of a hospital, where doctors had put her chance of recovery at 1%. If Ms Novaes managed to survive, they said, she would be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life.
That did not quite happen. She slowly recovered her speech and the ability to eat. She is still dependent on mechanical ventilation and on two nurses, day and night. She also undergoes two physiotherapy sessions every day and two speech therapies a week - the university was forced by the Brazilian justice system to pay for her treatment.
And last year, at 33, she was elected the first ever paraplegic councilwoman for Rio - it was such a novelty that the historic building had to be adapted to her needs.
"What we're living in is calamity," Ms Novaes said. "People are crying out for help."
Many favelas are dangerous - but children still find the space to play
Hers is a remarkable case of overcoming the odds, but it is an exception. Brazil was the country with the largest number of deaths by stray bullets in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2014 and 2015, according to a United Nations report.
The study, which looked into online media reports, said there were 197 incidents, 98 dead and 115 injured - someone is considered a victim when they had no involvement or influence in the shooting.
Nothing new to the people of Rio. In the 1990s, incidents with stray bullets were so frequent that then-Mayor Cezar Maia famously said in a newspaper interview that the city had become a "tropical Bosnia".
Rio's geography, as Ms Novaes' case shows, is an unexpected contributing factor. Numerous favelas have been built on the hills that overlook the city, meaning that the violence up there, where many of the shootings take place, is felt by those sometimes in neighbourhoods metres away.
The most recent official statistics about stray bullets publicly available are from 2011, when five people died and 41 others were injured. But Rio de Paz, the NGO, has documented incidents involving children: in the past ten years, 31 died in the city, 18 of them between 2015 and 2017 alone.
Activists say the worst affected are often black and young people who live in poor neighbourhoods
"The shootings have a devastating impact. This is a generation that lives under threat, under fear of seeing themselves in the crossfire," Mr Costa, from Rio de Paz, said.
"And this tragedy has colour and a social component: it often affects the poorest. The society ignores it because it happens, by and large, away from the richest regions."
Sofia arrived at the hospital already dead.
The senselessness of her death caused an outcry even in Rio, where residents have become so used to crime that they rarely react to violence.
"But this is not an isolated case," said Mr Costa. "We live in an environment of fear. Families live in constant mourning, looking at the picture of the victim hanging on the wall, with the face of a child that will never be seen again."
His group organised a demonstration remembering the victims of stray bullets, and signs with the names of the 31 children killed were put on Copacabana beach in January.
The car being chased by police that night in Iraja stopped only when it flipped on the street. The suspect was arrested and officials seized a gun.
Police said they were investigating how the shootout unfolded and, almost two months on, it was still unclear where the shot that killed Sofia came from.
But activists say many cases end up unsolved, with those responsible for the deaths rarely identified or punished.
In many neighbourhoods, shootouts have become a part of daily life
Sofia's parents are now trying to resume their lives. "We live surrounded by violence. We see it in newspapers, on television. It's a calamity," her father said.
"We don't want this to happen with anyone else, a child or an adult."
"But we're sure that our daughter is in a place better than ours. She was too good to be in this world."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-38730121
|
President Trump and the surreal world of Michael Forbes - BBC News
|
2017-03-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
In January, a painting showing Donald Trump and singer Madonna went viral. But who is the artist, Michael Forbes, and why did he paint it?
|
Highlands & Islands
|
In January, a painting showing Donald Trump and singer Madonna went viral. But who is artist Michael Forbes and why did he paint it?
The painting, called Not My President, was made in the days leading up to Mr Trump's inauguration as the 45th president of the USA.
It depicts the billionaire businessman as King Kong sitting on the head of Madonna. The superstar singer is portrayed as the Statue of Liberty, holding up a placard protesting against his election.
Madonna, a critic of Trump, posted an image of the painting to her Facebook and Instagram accounts. The posts soon gathered thousands of "likes".
The US singer is a fan of Forbes, who exhibits artwork at a gallery in Manhattan, New York City, and whose other celebrity supporters include Monty Python's Terry Gilliam and comedian Ricky Gervais.
His work has referenced women's rights campaigns, featured "mash ups" of glamorous Hollywood icons, also past US presidents such as Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln as well as bears wearing sunglasses.
But Forbes was born and brought up far from the glamour - and occasional controversy - of the subjects of his paintings.
Michael Forbes sits among some of his Pop Surrealist artwork
The son of a mechanic, Forbes was born in Dingwall in Easter Ross and he grew up in the area surrounded by peers who joined the Armed Forces after leaving school.
But he was drawn in a different direction.
"I grew up in a world without 'art'," says Forbes. "There were no trips to museums or art galleries. I didn't know any artists and I remember at 15 having not even taken art in secondary school."
Later he was given a harsh lesson that carving a successful career in the Arts would not be easy.
Forbes says: "I was once stopped by someone taking a survey on Inverness High Street. I agreed to take her survey as she said no-one had stopped.
"I had some time to kill before catching my train. Her first question was 'what is your occupation? I said 'artist'. She went through her whole list of occupations but couldn't find 'artist'.
'It's not there," she said. "Can I put you down as unemployed?'"
The Pop Surrealist turns out the occasional Highland cow painting, including The Coo's Lick
Forbes, who still lives in Easter Ross, says his love of drawing and for films were what led him to a career in art.
"I was passionate about fantasy films, my favourite being Jason and the Argonauts, which I saw at a young age," he says.
Forbes was captivated by visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen's stop-frame monsters in the movie from 1963, including its army of sinister skeletons that burst up from the ground armed with swords and shields.
Monty Python, as well as Python member and film-maker Terry Gilliam's 1985 surrealist nightmare, Brazil, have also been hugely influential.
"Perhaps I might have gone into film production if those options were open to me," says Forbes.
But his artistic style and the themes he was interested in proved to be a good fit for the genre of Pop Surrealism.
He says: "I discovered it while I was already making my art.
"A friend gave me a copy of Juxtapoz magazine and I was like 'wow there are like-minded people out there doing what I'm doing'.
"It was a real epiphany. It was exciting. "I was like 'Ooh family'."
The artists says his ideas come from 'sucking up pop culture'
Forbes adds: "Unfortunately these artists were mostly all based in America. But over the years I've reached out to a lot of them and what I love about the internet is it allows you to engage with people around the planet in a way never before possible.
"I've chatted with most of the big name pop surreal artists and exhibited with a lot of them in mixed shows in galleries around the world.
"The internet has allowed me to play a small role even if I'm tucked away in the Scottish Highlands."
Forbes' chosen genre has also allowed him to meet his idols, including Gilliam.
"Terry has been kind enough to buy a few paintings over the years and the Gilliam family has been very supportive of my work," says the artist.
"His daughter Holly and I have put on a couple of pop-up exhibitions, one of which was at the Ivy in London. Terry came along and a fellow Python collaborator Neil Innes was there and sang a song from The Holy Grail to me. I was in heaven.
"I tried to keep a lid on my fanboy geek, and the temptation to quote Python every two minutes was torture.
"I was on my best behaviour and tried not to be a 'very naughty boy'."
Animals, such as this bear with sunglasses in Hugs, often pop up in Forbes art
Early on in his career, Forbes was also an apprentice of the late Pop artist and acclaimed sculptor Gerald Laing, who was a close friend of artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne-born Laing set up a family home in Kinkell Castle on the Black Isle, not far from where Forbes grew up.
Working with Laing, who died in 2011, left a lasting impression on Forbes.
"Gerald used to say 'they will grow to love it'. He had made art throughout his life that at the time was either ignored or not thought well of," says Forbes.
"But years later he saw it was popular. He saw that time would be kind to what he was doing. Probably because he was running so far ahead of it."
Laing's artwork includes Lincoln Convertible, the only known contemporary painting of the assassination of John F Kennedy.
Forbes says: "Gerald painted the JFK assassination painting only months after it happened, a subject his peers dared not go near at the time.
"So he worked with a self belief in what he was doing was of value. If not appreciated now then he knew they would catch up.
"I try to do the same. I try not to be too concerned about the viewer looking over my shoulder when I'm working."
Freedom For All features past US presidents Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln
Forbes describes himself as "Highland as a black-face sheep standing in the middle of a west coast single-track road".
But he says his art is not about Scotland - though he has turned out the odd painting or two of Highland cows.
Fans of the Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival will be familiar with its posters featuring Forbes' Heilan' coos flying through the air wearing psychedelic sunglasses.
"My work is pop surrealism which is populated by mainly urban living artists. I suck up pop culture. I drink it up through a TV tube. It's my interpretation regurgitated, mashed up and twisted into a version of reality." says Forbes.
His paintings have featured music artists David Bowie, Frank Zappa, John Lennon and Madonna, film stars Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, comic book superhero Superman and Adam West's 1960s portrayal of Batman.
However, he has found a recurring theme lately.
Forbes says: "I keep an ideas book and note down my thoughts as sketches for possible paintings. It's a flow of thought that has a recurring character lately - Trump.
"Now we are actually living in 'Trumpworld' it seems inevitable that themes appear that are connected to him, either directly or indirectly."
Forbes says artists can offer an alternative view to those of President Trump and his administration.
Before creating Not My President, Forbes was an opponent of the US billionaire businessman.
The artist protest against the building of Trump's golf resort at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. He painted a mural on a barn of a farmer, also called Michael Forbes, who refused to sell land to Trump for the golf course.
"I think artists can play a role in the health of society by making cathartic images that allow a release of frustration though imagery," says Forbes.
"The Madonna painting was just that for myself and, as it turned out, for Madonna, and the thousands of people who 'liked it'."
So Trump is likely to pop up in Forbes' other work over coming year when he will also be exhibiting work in Manhattan and at a gallery in Canterbury in England.
He says: "I struggle like all artists to make a living, it's a tough game, but its not about money.
"I remember sitting in Gerald's garden in the Highlands and he swept his arm across the landscape in front of us. He said: 'Look at this, we are all already millionaires."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-39151922
|
Andy Murray: World number one 'has work to do' in 2017 - BBC Sport
|
2017-03-09
| null |
World number one Andy Murray says he has "work to do this year" after falling "behind" six other players over the course of 2017.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
World number one Andy Murray says he has "work to do this year" after falling "behind" six other players over the course of 2017.
The rankings are calculated over a 12-month period but six of Murray's rivals have accrued more points this year.
"When we start on 1 January, it's back to square one," said the Briton, who is in Indian Wells having won his first title of the year in Dubai last week.
The 29-year-old beat Fernando Verdasco to win the title for the first time.
But a fourth-round defeat by Mischa Zverev at the Australian Open in January means Murray has ground to make up on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Dominic Thiem and David Goffin in the 2017 rankings.
He is, however, likely to retain the number one ranking until at least the French Open.
"I felt like I wasn't a bad player just because I lost a match at the Australian Open," he told BBC Sport after a 16-hour flight from Dubai to Los Angeles.
"Australia wasn't my tournament but I took a break after that, chatted to my team about things that I needed to work on, worked on them, and got to Dubai early.
"I played some good stuff where I hadn't played well in the past. So that gave me a bit of a boost coming here, which is also a place where I haven't played my best."
Murray was the runner-up to Nadal at Indian Wells in 2009, but in the past six years has suffered early defeats at the hands of Donald Young, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and - in last year's third round - Federico Delbonis.
The thin desert air makes the ball fly and jump off the court, and last year played havoc with the Scot's serve. He held back, for fear of missing, and was beaten in the second match he played.
His preparation had also been far from ideal. On the Sunday before an event due to be staged outdoors in 30C desert heat, Murray spent four hours and 54 minutes beating Kei Nishikori in the Davis Cup on an indoor court eight time zones away in Glasgow.
However, this year's warm up in Dubai was much preferable and Murray was enthusiastic when talking about Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final in France.
That tie was secured in February when Britain beat Canada 3-2 without their leading player and will be held after the Miami Masters, which follows Indian Wells.
"It will have been a long stretch, but to get matches on clay is a positive thing - and my team are more pro it," Murray said.
"If I'd gone to Canada, it would have been bad news because physically I was not ready. I was struggling a little bit with the illness so it was a good thing I didn't go."
Having overcome shingles, Murray now has the awkward desert conditions to overcome, but has been given a favourable draw in Indian Wells.
While his quarter is far from treacherous, the bottom quarter includes Novak Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, Nick Kyrgios and Alex Zverev.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39215475
|
French election explained in five charts - BBC News
|
2017-03-09
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
French voters go to the polls to elect a new president in April - we take a closer look at some of the issues most likely to influence their choice of candidate.
|
Europe
|
French voters are choosing a new president - amid considerable political uncertainty in Europe and the world following the British vote for Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as US leader.
There are five leading candidates - from across the political spectrum - who will contest the first round of voting on 23 April and unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, the two leading contenders will then go through to a second round on 7 May.
So who are the candidates and what are the issues likely to decide this election?
On the far right, the National Front's Marine Le Pen appears to have achieved more electoral success since distancing herself from some of her father's more extreme xenophobic policies.
Latest opinion polls show Ms Le Pen is ahead of the other four candidates in the first round - though a long way short of 50% - and is therefore likely to get through to the run-off.
In 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen got through to the second round, but lost to Jacques Chirac.
Opinion polls currently suggest Marine Le Pen would be defeated in the second round by Emmanuel Macron. Without the backing of a traditional political party, the former economy minister, who has never held an elected office, is standing as a centrist candidate.
The previous front-runner, centre-right Republican Francois Fillon, has lost support over allegations his wife and children were paid public money for jobs they never had.
Prosecutors have launched a full judicial inquiry into the affair but he has survived an attempt within his party to replace him as candidate.
Socialist and former education minister Benoit Hamon, with a reputation as a left-wing rebel, has a plan to introduce a universal income which would be rolled out initially to those on a modest income, being expanded to all French citizens some time after 2022.
Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has the backing of the French Communist Party and stood unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2012.
One of the overriding issues facing French voters is unemployment - with at least one in four people aged under 25 unemployed.
The national rate stood at 10% in the last quarter of 2016 and according to the French official statistics office, Insee, it fell over the year by just 0.2%.
Latest unemployment figures for the European Union show France had the 8th highest jobless rate out of the 28 member states in December - and more than double that of Germany and the UK.
Last year's slight fall in the jobless rate came too late for President Francois Hollande, who had staked his reputation on creating more jobs during his time in office. Faced with very low ratings in the polls, he pulled out of the election race - the first French president not to run for a second term in modern history.
The problem of reducing unemployment will now fall to his successor.
The French economy is the second-biggest in the eurozone - but its recovery from the financial crisis of 2008 has been slow.
One of Mr Hollande's key policies was a new labour law, intended to help boost the economy by giving firms greater freedom to increase regular working hours, reduce pay and lay off workers.
But measures were watered down to get the bill through and the hoped-for improvements in the economy have not yet materialised.
France's economy, measured in terms of its Gross Domestic Product, has continued to lag behind its closest European neighbours, Germany and Britain.
All the leading candidates have argued that deep changes are needed in the French economy.
Security and immigration are also high on the agenda in this election.
France is still in a state of emergency following a number of terror attacks, including 14 July last year when 86 people died as a lorry ploughed into a crowd in Nice celebrating Bastille Day.
More than 230 people have died in terror attacks in France since January 2015.
Hundreds of young French Muslims are known to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State. Interior ministry figures say almost 700 French citizens are still in the region - although numbers have dropped off in the past year.
Some of the perpetrators of the Paris attacks in November 2015 are known to have travelled to Syria - French officials fear others who have been radicalised may now return to France to commit further atrocities.
Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in France as a result of the crisis which began in 2015, largely as a result of people fleeing the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
France received more than 85,000 applications for asylum in 2016 - more than 5,800 came from Syria. Although the figure has been rising steadily, the number of asylum-seekers applying to stay in France is lower than other European countries like Germany.
Official figures from 2014 show 8.9% of the 65.8m French population were immigrants. The figure has risen by 0.8% since 2006.
There is no official breakdown of the figures, as it is illegal in France to collect data on race and religion, but there are thought to be about five million Muslims living in France, the biggest Muslim population in the EU.
The majority of France's Muslim population live in the poorer suburbs of big cities like Paris, Marseille and Lyon, where unemployment is much higher than the national average.
The National Front has made treatment of immigrants one of its key policy issues - saying jobs, welfare, housing and school places should go to French nationals before "foreigners". A Pew Research Center survey in 2016 indicated that 29% of French adults viewed Muslims unfavourably.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39038685
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.